STL on the Air 📻

Vast wildfires in Australia, California and elsewhere continue to have wide-sweeping impacts, testing the limits of firefighters on the front lines and presenting new challenges for experts in all sorts of sectors. At St. Louis University’s Geospatial Institute, also known as GeoSLU, researchers are using remotely sensed images and spatial analysis to extend our understanding of these disasters and others. The geospatial technology helps them predict wildfires as well as map the extent and severity of wildfires after they have occurred. In this segment, host Sarah Fenske leads a conversation about the difference this research can make. She talks with Ness Sandoval, associate professor of sociology at St. Louis University and an associate director of the Geospatial Institute, and with Shawn Steadman, director of SLU’s emergency management program.

Lots of things set St. Louis apart from other Missouri municipalities, from its fixation with the high school question to bread-sliced bagels. So the fact that the city of St. Louis is one of few municipalities in the state with a residency requirement for most of its government employees is hardly its most defining. But right now, it might be the most hotly contested. After the Board of Aldermen rejected last fall Mayor Lyda Krewson’s plan to put the issue to voters — and have city residents decide whether to continue requiring city workers to live within the city limits — Krewson is now pushing for the legislature to take up her cause. House leadership seems on board. In this episode of St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske talks with longtime local journalist Ray Hartmann, who has a column in this week’s Riverfront Times on this subject. Also joining the discussion is St. Louis Public Radio reporter Rachel Lippmann.

The year 2020 is still in its infancy, yet it’s already been marked by a slew of troubling events near and far — from gun violence in St. Louis, to devastating wildfires in Australia, to dramatically escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Many Americans may feel far removed from violence and loss in another part of the world, despite direct U.S. involvement, and everyday life goes on. But for those with loved ones based in volatile, vulnerable places, or who have deep cultural ties to a country such as Iran, the latest round of disturbing headlines can carry a lot more weight. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske hears from three local Iranian Americans, Dr. Bahar Bastani and attorney Javad Khazaeli and librarian Jaleh Fazelian, to get their perspectives.

Miranda Popkey’s new novel, “Topics of Conversation,” owes its existence to the MFA program at Washington University in St. Louis. The California native was a student there when she wrote much of it. The novel takes its inspiration from what it’s like to be a young woman in this fraught time. How do we talk about sex and our desires? How do we make sense of our choices, and our lives? In this episode of St. Louis on the Air, Popkey joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss her novel, which was recently named one of January’s 20 “must-read books” by Entertainment Weekly.

A newly published Riverfront Times piece by Ryan Krull delves into the experiences of various TEH Realty tenants, detailing many miserable living conditions. In this episode, Krull joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss his reporting. Also joining the conversation are St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jesse Bogan, who has also been following the developments surrounding TEH Realty, and Sunni Hutton, a volunteer grassroots organizer with Homes for All St. Louis.

Kalila Jackson joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss how tenants can exercise their rights without escalating the situation. She’s a staff attorney at the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council, better known as EHOC. Also joining the conversation is Sunni Hutton, a volunteer grassroots organizer with Homes for All St. Louis.

Cara Spencer, who currently represents St. Louis' 20th Ward on the city's Board of Aldermen, announced on today's show that she plans to run for mayor. She talks with host Sarah Fenske about the decision.

Some of the area’s most buzz-worthy bars are focused on drinks that won’t get you buzzed — drinks that have the rich mouthfeel of a Manhattan without all the booze. That includes Elmwood in Maplewood. In this episode, Sarah Fenske talks with Elmwood beverage director Dave Greteman about how the low and no-proof ABV (alcohol by volume) options on Elmwood’s menu are changing the dynamic at its bar.

