Us. In The Time Of Coronavirus

This is the ninth and final episode of US in the Time of Coronavirus.

We’ve surpassed 100,000 deaths in our country, and more than 3,826 deaths here in Connecticut as of Friday, May 20th. These numbers aren’t just numbers. They’re mothers, daughters, sisters, fathers, brothers and sons; Grandmas and grandpas, and best friends.

This hour, you’ll hear about what made them laugh, what gave them purpose, and what deep, long-lasting marks they left of the friends and family who remember them with me.

Stay tuned until the end of the show, and you'll hear about the new show that I'm hosting, starting next week.

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May 20th was the long-awaited date in Connecticut when the first phase of reopening began after the Coronavirus caused life as we know it to be put on hold. Phase 1 allowed offices and malls to be opened with precautions; restaurants, museums and zoos could open outdoor areas as well. You'll meet three restaurateurs who readied their patios for the reopening.

Salons and barbershops were initially part of Phase 1, but with no less than 48 hours before they were to open, Governor Ned Lamont announced that the decision to include them in that phase had been reversed. Hear reactions from three stylists.

Then, you’ll hear from three big thinkers about predictions they made back in March, and how those predictions have stood up over all this time. 

Finally, in our "Comfort" segment, you’ll meet a bread baker who tells us about One Bread to Rule Us All, and an 11-year-old on whether or not she sees this pandemic as a defining point in her life.

Image credit: John William Waterhouse (1902) / Wikipedia 
Illustration: Chion Wolf

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A few weeks ago on this show, you heard how Gaylord Health is using the song “Don’t Stop Believin’” every time they celebrate the release of a Covid-19 patient. This hour, you'll meet one of them. After being hospitalized for 7 weeks, 42 year-old West Haven resident Anthony Spina came home last week.

Next, guns and ammo sales have set records since the pandemic started. Sure, maybe some people want long guns to hunt for food so they don’t have to rely on navigating the grocery store aisles, but as you’ll hear, many people are buying guns for home defense. Hear what a general manager of a gun store and shooting range has been seeing and hearing from his customers.

Then, we'll talk more about the "culture of fear" caused by this pandemic.  You'll hear from a risk perception psychologist about how he’s seen our fears evolve and morph since the beginning of the pandemic’s life in our country.

For our "Comfort" segment, we'll take a look at the backyard chicken boom! According to NPR, “Hatcheries are reporting record-setting sales.”  Find out why with a popular Suffied chickeneer.

As always, our show ends with the perspective of a kid. Meet a 10 year-old who has a lot to say about appreciating essential workers.

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If you’re looking for romance, now’s a really weird time to do it. On the one hand, why bother, right? It’s not like it’s safe yet to have a first kiss, or… whatever. But on the other hand, what better time than now? This hour, we hear from people navigating their way through the dating world during this pandemic. Plus, check out a virtual speed dating event in New Haven, being tried for the first time this weekend!

And we hear from couples who had weddings planned for spring/summer of 2020. With all these logistics, investments, and dreams to fulfill or amend, how hard is it to reschedule a wedding?

Also: It turns out howling is very catharctic.  There’s this Facebook group called “Go Outside and Howl at 8pm” that was started at the end of March - initially as an outlet to cope with the Coronavirus - and it is VERY popular. Find out why over 500,000 people are howling every night!

Photo credit: Cottonbro / Pexels.com 

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You remember what the mother of Mr. Rogers said: Always look for the helpers.

Turns out, they're everywhere. Sometimes they're livestreaming themselves doing great work on social media, sometimes they're in a photo, smiling behind a mask as part of a group of volunteers (spaced six feet apart, of course), and sometimes you never even know they're there.

Today, you're going to meet all kinds of helpers getting the good work done.

How can one person in recovery from drugs help another while helping himself during a pandemic? How can a fashion designer help a harm-reduction organization while they're trying to help people living and using drugs on the street? How is music helping healthcare workers and patients rise up and out of the hospital?

Plus, you'll hear how an 8 year-old Stafford girl is helping educate her friends with her very own livestream.

Photo credit: Branimir Balogović / Pexels.com 

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Divorce rates in China increased sharply after the Coronavirus lockdown. So what might this mean for us here in the states as we spend more and more time in seclusion with our partners? Two divorce attorneys and a marriage & family therapist tackle techniques to stay together - or to unwind the relationship gracefully.

Then, what difference does a month make in the food industry? We'll listen to conversations with a popular chef and the owner of a 70 year-old ice cream business and find out what's changed for them over a four-week period.

Plus, what songs does "the internet's busiest music nerd" think will bring you comfort?

Finally, how a 10 year-old West Hartford resident is using poetry to express herself during this pandemic.

Photo credit: Dallas / Flickr Creative Commons 

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Grief is everywhere. Whether a loved one has died, you lost your job, your wedding is cancelled... It’s all grief. There are things people say that are meant to help, but can really hurt, so Megan Devine, author of It’s OK That You’re Not OK, has some ideas about how we can all be better grievers.

You’ll also hear from a 22 year-old Simsbury woman whose dream career path at Disney World got cut short when Covid-19 hit the U.S.

You may have noticed that more of your friends have been adopting new pets lately. Montana Cateni from Pack Leaders Rescue, and a professionally certified dog behaviorist, talks us through best practices to socialize and train your new family member during a pandemic. 

Plus, a report from Madrid, Spain, from my 8 year-old niece, Arwen. She'll tell us her idea to contain the virus - literally.

Photo credit: Aah-Yeah / Flickr Creative Commons

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It’s Holy Week for many Americans, a heightened time of prayer and meditation and looking inward. But it doesn’t matter what your religion is, or if you don’t feel compelled to engage with religion at all. It seems like every one of us has been looking inward in the past month or so.

This hour, Rev. Dr. Shelley Best on how she, as a faith leader, is making sense of all this. What does this pain and death mean - if anything at all? How is she reconnecting with her communities, and how is she finding comfort for herself?

Also, the New York Times has a new obituary section called Those We’ve Lost, remembering some of those who have died due to complications from Covid-19. Their obituaries editor, William McDonald, talks about how this new series got started, who is and will be included, and what it’s like to have to memorialize a member of your own team.

In the final segment: Most of us are hunkered down in our own homes and apartments, but what if you’ve been living with homelessness during this pandemic? You’ll find out how guests at the South Park Inn are coping physically and psychologically with these extreme new circumstances. 

Plus, you’ll hear some perspective and good advice from Connecticut’s 2019 kid governor, Ella Briggs.

Photo credit: Joey Zanotti / Flickr Creative Commons

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I’ve been a producer here at Connecticut Public since 2007, and since then, I’ve been a part of a team that’s reported on some really difficult times. And now? We’re all trying to make sense of this unprecedented era of Covid-19.

After we all started working from home, I kept seeing these painful stories of layoffs and panic. I also saw stories about the Helpers who are trying to make sense of all this, who are trying to ease the pain.

That’s who you’ll hear from on this show. Every week, you’ll hear from people who are struggling in the chaos of this virus, people who are helping get us through each day, and, because they have a much needed perspective, you’ll hear from children.

In this inaugural episode, you'll meet a man living with OCD, and an expert on anxiety disorders. You'll meet a woman who is deciding what to do with her 20+ year-old cleaning business, and a grocery store manager who is making sense of new challenges for his customers and himself. And, you'll hear from three young people who are trying to understand this era of confinement.

Photo credit: Lars Klintwall Malmqvist / Wikipedia

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A New Limited Series from Connecticut Public Radio: Us. In the Time of Coronavirus with Chion Wolf

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