Where We Live

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the new federal gun safety legislation  signed into law on Saturday , includes increased funding for school security and mental health programs. Several school districts in our state have revisited their safety and security measures recently, in the wake of the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This hour, we hear from Bridgeport Superintendent Michael Tes...

Mental illness, especially among children, is hard to identify. Today, we preview a new Ken Burns documentary--Hiding In Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness.  We talk with film director Erik Ewers, and Connecticut resident, Yanarry Acevedo, who’s featured in the film. This documentary speaks directly to the children impacted by mental illness, and how trauma has shaped their worldview and influenced...

Journalist Erik Hesselberg has covered Connecticut’s waterways for decades. This hour, we preview his new book about the vibrant history of steamboats in our state, taking a trip on  Night Boat to New York . "For more than a century, overnight and day-excursion steamers had plied the route between Hartford and New York," writes Hesselberg, "carrying passengers, mail, and goods on regularly-schedul...

A Google engineer has claimed that the company’s artificial intelligence application is sentient, leaving many to wonder about the role of A-I in our lives. Today, we explore the ethics of artificial intelligence, and what the future looks like for this complicated technology. University of Toronto Professor Dr. Karina Vold, a philosopher of cognitive science and artificial intelligence joins us....

“Imagine you’ve done everything right your entire life – studied hard, worked hard, maybe even graduated at the top of your class, only to suddenly face the threat of deportation to a country that you know nothing about, with a language that you may not even speak. That’s what gave rise to the DREAM Act. It says that if your parents brought you here as a child, if you've been here for five years,...

Through his art, Mohamad Hafez confronts preconceived notions of refugees and the "baggage" they may carry. He was recently the subject of an Oscars-shortlisted documentary , an intimate portrait of how Hafez's acclaimed UNPACKED series was informed by his own experience leaving Syria. This hour, we visit Hafez at his studio, just above the location of his latest venture, Pistachio Cafe. Hear abou...

Indian immigrant Indra Nooyi led PepsiCo as chairman and CEO for more than a decade, making her one of the most powerful women in corporate America. Nooyi is also on the board of Amazon, a Dean's Advisory Council member at MIT's School of Engineering, and advisor on economic development to Gov. Ned Lamont. When the pandemic hit, she led the reopening committee with  Dr. Albert Ko , who is the...

What’s your child’s experience playing sports? We want to hear from you. Youth sports look much different than 10 and 20 years ago. With increasing costs and limited spots, fewer children are playing sports, and many aren’t getting enough physical activity. Today, we explore who gets the privilege to play on a team. We hear from Jon Solomon, Editorial Director for the Aspen Insti...

If you or someone you know has struggled with substance use disorder, where would you go for help? This hour on Where We Live, we look at the shortage of hospital beds for the treatment of substance use disorder. We’ll also discuss efforts to reduce repeat ER visits for overdose. And, Connecticut State Senator Dr. Saud Anwar highlights gaps in private insurance coverage and the need for paym...

Pedestrian deaths reached a 40-year high in 2021, according to a preliminary report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. In Connecticut, pedestrian deaths have more than doubled since 2011. The State Department of Transportation says this due in part to larger and heavier vehicles on the road, and more reckless driving during the pandemic. This hour, we talk to CTDOT and one town enginee...

Lifeguarding isn’t just a part time summer job; for many, it’s serious life saving work. Today, we explore the lifeguard shortage nationwide and how it impacts residents in our state. Data show that drownings are on the rise. We hear from the American Lifeguard Association about the need for more lifeguards, and better water competency. Did you ever work as a lifeguard or have an encou...

The National Marine Fisheries Service says seaweed farming is the fastest-growing aquaculture in the U.S. Suzie Flores and her husband Jay Douglass launched  Stonington Kelp Co.  in 2017, and now run one of the largest commercial kelp farms in Connecticut. Stonington Kelp Co. is also a "regenerative ocean farm." Kelp helps to absorb carbon and nitrogen from the water as it grows, "result...

