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.  

Western Mass Connections

2/3/24: Sen Jo Comerford on Trump, the Gov’s budget, & some good news. Author Aran Shetterly on “Morningside: the 1979 Greensboro Massacre….” The Palestinian House of Friendship Polar Plunge w/ Tom Weiner & Celia Miller. Megan Zinn w/ New Yorker illustrator & graphic novelist Eric Drooker on “Naked City.”

Freeing Speech

1/31/25: MTA Pres Max Page: Massachusetts #1! Co-Director Julie Lichtenberg: Performance Project’s “Mother Tongue” at the Shea. Donnabelle Casis w/ Vanessa Query & Jan Maher of Gnfld’s LAVA Ctr. UMass Prof Kevin Young & student Eric Strong respond to the encampment report finding the Chancellor justified in ordering arrests. Jess Tyler of The Valley This Morning signs off.

McCartney: Music Ain’t Sex, But It Lasts Longer

1/30/25: Valley Players Matteo Pangallo & Kimberly Salditt-Poulin on “Love Letters.” Harvard Chaplain Greg Epstein on Trump’s reaction to Bishop Budde’s plea for mercy, and Greg’s new book “Tech Agnostic.” Gorgeous music by Big Yellow Taxi’s Teresa Lorenco & the tribute band’s upcoming shows. Ruth Griggs W/ Sean Glennon, Director of Marketing UMass Fine Arts Ctr: lots coming to FAC.

We Will Not Be Silent

1/29/25: Serious Theatre’s “We will Not Be Silent” – Sheryl Stoodley, Robin Doty, & John Sheldon. Larry Hott reviews “Death by Numbers” & “The Only Girl in the Orchestra.” Brian Adams w/ Sara Dykman: “Bicycling with Butterflies.” ACLUM Immigration Atty Adriana Lafaille

Heroes & Villains

1/28/25: Pol Consultant Josh Silver on the media bubble. Profs Kerstin Nordstrom & Yair Zick: The Algorithmics of Fair Resource Allocation. Duke Goldman: Clemente & his commitment to social justice, & why we see athletes as “heroes.” Franklin Co Sheriff Chris Donelan reflecting on his tenure as his Friday retirement approaches.

Northampton Mayor GL Sciarra

Money, Schools, & Staying Warm

1/27/25: Northampton Mayor GL Sciarra: Northampton Municipal Budgeting 101. Prof Amilcar Shabazz: Why is Amherst’s first black female school superintendent under fire? Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman on schools, library, new fire & police chiefs, warming centers, and more. Megan Zinn w/ John Sayles on his new novel “To Save the Man.”

Prof Carrie Baker w/ Caren DeAngelis & daughter Darci

OMG, its PTSD!

1/24/24: Rep Mindy Domb: the budget, the bills, & the bull from DC. Amherst School Superintendent Xiamora Herman addresses recent accusations she created a hostile work environment. Prof Carrie Baker w/ Caren DeAngelis & daughter Darci on Idaho, ground zero for abortion bans. Comedian Kathy Griffin at Academy of Music on her “My Life on the PTSD List” Tour.

Freedom Rings

1/23/24: ACLU of Mass Ex. Dir Carol Rose: Trump’s Order to abolish birthright citizenship & his pardons.
Rev Carole Bull: Bishop Budde’s words for the President & his reaction. Dr. Jonathan Bayuk: bird flu –a potential pandemic? & viruses here & now. John Anz w/ Amherst Coll Jazz Profs Bruce Diehl & David Picchi—Live in the Studio & free at the Drake.

Dir Kit Sabo & Fr Co COG Coord Leigh Figueroa: “Restorative Practices in Schools”

Endings

1/22/25: ICE now in churches & schools. Larry Hott: “Seat 31,” “Planetwalker” & “Keeper.” Collab Res Dir Kit Sabo & Fr Co COG Coord Leigh Figueroa: “Restorative Practices in Schools” during Trump 2.0. Brian Adams w/ Grow Food N’hmptn Co-Dir Michael Skillicorn. CDH Hospice Mgr Karen Miller & Cent Hamp Veterans Services Dir Steve Connor: end of life issues.

It’s Only Day One! & What Remains?

1/21/24:Transhealth CEO Jo Erwin: Trump’s anti-Trans Exec Orders. The Comedy Quiz w/ Maddy Benjamin, Julie Waggoner & Scott Braidman: Firsts! MHC Poli Sci & Int’l Relat Prof Andrew Reiter: Trump’s unbrave new world. A final resting place: Better Place Forests’ Libby Friede & customer Vicki Lindsay.

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.