St. Louis on the Air

While many St. Louisans are celebrating signs of the start of summer, heat-related illnesses can put a damper on summertime fun — and can lead to serious harm. In this encore episode, clinical assistant professor and community pharmacist Catherine Gilmore joins St. Louis on the Air to discuss the science behind what happens to the body when it fails to regulate heat and how certain types of medication can increase the risk of heat intolerance.

Multidisciplinary artist Maxi Glamour has shared their storytelling prowess through songwriting, drag and queer-friendly events by way of their Faeded series. Recently, they have completed “Faeded: The Opera” which premieres June 5 at the Contemporary Art Museum in partnership with the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. Glamour gives us a peek into their motivations to write their first opera, the evolution of Faeded over the years and their take on how “queerness” transcends sexual orientation.

When the diagnostic test PrecivityAD hit the market in 2020, it democratized early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The blood test, developed by C2N Diagnostics, is more accessible than brain imaging and spinal fluid tests, which can be expensive and invasive. WashU Medicine professor and C2N Diagnostics co-founder Dr. David Holtzman talks about his team’s innovation and how their work has contributed to our understanding of the disorder and how to treat it. He also shares how the commercialization process afforded to universities through the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 has brought innovative discoveries like PrecivityAD to the general public. Holtzman and his colleague, Dr. Randall Bateman, will receive the American Innovator Award from the Bayh-Dole Coalition in Washington, D.C. next week.

Sister Nancy Corcoran is an unusual nun. Now 81, she has spent the last two years quietly hosting meetings for Catholic parents of transgender children. The gatherings are intentionally “affirming” meetings. There is no talk of celibacy or prayer that children will stop being trans or gay. Instead, parents share meals and stories about the pressure on their families, and their faith, as they support their kids at a time when transgender Missourians are a focus of heated political and cultural battles. Producer Danny Wicentowski interviews Corcoran to learn how she’s turned her ministry into a gathering place for local Catholics. We also meet the Rev. Eli Anthony, who shares insights from his experiences in Jefferson City with other trans people and faith leaders.

St. Louisan Stephanie Perkins turned her Rosati-Kain Academy trivia roots into a two-episode “Jeopardy!” run, winning nearly $20,000 earlier this month. The Nerinx Hall High School math teacher and quiz bowl club moderator talks about her time on the show and the impact it’s had on her students.

The St. Charles City Council voted Tuesday to block large-scale data center developments within city limits. The 7-1 vote makes permanent a one-year moratorium on proposals that was put in place in the fall — in part due to widespread community opposition to a $1 billion data center proposal. Scott Stratton-Henderson was among many residents celebrating the council’s decision. Last year, the Lindenwood University undergrad launched a petition opposing the data center project. He reflects on his community organizing efforts and his new nonprofit, which aims to advance accountability, transparency and integrity in the city.

The Clean Slate Act now sits on Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s desk. The bill would automatically expunge the criminal records of thousands of Missourians convicted of certain non-violent crimes. It's part of a larger, nationwide campaign to pass similar laws. Thirteen states have already passed their own version of the measure, including Illinois. In this encore, we talk with Empower Missouri Executive Director Mallory Rusch and advocate Patty Berger, president of the St. Louis chapter of All of Us or None, about the four-year effort to help people move on from their past criminal convictions.

The U.S. immigration system has long faced criticism as overcrowded and broken. In this episode, STLPR’s Marissanne Lewis-Thompson speaks with the Rev. Deon Johnson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, about how a routine green card appointment in Mexico led to a yearlong separation from his husband and upended their family’s life.

When the Arcega family moved their restaurant, Kain Tayo, from Trenton, Illinois, to Midtown St. Louis, they brought more than Filipino cuisine. Through traditional home-style meals and music, Sally and Randy Arcega and their son, Jeross, share the culture and joy they grew up with. Their annual singing competition, Kain Tayo Idol, has become another way they connect with the St. Louis community.

After 24-year-old Jake Zeller took his own life in December 2013, his family faced a decision: “What do we tell people?” Ultimately, they decided to share the truth about what happened. By speaking openly, the Zellers sought to start a movement of radical honesty about mental health. Thirteen years later, their nonprofit Team Jakey is dedicated to ending the stigma around mental illness and suicide. To date, the nonprofit has raised more than $500,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Provident Behavioral Health in St. Louis. Jake’s sister, Jenna Zeller, and Team Jakey executive director Logan Janis share their story and how a decision to speak out turned into a decadelong mission to help others.

