“Suffs,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about history-making women, is coming to Hartford.

From Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, the people behind “Suffs” say they’ll highlight themes of the past that are still relevant today including grassroots activism, race, gender and class dynamics.

Producers of "Suffs" say it isn’t some “dry history lesson,” but a high-energy, rousing experience saluting the powerful American women who fought for the right to vote.

Today on The Wheelhouse, meet Danyel Fulton, the actor that plays journalist Ida B. Wells. And we'll explore the suffragist movement in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Danyel Fulton, actor/singer, “Suffs” 
• Rachel Sussman, creative producer, “Suffs” 
• Natalie Belanger, public programs manager, Connecticut Museum of Culture and History 

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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

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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 

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

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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.

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Free speech is in focus at this year’s Wheelhouse LIVE event amid significant shifts in the world of broadcast media. If free press is the cornerstone of American Democracy, what do the Trump administration’s attacks on late night TV hosts – and Congress’ claw back of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting – tell us about the future of American politics and pop culture?

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Trad wives, short for “traditional wives,” are taking social media by storm.

Clips of women, dressing up in 1950s-style dresses, homesteading and making food from scratch, are receiving a lot of likes and lots of criticism on the web.

This hour, we peek behind the apron and ask: What does social media's trad wife phenomenon tell us about politics today?

Guests:

• Jessica Grose, opinion writer, The New York Times
• Carrie Baker, professor of the Study of Women & Gender, Smith College
• Micah English, fifth year Ph.D. candidate, Yale University

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From toys to turkeys, holiday purchases and their price tags are being shaped by politics.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs and years of persistent inflation are leaving many Americans with sticker shock. Higher prices are hitting not just for big importers, but also at your favorite local shops and restaurants.

Many Americans tell Consumer Reports that they’re “very or extremely” concerned about price increases – with three-quarters of respondents pointing to tariffs as a big reason why.

This hour, we’re exploring the impact of the economy on holiday shopping here in Connecticut.

GUESTS:

• Daniel Desrochers, international trade reporter, Politico
• Chris Raymond, home and tech editor, Consumer Reports
• Daniela Doncel, Latino communities reporter, Connecticut Public

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Connecticut lawmakers had a lot to do during the latest special session.

On top of unfinished housing business, lawmakers had only two days to authorize a $500 million dollar relief package to address federal cuts. They also voted on the purchase of a major hospital and worked to curb increased federal law enforcement efforts in Connecticut.

And what about the spectre of rising health insurance premiums in just a few weeks?

Today on The Wheelhouse, the skinny on what state lawmakers were able to accomplish in a special session. We’ll also ask what’s next following the longest federal shutdown in US history.

GUESTS:

• Michayla Savitt, state government reporter, Connecticut Public
• Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror
• Abby Brone, housing reporter, Connecticut Public
• Ginny Monk, children's issues and housing reporter, Connecticut Mirror

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A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist University poll indicated Americans’ displeasure with their government.

It found 62% of Americans surveyed believed the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 79 % say the country is going too far to restrict free speech.

So, what are people doing with their frustrations?

Today on The Wheelhouse, we’re talking with community organizers and researchers who say our voices are stronger than we think.

GUESTS:

• Kerry Ellington, Connecticut-based community organizer
• Hahrie Han, professor of political science, Johns Hopkins University

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