St. Louis on the Air

The St. Louis Science Center is nationally recognized among museums and STEM institutions. Its new President and CEO physicist Ray Vandiver shared what he’s most excited for now that he’s at the helm of the Science Center in his hometown. He also reflects on a career dedicated to making science fun and accessible to all.

Over a four year period starting in 2021, St. Louis’ use of electronic monitoring for defendants awaiting trial more than doubled. Advocates say it’s a way to prevent overcrowding in jails and keep people from being imprisoned. But opponents say there have been technological mishaps, privacy concerns, and high costs — and that many people who are forced to wear the devices would have otherwise been out on cash bail. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris, a St. Louis-based journalist and investigative fellow for the New York Times, discusses her story on the topic which was co-published by the New York Times and STLPR.

For renowned fiddle player Liz Knowles of Portland, Maine, St. Louis Tionól is a must attend event each year. “It really parallels events that we've been to in Ireland,” she says. Knowles reflects on the annual festival and St. Louis' Irish music scene in this bonus podcast episode. For more on tionól events happening this weekend, and for a deep dive into St. Louis’ Irish music scene, check out our other recent podcast episode: Why St. Louis is home to one of the nation’s best Irish music scenes.

Teachers and students have spent years clashing over the presence of cellphones in the classroom. This year, schools in the St. Louis region rolled out new bans that restrict how, when, and where students can use their devices during the school day. To learn how cellphones are impacting schools, we turn to the Edwardsville School District: Here student advisors like junior Josie Proctor and senior Amulya Girada helped superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton craft the district’s new policy — including the consequences for breaking it.

Cara Spencer will become St. Louis’ 48th mayor when she’s inaugurated next Tuesday. Spencer, currently the 8th Ward alderwoman, soundly defeated incumbent Mayor Tishaura Jones by 28 points. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann talk about Tuesday’s election results — and Spencer called-in to discuss her victory and next steps.

Colson Whitehead, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys,” began his career as a journalist writing about television, books, and music. Whitehead is in St. Louis to accept the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award, presented annually by the St. Louis University Libraries. He discusses his work, its lasting resonance, and its adaptability to the screen.

St. Louis is a premiere destination for traditional Irish musicians from across the pond and throughout the U.S. We explore the people and institutions that have fostered the region’s Irish music scene since the 1970s and get a preview of this year’s St. Louis Tionól — an annual, four-day Irish arts and culture festival featuring music, dancing and community.

Two St. Louis chefs are finalists for James Beard awards. The recognition represents a milestone in two very different journeys: Vicia’s Jane Sacro Chatham, nominated for Emerging Chef, immigrated to St. Louis from the Philippines 17 years ago. Meanwhile, Balkan Treat Box's Loryn Nalic, nominated for Best Midwest Chef, started out working in a food truck. Chatham and Nalic discuss the significance of the award and their work at two of St. Louis’ top restaurants.

Sukanya Mani is a St. Louis-based, Indian-born interdisciplinary artist whose artwork reflects the struggles of immigrant and refugee women. Mani talks about her artistic approach behind installations that are being exhibited at the Gallery at the Kranzberg and being honored as the 2025 St. Louis Visionary Awards’ Community Impact Artist.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House has prompted some St. Louis-area residents to scale back their social media usage. Others, though, say they’ve used Facebook and X more since Trump was sworn in. Those residents share their thoughts — then, Amber Hinsley, a journalism professor at Texas State University, shares how digital and social media continue to transform journalistic practices. Hinsley formerly taught at St. Louis University.

Missouri lawmakers are deep in the process of crafting a budget for the 2026 fiscal year, and it’s been a much different experience than the past couple of legislative sessions. The Missouri House on Thursday approved a $47.9 billion state operating budget — about $3 billion less than last year’s budget. STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg discusses the budget crafting process and other legislative issues.

President Donald Trump’s promised tariffs have become a reality: This week, he announced a 10% tariff on all imported goods as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on specific countries. Economists and business owners across the globe are stunned at how high these taxes will be, and that reaction is also playing out in the St. Louis region. Shayn Prapaisilp, COO of Global Foods Group, told St. Louis on the Air that he expected high levies on products from some countries, but was “shocked” by other reciprocal tariffs. Prapaisilp shares his perspective on navigating Trump’s tariffs, the lack of local options for specialty food items, and the challenge of keeping his customers happy as prices rise.

The St. Louis Zoo’s youngest residents are (almost) ready for the spotlight. Jet, a four-month-old Asian elephant calf, is weeks away from making his public debut. Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, zoological manager at the St. Louis Zoo's River's Edge, shares her insights into Jet’s development and family dynamic with his mother, Jade. We also talk with Curator of Carnivores Julie Hartell DeNardo about the details behind the zoo’s recent swap of polar bear Kali, who came to St. Louis in 2015, for twin polar bear cubs Kallik and Kallu.

Mental wellness and access to healthy food are areas with ample room for improvement in the St. Louis region — that’s according to community members who participated in a recent survey led by SSM Health. We discuss some solutions to those challenges, including a behavioral health urgent care clinic that aims to better meet the mental health needs of residents and a bread basket program that helps alert care providers whose patients may be experiencing food or nutritional insecurity.

Civil rights investigations have been cancelled in the wake of mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education and shuttering of civil rights offices nationwide. The move has put thousands of open civil rights investigations in jeopardy — hundreds of which originated in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Reporter Kavahn Mansouri of the Midwest Newsroom will discuss his recent reporting on the uncertain future of those investigations. Attorney Sarah Jane Hunt shares her insight into how these civil rights investigations functioned before the cuts and the chaos now moving through that system.

You can’t get a reservation at one of Midtown’s newest watering holes. And, to get in, you go through the biergarten at Urban Chestnut Midtown. There’s a small hut the brewery serves beer from during the summer. Go behind that, and you’ll find a waiting room and a black door. If the red light is on, go in. In our monthly restaurant episode, STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico discuss new speakeasies around town as well as the latest restaurant openings and closings.

Coldwater Creek lies at the heart of one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. It’s also where Jim Gaffney played as a child growing up in north St. Louis County. “We thought we'd stay there the rest of our lives. We had no idea we were swimming in uranium waste,” said Gaffney, who has battled multiple cancer diagnoses throughout his life. Gaffney and other former residents of Coldwater Creek spoke with journalist Mike Fitzgerald, who joined “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss his recent reporting. Along with Fitzgerald, Dawn Chapman, co-founder of the group Just Moms STL, shared her insight and takeaways from the recent visit to the West Lake Landfill by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin.

University City-based author Sarah Kendzior’s latest book is “The Last American Road Trip.” The memoir, which comes out Tuesday, showcases how America’s ravishing national parks and historic roadways cannot get away from political instability, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and myth breaking realities of America’s past.

Inches from Glory’s latest EP “Changing Course” is a display of Blake Mickens, Marty Aubuchon and CJ Schriber’s appreciation for emo and personal growth as musicians. The trio shared their creative process and their excitement for the greater punk scene in St. Louis.

The selections for this month’s music show takes us back to our punk days in school, on a trip to an island and connects us with nature. Jill “DJ Jillian” Firns and music reviewer Jonathan Rahul, along with producer Miya Norfleet, discuss the reasoning behind their music picks and an explanation of how it makes them feel.