Where We Live

This hour, Flora Lichtman, the new host of NPR’s Science Friday , and Connecticut educators join us to explore the powerful connection between curiosity, science, and education. Our guests will share insights on how embracing curiosity can help you tap into your inner scientist. We'll also discuss the latest exhibits at the Connecticut Science Center, the growing trend known as "forest kinde...

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to shut down the U.S. Department of Education.  But can he actually eliminate the federal agency? And if not, how else could he overhaul it? This hour, we hear from educators about the potential ripple effects in Connecticut, including funding cuts. Teachers are not only preparing for that, but also potential visits from the U.S. Immigrat...

President Donald Trump was sworn in yesterday. On the campaign trail, he promised to sign several executive orders once he took office, including sweeping changes to immigration laws. This hour, we’ll break down what we’ve seen so far, and what executive orders we could expect in the weeks to come. Later, we hear from immigration experts in our state,  to learn how Connecticut res...

Every four years on January 20th, Washington, D.C. braces for the start of a new presidency. Inauguration days date back to 1789 when George Washington was the first American president sworn into office. This hour, we’re joined by a member of the White House Historical Association and a history professor from Eastern Connecticut State University to walk through Inaugural history. And this ye...

Trump has vowed to end birthright citizenship in the first month of his presidency. Connecticut Attorney General Tong is the son of immigrants and he says if that happens, he will be the first to sue. Today, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joins us in the studio for the hour. We’ll discuss his top priorities for 2025, including holding tech companies accountable, protecting reprodu...

Dry January is a month-long campaign that revolves around cutting out alcohol or reducing alcohol intake for the month of January. Today’s guests say that life without alcohol can be joyous, and they’re creating spaces for the sober and sober curious to try it out. We talk to two owners of sober spaces in our state, and try out some mocktails they’ll bring to share. We also hear...

Students with disabilities can experience many challenges in the classroom, from discrimination to a lack of accommodations. So, how can schools help these students feel like they belong? That question was the focus of a special summit hosted by the state’s Department of Education in November. The event brought together students, educators, parents, and more to highlight the experiences of s...

Author Scott Shigeoka has spent a lot of time being curious about curiosity. It started with a trip across the country, meeting people with very different views than him and finding ways to build connections across political lines. In his book Seek: How Curiosity can Transform Your Life and Change the World , Scott describes ways to bring curiosity to our lives and our relationships. There’s...

Today, we’re celebrating the New Year. Are you making New Year’s Resolutions this year? New Year's Resolutions come in all shapes, sizes, and themes. New Year's resolutions are often about making drastic changes, but they don’t have to be. From fitness and health to relationships, friendships and spirituality, there’s no one resolution that will help you make the most out o...

Poet laureates do a lot more than write poetry. Since 1985, Connecticut state poet laureates have worked to promote the literary arts and poetry throughout the Nutmeg state, visiting schools, performing spoken word and passing on poetry to the next generation of writers. There is no straight path to this position. Some of our guests today have been writing poetry all their lives. Others got bitten...

  Why do we revisit the things we loved as kids? What’s the lasting power of our favorite TV shows and movies? A new podcast from Connecticut Public looks for answers in a big, purple dinosaur. It’s called Generation Barney .  This hour, we listen to episode 3 of the podcast – “Love 2 Hate.”  And later, we’re joined by an expert in anti-fandom, Em...

Back in the 90s, Barney the purple dinosaur was everywhere, including in our living rooms. If you were a kid or a parent back then, chances are good that you had a stuffed Barney lying around your home.  This hour, we listen to episode 4 – “Purple Capitalism” – of Connecticut Public’s new podcast,  Generation Barney .  And later, we’re joined by a...

As the author of the children’s book My Mama is a Pilot , Saba Shahid says she wants children to feel “represented and valued” through her stories. Only 1% of commercial airline pilots are women of color. And Saba Shahid’s path to becoming a pilot is a little bit different than most. It actually started as a pandemic hobby! Saba Shahid is this year’s recipient of the...

Our opinions and ideas, thoughts and feelings, and how our senses are taken in are unique to each of us.   So when the founding scientists of neuroscience first started illustrating and studying the brain, they came to some very different conclusions on how it works.   How we think, how the brain works, and the history of neuroscience is the subject of the Yale Peabody Musuem’s new...

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, made its debut at the Olympics this summer. But the sport has an illustrious history. This hour, we take you from the streets of the Bronx to the global stage. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, employment in retail increased by nearly 500,000 people from October to December. Additionally, there is an increased demand for healthcare services during the holiday season. Vehicular accidents, fires and decorating injuries are all too common. That’s according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. If you’ve recently spent any time shopping, or at a doctor’s offic...

Korean Dramas, or “K-Dramas,” are gaining popularity internationally. Netflix recently poured billions of dollars into Korean content to meet the rising demand. So what sets K-Dramas apart from other TV genres? And why do viewers say that watching K-Dramas has helped them heal, grieve, and even feel less lonely? This hour, we’re joined by Jeanie Y. Chang, licensed marriage and fa...

Mortality rates among American Indian and Black women are three times higher than the rate for white women. To understand the racial disparities we see in today’s healthcare system, it could be worth examining the past. Dr. Deirdre Cooper Owens is part of a growing group of historians examining the history of race and medicine. She joins us for the hour. In her book Medical Bondage: Race, Ge...

Some frustrated tenants are forming tenant unions to fight back against rent hikes, no fault evictions and to push for safer, more secure housing. We’ll hear from the Connecticut Tenant Union . Later, DataHaven joins us to share the findings of their most recent wellbeing survey which reported the “highest rate of financial insecurity since the start of statewide data collection in 201...

The holiday season can bring financial stress, more time at home, and pressure to spend time with family. According to advocates, these conditions place survivors of domestic violence at high risk. This hour, we talk to advocates about how they are meeting the growing need for domestic violence services across the state and why the expiration of American Rescue Plan funds could make their work mor...

Carolyn Kuan has been the music director at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra since 2011. This hour, we speak to her about her work as a conductor, and the driving forces behind her music. Like many organizations, Hartford Symphony Orchestra has put forth diversity and inclusivity commitments stating that they are, quote “diversifying programming by considering race, ethnicity and gender identity in...

A fire broke out in October of this year at Lamentation Mountain in Berlin. It took officials weeks to contain the brushfires. The Connecticut National Guard borrowed helicopters to dump more than 100,000 gallons of water on the fire. While attempting to fight the fire, tragically, Wethersfield volunteer firefighter Robert Sharkevich Sr. died . Sharkevich was riding a utility task vehicle on one o...

This hour, we’re exploring the history of tap dance in America. Tap was first developed as a fusion of footwork styles with roots in Africa and Ireland. Over the decades, tap legends like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Eleanor Powell, and Gregory Hines popularized the artform and brought it to the national stage. Local dancers, choreographers, and teachers join us to discuss how they are keeping the r...

Architect and attorney Sara Bronin chaired the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission for seven years. Connecticut listeners might know her from her work with  DesegregateCT, a statewide coalition pushing for zoning reform  in our state. Her new book,  Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World , goes beyond Hartford and examines how zoning molds cities and communities across the nation. Zoning...

The  Mohegan Tribe —a sovereign and federally recognized Indian tribe in Southeastern Connecticut—has a longstanding belief in the power of storytelling. This oral tradition is a form of spoken record-keeping. Stories can often capture a deeper and fuller understanding of culture and beliefs than historical texts. This hour, we talk to Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, the tribe’s vice chair of the cou...