STL on the Air 📻

In our ongoing coverage of issues plaguing the Children’s Division of Missouri’s Department of Social Services, we discuss why a tool aimed at removing children from a home where drug use is evident isn’t being used to a great extent in the St. Louis area. STLPR politics correspondent talks about his reporting on the Temporary Alternative Placement Agreement — or TAPA.

The longtime head of Missouri’s Department of Conservation has stepped aside after taking the helm of the agency in late 2016. For years, Sarah Parker Pauley managed the state’s incredibly vast expanse of pristine wilderness and outdoor spaces where people hunt, fish and hike. During an in-depth conversation with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum last week, Pauley spoke about the ongoing challenges of balancing the commitment to preserving Missouri’s natural beauty with the need for economic development in struggling parts of the state.

In 2015, Erica Jones’ daughter, Whitney Brown, was killed in a drive-by shooting. Who did it remains unknown. Brown’s case is among the 1,000-plus from 2014 to 2023 that still haven’t been solved, according to a joint investigation by St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project. Jones talks about how grief has changed her family, and why she is still seeking answers — and justice. She also discusses Voice of the Voiceless STL, a nonprofit support group she founded to help fellow St. Louisans who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

From fashion-forward folks to those who couldn’t care less about what they wear, everybody – and every body – needs clothes. The fashion industry, however, is notorious for prioritizing certain figures and excluding others. Ethical Bodies x the Good-Ish, a new vintage thrift store in south St. Louis, is centering people whose fashion needs are often disregarded by offering plus-size pieces exclusively. Store co-founders Maura Hampton and Erica Hallman discuss the mission of the store, their plans for its future, and speculate why the fashion industry is hesitant to make clothes inclusive for all.

St. Louis spelling bee champ Sonia Kulkarni placed 17th in last week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. In this follow-up interview with the eighth grader at John Burroughs School, she talks about what it was like appearing in the spelling bee for the final time, and her reaction to being eliminated on a vocabulary word — “gainsay.”

While Christopher Loss was winning the hearts of St. Louisans with his successful apparel line Profield Reserve, he was also building community with local musicians and visual artists. Now, he is shifting focus — Loss has moved Profield Reserve back to online only and is dedicating time to uplift artists by providing an entry into the arts scene by opening Field Club Media, a space for creatives to work and collaborate. He’s also curated Inside/Outside, an art exhibit that opens at Sophie’s Artist Lounge June 8.

St. Louis’ intimate one-ring circus, Circus Flora, is back at the Big Top in Grand Center. Artistic and executive director Jack Marsh and Cecil MacKinnon, the show’s narrator, discuss “Marooned!” The original production takes place on a magical island where two pirates encounter amazing, weird and wacky people — and animals — as they search for treasure.

Before the Stonewall Riot in 1969, queer love, experiences and struggles for civil rights were woven into the fabric of American — and St. Louis’ — culture. The Missouri History Museum will unveil the Gateway to Pride exhibit, highlighting queer history for the first time since the Missouri Historical Society’s founding in 1866.

Fine dining typically isn’t synonymous with cannabis cravings, but a pop-up dinner series is bridging those two worlds. Celebrated St. Louis chefs Nick Bognar (iNDO, Sado) and Alex Henry (El Molino del Sureste, Sureste Mexican) talk about creating elevated edibles and why participating in Swade Cannabis’ canna-culinary series was a no-brainer.

Local scientists have theories about why parts of the St. Louis region are swarming with cicadas while others are eerily silent. STLPR morning newscaster Abby Llorico talks with University of Missouri-St. Louis biologists to learn more.

Telling AI-made audio apart from authentic human voices is getting harder, and that has experts and average people worried. A Washington University professor’s new program works to prevent voice cloning and deepfake scams that often target vulnerable people. Ning Zhang, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at WashU, talks about how his DeFake program works and why artificial intelligence can be beneficial.

High electricity costs are hitting homeowners hard in the Midwest and across the nation, prompting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt updated energy standards for new HUD-funded homes. The rules, announced in April, are estimated to save homeowners $950 a year. Midwest Newsroom managing editor Holly Edgell talks about how the new federal building codes will make homes more affordable, energy efficient and climate resilient.

In the wee hours of the morning on May 29, Illinois lawmakers passed a $53.1 billion state budget — the largest in state history. Capitol News Illinois Editor-in-chief Jerry Nowicki details notable budget items, including a $50 million child tax credit, a $350 million increase in education funding, and a repeal of the state’s 1% grocery tax. He also talks about what to expect from a lawsuit against Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch over legislative employees’ right to unionize.

Over about the past decade, roughly 1,900 homicides were committed in St. Louis. Of that number, more than 1,000 cases remain unsolved. St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports and the Marshall Project undertook a multi-year investigation that shows that while there’s been an improvement in the number of cleared cases in the last two years, St. Louis police have failed to clear many homicides. Shoddy detective work, lack of resources and eroding community trust are the main reasons. STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann and APM Reports’ Tom Scheck discuss this investigation.

State Sen. Bill Eigel spent his roughly two terms in the Missouri Senate going against the grain of GOP leaders. But the Weldon Spring Republican doesn’t believe his clashes with fellow GOP elected officials will be a detriment to his gubernatorial bid. On the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air, Eigel said his anti-establishment posture puts him in a good position in a competitive GOP primary that includes Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore knew he was coming into a challenging situation when Gov. Mike Parson appointed him to his job last year. But with one year of service under his belt, Gore said on the Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air that the biggest surprise he encountered was just how much the circuit attorney’s administrative functions were in disarray. He also discusses what he hopes to achieve during a full four-year term.

An incident that’s been deemed the worst case of fraternity hazing in the U.S. left a University of Missouri freshman with serious brain damage. The victim had a blood alcohol level six times the legal limit for drivers in Missouri. Two frat members who were instrumental in the hazing were charged with misdemeanors. Attorneys Eric Banks, Nicole Gorovsky and Jeff Johnson dive into the high-profile case and consider whether potential bias may have led to light sentencing. The panel also discusses whether GOP senators should get taxpayer-funded lawyers to fight a defamation suit, a court ruling on St. Louis’s 1% earnings tax, and a judge who revoked a man's right to represent himself after spouting “sovereign citizen” conspiracy theories in court.

Rates of people seeking and receiving shelter due to domestic violence are increasing in Missouri and Illinois. That includes a lot of children who, whether or not they experience abuse directly, will live with long standing effects from their experience. Domestic violence survivors and advocates reflect on the ways domestic abuse affects children and how to support families who are dealing with, or escaping from, such abuse.

Sauce Magazine writer Alexa Beattie went looking for hidden food treasures. The search took her to several gas stations, where she found delicious delicacies that you won't find at any QuikTrip. Beattie shares her discovery and explores the trend of restaurant owners choosing to turn over their businesses to employees. We also meet Sydney Caldwell, who reflects on what it’s meant to go from server to boss at Retreat Gastropub.

Immigration is a hotly debated and highly politicized topic that pundits on either side of the aisle can’t seem to agree on. With the election season quickly approaching, is there a different way that the country – political affiliation aside – can address it? According to two UMSL immigration experts, the first step is empathy. Uma Segal and Adriano Udani discuss the nuances missing from the election season debate over immigration, and why a deeper conversation is needed.