St. Louis on the Air

The relationship between U.S. Steel and the Granite City Works steel mill has been rocky for years. The company recently announced it would stop sending steel to the plant, then reversed that decision a few weeks later. Now, the plant is safe from closure until 2027, but the local United Steelworkers union is looking beyond that date and planning for an uncertain future. St. Louis Public Radio Metro East reporter Will Bauer explores the ongoing tension over the future of the steel mill, and President of the Granite City United Steelworkers chapter Craig McKey shares his union’s goals for the future.

Fall marks the harvest of pumpkins, squash and cabbage. It’s also the perfect time to plan for next spring by planting things like garlic, shallot and shrubs. Horticulturists Daria McKelvey of the Missouri Botanical Garden and Eliza Pessereau of University of Missouri Extension discuss autumn planting, how to prepare your garden for winter, and what we can anticipate with fall tree-color this year.

For just more than nine months, Alfred Montgomery has led the St. Louis Sheriff's office. He came in with ambitions to make changes — but his tenure has been marked by disputes over spending, controversies around transporting detainees for medical care and even an effort by Missouri’s attorney general to remove him from office. Montgomery sat down with STLPR’s Brian Munoz for a wide-ranging interview.

It’s been a week since President Donald Trump conducted a press conference where, among other things, he promoted a highly disputed link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism. But while most of the news coverage focused on Trump’s fixation on what causes the neurological disorder, St. Louis’ autistic community and its allies were struck by how the GOP president characterized autism “a horrible, horrible crisis.”

On the latest episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, BiState’s Taulby Roach talks about the demise of the Green Line MetroLink plan – and why bus rapid transit could be a boon for St. Louis at a fraction of the cost. Roach also explained how BiState works, and also delved into whether it could expand to other parts of the region.

A “Big Year” is a birder’s race against the calendar to identify as many bird species as possible in one year. The new documentary “Listers,” created by two brothers from Collinsville, follows the highs, lows and quirks of that quest — and their newfound appreciation for birdwatching.

Over 40 years ago, Tom “Papa” Ray helped open Vintage Vinyl, one of America’s last independent record stores. In 2020, Ray started production on a docuseries made for television called “Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow.” The show’s second season premieres on Nine PBS this Saturday, Oct. 4. Ray shares how he went from selling records at Soulard Market to traveling the world to interview record store owners, vinyl enthusiasts, and musicians.

St. Louis County Library and the St. Louis County Board of Elections are inviting students in grades 6-12 to participate in their second “I Voted” sticker contest with a new “Future Voter” category. SLCL Director Kristen Sorth and St. Louis County Board of Elections Public Information Officer Kate Springer discuss the focus on youth, contest rules and how to enter. The contest runs through 5 p.m., October 17.

The Missouri National Guard is now assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gov. Mike Kehoe says 15 Guard members will help with administrative and logistical work at ICE processing facilities. STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum explains what this means — and how it differs from troop operations in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Years of complaints from tenants has led to multiple lawsuits against the developers behind Lux Living, Asprient Properties and STL CityWide. But federal fraud charges looming over Sid Chakraverty, his brother, Vic Alston, and their accountant, Shijing “Poppy” Cao were abruptly dropped this summer. On this episode of the Legal Roundtable, our panel of expert attorneys discuss the case, which raises questions about the definition of fraud, the unusual personal intervention of U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus, and the role of Brad Bondi, the brother of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The panel also discusses whether a public referendum could throw a wrench in Missouri Republicans’ efforts to redraw state congressional districts, and more.