Connections Podcast

There is a building in Farmington that lost a wall during a windstorm in 2006, and maybe that seemed like no big deal; after all, the building looked old and decrepit. But this was a historic building, the home for debates and discussions on some of the most important subjects in American history: abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, rights for Native Americans. It's called the 1816 Farmington Quaker Meetinghouse, which is celebrating its bicentennial on October 22 and 23. Our discussion

Surrogates of Donald Trump have broadened their explanations for why Trump's boasts of sexual assault are not a big deal. Ben Carson lectured a CNN anchor that maybe SHE is the problem, because she hasn't heard men talk like that. And former New York State Lieutenant Governor Betsy McAughey said that rap music has worse lyrics, so can't we focus on that? Our panel discusses the impact of a presidential candidate who assesses women almost entirely on looks, and seems to assume that his power

The Unified Sports program is growing in Western New York, but many of us are not familiar with the initiative. Our guests explain how "unified" means inclusion, and how the program is impacting hundreds of students locally. You can watch a video of the program in action at Gates Chili High School and Spencerport High School. Our guests: Billy Harmon, senior at Gates Chili High School, and student athlete with Unified basketballMichael Saporito, tenth grader at Gates Chili High School, and

Governor Mario Cuomo: Poetry and Prose is a new documentary that covers the life and career of the former New York governor. It comes from journalist Matt Ryan, who said he was surprised that no one had put together such a film before. Ryan was able to convince Mario Cuomo's son Andrew to sit down for an interview for the film, which goes deep into the archives. We talk about the stories that Ryan chose to include in his film. Our guests: Matt Ryan, managing editor for New York NOWKaren DeWitt,

Can we talk about our collective weight for a second? Donald Trump engaged in a now-famous case of "fat shaming" when he publicly mocked Alicia Machado, the 1996 Miss Universe. Machado went from, in her words, a bony 117 pounds to roughly 160 over the year after her win. Trump blasted her for not being able to control her eating, and asked television cameras to film her working out. Experts say three things: first, Machado was not nearly as big as Trump claimed. Second, fat shaming does not work

Hillary Clinton is leading in the polls, so how should we expect she would govern? The recent release of audio from this past February includes Clinton telling private donors that supporters of Bernie Sanders were idealistic, but maybe not realistic in what could be accomplished. She describes herself as a centrist, a term that is sure to irk Sanders voters who wanted to believe she would pick up their banner. And her comments to banks indicate a private view that conflicts with her public

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: Race relations in America, with filmmaker Ken Burns;The debate over taking a knee during the national anthem;Voting rights for people with felony records, and life after incarceration;How local designers are using fashion to help break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections,

Should newspapers make political endorsements? While endorsing candidates has been a long-held tradition for many newspapers, this year’s presidential election has reignited the debate about the role of editorial boards. Dozens of publications -- including some Republican-leaning papers -- have endorsed Hillary Clinton. Far fewer have endorsed Donald Trump. USA Today, which has never before endorsed a presidential candidate, published an anti-endorsement of Trump. But how much influence do

We talk to Arshay Cooper, an author, chef, and motivational speaker who has dedicated his life to keeping young people off the street. Cooper grew up on the Westside of Chicago and was raised by a single mother who struggled with a drug addiction. He says his brothers and friends joined gangs and were involved with drugs, but he had a different vision for his future. In 1997, he joined the country’s first all-black high school rowing team – an experience that changed his life. It’s the subject

We're joined by John Plumb, the democratic candidate for New York's 23rd congressional district. He's running against incumbent Tom Reed. We talk to Plumb about his background, his platform, and why he's running for office. Then, Alex Merced, the libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate joins us in studio. He's running against incumbent Charles Schumer. Merced shares his platform and policy proposals.