The federal bill that the GOP calls the "Big Beautiful Bill" could significantly affect the way many Americans are taxed. Families and retirees will see some changes; some new deductions; an increased child tax credit. There are new deductions for tips and overtime. Our guests will walk us through what is changing and how it could affect us.

In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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A group of Ukrainians are visiting Rochester this week, guests of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester. The group works in veteran reintegration across Ukraine. We'll discuss the state of the war in Ukraine: what Ukrainians think and want; the state of negotiations; and what could lead to a lasting peace.

In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The stars are aligning for the Pegula family, when it comes to their Buffalo Bills: the new Bills stadium will open in 2026, and the team could be coming off their first Super Bowl win. Just imagine: the hottest team in professional sports, sky-high demand for tickets and seat licenses... and prices are already soaring! We predict that most fans will pay any increase happily if it follows a Super Bowl win. And we don't believe in jinxes -- the Bills are winning the Super Bowl this year. We'll discuss it with our guests.

In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

---

Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

American birth rates fell after the great financial recession of 2007. Eighteen years later, there are fewer young adults who might go to college. For some schools, it's a crisis: the pandemic has combined with this smaller population of students to significantly cut the incoming freshman classes. In Western New York, some schools have already shut down. So what's next? How can higher ed deal with this challenge? How can they appeal to more students? Our guests discuss it.

In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

---

Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Tax credits: on or off? Solar projects: full speed ahead, paused, or scrapped entirely? Depending on the day, the headlines have been wildly different. We sit down with one of the local leaders in the solar sector to discuss what's going in with the second Trump administration -- what that means for workers in the solar industry, what that means for homeowners, for businesses, and more.

Our guest:

• Kevin Schulte, CEO of Greenspark Solar

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

---

Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Tech innovator Kevin Surace recently said that artificial intelligence can solve the problem of writer's block. It can complete half-written songs. It can write lyrics when we hit the wall. It can figure out a great new bridge for your song. And it's true: AI can do those things, but should we let it? When does a song become something other than an artist's creation? Where is the line? AI music is already here, and will become more common. We sit down with musicians and songwriters to discuss it.

Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

---

Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the latest in a series of political attacks in recent years in this country. We sit down with a leader in the nonviolence movement to talk about the cost to a society of increasing violence. And we welcome feedback from our audience about how to process this disturbing and tragic news.

In studio:

What would happen if cities offered free public transit for anyone who wants to use it? New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wants to do just that. Economist Amit Batabyal recently examined some data to see what the impact would be - and the answers were not what many of his readers in the Rochester Beacon expected. We’ll discuss what could happen if transit were free and widely accessible.

In studio:

We continue our look at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their legacy. Evan Dawson and co-host Racquel Stephen welcome guests who are graduates of HBCUs, and can talk about why they chose to attend. They'll discuss the value of HBCUs today, after so much has changed in access to higher education.

In studio:

We condemn political violence, and we will have more to discuss on this tragic subject soon. For now, we continue as planned with our first-hour discussion: President Trump and Vice President Vance have said that the courts should not stand in the way of their administration's priorities. The courts are, of course, supposed to be an equal branch of government. But are they? We welcome three retired judges — Republican and Democrat — to discuss it.

In studio: