The Wheelhouse

By Connecticut Public Radio

What's The Wheelhouse about?

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.

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Inauguration Day: A Connect...

01.21.2021

Today Joe Biden became the forty-sixth president of the United States. Will America heed President Biden’s calls to end an 'uncivil war' in political debate that spilled over into violence at the capitol two weeks ago? A vice presidential swearing-in ...

The Wheelhouse episodes:

01.21.2021 Inauguration Day: A Connecticut Public Radio Call-In Special Today Joe Biden became the forty-sixth president of the United States. Will America heed President Biden’s calls to end an 'uncivil war' in political debate that spilled over into violence at the capitol two weeks ago? A vice presidential swearing-in ...
01.08.2021 The Future Of The Wheelhouse Is Where We Live Starting January 13, Connecticut Public Radio's weekly Wednesday politics show becomes part of Where We Live. It will have a revamped format that includes interviews with news makers and analysis from some of the same top notch reporters and political ...
01.06.2021 The Wheelhouse: Senate On The Line Two US Senate contests in Georgia will decide who controls the chamber. Democrats are optimistic after a night of vote counting. How big of an impact will the outcome have on the direction of the country? Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress ...
12.30.2020 The Wheelhouse: 2020 Was A Year The Wheelhouse looks back at what was... Quite a year. Also a glance at the president's pardons and a very early look at some possible candidates for governor. Guests: Kevin Rennie -- Hartford Courant Columnist and former state lawmaker (@DailyRuctions) ...
12.23.2020 The Wheelhouse: Connecticut Education Leader Goes To Washington Connecticut’s education commissioner is heading to Washington. What sort of approach to schooling during the pandemic will Miguel Cardona bring to President-elect Joe Biden’s new administration? He’s not the only person with ties to the state heading to the capitol. ...
12.16.2020 The Wheelhouse: Electoral College Vaccinates Democracy Connecticut’s first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine has arrived. What does this moment represent in the battle against the virus? Electoral college votes have been cast in the state, and around the country, again confirming Joe Biden’s presidential win. Will Republican ...
12.09.2020 The Wheelhouse: COVID Crossroads? Connecticut could face a crossroads in its battle with COVID-19. On one hand, healthcare workers are expected to get vaccinated over the next month-and-a-half. But shots for elderly people and patients with underlying medical problems will not begin until January, ...
12.02.2020 The Wheelhouse: COVID Second Wave Builds In Connecticut More than 5,000 people have died with coronavirus in Connecticut since the start of the pandemic. Deaths have been accelerating and the number of patients hospitalized with the illness is growing. But vaccines are on the horizon. This week we ...
11.18.2020 The Wheelhouse: Gov In Quarantine Top members of the Lamont administration go into quarantine as they also deal with a resurgence of COVID-19 in Connecticut. How much trouble are we facing in the state, and in the nation? And could an app on your phone ...
11.11.2020 The Wheelhouse: White House, General Assembly In Transition 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 ...
11.04.2020 The Wheelhouse Counts The Ballots: 595,001... 595,002... 595,003... 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 ...
10.30.2020 Election 2020: A Connecticut Conversation 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 ...
10.28.2020 The Wheelhouse: Previewing Election Day 2020 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 ...
10.21.2020 The Wheelhouse: More COVID, More Racist Trolls 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 ...
10.15.2020 The Wheelhouse: Gets Disrupted! 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 ...
10.07.2020 The Wheelhouse: Pols Return From Covid, Debates Roll On 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 ...
09.30.2020 The Wheelhouse: Angry Debate, Special Session 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 ...
09.23.2020 The Wheelhouse: CT To Review Vaccines, Halloween Safety 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 ...
09.16.2020 The Wheelhouse: Federal Probes, COVID Inches Back 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, ...
09.16.2020 The Wheelhouse: Federal Probes, COVID Inches Back 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, ...
09.09.2020 The Wheelhouse: Sack The Quarterback Or COVID-19? 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 ...
09.02.2020 The Wheelhouse: Pandemic Politics In Connecticut, Presidential Campaign Violence 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, ...
08.26.2020 The Wheelhouse: GOP Convention, Tough Back-to-school Coronavirus Choices 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 ...
08.19.2020 The Wheelhouse: Democratic National (Online) Convention, Trump Marked Undeliverable 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 ...
08.12.2020 The Wheelhouse: Wind And Politics 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 ...
07.29.2020 The Wheelhouse: Disputed Decisions On Police, Back To School 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 ...
07.22.2020 The Wheelhouse: A Positive View Of Negative Tests 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 ...
07.15.2020 The Wheelhouse: Law Enforcement Changes Proposed 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 ...
07.08.2020 The Wheelhouse: Frederick Douglass Still Speaks 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 ...
06.24.2020 The Wheelhouse: Connecticut Lawmakers Talking About Policing, Race 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 ...
06.17.2020 The Wheelhouse: Seeking Freedom From Brutality, Equality On The Job, And Pandemic Safety 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 ...
06.11.2020 If You Like The Wheelhouse... ...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 ...
06.03.2020 The Wheelhouse: It's Okay To Cry. Or To Chant. 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? ...
05.27.2020 The Wheelhouse: Coronavirus Political Divide, Prominent Justice Retires 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 ...
05.20.2020 The Wheelhouse: Happy Reopening Day! 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 ...
05.13.2020 The Wheelhouse: Prepping For Reopening, Replacing The Public Health Commissioner 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 ...
05.06.2020 The Wheelhouse: Distance Learning Continues In Connecticut 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, ...
04.29.2020 The Wheelhouse: The Challenges Of Reopening Connecticut; Remembering Those We've Lost 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 ...
04.22.2020 The Wheelhouse: Klarides Departs, What Does The Future Hold For Murphy? 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 ...
04.15.2020 The Wheelhouse: What Would A Normal President Do? 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 ...
04.08.2020 The Wheelhouse: Should Coronavirus Change The Way Legislatures Do Business? 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 ...
04.01.2020 The Wheelhouse: Elected Officials And Regular People Grapple With Coronavirus Fears 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 ...
03.25.2020 The Wheelhouse: Open For Business Or Stay Home, Stay Safe? 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 ...
03.18.2020 The Wheelhouse: A Local Look At Coronavirus This week a look at coronavirus in one Connecticut city, on the state-wide level, and across the country. How could COVID-19 change society? We also dissect the Democratic presidential primary results from the states that did not postpone their vote. ...
03.11.2020 The Wheelhouse: Wash Your Hands. And Vote. This week, we sort through the results from the latest round of Democratic presidential primaries in Michigan and five other states. Coronavirus has already postponed rallies and threatens to limit campaign activity at a key stage in the contest. We ...
03.04.2020 The Wheelhouse: Super Analysis Of Super Tuesday We pick up the pieces after the Super Tuesday primary. How big a factor were the endorsements of departing candidates Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar for Joe Biden's big night? Bernie Sanders tried to cement a lead, but that did ...
02.26.2020 The Wheelhouse: Life After Tolls Because I could not stop for tolls -- They kindly stopped for me -- The Chrysler held but just ourselves -- And not the D-O-T. This week on The Wheelhouse, the failure of a tolls proposal will have lasting implications ...
02.19.2020 The Wheelhouse: Watch Out For That Needle! Watch for crowds of people opposed to vaccines at the state capitol today for a public hearing on a bill that would require students claiming religious objections to get the shots. Some of the parents fearful of vaccines are threatening ...
02.12.2020 The Wheelhouse: Gambling, The State Budget, And The New Hampshire Primary On The Wheelhouse this week, we run the odds on a gambling expansion bill and take a closer look at the state budget. We examine Connecticut's efforts to influence the New Hampshire Primaries. And should the state go forward with ...
02.05.2020 The Wheelhouse: The End Of Impeachment And The Start Of Session On this week's Wheelhouse: President Donald Trump's impeachment trial is scheduled to end with a final vote the day after his state of the union address. Has impeachment altered the presidential race? A new general assembly session also begins today. ...

