Connections Podcast

Maternal morbidity refers to any complications or health problems that occur during pregnancy or childbirth. And despite incredible advancements in health sciences, severe maternal morbidity is on the rise locally, especially among Black women. According to Common Ground Health, the rate of severe maternal morbidity for mothers who are Black, non-Latina in Monroe County increased over 50 percent in the last decade. Out of 10,000 deliveries, 151 mothers experienced life-threatening complications. A group of local leaders has been meeting regularly to try and address the issue of maternal morbidity. WXXI's health, equity, and community reporter, Racquel Stephen, sat down with two of those leaders to discuss what's causing this issue, and what they are doing to improve outcomes for moms. Our guests for the hour: Tracy WebberMidwifery Division at University of Rochester Medical CenterEva PressmanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Rochester Medical Center--- 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.

As the shortage of primary care doctors continues, the job market is on the upswing for advanced practice providers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 40% between 2024 and 2034, making it one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. Physician assistants aren't far behind -- projected to grow 20% over the next ten years. WXXI's health, equity, and community reporter, Racquel Stephen, hosts the show, where she and her panel of experts discuss the responsibilities and employment outlook for these jobs, and examine legislation that proposes more independence for these health care professionals. Our guests: Heather GrotkeNazareth Universityphysician assistant programDuncan WersingerRochester Regional HealthBonnie WaldenNazareth University’s Nursing Department--- 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.

Republicans and Congress are ending the federal credit for electric vehicle purchases. It will be gone in just days. Meanwhile, some auto dealers had predicted rising prices based on tariffs. So what is the state of the car buying market? How do prices look now, and what can we expect over the next year? Our guests answer those questions and more: Brad McAreavyRochester Automobile Dealers AssociationJohn LoveBob Johnson Auto Group--- 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.

President Trump recently said about talk show hosts who criticize him: “They’re not allowed to do that.” After ABC brought back Jimmy Kimmel, Trump said that he might sue the network. We’ll discuss the law, coercion, consequence culture, and more. Our guests: Kevin RyanMonroe County Bar AssociationLangston McFaddenPullano & Farrow--- 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.

It has not been an easy time for the autism community, with President Trump and his administration spreading misinformation about what causes autism -- while talking about autism in ways that make many families uncomfortable. Our guests will discuss the implications of President Trump's comments on Tylenol, his comments about autism, and what it means for pregnant women. Joining us for this conversation: --- 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.

Jeff VanderMeer has one of the most inventive minds in American fiction. His books have taken us into dystopian futures, into dark places with strange forces and blurred lines between reality and fantasy. One of his novels was the basis for a film starring Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac. VanderMeer joins us to talk about the value of fiction as a mental exercise -- at a time when many of us are thinking about how foreboding the future might be. Our guest: Jeff VanderMeer, author, editor, and literary critic --- 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 sit down with Congressman Joe Morelle to discuss the latest on the Trump administration's actions. From Medicaid cuts to vaccine policy and more, we'll cover a wide range, while taking listener questions. In studio: --- 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.

Russia appears to be testing the resolve of the West by breaching airspace of NATO members. Its recent drone action in Poland triggered Article 4. But the Trump administration has fostered the weakest relationship with NATO than an American government has ever had. What is the future of NATO, and of the American role in NATO? Our guest: --- 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 growing number of American births involve doulas in the delivery room. And yet for some, the notion of a doula is expensive, maybe unaffordable -- the kind of thing that wealthier moms have. A coalition is trying to change that, and they have the support of State Senator Samra Brouk. We'll discuss the movement to make doula care more sustainable and available. Our guests: --- 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.

