Connections Podcast

There's a new sheriff in town. Todd Baxter won a resounding victory over longtime incumbent Patrick O'Flynn in Monroe County. Sheriff-elect Baxter joins us to talk about his priorities going forward.

The Trump administration's proposed tax plan would eliminate the federal historical tax credit, and this has many local preservationists concerned about the future of saving historic buildings in our area. We discuss what eliminating the tax credit could mean for those properties. In studio: Larry Francer, associate director of preservation for the Landmark Society of Western NY Daniel Mackay, deputy commissioner for historical preservation at the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic

A family doctor in Washington, D.C. recently wrote a piece for the Federalist entitled "Stop Denying Science, Birth Control Isn't Necessary for Women's Health." The piece has led to backlash among the medical community, with doctors saying there is well-established evidence of the benefits of birth control as medication. We discuss the science with one of the most outspoken women's health advocates in the country, Dr. Jen Gunter, along with two local doctors. Our guests: Dr. Jen Gunter , M.D.,

What can hospitals learn from the airline industry? Pilot and author John Nance says they can improve their quality of care and reduce medical mistakes if they adapt safety measures designed for airlines. He joins us in studio to explain how it would work. John Nance , author of Why Hospitals Should Fly , and a lawyer, pilot, veteran, and ABC News analyst Amie Kulak, director of quality and education for Rochester Regional Healthcare Association Nancy Tinsley , president of Rochester General

Congress is debating a new tax plan that would bring changes for many American families. So how does it work? Who would benefit, and who would pay more? Our guests: Congressman Tom Reed , (R) 23rd District Michael Kink , executive director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition Amit Batabyal , professor of economics at RIT

What truly makes someone happy? SUNY Geneseo psychology professor Jim Allen collected the data and produced a new book called The Psychology of Happiness in the Modern World . We discuss the impacts of economic systems, income inequality, and more.

In modern media, success usually means following up with the same thing that brought success. Music, television -- think about why the characters on Friends only became caricatures of themselves. But 25 years ago, a band went against the popular grain. R.E.M. had found massive commercial success with their 1991 hits like "Stand" and "Shiny Happy People." Suddenly, just as popular as Madonna, the band had a chance to fire off more and similar hits. But their 1992 album, Automatic for the People ,

What would it sound like if a number of local musicians all wrote their own versions of a song with the same title? Music fans will be able to hear more than 20 original takes on the title "How Did We Get Here" during a special concert next week at Hochstein Performance Hall. It's part of an event appropriately titled, "If All Rochester Wrote the Same Song." We preview some of those versions and talk about the song writing process with our guests. In studio: Scott Regan , co-creator of If All

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: Retired Army Captain Sam Brown's remarkable story of survival after serving in Afghanistan; What happens when big plants close in small and medium-sized cities; The U.S. State Department under the Trump administration, with former State Department employee and thriller writer Todd Moss; Songwriting, with performers from If All

Most school rankings lean heavily on academic performance, but what if test scores were taken out of the equation? The Democrat & Chronicle's Justin Murphy did exactly that, and his recent piece offers a new way to look at school rankings. So who's on top? And how were the rankings done? Our guests will tell us. In studio: Justin Murphy , education reporter for the Democrat & Chronicle Joanne Larson , professor of education and associate director of research for the Center for Urban