Connections Podcast

The One Take Film Festival is coming to The Little Theatre . It's a celebration of documentary films, education, art, music, food, and empowerment. We talk to filmmakers about their work, and learn about the origins of this festival. Our guests: Linda Moroney , director and programmer for the One Take Film Festival, and producer of The Last Dalai Lama? Bri Merkel, special events manager for The Little Theatre Jennifer Brea , director and subject of Unrest

There are 12 candidates for Rochester City Council's at-large seats this year. We plan to interview them all, and we'll do it in groups of three. It's our chance to hear from candidates about how they would seek to improve the city -- poverty, economy, and much more. Our guests: Mary Lupien Shawn Dunwoody Willie Joe Lightfoot

Calling all carpenters, masons, painters, and craftspeople: New York needs you. State and federal tax credits are making it more financially feasible for property owners to restore historic buildings, but there’s a challenge when it comes to finding people with the skills to do the work. While there are veteran craftspeople of the traditional trades in our area, many are approaching retirement, leaving a valuable skills gap. The traditional trades were on the Landmark Society’s “Five to Revive”

In 2010, the Geneva City School District was on a New York State watch list because of its low graduation rates and other deficiencies. Seven years later, graduation rates are up 14 percent. This is just one of the successes of Geneva 2020 , a community-wide initiative aimed at increasing graduation rates, improving literacy, and boosting college and career readiness for all of the city’s students. The team behind Geneva 2020 joins us to discuss the project’s progress and its goals moving

The failure of the American Health Care Act showed a sharp disconnect between the White House and the working class. Various polls showed the AHCA with anything from 17 to 30 percent approval, and it earned dismal marks from the conservative working class, too. But a number of liberal writers say that Democrats are missing an opportunity to learn from this episode. They argue that Democrats are obsessed with Russia, while Trump voters are concerned about health coverage and jobs. So what can be

Are college campuses infantilizing students by teaching them to shut out any speech they don't like? A growing number of academics -- from the right, yes, but also from the political left -- say yes. RIT is hosting a symposium this week that focuses on the value of free speech for everyone on campus. And while RIT's Joseph Fornieri acknowledges that his own views lean left, he is a staunch defender of the value of hearing all points of view. We discuss recent incidents on campuses, as well as

We look at the very latest in cutting edge Parkinson's disease research, including the work being done here in Rochester to help patients live their best lives. One of our guests discusses her own challenges of living with PD. In studio: Yvonne Hylton, Parkinson’s disease patient Patricia Smith, caregiver Dr. Ray Dorsey , MD, MBA, director of the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics (CHET) at the University of Rochester Medical Center Dr. Ruth Schneider , MD, senior instructor in the

Equal Pay Day seeks to highlight the gender pay gap, with ideas on how to close it. In our area, the Coalition of Pay Equity was designed to examine differences in pay between different groups. We check in on COPE's surveys -- what they've learned, and what we can do to eliminate various gaps. Our guests: Catherine Cerulli , director of the Susan B. Anthony Center at the University of Rochester Cynthia Herriott , vice president for public policy for the American Association of University Women

In several billion years, the sun will run out of hydrogen at its core, and that will be game over for humans. So why do we care about music if this is all for naught? Just kidding; music is awesome. And there's a lot to discuss: the legacy of the great Chuck Berry; the choices for the next wave into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; even the Rochester City Ballet's ongoing efforts to cross genres and attract new audiences. Our guests: John Covach , director of the Institute for Popular Music at

In several billion years, the sun will run out of hydrogen at its core, and that will be game over for humans. So why are we so hung up on climate change? Well, in the event that you think it's worth protecting the planet for several billion more years, there are some things going on. Start with the recent policy changes and reversals from the Trump administration, from coal to clean energy to Paris. There are also a number of events going on this month. Our panel discusses state and federal