STL on the Air 📻

The Rooted initiative started by Invest STL gives Black and low-income residents of the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods $20,000 to invest in their homes and community. The program aims to help residents stay in their neighborhoods amidst rising concerns about nearby developments. Invest STL CEO Dara Eskridge explains how the non-profit’s wealth-building program works and why it is getting national attention.

Growing up in St. Louis in the 1950s and 60s, Lee Hendrix was taught to fear the Mississippi River. But the sense of adventure it offered ended up being the seed that became a five decade career of piloting boats on the Mississippi. Hendrix discusses his new book, “Peep Light,” where he shares stories about the dangerous work of starting as a deckhand and later ascending to the pilothouse. He also talks about what it was like to pilot passenger vessels, including the grand American Queen, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ largest towboat, the MV Mississippi.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden announced that he’d no longer seek re-election this November. He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as nominee for the Democratic Party. People in the St. Louis region share a broad range of reactions to this historic political moment: relief, disappointment, uncertainty — and even, hopefulness.

A panel of attorneys discuss local and regional legal issues, including the latest on the Bar: PM lawsuit, allegations by a chess star against the U.S. Chess Federation, and, why a Wendy’s restaurant in Bridgeton is paying $5 million to a former worker who was a victim of sexual assault on the job.

Of all U.S. states, Missouri has more miles of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. A new episode of the film series “My Ozarks” tells the story of Erin Whitson, an archaeologist who researches her hometown’s connections to the brutal history of Cherokee removal. Whitson talks about her intentional approach to uncovering that history in Steelville, Missouri. Sharon Benoit, a member of Cherokee Keetoowah Tribe of Oklahoma, also joins the conversation to explain why she worked with Whitson, and what makes preserving her ancestors' history so important.

Social media has put art and entertainment from all corners of the world in the literal palm of your hand. Manga and anime – Japanese comic books and cartoons – really started hitting mainstream American bookshelves and screens starting in the 1990’s, and cross-cultural exchange has resulted in the development of distinct subcultures, including “blerds” or Black nerds. Shawn “Rab” Fentress, a St. Louis born and raised content creator, is part of the popularization of Blerd culture. He has accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers online for his distinct voice-overs of anime shows, which he calls “hood dubs,” and found success in creating online content with Nappy Boy Network, founded by rapper and singer T-Pain.

St. Louis’ Asian American community celebrates recent work to bring light to the lives and contributions of early Chinese immigrants to St. Louis, including an honorary street-naming in the city and the 100th anniversary of a Chinese gravesite at Valhalla Cemetery.

This week, more than 500 federal and local first responders converged in the St. Louis region to practice for an 8.4 magnitude earthquake. The drill accounted for collapsed bridges, crumbling buildings and more than 40,000 people trapped in Busch Stadium. First responders also dropped portable roads from helicopters near the Grafton ferry dock for a river crossing. Joining the discussion was Maj. Kelly Hudson, project officer for Michigan-based National Guard Task Force 46, and Samantha Lewis, executive director of the St. Louis Area Regional Response System.

The mind-bending effects of “magic mushrooms” could help treat mental illness. A new Washington University School of Medicine study offers an explanation for how psilocybin, the active drug in magic mushrooms, distorts the brain’s networks, and why that could alleviate post-traumatic stress disorders and other illnesses. Dr. Joshua Siegel and Dr. Ginger Nicol talk about what their research participants experienced while on a trip and how their findings could accelerate the development of psilocybin-based therapies.

The Cinema St. Louis’ Annual Filmmakers Showcase (July 19-28) is dedicated to screening films that address locally relevant topics or have writers, editors, or producers who are St. Louis area natives or people with strong local ties. Emmett Williams, director of festival curation and education at Cinema St. Louis, talks about the 2024 line-up of films in the showcase. St. Louis native and actor Zion Thomas also discusses his experience starring in “Vision,” one of the film shorts in this year’s festival.

Caviar is a delicacy, but, if you think it's only made for a rich palate, you may be missing out on a surprisingly accessible experience. Sauce Magazine writer Meera Nagarajan chronicled her dive into the world of caviar for the July issue of Sauce Magazine.Together with chef John Messbarger of Lobster & Crab Company, they discuss the finer details of getting the most out of your caviar experience. And we also learn about the local impact of caviar production with the owners of Show Me Caviar, Cliff and Cara Rost.

Shangri-La Hou is one of five National Student Poets. The recent John Burroughs graduate and Lake St. Louis resident explores the natural world and how people interact in — and with — it. Hou also discusses what she’s experienced in her role as a young literary ambassador and how poetry is a powerful tool for self-expression.

Lyric Green first picked up a double bass when she was 12 years old. Now, a little over a year later, the rising Parkway Central High freshman is one of 28 young musicians strengthening their skills at Sphinx Performance Academy at the Juilliard School in New York.

Children in the foster care system with severe behavioral health issues and trauma are often treated in group homes that specialize in individualized care. In Missouri, there is space at these centers for boys — but not for girls. In his latest reporting, Kris Husted of the NPR Midwest Newsroom explores why that disparity exists. STLPR reporter Lacretia Wimbley also joins the discussion with an update on the state of Missouri’s foster care system.

State Sen. Karla May, D-St. Louis, has faced formidable political challenges before. During an episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, she contends that she’s the best candidate to take on GOP U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. But before doing so she needs to counter a well-funded and well-organized campaign from Independence resident Lucas Kunce. STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg joins the show for analysis.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis County, is seeking a third term to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. During an episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, Bush discussed at length the expensive campaign to unseat her — and how her criticism of Israel may not mean much to the 1st District’s Black voters. Challenging Bush are St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell and former state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal. STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg joins the show for analysis.

Rudy Nickens, director of the Institute for Black Liberation at the Deaconess Foundation; and Patricia Bosman, participant in the Institute’s inaugural cohort, discuss the necessity for a space where Black people can work through and heal from the effects of internal and structural racism – all while finding joy in that work and in Blackness.

WerQfest launched in 2020 as a passion project for husbands Tre’von Griffith and Shelton Boyd-Griffith. Five years later, it’s a mainstay in St. Louis’ summer events lineup and a joyful celebration of the Black queer community in the region. Tre’von, also known as Tre G, talks about the 2024 festival, its importance to the Midwest, his return to the stage as a performer, and the Black LGBTQ+ community that’s grown over the last five years.

The Mississippi River is a natural wonder. St. Louis-based traveler and author Dean Klinkenberg introduces readers to its splendors through his new book “The Wild Mississippi,” which offers a guide for connecting with and enjoying the river. He shares his favorite spots in Missouri and Illinois, and discusses what makes this river an asset and treasure to all living things that rely on it.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s challenge of Congresswoman Cori Bush was already garnering the attention of national political prognosticators. But during an episode of the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, Bell noted that his race against Bush and former state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal to represent Missouri’s 1st Congressional District isn’t the same as other challenges to a group of House Democrats known as “The Squad.” STLPR statehouse and politics reporter Sarah Kellogg also joins the show for analysis.