Connections Podcast

Are you part of a pandemic pod or bubble? The idea behind bubbles is that you can gather indoors without wearing masks and without being physically-distant with people who don’t live with you, as long as the bubbles are small and exclusive. Many families have created pods to help with child care, education, or mental health needs. But as written by Rachel Gutman for Atlantic Monthly, pods mean different things to different people. Some are too big or too porous. Some don’t have consistent rules.

In the past forty years, the American political landscape has largely flipped. In 1980, Democrats won only nine out of the 100 highest income counties. Now they win a strong majority of the wealthiest areas. But Republicans dominate in rural America, and as Derek Thompson writes in a new piece for The Atlantic, big-city dominance has become a problem for Democrats. That's because the electoral rules make it very hard for Democrats to wield legislative power, despite winning a majority of voter

The U.S. citizenship test is getting harder. Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced changes to the naturalization test that immigrants must pass. The old test came from a bank of 100 possible questions; applicants were given ten of those questions, and had to answer six correctly to pass. The new test includes 128 possible questions; applicants are given twenty of those questions, and must get twelve correct to pass. And some of the acceptable answers have narrowed. The

The new Hulu film, “Happiest Season” is being praised by critics and LGBTQ advocates as a “queer holiday miracle” and the “rom-com that queer fans deserve.” It’s the story of a woman deciding to bring her girlfriend home for Christmas…but her conservative family doesn’t know she’s a lesbian. The film offers commentary on coming out, on acceptance, and on identity. The praise for the film has been countered with criticism, with some people saying "Happiest Season" has themes that could cause some

If you had to choose one "word of the year," what would it be? In 2018, Oxford Languages chose "toxic." In 2019, it chose "climate emergency." This year, lexicographers couldn't select just one. As NPR reports, Oxford decided to highlight dozens of terms that have defined our lexicon this year: "Black Lives Matter," "coronavirus," "social distancing," "systemic racism," and many more. This hour, our guests discuss how societal events can change and shape language. They talk about which words and

We talk with Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President, and candidate for New York City Mayor. Adams was a captain in the NYPD who has been an outspoken critic of police. He will be a virtual guest of Rochester Lifestyle Medicine to talk about how adopting a plant-based diet helped him lose weight, reverse his diabetes, and lower his cholesterol. But first, he joins us on Connections to discuss all of this and more. Our guests: Eric Adams , Brooklyn Borough President and candidate for NYC Mayor Ted

We have a conversation with local Native American artists about Indigenous art and about anti-racist education. Ganondagan's juried Hodinohsoni' Virtual Art Show is now online. It features award-winning paintings, sculptures, beadwork, and traditional artwork. We talk with the artists about their craft and about a renaissance of Indigenous art. We also address recent anti-racism movements and if Indigenous communities feel included. Our guests: Peter Jemison, historic site manager for Ganondagan

According to Trillium Health, the New York State Department of Health issued an alert in October because the number of new HIV diagnoses in Monroe County was elevated. The alert about the HIV/AIDS crisis comes in the middle of the global coronavirus pandemic. Today is World AIDS Day, and our guests discuss progress when it comes to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, the challenges patients and the health community still face, and what we learned from the HIV/AIDS pandemic that may be applicable

"I Was Their American Dream" is a graphic novel by NPR deputy editor Malaka Gharib. Gharib is Egyptian-Filipina-American and grew up with her immigrant parents in California. Her book explores her multicultural identity and how she felt she had to adapt to different traditions, languages, and religions with the different people in her life. Nguyên Khôi Nguyễn, also an author, can relate. His work focuses on his identity as Vietnamese-American. Both Gharib and Nguyễn join us this hour to share

The holidays will look different this year for many families. How are children handling that and all of the changes that have come with the pandemic? What can caregivers and educators do to recognize when kids may be struggling? We talk with the experts about how to help children understand their emotions during this difficult time. Our guests: JoAnne Pedro-Carroll , Ph.D., clinical psychologist, author, and speaker Melanie Funchess , director of community engagement and family support at the