St. Louis On The Air

The August edition of our new restaurant round-up covers spots in St. Louis, the Metro East, and Rolla: places that serve curries of the Indian, Himalayan, and Thai varieties; Instagram-worthy sandwiches; street-style Peruvian kebabs; and Palestinian beef and lamb burgers. The discussion includes local recommendations for delicious dumplings, and a case is made for dropping “underrated” to describe St. Louis’ food scene.

St. Louis is the sixth most dangerous city in the U.S. for fall migratory birds. Many species of birds are drawn to the light of the region’s urban areas, where their chances of colliding with a building increase. Longtime birder Matt Schamberger and St. Louis Audubon Society conservationist Matt Barton discuss ways to support migratory birds along their journey. They also share tips for unique species to look out for this fall migration season and the best spots for bird watching in the region.

Rosemary Woodruff Leary, a St. Louis native, was best known during her life as the wife of Harvard psychologist and LSD evangelist Timothy Leary. But a new book highlights Rosemary’s unsung role in that movement. Author Susannah Cahalan’s “The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary," uses diaries and Rosemary’s own writing to explore how she guided the public persona and mythmaking of Timothy Leary — including how Rosemary helped him escape prison to become international fugitives. Cahalan argues that Rosemary was so much more than a side character, but “a pioneer whose unacknowledged sacrifice helped safeguard an underground movement.”

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe isn’t just calling lawmakers back to Jefferson City to redraw the state’s congressional lines. He’s also urging lawmakers to make monumental changes to Missouri’s initiative petition system. Kehoe’s proposal would drastically raise the bar for some proposed constitutional amendments to be enacted. The idea has received strong support from Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Republican. Hoskins responds to points raised by the plan’s detractors and explains why he feels the proposal will fare well at the ballot box.

President Donald Trump and his staff have been pressuring Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and GOP lawmakers to engage in mid-decade redistricting ahead of next year’s elections. Missouri Republicans explicitly rejected a similar plan just three years ago, but Democrats expect those GOP lawmakers to change their mind. Democratic House Minority Leader Ashley Aune talks about the daunting challenge for her caucus during this special session, how Democrats plan to respond to the remapping plan, and whether it could actually boost her party’s prospects in the Kansas City area.

It’s estimated that up to 1,000 monkeys and apes are owned as pets in Missouri. Despite the challenges, and even dangers, of such ownership, pet primates are legal to own in the state. But most arrive in the U.S. through illegal smuggling operations. Animal advocates share the dark side of the exotic pet trade, why primates don’t make good pets, and the effort to end the illegal sale and trafficking of primates at the federal level.

After 46 years at KSDK Channel 5, veteran sports and news journalist Art Holliday has retired. Holliday shares stories about his earliest days in sports reporting, memorable moments with fans of the morning show he co-anchored for 22 years and reflections on ways the positions he held at KSDK informed his time as the station’s first ever Black news director.

The inaugural Free 4 All showcase this weekend features 100 local music acts. Co-founder of Free 4 All Joe Hess joins “St. Louis on the Air” to share the motivations behind curating Free 4 All. He also shares the emerging and well-known artists on the showcase. Hess is joined by hip-hop artist and one of the Free 4 All performers Tamara Dodd, who performs as Bates, to share her experience as an independent musician and what she’s looking forward to during the showcase on Saturday, September 6 and Sunday, September 7.

St. Louis mom Amanda Hausmann knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed with the demands of a career and parenthood. It’s why she left her job as an attorney to create MomMoment. The app connects moms who need support tackling everyday household tasks with other parents who are looking for flexible income. Hausmann discusses the demands of modern parenthood and why she believes labels like “stay at home mom” and “working mom” are divisive and insufficient.

A love of cookbooks inspired Sara Johnson and Stephanie McKinney to found Anchovy Book Co., a bite-sized, brick-and-mortar store on Cherokee Street that's just six feet wide. There are only about 20 cookbook-exclusive stores nationwide. Anchovy, which opened in November, is the first in the Midwest. We explore the store’s origin and the cookbooks that remain beloved by its founders. We also look at cookbook recommendations and local authors with St. Louis Magazine food writer Cheryl Baehr.

Rock music has its roots in Black culture and with his docuseries “They Called Me a Sellout: Being Black in the ‘White’ Rock & Roll Industry”, Chan Maurice Evans explores that history. The series features St. Louis legends like Bernie and Uvee Hayes, Steve Ewing, and rock icons like Ben Kenny of Incubus. The series centers Black artists in the rock genre and their experiences. Evans joins St. Louis on the Air to discuss how, after years of being called a “sellout” for being a Black rock artist, he made it his mission to show Black people that rock is rooted in Black culture.

More than 100 days ago, an EF3 tornado ripped through St. Louis. In the weeks since, volunteers have stepped up, frustrations have grown over slow recovery efforts and many residents are still struggling. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer reflects on the past 15 weeks and shares what her administration is doing to help the city move forward.

GOP leaders across the country are rallying around redistricting efforts at the encouragement of President Donald Trump. Detractors say this move is an attempt to help President Trump avoid accountability and maintain a slim Republican majority. STLPR political correspondent Jason Rosenbaum talked with Representative Bob Onder of Missouri’s third congressional district about the history of redistricting and what redrawing of district lines could mean for Missouri and Onder’s own district in St. Charles.

For the past 24 years, filmmakers from across the world got together for the annual 48Hr Film Project in a race to make the best 5 to 7 minute short film. From amateurs just out for a good time to working professionals in search of a challenge, no one is excluded from the festivities. The event kicked off on August 22nd at Bad Dog Pictures and concluded on Sunday with teams turning in their projects at 7am. The festival’s producer Ria Ruthsatz and 2 time winner Keith Kennedy about the importance of the festival and its global reach.

On August 20, Missouri changed its policies around placing inmates with HIV in solitary confinement. The change stems from a lawsuit filed by Honesty Bishop: In 2015, after she was the target of an attempted sexual assault by her cellmate in a Missouri prison, prison officials deemed Bishop “sexually active” and kept her in isolation for more than 2,000 days. Bishop took her own life before the suit could conclude. Her family took it over after her death. STLPR reporter Kavahn Mansouri and Marshall Project reporter Katie Moore share their insights from reporting on the case, including their interviews with Bishop’s family and analysis of Missouri’s prison policies.

St. Louis comedian Nikki Glaser’s star is on the rise. Her latest comedy special, “Someday You’ll Die,” broke an HBO streaming record, she earned rave reviews for roasting Tom Brady and she made history as the first woman to solo-host the Golden Globes. Glaser joins producer Emily Woodbury to talk about her skyrocketing career, being honored with her own bobblehead at Busch Stadium and why she still calls St. Louis home.

Missouri’s newly appointed Attorney General Catherine Hanaway is stepping into a complicated role that includes baggage of her three predecessors — Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt, and Andrew Bailey — who each left for higher office before finishing a full term. On this episode of the Legal Roundtable, our panel of expert attorneys discusses whether Hanaway can break new ground as AG. The roundtable also talks about the latest developments in the felony charges filed against County Executive Sam Page; a series of recent lawsuits targeting St. Louis businesses whose websites are allegedly not accessible to blind people; and a lawyer’s argument that Washington University police are not actually “law enforcement officers.”

One hundred days after an EF3 tornado tore through St. Louis, many residents are still living with boarded up homes, stalled insurance claims and frustration with getting government assistance. Central West End resident Ali Rand and Academy resident Monet Beatty each have damaged homes. They share how they forged an unexpected friendship in the aftermath of the storm.

STLPR reporters Kavahn Mansouri and Hiba Ahmad join the show to share what they’ve learned while covering the aftermath of the May 16 tornado. They discuss recovery efforts, the ripple effects across education and economic development, and where the city still faces major challenges.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world — from automating customer service to powering financial decisions — but it also raises urgent questions about ethics, policy, and the environment. Oliver Roberts, co-director of the WashU Law AI Collaborative, explains how policymakers are grappling with regulating AI. Then, STLPR senior environment reporter Kate Grumke talks about AI’s environmental footprint and shares how she recently used the technology in her own reporting.