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Monday’s show (May 18) will include a focus on the unique challenges this coronavirus pandemic presents for college students. Graduating seniors are closing one chapter of life this spring and beginning a new one, during one of the most uncertain periods in all of our lifetimes. And as we look toward that segment next week, a project aimed at college students has caught our attention this week. On social media, a Zoom-style video making the rounds featured the music department at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. It’s their very own version of Carole King’s timeless song, “You’ve Got A Friend.” Instrumental and choral faculty alike lent their voices to different lines of the song. They also played violins and cellos and, in a few cases, shared some visual antics. Take a listen and hear the masterminds behind the project describe how they brought it all together as a gift for their students.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with NASA engineer Dajae Williams, a St. Louis Native, on how she’s using hip hop to make math and science more accessible to young people.

In 2018, voters approved the Clean Missouri constitutional amendment that included state redistricting and ethics changes. Now the Missouri House is backing an initiative to repeal the effort. In this interview, host Sarah Fenske talks with St. Louis Public Radio correspondent Jason Rosenbaum about his reporting on the ballot initiative aimed at repealing the Clean Missouri redistricting system.

St. Louis Fire Department employees are working on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. Captain Garon Mosby talks with host Sarah Fenske about the ongoing COVID-19 toll and some of the challenges the department faces as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Also included are pre-recorded comments from Laura Keller, executive director of the St. Louis Fire Department Foundation, who herself battled COVID-19.

Most schools have been forced to shift to online teaching during the pandemic. But many students in Missouri do not have a strong enough internet connection to learn from home. Also, Illinois is forming a task force to examine how students can safely return to colleges and universities in the fall.

The local Muslim community are halfway through observing the holy month of Ramadan. But this year, they've had to navigate it differently in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. With mosques closed, and social distancing recommended by city and county officials, many are having to observe the occasion without their friends and family. Joining host Sarah Fenske to talk about the changes are Dr. Mahrukh Khan and Donnell "Malik" Sims. They share how they're observing Ramadan while they treating and caring for patients infected with COVID-19 in underserved areas.

Back in March, the University of Missouri-St. Louis put out a university-wide call, asking those with 3D printers to print face masks in light of COVID-19. Glen Anderson, an associate professor at UMSL, sought to answer that call. After some research, Anderson soon found out that printing masks with these particular machines just wasn't feasible. Instead, he continued brainstorming and turned to manufacturing surgical mask ear savers. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Anderson about his grassroots operation aimed at making critical workers just a little more comfortable. The conversation also includes comments from two local respiratory therapists who are using the devices.

Musician Pokey LaFarge’s concerts scheduled for this weekend at Off Broadway are on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Leaving St. Louis for LA in 2018, LaFarge has gone through a self-described “fall from grace.” He’s now out with his eighth studio album and producer Alex Heuer talked with him.

First responders including police officers and firefighters are revising how they operate in the age of COVID-19. Part of the focus is making sure they stay safe. Also, some businesses and churches in Madison County are considering options after county officials cleared them to reopen immediately.

Reading the headlines of 2020 can be pretty overwhelming. Between a pandemic, an economic crisis and even a much-hyped sighting of “murder hornets” in the Pacific Northwest, it can all leave one feeling pretty helpless about attempting to be a force for good in the world. But on an ecological level, at least one such attempt can take place right in one’s own backyard — and Nicole Miller-Struttmann and bee experts everywhere will be grateful for it. Miller-Struttmann and fellow biologists at Webster University and St. Louis University are launching Shutterbee, a collaborative project powered by citizen scientists. It requires only some sunshine, a camera and completion of a single virtual training session on May 20, 21 or 23. Shutterbee’s organizers are intent on reaching a real scientific goal: to discover how landscape features and land management decisions affect bee diversity and behavior. In this episode of the talk show, Miller-Struttmann joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about how Shutterbee works. She also delves into the critical roles bees play on Earth and some of the threats they face.

As Quincy, Illinois, gets ready to be that state’s first Virtual Railfan location, we talk with local train enthusiasts about their devotion to the activity, and explore the success Virtual Railfan has already seen on the other side of the Mississippi River, in both La Plata and Kansas City, Missouri. Host Sarah Fenske is joined by Bob Cox, a station manager of Virtual Railfan at La Plata, and well known in the railfan community — he even has a bobblehead made in his honor. Also joining the program is Richard Cain, a meteorologist at KHQA in Quincy, and a train enthusiast who helped bring Virtual Railfan to that city.

Attorney Dan Kolde sued the University of Missouri on behalf of the Beagle Freedom Project for violating the state's open records law. After he won at trial, the university has agreed to spend $175,000 to close out the case. Kolde discusses the lawsuit with host Sarah Fenske.

Members of the health board in Madison County have voted to restart the area's economy. The decision allows businesses to open sooner than a statewide plan from Governor J.B. Pritzker. Also, many parents are preparing to head back to work and scrambling to find child care during the pandemic. And, it's a landmark day for The Gateway.

The documentary “Day One” follows a group of teenage refugees enrolled at a unique public school in St. Louis. The school only enrolls refugees and immigrants. The film is now playing on PBS stations around the country, including the Nine Network. In this interview, Sarah Fenske talks with the documentary’s producer and director, Lori Miller, about what she learned while filming these students.

Rural hospitals in Missouri have stopped elective and non-emergency procedures and have opened up their beds to treat those with COVID-19. As a result, those hospitals have lost income. Reporter Jonathan Ahl talks with host Sarah Fenske about his latest feature on how hospitals in central Missouri are dealing with the coronavirus.

Kirkwood native Joanna Serenko debuted to a national audience on NBC’s “The Voice” on Feb. 24. After the coronavirus upended live performances, the show went on a brief hiatus and returned with many performers singing at home — including Serenko. Serenko talks with host Sarah Fenske about her journey thus far on the singing competition — and her musical journey in St. Louis, which includes her training at Webster University’s School of Music and JazzU at the Bistro.

St. Louis County Councilman Ernie Trakas is the latest guest on Politically Speaking. The south St. Louis County Republican joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum to talk about the split between the council’s Republican and Democratic members. Trakas was elected to represent the council’s 6th District in 2016. His district includes a part of largely unincorporated south St. Louis, which means that he makes many of the development and zoning decisions for the area.

Mayor Lyda Krewson is giving some details on how the city will restart its economy on May 18. Employers must provide masks for workers and social distancing will remain in effect. Also, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley wants the federal government to pay a portion of salaries for employees at businesses coping with COVID-19.

Walter Johnson’s new book tells the story of St. Louis’ history. In Johnson’s telling, it’s a messy, often ugly struggle where racism is paramount. The historian and Harvard University professor talks to host Sarah Fenske about his book “The Broken Heart of America: St. Louis and the Violent History of the United States" and what we can learn about America by examining St. Louis.

It comes as no surprise that older individuals are more at risk for COVID-19 and the crisis has revealed longstanding disparities regarding systematic racism and ageism in the St. Louis area. Nancy Morrow-Howell, the director of the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University, hopes the revelation of the disparities will lead to improvements, such as a deeper understanding of older adults as the diverse individuals that they are. Morrow-Howell talks with host Sarah Fenske about both the challenges and opportunities she foresees in the months and years ahead.