Where We Live

Election Day is finally here. Connecticut Public Radio will bring you election coverage all day, and all night as Americans wait for results. Coming up, Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill joins us to answer our questions and yours about voting at the polls today, including where to submit your absentee ballot. We want to hear from you. Are you going to the polls today? Is this your...

Connecticut is a safe blue state in national elections, yet in 2016, a significant number of residents supported Donald Trump.  And some of them plan to vote for him again. This hour we hear from Connecticut Public Radio reporter Ali Oshinskie, who’s been talking to Trump voters in the Naugatuck Valley. We also check in on Massachusetts where voters will have the chance to decide whethe...

When you think about a dinosaur what springs to mind? Probably something with giant teeth...but is it grey and scaly like a lizard? What about the sound it makes? Does it have a roar like a supersized lion? Earlier this month Where We Live producer Carmen Baskauf moderated a virtual event with paleontologist Julia Clarke, a lecture presented by the Yale Peabody Museum. Clarke studies the evolution...

Maria Hinojosa has been a groundbreaking journalist reporting on politics, immigration, and more for years. From being the first Latina in NPR’s newsroom to starting her own media company, Hinojosa has pushed the mainstream to acknowledge the importance of Latinx representation. This hour we talk with Hinojosa about her new book  Once I Was You, A Memoir of Love and Hate In A Torn Ameri...

Dogs are man’s best friend, but what’s really going on inside of their heads? This hour, we talk with canine cognition researcher Brian Hare. Hare runs Duke University’s Canine Cognition Center, and is the co-author of the new book:  Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity . Hare’s research says what makes our furry...

How is the Department of Correction preparing for the next wave of the coronavirus? How are prisons working to contain the spread of the virus amongst Connecticut's prison population?  This hour, newly appointed DOC Commissioner designate Angel Quiros joins us to answer our questions and yours.  Coming up, we talk about the commissioner’s plans to reduce Connecticut’s prison...

This year often feels like a Shakespearean drama! This hour, theaters around the state join us to talk about the future of the performing arts. What does a Zoom performance look like? Can it really replicate an in person performance? Do you miss going to some of our state’s amazing performing arts centers? We want to hear from you. GUESTS: Melia Bensussen  - Artistic Director at Hartfor...

Connecticut’s capital city is experiencing another public health crisis amidst the pandemic -- an epidemic of gun violence. There have been more than 50 shootings in Hartford since September. This hour, we talk about what’s behind this disturbing rise in violence, and how to address it. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin joins us and we hear from anti-violence advocates. How should we make sen...

In 2016, polls in key states underestimated the chances of a Donald Trump victory. This hour, how have pollsters changed the way they measure public opinion? Can we still rely on election polling?  Coming up, we hear from a pollster and survey researcher and talk about how to understand polling in the days leading up to Election Day.  Many pollsters are reporting a double digit Biden lea...

Connecticut’s COVID-19 numbers have been rising. And, as the weather gets colder, safe outdoor options for socializing will become more difficult. How worried should we be about a COVID-19 spike, and what can we do to help prevent it? This hour we talk with Hartford Healthcare’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Ajay Kumar. Are you worried about a second wave? First: who are the people in yo...

Every day, Where We Live, we say we want to hear from you. This hour, we really, really do. Next month's election is expected to break voter turnout records with a high number of absentee ballots. Coming up, residents across the state join us to talk about what’s motivating them to cast their ballot. Whether you plan to vote in person, or by absentee ballot, we want to hear from you. Join th...

Extreme heat, crushing air pressure, and toxic clouds. Venus may not seem like a hospitable place. But the discovery of a certain chemical, phosphine, in that planet’s atmosphere has raised new questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Scientists wonder if a living organism could possibly be creating this unexpected chemical. This hour, we sit down Martha Gilmore, a Wesleyan...

