What do you need to know about the spread of measles in New York? On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State Disaster Emergency due to the increase in cases. In the first segment of the return of our weekly news roundup, we're joined by Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Marielena Vélez de Brown. She explains the latest with the outbreak, how the disease spreads, and what you need to know about protecting yourself. Then, we turn our attention to immigration issues. As reported by WXXI's Brian Sharp and Jose Sandoval, plans to expand an ICE detention facility in Batavia now include a soft-sided or tent project that would house women. Sharp discusses the updates and provides a look at broader immigration updates in the region. Then, ImageOut is back. The annual LGBTQ+ film festival runs October 8 through 18. We preview two of the films with filmmakers and a festival organizer. Our guests:
- Marielena Vélez de Brown, M.D., MPH, commissioner of the Monroe County Department of Public Health
- Brian Sharp, investigations and enterprise editor for WXXI News
- Peter C. Bisuito, professional entertainer and director, writer, and star of "I Remember"
- Gillian Griffin, documentary programming lead for ImageOut
- Karl Hillbrick, producer of "Our Colors Never Fade" and founder of Infilmpact
- Jim McSherry, director of "Our Colors Never Fade"
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
Beginning October 5, "Connections" will air live for one hour at noon each weekday, down from its previous two-hour format. The change gives the "Connections" team more time for original reporting, live events, and reaching audiences in new ways, including a weekly Sunday presentation on WXXI-TV. For listeners on WXXI-FM 105.9, WEOS-FM 88.5/90.3 (Geneva), and streaming on WXXINews.org, the show will be followed at 1 p.m. by the Peabody Award-winning "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley. Click here to learn more.