Tired of costly levee repairs at the Missouri and Mississippi confluence, the Missouri Department of Conservation is turning a portion of the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area back into its natural state. With this strategic flooding, conservationists hope to restore natural wetlands while significantly cutting down on maintenance costs. STLPR’s Katie Grawitch shares how the new levee will save taxpayer dollars and increase freshwater supply.

Missouri lawmakers have spent years either repealing or trying to repeal voter-approved initiatives. But a potential November 2026 proposal known as Respect Missouri Voters could make it much harder for the legislature to do that. Respect Missouri Voters’ Benjamin Singer and two volunteer petition gatherers, Bridget Salberg and Matt Andrews, talk about the proposal on "The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air."

The last week of session didn’t feature many moments of dramatic rhetorical duels or heart-stopping parliamentary standoffs. Instead, for the most part, lawmakers in Missouri finished work on legislation overhauling public safety and healthcare. STLPR’s Sarah Kellogg and Lilley Halloran join "The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air" to break down what passed and what didn’t pass during the 2026 legislative session.

Ryan “Big Esco” Brown and Tenelle Winmore have always envisioned their music as a beacon for Black youth. Their latest project, “20,000 Hours Vol. 2: The Devil’s Defeat,” doubles down on this ethos, channeling the realities of their lives in St. Louis into musical storytelling. We talk with them and music producer Chris “Klevah!” Shaw about the work behind the music and why they hope their messages resonate now more than ever.

This month’s new music round up takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions, genres and vibes. St. Louis Post Dispatch music, arts and entertainment reporter Jasmine Osby joined music show originator Miya Norfleet to discuss what songs from St. Louis artists they are loving. Check out our new music roundup playlist.

St. Louis is not ready for the next natural disaster. The problems are complicated, but the solutions are possible. STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad and editor Jessica Rogen walk us through how city government can improve, from better funding its emergency management agency to making mutual-aid agreements with neighboring cities. We also hear a montage of voices from people in north St. Louis impacted by last year’s tornado. They gathered recently at St. Louis Public Radio for a special “Meet Me” open mic event to share their stories of May 16, 2025, and what happened afterward.

The Nolan family faced many hurdles since an EF3 tornado tore through their neighborhood on May 16, 2025. The storm ripped the roof off their family duplex, displacing their family as well as their tenants next door. Today, they are looking forward to moving into their new home and welcoming their tenants back to the neighborhood. Gloria and Kevin Nolan share an update on how reconstruction has progressed for themselves and their community — and their hopes for the neighborhood they call home.

Veteran astronaut Tom Akers was born in St. Louis, grew up in Eminance, Missouri, and attended Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla. Then, he went to space — an experience he calls “an honor of a lifetime.” This weekend, Akers will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. He joins STLPR’s Jonathan Ahl ahead of the ceremony to talk about his upbringing, his love of teaching, and making the leap from small-town Missouri to floating in orbit above the planet.

On a rainy day in 1947, a scrappy alley cat walked into the Hamilton Hotel in St. Louis. Two days later, he made national news for beating his pedigreed peers to win prizes at the Greater St. Louis Cat Club Show. The cat’s story is the subject of a new classical composition that will be performed this weekend by the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis alongside a concurrent reading of the children’s book, “How Mr. Silver Stole the Show.” Author Kate Klise, composer and Mizzou professor Stefan Freund, and Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis principal conductor Roger Kaza, talk with us about Mr. Silver’s story and the art it inspired. The performance takes place at 3 p.m. on May 17 at Washington University’s E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall.

It’s been nearly a year since an EF-3 tornado tore through the St. Louis region, with north St. Louis bearing the brunt of the destruction. In this episode, we begin the STLPR series: “Torn, the struggle to recover from the tornado, the flailing government response and the fight for north St. Louis.” We hear from St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer, who defends the city's work on the recovery while acknowledging some of the shortcomings and the challenges that lie ahead. We also hear from STLPR reporters whose investigation found that inexperience and key decisions within the Spencer administration slowed recovery efforts.