Connecticut’s 2025 legislative session is underway.

Over the next six months, lawmakers will convene to address some of the state’s most pressing issues. This hour, we’ll explore the top priorities for this session, including affordable housing, funding for public education and more.

We’ll walk through the bills you should be following and how they may impact you and your pocketbook.

GUESTS:
Susan Raff, Chief political reporter, WFSB Eyewitness News Ch. 3
Bilal Sekou, Hillyer College Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Hartford
Ebong Udoma, Senior Reporter, WSHU

Connecticut&rsquo;s 2025 legislative session is underway.
Over the next six months, lawmakers will convene to address some of the state&rsquo;s most pressing issues. This hour, we&rsquo;ll explore the top priorities for this session, including affordable housing, funding for public education and more.
We&rsquo;ll walk through the bills you should be following and how they may impact you and your pocketbook.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.wfsb.com/authors/Susan-Raff/">Susan Raff</a>, Chief political reporter, WFSB Eyewitness News Ch. 3</li>
<li><a href="https://www.hartford.edu/directory/hillyer/sekou-bilal.aspx">Bilal Sekou</a>, Hillyer College Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Hartford</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wshu.org/people/ebong-udoma">Ebong Udoma</a>, Senior Reporter, WSHU</li>
</ul>

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

What will Connecticut’s lawmakers prioritize during the 2025 legislative session?

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

The White House and the U.S. Department of Defense are incorporating &ldquo;maximum lethality&rdquo; into their rhetoric about the war in Iran.
It&rsquo;s hyper-masculine language, tied to a misogynistic and fringe internet culture known to target women.
At a time when administration officials are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/03/12/nfl-iran-war-white-house/">selling Iran airstrikes</a>&nbsp;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:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.etymologynerd.com/">Adam Aleksic</a>, linguist, The Etymology Nerd</li>
<li><a href="https://communication.uconn.edu/person/jiyoun-suk/">Jiyoun Suk</a>, professor in the department of communications, University of Connecticut</li>
<li><a href="https://sharecenter.yale.edu/contact-us">Saed Hill</a>, president-elect, Society for the Psychology of Men and Masculinities, American Psychological Association</li>
</ul>

Internet slang and the creep of dehumanizing language in politics

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

Election results from 2024 have necessitated deep dives into the manosphere.These podcasts often don&rsquo;t focus on political horse races &ndash; and many of the people on them say they&rsquo;re not political.
But,<a href="https://time.com/7378792/trump-young-voters-polls/">&nbsp;according to one data firm</a>, 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/11/07/g-s1-33331/unpacking-the-2024-youth-vote-heres-what-we-know-so-far">the other way</a>.
Today on The Wheelhouse, with the midterms coming up in November we ask: Can MAGA still count on the manosphere?
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/people/732818534/elena-moore">Elena Moore</a>, political reporter, NPR&rsquo;s Washington Desk</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ymrp.org/team">Charlie Sabgir</a>, director, Young Men Research Project</li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/theodore-r-johnson/">Theodore R. Johnson</a>, contributing columnist, The Washington Post</li>
</ul>

What Trump votes tell us about the ‘manosphere’

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

Across Connecticut, some students are joining&nbsp;<a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5745489-ice-out-student-protests-texas-florida-oklahoma/">a national movement to protest federal immigration crackdowns</a>.
Students from Classical Magnet School in Hartford poured out of the classroom and onto the streets in February,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5TvIo4qZits">holding up signs</a>&nbsp;like &ldquo;ICE OUT&rdquo; 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&rsquo;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:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://courtney.house.gov/">U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.)</a></li>
<li>Gina Chace, assistant principal, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering</li>
<li><a href="https://www.nhpr.org/people/annmarie-timmins">Annmarie Timmins</a>, senior reporter on youth and education, NHPR</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-doyle-4a232836/">Chris Doyle</a>,&nbsp;history teacher, Avon Old Farms</li>
</ul>

What will Connecticut’s lawmakers prioritize during the 2025 legislative session?

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