Where We Live

It's time to air your grievances about the news of 2015. Our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will convene for the first time ever on the Costanza-invented holiday of Festivus! We have lots of grievances, but what do you want to speak up about? Who should participate in the feats of strength?Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, the Partnership for Strong Communities released its annual report on housing access and affordability in Connecticut. This hour, we find out what it tells us about local housing conditions -- including efforts to end homelessness and increase affordable housing supply across the state. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Young people coming out of college today have a strong desire to do good in the world, but it’s not easy to find jobs with a social purpose. Instead, many are starting their own businesses, combining an entrepreneurial spirit with a social mission.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's a riddle for you: What's green and yellow, but most often red?...Give up? It's a traffic light -- you know, those things you hit on your way into the office each morning. But how do they work? And why don't they ever seem to be synched up? This hour, we explore the science behind traffic light programming. We hear from engineers and experts in Connecticut and Utah. We also find out how new "smart" signals are improving traffic flow in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The national conversations about race and racism; police and African Americans; free speech on college campuses; “safe spaces” and hate speech and political correctness have all come together in very interesting and interlocked ways here in Connecticut recently.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Republican presidential hopefuls debate for the first time since the Paris attacks and San Bernardino shootings and national security is on the forefront of national discussion. This hour on our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse, we discuss the latest debate in the long road to the White House. There was more of a clear divide between some candidates, especially surrounding military spending and intelligence gathering.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, Food Foolish co-author John Mandyck tells us how reducing global food waste could help mitigate the stresses of hunger, water shortages, and climate change. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faculty at Connecticut's state universities are negotiating with the Board of Regents over a new three-year contract. Last month the new president of the Board, Mark Ojakian joined us to discuss the negotiations from his perspective. This hour, we hear from several of the professors pushing back against cuts and other changes in the public higher education system.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When was the last time you sent a letter? Not an email, but a real, tangible piece of mail? If your answer is "not recently," you’re not alone.Except for the occasional birthday or holiday card, most of us haven’t sent -- or received -- good, old-fashioned snail mail in a very long time. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been three years since saxophonist Jimmy Greene lost his six-year-old daughter, Ana, in the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. On his album, Beautiful Life, Greene memorializes his little girl. It was recently nominated for two Grammy Awards.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The national political conversation has shifted to a focus on security, guns, and terrorism. Our weekly political news roundtable The Wheelhouse will discuss the shift and the role Connecticut's congressional delegation has played in the national dialogue.How does this resonate among Connecticut voters, and how might it affect next year's elections?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.While there are a lot of reasons why violence is spiking, police officers note a growing willingness to use violence to settle minor disputes.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to health care has improved significantly since Obamacare, with big gains for previously uninsured minorities who were unable to gain access before the law took effect. But insurance isn’t the only barrier to overcome. Entrenched cultural beliefs and the way we deliver care can also limit access.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sanctuary cities have become a focus in the national debate on immigration reform. But what are they? Where are they? And how do they affect communities around the country? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Monday, the first police officer went to trial for the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. Just a few days earlier, video was released of a white police officer in Chicago shooting a black man 16 times. This hour, we talk about race and racism with three people including Hartford resident Gareth Weston, a black man whose own daughter thought he looked like a "bad guy" when wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lawmakers are gearing up for a special session later this month as leaders continue to discuss a new budget agreement. The whole process is plagued by uncertainty though. How much is the budget shortfall? What corporations will have a presence in the state? Our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will have its own budget talk.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been twenty-two years since The New York Times lost Jeffrey Schmalz -- a young, fearless journalist who pushed the boundaries of AIDS reporting in twentieth-century America. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think of drought, what place comes to mind? California? Texas? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will state lawmakers have a budget deal in place to be thankful for on Thursday? Our weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse will bring you updates from the state capitol where time ticks away for an agreement on how to fix the state budget. Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a 289 to 137 vote last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would tighten the vetting process for refugees from Syria and Iraq. The measure passed despite a veto threat from President Barack Obama -- a threat Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan says "baffles" him.Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.