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.
Elevating Conversations
6/18/25: Al Simon & Meg Robbins of Northampton’s Support Our Schools: the volume & tone of debates over schools. Silverthorne Theater’s Bd Pres Ezekiel Baskin, director Gina Kaufmann & actor Sabine Denise Jacques: “The Amateurs” & “Comeuppance.” Brian Adams w/ UMass Dr Zoe Getman-Pickering & Prof Matt Lackner: ELEVATE’s mission -renewable energy- & federal funding rescinded. Cool Films w/ Larry Hott; “Deaf President Now” and “Through Deaf Eyes.”
Fighting to Live
6/17/25: Rep Aaron Saunders: Minnesota, Farmworkers, Cannabis Comm. David Leaf, author of “SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson.” Comedy Quiz w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & Mo McElligott. Matteo Pangallo of Valley Players on “A Walk in the Woods.” ED Marianne Winters of Safe Passage on their suit to protect victims of dom viol from Trump threat to funding.
So Many Fights
Atty Maya McCann, co-leader of Fairness for Farmworkers Coalition: the subminimum wage. Hampshire Prof Emeritus of Peace & World Securities Studies, Michael Klare: the Israel-Iran War. Ehmptn Mayor Nicole LaChapelle: “No Kings” protest & antisemitism in the schools. Peace Development Fund’s Lora Wondolowski & Jessa McCormack w/ Seeing Rainbow’s Nuri.
Most Unkindest Cuts of All
6/13/25: MTA Pres Max Page w/ UMass Profs Krista Harper & Michael Ash: critical grants gutted. Founder Andrew Lawrence w/ guitarists Joscho Stephan, & Sven Jungbeck on DJANGO IN JUNE! Prof Salman Hameed: cuts to NASA budget threaten science. Young Feminist Party’s Marisol Bonifaz & activist Alice Jenkins on Saturday’s NO KINGS Rally.
Young People
6/12/25: Journalist Craig Johnson: “How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism.” Ruth Griggs w/ Koan Collective musicians Ian Behrstock & Jahain Cooper-Monize. Rep. Natalie Blais: HIP, SNAP, POTpourri, Pride, & students’ testimony. EHS educators Kelley Brown & Jeff Sealander, w/ students Oscar, Leia & Michael – a cross-generational book club: founding fathers & “The Pursuit of Happiness.”
Untangling Webs
6/11/25: Amherst Council Pres Lynn Griesemer: ICE in Amherst, school budgets, Juneteenth. Alex Osterman & Victoria Worth: the ACLU in Ashfield. Filmmakers Larry Hott, Andy Kolker & Paul Stekler: political films—past present & is there a future? GCC science prof Brian Adams w/ UMass Ph D candidate neuroethologist & Jumping Spider expert, Alex Winsor.
Teaching
6/10/25: Northampton Ed Foundation’s Dale Melcher & Joy Hermansen: the upcoming Showcase. Ed Collab’s Todd Gazda w/ Hadley Super & MA Assoc School Super Ex Comm mem Anne McKenzie: one tough job. Smith Coll Prof Carrie Baker w/ PVPA’s Gary Hugget & his former, now Smith Coll, student Talia Villalobos-Sharone: saving DEI. Duke Goldman: THE AMAZING Catch, Yankees & Sox.
Protest: it’s not rebellion, it’s patriotism!
6/9/25: Bill and Buz on Trump’s authoritarianism and the need to resist it. Megan Zinn w/ Carolyn Zaikowski, new poet laureate of Easthampton. Amherst Prof Austin Sarat on Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in spite of Gov Newsom’s condemnation as the Guard’s Commander-in-Chief. UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz outlines local Juneteenth commemorations.
Visions
6/6/25: Fritz: Saturday’s Franklin County Pride in Greenfield. Timmon Wallis: “Nuclear Abolition: A Scenario.” Jody Rosenbloom and JoEllen Mackenzie: Forbes Library Garden Tour on 6/14. Hamp Coll Prof Michael Klare: Putin’s retaliation, drone warfare, & atrocities in Gaza. Donnabelle Casis w/ Andrae Green: “Peripheral Visions” at OOO Gallery in Easthampton.
Human Rights
6/5/25: Ashfield human rights atty Laura Pitter & Freedom Now Ex Dir Andrea Prasow: jailed journalists. Susanne Personette & Lois Barber: Amherst Plein Air Society’s show at Forbes. Rep Jim McGovern: democracy in peril. ABA Human Rights Hero Maria Foscarinis: “And Housing for All: The Fight to End Homelessness in America.”
