Connections Podcast

Have you filled out your 2020 census form? According to records, just 48 percent of Rochester residents and 64 percent of Monroe County residents have responded to the survey. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that Rochester has the nation’s fourth worst response rate of any medium or large-sized city. Why does it matter? Community leaders are urging households to complete the form because the data collected determines congressional representation, the allocation of federal dollars, decisions

We're joined by Amy Bach, author of “Ordinary Injustice: How America Holds Court.” Bach is the CEO of Measures for Justice, which gathers and analyzes criminal justice data from across the country. The organization’s work has influenced policy in the court system. Bach will host a virtual presentation for the National Women’s Hall of Fame next week, but first, she and fellow panelists from the event join us on Connections to discuss injustices in the courts and the role of women in criminal

We sit down with members of the Rochester Police Accountability Board . Rochestarians approved the PAB referendum in November with 75 percent of the vote. In January, City Council approved the board’s nine members. The PAB is tasked with investigating complaints of misconduct made against Rochester police officers. Board members aren’t meeting in person during the pandemic, but they are working on independent research – this, amid conversations about police-community relations and defunding the

Would you be offended if you were uninvited to a wedding during the pandemic? Thousands of couples have had to decide whether to postpone their weddings or scale them down dramatically. One couple's reformatted invitation went viral, touching off a debate about pandemic etiquette and the new normal. Our guests discuss everything from pandemic weddings to internet outrage and public shaming. Our guests: Chris Grocki, owner of the Historic German House Brandon Warmke , philosopher at Bowling Green

We're joined by Bruce Jacobs, author of the book "Race Manners." His work explores how to have civilized, candid, and meaningful dialogues about race. He'll be giving a presentation for the Harley School this week, but first, he joins us to discuss antiracism in today's political climate and during the coronavirus. Our guest: Bruce Jacobs, author of "Race Manners"

The Democrat and Chronicle's Justin Murphy wrote a detailed story about the history of the founders of Rochester and surrounding towns. As Murphy reports, historians have used historical documents to confirm that Nathaniel Rochester enslaved people and was not the abolitionist that some of the city's lore has suggested. As a result, activists have debated whether to strip the name of Rochester and other racist founders off of parks, buildings, and even the city itself. Our guests discuss it:

As we've explored in recent conversations, the pandemic has posed unique challenges for people with disabilities. For adults and children with autism, stay-at-home orders and the closure of schools and support programs has led to isolation and gaps in social support. This hour, our guests explore how caregivers and parents can help bridge those gaps, especially with the uncertainty over whether schools will reopen in the fall. Our guests: Jacob Collier, self advocate Rachel Rosner, director of

We have a conversation about grief. The pandemic has brought different layers of loss into the lives of many people. Whether mourning the loss of a loved one, mourning the loss of time spent with family or friends, or mourning the suffering around the world, our guests discuss coping strategies: Rev. Matthew Martin Nickoloff , pastor at the South Wedge Mission Pamela Dayton , pastoral intern at Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church, fundraising coordinator for the ImageOut LGBT Film Festival,

WXXI News covers Governor Cuomo’s press briefing from Albany. Following that, we have a discussion about issues affecting people with disabilities – especially those pertaining to the pandemic. This week, the WXXI News team has presented a series of pieces about disparities and inclusion. It’s part of the Move to Include project, a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation. This hour, our colleagues highlight different issues affecting people with disabilities in our community. Our

The extra $600 in federal weekly unemployment benefits received by millions of Americans is set to expire on July 31. In a survey by FiveThirtyEight, more than half of the economists who participated said either keeping the payment steady or increasing it "would be most beneficial to the economy." But some employers say that the benefit has made it difficult to hire new workers; they say good job are left unfilled since workers prefer to take the extra support. Many workers say the benefit has