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.  

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.

Gimme Shelter & Sunshine

2/18/25: Alice Rothchild, author of “Inspired and Outraged: the Making of a Feminist Physician.” Happier Valley Comedy Quiz on sunshine(!) w/ Maddy Benjamin, Scott Braidman & friends. Smith prof Carrie Baker w/Carmen Nieves, E.D. of Alianza, Holyoke’s DV org. Gov’s Councilor Tara Jacobs: here comes the judges(s).

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?

Recent Headlines

2 days ago in Entertainment, Trending

Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis gets 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur

An aging ex-gang leader was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years to life in prison for orchestrating the 1996 drive-by shooting of rap icon Tupac Shakur near the Las Vegas Strip.

2 days ago in National

Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports

Cornell University suspended parties at fraternity houses until next year and is giving state police a role in investigating reports of sexual assault on campus in the school's latest response to outrage over its handling of a gang rape allegation.

2 days ago in Trending, World

Surgery confirms pope has lung cancer and he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed that he has lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said. The tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery.

2 days ago in Entertainment, Trending

RJ Mitte, ‘Breaking Bad’ actor and disability rights champion, dies at 34

Actor and disability rights advocate RJ Mitte, who brought a lifetime of experience with cerebral palsy to fictional family struggles in an essential role on "Breaking Bad," died Monday at age 34, authorities and his representatives said.

2 days ago in Entertainment, Trending

Selma Blair accused of attacking 2 flight attendants and assaulting a police officer and nurse

Actor Selma Blair was arrested after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a trip from Los Angeles to New York. She was also accused of kicking a police officer taking her to the hospital and kicking a nurse once she got there.