Where We Live

Of the millions of people working in STEM fields in the U.S., only 9% are Black,  according to the Pew Research Center.  Those numbers are "unchanged" since 2016. How can efforts around “inclusivity” in these fields go farther? Environmental scientist Dr. Nyeema Harris has written about the importance of Blackology. “Blackologists are not simply scholars that are Black but, rather, are scholars wh...

While contestants with Connecticut ties have appeared on the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race in the past, the Season 15 premiere on MTV marks the first time more than one Connecticut drag queen has been represented. Robin Fierce from Hartford, Loosey LaDuca from Ansonia, Amethyst from West Hartford and Jax from the Bronx, raised in Connecticut, comprised this season's Connecticut con...

Connecticut rolled out a  Black and Latino history elective  this past school year, the first of several recent curricular updates and mandates to go live statewide. This hour, we hear from social studies teachers Daisha Brabham and Julian Shafer about how they worked with the curriculum offered by the state. Plus, their students share their experiences. Students in Windsor recently led a push to...

John Ondrasik, better known as Five for Fighting, has been performing since childhood. And after several hit singles, he hasn’t slowed down. He’s currently touring with the Barenaked Ladies and Del Amitri. They’ll be performing at the Mohegan Sun in July.  In 2001, Ondrasik became a sensation after his single “Superman” was released and became a token tribute song to those lost in the September 11...

Parents in Granby, Connecticut, are deeply divided over  a 45-second video shown to students . The short video featured kids talking about Pride Month.  Today, we unpack this conversation  and what LGBTQ studies at the secondary and elementary school level might look like. Irene Parisi, Chief Academic Officer at the Connecticut State Department of Education, joins us to talk about this debate. And...

Aisha Harris is a cultural critic and co-host for NPR’s  Pop Culture Hour , and she’s out with a new book, titled  Wannabe: Reckonings With The Pop Culture That Shapes Me. Today, she joins us for the hour, discussing the ways early influences shape her role today as critic, including her upbringing in Connecticut. What popular song, movie or TV show marks a moment in your life, or stuck with you?...

Earlier this spring, horticulturist  Charlie Nardozzi joined us on Where We Live to answer all your gardening questions  and we got this comment from listener on Facebook saying “loving this episode! You should do it weekly or monthly!” We hear you listeners, so we are back with another hour on Connecticut gardening. But today, we’re exploring some of the state’s most remarkable public and histori...

Anticoagulant rodenticide, a quick fix for controlling the rat and mice population, is now having an effect on birds of prey. Today, we talk to A Place Called Hope, a local raptor rehabilitator here in Connecticut, about how it’s impacting birds across our state. After ingesting this poison, there is little that can be done to save the life of these birds. We’ll hear about legislation to limit the...

Toys are occasionally marketed to "children of all ages." In recent years, market research has shown the number of toy-buyers over 12 years old is growing. The demographic, sometimes called "kidults," now comprises a quarter of the annual toy retail market, and an impressive 60% of the market’s growth in the last year, according to market research company NPD Group . Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a profe...

Connecticut residents have the highest average credit card in the nation. Although personal finance courses are offered in high schools, they aren’t mandated to graduate. And often, these courses don’t address the complex financial challenges of their students. Today, on Where We Live, we talk about giving more students access to financial literacy, and making that curriculum more inclusive. We wa...

Danielle Capalbo is the lead singer of Connecticut local band DaniProbably.  She recently recorded her song "Cowboy" with Grammy-winning producer Peter Katis.  But she didn't lay down tracks at at a recording studio. She recorded at  a library. The Westport Library in Connecticut is the first library to record, produce and release a vinyl record.  Today, we talk to members of this library and how...

After collecting oral histories from generations of women in her family in "My Little Red Book," Rachel Kauder Nalebuff created Our Red Book , an extended project reflecting the experience of people of all races, ages and genders around the world. But there’s so much stigma and misinformation around periods. This hour, three Connecticut-based contributors featured in her book join us, breaking dow...

We talk to a lot of interesting people on the show. Today, we’re revisiting three memorable conversations we’ve had this year. Eric Jacobsen just completed his final season as the conductor at the Greater Bridgeport Symphony. We spoke with Eric about his work as a conductor and also heard about the search for the next orchestra leader. The State Department of Education and Connecticut’s five sover...

