Shows
The GatewayTuesday, March 18 - How a MO bill could impact utility billsThe Missouri legislature passed a major utility bill before it left for spring break. The 133 page bill contains dozens of policies.
St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke explores how some of the changes in the bill could affect power companies and the people who rely on them.2025-03-1811 minThe GatewayTuesday, Feb. 25 - Plant libraries, and the answers they provide, are in jeopardyAt institutions around the world, there are special libraries called "herbaria," containing millions of plants. As scientists work to understand and adapt to climate change, these plant collections have become even more important. But in some places, their future is in question. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke reports on why scientists want you to care.2025-02-2511 minThe GatewayTuesday, December 24 - A place at the table for heirloom collardsCollard greens are a staple for many households during the holidays. But the majority of collards sold at grocery stores are one of just a few varieties. There’s an effort underway to change that, and get tastier and hardier collard greens onto people’s plates. STLPR's Kate Grumke brings us to a greenhouse in East St. Louis.
* The Gateway will be on holiday break for the next week and will be back on January 2, 2025.*2024-12-2410 minThe GatewayTuesday, December 3 - The climate-friendly power of woodA traditional building material is getting new life in the Midwest. It locks away carbon and is strong enough to stretch stories into the sky. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke reports on a new way builders are using . . . wood.2024-12-0312 minThe GatewayMonday, November 11 - The first woman president at MOBOTThe Missouri Botanical Garden will have its first woman president next year. Kate Grumke sat down with Dr. Lucia Lohmann to learn why she wanted to come back to the Garden and to St. Louis.2024-11-1112 minThe GatewayThursday, October 31 - Saving a spooky native beetleAs trick-or-treaters get their costumes ready, scientists are working to save a spooky native bug whose numbers have plummeted. St. Louis Public Radio's Kate Grumke reports.2024-10-3114 min
St. Louis on the AirNPR uplifts St. Louis emerging journalists who explore the meaning of ‘home’NPR’s Next Gen Radio Project was in St. Louis last week. The five-day digital journalism and audio training project’s goal is to find, coach, and train public media's next generation. STLPR Visuals Editor Brian Munoz and Senior Environmental Reporter Kate Grumke discuss the experience of working with the emerging journalists, and we feature some of the non-narrated stories that are centered on the idea of “home.”2024-10-0220 minThe GatewayFriday, September 13 - In awe of the paw pawThere’s a fruit that grows throughout nearly half of the U.S. that most people have never tried. It’s called the paw paw. While the fruit trees are native to much of the Midwest and East Coast, you won’t find them in many grocery stores. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke reports on the push to popularize the elusive paw paw.2024-09-1311 minThe GatewayFriday, August 30 - Midwest preps for legal fights over waterThe Western U.S. has seen decades of disputes over water. Now climate change could bring more water scarcity to the Midwest. That’s left states like Missouri wondering if the thirst for water could be headed this way. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke reports.2024-08-3011 minThe GatewayMonday, July 29 - The future of nuclear energyMissouri’s only nuclear power plant is turning 40 this year, and Illinois recently cleared the way for small modular nuclear reactors by repealing a moratorium.
St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke takes us inside the plant to find out how nuclear energy might evolve in coming years in Missouri and Illinois.2024-07-2910 minThe GatewayMonday, July 29 - The future of nuclear energyMissouri’s only nuclear power plant is turning 40 this year, and Illinois recently cleared the way for small modular nuclear reactors by repealing a moratorium.
