Advertise on podcast: Connections Podcast

Our guest is the man who coined the phrase “net neutrality,” and was invited to work in the Biden White House because of his scholarship on the tech sector. Tim Wu's new book is about how our lives are dominated by tech — but, really, just a handful of tech platforms that have most of the power. They dominate our attention. Wu says they work as wealth extractors, seizing not just money, but our data. So, what can — or should — be done? We discuss the future of big tech in America. In studio: Tim Wu, J.D., author of "The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity"

How can we make Rochester's streets safer? The team at Reconnect Rochester has spent the summer working on street safety projects, and this hour, we hear about the updates. We discuss why street murals and other features help slow down traffic and create more pedestrian-friendly environments. We also explore a question: If you drive, how would your week change if you gave it up? We preview the National Week without Driving. In studio: Lourdes Sharp, program manager at Reconnect Rochester Chaz Goodman, marketing manager at Reconnect Rochester Nikia Speed, project champion for the Complete Streets Makeover in the 19th Ward Josie McClary, resident of the city of Rochester

Where is democracy backsliding? It’s a question we discuss with democratization policy expert Valery Perry. Perry recently took a road trip on Route 66. She shares what she observed about democracy in America along the way. She also helps us understand the significance of the recent German state elections, as well as concerns about the Trump administration intervening in or suspending upcoming elections. In studio: Valery Perry, Ph.D., senior associate for the Democratization Policy Council--- 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.

This election season, “Connections” brings you long form conversations with candidates. It’s your chance to hear directly from them about their priorities for office while asking your questions. We begin the hour with Michael Mills, the Democrat running for New York’s 54th Senate District seat. He discusses his platform and his take on issues affecting the district. His opponent, Republican incumbent Pam Helming, did not respond to the invitation to participate. In studio: Michael Mills, candidate for New York State Senate in District 54

This election season, “Connections” brings you long form conversations with candidates. It’s your chance to hear directly from them about their priorities for office while asking your questions. In this segment, we turn our attention to New York's gubernatorial race. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is our guest. The Republican discusses his background, his priorities for office, and what he would change if he were elected to the state's top job. Governor Kathy Hochul's team said she is unavailable for a conversation on “Connections.” Our guest: Bruce Blakeman, candidate for New York State governor

WXXI is celebrating its 60th anniversary. We've been asking the community, "What do you want from your public media in the future?" We share some of the answers, along with stories from the history of public media in the Rochester/Finger Lakes region. In studio: John Andres, Sunday morning host of WXXI Classical Marianne Carberry, Saturday afternoon host of WXXI Classical, who has worked at the station since 1977 Cara Rager, director of early learning at WXXI Public Media Chris Hastings, president and CEO of WXXI Public Media --- 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.

How can Ukrainians best prepare for a post-war future? It's a question we address in the first half of the hour with guests from the Open World Program. The professional exchange initiative is meant to bolster understanding and cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. Our guests this hour discuss how they envision education and technology will play a role in Ukraine's future. We also address what Ukrainians need most at this stage of the war, including medical supplies. In the second half of the conversation, we turn our attention to Rochester, where a nonprofit organization is helping Ukrainian refugees access housing. In studio: Kseniia Verhal, Ph.D., deputy director of the Educational and Research Institute of Information Technologies and Robotics at National University Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic Mariia Yurina, head of international relations at Protez Foundation and facilitator of the Open World Program under the Congressional Office for International Leadership Harlan D. Calkins, president of the Ukrainian Housing Foundation Tracy Kroft, member of the advisory board for the Ukrainian Housing Foundation and chief development officer for Catholic Charities Daria Partika, Ukrainian refugee --- 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 deeply honest personal story from Nikole Hannah-Jones of the New York Times has a lot of people talking about what children need in their K-12 education.  Now comes a new report from The Children’s Agenda in Rochester about chronic absenteeism. The report explores why students themselves say they are not attending school. TCA concludes: “We should not accept that one out of three high school students in Monroe County is chronically absent.”  What's driving the absences? We discuss it with our guests: Eamonn Scanlon, director of community impact for The Children's Agenda Isabel Rosa, community and parent advocacy coordinator for The Children's Agenda  Qutisha Britt, parent ambassador with The Children's Agenda

