Where We Live

Manufacturing jobs like industrial engineering and mechanical engineering technicians   are projected to increase between 15% and nearly 30% by 2026, fetching an annual salary of around $65,000,  according  to the Connecticut Department of Labor. These jobs don’t require a traditional four-year college degree. And there are opportunities for students to go to trade school whil...

Russia and Ukraine have a long, complicated history. If you’re confused about what's happening in Eastern Europe, you’re not alone. Today, we explore the complex relationship between these two nations and get a better understanding of the conflict happening right now. We hear from members of the Ukrainian American community in Connecticut. And later, we talk about the Holodomor, where...

This hour on Where We Live , we look into strategies that build resilience in local bookstores and discuss pandemic book launches. Long-time indie bookshops continue to stay afloat and even thrive despite the ongoing pandemic. Amazon controls more than half of the market for print books and at least three-quarters of publishers’ ebook sales. We also talk to booksellers about trends, includin...

Regional electric grid operator ISO New England has warned of a "vulnerable" winter, while homeowners are being charged higher rates for fuel, whether natural gas, oil or propane. This hour, hear from POLITICO energy reporter Catherine Morehouse about the many factors at play, and get the latest from ISO New England. Progressive consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen weighs in. Plus, hear f...

Misinformation is a factor for anyone online, but research has shown false and misleading statements about COVID-19 that are in Spanish will linger longer on social media. Hear more about the problem from Free Press Senior Counsel Nora Benavidez, and about the local efforts to help close the gap in vaccine distribution among Hispanic residents in our state. According to the Connecticut Department...

How can learning how to sew empower individuals and strengthen communities? This hour, residents relay the power of learning to quilt, sew and stitch. Hear from Hartford Stitch, members of the Norwalk Community Quilt Project, and Tamanna Rahman, a New Haven local who sews her own clothes. Plus,  a recent study  finds mask-making for front-line workers was a “means of control”...

Bloomberg reported that a shorter work week experiment in Iceland found that workers maintained productivity and had improved well-being. Today, Alex Pang, author of  Shorter: Work Better, Smarter and Less - Here’s How,  about how some companies are navigating a shorter work week, while paying workers the same salaries. And later, we hear from Mike Melillo founder and CEO of the Wa...

Music schools in Philadelphia denied her admission because she was Black, and so did a segregated concert hall, leading to a spectacular performance at the Lincoln Memorial and a fight for Civil Rights. The opera legend Marian Anderson lived and sang in Danbury , Connecticut, for five decades. This hour, we’ll learn about her life , her studio in Danbury, and also discuss the lack of diversi...

Connecticut leaders are pushing for more federal funding toward child care. Biden's Build Back Better Act, if passed, could mean millions for the industry. We'll hear from local child care providers and Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye, to discuss what's driving staffing issues and the prevalence of child care "deserts" in our state. Plus, AllOurKin President Erica Phillips touches...

After a 13 year old Hartford student overdosed in school and died days after taking fentanyl, there has been a push to get  Naloxone, a life saving medication,  into all schools. Today, we talk to the superintendent of Hartford Schools, Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez about these efforts and support for the community. Later, we hear from a parent whose son died from an opioid overdose. We'll...

Hartford Seminary has a new name. It’s now the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. Today, we talk to its President Joel Lohr. And we hear from other faculty members about their efforts to create a more inclusive, interreligious university focusing on peace studies. There have been a lot of conversations about diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace - but of...

Almost 8,000 flights were cancelled over the holiday season, leaving many to reconsider how and why we travel. Are you dreaming of a vacation but dreading the hassle of learning to travel again with COVID still around? Today, we talk about the future of travel by planes, trains and automobiles. Elisabeth Goodridge, deputy travel editor at the New York Times joins us with what you need to know. And...

In Connecticut, the civil Statute of Limitations cut-off age for reporting child sexual abuse is 48. Connecticut in 2019 updated the law by extending the cut-off age to 51, but this change only applies to offenses committed after Oct. 1, 2019. Now, advocates hope to persuade state legislators to eliminate or further extend the Statute of Limitations, something that 24 states, including New York an...

