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PODCAST

Connections Podcast

Evan Dawson talks about what matters to you on Connections. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? Pitch your story to Connections. For transcripts, please email our Move to Include team with a link to the episode.

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All Episodes

50:53

Rochesterian talks space travel, a future beyond...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/13

“We all know we need to take care of this earth, but we also need to be prepared to reach beyond it.”That’s what Rochester-based entrepreneur Aaron Newman said to reporters after returning to solid ground, following his Blue Origin flight last week.Newman became the 717th human to pass the Karman Line.He says his trip was about more than exclusive space tourism, and he wants this experience open to everyone.We discuss how to do it with our guest:Aaron Newman, Blue Origin astronaut and

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51:07

CITY Magazine’s October issue: “Home”

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/10

What does "home" mean to you?In her October editor's letter, CITY Magazine's Leah Stacy writes:"Editing this issue has solidified my belief that home is a state of mind; a state of being. A person's arms around us. A voice on the phone, even if it's miles away. A good meal around a table full of people we love. A city where we find ourselves. And perhaps, a longing for an even greater destination beyond this life.""Home" is the theme of this month's issue of the magazine, and each story

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50:35

Dr. Bill Valenti on 40 years of championing HIV care

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/10

"The heart and soul of HIV care in Rochester."That's how Trillium Health President Jason Barnecut-Kearns describes Dr. Bill Valenti.After dedicating more than 40 years to treating and providing services for people living with HIV/AIDS, Valenti is stepping down from his post as chief of innovation and staff physician at Trillium.But — as he emphasized to WXXI's Racquel Stephen earlier this week — he's not retiring. Valenti says there's more work to be done.This hour, we sit down with Dr

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51:08

Going behind the scenes of film music

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/09

We're joined by Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated jazz trumpeter and film composer Terence Blanchard. Blanchard has written dozens of scores for film and television and frequently collaborates with Spike Lee. He'll be in Rochester next week as part of the inaugural Soundtrax Film Music Festival, hosted by the University of Rochester. According to organizers, Soundtrax is the first film music festival in North America. They say its roots trace back to George Eastman, who founded the Eastman

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51:16

Understanding the changes to Medicare Advantage plans

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/09

Medicare open enrollment starts next week. In September, letters went out to recipients explaining that there would be changes. Some plans are being dropped completely. This has caused a great deal of confusion and concern. We address the changes and answer your questions.In studio:Andy Napierala, vice president of Medicare and individual market sales for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Rene Pettenski, manager of the Health Insurance Information Counseling Assistance Program at

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52:00

With tick bites on the rise, how to prevent Lyme...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/08

A member of Canandaigua City Council says the area is facing a "public health emergency."Councilmember Doug Merrill is referring to a high prevalence of Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, another tick-borne illness.As reported by Mike Murphy for the Democrat and Chronicle, there were nearly 300 cases of Lyme disease in Ontario County as of last month.An analysis by the USA TODAY Network shows tick bites across the northeast have been on the rise. What can you do — and what can communities do —

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50:10

RCSD Superintendent Eric Jay Rosser

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/08

Eric Jay Rosser began his tenure as the new leader of the Rochester City School District on July 1.As the superintendent, Rosser oversees a district with declining enrollment, and a student population which is predominantly economically disadvantaged, according to state education department data.This hour, we sit down with him for the first time on "Connections."We discuss his vision for the district, his priorities in the short and long term, and how the work has been going.Our guest for

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51:06

New AI literacy course aims to prepare high school...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Geneva High School is offering what its teachers think is the first AI literacy course in New York State. The goal is to help students become literate in the many forms of artificial intelligence already available. We meet the teacher, who thinks that while students can't be allowed to simply cheat using AI, they also shouldn't be asked to become luddites. So, what is the right balance?In studio:George Goga, adjunct professor of English and education at SUNY Geneseo and teacher at Geneva

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50:25

National Comedy Center director talks about the state...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/07

Journey Gunderson, the executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, joins us in studio. We discuss what's new in comedy — including the assertion from the President that comedians are not allowed to make jokes at his expense. The national center is a trove of historical information, and this is not the first time that comedy has been targeted by people in power.Our guest:Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center---Connections is supported by

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51:20

New AI “actor” causes an uproar

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/06

NPR asks, "could the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman" be Tilly Norwood? Here's the catch: Norwood isn’t human; she is an artificial intelligence creation generated by a Dutch AI lab. Last week, the lab announced that their AI “actor” had received attention from multiple talent agents. They want their creation to become a household name, a mega-star. But some human performers are outraged, calling this story a threat to their livelihoods while asking who would want to watch AI

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50:49

Medical professionals set the record straight on...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/06

