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 LiveFamily Matters: Stories And Realities Of Adoption
The National Council for Adoption has reported a decline in U.S. intercountry adoptions since the year 2004. This hour, we discuss the factors driving this…
Where We Live45 Years Later, Remembering The Coup That Changed Chile Forever
This week marks the 45th anniversary of a coup in Chile that overthrew the democratically elected president Salvador Allende and radically changed the course…
Where We LiveHow Did America Become So "Dopesick"?
This hour: pain, pharma, and the birth of a nation plagued by opioid abuse and overdose. We talk to Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, about her investigation into…
Where We LiveThe Future Of Cars
From self-driving cars to all-electric Teslas, Silicon Valley is imagining an automobile beyond the internal combustion engine and steering wheel we all grew…
Where We LiveSwimming In Plastic
When you put your recycling into those big blue bins on the curb for garbage night, do you ever think about where all that trash goes? Support the show…
Where We LiveTim Parrish On Being A Recovering Racist
From Charleston to Charlottesville, white supremacy still has roots in some communities. What draws some Americans to embrace extreme, hateful racist…
Where We LiveEleanor In Love: An Intimate Portrait Of The 'First Lady Of The World'
Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman with a huge historical footprint -- First Lady, first U.S. delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. She was dubbed “The…
Where We LiveFred Rogers: The Simple Lessons Of A Complex Man
For interview highlights from this show, click here. It’s been fifteen years since the death of Fred Rogers -- a man who, for decades, served as the…
Where We LiveAmerica's Eviction Epidemic
Each year, millions of Americans are evicted from their homes. This hour we talk with Princeton sociologist Matthew Desmond, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning book…
Where We LiveClimate Change And The Future Of Connecticut's Coastline
With climate change come looming questions about the future of Connecticut's shoreline. Among them: How will sea level rise and extreme weather events alter…
Where We LiveIs Connecticut Providing Adequate Care For Inmates?
Today, we take a look at a series of disturbing cases of alleged medical malpractice of inmates incarcerated in Connecticut. Support the show…
Where We LiveReaching New Heights: Journeys To Everest And Beyond
A dishwasher at Whole Foods in West Hartford, Lhakpa Sherpa is also the only woman to complete nine... yes, nine... expeditions to the summit of Mount Everest…
Where We LiveA Paleontologist Digs Into The Science Of Whales
They can weigh over a hundred tons, live their entire lives underwater, and some even hunt using sound through a method known as echolocation. Yet, whales are…
Where We LiveHow Do We End An Epidemic Of Clergy Sex Abuse?
“Uprooting this culture of death.” That is how Pope Francis described the challenge in front of the Roman Catholic Church, in a letter responding to the…
Where We LiveWhat You Need To Know About K2
New Haven, Connecticut was the site of more than 100 overdoses last week -- drawing national attention to the city and to a synthetic drug known as K2. But…
Where We LiveThe Future Of Cars
From self-driving cars to all-electric Teslas, Silicon Valley is imagining an automobile beyond the internal combustion engine and steering wheel we all grew…
Where We LiveMeet Connecticut's New State Troubadour, Nekita Waller
Nekita Waller was recently named Connecticut's 17th State Troubadour. This hour, she joins us in our studios. We talk about her background as a performer and…
Where We LiveWhat's Up With The Primaries?
After months of candidate debates, interviews, and campaign ads, it’s time for Connecticut residents to cast their ballots in the state's primary elections…
Where We LiveHartford Students Travel To Newtown
Students from Parkland, Florida travelled to Newtown Connecticut—the site of the Sandy Hook massacre—to rally against gun violence this weekend. But the…
Where We LiveBRASS—An Hour With Author Xhenet Aliu
Xhenet Aliu is a native of Waterbury, CT, a city that once hosted a strong brass manufacturing industry. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See…
Where We LiveMaking Her Story: Carolyn Miles
This hour, Save the Children U.S. President and CEO Carolyn Miles joins us. We talk about her decades-long career and learn about the unconventional journey…
Where We LiveBehind The Scenes At Monrovia Nursery Company
This hour, we take you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Monrovia Nursery Company in Granby, Connecticut. We meet up with self-proclaimed 'plant geek'…
Where We LiveHow Do We Design Better Streets?
Should streets be designed for cars? Some urban planners think we should be making our streets less efficient for automobiles, not more. This hour, can…
Where We LiveThe Vikings Invade Connecticut!
It’s usually historians and scholars who get excited when a university acquires an ancient document. But in the 1960s, a map acquired by Yale University caused…
Where We LivePregnant In America: Examining Discrimination And Fertility Rates
Pregnancy is lifechanging, but for some women, that may come at the cost of their career. This hour: A New York Times investigation looked at thousands of…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Tim Herbst
After an eight-year stint as Trumbull's first selectman, Republican Tim Herbst is campaigning to move up the political ladder... to the office of the governor…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Manny Santos, Ruby Corby O'Neill, Rich DuPont
What do Manny Santos, Rich DuPont, and Ruby Corby O’Neill have in common? Well, yes, they are Republicans… but more than that, they are all running for…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Mark Boughton
Mark Boughton is no stranger to Connecticut politics. He has been the mayor of Danbury since 2002, and also waded into the governor’s race the past two…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Steve Obsitnik
This hour, we sit down with Republican gubernatorial contender Steve Obsitnik. What drove the Westport-based veteran and businessman to enter the race? What…
Where We LiveWith Truck Tolls In Rhode Island, Is Connecticut Next?
