Connections Podcast

Wendell Castle, an icon in the furniture design movement, has died. Castle had deep roots in the Rochester community, and leaves a storied career and legacy. We discuss it with our guests: Jonathan Binstock , director of the Memorial Art Gallery Mimi Freund Tilton, longtime friend of Wendell Castle Wendy Marks, director of the University Gallery at RIT

One year after worldwide women's marches, thousands more took to the streets in western New York and across the country. We discuss the issues central to the movement. We also discuss what it means to be active, beyond marching or protesting. Our guests: Mercedes Mike, education organizer for Metro Justice/Alliance for Quality Education who attended marches in Rochester in 2017 and 2018 Stephanie Vargas , activist who attended the 2017 march in Washington, D.C. Miriam Zinter , activist who

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 Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act; Property tax assessments, with Paychex founder Tom Golisano; "John Henryism" and mental health in the African American community; "Making it" in the music industry, with Kate Lee O'Connor and Forrest O'Connor of the O'Connor Band.

A recent article in (585) Magazine aimed to cover the Rochester comedy landscape. The article was bolstered by many photos, and yet it featured almost entirely men. Why? Women in comedy responded, saying this is rather typical of how women tend to be dismissed in this field. We discuss women in comedy, and the challenges they can face. In studio: Kelsey Claire Hagen , comedian LaCarla Carter , comedian Sarah Benson , comedian Jane Milliman , editor-in-chief of (585) Magazine * You can read the

Rochester did not make the cut for Amazon's HQ2. The final 20 cities were revealed on Thursday. It's a disappointment for the team that put together Rochester's proposal, but they point out that all of the finalists were large-market areas. We discuss their bid, and the plan for economic revitalization now that the Amazon dream has died. Our guests: Bob Duffy , CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Matt Hurlbutt , CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise Alex White , local activist,

Webster native Kate Lee won a Grammy award in 2017 as part of the O'Connor Band , which won for Best Bluegrass Album. Lee has become a standout lead vocalist and violinist, and she plays alongside her husband Forrest O'Connor. They're in Rochester this week, giving lessons to Webster students, and playing a concert on Friday night at the Eastman theater. But first, they're our guests on Connections. You can find videos of the O'Connor Band here .

The British writer Johann Hari has just released a new book about how to treat depression. It's a book that makes a case for a much different approach -- but that's not what is sparking the most controversy. In the book, Hari claims that antidepressants fail the vast majority of the time. He makes statistical claims that have already been essentially debunked. The medical community is concerned that Hari's claims could convince people to stop taking medication, so they're pushing back. We

This hour, we have a conversation about mental health in the African American community, with a focus on the psychic cost of racism. According to the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 20 percent more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population. Reasons for that disparity include racism, socioeconomic factors, and higher levels of homelessness and exposure to violence. The strategy of coping with prolonged psychosocial

Do you feel your property tax assessment is fair? Do you understand how the process works? Maybe more importantly, if you want to challenge your assessment, do you know how to do it? Our guest is Paychex founder and local philanthropist Tom Golisano. He's back to talk about his efforts to make the system -- in his words -- more fair for property owners. He says right now, it's too difficult to challenge your assessment. He says the process is inconsistent, often opaque, there's too little time

We talk about the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act -- it's gun legislation, and it stands a good chance of going forward. The NRA has been calling for it for a long time. Essentially, the act says that while states have their own laws on concealed carry (some states are more permissive; others are more restrictive), all states would have to honor the laws of the other states. That means concealed-carry permit holders from one state could legally carry their guns to another state -- even one that