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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Electric car being charged
Ake/ake1150 - stock.adobe.com
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Power supply for hybrid electric car charging battery. Eco car concept.

First hour: Discussing the latest with electric vehicles, infrastructure, and tax credits

Second hour: Examining President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan

A $7,500 tax credit is an incentive for many people considering an electric vehicle (EV) purchase. But how does it work? What are the rules? Some consumers say they are confused about the requirements and qualifications. Meanwhile, there are also questions about EV infrastructure and how accessible charging stations are around the region. We discuss all of this and more with our guests:

  • Preston Faulkner, local resident who is considering an electric vehicle purchase
  • Brad McAreavy, president of the Rochester Automobile Dealers Association
  • Abby McHugh-Grifa, executive director of the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region
  • Anne Spaulding, manager for the division of environmental quality for the City of Rochester

Then in our second hour, last week, President Biden announced a federal student loan forgiveness plan, which would erase up to $20,000 of debt for Pell Grant recipients, and up to $10,000 for other borrowers who meet certain income requirements. The plan also extends a pause on loan payments until January 2023. News of the plan sparked immediate debate. Some borrowers applauded the news, others said the forgiveness amounts are not enough, and -- as reported by NPR -- some people without student loans agreed with Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, who referred to the plan as "a slap in the face to those who never went to college, as well as borrowers who upheld their responsibility to taxpayers and paid back their loans." This hour, we explore how the forgiveness plan works, and we discuss different sides of the debate with our guests:

  • Patrick Coyle, political organizer
  • Kevin Wilson, host of "A Free Solution" podcast, and former chair of the Monroe County Libertarian Party
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Emmarae Stein is the production assistant for "Connections with Evan Dawson."