Connections Podcast

As WXXI's Brian Sharp recently reported, the city’s ongoing mission of providing more housing at truly affordable prices is moving to the JOSANA neighborhood. We discuss the plan for new homes that will sell for $127,000 — far below what most home buyers are seeing on the market. Our guests: Brian Sharp, investigations and enterprise editor for WXXI News Scott Benjamin, CEO of Charles Settlement House & Community Place of Greater Rochester Ryan Brandt, vice president of development for Rochester’s Cornerstone Group, Ltd.  Erik Frisch, deputy commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development for the City of Rochester and president of the Rochester Landbank  Glenda Torres, housing navigator for Charles Settlement House ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

American veterans often say in surveys that they feel invisible. That goes for how society views them, but it’s also a reflection of a major problem with loneliness and mental health. ROC Veterans is a collaboration of Rochester and Finger Lakes-area organizations that support veterans. We discuss what veterans need and how the group's work is helping to address the loneliness epidemic. In studio: Zachary Collins, Ph.D., clinical psychologist with Veterans Nature-Based Therapy, part of Monroe County Veterans Service Agency Luke Moody, U.S. Army veteran and coordinator of the Veterans Coalition for the Finger Lakes Ashley Smith, chair of Roc Veterans ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Clean energy policy advocates are frustrated with Governor Kathy Hochul, who recently indicated that she’ll scale back clean energy initiatives. Hochul, who faces re-election next year, says that holding costs down is the primary goal. The implication is that clean energy is more expensive. Our guests make the case that the governor is wrong. Our guests: Suzanne Hunt, vice president of policy for Generate Upcycle Marguerite Wells, executive director of ACE NY ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

By some measures, Rochester has the highest percentage of fatherless households in the country. We meet mentors who are working on mitigating the effect of absent fathers, and we talk about what kids miss when fathers aren’t involved. In studio: Louis Curwin, mentor Mike Hennessy, executive director of Youth For Christ Rochester Felix Ortiz, mentor ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

We welcome one of the leading experts in reversing deforestation worldwide. Dr. Kinari Webb is a medical doctor whose work on multiple continents has helped improve the lives of people and the environments in which they live. By making health care affordable for people in rainforest villages, she has helped reduce illegal logging, which was a source of income for some patients. A healthier rainforest, in turn, has made for healthier people. As she explains in her TEDx talk, she's saving lives by saving trees. For the second time, the Seneca Park Zoo Society is bestowing its Conservation Warrior Award; it has selected Dr. Webb as the winner. We discuss the impact that Webb's work has had abroad and on conservationists in western New York. Our guests: Kinari Webb, M.D., founder of Health In Harmony Pamela Reed Sanchez, president and CEO of the Seneca Park Zoo Society Jeff Wyatt, DVM, MPH, professor and chair of comparative medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Political scientist and author Lauren Hall recently wrote that political parties will not be the salvation that many Americans seek. Instead, she prescribes a kind of coalition against authoritarianism — one that might unite many people who otherwise disagree on a lot of issues. Hall joins us this hour to talk about how to accomplish that, and how to recognize the forces that might prevent such a coalition from forming. In studio:Lauren Hall, Ph.D., professor of political science and associate dean at RIT, author, and co-host of the "We Made this Political" podcast---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

They entertained listeners for years. The Route's Dave Kane and Maureen Rich have retired, and listeners say their popular shows — "Breakfast with the Beatles" and "Road to Joy," respectively — are already missed. The way we access and listen to music is changing. It’s a reminder of how valuable it can be for communities to have people like Kano and Maureen. They join us to tell some stories and to make the case for why calling in to request a song — while more time-consuming — beats having the world’s catalog on your phone. Our guests: Dave Kane, retired host of "Breakfast with the Beatles" on The Route Maureen Rich, retired host/producer of "Road to Joy" on WRUR/WITH; musician, lead singer and ukulele player with TugHill Band and Tasty Parker ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Faith levels in the U.S. are the lowest on record. That's according to a new Gallup poll. The data, as reported by Axios, shows fewer than half of Americans say religion is an important part of their day. The U.S. once ranked highly among wealthy nations for its religiosity. Now, Americans are tied to one of the largest declines in faith levels in the world. What has contributed to the change? And how do local faith leaders view it? We discuss those questions with our guests: Reverend Colin Pritchard, pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva Abu Saeed Islam, Ph.D., former president of the Islamic Center of Rochester  Rabbi Peter Stein, senior rabbi at Temple B'rith Kodesh ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

