Connections Podcast

The Reshaping Rochester Series looks to an unlikely source for inspiration: Detroit. Maurice Cox, a respected veteran in community design and the former mayor of Charlottesville, VA, will share his vision for rebuilding Detroit during the series' next presentation. His plans include innovative land use, building renovation, and new construction. We preview the event by linking those ideas to what might happen in Rochester. Our guests: Howard Decker, board member for the Community Design Center

How much should journalists rely on anonymous sources? Every organization treats this issue with its own standards. There is not a single rule or guideline. Some newsrooms are weighing whether to scrap reporting if no sources will go on the record. Others, like the New York Times, run entire stories based on conversations with anonymous sources -- for example, the recent controversial piece about Trump's selection for Energy Secretary, Rick Perry. In the age of Trump, there might be more

"There are thousands of people who feel that the country has left them behind." Those are the words of writer and photographer Chris Arnade , who has traveled the country to document the stories of what some call the "forgotten citizens." Arnade was a Wall Street banker for 20 years before setting out on the road to meet people whose stories are rarely told. He spends a lot of time in towns with empty factories, where community gatherings and support groups meet at churches and McDonald's

Thousands of demonstrators marched on Washington last Friday in the annual March for Life. Our panelists discuss what it means to be "pro-life," regarding abortion and on other matters. We discuss intersectionality, and how to help women in poverty. And we discuss the future of the movement during the Trump era. Our guests: Audrey Sample, board member of Feminists for Nonviolent Choices Rosemary Geraghty , social media coordinator for Life Matters Journal Hannah Gilges, student at Our Lady of

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer William Snyder is known for his work capturing newsmakers, but it turns out that his passion isn't necessarily photographing world leaders. It's The Who. In 1993, Snyder photographed Pete Townshend, when Townshend was involved with the Broadway production of his rock opera, Tommy. Since then, Snyder has toured with the band, and captured some classic images. We have a little fun talking about the craft of photographing great bands, and previewing a new exhibit

We discuss the Trump administration's order on immigration by focusing on who is impacted, both locally and abroad. We try to answer our listeners' questions, and we discuss the possible results. Our guests: Iman Abid , organizer for NYCLU Mustafa Almansuri, translator for the U.S. Army who is originally from Iraq Alma Omerhodzic, treasurer and board member for the Islamic Center of Rochester, and former Bosnian refugee Mike Boucher, co-director of counseling and community work at St. Joseph’s

How can art be used as a tool to inspire change? We discuss how visual and performance art, satire, and other forms of creative expression can raise awareness of social and political issues. Our guests: Allison Roberts, artist and co-founder of Impact Interactive Dick Roberts, artist and former political cartoonist for the Democrat and Chronicle Jonathan Ntheketha , actor, performance educator with Impact Interactive, and senior assistant director of the Multicultural Center for Academic Success

Have you heard the term, “inspiration porn?” A recent episode of the sitcom Speechless on ABC explored the subject. It refers to when able-bodied people characterize people with disabilities as objects of inspiration or one-dimensional saints because they live with physical or developmental differences. People with disabilities and disability rights activists say the term can be harmful and insulting because examples of “inspiration porn” are usually meant to benefit able-bodied people. They

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: Myra Brown's career in ministry, as she prepares to be ordained as the third African American woman Catholic priest; The question of whether Susan B. Anthony was against abortion; Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed free public tuition plan, with Assemblyman Brian Kolb; Cybersecurity; Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

In this episode of Unleashed, we discuss how to choose healthy, balanced diets for your pets. We also talk about the controversy surrounding the new film, A Dog's Purpose . Some animal rights activists are boycotting the film after a video showing a trainer trying to force a frightened dog into a pool went viral. The film’s producer says the trainer’s actions were inexcusable, but the video was taken out of context and the dog wasn’t harmed. We hear from both sides, and talk about the roles and