Connections Podcast

If you’ve seen the film “Animal House,” you probably remember a few iconic scenes: the toga party, the parade, and basically anything featuring John Belushi. The film is turning 40, and director John Landis is in Rochester for a special anniversary screening at the Dryden Theatre. Landis has been touring the country celebrating the film, and he makes a stop on Connections to discuss the impact it has had and his legendary career in film. In studio: John Landis, director of “Animal House” Jared

It’s the kickoff of our annual Summer of Food series. We’re joined by local chefs who discuss the modern food movement, what’s “hot” in the culinary scene, and the legacy of Anthony Bourdain. Our guests: Mark Cupolo, chef and owner of Rocco Zaaqi "Zoc" Johnson, chef and owner of Zoc's Gourmet Andrew Bush , chef de cuisine at Bobby V’s in Stamford, Connecticut

The latest film in the “Jurassic Park” series, “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” is number one at the box office. It goes to show that even decades after the first film was made, people still love dinosaurs. Dinosaur enthusiasts are also commenting about the latest in science related to the creatures. Researchers say they think they can recreate living dinosaurs within the next five years; genetic research involving modern day chickens could be the key to reversing evolution. We discuss the

Polling shows that the number of Americans who self-identify as non-religious is rising. But many atheists say this is actually a difficult time for them in this country. That’s because lawmakers who cite deeply religious backgrounds often set policy. The Supreme Court is just the latest front in those battles. We discuss it with a panel of non-religious people and leaders. In studio: Carol Hope, organizer for Secular Humanists of Rochester Linda Stephens, member of the Atheist Community of

We discuss disparities in autism diagnosis and treatment. The death of Trevyan Rowe has pushed the Golisano Autism Center to speed up plans to provide some services to families of children with autism in the City of Rochester. According to the CDC, about 1 in 59 children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the percentage of autism among African American and Hispanic children is nearing the percentage in white children. But African American and Hispanic children are less

Why do so few people vote? Last week, in primaries across the country, a very small percentage of voters decided to participate. New York State had particularly small turnout in most of its primary races. That has turned the spotlight on New York voting rules, including hours of voting, early voting, mail-in voting, registration, and more. Does something need to change? Our guests discuss how to improve voting access and enthusiasm. In studio: Tom Ferrarese , Monroe County Board of Elections

If you’re a smartphone user, have you ever considered switching back to a “dumb” phone? According to the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Americans own a cellphone, and the share of those that own a smartphone is 77 percent. But new research shows that there are a growing number of people who have ditched the smartphone for flip phones or other phones not connected to the Internet. While it’s unlikely that we’ll ever be back to the days of brick phones or landlines, experts say the reasons

If the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in November’s mid-term elections, 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley, representing parts of New York City, was expected to be one of the leading candidates to become speaker. But, that won’t happen. That’s because an upstart Democratic Socialist defeated him in the congressional primary Tuesday. She’s 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and if she’s elected in November, she would be one of the youngest women ever elected to Congress.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that government workers who choose not to join a union cannot be charged for the cost of collective bargaining. The plaintiff in this case, Mark Janus, a child-support specialist for the state of Illinois, challenged a requirement that government workers who opt out of a union still have to pay partial dues to cover the union's cost of negotiation and other functions. It was a predictable 5-4 decision. Justice Samuel Alito wrote the majority opinion

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 debate over civility, and if a restaurant should have asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave; Gun ownership, with progressives who own firearms; Germans' perceptions of the Trump Administration, with David Gill, Consul General of Germany in New York; Surviving the Holocaust, with local survivor, Jack