Where We Live

Every winter in Connecticut, the snowy owls will pass through our state and can sometimes be spotted at the Connecticut shoreline. But they are  just one of many owl species to look out for where we live. Some  cultures see owls as deeply spiritual creatures and as symbols of wisdom. Others see them as bad omens and as signs of impending doom. And that’s definitely impacting their populations. Tod...

For decades, there were cities and towns that were all-white on purpose. These communities are known as "sundown towns." Because this practice was both formal and informal, researchers put together  a database  of these laws, customs and firsthand accounts, under the leadership of the late sociologist and civil rights champion James Loewen. At the peak of the exclusionary practice in 1970, an esti...

For a Connecticut family of four, it costs over $126,000 just to meet their basic needs, according to a recent United Way report . That’s more than four times the federal poverty level. Food insecurity is a big part of the problem, affecting more than 1 in 10 Connecticut residents, according to Connecticut Foodshare. A new report from the United States Department of Agriculture found the national...

Approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing loneliness, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue recently moved U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to issue an advisory around the "loneliness epidemic" in America. Soon after, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy introduced a bill that would launch an Office of Social Connection Policy, and fund CDC research to "better understand the ep...

Declining college enrollment has opened up a bigger conversation about the value of a college degree. From 2010 to 2021, undergraduate enrollment dropped by 15%. This declining trend in college enrollment was magnified by the pandemic, when perceptions of the value of a degree really began to shift. The decision making process for potential college students has become more personalized. Potential...

How do museums act as places of discovery, dialogue, and healing? These spaces engage with critical, often complex, issues important to the communities they serve. For two weeks, we're spotlighting two museums where we live doing just that, and speaking with Dr. Macushla Robinson about the power of art and curation. Last week,  we took a tour of Palestine Museum US in Woodbridge . It’s the first m...

There have been a lot of things that have revolutionized how educators teach in the classrooms. Things like Wikipedia, Google and even calculators have caused temporary panic in the education space.  Now that ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools are becoming a central part of our everyday lives, some educators are scrambling to rethink their curriculum. If you ask the artificial intelli...

Social studies education in Connecticut public schools has been getting a major revamp. It’s something we’ve covered on this program. This includes the statute requiring local Indigenous history that rolled out this year, and a statute in 2022 calling for Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, rolling out in the fall of 2025. The state legislature combined many of these mandates in 2021, cal...

It has been just over one month since the Israel-Hamas war began, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The images and reports coming out of this region are dire. Many have been left traumatized from witnessing the atrocities of this war up close and from afar Some experts say this war alone will  create a generation in trauma.  That’s on to...

How do museums act as places of discovery, dialogue, and healing? These spaces engage with critical, often complex, issues important to the communities they serve. This includes, for some, the current war between Israel and Hamas, and the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This week and next, we’re going to bring you to two museums to explore that question, and speak with Dr. Macushla Robinson...

This year, we’ve been learning about how educators are getting students engaged in the electoral process. One way to do this: student government. When you think of class elections, a couple things probably come to mind. But our guests says  student government is much more than prom committees and candidate speeches in the cafeteria.  We'll learn more about the influence student representatives hav...

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that  the majority of Americans  are either "alarmed" or "concerned" about climate change. They also  discovered links  between distress about climate change and a desire to take action. This hour, Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz digs into this study, and the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY).  You can take the SASSY Survey here. Plus, NBC Conne...

As the war continues in Israel and Gaza,  humanitarians are working to deliver aid across the region.  Humanitarian aid starts with addressing the basic necessities; food, water, and emergency medical care. And later, addressing mental health needs and the survived trauma of the millions displaced. This week,  some Connecticut lawmakers called for a humanitarian pause which could allow more aid in...

This hour, we're focusing on Gen Z's impact on arts and culture. Eric George Lopez, or ericdoa, has been described as the "face of hyperpop," a newer music genre born out of 2000s electronic music. But in many ways, the "genre-bending" up-and-coming artist defies categorization. He discusses his upbringing in Connecticut, how he developed his sound and what makes Gen Z uniquely powerful in the art...

Being a Mom on Halloween can be pretty hectic, but a group of Fairfield Moms are taking the spooky season by storm. They're dressing up as zombies and taking the town in their infamous flash mobs. The “Mombies” is a group of Moms of all ages that have been coordinating to “dance to donate” since 2016. They have raised over $170,000 for breast cancer research to date - and their dance videos have b...

A new Advanced Placement, or AP, course on African American Studies is in its second pilot year in hundreds of schools, and set to roll out nationally next fall. AP classes offer high school students the opportunity to earn college credit. But the course's pilot rollout has been rocky, after it was rejected by the Department of Education in Florida and, more recently, in Arkansas. This hour, we ch...

There’s a stereotypical depiction of concussions in movies and TV shows: someone - often an athlete, gets hit in the head, falls down, and everyone crowds around them and asks them if they know what day it is. Then, the patient spends the next two weeks lying alone in the dark. But in recent years, we have developed a new understanding about concussions -- how they happen, their severity, and how...

For a Connecticut family of four, it costs over $126,000 just to meet their basic needs, according to a recent United Way report . That’s more than four times the federal poverty level. Food insecurity is a big part of the problem, affecting more than 1 in 10 Connecticut residents, according to Connecticut Foodshare. A new report from the United States Department of Agriculture found the national...

A heads up to our listeners that today we will be discussing human trafficking. Content may not be suitable for younger listeners. Human trafficking can happen in any country and any community,  including where we live, in Connecticut.  Polaris, a non-profit dedicated to fighting human trafficking,  gave Connecticut a failing grade when it comes to combating trafficking in our state. When you thin...

Before baking powder became a kitchen staple, there was a state-level showdown over the rights to produce and sell it, and food historian Linda Civitello says Connecticut played a central role. This hour, she joins us to dig into her book,  Baking Powder Wars: The Cutthroat Food Fight that Revolutionized Cooking. Plus, Darien First Selectman Monica McNally previews the town’s $85 million purchase...

Walt Woodward held the position of Connecticut State Historian for nearly twenty years. He retired in 2022 to make way for the next Connecticut State Historian.  Although our state is small, it’s got a big history. From the Connecticut Witch Trials of the 1600s to some more recent history, like the Sandy Hook Shootings and even the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecticut is not short on history. Andy Horow...

Before the well-known witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, Connecticut had its own spate of trials and executions. In mid-1600s colonial Connecticut, dozens of women, and some men connected to them, were accused of witchcraft. Eleven people were executed. Earlier this year, the state moved to clear the names of all those accused of witchcraft in the state, and issued an apology. The resolution fo...

Church attendance is on the decline.  And the pandemic might not be to blame. Church attendance was falling even before 2020 among every major religion and subgroup. Coming up this weekend, the  United Church on the Green  is welcoming Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray, Jr. This  historic church in New Haven played a key part of the abolitionist movement. Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray, Jr. is going to be the chur...

Graphic novels and comic books sales in the U.S. have grown in recent years, but the format is still a  "prime target"  for book ban lists. Maia Kobabe's award-winning graphic memoir  Gender Queer  was named the top challenged book of 2022 and 2021 by the American Library Association. Jerry Craft, Connecticut native and the author of graphic novel  New Kid , also found his book on ban lists. RELAT...

Connecticut's winemaking community is vibrant and growing. This hour, we explore the flavors of New England with food journalist Leeanne Griffin, and wine expert and writer Alice Feiring. Some 45 licensed farm wineries comprise Connecticut's very own "Wine Country." We also hear from local vineyards, and discuss the role of "agritourism" in Connecticut. We preview the state's Passport to Wine Coun...