Connections Podcast

A year ago at this time, Snapchat was certainly a thing, but not nearly the sensation it has become. These days, younger technology users gravitate to Snapchat, and NPR is using it to connect with a wider audience. What exactly is it? What are the risks? What are the benefits? Our conversation is all about the year in social media, with Snapchat leading the way. We also discuss Facebook's efforts to handle fake news, and we talk about the biggest legal issues facing social media. Our guests:

Members of the Electoral College are scheduled to formally cast their votes on Monday. We explore the history of the Electoral College, along with the debate over whether the electors should consider voting against their states' wishes. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is one of New York State's electors; we've reached out to her and other electors about whether they consider it ethical to go against a pledged vote for a particular candidate. Our guests: Wes Renfro , associate professor and chair

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 challenges for young Latino students struggling to learn English; The problems with not voting; Recognizing hate; If we should have a Universal Basic Income; An updated version of the song, Baby, It’s Cold Outside.

Caring for a pet in an emergency can be frightening and stressful, but the Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services practice in Henrietta is open 24/7 to handle everything from ear infections to traumatic injuries. We’ll take you behind-the-scenes at the hospital and answer some common questions about emergency experiences. Plus, the holiday season is a popular time for families to consider bringing a new pet into the home. But is it a good idea to give pets as gifts? We’ll hear from the

The FTC recently adopted a new policy on homeopathic remedies. The makers of such products will have to provide reliable evidence for any health claims, if they want to sell them in American markets. This means that many homeopathic products could be finished in U.S. stores, because there is essentially no peer-reviewed evidence that homeopathy provides any medical benefit. In fact, Australia's governing medical body recently instructed doctors to stop prescribing homeopathic products, and has

Monroe County Clerk Adam Bello is not happy that the Republican-led county legislature stripped out funding for a proposed downtown DMV location. Bello says the anti-poverty initiative has shown how important it is to offer services to city residents related to transportation. Republicans have said their decision was based on providing more funding for child care services. Bello and Monroe County Legislature Majority Leader Brian Marianetti (R-Greece) are in studio to debate.

Elon Musk recently said that it might be time for a UBI, a Universal Basic Income. He said that mechanization has made it difficult to replace lost jobs, and there might be no other recourse to help Americans who are displaced. So, what is a UBI? How would it work? How's the track record? Our guests explain and debate it: Erika Rosenberg, Center for Governmental Research Peter Nabozny, Center for Governmental Research Amit Batabyal, professor of economics at RIT

La Cumbre is an organization working to help Latinos become more engaged in civics, have a greater voice in local policy, and gain more educational opportunities for children of color. We'll preview La Cumbre's Latino Holiday Celebration December 21st at MuCCC Theater. A little music, a little spoken word, and plenty of discussion about how to achieve more inclusion in western New York. Our guests: Orlando Ortiz & Annette Ramos, Co-Facilitators of La Cumbre's Arts & Cultural Committee

On November 9, one of the first published commentaries about the election of Donald Trump was by Marvin McMickle, president of Colgate Divinity School. McMickle offered some comfort for those concerned about the election results: our nation, he wrote, survived some very dark periods, including the Civil War and the Jim Crow era. But McMickle also cautioned that the loyal opposition has a responsibility to hold the next administration accountable, particularly when it comes to equality. He joins

Local artist Todd Stahl had no idea that when he set out on a new project in 2015, it would feel so poignant when it finally debuted shortly after the presidential election. Stahl wanted to capture portraits of fifteen Americans who, in his words, "have risen up to express their personal vision and to fight for what they saw as progress." Some of the names are known in every household: Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert F Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt. Some are names that are not