The Wheelhouse

For the past few weeks,  The Wheelhouse  has been hitting the campaign trail. The show has been featuring interviews with candidates for mayor across the state. Our final stop? Bridgeport! Bridgeport’s past two mayoral elections have been shrouded in controversy. In 2019 and in 2023, the word out of the Park City was all about absentee ballots, and whether or not the ballot count was right. This h...

For the past few weeks,  The Wheelhouse  has been hitting the campaign trail. The show is featuring interviews with candidates for mayor across the state. Today, Waterbury! Waterbury has long been known as the “Brass City.” In the early 20th century, it was a global leader in manufacturing — producing everything from brassware to watches and clocks. In the early aughts, Waterbury was in the spotli...

For the next few weeks,  The Wheelhouse  is hitting the campaign trail! The show will feature interviews with candidates for mayor across the state. Today, West Haven! There are a lot of great things in West Haven, like Ed McCarthy’s Blue Devils, Savin Rock Park, and Zuppardi’s Apizza. But lately, those things have been overshadowed by turmoil at city hall – including a financial crisis and scanda...

For the next few weeks, The Wheelhouse is hitting the campaign trail! The show will feature interviews with candidates for mayor across the state. First up, Danbury. Danbury was historically known for its hats and hat makers. But now you might think of the city for its diversity. According to the US Census, 30 percent of the 87,000 people that live in Danbury were born outside the country. This ho...

Book bans. Mask requirements. What’s in our history books. These are just some of the issues that have divided school boards since the early days of the pandemic. School boards haven’t always been political battlegrounds. But these days, things are getting pretty heated. The non-profit news organization, ProPublica,  found nearly 60 incidents at school board meetings that led to arrests or crimina...

There’s a deadline looming. Congress has to pass a spending package – or at least an emergency one – by the end of the federal fiscal year, which is this Friday. Could a fight among Republicans in the U.S. House cause the government to shut down? How could that trickle down to Connecticut? This hour, we look at a fractured federal government. Plus, we give you the latest on what's going on in Brid...

Can former president Donald Trump legally become president again? According to experts on both sides of the aisle, the answer isn’t exactly clear-cut. From Colorado to Connecticut, there are efforts right now to bar Trump from the ballot in 2024. The legal argument against his candidacy comes down to one little-known provision in the 14 Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This hour, we'll break do...

ITuesday was Primary Day in Connecticut! From Bridgeport to Hartford, some of the state's major cities effectively determined who would be their municipality’s next leader. This hour, we tell you who won, who lost, and why it matters. Plus, a great panel of guests will dig into some hyperlocal races and tell us what they might mean for the state at-large. GUESTS: Thomas Breen : Managing editor, Ne...

Eighty-three percent of American voters are either  very  worried or at least  somewhat  worried about the functioning of our democracy. So what does  this recent Quinnipiac poll  tell us? Why are people losing faith in our democracy? This hour, we’re asking some big questions about the future of democracy in the U.S., covering everything from political violence to voter suppression. Plus, we’ll g...

As students head back to school, there is new information about how the federal government will address federal student loan debt. The White House is  introducing a plan to reduce  student loan payments, less than two months after the Supreme Court of the United States struck down an effort by the Biden administration to wipe out billions of dollars in student loan debt. On a “back to school” edit...

From deepfakes to social media chatbots, new technologies are changing our national political landscape. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, we’ve already seen everything from campaign ads using AI-generated images to the continued spread of misinformation on platforms like Facebook. So, how exactly are emerging technologies like AI changing how we do politics? This hour, we’ll get into the g...

You don't have to live and breathe politics to know about the NRA or Planned Parenthood. These organizations influence our democracy in big and small ways, and they’re pretty public about it. But what about those organizations that operate more in the shadows? Sometimes these organizations have just as much influence as the household names. So why don’t we know about them, and what do they mean fo...

