Where We Live

Six athletes with disabilities — and with ties to Connecticut — represented the U.S. at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, bringing home four medals.

Fairfield University trained two medaling para swimmers, Colleen Young and Matthew Torres,  while Laura Goodkind,10th in the trunk and arms mixed double sculls in the 2016 Paralympics, most recently won the PR2 mixed doubles sculls at the 2020 Olympic Trials.

Children with disabilities are placed with integrated sports teams, designed by the Special Olympics Connecticut, in nearly all schools across the state.

GUESTS

• Matthew Torres - Para-swimming Bronze Medalist, Paralympics Tokyo 2020; Junior at Fairfield University
• Anthony Bruno - Head Coach, Men’s and Women’s, Swimming and Diving, Fairfield University 
• Laura Goodkind - Two-time Paralympian, Para-rowing (2016, 2020). Graduate of The Forman School, Litchfield
• Maggie Vanoni -Sports Reporter, Hearst 
• Beau Doherty - President, Special Olympics Connecticut 

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Sharks. They’re among the apex predators of the ocean, swimming with stealth and agility across our blue planet. But more than that, they’re sources of myth and fear, stirring imaginations with their serrated jaws and cutting dorsal fins.

So what, then, does it take to photograph these -- and other -- awe-inspiring marine creatures? This hour, we talk with underwater photojournalist Brian Skerry and preview his upcoming appearance at The Connecticut Forum.

Plus, with Memorial Day just around the corner, what should New Englanders keep in mind as they hit the region’s beaches and dip into its shark-inhabited waters? We find out and we also hear from you. 

GUESTS:

• Brian Skerry - Renowned underwater photographer and author of several books, including Shark (@Brian_Skerry)
• Dr. James Sulikowski - Marine biologist and professor at the University of New England

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Right before Christmas, the international space station passed over New York City carrying astronaut Kayla Barron, a member of NASA’s Artemis Program--the program aims to put the first-ever woman on the moon.

Barron was part of another groundbreaking group-- she was one of the first women commissioned as a submarine warfare officer in the US Navy. 

This week Where We Live, revisits our best conversations. Barron joined us earlier this year to talk about her training for the next set of missions to return to the moon. 

What's it like to be an astronaut? Do you have a young, aspiring astronaut in your life?

GUESTS:

• NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron - Member of NASA’s Artemis team; she’s also a Navy Lieutenant Commander and Submarine Warfare Officer 
• Cathryn Prince - Visiting assistant professor of journalism at SUNY Purchase and author of the nonfiction book A Professor, A President, and A Meteor: The Birth of American Science

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired January 8, 2021. 

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It wouldn’t be a pandemic Christmas without a little chaos/

Today, we want to hear about your holiday plans as we face another COVID surge and the omicron variant.

We talk to Dr. Albert Ko, a physician and Yale epidemiologist and take your questions about how to gather this holiday season.

We want to know, how are you planning to see your family safely? Do you have a custom Christmas mask to mark the occasion?

GUESTS:

• Dr. Albert Ko - A physician and epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health
• Rabbi Debra Cantor - B'nai Tikvoh-Sholom Synagogue in Bloomfield, Connecticut
• Andrea Bonior - licensed clinical psychologist on the faculty with Georgetown University, and author of Detox Your Thoughts: Quit Negative Self Talk For Good and Discover the Life You Always Wanted

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A federal judge overturned Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement which offered the Sackler family immunity from future civil liability. Purdue Pharma’s $4.5 billion settlement would have funded treatment programs for opioid use disorder.

This hour, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong discusses the state’s successful appeal to reject the bankruptcy settlement and the continued push for accountability from the Sacklers. He’s joined by corporate law professor, Joshua Silverstein, an expert in bankruptcy proceedings.

Acute care nurse practitioner Stephen P. Wood, a Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School, traces the history of Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers, a drug dubbed ‘Mother’s Little Helper,’ and the overseas sales of opioids by Purdue Pharma subsidiary Mundipharma.

Anthropologist Alexa Dietrich of Wagner College, a researcher on the role of corporations in society, discusses ethics and corporate governance.

