Connections Podcast

What happens when we blend politics, journalism, and entertainment? In one sense, we get appearances like Sean Spicer at the Emmys this past weekend. We also see such blending at Geva's Summer Curtain Call, and the White House Correspondents' Dinner in years past. But the Spicer appearance sparked some backlash amongst those who say it waves away the serious problem of lying for an administration; people who are more vulnerable aren't laughing at Spicer's star turn. So where is the line? Our

The videos have gone viral: people punching Nazis in the streets. The latest involved a man in Seattle, wearing a Swastika armband. He takes a punch so violent that he is knocked unconscious and loses a tooth. While it might be tempting to laugh or share these videos, even people like Noam Chomsky warn that it's not a good idea to punch anyone -- Nazis included. There are still ideological debates to win, they say. Our guests: Kit Miller , director of the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

What happens when doctors and nurses get overwhelmed? Every day, clinicians provide treatment for patients with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions. Being exposed to human suffering and having to face ethical challenges leaves many providers distressed, and sometimes, burned out. A Mayo Clinic study reported that in 2014, more than half of U.S. physicians experience at least one symptom of burnout, leading clinician burnout to be labeled as a public health crisis. What does this mean

City Council in Rochester had a number of new faces running for seats this year, but they didn’t all win the Democratic primary. What happens when you take that jump for the first time and it doesn’t work out? Do you stay involved? Do you run again? We talk to some of them about their experiences as first-time candidates, and what’s next. Our guests: Mary Lupien Shawn Dunwoody Dorian Hall Tom Hasman

When college students go abroad, they spend weeks, months, or even a year assimilating into a different culture. So how can they integrate those global experiences into their daily lives when they return home? That's the focus of an upcoming conference at SUNY Geneseo called ROC Your Global Future . We talk to conference organizers and returning students about how they can apply their international perspectives to our community and their educational goals. In studio: Sam Cardamone, conference

Parents of hundreds of children with special needs in New York State say their kids are not receiving the services they need. A recent report in the Democrat & Chronicle stated that in the 2016-2017 school year "nearly 400 3- and 4-year-olds in Monroe County were not evaluated for developmental delays within 60 days of their referral as required by law, according to local school district records.” The delay in referrals puts children at a developmental disadvantage, and at risk for needing

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: If Rochester could be home to Amazon's second headquarters; The Iran nuclear deal, with Ambassador Thomas Pickering; The Attica prison uprising; Poverty, with actress Andie MacDowell.

2016 marked the first time a U.S. surgeon general released a report addressing substance use disorders and health problems related to those disorders. According to the report, one in seven Americans will develop a substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives, but only one in ten will receive treatment. While a number of issues factor into the decision not to seek help – inaccessibility of treatment centers, personal beliefs about treatment, and more – the stigma attached to substance

No one will ever change their mind, right? Is there any point in debating friends about politics or heavy subjects when the disagree? University of Rochester philosopher Richard Feldman says we can engage in better public discourse. He joins us in studio to discuss how.

We’re joined by Dr. Rick Kittles . He’s the co-founder of African-Ancestry, the largest African lineage DNA database in the world. His work has been used to track the ancestry of people featured on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots.” Dr. Kittles is in Rochester as a guest of the Jordan Health Foundation, but first, he joins us on Connections to discuss his work.