St. Louis on the Air

Four years after its founding, St. Louis’ Office of Violence Prevention is still working to address the causes of violence — and trying to stop it before it happens. In November, the city named the office’s new director, Marvin Teer, Jr. A former judge and prosecutor, Teer shares some of his experiences from three decades in the criminal justice system. He also addresses the likely impact of losing access to millions of dollars in federal funding when the American Rescue Plan Act expires at the end of the year. Teer says the change will affect more than 40 programs: “Our mission will go on,” he says, “but just in a very limited, or, at least in a reduced manner.” Joining Teer is James Watson, director of the nonprofit Show Me Peace, who discusses examples of how violence can be interrupted and how OVP creates an “ecosystem” of programs addressing its root causes.

Late winter is notoriously slow for restaurants. Fortunately, the St. Louis area saw many more openings than closures in February. The STLPR food crew convenes to share what’s new in the dining scene, including a literary pub in Rolla and a kosher deli in Clayton. They also discuss the joys of solo dining and the differences between biscuits and scones.

A long stay in the hospital often means dealing with fear and boredom. But for expectant mothers who find themselves hospitalized for weeks to monitor their pregnancies, they face isolation at a time when they need support the most. In 2024, more than 7,400 babies born in Missouri — or 11% — were preterm, before 37 weeks gestation. In St. Louis, a rare antepartum arts program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is "meant to bridge the gap between hospital rooms," writes Missouri Independent health reporter Anna Spoerre. Spoerre's Feb. 23 story explored the hospital's 15-year-old antepartum program, which is the only one of its kind in the Midwest. Emily Paino-Brenneman, the program’s coordinator, talks about the program and why it's drawing attention from other states. We also learn about the origins of the program (and how art can be an important part of the healing process) with the program's recently retired founder, Sarah Colby.

What a lawyer says to the media can have consequences at trial. St. Louis saw an example of that after a comment last week on St. Louis on the Air contributed to a judge declaring a mistrial in a high-profile trial this week. On this Legal Roundtable edition of the program, our panel of expert attorneys reacts to the decision and addresses the risk of talking to reporters about a pending case. One panelist confirmed the ruling is already making an impact: “It will have a chilling effect on my willingness to talk to the media.” The panel also discusses an unusual lawsuit involving a police officer facing formal discipline for sending a reply-all email, the legal status of gas station gambling machines, and more.

What happens when a border becomes more than just a line on a map? We feature Episode 2 of STLPR’s podcast, “Meet Me,” exploring life along the St. Louis city-county border. It’s the second half of our deep dive into the Great Divorce, the decision 150 years ago that split the region into city and county. We also revisit the ambitious Better Together proposal from 2019 that sought to merge the two — why it failed and what its collapse reveals about power, trust, race and regional identity. Later, “Meet Me” host and lead producer Luis Antonio Perez and engagement producer Paola Rodriguez join the show.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, progressive disorder with no cure, and its rate of incidence in the Midwest is one of the highest in the country. We explore why — including new research that shows a strong link between exposure to a widely used herbicide and the development of the disease. Journalist Mike Fitzgerald shares how East St. Louis became a battleground against the chemical giant that produces the herbicide and how the Trump administration’s cuts to biomedical funding could have big repercussions for people focused on a cure. We also hear from two St. Louis residents who live with the condition.

For the second year in a row, the Annie Malone May Day Parade has been postponed. To understand why the event has been such a beloved St. Louis tradition, we revisit a March 2025 conversation about Annie Malone: the namesake of the parade who was the country’s first Black female millionaire, and a philanthropic and cultural force.

Tennis begins at “love,” but it hasn’t always welcomed everyone. In 1945, St. Louis teacher and coach Richard Hudlin sued to desegregate the city’s courts. He wasn’t successful, but his lawsuit helped pave the way for the eventual end to segregation. A skilled player himself, Hudlin went on to coach legends Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson as they broke tennis’s color barriers. Public historians Cicely Hunter and Amanda Clark of the Missouri Historical Society discuss Hudlin’s legacy and lasting impact. (Editor’s note: After publication, we learned that Richard Hudlin’s 1945 lawsuit to desegregate St. Louis tennis courts and tournaments was not successful, because the Municipal Athletic Association was a private club that could choose its own members. Hudlin’s lawsuit and his ongoing fight for equal access, however, were instrumental in shaping the future of tennis in St. Louis and eventual desegregation of the city’s recreational facilities in 1950.)

The James Beard Awards annually recognize the best of America’s dining scene. Chef Alex Henry of El Molino del Sureste is a 2026 semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest. The honor brings national attention to the Yucatecan cuisine he and his co-owner, and brother, Jeff Henry bring to St. Louis. In this episode, they talk about the significance of this milestone, their culinary philosophies and the journey – including many childhood summers in Yucatán – that brought them to this point.

Missouri Republicans gathered in Springfield this past weekend for Lincoln Days, the biggest gathering of the year for the state party. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum spent the weekend talking with GOP officials, consultants and activists – and found that the party is weighing how a bad national environment could affect key ballot initiatives and competitive state legislative races. Listen to Rosenbaum’s reporting on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”