Where We Live

Employers want employees to come back to the office, but after 16 months of remote work, not everyone is anxious to return to cubicles and endless coffee.

Today, Alexandra Samuel, author of Remote, Inc.: How to Thrive at Work . . . Wherever You Are joins us to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of going back to the office.

Later, the old office setup might not work in the new hybrid world. Companies are changing their layouts to accommodate more collaboration.

Are you ready to go back to the office?

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Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the US, and it’s now a federal holiday. But Juneteenth isn’t the only holiday that recognizes the legal end of slavery in the Americas.

August 1st is Emancipation Day in many English-speaking countries across the Caribbean.

This hour, we talk about the history of slavery and emancipation in the West Indies.
We want to hear from you. Are you a Connecticut resident of West Indian descent?

GUESTS:

• Sandra Taitt-Eaddy - family historian, certified teacher and independent historical researcher with a masters in Public History from Central Connecticut State University
• Fiona Vernal - Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at UConn
• Dexter Gabriel - Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies at UConn

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The job market might be picking up, but with many companies offering the same low wages as before the pandemic, many workers aren’t in a rush to go back.

This hour, we talk about the future of low wage work. Many businesses are having to increase their wages and offer better benefits to attract workers.

We’ll hear from experts on the current post pandemic labor market.

Are you applying for a job? What are you looking for in your next employer?

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS

• Scott Dolch - Executive Director, Connecticut Restaurant Association
• Molly Kinder - Fellow at the Brookings Institution
• Brandi Killoran - Owner of Birdcode Hot Chicken in West Hartford, Connecticut
• Rob Baril - President of SEIU 1199

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“The future of the auto industry is electric.” That’s according to President Biden, who’s made the transition to electric vehicles a major part of his infrastructure package.

Electrifying everything, from our cars to our home heating systems, is key to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and fighting climate change.

But to do that, we need batteries.

This hour, we take a look at the science behind how lithium ion batteries work, and the role experts say they will play in the future of our energy system.

We also examine what these batteries mean for our environment.

GUESTS:

• Ivan Penn - Energy correspondent for the New York Times
• André Taylor - Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NYU Tandon School of Engineering

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This hour, a conversation with White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory.

How did her days growing up in Waterbury influence her work? And what is the Biden administration doing to address climate change?

Also, there was a major development in the New Haven mayor’s race last night, as challenger Karen DuBois-Walton dropped out at the start of the town committee meeting to endorse a candidate.

Guests:

• Brenda Mallory -- White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair

• Jonathan Wharton -- Associate Professor of Political Science and Urban Affairs and Grad School Associate Dean at Southern Connecticut State University

• Justin Elicker -- Mayor of New Haven

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F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has dazzled readers for nearly a century. This year, 96 years after publication, The Great Gatsby has entered the public domain.

This hour, we talk with Gatsby expert Maureen Corrigan about the novel’s legacy.The Great Gatsby entering the public domain has opened a world of possibilities for adaptations and retellings. Author Nghi Vo’s novel The Chosen and the Beautiful, puts a unique spin on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s roaring 20s classic by reimagining the Gatsby story from the perspective of Jordan Baker, who she writes as a queer Vietnamese-American adoptee. We talk with Vo about the book.

We want to hear from you: Are you a Gatsby fan?

GUESTS:

• Maureen Corrigan - Book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air and English professor at Georgetown Universtity; she’s the author of So We Read On: So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came to Be and Why It Endures
• Nghi Vo - Author of The Chosen and The Beautiful

Cat Pastor contributed to this show that originally aired June 4, 2021.

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Ever wonder why you were required to learn algebra, but not how to balance a checkbook and file your taxes? Although personal finance and accounting are offered as an elective in many high schools, they're not often required for graduation.

This hour, we talk to Nan Morrison - President and CEO, Council for Economic Education about teaching our children to be more financially literate. The secret is starting them young!

Do you wish you had the chance to learn subjects like investing, credit, and even just basic budgeting? We want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Nan Morrison - President and CEO, Council for Economic Education
• Lew DeLuca - Coordinator, Student Financial Literacy & Advising at Southern Connecticut State University

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wonder why you were required to learn algebra, but not how to balance a checkbook and file your taxes? Although personal finance and accounting are offered as an elective in many high schools, they're not often required for graduation.

This hour, we talk to Nan Morrison - President and CEO, Council for Economic Education about teaching our children to be more financially literate. The secret is starting them young! 

Do you wish you had the chance to learn subjects like investing, credit, and even just basic budgeting? We want to hear from you. 

GUESTS:

• Nan Morrison - President and CEO, Council for Economic Education
• Lew DeLuca - Coordinator, Student Financial Literacy & Advising at Southern Connecticut State University

Cat Pastor contributed to this program that originally aired May 4, 2021.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Restaurants struggled to afloat during Covid and were able to survive in part because of creative solutions like dining areas in empty parking spaces.

Now, even though vaccination is widespread, residents’ interest in outdoor dining hasn’t slowed down. And our streets feel more lively because of it.

This hour, we take a look at the way our streets have changed during the pandemic. Could some of these innovations be here to stay?

And Covid has been costly in so many ways. The pandemic has led to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths over the last year.

Do you worry about safety when walking or biking in your neighborhood?

GUESTS:

• Beth Osborne - Vice President for Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America
• Garrett Eucalitto - Deputy Commissioner of Connecticut State Department of Transportation
• Gary Anderson - Director of Planning and Economic Development for the town of Manchester, Connecticut
• Michael Marquetti - Owner of Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, Tarantino Restaurant in Westport, and Applausi in Old Greenwich
• Andres Cordido - Co-owner of Somos Handcrafted Arepas in New Haven

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Quarantine may be lifted in Connecticut but that doesn’t mean you can’t love spending a rainy day in or a sunny day at the beach with your favorite read. We can always take solace in our favorite book.

This hour, it’s Where We Live Book Club Hour - summer reads! Now that we can go to the beach and go on vacation, we want to hear what books you’re bringing with you.

Are you returning to old favorites or diving into a new fiction?

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Roxanne Coady - owner of R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison and Middletown, Connecticut
• Kym Powe - Children and Young Adult Consultant with the Connecticut State Library
• Jotham Burrello - Writer and Professor at Central Connecticut State University and Director of Connecticut Literary Festival and Yale Writers Workshop

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