THE EAGLE: A Times Union Podcast

What's it like inside one of those massive Amazon fulfillment centers? Times Union reporter Rick Karlin paid a rare visit to the first upstate New York facility of its kind in Schodack this week. On this episode of The Eagle, he tells of a "warehouse on steroids," where hydrogen-powered forklifts, box-building robots and high-tech COVID-19 protocols are all contained within a structure the size of...

Milton resident and adoptee Cindy Dort has spent half her life searching for biological family. But it has not resulted in the happy ending you'd see on TV shows like TLC's "Long Lost Family." Instead, hers is a rare case marked by twists, turns, dead ends, uncertainty and tragedy.  On this episode of The Eagle: A Times Union Podcast, reporter Leigh Hornbeck and Cindy Dort recount the story of her...

The now-convicted NXIVM ringleader Keith Raniere is in federal prison, most likely for the rest of his life. High-ranking members of his inner circle still await sentence hearing dates. And a small faction of former members remain loyal to Raniere as he attempts to clear his name on appeal. The ongoing NXIVM saga is the focus of former VICE senior editor and Vancouver-based investigative reporter...

Who gets to make what food? When does cooking cross the line from culinary appreciation to appropriation of another culture's cuisine? On this episode of The Eagle, a diverse panel of chefs, restaurateurs and culture observers discuss this contentious issue, and how it affects the Capital Region food scene. Also on this episode, reporter Shrishti Mathew talks about anxiety within the local Indian...

What if Cain were on trial in a modern-day courtroom for the murder of his brother, Abel? Rabbi Dan Ornstein explores this biblical scenario and its implications in a new novel "Cain v. Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama." On this episode of The Eagle: A Times Union Podcast, we talk to the Albany-based Jewish leader and author about his book, and his thoughts on a rising tide of anti-Semitism worldwid...

This episode contains explicit language and descriptions of events that may be upsetting to listeners. Please listen with care. It began with a clash in Albany's South End between civil rights protesters and police that resulted in damage to a police station, the use of pepper spray and injury to a protester. At midweek, the conviction of ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin brought cautiou...

This episode contains graphic depictions of events and explicit language. Please listen with care. When folks at the Capital City Rescue Mission in Albany were told they had a few dozen coronavirus vaccines at their disposal to use for their homeless clients, it was a race against time to get as many shots in arms as possible before the doses expired. On this episode of The Eagle, reporter Eduardo...

This episode contains graphic depictions of alleged sexual assault. Please take care while listening. The woman at the center of the most serious allegation of sexual misconduct against Gov. Andrew Cuomo told her story this week to Times Union Capitol Bureau Managing Editor Brendan Lyons. She says she now sees the experience as an escalating sequence of inappropriate overtures that occurred over r...

When Albany activist Kat Sullivan heard a satirical sea shanty about the ship that recently clogged the Suez Canal, she was inspired to try her hand at the trending musical genre. On a rainy Sunday morning, she set to work composing and filming her own shanty detailing the fallout from a whistleblower's complaint of potential safety hazards in the construction of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge...

Activism in the Asian American Pacific Islander communities of the Capital Region gained a new sense of urgency this week in the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings that left eight dead, including six women of Asian descent. A rally in Albany brought out hundreds, some of whom had been empowered to use their voices for the first time to speak out against xenophobia and violence toward Asian America...

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its annual Academy Award nominations each year, everyone in the Times Union newsroom and beyond turns immediately to features writer and movie buff C.J. Lais for his estimation of the nominees, and his educated prediction of the winners. On this episode of The Eagle, we'll hear his hot take on the upcoming Oscars. Also on this episode,...

Exactly one year ago this week, the coronavirus pandemic changed the Capital Region as we knew it. Schools closed, events canceled, and businesses shuttered. People were told to stay home and social distance. The Times Union newsroom went virtual. Today, the region has endured immeasurable loss, with more than 1,000 dead from COVID-19. Yet as vaccine distribution picks up pace and the community re...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed the allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him by three women during a press conference this week in Albany, offering an apology into the camera and admitting he was embarrassed by the circumstances in which he finds himself. A little less than a year ago, Cuomo's tough pandemic response sent his approval ratings and national popularity soaring. N...

