Speaking at the State of the Union, President Donald Trump demanded a full restoration of funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has carried out raids in major cities across the nation resulting in mass arrests, violence and the deaths of two people in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Today, we break down what was said at the State of the Union. Later, experts join us to talk about immigration reform and ICE presence in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Lisa Hagen: Federal Policy Reporter, CT Public and the Connecticut Mirror
• Maureen Abell: Staff Attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance Association and Visiting Clinical Professor at Yale Law School with the Immigrant Rights Clinic
• Sarah Pierce: Director of Social Policy at Third Way, a national think tank and advocacy organization

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It’s been four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Recent peace talks concluded without bringing the region any closer to peace.

This war has displaced millions and killed thousands of civilians. Russian armed forces recently attacked district heating systems leaving thousands of civilians without heat. 2026 has been the coldest winter in Ukraine since the initial invasion.

Today, we get an update on this conflict. We hear from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal about his recent visit toUkraine.

Plus, Connecticut residents with ties to Ukraine have organized to send aid overseas. We hear from them.

GUESTS:

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
• Larissa Babij: Connecticut native and writer, translator and dancer living in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her book is “A Kind of Refugee: The Story of an American Who Refused to Leave Ukraine”
• Carl Harvey: Organizer with the New Haven Connecticut Ukrainian American Humanitarian Aid Fund
• Myron Melnyk: Organizers with New Haven Connecticut Ukrainian American Humanitarian Aid Fund

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This hour, we’re exploring the history of tap dance in America.

Tap was first developed as a fusion of footwork styles with roots in Africa and Ireland. Over the decades, tap legends like Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Eleanor Powell, and Gregory Hines popularized the artform and brought it to the national stage.

Local dancers, choreographers, and teachers join us to discuss how they are keeping the rich legacy of tap dance alive in their work today.

GUESTS:

• Kevin Ramsey: Chair of the Theater Division, University of Hartford

• Ralph Perkins: Associate Professor of Dance and Music Theater, University of Hartford

• Katie Cavenagh: founder of the Connecticut Tap Collaborative

• Jillian McNamara: founder of the American Dance Collaborative

Where We Live 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.

This episode originally aired on December 2, 2024.

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