Where We Live

The  American Academy of Pediatrics declared  a national emergency in children’s mental health in October.  Data  from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that in 2020, mental health–related emergency department (ED) visits among adolescents aged 12–17 years increased 31% compared to 2019. During February 21–March 20, 2021, ED visit...

How can journalists address issues of trust and representation in order to better serve their audiences? Some newsrooms and journalism schools are addressing how the idea of objectivity or neutrality has been misapplied. Hear from Poynter's Director of Training & Diversity Doris Truong and UConn Professor Amanda Crawford. Plus, Southern California Public Radio's Chief Content Officer Kristen M...

How would you describe the pandemic in just six words? Today, we talk to Larry Smith, the founder of “six word memoirs” and hear about his new book “A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year.” It features six word memoirs from students, teachers and parents navigating the pandemic. And later, we hear from Dr. Ulysses Shawdee Wu, Chief Epidemiologist at Hartford Healthcare to answe...

Losing someone you love is one of the most devastating experiences in life. Today, we talk about how we grieve as we approach All Souls Day and Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. We talk with the co founder of Farewelling. The company transforms funerals, believing they should be as unique as weddings and birthday parties. And later, bereavement periods in the US can be quite short, with the e...

Riot Baby  is author Tochi Onyebuchi’s first foray into adult fiction, a “fiery” response to the “horrifically regular death” of unarmed black men and the non-indictments of officers responsible. It has been heralded by critics as “searing" and "devastating,” garnering a long list of awards and nominations. Although  Riot Baby  has also been...

Bobby Valentine, an unaffiliated candidate for Stamford mayor, has drawn big-name Republican donors – former president George W. Bush, and Anthony Scaramucci and Linda McMahon, former president Donald Trump appointees. In  a debate Oct. 21 on News 12 , hosted by the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Valentine summed up his motivation for the upcoming Nov. 2 election: “I want to be the...

Slowly and surely, live theater has come back to life but that doesn’t mean theater is completely back to normal. Today, we check in with theaters in Connecticut and hear about what’s coming to the stage this fall, all while keeping actors and theater patrons safe. We learn how the types of performances that you see might have changed as well. Are you going to see a show?  GUESTS:...

First, a new series from The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public Radio shines a spotlight on juvenile justice in the state. Walter Smith Randolph and Jacqueline Rabe-Thomas preview their findings. Then, with staffing shortages and supply chain snags impacting eateries across the state, a new social media campaign reminds you to #BEKINDtoRestaurants. Hear from Connecticut restaurant owners...

Sex ed curriculum varies greatly across our state and our country. Today, please be advised we’re talking about sex specifically, sex education. Although schools are required to teach human development and disease prevention, Connecticut schools are  not  required to teach sexual health education. It’s often a short curriculum taught in high school. And conversations about co...

Harvard grad and Yale School of Medicine policy advisor Caroline Simmons, State Representative for the 144th District since 2014, has won an endorsement from fellow Democrats Gov. Ned Lamont and former President Barack Obama for  her candidacy  as mayor of Stamford, one of the wealthiest and  fastest growing cities  in Connecticut. The Greenwich native is up against baseball le...

In 1831, Simeon Jocelyn, a New Haven abolitionist, tried to establish a Black college near  Yale . Now Adam Harris, the author of  The State Must Provide: Why America’s Colleges Have Always Been Unequal — And How To Set Them Right ,  documents this ill-fated attempt — and others nationally — to establish institutions of learning for African-Americans against...

With a General Election just around the corner, the so-called “sleepy” town of Guilford has made national headlines, gripped by a polarizing debate over what’s being taught in schools. Guilford High School English Chair George Cooksey and Superintendent Paul Freeman explain that while critical race theory is not itself taught in the K-12 environment in Guilford, “dimension&...

Republican state representative, Anne Dauphinais  recently criticized  Governor Lamont over his vaccine and mask mandates comparing him to Adolf Hitler. She’s not the first politician to reference Nazi Germany and the Holocaust to criticize public health rules in the pandemic. Today, we talk about why these analogies are harmful. Avinoam Patt, Director of the Center for Judaic Stud...

You’ve heard about the global supply chain crisis, from manufacturing snags abroad, to clogged ports on the West Coast and staffing shortages across the country. But how is that playing out in Connecticut? While the crisis is not as acute at Connecticut’s ports, there are some strong signals of supply chain issues in the local retail industry, along with staffing shortages. Hear from t...

An estimated   two million adults have a gambling disorder, that’s according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. And studies show that as many as 7 percent of young people struggle with problem gambling. This hour, we hear the story of a Connecticut man in recovery for his gambling addiction and learn about treatment. With sports betting and online gambling now available in Con...

The ongoing pandemic is driving the demand for online  negotiation courses  designed for female physicians. Data  shows that the wage gap between male and female physicians was 28%, with male doctors earning over $116,000 more annually than their female counterparts. The 2020 Physician Compensation Report from Doximity shows that female physicians in Hartford earned among the least...

Native American studies is a new requirement for Connecticut schools, with resources being prepared in time for the 2023-2024 school year. What kind of guidance will teachers get? Plus, with the launch of  Land Grab CT , we look at UConn’s status as a land-grant institution and the links to the expropriation of Indigenous lands. Chris Newell  - Director of Education, Akomawt Educat...

Is it possible to quantify the actual cost of racism on individuals and on our country? Economist Dana Peterson has looked at the racial gaps in housing, employment, and credit among others. She says racism has cost the US economy $16 trillion dollars over the last two decades. Peterson’s report is the focus of a recent panel discussion moderated by Where We Live host, Lucy Nalpathanchil. To...

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...

In what ways do we misunderstand or misremember Connecticut’s past with witches? And how are local witches working to take back the term today? Where We Live looks at the common misconceptions around Connecticut's witch trials; and speaks with two local witches about the communities they've built. Also, what can the source material about the witch trials, however scarce, tell us today? The C...

Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration is under mounting pressure from divergent stakeholders to fund school ventilation upgrades. Jacqueline Rabe Thomas of Connecticut Public Radio’s investigative unit, The Accountability Project,  reported  that the state’s largest teachers’ union claimed that each year, more educators were filing workers' compensation cases related t...

October is Infertility Awareness Month. Unless you have directly dealt with infertility, it’s hard to understand how difficult this can be on couples and potential mothers. This hour, we talk about infertility and pregnancy loss. We hear from experts supporting women and couples. If you have struggled with infertility, we want to hear from you. What options have you explored to overcome fert...

Set to retire in May, Connecticut State Historian Walter Woodward reflects on the history of his role. UConn's Draper Chair in American History Manisha Sinha describes the scope of search she's leading. Plus, hear from City Councilor Curtis Goodwin, whose love of one historical figure sparked the Black Heritage Trail, soon to be unveiled in New London. Historian Lonnie Braxton II joins to discuss...

Could that pandemic puppy you adopted last year be welcome at your workplace? More public spaces, such as restaurants, grocery stores and even offices, have become more welcoming to pets. This hour, we talk about how pets are changing the way we work and play and how they’re making us much healthier! We hear from Mark Cushing, author of  Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Ani...

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...