The Seneca Park Zoo recently welcomed the first-ever North American river otters to be born at its facility. Leaders say it's a conservation success story that has been decades in the making. It comes at a time when a shift in federal priorities has affected environmental and wildlife protections: funding cuts to USAID and a funding freeze for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have halted projects centered on animals facing various threats, including extinction. Can the local project serve as a model for continued conservation work, despite changes at the federal level? Our guests discuss it. In studio:

• David Hamilton, general curator at the Seneca Park Zoo
• Larry Buckley, Ph.D., senior associate dean of the College of Science at RIT
• Laura Gaenzler, community science coordinator for the Seneca Park Zoo Society
• Tom Snyder, director of programming and conservation action for the Seneca Park Zoo Society

In a report earlier this month, the group Reporters Without Borders said, "Trump's second term as president has brought a troubling deterioration in press freedom." For two decades, the number of American journalists has been in decline. The Star-Ledger in New Jersey is an example of a high-profile newsroom that stopped producing a print edition and cut more staff in 2024. Fewer than a quarter of American newsrooms are in growth mode. We discuss the state of the profession with our guests:

• Gino Fanelli, investigations and City Hall reporter for WXXI News
• Veronica Volk, senior producer for WXXI News
• Natasha Kaiser, rising senior in the photojournalism program at RIT
• Roisin Meyer, rising senior in the international relations and economics program at the University of Rochester

Local Democrats will see a number of candidates for Rochester City Council on their primary ballot next month. We've invited all of the candidates in that race to join us on the talk show to discuss their platforms and priorities and to answer questions from community members. This is part one in our series. In studio:

• Miquel Powell, candidate for Rochester City Council
• Chiara "Kee Kee" Smith, candidate for Rochester City Council
• Kevin Stewart, candidate for Rochester City Council

President Biden's cancer diagnosis has prompted prayers and well wishes, and it keeps the political spotlight on the former president and his health. Biden recently said that he would have beaten Donald Trump in 2024, and he's not surprised that Vice President Harris lost. Meanwhile, a new book details the ways that the Biden team concealed his cognitive decline from the public. Democrats are eager to move on and focus on the array of young leaders who could rise to prominence. But what lessons should they learn from the past four years? Our guests discuss it. In studio:

• Dylan Dailor, Democratic political consultant
• Nayeliz Santiago, vice president of Monroe County Young Democrats

It's prom season, and for high schoolers across the region, prom isn’t just a rite of passage anymore. It’s a stage. We’re talking crystallized corsets, embroidered tuxedos, motorcades, professional photographers, and send-off parties that look more like weddings. In many Black communities, prom has become a dazzling display of creativity, self-expression, and joy. Think of it as a teen Met Gala—shaped by tradition and TikTok. But there’s more to prom than just the glamor; it also raises deeper questions—about identity, performance, social media, and how a new generation is redefining what celebration looks like. This hour, guest host Racquel Stephen dives into prom as fashion statement, cultural ritual, and social phenomenon. Our guests:

• Tania Casini, local designer specializing in custom prom fashion
• Kasey Casini, fashion designer at Tania Casini
• Nathaniel Johnson, local designer specializing in custom prom fashion
• Jeffrey McCune, Jr., Ph.D., founding chair of the Department of Black Studies and the University of Rochester

Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. It’s a crisis fueled by systemic racism, medical bias, and structural inequities. But there’s also a growing movement to push back. Community-based doulas are stepping in to support Black mothers throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond. They’re advocating, empowering, and providing care that’s culturally rooted and deeply personal. This hour, guest host Racquel Stephen and her guests explore the role of doulas in Black maternal health, how and why they do what they do, and whether they are making a difference. Our guests:

• Jasmine Brewer, doula program manager at the Healthy Baby Network
• Ayanah Alexander, doula at the Healthy Baby Network
• Stefanie Hollenbach, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and biomedical engineering at the University of Rochester Medical Center

For the past four years, former Democrat and Chronicle journalist Erica Bryant has turned her attention to reporting on the dream world. Bryant has gone deep, interviewing people about their dreams, and collecting hundreds of dream stories. She's preparing to debut her exhibition "Other People's Dreams" at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center. But first, she and some of her dream interviewees join us on "Connections" to explore what our dreams mean: why we have them; what they say about our lives and desires; and what the experts say. Our guests:

• Erica Bryant, artist and associate director of writing at the Vera Institute of Justice
• Jon Gary, musician and artist
• Davida Rogers, graduate student and artist
• Wilfred Pigeon, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and public health sciences and director of the Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center

A member of the New York State Assembly has proposals for how to regulate artificial intelligence. The AI Training Data Transparency Act would require AI firms to make their safety testing protocols visible, and it would protect whistleblowers who call attention to AI dangers. Is it enough? The Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act would require developers to meet certain safety and security requirements before launching their platforms. Our guests include the Assemblymember who has introduced the legislation. Our guests:

• Assemblymember Alex Bores, District 73
• Max Irwin, founder of Max.io