Connections Podcast

The Rochester Cocktail Revival is back. The eighth annual event kicked off Monday and runs through Sept. 5. Rochester's event is the only weeklong cocktail festival of its kind in the state, with more than 20 bars participating. Despite the vibrant local scene, Rochester hasn't made the map when it comes to national recognition for its cocktails. Tales' Spirited Awards, which honor cocktails and spirits throughout the nation, have focused attention on New York City; the only bars awarded north

Early this year, the company LawnStarter ranked the best cities in the U.S. to live without a car. San Francisco came in at number one. Shreveport, Louisiana fell in last place -- number 150. Rochester was listed at number 37. What can lower-ranking cities learn from San Francisco in terms of walkability and access to public transit?This hour, we compare the scene in each of the three cities. Our guests: Jason Partyka , board member and chair of the Bus Work Group at Reconnect Rochester Liz

In a piece for the Atlantic Monthly, Elizabeth Bruenig wrote that educators have a "hugely complex task" when it comes to training young people to be ethical consumers of pornography. Porn literacy educators want digital natives to be able to recognize that much of modern pornography perpetuates and amplifies standards of beauty that are harmful, a lack of protection, exploitation, and sometimes, sexual violence. Our guests this hour discuss porn literacy and how to have conversations with young

When Peyton Manning went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this month, he issued a call for the revitalization of youth football. Manning warned that the game is losing players at every level, and he said that the safety improvements should be enough to convince parents to send their kids out on the field again. Is he right? We discuss the state of football, and we address Manning's plea for more kids of all ages to be playing the game. Our guests: Katie Rizzone, M.D. , primary care

The KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival is back. This year's event runs September 14 through 25 and includes more than 425 performances, both in-person and virtual. Proof of vaccination is required for festival goers 12 and over who are attending indoor shows. This hour, we discuss the festival's return, the safety measures in place, and we preview a number of performances. Our guests: Erica Fee , producer of the KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival Daniel Armbruster , CEO and lead singer of Joywave

After the attack at Kabul airport Thursday, smaller crowds are gathered outside the gates today. Americans working with Afghans trying to get out are now concerned that the airport won't be an option. Our guest takes us inside the effort with the clock running down: Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise

A strong majority of Americans support masking in public schools, but at school board meetings across the country, angry parents opposed to masking have been shouting at board members and even some of the students. We discuss how schools are trying to navigate the charged atmosphere. Our guests: Joseph Henderson , school board member with the Saranac Lake Central School District Brooke Binkowski , managing editor of the website Truth or Fiction Nicolas Fallone, 2020 graduate of the Webster

Leaders from organizations that provide services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities say they are dealing with a staffing crisis. Direct support professionals provide assistance to people with disabilities, helping them live and work in their communities. Leaders say there was a staffing shortage prior to the pandemic due to inadequate funding, and now the issue has reached a crisis point. This hour, we discuss the role of direct support professionals, the state of

We begin the first hour with breaking news from Afghanistan, where sources say 13 people were killed in an explosion at the Kabul airport. We're joined by Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise. The organization helps Afghan interpreters who served the U.S. military come to the U.S. on Special Immigrant Visas. Smith weighs in on the situation in Afghanistan and the state of the evacuation. Our guest: Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise

How many cotton tote bags do you have? The bags have been touted as eco-friendly alternatives to plastic bags. In some cases, they've become brand-boosting fashion statements. But as Grace Cook recently wrote for the New York Times, the ubiquity of the totes may have led to a new environmental problem: the bags are water intensive and associated with forced labor. According to a 2018 study in Denmark, Cook writes, "an organic cotton tote needs to be used 20,000 times to offset its overall impact