President Trump recently said that children are getting 80 vaccines and the doses are strong enough for a horse. (None of that is true.) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently implied that COVID vaccines are more dangerous than COVID. Our guests help us understand the latest in vaccines, safety, and efficacy.Our guests: Ann Falsey, M.D., infectious disease specialist with UR Medicine Steven Schulz, M.D., pediatrician with Rochester Regional Health Geoff Weinberg,

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51:20

Fashion Week returns with an aim of addressing youth...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/03

It can feel jarring: high-end fashion on the runway, with a stated focus of helping children who can't afford clothes. The founders of Rochester Fashion Week say they want to bring the best of fashion to the Flower City, while centering the needs of the most vulnerable.Youth homelessness is rising in the United States, with a dramatic increase in the past twenty years. Our guests will discuss the crisis and the events coming up.In studio:Mark Cuminale, assistant director of counseling and

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51:00

Rochester moves forward with modular homes

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/03

Calling it "just the beginning of the beginning," Rochester City Councilmember Michael Patterson said his district will benefit from the first major modular house development. Modular houses, houses built offsite in a factory setting and transported to a lot, have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional “stick built” houses. We'll discuss the cost, the potential price for the homes, and the scalability of this kind of development.Our guests: Gino Fanelli, investigative

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51:25

The fight over the Syracuse airport's decision to...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/02

Syracuse Hancock International Airport recently rejected a billboard advertising the services of attorney Megan Thomas. Those services include specialization in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment cases. The billboard read, “When HR called it ‘harmless flirting’ … we called it exhibit A.” Airport officials told Syracuse.com that they rejected the sign because it was “unprofessional, inflammatory, and unnecessary.” Now Thomas is suing, and she wonders who the airport is trying to

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50:57

Rochester Queer Arts Festival regroups after larger...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/02

Earlier this year, the organizers of the Rochester Queer Arts Festival realized that larger companies were withdrawing their sponsorship of LGBTQ-themed events. But the Rochester event was able attract enough small local business support to continue, and to grow. We'll discuss why the larger companies have pulled back, and what the festival is aiming to become.In studio:Tim Evanicki, partner in Drag Me to the Stage LLC and producer of the Rochester Queer Arts Festival Ed Popil(aka Mrs

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51:20

Bringing down the temperature in our over-heated...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/01

More Americans than ever say that they don't want friendships with people who vote differently than they do. They don't want family ties with people from a different political party. They don't want to know their neighbors. So how can we turn down the temperature and get back to seeing one another as human beings first, not just political creatures? Our guest is a thoughtful thinker and speaker who helps his community navigate difficult themes.In studio:Reverend Colin Pritchard, pastor of

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51:01

What if all of Rochester read the same book?

Connections Podcast ·

2025/10/01

Back in 2001, Writers & Books asked a question: what if we all read the same book? What if we got together to discuss it, and meet the author, and consider its themes? Since then, one book each year earns that distinction. The program is now called "Rochester Reads," and it's back next week with the 2025 selection, "Soil: The Story of a Black Mother's Garden" by Camille Dungy. We'll welcome Dungy to discuss her work in advance of her visit to Rochester.Our guests:Camille Dungy, poet,

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51:28

Play therapy is having a moment

Connections Podcast ·

2025/09/30

The pandemic left many parents desperate for some kind of help for their children: kids were isolated, struggling socially, and drifting academically. Play therapy -- sometimes viewed as a fringe idea in the past -- is having a moment. That's because new research around play therapy brought it to the mainstream, and insurance companies are now more willing to cover it. We'll discuss how it works with our experts.Our guests:Lindsey Macaluso, LCSW-R, registered play therapist Marcie Redding,

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51:04

Making sense of the end of a high-profile vegan...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/09/30

"The vegan experiment is over at Eleven Madison Park," says Eater New York. The high-end restaurant became the world's first three-Michelin-star vegan restaurant in 2021. In two weeks that will change, with meat and fish options returning to the menu. Predictably, meat lovers declared this to be a sign of a backlash to veganism. Is that over-stating it, or has the vegan movement stalled? Our guests have a range of experience in the industry.In studio: Chris Grocki, restaurant operations and

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49:39

David Grann, one of the great modern journalists and...

Connections Podcast ·

2025/09/29

It is not an exaggeration to say that there might not be any journalists left quite like David Grann. His research for articles and books is legendary; it might require several years, accompanied by trips to remote islands or far-off locales. Several of his books have become movies, including "Killers of the Flower Moon." Grann kicks off the inaugural season of the Rochester Speakers Series, and he joins us to discuss why thorough, careful journalism must not vanish.Our guests: David Grann,

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