Where We Live

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) projects a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. This hour on Where We Live, we take a deep dive into why primary care is the barometer of the healthcare system, and how the practice landscape — including hospital acquisitions of physician practices, low reimbursements to primary care physicians, and the proliferation of urgen...

Statistically, more than 98% of Connecticut’s farmers are white. Today, we’ll talk with BIPOC farmers and hear from a grower about her journey, and the challenges facing farmers of color. Gaby Pereyra, a Co-Director at Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust joins us. We’ll also talk about how working in agriculture impacts mental health and hear from Joan Nichols. She’s executive director of the Co...

Half of the world’s population is made up of women. And by 2025, the number of postmenopausal women is expected to rise to 1 billion, according to the  North American Menopause Society . Despite the  $600 billion global market , menopause is still a taboo topic. But  new scientific research  on menopause on the heels of previous studies show how and where we  must invest  in women’s health. This h...

This hour, we explore the "mysterious Internet phenomenon" known as ASMR, autonomous sensory meridian response. According to physiologist and ASMR researcher Dr. Craig Richard, it's a relaxing reaction to various "triggers," including whispers. Hear from Dr. Richard about how "brain tingles" became a scientific term, and what he's observed in his ongoing ASMR study . Plus, we meet Olivia, a local...

What are some issues with homestay services like AirBnB? And what’s being done to address them? Today, we hear from  travelers about their experiences  with short term rentals. We'll hear from an  attorney representing clients with complaints about AirBnB. And later, we learn how these short term rentals impact the housing and rental markets in our state. What questions do you have about the safet...

South Asians have the highest death rate from heart disease in the U.S. compared to other ethnic groups. Globally, 60% of patients with heart disease are South Asians. Cardiovascular risk in South Asian Americans – Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi immigrant populations – leads to the early onset of plaque in arteries, compared to other groups. That’s what the 12-year long Mediators of Atheroscle...

The number of homeschoolers in Connecticut has increased since the start of the pandemic. The Connecticut State Department of Education reported a "slight decrease" in students returning to public school in 2020, "attributed to an increase in homeschooling. "Families are asked to log their "exit" from public school with the state agency. There were 550 exits reported in 2019, and that number rose...

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, some companies are announcing their commitment to cover abortion care and travel costs for employees. But what other changes can we expect? Mike Golden, a corporate law expert, says we could start to see employers covering the cost of abortion care and provide childcare benefits as a competitive talent acquisition tool. Today,   we explore...

Several projects are underway aiming to connect Connecticut residents to revitalized riverfronts. This hour, we hear from planners on the Naugatuck River Greenway Trail, getting the latest on the effort to connect 11 municipalities from Derby to Torrington along 44 miles of trail. We'll check in on the next phase of construction planned through the center of Waterbury. But first, Middletown Mayor...

Sy Montgomery has authored over 30 books about animals. Today, she joins us to talk about her latest book, The Hawk’s Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty . We learn about Sy’s lessons in falconry and what it takes to handle these incredible creatures. Later, we hear from A Place Called Hope Rehabilitation Center, a raptor rehabilitator located in Killingworth. If you’re a lover of birds of prey, we...

Implementation of certain telehealth services would improve clinical quality nationwide by 20%, increase access to care by 20%, and reduce health care spending by 15% to 20%, a May-June 2022  report in Harvard Business Review  of Kaiser Permanente and Intermountain Healthcare, two of telehealth’s earliest adopters, show. Today on Where We Live, we hear how Yale New Haven Health and UConn Psychiatr...

A shortage of reproductive health professionals has resulted in wait times for some services in our state, including in-clinic abortions. Connecticut's "safe harbor" law expands the scope of care for advanced-practice clinicians to include procedural abortions, and is expected to lessen what is now up to a two-week wait. These clinicians are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), clinical-nu...

