Connections Podcast

Congressman Joe Morelle joins us. We talk to him about impeachment, the riot at the Capitol, and the incoming administration. We also discuss the next round of pandemic stimulus – what’s in it, what’s not in it, and what struggling Americans need to know. Our guest: Congressman Joe Morelle

We continue our conversations with local doctors and nurses on the frontlines of treating COVID-19. Last week, we heard from a team at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and this hour, we hear from their colleagues at Rochester Regional Health. They discuss the state of the virus in the community, what they are seeing in hospitals, and what they’d like the community to know about how to get through the next months as we wait for vaccines. Our guests: Chris Reynolds , M.D., hospitalist

We talk with local legal and political science experts about national conversations surrounding impeachment and the possible use of the 25th Amendment. On Monday, House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump. A vote is scheduled for Wednesday to charge Trump with “inciting violence against the government of the United States.” Our guests explain what we need to know about impeachment, the 25th Amendment, and what could happen next. Our guests: Aaron Herold ,

The United Christian Leadership Ministry has announced its proposals related to changes to policing in Monroe County. The proposals come in response to Governor Cuomo’s executive order on police reform. UCLM’s recommendations include a citizen review panel, additional training for officers, and racial justice education. We discuss the proposals with our guests: Reverend Lewis Stewart , president of United Christian Leadership Ministry Reverend Wanda Wilson, team leader for the UCLM police reform

Leaders at Action for a Better Community are gearing up to host a conference on racism, health, and the pandemic. It's called "Racism as a Public Health Crisis - Attacking the Two Pandemics." The multi-day virtual event kicks off this week. Speakers will address how to heal communities, how to boost hurting economies, and how to help families thrive during a global pandemic that is widening disparities in health, wealth, and justice. We preview the conference this hour with our guests: Jerome

Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart listened to Governor Andrew Cuomo's State of the State on Monday. During the briefing, he addressed access to broadband. It's an issue Barnhart has been working on throughout her term. She joins us to weigh in on the governor's comments and the state of broadband access in Monroe County. Our guest: Rachel Barnhart , Monroe County Legislator, 21st District

Local emergency room doctors and nurses reached out to Connections because they have been disturbed by what they are seeing. They fear the community is still not taking this phase of the pandemic seriously enough. They say the region's medical systems are nearing disaster conditions, which could translate to significant mortality. We're joined by four members of the University of Rochester Medical Center's team, who share their first-hand experiences and perspectives. Our guests: Justin Hopkin ,

We talk with Dr. Robert Biernbaum, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Trillium Health. Dr. Biernbaum discusses vaccine distribution and responds to Governor Cuomo's criticism of local health leaders. Then, we hear from a local vaccine trial participant who learned this week when her study was unblinded that she received the Pfizer vaccine. Erica Fee is the producer of the Keybank Rochester Fringe Festival. We talk to her about her experience and how the pandemic has affected her

We talk with a former Rochester resident who recently moved back to his native New Zealand -- a country where there has been no community transmission of COVID-19 since November 18th. Mike Johansson left the U.S. on December 29th and has been quarantining in a barricaded hotel in Christchurch since he arrived. The country has strict protocol for travelers, and Johansson has been documenting his experience in isolation. He joins us to discuss how it's going, how New Zealand is handling the

We discuss the extraordinary and horrific events that unfolded in Washington, D.C. Wednesday. We're joined by people who have worked in the U.S. Capitol. Our guests: Sarah Clark , New York State Assemblymember, 136th District, who formerly worked for Senator Hillary Clinton and served as Deputy State Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Alex Yudelson , former Obama White House Aide