Aggregator

Snow, ice, streets and St. Louis – it all tends to make for a tricky wintry mix, as was evident last weekend when a major snowstorm hit the region. With the potential for additional winter weather now imminent, this episode focuses on why some St. Louisans drive poorly in such conditions – and how residents can better prepare for and deal with future weather events. Joining the discussion are Kent Flake, commissioner of streets for the City of St. Louis, and Mike Right, vice president of public affairs for AAA of Missouri.

Despite a winter weather advisory, the St. Louis Women’s March is still set to take place 10 a.m. Jan. 18 in downtown St. Louis. Host Don Marsh previews the march with two of this year’s local organizers and marchers: Lauren Kohn Davis and Heather Fleming. This year's event also includes an "action fair” that will house various organizations in the community helping women.

STLPR science reporter Eli Chen previews the total lunar eclipse.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson gives an update on the state of the city and her priorities for 2019. The first-ever woman to hold the post, she confirms that she does have plans to seek a second term.

A conversation with STLPR reporters Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann about Gov. Mike Parson's State of the State Address.

St. Louis Public Radio's Jason Rosenbaum and Jo Mannies join host Don Marsh during a live broadcast of Gov. Mike Parson's State of the State Address and the Democratic response from state Sen. Gina Walsh.

Last year, St. Louis native and comedian Greg Warren tried a new approach in his comedy career by adding an all-ages family show. He will do the same this year as he returns to St. Louis this week for his appearances at the Funny Bone comedy club in Maryland Heights. He talks with host Don Marsh about his comedic approach and upcoming shows.

Circus Harmony's new show “Accelerando” is a circus spy thriller where the performers twirl and climb their way to finding a top-secret document gone missing. Jessica Hentoff, artistic and executive director of the organization, joins host Don Marsh to discuss the show and other programs the social circus is conducting.

Barricades and “park closed” signs weren’t quite the sort of sights Andy Magee anticipated photographing when he embarked a couple weeks ago on a 365-day tour of the National Park Service’s 418 units around the U.S. But so far, his "418 Parks" Facebook page is full of such photos – evidence of the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government.

The first African-American to hold the post, Wesley Bell discusses his current focus on implementing the reforms he campaigned on during his recent race against longtime incumbent Bob McCulloch. Bell takes questions from host Don Marsh and from listeners on a range of topics.

Illinois Public Radio statehouse reporter Brian Mackey joins host Don Marsh to discuss the inauguration of Illinois' new governor J.B. Pritzker. Mackey highlights key moments of Pritzker’s speech and touches on what’s ahead for the governor and the state.

“City of Ink,” set in early 18th-century Beijing, is Elsa Hart’s third novel. She’s currently at work on her fourth. Hart talks with host Don Marsh about her characters and settings, some of her influences and favorite authors, and how she goes about bringing a centuries-old world to life for her readers.

Renegotiated by Congress every 5-7 years The Farm Bill impacts food production, nutrition assistance, habitat conservation, international trade, and much more. But try digging into its 1,000+ pages! 

Christina Badaracco, a registered dietician, dug deep into this topic  for her new book (with researcher and author Daniel Imhoff) The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide (Island Press, Jan 2019). She brings perspective from this accessible, graphics-rich book to this Earthworms conversation. 

With a new farm bill just signed into law, we all need to understand the implications of food policy. What’s the impact of crop insurance? How does SNAP actually work? What would it take to create a healthier, more sustainable food system? 

Eaters, taxpayers, sustainable food system advocates: listen up!

Music: Who Gives, performed live at KDHX by Brian Curran

Thanks to Andy Heaslet, warmly welcomed back this week as Earthworms' engineer.

Related Earthworms Conversations: 

Urban Agriculture Guide: a New Tool for City Farmers (June 2016)

Citizenship: Responsibility is our Civic Ability to Respond (Nov 2018)

People's Pocket Guide to Environmental Action with Caitlin Zera (July 2017)

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum as the latest guest on Politically Speaking.

The Springfield Democrat was elected as minority leader late last year, succeeding former Rep. Gail McCann Beatty of Kansas City. Quade was first elected to the House in 2016 to represent part of Springfield.

After the 2018 election cycle, Quade is the only Democrat to represent a district that’s south of Interstate 70. She’s noted that her district is relatively competitive, as much of the terrain was represented by a GOP lawmaker from 2010 to 2012.

Later this month, baseball fans and writers will react to who is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. How is those players chosen? St. Louis Post-Dispatch sportswriter Derrick Goold details that process in conversation with host Don Marsh.

Host Don Marsh talks with St. Louis Public Radio's Shahla Farzan and Kae Petrin about their recent reporting on the number of scooter-related injuries that area emergency rooms are seeing.

Longtime St. Louis journalist Linda Lockhart retires this month after a media career spanning more than four decades. She talks with host Don Marsh about the changes she's seen in the industry over the years and highlights her favorite moments. 

Terry Jones, who is a professor emeritus of political science at UMSL and the author of “Fragmented by Design: Why St. Louis Has So Many Governments," offers his take on the latest talk of a city-county merger.

STLPR political reporter Jo Mannies reflects on her career as a journalist and talks about the big and memorable stories she covered. Mannies is retiring but will work part time beginning in March.