Where We Live

Valentine's Day is around the corner, which means it’s the season for chocolates and cheesy Hallmark cards.

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.

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)

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The death of a pet can be devastating --yet when you lose an animal companion--you’re sometimes expected to “just get over it.”  This hour, we talk about human attachment to pets. Have you experienced the death of a beloved animal? How comfortable were you talking about your grief with others?

We also explore the impacts on the mental health of veterinarians as they help patients and pet owners during end of life care. Decisions like euthanasia are difficult but what happens when a vet and an owner disagree about what is best for an animal?

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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.

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How often do you buy new clothing?

Stores like H&M and Forever 21 sell new styles at low prices, making it easy to constantly update your wardrobe. But, this hour: the environmental and social costs of "fast fashion". 

From unsafe garment factories to pollution in rivers, we hear about impacts of the fashion industry from journalist Jasmin Malik Chua.

We’ll also talk about overlooked ways to extend the life cycle of your clothes, from buying used -- even to learning basic sewing skills.

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Anyone who’s spent time outdoors in Connecticut has probably come across a dam or two. The state is home to more than 4,000 dams, a dozen of which were spotlighted in a recent national dam safety investigation by The Associated Press.

This hour, we take an in-depth look at this investigation. What do its findings tell us about the integrity of the nation’s dam infrastructure? And how are states like Connecticut working to address dam safety? 

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It’s a busy week in politics. The presidential primary season kicked off in Iowa, and tonight is the President’s State of the Union Address. Meanwhile, the impeachment trial nears its end. This hour, Southern Connecticut State University political scientist Jennifer Hopper joins us.  

And later, what do you know about the new coronavirus? There are now 11 confirmed cases in the US including in Massachusetts.

We talk with a journalist who has reported on the outbreak from China, the center of the epidemic. What questions do you have about coronavirus? Are you more concerned about catching the flu?

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Standardized tests, application forms, campus visits. The path to college can be a daunting one, especially when you add tuition to the mix. Then, of course, there is the cost of room and board, meal plans, textbooks...feeling stressed yet?

This hour, we tackle the realities of affording a college education, and we also hear from you. Are you the parent of a college-age student? Are you, yourself, working toward a college degree? How has this impacted you financially...emotionally? 

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Have you noticed fewer sparrows or warblers flitting about your backyard? Bird populations in North America have been declining for years, but in 2019, the data was particularly grim. Two-thirds of bird species are at risk of extinction due to climate change and urbanization, according to recent studies. What does that mean for Connecticut’s birds?

This hour, we talk to UConn professor Chris Elphick and climate scientist Brooke Bateman, from the National Audubon Society, about the factors contributing to bird decline and what we can do to protect bird habitats.

And Corina Newsome, a self-proclaimed “Hood Naturalist,” is on a mission to inspire young people of color to consider careers in wildlife sciences. We talk to Newsome about her work.

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Wanjiku Gatheru is the daughter of Kenyan immigrants and a first-generation American. Now, the UConn senior has made university history as the school’s first-ever Rhodes Scholar.

This hour we sit down with Gatheru. We talk about her life growing up in Conencticut’s Quiet Corner, and find out why she’s pursuing a career in environmental justice.

Later, we talk about strategies to reduce carbon in the atmosphere. What role can New England’s forests play in combating climate change?

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The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced a new initiative, the Opportunity Zones Program, to spur investment in the nation’s most distressed communities. The state of Connecticut is home to 72 Opportunity Zones. What efforts are being made to attract investors to these regions? This hour, we find out, and we also hear from you. Do you live in or near an Opportunity Zone? 

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