Connections Podcast

How much worse was the situation in Afghanistan than American administrations have been saying for years? Our guest discusses the realities of nation building and the parallels between the occupation of Afghanistan by both Russia and the United States. Our guest: Randy Stone , chair of the Department of Political Science, and director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester

Despite years of public promises to the contrary, American leaders were well aware of how poorly prepared Afghan security forces were. The Taliban's march across the country was essentially inevitable. What lessons can we learn from this failure? Our guests discuss it: Lyle Rubin, SIGINT marine officer who served in Afghanistan in 2010 Chris Missick, sergeant who served in Iraq in 2004 and 2005

We're joined by local teachers who share how they think education should change as a result of the pandemic. The discuss the challenges they've faced, the successes they've had, and the lessons they've learned during the pandemic. This is part three in our series of conversations with teachers. Our guests: Stefan Cohen, director of the Career in Teaching (CIT) Program at the Rochester City School District Kristen French, speech language pathologist at the Rochester City School District Susan

Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula want taxpayers to cover the cost of a new stadium for the team, estimated at $1.5 billion. The Pegulas have said they can't afford to pay for it themselves, and they've hinted that if taxpayers won't do it, they could move the team to Texas. We discuss the history of publicly financed sports stadiums and whether they are a good investment. Our guest: David Cay Johnston , Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-founder of DCReport

How can nature-based education help meet students' social and emotional needs? A new organization called Rochester Ecology Partners is hosting a symposium on the subject. The goal is to connect more students and families to the outdoors. Our guests preview the event and discuss how nature can improve education and health. Our guests: Chris Widmaier , executive director of Rochester Ecology Partners Kyra Stephenson , living environment and middle school science teacher, and New York State master

This fall, the Rochester City School District is planning to return to in-person instruction five days a week. The decision comes after many school leaders across the state and the NYS Department of Education expressed their frustration about the lack of guidance from Albany. This hour, we're joined by RCSD Superintendent Lesli Myers-Small about the district's plans: what she expects classrooms to look like, the guidance she'd like to have from the state, and what she's hearing from teachers,

What lessons can we learn from the fall of Governor Andrew Cuomo? On Tuesday, Cuomo announced his resignation -- effective 14 days from then. A report from the Attorney General's office indicated he sexually harassed 11 women. During Tuesday's announcement, Cuomo denied wrongdoing, but said it was best for him to step aside. This hour, our guests discuss takeaways from Cuomo's tenure and his resignation. Our guests: Beatriz LeBron , treasurer of the Monroe County Democratic Committee Tianna

What does Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation mean for school leaders awaiting state guidance for the fall? Brighton Central School District Superintendent Kevin McGowan has said he's been frustrated by the lack of direction. He shares what he would like to see in terms of guidance, what he's expecting for the coming school year, and how the district is handling the pandemic. Our guest: Kevin McGowan , superintendent of the Brighton Central School District

Policymakers and journalists react to Gov.Cuomo's resignation and his response to the Attorney General's report that found Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women. Our guests: Dan Clark , host of New York NOW Samra Brouk , (D, WF), New York State Senator for the 55th District, and member of the State Senate’s Committee on Elections Jeremy Cooney , (D, WF), New York State Senator for the 56th District Assemblymember Sarah Clark , District 136

We start this hour with a discussion about new "good cause eviction protections" established in Albany. The conversation is abbreviated due to breaking news coverage of Gov. Cuomo's resignation. In a future program, we will revisit the housing rights discussion with our guests: Barbara Rivera, lead tenant organizer for the City-Wide Tenant Union of Rochester Clianda Florence-Yarde, tenant, educator, mother, and community member William Lang, landlord Then, policymakers and journalists react to