THE EAGLE: A Times Union Podcast

Singer and actor Tituss Burgess, who rose to fame following his Emmy-nominated performance in the Netflix series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” says he tries to find musicality in every life experience. He’s headed to Saratoga Springs this week to perform his stage show “An Evening with Tituss Burgess,” and joins us on this episode of “The Eagle.” Also on this episode, we’ll go over the week’s top h...

You can’t buy wine in a grocery store or supermarket in New York. Sporadic efforts in the last 40 years to change state law to allow it have all failed. But a recent poll says New Yorkers are largely in favor of a change, and some momentum is building. On this episode of “The Eagle,” Table Hopping’s Steve Barnes talks to an upstate liquor store owner about the potential implications of allowing wi...

A good magician relies on sleight of hand, misdirection and creating false reality to trick their audiences. But in a fun way. That’s what professional magician Ben Seidman believes. Seidman, who has worked with the likes of Criss Angel, is bringing his act to Saratoga Springs this week. He joins us on this week’s episode to talk magic, and perform one of his impressive tricks. Also on this episod...

A Marcy Correctional Facility inmate was pronounced dead in early December at a Utica hospital. Just a few hours before, body camera footage shows corrections officers brutally beating him in a prison infirmary. On this episode of "The Eagle," we'll delve into what we know so far about the investigation into Robert Brooks' death. Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence that may be...

Numerous drone sightings throughout the northeast have sparked concern, and in some cases, conspiracy theories. On this episode, we’ll talk about the latest on the New York’s response to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a fresh and innovative sound, Grammy-winning artist Samara Joy is introducing new audiences to her chosen genre, jazz. She joins us on this week’s episode of “The Eagle” to talk about her craft, her impact and the joy of singing holiday music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years ago this week, the editorial board of the Times Union called on members of the Electoral College to vote for someone other than Donald J. Trump. The editorial — under the headline "Electors, reject Mr. Trump" — didn't call for that body to elect Democrat Hillary Clinton, but to consider a Republican alternative such as House Speaker Paul Ryan or Ohio Gov. John Kasich. On this episode of...

’Tis the season to look out for gift ideas and great deals. Shopportunist Shannon Fromma joins us with some tips and tricks. Also on this episode, columnist Paul Grondahl discusses the discovery of a local hiker who went missing 24 years ago in the Andes Mountains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week Troy police announced they’d identified the human remains found near Burden Pond. Reporter Ken Crowe joins us to.discuss the resolution of an 11-year-old cold case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Capital Region is getting a new pro basketball team, the New York Phoenix. Sports reporter Mike Kelly joins us on this episode to talk about the new franchise, and what else is going on in the local sports arena. Also, Steve Barnes goes over where you can get a great Thanksgiving dinner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Wendigo. Yeti. Yowie. Whatever you call it, the forest-dwelling man-beast's existence has never been proven. But never really disproven either. And a growing group of people in New York’s Hudson Valley are dedicated to finding the truth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ll recap the results in New York, where heavily contested House races flipped a handful of seats in favor of Democrats, a measure to codify civil rights got solid approval from voters, and some typically solid blue districts in the state started to show more support for Republicans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Capital Confidential’s Dan Clark joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to preview the top races across New York state, which could be a key battleground for control of Congress. Also, we’ll catch up with some of the top news in the Capital Region, including the arrest made in the swatting incident at Bethlehem High School and controversial new traffic cameras in Albany. Learn more about your ad...

The discovery of human remains in South Troy fuels speculation about what may have happened to Jaliek Rainwalker, a 12-year-old who disappeared from Washington County in 2007. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fifteen years ago, Table Hopping columnist and Times Union theater critic Steve Barnes went to see comedian Dane Cook perform in Albany. Opening for Cook was Robert Kelly, an up-and-coming stand-up. Kelly’s set made Barnes laugh so hard, he cried. And then told 100,000 readers that Kelly was funnier than the main act. On this episode of “The Eagle,” Barnes and Kelly reunite for a few laughs. Learn...

For six years, Times Union reporter Larry Rulison has been trying to find Prestige Limousine & Chauffeur Service owner Shahed Hussain. He's a former FBI informant who helped convict 7 people in terrorism sting operations in the early 2000s. He's also the father of Nauman Hussain, who is in prison for the deaths of the 20 Schoharie limo crash victims. The elder Hussain disappeared in 2018, and stay...

One of the Capital Region’s most notable civil rights advocates has died. In this episode of “The Eagle,” we replay a story Green told us about an encounter she had as a teen that inspired her career and lifelong dedication to social justice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've been hard at work on a new limited series podcast here at the Times Union. On this episode of "The Eagle," we're bringing you a preview of "Catastrophic Failure: The Story of the Schoharie Limo Crash." In this new series, reporter Larry Rulison and Jessica Marshall delve into the story of the 2018 crash that killed 20 people. It's a story of tragedy and loss. Negligence and consequence. But...

New York’s top executive sat down with Times Union Capitol Correspondent Dan Clark this week for an exclusive interview at Hearst Tower. They talked about the 2024 elections, her support for President Biden, climate change, congestion pricing, and more. This week on “The Eagle,” we’ll hear some of that conversation.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The song that propelled Sammy Hagar to rock stardom - the 1984 anthem of rebellion and fast living — came to him after he was pulled over and ticketed for speeding on I-87, just outside of Albany. Hagar says he wrote “I Can’t Drive 55” in his head as he continued on to Lake Placid, where he had a home near his son's boarding school. The former Van Halen lead singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer...

When the remains of 25-year-old Karen Ramsey were unearthed at a construction site in March, investigators couldn’t find any record of a missing persons report. Times Union Hudson Valley Managing Editor Phillip Pantuso joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to discuss what he’s discovered about who Karen Ramsey was, and what happened to her more than 40 years ago. Also on this episode, we’ll get...

For almost four decades, New York State Public Radio’s Karen DeWitt has brought the latest news from the Capitol in Albany to the airwaves. She’s been there for six governors, countless legislative power shifts (including two coups), and all the political maneuvers and scandals that unfolded along the way. She’s on the brink of retirement, and joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to reflect on...

For more than three decades, Colin Mochrie has been out of his comfort zone, and he has loved every minute of it. The “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” star says that’s the key to being good at improv comedy. Mochrie and fellow “Whose Line” alum Brad Sherwood are traveling the continent with their unscripted stage show “Asking for Trouble,” and they’ll be in Peekskill on June 15. On this episode of “The...

A time-traveling DeLorean takes center stage in "Back to the Future: The Musical," coming to Proctors in Schenectady in June. But screenwriter Bob Gale is the wind beneath its wings. His iconic franchise, co-written with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, continues to delight audiences almost 40 years after the first movie premiered. Gale joins us on this episode of "The Eagle" to talk about the musical,...

Since the 1960s, Interstate 787 has separated the city of Albany from its Hudson River waterfront. What if the massive elevated highway, with all its noodley ramps, moved underground? Or what if it became a ground-level parkway with traffic lights and crosswalks? Those are two of the proposals the New York State Department of Transportation is floating to remake the city’s main artery, whose curre...