Economist Eric Morris joins us to discuss the state of the economy. We'll talk about the impact -- so far -- of tariffs. We'll examine the stickiness of food prices, and the possible effects of another rate cut. And we'll answer audience questions, such as: what exactly is stagflation? Are we in it? In studio: --- 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 do we engage with our guilt and grief? Author Claire Oshetsky explores these themes in Poor Deer, a novel that tells the story of a young girl whose best friend died mysteriously. The girl is growing up through the struggle of denial, sadness, confusion -- and eventually, a kind of confrontation with truth. It's a wildly inventive story that is both unique and relatable, and it earned Oshetsky the 2025 Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize from the University of Rochester. Oshetsky is visiting Rochester this week and is one of our guests. In studio: --- 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.

In the town of West Bloomfield, a longtime Republican Trump supporter is working alongside two unlikely allies: a pair of Democrats who disagree with him on many issues. Tim Schiefen is an auto mechanic who argues that, yes, Trump supporters and Democrats can co-exist -- even get to like one another. When Schiefen felt shut out by the Republican Party in his desire to run for town supervisor, he called the Democrats. To his surprise, they took his call, and now he's campaigning for supervisor while supporting two Democrats who are running for town board. Our guests will discuss getting past their differences; the importance of getting to know people in real life, not just on screens; and political alliances in the age of division. In studio: --- 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 go to the movies with a discussion about the Presente Latin Film Series. The Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum will host the series for the next month. It's meant to be a celebration of Latin culture, history, and contributions to film. We'll talk about what films will be featured in the series; concerns about whitewashing Latinas in American film; allegations of whitewashing Latin horror films; and more. In studio: --- 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.

In the 1980s, students practiced getting underneath their desks in the case of a nuclear attack. Protests routinely focused on the threat of nuclear war and the need for non-proliferation. Today, the concern about nuclear war is barely mentioned — even though a growing list of countries wants to join the nuclear club. Why is that? Our guests will discuss the change in public concern, and how they view the nuclear threat today. Our guests: --- 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 federal bill that the GOP calls the "Big Beautiful Bill" could significantly affect the way many Americans are taxed. Families and retirees will see some changes; some new deductions; an increased child tax credit. There are new deductions for tips and overtime. Our guests will walk us through what is changing and how it could affect us. In studio: --- 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 group of Ukrainians are visiting Rochester this week, guests of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester. The group works in veteran reintegration across Ukraine. We'll discuss the state of the war in Ukraine: what Ukrainians think and want; the state of negotiations; and what could lead to a lasting peace. In studio: --- 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 stars are aligning for the Pegula family, when it comes to their Buffalo Bills: the new Bills stadium will open in 2026, and the team could be coming off their first Super Bowl win. Just imagine: the hottest team in professional sports, sky-high demand for tickets and seat licenses... and prices are already soaring! We predict that most fans will pay any increase happily if it follows a Super Bowl win. And we don't believe in jinxes -- the Bills are winning the Super Bowl this year. We'll discuss it with our guests. In studio: --- 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 birth rates fell after the great financial recession of 2007. Eighteen years later, there are fewer young adults who might go to college. For some schools, it's a crisis: the pandemic has combined with this smaller population of students to significantly cut the incoming freshman classes. In Western New York, some schools have already shut down. So what's next? How can higher ed deal with this challenge? How can they appeal to more students? Our guests discuss it. In studio: --- 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.

Tax credits: on or off? Solar projects: full speed ahead, paused, or scrapped entirely? Depending on the day, the headlines have been wildly different. We sit down with one of the local leaders in the solar sector to discuss what's going in with the second Trump administration -- what that means for workers in the solar industry, what that means for homeowners, for businesses, and more. Our guest:

Tech innovator Kevin Surace recently said that artificial intelligence can solve the problem of writer's block. It can complete half-written songs. It can write lyrics when we hit the wall. It can figure out a great new bridge for your song. And it's true: AI can do those things, but should we let it? When does a song become something other than an artist's creation? Where is the line? AI music is already here, and will become more common. We sit down with musicians and songwriters to discuss it. Our guests: Sarah De Valliere, singer/songwriter, pianist, composer Jimmie Highsmith, saxophonist and flutist Scott Regan, musician and host of Open Tunings on WRUR and WITH