We’re in the final days of the 2025-26 academic year.

A lot has happened since the fall, including the assassination of a conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, the rise of Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, and another U.S. conflict in the Persian Gulf.

Today on The Wheelhouse, we hear how students at the University of Hartford are keeping up with the political process.

Guests:

• Merci Payadue, politics and government student, University of Hartford
• Farah Suede, politics and government student, University of Hartford
• Bilal Sekou, associate professor of politics and government, University of Hartford
• Jonathan Wharton, associate professor of political science and urban affairs, Southern Connecticut State University

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Recent redactions to the Epstein files have raised renewed questions about what the government does – and does not – strike from highly sensitive documents.

The black pen has been used on classified materials for decades. But amid renewed calls for disclosure, more Americans are raising questions about the politics behind what stays in and what gets taken out.

Today on the Wheelhouse, we’re talking about government redactions and the power of the pen.

Guests:

• Sam Lebovic: history professor at George Mason University
• Barbara McQuade: former U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Michigan

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President Donald Trump says the U.S. conflict with Iran is “nearing completion.”

He’s addressed the American people after gas prices soared and markets panicked.

It’s a story America knows all too well, with a reliance on fossil fuels causing many crises including in 1973, 1979, 1999, and 2022.

Today on the Wheelhouse, we’re looking at oil and how it shapes U.S. foreign policy.

Guests:

• Tik Root, senior staff writer, Grist
• Jeff D. Colgan, professor of political science and international and public affairs, Brown University
• Áine Pennello, Report for America Environmental and Climate Change reporter, CT Public

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What you see on the internet could influence how you see one side of a political debate.

Whether it was the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal law enforcement, – or what NPR is calling “America’s first AI-fueled war” in Iran, images generated online may distort what’s actually happening.

Today on The Wheelhouse, as trust in news reaches new lows, how is artificial intelligence fueling larger media skepticism?

Guests:

• Alyssa Appelman, associate professor in the William White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Kansas University
• Renee Hobbs, professor in the Department of Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island
• Lisa Hagen, federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror

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Connecticut has sued the federal government to keep colleges and universities from releasing race-based admissions data to the White House.

Ahead of “Ivy Day,” when students will learn if they’ve gotten into some of the country’s most prestigious schools, we’re re-visiting a 2023 Supreme Court decision that effectively banned affirmative action in collegiate enrollment.

We’ll hear from the president of Wesleyan University about the challenges facing higher education and ask if people of color are getting a fair shake in the college admissions process.

Guests:

• Michael Roth, president, Wesleyan University
• Bilal Sekou, Hillyer College associate professor of political science, University of Hartford

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The White House and the U.S. Department of Defense are incorporating “maximum lethality” into their rhetoric about the war in Iran.

It’s hyper-masculine language, tied to a misogynistic and fringe internet culture known to target women.

At a time when administration officials are selling Iran airstrikes with montages of popular moments in American culture, the line between triumph and tragedy is blurring.

Today on The Wheelhouse, the real life consequences of online hyper-masculinity on women around the globe.

Guests:

• Adam Aleksic, linguist, The Etymology Nerd
• Jiyoun Suk, professor in the department of communications, University of Connecticut
• Saed Hill, president-elect, Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities, American Psychological Association

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Election results from 2024 have necessitated deep dives into the manosphere.These podcasts often don’t focus on political horse races – and many of the people on them say they’re not political.

But, according to one data firm, 54% of votes from men aged 18 to 29 were cast for Donald Trump. And his campaign did a lot of outreach to appear on the podcasts, courting an audience demographic that once went the other way.

Today on The Wheelhouse, with the midterms coming up in November we ask: Can MAGA still count on the manosphere?

Guests:

• Elena Moore, political reporter, NPR’s Washington Desk
• Charlie Sabgir, director, Young Men Research Project
• Theodore R. Johnson, contributing columnist, The Washington Post

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Across Connecticut, some students are joining a national movement to protest federal immigration crackdowns.

Students from Classical Magnet School in Hartford poured out of the classroom and onto the streets in February, holding up signs like “ICE OUT” to passing cars.

The demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement are happening in places like Hartford, Tampa and Northern Virginia in the weeks since federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis.

This hour, we’re discussing student protests and other ways young people are engaging in civics. We'll also get the latest on the developing conflict in Iran and the Middle East.

Guests:

• U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.)
• Gina Chace, assistant principal, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering
• Annmarie Timmins, senior reporter on youth and education, NHPR
• Chris Doyle, history teacher, Avon Old Farms

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