Where We Live

In the 1996 landmark  Sheff v. O’Neill  case, the Connecticut Supreme Court found that minority students in Hartford's public schools “suffered daily” due to racial and economic segregation. Now, 22 years later -- Connecticut’s magnet school solution to Sheff ’s desegregation mandate has been held up as a model for integration around the country. Yet many minority students in Hartford st...

It's been two months since MGM opened its doors in downtown Springfield. So far, what has business been like for the $960 million casino? How are its operations expected to impact nearby competitors, such as Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun?   Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He was at the head of the Hartford-area economic development group, MetroHartford Alliance, from 2001 to last year. Now, he wants to be governor of Connecticut. This hour we sit down with Oz Griebel, who is running as an unaffiliated candidate for governor of Connecticut. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we sit down with Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Rod Hanscomb . What drove the Stamford, Connecticut resident to enter the race? And what issues would he prioritize if elected to lead the state? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was a plague that came every summer and left thousands of American children paralyzed -- or dead -- in its wake. This hour we take a look at the legacy of polio. How did the development of the polio vaccine change the course of history? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has announced she will resign from the post by year's end, raising questions and speculation as to who will fill the high-ranking vacancy. This hour, we examine one possible candidate: former Connecticut U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman. What qualifications would Lieberman bring to the position? And what would it take for him to be confirmed? Later, we talk about trends in U....

What does effective philanthropy look like in the 21st century? This hour, we sit down with Jay Williams, the President of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. We also talk with scholar and author, Chuck Collins. He is a one-percenter who dedicated his life to addressing income inequality. Collins’ policy institute has found that charities are increasingly depending on larger donations from...

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. Are you a hunter? We want to hear from you.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When CVS agreed to acquire Aetna, they halted a plan to move the Hartford-based company’s headquarters to New York City. Connecticut has been breathing a sigh of relief that one of the capital’s largest employers isn’t ditching the state. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They can weigh over a hundred tons, live their entire lives underwater, and some even hunt using sound through a method known as echolocation. Yet, whales are also complex social creatures who share much in common with humans. This hour we talk with paleontologist Nick Pyenson about why he has dedicated his life to studying whales, or as he puts it, “Earth’s Most Awesome Creatures.” Pyenson’s new...

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? 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...

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...

Nekita Waller was recently named Connecticut's 17th State Troubadour. This hour, she joins us in our studios. We talk about her background as a performer and learn about the influence she hopes to have over the state’s arts and culture scene. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A dishwasher at Whole Foods in West Hartford, Lhakpa Sherpa is also the only woman to complete nine... yes, nine ... expeditions to the summit of Mount Everest. This hour, the world record holder stops by our studios to share her remarkable journey as a climber, an immigrant, and a single mother. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid reports of consolidations and staffing crises, we ask: What is the future of the U.S. hospital industry? A team of experts joins us as we weigh this question and consider its implications for Connecticut.  Later, we discuss the role of crowdfunding platforms in helping alleviate the burden of medical expenses. Have you ever turned to GoFundMe or a similar site to finance the cost of trea...

From veterans returning from Iraq, to survivors of mass shootings, to those putting together the pieces after a hurricane--we know that the emotional and psychological scars of violence and tragedies sometimes last even longer than physical wounds. But what is the psychological toll on those who help victims of traumatic experiences? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/list...

Christine Blasey Ford says she will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday over allegations that U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her as a teenager. Coming up, we wade through the details of the case and get reaction to reports of new allegations against Kavanaugh by a former Yale classmate.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio....

David Rosado is a Hartford native who spent two decades with the Connecticut state police. In February he became Hartford’s new Police Chief. This hour, Chief Rosado will join us in studio. We ask him about what it’s like to return home as the top cop in the city where he grew up. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been ten years since the Great Recession reared its ugly head, lurching the country into a state of economic crisis.  This hour, we look back and ask: What effect did the downturn have on the American public? And how did it come to reshape perceptions of the so-called ‘American dream’? We check in with a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. We also sit down with experts in the f...

The country watched Hurricane Florence pummel communities across the Carolinas this week, leaving flooding, destruction, and death in its path. This hour we ask New York Times climate reporter Kendra Pierre-Louis --is climate change causing these devastating storms to become more common? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three Merrimack Valley , Massachusetts neighborhoods were marred by natural gas explosions Thursday, in an incident that left one dead and several others injured. This hour, we take an in-depth look at what happened and consider the likelihood that a similar situation could unfold here in Connecticut. Later, we learn why some local residents and advocates are airing their grievances against Veyo ,...

The National Council for Adoption has reported a decline in U.S. intercountry adoptions since the year 2004. This hour, we discuss the factors driving this downward shift and consider how it compares to trends in the adoption of children born domestically. We also hear from two Connecticut residents with unique adoption experiences -- one as an adoptive father, the other as an adopted son. If you...

This week marks the 45th anniversary of a coup in Chile that overthrew the democratically elected president Salvador Allende and radically changed the course of Chilean history. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour: pain, pharma, and the birth of a nation plagued by opioid abuse and overdose. We talk to Beth Macy , author of Dopesick , about her investigation into the development, marketing, and widespread effect of OxyContin -- a prescription drug produced by Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma . To what extent is the company responsible for America’s ongoing opioid addiction crisis? We take...