A significant majority of Americans have negative views about artificial intelligence. And yet in elite circles, the conversation about AI is quickly separating along partisan lines. President Trump says that the United States will not slow down. Economist James Miller is a conservative Republican, and he’s been urging his fellow conservatives not to outsource their opinions on AI to beltway elites. Miller says we are in a dangerous moment, and the offers ideas for how to make sure the AI debate does not end up like so many other policy debates. Our guest: James D. Miller, Ph.D., J.D., professor of economics at Smith College

Abilene Bar and Lounge will close after nearly two decades of hosting live music in Rochester. And the Hi Fi Lounge in Brighton is up for sale after 40 years. It opened in 1986 as The CD Exchange. Speaking of CDs, they’re making a comeback. The Washington Post reports that CD sales grew faster than vinyl in the past year, with many fans preferring the audio quality of compact discs. We discuss what’s changing, what’s evolving, and why Abilene is not the only live music venue to close this year. Our guests: Danny Deutsch, owner of Abilene Bar and Lounge Mark Kaidy, owner and operator of the Hi Fi Lounge Hannah Maier, music director of The Route and lead singer and guitarist of the country band, Candy --- 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 New York State Board of Regents voted this week to eliminate Regents exams as a graduation requirement. The move has stirred debate, with some leaders in higher education saying that the exams were never a good use of students’ time. Meanwhile, critics say they worry that the state is lowering its standards. What went into the decision? And what do the changes mean for students and educators? We welcome two members of the New York State Board of Regents. In studio: Adrian Hale, New York State Regent Wade Norwood, New York State Regent --- 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.

How can educators best prepare this current generation of college students for the working world of the future? We welcome the new president of SUNY Brockport, Dawn Meza Soufleris, Ph.D. A three-time SUNY graduate, Meza Soufleris has worked in higher education for more than three decades. She began her new position in July. We talk with her about a range of issues, including what colleges and universities are teaching, her vision for SUNY Brockport, and more. Dawn Meza Soufleris, Ph.D., president of SUNY Brockport--- 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 Buffalo Bills officially open their new stadium Thursday night. By some measures, it is the most expensive fan experience in the entire league. Is it worth it? Governor Kathy Hochul told WHEC that while some fans might not be able to afford to go to the stadium, they're just happy the state stepped in with taxpayer money to keep the Bills in Western New York. We discuss the fan experience with a longtime sports journalist and season ticket holders. Our guests: Scott Pitoniak, best-selling author, nationally honored journalist, and longtime sportswriter Jordan Carpenter, Bills fan and season ticket holder Nick Martin, Bills fan and season ticket holder Steve Royer, Bills fan and Field Club member --- 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.

Concerns about AI safety have exploded in recent weeks. The hacking of Hugging Face by AI agents from OpenAI has caught the attention of Congress. Several resignations at AI companies have raised the alarm about whether AI can be controlled in the future. What should humans be on guard for as the technology continues to advance? We discuss the implications with guests who have experience in the tech field. In studio: Jeffrey Allan, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Responsible Technology at Nazareth University  Max Irwin, president of Bonsai.io --- 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.

25 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, how do veterans who enlisted as a result of 9/11 feel about their decision to serve? We discuss the question with local veterans. They share why they decided to enlist, what they learned, what their service meant then, and what it means now. In studio: Stephen Cady, U.S. Amy veteran who served in Afghanistan Mike Capozzi, U.S. Army Special Forces veteran and veteran service officer with Monroe County Veteran Services Nick Stefanovic, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and director of Monroe County Veteran Services --- 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.