The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Specialist in Government and Public Services Healthcare Consulting Azmat Ahmad, The Empire Report’s JP Miller, and Former Times-Union Associate Editor Mike Spain.

Renowned singer-songwriter, Jules Shear, who will take the stage at the historic Byrdcliffe Theater in Woodstock, New York for one night only – this coming Saturday, December 6 at 8 p.m. From iconic hits such as Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night," The Bangles' "If She Knew What She Wants," to Jules' own pop hit, "Steady," Jules Shear's songwriting has left an indelible mark on the world of music.

Proctors Collaborative welcomes Music Haven back for another year with the 2025-26 Passport Series. The series brings world-class music from four continents to stages in Schenectady and Saratoga Springs. This immersive cultural journey transports audiences to Québec, Sweden, the Middle East, and Colombia - without leaving the Capital Region.The series will get underway this December 5th with Mélisande at 7:30 p.m. this Friday at GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Then they have events schedule all the way through May.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Joseph Palamountain Jr. Chair in Government atSkidmore College Beau Breslin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Robert Pondiscio, 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.

The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall will celebrate its reopening with Lea Salonga’s “Stage Screen & Everything in Between” on Tuesday December 2nd at 7:30.Salonga is known for her roles on stage and in film. Her Broadway credits include “Les Misérables,” “Flower Drum Song,” "Allegiance,” the revival of “Once On this Island,” “Here Lies Love,” “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends,” and, of course, “Miss Saigon” - for which she won a Tony Award in 1991.She performed the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in the Disney film “Aladdin” and the title character in “Mulan.” Her most recent album is a holiday record called “Sounding Joy.”

The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has embarked on a transformation to preserve its historic charm while evolving into a dynamic, year-round hub for community engagement and creative expression. By reimagining the former banking spaces, they are opening up new opportunities for education, celebrations, and gatherings.Their re-opening celebration concert is on December 2nd with actress and singer, Lea Salonga. To tell us more, we welcome Jon Elbaum, Executive Director of the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.

Best-selling author and illustrator Jan Brett launches the national tour for her new book “The Christmas Sweater” in Rutland Vermont on Friday, November 28th. It is the kickoff to her bus tour where she visits 23 cities in just 17 days. The new Christmas classic features an adventurous boy and an adorable pug in a Christmas sweater who saves the day! With more than 44 million books in print she is one of the nation’s foremost illustrators of children’s books. The Friday event will be presented by Phoenix Books and will feature a live drawing demonstration takes place at the Paramount Theater in Rutland Vermont at 5 pm.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond. Today's panelists are Former Vice President for Editorial Development at the New York Press Association Judy Patrick, Executive Director of The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York Nic Rangel, Mayor of the City of Albany Kathy Sheehan, and Associate Professor in the department of sociology at Vassar College Catherine Tan.

This week's Book Picks comes from Matt Tannenbaum from The Bookstore in Lenox, Massachusetts and Kira Wizner from Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, New York.