Connections Podcast

"Mighty Real: A history of LGBTQ music, 1969-2000" is the culmination of Barry Walters’ forty years of writing for the Village Voice, Spin and Rolling Stone. The book tells the story of music by and for the LGBTQ community, and how that music has influenced the music industry. Walters, who came out in his own review of the Pet Shop Boys, will share personal stories and talk about his New York root...

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) recently released its Listen and Learn Report, a comprehensive look at how young people across New York are learning about cannabis, what they want to know, and how trusted adults such as parents, family members, guardians, teachers and mentors can better engage in meaningful, informed conversations. Our guests: Chad Anderson, vice president a...

According to the founder of the Bissell Pet Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting animal welfare organizations, the nation’s animal shelters are in crisis. The economy, the housing market and veterinary deserts are making it harder for people to keep or adopt pets, and shelters are understaffed and overwhelmed. We will look at how this crisis is playing out locally. And we will examine some...

We discuss how neighborhood conflicts tend to increase during the summer, when the windows are open and people are outside, and how to handle the most common problems. We will talk about loud parties, fireworks, roaring motorcycles, BBQ smoke, barking dogs and more with the people whose job it is to help resolve issues like these. In studio: Laura Fleming, licensed clinical social worker Erica Her...

We explore a unique partnership between Finger Lakes Opera and the Veterans Outreach Center. The organizations are teaming up to present "Glory Denied," an opera based on the experience of America's longest serving prisoner of war, Jim Thompson, and his family. The July 19 performance will include a panel discussion about issues veterans face and how the community can support them, even if the war...

As the country acknowledges America's 250th birthday, scholars are re-examining different facets of U.S. history. SUNY Geneseo is gearing up for a discussion about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Local experts participating in the event say that authentic Indigenous perspectives are key to an accurate retelling of the Revolution and the 250 years of history that followed. We discus...

The Supreme Court of the United States has upheld the legal concept of birthright citizenship. But it was not a unanimous decision. We sit down with legal experts to examine what the justices said, and the implications of this decision. In studio: Richard A. Dollinger, retired New York Court of Claims judge Lucrecia Knapp, immigration attorney at Mancuso Brightman PLLC --- Connections is supported...

It's everywhere: from big city signs to the side of recycling bins to tattooed on people's bodies. The City Mark is one of Rochester's most recognizable symbols. Designed during a time of great social change, the mark is rooted in Rochester's dual identity as the Flower/Flour City. Now, 50 years after it was approved by City Council, what does the mark say about Rochester and the people who call t...

Who gets a seat at the table when the decisions that shape our communities are made? Many of those decisions happen in a place most of us rarely think about: the boardrooms of nonprofit organizations. Across the Rochester region, hundreds of nonprofits receive millions of dollars in public funding and philanthropic support to serve the community. Yet for decades, many of the people those organizat...

Recently, the New York Times and its music critics caused a bit of a dustup with its "30 Greatest Living American Songwriters" list. Tough assignment — and no list like that is going to make everyone happy. But the real drama happened in the responses: how the critics responded to criticism, and arguments for who should have been on that list. Musicians and writers — including Rick Beato, Ted Gioa...

Before they become butterflies or moths, caterpillars play a critical role in supporting biodiversity within our ecosystem. These creatures are a food source for birds and other insects; they support pollination; and their waste nourishes the soil. The importance of caterpillars is captured in Jeff McKay’s documentary film, “The Extraordinary Caterpillar.” The Broccolo B-Friendly Farm and Gardens...

This year marks the second season for the Hood 2 Hood Basketball Tournament. Every Sunday for the duration of the summer, neighborhood teams will meet at Gateway Park on Mt. Hope Avenue to compete for a trophy—and bragging rights. Organizers say the tournament is about bringing men together, from all sides of town, who might not usually get along. They say the tournament fosters peace, unity and b...

