Where We Live

President Obama spoke with frustration last month at a press conference after the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. He asked if anybody really still believes we need more guns and fewer gun safety laws. Mass shootings are a big problem, but the majority of gun deaths are from homicide, accidental shootings, and suicide. The common denominator in all of them is easy acc...

Municipal election day has come and gone in Connecticut. This hour, our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse checks in on three of the state's big races: Hartford, Bridgeport, and New London. We chat with reporters, hear from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, and take your comments and observations. Did you vote? If so, what was your experience like at the polls?  Support the show: http...

Across America, low-income, first generation college students are not graduating at the same rate as some of their wealthier peers. Coming up, we take a closer look at this trend with WAMU reporter Kavitha Cardoza. Her documentary is called “ Lower Income, Higher Ed ."   Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raouf Mama is a beloved storyteller by children and adults familiar with his books Why Goats Smell Bad   and  Why Monkeys Live in Trees .  His love of storytelling stems from a long and honorable oral tradition that goes back to the ancient empire of Mali, when people preserved the lessons of life in memory instead of on the written page. Raouf says we each have a story of belonging...

Neanderthals have long been recognized as humans’ closest relatives. They were highly intelligent, skilled hunters, with a rugged build, and a knack for toolmaking. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy is making another push for mental health reform in Congress that he hopes will overhaul and strengthen the mental health care system. He joins us from Washington, D.C. to explain the legislation and to discuss some recent news on the U.S. policy on Syria and use of drones.  We also talk to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal about an Obama administration proposal to help...

This week, legislative leaders met with Governor Dannel Malloy to talk about the state's budget deficit. This hour, we review those talks with a panel of Capitol reporters. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we take a look at how women’s funds are helping to advance women’s rights and break down gender barriers. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you wondering whether to buy or rent a home? Or how much to save for your child’s education? How much should you set aside for retirement, depending on your age?  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Quantum information science now has a home in New Haven, Connecticut. This hour, we preview the opening of the Yale Quantum Institute with its director, Robert Schoelkopf.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American Cancer Society changed its recommendation for how often women should get mammograms. The new guidelines push back the recommended age for annual mammograms for most women from age 40 to 45. Some experts say the change is warranted and data-driven, while others say it'll lead to possible delays in detecting breast cancer.  And Planned Parenthood is no stranger to headlin...

After weeks of dismissing the idea of a special session, more bad budget news is pushing Governor Dannel Malloy in that direction. On our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse, we discuss this and all the week's news, including an update on a plan by the state's Board of Regents that has professors fighting mad. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Access to health care has improved significantly since Obamacare, with big gains for previously uninsured minorities who were unable to gain access before the law took effect. But insurance isn’t the only barrier to overcome. Entrenched cultural beliefs and the way we deliver care can also limit access. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

In Connecticut, youth unemployment rates are at historic highs, with teenagers being disproportionately affected. This hour, we take a closer look at some of the latest trends and find out what’s being done to help young people find jobs.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new memoir from British Middle East expert Emma Sky provides an insider’s take on the Iraq war. This hour, we talk to Sky about her book called The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq . Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of the most important voices in America today. He made the case for reparations last summer when he argued that it's time for America to confront the impact of slavery, Jim Crow, and other discriminatory policies that have consistently denied African Americans opportunities afforded other Americans. He says until we admit to the debts accrued from years of racism, we c...

The 2016 presidential cycle has been mostly dominated by a crowded Republican field but now it's the Democrats' turn as the candidates square off in their first debate. Also this week, former President Bill Clinton is in Connecticut to accept an award at UConn. But a trip to the Nutmeg State isn’t complete without a fundraiser, so he’s swinging by Attorney General George Jepsen’s house to fundrais...

A judge in 17th century Connecticut ruled on the thorniest of problems. Some of these included ruling on  a piglet’s paternity, who was to blame for faulty shoes, and whether illicit sex had occurred on a boat sailing to Stamford.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America has seen a renaissance in storytelling of various forms, especially on the radio. This hour, we talk with two producers who are telling very different kinds of stories. Joe Richman has been putting tape recorders in the hands of people for nearly two decades as part of his Radio Diaries series heard on NPR. He's speaking at Quinnipiac University this week. Support the show: http://wnpr.org...

Earlier this year, a new Taser law went to effect in Connecticut. The reform was the first of its kind in the nation, requiring police officers to file a "use of force" report every time a Taser is fired.  Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Opioid overuse is America’s “ silent epidemic ,” affecting far too many of the roughly eight million people on opioid painkillers. Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the CDC says overprescribing is to blame .  "Every single day, 46 Americans die from an overdose of prescription opioid painkillers like Vicodin, Oxycontin or Methadone," he said. "These drugs are commonly prescribed in every commun...

Connecticut is "The Land of Steady Habits," which is why our state budget remains in a state of permanent crisis. Recently, Governor Dan Malloy made emergency cuts to the budget and targeted hospital funding and social services. He was on  Where We Live this week and defended his actions and drew more criticism from the hospital community. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystud...

A recent New York Times op-ed drew attention to Yale University’s endowment and how the money is spent. The report found more was spent on private equity fund managers than to students. This has prompted renewed debate and criticism over big endowments at big schools. But the argument isn’t new. This hour, a conversation with higher education experts about the management of endowment money at the...

Governor Dannel Malloy is less than a year into his second term in office and it doesn’t look like it will be any easier than the first term. The budget remains in a state of permanent fiscal crisis, forcing a $100 million cut to the budget, just months into a new fiscal year. Those cuts, especially the ones hitting social services and hospitals, have been criticized by Republicans and Democrats a...

Across America, low-income, first generation college students are not graduating at the same rate as some of their wealthier peers. Coming up, we take a closer look at this trend with WAMU reporter Kavitha Cardoza. Her documentary is called “ Lower Income, Higher Ed ."   Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.