Older episodes

The Wheelhouse

What's The Wheelhouse about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Wheelhouse episodes:

Inauguration Day: A Connecticut Public Radio Call-In Special

The Future Of The Wheelhouse Is Where We Live

The Wheelhouse: Senate On The Line

The Wheelhouse: 2020 Was A Year

The Wheelhouse: Connecticut Education Leader Goes To Washington

The Wheelhouse: Electoral College Vaccinates Democracy

The Wheelhouse: COVID Crossroads?

The Wheelhouse: COVID Second Wave Builds In Connecticut

The Wheelhouse: Gov In Quarantine

The Wheelhouse: White House, General Assembly In Transition

The Wheelhouse Counts The Ballots: 595,001... 595,002... 595,003...

Election 2020: A Connecticut Conversation

The Wheelhouse: Previewing Election Day 2020

The Wheelhouse: More COVID, More Racist Trolls

The Wheelhouse: Gets Disrupted!

The Wheelhouse: Pols Return From Covid, Debates Roll On

The Wheelhouse: Angry Debate, Special Session

The Wheelhouse: CT To Review Vaccines, Halloween Safety

The Wheelhouse: Federal Probes, COVID Inches Back

The Wheelhouse: Federal Probes, COVID Inches Back

The Wheelhouse: Sack The Quarterback Or COVID-19?

The Wheelhouse: Pandemic Politics In Connecticut, Presidential Campaign Violence

The Wheelhouse: GOP Convention, Tough Back-to-school Coronavirus Choices

The Wheelhouse: Democratic National (Online) Convention, Trump Marked Undeliverable

The Wheelhouse: Wind And Politics

The Wheelhouse: Disputed Decisions On Police, Back To School

The Wheelhouse: A Positive View Of Negative Tests

The Wheelhouse: Law Enforcement Changes Proposed

The Wheelhouse: Frederick Douglass Still Speaks

The Wheelhouse: Connecticut Lawmakers Talking About Policing, Race

The Wheelhouse: Seeking Freedom From Brutality, Equality On The Job, And Pandemic Safety

If You Like The Wheelhouse...

The Wheelhouse: It's Okay To Cry. Or To Chant.

The Wheelhouse: Coronavirus Political Divide, Prominent Justice Retires

The Wheelhouse: Happy Reopening Day!

The Wheelhouse: Prepping For Reopening, Replacing The Public Health Commissioner

The Wheelhouse: Distance Learning Continues In Connecticut

The Wheelhouse: The Challenges Of Reopening Connecticut; Remembering Those We've Lost

The Wheelhouse: Klarides Departs, What Does The Future Hold For Murphy?

The Wheelhouse: What Would A Normal President Do?

The Wheelhouse: Should Coronavirus Change The Way Legislatures Do Business?

The Wheelhouse: Elected Officials And Regular People Grapple With Coronavirus Fears

The Wheelhouse: Open For Business Or Stay Home, Stay Safe?

The Wheelhouse: A Local Look At Coronavirus

The Wheelhouse: Wash Your Hands. And Vote.

The Wheelhouse: Super Analysis Of Super Tuesday

The Wheelhouse: Life After Tolls

The Wheelhouse: Watch Out For That Needle!

The Wheelhouse: Gambling, The State Budget, And The New Hampshire Primary

The Wheelhouse: The End Of Impeachment And The Start Of Session

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