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

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

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.

The Wheelhouse

CT civic leaders ask: Can engagement help overcome political differences?

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

Recent redactions to the Epstein files have raised renewed questions about what the government does &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/02/06/nx-s1-5702692/epstein-files-doj-trump-clinton-oversight">and does not</a>&nbsp;&ndash; 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&rsquo;re talking about government redactions and the power of the pen.
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://historyarthistory.gmu.edu/people/slebovic">Sam Lebovic</a>:&nbsp;history professor at George Mason University</li>
<li><a href="https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/barbara-l-mcquade">Barbara McQuade</a>:&nbsp;former U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney&rsquo;s Office Eastern District of Michigan</li>
</ul>

A transparency black mark: What do redactions convey about politics?

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

President Donald Trump says the U.S. conflict with Iran is &ldquo;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/04/01/nx-s1-5770093/trump-address-iran-war">nearing completion</a>.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s addressed the American people after gas prices soared and markets panicked.
It&rsquo;s a story America knows all too well, with a reliance on fossil fuels causing many crises including in&nbsp;<a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1969-1976/oil-embargo">1973</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-irans-1979-revolution-meant-for-us-and-global-oil-markets/">1979</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/07/business/the-markets-commodities-oil-price-up-as-opec-s-cuts-seem-to-hold.html">1999</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-023-02526-9">2022</a>.
Today on the Wheelhouse, we&rsquo;re looking at oil and how it shapes U.S. foreign policy.
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://grist.org/author/tik-root/">Tik Root</a>, senior staff writer, Grist</li>
<li><a href="https://polisci.brown.edu/people/jeff-colgan">Jeff D. Colgan</a>, professor of political science and international and public affairs, Brown University</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/aine-pennello-1">&Aacute;ine Pennello</a>, Report for America Environmental and Climate Change reporter, CT Public</li>
</ul>

How fossil fuels shape US foreign policy

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

What you see on the internet could influence how you see one side of a political debate.
Whether it was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.startribune.com/ai-misinformation-deepfake-videos-photos-ice-agent-renee-nicole-good-minneapolis-shooting/601560361">the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal law enforcement,&nbsp;</a>&ndash; or what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/03/26/nx-s1-5762019/americas-first-ai-fueled-war-is-unfolding-right-now-in-iran-this-is-how-we-got-herehttps://www.npr.org/2026/03/26/nx-s1-5762019/americas-first-ai-fueled-war-is-unfolding-right-now-in-iran-this-is-how-we-got-here">NPR is calling &ldquo;America&rsquo;s first AI-fueled war&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;in Iran, images generated online may distort what&rsquo;s actually happening.
Today on The Wheelhouse, as trust in news&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/695762/trust-media-new-low.aspx">reaches new lows</a>, how is artificial intelligence fueling larger media skepticism?
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://journalism.ku.edu/people/alyssa-appelman-phd">Alyssa Appelman</a>, associate professor in the William White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Kansas University</li>
<li><a href="https://web.uri.edu/harrington/meet/renee-hobbs/">Renee Hobbs,</a>&nbsp;professor in the Department of Communication Studies, University of Rhode Island</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/lisa-hagen-1">Lisa Hagen,</a>&nbsp;federal policy reporter, Connecticut Public and CT Mirror</li>
</ul>

CT civic leaders ask: Can engagement help overcome political differences?

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