Connections Podcast

The ImageOut Film Festival is back. It showcases films and other creative works that promote LGBT arts and cultural experiences. We preview this year’s films and talk to the organizers. Our guests: Larry Champoux, co-founder of the ImageOut Film Festival Paul Allen , chair of the board of directors for the ImageOut Film Festival Michael Gamilla , programming director for the ImageOut Film Festival Josh Howard , producer and director of The Lavender Scare Kris Erickson, director of Speak Your

Jeremy Richman is a neuro-pharmacologist, but after his six-year-old daughter, Avielle, was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, he and his wife shifted their focus to preventing violence and building compassion through brain research and education. He is a guest of St. John Fisher College, but first, we talk to him on Connections about the impact of mass shootings on communities. Our guests: Jeremy Richman , co-founder and CEO of The Avielle Foundation Mel Callan, family nurse

On Sunday night, a gunman holed up in a hotel room on the Las Vegas Strip opened fire on thousands of people attending a country music concert. At least 58 people are dead and more than 500 are injured. The shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. This hour, we discuss what we know about the ongoing situation in Las Vegas, and we cover broader themes like gun policy, gun control, what that means, and what the evidence says. Our guests: Gary Pudup, member of New Yorkers

Every day in homes across America, senior citizens experience accidental falls or injuries that require care. Sometimes, that care is handled through a brief stay at the hospital and then a return home; yet, many times, more care is needed, and families begin the process of navigating the elder care system – home health aides, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and hospice care. Roughly 1.4 million Americans live in nursing homes, and even more seniors find themselves having to make

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 impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico; Science, religion, and abortion, with Dr. Willie Parker; The Rochester accent, and how we value different vernaculars; Early childhood education, with Sesame Street actress Sonia Manzano.

The freedom to read is one of the most powerful ideas in human history: it enables us to consider new ideas and information. But that has always made some people in power uncomfortable. Banning books is a tradition that goes back hundreds of years in this country, and it's a practice that still very much alive today. This is Banned Books Week, and this hour, we look at trends in book banning. Who is doing the banning? Which groups are calling for the bans? What trends have emerged in recent

Sustainability is a word we hear often in the news and as we discuss subjects like climate change, but if you were asked to define sustainability, what exactly would you say? The authors of a new book argue that most people understand how important sustainability is, but few can define it. Randall Curren is a professor at the University of Rochester, and he's one of the co-authors of a book called Living Well Now and in the Future: Why Sustainability Matters . The book explains the obstacles

What exactly is the Rochester accent? Can you spot it when you hear it? Do you think you have a Rochester accent? A University of Rochester professor is studying the accent to further explain what it is and how it came to be. It all fits into a much broader conversation about language: how it evolves; how age, class, and social networks can foster linguistic changes; and how language can help us understand how we differ from one another. This is a show for (and read this in your best Rochester

We sit down with four of the winners in the recent Democratic primary for Rochester City Council. If history is any guide, these candidates will be members of City Council in 2018, and they will have a lot to say about a number of significant issues facing the city. We talk to them about where they stand on a number of those issues, including police accountability, the future of Parcel 5, transportation in Rochester, and more. In studio: Malik Evans Mitch Gruber Willie Joe Lightfoot Jackie Ortiz

The sitcom Will and Grace is making its return to the airwaves on Thursday, after finishing an eight year run in 2006. Former Vice President Joe Biden credited the show with educating Americans about LGBTQ issues. We discuss the evolution of gay characters on screen, and whether the show deserves its reputation. In studio: Scott Fearing, executive director of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Kate Sweeney, co-organizer of Ambush Rochester Juan Vazquez , digital engagement facilitator for