St. Louis On The Air

St. Louis musicians Eimear Arkins and Eileen Gannon have performed and toured together for years. The Irish fiddle and harp duo’s new album, “The Belles of St. Louis” is a celebration of their musical friendship — and a nod to St. Louis’ rich, and growing, traditional Irish music scene. Ahead of their annual St. Patrick’s Day concert, they perform songs and tunes from the album, share tidbits on Irish music and culture, and discuss last summer’s blockbuster hit, “Sinners,” which has spurred interest in Irish folk music among new audiences.

As Earth awakens from a deep winter slumber, this month’s new music roundup is here to lend you some early spring energy. STLPR reporter Chad Davis and music show originator and producer Miya Norfleet discuss their favorite new releases including the funky dance track “Dance with You” from Starwolf and emotionally driven anthem by national artist with strong St. Louis roots Jordan Ward. . Check out our new music roundup playlist.

In 1901, the College Club of St. Louis was founded by a group of women who wanted to socialize and exercise their brains. Five years later, they began awarding scholarships to local young women in pursuit of higher education — a tradition upheld through the present day. Brenda Davis, current president of the College Club of St. Louis, talks about the significance of the organization reaching its 125th birthday and the club’s continued commitment to supporting young women just beginning college.

After his first year as CEO of the St. Charles County Library District, John Greifzu continues to face a number of challenges inherited from his predecessors. STLPR morning newscaster Abby Llorico talks about her recent conversations with Greifzu, which included discussion of what’s driving the district’s funding deficit, its process for responding to book removal requests, and a controversial plan to close several branches.

Agreements between local police departments and ICE have ballooned during Trump’s second term. More than 60 so-called “287(g)” contracts have been signed in Missouri. The spread of these agreements worries Austin Kocher, a Syracuse University researcher who focuses on the federal immigration system. In an interview with STLPR visuals editor Brian Munoz, Kocher shares insights from his research into the contracts and why he is concerned about local law enforcement being used to further the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

St. Louis Public Schools is considering later start times for its students beginning in the 2027-28 school year in hopes of further stabilizing transportation and boosting attendance. The district announced its “Thrive Time” initiative in January. Scientific research backs up later school start times but the idea has received a mixed reception among parents. STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad and Erik Herzog, a biology professor at Washington University, discuss the idea.

East-West Gateway, the St. Louis bi-state area’s council of governments, is the latest organization to attempt to increase regional cooperation. It wants to build a regional alignment plan that will create a framework to help leaders from different sectors — like government, the arts, and nonprofits — work together. Jim Wild, executive director of East-West Gateway, discusses the regional alignment effort and why it’s happening now.

For years, Parkinson’s disease was thought to be primarily genetic. And while some cases are rooted in genetic changes, new studies suggest diagnoses of the disorder, which is the world’s fastest-growing brain disease, is largely driven by environmental toxins — specifically, long-term exposure to the herbicide paraquat. Reporter Mike Fitzgerald discusses why agricultural giant Syngenta is halting global production of the herbicide by the end of June 2026. This move follows massive legal pressure from nearly 6,500 lawsuits filed in East St. Louis federal court. Fitzgerald also talks about the growing push for a national paraquat ban, and why an upcoming Missouri statehouse hearing about the weed killer is critical.

A proposed Missouri bill would automatically expunge the criminal records of thousands of Missourians convicted of certain non-violent crimes. It's part of a larger, nationwide campaign to pass similar laws. Thirteen states have already passed their own version of the measure, including Illinois. We talk with Empower Missouri Executive Director Mallory Rusch and advocate Patty Berger, president of the St. Louis chapter of All of Us or None, to discuss the four-year effort to help people move on from their past criminal convictions. We also learn about Illinois' successful passage of its own Clean Slate Act with Artinese Myrik, deputy director of Live Free Illinois.

With less than two weeks before the Illinois March 17 primary, the three major Democratic contenders to succeed U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin are pulling off all the stops to prevail. St. Louis Public Radio Metro East reporter Will Bauer and Capitol News Illinois statehouse reporter Brenden Moore preview Illinois’ high stakes primary contests on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air."

Missouri kicked off its candidate filing period late last month. But there’s a big, unanswered question still lingering: Whether a congressional map from 2022 or one from 2025 will be in place for the election cycle. Rudi Keller, deputy editor for the Missouri Independent, joins "The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air" to chart out where things stand for the state’s morass of redistricting litigation.

