

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

Jul 16, 2025 • 16min
Red Lantern City Night Market spotlights Asian cultures, and community, in St. Louis
Red Lantern City Night Market began in St. Louis in 2021 as a response to community needs brought on by the pandemic. Red Lantern founder and chef Heidi Hamamura of Taberu STL, co-organizer Mike Ly of Cafe Saigon, and longtime co-organizer Dorrie Levy talk about the event’s origins, development and broad community appeal. Red Lantern City Night Market — described as “part carnival, part bazaar, part block party” — returns to St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood on July 19.

Jul 16, 2025 • 34min
STL Baby teeth study from 1960s links radiation and cancers in adults to Coldwater Creek
On Wednesday a new study by Harvard researchers unveiled new evidence that people who lived near Coldwater Creek as children have a higher than normal risk of developing cancer later in life. Researchers used donated baby teeth from 4,209 participants of the St. Louis Baby Tooth Survey (1958-1970) to assess exposure — and scientists, using the results of self-reported cancer diagnoses, found that incidences of cancer increased in people who lived closer to the creek. The study’s lead author, Marc Weisskopf, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, joins Elaine Cha and STLPR health reporter Sarah Fentem to discuss the new findings, and what they tell us about St. Louis’ nuclear past, present and future.

Jul 15, 2025 • 22min
Josalynn Smith’s directorial debut ‘Ride or Die’ to play at St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
Cinema St. Louis’ Filmmakers Showcase returns this weekend to celebrate St. Louis directors and films set in the St. Louis area. Josalynn Smith, director of the Jamie Foxx-backed thriller “Ride or Die,” joined “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss her directorial debut and how her personal experiences with relationships, favorite films and St. Louis' architecture inspired the film.

Jul 15, 2025 • 28min
Why NPR’s Ari Shapiro won’t sing on the air — but will in St. Louis this weekend
As a host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Ari Shapiro moves easily between breaking news and delightfully quirky stories. When he’s off the air, he performs cabaret. This Saturday, he brings his solo show to St. Louis City Winery. Shapiro talks about the performance, how he balances his artistic and journalistic sides — and why he was once banned from playing the tambourine on stage.

Jul 14, 2025 • 18min
New book celebrates 125 years of wrestling and cheap beer at South Broadway Athletic Club
South Broadway Athletic Club is a long standing home for boxing, wrestling and cheap beer. In 2024 they celebrated their 125 year legacy with a deep dive into the archives. Those archives were collected into a book released this summer.

Jul 14, 2025 • 33min
After Missouri’s RECA’s expansion, scams are moving faster than the government
The expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act is a watershed moment for activists and an unusual example of political collaboration. Just Moms STL co-founders Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel discuss what the expansion of RECA means for those sickened by Manhattan Project-era radioactive waste dumped in the St. Louis region, and STLPR politics reporter Jason Rosenbaum explains how Missouri arrived at this moment.

Jul 11, 2025 • 24min
Missouri Future Caucus wants to be proactive about disaster response and AI
As President Donald Trump suggests cuts and restructuring of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — including bringing it “to the state level" — Missouri Rep. Colin Wellenkamp is focused on how the state can prepare for such a possibility. He chairs the Missouri House Future Caucus, a bipartisan group focused on how the state can prepare for long-term challenges. The St. Charles Republican and his fellow caucus member, Democratic Rep. Marty Joe Murray of St. Louis, discuss the group’s goal to make the state more resilient to emerging challenges like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, grid integrity and natural disasters.

Jul 11, 2025 • 26min
Missouri Republicans say it’s a ‘mistake’ to cut tax that funds Medicaid. Trump’s bill did just that
President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” introduces some of the most significant changes to Medicaid in years. But advocates warn that new documentation requirements and restrictions on a key tax that helps fund the program could jeopardize health care access for Missourians. This episode unpacks how the sweeping budget package is fueling uncertainty for Missouri’s budget and rural hospitals. STLPR health reporter Sarah Fentem joins the conversation.

Jul 10, 2025 • 22min
In its sixth year, WerQfest’s centering of Black queer expression is more critical than ever
Tre’von Griffith and his husband founded WerQfest in 2020 as a passion project. Their dream was to create a festival that centers Black queer art, entertainment and community — a grand display of representation in a way they had not seen before. July 12 will be WerQfest’s sixth year, and the production team now fully realize how important their work has been to the St. Louis region. Griffith and WerQfest producer and performer Deion Golliday share their reflections of the festival’s legacy so far, their experiences creating music as Black queer men and what’s in store for this year.

Jul 10, 2025 • 28min
The last generation to see fireflies? The future hinges on our choices
People report that they’re seeing more lightning bugs now than in years past, but the long-term health of the species is at risk from light pollution, pesticides and habitat loss. We talk about the preservation of fireflies and other insects with entomologists Tad Yankoski of the Missouri Botanical Garden Butterfly House and Emily Althoff of MU Extension.