Connections Podcast

It's a pair of whodunits! We discuss the true stories behind a couple iconic things around the holidays, and they are not what they appear. We hear the creation stories of the poem, "The Night Before Christmas," and the board game, Monopoly. Our guests: Carlo De Vito , author of Inventing Santa Claus Mary Pilon , author of The Monopolists

We're broadcasting from WEOS Finger Lakes Public Radio in Geneva for a conversation about the Seneca White Deer. The rare herd now finds its official, protected home at the Seneca Army Depot, the U.S. Army's former weapons storage facility near Seneca Lake in Romulus. This comes after a public bidding process that determined the future of the site and the deer population. Protecting the world's largest herd of white, white-tailed deer has been a dream decades in the making for Dennis Money. He's

We discuss alternative approaches to gift-giving during the holidays — those that are less materialistic. We hear what local families and doing about an issue that is a prime source of stress, according to mental health experts. Our guests: Joel Helfrich, parent Kim Maroldo, parent Melanie Funchess , parent, and director of community engagement for the Mental Health Association of Rochester Dr. Elizabeth Murray , M.D., parent, and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Golisano

As more women are speaking out about sexual harassment and sexual assault in the workplace and beyond, women in the media industry — specifically, television news — are sharing their stories of how they’ve been harassed by viewers. It’s a pervasive problem, with women discussing how the men and women who watch them make inappropriate comments about their appearances, clothing, personalities, and more. Anchors and reporters say the comments are offensive, disgusting, and racist. We’re joined by

We're discussing taxes -- specifically, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC is a federal and state anti-poverty program that assists low income households by giving them extra cash based on their income. In Monroe County, approximately 60,000 households will receive an average of $4,000 between the federal and state EITC. This hour, our guests help us understand what the EITC is, who it benefits, the pros and cons of the program, and what you need to know. In studio: Pete Nabozny ,

A new documentary explores the aftermath of the 2015 mass shooting at the Boys and Girls Club in Rochester. Raekwon Manigault, Jonah Barley and Johnny Johnson Junior were killed during the shooting, which took place during a Stop the Violence basketball tournament. In Move , first-time filmmaker Tam Little speaks with the victims' families and with community members who came together to reduce the violence in their neighborhoods. The film will be screened at The Little Theatre on December 12 and

What will internet access in America look like without net neutrality laws? FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to scrap the current net neutrality rules; the FCC will vote on his plan December 14. In recent days, a number of experts have spoken out about false or misleading public comments submitted to the FCC. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says his office is investigating claims that more than half of the nearly 22 million public comments sent to the FCC about net neutrality included

Each year, more than 44,000 people die by suicide, leaving their friends and family looking for answers. Experts say siblings are often overlooked, and are not receiving the mental health support they need. The Sibling Survivors of Suicide Loss group says about 25,000 people each year become sibling survivors of suicide, and can experience thoughts of taking their own lives. This hour, we discuss the challenges siblings face. In studio: Patrick Scahill, founder and chairman of Superfly Corp.

An increasing number of African American families are turning to homeschooling. Parents say they want to protect their children from institutional racism, and they want their children to learn African American history outside of a Eurocentric curriculum. According to an estimate by the National Home Education Research Institute, the number of African American children who are home-schooled grew by about 10 percent between 2012 and 2016. That estimate puts the total number of black home-schooled

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 Nationalist's Delusion," with journalist Adam Serwer; Racial injustice in cities across America, including Rochester; Reactions to seeing racism up close in the suburbs, with Pittsford Town Board Member-elect, Kevin Beckford; The challenges faced by refugees in the United States; The pain and difficulty women experience when