Connections Podcast

Political analyst and author Andrew Sullivan says it's time to demand a psychiatric evaluation of President Trump. Sullivan says Trump refuses to recognize reality or accept basic facts, and it's putting the country in danger. But is it wise to psychoanalyze someone -- even the president -- from afar? Is it possible? Sullivan's not the only one who's made such comments. We talk about what we know (and don't know) about the president, along with whether we tend to armchair-psychoanalyze people in

NASA researchers recently announced that they've discovered the future home of Earthlings, after climate change leaves this planet uninhabitable. Okay, not exactly, but it's a tantalizing discovery: a star system not too far away with seven Earth-like planets. Should we be looking to the stars for future homes? Could we ever get to this star system in a human lifetime? The RIT Science Exploration students are learning to predict what type of life might appear on exoplanets -- if there's life

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 Persian holiday Nowruz, and the latest travel ban from Donald Trump's administration; The Raise the Age campaign; Teaching the teachers at SUNY Geneseo; The Fast Forward Film Festival; Former WXXI host Bob Smith's life and legacy.

We preview the return of the PBS show, Home Fires , with a discussion about how World War II impacted families and individual communities. We listen to some music from the time, hear about local history, and a World War II veteran shares his story. Our guests: Peter DuPre, World War II veteran Dr. Carolyn Vacca, Monroe County historian and associate professor and chair of the History Department at St. John Fisher College Michael Lasser, host of WXXI’s “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” Danielle Abramson

Former WXXI host Bob Smith passed away Friday morning at the age of 63. Bob was the original host of WXXI’s midday talk show, 1370 Connection, for more than 25 years. Every day, Bob led community-driven conversations on everything from education and the environment, to music, dance, arts, and culture. During his career, he interviewed a number of newsmakers and opinion leaders, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudolph Giuliani, Mario Cuomo, Diane Rehm, Susan Stamberg, Dave Brubeck, and B.B.

(Rochester, NY) Former WXXI Host Bob Smith passed away this morning at the age of 63 after a long illness. Bob was the original host of WXXI’s midday talk show, 1370 Connection, for over 25 years. Every day, he created two hours of civic engagement and civil discourse, on topics that ranged from politics to the economy, from education to the environment, from music and dance to arts and culture. Bob interviewed countless newsmakers and opinion leaders, including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rudolph

The annual Fast Forward Film Festival is coming, bringing an environmental bent to short films. We've had a chance to watch the films, and our guests explain how they use film to explore questions about climate, art, nature, and more. Our guests: Andy Stern, founder of the Fast Forward Film Festival, and co-founder and executive director of The Lost Bird Project Ben Doran, RIT student and filmmaker of Log.txt Mary Moore, homeschooled senior and filmmaker of The Decay Eleanore Barrera, senior at

The White House's latest travel ban was thrown out by a federal judge on Wednesday. But countries on President Trump's list have already floated the idea of "reciprocal bans." What would that mean? Our guests touch on the recent news, but they also discuss Nowruz -- the Persian New Year. We talk about the cultural meaning of what it is, along with misconceptions. Our guests: Shahin Monshipour, Iranian American anthropologist who teaches sociology and cultural anthropology at RIT Zari Kamarei,

When you think about the keys to good health, you probably think of diet and exercise -- but what about sleep? Scientists say getting the recommended amount of sleep is the most effective way to stay healthy. Plus, research shows that a consistent lack of sleep can increase your risk of developing diseases that can lead to early death. So, in a society that often labels sleep as unproductive, how do we create better sleep? We talk about a range of sleep-related topics with our guests: Dr. Heidi

The New York State budget is due April 1, and one of the hot topics is “Raise the Age” legislation. New York and North Carolina are the only two states that prosecute 16- and 17-year-old offenders as adults. For five years, the issue has divided parties in the state Senate. Those in favor of raising the age of criminal liability to 18 say youth offenders put in adult prisons are more likely to re-offend, experience mental health issues, and be physically harmed in prison. Opponents say raising