Shows / Where We Live
Where We Live
Produced by Connecticut Public, 'Where We Live' puts Connecticut in context. Host Catherine Shen brings us fascinating, informed, in-depth conversations and stories beyond news headlines. We start local, but we take time to explore domestic and international issues and consider how they impact us personally and here at home.
Episodes
- Where We Live
Birds of prey fall prey to rodenticide
Anticoagulant rodenticide, a quick fix for controlling the rat and mice population, is now having an effect on birds of prey. Today, we talk to A Place Called…
- Where We Live
'A Scientist's Warning': Dr. Peter Hotez on the dangers of 'anti-science'
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, acclaimed scientist and Connecticut native Dr. Peter J. Hotez has helped translate what we know about the virus and vaccines…
- Where We Live
The challenges of addressing adult literacy
23% of the adult U.S. population cannot read above a third-grade level. Literacy isn’t limited to reading and writing, it can also refer to basic math…
- Where We Live
Exploring 'car dependency' in Connecticut
Nearly 92% of American households reported owning at least one vehicle in a recent five-year 2021 Census report. Connecticut falls just below that national…
- Where We Live
TikTok goes to Washington
The recent congressional hearings with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew showed a continued disconnect between lawmakers and social media companies, and their users…
- Where We Live
Report finds racial disparities persist in military discharge
Conley Monk Jr. came home to Hamden in 1970 after serving in the Vietnam War. His discharge was prompted by a PTSD-induced altercation in Okinawa, and…
- Where We Live
'RuPaul’s Drag Race' spotlights Connecticut’s 'thriving' drag scene
While contestants with Connecticut ties have appeared on the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race in the past, the Season 15 premiere on MTV marks the…
- Where We Live
Repatriation of Indigenous human remains 'takes time,' despite federal law
How are museums where we live faring in returning sacred Indigenous objects and human remains, more than thirty years after a federal law mandated…
- Where We Live
A check-in with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont
Today on Where We Live, Governor Ned Lamont joins us for an in-depth conversation on the 2023 legislative session and what’s happening around our state. We…
- Where We Live
'Stepping Into the Shade' explores the tobacco industry in Connecticut
A new docuseries called Stepping Into the Shade is in the works, digging into Connecticut's history of shade tobacco farming. A team at Eastern Connecticut…
- Where We Live
Connecticut author helps to translate the harrowing accounts of a Ukrainian refugee
Connecticut author and lawyer Anne Howard is known for her work writing true crime, but her recent book is a departure from her prior work. Today, we talk…
- Where We Live
Nationwide spike in book challenges continues. How are Connecticut librarians responding?
The American Library Association released their annual tally for book challenges in 2022 on Thursday. There were more than 1200 demands to censor library books…
- Where We Live
Exploring the origins and evolution of the Peace Corps
The Peace Corps has evolved over years, faced controversy and has made an international impact on poverty. Today, we talk to one of the architects of the Peace…
- Where We Live
Addressing the 'waste crisis': Possible solutions and regional trends
Connecticut’s waste management crisis is already a top-ticket item for lawmakers. Before the latest legislative session began, newly-appointed Environmental…
- Where We Live
In 'Reciprocity Project,' Indigenous voices reframe our relationship to the Earth
In one episode of the docu-series Reciprocity Project, Connecticut-based educator and member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe Chris Newell teaches acclaimed cellist…
- Where We Live
'Transforming Corrections': Highlighting resources for reentry
Willard Correctional Institution in Enfield will be the third prison in Connecticut to close in two years. Connecticut Mirror's Jaden Edison reports that…
- Where We Live
How are lawmakers addressing Connecticut's housing crisis?
