Where We Live

They are giants who live their whole lives underwater. In many ways, a whale’s life is completely alien to the human experience. Yet these ocean giants share some surprising similarities with us.

This hour, we talk with National Geographic underwater photographer Brian Skerry. His newest cover story for the magazine looks at the growing body of research on whale culture. 

And later, reporter Eve Zuckoff joins us to talk about efforts to save endangered North Atlantic right whales in our region, and the conflicts these efforts have created with New England’s lobster fishing industry.

GUESTS:

• Brian Skerry - National Geographic photographer and producer, specializing in ocean wildlife. His newest book is Secrets of The Whales; he is also the photojournalist for the National Geographic cover story and Disney+ series of the same name.
• Eve Zuckoff - Environment reporter at WCAI--Cape Cod’s NPR station

The May issue of National Geographic magazine is a companion to The Disney+ original series, Secrets of the Whales, premiering on Earth Day. The three-year project will also be featured in the new National Geographic book, Secrets of the Whales, and is also the marquee event of National Geographic's newest initiative, Planet Possible. Learn moreatnatgeo.com/planetpossible.

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The General Assembly's Public Health Committee has handled some of the most emotional and hotly contested issues of the session. 

Lawmakers held a 24-hour public hearing filled by parents opposed to vaccines.  Some of those same parents rallied outside the state capitol as lawmakers voted to end religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements .

Some legislators on the panel choked up as they described their personal experiences with the loss of loved ones during debate on a failed bill that would have allowed terminally ill patients to request life-ending medication. 

The day before the show, the committee's leader presented a bill to the state Senate that promotes a different way of looking at racism -- As a public health crisis.  

This hour, we speak to that committee leader.

Guests:

Mary Daugherty Abrams -- State Senator Co-chair of the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee. She is a Democrat who represents Cheshire, Meriden, Middletown, Middlefield, and Rockfall.

Christine Stuart -- Owner and editor in chief of Connecticut News Junkie and a reporter for NBC Connecticut. 

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You’ve been working late and you just finished a big report that you sent off to your boss. And you received a one word reply back - "Thanks (period)." How does that make you feel? 

More and more of our communication takes place online - but our online language is not something we’ve learned. It’s still a new medium.

Today, we talk about digital body language with author, Erica Dhawan . 

We want to hear from you. Do emojis belong in a work email? How can you make your best first impression, through zoom?!

 GUESTS:

• Erica Dhawan - Author of Digital Body Language: How To Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance.

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Roya Hakakian came to the US as a refugee from Iran when she was just a teenager.

Now, the Connecticut author and poet has drawn on her life story to create a “guidebook” about the immigrant experience.

This hour, Hakakian joins us to talk about her new book, A Beginner’s Guide To America.

We want to hear from you, too. How has the history and experience of immigration in your family shaped your experience as an American?

GUESTS:

• Roya Hakakian - Author, poet, and Connecticut resident. Her latest book is A Beginner’s Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired on March 19, 2021.

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Read the transcript of this interview here.

We all communicate in our daily lives, but how do languages actually work?

This hour, we talk with linguist Nicole Holliday about the science behind language. We learn about the socio-linguistic cues that we all rely on everyday.

And we talk about how much of what we learned about “good grammar” is actually wrong.

Are you a stickler for grammar? If so, have you thought about why?

GUESTS:

• Nicole Holliday - Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the University Pennsylvania

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When you think back to your childhood, what was your favorite thing to do? Did you have a favorite stuffed animal or did you spend a lot of time outside? Today, we talk about the importance of play. There are lots of conversations about learning loss in the pandemic but learning through play is as important as classroom learning.

What does playtime look like in your household? 

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS

• Jessica Hoffmann - Director of Adolescent Initiatives at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Associate Research Scientist at the Child Studies Center
• Dr. Victoria Gould - a clinical psychologist and play therapist 

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This hour, a look into a future that might be for the city of Hartford. 

Some planners want to bury I-91 along its path between the Connecticut River and downtown Hartford.  

They would reimagine the levee underneath the highway as a green hill overlooking the river. 

They envision extensive development in nearby parts of Hartford with restored water views.

Connecticut First District Congressman John Larson is no stranger to big plans for highways in the Hartford area.  He sees a unique opportunity for the city.

 

Guests:

• Connecticut First District Congressman John Larson
• Hartford Courant Political Reporter Daniela Altimari

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This hour, a look into a future that might be for the city of Hartford. 

Some planners want to bury I-91 along its path between the Connecticut River and downtown Hartford.  

They would reimagine the levee underneath the highway as a green hill overlooking the river. 

They envision extensive development in nearby parts of Hartford with restored water views.

Connecticut First District Congressman John Larson is no stranger to big plans for highways in the Hartford area.  He sees a unique opportunity for the city.

 

Guests:

Connecticut First District Congressman John Larson

Hartford Courant Political Reporter Daniela Altimari

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More than 7 in 10 adults over the age of 18 in Connecticut have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. And on Monday, the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for children age 12-15 under its Emergency Use Authorization. This will expand the pool of residents eligible to be vaccinated to an even younger cohort--starting later this week.

But as more workers come back to in-person offices, can employers mandate the vaccine for workers? This hour, we talk to an employment law expert.

First, we hear from Connecticut's Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford about the state's vaccine program and more. What questions do you have?

GUESTS:

• Deidre Gifford - Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), and Commissioner of the Department of Social Services (DSS)
• Daniel Schwartz- partner at Shipman and Goodwin, LLP. He practices employment law for both large and small companies. He is also the author of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 7 in 10 adults over the age of 18 in Connecticut have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. And on Monday, the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for children age 12-15 under its Emergency Use Authorization. This will expand the pool of residents eligible to be vaccinated to an even younger cohort--starting later this week.

But as more workers come back to in-person offices, can employers mandate the vaccine for workers? This hour, we talk to an employment law expert.

First, we hear from Connecticut's Acting Public Health Commissioner Deidre Gifford about the state's vaccine program and more. What questions do you have?

GUESTS:

Deidre Gifford - Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH), and Commissioner of the Department of Social Services (DSS)

Daniel Schwartz- partner at Shipman and Goodwin, LLP. He practices employment law for both large and small companies. He is also the author of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.