Where We Live

As the nation faces a public health crisis with the coronavirus pandemic, we are also amid a long overdue and urgent national reckoning with the ongoing effects of systemic racism.  And that also profoundly affects public health and the health of children. Still, many parents struggle to talk about racial bias with their kids.  Coming up we explore why, and talk about preparing for these...

This country has a long history of athletic protests. This hour, we speak with athletes including former UConn Husky Renee Montgomery who sat out the WNBA season to focus on social justice issues. WNBA teams recently forgoed games last Wednesday and Thursday following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.  We want to hear from you. GUESTS: Renee Montgomory -  a 2x WNBA Champion with the At...

The U.S. Census Bureau will end its counting efforts early later this month. But in many of Connecticut’s large cities, half or more of all residents did not fill out the self-reported survey. Today, we talk about what’s at stake if Connecticut doesn’t get an accurate headcount. From political representation to federal funding, an undercount could put Connecticut’s most vul...

Have you ever heard of “philately?” Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps. Stamp collection dates back to the 19th century, as does the first United States Post Office Department, which is now just referred to as the United States Postal Service. This hour, we’re doing a deep dive into the United States Postal Service. We’ll talk about how the United State...

While most of Connecticut has seen a low rate of positive COVID-19 cases, the city of Danbury has become a concerning exception. This hour, we talk to the city’s Mayor, Mark Boughton, to hear more about this local outbreak. And later, contact tracing is a critical public health tool for containing the spread of COVID-19. But who are the people actually running Connecticut’s tracing eff...

Do you see bats where you live? These flying creatures play important roles in ecosystems around the world, from pest control to pollination. But bats in Connecticut are in big trouble. This hour: bats in our state have been devastated by White-Nose Syndrome. We learn more about this deadly disease and talk about why we should be concerned that populations in Connecticut have been so hard hit. Bat...

The first day of school is just around the corner for many Connecticut students, but “back to school” will look very different for families across Connecticut.  This hour, we hear from   from students, parents and educational leaders. New Haven’s school board has voted to start the school year fully remote. What impact will that have on families? We also hear from Bridg...

State Representative Jeff Currey is a longtime public servant. Now he’s asking the public to help him. The East Hartford lawmaker is in kidney failure, and he needs a transplant. This hour, he joins us to talk about kidney donation. We often think of organ donation as something considered after someone’s death, but living donors can give a kidney to a person in need. Coming up we hear...

On sweltering summer days, having a house or apartment with air conditioning is important not only for comfort, but also for safety.  The need to cool down will only grow as climate change makes our world  hotter. But air conditioning itself also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. This hour, we talk about how to make sure climate-friendly cooling options are available to everyone....

Businesses have reopened and most schools have come up with plans to see students again, but it’s increasingly clear life won’t truly get back to “normal” until we have a vaccine. But when will that be? This hour, we get the latest from New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer on the race to develop a COVID vaccine. We hear the status of ongoing vaccine trials and lea...

Some Connecticut school districts across the state are getting ready to reopen their doors, but with coronavirus cases rising across the country, more parents are considering keeping children at home,  Online learning continues to come with a lot of roadblocks and technical issues for parents, students and teachers. So what is the alternative? How can students get a quality education while st...

First July electric bills went through the roof. Then, hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents lost power for days after a tropical storm. Today, ratepayer frustration with Connecticut’s largest electric utility, Eversource, are higher than ever. After years of paying more for electricity with the promise that some would be used to “harden the grid”, many residents are won...

Musicians and performing artists around the world have cancelled tours and shows due to the pandemic.  This hour, we’re talking to musicians from right here in Connecticut. Although local performers especially are struggling to stay afloat, many are still finding ways to put on a show, and make music.  Coming up, some have even decided to pick up a new instrument during the pandemi...

With the last decade of the twentieth century came the first clinical trials for a biotechnology known as gene therapy. Since then, how far has gene therapy come? And how far has it left to go? This hour, we consider these and other questions, and we also hear from you. Were you or was someone close to you diagnosed with a genetic disease? What thoughts or questions do you have about gene therapy...

When your home becomes your new office, it can be hard to set boundaries between work and personal life. This hour, we continue our series on The Future of Work by discussing the benefits, and drawbacks, of working from home full time.  Coming up we’ll speak with some experts on the importance of setting work/life boundaries, managing flextime and what the future of the workplace might...

The pandemic has caused major disruptions for workers' careers, but the latest numbers show women have been hit particularly hard. Women, and especially women of color, are bearing some of the largest economic impacts of the pandemic, from facing higher rates of unemployment to holding the majority of frontline essential jobs. This hour: how will COVID-19 worsen gender inequality in the workplace?...

Many Connecticut residents are used to spending a lot of time commuting, whether driving on a highway, riding on a train to the city or taking the bus across town. But the number of drivers and ridership across all modes of transportation have dropped dramatically with stay-at-home orders and the closing of non-essential businesses. This hour, with Connecticut beginning to reopen, what will the &l...

This hour, we are rebroadcasting our new program, Connecticut Conversations where we’ll talk about education during a pandemic.   Whether students return to the classroom or learn online, how should parents and schools weigh concerns around health, equity, and students? Coming up we’ll hear from Connecticut’s Child Advocate, about the state’s responsibility to mak...

How does a national teacher of the year - turned Congresswoman - view school reopening plans in Connecticut? This hour, we talk with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, who represents Connecticut’s Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The freshman lawmaker is nearing the end of her first term in Congress. Hayes is a member of the House Education and Labor Committee--we ask her to wei...

When we talk about going back to school, we usually focus on what will happen when k-12 students return to the classroom. But what about the students coming from across the nation to return to campus?  This hour, Carl W. Lejuez, the University of Connecticut Provost & Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs will join us to answer our questions and yours about what university life wi...

The school year starts soon, and teachers and parents still ask: How will schools open safely? This hour, we talk with Jeff Leake, the president of the state’s largest teachers union, the Connecticut Education Association. The union says the state should only open school buildings if CDC and other safety guidelines are met. Some teachers worry that crowded classrooms won’t have suffici...

This pandemic has caused a lot of interruptions in our lives. It has put people out of work, and it is also keeping some people from starting a career. This hour, we hear how recent law school graduates are preparing for the Connecticut Bar Exam amongst the pandemic.  The Bar Exam is a two day exam, normally taken at a testing facility. But because of the pandemic, students will have to take...

Inside our genomes, we carry information about our recent ancestors as well as ancient human history. This hour, we talk with science writer Carl Zimmer about his book,  She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity . We ask him what our DNA can—and can’t—tell us about where we’re from and who we are. GUEST: Carl Zimmer - New York Times...

It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly five months since Connecticut had it’s first coronavirus diagnosis in the state. This hour, Connecticut Department of Public Health Acting Commissioner Deidre Gifford joins us to discuss where we are now. Connecticut seems to be trending in the right direction, and steadily slowing the spread of coronavirus. One week ago, the Connecticut Dep...

State lawmakers in Connecticut’s House of Representatives have passed a major police accountability bill in the middle of a national conversation about police violence and racism. This hour, we check in with CT Mirror reporter, Kelan Lyons to learn more, as the bill heads to the state Senate this week. We also talk with poet and Connecticut resident Reginald Dwayne Betts, who is  leadin...