In a blend of personal narrative and in-depth reporting “New York Magazine’s” Senior Writer, Sarah Jones, exposes the reality of America’s racial and income inequality. Also, the devastating impact of the pandemic on our nation’s most vulnerable people.Her new book is “Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass." “Disposable” is an exploration of that underclass left vulnerable by systemic racism and capitalism. She delves into the lives of the essential workers, seniors, and people with disabilities who were affected by COVID-19.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are public policy and communications expert Theresa Bourgeois, Dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness Homeland Security and Cyber Security at UAlbany Bob Griffin, and Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel.

This week's Book Picks comes from Joan Grenier – owner of the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA and we also welcome Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, MA.

World-class, fully-staged opera returns to the Berkshires, as the Berkshire Opera Festival gets ready to celebrate its tenth anniversary season in Great Barrington, MA.The only company of its kind in the Berkshire region, Berkshire Opera Festival produces opera at the highest level under the vision of Co-Founders Brian Garmen – the William E. Briggs Artistic Director - and Director of Production – Jonathan Loy.The 2025 mainstage attraction is a new production of one of the most popular operas of all time: Giuseppe Verdi's masterpiece La Traviata. BOF will bring it to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on August 23, 26, and 29th.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of History and International Relations at Vassar College as well as a specialist on the history of US foreign policy Robert Brigham, Executive Director of Communities for Local Power and former White House Advance Lead Anna Markowitz, and Professor Emeritus of Russian at Hofstra University and author of: “Illiberal Vanguard: Populist Elitism in the United States and Russia” Alexandar Mihailovic.

Annie Hartnett is the author of “Unlikely Animals: The Novel” which won the Julia Ward Howe Prize for fiction and was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She is also the author of “Rabbit Cake,” a finalist for the New England Book Award. Her latest novel is “The Road to Tender Hearts” which is a darkly comic and also warm hearted story about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush.

Dromfest, the ’90s indie rock festival in the Catskill, NY hosted by Dromedary Records, will hold its 2025 edition over Labor Day Weekend (August 29-31) at The Avalon. (As of this posting, Saturday and Sunday are sold out but there are tickets for Friday.)Friend of the Roundtable Will Hermes spoke with Dromedary Records founder Al Crisafulli.

The 27th Kateri Peace Conference takes places on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23 in Fonda, New York is titled "Palestine and Israel: Tragedy, Trauma, Truth & Compassion." For a preview we welcome one of the main speakers at the conference, Phyllis Bennis.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Policy at Bard College Malia DuMont, Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post, and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.

Each weekday morning, The Roundtable's Joe Donahue is joined by various experts, journalists, educators, and commentators to discuss current events. On Roundtable Panel: The Week in Review, we feature your favorite panelists discussing news items from the previous week.