St. Louis on the Air

In the civil legal system, the so-called "justice gap" means most low-income people who face cases involving evictions, health care, and even domestic violence, do so without an attorney. Dan Glazier, Executive Director of Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, and social worker Laura Halfmann-Morris talk about how they are working to close that gap, and how the lack of legal services is impacting survivors of domestic violence.

Sarah Kellogg, a statehouse and politics reporter for St. Louis Public Radio, dives into the intricacies of Missouri's pivotal 2024 elections. She discusses the fierce battle between GOP Sen. Josh Hawley and Democratic hopeful Lucas Kunce, the significance of Amendments 2 and 3 on sports wagering and abortion rights, and the hurdles for Democratic candidates in a solidly Republican landscape. Kellogg also highlights the effect of voter enthusiasm and early voting on turnout, painting a vivid picture of the state's complex political landscape.

A swarm of messages over the airwaves and on social media feeds have increasingly relied on inflammatory language, embellished details and sometimes a blatant disregard for truth. On the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR’s Abby Llorico spoke about this trend with professor Natasha Casey, a media literacy educator at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, and with the Media Education Lab.

Ovarian cancer is a disease diagnosed in 54 patients every day in the United States, according to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance. St. Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness collaborates with area medical schools in a program called Survivors Teaching Students to help future medical professionals see symptoms earlier. Drs. Andrea and Ian Hagemann discuss how these first person accounts help them in the classroom and the examination room.

Generations of St. Louisans and countless classes of St. Louis University graduates have heard tall tales about the exorcism performed by SLU Jesuit priests in 1949. The diary of the lead priest, Father Raymond Bishop, would go on to inspire the cult classic horror film “The Exorcist” and novels depicting people possessed by demons. St. Louis University archivist and assistant professor Caitlan Stamm separates fact from fiction and addresses the myths that continue to swirl around SLU’s involvement in the exorcism of “Robbie Mannheim” in 1949.

Halloween conjures images of ghouls, ghosts and other spooky creatures. But for Jade Moore, the owner of Sincerely, the Craft, mysticism is more than a trend — it’s a connection to heritage. In this encore episode, producers Miya Norfleet and Emily Woodbury speak with Moore about the beliefs, faiths and ritual practices that are generally categorized as “witchy.”

Published nearly 180 years ago, Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” endures. The poem tells the story of the narrator’s descent into madness as they deal with the grief of losing their beloved Lenore. In this encore episode, we listen to historical interpreter Anne Williams’ recording of “The Raven,” featuring original sound design by producer Avery Rogers.

St. Louis native Chaz Littlejohn is serving five years in federal prison for the theft and leak of Donald Trump's tax returns. St. Louis Magazine senior editor Nick Phillips explored the mystery of Littlejohn's crimes, chronicling how the former government contractor decided to break the law for what he believed were the right reasons. Phillips takes us into Littlejohn’s world — and what happened when Chaz turned his attention from Trump's taxes to other billionaires.

After more than two years of work, the Tiny House project in St. Louis’ Benton Park West neighborhood is complete. We hear from Dwayne Tiggs, the architect and craftsman behind the Tiny House, and his partner and project gardener Rikki Watts. They share their story of the home's completion and what it means to build a home while also building community.

At 100,000 verses, the ancient Indian epic ‘The Mahabharata’ is the longest epic poem ever written. Due to its focus on conflict amongst family — and its explorations of illusion, reality and truth — Nartana Premachandra felt it fitting inspiration for Dances of India St. Louis’ 2024 annual performance, which falls just after the Nov. 5 elections. She discusses her original play script “Dreams of the Dark Prince” and how it combines movement and storytelling to tell the story of Prince Duryodhana, one of the Mahabharata’s central characters.