Connections Podcast

According to state data reported earlier this week, more than 4,800 New Yorkers in nursing homes and care facilities have died from the coronavirus since March 1. This hour, we talk with leaders of local nursing homes who discuss the precautions they're taking to protect their vulnerable residents. Our guests are from the Alliance for Senior Care, which includes five local facilities: St. Ann's Community, St. John's Home, Friendly Senior Living, Jewish Senior Life, and Episcopal SeniorLife. Our

Psychiatrists and mental health counselors across the country say college students are facing a campus mental health "epidemic." NPR reported on the issue last year, and now, with the pandemic shutting down campuses and pushing students to online learning at home, many may face additional challenges. The SUNY system has created a task force to enhance mental health support and services for students. This hour, we discuss the work of that group, and how the pandemic is impacting students' mental

The Atlantic Monthly has boldly proclaimed, "Foodie culture as we know it is over." The pandemic is "no time for snobbery," the magazine asserts, perhaps missing the entire point of so-called foodie culture in the first place. So what are we learning about ourselves during this pandemic, as it pertains to cooking? And dining, and food, and our expectation? Our guests this hour are local chefs who debate it, and they offer their own recipes for dishes you can probably cook at home during a

High school seniors would have been preparing for in-person graduation ceremonies and big celebrations this month. Instead, they're figuring out new ways to take finals, and watching graduation ceremonies via Zoom. How are the students handling the change? Our guests are graduating seniors: Natalie Faas, senior at Churchville-Chili Senior High School Maggie Nagar, senior at Webster Schroeder High School Alecia Scott, senior at School Without Walls Will Cypher, senior at Pittsford Sutherland High

In a recent op-ed for the New York Times, Brown University president Christina Paxson wrote that it won't be easy, but college campuses must reopen in the fall. She points to the financial, practical, and psychological barriers students would face learning remotely -- especially low income students who lack sufficient access to technology -- and what could be a catastrophic financial toll on the universities themselves. Meanwhile, some students and professors who say reopening would pose too

When schools closed in March and teachers and students were pushed to online learning settings, the transition proved difficult for students who lack internet access and technology. The digital divide continues to be a concern, and the team at ROC the Future has analyzed where the gaps are and the impact they're having on students. The Rochester Area Community Foundation has created a special funding opportunity -- the COVID Education Fund -- for school districts and other educational

Chris Arnade is a writer whose work focuses on the American communities most likely to be ignored by political leaders and big media. He travels to the most impoverished neighborhoods, and he gets to know people who live there. His work culminated in a book called "Dignity". Before the pandemic, we intended to speak with him about this remarkable book. Now his work is even more urgent, with the pandemic threatening to tear through the most vulnerable parts of society. Arnade asks us to reflect

If there's one country getting the most attention for going against the pandemic grain, it's Sweden. The Swedish leadership has decided to allow most of its society to remain open -- schools, businesses, public spaces. That doesn't mean that life in Sweden is entirely the same as it was before the pandemic. But it is clearly different than in many other countries. As a result, the death toll is far higher, but the public feels prepared for a long pandemic in ways some other countries might not.

With all of the talk about a coronavirus vaccine, a concerning trend has taken hold in the United States and around the world: children are missing their routine visits for vaccination. The rates of vaccination are dropping sharply, but the experts hope that's a short-term trend that will soon be reversed. Doctors say a large factor is parents' fear of leaving the house with their kids, and in particular, fear of going to the hospital or doctors’ offices. But the medical community is sending an

If you're spending most of your time at home these days, you're probably among the many people who are looking to improve their landscaping, yard, or garden. We've had a great deal of interest from listeners about planting and growing during quarantine. This hour, we revisit that theme, and we take a particularly close look at building native gardens for pollinators. The experts answer our questions and yours about the role of pollinators, the dos and don’ts of creating a garden that supports