Tolls or no tolls: it's the seemingly endless Connecticut argument, right up there leaving or staying in the state.Well, some sort of end is coming: the 2020 legislative session convenes on Feb. 5. If left unsettled, the toll debate risks bei

A new poll shows Connecticut residents favor Biden among Democratic presidential candidates

Jan 14th, 2020 12m 12s

Michael Vigeant (GreatBlue Research) and Lesley DeNardis, Ph.D. (Sacred Heart University) discuss a new Hartford Courant/Sacred Heart University poll.

The business entity tax vanished on Jan. 1, but you’ll have to pay more for dry cleaning and parking

Jan 7th, 2020 22m 44s

You might have parked in a metered parking space to pick up your dry cleaning (you want to look good when you meet your new interior designer).Hopefully, you also just snagged some new safety goggles, for when all that dust is flying around y

From Gov. Lamont's inauguration to pop-up newsroom events, here are our best podcast clips of 2019

Dec 24th, 2019 25m 28s

We covered a lot of ground in 2019.The government shutdown. The seemingly endless toll debate. The Stop and Shop strike, opioid epidemic, the hottest month in Connecticut history, PFAS chemical spills ... on and on.Along the way, we set up

Billions of dollars from Washington are budgeted for Connecticut's defense industry. Here's why.

Dec 17th, 2019 17m 56s

Connecticut’s defense industry will likely receive a sizable chunk of the $738 billion defense spending bill winding its way through Congress, and that means high-paying jobs.Reporter Stephen Singer talks helicopters, jet engines and submarin

Gov. Ned Lamont wants a special session on tolls, restaurant wages and more. Here's what that means.

Dec 10th, 2019 25m 26s

Highway tolls, restaurant workers’ wages and more could be voted on in a special session between now and the end of December, if Gov. Ned Lamont gets his way.Lamont wants to convene a special legislative session on four contentious issues, an

After researching cool places to live, this young Connecticut resident is staying put

Dec 3rd, 2019 22m 9s

Should I leave Connecticut? Should I stay in Connecticut? It's the conversation that never quits.Arianna Basche wrote her own take on it for the Courant's opinion pages a few weeks ago. On this week's Capitol Watch podcast, Basche and opinion

This Stamford teacher was bullied in middle school. Here's how she survived.

Nov 26th, 2019 21m 32s

October was anti-bullying month, but there's really no bad time to talk about the dangers of bullying.Stamford teacher Danielle Waring's life was forever changed by it. And when one of her tormentors later tried to apologize, Waring found it

Experts weigh in on how to talk (or not talk) politics and identity this holiday season

Nov 19th, 2019 24m

Going home for the holidays is stressful, particularly in the Trump Era.The wine is flowing. Uncle Matt and aunt Trish are ginned up to pounce on every social media missive you’ve posted since the midterm elections. (Their posts frighten you.

This UConn student suffers from eco-anxiety and is fighting for the future of the planet

Nov 14th, 2019 19m 54s

Eco-anxiety is real.Harry Zehner, a junior at the University of Connecticut, feels the effects of climate-related dread every day. It's mixed with anger at older generations for what he perceives as complacency.If the number of environmenta

What's inside Gov. Ned Lamont's revised $21 billion transportation plan? We'll take you through it.

Nov 12th, 2019 24m 15s

Gov. Ned Lamont's revised transportation plan still relies on tolls for part of its funding. Not surprisingly, Republican lawmakers (and some Democrats) are still less than enthused about supporting it.Of course, there's lots more in there

Did you know? "Nutmeggers" is a nod to Connecticut's corrupt past.

