St. Louis on the Air

A new shop in Rolla, Missouri, aims to make typewriters a more appreciated — and regularly used — mode of communication. Owners Amanda and Shane Byrne discuss what inspired them to open Clickety Clack Typewriters and why it’s a store, workshop, museum and community space all in one. They also share stories about the people and machines they’ve come to know through the shop.

Sara Bannoura, the research and storytelling program manager for Food City, breaks down what contributes to food insecurity in parts of the St. Louis region and how Food City is helping to decrease it.

The documentary film “Silence in Sikeston” juxtaposes two instances of violence and interrupted justice. The first is the 1942 lynching of Cleo Wright, a Black man accused of stabbing a white woman. Then the 2020 police shooting death of Denzel Taylor who was killed outside his family’s home after a violent altercation with his father. Both killings left mental and emotional scars on their families and in Sikeston, Missouri, which is just a two hour drive south of St. Louis. Producer and KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony shares what she learned from the film’s production and how justice and public health go hand-in-hand.

In the late 1940s, the Lustron Corporation presented a solution to the post-war housing crisis: A prefabricated, all-steel home. Around 2,500 were made in the U.S., thanks to a government grant, but the company went bankrupt in 1950. Today, just thirteen Lustron homes remain in St. Louis, including a newly restored, 3-bedroom home. Kaleb Higgins, who has spent months restoring the home to its all-metal, 1950s-accurate condition, and Nathan Wilber, board president of the nonprofit ModernSTL, take us on a tour of the Lustron’s unique design and strange history.

Alondra Orozco, a DACA recipient, has dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was introduced to the profession in high school. After she completed her studies at St. Charles Community College and passed the National Council Licensure Examination, she was blindsided by the fact that Missouri will not issue her a registered nurse license because of her citizenship status. Orozco and SLU Law professor Kelly Gillespie discuss the hurdles non-U.S. citizens face in obtaining professional licensure and how other states, including Illinois and Kansas, have made it possible for non-citizens to become registered nurses.

Missouri politics and government have emerged in recent years as a battleground for the rights of trans people. A landmark lawsuit brought by transgender children and their parents claims Missouri’s gender-affirming care ban is a form of discrimination and is unconstitutional. Missouri Independent reporter Annalise Hanshaw covered the case’s 13-day trial. With a decision expected by the end of 2024, Hanshaw shares her insight into the case, the arguments, and how the judge’s decision could affect the lives of Missouri’s trans population.

For seventh generation St. Louisan Andy Hahn, maps are a critical part of understanding urban growth and family history. In “Mapping St. Louis,” the author showcases 40 rare maps that span St. Louis history from the 1760s to the present day.

Lúcia Lohmann will become Missouri Botanical Garden’s first woman president. The internationally recognized botanist highlights climate change and biodiversity as the greatest challenges of our time. She shares how we can battle them while keeping Missouri Botanical Garden as a world-class institution in botany.

The Great Rivers Biennial initiative, a collaborative initiative between the Gateway Foundation and the Contemporary Art Museum, has awarded artists Saj Issa, Basil Kincaid and Ronald Young sizable grants and a six-month exhibition featuring their work. Young and CAM’s chief curator Dean Daderko share the coincidental connections between the artists’ works; and the intersection of Young’s inspiration from West Africa and reclaimed materials from St. Louis’ built environment.

The WNBA is looking to expand to a 16th team in the coming years, and NBA player Jayson Tatum — alongside billionaire investors — hopes that team will land in St. Louis. Noah Cohan, assistant director of American Culture Studies at Washington University, talks about the effort and shares a brief history of women’s basketball in St. Louis.