The 314 Podcast

Saving St. Louis Institutions with Kevin McKernan

In this episode of The 314 Podcast [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/], host Sarah Fenske [https://www.stlmag.com/author/sarah-fenske/] talks with Kevin McKernan, who went from teaching high school to founding The Improv Shop to owning a portfolio of only-in-St. Louis originals: Epiphany Lanes, Donut Drive-In, Blackthorn Pub, and Cafe Manhattan. Kevin explains how growing up in South City helped inspire his appreciation for these neighborhood businesses—and how he’s been able to innovate even while preserving what made them special. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull [https://www.stlmag.com/author/ryan-krull/] about the mystery [https://www.stlmag.com/news/central-downtown-garage-adam-layne/] of a downtown parking garage that’s become something of a graveyard for abandoned vehicles.  Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf] and listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE], or wherever podcasts are available. Love the show? Be sure to follow or subscribe. > See related stories and resources from this episode: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-36 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207  This episode is sponsored by Royal Banks of Missouri. Are you ready to begin your home purchase journey this summer? The Royal Banks of Missouri mortgage team is ready to guide you every step of the way. Their local lenders offer competitive rates and personalized support so you can focus on creating the space of your dreams. Learn more about how Royal Banks of Missouri can partner with you to unlock the door to your new home in 2026 at http://royalbanksofmo.com/ New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/ Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@stlmag.com.  Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Email advertisting@stlmag.com. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Julian Nicks on St. Louis’ Tornado Recovery

In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host Sarah Fenske [https://www.stlmag.com/author/sarah-fenske/] talks with Julian Nicks [https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/mayor/profiles/julian-nicks.cfm], St. Louis’ chief recovery and transformation officer, who has spent the past year trying to help the city battle back from the deadly May 16, 2025, tornado. Along with Mayor Cara Spencer, Julian has taken heat for the city’s sluggish response to the devastation. He shares his thoughts on how we got here, what happens next, and how he was personally affected by the disaster. Then, SLM staff writer Ryan Krull [https://www.stlmag.com/author/ryan-krull/] shares the story behind a wild yarn involving a disgraced chiropractor [https://www.stlmag.com/news/jerry-leech-chiropractor-jamison-stirling/], a lawyer who wasn’t a lawyer, and some of the area’s top political figures. Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf] and listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE], or wherever podcasts are available. Love the show? Be sure to follow or subscribe. > See related stories and resources from this episode: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-35 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207  New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/ Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@stlmag.com.  Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Email advertisting@stlmag.com. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Amy Shaw on Keeping Nine PBS Strong

In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host Sarah Fenske [https://www.stlmag.com/author/sarah-fenske/] talks with Amy Shaw, CEO of Nine PBS [https://www.ninepbs.org/], which is thriving even after public television stations across the country were stripped of all their federal funding. Amy shared what she believes has been the key to the station’s success, why it’s embarking on a major capital campaign now, and why St. Louis has made it the most watched PBS station in the U.S. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull [https://www.stlmag.com/author/ryan-krull/] about all the drama surrounding the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, including new insight [https://www.stlmag.com/news/emeshyon-wilkins-police-shooting-video/] into a deadly 2024 shooting and a lawsuit [https://www.stlmag.com/news/city-sues-police-board-unfunded-mandate/] against its state-appointed Board of Police Commissioners brought by Mayor Cara Spencer. Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf] and listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE], or wherever podcasts are available. Love the show? Be sure to follow or subscribe. > See related stories and resources from this episode: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-34 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207  This episode is sponsored by Royal Banks of Missouri and supported by Saint Louis Science Center. Spring into a financial refresh with Royal Banks of Missouri! Whether you’re buying a new home, planning a summer getaway, growing your retirement fund, or anything in between, their local team will guide you closer to achieving your goals with personalized support and focusing on your needs. Discover how Royal Banks of Missouri can partner with you to let your financial future bloom! Learn more at http://royalbanksofmo.com/ and http://slsc.org/ New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/ Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@stlmag.com.  Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Email advertisting@stlmag.com. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

How Gabe Gore Is Restoring Trust in St. Louis Justice

In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host Sarah Fenske talks with Gabe Gore, the St. Louis circuit attorney widely credited with restoring order to what had been a “rudderless ship of chaos” under predecessor Kim Gardner. Gore talked about what makes prosecution harder than it used to be, his priorities going forward, and his personal story as a kid from Detroit abruptly transplanted as a teen to West County. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull about a record-setting $37 million jury verdict against St. Louis Police over the non-fatal shooting of a teenager in 2016. Watch on YouTube and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available. See related stories and resources from this episode at https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-3 [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-32]3. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf]  Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE [https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE]  Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207]  This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Public Library Foundation. Library Giving Day is just around the corner, and there’s no better time to support the St. Louis Public Library. With your gift, you fuel vital programs and resources in a place where everyone is welcome and our community grows stronger. Donate at https://www.slpl.org/ [https://www.slpl.org/]  New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing: https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/ [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/] Have an idea for a future episode? Email podcasts@stlmag.com.  Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Email advertisting@stlmag.com. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Lúcia Lohmann on MOBOT’s Future

In this episode of The 314 Podcast, host Sarah Fenske [https://www.stlmag.com/author/sarah-fenske/] talks with Lúcia G. Lohmann, president and director of the Missouri Botanical Garden [https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/]. A native of Brazil, Lohmann explains her vision to make the garden provide more education to locals—and what drew her back to St. Louis after more than 20 years away. Then, Sarah chats with SLM staff writer Ryan Krull [https://www.stlmag.com/author/ryan-krull/] about a controversial group of home rehabbers who are now in legal jeopardy. Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGme7iXhvDnXB6ZTWV-1RtWf] and listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-314-podcast/id1793192207], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0mJtCTOoiTpN2Jjc2VW0eE], or wherever podcasts are available. See related stories and resources from this episode at https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-32 [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/314-podcast/episode-32]. This episode is sponsored by St. Louis Public Library Foundation [http://slpl.org/]. A library is more than just books. It’s a place that invests in people, ideas, and opportunities that shape and improve lives. With your support this Library Giving Day, you can help change a neighbor’s life with every borrowed book, every meaningful conversation, and every new opportunity. Donate here. [http://slpl.org/] New to podcasts? Follow these instructions [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/] to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing! Want more? Check out all of St. Louis Magazine’s podcasts [https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/]. Have an idea for a future episode? Send your thoughts or feedback by emailing podcasts@stlmag.com. Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com [lleppert@stlmag.com]. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.