Connecticut is in the midst of a housing crisis. About 34 percent of residents are paying more than a third of their income to housing costs. That’s according…
- Where We Live
Finding solutions to slow the fast-fashion cycle
Where do our clothes come from? According to the Textile Exchange, 52% of our clothes are made from polyester. Fast fashion is an enormous industry, allowing…
- Where We Live
A look at the local news landscape, and how to spot 'pink slime' journalism
Some 2,500 local newspapers have closed in the United States since 2005, 55 of which were in Connecticut. Researchers at the Northwestern Medill Local News…
- Where We Live
'Our Red Book': Everyone has a period story
After collecting oral histories from generations of women in her family in "My Little Red Book," Rachel Kauder Nalebuff created Our Red Book, an extended…
- Where We Live
Going green with your self-care
When you’re searching for personal care products, whether a bar of soap or a bottle of lotion, are you reading the ingredients label? What harmful ingredients…
- Where We Live
The future of voting rights in Connecticut
After losing the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump made false claims about voter fraud, reigniting efforts from Republicans to restrict voting access…
- Where We Live
Conductor Eric Jacobsen says goodbye to the Greater Bridgeport Symphony
Eric Jacobsen is completing his final season with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony. Today on Where We Live, we talk to Eric about his work as a conductor and…
- Where We Live
What pay transparency could mean for workers
Pay transparency is a growing movement across the United States.Connecticut adopted its own legislation in the form of “An Act Concerning the Disclosure of…
- Where We Live
Forever young: The rise of the 'kidults'
Toys are occasionally marketed to "children of all ages." In recent years, market research has shown the number of toy-buyers over 12 years old is growing. The…
- Where We Live
Domestic violence cases are getting more aggressive, here's how our state is addressing it
he rate of deaths caused by domestic violence in Connecticut hasn't changes much over several decades, averaging 14 intimate partner homicides per year. What…
- Where We Live
The state of gun reform in Connecticut and beyond
There have been more than 80 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. But gun violence isn’t just limited to mass…
- Where We Live
A look at environmental justice efforts in Connecticut: 'It's everybody's problem'
The Environmental Protection Agency recently launched a new office dedicated to environmental justice and civil rights. EPA administrator Michael Regan says…
- Where We Live
One year in, Connecticut's Ukrainian community reflects on the war in Ukraine
We just passed the one marker of the war in Ukraine. President Biden’s recent trip abroad signified the United States’ support of Ukraine, but experts are…
- Where We Live
'Blackology': How can efforts around inclusivity in STEM fields go farther?
Of the millions of people working in STEM fields in the U.S., only 9% are Black, according to the Pew Research Center. Those numbers are "unchanged" since…
- Where We Live
ChatGPT and AI are changing how we think about academic integrity
Artificial intelligence and the academic world is colliding and challenging colleges to develop stronger policies around academic integrity. Today, we talk…
- Where We Live
How does the state budget proposal promise to address inequality, as required by a new law?
For the first time under a new law, the state’s budget is required to justify how spending would help reduce socioeconomic and racial inequities where we live…
- Where We Live
Providing healthy and free school lunches for all
Governor Lamont recently signed legislation to extend Connecticut’s free school lunch program through the academic year, with a $60 million price tag. Today…
- Where We Live
How mild winters and sudden cold snaps affect local wildlife
Connecticut joined every other New England state in logging the warmest January on-record this year. Areas like Bridgeport are seeing record-low seasonal…
- Where We Live
The power of puppets: New toolkit helps kids process "heavy feelings"
Emily Wicks with UConn's Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry noticed the pandemic-era disruptions to kids' social-emotional learning and development, and…
- Where We Live
The battle over inclusive curriculum in Connecticut and across the nation
It’s been almost four years since Connecticut lawmakers required schools to offer students a Black and Latino studies class. The requirement was signed into…
- Where We Live
The 'hidden history' of Valentine's Day – and how to make it your own
Elizabeth Nelson, a associate professor of history at University of Nevada Las Vegas, has examined the "hidden history of Valentine’s Day." Beyond the…
- Where We Live
The evolution of memes and how they've shape political dialogue
Joan Donovan is the Research Director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and author of the book Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the…
- Where We Live
In "Reciprocity Project," Indigenous voices reframe our relationship to the Earth
In one episode of the docu-series Reciprocity Project, Connecticut-based educator and member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe Chris Newell teaches acclaimed cellist…
- Where We Live
Unpacking violence, bias and trauma in the AAPI community
We are hearing a lot more about hate crimes against members of the AAPI community - that’s the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. The recent…
- Where We Live
Will added restrictions help Connecticut’s new medical aid-in-dying bill pass this time around?
