Connections Podcast

A number of people from the Rochester area have traveled to Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. On Sunday, the Army Corps of Engineers said it will not approve an easement that would allow the pipeline to cross under Lake Oahe in North Dakota. President-elect Trump supports the pipeline project and says he will reexamine it after his inauguration. Local "protectors" join us to share share their feelings about what lies ahead. Our guests: Luc Watelet Lisa Giudici Isabelle Bartter

Last week we sat down with Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo; now we sit down with two of the leading Democrats from the Monroe County Legislature. Cindy Kaleh and Jim Sheppard discuss a range of issues related to county business: the budget; the recent hiring of a new leader for COMIDA; and more.

Our Monthly Science Roundtable asks the question, What does it mean to be human? We're not simply talking about the science of evolution -- although we'll talk about that! -- we're asking about culture, and religion, and human nature. It all ties into a new exhibit at the Tompkins County Public Library. Our guests: Dr. Warren Allmon , director of the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, and professor of paleontology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell

A federal judge recently blocked an Obama administration policy that was going to give more workers overtime. We discuss this ruling, and we discuss issues facing the American worker more broadly. President-elect Trump has promised to protect American workers, but Harold Meyerson , executive editor of The American Prospect, says Trump's election is "an extinction-level event for American labor." Our guests: Beth Cordello , chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at Pullano &

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 future of Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood under the Trump administration, and the stigma of abortion; Implicit bias; What life is like as a refugee; Ethics in jewelry and how diamonds are sourced.

We are coming up on the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's famous event, that either did or did not happen. Luther's famous 95 Theses are legend now, nailed to a church door in a German town. He was attacking the Roman Catholic leadership. We discuss the legacy of this revolutionary, in what we hope will be an enlightening and free-ranging conversation with our guests: Dr. Timothy Thibodeau , history professor at Nazareth College Rev. Matthew Martin Nickoloff , South Wedge Mission

"Post-truth." "Fake news." It's a new world of information and misinformation, and for journalists, it's about to get even more challenging. President-Elect Trump has shown consistent hostility to news organizations. Considering that, is this a moment of reckoning for the entire industry? Why do so many Americans profess such rancor to the press? How might that change? Our guests: Dick Moss , news director for the Democrat & Chronicle Dave Andreatta , columnist and reporter for the Democrat

The Ugandan Water Project started in 2008, and now it's a mission to provide clean water to a population that desperately needs it. The way it happens is remarkable: 10,000 liter polyvinyl tanks collect rainwater. Local musicians are hoping to help raise thousands of dollars for new collection tanks. We discuss how the project began, and why the need is so acute. Our guests: Mike Muscarella, guitarist for Violet Mary Joe Myers, drummer for Violet Mary Mel Muscarella, lead singer and keyboards

Governor Andrew Cuomo says that if Upstate New Yorkers want ride-sharing like Uber, they need to call their lawmakers. So has the time come? Or are the critics right to push back, saying that Uber undermines workers? Our panel discusses it: Matt Haag , member of Rochester City Council Frannie Sobczak, member of Workers United and the Rochester Taxi Drivers Association John Tomassi, president of Upstate Transportation Association

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo joins us in studio to discuss a range of issues. We talk about the budget, we examine her efforts to dissolve LDCs, and we review her first year in office.