The Wheelhouse

After losing the presidential election, the Trump administration has threatened to sue, and argued that maybe the Supreme Court should decide the election.  Why have the lawsuits failed to gain traction so far?  President-elect Joe Biden has begun his transition effort, naming a Yale professor as one of the leaders of his coronavirus task force.  And new leaders are asserting themse...

Election day is in the rearview mirror… Finally.  But what can we see back there?  We will consider who will lead the country for the next four years, review Congressional contests in Connecticut, and search for meaning in General Assembly races. Are you sitting on a ballot? Guests: Paul Bass --  New Haven Independent Editor ( @PaulJBass ) Charles Venator-Santiago -  Ass...

Lucy Nalpathanchil previews the upcoming election with some of the same political scientists and reporters who share their insight on the Wheelhouse. Produced as a TV/radio/streaming special Thursday, October 29. Khalilah Brown-Dean -- Political Science Professor and Senior Director for Inclusive Excellence at Quinnipiac University and author of Identity Politics in the United States and host of t...

It’s the final Wheelhouse before election day, and we’ve got a lot to talk about.  This hour, Colin McEnroe hosts as we look at the latest on the Presidential election where  younger Americans are voting early in record numbers , and panelist Leah Wright-Rigueur says the GOP is  flattering Black voters, while discouraging voter turnout .  Also, how confident should...

The percentage of COVID-19 tests coming back positive is increasing in Connecticut. A member of the state’s Congressional delegation describes what it is like to be targeted by racism.  And look out Donald Trump... Here comes the mute button!  We look ahead to tomorrow’s debate between the president and former vice president Joe Biden. Guests: Emilie Munson --  Regional...

There was no Wheelhouse this week because of live coverage of Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing.  In place of the Wheelhouse, here is a new program on Connecticut Public Radio called Disrupted.  It's hosted by Khalilah Brown-Dean.  She's a professor at Quinnipiac University and a panelist on the Wheelhouse.  Disrupted looks at how the pandemic and the Black...

Donald Trump is back at the White House following his hospitalization with coronavirus. But did some aspects of the president's return send the wrong message about coronavirus? Given the ages of both candidates for president, maybe we should pay a little more attention to tonight’s vice presidential debate. We will also check in on the initial Fifth Congressional District debate.  After...

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden met in the first presidential debate last night.  The two men traded personal insults, and the president repeatedly interrupted the former vice president.  Here in Connecticut state lawmakers are gearing up for a special session today.  We will have the latest on which proposals are in, and which are out. Guests: Mark Paznio...

Amid signs of public distrust in a quick vaccine release, Governor Ned Lamont says the state will review any COVID-19 innoculation for safety and effectiveness.  A member of Connecticut’s congressional delegation tests positive for coronavirus.  And how will Halloween be different during the pandemic? Guests: John McKinney --  Former Republican State Senate Minority Leader ( @...

There are developments in two unrelated federal investigations that involve Connecticut and the world of politics. One inquiry resulted in the arrest of Bridgeport’s police chief and the city’s personnel director.  There was a high-ranking resignation from the other probe, amid concerns about political pressure from the Trump administration.  That investigation is run by the...

There are developments in two unrelated federal investigations that involve Connecticut and the world of politics. One inquiry resulted in the arrest of Bridgeport’s police chief and the city’s personnel director.  There was a high-ranking resignation from the other probe, amid concerns about political pressure from the Trump administration.  That investigation is run by the...

High school football players, parents, and coaches make a goal line stand to try to prevent the cancelation or postponement of their season due to COVID-19. Is the virus  controlled enough to let students compete on the gridiron?  Also, a partisan divide deepens over the governor's coronavirus emergency powers. Russell Blair --  Content Editor at the Hartford Courant ( @RussellBlair...

