On the latest edition of Politically Speaking, St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum, Julie O’Donoghue and Rachel Lippmann take a look at how politics and policy has changed in five years since Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson.
This show looks at how the slow progress picked up last year with the election of Wesley Bell as St. Louis County prosecutor. That ushered in a new political coalition that’s affecting other parts of county government. But progress has been slower in state and national politics.
Five years after a white Ferguson police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, Jr., a black man, artists in the St. Louis region continue to explore the movement that emerged after his death. Some incorporated political concerns into their work for the first time. Others intensified their focus on social justice.
The first few minutes of Tanner Craft’s new short film pair a seemingly everyday scene – a mother and her young son at a doctor’s office – with an unsettling soundtrack. There’s a looming, ongoing hum audible beneath the dialogue as the physician tells the mother that her son has autism spectrum disorder. “It’s a developmental disorder,” the doctor says, the mother appearing overwhelmed. “It impairs his ability to communicate and interact with others.” But “Diagnosis,” which Craft wrote, directed and produced, doesn’t stop there. The film goes on to highlight a mother-son journey from early diagnosis, to learning more about autism and existing resources, to finding new ways to connect with one another and thrive. On Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske talked with both Craft and his mother, Tanya Craft, about the film and about autism’s influence on their lives.
Host Sarah Fenske delves into ways that St. Louis’ Latino community continues to grow and influence the city – artistically and otherwise. A local artist and podcast host share their experiences of navigating a bicultural life, the importance of representation in their fields of work and how the Latino arts scene is expanding in the region.
Host Sarah Fenske sits down with Anna Crosslin, CEO of the International Institute, and Nadya Kanim, a business specialist there, to discuss their weekly lunch, the institute’s efforts to support immigrants, and the bevy of cuisines on the menu.
Former National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency leader Robert Cardillo stepped down in February after playing a major role in selecting St. Louis as the site for a new headquarters. On June 1, he started at St. Louis University as a distinguished geospatial fellow, where he will serve as a liaison for the N-G-A, industry leaders and the university.
Global Mosquito Alert aims to mobilize professional and volunteer citizen scientists from around the world, using mobile apps, to track and control mosquito borne viruses. Dr. Anne Bowser, Director of Innovation for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reports on this collaboration involving citizen science associations in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia and the U.S.
Backed by UN Environment, this initiative draws on successes from programs like Barcelona's public engagement Mosquito Alert and the school-based U.S. Invasive Mosquito Project. Because monitoring types of mosquitos and sites where mosquitos are breeding is a significant element in controlling mosquito borne diseases like West Nile and Zika Virus, yellow fever, malaria, chikungunya and and dengue fever.
Could St. Louis marshal this kind of collaboration? Check out this Earthworms conversation!
Music: Public Enemy, performed live at KDHX by Godfathers
THANKS to Andy Heaslet, Earthworms so green savvy engineer
Host Sarah Fenske sits down with Anna Crosslin, CEO of the International Institute, and Nadya Kanim, a business specialist there, to discuss their weekly lunch, the institute’s efforts to support immigrants, and the bevy of cuisines on the menu.
Young adults throughout the St. Louis area make up the artist collective, St. Louis Story Stitchers. They aim to showcase the region’s culture through performance art, and they work to curb gun violence, which many of its members have grown up with.
In the aftermath of Ferguson, the municipal court system came under scrutiny for a variety of unfair practices. Some reforms have been implemented over the last five years, but we examine whether real change has occurred.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with our partners from Sauce Magazine about the latest additions to the St. Louis region’s food-and-beverage community. Joining her for the conversation were Catherine Klene and Matt Sorrell, managing editor and staff writer, respectively.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with Dr. Page for a look at what he’s accomplished in his first 100 days in office as St. Louis County Executive, and what he hopes to do in the weeks and months to come.
St. Louis Alderman Bret Narayan is the latest guest on Politically Speaking, where he talked to St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum about his first few months on the Board of Aldermen.
The 24th Ward Democrat represents the neighborhoods that encompass Dogtown in southwest St. Louis. He won election to the seat earlier this year.
Jonathan Tremaine Thomas moved to Ferguson from Indianapolis five years ago to be part of the healing process after the death of Michael Brown. The pastor is planning to reopen the Corner Coffee House to help downtown Ferguson thrive again, which will benefit the entire community.
Host Sarah Fenske talks with longtime Quincy Senior High School music director Kathi Dooley about her experience on Netflix's "Queer Eye" makeover show, "Dooley-cizing," her future plans and more.
Host Sarah Fenske spoke with Amy Breihan, director of the MacArthur Justice Center, and Nicholas Phillips, a reporter at Missouri Lawyers Weekly, about developments in a case against the state of Missouri, for allegedly failing to provide “meaningful” legal representation for indigent defendants, as the U.S. Constitution requires. Because the public defenders’ office is overworked and underfunded, the ACLU and the MacArthur Justice Center argued, poor people charged with a crime are denied their constitutional rights.
Two vacant St. Louis County Council seats will be filled in a special election August 6. We review the election, which will decide what party controls the council going forward. Both seats are expected to stay Democratic although one of the races could be competitive.
Paying for child care is one of the largest expenses per month for families. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant child care in Missouri is about $800 a month. At the same time, day care providers are tasked with more work for little pay. On Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske hosts a discussion on the rising cost of child care, the impact on families, and the challenges facing child care center teachers.
Paying for child care is one of the largest expenses per month for families. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average annual cost of infant child care in Missouri is about $800 a month. At the same time, day care providers are tasked with more work for little pay. On Thursday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Sarah Fenske hosts a discussion on the rising cost of child care, the impact on families, and the challenges facing child care center teachers.
State Rep. David Wood is the latest guest on the Politically Speaking podcast. The Versailles Republican spoke with St. Louis Public Radio’s Jaclyn Driscoll and Jason Rosenbaum
Wood was elected to Missouri’s 58th House District in 2012. He’s currently serving his final term in the General Assembly’s lower chamber, where he’s chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Health, Mental Health and Social Services.
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