Where We Live

Throughout history, our state has made some big contributions to aviation technology. Today, we’re talking about the history and future of aviation in our state. We hear from some aviation enthusiasts who’s love of all things plane is going to make you soar. The New England Air Museum houses some unbelievable vintage aircrafts. We hear from them. And we hear from someone with experience flying in...

For adults on the autism spectrum, getting services can be a challenging task to navigate. A new bill passed last year means that more autistic adults could receive services from the state from the Connecticut Autism Waiver. But services still remain limited. There is currently a ten year waiting list to receive the waiver leaving thousands scrambling for services. Today, we talk about the Connect...

In Connecticut, the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is vast and varied, with more than 170,000 AAPI people in the state. And with a diversity of AAPI cultures, there is also a diversity of New Year traditions and celebrations that span across months. We’re just days away from the Laotian New Year and Thai New Year, as well as a Khmer New Year event hosted by the Cambodian Buddhist So...

Starting with the class of 2027, all Connecticut high school students are now required to take a financial literacy course. April is National Financial Literacy Month, and today,  we hear from those that advocated to get this course work in schools. For many, personal finance is just that - it’s deeply  personal. Later, we hear about efforts to offer  financial literacy courses to adults,  and the...

Today, Connecticut is expected to enjoy a partial solar eclipse, the most intense since 1924. That’s according to local astronomer and Wesleyan professor Dr. Meredith Hughes. Still, the Federal Highway Administration says 5 million Americans could be traveling to the path of totality. This hour, we discuss the science of the eclipse, and how to safely enjoy it, with Dr. Hughes. Plus, "umbraphile"...

Five percent of bridges in Connecticut are in  “poor condition.” Today, we talk about what needs to be done to update the bridges and roads in our state, and we talk about the collapse of the  Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.  We hear from The Accountability Project from right here at Connecticut Public. And later, we hear about the  infrastructure workforce  and the training needed to staff...

Author Garrard Conley published his first book in 2016,  "Boy Erased" .  The bestselling memoir, relaying Conley's experience undergoing conversion therapy at 19, inspired a major motion picture two years later. This hour, Conley discuss his newest book and his first foray into fiction.  "All the World Beside"   explores queerness in Puritan New England. Set in 1700s Massachusetts and inspired by...

Beloved Muppet Elmo recently asked social media a simple question, "How is everybody doing?" The answers ranged from incredulous to raging. The trauma-dumping on Elmo begged the question: Are we burnt out? Burnout has been reported in many industries: Connecticut Public has previously covered burnout in health care , and among early child care educators and teachers , for example. When Where We Li...

In a  2022 survey from CT Humanities , only 26% of Connecticut residents had said they had visited a museum in-person in the last two years. Some 83% of those museum-goers identified as white. There are many museums where we live working to open their doors to a broader public, and to engage their local community more meaningfully. We’ve covered some of those efforts on this program, including ove...

You’ve heard of Bigfoot and Nessie, but did you know Connecticut is home to a host of creatures, or "cryptids"? Cryptozoology is the study of animals whose existence is a matter of debate. While Bigfoot sightings have been reported where we live, sea serpents, the Glastonbury Glawackus, and plenty of others call Connecticut home. This hour, we hear from Patrick Scalisi and Valerie Ruby-Omen, the a...

Longtime U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman has died at 82. His family said he died due to complications from a fall. His wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him when he passed. Lieberman represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate for more than two decades. In 2000, he made history as the first Jewish American on a major party’s presidential ballot when he became Al Gore’s running mate....

"An act of translation is always an act of betrayal." This idea, and the questions it inspires, are central to author Rebecca or RF Kuang’s 2022 novel, Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution. As the title promises, the book also explores the nature of revolution and the "necessity of violence," in addition to those complex questions surrounding...

The curly hair movement – and market – is growing, as more people learn to style and to celebrate their natural hair. This hour, we hear from one salon that’s just for natural curls in Connecticut. Luvena Leslie opened  The Curly Hair Salon  in 2011. "So many people have had bad experiences before they come to us," Leslie says. Viola Clune, a Yale student and editor of the New Journal, recently wr...

