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.  

Speaking Up & Out

2/17/25: E’hmpton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle: EHS “We the People” — state champs again! Larry Hott: “Sept 5,” terror at the Munich Olympics,” & “The Incident,” a fatal Chicago Police shooting & coverup. UMass’ Jim Hicks & Celia Sainz Delgado on “Documenting Dissent.” Jazzman Paul Arslanian remembers local bassist George Kaye. Megan Zinn w/ Elinor Lipman: “Every Tom, Dick & Harry.”

Live and Life from D.C

2/14/25: Rep Aaron Saunders: sorting crises and confusion from D.C. & Gov’s budget. MTA Max Page, from DC: the Linda McMahon hearings & her promise to abolish the Dept of Ed. Donnabelle Casis w/ Nima Nikakhlagh: Zamharir (“Torture for the Naked Eyes)”at GCC. Recorder’s Anthony Cammalleri: Mass App Ct. affirms $1 million + verdict against Gfld Police. Amherst Town Council Pres Lynn Griesemeron BIG construction projects & Amherst Coll’s payment in lieu of taxes.

Getting Along & Getting By

2/13/25: UMass prof & diversity expert Nilanjana Dasgupta on “Change the Wallpaper…,” DEI’s future, & transforming ourselves & our communities. Rabbi Riqi Kosovske on antisemitism, Netanyahu, Trump, & the cease fire. Congressman Jim McGovern: standing up & fighting back. Central West Justice Dir, atty Claudia Quintero, on protecting immigrants & other marginalized communities.

Larry Hott

ICE & the Musk Factor

2/12/25: Bill & Buz: ICE raids at sensitive locations & the lawsuits. Larry Hott reviews “Eno” & “No Other Land.” GCC Prof Emeritus Brian Adams talks maple sugaring w/ High Hopes Farm’s Brian Rowe. UMass Econ Prof Gerry Epstein: Trump & Musk gutting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau & a coming bank crisis?

The Process That is Due

2/11/25: Rep Pat Duffy: the Auditor investigating the legislature, shelter funding, Trump & trans students. Duke Goldman on MLB 2025, the races, & the Sox. Todd Gazda, E.D., Collab Educ Services: local ed budgets & Trump’s assault on public ed. Immigration atty Dan Berger: Trump’s enforcement polices & reopening GTMO.

Then And Now

2/10/25: Prof Amilcar Shabazz w/ Nick Rivera (aka Porsh Bet$) about his music as an expression of his life growing up in Harlem & the valley, Porshbets. Tim Blagg & Prof. Peter Thomas: GCC Senior Symposium on King Philip’s War & the Battle of Great Falls. Megan Zinn & Olufunke Grace Bankole: “The Edge of Water”

America’s Engine: We’re Struck in Reverse!

2/7/25: Prof Salman Hameed on the consequences of NASA backing off its commitment to DEI in the face of administration’s demands. MTA Pres Max Page on the administration’s threats to education & the workers responsible for delivering it. Donnabelle Casis w/ Amanda Herman on the UMass Museum of Contemporary Art: “Is anything the matter?” Community Action PV E.D. Clare Higgins on her plans to retire, on fuel assistance, and income tax filing assistance. Larry Hott w/ filmmaker Kate Way on her film “Banned Together” on book banning.

The Takeover

2/6/25: Bill, Buz & Dan: Have we suffered a coup? Scott Coen talks Super Bowl. Tara Brewster: Big Bros Big Sis fun-raiser – Big Love Little Performances. Franklin Co Interim Sheriff Lori Streeter. Ruth Griggs w/ Western Mass cellist Jeremy Harman.

LIVE

2/5/25: The Northamptones LIVE! — singing us towards Sunday’s Silver Chord Bowl. D.A. Dave Sullivan live from the nationwide gathering of DAs in DC: justice imperiled by Trump policies. Brian Adams, Lynne Man & Tara Wallace of Sierra Club Forest Protection Team: the dangers of logging. Larry Hott recommends Oscar-worthy “Sugarcane” and “Black Box Diaries.”

John Pucci

Breaking the Laws

2/4/25: Attorney John Pucci: Trump’s revenge tour, purges of DoJ & FBI professionals. Pioneer teacher Joshua Freund, Pioneer Regional Principal Annie Scanlan-Emigh &; Noho parent and founder of Screentime Free Childhood Emily Boddy on cell phone policies in schools. Sen Paul Mark: Legislative Calendar, Gov’s budget, & Plan B if Fed funds are withheld. Mike German: “Policing White Supremacy”

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.

3 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.

3 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.

4 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.