The Wheelhouse

Recent political violence – and a government shutdown – have turned American politics into a mudslinging free for all.

With more attention on owning the other side – and less emphasis on civility, are there still safe spaces for debate?On college campuses a new survey says more students are self-censoring in favor of speaking freely.

Today on The Wheelhouse, a temperature check on political dialogue with a college Democrat and a college Republican. How are these Connecticut students charting a path forward?

GUESTS:

• Geoffrey Medeiros, president of College Democrats, University of Connecticut
• Ryan Rosario, president of College Democrats, University of Connecticut
• Bilal Sekou, Associate professor of political science, University of Hartford
• Jonathan Wharton, Associate professor of political science and urban affairs, Southern Connecticut State University

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The Connecticut Sun could be the latest professional franchise to pull out of Connecticut.

But a full court press of politicians is working to save the WNBA franchise and keep the team right here in Connecticut. According to CT Insider, lawmakers want to use state pension funds to buy a minority stake in the team.

Today on The Wheelhouse, what state officials are doing to “Save Our Sun” in the self-proclaimed the “Basketball Capital of the World.”

GUESTS:

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
• Kurt Badenhausen, sports valuations reporter, Sportico
• P.R. Lockhart, economic development reporter, CT Mirror

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Beth Bye, a former state lawmaker and outgoing head of the Office of Early Childhood, is retiring from state service after years of work helping young children.

Bye’s retirement comes after the state legislature passed a sweeping bill last session offering free child care to many Connecticut families.

Today on The Wheelhouse, an exit interview with Beth Bye. Plus, we check in with another advocate for children, Sarah Eagan, about her concern for the state’s social safety net.

GUESTS:

• Beth Bye, commissioner, Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
• Sarah Eagan, executive director, Center for Children’s Advocacy
• Georgia Goldburn, executive director, Hope for New Haven, Inc. 
• Michayla Savitt, state government reporter, Connecticut Public

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Federal tax credits for electric vehicles will expire at the end of September.

Connecticut residents also won’t be able to access other federal incentives for heat pumps, rooftop solar and home energy audits.

Today on The Wheelhouse, how local officials can promote energy efficiency amid a federal rollback on clean energy.

Also – Connecticut’s freedom of information law turns 50 this year. We talk to reporters about continued efforts to hold officials accountable in 2025.

GUESTS:

• Katie Dykes, commissioner, Connecticut Department. of Energy and Environmental Protection
• Áine Pennello, Report for America corps member environmental and climate change reporter at Connecticut Public
• Chris Harto, senior policy analyst for transportation and energy, Consumer Reports
• Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, investigative reporter, CT Insider
• Jim Haddadin, investigative editor, Connecticut Public

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, is defending his policies on Capitol Hill. He recently spoke to Congress following a brain drain at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s director was fired. And several other high-level officials have also left the agency. They say Kennedy is weakening the administration with what they call “unscientific views.”

Today on The Wheelhouse, we ask public health officials in Connecticut how they’re preparing for the next pandemic and their thoughts on the future of health policy amid a nationwide movement to “Make America Healthy Again.”

GUESTS:

• Apoorva Mandavilli, science and global health reporter, The New York Times
• Lynn Sosa, Infectious Diseases Director, CT Department of Public Health
• Sujata Srinivasan, senior health reporter, Connecticut Public

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President Donald Trump declared war on immigration from his first day in office.

Since then, the White House has vowed to protect Americans from what it’s calling an “invasion.”

U.S. Sen Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is troubled by recent action, including a statewide sweep by immigration authorities that resulted in 65 arrests.

Murphy accuses Trump of using racist tropes on immigration to distract Americans from his “corruption and lawlessness.”

Today on The Wheelhouse, we talk to Murphy about the White House’s domestic policy agenda.

You’ll also hear from Daniela Doncel and Maysoon Khan, two Connecticut Public reporters, about a special immigration status reserved for abused migrant youth – and how it’s being rolled back.

GUESTS:

• U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy
• Archon Fung, professor of citizenship and self-government, Harvard University
• Mark Hugo Lopez, director of race and ethnicity research, Pew Research Center
• Daniela Doncel, Latino communities reporter, Connecticut Public
• Maysoon Khan, investigative reporter, Connecticut Public

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Beginning on September 1, Congress will race to finalize the federal budget before the September 30 deadline. And Connecticut’s schools are feeling the ripple effects of funding uncertainty.

Today on The Wheelhouse, we talk with educators about the challenges and concerns heading into the new school year.

Plus, we take a close look at one Connecticut district experimenting with a year-round calendar. Tune in to hear what this means for students, families, and teachers alike!

GUESTS:

• Kate Dias, president of the Connecticut Education Association
• Fran Rabinowitz, executive director, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents
• Lisa Hagan, federal policy reporter, CT Mirror and CT Public
• Cynthia Ritchie, superintendent of schools, New London Public Schools 

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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

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Even though some anthropologists believe humans are apex predators, a new book argues we’re actually not.

Author Kurt Gray posits understanding our vulnerabilities – coming to terms with our former reality as prey – could help us co-exist in tumultuous political times.

Today on The Wheelhouse, Gray, a social psychologist at The Ohio State University, discusses his book, “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics… and How to Find Common Ground.”

GUESTS:

• Kurt Gray, author, “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground”

The Wheelhouse is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

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It’s 2025 and next year’s congressional races are already heating up.

We’re learning more about U.S. Rep. John Larson’s seat in Connecticut’s First Congressional District. Columnist Dan Haar says the 2026 re-election bid will be Larson’s “toughest challenge” yet.

Are Larson’s age and health a primary factor in a prospective close race?

Today on The Wheelhouse, Dan Haar and constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar tackle that question and explore why the U.S. doesn’t have term limits for Congress.

Also, do you know if there’s lead in your home’s drinking water? We talk to the reporters behind a CT Mirror investigation that found lead in the water lines of thousands of Connecticut homes.

GUESTS:

• Akhil Reed Amar, professor of law and political science, Yale University
• Dan Haar, senior editor and columnist, CT Insider
• Colin McEnroe, host, "The Colin McEnroe Show"
• Andrew Brown, investigative reporter, CT Mirror
• Jenna Carlesso, investigative reporter, CT Mirror

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