A number of local political races resulted in historic wins...and the breaking of what are often known as glass ceilings. Penfield elected its first Democratic town supervisor, Kevin Berry, in four decades. Berry is also the first LGBTQ+ supervisor for the town. In Perinton, Jenn Townsend will become the first Democrat to lead the town since 1918 — and she's the first woman to hold the position. In Greece, Amorette Miller is the first woman of color to serve on the town board, and the first Democrat in her ward. All three winners join us to discuss the significance of their victories and what they mean for their communities. Our guests: Kevin Berry, Penfield town supervisor-elect Jenn Townsend, Perinton town supervisor-elect Amorette Miller, Greece councilwoman-elect for Ward 3 *Note: We also invited Jeff McCann, Greece town supervisor-elect, to join this conversation. He was unavailable to participate, so we've offered him alternate dates.---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

A highly anticipated documentary series launches on PBS this weekend. Ken Burns' "The American Revolution: An Intimate History" is a six-part series about the men and women who fought and lived through the war for America's independence. This hour, we're joined by filmmaker David Schmidt and local history professors to preview the series and to discuss what we can learn — and what we get wrong — about the Revolutionary War. Our guests: David Schmidt, co-director of "The American Revolution” Michael Jarvis, Ph.D., professor of early American, Atlantic, and digital history and archeology at University of Rochester Paul B. Moyer, Ph.D., professor of history at SUNY Brockport Sponsored ByCorporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine with the Crimson Lion Foundation; and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Major funding was also provided by David M. Rubenstein; The Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Family Foundation; Lilly Endowment Inc.; and the following Better Angels Society members: Eric and Wendy Schmidt; Stephen A. Schwarzman; and Kenneth C. Griffin with Griffin Catalyst. Additional support for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by: The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations; The Pew Charitable Trusts; Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling; Park Foundation; and the following Better Angels Society members: Gilchrist and Amy Berg; Perry and Donna Golkin; The Michelson Foundation; Jacqueline B. Mars; Kissick Family Foundation; Diane and Hal Brierley; John H. N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell; John and Catherine Debs; The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund; Philip I. Kent; Gail Elden; Deborah and Jon Dawson; David and Susan Kreisman; The McCloskey Family Charitable Trust; Becky and Jim Morgan; Carol and Ned Spieker; Mark A. Tracy; and Paul and Shelley Whyte. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was made possible, in part, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Zach Mack is a public radio producer whose father became obsessed with conspiracy theories. And then Zach’s dad made him a bet: $10,000 — $1,000 for each of 10 predictions. His dad said that Obama would be arrested for treason, that Trump would be reinstated as president before the 2024 election. Zach took the bet, hoping it would break his father from his conspiracy theories. Zach’s family, including his dad, agreed to regular interviews throughout 2024, leading up to the bet’s conclusion. Zach turned it all into a podcast series, and now he joins us to discuss what happened — and what he learned about conspiratorial thinking. Our guest:Zachary Mack, reporter, host and producer ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Move to the middle! That's the plea from many Democrats who feel that the rightward shift by the Republican Party has left a big opening. We discuss the case for steady centrism at a time when bolder ideas are getting attention. Our guests: John Baynes, Monroe County legislator for District 11 Howard Maffucci, Monroe County legislator for District 10 ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

If you could find out that you are predisposed to certain health conditions — like cancer or heart disease — would you want to know? As reported by WXXI's Racquel Stephen, a new program at Rochester Regional Health offers no-cost genetic testing for people 18 and older. Our guests this hour discuss how it works and what it could mean for the future of personalized care in medicine. Our guests: Racquel Stephen, health, equity and community reporter at WXXI News Heather Bacchetta, MBA, ACRP-CP, director of precision medicine for Rochester Regional Health Prad Phatak, M.D., medical director of precision medicine for Rochester Regional Health and principal investigator for GenoWell ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Gen Z women are the most liberal group in America. That's according to the nonprofit newsroom, The 19th. Polls show young women are fueling the Democratic advantage in the U.S. It played out in real time during last week's elections. In recent episodes of this program, we've discussed how an increasing number of young men are moving to the political right. This hour, we discuss why young women are moving to the political left and how they helped fuel recent Democratic victories. In studio: Nicole Hushla Re, political consultant and chief of staff in the New York State Legislature Nia Robinson, district office manager in the New York State Legislature ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

