So, it basically rained all week long. And the World Cup started. And a whole bunch of bad stuff happened in Iraq, and frankly, too many other places around the country. Basically, it's been a whirlwind, so I just wanted to make sure you got to spend time with some of the stories we told on WNPR this week. Get listening as you wait for those puddles to dry.
1. Hartford Deal on Baseball Gets Blowback
It seemed simple enough. Announce a plan to bring a minor-league baseball team to a struggling city in an attempt to get more feet on the street. Everyone will love that, right? Well, as we found out this week, Hartford's plan to steal the New Britain Rock Cats from the Hardware City has activists calling for a referendum, state lawmakers crying "foul," and lots of people asking questions about whether the numbers add up. Acclaimed sports economist Andrew Zimbalist, who can smell a publicly-financed stadium deal from 100 miles away, even weighed in on The Colin McEnroe Show.
2. Dodging Questions About Bullets
Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Foley came on Where We Live this week and talked about lots of things, including his campaign, his new, third-party challenger, Jon Pelto, and even the nasty things his current spokesman said about him when he was working for someone else. But what got everyone talking were his comments about gun policy.
3. I Feel the Earth Move
"It feels like you're walking on a lunar landscape. Or Mars." That's just one description of the multi-media spectacle at Stony Creek Quarry called "Terra Tractus." Cool, huh? You can even go see it yourself (but it's closing soon!)
4. Shhh. Listen!
WNPR rolled out a new series of short stories meant to get you listening in a new way - and learning something along the way. What do I mean? Well...just listen to a beatboxer who plays with an orchestra. And, listen to an explanation of how the internet works that even I can understand.
5. The Best Father's Day Story You'll Hear This Year
David Buie never really talked to his Dad, David, much about how he had kids so young, or about whether or not to stay in school. But when he did, it was in front of a microphone for the Blue Mic Radio Project. The result is one of the best interviews you'll ever listen to.
These high schoolers spent a semester doing a radio podcast with us, and we're sad to see them go. Good luck to the hard-working graduates, and a very Happy Father's Day!