Where We Live

What happens when a community comes together to talk about issues of race and racism? This hour, we find out how one Southington, Connecticut group is helping facilitate conversations between residents and town officials. Erica Roggeveen Byrne, founder of Southington Women for Progress, joins us. We also sit down with Oliver Scholes of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut. And...

Connecticut purposely doesn't have a full-time legislature. But state lawmakers' jobs aren't considered part-time either, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures . They fall somewhere in between. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While the debate over a U.S.-Mexico border wall has been broadcast loudly across headlines, revisions to U.S. immigration policy have occurred quietly, with little notice. This hour, we take an in-depth look at these changes and consider their impact on current and future immigrants. Plus, when it comes to welcoming new immigrants, how willing are municipal leaders and residents to open their arms...

Black and Hispanic men and boys in the U.S. experience worse health outcomes than other groups. This hour we take a look at Connecticut’s first-ever report card on the health of men and boys of color in our state. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With each new year come the same old resolutions. Go on a diet. Join a gym... But what if this year, we vowed to try something different? Unplug from technology. Spend more time in nature. This hour, we consider ways to become better connected to the natural world. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Literacy. It's something many of us take for granted. The ability to read health forms, headlines, or the latest bestsellers. Yet, across the U.S., there are millions of adults who have difficulty reading. This hour, we find out why. We talk with literacy experts and advocates, and we also hear from you. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shuttered national parks, TSA workers calling in sick, hundreds of thousands of paychecks missed. Americans around the country are feeling the impact of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. But it’s not just federal employees who are struggling. This hour, we find out how the shutdown is affecting some of the country’s most vulnerable residents. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate...

Many women who become pregnant miscarry without knowing it. Yet miscarriage is not something we, as a society, often talk about. Why? This hour, we take an in-depth look and we also hear from you. Have you or a loved one ever miscarried? Where did you turn for support?  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elle . Marie Claire . Cosmopolitan . For generations, magazines such as these have informed the world's women, serving as fashion manuals, as well as vestibules between the conventional and taboo. This hour, we look back on the history of these publications, and talk about the challenges faced by many women's magazines today.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listen...

On a January night in 2018 , there were more than 3,000 people experiencing homelessness across the state of Connecticut. This hour we sit down with Dr. Richard Cho, the new CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. Connecticut has made major strides in reducing homelessness, but how do we address areas where residents are still falling through the cracks? Support the show: http://wnpr...

Connecticut has joined nine states for a landmark agreement to reduce carbon emissions from transportation in the Northeast region. This hour, as the federal government backs away from fighting climate change, what role can states play? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In corporate America, chief operating officers are the glue that hold business units together and ensure they are all moving forward on the same page.  But can they work as effectively in the public sector as they do in the private sector? Incoming Governor Ned Lamont, who takes office Wednesday, has faith that they can. He's tasked public policy specialist Paul Mounds Jr. to be state governm...

Have you ever looked closely at a squid? No, the calamari on your plate doesn’t count. A live squid? Sure, it might seem to have come from the pages of a science fiction novel. But squid are far from fictional.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Rabbi Philip Lazowski was just eleven years old, the Nazis invaded his hometown and began the mass slaughter of Jewish residents. This hour we sit down with Rabbi Lazowski, a Holocaust survivor and longtime leader in the Greater Hartford Jewish community, to hear his story. After witnessing one of the worst sides of humanity, how did he maintain his faith and find the strength to help others?...

For interview highlights from this show, click here.   It’s been fifteen years since the death of Fred Rogers -- a man who, for decades, served as the cardigan-donning host and creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood . Rogers’ life is now the focus of a new Maxwell King biography -- aptly titled  The Good Neighbor . This hour, we sit down with King for a special preview of the book. ...

Samite Mulondo went from a refugee camp in Kenya to collaborating with Paul Simon. This year, the musician and Uganda native joined us in the studio to share his story and his music. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario  joins us. We talk about her career and her new book, Of Love & War , and learn about her upbringing in Westport, Connecticut. Later, we sit down with world record holder Lhakpa Sherpa. A dishwasher at Whole Foods in West Hartford, is also the only woman to complete nine... yes,  nine ... expeditions to the summit...

Each summer, Connecticut residents flock to the shoreline, raising umbrellas and spreading towels along the state's beaches. Yet, behind this sunny imagery hides a somber history -- a story of coastal ownership and exclusivity. This hour, Free the Beaches author Andrew Kahrl joins us. We reflect on the impact of Connecticut’s private and restricted beaches and learn about a 20th-century crusade to...

Forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee has been a well-known figure in Connecticut courtrooms for decades. His expertise led to high-profile work investigating famous crimes from the O.J. Simpson trial to investigating the murder of child beauty queen, JonBenét Ramsey. But in addition to his testimony on famous cases, Dr. Lee has been a staple of forensic science in Connecticut for the past 40 y...

With each new year come the same old resolutions. Go on a diet. Join a gym... But what if, for 2019, we vowed to try something different? Unplug from technology. Spend more time in nature. This hour, we consider ways to become better connected to the natural world. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It began as a six-month assignment covering the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. But NPR reporter Adrian Florido has been on the ground in Puerto Rico for more than a year now. This hour, we check in with Florido. What changes has he observed since arriving on the island? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After six years on the job, Connecticut’s 5th District Representative Elizabeth Esty is leaving Congress. This hour we sit down with the outgoing congresswoman as she reflects on her time in the House of Representatives. Also, two violent incidents in Wethersfield have drawn attention to juveniles involved in car thefts across Connecticut. Police in some towns have argued that the prevalence of th...

Bicycles helped inspire modern cars, paved roads...even airplanes! But did you know they were also an inspiration for the women's movement? This hour we take a look back in time at the origins of the bicycle, including innovation that happened right here in Connecticut. We find out the history of how this vehicle spurred social change and helped empower women to break through gender barriers a lit...

Whether for sport or sustenance; by rifle or crossbow, hunting has long been a part of the human experience. This hour, we look back on our relationship with hunting and consider what it means to hunt today. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the office; on the scale. To what extent have physicians and other medical professionals contributed to the stigmatization of obesity? This hour, we take an in-depth look. We also discuss the effects of obesity and weight stigma on children. What responsibilities do parents, pediatricians, and educators share in keeping kids healthy and safe?  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See o...