Connections Podcast

Did you take a class in high school or college that stood above the rest? One that was more fun, interesting, or unusual than the others? Maybe it was about silent film history with a live piano accompaniment, or maybe it was a wine and beer appreciation class. School will be back in session in just a few weeks, but this hour, we go back to class a bit early to learn about some of the most interesting classes being taught in our area, including courses on witchcraft and witch hunts, the Broken

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was signed into law in 1994 with bipartisan support. Co-authored by the late Louise Slaughter, it provides a national response to crimes like domestic violence, sexual assault, and dating violence. The law was reauthorized for a number of years without issue, until recently, when Democrats and Republicans began to disagree about different aspects of the act. Now, the VAWA is set to expire unless lawmakers act quickly. Democrats wants to expand the definition

The Senate's approved Department of Defense budget does not include any Special Immigrant Visas. These are not visas or exemptions for families showing up at the southern border; these are visas for interpreters who helped the United States on foreign battlefields, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Interpreters risk their lives to work with U.S. forces, hoping that the American government will bring their families to the states. That's what has happened for years, but it now appears to be changing.

We explore what insider trading is, how it generally works, and how common it is. Congressman Chris Collins says he won't pursue reelection after being indicted, but he denies engaging in insider trading. But the FBI files are detailed, and they show what appears to be a classic case of a board member getting inside information and passing it along to family and friends, before that information becomes public. So who gets hurt in these situation? And why are members of Congress permitted to sit

The Ohio special election for Congress this week was nearly too close to call, and the final margin of votes is almost the same as the vote total for the Green Party candidate. That has prompted some Democrats to push the meme, "GREEN Party stands for Getting Republicans Elected Every November." With the midterms coming, this week's contest has reignited the rancor some Republicans and Democrats feel for so-called third-parties. But those parties are pushing back, saying that they're trying to

What are 3D printed guns? Do they work? Should we be concerned that these types of weapons will bypass security? There's been a lot of talk about 3D printing and firearms. Our guests have background in 3D printing, manufacturing, and law: Denis Cormier, director of RIT's AMPrint Center and a professor of industrial engineering Paul Ciminelli, Second Amendment expert and attorney at Ciminelli & Ciminelli

The closure of Joe Bean's daily coffeehouse on University Avenue could have once spelled doom for Rochester's high-end coffee scene. Joe Bean was the first of its ilk, opening in 2011. But now there is a thriving coffee scene, whether you call it "third wave" or something else. In this Summer of Food conversation, we examine how cities need leaders to take food genres to the highest level. Whether it's coffee, cocktails, barbecue, or otherwise, quality can spread. And we'll try to create a map

Facebook and other platforms have banned Alex Jones and Infowars, most famous for their claims that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. Jones is a huckster who has built an empire on obviously wrong conspiracy theories. But some critics say that social media companies need clear standards before banning; Twitter has decided to let Jones stay. Our guests debate the merits of bans on platforms that have become almost ubiquitous in modern life. Our guests: Scott Malouf, attorney whose work focuses

The National Comedy Center had its grand opening last week in Jamestown, and residents hope it will help revitalize the city. We’ll talk with a comedy expert about the impact of the center and the impact of comedy, and we’ll discuss the future of Jamestown. Our guests: Journey Gunderson , executive director of the National Comedy Center Woody Battaglia , comedian and comedy educator

Senator Kamala Harris has proposed a so-called Rent Relief Act , which would offer a tax credit to about 20 million rent-burdened Americans. Critics of the bill say it’s well-intentioned but won’t work. We discuss affordable housing policies with our guests: Kent Gardner, chief economist with the Center for Governmental Research Pete Nabozny, early childhood policy director at The Children's Agenda Stuart Mitchell, president and CEO of PathStone Corporation