Where We Live

For much of the pandemic, the place we live and the people we live with have become our entire world. Almost one in three Americans lives in a “doubled up” household: with other adults who aren’t their partner or college-aged child. This hour, we talk about sharing living spaces. Cost is a big factor in housing arrangements, but living with roommates also has social implications....

The U.S. military mission in Afghanistan ended Aug 31 with 123,000 evacuations, including 6,000 American citizens and tens of thousands of  at-risk Afghans . But not everyone got out. Refugee settlement organizations in Connecticut expect to receive more than 700 Afghan refugees this year. The University of Bridgeport and Goodwin University announced plans to open up dorms to the newly arrive...

A year ago, we were wondering when the vaccine would be available and is it really safe to return to school? Today, those questions are still relevant! This hour, Connecticut Public’s Accountability Project joins us to talk about its education series including an investigation into the decisions immunocompromised families have to make this school year. Later, we talk about the mental health...

What can town and city leaders do to help people afford the increasing cost of housing, and to help students catch up after so much distance learning? This hour, we speak with two candidates in the Democratic primary for mayor in New Britain. Guests: Bobby Sanchez — State Representative and Co-chair of the General Assembly Education Committee Alicia Hernandez Strong — Community Activis...

The Connecticut Department of Health has extended its contact tracing program  ContaCT  to May 2022, after which the program will transition entirely to local health departments, a move originally planned for Aug 27, 2021. The department’s move comes at a time when the state’s positivity rate is at 3.10%, and is expected to climb during the coming winter months. Connecticut h...

In 1985, Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland. But his explorations didn’t stop there! This hour, Robert Ballard joins us to discuss his new book  Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found Titanic.  We talk about the Titanic and all of Ballard’s amazing adventures including discovering the Bismarck, a German battleship. We’ll...

The COVID-19 pandemic  has magnified health disparities in the U.S. , from high blood pressure in under-resourced communities to sharp declines in breast and cervical cancer screenings among Hispanic, American Indian, Black, and Asian Pacific Islander women  through the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program . The deeply-entrenched inequities have continu...

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces. Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents’ interest in outdoor dining hasn’t slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it. This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Coul...

The kids are going back to school. It’s a busy week in the US House of Representatives. And have you been hassled by political trackers? This hour, we check in with Western Connecticut Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. Also, political analysis from Connecticut Mirror State Capitol Bureau Chief Mark Pazniokas. Guests: Jahana Hayes —  Fifth District Congresswoman from Western Connecticut....

Gov. Ned Lamont’s nominee Dr. Manisha Juthani, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale School of Medicine, will assume the role of Commissioner of the state Department of Public Health on September 20. Dr. Juthani’s appointment comes at a time when the COVID-19 positivity rate is  at 3.5% statewide , with some towns crossing  as high as 9% . In this hour of  Where W...

Although we were spared the worst case scenario, Tropical storm Henri brought heavy rain and power outages to Connecticut residents. This hour on  Where We Live , we talk about the storm’s impact in the state. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some birds in the Eastern United States have been dying of a new disease with strange symptoms, including crusty, swollen eyes. Most of the affected birds so far are in the mid-Atlantic, but scientists and wildlife enthusiasts are concerned this disease could show up in Connecticut. This hour, we find out more about this mysterious illness and what you can do about it. And later, we get an update...

What happens to women’s bodies during menopause? This hour, a frank conversation with OB/GYN Jen Gunter about what your mother probably called “The Change.” Dr. Gunter is the bestselling author of  The Vagina Bible  and most recently,  The Menopause Manifesto . Why is menopause such a mystery? As a culture, we don’t talk about menopause. In fact, women get th...

Digital downloads for mental health needs  surged  nearly 200 percent during the pandemic. Now, it seems this trend is here to stay. The  market  for mental health apps is projected to reach 3.3 billion dollars in the next six years. This hour, experts discuss how digital products are changing the way people care for their mental wellbeing, and the scientific rigor required fro...

This hour, the state is part of what could be a last-ditch effort to stop Stamford-based Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy plan from being approved in an ongoing court hearing in New York. “It’s a goal-line stand for families in Connecticut. It’s a goal-line stand for victims, and the 14-hundred families that will have an empty chair over the holidays,” said State Attorney G...

Scientists have found  that our brains contain what’s called ‘grandmother neurons,’ which light up when we see a familiar face, like grandmother’s face. The discovery was made  using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)  that showed a select set of neurons located in the temporal pole of rhesus monkeys lit up each time the monkeys saw photos of their...

How much would you pay for an animation of a flying cat whose body is a poptart? Earlier this year, an  anonymous bidder paid more than half a million dollars  to be the “owner” of  a unique copy of the internet meme gif, Nyan Cat . This hour, we dive into the world of NFTs, or nonfungible tokens. They’re a way to own digital art that’s taken the internet and...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will leave office in less than two weeks. His resignation comes after an investigation found he sexually harassed multiple female colleagues. Sexual harassment prevention training programs are required in most workplaces. But research shows they are actually widely ineffective at preventing sexual harassment. This hour, we talk about these programs and how they can b...

College can be a challenging and stressful time for many students, even without a global pandemic. Covid-19 has taken a toll on college students' mental health, from online classes to family stress. This hour, we look at how some colleges are preparing for students' mental health needs upon returning to campus in the fall. We hear from students and counselors in Connecticut, and we want to hear fr...

Connecticut is the 19th state to legalize recreational use of marijuana. Today, we talk about medical and recreational marijuana use. Marijuana can be helpful in aiding a lot of ailments, but it’s not a cure all. We hear from medical marijuana researcher Dr. Rebecca Craft and learn what can and cannot be treated using medical marijuana. We ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask...

In Connecticut, residents are more likely to die from unintentional drug overdose than a motor vehicle accident, according to the state  Department of Public Health . Last year, more than 1,300 people died of accidental drug overdose – a 14.6% increase from 2019, and an  88.5% increase from 2015 . Through January to June this year, 547 lives were lost to overdose, with additional d...

For much of the pandemic, the place we live and the people we live with have become our entire world. Almost one in three Americans lives in a “doubled up” household: with other adults who aren’t their partner or college-aged child. This hour, we talk about sharing living spaces. Cost is a big factor in housing arrangements, but living with roommates also has social implications....

This hour, a challenger emerges in Western Connecticut’s fifth Congressional District, to take on Democratic Congresswoman Jahana Hayes. What does former state senator George Logan think of a billion dollar infrastructure bill moving through Congress, and the billions of dollars of COVID relief funds already approved? And is Logan familiar enough with the district, since he doesn’t liv...

Employers want employees to come back to the office, but after 16 months of remote work, not everyone   is anxious to return to cubicles and endless coffee. Today, Alexandra Samuel, author of  Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are  joins us to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of going back to the office. Later, the old office setup might not work in the new...

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the US, and it’s now a federal holiday. But Juneteenth isn’t the only holiday that recognizes the legal end of slavery in the Americas. August 1st is Emancipation Day in many English-speaking countries across the Caribbean. This hour, we talk about the history of slavery and emancipation in the West Indies. We want to hear from you. Are you...