Recreating a teenage go-to spot! Journey to opening a small business in Albany. This story features Musa, the owner of Cafe Dolce in Albany, NY.

This interview features Amanda E., a volunteer with the Capital Region Sanctuary Coalition, who shares how local community members use social media to report confirmed ICE activity — and how we can protect and support one another during a period of mass deportation.

Chili Cook Off: This interview features David, a member of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement. He explains the role the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement has in the community. The interview also features Matt, a member of the Capital District Socialist Party, who shares about the history of the chili cook off, and why they decided to choose to donate the proceeds to the CCSM.

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, discusses the kidnapping of Venezuela's President Maduro by the Trump administration with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine. ON Tuesday, Medea interrupted a presentation by the American ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS) to challenge their claim that this was purely a law enforcement action rather than regime change and seizure of oil. Medea expects a close but losing vote along party lines on Thursday when the Senate votes on a War Powers Resolution seeking to rein in Trump and restore constitutional rules.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

First, Mark Dunlea talks with Joe Seeman, who is a volunteer with Indivisible ADK/Saratoga, who held a rally in Glens Falls to remind people of the coup attempt on January 6th, 2020.

Then, we have a segment about the resources provided by the YWCA and speak with Jamie Crouse.

After that, we mark the new year with a recording from a peace walk.

Finally, Thom Francis welcomes local poets Celeste and R.M. Engelhardt to the mic.

Co-hosts Vinny DamaPoleto and Sina Basila Hickey

This week, Thom Francis welcomes local poets Celeste and R.M. Engelhardt to the mic. They performed their poetry at the “Year in Review” event at Mojo’s Cafe & Gallery in downtown Troy on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

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It’s a new year and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild has a lot of exciting opportunities for poets and writers to share their words at readings, workshops, and other events. We can’t wait to find out what our region is writing about in 2026.

2025 was an incredible year of dynamic poetry and prose from our very vibrant, creative community. To start off 2026, we are going to go back to the last event of 2025 and hear from two poets who took part in the annual “Year in Review” open mic, hosted by the great Mary Panza, at Mojo’s Cafe in Troy on Saturday, December 6, 2025.

First up is Celeste, a young, new voice to the area who reads some reworked poems for the afternoon event in the Collar City. And then, long-time Albany poet and open mic host R.M. Engelhardt, takes the stage to share two poems - one calm, the other one, as he says, “different.”

January 6, 2026, is the 5th anniversary of Donald Trump's unsuccessful coup to overthrow the election of Joe Biden as President. Unfortunately, the Justice Department and Democrats failed to hold Trump accountable for the coup and once re-elected, Trump pardoned all those convicted of violent actions at the Capitol. On January 3, Indivisible ADK/Saratoga held a rally in Glens Falls to remind people of the coup. That morning Trump kidnapped the President of Venezuela, killing at least 40 people in doing so. Joe Seeman talks with Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine about the event.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine,

First, Mark Dunlea brings us coverage of a protest on Wolf Road against the US government’s actions to kidnap and criminally charge the President Maduro of Venezuela.

Then, Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood will be showing the documentary film “Heightened Scrutiny” in Troy on January 22, and we’ll hear from the film’s director, Sam Feder.

Later on, we welcome back retired National Weather Serviceman Hugh Johnson for our weekly weather update.

After that, we have Everybody Moves our weekly series that profiles the migration stories from people in our community.

Finally, we have Mark Dunlea brings us his coverage of the protests to demand the release of the Bakhtani family from ICE detention.\

co-hosts Sean Bernyk and Sina Basila Hickey

Following the shocking news on Saturday morning that Trump had directed the US military to kidnap the elected President of Venezuela to face criminal charges in NY, more than 100 protests have taken place nationwide. In day two of the protests in Albany, 200 protestors gathered at Wolf Road and Central Avene to demand that President Maduro and his wife being released. We hear from Dan Wilcox of Veterans for Peace; Eyad Alkurabi of the Palestinian Rights Committee; a member of the Socialist Party; Peter LaVenia of the Green Party; and Sam of Code Pink. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

On Saturday, January 3, 200 people gathered in Townsend Park in Albany to demand the immediate release of all FOUR members of the Bakhtani family from ICE detention. In early December, the Bakhtanis, refugees from Afghanistan, had their family ripped apart after two targeted kidnappings by immigration enforcement agents. At the rally, we heard that 2 of the family members had been released so far. We first hear from Jahaira Roldan of the NY Immigration and Capital District Solidarity Committees, followed by various activists and elected officials.