We continue our discussions with lawmakers about Governor Kathy Hochul's State of the State address. This hour, Assemblymember Josh Jensen joins us in the studio. He explains his legislative priorities, as well as his take on the governor's proposals related to child care funding, affordability, local economic development investments, and more. In studio:

• Assemblymember Josh Jensen, District 134

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Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently lashed out at Pope Leo XIV over the pope's remarks about immigration. Miller said that the pope is betraying his Catholic obligations. But a number of American Catholics are expressing pride in the first American pope. According to Pew Research in September, 84% of U.S. Catholics surveyed said they have a favorable view of the church's new leader. Our guests discuss what they are seeing so far from Pope Leo XIV. In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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New York State Senator Jeremy Cooney joins us in the studio. It's our first in a series of conversations with lawmakers about Governor Kathy Hochul's State of the State address. According to the New York Public News Network's Samuel King, Cooney has expressed both gratitude and concern regarding a potential $300 million in funding for economic development in Rochester. The senator has said "it's Rochester's turn" to receive this kind of investment, but it could be a tough sell for some of his colleagues in the Legislature. This hour, Cooney explains his take on that proposal and a range of issues covered in the address — from affordability to transportation-related legislation and more. In studio:

• Senator Jeremy Cooney, District 56

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The Special Olympics New York winter games are returning to Rochester next month, and so is a local photojournalism collaboration. RIT students are teaming up with athletes and organizers — and as we learn this hour, they are covering more than just sports. Accessible health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is one of the nonprofit's priorities. Its Healthy Athletes event at the games helps competitors access routine screenings and other resources, while also providing an opportunity for health care professionals to learn best practices for caring for patients in the IDD community. We explore it all with our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The Trump administration has been exploring the possibility of 50-year mortgages as a way of lowering home costs for Americans. Most industry professionals think it's a bad idea. The administration is also pursuing other possibilities to affect the cost for buyers. We talk about how these proposals might work, and we take an updated look at the regional housing market. In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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A number of local food-based businesses are telling customers that they are making significant changes in 2026, owing to the high cost of many food products and the difficult economy. Meat prices are especially high. Tariffs have impacted other costs. Meanwhile, a number of long-time Rochester businesses closed in 2025. We talk about the challenge of surviving this recent period of inflation and what business owners are telling customers. In studio:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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The prime minister of Norway released a private text sent from President Trump, and it has sparked deep concern. Trump explained that he blamed Norway for stopping him from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, and as a result, he was no longer committed expressly to peace. He said he will pursue Greenland however necessary. Meanwhile, NATO allies are sending troops to Greenland, hoping to deter an American invasion. We discuss what this means for American alliances; the view from Russia of these events; and options that lawmakers have to stop further escalation. Our guest:

• Randy Stone, Ph.D., director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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Stories and issues that have generated buzz this week. What questions do you have about how federal funding cuts will affect public media, including WXXI? CEO Chris Hastings joins us to discuss the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and what it means for PBS, NPR, and WXXI. Then, Capitol News Bureau reporter Samuel King spoke with disability rights advocates during the first day of New York's legislative session. He explains their priorities as part of Dialogue on Disability Week. Finally, you've likely heard about different Move to Include projects on WXXI throughout the week. Project manager Sarah Murphy Abbamonte talks with us about the depth and breadth of this national inclusion initiative and how it seeks to make programming more accessible for everyone. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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What would Susan B. Anthony think the "work" is in 2026? We address that question this hour with leaders from the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. Longtime president and CEO Deborah Hughes retired in December, passing the torch to the museum's former chief operating officer, Allison Hinman. We're joined by both women to discuss Hughes' legacy, Hinman's vision, the museum's upcoming birthday celebration — titled, "Get on with the Work!" — and what that work is in today's current political and social climate. Our guests:

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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2025 was a hard year for American nonprofits: roughly one in three lost some form of funding, and charitable giving wavered, given the uncertain economy. That has created a challenging environment for families of children with disabilities in the Greater Rochester region. In this Dialogue on Disability discussion, we explore what a local nonprofit is doing to sustain and grow — as demand grows for services. We also talk to parents who share personal stories. Our guests:

This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk and is part of Dialogue on Disability Week — a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies — in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series.

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Connections is supported by listeners like you. Head to our donation page to become a WXXI member today, support the show, and help us close the gap created by the rescission of federal funding.

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Connections airs every weekday from noon-2 p.m. Join the conversation with questions or comments by phone at 1-844-295-TALK (8255) or 585-263-9994, email, Facebook or Twitter. 

Connections is also livestreamed on the WXXI News YouTube channel each day. You can watch live or access previous episodes here.

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