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John Goodman has worked in Hollywood for nearly 50 years, but he’s always kept St. Louis close to his heart. The Affton native will be in town on Dec.17 for the Repertory Theater of St. Louis' “Rally for The Rep.” The benefit show’s proceeds will help the theater raise $2.5M to make up for its current budget shortfall. In this episode, Goodman reflects on the power of theater performance, his career highlights, and how growing up in St. Louis has informed many of his movie and television roles over the years.

Ki Chapman was searching for a way to get active and found her way back to a favorite childhood pastime — jumping double Dutch. Since discovering the 40+ Double Dutch Club, she’s become the captain of the St. Louis chapter double Dutch is more than just a game. For Chapman, it’s shown her new ways to give back to her community and connected her with jumpers across the country.

In October, the City of St. Louis made two national rankings for LBGTQ+ friendliness, but each list told a different story. One list named it among the most friendly to the queer community. The other list named St. Louis as one of the most unfriendly. We explore what’s behind that discrepancy with panelists Avi Ivaturi, peer support organizer at St. Louis Queer Support Helpline; Midwest Rainbow Research Institute Executive Director Inoru Morris; and Nick Dunne, LGBTQIA+ and Arts Liaison for the City of St. Louis.

Isaiah Maxi has been hiking all over Missouri’s state parks — and he's not doing it alone. He documents his journeys on his Facebook group, “The Journey to 100 Hiking Friends,” charting his connections across the state. We talked with him in March when he was about one-third of the way to his goal. This past weekend, he accomplished (and surpassed) his mission by meeting 113 new friends — and a total of six dogs.

Hamas' October 7 attack and the ongoing war in Israel is impacting St. Louis' Jewish community in different ways. Galit Lev-Harir was in Israel on October 7. She experienced the aftermath of Hamas’ campaign of massacres and kidnapping, and says supporting Israel has never been more important. Hineni founder Tasha Kaminsky and others have joined their voices with Palestinians in demanding a ceasefire, and an end to Israel's military response.

Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick recently got into a high-profile dispute with fellow Republican statewide — Attorney General Andrew Bailey. It was over a fiscal note the auditor’s office wrote about several initiative petitions that would legalize abortion. The Missouri Supreme Court sided with Fitzpatrick. In this excerpt of the Politically Speaking podcast with STLPR’s Sarah Kellogg and Jason Rosenbaum, Fitzpatrick defends his actions, reflects on one year in office and more.

Research on women’s health has been underfunded for decades. As central as it is to human life, the reproductive process is especially poorly understood by scientists. Washington University bioengineer Michelle Oyen argues that it’s critical for scientists to study women’s health, and she hopes her research will contribute to improved maternal and fetal health outcomes.

There are about 415 St. Louis area restaurants, entertainment venues, stores and more highlighted in the second edition of “Lost Treasures of St. Louis.” Among other gone-but-not-forgotten entries, the coffee table book features the Floating McDonalds, St. Louis Arena and Famous-Barr. Stories about the Millennium Hotel, Casa Gallardo, and the Admiral are also shared. Co-author Cameron Collins — and listeners — share their memories.

Brian Owens and his father, Thomas, became internet darlings 10 years ago with a YouTube video of them performing a rendition of “A Change is Gonna Come.” That video has gained more than 107 million views and landed them on the Today Show in June. Now, the Owenses are hitting the stage as a supporting act for jazz sensation Samara Joy. Brian and Thomas Owens preview their “Duets With Dad” show and upcoming album set to release on Father’s Day 2024.

In Madison County, Illinois, an apprenticeship program helps students with disabilities build skills for work – and life – after they graduate. The program has shown success, and now leaders hope their model gets implemented elsewhere. The coordinator of the program at Collinsville High School, a parent whose son went through the program, and STLPR reporter Will Bauer join the show.

A new lawsuit against the University of Missouri claims the university’s healthcare system violated disability law by refusing to provide certain gender-affirming care to two transgender boys. Attorneys Nicole Gorovsky, Patti Williams and Arindam Kar discuss this case in this November 2023 edition of the Legal Roundtable. They also tackle other legal questions, including whether the city of St. Louis owes compensation to a man it accidentally held in jail for eight months after the charges against him were dropped.

The “wanted” policy in the St. Louis region allows police to make an arrest without a warrant or knowledge about the person they're arresting. Tim Reinhardt experienced that first-hand, and is now suing the Chesterfield Police Department. Reinhardt’s attorney, Jack Waldron, calls the wanted system a “substitute for doing police work.” Maureen Hanlon of ArchCity Defenders provides an update on what changed a year after a federal appeals court found the wanted policy legal but “fraught with the risk of violating the Constitution.”

This year alone Arch Grants has awarded over $1.8 million to local startups and small businesses. Since 2012, the organization has backed and mentored hundreds of companies to attract and retain promising businesses — and to breathe new life into St. Louis’ economy. Arch Grants Executive Director Gabe Angieri and 2023 Arch Grants recipient Pierre Paul, the CEO and founder of We Hear You, share how these investments can benefit the entire region.

With the end of 2023 approaching and cold weather keeping us indoors, what better time to dig into some of the best books of the year? Jennifer Alexander of St. Louis County Library and Ted Reidy of St. Louis Public Library share their top picks.

Abortion rights supporters scored a legal victory last week when the Missouri Supreme Court declined to take up cases regarding ballot summaries and costs for initiative petitions that would put making abortion legal in front of Missouri voters. STLPR Politics Correspondent Jason Rosenbaum discusses recent developments and a timeline for when voters may be able to cast a ballot on this issue.

“Missouri Weird & Wonderful” presents readers of all ages with a kid-friendly tour through the Show Me State. Author Amanda E. Doyle and illustrator Dan Zettwoch, two longtime St. Louisans, discuss highlights from the book, which closes with a scavenger hunt for famous Missouri people and things.

StoryCorps’ Great Thanksgiving Listen encourages people to talk and listen to one another over the holiday break. These conversations can be between any two people and they help build an oral history of what life is like today. St. Louis Public Radio’s Jonathan Ahl and Miya Norfleet shared some of the conversations recorded in the StoryCorps’ Airstream trailer this fall in St. Louis.

Brown recluse spiders are infamous for their necrotic venom. But how dangerous are they, really? Missouri Botanical Garden senior entomologist Tad Yankoski says the arachnids get an unnecessarily bad wrap. He shares why you should stop worrying about brown recluses and learn to appreciate the spider.

Holiday shopping is here, and trying to figure out what to get, and where, can be overwhelming. Black Friday deals traditionally draw shoppers to big box stores and massive e-commerce sites, but small business owners want consumers to consider shopping local for their gift giving needs. Lisa Potts, vice-president of Delmar Main Street, and serial entrepreneur Dallas Holland join the show to share the benefits of shopping local and keeping dollars close to community.

At least 105 people have died behind Missouri prison bars this year, and that's just one sign that things are not right in the state's prisons. The Missouri Justice Coalition is holding a series of statewide town halls, with its most recent stop in St. Louis. The nonprofit’s founder and director Michelle Smith discusses what she's learned at the town halls, and shares her thoughts on the group's goals for legislation and what has to change in the state’s 21 prison