St. Louis on the Air

Muhammad “Mvstermind” Austin was introduced to soccer fans across the globe when he was tapped to write original music for the HBO limited series “US Against the World.” The program chronicles the United States Men’s Soccer Team’s training for the World Cup, and Mvstermind’s productions became the official soundtrack to the team’s run. He shared how professional connections and hard work led to this breakout opportunity, and how his own experiences going toe-to-toe with critics mirror those of the US Men’s Soccer Team.

It’s the last new music round up of the year and this month’s picks take us on a sonic journey with summery pop songs like Jonah Roy’s “Dumb,” the emotional and cinematic track “Heritage” by Sonchika, and our first dip into Christian rap with “Finish” by Austin Jarrell and CPtheGenius. Activist and hip hop artist Kayla Thompson, aka KVtheWriter, joins music show originator Miya Norfleet and host Elaine Cha in sharing their top picks from St. Louis artists. Check out our new music roundup playlist.

A series of workshops that referenced reports of sexual abuse at an orphanage run by a Missouri charity has been canceled by the International Conference on Missions. ICOM’s decision came as thousands of attendees headed to its annual convention this week in St. Louis. Producer Danny Wicentowski talks about what led to the cancellation and why the move drew outrage from activists and former supporters of the Niños de México orphanage, which closed last year after a report alleged decades of abuse by the orphanage's staff, volunteers and founders.

Released to little fanfare in 2003, the quirky Christmas comedy “Elf” is now a holiday classic. It’s the story of a man raised as an elf in Santa’s workshop who travels to New York to meet his long, lost father. Comedian Andy Richter played a small role in the film, and he’s now written, along with Aaron Caro, “Elf Unwrapped: Beyond the Scenes of a Christmas Classic.” Richter talks about the book and film ahead of his Nov. 15 appearance at St. Louis County Library.

After more than four decades in journalism, Fred Ehrlich is retiring as St. Louis Public Radio’s politics editor. Ehrlich reflects on his career that took him from the Belleville News-Democrat to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and, eventually, to STLPR. Ehrlich shares what he’s valued about mentoring young journalists and how he's managed to stay calm through some of the most chaotic moments in Missouri politics. Colleagues also offer their own tributes.