Governor Ned Lamont wants to keep his coronavirus emergency powers a few months longer. Not everyone is happy about that. Will the pandemic alter the next race for governor? Plus we look at some other impacts of COVID-19 in Connecticut, and we check in on the presidential race now that the conventions are in the rear view mirror, demonstrators are clashing in the streets of some cities, and the pr...

Republicans use their national convention to stoke concerns about radical Black Lives Matter demonstrators, socialists, and low-income housing. Eversource gets zapped by angry Connecticut customers at a public hearing on rate hikes.  And how will parents and educators choose between in-person classes and distance learning as the school year begins? Guests: Daniela Altimari -  state gover...

The Democratic National Convention goes virtual. President Donald Trump takes on the  Post Office as Connecticut and many other states are poised to expand voting through the mail in November.  Domestic violence allegations that were known in the GOP resulted in the arrest of a Republican congressional primary candidate who won the party's endorsement anyway.  How bad is the fallout...

This week, we clean up after the storm and the state's primary. There may also be discussion of football.  Guests:  Brian Lockhart --  Covers Bridgeport politics and policy at Hearst Connecticut ( @blockhart1 ) Mark Pazniokas --  Capitol Bureau Chief at the Connecticut Mirror ( @CTMirrorPaz ) Mercy Quaye --  Columnist for Hearst Connecticut, adjunct faculty at Southern Con...

The state Senate is considering a police accountability bill that cleared the house last week. Meanwhile, parents, teachers, and students are making difficult decisions about going back to school during the pandemic. Robert Cotto, Junior --  Trinity College Director of Urban Educational Initiatives and Educational Studies lecturer ( @RobertCottoJr ) Keith Phaneuf --  State budget reporte...

We look at the mostly positive trends for COVID-19 in the state.  And we glance worriedly at some other states.  Our panel will take a closer look at new rules, training, and oversight for police officers in Connecticut.  That bill is expected to soon be considered in a General Assembly special session.  And are new beach restrictions in some towns really entirely about COVID-1...

State lawmakers have put some details on the table, as they craft a law enforcement bill in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  But does the proposal meet the needs of the moment? After opposition including a lawsuit involving the state of Connecticut, the Trump administration backs off a new rule that targeted international students.  And an announcement is expected i...

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass has been in the news recently, even though he died more than a century ago.  What can one of his speeches from before the Civil War teach us today? What could be proposed in a Connecticut General Assembly special session in response to the death of George Floyd?  Donald Trump offers a possible preview of his campaign themes.  And Connecticut postpones...

This week on the Wheelhouse, we compare some of the proposals on the state level in Connecticut, in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Should the focus of a special session be on making law enforcement more just for people of color?  Or should larger issues also be considered?  Will a special session actually happen? State GOP lawmakers are involved in lawsuits challen...

Changes are starting to be made in Connecticut law enforcement, as protests continue over the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.  The US Supreme Court issues a decision some see as a landmark in the fight for gay rights.  And today marks the start of a new phase of the reopening of businesses in Connecticut as coronavirus recedes in the state.  Guests: Russell B...

...You should listen to First Wave.  It's the Connecticut Public Radio news documentary about the arrival of COVID-19 in the state. With information collected as the illness spread, and interviews that reveal new information about the state's response to the pandemic, First Wave looks at how cornavirus has changed the lives of many people in Connecticut.  Support the show: http://wnpr.or...

The country is jolted by the death of George Floyd, and by nation-wide demonstrations against police brutality that sometimes turned violent.  How did we get to this point? What should be done to make law enforcement and society more just?  Guests: David Collins --  Columnist for The Day in New London ( @DavidCollinsct ) Bilal Sekou --  Associate Professor of Politics and Gover...

This week, we take a look at the political divide on coronavirus in Connecticut and around the country.  But could there also be a seed of pandemic bipartisanship in the state?  We playback some of the judicial greatest hits of a high-profile member of the state Supreme Court.  How might Justice Richard Palmer’s retirement change the court? And a look at some award-winning rep...