Volunteering is at its lowest level in decades in the United States. In some communities, this marks a possible crisis: rural hospitals are struggling and could close, and emergency relief dollars are harder to come by. Volunteer firefighting is a lifeline for many small towns. We check in on the efforts to increase volunteerism — especially where it's needed most. Our guests: Bill DiFabio, 3rd assistant chief of the Branchport Keuka Park Fire Department   Matt Kelly, EMS captain of the Branchport Keuka Park Fire Department and EMT for Yates County Ambulance   Rebecca Case, firefighter/EMT with the Branchport Keuka Park Fire Department and junior at Keuka College Alvin Leid, firefighter with the Branchport Keuka Park Fire Department   Lily Stewart, firefighter/EMT with the Branchport Keuka Park Fire Department and sophomore at Keuka College  ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

The former president of the Islamic Center of Rochester says New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's victory is a seismic event for the Muslim community. Some of the ads late in the campaign depicted Mamdani as anti-American, and one ad declared that electing Mamdani would bring the next 9/11. We discuss the significance of Mamdani's victory and the themes that surfaced in the campaign. Our guest:Sareer A. Fazili, past president of the Islamic Center of Rochester and the Monroe County Bar Association, and practicing lawyer---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

The number of American adults consuming alcohol fell recently to 54% — the lowest number Gallup has ever recorded since it began tracking alcohol consumption in 1939. Driving the shift away from alcohol is the 18-34 group. As a result, more restaurants and bars are offering alcohol-free drink options. And there are more "third places" that feature menus without alcohol. In a recent piece for CITY Magazine, arts reporter Patrick Hosken wrote about how third places are emerging in Rochester. We discuss the ongoing shift in the local scene with our guests: Patrick Hosken, arts reporter for CITY Magazine Bob Hartman, co-owner of AltBar Shelley Elkovich, founder and "Flavor Maven" of For Bitter For Worse ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

A new survey finds that more than six in ten American physicians reported that their patients have been influenced by misinformation or disinformation in the past year. The problem is particularly acute in rural health care settings, according to the Physicians Foundation. The Rochester Academy of Medicine is launching a new series of public presentations called "Demystifying Misinformation." We talk to some of the people involved in crafting a program meant to provide clarity and understanding. In studio: Daniel Taramasco, M.D., hospitalist with Rochester Regional Health Laura Whitebell, Ph.D., associate professor of writing at the University of Rochester ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

You may know her from her work on the CBS sitcom "Mom" and films like "Midnight in Paris," but you may not know that actress Mimi Kennedy got her start in Rochester. Kennedy is a Rochester native who performed with the Rochester Community Players (RCP) in Agatha Christie’s “Spider’s Web" when she was 12 years old. She'll be back in her hometown this weekend for an event marking 100 years of the RCP, but first, she joins us to discuss her path from home to Hollywood. Our guests: Mimi Kennedy, actor, author, and activist  Karen Olson, historian for the Rochester Community Players Michael Krickmire, president of the Rochester Community Players ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.

The Trump administration ended the White House Department of Environmental Justice, which was launched under the Biden administration. The new administration said that the concept of “environmental justice” falls under the umbrella of DEI initiatives, which it seeks to abolish. The former chief environmental justice officer for the Biden White House is in Rochester on Friday. We’re joined by Jalonne White-Newsome to discuss her views on what environmental justice is — and is not — and why she still thinks it matters. In studio: Jalonne White-Newsome, Ph.D., former federal chief environmental justice officer for the Biden White House, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability, and CEO and founder of Empowering A Green Environment and Economy, LLC Katrina Korfmacher, Ph.D., faculty member in the UR Institute for Human Health and Environment ---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.---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.---Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections.