Where We Live

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin discusses coronavirus’ impact on students and businesses in Hartford, and vaccination efforts. What does the governor's plan to focus more on age in vaccine distribution mean for people of color and low-income people in Hartford? The mayor also has new responsibilities on his plate: Pushing for high speed rail in the region and leading the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, an organization of cities and towns. Guests: Luke Bronin -- Mayor of Hartford Rebecca...

Preserving agriculture in our state is important. Farmers have the option to preserve their land as farmland in perpetuity. But this risks pushing potential new residents out of farming communities. This hour, we talk about how towns across Connecticut are working to balance keeping valuable farmland, while bringing in more affordable housing to farming communities. Farmland in our state is expensive, and certain zoning restrictions can make towns more segregated. GUESTS: Terry Jones - Jones...

Earlier this month a Yale graduate student was murdered in New Haven’s East Rock neighborhood, leading to widespread media coverage. This hour, we ask: why do some shootings get media attention while others do not? We take a look at the way race and privilege shape gun violence coverage. And we talk with journalists and community members. What trends have you noticed in news coverage of violent crime? GUESTS: Kelly McBride - NPR’s Public Editor and Senior Vice President and Chair of Craig...

Here in Connecticut, surviving long winters means getting plenty of sleep, extra vitamin D supplements and leaning into our favorite winter activities. This hour, we talk with author Katherine May about her book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times and the act of wintering. According to author Katherine May, the act of wintering goes beyond the season of winter. The act of wintering, retreating and resting, can come after difficult times. And we should “must learn to...

Telehealth, Google Classrooms, and Zoom have become essential for daily life in the pandemic. This hour, we learn about the role of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make sure all Americans have access to broadband internet. We talk with the FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a West Hartford native. And later, we get perspective from a Wall Street Journal technology policy reporter. Has your family struggled to access or afford high-speed broadband internet? GUESTS:...

It was a long night for members of the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee, who conducted a public hearing on vaccine bills that was scheduled to go as long as 24-hours. Republican State Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly joins us to talk about the proposals, which would prevent residents from claiming religious objections to school vaccine requirements. We also discuss Governor Ned Lamont’s 2-year budget proposal. And back in Senator Kelly's district, what could the future hold for...

Navigating pregnancy should be an exciting time, but new parents don’t have the same support system right now. This hour, we talk about pregnancy and birth during a pandemic. New parents need a lot of support leading up to and after the birth of a new baby. The zoom bridal shower is not the same as being in person to celebrate new mom and baby. Expecting mothers have a lot more decisions to make - including whether or not to get the vaccine. A new mother joins us today to talk about her...

Happy Valentine’s Day Weekend! All you need is love, but navigating romantic relationships during the pandemic can be pretty tough. This hour, a look at pandemic love! Quarantining means that we are all spending more time at home, and more time with our partners. Maintaining a healthy relationship during a high stress situation like this, can be difficult. And if you’re single, dating presents some interesting new challenges, including navigating the zoom date, and the rules for meeting in...

Plumbers and electricians are essential workers with well-paying jobs. And yet skilled trades face worker shortages and struggle to recruit young people. This hour, we take a look at vocational education. We talk with a teacher and a student from one of Connecticut’s technical high schools. And we ask a national expert: what can the Biden administration do to build up a new generation of tradespeople? We want to hear from you. Do you work in a skilled trade? GUESTS: Dave Arnott - Plumbing...

In the first half of the show, Connecticut Mirror budget reporter (and budget guru) Keith Phaneuf previews Governor Ned Lamont's 2-year state taxing and spending plan. The proposal is being released later today. In the short term, things are better than they appeared back in the spring. But the state still faces a fiscal slog in the long term. In the second half of the show, UConn Professor Christopher Vials considers lessons learned from four years with Donald Trump in the oval office....

Over 40 million Americans have student loan debt owing an average of $36,520 alone, for federal loans. Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona, and President Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Education, says student debt relief would be a priority. This hour, we talk about what cancelling student debt means for borrowers and lenders alike. Students of color and first generation college students are more likely to get saddled with heavy student loan debt. Are you one of...

More than a third of Connecticut votes cast in the November 2020 election were by absentee ballot. Will ballot drop boxes and mail-in options become permanent? Today, we talk with Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill about the future of voting in Connecticut. And later: President Biden has been in office for less than a month. But he’s already setting records with his use of executive orders. We hear from a law professor about what this use of executive power means for the...

Jill Snyder’s parents carried on a long-distance courtship through letters. After her mother’s death, Snyder found these letters, and compiled them into a book, called Dear Mary, Dear Luther: A Courtship in Letters. This hour, Snyder joins us to talk about her family’s story. It’s a lens into the lives of African Americans in the Northeast before the start of World War II. Snyder tells us why it’s especially important for Black families to document their own family history. Jill Snyder will...

Extreme heat, crushing air pressure, and toxic clouds. Venus may not seem like a hospitable place. But the discovery of a certain chemical, phosphine, in that planet’s atmosphere has raised new questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Scientists wonder if a living organism could possibly be creating this unexpected chemical. This hour, we sit down Martha Gilmore, a Wesleyan professor. She’s a planetary geologist and Venus expert. What questions do you have about Venus or our...

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont addresses issues related to COVID-19 and vaccinations. Are the people most at risk getting the shots? What should the state do to ensure that people of color and people without much money have a fair chance of getting vaccinated? The Governor unveils his budget February 10. Can fellow Democrats make good on calls to shift some of the tax burden off lower-income and middle class working people, if the governor opposes tax increases on the wealthy to make up for...

Broadband access is not just a convenience, it’s essential for life under COVID-19. This hour, we take a look at Connecticut’s digital divide. We talk with a researcher whose report highlights the stark racial and economic disparities in internet access in our state. Governor Lamont has proposed universal broadband by September 2022. But is the state taking strong enough steps to put all residents on an equal footing when it comes to internet access? GUESTS: Dr. John Horrigan - Senior Fellow...

Before extremists stormed the US Capitol, groups had been organizing and inciting violence on our most common social media apps. This hour, how much of a role did social media play in that riot? Extremists had a home on the web long before the existence of Parler, an alternative social media network. Content moderation has only been used sporadically across the most popular social media, Facebook and Twitter. How should tech companies make sure their platforms are safe and content is...

Venture Smith was enslaved when he was just a boy. He was eventually able to buy his freedom and the freedom of his family. His iconic story of will, perseverance and strength, is central to Connecticut’s history. This hour, we dive into to the biography of Venture Smith and the history of slavery here in Connecticut. Connecticut Historian and Connecticut Explored publisher Elizabeth Norman joins us to answer our questions and yours. Later, we talk about the importance of teaching African...

When you want to learn about an obscure topic, where do you turn? For many, it’s a free, online encyclopedia which now contains more than 55 million user-created articles. This hour, we talk about 20 years of Wikipedia. We get a behind the scenes look at the sites’ editing process, including the tools the Wikipedia community has developed to fight misinformation. And we talk about how some users are working to address the site’s persistent gender, racial, and geographic disparities. Are you...

The General Assembly session is getting interesting, as lawmakers trot out their proposals. But this year does not resemble a normal session. COVID-19 rules keep lawmakers at arms length from each other, and from lobbyists and the public. Today we talk to House Speaker Matt Ritter about how much lawmakers will be able to get done. Are they doing the right thing by extending the governor’s emergency powers? And is now the time to start phasing out a religious exemption to school vaccination...