St. Louis on the Air

A Missouri inmate who fought his death sentence up until the final hour of his life was executed on Tuesday by the state of Missouri. Kevin Johnson, 37, died by lethal injection. He had been sentenced to death in 2005 for murdering Kirkwood Police Sergeant William McEntee as a teenager. A special prosecutor claimed that racial bias infected Johnson’s conviction and judgment. We talk with Riverfront Times staff writer Monica Obradovic about this story.

Elaine Cha begins as host of "St. Louis on the Air" on Thursday. We’re excited! She has a wealth of community engagement and journalism experience. Most recently she came from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri where she was the senior manager of external communications and before that, for nearly five years, the nonprofit’s founding storyteller and journalist. Her media experience includes work for Nine PBS in St. Louis and KPCC in Southern California. Listen to hear about how she’s approaching the role as host of STLPR’s flagship show.

Opera Theatre of St. Louis is on a mission to introduce opera to younger audiences. This year they connected with third grade students from Jefferson Elementary in the Normandy Schools Collaborative to write an original libretto that they’ll perform Tuesday night. Opera Theatre of St. Louis teaching artist Valerie Smith and Normandy Schools Collaborative’s fine arts director Suzanne Palmer discuss their collaboration along with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

On November 9, Bobby Bostic walked out of the Algoa Correctional Center in Jefferson City. Outside the gates, he embraced retired judge Evelyn Baker, who in 1997 sentenced Bostic to an astonishing prison term: 241 years. Without a chance for parole, the sentence effectively doomed Bostic to death behind bars. But that’s not what happened. After his release on November 9, Bostic discusses the path of his unlikely freedom, which included a reunion, and forgiveness, for the judge who sentenced him to more than two centuries’ imprisonment.

Seventeen years after killing a Kirkwood Police officer, Kevin Johnson has been given a date with the executioner. He’s scheduled to die by lethal injection Nov. 29. Now he’s making what’s likely his final plea to avoid execution. The special prosecutor on his case now wants the Missouri Supreme Court to put a halt to his death sentence. Analyzing the case is our Legal Roundtable of expert attorneys: Mark Smith, a former associate vice chancellor and Dean at Washington University; Erin Lueker, previously a public defender for St. Louis County and a prosecuting attorney for the state of Missouri; and Erin Banks, former St. Louis City Counselor.

Andy Taylor, son of Enterprise Holdings founder Jack Taylor, talks about ‘Jack Taylor: The Enterprise’ documentary and his father’s life and legacy.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Marva Robinson discusses how to navigate complex family dynamics and hot button topics that may come up during gatherings this holiday season.

Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter has users of the social media platform bracing for the app’s downfall. In St. Louis, activists and journalists that have been heavy users of Twitter since the police shooting death of Michael Brown, Jr. are concerned about the future of the app and the potential loss of how everyday people could lose power in social movements. Action St. Louis co-founder and executive director Kayla Reed and New York Times bestselling author Sarah Kendzior discuss how Twitter has shaped the narrative about St. Louis, the Ferguson uprising, and the ways social media impacts policy.

Megan Green was sworn in as St. Louis Board of Aldermen President on Friday. She joins us today to discuss her priorities and agenda for the next five months she will serve in the position.

Roughly a year after a landmark settlement over the St. Louis Rams’ departure to Los Angeles, the parties involved in the lawsuit still haven’t agreed how to split up more than $500 million. STLPR Political Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses what's next including an idea to place the funds into something resembling an endowment — an idea that’s gotten a mixed reaction from policymakers.