12:00: RG&E talks billing
1:00: American history as the country turns 250 years old
"It's been cold out. Your bill may reflect that with increased energy use and higher market supply costs. We're here to help you understand why and what you can do next." That's the language from a recent text many local RG&E customers received. We sit down with RG&E leaders this hour. They can't answer questions about your specific bill, but they can talk about billing practices. They also address how the energy crisis is affecting what they do. Our guests:
- Trish Nilsen, CEO of NYSEG and RG&E
- Chris Knospe, regional manager of NYSEG and RG&E municipal, community, and business relations
Then in our second hour, only 18% of four-year colleges require a foundational course in U.S. history or government. That could help explain why American students fare so poorly on history exams. With the country turning 250 years old, Geneseo history professor Michael Oberg is helping launch a new project: it pairs college students with historians to study both New York State history and the meaning of American independence. Can it work? More ominously, what are the costs of a poorly educated society? We discuss it. Our guests:
- Michael Oberg, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the Department of History at SUNY Geneseo
- Beth Thomas, historian for the town of Bristol
- Myah LaFave, recipient of the 2026 Robert Gardiner Fellowship
- Liam DeBono, undergraduate at SUNY Geneseo and recipient of the 2024 Robert Gardiner Fellowship
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
