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.  

DA Sullivan

Hard Times

8/6/24: D.A. David Sullivan: the public defender work stoppage & a new women’s prison? Christina Maxwell, Program Dir, Food Bank of W. Mass: SNAP cuts & hungry people here. Science prof Brian Adams w/ Susan Theberge, Co-founder, W. Mass. Climate Action Now: the fight here today. UMass Econ Prof Gerald Epstein: Trump, tariffs & taxes.

Leaders

8/5/25: Dan Breindel, candidate for Mayor of Northampton. Bruce Stedman (Back from the Brink) & Jane Virgilio (Greater Springfield Campaign Nonviolence): remembering Hiroshima. Historic Northampton’s Betty Sharpe & Simbrit Paskins: “Slavery and Freedom in Northampton…” Kenny Newman: our oceans. mangroves & Mauritius.

Launches

8/4/25: UMass Prof and NASA collaborator Paul Siqueira: their just-launched satellite. Real Cost of Prisons Project Dir Lois Ahrens: the Gov’s “plan” for a new $360 million women’s prison. Duke Goldman: Gaza & recognizing the Negro Leagues. Nhmptn Mayor GL Sciarra: a big win for the City—new housing.

Max Page

The Course of Human Events

8/1/25: MTA Pres Max Page: UMass, the feds, the state & $. Prof Kevin Young: UMass protest policy – unfree speech? Activist Ethan Flamand: Amherst rally & a new Decl of Independence. Salman Hameed’s Universe: incredible sites & insights. Donnabelle Casis w/ Daniel Elihu Kramer: “The Case for the Existence of God.”

Champion

7/31/25: Champion for Justice, atty David Hoose: the crisis in Mass courts — defendants without lawyers. Rubik’s Cube World Champion, 2025 Amherst H.S. grad, Levi Gibson – absolutely amazing! Champions for, decency & due process — UU’s David Roitman & CBI’s Sara Weinberger: Sunday’s “Vigil for the Disappeared.” Ruth Griggs w/ internationally acclaimed guitarist Tony Davis — coming to Nhmptn.

Reigning Cats & Dogs

7/30/25: Buz and Dan on Soc Security Administration. Prof Gerald Epstein: Trump’s economic policies. Brian Adams w/ Sr Conservation Ecologist Tom Lautzenheiser of MA Audubon: canines (coyote, fox & wolves) & felines (bobcat & mountain lions) in WMass. Larry Hott w/ Brian Adams on Larry’s film “The Wilderness Idea.”

Leaders

7/29/25: City Stage Pres Burns Maxey & Treas Mike Tautznik: the community’s success & the creative economy. Sports Man! Scott Coen on Sunday’s Hall of Fame inductees, the Sox & Yanks. Amherst Prof of Psychology Catherine Sanderson: why and when groups become mobs (e.g. Jan 6). Michael Klare on Ukraine, Gaza, & Syria, Trump, Putin & Netanyahu.

Lisa Wong, Tim Nelson, Paul Bockelman

From the Front Lines

7/28/25: CODEPINK founder Madea Benjamin: tonight’s event – Gaza today. Megan Zinn w/ Forbes Bd Chair Katy Wight “watcha’ readin’?” UMass Prof Amilcar Shabazz: the state of reparations in W. Mass. Amherst Town Mgr Paul Bockelman: opioid settlement funds & reparations money.

Darkness and Light

7/25/25: MTA Pres Max Page: religion determining K-12 curriculum? Rep Mindy Domb: the fight for food. Kennedy Inst CEO Adam Hinds: advice and consent. John Feffer: his play “The Wedding Jester.” Donnabelle Casis w/ Sierra Myers & Christine White from Art for the Soul Gallery: “Where Light Speaks.”

john feffer and john berkowitz

Versus & Verses

7/24/25: The Ukraine/Russia War: John Berkowitz v John Feffer. Carol Rose, Ex Dir ACLU MA:  Trump v. birthright citizenship Harvard, Columbia, the1st Am, PBS & NPR.  Rev Carole Bull:  the essence of prayer, meditation & poetry. Jon Anz w/ French Gypsy Jazz singer songwriter star Tatiana Eva-Marie – coming to the Iron Horse.

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.

2 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.

2 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.

3 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.