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.  

Aspirations: Some Soaring, Others Pedestrian

7/9/25: Amherst Coun Pres Lynn Griesemer: potholes & schools. UMass Prof Kevin Young: UMass climate goals abandoned & the fed govt v. the environment. Brian Adams w/ former Arcadia Wildlife Director Jonah Keane: a magical place & a magical festival. Larry Hott reviews “Frederick Douglas — When the Lion Wrote History & “The Speech Is the Star.”

Hits and Misses

7/8/25: Bill & Buz: fed cuts = state cuts = local cuts. Todd Gazda, Ed Collab Dir, returning to his elementary school as the principal: “I miss kids!” Actors Rona Leventhal & Patric Madden: “Torch Song.” Duke Goldman: Yanks, Sox & Mets, the All-Star Game & 10 Red Sox visiting Trump.

Bracing for Impact

7/7/25: Atty Jack Godleski: most Mass public defenders now on strike. Megan Zinn w/ bestselling romance novelist Sarah MacLean: “These Summer Storms.” Sen Jo Comerford: preserving women’s health care, protecting privacy & budget contingencies. Northampton Mayor GL Sciarra: citizenship, impact of federal cuts, & what’s next?

Democracy Sunsets

7/3/25: Immigration atty Dan Berger: mass deportations, deporting citizens & Trump’s lies. Dollars and Sense ed & economics prof John Miller: consequences of the Big Ugly Bill. Rep Jim McGovern: live from Congress — Republicans genuflecting to Trump. Ruth Griggs w/ saxist Ben Malynoski & drummer Jacob Smith: “New Sunsets” at the Carle.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

7/2/25: D.A. David Sullivan: naturalization & Trump’s lies about crime. Historic Northampton’s Laurie Sanders & Betty Sharpe: “Slavery & Freedom in Northampton,1654- 1783.” GCC Prof Brian Adams w/ Kestrel Land Trust Conserv Dir Mark Wamsley: Vollinger Farm conserved!! GLAD Attorney Jennifer Levi: SCOTUS decisions
attack transgender youth and parents.

Something’s Happening Here

7/1/25: Sen Paul Mark: the state budget (enacted yesterday) defense against federal cuts. ACLU Mass Ex Dir Carol Rose: SCOTUS’ birthright & free speech decisions. Amherst law & gov’t prof Austin Sarat: the Constitution & democracy in crisis. Nhmpton multi-disciplinary artist Inde: “Mirror Mirror,” his exhibit & performance at A.P.E. Gallery.

Chris Baker and Michelle Ong-Hendrick

Royalty in the House

6/30/25: “The Duke: Weekly Conversations with the Last Honest Politician” with author Scott Kerman. Megan Zinn w/ THE Ocean Vuong on life and literature. Alex Leff: his Human Nature Odyssey podcast. Chester Theatre Co-Artistic Directors Chris Baker & Michelle Ong-Hendrick: four fabulous productions this summer.

Defanging Threats

6/27/25: Atty Maria Freese: threats to Social Security & the solution. Adam Hinds, CEO of the Kennedy Center for the U.S. Senate: saved by the parliamentarian? Rep Mindy Domb: a new, improved & more transparent legislature? Laurie Sanders & W’hmptn Library Dir Meaghan Schwelm: Lounging for Literacy. –really! Donnabelle Casis w/ Dean Brown of PULP Holyoke: fabulous new exhibit of Marcy Hermansader.

Max Page

Looking Forward, Looking Back

6/26/25: MTA Pres Max Page: Holyoke’s schools out of receivership — mostly! Eric Reeves: the humanitarian disaster in Sudan. Rev Carole Bull on Mary Magdelene, organized religion & personal spirituality. John Anz w/ vocalist & trumpeter Bria Skonberg – coming to Tanglewood.

Brian Adams w/UMass Distinguished Prof Prashant Shenoy

Real and Artificial Intelligence

6/25/25: U.S. Ct of Appeals Judge David Tatel: “One Man’s Journey with Blindness and Justice.” Easthampton Theater Co “Guys & Dolls” actors Maddy Oldenberg & Manny Morales. CDH Nursing Dir Ann LeBrun & UMass Dean of Nursing Allison Vorderstrasse: on the front lines of health care. Brian Adams w/UMass Distinguished Prof Prashant Shenoy: Artificial Intelligence at work. Larry Hott on “Ocean with David Attenborough” & “On Thin Ice in the Bering Sea.”

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.