The Roundtable

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow for Health Policy at The Empire Center for Public Policy Bill Hammond and Former Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan.

The 20th annual Berkshire International Film Festival is coming up next week and they will present a blockbuster lineup and celebratory weekend of films, events, and very special guests. The festival runs from May 28 - 31 in Great Barrington and Lenox. Founder and artistic director Kelley Vickery will be here with a preview.BIFF will honoring Award-Winning Actor Karen Allen, opening with Steal this Story Please!! with Award-Winning journalist, author and investigative reporter Amy Goodman in attendance, and closing with the Sundance Hit Documentary about global tennis icon and activist, Billie Jean King in Give me the Ball! with director Elizabeth Wolff in attendance.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former NY elementary teacher and now 2nd year PhD student at RPI Sophia Acquisto, Former U.S. Army officer and State Department Diplomat who taught at Bard College for six years and is now a Senior Fellow at Bard's Center for Civic Engagement Ambassador Fred Hof, and Wall Street Investment Banker Mark Wittman.

This week's Book Picks comes from Connie Brooks and Heather Boyne from Battenkill Books in Cambridge, NY and Sharon Weinberg and Amy Zimmerman from Chatham Bookstore in Chatham, NY.

For decades, Americans’ views on abortion remained surprisingly consistent, even amid fierce political battles. But the 2022 Dobbs decision sparked a major shift.In the new book ‘Not Going Back,’ the authors trace changing public attitudes on abortion from Roe v. Wade through the 2024 election and into 2025, examining how debates over access, regulation, and government involvement continue to reshape American politics.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Professor of Political Science at Hartwick College in Oneonta Laurel Elder, Author, lawyer, consultant, public speaker, and entrepreneur Fatimah Gilliam, and Associate Professor of Music at Vassar College Justin Patch.

Fatimah Gilliam is an author, lawyer, consultant, WAMC panelist, and founder of the Azara Group where she works on issues of leadership, equity, and organizational culture. Her new book 'Race Rules: What Your Black Friend Won't Tell You' tackles the everyday assumptions, comments, and behaviors that often shape cross-racial interactions in America. Drawing from personal experience and professional insight Gilliam explores everything from microaggressions and white privilege to the hidden social codes that can quietly damage relationships and workplaces. Rather than focusing only on theory the book offers practical guidance for readers hoping to better understand race, challenge misconception, and engage more honestly across differences.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Senior Fellow at the Bard Center for Civic Engagement Jim Ketterer, Founder and director of the Volunteer Literacy Project and columnist for The Free Press Larissa Phillips, and Political Consultant and lobbyist Libby Post.

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.

At our most recent WAMC on the Road event with CulinaryArts@SPAC – the featured cookbook was ‘Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen.’‘Heartland Masala’ presents recipes from Indian cooking instructor Jyoti Mukharji with cultural and historical essays by her son Auyon Mukharji – folk musician and member of the band ‘Darlingside.’