St. Louis on the Air

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.

President Donald Trump marked his 100th day in office on April 30. St. Louis region residents, politicians and STLPR reporters share how Trump’s actions in office have made a mark on the region so far — including the effects of immigration raids, federal job losses, investment in a St. Louis-based Boeing manufacturing plant, and federal funding cuts to cancer and vaccine research.

In 2021, Frontenac native Tara Mahadevan decided to fill a longtime void in media coverage of St. Louis music, arts and lifestyle created by Black people or people of colour by founding the print magazine Search Party. Mahadevan, a Chicago-based music journalist who maintains strong ties to St. Louis, talks about the scope and focus of Search Party Magazine. She also shares why visual representation of St. Louis’ racial and ethnic diversity was prioritized in the magazine, especially with its second, music-focused issue. The culture-centered third issue of Search Party is in the works for the latter half of 2025.

After performing at various venues for its past two seasons, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is gearing up to return to Powell Hall. The $140 million expansion and renovation will include an education and learning center, rehearsal space and places for the community to gather before and after performances. Music director Stéphane Denève and President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard discuss the past two nomadic seasons and how they’re looking forward to returning to Powell Hall in September.

There was no announcement, but the word got out: Grand Bistro had opened. A line of customers snaking down South Grand became a common sight this month, and it harkened back to when its predecessor, Pho Grand, was open in the same location. STLPR’s Jessica Rogen and Abby Llorico discuss April's restaurant openings and closings.