Connections Podcast

We’re joined by the two candidates running for Monroe County District Attorney. Republican DA Sandra Doorley is seeking reelection. Her opponent is Democrat Shani Curry Mitchell, who most recently worked in the Monroe County DA’s Office. It’s an opportunity to hear from both candidates at length, as they discuss a range of issues and answer our questions and yours. You can also watch this conversation on Facebook Live . In studio: Sandra Doorley , Monroe County District Attorney who is seeking

With a referendum on the ballot, early voters in Rochester are already weighing in on a proposed police accountability board. The proposed board has caused intense debate within the community. If approved, the civilian-led oversight board would act independently from city government and the Rochester Police Department to investigate complaints of police misconduct. The Rochester Police Locust Club says the legislation is not legal, despite a recent decision by a panel of state Appellate Division

Astrophysicist Adam Frank recently wrote a piece for the Washington Post that addressed narratives about climate change. In the piece, titled, “Reframing climate change as a story of human evolutionary success,” Frank writes that this new narrative does not let humans off the hook when it comes to their role in causing climate change. In that spirit, we sit down with Frank to discuss recent climate change narratives from Hollywood – films like “Ad Astra” and television shows like “The Expanse.”

We hear from two men who spent years in solitary confinement. Jerome Wright and Curtis Griffin are now activists pushing for reform in the criminal justice system – specifically, for the passage of the HALT Act, which would limit solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days. A new report from the NYCLU shows that while the number of special housing unit solitary sanctions dropped by nearly 20 percent from 2015 to 2018, the number of so-called Keeplock sanctions increased. Those types of sanctions

We continue our series of conversations with candidates for elected office prior to Election Day. This hour, we sit down with candidates for State Supreme Court Justice. Three candidates are vying for two seats. We talk with the candidates about their platforms, priorities, and work on the bench. In studio: Meredith Vacca Kevin Nasca *Note: The third candidate, Matthew Rosenbaum, was invited to join this conversation, but declined.

C-Change Conversations is a group that formed with a straightforward goal: make talking about climate change non-partisan, non-political. The team has created a traveling presentation that they take to people who are predisposed to doubt climate change. Does it work? Can climate action become nonpartisan, given recent polling showing stark political divides on the issues? Our guests talk about what they do. They're in Rochester for a presentation at Nazareth College . In studio: Sophie Glovier ,

Voters routinely say that they have no idea what to think of judicial candidates. We sit down with candidates for judgeships at the county level, talking about their qualifications and their views on the job. In particular, we talk about balancing justice for victims with goals of rehabilitating offenders, and we discuss the opioid crisis and the role of the courts. There are four candidates for two seats. In studio: Karen Bailey Turner Michael Dollinger Kyle Steinebach John DeMarco

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: Compassion and forgiveness in the criminal justice system; Police violence against people of color; How the domestic violence landscape has changed over 40 years; Disability pride, with local activist and attorney, Stephanie Woodward.

Local disability rights activist Stephanie Woodward recently wrote an opinion piece for the Spina Bifida Association about why she loves her disability. Woodward was born with spina bifida and has been an outspoken advocate for disability rights and disability pride. In her piece, she writes, "Because I love my disability identity, I have never seen my disability as a problem. And because I have never seen my disability as a problem, I have never supported curing spina bifida or even preventing

The Seneca Park Zoo Society is gearing up for its second annual Environmental Innovation Awards and Symposium . The event celebrates leadership in environmental stewardship, and honors companies that are creating innovative solutions to complex environmental problems. This year's keynote speaker, Brett Howell, is an environmental entrepreneur whose work focuses on plastic pollution prevention. He joins us to discuss his recent projects, and our guests from the Zoo Society share updates related