Shootings in Rochester have dropped significantly in recent years. According to reporting from WXXI's Gino Fanelli, in the first six months of this year, there were 43 shootings in Rochester. That's a precipitous drop from a pandemic era peak. Yet, the number of guns collected annually has remained relatively stable. An increasing number of illegal guns are being traced to New York dealers, but th...

What is the value of play? WXXI education reporter Noelle Evans guest hosts this episode. Her guests are experts in play, and they say it's powerful: it can bring people together; it can foster learning and growth; and it can heal. But it’s not always accessible to everyone. What does it mean to be inclusively playful? We explore that question — from design to reality. Our guests: Kendra Hayle, di...

Rochester was a noted stop on the Underground Railroad, and now, you can be part of an event retracing a route from Maryland to Canada. #FreedomWalk2026 is passing through Rochester this week. Participants making the 750-mile journey stop in various communities to collect narratives from the people who live there. In advance of Juneteenth — and on the 250th anniversary of American independence — o...

International music star and Rochester native Danielle Ponder is back in town. She'll headline the Rochester Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, where she'll perform her new song, "Power." Ponder has signed to Dead Oceans, in partnership with Phoebe Bridgers. She joins us on "Connections" this hour to discuss the new song and a trip to Senegal that inspired it, her craft, songwriting in the current m...

What do the best teams do differently? It's a question that's at the heart of a new book by social psychologist Ron Friedman. In "Superteams," Friedman explains what the research says about the most successful teams. Spoiler alert: those teams aren't the ones that collaborate the most, get along best, or have fancy office perks. The best teams, as Friedman writes, balance collaboration with focuse...

With the Trump administration trumpeting the end of the war in Iran, we sit down with local Iranian Americans. Our panelists did not all agree on whether to support or oppose this war at the outset. How do they feel about it now? What are the prospects for freedom and human rights in their native Iran? We explore it. In studio: Ghazal Dehghani, senior lecturer at RIT Shahin Monshipour, former inst...

"Antiques Roadshow" is coming to the Rochester area! The popular PBS series will visit Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford on Wednesday.* Three episodes from the event will air on PBS in 2027. But first, the "Roadshow" team joins us for a special "Connections" episode with a live audience at WXXI. Our guests take us behind the scenes to explain how the show is made and why there's so m...

What are the some of the most culturally significant pieces of comedy in American history? A Marx Brothers film? A Carol Burnett sketch? An infamous puffy shirt? The initial question inspires further questions: what qualifies as an important reflection of our society; how well known does the material need to be; does staying power matter? From vaudeville performers to satirists like Mark Twain to...

Microplastics are everywhere – in our water, in our food, and in our bodies. And while they are often the subject of headlines and new stories, researchers say there’s still a lot to learn about how they may harm us. According to local experts, Rochester is a hot spot for the study of microplastics and health. This week, experts from across the country will be in town for a symposium exploring the...

It's Jazz Fest season! The Route's Hannah Maier is in the host chair this hour for a preview of the 2026 Rochester International Jazz Festival. This year's event runs June 19 through June 27 and includes more than 300 concerts performed by more than 1,77 artists. We hear from some of those artists this hour, as they discuss what it's like to perform in Rochester, the state of the music industry, a...

The June primary is just over two weeks away. Democrats in the 54th Senate District will see two names on the ballot when they head to the polls: Scott Comegys and Michael Mills. The candidates are vying for the opportunity to unseat Republican Senator Pam Helming in the general election. This hour, guest host Julie Philipp sits down with the candidates to discuss their backgrounds, platforms, and...

The Adirondack Mountains are becoming an increasingly popular destination. We examine how this impacts the forest preserve, which the state Constitution requires to be kept “forever wild.” Guest host Julie Philipp sits down with officials from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the Genesee Valley Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club to find out what is being done to manage the...

While we sleep, the creatures of the nocturnal world work their magic. In her book, "Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark," New York Times bestselling author Leigh Ann Henion examines how forest logging, light pollution, and other human activities harm the diversity and habitats of animals and insects that depend on the darkness to navigate, hunt, an...