Where We Live

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...

Right before Christmas, the international space station passed over New York City carrying astronaut Kayla Barron, a member of NASA’s Artemis Program--the program aims to put the first-ever woman on the moon. Barron was part of another groundbreaking group-- she was one of the first women commissioned as a submarine warfare officer in the US Navy.  This week Where We Live, revisits our...

It wouldn’t be a pandemic Christmas without a little chaos/ Today, we want to hear about your holiday plans as we face another COVID surge and the omicron variant. We talk to Dr. Albert Ko, a physician and Yale epidemiologist and take your questions about how to gather this holiday season. We want to know, how are you planning to see your family safely? Do you have a custom Christmas mask to...

A federal judge overturned Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement which offered the Sackler family  immunity from future civil liability . Purdue Pharma’s $4.5 billion settlement would have funded treatment programs for opioid use disorder. This hour, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong discusses the state’s successful appeal to  reject the bankruptcy settlement &n...

By what rights does a museum hold an object or artifact, and with what authority does that museum get to interpret it? Those are some of the existential questions driving a storytelling overhaul at the Yale Peabody Museum. This hour, we preview changes to be unveiled to the public in 2024, from added gallery and classroom space to some major updates to storytelling. Hear about the museum's efforts...

In 1985, Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland. But his explorations didn’t stop there!  This week, we showcase our best conversations of 2021. Robert Ballard joined us earlier this year to talk about his new book, Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found Titanic.  We hear about his amazing adventures and his recent attempt to find Ameli...

Today, we hear about an 80 year tradition at the Bethlehem Connecticut post office that has earned it the nickname Christmastown. Thousands of cards and packages come through this tiny post office every year to get one of their cachets. On Friday, the  Connecticut Mirror  reported that Sema4, the laboratory based in Stamford responsible for managing 15 out of the 23 state testing sites,...

It’s the holiday season! Time to binge watch shows, read ALL the books piling up on our nightstands and listen to podcasts on the long drive to grandma’s house. Today on Where We Live, we talk about the best podcasts, shows and books of 2021. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans joins us to share his favorite TV shows of 2021. Later, we hear from one of the owners of Breakwater Books in Guilford...

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 about this national 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. Connecticut officials say more than...

The iconic Mr. Potato Head from Hasbro is now simply the gender neutral Potato Head. Also this year, LEGO, WildBrain, and Mattel launched the Everyone is Awesome set, the Teletubbies Pride collection, and UNO’s Play with Pride deck in celebration of Pride Month. This hour on Where We Live, we discuss diversity and inclusion in the toy industry, and its impact on child development. We hear fr...