Democratic State Senator Will Haskell started his 2018 campaign from his college dorm room, putting plans for law school on hold. Now nearly two terms later, and on the heels of a new book, Haskell has announced he will not seek reelection. This hour, hear about the memoir  100,000 First Bosses: My Unlikely Path as a 22-Year-Old Lawmaker , and why he hopes it will inspire more “ordinary...

This year’s National Defense Authorization Act includes major reforms to the military justice system, shifting the power of prosecuting reports of sexual assault outside the chain of command to independent military lawyers. But what still needs to be done to encourage survivors to come forward? Hear from Maureen Friedly, a Marine Corps veteran and survivor of sexual assault who has advocated...

Numerous reports have said obesity in adults rose in the pandemic. Childhood obesity has risen starkly too, but for different reasons than you may think. Today, we explore how stress impacts childhood obesity. We hear from Julia A. Snethen, co author of article, “ When Pandemics Collide: The Impact of COVID-19 on Childhood Obesity. ” And later, we’ll learn how to have sensitive c...

Connecticut saw a  32.7% decline in its homeless population between 2010 and 2020 , compared to a decline of 9% nationally. The  latest point-in-time data shows 2,594  people (of whom 429 are unsheltered) are experiencing homelessness in Connecticut on a given night, a 34% drop from 3,902 in 2016. But advocates say there’s work to be done in reducing unsheltered homelessness &...

How can history education help to heal hatred? And what’s the latest on Asian-American education initiatives where we live? This hour, we hear from Khamla Vorasane, co-owner of Avon's BouNom Bakery, and the sponsor of a unique scholarship opportunity for future educators at UConn's Asian American Studies Institute. Plus, one student organization at Amity Regional High School is pushing for c...

In Connecticut, like many states,   minors cannot be vaccinated without parental consent. According to a  Kaiser Family Foundation Poll , 3 out of 10 parents surveyed say they would not get their child vaccinated against COVID. Today, Dr. Holly Taylor, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, joins us to talk about her recent paper  “Adolescents, Parents, and Covid-1...

This hour, we hear from newly elected West Haven state Rep. Treneé McGee, touching on her efforts to win over public trust in the context of a city scandal, and her plans for the future. Plus, we’ll look ahead to election season with The Campaign School at Yale. How has the art of campaigning changed in recent years? GUESTS: Treneé McGee  - Democratic state Representative,...

What makes life worth living? And, what does data from happiness research tell us? Data shows Connecticut is the second happiest state in the country, after Hawaii, with a poverty rate that’s under 10 percent, a life expectancy of 80.4 years, and median household income of more than $100,000,  according to research  by NiceRx – which also took into account adult depression le...

As Connecticut schools reopen amid a COVID-19 surge, administrators are working to prevent staffing shortages and closures, and to respond to concerns from parents and students. Hear from the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents and local districts. How did the recent change in CDC guidance on isolation time impact reopening? Plus, epidemiologist Dr. Saad Omer offers clarity am...

New England winters are a good time to lean into our favorite winter activities or get more sleep! Author, Katherine May writes the act of wintering goes beyond the season. It can be a period of reflection and down time when life throws the worst at us.   Before we close out the year, we listen back to my conversation with May about her book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficu...

Six athletes with disabilities — and with ties to Connecticut —  represented  the U.S. at the Tokyo  Paralympics 2020 , bringing home four medals. Fairfield University  trained two medaling para swimmers,  Colleen Young  and  Matthew Torres ,  while Laura Goodkind,10th in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls in the 2016 Paralympics, most recent...

Sharks. They’re among the apex predators of the ocean, swimming with stealth and agility across our blue planet. But more than that, they’re sources of myth and fear, stirring imaginations with their serrated jaws and cutting dorsal fins. So what, then, does it take to photograph these -- and other -- awe-inspiring marine creatures? This hour, we talk with underwater photojournalist&nb...