Connections Podcast

What has the narrative been about wage growth and the wage gap in this country? The narrative has reflected the reality, which is that for decades now, we've seen wage stagnation and money concentrated much more toward the top, with a big gap in the so-called middle. Yet, the numbers are starting to change. Investigative journalist David Cay Johnston says we've been living with an outdated narrative and wage growth is happening. He's asking us to look at new data that indicates wage growth is

Maybe you are excited about your vote for president...or maybe you view it as a choice you are not thrilled to make. Eric Metaxas is a Christian author, theologian, and radio host who says Christians have a certain obligation on November 8: he says God wants them to vote for Donald Trump. He made the case in a Wall Street Journal piece, and he has been continuing the conversation on the cable and talk show circuit. Some Christian leaders have agreed with him, saying Trump is not a great choice,

The New York Times says Upstate New York is "unusually rich" in community orchestras. We're not talking about the RPO here; we're talking about Penfield and Finger Lakes and Brockport and Greece and more. How do they all co-exist? How do their missions differ? We have some fun, listen to some music, and explore the often underappreciated scene. Our guests: David Harman, music director for the Penfield Symphony OrchestraDan Griswold, president of the Penfield Symphony OrchestraShade Zajac, music

Was Seinfeld better than Breaking Bad? Was Cheers better than The Simpsons? And is binge watching going to permanently alter the quality and impact of great shows? A new book from two of the top critics in the country runs down the greatest shows, and why. It's called TV (The Book): Two Experts Pick the Greatest American Shows of All Time. One of the co-authors, Matt Zoller Seitz, won the Pultizer Prize for Criticism. He's coming to Western New York this week, but he joins us first: Matt Zoller

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 debate over Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize in Literature;Helping people who struggle with mental illness, with WNBA superstar Chamique Holdsclaw;The Korowai people of Papuan Indonesia, who live without technology;Why it's dangerous and wrong for Donald Trump to say the presidential election is rigged.

In this month's episode of Second Opinion LIVE, we talk about good bugs versus bad bugs. Although bacteria in your body are microscopic, they can cause big problems or contribute to good health. Our guest is Dr. Shahzad Mustafa, who is a part of the allergy and clinical immunology team at Rochester Regional Health System and also is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry.

In this month’s episode of Unleashed, we talk about one of the most controversial topics in the feline world: declawing. There is a bill in the New York State Senate that, if passed, would prohibit declawing cats and other animals. We discuss what declawing is, the effects it has on cats, and we hear from veterinarians and cat owners on both sides of the debate. Plus, you’ve probably heard about dogs who are trained to detect explosives or illegal drugs, but did you know there are dogs who can

With the historically high negative ratings for both major party candidates for president, 2016 seemed like the ideal year for a third party breakthrough. Instead, it's been largely a struggle for the Green and Libertarian parties. Is that because Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are poor candidates, or has the system protected the two major parties against all outsiders? Steven Nemerovski has written extensively about third parties, in fiction and reality. We discuss the future of American third

Congressional candidate Mark Assini joins us in studio. The Gates town supervisor is the Republican challenging longtime incumbent Louise Slaughter. We have yet to be able to confirm a date with Rep. Slaughter. With Assini, we talk about upstate jobs, health care, and the issues impacting the Rochester region.

The United States has a long and rich music history, but here's a question: what is the American identity in classical and symphonic music? Even classical music lovers don't know much about Piston and his colleagues. Why not? The RPO's Ward Stare has put together a series of events to showcase American composition. We talk about great American music -- the kind that tends to get ignored by professional orchestras. Our guests: Ward Stare, music director for the Rochester Philharmonic