12:00: Reactions to President Trump's address to Congress
1:00: Young musicians on the new series, 'In the Key of Z: Classical'
President Trump addressed* a joint session of Congress Tuesday night, proclaiming, "America is back." The president touted what he called "swift and unrelenting action" on a number of initiatives, citing several of his executive orders related to DEI, immigration, and calling attention to DOGE. He also told Congress that the U.S. is "reclaiming" the Panama Canal and said while he respects the right of the people of Greenland to determine their own future, the U.S. will "get" Greenland "one way or the other." Throughout the roughly 90-minute speech, Republicans stood and cheered for the president, while Democrats remained seated, held signs of protest, or walked out. When Trump claimed he had been given a mandate from the American people, Texas Democrat Al Green shouted in protest and was escorted out of the room after not adhering to a warning from House Speaker Mike Johnson. Our guests this hour discuss the address, the divided reaction, and what's next. Our guests:
- Gregg Sadwick, former candidate for U.S. Congress
- Jerri Lynn Sparks, former congressional press secretary
Then in our second hour, "born after the year 2000, Gen Z takes a new approach to everything by default. But how does this contrast against the long-established canon of music history?" That question is the focus of a new WXXI digital-first series, "In the Key of Z: Classical," hosted by Classical 91.5 host Steve Johnson. The series explores the insight and celebrates the talent of five area high school students who excel in classical music performance. This hour, we talk with several of those students about their craft, their take on classical music, and their goals for the future. Our guests:
- Steve Johnson, Ph.D., midday host/announcer for Classical 91.5 and host of "In the Key of Z: Classical"
- Katie Epner, creative content producer for WXXI and producer, videographer, and editor of "In the Key of Z: Classical"
- Helena Dixon, cellist, junior at Fairport High School, and student at the Hochstein School of Music
- Ashley Park, violinist, freshman at Ithaca High School, and student of YooJin Jang
*Notes:
