St. Louis on the Air

In the city of St. Louis, primary elections frequently have bigger consequences than general ones. But one item St. Louis voters will see on their Nov. 3 ballots could change that pattern in a big way: Proposition D. Touted by proponents as a minor change for voters that would mean big improvement for St. Louis, the measure would establish a nonpartisan election system for the offices of mayor, comptroller, the president of the Board of Aldermen and alderman.

For evidence of the coronavirus pandemic’s wide-ranging toll on society, monthly jobs reports and quarterly GDP numbers are go-to sources of information — and highly credible ones. But for a more granular, real-time sense of the extent of community needs, a group of researchers at Washington University has been looking elsewhere: at 211 calls.

In her new children’s book "Ruth’s River Dreams," historian Elizabeth A. Pickard re-imagines the life of river historian and educator Ruth Ferris, who lived from 1891–1993. Ferris made it her life’s work to study Missouri’s waterways — particularly the Mississippi River.

When part of the Lemp Brewery collapsed this past weekend, it didn’t just destroy hundreds of bicycles. It also turned 160 years of history to dust. We checked in with the nonprofit whose inventory was crushed, as well as a local historian.

In July, the Greater St. Louis Labor Council voted to oppose the airport privatization plan being put before city voters, even though the carpenters' union is a major backer. President Pat White explains why.

Six years after Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson police officer, his death continues to generate debate. St. Louis on the Air’s Legal Roundtable discussed St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell’s decision to reopen and then close the case, as well as the lawsuit filed by a grand juror seeking to expose what happened in the criminal probe into Brown’s death.

For 20 years, Donna Lochman has driven the streets and alleyways of St. Louis, looking for stray dogs — and sometimes a cat — to rescue from harm's way. On Monday’s St. Louis on the Air, we ride along with Lochman to learn more about her work as a rescuer for Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

Growing up, Vic Svec of Belleville, Illinois, knew his father’s origin story as a ripped-from-the-headlines mystery — one that would probably never be solved. But 86 years later, thanks to DNA and online sleuthing, he and his family cracked the case. He explains how.

Mvstermind — the performing name of St. Louis native Muhammad Austin — talks about how he lyrically skates past personal anxieties and overcoming universal troubles in "GEMS." He discusses the trajectory of his artistry and what it’s like pulling together projects when a pandemic halts production.

A new study published in the Nature Connections journal looks at the particular phenomenon of brood parasites. These are birds that try to trick other birds into raising their eggs. They parasitize other nests by “squatting and dropping” their eggs there instead of using their own. Washington University assistant professor in biology Carlos Botero explains why birds do this in the first place and how it impacts Missouri’s ecology.