St. Louis on the Air

A ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court this week opened a path for courts to eliminate the use of cash bail as a condition for release before trial. The decision gives courts two months to prepare for the shift to end cash bail in mid-September. Chief Circuit Court Judge Andrew Gleeson says the time frame is akin to “turning the Titanic,” but he’s also hopeful the change may lead to greater equity in the courts. Community organizer Marie Franklin feels the justice system is “finally moving in a direction that we should be moving in.” Alexa Van Brunt, director of the MacArthur Justice Center’s Illinois office, also joins the discussion to share the challenges this new law may bring, as well as the potential positive effects for public safety and community well being.

Appointed by Gov. Mike Parson, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore has been on the job as the city’s top prosecutor since May 30. He took over after Kim Gardner resigned earlier than expected. In his first six weeks on the job, Gore has increased staffing levels and begun to deal with a backlog of cases. In this extended interview, he discusses that and much more, including how he’s appointed outside counsel to handle the Christopher Dunn innocence case.

St. Louis’ Office of Violence Prevention partners with several non-profits that tackle the systemic causes behind violence. Among other resources, organizations provide quality mental health services, supportive re-entry for former offenders and harm reduction. Director Wil Pinkney shares how St. Louisans can get involved.

St. Louis has 16 sister city relationships. The oldest was formed more than six decades ago with Stuttgart, Germany; the most recent, with Rosario, Argentina. We talk with the people who maintain St. Louis’ connection with Rosario and a city called St. Louis in Senegal, and discuss the umbrella organization that houses all 16 sister city relationships.

On July 8, 113 costumed singers belted out the melody to Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” in a choreographed, frenetic performance that ultimately won gold at the International Barbershop Harmony Society Convention — the fifth championship for the St. Charles-based Ambassadors of Harmony barbershop chorus. The chorus’ co-directors, Jim Henry and Jonny Moroni, recount how they planned and pulled together for the competition, and the enduring popularity of barbershop chorus.

Thousands of previously unreleased documents reveal the federal government knew about the dangers of radioactive waste in the St. Louis area but consistently downplayed them. Reporter Allison Kite talks about government negligence and advocate Dawn Chapman shares how the revelations could put needed pressure on federal agencies to finally clean up.

In her new book, “Pop Culture Happy Hour” co-host Aisha Harris shares her experiences as a Black, suburban 90s-kid turned-30-something, city-dwelling journalist while digging into the shifting ways we interact with pop culture — and how it touches us in ways we may not even realize.

Before it was a shopping center, the area occupied by the Promenade at Brentwood was known as Evans Howard Place. On July 8, a new memorial was unveiled in the shopping center. Former resident Allison Reed shares her experience growing up there, and writer and researcher Beth Miller discusses the history of Evans Howard Place, and why a previous memorial was seen as an insufficient way to honor the neighborhood that had existed there for 90 years.

In late June, a four-alarm fire destroyed the converted church that housed Sk8 Liborious, a beloved indoor skate park and gathering place in north St. Louis. The picture of long term recovery for Sk8 Liborius is still unclear. Its leaders had put together a nonprofit organization hoping to become a community center and provide opportunities for teens to gain technical career skills and discover artistic talent. Now Sk8 Liborious has to answer the question: What’s next?

At the All-Star break the St. Louis Cardinals are in last place in the NL Central and are on track for their worst finish in nearly a century. MLB.com columnist Will Leitch discusses the Cardinals’ woes and how the second half may unfold. Leitch is also a contributing editor for New York Magazine and the founding editor of Deadspin.