Nov 10th, 2019 5m 19s

Connecticut is often referred to as the “Nutmeg State.” We’re all nutmeggers. It’s weird, it’s different, but it’s us. Natalie Belanger, adult programs manager at the Connecticut Historical Society, talks tin plates, peddling and soccer in th

Ben Florsheim’s big win, Luke Bronin gets reelected in Hartford, and other Election Day 2019 recaps

Nov 7th, 2019 21m 3s

Tuesday was Election Day.There are new mayors in New Haven and Middletown. Hartford, Bridgeport and Danbury reelected their mayors. All across the state, Dems flipped seats, Republicans flipped seats, and both sides rejoiced.Was there a Tru

State officials are concerned about losing $2,900 for each person not counted in the Census

Nov 5th, 2019 21m 44s

Connecticut recently pledged $500,000 to boost participation in the 2020 Census. Philanthropic foundations, including the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, will tack on more than $900,000 in additional funding.“Today, this is not a quest

Why does it take so long to get from Hartford to NYC by train? CT's DOT commissioner explains.

Oct 31st, 2019 28m 56s

In the life of a train commuter, what difference does 15 minutes make?Rosanna Karabetsos, a graduate of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, is a Brooklynette -- a professional dancer for the Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team. It’s a dre

Connecticut has 6 of the 100 worst traffic bottlenecks in the country. We’ll take you through them.

Oct 29th, 2019 26m 51s

The Mixmaster in Waterbury. The Hartford viaduct. I-95 in Stamford. Anyone who frequently drives on Connecticut highways knows these spots as the stuff of traffic nightmares.A 2019 study by the American Transportation Research Institute shows

Be a tree? Eco-friendly 'green burials' are becoming more popular in Connecticut. Here's why.

Oct 24th, 2019 21m 50s

All Connecticut residents, regardless of political affiliation, have one thing in common: death.When the fateful day comes (waaaay in the distant future, hopefully), some choose 'green' burials and cremation options that don't hurt the enviro

Home prices have recovered in only 10 Connecticut towns since the 2008 recession

Oct 22nd, 2019 21m 44s

Median sales prices for Connecticut single-family homes peaked in 2007 -- more than a decade ago. That's not good."I drive around, and I'm amazed to see new construction in Connecticut," says Fred Carstensen, director of the Connecticut Cente

What is gaming disorder? A Connecticut psychiatrist, a game designer and a hardcore gamer weigh in.

Oct 17th, 2019 22m 23s

Most of us see video games as harmless, inter-generational fun: play Fortnite with the kids (or parents) for a few hours, have some laughs, and get ready for bed.Others can't seem to break away."For some gamers, they develop this excessive

Is there any safe and responsible way to vape? The Department of Public Health can’t say for sure.

Oct 15th, 2019 21m 33s

The vaping illness outbreak has exploded over the last few months, with 1,299 cases and 29 deaths reported nationwide (and counting).According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly three quarters of patients reporte

Could college athletes in Connecticut sign endorsement deals in the future? Some lawmakers think so.

Oct 10th, 2019 21m 16s

A new California law allows college athletes to sign endorsement deals starting in 2023, a move that inspires hope in some Connecticut lawmakers that a similar measure might pass here at home.“What really struck me was that it passed unanimou

Chronic pain will likely be treatable with medical marijuana in Connecticut. Night terrors won't.

Oct 8th, 2019 21m 9s

Rhode Island resident Ellen Lenox Smith lives with two rare, painful, incurable conditions: Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which affects her body’s connective tissue (joints, skin and blood vessel walls), and sarcoidosis, an inflammatory chest di

These six goods and services just became more expensive in Connecticut because of new taxes and fees

Oct 3rd, 2019 28m 9s

Did you know: in Connecticut, the flat fee for trading in a car for credit toward a new one used to be $35.As of Oct. 1, it's now $100. And apparently enough people will trade in cars to pump a cool $9.8 into the state's coffers.When the Ge

As an older worker in Connecticut, what's it like trying to find a new job? Here's what we learned.

Oct 1st, 2019 23m 51s

Imagine, late in your career, creating a LinkedIn profile, chopping your extensive resume down to two pages, and peppering your cover letter with algorithm-friendly keywords.After months of trying, you finally land the elusive phone or in-per

Who are top Connecticut Democrats supporting for president in 2020 and why?

Sep 29th, 2019 23m 12s

One, two, five... nine...So many Democrats running for president in 2020, and even though Connecticut's primary isn't until April, some state leaders have already chimed in on who they're backing.Content editor Russell Blair discusses Democ