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When Cody Stokes decided to shoot “The Ghost Who Walks” in his native St. Louis, it wasn’t because he was trying to make the city itself a character or was set on showcasing certain regional icons. The Gateway Arch, for example, doesn’t really make an appearance. But Stokes did choose St. Louis as his backdrop with good reason — and for viewers who know the region well, there’s plenty of local imagery to enjoy over the course of the fast-paced, 106-minute film. In this conversation, Stoke joins host Sarah Fenske for a closer look at his feature-length directorial debut, which is now reaching a wide audience on Netflix.

Los Angeles artist Tim Youd is taking on his biggest challenge yet. Beginning May 1, Youd is retyping William Gass’ mammoth novel “The Tunnel” on live video stream, all 652 pages of it. It will be Youd's 67th project retyping a classic novel. He joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss this new project and why he chose this notoriously difficult work.

Please take a few minutes to review our recently completed 5 year strategic report. Dozens of area stakeholders helped create our framework and vision plan that defines clear objectives for our strategic plan work over the last 5 years. We’re proud of our accomplishments and look forward to what the future brings! Thanks for your ongoing support of Tower Grove Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation. Enjoy!

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The head of the regional pandemic task force is suggesting the COVID-19 outbreak could be cresting in the area. That detail comes as Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City to work on a new state budget based on revenue that has been hammered by the coronavirus. Also, an expert from St. Louis University's Institute for Healing Justice and Equity dives into the information revealed by the outbreak.

Embracing the new virtual landscape many musicians find themselves in during the age of social distancing, St. Louis musician John Henry is using a Kickstarter campaign for pre-orders of his new album, “Out at Sea.” If the fundraiser is successful, donors will not only receive a record and a screen print from local shop Sleepy Kitty, they will also be supporting a cause close to Henry’s heart: mental health advocacy. Every dollar of his $3,500 campaign will be matched by national and local businesses to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness St. Louis. In this episode, Henry talks about his inspiration for the album and the Kickstarter campaign.

Having sleep problems during this pandemic? If so, you're not alone. Dr. Joseph Espiritu of the SLUCare Sleep Disorders Center answers your questions and has tips for getting better sleep. Stress, anxiety, screen time, alcohol and caffeine all play a role. Listen to learn how.

Mike Parson will deliver his plan today to restart Missouri’s economy. The governor says he is balancing public safety during the outbreak with the need to reopen businesses. Also, the pandemic is prompting calls to expand access to absentee ballots.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The Springfield Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Jaclyn Driscoll about why the General Assembly is coming back into session on Monday — and what issues lawmakers plan to discuss. Haahr, a Springfield Republican, became Missouri House speaker in 2019 after serving two years as House Speaker Pro Tem. Term limits will bar Haahr from running again for his House seat.

Where some crime shows spin their speculative wheels or endlessly whip listeners back and forth between evidence of innocence or guilt, “Criminal” looks beyond the headlines and instead delves deep and focuses on the human moments and stories that lurk behind the headlines. Host Sarah Fenske talks to “Criminal” podcast’s co-creators, Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer about what local fans can look forward to at the Pageant later this year. They also touch on the evolution of the show, how they’ve gone about expanding their repertoire to include “This Is Love” and “Phoebe Reads A Mystery”, and some of the most memorable St. Louis-related episodes of “Criminal.”

Host Sarah Fenske explores a collaboration between Feast Magazine and Small Circle Recipes: their “Extra Helping” community-sourced cookbook project features recipes from local chefs around the St. Louis area. The digital PDF cookbook and donation platform aims to benefit hospitality industry employees affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

On April 17, the ACLU of Missouri filed a lawsuit against the state of Missouri, the Missouri Secretary of State and a few local boards of election to allow voting by mail in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The lawsuit argues that the “illness or disability” clause in state law should apply to those staying at home to avoid the coronavirus and allow them to cast absentee ballots.Host Sarah Fenske talks to Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft about his reasons for deferring to local boards of elections on the absentee ballot issue.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson says most businesses in the state should be able to open May 4. He says social distancing guidelines will remain in place as people head back to work. In Illinois, Governor J.B. Pritzker says reopening in that state will be a slow process. Also, college towns, including Rolla, are taking a hard hit from the pandemic.

On April 22, 1943, Dr. Raul Artal Mittelmark was born in a Nazi concentration camp in Transnistria, a region in Eastern Europe. After the camp was liberated, his parents returned to their hometown: Czernowitz in Bukovina, which was under Communist rule. After several attempts to flee Communist Russia, the family was able to move to Romania, then the U.S. and, eventually, Israel. It was in Israel where Artal met his wife, and they eventually moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Artal ended up serving 17 years as chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health at St. Louis University. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with Artal about how his upbringing influenced his career in medicine as well as the medical ethics lessons we can still learn from the Holocaust.

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted questions about ways to be sustainable at a time when single-use goods are preferred. The outbreak has also led to a decrease "St. Louis on the Air" to take questions on sustainability is Missouri Botanical Garden’s “planet doctor” Jean Ponzi. She is their EarthWays Center program manager.

The ACLU of Missouri recently filed a class-action lawsuit to allow Missouri voters to cast absentee ballots during the pandemic without fear of prosecution. The organization's legal director, Tony Rothert, discusses why the suit is necessary with Sarah Fenske.

Franklin County will allow some non-essential businesses to open Friday with social distancing guidelines still in effect. All county government buildings will reopen May 1. Also, people with chronic conditions are taking extra precautions to avoid the coronavirus. But some families are arguing about the best way to cope during the pandemic.

How do you sign "coronavirus?" American Sign Language interpreters are communicating virtual government briefings to the deaf and hard of hearing population. Host Sarah Fenske talks with an interpreter from Paraquad’s Deaf Way Interpreting Services about the effects of the pandemic on interpreters and those who require their services.

Seniors living in the St. Louis area may well have some extra space in the house. At the same time, younger people are in need of good, affordable housing options. Put the two together, and everybody wins. That’s the idea behind a new St. Louis-based service called Odd Couples Housing. In this episode, host Sarah Fenske talks with the founders of Odd Couples Housing about the benefits of intergenerational living.

As movement is restricted to essential travel in many areas due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many families are stuck at home. Unfortunately, for victims of domestic and sexual violence, staying at home with their abusers leaves them with limited options to escape a hostile environment. Host Sarah Fenske checks in with Safe Connections, a local organization that works to prevent domestic and sexual violence, to discuss how they’re navigating victims who are more in contact with their abusers as of late.

Washington University is planning to furlough more than 1,000 employees. That includes many at its medical campus in St. Louis. Also, the coronavirus outbreak is prompting some in the region to cope with the stress by gardening.