Coming Up! October 31 to November 4, 2011

MONDAY: Storm Coverage
The freak October storm that hit the state this weekend caused more power outages than Hurricane Irene. And, for people in many parts of the state, it could be at least a week until they get their power back.  transmission lines are out to the Northwest corner of the state – where many towns are 100 percent out. Many state schools are closed – power is out to businesses, and hundreds of roads are either closed or barely passable because of downed trees and lines.Today, where we live – we’ll update the situation with civic leaders and with you…we want to hear how things are in your town this Halloween.

TUESDAY: Appropriate for the Front Page?
When Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was killed, newspapers had to decide on how to handle the graphic photos of his death. A Poynter survey shows the Hartford Courant was one of only seven newspapers in the U.S. to use a large image of Gadhafi’s body on the front page. We discuss the ethics of publishing graphic photos with Poynter’s Kenny Irby and the Courant’s first Reader Representative, Henry McNulty.

WEDNESDAY: Asperger’s Syndrome
We’ve discussed autism before but now we’re focusing on one section of the spectrum: Asperger’s Syndrome. It was just added to the DSM in 1994 and the American Psychiatric Association says it’s really just a form of autism. We’ll be joined by members from the Asperger’s Association of New England. We’ll also check in with an Ohion-based software company called Aspiritech. They hire people to test software while harnessing the power of Asperger’s. Do you or someone you know have Asperger’s? How can we better support those with this diagnosis?

THURSDAY: Banking Roundtable
President Obama just unveiled a new plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Meanwhile the state of Connecticut is working to help homeowners as well. And one local bank is “ahead of the industry” in helping financially troubled borrowers. Coming up, Attorney General George Jepsen, Banking Commissioner Howard Pitkin, and Webster Bank CEO Jim Smith join us round the table.

FRIDAY: Storm Coverage
Governor Dannel Malloy deployed the troops six days after the snowstorm that tore down powerlines and left millions of Northeast residents in the dark. Still, as of this morning, 300 thousand customers are without power in Connecticut – making the state the slowest to respond.  Some residents in the hardest-hit areas are forming “vigilante” tree crews to clear debris – something that CL&P officials say could be dangerous.  Another danger took shape in West Hartford, as a fire was started just as power returned to a home.  Many residents have no idea when to expect power back, save for a midnight Sunday “goal” set by the utility.  Today, where we live – a recap of a week without power.

Coming up! October 24 to 28, 2011

Catie Talarski

Exciting week! John Dankosky is heading to New York City to guest-host NPR’s Science Friday. You can follow his exploits on his new twitter handle @johndankosky.

Also, if you  haven’t noticed, it’s fund drive season! That means it’s time for you to stock up mugs/totebags/a hearty L.L.Bean wreath.  As always, thanks for your support.

MONDAY: Andre Dubus III
After their parents divorced in the 1970s, Andre Dubus III and his three siblings grew up with their exhausted working mother in a depressed Massachusetts mill town saturated with drugs and crime. On Sundays, Andre spent time with his dad, an author and college professor. Coming up, a conversation with House of Sand and Fog author about his new memoir Townie – about a clash of worlds, physical violence, and the failures and triumphs of love. Dubus will be in Hartford speaking at the Billings Forge MashUP.

 TUESDAY: Special Session Preview
Governor Malloy is rolling out a “jobs plan” for the state, and has called for a one-day special session of the legislature to try and jumpstart the economy and cut into Connecticut’s 9 percent unemployment rate. And, he’s hoping to do it with bi-partisan support from lawmakers. A reporter roundtable previews the jobs session.

WEDNESDAY: Bill Curry
President Barack Obama faces reelection in a little more than one year. He’s had notable foreign policy successes, but has been stymied in his attempts to pass domestic legislation. Some Democrats say he hasn’t been forceful enough…and he’s already the subject of daily attacks by Republicans. After the historic 2008 election – are Americans already ready to move on from the man who promised hope and change? Bill Curry’s been studying the Obama presidency and talks about the President and his reelection chances – one year out.

THURSDAY: Stealing Rembrandts…And Picassos And Vermeers (rebroadcast)
AnFBI databaselists more than 6,000 pieces of stolen and missing artwork. In 2004, the FBI created an art crime team dedicated to recovering stolen or otherwise missing paintings, sculptures and cultural artifacts from around the world. Thirteen pieces in that database were taken from theIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. In 1990, that’s where one of the most notorious art heists of all-time occurred. Today, we’ll talk with the head of security at that museum who has written a new book on art theft. We’ll also ask the director of a local museum what they’re doing to prevent art crime, which has a rich history right here in New England. We’ll also check in with WNPR’s Diane Orson who has been following the case involving Van Gogh’s Night Cafe, which can be seen in Yale’s Art Gallery.

