Summer tourists are key to the overall success of the arts in the Berkshires, but winter visitors and locals alike can appreciate a busy menu of arts activities, from musical and theatrical performances to museum exhibitions. In the background, though, concerns about possible cuts in arts funding under the Trump administration.

Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills speaks with Eagle Arts Editor Jeff Borak about a wide range of accomplishments and challenges for the local arts community.

Donald Trump has been sworn as the 45th President of the United States. Even as he took the oath, tens of thousands of Americans were making their way to the nation's capital for the Women's March on Washington. Smaller events are being held in cities across the country, including Pittsfield, to stand up for citizen rights and speak out for equality, diversity and inclusion.

Berkshire Eagle Podcast host Mark Mills discusses the Trump presidency with Berkshire Eagle editorial page editor Bill Everhart, columnist John Seven and Eagle reporter Carrie Saldo.

More than 1,200 people took part in the Four Freedoms March and Rally in Pittsfield on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, to show solidarity against what many view as a threat to civil rights and the social safety net from the incoming Trump Administration.

In this edition of the Berkshire Eagle Podcast, host Mark Mills presents highlights from day’s events including comments from U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer and a number of area residents who came to show their support for the Four Freedoms.

Politico's Peter Canellos says the news media need to double-down on the core values of fearless investigation and its role as a watchdog

Politico editor-at-large Peter Canellos says President-Elect Donald Trump's public relations strategy is to de-legitimize the press by sending a signal that the media is his opponent. Canellos, a former Washington bureau chief for the Boston Globe, says the political atmosphere in the nation's capital is "100 percent unprecedented."

Speaking with Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills and Eagle editor Kevin Moran, Canellos said the media needs to "double-down on its core values of fearless investigation" and taking seriously its role as a watchdog.

The tri-towns of Lenox, Lee and Stockbridge could achieve more efficiency, savings and professional management by sharing a chief administrative officer, according to State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D, of Lenox. The three towns have been working together to develop a proposal for the plan, though two of the three Selectmen in Stockbridge have been critical of the idea, voicing concern that the town could be overshadowed by its two larger neighbors. With aging populations and growing budget demands, Pignatelli says the towns should find more ways to work cooperatively to ease the burdens of current and future taxpayers.

Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills spoke with Rep. Pignatelli about the issue, along with Eagle correspondent Clarence Fanto who has been covering the shared administrator story.

Journalist Alex MacGillis of ProPublica discusses reasons behind Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election. From FBI director James Comey's shocking announcement about emails related to Hillary Clinton found on Anthony Weiner's computer, to the millions of dollars Clinton made speaking to Wall Street bankers and other business groups to the Democratic party's neglect of struggling white working class voters, MacGillis dissects the major themes that determined the outcome of the 2016 run for the White House. A Pittsfield native, MacGillis covers politics and government for ProPublica, a non-profit online investigative journalism organization.

MacGillis spoke to a packed house at the Berkshire Museum in an event sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College, the Berkshire Eagle and the Berkshire Museum. MacGillis was interviewed by Berkshire Eagle editor Kevin Moran.

A recent Berkshire Eagle editorial examined how voter fraud claims are an attack on democracy.

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, voter recounts are taking place in several states, President-Elect Trump has Tweeted that 3 million illegal votes were cast, and with Hillary Clinton leading the popular vote by at least 2.3 million votes, calls are growing to reform the electoral college system.

Podcast host Mark Mills digs into the post-election political environment with Fred Rutberg, President of New England Newspapers, Inc., which publishes the Berkshire Eagle, and Bill Everhart, editor of the Berkshire Eagle editorial page.

Massachusetts' 1st Congressional District U.S. Rep. Richard Neal discusses incoming Donald Trump administration appointees, immigration, Obamacare and why Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election. Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills is joined by Eagle editor Kevin Moran in speaking with Neal, who was just elected to his 15th term representing western Massachusetts on Capitol Hill.

Nurturing the young talent and future leaders of Berkshire County is critical to the health and success of the region's economy. This edition of The Berkshire Eagle podcast looks at what's being done to encourage young people to launch their careers and establish their families in the Berkshires.

Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills speaks with Jonathan Butler, President and CEO of 1Berkshire; Shela Hidalgo, Community Engagement Officer at the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation; and Berkshire Eagle business editor Tony Dobrowolski.

Massachusetts voters are expressing their views on four statewide ballot questions covering slot machine gambling, lifting the cap on the number of charter schools, confinement of farm animals and legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

Berkshire Eagle podcast host Mark Mills discusses the ballot questions with Bill Everhart, editor of the Berkshire Eagle editorial page, Eagle reporter and community engagement editor Jenn Smith, and Eagle reporter Derek Gentile.