Podcasts: Talk The Talk

Talk The Talk

Weekdays 8:00 -10:00 a.m. EST; rebroadcast 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. EST

Bill Newman and Buz Eisenberg host newsmakers, activists, authors, & artists – including:

Mayors Monday(Northampton, Holyoke, Easthampton) & Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman, Salman Hameed’s Universe, the Comedy Quiz, Black In the Valley (Professor Amilcar Shabazz) Political Gold (Josh Silver), Our House (Congressman Jim McGovern), Crime & Punishment (John Pucci), DA David Sullivan, Writers Block (Megan Zinn), Science and Sensibility (Brian Adams), Community Action (Clare Higgins), Righting Wrongs (ACLUM Carol Rose), State Senators Comerford & Mark, Representatives Sabadosa, Blais, Duffy, & Domb, ArtBeat (Donnabelle Casis), Cool Films (Larry Hott), Feminist Futures (Carrie Baker), Talkin’ Baseball & Fair Play (Duke Goldman), Your State U (MTA Pres. Max Page) All That Jazz (Ruth Griggs & John Anz), Exec. Editor, DHG & Gfld Recorder, Dan Crowley.  

Decisions

10/3/25: MTA Pres Max Page: tax the multinationals & free speech for educators. Clare Higgins: her careers as Mayor & Ex Dir, Community Action Pioneer Valley. Jennifer Jacobson & Morgan Sheehan: Straw Dog Writer’s Guild WriteAngles Conference. UMass Athletic Dir Ryan Bamford: the football program & $. Donnabelle Casis w/ Mischa Roy Bennett: the Great N’ton Haunt.

Shut Down?

10/2/25: ACLU of Mass Ex Dir Carol Rose: a glorious win for freedom of speech in Mass fed court. Atty Laura Pitter w/ civil rts atty Oren Sellstrom: sanctuary cities threatened with withholding of federal funds. Rep Jim McGovern: the shutdown, Trump unhinged, & the resistance. Nhmptn Jazz Festival Pres Ruth Griggs w/ piano giant Bill Charlap.

Revolutionary

10/1/25: D.A. David Sullivan: the federal shutdown & the military as local law enforcement. UMass Prof Diana Becerra: “The Making of Revolutionary Feminism in El Salvador.” Brian Adams w/ Hyperion System’s CEO Jake Marley: solar power & crops together (agrivoltaics). Larry Hott w/ Eli Katzoff on his films “484 Days in Gaza…” & “The Women Who Run Towards the Bombs.”

News from Paradise

9/30/25: Mariah Swanson: the upcoming Paradise City Arts Festival. Rep Aaron Saunders: impact of fed gov’t shutdown, heath care $, & no Quabbin water for us. FCCPR’s Susan Triolo & Louise Antony: abortion rts & the “Turnaway Play” at the Shea. Duke Goldman & Dianne & Kevin Germain: the Market St. Market Curiosities Fair. Aline Davis, N’ton at-large School Comm member & Ward 5 City Councilor candidate.

Collaboration and Community

9/29/25: Media star Kelsey Flynn & Rhymes with Orange’s Hilary Price: their comedic collaboration. Megan Zinn w/ Rachel Kanter, owner of Lovestruck Books: romance & community. Safe Passage’s Survivor Anthology Project Mgr Alec Reitz & author Angelica Lopez on ”Survival and Beyond.” Rev Carole Bull on Rumeysa Ozturk & surviving prison.

Rats!

9/26/25: MTA Pres Max Page w/ Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy: UMass football & much more. Rep. Mindy Domb: honoring Clare Higgins & the Source-to-Sea clean-up. Gfld Council Pres Lora Wondolowski: rats at the dump & the new Citizens Academy. Peggy Gillespie: meditation & mindfulness. Donnabelle Casis w/ Sunny Allis: “We’re Riding the Same Wave” – come wear art!

Author, Speaker, Poet, Musician

9/25/25: Author JL Spear on “Daemon Protocol,” an AI thriller. Paul Newlin & Marianna Massed: the Whately Civic Assn’s new speakers series (Newman is first!) Renown poet Martín Espada: in conversation w/ Andre Dubus III this evening. John Anz w/ star pianist Mike LeDonne, N’ton JazzFest performer—this Saturday.

To (Y)our Health

9/24/25: N’ton City Council Pres Alex Jarrett: municipal health — money, schools & priorities. CDH Dr “Sunny” Shukla: yr health & weight management. GCC science prof Brian Adams w/ Tom Ricardi on rehabbing raptors. David Boles & Stacey Lennard: our rivers’ health & Saturday’s Source to Sea Cleanup.

Just the Facts Please

9/23/25: Pol Consultant Josh Silver w/ N’ton City Council Pres Alex Jarrett: true facts on N’ton’s budget. Prof Kerstin Nordstrom on Wed’s SciTech Cafe w/ Prof Marta Sabariego: how the brain learns from frustration. Duke Goldman: free speech & sports.

Lisa Wong, Tim Nelson, Paul Bockelman

Equinox

9/22/25: Astronomer Grant Wilson on to discuss UMass’ Sunwheel on this Autumnal Equinox. Angela Flournoy: “The Wilderness,” reading at Odyssey. UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz updates on Amherst Black Reparations Committee. Amherst Town Mgr. Paul Bockelman on public construction projects, the Civic Academy, and Friday’s Cuppa’ Joe w/ Paul & School Super Dr. Xi.

Recent Headlines

2 days ago in National, Trending

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is sentenced to over 4 years in prison

Sean 'Diddy' Combs was sentenced Friday to 4 years and 2 months in prison in case involving sex workers, violence and "freak-offs."

2 days ago in National

Hegseth announces latest strike on boat near Venezuela he says was trafficking drugs

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that he ordered another strike on a small boat he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an "armed conflict" with cartels.

2 days ago in National

Trump says US is in ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels after ordering strikes in the Caribbean

President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in an "armed conflict" with them, according to a Trump administration memo obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, following recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.

2 days ago in National, Trending

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is set to be sentenced and faces the possibility of years in prison

Sean "Diddy" Combs faces sentencing Friday in a sordid criminal case that could keep him locked up for years.

3 days ago in National, Trending

Trump uses government shutdown to dole out firings and punishment

President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting "irreversible" cuts to programs important to Democrats.