Elections in 2023 will determine who will lead cities and towns in Connecticut like Hartford, Bridgeport, and Fairfield. Local party committees recently faced a deadline to endorse candidates ahead of the September primaries. On this episode of The Wheelhouse, our panel of political experts and reporters discuss the primaries—from the endorsed candidates to their opponents. Plus, what these munici...

All week long, Connecticut Public’s talk shows are celebrating all things nautical with its first-ever NautiWeek. So, on The Wheelhouse, we’re going big on some sea creatures getting attention at the State Capitol. In recent years, state lawmakers have put in place a number of protections for both horseshoe crabs and shellfish — including a ban on hand-harvesting horseshoe crabs just this past yea...

The U.S. Coast Guard is coming under fire for its years-long cover-up of sexual assault. Now, federal lawmakers — including members of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation — are demanding accountability. This hour, we’ll give you the latest on that. Plus, service on one of the largest commuter railroads in America  could  shut down in the coming months. What a workers strike might mean for the M...

In 2021, Connecticut passed a law mandating school districts to have curricula focused on quote "the science of reading." That refers to research-backed approaches to literacy like phonics. Initially, all 200 school districts had until July 1 of  this  year to implement an approved “science of reading” program. That deadline is now July 1,  2025 . But not all school districts are happy about this....

It’s official  —  adults in Connecticut can now grow cannabis at home. If you’re 21 or older, you can legally grow up to 12 plants per household, as long as you’re growing them indoors and away from public view. For years, cannabis has been a budding industry in Connecticut and across the U.S. The push to legalize — and expand the cannabis market — has swept the country. About  half of all America...

Connecticut has hundreds of miles of shoreline, extending from Greenwich in the west to Stonington in the east. But many of these coastal communities have found ways to exclude certain people. In fact, there's a long history of segregation on our shores, dating back decades. This hour, we’ll unpack past and present beach access in Connecticut. Plus, we’ll look at who does — and does not — get acce...

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 unpack everything from how th...

Connecticut will soon see what’s being called the largest reduction in income tax since it was first enacted in 1991. As Connecticut cuts taxes, federal lawmakers are huddling over a reduction totaling north of $200 billion. This hour, we're looking at tax cuts and their impact on the economy. Plus, we'll recap President Joe Biden's recent visit to Connecticut. GUESTS: Susan Haigh :  State Capitol...

Last Wednesday marked the final day of this year’s legislative session in Connecticut. Since January 4th, lawmakers have debated bills surrounding medical aid-in-dying, zoning reform, Medicaid, gun control, and so much more. This hour, we're gonna break down some of the big bills from the session — and also talk about what lawmakers did not get to this year. Plus, June’s a busy month for the Supre...

This month marks one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then, we’ve seen states across the country roll back abortion access. But here in Connecticut, the opposite has been true. From protections for providers to a “safe harbor fund,” lawmakers have proposed different ways to expand abortion access in the state this year. This hour, we’ll get the latest on that and how Conn...

Last week, Connecticut officials finally gave the ‘thumbs up’ to baby bonds, reaching an agreement on how to finance its long-awaited program dedicated to reinvesting money in under-served communities. Officials hope the program will help break cycles of generational poverty. It's on track to begin in July, after being in political limbo for quite some time. This hour, we look at what it will mean...

Last year, Connecticut became one of the first states to mandate Asian American and Pacific Islander studies in K-12 public schools. The bill requires AAPI studies to be implemented in the state curriculum by the 2025-26 school year. It also provides about $150,000 in state funding to support these efforts. School districts will incorporate a wide range of topics into their curricula, from AAPI hi...

Last election day, residents voted overwhelmingly to bring early voting to Connecticut. But it won’t be implemented in time for next election day, according to the state’s top election official, Stephanie Thomas. This hour, we look at how  early voting  will work in the state. Plus, we look at efforts from Connecticut’s senators to regulate social media at the federal level, and we break down the...