Connections Podcast

Sprinting star Sha’Carri Richardson was a gold medal contender for the Tokyo Olympics, which begin next Friday. But after testing positive for marijuana at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Richardson has been suspended and will miss the Games. The sprinter said she used THC to help cope with her mother’s death. Congressman Jamie Raskin and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called on the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to end Richardson’s suspension. While the agency said it wants to mitigate “harsh

If you’ve recently seen unseasonably barren trees or trees covered in caterpillars, it’s likely due to the recent infestation of Lymantria Dispar Dispar -- or LDD -- moths in Upstate New York. You may know them by their more common name, gypsy moths, prior to the push to change it due to the reference to a culturally offensive slur. The state DEC says the population of the moths this spring is the highest it has been in about three decades. The invasive caterpillars munch on leaves and shower

While many small businesses faced challenges and closure throughout the pandemic, at least one sector of the food industry grew: food trucks. Trucks across the country embraced technology and their own mobility to meet customers on apps, in parking lots, or to deliver food directly to them. This hour, we talk with local food truck owners about how they navigated the pandemic, and we discuss the state of the food truck industry in 2021. Our guests: Veronica “Ronnie” McClive, co-owner of Le Petit

Several countries, including Iceland, Spain, and New Zealand, are testing out four-day workweeks. Icelandic officials report that the trials in their country were an "overwhelming success" and led to improvements in workplaces. What did they learn? What are the drawbacks? Could we see more American companies experiment with the concept? Our guests share their perspectives: Louie Maier , president of Brandmint Bethany Patton , creative director of Brandmint Andrew Brady , co-founder of the

A new survey from the RAND Corporation shows that one in four teachers is considering leaving the profession after this school year. That's up from one in six before the pandemic. According to a co-author of the report, "Teachers were almost twice as likely to report that they were experiencing frequent job-related stress as the general employed adult population. And about three times as many teachers said that they were experiencing symptoms of depression as the general adult population.” Now

At the start of June, the number of people eating out was already back to 2019 levels, according to data from OpenTable. The hazard Americans felt is fading. Will their hazard tipping fade as well? “The simple explanation is that there is a greater willingness among some people to tip now as opposed to before the pandemic,” says Michael Lynn, a marketing professor at Cornell University, to The Atlantic. But tip averages are falling, and in some American towns, there is a backlash against

Residents of the City of Rochester could get their electricity entirely from renewable energy sources beginning September 1. The option comes with the launch of Rochester Community Power , a local community choice aggregation program. Unless residents opt out, their electricity will be from 100% renewable sources, provided at fixed rates. Local climate activists and city officials have been working with Joule Community Power to establish the program. This hour, we discuss what community choice

Colleges and universities across New York State are gearing up for the fall semester. A number of them are requiring COVID-19 vaccinations in some form. This hour, we talk to representatives from two local colleges about their institutions' vaccination policies: Hobart and William Smith Colleges, which aren't requiring vaccines; and Alfred University, which is. Our guests: Robb Flowers , vice president for campus life at Hobart and William Smith Colleges Mark Zupan , president of Alfred

Last week, State Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran announced he would be stepping down from his administrative role as judge for the Seventh Judicial District. The move comes after a photo emerged of him portraying what he described as "a well-known public figure of color" at a Halloween party in 1988. Doran apologized, saying, “I did not comprehend at the time the hurtful nature of my actions. I know now that an act of this nature is considered to be racist. I can assure you that this event in

If you're going out to an Italian restaurant, what do you expect to find on the menu? Spaghetti and meatballs is not exactly an authentic Italian dish. But does it matter? Culture and custom are shaped by a long list of forces, especially when people move to new communities. We examine ways in which we retain aspects of culture while blending old and new together. Our guests: Pauly Guglielmo , podcaster Simona Benenati , communications coordinator for Flower City Arts Center