Visitors to the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis can experience New York artist Paul Chan’s exhibition “Breathers,” which relies upon air and wind to create kinetic movement and evoke an emotional response that reminds us to inhale and exhale with greater intention. Associate curator Misa Jefferies and artist Simiya Sudduth reflect on what air and breath look like both in art and in healing —- and why taking a ‘breather’ is necessary.

Last month at Washington University, police arrested over 100 people who attempted to set up a Gaza solidarity encampment on campus grounds. WashU junior Andrew de las Alas and senior lecturer Michael Allen were arrested and temporarily suspended for their involvement with the April 27 campus protest. They talk about the protest on Wash U’s campus and dealing with its aftermath. Shanti Parikh, Chair of the African and African American Studies department and professor of anthropology at WashU, discusses how faculty are trying to support those who were arrested.

More than one in three young adults, ages 18-24, report zero income. Depression rates in that age group are also comparatively high. And feelings about financial stability vary notably by race. Senior St. Louis Fed researcher Ana Hernandez Kent talks through those and other findings from the 2024 State of Economic Equity report, with notes about how research can inform better support for economically disconnected youth.

Katie McGrath founded Immigrant Song as a response to the increase in race, culture and religion-based domestic hate crimes in the U.S. since 2016. Alongside the concert series’ music director Larry Pry, and performers Chuck Flowers and Anu French, she reflects on the power of music and storytelling as a way to combat hate and divisiveness. The nonprofit organization’s next concert is this Sunday, May 12.

University City resident Nichole Angieri recently discovered that her neighborhood is being used as a police training ground. It's the latest update in the aftermath of a $190 million Costco development in University City that's left residents feeling unheard, stranded in their homes, and left to fend for themselves. In this episode, we hear from Angieri and from producer Danny Wicentowski.

Metro Transit, a service of Bi-State Development, may tighten its Call-A-Ride reservations window. Disability rights advocates say that would make existing service gaps even worse. Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development talks about the proposed policy change. Jeanette Mott Oxford, Paraquad Public Policy & Advocacy Manager, and Seyoon Choi, former Parquad Public Policy Intern, also join the conversation to discuss what a local advocacy group has recommended instead.

In the 1960s, St. Louis nearly became one of the most magical places on earth. A planned Disneyland, called the Riverfront Square, captured imaginations as local leaders sought to strike a deal with Walt Disney himself — until that deal went bibbidi, bobbidi, bust. Writer Devin Thomas O'Shea reminds us of what the canceled Disney attraction might have been, the disputed reasons why the plan fell apart (no, it wasn't just over beer), and the problematic characters and mythologized storytelling that the park would have been designed around.

When Juliet Simone turned 30 years old she decided to try for a baby and sought a sperm donor to start her family. She had no idea just how much the birth of her first child would open up her family’s world. Once she gave birth to her first son, doctors told her the baby tested positive for a genetic disorder and recommended family genetic screening. This led to the revelation that her mother, Rebecca Massie, also sought sperm donors to birth Simone and Simone’s brother Alex. Simone and Massie share their story of a family secret that grew their families beyond all expectation.

Adam Wainwright enjoyed an 18-year big-league career with the St. Louis Cardinals that included closing out the World Series as a rookie and, in his final season last year, securing 200 career wins. The former pitcher has now embarked on a career as a baseball analyst for network television and musician. STLPR’s Jeremy D. Goodwin spoke with Wainwright about his songwriting and recently released country music album “Hey Y’all.” Wainwright’s musical adventures have also included a debut at the Grand Ole Opry and an opening slot for Zac Brown Band at Chaifetz Arena.

St. Louis-born music producer Metro Boomin is one of the most prolific beat makers of today. His productions top Billboard charts, win Grammys, and make stars out of his collaborators. He also is interwoven in the biggest rap beef in the last decade between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Producer Miya Norfleet, arts and culture reporter Chad Davis, and political correspondent Jason Rosembaum share their thoughts on the week-long back and forth between the hip-hop giants and how St. Louis’ significance in hip-hop is undeniable.

In Missouri, much of the attention as to what issues will be on the ballot in November has been about efforts to legalize abortion and sports betting. Another initiative that could boost the minimum wage and establish paid sick leave also seems primed for a vote. Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages turned in roughly 210,000 signatures to Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office. The measure would raise the state’s minimum wage to $13.75 an hour next year – and eventually move it up to $15 an hour by 2026. Campaign manager Richard von Glahn talks about the effort.