Where We Live

From the bestselling author of Lilac Girls comes a new novel. It's called Lost Roses and it centers on Eliza Ferriday, a one-time Connecticut resident and mother of esteemed philanthropist Caroline Ferriday.

This hour, author Martha Hall Kelly returns to our studios to talk about the book, and about her experience researching war and revolution in the early 20th century. 

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What efforts are underway -- both locally and nationally -- to help improve individuals’ access to housing?

This hour, we listen back to a panel moderated by Lucy Nalpathanchil in Hartford recently for the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness. We hear from policy and advocacy experts.

Later, we also learn about a "Net Zero" affordable housing proposal in the town of Norfolk.

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This hour we take a look at some of the environmental bills the Connecticut General Assembly passed this legislative session, including a new commitment to offshore wind power. We learn what this renewable energy source means for the state’s power grid—and its economy.

And we take a look at one essential component behind offshore wind power, a group of special metals called “rare earth elements”. What does the availability—and environmental impact—of harvesting these materials mean for our energy future?

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Sometimes new technology, like the iPhone, comes to us in flashy, attention-grabbing presentations. But other times, it creeps up and changes our world... without us noticing!

One technology that’s made its way into the headlines is artificial intelligence (AI). For some, those two words might stir up images of Ultron or HAL 9000. But AI's role goes well beyond movies or books. In fact, it's been in the real world for decades. And it's becoming more and more prevalent in our daily lives.

This hour, we talk all things AI and we want to hear from you. Do you ever stop to think about how AI might be impacting your life? 

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With the last decade of the twentieth century came the first clinical trials for a biotechnology known as gene therapy. Since then, how far has gene therapy come? And how far has it left to go?

This hour, we consider these and other questions, and we also hear from you. Were you or was someone close to you diagnosed with a genetic disease? What thoughts or questions do you have about gene therapy and its ongoing advancement?

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At midnight, the Connecticut General Assembly ended its regular session on time--and with a new two-year budget.

This hour, we look at what lawmakers accomplished and what’s still left on the table. Mark Pazniokas, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Connecticut Mirror, will join us with more.

We also talk with a member of the ACLU’s Smart Justice initiative. Anderson Curtis was incarcerated 12 years ago--now, he is celebrating several legislative victories that his group worked on to further criminal justice reform in state.

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This hour, we learn about efforts to construct a new casino in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We talk to Hearst Connecticut Media reporter Emilie Munson about a possible deal between the city and the state’s tribes, and consider the implications for MGM, which also has its sights on the Southwest region. 

Plus, the Trump administration has threatened to impose new tariffs on Mexico, raising questions for manufacturers, many of which have already felt the impact of the U.S.’ ongoing trade war with China. We take an in-depth look at this story with The New York Times’ Ben Casselman and a Connecticut-based economist.

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This hour, guest host Ray Hardman takes you to Fidelco -- the guide dog school in Bloomfield, Connecticut where we meet some guide dogs in training.  And we talk with guide dog users about the impact these animals have on their lives.

We also speak with author and poet Stephen Kuusisto, who’s written a memoir about his first guide dog, Corky.   

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Whether it's same-sex marriage or laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender idenity, Connecticut has been near the forefront in advancing LGBTQ causes.

Still, in the state's not-too-distant past, homosexuality was regarded as a mental health or personality disorder. A new research project, jointly undertaken by Central Connecticut State University and the Connecticut Historical Society, details state psychiatric facilities' use of electroshock therapy, even lobotomy, to treat sexuality and gender variations.

But even going back more than a century, love letters included in the project's exhibits attest to an underground gay and lesbian culture here.

Today, we look at Connecticut's LGBTQ history, before and after the Stonewall riots in New York City, which happened 50 years ago next month and gave rise to the modern gay rights movement.

Even before Stonewall, groups here in Connecticut, such as the Kalos Society, championed the push for equality.

We reflect on those efforts, and how the state's LGBTQ community rallied from tragedies, like the AIDS crisis and the murder of a Wethersfield gay man, to bring about change.

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Though she is perhaps best recognized for her vast and vibrant flower paintings, the contributions of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe extend well beyond these works.

This hour, join us as we tour The Beyond: Georgia O'Keeffe and Contemporary Art, a special exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut.

We meet up with the museum’s director and CEO, Min Jung Kim, to better understand O’Keeffe’s life and legacy. We also talk with contemporary artist Wardell Milan whose works are featured alongside O’Keeffe’s as part of the exhibition. 

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