St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke takes us inside the plant to find out how nuclear energy might evolve in coming years in Missouri and Illinois.2024-07-2910 minThe GatewayThursday, May 30 - The changing nature of tornado warningsSo far, 2024 is one of Missouri’s most active tornado seasons on record. The St. Louis region has been especially stormy, which means meteorologists at the local National Weather Service are busy. St. Louis Public Radio’s Kate Grumke spoke with Ben Herzog, the Science and Operations Manager at the National Weather Service St. Louis. They talked about what goes into tornado warnings and how they are changing.2024-05-3011 minSt. Louis on the AirBook ban efforts threaten ‘the heart of our democracy,’ says Wentzville lead librarianIn the fall of 2022, a Missouri law went into effect that opened school officials to possible criminal charges if they provide “explicit sexual content” to students. That has had a chilling effect on librarians, and it resulted in Missouri removing the third highest number of books from library shelves, following Florida and Texas. STLPR reporter Kate Grumke talks with Mernie Maestas, the lead librarian for the Wentzville School District in St. Charles County.2024-01-0417 minSt. Louis on the AirRadiation exposure funding isn’t in the final defense bill. Here’s why U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley voted ‘no’Congress is poised to give final approval to the National Defense Authorization Act, a customarily popular and bipartisan bill. But, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley voted “no” and he’s accusing congressional leadership of abandoning St. Louis-area victims poisoned by nuclear contamination from the Manhattan Project. Hawley talks with STLPR senior environmental reporter Kate Grumke about his opposition to the bill.2023-12-1312 min
Politically SpeakingRadiation exposure funding isn’t in the final defense bill. What’s next for St. Louisans?St. Louis Public Radio's senior environmental reporter Kate Grumke talks with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley about the next steps now that a proposal compensating St. Louis area residents who became sickened due to radioactive waste exposure isn't in a critical national defense bill.2023-12-1216 minSt. Louis on the AirCollegiate families deal with 'mixed bag of feelings' on school shooting anniversaryThe deadly shooting one year ago at Central Visual Performing Arts High School left many students and teachers to deal with immeasurable grief. STLPR’s Kate Grumke shares how Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience students are processing difficult emotions as they reflect on the upcoming anniversary of the deadly shooting in the school building they share with CVPA. Also, STLPR’s Chad Davis highlights how CVPA artists and alumni have spent the year using art to work through trauma.2023-10-2519 minSt. Louis on the AirDangerous heat pushes St. Louis-area schools to close buildings and dismiss earlyFor the fifth day in a row, the St. Louis region is experiencing dangerous heat that is near record-breaking levels. It’s also the first week of school for many students in the region. STLPR senior education reporter Kate Grumke discusses issues with bus transportation and athletics as well as what schools are doing to cope with the heat including early dismissals and virtual learning.2023-08-2421 minSt. Louis on the AirScientists agree with Army Corps that Jana Elementary is safe, but community still skepticalLast October, the Hazelwood School District closed Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, after a company called Boston Chemical Data Corporation issued a report that said there was radioactive contamination in the school and that it was dangerous. But, the scientific consensus shows that radioactive contamination isn’t present. We listen to STLPR education reporter Kate Grumke’s extended conversation with Roger Lewis, a professor emeritus at St. Louis University, who is critical of the report. In a follow-up conversation, Kate also shares how Boston Chemical is responding to the criticism and what parents are saying.2023-06-1232 minSt. Louis on the AirCVPA students make triumphant return to stage for first time since school shootingOn Monday night, students at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in south St. Louis made their first public performance since a deadly school shooting last October. Many of the students said they worked through the trauma of the shooting with their art. STLPR’s senior education reporter Kate Grumke covered the event and discussed the highlights.2023-05-1609 min
Politically SpeakingZora MulliganZora Mulligan, Commissioner of Higher Education for the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development joins St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Kellogg, Jason Rosenbaum and Kate Grumke to talk about the state of higher education in Missouri. Mulligan spoke on current challenges the state is facing in regards to higher education, how the COVID-19 pandemic left its mark, as well as how the state plans to spend some of its funding from the American Rescue Plan Act on capital improvement projects for colleges across Missouri.2022-04-2633 min
Politically SpeakingSchool board members reflect on the COVID-19 pandemicOn the latest episode of Politically Speaking, STLPR's Jason Rosenbaum and Kate Grumke interview three school board members about how they made big decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guests include Maplewood-Richmond Heights Board member Katie Kaufmann, Parkway School Board member Kristy Davis and Jennings School Board member Miranda Jones.2021-11-2440 min