Connections Podcast

When is the last time you visited your favorite restaurant? How has it adapted to the challenges of the pandemic? Many restaurants across the country are finding creative ways to keep business going after shut downs and limits on indoor dining, and those conversations are becoming more urgent as we head into the cold months. Will restaurants in regions like ours be able to weather the winter? According to a recent study from the New York Restaurant Association, nearly 64 percent of restaurant

Colleges across the country have taken a variety of approaches to addressing student safety during the pandemic. Some institutions have already shut back down and shifted to remote learning after COVID-19 cases on campus have spiked. Thursday evening, the Washington Post published a piece on virus prevention efforts at colleges, and it raised the question of if those efforts will "get trashed by a few student parties." According to the piece, some college leaders have dropped by bars to hand out

We continue our series of conversations with candidates running for office. This hour, we talk with candidates for the 135th Assembly District seat. Republican incumbent Mark Johns was first elected to represent the district in 2010. His opponent, Democrat Jen Lunsford, is an attorney with Segar & Sciortino. We talk with the candidates about their platforms and priorities for the district, and they answer our questions and yours about a number of issues impacting the community. Our guests:

We discuss climate migration. According to the New York Times , one percent of the world today is a barely livable hot zone; by 2070, that percentage could increase to 19 percent. Millions of people around the world have left their homelands to escape extreme weather conditions that have destroyed crops and ways of life. Researchers say that number will only increase due to the effects of climate change. The California wildfires have left many Californians asking if they should move. Last

The CEO of Wells Fargo said this week that the company doesn't hire many Black workers because there isn't a large pool of Black talent. That set off conversations in offices and communities across the country. Where should companies look to find talent? Why is there a disconnect? Our guests explore it: Adrian Hale , senior manager of talent strategy, workforce development, and education initiatives at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Simeon Banister , vice president of community

Fires on the west coast turned skies a sickening orange color for days, and eventually all that smoke and haze drifted all the way to Rochester. Our ostensibly sunny days last week were eerily gray. The dark orange in the west scared children and caused health concerns, particularly for people with breathing challenges. Three of our guests are Rochester natives who now live in California and want listeners to understand just how frightening the sky had become. And we discuss the impact of

Free the People Roc has called for a temporary pause to daily or nightly protests in Rochester. Their goal is to rest and prepare for the next phase of work to enact significant and lasting change. So what is the end goal? Are their demands negotiable? Can they work with the mayor, after calling for Mayor Warren's resignation? Our guest joins us for her first conversation on Connections since the story of Daniel Prude went public. Ashley Gantt was recently profiled by City Newspaper for her work

We’re joined by journalist, author, and former “Good Morning America” co-host Joan Lunden. Lunden is the new host of WXXI’s nationally distributed medical talk show, “Second Opinion,” and she’s in Rochester this week shooting this season’s episodes. We talk to her about her career in broadcasting, the state of journalism in 2020, her new book on aging, and about what’s on tap for “Second Opinion,” which airs in 2021. Our guest: Joan Lunden , journalist, author, former co-host of “Good Morning

Two young people were killed Saturday morning in one of the worst mass shootings in Rochester’s history. Jaquayla Young and Jarvis Alexander were both 19 years old. The shooting happened when an argument broke out at a gathering that included more than 100 people. Rochester Police say Young and Alexander were innocent victims in the mass shooting. More than 40 rounds were fired and 14 other people were wounded. The shooting happened five years after three people were killed in a mass shooting

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing on Friday has led to public displays of mourning across the country. As NPR reports, "her death will inevitably set in motion what promises to be a nasty and tumultuous political battle over who will succeed her." This hour, our guests discuss the consequences of her passing, as well as Ginsburg's life, her legacy on the court, and her contributions to this country as a champion of gender equality. Our guests: Jill Paperno , J.D., president of