Where We Live

Women-founded or co-founded firms in the U.S. raised $25.12 billion in venture capital in the first half of 2021, more than in any prior year, according to  PitchBook . The reason? Women founders are raising a greater share through late-stage deals and high-value sectors. More women are writing checks at VC firms. And networks of female founders are thriving in cities like New York. Yet the i...

Gabby Petito has been laid to rest, a few weeks after attention on the missing 22 year old from Long Island exploded in traditional news outlets and on social media.  She’s just one of many Americans who go missing.   4 out of 10 of them are people of color according to the  Federal Bureau of Investigation . Today, Derrica Wilson, cofounder of the  Black & Missin...

With Connecticut facing a waste crisis, there’s a new incentive for cities and towns interested in more sustainable ways of managing trash. A new $5 million grant program means municipalities can apply to implement food scrap collection or "pay-as-you-throw" programs. Where We Live hears from DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes, and two municipalities applying for food scrap collection programs. W...

The endless Instagram scroll; we know it’s impacting our lives but what do we really know about how it’s impacting kids? The Wall Street Journal recently reported that researchers inside Instagram know that their app is making teenage girls feel worse about themselves. This hour, we talk about the real implications of social media use among adolescents and how influencers are affecting...

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...

This hour, Connecticut residents with different views of the world are coming together to help Afghans flee the Taliban, and to help people targeted by the Taliban start new lives in the Nutmeg state. And and update from Connecticut Public’s Accountability Project on their recent investigative reporting on education. Guests: Deidre Gifford --  Department of Social Services Commissioner...

America's roughly 40 million acres of well-mowed, privately-owned lawns are taking the place of native plants that could be helping local ecosystems thrive. There are at least two initiatives aimed at replacing American lawns with native plants, to provide homes for pollinators, migrating birds, and a whole lot more. The process is sometimes called "delawning" or "rewilding." Do you want to be on...

A new study  by the National Institutes of Health and the Research Triangle Institute, found alcohol consumption by women with children younger than age 5, surged 323% during the pandemic. Researchers compared alcohol consumption rates in February 2020 to April of 2020, when stay-at-home guidelines were in effect, and further along into the pandemic year in November. More women than men excee...

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art ’s upcoming exhibit  By Her ­Hand: Artemisia Gentileschi and Women Artists in Italy: 1500-1800  (Sept. 30, 2021 through Jan. 9, 2022) brings to Connecticut paintings by Italian women in a male-dominated art world. Who do you think of when you think of Italian art? Michelangelo? Botticelli? Caravaggio? Bernini? And in contemporary times, Modi...

After 25 seasons, the beloved children’s TV series  Arthur  will end in 2022. Today, we talk about this groundbreaking animated series about an aardvark and his friends. We learn about the impact of children's programs. Arthur has tackled a number of   challenging issues like bullying, cancer, and even the importance of mask wearing! Coming up, we hear from one of the voice ac...

This hour, efforts to get people out of Afghanistan continue, after the Taliban takeover. You’ll hear from Southwestern Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes about what his office is doing to help, and on his thoughts about the American withdrawal. What should happen next in the country now ruled by a fundamentalist Islamic militia? ...And we’ll look at the results of yesterday’s top...

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...

Hurricane Ida brought 3-8 inches of rain to Connecticut causing flooding and damage to our coast. Scientists say New Englanders should expect more extreme weather events in the future due to climate change. Today, we hear what Connecticut can do to prepare for an increasing number of strong storms. Save the Sound joins us. The organization focuses on ways to make our shoreline more resilient. How...

This weekend the nation marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Nearly 3000 people died, 161 of them had connections to Connecticut. Today , we hear from New Canaan resident, Mary Fetchet, co-founder of an advocacy group for families impacted by 9-11. First we talk with Connecticut Public’s Diane Orson about her reporting on that day and her recent documentary. An...

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...

This hour, what could a key decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs mean for Connecticut’s gambling expansion plans? We look at the future of online sports betting and other forms of gambling in the state and how they could affect young people. Cathy Osten --  Connecticut State Senator and General Assembly Public Safety Committee Co-chair Yoga Kammili --  UConn Fourth Year Medic...

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....