Beauty standards change with each generation, but today’s standards of beauty seem to be more unachievable than ever. Today, we talk about how the beauty industry and its influencers are causing a rise in cosmetic surgeries. Beauty reporter Jessica DeFino joins us. She writes the “ Unpublishable ," a beauty critical newsletter. Think about the type of beauty products you consume. What...

The misogyny surrounding the  Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial  has horrified advocates for survivors of intimate partner violence. This hour on Where We Live, we look at implications for survivors and the setback to the #MeToo movement. We hear from a survivor on how coping mechanisms can look like emotional detachment, and why it’s misleading to judge a survivor on appearances. We a...

Plans for a new Amazon distribution center in Waterbury are  in the works . The site would be the twelfth distribution or sorting center to land in the state in as many years. Amazon came to Connecticut in 2010, and currently has more than 18,000 full- and part-time jobs. This hour, Connecticut Public reporter Ali Oshinskie has the latest on the plans for Waterbury and local pushback. Plus, w...

Governor Lamont has signed three bills into law regarding children’s mental health. Today, we talk to the Connecticut Child Advocate Sarah Eagan and hear from a social worker in schools. The laws   target workforce support for mental health professionals, an expansion of mental health care in schools as well as more funding for a mobile crisis response. How would you like to see mental...

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 agency. There were 550 exits reported in 2019, and that number rose to "ar...

Trees are more than just ornamental, they provide benefits to all of us. Today, we hear from Hartford City forester Heather Dionne. Tree planting is part of the city’s Climate Stewardship Initiative. We explore the role of trees in Connecticut’s cities. Later, William Bryant Logan, author of Sprout Lands: Tending the Endless Gift of Trees joins us. He is on the faculty of the New York...

The state of Connecticut has announced a $3 million dollar summer tourism campaign titled ‘ Find Your Vibe in Connecticut .’ But how does this compare to other New England states that boast  their  beaches, mountains and plenty of lobster? This hour on Where We Live, we discuss the reach of the new campaign and its goals, as well as the steady decline in tourism spending by t...

Randall Horton is an associate professor of English at the University of New Haven. His new memoir,  Dead Weight  details his time incarcerated. Today, we talk about his journey from incarcerated person to English professor. Horton’s numerous felony convictions made establishing a career in academia challenging, at best. Have your or someone you know navigated transitioning out of...

Standardized testing is a normal part of the school year, but what does this data really tell us about how children are performing? Today, Akilah Alleyne from the Center for American Progress, joins us to talk about standardized testing in local schools. Many families invest considerable time and money to make sure their student performs well on these college entrance exams, but several universiti...

Sandy Hook survivor Mary Ann Jacobs was working in the school library in 2012. On Wednesday, she stood on the steps of the State Capitol and asked, "How can we still be having the same conversations about access to guns after ten years?" This hour, we hear directly from three Connecticut teachers about how they are responding to  the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas . Dr. David Bosso, a socia...

Hartford HealthCare is in the pilot phase of an innovative “food as medicine” treatment program called  food farmacy . This hour on Where We Live, we hear from a cardiac patient referred by a Hartford Hospital cardiologist to the free farmacy pantry. The program is offered to food-insecure patients and their families, and is aimed to improve outcomes in patients with diabetes, hea...

Before it was Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, it was the Hartford Retreat for the Insane. Today Hank Schwartz, joins us to share the history of this Connecticut mental health center, 200 years after its opening. Although asylums have a reputation for inhumane treatment towards the mentally ill, the Hartford Retreat was a pioneer in treating all of its patients with respect and digni...

Former State Department of Public Health Commissioner Renée Coleman-Mitchell has filed a federal lawsuit against the State of Connecticut, alleging her firing in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of racial discrimination. This hour, All Things Considered host John Henry Smith fills in for Lucy Nalpathanchil to speak with Coleman-Mitchell, who details her allegations. T...