FRIDAY: Magazine
Following up on a recent show– we’ll talk to former state DEP commissioner Gina McCarthy, who now works for the EPA. We’ll also talk to ProPublica’s managing editor Stephen Engelberg about his current series on the 2001 anthrax attacks. The most recent story highlights the lax security surrounding the anthrax bacteria at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.

Coming Up! October 17 to 21, 2011

MONDAY: Jobs!
America is looking for ways to create jobs and avoid a prolonged recession. Europe is looking for ways to solve their own economic crisis. But how do problems there affect your wallet here – and the other way around. We’ll look at ties between the Global, national, and local economies with economists Richard Parker and Fred Carstensen.

TUESDAY: The Long Goodbye
Americans are far less healthy than their European counterparts as they enter old age. But if we make it there, our chance of survival gets better. One big reason is the enormous amount of money we’re pumping into end-of-life care. But does staving off death make for a better life? And as medical advances prolong the process of death, how does it change the way we grieve? Coming up, a big discussion on death in America.

WEDNESDAY: The EPA
Coming up, we’ll take a critical look at the Environmental Protection Agency with author and environmental consultant Rich Trzupek. We’ll also hear from some of the top environmental activist groups about whether the Obama administration is softening on the environment.

THURSDAY: Steven Pinker
Turn on the TV and it seems like violence is everywhere: murders in U.S. cities, bombings in the Middle East, and riots in London. But renowned psychologist Steven Pinker has written a new book arguing that awareness of violence has increased but actual violence has decreased. His book is called “The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined” and he joins us to discuss the psychology, history and theories of violence.

FRIDAY: Magazine
NPR’s Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep reported from Karachi, Pakistan on the trend of megacities like Karachi popping up faster than natural resources can handle. He joins us to discuss his new book, “Instant City: Life and Death in Karachi.” (and more TBA…)

 

 

Coming Up! October 10 to 14, 2011

 

MONDAY: What’s For Lunch?

Whether it’s superstar chef Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” or Alice Waters’ Revolutionary “Edible Schoolyard,” big thinkers about food and nutrition have been trying to get healthier choices into the school cafeteria. Coming up, we’ll talk about school lunches in advance of a state gathering about education and nutrition.

 

TUESDAY: Overcoming Loss
We overcome losses throughout our lives whether it is breaking up with a partner, losing a family member, or being laid off from a job. Some people have to go through losses in the public spotlight. We’ll talk with Ralph Branca, the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who gave up Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard ‘Round the World and Ned Lamont who has bounced back from two high-profile political losses. Also joining is Professor Scott Sandage, who wrote about the role of failure and losing in the United States.

 

WEDNESDAY: What the Fribble?!
It’s the end of an era for one New England institution: Friendly’s is filing for bankruptcy and closing 63 stores around the region. Tragic news for those of us who have fond memories of high school dates, or Happy Ending Sundaes with Grammy. But did you actually enjoy the food (or service) there? Sbarro is out of business too; Applebees and IHOP may not be far behind. Today we’ll look at restaurant trends – what’s next for the franchised, family-style, fast-food restaurant?

 

THURSDAY: TBA

 

FRIDAY: Christina Kishimoto
Christina Kishimoto was the architect of a turnaround plan in the Hartford Public Schools, centered on choice. She took over earlier this year from Steven Adamowski as Superintendent, and we’ll talk to her about her vision for a school system that’s been through lawsuits and takeovers, and had been called one of the worst in the country. Coming up, Christina Kishimoto and the Hartford turnaround.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming Up! October 3 to 7, 2011

Happy October!

MONDAY: Magazine
Today, Three iconoclasts – a social enterprise pioneer, critically important architect – and a former political insider. The Pioneer is Robert Egger – President of DC Central Kitchen and transformative thinker about the role of non-profits. Egger is a pioneer in “social enterprise” – a new way of looking at the the world of non-profit work – and he’s got a relentlessly positive view of how this idea can be spread. Stanley Tigerman is an acclaimed architect whose work has a social conscience of its own – and has a biting satirical voice that sharply criticizes his industry. Tom Ridge is a former Homeland Security Secretary who isn’t sure that American fighting abroad is making us safer.

TUESDAY: Protesting
NPR’s been taking heat for not covering the Wall Street protests. Coming up we’ll join the onslaught of media now talking about what the media isn’t talking about. And we’ll take a look at the history of protests in the US and abroad – and what they mean today.

WEDNESDAY: Let There Be New Light
New lighting regulations call for higher efficiency bulbs starting in 2012. This has caused some to begin stocking up on incandescent light bulbs for fear that they will be banned. We’ll discuss the changing industry of lighting as more make the switch the fluorescent lighting, while some have concerns about the aesthetics of fluorescents.

THURSDAY: TBA

FRIDAY: Afropop in Egypt
Banning Eyre joins us to discuss his recent trip to Egypt. He’s working a Hip Deep series for Afropop (airing on WNPR, Saturday nights at 11) that starts this weekend. He’ll talk about the role of music in the Egyptian revolutions and of course, we’ll listen to some Egyptian music.