Connections Podcast

20 years ago, the film “American Beauty” was released. It won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2000. Today, it is routinely mocked. The Little Theatre has been highlighting films from 1999, which was considered one of the great years in cinema history. How could the critics in the Academy have been so wrong about a movie that was supposed to be the best out of all of them? We reexamine suburban life, teenage angst, and the quest for meaning within the satirical film. In studio: Vanessa Cheeks ,

What happens when a television star is elected president? The question, this time, does not refer to Donald Trump, but to Volodymyr Zelensky, the newly elected president of Ukraine. The actor and comedian played Ukraine’s president on a satirical TV show, and despite no political experience, went on to win 73 percent of the vote in the runoff election. Political analysts say voters who were tired of war and economic hardship rallied behind him to push out the political establishment. Zelensky’s

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: The health risks of vaping; Climate nihilism; The keto diet; Tax breaks for Midtown Athletic Club.

New research from Pew Research Center shows that American support for same sex marriage has almost perfectly flipped in the last 15 years. In 2004, 60 percent of Americans polled said they opposed same-sex marriage, while 31 percent said they supported it. In 2019, 31 percent of Americans polled say they oppose same-sex marriage, while 61 percent say they support it. For the LGBTQ community in Gen Z, life is very different than it was for their parents and grandparents. We talk with an older

Wednesday marked 18 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks, and this hour, we have a discussion about how our guests’ perspectives about world issues changed as a result of the tragedy. Our panelists include people from two age groups: current (or soon-to-be) 18 year olds who were either not born or were infants at the time of the attacks; and current 36 year olds (or those just a bit older) who were 18 at the time of the attacks. They share their thoughts on living in a post-9/11 world

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for a national election, which will happen in six weeks. Imagine that: a national election campaign that goes from start to finish in less than two months. In the United States, the campaign is essentially endless, with official campaign events running for two years. Which system is better? Which is more productive in allowing the population to choose a leader? Our guests weigh in: Rob Shum , a Canadian who serves as a professor of public policy

Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes, has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after reports of hospitalizations and deaths caused by the products. Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Mendoza is urging county residents to stop using all vape products until the investigation into the cause of those illnesses concludes. Is the nationwide response proportionate to the health risks? It’s a question debated by doctors and people who use vape products. We sit down with

Midtown Athletic Club is growing, and looked to Monroe County for taxpayer incentives as it expands. The county is supportive, saying that Midtown’s growth will result in new jobs and economic development. Critics contend that most Monroe County residents can not afford a Midtown membership, and this is a case of the rich getting richer without much ripple effect. Our guests debate it: Glenn William, general manager of Midtown Athletic Club Kent Gardner , chief economist with the Center for

Are you a climate nihilist? Author Jonathan Franzen wrote a piece for the New Yorker arguing that it’s time to spend more effort preparing for climate catastrophe, and less effort to stopping it. Franzen argues that humans are not going to do what is necessary to prevent devastating global warming. He wonders why there isn’t more conversation about this, and what it means. But climate policy experts respond that Franzen has botched some of the key facts to understanding climate change, and they

We’re joined by Rue Mapp, the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro , a nonprofit organization that celebrates and inspires African American connections to and leadership in nature. Mapp will be in Rochester next week as a guest of the Genesee Land Trust , but first, she joins us on Connections to discuss the value of relationships with the outdoors. Our guests: Rue Mapp , founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro Gay Mills, Executive Director, Genesee Land Trust Regina Geames, Community Programs Coordinator,