Last month, on December 13, Governor Malloy appeared on our show for his monthly visit. We talked about the budget and the upcoming legislative session, and the issues he hoped to work on in the coming year.  

The next morning, everything changed.

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The tragedy in Newtown has consumed our lives for the last several days. We’ll continue to have that conversation - as Connecticut attempts to heal. But today, we welcome in two guests to talk about something that many people in our state turn to as a relief - a respite - and a place to gather: Sports.

The University of Connecticut has been built into a top academic and research institution - but nobody will deny that its national prominence is fueled in large part by its successful sports programs.

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This week, we lost Dave Brubeck.

You’ve been hearing about his music and its impact on generations.

You might know that he made his home in Connecticut and influenced many artists here.

You might not know about his work in fighting the spread of communism during the cold war. Or his work for civil rights, by leading integrated bands at a time when that was not the norm.

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Remember the 1989 Robin Williams movie “Dead Poet’s society?” An unorthodox and inspirational teacher takes on the establishment culture of a prestigious boy’s school.

The real-life teacher who helped inspire that character has been teaching literature at UConn since 1978. Sam Pickering told us that he doesn’t really think much about the movie. He told us that he “only saw it once” and even missed parts of it.

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  Last year - a major Vanity Fair story brought the issue of sex trafficking in the US to many who’d never considered the issue. And the stories it told were centered right here in Connecticut.

In that story, our first guest, Krishna Patel, an Assistant US Attorney told the magazine this:

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We know that music, pets, and exercise make us feel good - but did you know they can also make our aging brains stronger? 

It used to be that getting older meant forgetting more, slowing down, and acting more and more like our grandparents. But no more. We can add years to our lives and boost our brain power by learning to play an instrument, jog around the block, or even bond with our dog.

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Greg Tate of the HartBeat Ensemble has been an important part of Hartford’s artistic community. They create original plays based on the place where they live...and work with school systems to create student theater works.

Tate has been diagnosed with lung cancer - and has been sharing intimate details of his treatment on a simple blog called “Greg Tate Updates.”

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Today we talk with Palestinian physician Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish. In 2009 during Israel’s invasion and bombardment of Gaza, a rocket hit his house killing three of his daughters and his niece. Author of “I Shall Not Hate,” Abuelaish has devoted his life to reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.

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