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.  

Candidacies

10/13/25: Laurie Loisel, N’ton Ward 3 City Council candidate. Megan Zinn w/ Paula Saunders, author of “Starting from Here.” Megan Wolf, write-in candidate for N’ton Ward 4 School Committee. Amilcar Shabazz w/ Amherst Coll Black Studies & History Prof Stefan Bradley, author of “If We Don’t Get It: A Peoples’ History of Ferguson.”

Live

10/10/25: Live from D.C.– MTA Pres Max Page: health insur, rainy day funds & DOE. Live in studio — Michael Stein, N’pton School Comm member & candidate for re-election. Historian & author Matthew Restall: “The Nine Lives of Christopher Columbus.” Matteo Pangallo & Steve Poulin: new plays “Take Ten.” Donnabelle Casis w/ Christina White of Art for the Soul Gallery: “The Power of SHE.”

Meg at Large on 10.9

Chart(er)ing Our Path Forward

10/9/25: Amherst Town Council Pres Lynn Griesemeron: revising the town charter, schools, roads & free cash. N’ton At-large Councilor candidate Deb Henson: the issues. Rep Natalie Blais: the gov’t shutdown & the Bridge of Flowers. Ruth Griggs w/ superstar musician Avery Sharpe: “I Am My Neighbor’s Keeper – free concert @ Edwards Church Friday.

The Annual Coop Roundtable, Live from River Valley

10/8/25: Craig Boivin of UMass 5 College Credit Union. Lloyd Miller of Old Creamery Co-op. Jeff Burdine of Greenfield Farmer’s Co-operative Exchange. Rochelle Prunty of River Valley Co-op. Caitlin Von Schmidt of Franklin Community Co-op. Ben Jankowitz of Valley Alliance of Worker Co-ops & Pedal People Cooperative. Will Savitri of PV2 Solar.

Trump Versus

10/7/25: Sen Paul Mark: MA Data Privacy Act & Trump’s military v Americans. Keith Fairey, CEO of Wayfinders & Alexis Breiteneicher, Ex Dir, Valley CDC: the housing crisis here & the federal role. GCC prof Brian Adams w/ Gazette columnist, environmentalist Johanna Neumann: Trump v solar. Astronomer Salman Hameed: outer space treaties & Trump v NASA.

Constructing

10/6/25: Michele Ronco, N’ton Ward 1 City Council candidate. Megan Zinn w/ Lily King: “Heart the Lover” & her Odyssey reading. Sen Jo Comerford: the gov’t shutdown, Medicaid costs & charter schools funding. N’ton Mayor GL Sciarra: early voting & constructing the yearly budget.

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.

Recent Headlines

3 days ago in National

FDA staff blindsided by move allowing more e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches onto US market

Senior officials in the Food and Drug Administration's tobacco center were blindsided by a recent decision that opens the door to allowing more unauthorized electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches onto the U.S. market, The Associated Press has learned.

3 days ago in Entertainment, Trending

Paul McCartney helps Stephen Colbert say goodbye to ‘The Late Show’ in ambitious final show

Stephen Colbert chatted with Paul McCartney and joined him on stage for a raucous performance of "Hello, Goodbye" on the final broadcast of CBS' "The Late Show" on Thursday night, a bittersweet farewell for a canceled show that still had a few barbs left for the network that ended its 33-year run.

3 days ago in Sports, Trending

2-time NASCAR champ Kyle Busch dies at 41 after being hospitalized with a ‘severe illness’

Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR's three national series, has died. He was 41. The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.

6 days ago in Sports, Trending

Billie Jean King, 82, earns a college degree 65 years after starting at Cal State LA

Billie Jean King raised her right arm in triumph. Not for another victory on the tennis court. This time, she was celebrating earning a college degree 65 years after she first took classes.

6 days ago in National

What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries as Trump’s endorsement is put to the test

Is there a future in politics for Republicans who cross President Donald Trump? The signs this year suggest no, and Trump has convinced his voters to defeat his adversaries again and again.