Connections Podcast

Former journalist Rachel Barnhart has released a book about her experience in politics. The title is a nod to the book's exploration of the role of gender in politics. It's called Broad, Casted. Barnhart has said that even after years covering politics, she was not prepared for the sexism she encountered. Her critics -- particularly critics in the Democratic Party -- argue that she has misjudged some common political tactics as being sexist. We discuss that, along with her career and her future

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: Former Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson's thoughts on the election of Donald Trump;Why many members of the small business community support Donald Trump;The Atlantic article, How Democrats Killed Their Populist Soul;Songwriting and the death of Leonard Cohen.

Back by popular demand, this episode of Second Opinion LIVE is "Food: Fact or Fiction." Our experts answer your questions about food, nutrition, and diet. In studio: Dr. Roger Oskvig, Second Opinion’s chief medical advisor, geriatrician, and professor of clinical medicine at University of Rochester Medical CenterDr. Lou Papa, regular panelist on Second Opinion, professor of clinical medicine, and partner in Olsan Medical Group, Center for Primary Care at the University of Rochester Medical

This month on Unleashed, we honor Veterans Day by telling the story of a rescue dog named Hans who is providing emotional support to local veterans. Plus, when patients go into hospice care, their beloved pets are often left behind and families may be unable to care for them. A national organization is working to reunite patients with their pets, when the unconditional love of a dog or cat matters most. We talk to the founder of Pet Peace of Mind. And Dr. Stephanie Ravin from Stone Ridge

Kidney donor and Georgetown M.D. candidate Michael Poulson caused a national stir with his piece in the Washington Post titled, "At 18 years old he donated a kidney. Now he regrets it." Poulson says that potential donors are being undersold the risks, and over-promised the safety. He's urging more transparency in the system. But is he right? Our guests discuss their own experience and understanding of the safety of organ donation. Michael Poulson, kidney donor and M.D. candidate at Georgetown

Former Roosevelt Fellow Matt Stoller has written a blistering takedown of Democratic policy, tracing the decline to the "Watergate Babies" of 1975. Stoller argues that Democrats abandoned a dedication to protecting American communities through trust-busting and anti-monopoly policy. The result, he writes, is a concentration of power and a working class fury that just produced President Donald Trump. So what next, in this Brandeis-or-Bork struggle? Stoller is urging Democrats to return to those

Democrat and Chronicle reporter Justin Murphy joins us in studio to discuss his upcoming series of reports about toxic stress in schools. This stress isn't related to any one specific thing -- it can include anxiety over homework and testing, or stress as a result of trauma, family breakups, or racism. Experts say this kind of stress has elevated in the last five to ten years. We discuss how to diagnose and treat toxic stress with our guests: Justin Murphy, education reporter for the Democrat

Dog-whistles are code words in politics: sometimes, you hear a phrase and it is supposed to sound unoffensive or straightforward, but does it really mean something else? There's a list of phrases, and you may agree or disagree that they are racial dog-whistles. The executive director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition was in Rochester to give a presentation on this subject. We talk to him about what the code words are, how they may demean someone of a different race or culture, and what we

Songwriter Leonard Cohen passed away, and it's reminding us about the value of great songwriting. For Cohen, it wasn't easy and instantaneous. "Hallelujah," his enduring hit, has become a much bigger success when covered by other artists. We honor Cohen with a conversation about songwriting -- about what inspires musicians, and the value of songwriting today in a culture seemingly addicted to simple hooks. Our guests: Connie Deming, singer-songwriterTy Gagnon, songwriter

The City of Rochester is taking a look at its Nuisance Abatement point system. What does that mean? We explain with our guest, former Mayor Bill Johnson, whose company is conducting the review. Nuisance Abatement has been controversial in New York City, where critics say it's abused. The law was designed there to shut down drug operations and other criminal enterprises, but reporting by ProPublica showed that residents were getting kicked out of their homes without a chance to defend themselves