Connections Podcast

"What if everything we did in our cities had to be great for an eight year old and an 80 year old?" That's a question urbanist Gil Penalosa regularly asks. He's the founder and chair of 8 80 Cities, an non-profit organization in Canada with a mission of creating safe and happy cities for all ages. Penalosa advises city leaders around the word. He's in Rochester as a guest of the Reshaping Rochester series at the Community Design Center Rochester. We talk about what Rochester can learn from

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 experience of a local domestic violence survivor; Why diversity matters in nature; The health benefits of a plant-based diet. Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections, every weekday from noon-2 p.m. You can listen to the program on WXXI-AM 1370 and WRUR-FM 88.5 in Rochester, WEOS 89.5 FM in Geneva, and online .

Rochester Music Hall of Famer Bat McGrath is dying. He recently learned that he has cancer, and he decided not to undergo treatment. McGrath is back in Rochester for what might be his final show in Western New York; he’ll take the stage on Saturday night. We sit down with his friends, colleagues, and fans to discuss his life and his music. In studio: Doug Emblidge , anchor for 13WHAM Jeff Spevak , arts and culture contributor for WXXI News Mike Black, radio program manager for WXXI and WRUR

We discuss the recent measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest, where most of the victims were not vaccinated. Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Mendoza says he wants to communicate with parents who are against vaccines to share the message that it is dangerous not to vaccinate children. He joins us, along with Dr. Elizabeth Murray and Dr. Lori Anderson, to discuss the outbreak and address parents’ concerns. Our guests: Dr. Mike Mendoza , M.D., Monroe County Commissioner of

How many books should you have? Organizational expert and Netflix sensation Marie Kondo says she keeps her collection to about 30 volumes at one time. She says it’s a number that works for her, and that the books you decide to keep should bring you joy. Our guests discuss why many people value books as objects – for intellectual or sentimental reasons – and why it can be so difficult to let them go. In studio: Kyle Semmel , writer and translator Jeri Dube , retired communications consultant

We sit down with a woman who wrote a book about how she survived her husband's attack during the summer of 2012. Jerri Lynn Sparks was the press secretary for former Congressman Eric Massa. Her book, "Surviving Madmen," details domestic violence, as well as the sexism she says she experienced in her job.

Esquire Magazine recently published a piece that argues public cruelty led to the demise of the band Hootie and the Blowfish. Is that true? We're joined by music critics who discuss how the public's love or dislike for an artist can influence its career -- and how concepts like group think extend to politics and more. Saby Reyes-Kulkarni , music journalist Cello Brown , music producer and host of the Lafayette Café on WAYO FM Annie Zaleski , author/journalist

Governor Andrew Cuomo is proposing a ban on single-use plastic bags in New York. We discuss the possible impacts with guests from a variety of perspectives: Enid Cardinal , senior sustainability advisor to the president at RIT James Gilbert , meteorologist and reporter for WROC-TV Gary Carrel , vice president of NYSAR3 representing Chapter 9

We continue our series of conversations about how workplaces are changing as a result of the #MeToo movement. Attorney Melanie Wolk says the types of assignments men and women are given could change because of #MeToo. She joins us to talk about the potential impacts.

The Gandhi Institute is preparing to host a program about the "diversity advantage" — how society benefits when inclusion transforms into full equality. Our guests discuss the issue from different perspectives. In studio: Mary Scipioni , landscape architect, writer and critic, and owner of Pebble-stream Tanya Bakhmetyeva , associate professor of gender, sexuality, and women's studies at the University of Rochester; and associate academic director for the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender,