12:00: Democrats make a case for centrism
1:00: A $10,000 bet on conspiracy theories
Move to the middle! That's the plea from many Democrats who feel that the rightward shift by the Republican Party has left a big opening. We discuss the case for steady centrism at a time when bolder ideas are getting attention. Our guests:
- John Baynes, Monroe County legislator for District 11
- Howard Maffucci, Monroe County legislator for District 10
Then in our second hour, Zach Mack is a public radio producer whose father became obsessed with conspiracy theories. And then Zach’s dad made him a bet: $10,000 — $1,000 for each of 10 predictions. His dad said that Obama would be arrested for treason, that Trump would be reinstated as president before the 2024 election. Zach took the bet, hoping it would break his father from his conspiracy theories. Zach’s family, including his dad, agreed to regular interviews throughout 2024, leading up to the bet’s conclusion. Zach turned it all into a podcast series, and now he joins us to discuss what happened — and what he learned about conspiratorial thinking. Our guest:
- Zachary Mack, reporter, host and producer
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is live streamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
