Where We Live

After 25 seasons, the beloved children’s TV series Arthur will end in 2022.

Today, we talk about this groundbreaking animated series about an aardvark and his friends. We learn about the impact of children's programs.

Arthur has tackled a number of challenging issues like bullying, cancer, and even the importance of mask wearing!

Coming up, we hear from one of the voice actor’s on the show, Jason Szwimer who played Arthur’s pesky sister D.W. from 2002 to 2006.

Did you grow up watching Arthur, or do you watch it with your kids now?

GUESTS:

• Eric Deggan - NPR’s TV Critic
• Jason Szwimer - Podcast Host of Finding D.W. and voice of D.W. on Arthur from 2002 - 2006
• Ginger Brown - Children’s television producer and professor at New York University.

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This hour, efforts to get people out of Afghanistan continue, after the Taliban takeover.

You’ll hear from Southwestern Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes about what his office is doing to help, and on his thoughts about the American withdrawal. What should happen next in the country now ruled by a fundamentalist Islamic militia?

...And we’ll look at the results of yesterday’s top local political primaries in Connecticut with Professor Jonathan Wharton.

We want to hear from you.

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Six athletes with disabilities — and with ties to Connecticut — represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, bringing home four medals.

Fairfield University trained two medaling para swimmers, Colleen Young and Matthew Torres,  while Laura Goodkind,10th in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls in the 2016 Paralympics, most recently won the PR2 mixed doubles sculls at the 2020 Olympic Trials.

Children with disabilities are placed with integrated sports teams, designed by the Special Olympics Connecticut, in nearly all schools across the state.

GUESTS

• Matthew Torres - Para-swimming Bronze Medalist, Paralympics Tokyo 2020; Junior at Fairfield University
• Anthony Bruno - Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s, Swimming and Diving, Fairfield University 
• Laura Goodkind - Two-time Paralympian, Para-rowing (2016, 2020). Graduate of The Forman School, Litchfield
• Maggie Vanoni -Sports Reporter, Hearst 
• Beau Doherty - President, Special Olympics Connecticut 

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Hurricane Ida brought 3-8 inches of rain to Connecticut causing flooding and damage to our coast.

Scientists say New Englanders should expect more extreme weather events in the future due to climate change.

Today, we hear what Connecticut can do to prepare for an increasing number of strong storms.

Save the Sound joins us. The organization focuses on ways to make our shoreline more resilient.

How have this summer’s storm impacted your home and your community?

Later, we hear from New England's Apple Cider Donut Reviewer!

GUESTS:

• Greta Moran - Senior Reporter at Civil Eats
• Rodger Phillips - Farmer and owner Sub Edge Farm
• Curt Johnson - President of Save The Sound
• Alex Schwartz - The Cider Donuteur

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This weekend the nation marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Nearly 3000 people died, 161 of them had connections to Connecticut.

Today , we hear from New Canaan resident, Mary Fetchet, co-founder of an advocacy group for families impacted by 9-11.

First we talk with Connecticut Public’s Diane Orson about her reporting on that day and her recent documentary.

And we want to hear from you, too. What does the 20th anniversary of 9-11 mean to you?

GUESTS:

• Diane Orson - Deputy News Director and Southern Connecticut Bureau Chief at Connecticut Public
• Mary Fetchet- Founding Director of Voices Center for Resilience.
• Sandy Zajac - Publicity Chair and member of Middlesex Hospital Vocal Chords

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In 1831, Simeon Jocelyn, a New Haven abolitionist, tried to establish a Black college near Yale.

Now Adam Harris, the author of The State Must Provide: Why America’s Colleges Have Always Been Unequal — And How To Set Them Right, documents this ill-fated attempt — and others nationally — to establish institutions of learning for African-Americans against the tide of public and legislative opposition.

Harris also examines a long history of underfunding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and how Black students are affected, to this day, by a lack of investment and equity in higher education.

What’s next? Harris explains.

GUESTS:

• Adam Harris - Author of The State Must Provide: Why America’s Colleges Have Always Been Unequal — And How To Set Them Right; Staff Writer, The Atlantic
• Jane Gates - Provost and Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs, Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU)
• Orsella Hughes - Executive Director, Prosperity Foundation

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This hour, what could a key decision from the Bureau of Indian Affairs mean for Connecticut’s gambling expansion plans?

We look at the future of online sports betting and other forms of gambling in the state and how they could affect young people.

• Cathy Osten -- Connecticut State Senator and General Assembly Public Safety Committee Co-chair
• Yoga Kammili -- UConn Fourth Year Medical Student
• Brian Hallenbeck -- Reporter for The Day of New London covering gaming, business, and tourism

We want to hear from you.

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For much of the pandemic, the place we live and the people we live with have become our entire world.

Almost one in three Americans lives in a “doubled up” household: with other adults who aren’t their partner or college-aged child.

This hour, we talk about sharing living spaces.

Cost is a big factor in housing arrangements, but living with roommates also has social implications.

We want to hear from you. Do you live with roommates, or in a multi-generational household?

GUESTS:

• Kim Velsey - Reporter for New York Magazine’s real estate and design website, Curbed
• Jennifer Molinsky - Senior Research Associate at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard
• devin michelle bunten - Assistant Professor of Urban Economics and Housing at MIT

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired August 5, 2021

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The U.S. military mission in Afghanistan ended Aug 31 with 123,000 evacuations, including 6,000 American citizens and tens of thousands of at-risk Afghans. But not everyone got out.

Refugee settlement organizations in Connecticut expect to receive more than 700 Afghan refugees this year. The University of Bridgeport and Goodwin University announced plans to open up dorms to the newly arrived immigrants, and also offer English lessons.

A Congressional aide to U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) told WWL that the senator’s office “has worked on over 100 cases for Connecticut residents who have reached out to the office regarding family members who remain in Afghanistan. These cases often involve multiple family members, some of whom served as interpreters for the U.S. government.”

According to Patrick Malone, spokesman for Congressman Jim Himes (D-Connecticut): “We’ve flagged 702 individuals’ situations for the Department of State. This includes American citizens, Legal Permanent Residents, SIVs, P1s, P2s, and otherwise at-risk Afghans -- 270 of those 702 individuals have some Connecticut connection.”

Today on Where We Live, we look into the ongoing efforts to extricate and resettle Afghan refugees in Connecticut, and hear from Afghan-Americans whose families are in danger half a world away.

GUESTS: 

• Aaron Sarwar - Connecticut Air National Guard, and Owner, Hartford City FC
• Anonymous -Aaron Sarwar’s family member, Afghanistan
• Ann O’Brien - Director of Community Engagement, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS)
• Camila Vallejo - Housing Reporter, WNPR
• Martine Dherte - Refugee Services Program Manager, Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants (CIRI)
• Maryam Wardak - Second Generation Afghan-American in Connecticut

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A year ago, we were wondering when the vaccine would be available and is it really safe to return to school?

Today, those questions are still relevant!

This hour, Connecticut Public’s Accountability Project joins us to talk about its education series including an investigation into the decisions immunocompromised families have to make this school year.

Later, we talk about the mental health needs of students. What sort of support will children need from their schools?

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Dr Sandy Chafouleas - Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology and Co-Director of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health at the University of Connecticut
• Walter Smith-Randolph - Investigative Editor and Lead Reporter for the Accountability Project at Connecticut Public.

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