WPKN Local Daily News Podcast · John Iannuzzi, WPKN

December 30, 2025

December 30, 2025·21 min

WPKN Local Daily News Podcast opens with a regional news sweep. It starts with the boycott outside Tweed New Haven Airport, where protesters keep gathering into the new year over Avilo Airlines deportation flights for the Trump administration. The report stays close to the scene. A participant in the 50-51 group says they came to stand up for people who may not be able to stand up for themselves. The cold is part of the picture too, with people bundled up against winter weather. The segment also notes an all-white plane with no markings except a number taking off from the airport. That detail gives the protest a sharper edge. From there, the broadcast shifts to Stony Brook Long Island researchers and their work on a septic scenario. It then moves to Bridgeport police and their holiday message. Chief Porter and Chief Capozzi talk about safety, seasonal greetings, and plans for a press conference with Mayor Gannon. They also point listeners to a January 6 appearance on Chief Porter's Corner. The tone stays practical throughout. The show reminds listeners that alcohol-impaired driving remains deadly. It cites 1,038 deaths in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in December of the previous year. A traffic segment follows with veteran reporter Matt Kahan. He discusses holiday road conditions and the ACLU's scrutiny of traffic cameras along the roads. The conversation treats traffic as both a seasonal burden and a policy issue. Near the end, the program folds back into station housekeeping. News Director John Iannuzzi thanks the editorial and reporting team, including Dan Hayes, Chip Warren, Sid Griffin, Melinda Tuhus, Hazel Kahn, and Rod Richardson. The result is a compact community newscast built from protests, safety guidance, local research, and transportation reporting. It keeps coming back to practical details. The episode closes with the steady, handmade feel of local radio doing ordinary civic work.

As heard by us

A plainspoken local news roundup that values civic utility over polish.

The piece frames Connecticut and Long Island as one shared news beat, moving from an airport protest tied to Avilo Airlines to Stony Brook researchers working on septic trouble, then to Bridgeport police with New Year's safety guidance.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A local news hour that moves from airport protest to traffic and holiday safety.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify