Founded as a response to St. Louis’ “stagnation” in 2001, BioSTL has spent more than two decades fostering high-tech startups in medicine and agriculture. Donn Rubin, founding president and CEO BioSTL, discusses the origin of BioSTL, its success stories, and the upcoming Trilateral AgriFood Symposium with Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Environmentalists and parents of Jana Elementary students are concerned about a study that shows radioactive contamination from World War II-era nuclear waste in nearby Coldwater Creek. STLPR education reporter Kate Grumke, Missouri Coalition for the Environment Executive Director Jared Opsal and Community Outreach Specialist Christen Commusso discuss what’s next — and steps the Army Corps of Engineers should take to reverse the damage.
Jessica Hicklin served 26 years in a maximum security facility for a murder she committed at 16-years-old. While incarcerated, Hicklin taught herself to code and worked on building skills she could utilize once out of prison. Now, nine months after her release, she's excited to bring that same opportunity to others with UnLocked Labs, which she cofounded with Haley Shoaf.
A student and a teacher were killed Monday morning at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School in south St. Louis. Police also shot and killed the 19-year-old suspect. We talk with STLPR Education Reporter Kate Grumke and Midwest Newsroom Managing Editor Holly Edgell about this breaking news story.
One hundred years ago, physicist Arthur Holly Compton made his Nobel prize-winning discovery related to X-rays at Washington University in St. Louis. Erik Henriksen, an associate professor of physics at Washington University, shares how Compton’s discovery paved the way for quantum mechanics and modern day astrophysics.
People living near a company that did work for the Navy had no idea that a toxic solvent, disposed of improperly, had made its way into their drinking water – until a public apology from the state in 2019. Reporters Eric Schmid and Steve Vockrodt discuss their investigation into how and why this happened.
In 1872, the Missouri Republican newspaper heralded the arrival of St. Louis' newest park beneath the headline: "A New Lung to the City." Now, Tower Grove Park is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Local author Amanda Doyle joins the show. Her new book is “Tower Grove Park: Common Ground & Grateful Shade Since 1872.”
Can you gain mindfulness from an app? Enlightenment from a smartphone? That may work for some people, but, for Daigaku Rumme, a Zen master and teacher at the Confluence Zen Center in St. Louis, the journey was one measured in decades of study and devotion. After living as a Zen monk in Japan, Rumme says the wisdom of Zen is as relevant today as it ever was. Rumme joins St. Louis on the Air to discuss mindfulness, apps, and tips for staying in the present.
A group of cyclists hopes a recent satirical installation on South Grand brings attention to the issue of pedestrian safety in St. Louis. Cyclist Sean Milford describes the actions he wants to see local leaders take to reduce traffic violence in the region.
Societal norms condition us to fear death and avoid grief, but local groups like the STL Death Cafe and St. Louis’ first End of Life Festival encourage people to lean into such topics. The host of STL Death Cafe, Tracy Gomillion, and grief educator Eileen Wolfington talk about destigmatizing the taboo of talking about death, dying and grief.
For years, the Metro East town of Granite City mandated evictions against entire households in response to any arrest, even against a guest or family member. Critics of Granite City’s crime-free housing ordinance say they will continue to oppose it, despite a recent ruling by a federal judge upholding the controversial law. Sam Gedge, an attorney with the Institute for Justice, discusses the group’s civil rights lawsuit over the ordinance. Also joining is Debi Brumit, who faced an eviction order after her daughter was arrested in Granite City, and Kevin Link, a former Granite City landlord who opposes the ordinance.
In her new memoir, Congresswoman Cori Bush recalls early life lessons about segregation and discrimination in St. Louis and her experience as a survivor of domestic and sexual assault. The book details Bush’s life from her childhood in north St. Louis County to the night of her primary victory in 2020 that made her Missouri’s first Black congresswoman-elect. She reflects on the book’s content, and the process of writing it, in this episode.
Shalon Gates has been homeschooling her four kids off and on for more than a decade in Ferguson. Academically, all of her kids are thriving in her classroom. But some of her kids are ready to close this chapter for good. -- We're proud to bring you this guest podcast: the third and final episode of "Doin' It Our Way" with STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson. To listen to all "Doin' It Our Way" episodes right now, search for the podcast on this podcast platform.
Rosati-Kain High School and St. Mary's High School in St. Louis are slated for closure at the end of the school year. The announcement from St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski stunned many in the community. In this episode, we talk with STLPR reporter Kate Grumke about this news and efforts by some to keep the schools open.
Black men and boys are often blamed for rising crime in St. Louis, including the current “Kia Boyz” trend linked to hundreds of car thefts in the region. But lack of resources is a key factor, says Sean Joe, founder and Principal Director of HomeGrown StL. Joe joins the show to discuss the need for greater support for young Black men and boys. We also hear from Kaelan Mayfield, a former worker at a juvenile detention facility, who shares his experience trying to help young people at risk for recidivism.
Author Ridley Pearson has his name stamped in St. Louis’ Walk of Fame, but his imagination soars when it comes to Disney villains. Ridley discusses his latest book, “Cautionary Tales,” a collection of scary stories featuring the baddest, most evil personalities from the Disney canon — and in ways even the biggest Disney fans won’t expect.
Miquilaue Young always intended to home-school her seven kids. More than a decade into her home-schooling journey, the kids are fully immersed in their tailor-made school experience. It’s something Miquilaue wishes she had. -- We're proud to bring you this guest podcast: the second episode of "Doin' It Our Way" with STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson. To listen to all "Doin' It Our Way" episodes right now, search for the podcast on this podcast platform.
In the early 1990s, a series of grotesque murders terrorized St. Louis. The serial killer became known as the “Package Killer'' for the manner in which the victims’ bodies were abandoned. Then the killer seemingly disappeared, until this week, when prosecutors charged Gary Muehlberg with multiple counts of murder. In this episode, we hear from the detective who stayed on the case and the reporter who brought new attention to its details.
At the start of the pandemic, Black families chose to homeschool five times more than any other racial group in the U.S. In the first of three episodes of "Doin’ It Our Way," STLPR's Marissanne Lewis-Thompson explores why more Black parents in St. Louis are ditching traditional schools and taking a chance on themselves. -- We're proud to bring you this guest podcast. To listen to all "Doin' It Our Way" episodes right now, search for the podcast on this podcast platform.
For years, Black parents frustrated by traditional schools have been pulling their children out of classrooms to educate them at home — and that decision is becoming more common. St. Louis Public Radio's new podcast Doin' It Our Way explores why Black families in the St. Louis region are choosing to home-school. Host and STLPR newscaster Marissanne Lewis-Thompson joins SLOTA to talk about the process of reporting the new podcast, and what she's learned about how these families are managing to do education — their way.
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