St. Louis on the Air
St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis on the Air creates a unique space where guests and listeners can share ideas and opinions with respect and honesty. Whether exploring issues and challenges confronting our region, discussing the latest innovations in science and technology, taking a closer look at our history or talking with authors, artists and musicians, St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 8, 2021 • 17min
BioSTL invested in Benson Hill when it needed money. Now it’s worth $2 billion
Ag-tech startup Benson Hill is now a publicly traded company worth $2 billion. Charlie Bolten of BioGenerator explains how BioSTL helped the St. Louis company get its start — and go public in less than a decade.
Oct 8, 2021 • 16min
Wealthy neighborhoods attract more biodiversity in St. Louis. It’s called the ‘luxury effect’
More money, more animals. Washington University scientist Solny Adalsteinsson explains how St. Louis topped the list in a recent study looking at the “luxury effect” across 20 cities — and why that’s not a good thing.
Oct 7, 2021 • 27min
STL.works helps St. Louisans land well-paid jobs, no college required
A two-year-old initiative from the Regional Business Council aims to recruit, train and mentor kids for skilled labor jobs as early as high school. Leader Art McCoy discusses its impetus -- and the big payday for people who participate.
Oct 7, 2021 • 18min
‘A Culinary History of Missouri’ explores the history of what we ate and how we cooked it
Author Suzanne Corbett discusses her new book detailing the “foodways and iconic dishes” of the Show Me State — and shatters some myths about famous St. Louis food innovations.
Oct 6, 2021 • 19min
How Steph Del Rosso turned anger into laughter in 'The Gradient'
Playwright Steph Del Rosso discusses her play about a startup that aims to rehabilitate men accused of sexual misconduct. “The Gradient” makes its world premiere at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.
Oct 6, 2021 • 14min
Why Jimiyu — and orangutans and big cats too — are getting COVID-19 shots
The St. Louis Zoo is vaccinating mammals against COVID-19, including chimpanzees, orangutans, lemurs, foxes and most of the zoo’s big cats. Dr. Sathya Chinnadurai explains why these species are being prioritized.
Oct 6, 2021 • 19min
St. Louis is overhauling its 911 system to fix long hold times
Wait times for 911 calls in St. Louis far exceed national standards. Interim Public Safety Director Dan Isom explains the complicated process of merging three dispatch centers to one and how that could fit into expanding the Cops and Clinicians program.
Oct 5, 2021 • 23min
Local unions face uncertainty after Carpenters union shutters St. Louis regional council
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters was long a political powerhouse in the St. Louis region — but now the organization has shuttered its St. Louis office and moved leadership to Chicago. Two experts analyze possible reasons for the shakeup and explore the potential fallout.
Oct 5, 2021 • 15min
Wash U scientists to continue Mars research with $11.8 million NASA contract renewal
Most of what mankind knows about Mercury, Venus, Mars and Earth’s moon sits on servers in St. Louis thanks to researchers at Washington University. Earth and planetary sciences professor Raymond Arvidson discusses his department's latest $11.8 million contract renewal with NASA.
Oct 5, 2021 • 15min
Rams and Kroenke again try to move trial outside St. Louis in ‘extraordinary’ challenge
Former Missouri Appellate Court Judge Booker Shaw discusses the latest Hail Mary attempt by Stan Kroenke and the NFL — and why even a loss may not be enough to stop their efforts to move the trial from St. Louis
