Connections Podcast

Nabila Qadiri Kohistani is an Afghanistan native who came to the United States last year on a Special Immigrant Visa, or SIV. SIVs are awarded to Iraqis and Afghans who assisted U.S. armed forces and now face threats from the Taliban. Kohistani's work is dedicated to creating gender equality and empowering women throughout Afghanistan, and she has achieved success through USAID-funded projects. This hour, she joins us to share her story and to describe the challenges facing women in Afghanistan.

A group of community members in Penfield are working to bring Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA, to their town. With CCA, a town or a group of towns choose an electricity supplier on behalf of residents and then negotiate the rates. CCA was first implemented in Massachusetts more than two decades ago; since then, it has been implemented in communities across the country, including in Monroe County. The Penfield Town Board has drafted a CCA-enabling law, and for nearly 18 months, the

Sales of electric vehicles have slowed a bit, as the number of available rebates has decreased. We examine the state of the EV market: what are the most affordable options for drivers who need a new car? We also discuss charging options at home and on the road, and we explore what might spark a new surge in EV interest. Our guests: John Love , president of Bob Johnson Chevrolet Christina Ficicchia, FLO electric vehicle charger manufacturer Bob Kanauer, New York State Electric Auto Association

Weekend Connections is a collection of some of the most noteworthy moments from the week on Connections with Evan Dawson. This episode includes conversations about: Sepsis, and a local woman's story about how she says medical professionals saved her life; Bike culture and sharing the road in Rochester; Expectations for African American youth, with local artist Britton Bradford. This episode of Weekend Connections was produced by Connections intern Emmarae Stein.

Proposed state legislation related to sexual education in schools has led to debate among different community groups. Mayor Lovely Warren, for instance, opposes the legislation. We explore the issue. In studio: Revered Richard Gilbert, president of Interfaith Impact of New York State Debora McDell-Hernandez, senior director of public and community affairs for Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York *Note: Mayor Lovely Warren and members of the City of Rochester were invited to join

A documentary called “Slay the Dragon” takes on the issue of gerrymandering and its impact on elections and social issues. From the Flint water crisis, the bathroom bills, and more, the film explores how elected officials can control political outcomes by redrawing district maps. The film tells the story of citizen groups in two different states that challenge the issue and their fight to protect democratic principles. The film will be screened at the Little Theatre next week as part of the One

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg dropped out of the presidential race after falling short on Super Tuesday. He’s now supporting former Vice President Joe Biden, who leads the Democratic candidates in delegates. Bernie Sanders finished second in the delegate count; Elizabeth Warren did not win any states and announced Thursday morning she was suspending her campaign. Our guests this hour share their reactions to the Super Tuesday results and discuss what’s next for the Democratic Party. Our guests:

What’s new with RTS? This hour, we sit down with RTS CEO Bill Carpenter who shares a number of updates. Reimagine RTS is a redesign of Monroe County’s public transit system that’s set to launch on June 29th. RTS is also launching new mobile technology and adding electric buses. Carpenter joins us in studio to discuss the work underway with these projects and what customers can expect both now and by the end of June. In studio: Bill Carpenter , CEO of RTS

Luis Quiñones is a scholar and activist about Chicana/Chicano matters. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Quiñones is in Rochester as a guest of the Rochester Committee on Latin America (ROCLA) , but first, he joins us on Connections to discuss his social justice work related to bi-lingual/bi-cultural education for Chicano students. In studio: Luis Quiñones, scholar and activist Dr. Arnold Matlin, M.D., secretary for ROCLA

Britton Bradford is a local artist and a talented basketball player. Growing up as an African American youth, he thought his only options for career success were as a rapper or as a professional athlete. But now, he's a successful artist and says he wishes he had known there were other opportunities available to him. Christopher Washington is a local designer with a similar story. He found success in the fashion scene after thinking basketball was his only path to the professional world. Both