Presidential politics is the focus of this edition of The Berkshire Eagle podcast. In the hour preceding the third and final presidential debate on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016, Berkshire Eagle editor Kevin Moran moderated a panel discussion about the election and the nation’s future. The event was held at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield. Panelists included Samantha Pettey, assistant professor of political science in the department of History, Political Science, and Public Policy at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Rabbi David Weiner of Congregation Knesset Israel in Pittsfield; and Bill Everhart, editorial page editor of The Berkshire Eagle. The Berkshire Eagle podcast host is Mark Mills.

With the summer tourism season winding down, The Berkshire Eagle podcast looks at how the visitor economy fared this summer, with a focus on the many cultural institutions that are key to the region's economic vitality.

Podcast host Mark Mills speaks with two veteran Berkshire Eagle journalists who are longtime watchers of the area's cultural scene: contributing writer and columnist Clarence Fanto and Eagle theater critic and culture editor Jeff Borak.

In Sunday's edition, The Berkshire Eagle became the fourth newspaper in the country to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. In this pilot podcast, veteran news journalist Mark Mills interviewed The Eagle's editorial board on why the board made its decision now and why. The discussion reveals the inner-thinking that goes into making editorial endorsements and why newspaper editorials still matter.