Where We Live

Priya Natarajan has what some might call an affinity for the impalpable. Black holes. Galaxies. The intricacies of the universe. This hour, the Yale-based astrophysicist talks about the experiences that triggered her curiosity and zeal for "exotica." It's the latest in WNPR's " Making Her Story " series, recorded live at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, Connecticut.  Support the show: http:/...

During World War II the Nazis experimented on Polish women among others at Ravensbrück concentration camp outside of Berlin. After the war, socialite and Connecticut resident Caroline Ferriday helped bring dozens of these women to the U.S. for medical treatment.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the midst of the Great Depression more than 80 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps — giving jobs to young men to support their families, while conserving the country’s wild lands and upgrading our state parks. This hour, we revisit our show on the CCC’s impact in Connecticut and we hear from one “CCC boy” who is now 102 years old. Support the...

Crashing waves, cawing gulls, the cutting scent of a falling tide -- there's nothing quite as invigorating as the experience of summer along the New England coastline. For writer Jonathan White, however, it was not the East but the West Coast that fueled a lifelong passion for the water.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you confront hate? This hour, we dive into this resurgent — and unfortunate — reality. Should we tolerate hate? Or should we be intolerant? Do we fight hate with more hatred, or something else? We talk about all this, along with the recent incidents in Charlottesville and Boston. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 56 percent of women will be employed or looking for work by the year 2024 -- that's a nearly one percent decrease from 2015. Still, investment in female leadership has grown at some workplaces -- including Connecticut-based United Technologies Corporation. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Drug overdose deaths in Connecticut have surpassed the national average for several years now. This hour, we talk with a former heroin addict about how he got into recovery — and his advice for others struggling with addiction.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pregnancy and childbirth bring on a range of emotions -- from excitement, to exhaustion, to the stress of physical pain. Few, however, expect these experiences to result in human tragedy -- especially not in the death of a new or soon-to-be mother .  This hour: the realities of maternal health and mortality. We check in with a team of doctors and reporters, and we also hear from you. Support...

Hartford has long been known as the insurance capital of the world, but will that change now that insurance giant, Aetna, is moving its headquarters out of the state ? This hour, we examine the past and future of insurance in Connecticut — and beyond. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up: We find out how researchers are working to preserve the world's most endangered languages -- including a look at locally-based efforts to expand fluency of the Mohegan language . But first: reaction to the weekend’s news out of Charlottesville . We check in with former Virginia residents and we also hear from you. How do you interpret this latest incident of racism and violence? Do you...

America’s national parks are experiencing record crowds — and some nature enthusiasts worry about what that means for the protected land. Is the sheer amount of people taking away the rustic experience these parks offer?  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unearthing family history -- one saliva sample at a time. This hour: how low-cost DNA testing helped spawn an industry and, with it, a new wave of genealogical sleuthing. Ancestry.com , 23andMe , Family Tree DNA -- how far are you willing to go and how much are you willing to spend to better understand your roots?  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Here's something that might make you might think twice before ordering a bucket of drumsticks: tasty as they may be, those cooked morsels of meat actually come from... dinosaurs. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawmakers in Hartford still have no state budget in place — and that’s creating widespread fiscal uncertainty for cities and towns across Connecticut. This hour, we hear from municipal leaders about how they’re responding.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up, we find out how New Haven's new Elm City Party Bike is motivating some to pedal for their beer. But first, members of the Hartford-based, '90s-inspired rock band Audio Jane join us live in WNPR’s Studio 3. We talk about their local roots and listen to songs off their 2017 release -- an album called Naive .  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

During the 1920’s, some Connecticut women took jobs painting watch dials with radium-laced paint. At the time, they didn’t know it was toxic. As these so-called “Radium Girls” began to die, their stories became part of a rallying cry for industrial regulation. This hour, we talk about the "Radium Girls" of Waterbury with Kate Moore, author of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story Of America’s Shining W...

Within the shadow of P.T. Barnum lies a much quieter tale of Bridgeport prosperity -- a tale involving two nineteenth-century sisters, Mary and Eliza Freeman. While neither achieved the same level of recognition as Barnum, both established a significant place within the history of Connecticut’s Park City.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Hate drives people to do unspeakable things but how often do these stories end in forgiveness and friendship? This hour, Ted Hakey Jr. and Zahir Mannan join us. The two men met after Hakey shot his rifle into Mannan’s place of worship — the Ahmaddiya Baitul Amman Mosque in Meriden in 2015. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re a tea drinker, then you probably know the name Cindi Bigelow. She’s the third generation president and CEO of Fairfield-based Bigelow Tea . Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us take it for granted that much of our food comes from seeds. But did you know 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared in the last century? This hour, we talk with the co-director of the documentary SEED: The Untold Story . We find out how we lost a wealth of seed diversity and we learn about seed savers who are working to bring that diversity back. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/do...

Justice for all? Or justice for the privileged? This hour, we hear how one Connecticut-based incubator is helping vulnerable residents gain access to counsel. We also examine more wide-ranging efforts to narrow the country’s “justice gap.”  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s mosquito season and the Zika virus still remains a threat in many parts of the world — including here in the U.S. This hour, we hear the latest on efforts to develop a Zika vaccine and we find out what researchers have learned since last summer about how the virus causes microcephaly in newborns.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

Chuck Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies . He's also an author, an editor, and a child of the so-called “one percent." This hour, we sit down with Collins. We talk about his latest book and preview his upcoming appearance in Winsted, Connecticut.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Environmental groups have drawn attention to sustainability and conservation, but insiders say movement leadership is overwhelmingly white. This hour, we examine a lack of diversity in environmental activism and find out who’s working to change this. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the midst of the Great Depression more than 80 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps — giving jobs to young men to support their families, while conserving the country’s wild lands and upgrading our state parks. This hour, we learn about the CCC’s impact in Connecticut and we hear from one “CCC boy” who is now 102 years old. Support the show: ht...