Connections Podcast

Frank De Blase is a well known music writer and photographer, and he's using his pen to tell the story of his own struggle with Parkinson's. Frank writes about the new medical marijuana system: where does someone go to get it? What's the process like? It's an illuminating look at this young enterprise in New York State. Our guests: Frank De Blase , music writer, photographer, and Parkinson’s disease patient Dr. Michelle Burack , assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, and clinical

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned just hours after the New Yorker published a piece containing allegations of physical and sexual abuse. It's a #MeToo case that further shakes the public trust in elected leaders. After all, Schneiderman has consistently praised women for coming forward, and vowed to be an ally in the movement. Our guests discuss it: Karen DeWitt , WXXI's Capitol Bureau Chief Wes Renfro , associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at St. John

We talk to Rochester Youth Climate Leaders about their recent Earth Day Summit. The students join us to share what they learned, what they hope to achieve with local environmental efforts, and their climate priorities. In studio: Linden Burack, 8th grade student at School of the Arts and Rochester Youth Climate Leader Benny Smith, 11th grade student at Brighton High School and Rochester Youth Climate Leader Hridesh Singh, 10th grade student at Brighton High School and Rochester Youth Climate

The Rochester City School District has released its proposed budget, and it has slated an increase in funding for bilingual education staff and services. The Children's Agenda recently released its analysis of that proposed budget. The request for more funding comes after more than 500 students from Puerto Rico enrolled in the district. They moved to Rochester after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. We talk to education experts and parents about the kinds of services bilingual students need

Tom Nichols is the author of The Death of Expertise , a book that has become a smash success. It explores the decline in respect for experts in American culture. Nichols was invited to speak at the College at Brockport, and he sits down with us to discuss the strong reaction his book has sparked. Nichols is also an expert in Russian affairs, so he weighs in on the Mueller investigation as well.

A new short film stakes a claim about feminism and the pro-life movement. Pro-Life Feminist tells the story of several women who consider themselves ardent feminists, and also passionate opponents of abortion. Monday night, the Brighton Memorial Library will show the film at 7 p.m. One of the activists featured in the film is in Rochester for the event, and she joins us in studio, alongside a professor of gender studies who takes a different view about reproductive rights. Our guests: Aimee

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: Racism, and the racist panel that was removed from the carousel at Ontario Beach Park; Raising a transgender child; The high cost of dying.

Do professional musicians want us to stop using Spotify and other streaming services? A fresh analysis of what artists gets paid paints a rather bleak picture. We'll talk to local artists who are trying to break through. Our guests: Danielle Ponder , lead singer of Danielle Ponder and the Tomorrow People Jon Lewis , artist Aaron Rizzo , singer-songwriter Chi TheRealist , rapper, singer, actor, and spoken word artist Neil Harris, president of Punkdafunk

We continue our series of interviews with the candidates running to fill the Congressional seat of the late Louise Slaughter. This hour, it's longtime local journalist Rachel Barnhart .

We discuss the recent asteroid that nearly missed hitting Earth. Our guests discuss techniques that we can use to protect ourselves, how much warning we’d need before a strike, and if we should redirect the space budget to prepare for these kinds of events. In studio: Brian Koberlein , senior lecturer of physics at RIT Roger Dube , research professor and director of the Science Exploration Program at RIT