The Wheelhouse

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...

Is today the right time to start re-opening Connecticut’s economy after much of the state was closed to slow the spread of coronavirus?  We discuss the start of a phased-in reopening of businesses in the state.  We take a closer look at the problems plaguing the state Department of Public Health. Have they limited the agency’s capabilities during the pandemic?  Amid cont...

Governor Ned Lamont has removed the Commissioner of Connecticut's Department of Public Health in the middle of a pandemic. How big are the problems faced by nursing homes trying to keep their elderly residents safe? We continue talking about the changes coming as the state gradually re-opens on May 20. And we share feats of strength and air grievances with a bit of a heavy heart, following the dea...

Parents have gotten  news they were expecting  about continued distance learning, but it’s still going to be a rough two months. Most states in the nation had already made this decision, including Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. This hour, we talk about what this will mean for students and educators, and how schools might plan to reopen in the fall. Also, in Connecticut...

May 20th. It’s the day that Governor Lamont’s closure orders run out. Will schools and nonessential businesses begin to open back up? That all depends on positive trends on COVID-19 hospitalizations, and access to testing. Meanwhile, the 47-member “Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group”  has been meeting behind closed doors  to give recommendations to the governor on...

Some Connecticut residents including Trump supporters protested this week in their cars against the coronavirus shutdowns. The Connecticut General Assembly’s regular session is kaput, but lawmakers may return in a special session. Another GOP leader will say goodbye... But not forever. The state’s presidential primary has gotten delayed again, and now is the same day as the primaries f...

Yet again, President Donald Trump draws attention to himself with his comments.  This time the president claims to have "total authority" over decisions to re-open businesses and schools.  But governors actually make those decisions on a state level during a major public health crisis like coronavirus.  The president also says he will cut US funding for the World Health Organization...

Has COVID-19 ended Connecticut's General Assembly session? Lucy Nalpathanchil checks in with a lawmaker diagnosed with the disease.  How can voting go forward in Wisconsin while coronavirus is spreading? And why does it seem to be hitting black people harder than white people?    Guests: Khalilah Brown-Dean  -- Quinnipiac University Political Science Professor and author of Ide...

Coronavirus is spreading across the nation, and New York City has become a hot spot for the disease. With its ties to New York, nearby Fairfield County has  also been hard hit. But as some governors try to protect their residents by ordering quarantine for out-of-staters, does it tear at the fabric of our country? Was the president too quick to speculate about quarantining parts of Connecticu...

Some people are seeing a recession in economic numbers for Connecticut and the nation.  Parts of the US economy have virtually shut down to prevent people from mingling and spreading COVID-19.  Agreement is reached to move forward a major coronavirus economic bailout package in Congress -- but not without partisan battles. What will it actually do? And could the spread of coronavirus be...