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WNPR’s small business coverage elevates understanding of the challenges faced by small business, educates policy-makers, and highlights the vital role of small business to the state’s economy.

The Wheelhouse: More Shooting Victims, More Casino Plans, But What Progress?

Frankie Graziano
/
Connecticut Public Radio
Connecticut U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (center) joined those rallying at the State Capitol Monday for Congress to come back from summer recess and address the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.

Including this weekend's carnage in Texas and Ohio, there were 253 incidents in which four or more victims were shot in the first 217 days of this year, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.

But is Congress ever going to take Connecticut's lead and address any of them?

That remains to be seen, though Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is hopeful about his new partnership with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham on a legislative proposal to promote so-called "red flag" laws, a step Connecticut took back in 1999.

This week, we sort through what, if any, progress may come from these latest tragedies, which President Donald Trump's critics say his racist rhetoric clearly helped to fuel. Is such partisanship leveled against our commander-in-chief ill-timed or long overdue? 

We also analyze the latest potential variable in the state's ever-evolving casino expansion quagmire: Hartford's XL Center

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.