Rhode Island’s new toll program made more than half a million dollars in one month. But only tolling tractor-trailers has led to a lawsuit by the trucking…
Where We LiveAmerica's Diet Craving
Type the word "diet" into a search engine and... bam... you’ll unlock a goldmine of results: diet books, diet blogs, diet pills, and other evidence of a…
Where We LiveExploring Our Biological Inheritance: Carl Zimmer On Heredity
Inside our genomes, we carry information about our recent ancestors as well as ancient human history. This hour, we sit down with science writer Carl Zimmer to…
Where We LiveHow Do We Regain Public Trust In Journalism?
Public trust in the media is at historic lows. Today, Americans believe that the majority of news they encounter is biased, according to recent polling by…
Where We LiveIs Your Midlife Crisis Really A Crisis?
Sure, you’ve heard the words “midlife crisis.” It’s possible you’ve even used them... you know, to justify that flashy new car you purchased at age 50? But…
Where We LiveNeed Help Finding A Summer Read? We've Got You Covered
Check out some of the titles recommended during this episode here. Now that it’s summer, it’s time to head to the beach with a good book! For many of us…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont is a familiar name in Connecticut politics. The Greenwich businessman has run for the U.S. Senate and for governor. And now he’s trying again. In…
Where We LivePregnant In America: Examining Discrimination And Fertility Rates
Pregnancy is lifechanging, but for some women, that may come at the cost of their career. This hour: A New York Times investigation looked at thousands of…
Where We LiveMore Than Nine Months After Hurricane Maria, Is Puerto Rico Ready For Another Storm?
This hour, we learn about a new online series about "extreme inequality" in Connecticut. We also look at trends in white shark activity off the coast of Cape…
Where We LiveThe Vikings Invade Connecticut!
It’s usually historians and scholars who get excited when a university acquires an ancient document. But in the 1960s, a map acquired by Yale University caused…
Where We LiveBehind The Scenes At Monrovia Nursery Company
This hour, we take you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Monrovia Nursery Company in Granby, Connecticut. We meet up with self-proclaimed 'plant geek'…
Where We LiveWhat's Ahead For Massachusetts' Budding Weed Industry?
This hour, we give an overview of the NAACP's newly-announced prison gerrymandering lawsuit against Connecticut. Why did the organization choose to target our…
Where We LiveSpotlighting Autism Spectrum Disorder
A new Connecticut Public Radio series spotlights autism spectrum disorder -- with insight into the lives and experiences of young children and their families…
Where We LiveMeet The Candidates: Mary Glassman And Jahana Hayes
Connecticut's primaries are drawing near and, well, you may have noticed there are a lot of candidates to keep track of. This hour, we introduce you to two of…
Where We LiveWhat Is The Future of Connecticut's Dairy Industry?
The cost of milk has fallen and, with it, the spirit of Connecticut’s dairy industry. This hour: disheartened and distressed. We look at why some local farmers…
Where We LiveO Canada... Examining US Relations With Our Northern Neighbor
When Americans think about Canada, hockey or maple syrup or Canadian politeness may come to mind. Yet tensions are running high between the U.S. administration…
Where We LiveWhat's Next For Connecticut's Community Colleges?
The Board of Regents for the Connecticut State College and University system has unanimously approved a new plan to consolidate the state’s community colleges…
Where We LiveWhat Does Trump’s Executive Order Mean For Immigrant Families?
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday halting the at-the-border separation of immigrant children and families. Coming up, we wade…
Where We LiveShould We Care If We're Eating GMOs?
The USDA recently proposed recommendations that would require foodmakers to label their products if they contain genetically modified ingredients. Genetically…
Where We LiveAhead Of Juneteenth, Reflecting On Connecticut's Often-Ignored History Of Slavery
Next Tuesday is “Juneteenth”, a holiday that marks the day that slavery finally ended in Texas--two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This hour, we…
Where We LiveSick Of The Cost Of Prescription Drugs?
The Affordable Care Act’s protection for people with preexisting conditions is one of the most important provisions in the law. But that may be in jeopardy…
Where We LiveA Rise In US Suicide Rates; Cleanup At Sleeping Giant; The Day's New Crime Podcast
Amid the high-profile deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain came news of a new CDC report outlining a rise in U.S. suicide rates. This hour, we take an…
Where We LiveExploring Our Biological Inheritance: Carl Zimmer On Heredity
Inside our genomes, we carry information about our recent ancestors as well as ancient human history. This hour, we sit down with science writer Carl Zimmer to…
Where We LiveIs Your Midlife Crisis Really A Crisis?
Sure, you’ve heard the words “midlife crisis.” It’s possible you’ve even used them... you know, to justify that flashy new car you purchased at age 50? But…
Where We LiveFrom Cape Town To Connecticut, Conserving Water For The Future
For months, Cape Town, South Africa was on the brink of disaster. After severe droughts, the city warned that “Day Zero” was coming--the day the city would run…
Where We LiveUnder The Radar: Sickle Cell Disease
In the U.S., an estimated 100,000 Americans live with sickle cell disease, or SCD. Yet, despite its impact, the disease and its patients remain largely out of…
Where We LiveThe Buzz About Flies
Fruit flies. You may have seen one or two dancing above your fruit bowl. But what about under a microscope? Believe it or not these seemingly insignificant…
Where We LiveTaking Stock of Iraq 15 Years After The US Invasion
In March 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq--in what turned out to be a baseless search for hidden “weapons of mass destruction.” Fifteen years later, we are still…
Where We LiveSamite: A Journey From Refugee Camp To The International Stage—And Back
Samite Mulondo went from a refugee camp in Kenya to collaborating with Paul Simon. This hour, the musician and Uganda native joins us to share his story and…
Where We LiveGardening With New England's Native Plants
What do goldenrod, milkweed, and wild bergamot have in common? All are plants that are native to the New England region. This hour, we talk about the beauty…
Where We LiveHow Do We Design Better Streets?
Should streets be designed for cars? Some urban planners think we should be making our streets less efficient for automobiles, not more. This hour, can…