Aggregator

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.

As more people work from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, it's harder than ever to hit your 10,000 step goals. Some have found themselves gaining weight. Author (and self-described "former fat guy") Andy Boyle joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss his new book "Big Problems," which delves into "why we're getting fatter and what you can do to fix it."

Back in January, long before other Americans were suddenly stocking up on groceries and other essentials, Regina Mossotti and her colleagues were already paying close attention to COVID-19 headlines. They decided to order several months’ worth of food — for their wolves, that is. And now, they’re glad they did. Mossotti, a wildlife biologist, is director of animal care and conservation at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri. While some staff members are now working from home, Mossotti and other animal caregivers are carefully continuing their essential on-site roles, even as they’ve had to temporarily shut down the educational programs so critical to the nonprofit’s revenue. In this segment, Mossotti joins host Sarah Fenske to discuss how the nearly 50-year-old nonprofit is adapting its efforts during this pandemic — and brainstorming alternative funding streams.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio health reporter Sarah Fentem about the fears emergency room doctors are facing as they’re treating the most seriously ill or injured patients from COVID-19 — a disease that puts them, their co-workers and their families at risk.

The pandemic is expected to peak in St. Louis late this week. Health officials say fewer people will need to be hospitalized than initially thought because social distancing is working. Also, the St. Louis Board of Alderman will meet today through an online platform for its first session since the stay-at-home order went into effect.