For months, Republicans and Democrats have clashed over the national debt limit. But over the weekend, President Joe Biden and House Republicans reached a deal. Now, it goes to both the House and Senate before the June 5th deadline. This hour, we break down what debt negotiations in Washington D.C. mean up here in Connecticut. Plus,  according to a new report , Connecticut has aggressive probation...

With so many outdoor spaces to explore in New England, we forget that some of the best hikes, and parks are right here in our backyard. Today, we’re talking about trails and efforts to conserve Connecticut’s state parks. We hear from the couple behind efforts to refurbish Batterson Park and officially make it a state park. We also hear about some efforts to make parks and greenspaces more inclusiv...

Congressman Jim Himes has been serving in Congress since 2009 when he was elected to represent Connecticut's 4th district. Since then, he’s become a democratic leader focused on national security and intelligence concerns. This hour on Where We Live, he joins us to look ahead to the 2024 election and talk through his priorities. We also talk about what he thinks of the debt limit deal reached this...

A Pew survey from 2018 estimated 13% of adults consult tarot card readers, astrologers or "fortune-tellers." But more recent market research shows sales for tarot card decks and psychic services are growing. This hour, we explore the art of divination and "card-pulling" in Connecticut. Hear from professional tarot reader Afton Jacobs-Williams, AKA Monty's Tarot Child. Plus, Chelsea Granger is a mu...

In one episode of the docu-series Reciprocity Project , Connecticut-based educator and member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe Chris Newell teaches acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma a pow-wow song. Together, they play at sunrise, "singing up the sun" in the tradition of the Wabanaki or People of the Dawnland, a confederation of four tribes in Maine including Passamaquoddy. This hour, we hear about this film se...

Nearly 92% of American households reported owning at least one vehicle in a recent five-year 2021 census report . Connecticut falls just below that national average. A recent Forbes study found that the average annual cost of full-coverage car insurance in Connecticut is $1,730. Plus, the report ranks Connecticut as the most expensive state for car repairs, averaging around $400 for check engine l...

Whether they’ve been written by a loved one or a local newsroom, obituaries are an earnest attempt at the impossible: distilling one person's life into a couple of pages or paragraphs. This hour, we explore the delicate art of obituary-writing with two experts: Tampa Bay Times and Poynter writer Kristen Hare, and Lucy Gellman, an editor with New Haven's Arts Paper. Plus, Epilogg co-founder Mary Mc...

23% of the adult U.S. population cannot read above a third-grade level. Literacy isn’t limited to reading and writing, it can also refer to basic math, comprehension and critical thinking skills. There is no part of the U.S. population that isn’t touched by low literacy. And many people suffer from shame around the struggle to read and write. According to ProLiteracy, bringing reading levels up “w...

R.F. Kuang's works of historical fantasy, including  The Poppy War  series, have been racking up awards since she began publishing in 2018. Her novel  Babel  won the prestigious Nebula Award for science fiction and fantasy writers this week. The same day, her latest book  Yellowface  debuted. It is Kuang's fifth novel, and a shift from fantasy to literary fiction. The satirical thriller takes on t...

There are over  4,000 foster children living in Connecticut.  May is Foster Care Month. From what's seen on TV and the media, foster care looks like a selfless, philanthropic act; willing foster parents open up their homes to children in need.  But being a  foster parent is a complicated job  that requires many layers of kindness and sensitivity. Laura is a foster parent based out of California. S...

A proposed bill would set limits on how warehouses track worker productivity where we live. Amazon – which currently employs more than 15,000 Connecticut residents across its 14 locations – was the focus of a recent hearing on the bill. This hour, an Amazon spokesperson responds to the legislation. Kelly Nantel says they support the "goal of the bill" and look forward to working with state lawmake...

Spring is here and it’s time for our annual spring gardening hour and we are going back to basics. What’s a zone? How do you choose the right kind of soil? How to keep your succulents alive all year round? If you’re a new or inspiring gardener,  Charlie Nardozzi  is joining us to answer our questions and yours about getting comfortable with the soil. We want to hear from you, what questions do you...