Disrupted

Vanessa Roberts Avery became the U.S. Attorney for the district of Connecticut just two months ago. But she’s already changing the way her office connects with the public. This week, we talk with Avery about what it's like being the first African American woman in the role and her goals for her tenure. And we hear from the executive director of a new Yale program that is making law school more accessible to historically marginalized students.

GUESTS:

• Vanessa Roberts Avery: U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut
• Kayla Vinson: Executive Director of the Law and Racial Justice Center at Yale Law School and co-leads the ‘Access to Law School’ program
• Akia Callum: Fellow in Yale's ‘Access to Law School’ program and an incoming student at the University of Connecticut School of Law

This program was produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, J. Carlisle Larsen, Kevin Chang Barnum and Catie Talarski.

Thanks to our summer interns, Anya Grondalski and Mira Raju.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, the American sports betting industry was only accessible via seedy back rooms and offshore banking accounts. But after a 2018 supreme court ruling, betting on your favorite team is as easy as pressing a button on your phone.

This hour, an exploration of the bustling legal world of sports betting. We’ll speak to a gambling researcher on the impact of sport betting on problem gaming. And later, Indian casinos are major players in the gambling market. How are tribes responding to the introduction of sports betting?

GUESTS:

• Doug Kezirian: Sports Betting Analyst for ESPN, and host of the sports betting show “Daily Wager”
• Lia Nower: Professor and Director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University. She’s also a co-director of the University’s Addiction Counselor Training Program
• Derrick Beetso: Director of Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. He is also a member of the Navajo nation.

This program was also produced by James Szkobel-Wolff, J. Carlisle Larsen, and Catie Talarski. Our interns  are Anya Grondalski and Mira Raju.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As summer heats up, people across New England are flocking to the beach. But there’s been a long battle in CT, for access to the shoreline. This week on Disrupted, we look back at an episode about the history of exclusion on the Long Island sound. And we hear from descendants of the historically Black communities of Oak Bluffs and Sag Harbor.

GUESTS:

• Andrew Kahrl: Professor of African-American Studies and History at The Carter G. Woodson Institute at the University of Virginia and author of Free the Beaches: The Story of Ned Coll and the Battle for America's Most Exclusive Shoreline
• Lee Jackson Van Allen: Innkeeper at The Inn at Shearer Cottage in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.
• Erica Stanley-Dottin: 3rd generation resident of the Azurest Neighborhood in Sag Harbor.

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski.This episode originally aired on June 21st, 2021.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a year dominated by gun control debates and the midterm elections, the climate crisis has taken a back seat. But we’re seeing its impact across the country and here in Connecticut. This week, we look at the ways climate change has impacted our state, from an explosion of ticks to flooding on our shorelines.

GUESTS:

• Kirby C. Stafford: Chief Entomologist for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES)
• Jim O’Donnell: Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut and Executive Director of Connecticut Institute of Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA)
• J.D. Allen: Assistant news director and reporter for WSHU

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski.

This episode originally aired on June 16th, 2021.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we talk about how teachers, parents, and students are holding up after a year of violence, COVID-19 and mental health struggles. And later, we'll hear from a political scientist who’s leading a new research center at UCONN, looking at solutions to gun violence.

GUESTS:

• Fran Rabinowitz: Executive Director of Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents
• Edward Singleton: Interim Principal of the Roton Middle School in Norwalk, Connecticut
• Jennifer Dineen: Assistant Professor in Residence of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. She's also the associate director of the UCONN ARMS center

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski.

Our show is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Podcasting used to be a niche hobby for internet bloggers. Now, companies like Spotify, Amazon and Sirius XM dominate the industry. This week, we look at the rapid growth and commercialization of podcasting and how it’s shaping our culture.

We’ll hear about a podcast studio that centers its work on diverse and undeserved communities. And a look at the role podcasters played in spreading fake news ahead of the January 6th insurrection.

GUESTS:

• Nick Quah: Podcast Critic for Vulture and New York Magazine. He's also the founder of Hot Pod, a trade publication about the industry
• Paulina Velasco: Managing Producer at LWC Studios
• Valerie Wirtschafter: Senior data analyst in the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies Initiative at the Brookings Institution

 

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reality TV shows rank among some of the most popular in America. And often people don’t even realize they’re favorite program is reality TV. This week, the hidden ways we shape reality TV and it shapes us.

GUESTS:

• Danielle J. Lindemann : Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University. She is the author of the new book True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski.

Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Organized religion plays an important in many Americans lives. But the Christian church isn't always a welcoming place. This week, one woman’s journey of connecting with God in and outside the confines of organized religion. And how she's on a mission to make faith more accessible to everyone.

GUESTS:

• Candice Marie Benbow: Theologian, Essayist, Columnist, and Educator. She is the author of the new book Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who've Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn't Enough

Disrupted is produced by James Szkobel-Wolff and Catie Talarski.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

American theater companies were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And as we’ve all been getting back to a “new normal”, so are theater companies. For some, that means finding ways to be more representative and more responsive to their communities. This week, we explore the changing landscape of American theater.

GUESTS:

• Diep Tran: Theater Journalist and Critic. Her reporting has appeared in Playbill, American Theatre and The New York Times
• Snehal Desai: Producing Artistic Director at East West Players
• Jacob Padron: Artistic Director at Long Wharf Theatre

Our show is also available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Video Game revenue reached nearly 180 billion dollars in 2020. The industry’s continued growth and impact is being seen across our society. This week, we take a second look at the future of pro gaming. And how gaming’s growth is affecting our climate.

GUESTS:

• Jason Chung: Assistant Professor and Executive Director of Esport Business Programs at the University of New Haven
• Corey Parks: Director of E-sports and Head Coach of the University of New Haven Esports team and a former pro E-sports player
• Gary Cook: Global Climate Campaigns Director for the climate change advocacy organization Stand.Earth

Special thanks to Meg Fitzgerald for her help this week.

This episode originally aired on August 18th, 2021.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.