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.  

Politics, Poetry, Pucci & Players

3/4/25: Sen. Paul Mark: federal cuts & the future of West-East Rail. Rich Michelson w/ UMass prof, translator & poet John Hennessy: poetry from Ukraine & “Exit Garden State.” Atty John Pucci: DOJ’s new mission: vengeance & retribution. Paul Newlin: “Watermelon Wednesdays” w/ violinist Tim Kliphuis (Django Jazz) & Petri Prauda of the Finnish band Frigg.

A Free Press?

3/3/25: Free Press Pres Craig Aaron: rampant fed govt censorship. Megan Zinn w/ Odyssey’s Robin Glossner: new books to love & authors to meet. Sen. Jo Comerford: federal cuts threatening MA & new legislature transparency rules. Nhmptn Mayor GL Sciarra: the $600,000 request for schools, snow & ice & potholes.

Julia Mintz and Larry Hott

Have Hope, Have Heart

2/28/25: Rep. Mindy Domb—now Chair of Mental Health, Substance use & Recovery. MTA Pres Max Page on Sen. Markey’s bill to preserve ed funding. Filmmakers Larry Hott & Julia Mintz on her film “Four Winters” — surviving and fighting Nazis. Hope for peace in Palestine & Israel with Roots Co-founders Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger & Khaled Abu Awwad. Dr. Kemar Brown, cardiologist & Am Heart Ass’n volunteer: heart transplants and saving yr loved ones with CPR.

A Really Big Show

2/27/25: ACLUM Ex Dir Carol Rose: the threat to sanctuary cities and town. Rev Carole Bull: a personal relationship with the Higher Power. Jessi Kirley, Pres of Ehmtn-based J Kirley Collective & Common Capital Pres Raymond Lanza-Weil: small loans, big dreams & his testimony at US Senate yesterday. All That Jazz w/ John Anz, Mark Gionfriddo & Brian Lapis—olde time radio show.

John Pucci

Heat & Soul

2/26/25: John Pucci: Trump’s corruption of the DoJ. Indivisible mbr Bill Feinstein: Friday’s 24-hour economic blackout. Larry Hott on “Porcelain War” & “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat.” Chris Appy & Brian Adams w/ Sunrise Movement Co-Fndr Varshini Praskash. Natl Heart Month w/ CDH Cardiologist Jim Arcoleo & Interventional Radiologist Greg Blackman.

Physics Kerstin Nordstrom

Music to Our Ears

2/25/25: Scott Coen: the 2025 Red Sox are for real. Steve Sanderson & Megan Tady: remembering Roberta Flack. Scitech Cafe w/ Professors Kerstin Nordstrom & Shivon Robinson: your brain on drugs. Luke Ryan & Bill Tuman: River Valley Taekwondo. Patrick Gabridge (Plays in Place): “Blood on the Snow.”

Lisa Wong, Tim Nelson, Paul Bockelman

The Fire This Time

2/24/25: Duke Goldman: Trump’s discrimination against women and trans athletes.
Prof Amilcar Shabazz: reparations in Amherst & Northampton. Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman: a house fire & frozen hydrants, CRESS, DEI & Trump threats. Megan Zinn & Developmental Editor Pat Dobie: making your good book great—and publishable.

It Takes Chutzpah

2/21/25: Rep Lindsay Sabadosa: a threatening morass in DC. MTA Pres Max Page: inappropriate links, $10M NIH cut at UMass, & DEI. Donnabelle Casis w/ Xuan Pham: “Wherefrom” at Hampshire Coll Art Gallery. Ellsberg Initiative Dir Chris Appy & Sunrise Co-founder Varshini Prakash: environmental justice. Oregon Sen Ron Wyden: “It Takes Chutzpah: Fearlessly Fighting for Progressive Change.”

All We Are Saying

2/20/25: DHG & Recorder Ex Ed Dan Crowley: honest coverage in the era of Trump -plus local eggs. Activist Paki Wieland: Sunday’s anti-militarism rally at Barnes USAF base. Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia: the city as a green manuf’g center, alternative police responses & his re-election campaign. Ruth Griggs w/ world class trumpeter Joe Magnarelli.

Admitting Our Mistakes…

2/19/25: Oumane Power-Green on Reparations in Northampton & Bill talk about the historic racist covenants in Northampton deeds and mortgages. Appellate Atty Joe Schneiderman reflects on the MA Appeals Court rules against Greenfield in police racial discrimination case. Brian Adams w/ Mass Audubon’s owl expert Doug Lowry. Prof Michael Klare: Trump turns our back on allies & imperils world order.

Recent Headlines

2 hours ago in National

Jury selection to begin in South Florida for 4 charged in 2021 assassination of Haitian president

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the U.S. federal trial of four men charged in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages are charged with conspiring in South Florida to kidnap or kill Haiti's former leader, plus related charges.

3 hours ago in Trending, World

Iran names Khamenei’s son to succeed him, signaling no letup in war as oil prices surge

Iran named the hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader on Monday, signaling no letup in the war launched by the United States and Israel. Oil prices surged as Iran attacked regional energy infrastructure and the U.S. and Israel bombed targets across Iran.

3 days ago in Sports, Trending

Ohtani has grand slam, 5 RBIs as Japan routs Taiwan 13-0 in its WBC opener

Shohei Ohtani doubled on the first pitch of the game, then hit a go-ahead grand slam and an RBI single in a 10-run second inning to lead defending champion Japan over Taiwan 13-0 Friday night in its World Baseball Classic opener.

4 days ago in Entertainment, Trending

Britney Spears arrested and released, California sheriff’s records show, though charge is not clear

Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Southern California and booked early Thursday, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's office, which didn't say what charge she faces.

4 days ago in National

Dow drops 1,000 points after oil spikes to its highest price since the summer of 2024

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,000 points Thursday after the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran.