Connections Podcast

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has a plan to combat systemic racial inequality. His "Douglass Plan," named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass, would create a $10 billion fund for black entrepreneurs over five years, while also investing in historically black colleges, reducing the prison population, legalizing marijuana, passing a new Voting Rights Act, and more. Buttigieg says his proposal is equal in scale to the Marshall Plan. We break down the Douglass Plan with our

Our Summer of Food Series kicks off with a look inside the mind of a butcher. Kevin McCann is a classically-trained chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He launched McCann’s Meats in 2015. Since then, his shop has grown into a local institution, while Kevin has grown into… a much smaller waist size. We talk about the art of the butcher; the rise of veganism; his physical journey; and we preview the upcoming international butchery competition. Kevin was selected to be one of

Ross Perot died at the age of 89 this week. We explore the legacy of Perot: wasn’t he supposed to usher in the age of the third party? It hasn’t materialized. Perot’s Reform Party went nowhere. The Green Party and Libertarian Party are struggling to attract members. Why is that? We also discuss the myths and realities of Perotism, including the giant sucking sound to Mexico, and the claim that he cost George H.W. Bush reelection. Our guests: Rob Shum , associate professor of political science at

Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has a proposal to save America's dying malls. Our guests explore his plan and what it could mean for the future of malls. Our guests: Howard Decker , board member for the Community Design Center Rochester George Conboy , chairman of Brighton Securities June Williamson , chair of architecture and associate professor in the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture at City College of New York

A new policy implemented by the City of Rochester allows the fire chief to temporarily close firehouses due to low staffing. The move saves the city more than a million dollars per year. But a number of residents and a local firefighters union are pushing back, saying they have concerns about safety. Mayor Lovely Warren says the policy will not affect response times, and the union's comments about public safety amount to fearmongering. We discuss the policy and its implications with our guests.

Can prosecutors exclude potential jurors if that person is black? A law called the Batson Challenge says no; in practice, the answer is yes. But the Supreme Court recently weighed in to say that prosecutors can’t blatantly eliminate all possible jurors of color in an effort to stack the jury pool. This is an issue with an ugly history in this country. Our guests debate how juries are constructed, the Batson Challenge, and what the law should – and shouldn’t – say. In studio: Mark Foti , attorney

New York State is joining a growing list of states that have banned religious exemptions for vaccines. And while the state passed the ban this year, most of the delegation representing the Rochester and Finger Lakes area voted to save religious exemptions. Many local doctors have expressed their frustration about that. They join us to discuss the state of vaccines. Our guests: Dr. Elizabeth Murray , M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics and pediatrician at Golisano Children’s Hospital Dr.

Lake Affect Magazine is celebrating 25 years of publication this year. The bi-annual arts and culture magazine highlights the work of Rochester-based poets, writers, photographers, and artists. Michelle Cardulla is the editor and publisher. She chose to dedicate Lake Affect’s anniversary issue to women – featuring 12 local women who have inspired and impacted the community. We sit down with some of them this hour to hear their stories, and we discuss the state of local publishing with Cardulla.

Former Congressional candidate Nate McMurray joins us to discuss political risk-taking. He’s recently been critical not just of Republicans, but of Democrats who won’t speak boldly about big issues. In particular, McMurray is urging Democrats to ban AR-15s, and he tweeted, “I’m coming for your AR-15. You heard me.” McMurray is not officially running for Congress again, but is considering another challenge to Collins.

We sit down with one of the most innovative podcasters in the country. Nate DiMeo launched his podcast called "The Memory Palace" back in 2008, before most people knew what podcasts were. He tells short, true stories that bring out our common humanity. DiMeo is in Rochester to gather material for future podcast episodes, but also to prepare for his September listening experience (called "High Falls") with the Rochester Fringe Festival. We talk about podcast success, the power of memory, and