Missouri and Illinois GOP members of Congress largely adopted the opposition to military intervention that President Donald Trump expressed during his presidential campaign. But now that he’s attacked Iran, Trump is placing some of those lawmakers in a tough spot – including Missouri Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt. Washington University political science professor Carly Wayne talks about the local political reaction to Trump’s decision on "The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”

Michael Holmes spent more than five years in prison after a 2003 drug arrest. But the SLMPD officers who arrested him were later exposed for planting evidence against innocent people to cover their own thefts. For the first time in a media interview, Holmes tells the story of his wrongful arrest and how he survived as an innocent man in prison. Holmes’ attorney, David Owens, also discusses the case, including a 2016 civil rights lawsuit that ended with a jury awarding Holmes $2.5 million. However, the City of St. Louis has yet to pay one dollar of that amount.

The traveling exhibition “Resilience - A Sansei Sense of Legacy” brings an artistic lens to the forced incarceration of an estimated 120,000 Japanese Americans — about two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens — following President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. Featuring the work of third-generation Japanese American artists, the exhibition explores the effects of that wartime injustice and connects it to the present day. The St. Louis showing of “Resilience” includes pieces by longtime Alton, Illinois resident and SIUE graduate Arthur Towata. To explore local connections to the legacy of WWII Japanese American internment, we speak with Wendy Roll, president of the Japanese American Citizens League - St. Louis; Amy Ozawa, Arthur Towata's niece and executor of his estate; and Kristine Aono, WashU graduate and one of the artists whose work is part of the “Resilience” exhibition’s core collection.

U.S. Transportation Command, headquartered at Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East, plays a significant role in moving equipment, personnel and supplies for American military operations worldwide — including the recent strikes in Iran. Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, the former commander of TRANSCOM who retired in 2024, explains how the combatant command does its work that includes mid-air refueling of stealth bombers, transporting missile defense systems and more.

Illusionist David Kwong found interest in magic and puzzles by watching the smartest people he knows — his own parents — become dazzled by sleight-of-hand tricks when he was a child. Today, Kwong delights and challenges people with his crossword puzzles, found in the New York Times, and with his live stage show “the Enigmatist,” which runs March 7 through April 5 at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

Four years after its founding, St. Louis’ Office of Violence Prevention is still working to address the causes of violence — and trying to stop it before it happens. In November, the city named the office’s new director, Marvin Teer, Jr. A former judge and prosecutor, Teer shares some of his experiences from three decades in the criminal justice system. He also addresses the likely impact of losing access to millions of dollars in federal funding when the American Rescue Plan Act expires at the end of the year. Teer says the change will affect more than 40 programs: “Our mission will go on,” he says, “but just in a very limited, or, at least in a reduced manner.” Joining Teer is James Watson, director of the nonprofit Show Me Peace, who discusses examples of how violence can be interrupted and how OVP creates an “ecosystem” of programs addressing its root causes.

Late winter is notoriously slow for restaurants. Fortunately, the St. Louis area saw many more openings than closures in February. The STLPR food crew convenes to share what’s new in the dining scene, including a literary pub in Rolla and a kosher deli in Clayton. They also discuss the joys of solo dining and the differences between biscuits and scones.

A long stay in the hospital often means dealing with fear and boredom. But for expectant mothers who find themselves hospitalized for weeks to monitor their pregnancies, they face isolation at a time when they need support the most. In 2024, more than 7,400 babies born in Missouri — or 11% — were preterm, before 37 weeks gestation. In St. Louis, a rare antepartum arts program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital is "meant to bridge the gap between hospital rooms," writes Missouri Independent health reporter Anna Spoerre. Spoerre's Feb. 23 story explored the hospital's 15-year-old antepartum program, which is the only one of its kind in the Midwest. Emily Paino-Brenneman, the program’s coordinator, talks about the program and why it's drawing attention from other states. We also learn about the origins of the program (and how art can be an important part of the healing process) with the program's recently retired founder, Sarah Colby.

What a lawyer says to the media can have consequences at trial. St. Louis saw an example of that after a comment last week on St. Louis on the Air contributed to a judge declaring a mistrial in a high-profile trial this week. On this Legal Roundtable edition of the program, our panel of expert attorneys reacts to the decision and addresses the risk of talking to reporters about a pending case. One panelist confirmed the ruling is already making an impact: “It will have a chilling effect on my willingness to talk to the media.” The panel also discusses an unusual lawsuit involving a police officer facing formal discipline for sending a reply-all email, the legal status of gas station gambling machines, and more.