St. Louis on the Air

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.

When severe storms tore through the St. Louis area on March 14, local meteorologists played a critical role in keeping residents safe. KMOV First Alert 4 Chief Meteorologist Steve Templeton was on-air for hours, tracking tornadoes and delivering life-saving updates — even as one storm forced him to move to a safer studio. Templeton recounts that intense night, the challenges of broadcasting during extreme weather, and answers listener questions.

When severe storms tore through the St. Louis area on March 14, local meteorologists played a critical role in keeping residents safe. KMOV First Alert 4 Chief Meteorologist Steve Templeton was on-air for hours, tracking tornadoes and delivering life-saving updates — even as one storm forced him to move to a safer studio. Templeton recounts that intense night, the challenges of broadcasting during extreme weather, and answers listener questions.

A Missouri appeals court has dealt a major defeat to ride-sharing app Lyft in the case of a driver who was slain while on the job. The implications of the case could open other tech companies to potentially “billions of dollars in damages,” says attorney Dave Roland, who joins this month’s Legal Roundtable. Roland is joined by attorney Eric Banks and former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce. They also discuss recent criminal charges against former presidential candidate Jill Stein, a 10-year battle over open records, and an effort to raise the pay of juries.

Modern agriculture systems systems have helped increase bird flu’s ability to move between wild and domesticated animal populations, and humans, over recent years. That’s according to wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist Dr. Sharon Deem of the St. Louis Zoo, who says that better recognition of how human health is dependent on animal health would go a long way toward limiting the spread of pathogens for all species.

Mother-daughter duo Arika Parr and Ava Johnson talk about the opening night of ‘But What Can You Do?’ play at the Sun Theater. The play is based on the book co-written and published by the duo. Parr and Johnson share the inspiration behind the book and the process of getting the book adapted into a play. Local actress and lead of the play, Aloha Mischeaux, shares how it feels to be a part of the play and entertain children with a positive message.

Earlier this month, more than 100 people gathered in a St. Louis church for a legal clinic on powers of attorney. The event was just one example of ways LGBTQ people are confronting an uncertain future regarding their legal rights — including what it would mean for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. Attorneys Sara Marler and Ramona Gao discuss the current legal landscape and why LGBTQ couples should consider obtaining a power of attorney. We also talk about the risks trans people are facing with Merrique Jensen, executive director of the Kansas City-based nonprofit Transformations.

As a boy growing up in a small town outside Champaign, Illinois, Brad Dean recalls being awestruck when his family visited St. Louis on his first vacation. His career journey over the next several decades took him to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and to Puerto Rico. Earlier this month, Dean took the top job at Explore St. Louis, the organization responsible for marketing the region to convention-goers and tourists. STLPR’s Abby Llorico talks with Dean about the challenges and opportunities ahead, and then talks with STLPR reporter Eric Schmid about development in downtown St. Louis.

Robbie Daymond was bitten by the acting bug at a young age. The Warrenton, MO native has gone from the stage to the recording booth, bringing life to animated characters like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Japanese anime fan favorites including “Sailor Moon” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” and a host of video games across several genres. He stars in Netflix’s new animated series “Devil May Cry” which premieres April 3. In this encore episode of “St. Louis on the Air,” Daymond discussed his career, the art of voice acting, and some of his favorite characters.

After 27 years of incarceration, Bobby Bostic walked out of prison in 2022. Bostic was sentenced to 241 years for a robbery he committed in 1995 at just 16 years old. In the year after gaining his freedom, Bostic continued writing — a passion introduced to him while in prison — and now teaches youth in St. Louis’ juvenile detention centers. In this encore of “St. Louis of the Air,” we revisit host Elaine Cha’s conversation with Bostic from 2023 about life since his release and the experience of teaching young people in the same detention centers he spent his teenage years.