Where We Live

Anyone who’s spent time outdoors in Connecticut has probably come across a dam or two. The state is home to more than 4,000 dams, a dozen of which were spotlighted in a recent national dam safety investigation by The Associated Press . This hour, we take an in-depth look at this investigation. What do its findings tell us about the integrity of the nation’s dam infrastructure? And how...

It’s a busy week in politics. The presidential primary season kicked off in Iowa, and tonight is the President’s State of the Union Address. Meanwhile, the impeachment trial nears its end. This hour, Southern Connecticut State University political scientist Jennifer Hopper joins us.   And later, what do you know about the new coronavirus? There are now 11 confirmed cases in the US...

Standardized tests, application forms, campus visits. The path to college can be a daunting one, especially when you add tuition to the mix. Then, of course, there is the cost of room and board, meal plans, textbooks...feeling stressed yet? This hour, we tackle the realities of affording a college education, and we also hear from you. Are you the parent of a college-age student? Are you, yourself,...

Have you noticed fewer sparrows or warblers flitting about your backyard? Bird populations in North America have been declining for years, but in 2019, the data was particularly grim. Two-thirds of bird species are at risk of extinction due to climate change and urbanization, according to recent studies . What does that mean for Connecticut’s birds? This hour, we talk to UConn professor Chri...

Wanjiku Gatheru is the daughter of Kenyan immigrants and a first-generation American. Now, the UConn senior has made university history as the school’s first-ever Rhodes Scholar. This hour we sit down with Gatheru. We talk about her life growing up in Conencticut’s Quiet Corner, and find out why she’s pursuing a career in environmental justice. Later, we talk about strategies to...

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced a new initiative, the Opportunity Zones Program , to spur investment in the nation’s most distressed communities. The state of Connecticut is home to 72 Opportunity Zones. What efforts are being made to attract investors to these regions? This hour, we find out, and we also hear from you. Do you live in or near an Opportunity Zone?  Support the...

Sheff v. O’Neill, the landmark desegregation case in Connecticut, has shaped school systems in the greater Hartford region for decades. The state of Connecticut has announced it reached a settlement with the plaintiffs. This hour, we hear more from CT Mirror education reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas. Connecticut’s Open Choice program, where students from Hartford travel to suburban sch...

They might look like something out of science fiction, but star-nosed moles are real-life creatures that can be found across the East Coast, including in Connecticut. These small, furry mammals are a bit larger than a house mouse, and live underground in wetlands, digging tunnels with their enormous claws. But their most distinctive feature is their pink, star-shaped nose. Ken Catania , Stevenson...

Scientists estimate bush fires in Southeastern Australia have killed hundreds of millions of animals. This hour, we talk about the fires’ impact on biodiversity. And we learn about how climate change is shaping wildfire patterns around the globe. Are severe natural disasters becoming the “new normal”? GUESTS: Rebecca Buchholz -  Project Scientist with the  National Cent...

If your smartphone screen cracks, do you get it fixed or trade it in for the latest model? Repairing items can be less wasteful, but there are also growing legal challenges for people whose business is to repair technology from smartphones to tractors. This hour, we talk about the “Right to Repair” movement. It's a debate that pits concerns about users’ ability to modif...

Demand for social services in Connecticut has grown in the same decade that’s seen the state struggle to pass balanced budgets. The nonprofit sector has provided more and more of these services but now its facing more pressure, as Americans charitable donations decline and government cutbacks continue. This hour, we talk with national and local experts about the role philanthropy plays in he...

Deaths related to alcohol have been rising over the past two decades, especially among women.  Today, we look at the impact of alcohol on public health. And on this day in 1920, Prohibition went into effect around the country, making it illegal to sell alcohol. 100 years after the beginning of this national experiment, we ask: what is a productive policy approach today to dealing with addicti...

Most of us enjoy high-speed internet. But in some areas in Connecticut, residents still don’t have broadband access.  A  recent court ruling  may make it easier for municipalities to provide broadband services.  But is a city or town-run internet service the best way to bridge the ‘digital divide’? Later, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans joins us with an update on t...

More than 4 million people, around 1 out of 5 undergrads, are raising children today. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Education. These student parents tend to have higher GPAs than traditional students. They’re often older, single, and women of color. But more than half of them leave school without getting a degree.  For them, access to affordable, reliable child care c...

Leading Democratic presidential candidates meet once again on the debate stage this week.  The stakes are higher than ever for presidential hopefuls, because the first primaries are just around the corner. This hour, we check in with New Hampshire where voters will head to the polls in less than a month. Is there a better way to narrow candidates for President than the state-by-state primary...

Spend just a few minutes with young children and you’ll marvel at their imagination. Maybe they’re pretending to be a dragon running a bakery, or they’re coloring the sky purple instead of blue. But somewhere along the way, most of those kids turn into adults who say, “I’m just not a creative person!” This hour, we ask: how can we foster children’s imagina...

When you got to an art gallery, how much of what you see has been made by women? Women artists are underrepresented in most museums. But this year, a special series at the New Britain Museum of American Art will exclusively feature exhibitions by female artists. This hour, we talk with the museum’s director, Min Jung Kim. We also talk with Shantell Martin , a visual artist whose wo...

How is Connecticut’s governor doing? Today, we’ll sit down with Governor Ned Lamont, who will have been in office one year this week. We ask him about his priorities for the state in 2020. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's officially 2020, which means you may see a census taker knocking on your door this Spring.  The decennial census also will be online. This hour, we talk with NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang about efforts to count everyone who lives in the United States, and why it matters. And later, we hear from local nonprofits about whether the state of Connecticut is spending enough on Census outreach...

Walking instead of driving is better for the environment and our health, but in the United States, it’s becoming an increasingly dangerous choice. Since 2009, the rate of pedestrians killed by a car in Connecticut has more than doubled, even as cars have become safer for drivers and passengers.  Howcan cities and towns make sure their streets are safe for everyone? And later: college sp...

This summer marks 100 years since the ratification of the  19th Amendment , which gave women the right to vote in the United States. This hour, we hear about the Connecticut women who fought for suffrage. And: despite the progress seen over the last century, what barriers remain for women’s full participation in the political process today? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See o...

At sixteen years of age, Reginald Dwayne Betts went to prison for carjacking. Decades later, Betts is a celebrated poet and graduate of Yale Law School. But, like many ex-offenders, the consequences of those teenage mistakes have followed him for years. This hour, we sit down with Betts to talk about  his third collection of poetry,  Felon . Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See o...

Ryan Leigh Dostie is an Iraq War veteran. She joined the U.S. Army to serve her country. But before she was deployed, she experienced violence from one of her own when she was raped by a fellow soldier.  This hour, we sit down with Dostie. She is a Connecticut resident and author of the new book:  Formation: A Woman’s Memoir of Stepping Out of Line . Recent statistics show sex...

Donald Collins first told his mom he was transgender when he was a senior in high school. His mother wasn’t totally sure what the word transgender even meant. From there, they began a difficult emotional journey as Donald began his transition. This hour, we sit down with Donald and his mother, Mary Collins. They have written about their experience in the book At the Broken Places: A Mother a...

On July 6, 1944, the circus came to Connecticut's capital city and erupted into flames. Seventy-five years later, the Hartford Circus Fire is recognized as one of the greatest tragedies in American history. This hour, 88-year-old survivor Harry Lichtenbaum joins us to share his story. We also talk with the author of a book on the fire and learn about efforts to identify the bodies of its yet unide...