Where We Live

Extreme heat, crushing air pressure, and toxic clouds. Venus may not seem like a hospitable place.

But the discovery of a certain chemical, phosphine, in that planet’s atmosphere has raised new questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Scientists wonder if a living organism could possibly be creating this unexpected chemical.

This hour, we sit down Martha Gilmore, a Wesleyan professor. She’s a planetary geologist and Venus expert.

What questions do you have about Venus or our solar system?

GUEST:

• Martha Gilmore - Seney Professor of Geology and Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Wesleyan University in Middletown CT

Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 15, 2020.

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Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont addresses issues related to COVID-19 and vaccinations. Are the people most at risk getting the shots? What should the state do to ensure that people of color and people without much money have a fair chance of getting vaccinated?

The Governor unveils his budget February 10. Can fellow Democrats make good on calls to shift some of the tax burden off lower-income and middle class working people, if the governor opposes tax increases on the wealthy to make up for lost revenue?

Guests:

Ned Lamont -- Governor of the state of Connecticut (@GovNedLamont)

Mark Pazniokas -- Connecticut Mirror Capitol Bureau Chief (@CTMirrorPaz)

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Broadband access is not just a convenience, it’s essential for life under COVID-19. 

This hour, we take a look at Connecticut’s digital divide. We talk with a researcher whose report highlights the stark racial and economic disparities in internet access in our state.

Governor Lamont has proposed universal broadband by September 2022. But is the state taking strong enough steps to put all residents on an equal footing when it comes to internet access?

GUESTS:

• Dr. John Horrigan - Senior Fellow at the Technology Policy Institute; he was the author of a report released in September 2020 that looked at Connecticut’s digital divide during the pandemic. It was commissioned by Dalio Education
• State Rep Bobby Sanchez- Representing New Britain in the Connecticut General Assembly; Co-Chair of the Education Committee
• Dr. Nicol Turner-Lee - Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution

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Before extremists stormed the US Capitol, groups had been organizing and inciting violence on our most common social media apps. 

This hour, how much of a role did social media play in that riot? Extremists had a home on the web long before the existence of Parler, an alternative social media network.

Content moderation has only been used sporadically across the most popular social media, Facebook and Twitter. How should tech companies make sure their platforms are safe and content is moderated fairly? 

Later, we talk about town hall meetings going virtual. Is the online town hall forum here stay? 

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS

• Cristina Lopez - Senior research analyst at Data & Society 
• Dr. Jonathan Wharton - Associate Professor of Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University.

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Venture Smith was enslaved when he was just a boy. He was eventually able to buy his freedom and the freedom of his family. His iconic story of will, perseverance and strength, is central to Connecticut’s history.

This hour, we dive into to the biography of Venture Smith and the history of slavery here in Connecticut.  

Connecticut Historian and Connecticut Explored publisher Elizabeth Norman joins us to answer our questions and yours. Later, we talk about the importance of teaching African American and Latino history in the classroom, and what Connecticut lawmakers are doing to make sure it is taught.

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Elizabeth Normen - publisher of Connecticut Explored. She is also the author of Venture Smith’s Colonial Connecticut. 
• Dr. Benjamin Foster - adjunct faculty member at CCSU teaching African American studies and religion.

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When you want to learn about an obscure topic, where do you turn? For many, it’s a free, online encyclopedia which now contains more than 55 million user-created articles.  This hour, we talk about 20 years of Wikipedia.

We get a behind the scenes look at the sites’ editing process, including the tools the Wikipedia community has developed to fight misinformation.

And we talk about how some users are working to address the site’s persistent gender, racial, and geographic disparities.

Are you a “Wikipedian”?

GUESTS:

• Molly White - Longtime Wikipedia editor based in Boston, Massachusetts
• Sherry Antoine - Executive director of AfroCROWD, a Wikimedia initiative to improve engagement of people of African descent in Wikipedia in both content and editorship.
• Ariella Rotramel- Assistant Professor of Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies at Connecticut College

Cat Pastor contributed to this program.

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The General Assembly session is getting interesting, as lawmakers trot out their proposals. But this year does not resemble a normal session.  COVID-19 rules keep lawmakers at arms length from each other, and from lobbyists and the public. 

Today we talk to House Speaker Matt Ritter about how much lawmakers will be able to get done.  Are they doing the right thing by extending the governor’s emergency powers?  And is now the time to start phasing out a religious exemption to school vaccination requirements?

Guests:

Rep. Matt Ritter -- Connecticut House Speaker and State Representative from Hartford’s first district (@SpeakerMattRitter)

Christine Stuart -- Owner and editor in chief of Connecticut News Junkie and a reporter for NBC Connecticut (@ctnewsjunkie)

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Recovering from addiction is difficult in normal times, but managing recovery during a pandemic can be incredibly challenging. This hour, we talk about the challenges of navigating recovery during the pandemic. 

Addiction thrives in isolation. Many addicts rely on support groups and peer sponsors to navigate recovery - how is this being managed during a pandemic?  If you or someone you love is navigating addiction and addiction recovery, we want to hear from you. 

We want to hear from you.

GUESTS:

• Vic Vela  - the host of “Back from Broken,” a podcast about recovery and comeback stories from Colorado Public Radio. 

• Alex Helfer - Chief Clinical Officer at Mountainside, a national behavioral health network providing alcohol and drug addiction treatment, located in the towns of Canaan and Wilton Connecticut

  Maxine Albert - member of NarAnon Family Groups

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Dr. Miguel Cardona’s journey as an educator started in an elementary school classroom in Meriden, Connecticut. Now, Connecticut’s education commissioner is heading to Washington D.C. as President Biden’s pick for nation’s Secretary of Education.  This hour, we sit down down with Dr. Cardona.

If confirmed by the Senate, Cardona will take the helm of the U.S. Department of Education during a pandemic that has profoundly disrupted the country’s education system.  As Education Commissioner, Cardona advocated strongly for an in-person return to the classroom in Connecticut. How will he navigate education during COVID-19 at a national scale?

Later, we talk with Washington Post education reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel to learn what she will be watching for as the U.S. Department of Education shifts from former Secretary Betsy DeVos's leadership to the Biden administration.

GUESTS:

• Dr. Miguel Cardona – Commissioner of Education for the state of Connecticut and President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Education
• Danielle Douglas-Gabriel - Reporter for the Washington Post

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During this pandemic, most of the day our eyes are glued to our screens as we continue to work from home. This hour, we challenge you to look outside as we talk about bird watching in our state! 

Sales of bird feeders and bird seed have skyrocketed this year. If you are one of the many people that have picked up birding, look out for cardinals and woodpeckers!

And this year, we have seen an inundation of yard rodents such as squirrels and chipmunks so this is a great time to watch for owls and other birds of prey.  

Are you doing any backyard birding? Tell us what birds you’re seeing!

GUESTS:

• Ken Elkins - Community Conservation Manager for Audubon Connecticut and Audubon New York
• Bill Reid - Chief Ranger, The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor
• Mary-Beth Kaeser - Owner, Horizon Wings Raptor Rehabilitation & Education

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