The Wheelhouse

Connecticut lawmakers passed some of the most ambitious housing legislation in years this session. The bill looked to address affordable housing, zoning and parking. But then, Gov. Ned Lamont vetoed it. The Democrat is now  inviting lawmakers to make a new proposal , which he hopes to pass it later this year in a special session. Today on The Wheelhouse, we’ll speak to the governor live...

This fall,  students at Yale University  will take a course called “Bad Bunny: Musical Aesthetics and Politics.” Bad Bunny, born on the island of Puerto Rico as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, isn’t the first  Latino musician to weave activism into his work . Regarding the Yale class, Bad Bunny told Rolling Stone magazine “I have in the back of my mind...

Connecticut has hundreds of miles of shoreline, extending from Greenwich in the west to Stonington in the east. Many of these coastal communities have found ways to exclude certain people. There’s actually a long history of segregation on our shores, dating back decades. This hour, we’ll look at past and present beach access in Connecticut. Plus, we’ll look at who does — an...

Connecticut lawmakers recently  cemented their priorities  for the next two years with final passage of a $55.8 billion budget. At the end of the 2025 legislative session, they were able to find money for Medicaid programs and invest in our children’s future, especially young children. But some – mainly the minority in the state legislature – say that it comes at too hi...

The 2025 legislative session in Connecticut  started  with lawmakers facing an  uncertain future  clouded by potential federal funding cuts. The end of the session is nigh in Connecticut. Amid these  murky days , we know that local lawmakers have taken drastic measures to  shore up state Medicaid funding . But how far are they willing to go to secure a new two-year bu...

State lawmakers are  foregoing budget caps to fund Medicaid . But with Medicaid relying on two primary funding sources–and U.S. lawmakers poised to pass President Donald Trump’s “ Big Beautiful Bill ”--the future of low-income healthcare programs is uncertain. Today on The Wheelhouse, America’s brittle social safety net hangs in the balance. GUESTS : Lisa Hagan ,...

George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis in 2020 inspired police reform in America. Five years ago this week, Americans took to the streets amid a global pandemic to protest Floyd’s murder. Chants of “Black Lives Matter” reverberated throughout Connecticut. And then, two months after Floyd’s death, Connecticut was  one of the first states  in the nation to enact...

Colleges and universities across the country are facing serious headwinds. In 2022, college enrollment was 14.8% below peak enrollment in 2010. That’s according to the  National Center for Education Statistics . Is a post-pandemic rebound even possible? Factors like declining enrollment, shifting perceptions of value, and rising financial strain have college and universities in Connecti...

According to Pew Research Center, our “ trust in government ” has eroded over the last sixty years. While there have been “modest” gains in support, factors like age, race, employment status, educational experience, and more impact how we view our federal institutions. Today on the Wheelhouse, we journey through age groups, consider experiences, and offer a bit of a U.S. hi...

Some federal officials don’t want the “ X ” gender option printed on passports. The “ T ” – and other letters – were removed from websites with content addressing the LGBTQ+ community. Since  Day 1 , the Trump administration has chipped away at the rights of Transgender Americans. Today on the Wheelhouse, we examine the policies aimed towards erasure....

Natural gas and nuclear energy may not be the cleanest and greenest methods of power generation. Yet with energy bills being so high for Connecticut residents and an administration in Washington that’s  prioritizing fossil fuel production , state officials may have to punt on their net zero-carbon goals in order to produce more juice. Today on the Wheelhouse, the pursuit of climate resi...

Outside the State Capitol, Connecticut residents recently protested against the federal government.“Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Trump and Musk have got to go,” they shouted as they huddled in the rain. There were 2,085 protests like this in the U.S. in February alone, according to the Guardian. Today on the Wheelhouse, why Americans are speaking out against the Trump administration – and t...

Public health officials are sounding the alarm. In Connecticut, they say the Trump administration is cuttinge $150 million in federal grants allocated to the state –for disease surveillance, childhood immunizations, and more. Those funds were allocated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But COVID is still with us. And there’s also cases of  bird flu ,  measles , and othe...

There’s a lot at stake as the clock ticks on Trump’s tax program. The 2017 Trump tax cuts expire at the end of this year. Top Republicans are pushing to extend the program. But, experts from the liberal think tank The Center for American Progress, meanwhile, say the tax cuts  actually hurt the economy over the long haul . This week on the Wheelhouse, why 2025 is a watershed year f...

The state budget may be headed for a “ world of pain .” That’s according to our friends at the Connecticut Mirror. State lawmakers are tasked with funding their priorities while anticipating cuts coming from the federal government. Medicaid costs are one line item the state may have to adjust on the fly. Today on the Wheelhouse, how the state could step in to support vulnerable c...

There was a 13% increase in Connecticut’s unhoused population from 2023 to 2024. That’s according to an annual report by the state . Connecticut is seeing decreases in housing availability, the price of rent skyrocketing, and more. Today on the Wheelhouse, proposals state lawmakers are considering to make more affordable housing a reality in Connecticut. Plus, Congressman John Larson h...

Thousands of U.S. Government employees could be out of a job, according to a “best guess” from a  Wells Fargo economist . This has big-time ramifications for Connecticut…and the roughly 19,000 federal workers living here. Many recently laid off people are speaking out,  including a Marine Corps veteran from Vernon  named Gabriel D’Alatri. This hour, how fede...

Even as state officials work to reform criminal justice in Connecticut, complaints roll in regarding the treatment of incarcerated individuals . Also, many people are still awaiting automatic erasure of their criminal convictions. What’s the hold up? Finally, data that could shed light on racial disparities in prosecution rates, isn’t being collected , according to Hearst Connecticut M...

In May 1969, Black Panther Alex Rackley was murdered by fellow revolutionaries in Connecticut. Rackley’s murder eventually led to what some call “one of the most significant political trials of the century.” In 1970, the New Haven Black Panther trials became the focus of national attention — and what happened then reverberates loudly into the present. This hour, we’ll...

President Donald Trump froze all federal grant spending a few weeks back. The freeze has since been rescinded. But it’s still having a real impact, including here in Connecticut. This hour, we’ll hear how local nonprofits are providing services amid the uncertainty. And later, Governor Ned Lamont wants to bring free preschool to many families across the state. But how many children and...

Connecticut residents pay some of the highest electricity rates in the country. The governor of Connecticut wants local lawmakers to do something about it. He’s said “cosmetic changes”, like shifting payments from energy customers to taxpayers, won’t solve the problem of using more electricity than the state can muster. Today on the Wheelhouse, we’ll check in with rep...

ICE agents are popping up in local communities like East Hartford and Willimantic as the Trump administration calls on federal law enforcement to amp up arrests and detentions. New federal Department of Homeland Security Secretary says Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump are “ making our streets safe .” At the same ti...

This hour, we examine the intersection of big tech and politics. AI is growing  rapidly  and lawmakers in Connecticut and beyond are attempting to regulate the harmful impacts of artificial intelligence without stymieing innovation. Meanwhile, billionaire CEOs were front and center at the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Tesla Motors CEO and X executive chairman, Elon Musk, even h...

Earlier in January, prior to the inauguration of President Donald Trump, listeners were invited to a taping of The Wheelhouse in Hartford. A shortened version of the event aired on Connecticut Public Radio on January 22. This bonus from the live event features two surprise guests. You'll hear conversations with 2025's Connecticut Teacher of the Year, Julia Miller, and personal injury attorney Broo...

Donald Trump is going back to the White House at the same time Connecticut lawmakers return to work at the State Capitol. Following a tense election cycle, what’s in store for America – and Connecticut – in 2025? Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.