Love is what most people are looking for in a spouse or life partner. But this hour, we take a look at marriage, an institution that for much of history had very little to do with love at all. We also talk about the right to end a marriage by divorce. And we want to hear from you, too. Join the conversation on  Facebook  and  Twitter . GUESTS: Stephanie Coontz - Author of Marriage,...

It has been over seven years since Sheryl Sandberg’s breakthrough book Lean In'' hit the shelfs and started a conversation about women leading in the workplace. But sexism is far from obsolete in today’s job market.  The good news is, skills to thrive in the workplace can be taught long before a woman accepts her first job offer. This hour, what can we do to teach young girls conf...

Although we are in a pandemic, that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on our favorite fall activities.  This hour, we hear from the Connecticut Historical Society about how Mexican Americans are finding ways to celebrate Día de Muertos this year.  And later, Connecticut has many historic houses to tour - some of which have a spooky backstory! A coordinator from the Buttolph W...

Do you know how to make an Election Cake? What about the history of the Connecticut Witch Hunters This hour, state historian Walt Woodward joins us to talk about his new book  Creating Connecticut: Critical Moments That Shaped a Great State  and answer all your questions about the Nutmeg state, starting with why do we call Connecticut the Nutmeg State?  We’ll talk about the or...

After the first presidential debate last week, Americans have a lot of questions about absentee ballots and how to make sure their vote is counted.  This hour, Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill joins us to answer our questions and yours. Coming up, where can you drop off your ballot? When do absentee ballots need to be mailed or dropped off to make sure they are counted? ...

Do you worry about how you’re everyday actions contribute to climate change? You may think about the carbon gas-burning cars are putting into the atmosphere, or coal-powered electricity in your houses. But what about the food you eat? This hour we talk about the role of the livestock industry on putting carbon into the atmosphere. Are our carnivorous habits contributing to the climate crisis...

As climate change continues to raise temperatures worldwide, the arctic is warming even faster than the rest of the world. Today, we take a look at the unique arctic terrain that is under threat from climate change: the permafrost. This frozen landscape is defined by deep layers of soil that never get above freezing. The areas globally where permafrost is found. CREDIT WOODWELL CLIMATE RESEARCH CE...

The pandemic has interrupted a lot of industries, including the arts. Artists and museums have been hit particularly hard by this pandemic, but it has not stopped them from creating and sharing their work with the public. This hour, we hear from artists and curators on how they're sharing their craft with the public, while in quarantine. Coming up, Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT...

As a teenager, Albert Woodfox had his first encounter with the criminal justice system. After being sentenced to prison for robbery, he would go on to spend more than 40 years of his life in solitary confinement. Woodfox is the  recipient of the 2020 Stowe Prize , which is awarded to books that illuminate a critical social justice issue in our society. We hear about his experience surviving s...

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a dedicated time to come together around a difficult topic. Losing someone to suicide is an especially devastating loss. It’s a different type of grief. The effects on surviving loved ones can be profound and long lasting.  This hour, we speak with a survivor of suicide loss. And we hear from a clinical psychologist at UConn Heal...

How often do you buy new clothing? Stores like H&M and Forever 21 sell new styles at low prices, making it easy to constantly update your wardrobe. But, this hour: the environmental and social costs of " fast fashion ".  From  unsafe garment factories  to  pollution in rivers , we hear about impacts of the fashion industry from journalist Jasmin Malik Chua. We’ll...

As Connecticut looks to keep COVID numbers low, some researchers have turned to studying poop -- as a tool to help public health officials. This hour, we talk with scientists studying our waste. Can our collective toilet flushing give public health officials a head start on detecting coronavirus outbreaks? We hear from Yale researchers who have been  testing New Haven sewage  to track CO...

This hour, it’s our Fall Pandemic Book Club - Connecticut Only Edition! The Connecticut Center for the Book joins us to discuss this year’s Connecticut Book Awards Finalists, and some of those finalists join us for the hour. Coming up, our guests will tell us what they are reading, and what inspired their work.  And we want to hear from you, too! Tell us what you’re reading...