Ten states and Washington D.C. currently support medical aid in dying for terminally-ill patients. Advocates and lawmakers like Public Health Committee…
- Where We Live
Many beach-nesting birds in Connecticut face an ’uncertain future’
The story of the American Oystercatcher in Connecticut is "one of success and hope; however, because of the increasing threat from climate change and habitat…
Where We LiveGet to know Where We Live’s new host Catherine Shen
On Monday, February 6, 2023, Where We Live officially welcomed Catherine Shen to the hosting seat of the show. Some of our listeners may be familiar with…
- Where We Live
Turning the page: A show about journaling with Where We Live's new host
Did you pledge to be more grateful or practice more self care in the New Year? Journaling can help! The benefits of putting your thoughts, goals, and worries…
- Where We Live
PROUD Academy, a school for LGBTQ youth, to open in September
A new school for LGBTQ students and allies is set to open this fall in New Haven. This hour, we preview the plans for PROUD Academy with founder and executive…
- Where We Live
Author Willie Mae Brown on her new book, 'My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood'
Willie Mae Brown is the author of a new book My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement. The book, written for…
- Where We Live
What do the national debt ceiling and a state budget surplus mean for you
A U.S. debt default could be detrimental to federal employees, those in the military, and beneficiaries of Social Security and other government programs…
- Where We Live
Latinx stories are center stage at three Connecticut theaters
At least three area theater companies in Connecticut are showcasing work by Latinx women playwrights this winter: "Water by the Spoonful" by Quiara Alegría…
- Where We Live
'Oyster Haven Lost': Digging into the rich history of oystering in Long Island Sound
Neil Berro, a local amateur historian, is building a massive manuscript on the history of Connecticut oystering titled Oyster Haven Lost. This hour, he…
- Where We Live
RuPaul’s Drag Race spotlights Connecticut’s “thriving” drag scene
While contestants with Connecticut ties have appeared on the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race in the past, the season 15 premiere on MTV marks the…
- Where We Live
Connecticut tribes co-create state social studies curriculum, centering "our culture and our ways
The State Department of Education and five Connecticut tribal nations are working together to meet a legislative mandate calling for Native American curriculum…
- Where We Live
A year for housing legislation: What we might see in the 2023 session
One of the biggest focuses for the 2023 legislative session is housing. Rent has gone up for many Connecticut residents at a time when inflation limits what…
- Where We Live
Lawmakers call for nurse protections amid "patient care crisis"
State Sen. Dr. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Monday to announce legislation that would "address unsafe…
- Where We Live
Refugees fleeing genocide develop culturally fluent models of mental health care
This hour on Where We Live, we hear from two survivors of genocide. Theanvy Kuoch fled Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge in 1981, having lost 19 family members…
- Where We Live
Going plant-based: Exploring Veganuary
Whether it's reading more books or eating out less, January is the month of goals and challenges. Veganuary is no exception. The 30-day plant-based challenge…
- Where We Live
Why reckless driving (and wrong-way driving) is on the rise in Connecticut
Wrong way driving is on the rise in Connecticut. Today, we discuss what’s being done to prevent wrong-way collisions in our state. Reckless and aggressive…
- Where We Live
Recreational cannabis rollout in Connecticut: Criminal charge erasure, equity and economics
Some 44,000 Connecticut residents have had low-level cannabis possession charges "fully or partially erased" from their records this month, as promised within…
- Where We Live
Exploring majestic Antarctica
Known as the seventh continent, Antarctica is much more than a home to penguins! Today, we explore the least inhabited continent in the world. We hear about…
- Where We Live
Report finds racial disparities persist in military discharge
Conley Monk Jr. came home to Hamden in 1970 after serving in the Vietnam War. His discharge was prompted by a PTSD-induced altercation in Okinawa, and…
- Where We Live
Bill Keller talks about his new book, "What's Prison For?"
The pandemic led to a decline in the incarcerated population, and many states have been re-evaluating the purpose of prisons. In this hour, Bill Keller…