U.S. Congressman William Lacy Clay Jr. (D-St. Louis) is issuing a dire warning when it comes to President Donald Trump’s actions regarding Iran. “If we don’t reign in this president’s recklessness, we will commit young men and women to a war zone in the Middle East, and the results will be a catastrophe,” he says in this episode of the talk show. “I’ve seen this before,” he continues. “And apparently no one in this president’s family has ever served in the military or ever gone to war, so it probably doesn’t faze him. He doesn’t realize what the damage will be to Americans in a war zone. It’s so cavalier.” In his conversation with host Sarah Fenske, Clay also has harsh words for the city of St. Louis’ aborted exploration of airport privatization. Months before Mayor Lyda Krewson pulled the plug on the costly effort, Clay had called for a public vote on any deal to lease St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Thousands of Missouri residents have received medical cannabis cards, and dispensaries are gearing up to begin sales of the product later this year, likely in the spring. Physicians have the ability to prescribe medical marijuana to patients via the state’s certification form, although they are not obligated to do so. Sarah Fenske talks with two physicians, who are also sisters, to get a sense of how they are preparing for implementation of this new law, and why they react differently when patients request their signatures on a medical marijuana certification form.

St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden says his crime-fighting strategy in north St. Louis, known as “Hayden’s Rectangle,” is working to curb violence in the city. In this interview, he talks with Sarah Fenske about this strategy, as well as the recent spate of violence on New Year’s Eve, the biggest impediments to officer recruitment and his goals for the coming months.

For those interested in learning more about East St. Louis’ rich cultural legacy, a new “music and history walk” is one route to consider. Treasure Shields Redmond, daughter of East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene Redmond, is organizing opportunities for hipsters, jazz nerds and genuinely curious minds alike. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Shields Redmond how opportunities like the Historic Jazz & Poetry Excursion is showing the world a different East St. Louis than what you might see on the evening news.

Missouri has collected more than 2,000 applications for medical marijuana business licenses - but who will bank those businesses? Many are not willing to take on the risk for something that is illegal at the federal level. St. Louis Public Radio reporter Corinne Ruff talks with Sarah Fenske about her exploration into the challenges facing banks hoping to get involved in this new industry.

This weekend, the Black Rep premieres its production of playwright August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” which tells the story of regulars at a Pittsburgh diner grappling with the civil rights movement, eminent domain and the threat of an urban renewal program that will change their neighborhood. In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks about the production with the Black Rep’s founder, Ron Himes, as well as the director for the Black Rep’s production of “Two Trains Running,” Ed Smith.

Host Sarah Fenske discusses the Excel Center and its vision for 2020. The program is an alternative tuition-free high school that helps adults over the age of 21 earn their high school diplomas. Joining the discussion is Jadee Lauer, St. Louis Excel Center director, and Victor Tenn, a recent graduate of the program.

Wednesday kicked off the new legislative session for the Missouri House and Senate. That means a whole host of lawmakers vying to get their bills passed. And it could mean changes to how they govern -- and how we live our lives. Joining host Sarah Fenske for this conversation from Jefferson City is St. Louis Public Radio reporter Jaclyn Driscoll. Also participating in the discussion are Missouri Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr and Senate Minority Leader Gina Walsh.

The St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station opened with a big splash on Christmas Day. Thousands of area residents have been streaming through its gates in the two weeks since, and aquarium staff have had to turn some families away due to sell-out crowds. For executive director Tami Brown, that and frustration with long lines have been the only downsides of an otherwise successful launch of the new downtown destination. Many visitors have expressed excitement about their experiences, staff have been enthusiastic about their interactions with visitors and animals alike, and the many marine species who now call the aquarium home seem to be adapting well. In this segment, Brown joins host Sarah Fenske for a deeper dive into the new activity at Union Station. Also joining the conversation is St. Louis Aquarium curator Aaron Sprowl, who discusses the wide-ranging creatures and their transition to a new space. The podcast also includes an audio tour of the aquarium, first impressions from children and adults alike, and plenty of questions from listeners who call into the show.

Two of the largest library systems in the St. Louis region are axing fines for overdue library materials. St. Louis County Library and St. Louis Public Library join a trend of major metropolitan library districts across the U.S.— including Kansas City, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Chicago — that have eliminated fines for their users in an effort to increase access and equity within the communities they serve. Kristen Sorth of SLCL and Waller McGuire of SLPL join host Sarah Fenske for a conversation about the significance of this change, and two listeners share their stories as well.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with our partners from Sauce Magazine about the latest additions to the St. Louis region’s food and beverage community to check out this January.

Host Sarah Fenske gets the latest on the Major League Soccer stadium being planned for St. Louis from St. Louis Business Journal reporter Jacob Kirn.