If you experience headaches, fatigue or gastrointestinal issues during difficult times, you’re not alone. Today, we explore the link between our physical and mental health. Doctors typically treat these areas of health separately, but there is a lot more connecting these two areas of health than you might think. Dr. Julian Ford, clinical psychologist and professor in the department of psychiatry a...

In light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion, period tracking apps have been a new target of concern. But legal experts like Nora Benavidez say digital safety and the potential for  "digital dragnets" are a broader concern "decades in the making." This hour, we hear about the ways digital privacy is at risk, and how personal data can be weaponized to prosecute people seeking abortions...

With the overturn of Roe v Wade, how will OBGYNs have to change the way they provide for patients? This hour on Where We Live, we host a roundtable of OB-GYNs, and hear what their expectations and fears are about providing care in a post-Roe world. We hear from Dr. Amanda Kallen, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale School of Medicine, specializing in reproductive endocrinology...

Cinema fans will get an intimate look into the careers and marriage of Hollywood couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in  The Last Movie Stars ,  a six-part documentary on HBO Max premiering July 21. The documentary also highlights their dedication to art and philanthropy. Newman and Woodward’s legacy of giving grew out of Westport, Connecticut, where the couple lived and raised their family on...

One in ten Americans, or one on every elevator and four on every bus,  is impacted by a rare disease.  Yet, 95 percent of rare diseases do not have approved treatment. On a promising note, bio-pharmaceutical companies working on orphan drugs have  more than 800 projects in clinical development . In a  ground-breaking clinical trial , a participating patient at the University of Connecticut Health...

Six in ten Americans  say they’re feeling the effects of climate change where they live, and that the federal response thus far has fallen short. Meteorologists are shown to be trusted messengers on climate change, and one non-profit news outlet is driven to help broadcasters connect the local weather conditions to the science of climate change. This hour, we hear from Bernadette Woods Placky at C...

With Roe v Wade overturned, and abortion becoming less available, will we see more children placed in foster care and parents seeking adoption? Today on Where We Live, we speak with experts and learn whether or not we should expect to see an increase in adoption. We hear from Connecticut Department of Children and Family Services Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes. Later, we hear from Doris Houston, D...

The average American woman wears between a size 16 and 18, according to the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education. Yet plus size clothing is still hard to come by. Today, we talk about size inclusivity in the fashion industry. Alex Waldman joins us, co-founder of fashion brand Universal Standard, that offers sizes 00-40. And later, we hear how fashion colleges are inclu...

How does craft deepen your understanding of your history, your community, or yourself? And how can predominantly-white craft spaces better welcome diverse experiences? Textile artist and printmaker Jen Hewett threads the needle on these questions in her latest book, This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community and Connection . The book includes interviews with 19 fiber artists, and surveys...

Today, we talk about how experiences coming of age impact us into adulthood. Melissa Febos, author of the bestselling memoir  Girlhood , joins us. She writes about what she learned about herself, including the ways we begin to understand consent and how this impacts our relationships long-term. And later, what should parents and educators consider when teaching about consent? GUESTS: Melissa Febos...

A  new study examining "news deserts" in the U.S.  finds an average of two newspapers are closing per week, and estimates that by 2025, "one-third of American newspapers that existed roughly two decades ago will be out of business." This hour, we hear from lead author Penny Abernathy, plus, a researcher with Oxford’s Reuters Institute who found that at the same time,  digital news is failing to fi...

A  New Haven resident was recently injured while in police custody , and could be permanently paralyzed. Today, we talk about  what went wrong and how the New Haven Police Department is responding.  New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson join us. Later, we talk about how a Supreme Court opinion on Miranda Rights could impact policing. What questions do you have abo...

Fifty-one percent of adults in a 2022  report  from the Restaurant Industry Association say they aren’t eating at restaurants as often as they’d like – an increase of 6 percentage points from before the pandemic. That’s led to a rise in demand for home-delivered food, takeout, and curb-side pick up – an attractive option for small-scale food start-ups. This hour on Where We Live, we hear from a fo...