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Most people are knowledgeable about the early accomplishments of Michelangelo, like his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in his 30s. But the artist and architect worked well into his 80s, at a time when the average life expectancy was about 40 to 45 years. The latter part of Michelangelo’s career is the focus of a new book by Washington University Art History Professor William Wallace. It’s titled “Michelangelo, God's Architect: The Story of His Final Years and Greatest Masterpiece.”

Last month, Tom Townsend died at 60, just two weeks after being diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer. It was a devastating blow. Just one year before, Townsend had survived being shot in an attempted carjacking. And he was a much-loved figure in St. Louis. One big reason for that was the organization he founded: Pianos for People. A retired advertising executive, Townsend had devoted what would prove the final seven years of his life to helping underprivileged students access both free pianos and free lessons in playing them. But Pianos for People continues its work. And in this episode, we meet its new director and hear from some young pianists, too.

Most people are knowledgeable about the early accomplishments of Michelangelo, like his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling in his 30s. But the artist and architect worked well into his 80s, at a time when the average life expectancy was about 40 to 45 years. The latter part of Michelangelo’s career is the focus of a new book by Washington University art history professor, William Wallace. It’s titled “Michelangelo, God's Architect: The Story of His Final Years and Greatest Masterpiece.”

Every few months, artist Allana Ross gives public tours of the Weldon Spring, Times Beach and West Lake Landfill sites. By allowing people to visit those locations and learn about their history, Ross hopes many will see that people have repeatedly dealt with toxic waste by dumping it and contaminating the soil for future generations.

In three weeks, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will formally break ground on Next NGA West, its long-anticipated new headquarters that will be located in north St. Louis. The $1.7 billion construction project is expected to last several years, with a goal of completing much of the campus in 2023. In this segment, Next NGA West Program Director Sue Pollmann joins host Sarah Fenske to give an update on the project and to discuss the spy agency’s hopes for the St. Louis region as a geospatial industry hub.

In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks with Harriet Tubman impersonator Glynis Brooks about her reaction to the new Tubman biopic and her role as a Tubman impersonator.

Peter Robinson had just turned 30 years old when, as Ronald Reagan’s speechwriter in 1987, he was tasked with crafting what would become one of the world’s most famous presidential speeches. “I spent six years in the Reagan White House and I wrote tens of thousands of words, and nobody remembers anything except six of them — and one of them is ‘mister,’” said Robinson, referring to the memorable “tear down this wall” line that Reagan directed at Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev before a crowd of thousands at the Berlin Wall. In this episode, Robinson joins host Sarah Fenske in light of the 30-year commemoration of the fall of that wall.

Charter schools opened in St. Louis two decades ago. But it was not a warm reception all around. Now a once adversarial relationship between traditional public school backers and charters is showing signs of warmth.

Saturday (Nov. 9) will mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided Germany from 1961 to 1989. In this episode, we discuss a local dance production being staged this week by Modern American Dance Company, or MADCO, that explores the personal stories behind the Cold War politics of the time. The production, “WallSTORIES,” is choreographed by native Berliner Nejla Yatkin and is a collaboration between MADCO and the University of Missouri-St. Louis' German Culture Center.

Ron Calzone isn’t a paid lobbyist. He might be better described as an activist. He has strong opinions about politics -- conservative ones. And because of that, he spends a fair amount of time in Jefferson City at the Missouri Capitol, seeking to persuade lawmakers to come around to his point of view. Not everyone likes that, and in 2014, someone filed a complaint against Calzone with the Missouri Ethics Commission. They said he needed to file as a lobbyist and pay annual registration fees, and the commission agreed. But Calzone didn’t back down so quickly. He’s a guy with strong opinions, after all. And he believed that being treated as a lobbyist violated his First Amendment rights, so he sued. Last Friday, he won. A nine-judge panel of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals overruled a previous three-judge panel that had ruled against Calzone. In an 8-1 decision, the judges agreed that demanding Calzone register as a lobbyist violates his rights. In this segment, Calzone’s attorney, David Roland, talks with host Sarah Fenske.

The St. Louis comedy scene is a busy one. Just about any night of the week, you can catch local comedians honing their sets at open-mic night, improvising madly on stage with a troupe of their closest friends or battling each other with wit and good humor as local drunks cheer. For the past three years, a three-day comedy festival has brought those disparate elements together. The Flyover Comedy Festival launched in 2017 and returns to the city’s Grove neighborhood beginning this Thursday (Nov. 7). It’s a showcase for local talent in the scene and also a chance for big names to show off their best stuff. In this segment, St. Louis on the Air host Sarah Fenske and co-founder Zach Gzehoviak discuss the festival with local comedians Kenny Kinds and Tina Dybal.

African swine fever has been infecting its way through the pig herds of Asia. The disease, which took officials in China by surprise, could kill up to a quarter of the world’s pig population. Harvest Public Media’s Amy Mayer reports that while the disease isn’t here, the U.S. pork industry is preparing for a possible crisis.

Blake Strode, executive director of ArchCity Defenders, and Jacki Langum, the organization’s advocacy director, talk about the group’s 10th anniversary on the latest edition of Politically Speaking.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann about why he supports the exploration of regional governance of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

In this segment, we learn about the Excelsior Program, which aims to help kids overcome trauma by teaching them meditation, mindfulness, and martial arts.

The first-ever STL Startup Week begins November 1, celebrating a growing entrepreneurial scene in a city once better known for beer and brick. An integral part of St. Louis’ startup scene: women. Host Sarah Fenske discusses the startup culture in St. Louis and local efforts to support women and their businesses.

On the latest episode of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Julie O’Donoghue and Jason Rosenbaum take a closer look at some of the biggest political stories of the week. Topping the headlines was turmoil in the St. Louis County Police Department after a jury awarded a nearly $20 million verdict to Sgt. Keith Wildhaber in his discrimination suit. That decision is prompting calls for sweeping change in one of Missouri’s largest local law enforcement agencies.

Most of the houses in downtown Belleville are more than 80 years old, according to the US Census. And many of them were built decades earlier -- in the 1800s. These older homes are attracting a new crop of residents to the neighborhood, for personal and practical reasons.

The holiday season often signals a time when people gather together and aim to impress their friends and loved ones with their cooking skills. And now, home chefs can try some recipes not found in the Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray cookbooks. R.J. Hartbeck and Mary von der Heydt have launched a series of short cookbooks titled “Small Circle,” each showcasing about 10 recipes from noted chefs around St. Louis. They talk about what inspired the cookbooks and how they’ve gone about curating the notebook-style publications with host Sarah Fenske.

Sarah Fenske talks with state Sen. Karla May (D-St. Louis) and state Rep. Justin Hill (R-Lake St. Louis) about the recent push for an online sales tax in Missouri and how the issue may be addressed in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 8.