A panel of civic-minded individuals answer questions at the University of Connecticut’s Hartford campus about engagement and the connective tissue of politics.

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Connecticut lawmakers want to reduce kids’ screentime in 2026, arguing that it protects children.

Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed banning cell phones from “bell to bell” in Connecticut classrooms.

But not all lawmakers are onboard with the idea, including a Republican lawmaker who’s accusing members of her legislative chamber of trying to “co-parent” Connecticut’s children.

Today on The Wheelhouse, we explore “Phone Free CT” and what it means for children.

GUESTS:

• Rep. Jennifer Leeper, CT House of Representatives, D-Fairfield, Southport
• Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, CT House of Representatives, R-Southington, Wolcott
• Gail Jordan, president, Bloomfield Teachers Union
• John Murphy, professor of digital media business strategies, University of Connecticut 
• Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror 

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

State lawmakers return to Hartford Wednesday for the opening of the 2026 legislative session.

They meet as federal lawmakers argue over expiring health care subsidies and immigration enforcement operations across the country.

In Connecticut, how will these federal cuts and controversies impact the work lawmakers do this session? And with soaring energy costs continuing to hammer Connecticut customers, might there be room for bipartisan compromise?

Guests:

• Rep. Vincent Candelora, House Republican Leader, R-North Branford
• Rep. Matt Ritter, Speaker of House, D-Hartford
• Susan Raff, chief political reporter, WFSB News Channel 3
• Ebong Udoma, senior reporter, WSHU

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“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 

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

Support the show: http://wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.