St. Louis on the Air

Robert Cohen recently retired after a 38-year career, the last 25 years spent at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Cohen was part of a team of Post photographers who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2015 for their work covering the Ferguson protests. Cohen reflects on his famous photo of Edward ‘Skeeda’ Crawford throwing a tear gas canister during the protests, and other moments from his career in journalism.

Essence Anthony’s passion for art started when she was a kid, but she stopped painting as she grew older. She was recently diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which brought her back to her love of painting. She shares what it’s like to live with the disorder, how she navigates her challenges through a creative outlet and how she uses her art to raise awareness about the disorder.

After losing reelection in April, former St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones says she wants to take a break from politics. It’s the first time in the last 20 years that she hasn’t held elected office. Talking with STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann and Jason Rosenbaum, Jones reflects on her four years as mayor and the state of Black leadership in St. Louis and around the country.

The St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church in north St. Louis received $500,000 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to restore its 120-year-old stained glass windows. Acting pastor Rev. Rodney Olive and longtime parishioner Monica Huddleston share what that grant funding means for the historic, predominantly Black church that’s endured more than its share of building damage — and why the preservation work is important for the community around the church.

After the Trump administration revoked thousands of student visas, including over 30 in the St. Louis area, some students prepared themselves for possible deportation and loss of their education. Now that the government has restored those visas, St. Louis immigration attorney Jim Hacking shares his insights from the recent whiplash in legal developments — and why lawsuits filed to defend international students aren’t going away.

Linda Lockhart, a longtime St. Louis journalist, with a more than 40-year career died Sunday. She was 72. Lockhart worked at several St. Louis journalism outlets including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Public Radio. In this episode, we listen back to an interview she did on this show in 2019 reflecting on her career. We also hear from others including her daughter, Rachel Seward, and STLPR afternoon newscaster Marissanne Lewis-Thompson.

In 2024, nearly 60 pedestrians in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County were killed — the deadliest year on record since Trailnet began issuing its annual Crash Report. We discuss the reasons behind these crashes, the effects of traffic violence on the people who experience it, and the solutions being put in place to make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

St. Louisan Henry “Mule” Townsend is a legend among blues lovers and music historians. Almost 19 years after his death, Townsend is being inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in Memphis, TN. Music manager and Townsend’s youngest son Alonzo, and Kathy Corley, producer of the documentary film “That’s The Way I Do It” which covers Townsend’s life and music career, share what Townsend’s induction to the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame means for his legacy, for blues music and culture, and for St. Louis.

After the city of Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces on April 30, 1975, Tram Anh Nguyen’s family was among the first Vietnamese refugees to make their new home in St. Louis. Nguyen talks about producing "The Fall of Saigon: 50 Years Later,” which explores the impact of the war in Vietnam — and its end — on St. Louis-area based refugees, sponsor families and U.S. veterans. The “Five on Your Side” KSDK special airs May 6 and will be available to stream on its 5+ app thereafter.

President Trump’s decision to appoint former Missouri lawyer Ed Martin as U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., sparked surprise, befuddlement and virulent opposition. ProPublica investigative reporter Jeremy Kohler discusses how Martin became a high-profile political figure in the Show Me State — in no small part due to his provocative public statements and pugnacious personality.