Connections Podcast

The Cuomo administration has not yet made a decision on whether to allow a proposed expansion of a liquid propane gas facility near Seneca Lake. The out-of-state energy company involved has tried to amend their proposal in order to get it approved. Crestwood Energy argues that the project will create a handful of new jobs while alleviating local energy supply crunches. Opponents have been vocal, arguing that the project would be a serious problem for tourism and the wine industry. In fact, Paul

We look at several ways we might be doing Christmas wrong -- but we might not! We start with Lydia Liza and Josiah Lemanski, music artists who just released a new version of "Baby, It's Cold Outside." This version includes the lyrics "I really can't stay / Baby I'm fine with that" and "I ought to say no / You reserve the right to say no." Liza said the classic version bothers her, given the woman's questioning of what's in her drink, and her inability to leave when she says she wants to. So, is

Several busloads of Rochesterians are planning to go to Washington, D.C. next month after the inauguration of Donald Trump. They’ll join the national Women’s March demonstration on January 21 st . We speak with the man helping to organize some of those buses, who says he’s been moved by how intense the interest has been. And we talk about how they’re trying to train demonstrators to engage people they meet – sometimes in tense situations – to help create productive dialogue. Our guests: Paul

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: A local criminal justice professor's personal story about gun violence; How the City of Rochester's red light camera program disproportionately impacts people in poorer neighborhoods; What it's like to go to Standing Rock, North Dakota to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline; The historical impact of Japanese internment and its ties to

It's a special broadcast live from the Little Theatre. We're capping our week-long series exploring the lack of diversity on local teaching staffs. Our guests are a combination of teachers, administrators, parents, and school board members. Our live audience members bring their own questions based on our reporting and research. The guests: Brandon White, teacher on assignment for restorative practices at Northwest Junior & Northeast Senior High Schools at the Douglass Campus Kevin McGowan ,

It's a special broadcast live from the Little Theatre. We're capping our week-long series exploring the lack of diversity on local teaching staffs. Our guests are a combination of teachers, administrators, parents, and school board members. Our live audience members will bring their own questions based on our reporting and research. The guests: Shaun Nelms , superintendent of East High School Candice Hudson , teacher in the Hilton Central School District Simeon Banister , parent and school board

Mayor Lovely Warren has recommended the City of Rochester end its red light camera program. City Council will vote on the issue later this month. The recommendation has led to some cheers, while critics say that the reasons given by the mayor have been known for years. What are those reasons? The program disproportionately impacted people in impoverished neighborhoods. We discuss that finding and more with the mayor. Our guests: Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren Eamonn Scanlon, lead education

We hear the remarkable story of Irshad Altheimer , a criminal justice professor at RIT. Altheimer can never forget the impact of gun violence in his own life: in 1997, a gang member opened fire on the car Altheimer was riding in. One of Irshad's friends was killed. Altheimer was struck by three of the 24 bullets that hit the car. He explains how that tragic night changed him, and how it informs his work today.

Why would coconut milk need to be pasteurized? Strange question, but for a local small business owner, it could mean a lot of money. Eat Me Ice Cream is five years old, and has experienced tremendous growth in the past two years. Now the company is dealing with small business headaches and frantic Thanksgiving phone calls. The owners hope they're on their way to creating a kind of "craft ice cream" revolution. We talk about small business challenges, whether coconut milk is actually milk, and

Donald Trump's surrogates have cited Japanese internment camps as legal precedent for a potential Muslim registry. To say the least, this is a controversial defense of a so-called "Muslim ban," and it set off a storm of discussion about our own painful past. A new exhibit at the University of Rochester explores this topic. “Internment: The Japanese-American Experience in World War II — A pilgrimage to WWII Japanese-American internment camps” is on view through December 11. We try to learn from