This weekend, Joe Biden announced he’s dropping out of the presidential race. We’ll talk about what this means for November on a special edition of The Wheelhouse.

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As the country witnesses yet another act of political violence, its citizens wonder about the impact words and weapons have on our lives. On the next Wheelhouse, we try to make sense of an assassination attempt in 2024.

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This week on The Wheelhouse, lawmakers are taking “reasonable measures” to protect children online through the “Kids Online Safety Act.” But does this act encroach on free speech? And is a TikTok ban really in our future?

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Election coverage in 2024 has portrayed individual members of latino communities as a collective bloc. As coverage of polling sacrifices nuance over numbers, an opportunity is missed to delve into issues that a large percentage of Americans care about.

Polls are used in the media, for example, to show that President Joe Biden is behind in his campaign–and that Latinos are breaking for former president Donald Trump. But, a report from the Brookings Institute, shows that Latinos are underrepresented in most polls. And that, “national election polls are not designed for sub-group analysis.”

Today on The Wheelhouse, honing in on people and policy, and not on who prospective voters from the Hispanic Latino diaspora are going to vote for.

This episode continues Connecticut Public and The Wheelhouse's election coverage, connecting people to policy. We’ve already tackled reproductive rights, how to talk to your kids about politics, and the role of the media in presidential elections.

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GUESTS:

• Charles Venator-Santiago: Associate professor of political science and El Instituto, University of Connecticut
• Christian Paz: senior politics reporter, Vox
• Maricarmen Cajahuaringa: Latino communities reporter, Connecticut Public

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Reproductive rights aren’t just at stake in states like Louisiana and Texas. They’re targeted—even in a so-called safe harbor Connecticut–by some lawmakers.

Today on The Wheelhouse, what might the landscape surrounding reproductive care look like after November’s elections?

And looking back, we’ll examine Connecticut’s complicated history with reproductive rights.

GUESTS:

• Sonali Chakravarti: Professor of government, Wesleyan University
• Amanda Becker: Washington correspondent, The 19th

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More and more states are restricting access to gender-affirming care. It’s an issue that some politicians are centering in their political campaigns.

But a 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll from 2023 found that only 17 percent of Americans believe politicians should focus on restrictions to gender-affirming care.

So, today on the Wheelhouse, we’ll wade through misinformation to examine anti-trans rhetoric.

GUESTS:

• Joanna Wuest, Assistant professor of politics, Mount Holyoke College
• TJ Billard, Assistant professor, Northwestern University School of Communication
• Katelyn Burns, Columnist, MSNBC

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.

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The way we view cannabis has changed, particularly since states began decriminalizing its use and allowing residents to buy it.

Most Americans now live in a state where cannabis for recreational use is legal. As jurisdictions embrace the cannabis industry, communities are addressing people disproportionately impacted by the “war on drugs” and cracking down on the distribution of illicit cannabis.

Today on The Wheelhouse, how is the regulation of cannabis for recreational use going?

Also on this episode, a check-in with radio host Jeremy Hobson ahead of his appearance in Waterbury, Connecticut on June 3. His live call-in show “The Middle” is coming to the Palace Theater. We’ll ask Hobson what the geographical–and philosophical–middle of America thinks about widespread legalization of cannabis.

GUESTS:

• Natalie Fertig, Federal Cannabis Policy Reporter, POLITICO
• Jordan Nathaniel Fenster, Senior enterprise reporter, CT Insider
• Jeremy Hobson, Host, “The Middle”

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.

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Connecticut’s aging population is growing. Lawmakers are looking for solutions as complaints from elder care residents and advocates increase in the state. On the next Wheelhouse, how is the state addressing this problem?

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