Where We Live

In April, 18-year-old Anthony Jose Vega Cruz was driving in Wethersfield, Connecticut, on the way to dinner with his girlfriend. But he was stopped by police. He fled. The pursuit ended when an officer fatally shot Vega Cruz, known as "Chulo" to family and friends. 

This hour, we sit down with reporter, Vanessa de la Torre. She is the supervising producer of Collision Course, a new Connecticut Public documentary.

The film takes a closer look at this case and the two lives that intersected that day, a police officer and teenage driver.

Have you seen the documentary? We want to hear from you. 

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At 27, he was a Connecticut school principal. At 44, he is the state’s commissioner of education.

This hour, Dr. Miguel Cardona joins us to talk about his vision for Connecticut's education future. 

Do you have a question for the commissioner? We want to hear from you, too.

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Dozens of Connecticut homes have been hoisted off the ground as the state helps pay homeowners to repair ruined concrete foundations. 

This hour, we check in on the crumbling foundations crisis that is impacting homes and homeowners. We talk with the Hartford Courant journalist behind a yearlong series on Connecticut’s ruined concrete foundations. 

We hear from a Tolland homeowner whose basement is being  rebuilt with assistance from the state, and we ask a state legislator who  represents towns affected by the crisis: what does Connecticut need to do to further support residents whose homes have been ruined?

Crumbling foundations is not just an issue locally. We check with a homeowner in Ireland, where residents face a similar problem with crumbling concrete.

Has your home been impacted by crumbling foundations? We want to hear from you.

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The bed. It’s a central feature of daily life. We rest on it, recharge in it. But rarely do we reflect on our relationship with it. Until now. 

This hour, we sit down with Brian Fagan, co-author of the new book What We Did in Bed: A Horizontal History. We talk loft beds, pod beds, travel beds ... even Mark Twain’s bed. And we also hear from you. 

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Do you worry about how you’re everyday actions contribute to climate change? You may think about the carbon gas-burning cars are putting into the atmosphere, or coal-powered electricity in your houses.

But what about the food you eat?

This hour we talk about the role of the livestock industry on putting carbon into the atmosphere. Are our carnivorous habits contributing to the climate crisis?

We talk with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization about how the meat industry worldwide can reduce its carbon footprint. And we hear from a Connecticut beef cattle farmer about an innovative type of grazing that may reduce the environmental impact of raising cattle.

And how should we as consumers here in Connecticut think about lessening the carbon footprint of our dinner plates...especially if going full-on vegan is not on the table?

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It’s a lethal hunter, marked by its tufted ears and focused gaze. It's a breathtaking sight, if you’re lucky enough to see one.

This hour: the bobcat.

This stealthy species has made a comeback in recent years. We talk to researchers who are working to better understand Connecticut’s only wild feline. 

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Guilt. Ah, yes, that awful, anxiety-ridden five-letter word. Most of us have experienced it. All of us have learned to dread it. But is a little guilt really such a bad thing?

This hour, we consider that question and more with a series of guilt (note we did not say “guilty”) experts. We check in with a researcher at the University of Virginia and with a psychologist based in New York. And we want to hear from you, too. 

When was the last time you felt guilty? How did that feeling impact you? 

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Cities and towns have laws to keep people from engaging in behavior that may disturb others, like sleeping on park benches, drinking in public, or just plain “loitering”.

What does it mean when just hanging out in a public space puts you in violation of these laws?

This hour we take a hard look at loitering ordinances and other laws that advocates argue criminalize individuals, especially those experiencing homelessness. How should cities draw the line between promoting public safety and discriminating against some of their most vulnerable citizens?

We check in with the city of Middletown, and talk with business leaders and advocates for those experiencing poverty about what it means to “loiter” on Main Street.

And we hear from a homeless couple who has experienced the far-reaching consequences of these local laws.

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Bicycles helped inspire modern cars, paved roads...even airplanes! But did you know they were also an inspiration for the women's movement?

This hour we take a look back in time at the origins of the bicycle, including innovation that happened right here in Connecticut. We find out the history of how this vehicle spurred social change and helped empower women to break through gender barriers a little more than a century ago.

We hear from the Connecticut Historical Society about how women in our state embraced their newfound freedom on wheels around the turn of the century.

We also take a look at the bicycle’s role in social mobility today. We hear from Hartford-based bike shop BiCi Co. about why they see bicycles as being an important tool to empower residents in Connecticut’s capital city.

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Not only is Charles Ives a revered American composer, but he is also Connecticut's native son. This hour, we take an in-depth look at Ives’ life and profound musical output, and we ask: What is his legacy today? 

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUESTS:

• Neely Bruce - John Spencer Camp Professor of Music at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut (@NeelyBruce)
• Brigid Guertin - Executive Director of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society and City Historian for Danbury, Connecticut 
• Robert Carl - Chair of the Composition Program and Professor of Composition and Theory at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut

Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 22, 2019. 

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