Face the Facts

Has there ever been a time when how we fund education has been in a brighter spotlight? Cities and towns are calling for more funding from the state. Add to that the uncertainty surrounding President Trump’s executive order calling for the closure of the U.S. Department of Education.

Rising costs of Medicare and Medicaid…Cities and towns say they’re underfunded by $400 million collectively when it comes to their education costs. So how can we solve all this? There is a lot to balance when it comes to balancing a budget.

Solving the housing crisis in Connecticut is one of the biggest challenges we’ve had year after year, and now both market rate and affordable housing options are very much in short supply.

Rep. John Larson (D) – 1st District joins Mike Hydeck on Face the Facts to discuss concerns about DOGE transparency.

The public benefits charges on utility bills were a hot topic at the state capitol this week, as lawmakers heard from customers who are fed up with the rising costs.

The new U.S. Secretary of Education, who’s also a Connecticut resident, Linda McMahon, sent a letter this week to Department of Ed staff entitled, “Our Final Mission,” signaling she is intending to fulfill President Trump’s promise to shut down the federal Department of Education.

Sen. Bob Duff (D- Majority Leader) shares with an update on budget negotiations. Does he think Governor Lamont will veto the bill to create a $40 million emergency fund for special education? And does Duff have the votes to override it if he does?

Rep. Joe Courtney (D- 2nd District) says his phone is ringing off the hook with questions and concerns about the federal layoffs.

Lawmakers expect to vote this week on the governor’s proposal to put $40 million toward special education. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) says even with that infusion to the excess cost grant, schools will still fall well short of where they need to be.

One topic pretty much everyone at the capitol can agree on is that Connecticut needs more affordable housing. But what’s considered affordable? Rep. Steve Weir (R- Hebron), a member of the Housing Committee, talks about bills they’re considering this session.

This is a precarious time for community healthcare centers that depend on reimbursements from the federal government. NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Sabrina Trocchi, the CEO of Wheeler Health.

The cost of healthcare continues to skyrocket, and there is a push in the state capitol to help patients and doctors when it comes to Medicaid, but how?

Senator Heather Somers (R-Groton) is talking about Governor Ned Lamont’s $55.2 billion budget proposal.

Despite benefiting from billions of dollars in federal contracts, the businesses owned by Elon Musk are visionary, but they are not profitable.

Within hours of taking office, President Trump signed executive orders to start a massive deportation effort. Immigration agents fanned out all across the country this week, looking for criminals who are in our country illegally, and Trump is also trying to compel local police departments to help.

People are fed up with the soaring price of power, and Connecticut lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are doing their best to work on solutions. This week, we learned the power companies are suing the chair of the state regulatory authority on how the rates are decided.

Earlier this week, a man convicted in the killing of an 8-year-old boy and his mother in Bridgeport in 1999 has been granted clemency by now former president Joe Biden.

Within hours though of taking office, President Donald Trump signed more than a dozen executive orders to make good on campaign promises, like addressing our border crisis, withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and more. Attorneys general here in Connecticut, and in many blue states, were ready for this day, and our state was one of them.

How do we make it easier to live here, start a business here and raise your kids here? NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck spoke with Chris DiPentima, CEO of the Connecticut Business Industry Association.

U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery is choosing to step down. She was the first Black woman to hold the post here in Connecticut. She spoke with NBC Connecticut’s Mike Hydeck about her plans.