Connections Podcast

More American workers are doing their jobs from home than ever before, thanks to the pandemic. Skeptical managers have had a chance to see a full year's worth of evidence about whether remote work can be productive. Now, more workers, particularly younger workers, are seeking out jobs that allow for flexible schedules and working from home. How sustainable is that arrangement? Our guests discuss it: Will Fletcher , software engineer Saj Hoffman-Hussain , senior digital content strategist Jaime

We have a discussion about pandemic ethics. University of Rochester Professor Richard Dees joins us to discuss the allocation of resources, the lessons we've learned when it comes to making ethical decisions, and how those lessons can be applied to future health crises. Our guest: Richard Dees , associate professor of philosophy and bioethics, and director of the Program in Bioethics at the University of Rochester

A member of Rochester City Council, Mary Lupien, joins us. She discusses why she had information about Daniel Prude's death before the public found out in September. We also discuss how Lupien and mental health professionals see the Prude case and the need for changes in who responds to emergency calls. Our guests: Mary Lupien , member of Rochester City Council Melanie Funchess , mental health advocate, and member of the Greater Rochester Black Agenda Group and the Black Healers Network Chacku

Are we losing the capacity to understand people who see the world differently than we do? Reverend Val Fowler came to the Rochester region years ago, and built his career on a spirit of love and openness. Now he fears that we are losing a generosity of spirit with one another. Kindness is in short supply; curiosity perhaps even less so. How did that happen? Fowler finds that certainty is at odds with inquiry; too often we are certain of our beliefs without asking more questions. We've invited

A new solar array in Wayne County is providing electricity for affordable housing communities in Rochester. More than 6,000 panels are generating power for more than 500 Rochester apartments. It's a partnership between GreenSpark Solar and Home Leasing. How does it work? And will the project serve as a model for other initiatives in the future? We discuss the area's newest solar farm and how businesses can work together to address climate change. Our guests: Nelson Leenhouts , chairman of Home

Elon Musk says humans will land on Mars by 2026 and could eventually move there in large numbers. But science writer Shannon Stirone says that Mars is "a hellhole" and argues that Musk has it seriously wrong. Stirone writes in The Atlantic that the newest images and video from Mars offer more evidence that Earth is the current and future home of human beings. So can human beings ever move to another planet? Should we try? Our guests discuss it: Shannon Stirone , science writer and contributor to

We sit down with members of Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach . The program helps people leaving Monroe County Jail and state correctional facilities transition back into the community. We hear from the program's directors about their work, and we talk to some of its participants what successful transitions look like. Our guests: Jim Smith, executive director of Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach Sarah Lee, program director and alumnus of Jennifer House , part of Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach

Former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson joins us to share his reactions to a press briefing hosted by Governor Andrew Cuomo. During the briefing, which you will hear first, Cuomo discusses the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the sexual harassment allegations made against him by former female staffers. Our guest: Bill Johnson, former mayor of Rochester

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston says the deep freeze power issue in Texas will cost its residents billions of dollars. In a new piece, Johnson argues that Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republican politicians are letting power company rob citizens. He joins us to discuss his work. Our guest: David Cay Johnston , Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, and editor-in-chief of DCReport

We're joined by Dr. Mario Elia, a Toronto-based physician who has made it his mission to dispel misinformation about the pandemic. We talk with him about the differences in the COVID-19 vaccines, about treatments for the virus, and more. Our guest: Mario Elia , London, Ontario-based physician, and adjunct professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Western University