In hour 1 of The Mark Reardon Show, Mark is joined by Sean Flower, Mayor of Eureka, and Jeff Rainford, Principal at Rainford & Associates and former Chief of Staff to Mayor Slay, for the Reardon Roundtable. The panel opens with a weather forecast update from Dave Murray, highlighting an upcoming heat wave before diving into pressing regional issues. They discuss the ongoing conflict and lawsuit over St. Louis City police pay and funding, debating state control versus local control and the challenges of city budget sustainability. The conversation shifts to police surveillance technology, where Mayor Flower defends the effectiveness of Flock cameras in solving local crimes while Jeff Rainford addresses broader public skepticism toward big tech. Finally, the group touches on federal political exhaustion, foreign policy concerns, upcoming midterm election dynamics, the rebranding of Six Flags to Mid America Adventure, and the St. Louis Cardinals' current struggles. In hour 2, Sue hosts, "Sue's News" where she discusses the latest trending entertainment news, this day in history, the random fact of the day and more. Mark is joined by film critic Paul Hall, owner of Common Guy's Film Reviews, to discuss the latest movie releases, streaming titles, and entertainment news. Paul reviews Coyote vs ACME, a hybrid live-action and animated film starring Will Forte and John Cena, praising its late-summer appeal for classic Looney Tunes fans. They discuss other theater entries including Idiots and the Christian rock documentary Beyond Belief, as well as new Netflix offerings like the thriller The Whisper Man and the three-part true-crime series Death of the Pastor's Wife. Additionally, they reflect on the recent passing of country icon Dolly Parton, highlighting her classic film 9 to 5 becoming available to stream on Prime Video. Mark is later joined by Scott Warmann, Cardinals TV host, to discuss the recent struggles of the St. Louis Cardinals as they enter the dog days of late August. Scott and the team break down the team's ongoing injury woes, including Blaze Jordan's recent trip to the IL, the return of Thomas Saggese, and the severe strain put on the bullpen due to short starts from the rotation. They examine how manager Oliver Marmol and the front office are managing young players and navigating pitch-count limits for starters like Kyle Leahy. Additionally, Scott weighs in on the intense National League Rookie of the Year race between Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt and Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart, highlighting Wetherholt's standout defensive metrics. In hour 3, Mark is joined by Chris Smith, author of My Fatal First Date: A True Life Story of Survival, Tragedy, Inspiration, Triumph, and Faith, to discuss his remarkable journey of recovery after surviving a gunshot wound to the head five years ago. Chris recounts the tragic events of that night, his 0% predicted chance of recovery, and the spiritual experience that sustained him through an induced coma. He details his ongoing physical progress, his return to playing music with his band No Exit Wound, and his advocacy work for innovative medical technologies like WashU's IpsiHand and mesenchymal stem cell therapies. Additionally, Chris shares updates on upcoming documentary and feature film projects about his life and offers words of faith and resilience. Mark is later joined by Tim Sommer, music journalist, former record executive, and contributor to Rock and Roll Globe, to discuss the legacies of iconic entertainment figures and share anecdotes from his career. Tim reflects on the universal affection for Dolly Parton following her passing, highlighting her unmatched songwriting talent, sharp business acumen, and cross-cultural appeal. They also examine Tim Curry’s impact in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, noting how his performance offered a sense of community and self-expression for outcast youth before the age of the internet. Finally, Tim discusses his new book, Dispatches from the Kingdom of Outsiders, sharing behind-the-scenes rock-and-roll stories involving The Clash, ACDC, and ZZ Top. He wraps up the show with the Audio Cut of the Day.