Produced by Sujata Srinivasan and Abe Levine

Technical Producer Cat Pastor

GUESTS:

William Tong: Connecticut Attorney General

Joshua Silverstein: Professor of Law, University of Arkansas, Little Rock

Stephen P. Wood: Bioethicist, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Visiting Researcher at Harvard Law School

Alexa Dietrich: Associate Professor of Anthropology, Wagner College

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By what rights does a museum hold an object or artifact, and with what authority does that museum get to interpret it? Those are some of the existential questions driving a storytelling overhaul at the Yale Peabody Museum.

This hour, we preview changes to be unveiled to the public in 2024, from added gallery and classroom space to some major updates to storytelling. Hear about the museum's efforts to expand its "curatorial voice" by involving members of the local community.

GUESTS:

• Kailen Rogers - Associate Director of Exhibitions, Yale Peabody Museum
• Neeti Jain - Student, Yale School of the Environment; Fellow, National Science Foundation
• Natasha Ghazali - Student, Yale College; Former Member, Yale Peabody Museum Sci.CORPS
• Rawaa Ghazi - Chef, Sanctuary Kitchen

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In 1985, Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland. But his explorations didn’t stop there! 

This week, we showcase our best conversations of 2021. Robert Ballard joined us earlier this year to talk about his new book, Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found Titanic. 

We hear about his amazing adventures and his recent attempt to find Amelia Earhart. 

We also learn what Ballard discovered about himself. What questions do you have for this great explorer?

GUEST:

Robert Ballard - Author of Into The Deep: A Memoir From The Man Who Found the Titanic

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Today, we hear about an 80 year tradition at the Bethlehem Connecticut post office that has earned it the nickname Christmastown. Thousands of cards and packages come through this tiny post office every year to get one of their cachets.

On Friday, the Connecticut Mirror reported that Sema4, the laboratory based in Stamford responsible for managing 15 out of the 23 state testing sites, has pulled out of it’s contract with the state. The company will exit the testing business by mid-January.

With the holidays coming up and latest surge in cases, this could not have come at a worse time. Connecticut Mirror investigative reporter Dave Altimari joins us.

And later, the Connecticut Social Equity Council is working to set the criteria for those that want to open an adult-use marijuana business on the state. We'll also hear from Andrea Comer, the Social Equity Council Committee Chairwoman.

GUESTS:

• Dave Altimari - Investigative Reporter at Connecticut Mirror
• Vera Rosa - retired postal clerk of the Bethlehem Post Office
• Andrea Comer - Interim Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Consumer Protection and the Social Equity Council Committee Chairwoman

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It’s the holiday season! Time to binge watch shows, read ALL the books piling up on our nightstands and listen to podcasts on the long drive to grandma’s house.

Today on Where We Live, we talk about the best podcasts, shows and books of 2021.

NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans joins us to share his favorite TV shows of 2021. Later, we hear from one of the owners of Breakwater Books in Guilford, Connecticut and hear what books were standouts in 2021.

We want to hear from you, Where We Live. What are you binge watching, listening and reading over this holiday season?

GUESTS:

• Eric Deggans - NPR’s TV Critic
• Richard Parent - Co-owner of Breakwater Books in Guilford Connecticut
• Emma Carey - freelance culture and entertainment writer, and weekly contributor to Esquire

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Misinformation is a factor for anyone online, but research has shown false and misleading statements about COVID-19 that are in Spanish will linger longer on social media.

Hear about this national problem from Free Press Senior Counsel Nora Benavidez, and about the local efforts to help close the gap in vaccine distribution among Hispanic residents in our state. Connecticut officials say more than 6 out of 10 Hispanic residents have received at least one dose, compared to more than more than 7 in 10 white residents.

Junta for Progressive Action and the Hispanic Health Council join, along with Fair Haven Community Health Care, to discuss their real-world success in dispelling viral misconceptions.

What can you do to combat COVID-19 misinformation?

GUESTS:

• Nora Benavidez - Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil Rights, Free Press
• Dionne Kotey - Director of Wellness and Health Management, Hispanic Health Council
• Dr. Suzanne Lagarde - CEO, Fair Haven Community Health Care
• Bruni Pizarro - Executive Director, Junta for Progressive Action

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