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 Friends 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), DA David Sullivan, Writers Block (Megan Zinn), Science and Sensibility (Brian Adams), Righting Wrongs (ACLUM Carol Rose), State Senators Comerford & Mark, Representatives Sabadosa, 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.
Wrecked and Rejuvenation
10/27/25: Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: SNAP cutoff, hunger & budget woes. Megan Zinn w/ Catherine Newman on “Wreck.” Prof Amilcar Shabazz w/ Ellisha Walker, Amherst Councilor-at Large: CRESS, SNAP, & rainy-day funds. Amherst Town Mgr. Paul Bockelman & Pub Health Dir Kiko Malin: Nicotine Free Generation, CRESS, Halloween & ribbon cuttings.
Shutdowns & Openings
10/24/25: MTA Pres Max Page: the shutdown & the future. Rep Mindy Domb: cuts to SNAP & fuel assistance and how to resist. Emily Serafy-Cox, candidate for N’ton School Committee. Michael Lawrence-Riddell & hip-hop artist Akrobatik on Self-Evident Education. Bombyx’s Cassandra Holden: events, art & community.
High Notes
10/23/25: Easthampton Interim Mayor & candidate Salem Derby. ACLU of MA Ex Dir Carol Rose: No Kings & the future, voting & SCOTUS. Rev Carole Bull: peaceful assembly & loving others – an antidote to Trump? Ruth Griggs w/ star saxophonist Sarah Hanahan – soon at the Drake & the Nmptn schools.
Awareness and Learning
10/22/25: Robbie Saner Sullivan, N’ton at-large school committee candidate. CDH Surgeon Dr. Michelle Helms on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Brian Adams w/ Grow Food Northampton’s Farm & Land Mgr, Piyush Labhsetwar, & Co-Dir, Michael Skillicorn: what we grow & why. Chuck Collins “Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet.”
Power and Superpowers
10/21/25: Rep Aaron Saunders on No Kings, medical insurance, & clean energy. Jason “JT” Tirrell, E’hamp mayoral candidate. Comedy Quiz w/ Maddy Benjamin, Mandy Anderson & Scott Braidman: New England ghost folklore. Prof Carrie Baker w/ Smith basketball Coach Lynn Hersey and hoops player Selam Maher.
C-O-N-T-R-O-V-E-R-S-I-A-L ?
10/20/25: Meg Robbins, N’ton at-large City Council candidate. Megan Zinn & Marty Wohl: the NEF Spelling Bee. Gwen Nabad, candidate for N’ton Ward 1 City Council. Adam Hinds, EM Kennedy Institute for U.S Senate CEO, on gov’t shutdown, Trump defunding & the No Kings rallies.
Audits & Artists, Politicians & Professors
10/17/25: Max Page w/ Auditor Diana DiZoglio: auditing the legislature & applying the Public Records Act. Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa: wisely follow the money. Amherst Prof Austin Sarat: the Justice Dep’t is a dire threat to democracy. Prof Michael Hoberman on “Imagining Early American Jews.” Donnabelle Casis w/ Rachel Buenaventura of the Wistariahurst Museum on “Identity in Ink: the Art of Tattooing.”
Solutions
10/16/25: Luke Rotello, N’ton City Council Ward 5 candidate. DHG & Recorder Exec Editor Dan Crowley: covering local elections. Rabbi Riqi Kosovske: hostages, prisoners & a two-state solution. “Made in the Valley” (& live in studio!): musicians Loren Ludwig, Alice Robbins & Tim Eriksen: local 19th century music for voices and viols.
Committed
9/15/25: Al Simon, candidate for N’ton City Council, Ward 2. UMass Profs Paul Collins & Tim Komatsu: the voting patterns of Federalist Society justices & judges. Brian Adams w/ THE state herpetologist, Mike Jones: turtles & salamanders & snakes—oh my! Larry Hott reviews “Democracy Noir” and “Apocalypse in the Tropics.”
Councilors, Counselors & a Chef !
10/14/25: N’ton Ward 2 Councilor and candidate Deborah Pastrich-Klemer. Amherst Councilor Andy Steinberg & N’ton Councilor Alex Jarret: funding our schools & other critical services. UMass Dining Services’ Jeff MacDonald — winner of the “Chef of the Year” award! Rich Michelson: “What Louis Brandeis Knows: A Crusader for Social Justice Becomes a Supreme Court Justice” and “Three Poets and a Play” on No-Kings Day.
