Connections Podcast

We sit down with Nate McMurray , the mayor of Grand Island and a candidate for the 27th Congressional District seat. McMurray is a Democrat running against Republican Congressman Chris Collins. We talk to McMurray about why he's running, his platform, what he would hope to accomplish in Washington, and more.

Organizers of a new anti-gun violence initiative say they hope educating people about the causes and effects of gun violence will help make the community safer. Councilmember Willie Lightfoot announced the #ThinkAboutItCampaign Tuesday at City Hall. He says he hasn't seen conversations about curbing violence happening consistently in the community. He joins local anti-gun violence advocates to discuss the campaign and the changes they hope it will generate. In studio: Willie Lightfoot , member

With the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court, anti-abortion advocates say they are feeling closer than ever to a victory in ending abortion. That could mean sending the issue back to the states or a federal ban on abortion. Our guests are pro-life activists. We discuss what they think a post-Roe v. Wade world would look like. In studio: Chris Holdridge, pastor at New City Fellowship , and founder of 441 Ministries Carol Crossed, member of Feminists Choosing Life of New York

Astrophysicist Adam Frank joins a panel of climate activists and concerned citizens who respond to his book and its themes. In studio: Karen Berger , lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester Abby McHugh-Grifa, member of Rochester People’s Climate Coalition , and co-leader of Citizens' Climate Lobby of Rochester Peter Collinge, volunteer for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby of Rochester

Astrophysicist Adam Frank joins us to discuss his new book, "Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth." Frank writes about how our planet relates to the billions of other planets that are suitable for intelligent life, and why climate change is a problem that crosses the universe. It's a call to understand our world in context, and to understand the challenge facing our civilization... if we want that civilization to continue for a long time.

Ranked-choice voting is popular in other parts of the voting world, but not in the United States. That could change, if voter advocacy groups get their way. So how does it work? What are the possible advantages or disadvantages to ranked-choice voting? Would it change the outcome of presidential or other elections? Our guests debate it: Seth O'Bryan , teacher at the Harley School Tim Kneeland , chair of the department of history and political science at Nazareth College Jesse Lenney , western

What if the most common narrative about millennials turned out to be untrue? According to the latest data, that seems to be the case. We're talking about how often younger workers change jobs. The oft-heard assumption is that millennial workers have to be ready for many career changes, due to an unstable economy. Another is that millennials want to change jobs often to allow themselves to refresh and refocus. But Lyman Stone's piece for Vox deconstructs those ideas, and offers a warning for what

Do you care if the music you listen to has meaning for the person who created it? Are you okay with music by committee? The New York Times recently told the story of one of the biggest pop hits of the summer. It’s a song called "The Middle," and it wasn’t performed by anyone who had anything to do with it. The producers sculpted this song because they thought it would sell, and it has. Should we care about the origin of the music we hear? Our guests discuss it. John Covach , director of the

A long-running battle over the environment is over at the southern end of Seneca Lake -- at least that’s how it appears, with the New York DEC deciding against allowing a big gas project in old salt caverns. The storage project would have a been a big one, and there was a lot of grassroots opposition on a number of grounds. This hour, we examine what the DEC decided and why. It’s not just a question of safety; there’s more to it. We’re talking about community character and why this decision

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: Why refugees leave their native countries to pursue better lives in America; What Rochester can learn about urbanism from cities around the world; If centrism in politics is dying; The making of pop hits.