Episodios

  • There are few pigeons in St. Louis. Research shows it’s due to design

    There are few pigeons in St. Louis. Research shows it’s due to design
    Nov 21 2025
    Pigeons are assumed to be common in most urban areas, but St. Louis does not have as many of these birds compared to other major cities. Washington University researchers have found that urban design and planning has a lot to do with that pigeon disparity, which highlights what’s missing in the city’s ecosystem. Postdoctoral fellow Elizabeth Carlen shares why a lack of pedestrians is the culprit, and how curiosity about minimal pigeon sightings in St. Louis landed her and her research partners in Madrid, Spain.
    Más Menos
    23 m
  • Why there’s no such thing as an ‘authentic’ taco

    Why there’s no such thing as an ‘authentic’ taco
    Nov 20 2025
    In reviews of Mexican restaurants across St. Louis, you’ll find numerous mentions of “authenticity.” But what makes a Mexican dish, like the taco, truly authentic? For Ignacio M. Sánchez Prado, that’s asking the wrong question. In his new book, “Taco,” Sánchez Prado challenges the idea of authentic food by exploring how migration and modernity have shaped the taco from its origins as a working-class staple in Mexico to a transnational icon that comes in many different textures and flavors.
    Más Menos
    27 m
  • Trans voices take center stage in St. Louis play ‘Just Human’

    Trans voices take center stage in St. Louis play ‘Just Human’
    Nov 19 2025
    A documentary-style play opening this week in St. Louis presents the experiences of transgender people and allies in their own words. Jamie Linson, a clinical psychologist, wrote the play after conducting more than 30 interviews with trans people and their families. The result is “Just Human: Transgender Lives in the 2020s.” Along with Linson, we talk with performer Jordan Braxton about playing herself, how the show confronts the harsh reality facing trans people face in Missouri, and how it also showcases the ways trans people find joy in their lives.
    Más Menos
    24 m
  • Coordinator wants ‘true reform in Ferguson’ as consent decree faces funding cuts

    Coordinator wants ‘true reform in Ferguson’ as consent decree faces funding cuts
    Nov 19 2025
    After the police shooting of Michael Brown, the City of Ferguson entered into a consent decree agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Now, almost a decade later, Ferguson residents and officials are eager for that contract to end. We’ll get an update on its progress from Ferguson Consent Decree Coordinator Patricia Washington, who spoke with STLPR reporter Chad Davis earlier this week. Washington shared examples of successful reforms made as part of the consent decree and the impact of cuts to the program’s funding. She also discussed the conditions for Ferguson to ultimately make its “exit strategy” from the consent decree.
    Más Menos
    26 m
  • Branson has a reputation. A new book explores what’s true — and what’s missed

    Branson has a reputation. A new book explores what’s true — and what’s missed
    Nov 18 2025
    Each year, more than 10 million visitors make their way to Branson, Missouri. Over many decades, the once-small hillside town developed a reputation for being the U.S. capital for performances with overtly religious and patriotic themes, and sometimes, a Christian nationalist bent. Joanna Dee Das’s new book, “Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment & the Idea of America,” explores how conservative values and politics have played out on Branson’s stages and with audiences. She also describes what makes Branson an important site for the performing arts and how its presentation of American history, values and politics is far more complicated than its reputation suggests.
    Más Menos
    30 m
  • Evidence — not politics — is key to tackling gun violence, says WashU dean

    Evidence — not politics — is key to tackling gun violence, says WashU dean
    Nov 18 2025
    Firearms are deeply politicized in the United States, hampering regulation and safer gun laws. In St. Louis, 44% of residents say firearm violence is their top public health concern. A new report in JAMA Health Forum outlines a five-step, evidence-based roadmap to safer firearm regulation Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of Washington University’s School of Public Health and editor-in-chief of JAMA Health Forum, discusses why the plan — and public health — are key to addressing gun violence.
    Más Menos
    20 m
  • Six months post-tornado, a north St. Louis family has its roof back, and seeks answers

    Six months post-tornado, a north St. Louis family has its roof back, and seeks answers
    Nov 18 2025
    The Nolan family in St. Louis has been on a long road to recovery since an EF3 tornado tore the roof off their O'Fallon neighborhood home on May 16. We check in with mom Gloria Nolan and her 13-year-old daughter Dylan about how their family's been navigating busy schedules, a new school year, ongoing house repairs and questions they still have about what's next.
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Tornado damaged schools could see repairs, reopening as soon as next semester

    Tornado damaged schools could see repairs, reopening as soon as next semester
    Nov 18 2025
    The EF3 tornado that ravaged parts of St. Louis six months ago devastated thousands of homes and businesses — and a dozen buildings in the St. Louis Public Schools district. Seven schools were so severely damaged that students were displaced. Now, SLPS administrators plan to have the schools either reopened or renovated by December 2026. STLPR’s Hiba Ahmed discusses the impact of the school closures, what the plan to reopen looks like and what the community's response has been in the six months since the tornado.
    Más Menos
    12 m