Connections Podcast

We discuss the restorative justice approach in schools. You might have heard the term, restorative justice or restorative practice. The short version is that it's essentially the opposite of zero tolerance -- it's an approach rooted in personal responsibility, bringing people face to face, with the goal of improving behavior without suspensions or expulsions, when possible. But there haven't been many studies to suggest whether restorative practices work. There is a great deal of evidence in the

Todd Baxter is running Monroe County Sheriff. He's running as a Democrat, challenging longtime Republican incumbent Patrick O'Flynn. But Baxter says he's not a political person; he's focused on law enforcement. He's the former Greece police chief who helped clean up the culture of corruption in that department. We discuss why he says this election is critical, and where he sees himself differing with Sheriff O'Flynn.

New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is an organization that believes there are new gun regulations within reach in New York State this year. They're focusing on the impact of gun violence against women. Statistics show that American women are far more likely to be killed by guns than women in other developed countries. NYAGV is pushing the Emergency Restraining Protection Order. They explain what it is, and why the election of Donald Trump is actually helping their efforts to pass new legislation.

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: Pope Benedict's legacy, with Father Thomas Rosica; The Rochester brink's heist of 1993, with Gary Craig, author of Seven Million; Learning from history, with World War II veteran Pete DuPre; If Billy Joel is the worst pop singer ever, and how we evaluate art of any kind.

Is Billy Joel the worst pop artist of all time? Strange question, we know. But Slate writer Ron Rosenbaum wrote a piece , detailing two ideas. First, he explained why he believes Billy Joel is indeed the worst ever. Second, and more importantly, Rosenbaum makes the case for calling out bad art (of any genre) as a means to understanding what good art is. In other words, Rosenbaum pushes back against the idea that the only good art is whatever you like. Is he right? And what's wrong with Allentown

What's causing the rising lake levels? How much of the criticism is political; how much is fair? We look at Plan 2014 , and we explore what's really going on. Our guests: Veronica Volk , reporter and producer for Great Lakes Today Dr. Karen Berger, lecturer in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester Dr. Frank Sciremammano Jr., member of the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board Frank Bevacqua, public information officer for the

In 1990, researchers discovered the first evidence of a gene involved in breast cancer susceptibility. In 1994, the gene was cloned. Since then, we've learned a lot about the BRCA gene, and hundreds of mutations. So what can and should be done for patients with this gene? This hour, we answer your questions about breast care, from everything from preventive mastectomies to insurance. We also hear the story of a local family's experience with breast cancer. Our guests: Dr. Lori Medeiros, director

On May 1 , the Department of Defense released new information about a troubling subject: cases of sexual assault in the military. The data shows that 14,900 service members reported being sexually assaulted in 2016. That’s down from 20,300 reported cases in 2014. Despite the reduction in those numbers, the DoD isn’t confusing progress with success. The vast majority of cases go un-reported, with many victims choosing silence out of fear of retaliation. They struggle with PTSD, and sometimes,

During the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, Governor Jay Nixon chose police Captain Ronald Johnson to oversee law enforcement efforts. It was a delicate situation, and Cpt. Johnson wanted to respect demonstrators while maintaining order. Cpt. Johnson is in Rochester as a guest of Baden Street Settlement to talk about lessons learned from Ferguson. Our guests: Captain Ronald S. Johnson, Missouri State Highway Patrol RPD Deputy Chief Mark Simmons, board member for Baden Street Settlement

One of the most remarkable storytellers in Rochester is 93-year-old Pete DuPre. He was an army medic during World War II, and for 80 years, he's played the harmonica. Soon he'll play his harmonica at the State of the County address, and he's taken his talents to Nashville's recording studios. Pete tells us his stories, which include plenty of laughs, but also the pain of seeing what war can do to man.