Connections Podcast

We continue our conversation about the state budget with State Senators: Samra Brouk (D, WF), District 55 Jeremy Cooney (D, WF) District 56 Edward Rath III (R) District 61 Robert Ortt (R, C, IP) Minority Leader, District 62

New York State has passed a budget. Legalized marijuana has garnered the most consistent headlines, but there are many other issues to discuss. Our guests this hour are members of the New York State Assembly: Harry Bronson (D, WF, IP) District 138 Sarah Clark (D, WF) District 136 Josh Jensen (R, C, I) District 134 Jen Lunsford (D, WF) District 135 Stephen Hawley (R, C, I) District 139 Demond Meeks (D, WF) District 137

Which spaces or places in Rochester matter to you? It's a question University of Rochester students and staff will ask as part of a new art project called Blank Placard Dance . The performance builds on an original activism project that emerged in San Francisco in the 1960s. Through dance, Rochester performers hope to map local areas community members deem important when it comes to activism. Participants say the project blurs the boundaries of public intervention and dance performance. We

We sit down with candidates for Rochester City Council. Our goal is to have conversations at length with the nearly 20 candidates before Primary Day. Our guests this hour discuss their platforms and priorities, and their perspectives on different issues impacting Rochester. Our guests: Miguel Melendez Jasmin Reggler

We talk with registered dietitian Brenda Davis. Davis will be giving a presentation entitled “Debunking Keto, Paleo, and other Low-Carb Diets” at Rochester Lifestyle Medicine. She joins us, along with Dr. Ted Barnett, to discuss fad diets, plant-based eating, and more. Our guests: Brenda Davis , registered dietitian, author, member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) Type 2 Diabetes Reversal Task Force, and member of the ACLM’s Diabetes Reversal Expert Consensus Panel Ted

What does reimagining Rochester’s public transit system look like? “Reimagine RTS” is set to launch May 17. The new mass transit plan will go live after a nearly year-long delay. We talk about what the design includes, how the new system will work, and it means for RTS customers. Our guest: Bill Carpenter , CEO of RTS

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg sparked some debate when he recently said, "There is racism physically built into some of our highways." Critics called it hyperbole, and mocked the statement for trying too hard to connect all problems to race. But historians have taken this opening to teach about the history that Buttigieg is referencing: redlining, highways destroying Black neighborhoods, inner loops, and more. Our guests have their own stories to share: Mary Kearney, Rochester

If more workers are going to do their jobs from home or from remote settings, even after the pandemic, what becomes of large office spaces? NPR reports that the pandemic could lead to an exodus of workers from downtown and centralized office buildings. That means pain for local tax rolls, and for nearby businesses that rely on foot traffic during lunch hours. Is this a budding problem for Rochester? And how can office space be reimagined? Our guests explore it: Ana Liss , director of planning

Various media sources report that alcoholism has increased due to the pandemic. Local researchers leading a study on the issue have noticed that participants’ drinking habits have changed; the data shows they are drinking more and differently due to pandemic stressors. We talk with the experts about the research and how to help people struggling with alcoholism. Our guests: Tim Wiegand , M.D., associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical

A new CBS sitcom called “The United States of Al” tells the story of an Afghan interpreter who is reunited with a Marine veteran in the U.S. after escaping the Taliban. It’s a familiar story – and an often long and painful process – for interpreters who come to America on Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) after serving with the U.S. military. Even before it aired, the show’s premise was under fire. Some critics called it racist and a “brown savior project.” Writer and executive producer Reza Aslan