See what happens when the boss isn’t here? Catie is out and I forget to update the blog until Tuesday. Someday I’ll figure it out…
On Friday, JD is heading down to New York City to host NPR’s Talk of the Nation Science Friday. So we’re pre-taped on Friday, but if you’re really itching to hear JD live, then tune in from 2-3pm on WNPR.
Here’s what shows we’ve already done this week, and what is coming up.
We’ll talk about a few movers and shakers in Connecticut’s history – women who made things happen. Like Emily Holcombe, who may be the reason we’re called the “Constitution State.” She saved the Old State House when it was threatened with demolition, and carried out the first large scale graveyard restoration in the US. We’ll also hear about the group of women that saved and worked hard to restore the Mark Twain House to the state treasure it is today.
TUESDAY: 10 Years of the Iraq War
On March 19, 2003, U.S. forces began the invasion of Iraq – a pre-emptive strike on a country believed to have weapons of mass destruction. On the 10th anniversary of the war, we’ll talk about what has changed in the last 10 years and look back at the conflict. WNPR’s Lucy Nalpathanchil will join us to talk about how we got there and the impact of the war on our soldiers, lawmakers, and state. We’ll also talk about the changing role of the National Guard. It is a branch of the military that took on more of a combat-oriented role overseas. And we’ll hear from a man who grew up in Iraq, worked with the U.S. Army as a translator and is now a student in Connecticut. How has the Iraq war impacted you?
WEDNESDAY: Habitat for Humanity and Marcia Ann Gillespie
Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity is completing its 200th home at a time when the agency is also working on expand into new neighborhoods. We’ll talk with the new CEO about his vision. We’ll also sit down with Journalism pioneer and women’s rights advocate Marcia Ann Gillespie about race and gender in America today.
The bloody war in Syria continues to rage on, killing more than 70,000 people. Rami Khouri is a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. In addition, he’s Editor-At-Large at the Beirut Daily Star in Lebanon. He’s speaking at Central Connecticut State University and we’ll sit down with him to talk about the Syrian uprising and what could be ahead for that country.
FRIDAY: The Other Christmas: Baseball’s Opening Day
The snow is melting, the mercury is rising, and baseball fans across the country are rejoicing as our national pastime returns for the 2013 season. We’ll do our annual baseball show to mark the coming holiday with three segments. In this year’s World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic has remained unbeaten (as of Monday morning). Approximately 20 percent of professional baseball players in the U.S. come from the DR. We’ll talk about the Dominican Republic-U.S. baseball pipeline with the filmmaker of Ballplayer: Pelotero. We also sat down with a professional ballplayer from Connecticut. A.J. Pollock graduated from RHAM High School and was high school player of the year in 2006. Last year he made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He talks about playing his way through the minor leagues. And finally, we’ll reflect on the spiritual side of the game with New York University President John Sexton. His new book is called Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game. Is there an “ineffable” baseball moment that you’ll never forget?