Today, we're airing the first and second episode of the new podcast Unforgotten. It’s a history lesson many of us didn’t get in school: Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state. In this five-episode podcast from reporter and producer Diane Orson and editorial consultant and curator Frank Mitchell talk about effo...

In 2023, more than 6 million animals entered shelters and rescues in the U.S., according to a recent report from Shelter Animals Count. Believe it or not, those numbers are down from pre-pandemic reports. Over the summer, Connecticut news outlets reported that animal shelters in our state were "bursting at the seams" and unable to keep up with calls from people trying to surrender pets. This hour,...

A multi-year investigative report  has shown that High Road Schools, a group of eight publicly funded, privately run schools for children in special education, must make improvements.  The report cites  several incidents of teachers without proper certification managing classrooms, overuse of restraint and seclusion, and a total lack of proper education for “the state’s most vulnerable students.” ...

This hour, we preview several historical exhibits spotlighting local artists, many of whom were touched by the Pop Art Movement percolating just over the border in New York. This includes prolific artist couple Leo Jensen and Dalia Ramanauskas. We'll explore what it means to be an artist in community — in Connecticut or New York — and how Pop Art changed that. 1 of 6The exhibit "Avant Colony: Unea...

Flannel and blue jeans - these staples are the backbone of American fashion and the textile industry. Are they part of your wardrobe? Textiles, fabrics and clothing is a dying industry here in the U.S. But author Steven Kurutz says that  some makers and creators are trying to change that. New York Times reporter and author Steven Kurutz joins us today to talk about his new book  American Flannel:...

Maurice Sendak is often celebrated for his contributions to children’s book art. You’re likely familiar with Where The Wild Things Are, or even Higglety Pigglety Pop . But in the late artist’s own words, "I do not believe that I have ever written a children's book. I do not know how to write a children’s book. How do you set out to write a children’s book?" This hour, we’re exploring the Maurice S...

Around the globe, artists are using their mediums to show  how climate change is impacting our planet. Today, we’re exploring the  convergence of art and science.  We'll be talking with artists using their craft to have conversations about the environment. Earlier this year,  Where We Live talked about how snow loss is impacting our ecosystems and community here in Connecticut.  Today, we hear fro...

Tri-state area or New England? Nutmeg or Constitution State? "Stuffy, preppy, sleepy" ? What really makes Connecticut Connecticut, and what stereotypes can we stand to shake off? After the state's recent rebranding effort, it's a debate that has found its way to the national stage. This hour, Catherine Shen is joined by a roundtable of Connecticut Public hosts, as we debate what defines Connecticu...

According to the  National Institutes of Health, average body weight drastically increased across the board for men and women during the pandemic lockdown. Simply eating less and exercising more hasn’t been that effective when it comes to weight loss. In efforts to fight weight stigma,  doctors are embracing a new idea that weight loss isn’t all about willpower and health is defined by more than j...

In late January, Reuters reported that “some 70 U.S. cities, including Chicago and Seattle, have passed resolutions on the Israel-Gaza war," with the majority calling for a cease-fire. Several Connecticut city and town councils have considered resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Bridgeport passed one of these non-binding agreements in January, Hartford City Council recently rej...

For kids today, there’s a whole new career path: social media influencer.  In fact, 57 percent of Gen Zs say they’d be an influencer. But some young people aren’t waiting to become social media influencers; they’re already ones. These parent-run, kid centric accounts aren't all brand deals, and free merchandise.  A new investigation by the New York Times showcases the darker side of the Kidfluence...

Librarians in Connecticut say the number of book ban requests they’re fielding is still  "soaring,"  and that the focus is on content relating to LGBTQIA+ identity and themes. Librarians have even  looked to lawmakers for support . This hour, we get the latest from state and national Library Associations. But first, advocates and lawmakers hosted a vigil at the State Capitol last week for Nex Bene...