THE EAGLE: A Times Union Podcast

A famous 1976 sasquatch sighting put the southern Adirondack town of Whitehall on the map as a hotspot for Bigfoot hunters and enthusiasts. New video footage purports to show compelling evidence of Champ the Lake Champlain monster. On this episode of “The Eagle,” Jessica Marshall dives into local cryptozoology, talking to sociologists Jamie Lewis and Andrew Bartlett, authors of “Bigfooters and Sci...

A month before Halloween, Kristi Gustafson Barlette is wondering why she's already seeing Christmas decorations. She joins host Jessica Marshall this week to talk about that and several other trending topics, like a moose on the loose in Rensselaer County, and her exclusive breaking news that June Farms will be featured on the cover of Country Living magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

When a Spirit Halloween sign went up in the window of an abandoned CVS in Albany but never actually materialized, Kristi Gustafson Barlette made it her mission to find out what was going on. She joins "Eagle" host Jessica Marshall on this episode to talk through what she found out. They also talk through a first-day-of-school mishap with the school bus, and the news that Johnny Rockets is coming b...

Kristi Gustafson Barlette joins host Jessica Marshall on this episode of "The Eagle" to discuss the impact of the members-only wholesale store's long-awaited opening. Read more here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just how wet has our upstate New York summer been? Really wet. So far, it’s the third wettest summer on record. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services this week canceled a planned naturalization ceremony in Ulster County for the second time. Get the latest here: https://www.timesunion.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luciano Frattolin claimed his 9-year-old daughter had been kidnapped — but a jury just convicted him of her murder. Parts of the Hudson Valley are still feeling the effects of last month’s epic rainstorm. Greene County emergency services and state homeland security brought in a tanker to Catskill earlier this week so residents could get potable water. Get more of the latest news here. Learn more a...

Kristi Gustafson Barlette joins host Jessica Marshall to talk about the latest trend of lifestyle shows on local TV, some extraordinary dogs they met recently on a video shoot for the Times Union, and about the agony of finding socks everywhere. More podcasts from the Times Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Cup starts June 11 and New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed a bill allowing bars in the state to stay open til 4 am for watch parties throughout the month-long event. With the primary elections in New York coming up on June 23, we’ve put together voting guides with everything you need to know about the races, candidates and issues. A new documentary film called “American Zoo” reveal...

Saratoga’s final run as host of the Belmont Stakes is in the books. While attendance was down, wagering went up to nearly $200 million. New York State is one step away from banning so-called surveillance pricing. An abandoned psychiatric hospital in Poughkeepsie caught fire again Monday. Get the latest news from the Times Union here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neighbors on Second Avenue in Albany spotted a young black bear munching on leaves in a tree Tuesday morning. State wildlife officials were able to tranquilize and capture the bear, safely releasing him in the Catskills later that day. (Video by Will Waldron and Kyra Santicola) See more videos of the bear here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FBI agents seized electronic devices and materials from barbershops and homes in the Capital Region and Florida in a probe of suspected money laundering and loan-sharking linked to offshore gambling. Multiple people were injured Sunday morning after a tour bus carrying Bronx high school students and chaperones crashed in Lake George. Last week felt like summer. But don’t put away those winter jack...

We released a brand new limited series true crime podcast from the Times Union last week. On this episode of 'The Eagle,' we'll hear the first episode of 'Long Buried." After human remains were found during the construction of a new home in the Hudson Valley in April 2024, it took investigators nearly two months to identify them. When they did, the mystery only deepened. Through newly unearthed re...

Local businesses are having a little fun on this April Fool's Day. But rest assured that what you see in and on the Times Union today (and every day) is 100 percent real reporting.  Get the latest news here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RPI grad Gregory “Reid” Wiseman is set to lead NASA's Artemis II mission, tentatively launching Wednesday. Officials in Saratoga Springs are investigating harmful chemical levels that briefly exceeded safety limits in Saratoga Springs drinking water last fall. In business news, Saratoga’s 15 Church fine-dining restaurant has been sold to longtime customers, and Colonie’s iconic Desmond Hotel is fo...

Albany’s MVP Arena played host to an NCAA regional hockey tournament this past weekend, and officials at the arena say they’re now prepping to bid to host more. From our Capital Bureau: New York state is disputing that taxpayers should cover an additional $700,000 in legal fees for former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s top aide Melissa DeRosa. The Times Union has obtained a copy of a new, unreleased New...

The attorney for the family of a Newburgh man who died in police custody says his death was reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Federal investigators say a small training plane that made an emergency landing in the Hudson River earlier this month had lost all engine power. Table Hopping’s Steve Barnes is reporting on the latest developments in the legal battle that surrounds the Rea...

Our Capitol Bureau is reporting that major disagreements remain between Governor Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers as New York’s April 1 budget deadline approaches. We published a list of safety tips for solo hikers this week. SPAC is going to play host to a star-studded lineup this summer, with big names like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, Kesha, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa and TLC. Get the latest here. Le...

Siena mens basketball coach Gerry McNamara has been hired as the new head coach at Syracuse University. The Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany is suing the Trump administration after the abrupt cancellation of a $250,000 federal grant. New York is launching a pilot program to help Hudson Valley residents tackle “forever chemicals” in their drinking water. Get the latest here. Learn mo...

A deadly runway crash at LaGuardia Airport in Queens late Sunday is causing some flight disruptions in Albany Monday.  A Times Union investigation found hundreds of New York nonprofits have illegally donated to political campaigns, despite laws that ban that activity. Troy police have temporarily disabled a national search feature on Flock license plate cameras after growing public concern over pr...

The 16-seeded Siena Saints almost beat top-seeded Duke in a jaw-dropping first-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Thursday. Albany is enacting a citywide hiring freeze and major spending cuts as officials confront growing fiscal challenges. Get the latest here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A drone dropped a package of knives, drugs, and a cellphone into a prison yard sat Marcy Correctional near Utica late last week. Edward Holley was acquitted Wednesday in the 2003 killing of Megan McDonald. The McDonald murder is one of the Hudson Valley’s most famous unsolved cases. And, a G-string found at Howe Caverns inspired a demand for branded underwear from the caves. Get all the latest her...

A state Supreme Court justice in Saratoga County has repeatedly refused to seal name change records for transgender individuals. His decisions have been overturned at least five times on appeal, with rulings that the denials ignored safety risks, like harassment or discrimination. Skidmore College is making waves as the first campus in the nation to join Seafood Watch’s “Best Choice” program. A 12...

After 16 years, Siena men’s basketball heading back to the Big Dance. The Saints will get their March Madness matchup on Selection Sunday. A new proposal in Albany could give some upstate homeowners a break on property taxes. Three government watchdog groups are urging New York’s attorney general to investigate ballot miscounts in Rensselaer County. Get the latest news and features here. Learn mor...

Our Hudson Valley team is covering a controversy in the small town of Pine Plains over surveillance cameras. Smoke from Canadian wildfires three years ago has changed how birds sing, according to a recent Cornell study. Big news in local basketball this week - this year’s Section II tournament is finishing up with champions already crowned in several divisions. Siena will face off against Merrimac...

Six Flags announced this week that it’s selling The Great Escape in Queensbury. Albany Medical Center has a new CEO.  Our Capitol Bureau is reporting on the backlash Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is facing for echoing a conspiracy theory tied to past mass shootings. And as the weather starts to warm up for spring, we’re keeping an eye on the opening dates for your favorite local ice cream...