The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners prompted plenty of controversy earlier this month when members pushed a pay boost for command staff. STLPR’s Rachel Lippmann joins “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air” to explain how the move prompted opposition from St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer — and renewed discussions about how pay boosts for police require salary increases for firefighters.

St. Louis’ top officials are working with members of Missouri’s congressional delegation to obtain much-needed funds to rebuild parts of the city that were destroyed by last year’s EF3 tornado. But getting that money will require Congress to act. Sarah Labowitz of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discusses the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Relief program on “The Politically Speaking Hour on St. Louis on the Air.”

Get ready for a musical joyride — this month’s new music roundup is filled with tracks that will keep your windows down and the volume up all summer long. Musicians Skylar Townsend, Ryan Koenig and STLPR’s Brian Heffernan dive into their favorite recent releases from St. Louis artists. Check out our new music roundup playlist.

Singer/songwriter Emerson Magaña’s childhood was filled with the rhythms of Central and South America. Born in Colima, Mexico, he first picked up guitar from his father. Eventually, nature, women, and tequila inspired him to write new original music. On this episode, Magana talks about his musical journey and how those songs became his debut album “Tequila Time” – an ode to his home in Mexico and his time playing at tourist resorts in the beautiful Barra de Navidad.

St. Louis is set to host the 2028 U.S. Olympic marathon trials, bringing the nation’s top distance runners back to the city that hosted America’s first Olympics. We hear from St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber, Go! St. Louis President Mona Vespa and St. Louis Run Club founder Ricky Hughes about the excitement around the marathon trials and what it’ll take to pull it off. We also listen back to a conversation with public historian Adam Kloppe of the Missouri Historical Society about the disastrous 1904 Olympic marathon.

Created by St. Louisan Lindsey Goodhart, “Closet Space” is a sapphic blind dating show that fosters a welcoming space for the LGBTQ community through its live studio audience. Goodhart reflects on how the show has sparked genuine connections and the importance of establishing dedicated queer spaces in Missouri, both on and off the stage.

Multiple dog attacks in St. Louis have made local headlines and shown up on social media feeds this past week. The issue’s not new, but data shows a marked increase in dangerous animal complaints in St. Louis in recent years. For residents like Slayden Figg, who was attacked by three loose dogs last year, the issue is so pervasive that he’s decided to move out of the city. We talk with him about the attack and the physical, mental and financial hardships he endured from it. We also discuss the underlying causes behind these attacks, city enforcement of animal laws, irresponsible dog ownership, and how to stay safe during a dog attack with the medical director at the Center for Animal Rescue and Enrichment of St. Louis and an animal control supervisor with the City of St. Louis.

Encouraging a child’s love of books has benefits beyond reading. Ahead of a literacy event this Saturday, St. Louis authors Darian Wigfall and Pancho Rucker share what motivates their advocacy, and how encouraging youth to love books and write their own stories promotes confidence and self-worth. The writers are part of a free, all-ages June 13 “Reading is Fire” event, organized by Wigfall, that includes books, games, live music, and readings by several local Black authors.

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" introduced readers to characters inspired by the childhood of its author Mark Twain. June 9 is the 150th anniversary of the book's publication in 1876. Multiple events are planned in Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, marking the book’s real-life setting and literary impact. Mark Schneider, development and marketing manager at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, talks about the history of Twain’s book, its unique place in American culture and history, and why its language, characters and lessons remain relevant today – and hotly debated.

Beyond aprons and roadside diners, women helped power and preserve Route 66. Edwardsville resident Cheryl Eicher Jett’s new book “Aprons Away: Women’s Work on Route 66” — which first premiered as a play — chronicles untold stories of more than 80 women who worked along the Mother Road’s 2,448-mile stretch. We talk with the author about some histories of the women who shaped the landmark, including some from the St. Louis area.