Where We Live

When you think of drought, what place comes to mind? California? Texas? How about... Connecticut? According to the United States Drought Monitor, more than 90 percent of our state is in a moderate drought right now -- and we’re not the only ones in the Northeast experiencing unusually dry conditions. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions continue to swirl around a car crash involving a state senator . Andrew Maynard, a Democrat from Stonington, was already recovering from a fall at his home in 2014 that left some questioning his ability to serve before the most recent incident.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report on Connecticut's civic health  was released Tuesday. This hour, we discuss its findings with Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when you change "no means no" to "yes means yes"? Connecticut joins a handful of states that are pushing for new legislation in an effort to combat the epidemic of sexual violence plaguing our college campuses. But do affirmative consent laws go far enough? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, Puerto Rico defaulted on millions of dollars in debt payments , spurring legal action from bond insurers. This hour, we get the latest on the island's economic crisis , including Governor Alejandro García Padilla’s pleas for Congressional intervention .  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the state of the union? It's probably strong, as the previous five presidents have said. This hour, our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will recap President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address. We also look ahead to the race for his successor. Former President Bill Clinton swings through Connecticut to fundraise for his wife's campaign. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/d...

This hour, we feature stories and sounds from the West African country of Nigeria.  First, WSHU reporter Ebong Udoma checks in from Abuja, Nigeria, where he's helped launch a brand new multimedia project called  Gotel Africa . When completed, Gotel Africa will become the continent's first-ever pan-African news service. We learn more about it.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/...

U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty joins us ahead of President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address. One of the big issues being pushed by the president is on guns. It's something that has been Esty's focus since she took office just after the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. This hour, we check-in with the Democrat from the 5th congressional district. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/...

It's been one week since Luke Bronin was sworn in as Hartford's 67th mayor . This hour, he stops by to discuss his plans for the city. We talk about ballparks and city budgets; schools and salary increases. And we take your questions, too. What do you want to ask the mayor? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In December, Connecticut regulators approved the $3 billion merger of Spanish firm Iberdrola and New Haven-based UIL Holdings. The news came just two weeks after the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority issued a draft decision OK-ing the deal.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut lawmakers were given advance notice of President Obama’s executive orders on guns. The Newtown school shooting was referenced several times during Obama's speech and several family members of the victims were in attendance. This week, our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will discuss the president’s action and some recognition by the New York Times on Connecticut’s criminal justic...

From a land use standoff in Oregon, to a gun rights standoff looming in Washington, the U.S. constitution is under daily scrutiny in American life. This hour, we'll explore the foundational but outdated document called the Constitution. The system to amend the "living document" has only been utilized twice since 1970. Does new life need to be breathed into the Constitution and how politically feas...

DataHaven, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, recently completed the nation’s largest survey on community well-being . This hour, we take a look at the results and consider what they reveal about health, happiness, and quality of life in Connecticut.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On January 10, 2016, WNPR will welcome two new public radio shows to its airwaves . This hour, we preview them both. First, New Yorker editor David Remnick tells us about his new show, The New Yorker Radio Hour . Later, we also check in with the host and executive producer of Reveal , a weekly radio program from the Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX. Support the show: http://wnp...

It’s the 2015 finale to our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse, and what a year it’s been. From the unlikely return of Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, to ongoing discussions about a new casino, the news kept us on our toes. This hour, we recap not only the week’s news, but the year’s news with our panel and you can join the conversation with the stories that mattered most to you. Support the show:...

National security expert Scott Bates recently returned from Amman, Jordan where he was working with government ministries and elected officials on a project funded by USAID. This hour, he stops by tell us more about his trip and discuss United States foreign policy in the Middle East.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a whole lot of music released in 2015 and there never seems to be enough time to listen to it all. That’s where the "Internet’s Busiest Music Nerd" comes in. Anthony Fantano's YouTube channel for "The Needle Drop" has over half a million subscribers and he released more than 200 video reviews just this year alone! He stopped by our studios to share some of his favorite songs of the year...

It’s been 22 years since The New York Times lost Jeffrey Schmalz -- a young, fearless journalist who pushed the boundaries of AIDS reporting in 20th-century America.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's time to air your grievances about the news of 2015. Our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will convene for the first time ever on the Costanza-invented holiday of Festivus! We have lots of grievances, but what do you want to speak up about? Who should participate in the feats of strength? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, the Partnership for Strong Communities released its annual report on housing access and affordability in Connecticut. This hour, we find out what it tells us about local housing conditions -- including efforts to end homelessness and increase affordable housing supply across the state.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Young people coming out of college today have a strong desire to do good in the world, but it’s not easy to find jobs with a social purpose. Instead, many are starting their own businesses, combining an entrepreneurial spirit with a social mission. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a riddle for you: What's green and yellow, but most often red? ...Give up? It's a traffic light -- you know, those things you hit on your way into the office each morning.  But how do they work? And why don't they ever seem to be synched up?  This hour, we explore the science behind traffic light programming . We hear from engineers and experts in Connecticut and Utah. We also fin...

The national conversations about race and racism; police and African Americans; free speech on college campuses; “safe spaces” and hate speech and political correctness have all come together in very interesting and interlocked ways here in Connecticut recently. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Republican presidential hopefuls debate for the first time since the Paris attacks and San Bernardino shootings and national security is on the forefront of national discussion. This hour on our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse, we discuss the latest debate in the long road to the White House. There was more of a clear divide between some candidates, especially surrounding military spending a...

This hour, Food Foolish co-author John Mandyck tells us how reducing global food waste could help mitigate the stresses of hunger, water shortages, and climate change.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.