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2026 grads seeking professional degrees face capped loans thanks to funding cuts in the federal Republican tax and spending plan

2026 grads seeking professional degrees face capped loans thanks to funding cuts in the federal Republican tax and spending plan

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

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

The Wheelhouse

Blumenthal calls federal loan caps for prospective nurse practitioners and doctors ‘stupid’

Civilians and federal ICE agents are clashing from Hartford to Minneapolis.

Federal officials are amping up enforcement efforts – and rhetoric – in the wake of several shootings in Minnesota at the hands of federal ICE agents.

How are protesters and journalists responding?

Today on The Wheelhouse, government accountability and transparency in 2026.

GUESTS:
Elana Bildner, staff attorney, ACLU-CT
Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, author and professor of constitutional law, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Elisa Lees Muñoz, executive director, International Women’s Media Foundation
Miles Pinsof-Berlowitz, co editor-in-chief, The Wesleyan Argus
Thomas Lyons, co editor-in-chief, The Wesleyan Argus
Janhavi Munde, managing editor, The Wesleyan Argus

Civilians and federal ICE agents are clashing from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-01-09/ct-public-reporter-describes-chaotic-scene-at-ice-killing-protest-in-hartford">Hartford</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/10/nx-s1-5673229/ice-protests-minneapolis-portland-renee-good">Minneapolis</a>.
Federal officials are amping up enforcement efforts &ndash; and rhetoric &ndash; in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/us/minneapolis-federal-agent-shooting-immigration.html">several</a>&nbsp;shootings in Minnesota at the hands of federal ICE agents.
How are protesters and journalists responding?
Today on The Wheelhouse, government accountability and transparency in 2026.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.acluct.org/news/meet-elana-bildner-aclu-connecticuts-new-staff-attorney/">Elana Bildner</a>, staff attorney, ACLU-CT</li>
<li><a href="https://www.jjay.cuny.edu/faculty/gloria-j-browne-marshall">Gloria J. Browne-Marshall</a>, author and professor of constitutional law, John Jay College of Criminal Justice</li>
<li><a href="https://www.iwmf.org/people/elisa-lees-munoz/">Elisa Lees Mu&ntilde;oz</a>, executive director, International Women&rsquo;s Media Foundation</li>
<li><a href="https://wesleyanargus.com/author/mpinsofberlo/">Miles Pinsof-Berlowitz</a>, co editor-in-chief, The Wesleyan Argus</li>
<li><a href="https://wesleyanargus.com/author/tlyons/">Thomas Lyons</a>, co editor-in-chief, The Wesleyan Argus</li>
<li><a href="https://wesleyanargus.com/author/jmunde/">Janhavi Munde</a>, managing editor, The Wesleyan Argus</li>
</ul>

ICE enforcement and how the people are responding in 2026

Visitors to U.S. national parks get in free on certain holidays.

But two days honoring Black history, Martin Luther King’s birthday – and Juneteenth – are no longer free.

As America marks 40 years of observing MLK Day, today on the Wheelhouse we’ll look at how the current Republican administration in Washington is marking King’s birthday and what that means for Black history.

GUESTS:
Bilal Sekou, Hillyer College associate professor of political science, University of Hartford
Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources in the government affairs department, National Parks Conservation Association
Charlie Sykes, writer of “To the Contrary,” Substack 

Visitors to U.S. national parks get in free on certain holidays.
But two days honoring Black history, Martin Luther King&rsquo;s birthday &ndash; and Juneteenth &ndash; are no longer free.
As America marks 40 years of observing MLK Day, today on the Wheelhouse we&rsquo;ll look at how the current Republican administration in Washington is marking King&rsquo;s birthday and what that means for Black history.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.hartford.edu/directory/hillyer/sekou-bilal.aspx">Bilal Sekou</a>,&nbsp;Hillyer College associate professor of political science, University of Hartford</li>
<li><a href="https://www.npca.org/people/alan-spears">Alan Spears</a>, senior director of cultural resources in the government affairs department, National Parks Conservation Association</li>
<li><a href="https://charliesykes.substack.com/">Charlie Sykes</a>, writer of &ldquo;To the Contrary,&rdquo; Substack&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Americans honored MLK Day for 40 years. Is 2026 different?

How did Connecticut earn the moniker “Constitution State”?

Hint – it’s not the Constitution you learned about in history class!

We’ll travel back to the 1600s to explore how history, conflict and big aspirations helped shape the state’s identity.

GUESTS:
Thomas Balcerski, professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies
Kathy Craughwell-Varda, director of Conservation ConneCTion, Connecticut State Library
Andrea Rapacz, chief curator of collections, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History

 

This episode originally aired  on Aug. 20, 2025. 

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

How did Connecticut earn the moniker &ldquo;Constitution State&rdquo;?
Hint &ndash; it&rsquo;s not the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript">Constitution</a>&nbsp;you learned about in history class!
We&rsquo;ll travel back to the 1600s to explore how history, conflict and big aspirations helped shape the state&rsquo;s identity.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.easternct.edu/faculty-directory/balcerski.html">Thomas Balcerski</a>, professor of history at Eastern Connecticut State University and director of the Center for Connecticut Studies</li>
<li><a href="https://clho.org/makeover">Kathy Craughwell-Varda</a>, director of Conservation ConneCTion, Connecticut State Library</li>
<li><a href="https://www.connecticutmuseum.org/about/staff/">Andrea Rapacz</a>, chief curator of collections, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
This episode originally aired&nbsp; on Aug. 20, 2025.&nbsp;
The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/the-wheelhouse/id1123069986">Apple Podcasts,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0rdTqFfVu8e6TKMa5lWXsI">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzI1M2YwNjY4LTA0NjMtNGFiNC04ZWIzLWE5ZmIwMDRjOTdlNy8wOTUwNDBkZS1hZjMyLTQ1Y2UtOTkwZi1hOWZiMDA0Yzk3ZjUvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/dd73c297-450d-4ea5-bb0b-64131d617ee0/the-wheelhouse">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/Government/The-Wheelhouse-p1207903/?topicId=264709829">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-wheelhouse-connecticut-public-radio-mxksbjc_iJI/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Blumenthal calls federal loan caps for prospective nurse practitioners and doctors ‘stupid’

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