Where We Live

Mister Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

This hour, we’re going to do just that. We’re talking to volunteers, and those working to make our lives a little brighter during this difficult time.

We want to hear from you. What are you doing to help out your community? What are your friends and neighbors doing to lift each other's spirits?

GUESTS:

• Dr. David Shapiro - MD, MHSM Chief of Surgical Critical Care & Chief Quality Officer at St Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut
• Deb Polun - Executive Director, Connecticut Association for Community Action 
• J.R. Logan -  Executive Director, MakeHaven,
• Rob Faber - photographer from Suffield, Connecticut
• Amanda Stanton - CEO of Stanton Equipment 
• Lisa Tuttle - resident of Somerville, Massachusetts

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest models from national public health experts say hundreds of thousands of Americans may die from the COVID-19 pandemic. As Connecticut and other states begin to reach the peak of infections and hospitalizations, will hospitals be able to keep up?

This hour, we talk with US Senator Chris Murphy about what lawmakers should be doing to bolster the country’s healthcare capacity. The senator has called for federalizing the medical supply chain.

We also talk with Murphy about the pandemic’s economic toll on Connecticut residents. What can the federal government do to help Americans, as much of the US economy shuts down?

What questions do you have for Senator Chris Murphy?

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUEST:

• Senator Chris Murphy - U.S. Senator for Connecticut (@ChrisMurphyCT)

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont is calling in to give us the latest on the state’s response to coronavirus

Over the last week, at least 8 inmates in Connecticut prisons have tested positive for COVID 19. Another 16 prison staff have the disease. Later in the hour we will talk to state lawmakers and advocates on how to contain the spread of coronavirus in Connecticut correctional facilities.

GUESTS:

• Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont)
• Melvin Medina - Public Policy and Advocacy Director at the ACLU in Connecticut (@MelMedinaCT)
• Amanda Svenningsen - Connecticut resident living in Bristol, CT
• State Senator Gary Winfield - a Democrat who represents New Haven and West Haven (@10SDDem)

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health care workers in New England are facing incredible challenges on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, from long hours and dangerous conditions to shifting public policies.

Join us for an America Amplified live call-in special from the New England News Collaborative. We bring together voices from around the region — and we want to hear yours.

• New England health care workers: What has been your experience? 
• Is there a role for regional solutions in the battle against COVID-19?

You can also join the conversation by tweeting us at @NENCNewEngland, or emailing [email protected].

GUESTS:

Gene Harkless — Associate Professor of Nursing and Chair of the Department of Nursing at the University of New Hampshire. She has been a family nurse practitioner for 40 years.

Michael Ulrich — Assistant Professor of Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Credits:

• Host: Laura Knoy, New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange"
• Show Producer: Ellen Grimm
• Coordinating Producer: Morgan Springer
• Executive Producers: John Dankosky for America Amplified and Michael Brindley
• Executive Editor: Vanessa de la Torre

Additional support: Dan Colgan, New Hampshire Public Radio, New England Public Radio, Connecticut Public, Maine Public Radio and WGBH. America Amplified and the New England News Collaborative are funded, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Churches across the states have temporarily shut down. Easter, Passover and Ramdan are all rapidly approaching and many will not be able to gather and celebrate. 

This hour, we talk to religious leaders and learn how they're navigating worship and virtual religious services.

Are you finding a way to celebrate the holidays during the coronavirus pandemic?  Are you feeling the need for some spiritual guidance during this difficult time? 

GUESTS:

• Tamsin Jones - Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Trinity College
• Rabbi Debra Cantor - B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom Synagoge 
• Refai Arefin - Imam at the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford - Berlin Mosque
• Sister Maria of Angels -  Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of Grace in Guilford, Connecticut

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love is what most people are looking for in a spouse or life partner. But this hour, we take a look at marriage, an institution that for much of history had very little to do with love at all.

We also talk about the right to end a marriage by divorce. And we want to hear from you, too.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUESTS:

• Stephanie Coontz - Author of Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage, and Director of Research and Public Education for the non profit group, Council on Contemporary Families; she also teaches history and family studies at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington (@StephanieCoontz)
• Meghan Freed - Managing attorney at Freed Marcroft, a Connecticut divorce and family law firm (@MeghanFreed)

Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 13, 2020.

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cases of COVID-19 have grown in New Haven, and the mayor says “the spike” is beginning in the Elm City. This hour, we talk with New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises across Connecticut, how can local leaders protect their residents? From hospitals to homelessness to jobs, what does the pandemic means for Connecticut’s second largest city?

If you are a New Haven resident, we want to hear from you. What questions do you have for Mayor Elicker?

  GUESTS:

• Mayor Justin Elicker - first term Mayor of the city of New Haven (@MayorElicker)
• Dr. Mehul Dalal - Community Services Administrator for the City of New Haven, overseeing the health department and social services department

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The coronavirus pandemic has closed schools across the U.S., affecting nearly 2 million public school students in New England alone. What are the educational and social impacts of this sudden shift to remote learning? What about students with special learning needs? And how might the COVID-19 crisis widen the inequities in our K-12 educational system?

On Friday, March 27, join us for an America Amplified call-in special from the New England News Collaborative. We’ll bring together voices from around our region — and we want to hear yours.

• How is the shutdown affecting your child's education?
• Are you a parent or teacher facing unique challenges? Or have a tip to share on how to make the best of educating from home?

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the midst of the pandemic, it’s easy to keep the TV on all day. But it’s also the perfect time to take a step back and start a new book -- or even read an old favorite.

This hour, we discuss what we’re reading while we’re stuck at home and how to make reading a daily habit.

Also, we hear from the West Hartford Library and learn how to access books and other library materials online. We also talk about starting a virtual book club.

GUESTS

• Martha Church - Director of West Hartford Public Library (@whpl)
• Danny Feekes - Managing Editor at Good Reads (@goodreads)
• Suzanne Skyvara - Vice President of Marketing and Editorial at GoodReads (@suzanneskyvara)

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s it like being a dad in 2020? On the next Where We Live, we’ll talk about social expectations for fathers as caregivers, and the impact an involved father has on the entire family, emotionally and financially. Are you a father? We want to hear from you.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUESTS:

• Brad Harrington - Executive Director and Research Professor at the Boston College Center for Work & Family (@DrBradH)
• Tony Judkins - Program manager for the Connecticut Fatherhood Initiative
• Perry Thompson - Waterbury, CT resident; he completed the Connecticut Fatherhood Initiative program at New Opportunities in Waterbury

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.