Where We Live

Raouf Mama is a beloved storyteller by children and adults familiar with his books Why Goats Smell Bad and Why Monkeys Live in Trees. His love of storytelling stems from a long and honorable oral tradition that goes back to the ancient empire of Mali, when people preserved the lessons of life in memory instead of on the written page.Raouf says we each have a story of belonging and identity. He uses his stories to entertain, comfort, and most of all as a tool to enlighten students.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With recent incidents like the ones in Ferguson and Baltimore, the issue of police training and leadership has come under the spotlight. Police commissioners and chiefs have either been fired or forced to resign due to some of these incidents. But police leadership may not be solely responsible for the practices and policies employed by cops on the street.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some point during this 2015 municipal election cycle, an argument could be made that Hartford rivaled Bridgeport for having the most bizarre mayoral race in Connecticut. Not anymore. Within the last seven days, incumbent Mayor Bill Finch not only lost his party's nomination to a former mayor who served seven years for corruption, but he also lost a spot on the November ballot.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Green Revolution of the mid-twentieth century revolutionized the way the world fed itself.  It introduced new fertilizers, pesticides, and hybrid seeds. At the same time, it also placed an enormous burden on the world’s environmental and ecological systems.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It wasn’t that many years ago that gambling was seen as a pretty good bet when it comes to improving the state’s economic situation. In Connecticut, two tribal casinos were thriving and spinning off slot revenues into the general fund. Then came the recession and declining revenues just as other states started to get into the gambling business.Now, in a move that couldn’t have been predicted a decade ago, both state tribes have agreed to work together on a new casino to help stave off a threat from Massachusetts. That plan is now under legal attack.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A judge in 17th century Connecticut ruled on the thorniest of problems. Some of these included ruling on a piglet’s paternity, who was to blame for faulty shoes, and whether illicit sex had occurred on a boat sailing to Stamford. While most of the rulings wouldn’t stand up in today’s court, our earliest settlers struggled to decide a fair price to pay under a harsh system. Connecticut Superior Court Judge Jon Blue shares some of the liveliest tales from our past, vividly described by court reporters not bound by modern day legalese.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut is waking up on Thursday learning who the nominees are for important mayors’ jobs around the state. And it's a little bit of a surprise. All three Democratic incumbents in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New London lost their respective races.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many of Connecticut's strongly Democratic cities, the local primary IS the election. This hour, our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse brings you election coverage from across the state, including the close races for mayor in Hartford and Bridgeport.Are you voting in this primary?Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Violent crime in America has been dropping for years, reaching a point in 2012 that was roughly half of what it was in 1993. But that may be changing.The New York Times reported last week that violent crime was rising sharply in cities like Milwaukee and St. Louis. In Hartford, homicides jumped to 25 so far this year, up from 19 in 2014.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neanderthals have long been recognized as humans’ closest relatives. They were highly intelligent, skilled hunters, with a rugged build, and a knack for toolmaking.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’ll talk with our exploration expert, Michael Robinson of the University of Hartford. He’s written about the great arctic explorers of the past, but his new book has him on his own voyage to the tops of giant mountains in Uganda, searching for a fabled “Lost White Tribe.” His book Lost White Tribe: Explorers, Scientists and a Theory of Race that Changed Africa will be out in 2015.    Robinson will be speaking about his research Monday February 25th at 1:30PM. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Obama has called on both parties in Congress to send him an immigration reform package - saying in his State of the Union address that “now is the time to get it done.” He’s vowed to let Congress do its work...but in the last few days, we learned that the President has crafted his own proposal. Many in Congress see it as a priority, too.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America’s debate over guns was in Newtown High School last night - as hundreds gathered to give emotional testimony to state lawmakers. It was happening in Washington too, where Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal re-affirmed his support for tighter gun control, invoking the “Sandy Hook Promise” group formed by parents of the victims.Today, we’ll take a look at what we’ve heard in this week of public hearings on guns, school safety and mental health. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yesterday, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announced 23 executive orders and proposed laws in response to the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School."No one can know for certain if this senseless act could have been prevented, but we all know we have a moral obligation -- a moral obligation to do everything in our power to diminish the prospect that something like this could happen again," said Biden.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  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:Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.