Connections Podcast

If Facebook is not going to regulate itself, is there anything that can be done? The company’s whistleblower has provided evidence indicating that Facebook does not want to stop the flow of misinformation, because misinformation is profitable.

Is Instagram a unique threat to teenage girls? Internal Facebook documents indicate that the company realizes how much damage the platform can do. Some leading psychologists have argued that we are reaching a public health crisis that threatens girls specifically. Others have pushed back, arguing that body image issues have always existed for teenage girls.

Let's talk sports! The Red Wings just wrapped up their first baseball season in two years, the Amerks are getting ready to bring (vaccinated) fans back to Blue Cross Arena after playing to empty stands most of last year, and there are two new(ish) teams gearing up to bring pro soccer back to Rochester after some rough years for the sport.

Got questions about technology? We all do right now, and not just because we couldn't get to Facebook all day Monday. Thinking of cutting the cord on cable TV? Trying to upgrade your home internet? Still struggling with your work-from-home setup? And do you want the new iPhone 13 or would you be better off with the Pixel 6?

We’re joined by botanist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer. Her new book, “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants,” has been selected as the 2021 Rochester Reads book.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is our guest for the first part of the hour. She joins us to discuss a number of issues on her radar, including paid leave, the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act, and legislation related to burn pits. We also talk with her about the pandemic, the federal infrastructure bill, and the abortion debate.

How do science fiction writers consider the possibilities of the future? How do they present possible problems -- technologically, ethically, etc. – in ways that are entertaining, plausible, and ripping? How much fiction is meant as a signal or warning, and how much is just fun?

We begin our series of interviews with candidates for Rochester City Council. There are ten candidates vying for five at-large seats. Our goal is to talk to all of them prior to Election Day about their background, platforms, and priorities for office.

More than a decade ago, a couple of young entrepreneurs moved to Rochester and created the city's hottest new date spot. It was called Chocolate & Vines, located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. The owners had heard about Rochester and the relatively low cost of property in Monroe County, and they launched their idea almost on a whim. Now, Chocolate & Vines is closing.

The Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative is working toward a wage enhancement goal. The aim of the Level Up Champions program is to increase the starting wage to $15 an hour for 10,000 Rochester residents this year. So far, about 50 employers have raised their stating wages, affecting more than 6,500 workers. Experts say low wages are a leading cause of poverty.