What was at the top of your reading list this year? As 2025 draws to a close, we bring back an annual tradition: conversations about favorite books! During part two of this two-part episode, our guests share their favorite books that they read in 2025. We also want to hear from you.* Fiction, nonfiction, adult, YA, or kids' books — we discuss it all. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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What was at the top of your reading list this year? As 2025 draws to a close, we bring back an annual tradition: conversations about favorite books! During part one of this two-part episode, our guests share their favorite books that they read in 2025. Fiction, nonfiction, adult, YA, or kids' books — we discuss it all. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Democrats won big in the recent election. We talk with local Democratic Party leaders about the state of local politics, the national scene, and what they'd like to see their party do next. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Alfred University President Mark Zupan conducted an experiment in one of his recent courses. It entailed removing smartphones and other devices from the classroom and requiring students to participate and interact with each other regarding the course content. In an op-ep for the Democrat and Chronicle, Zupan wrote that students were uneasy at first, but came to embrace the lack of technology. He joins us to talk about the implications. Our guest:

• Mark Zupan, Ph.D., president of Alfred University

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Can you recycle wrapping paper? The answer is: some, not all, and it's important to know in advance.

Many of us will stuff wrapping paper, packaging, boxes, and more into the recycling bins this month. Unfortunately, some materials can't be recycled, and will cause headaches for the staff working these facilities.

This is our annual recycling show to get you ready for the holidays, New Year's Eve, and more.

Our guests:

*Notes:
To learn more about curbside recycling in Monroe County, click here.
To learn more about the Monroe County EcoPark, click here.
To access the tool designed to help reduce food waste at home, click here.

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This episode originally aired on December 17, 2024.

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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One of the main characters in the Christmas-themed movie “Red One” is Krampus, a horned figure from folklore who was said to hunt naughty children. If it sounds horrifying, it was meant to be: children were told that Saint Nicholas would bring the well-behaved children gifts, while Krampus would beat them with a birch rod. And maybe eat them.

So why are we still so interested in centuries-old myths? Krampus is in new movies and books; Zeus is played by Jeff Goldblum in a new Netflix series.

We dive in with our guests:

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This is a rebroadcast of an episode from December 12, 2024.

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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'Tis the season, and you'll soon be seeing holiday films taking over screens (if they haven't already!). From classics like "It's a Wonderful Life," to 80s or 90s favorites like "A Christmas Story" or "Home Alone," to the love-them-or-hate-them Hallmark Christmas movies, there's so much to watch in the genre. What's your favorite holiday movie? What gives a seasonal film staying power? And what can you watch on the big screen locally if you want to get into the spirit this month? Our guests are film fans:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The community is reacting after ICE detained a local businessman. As reported by WXXI's Gino Fanelli, Omar Ramos Jimenez, the co-founder of the Mexican restaurant La Casa, was arrested by federal immigration agents earlier this month during an alleged sting. Ramos Jimenez was first detained by ICE in 2013 and has been complying with the agency's requests for check-ins. A federal complaint states that he is now being held due to changes in presidential priorities and policies and to ensure his future attendance at court hearings. Hundreds of protesters recently gathered to demand his release. The group included his daughter, Cassandra Bocanegra, a senior staff member for the Finger Lakes chapter of the New York Immigration Coalition. She joins us for the hour. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The Rochester Police Department is collaborating with a local ministry to improve police-community relations. RPD and United Christian Leadership Ministries have developed a dashboard to monitor the use of body worn cameras. The data will be available to the public. Organizers say it's the first project of its kind in the nation. We talk with the team behind it about the goals and the challenges, and about launching a partnership based on building trust. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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We're joined by our WXXI News colleagues to discuss a series of stories that have made news this week. As reported by investigative reporter Gino Fanelli, Monroe County has become the first of the major counties in upstate New York to opt out of creating a registry system for short-term rentals like Airbnb. We discuss the implications. Then, health, equity, and community reporter Racquel Stephen has the latest on flu and measles cases, which are on the rise in the community. And finally, what's trending — both currently and historically — when it comes to toys? Chris Bensch of the Strong National Museum of Play stops by the studio with recent additions to the Toy Hall of Fame, and we talk about popular toys from holidays past (think Atari, Tickle Me Elmo, and more!). In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

---

Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.