Connections Podcast

We sit down with a panel of conservatives who are concerned about climate change. Our panelists are people who describe themselves as being on the right side of the political spectrum. The stereotype is that progressives care about climate change; conservatives deny it. That's not true of our guests, but that doesn’t mean the solutions are easy, or easily agreed upon. They share their ideas for what kinds of policies and ideas make sense regarding climate and conservatism. Our guests: John Calia

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: Misconceptions about immigrants; Suicide and mental illness; What we should do when artists misbehave.

It’s a “singing intervention!” Do you want to sing, but feel nervous or dislike the sound of your voice? Did you play and instrument as a child, but haven’t picked it up in years? Today is Make Music Day, so we spend the hour celebrating music in all its forms, including the human voice. We also discuss the science behind singing, and how it can change your brain. Our guests: Gerard Floriano , artistic director of the Finger Lakes Opera Lee Wright , founder of First Inversion Choir Richard Fink

Local activists, members of the faith community, and law enforcement officers are working together to improve police-community relations in the Greater Rochester area. Last weekend, the fourth annual Police Relations Summit covered a range of issues, including police use of force, body cameras, plea bargaining, implicit bias and more. We sit down with leaders who attended the summit to discuss what they learned and what they hope to accomplish. In studio: Rev. Lewis Stewart, co-chair of the

The recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have sparked concern among mental health advocates, who note that celebrity suicides can have a copycat impact on the general population. Our guests discuss suicide from a range of angles, including the impact of loss on surviving family. In studio: Bill Perun, suicide attempt survivor, past president of NAMI Rochester , vice president of NAMI NYS, member of the NAMI National Peer Council, and certified Peer Specialist for the New York

The Hilton Central School District is considering arming retired law enforcement officers to work security. It's a proposal that has caused debate among parents; some argue that bringing more guns in to schools is inherently unsafe, while others feel that trained former officers are capable of handling firearms in a secure manner. We discuss the proposal with people on different sides of the issue. Our guests: Casey Kosiorek , superintendent of the Hilton Central School District Dave Inzana,

It's a preview of this year’s Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival . We discuss this year’s lineup, and we hear from English singer Gwyneth Herbert who returns to the festival for a third time. We talk to her about her music, her career, and what’s new on the jazz scene. Our guests: Jeff Spevak , longtime Rochester arts and culture reporter John Nugent, co-founder, producer, and artistic director of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival Glenn Tilley, audio producer and member of

In her book, “I Married a Sociopath,” writer and epidemiologist Sabrina Brown details decades of physical, verbal, and financial abuse by her ex-husband. Brown began blogging about being a domestic violence survivor in 2012 as a way to spark conversations about intimate partner violence, which often isn’t reported or acknowledged. Brown is in Rochester as the keynote speaker for RESTORE Sexual Assault Service’s first-ever regional conference, but first, she joins us on Connections to share her

In the last six weeks, nearly 2,000 children have been separated from their parents after crossing the southern border without proper documentation. While their parents are sent to immigration detention centers or to jail, the children are sent to government facilities or foster care. The move is part of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy. Activists across the country are protesting that policy, and many of those activists are immigrants themselves. This hour, we hear

What should we do when artists misbehave? In other words, when an author, actor, director, or artist does something offensive, acts inappropriately, or steps over the line in some way, should we stop consuming their art? When do we give them a pass? The founder of Writers & Books, Joe Flaherty, dealt with this question when he was arranging for Philip Roth to visit Rochester. The late writer was considered a misogynist by many readers. But, as Flaherty wrote in an essay on the incident, “you