Where We Live

Thanksgiving is a week away…you ready? Maybe you're brushing up on those cooking skills for a Friendsgiving this weekend. If the holiday is just one big excuse to gather friends and family around a table, we have a treat for you. Lidia Bastianich, the award-winning chef and host of “Lidia’s Kitchen” on PBS is our guest. Lidia talks about her journey to becoming an American, and her latest book - w...

Some studies show that working with your hands can have a lot of cognitive and emotional benefits. Creating something with your hands can be a deeply satisfying process, and for some students, it can set them on a path for a real career in engineering. That’s where Makerspaces come in. Across the state, makerspaces are providing places where students of all ages can go and learn a new trade or cra...

A Connecticut lab is embarking on a groundbreaking initiative to study endometriosis, a painful condition that impacts people with a uterus. Endometriosis is just one of the many invisible illnesses that impact an estimated 10% of the American population, according to  Disabled World , an independent Health and Disability news source. This hour, we talk about why invisible illnesses are difficult...

Traditionally, college campuses are epicenters of activity, connection, and engagement. So why are students feeling so isolated? 39% of students have reported feeling lonely. Loneliness remains an ongoing health crisis throughout the nation. United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has raised concerns about loneliness, sharing that a lack of connection can increase the risk for premature death....

Sy Montgomery is the author of several books on animals, ordinary and extraordinary. Her new book What the Chicken Knows tackles one of the most common birds on the planet, but she argues that chickens are truly exceptional creatures. Today, Sy joins us for the hour to talk about her new book and her experience owning and raising chickens. Although chickens have a reputation of being rather uninte...

This hour, we explore the beverage that helps us start our days, energize our bodies, and connect with friends: coffee. Coffee has played an unexpected role in Connecticut’s history. It has fueled fights for workers’ rights and social reforms, and even shaped cultures. With the help of a local historian, we move through time; from the birth of the 'coffee house' to the rise in popularity of the co...

77% of adults said the future of the nation is a significant source of stress in their lives. When anxiety is high, it can be more important than ever to lean into self-care routines to manage stress. And today's guests say that strategies managing election stress aren't that different than managing everyday stress. Today, interfaith chaplain Reverend Tracy Mehr-Muska joins us to talk about managi...

Election Day is finally here. Today, we’ll get updates on how Election Day is unfolding in our state and across the nation. Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas will join us, and we hear from one Connecticut Public reporter in the field. Later, we take a look at one of the oldest political campaign tools: lawn signs. Are you voting today? What are polling stations looking like where...

This hour, we hear a panel discussion called “Artistic Congress,” held at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut on October 26. Panelists, including educators, journalists, and artists, gathered to discuss the connection between creativity and civic engagement. They asked: Is it political discourse that impacts art? Or is it art that fuels political discourse? GUESTS : Lucy Gellman:  Edi...

Happy Halloween! Is Connecticut the spookiest place in the country? We’re not sure, but our guests today are pretty haunted! All this hour, we’ll be talking about all things Spooky Connecticut, and not just our favorite haunted spots. There will be candy debates, talks of our favorite horror flicks filmed right here in Connecticut, and more. Watch the Connecticut Public documentary "Trail of Terro...

How do you spend your time online? Many of our online platforms are designed to encourage scrolling, and to benefit advertisers and algorithms. Platforms built to connect us have left us more disconnected than ever. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Technologists say that a better internet is possible. Today, we talk about the changing architecture of the internet to serve the public interest. L...

It’s the season of the witch! While we prepare to wear our pointed hats this Halloween, we can’t forget the gruesome history of witch hunts in New England – including Connecticut. While many movies today celebrate witches as quirky, empowered, and misunderstood, the history behind being called a “witch” is rooted in prejudice and fear. In today’s political landscape, the word “witch” continues to...

When the Afghanistan fell under Taliban rule in 2021, instruments were destroyed and musicians were silenced. Today, we hear from Afghan musicians taking part in a performance at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford entitled “Symphony of Resilience: The Afghan Orchestra Unsilenced.” We’ll listen to some of their original music and learn how some artists in Afghanistan are finding ways to pursue and ev...

James White entered the Connecticut school system at age 7. Although he would go on to graduate high school and run a small business, he found himself struggling. He had to ask friends and family members for help with paperwork. Writing and reading was a challenge. But then he found the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford and started taking classes. Many adults struggle with reading comprehens...

Every presidential election, campaigns   flood our TVs with political ads. Back in 1952, “Ike for President” became the very first political advertisement on TV. Dwight Eisenhower's campaign may have been the first to use television like this. But it’s certainly not the last. Today, more than 70 years later, political ads are everywhere. In recent weeks, both the Kamala Harris and Donald Trump cam...

Early voting starts next week across Connecticut. This means voters can cast their ballots ahead of Election Day in November. Each town and city will have at least one early voting location, and voters can even cast their ballots over the weekend. Today, we hear from poll workers getting ready for early voting in Connecticut. Plus, we'll hear about what early voting looks like across the country....

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon has become dire. The country faces economic and financial uncertainty, and nearly 2000 deaths since the start of the conflict. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that of the 5.5 million people living in Lebanon, 1 million people are in dire need . Today, humanitarian aid organizations International Rescue Committee and Anera joins us to...

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 c...

In Connecticut, the bear population has boomed. And so have human-bear conflicts. There are somewhere between 1000-1200 black bears in our state alone. You might know what to do if you encounter a black bear in the wild, but bears are not just on trails anymore. In the past year, there were 35 incidents of bears entering homes right here in our state. Although they might look friend-shaped, we wou...

October is Menopause Awareness Month. There is not one universal menopause experience. But almost everyone with a uterus will go through it. So why is it still taboo to talk about “the change?" Well, that’s something our guest today wants to change . Today, we’ll hear from journalist and menopause advocate Tamsen Fadal on changing how we talk about the change. She is the author of the upcoming boo...

Today marks one year since the Hamas attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people. In the ensuing war, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed — and there are mounting concerns about a wider conflict in the region. The United Nations reports that the humanitarian support system in Gaza is close to total collapse. Civilians in the region have severely reduced access to food, water, sanitation,...

It’s apple season here in Connecticut. And the history of the apple in New England dates back to 1623, three years after the landing of the Mayflower. Back in 2023, a late season frost devastated crops at several farms across our state. Farmers reported damage to a number of fruit crops including pears, peaches, berries and yes, even apples. There are thousands of apple varieties world wide, with...

It’s hard getting your book published. It’s even harder when you’re an author of color. Between 1950 and 2018, 96% of American fiction books published were written by white authors. Today, hear from two Latina authors in Connecticut about their debut books. They’ll talk about navigating the publishing industry and the importance of centering marginalized voices. In her novel, The Girls in Queens ,...

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, was one of several new sports at the Olympics this summer. But there’s nothing new about the presence of b-boys and b-girls. Breaking began as a way to escape the daily socio-economic struggles of Black and Brown youth in the Bronx during the 1970s and ‘80s. This hour, we hear how breaking expanded into the mainstream. We’ll explore how, at its core, breaking...

Election Day is less than six weeks away. Are you planning to vote in person this year? For those with disabilities, g oing to polling stations can be a real challenge. People with disabilities are less likely to vote than people without disabilities.  Disabled voters can face many  barriers to voting, from inaccessible polling places to restrictions on absentee ballots. This November, Connecticut...