Last week marked the 76th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Iwo Jima — a brutal, bloody fight that effectively ended the war in the Pacific in 1945. A small group of Capital Region veterans would've typically gathered to mark this anniversary at a café in Altamont, where they’d swap stories. This year the dwindling group, now in their mid-90s, didn't have that option, with a pandemic ragin...

Governor Andrew Cuomo's administration is in hot water as an FBI investigation launches into its handling of nursing homes and long-term care facilities in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Times Union Capitol Bureau Managing Editor Brendan Lyons broke the story of the investigation this week, and reporters Amanda Fries and Ed McKinley have been covering the controversy surrounding COVID-19-r...

While Chinese communities in the Capital Region and around the world are welcoming the year of the Ox this week, the pandemic has complicated many elements of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations. Unable to travel to see family or host large gatherings, many say they are still celebrating on a smaller scale and staying home. On this episode of the Eagle, reporter Pete DeMola checks in with loca...

For the last century, the city of Albany, New York, has been ruled by Democrats—a powerful political machine that came to power in 1921, and at times determined the fate of politics well beyond its borders. It is older and longer than many famous Democratic dynasties in bigger cities like Chicago and Boston. In 2021 however, Albany is a very different city than it was in the 20th century. On this...

When cases of Jonas Salk's revolutionary polio vaccine arrived at Albany International Airport in the spring of 1955, it was a cause for celebration. On this episode of The Eagle, Times Union reporter C.J. Lais takes a look back at the rollout of the polio inoculation in the Capital Region, and how it parallels that of the COVID-19 vaccine nearly 70 years later.  Also on this episode, Times Union...

We have a new president – and the first-ever female vice president. What comes next for the country, the state and the region? We'll soon find out.  On this episode of The Eagle, Times Union Managing Editor of News Susan Mehalick says many New Yorkers are optimistic about the new administration in Washington. The inauguration also marked a first for the state: Sen. Charles E. Schumer, a Brooklynit...

More than seven million New Yorkers are now eligible to sign up to receive the coronavirus vaccine. Among those eligible are first responders, teachers and individuals aged 65 and over. Vaccine distribution centers are opening across the state this week.  On this episode of The Eagle, Times Union Editor Casey Seiler leads a discussion that explores why communities of color tend to have higher rate...

A day after a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, many New York lawmakers are calling for invoking the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump. At the same time, other New York lawmakers were among those who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win. On this episode of The Eagle Times Union Editor Casey Seiler discusses what unfolded in Washington this week, and the ripple effect...

The year 2020 will go down in the history books as being a difficult one for many in the Capital Region. The pandemic affected nearly every aspect of life here in Upstate New York and beyond, and the future remain far from certain.  On this episode of the Eagle, we'll take a look back at the Times Union's top stories of 2020. We'll also talk about this week's tribute to those in the region who suc...

It's been almost 200 years since "A Visit from St. Nicholas" - better known today as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" - was published in the Troy Sentinel on Dec. 23, 1823. Columnist Joyce Bassett shares the curious, local history of the now-famous poem.   Are meal and grocery delivery drivers clocking more miles than Santa? Table Hopping's Steve Barnes spoke to locals who are providing this ess...

Albany teen Maliha Jackson wanted more than anything to attend a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the city this year. The pandemic, and her battle with end-stage kidney failure, made that difficult. But, not impossible. The Albany City School District and community members banded together to throw a surprise Christmas tree lighting just for the 14-year-old. Times Union reporter Eduardo Medina w...

America's first Treasury Secretary-turned-Broadway musical star Alexander Hamilton was back in the spotlight recently, but not for a flattering reason. New historical research from the Schuyler State Historic Site provides compelling evidence that this "Ten-dollar founding father without a father," whom historian Ron Chernow called an "uncompromising abolitionist," was in fact, a slave owner. Time...