THE EAGLE: A Times Union Podcast Times Union

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 some of the most memorable moments of her tenure.
Also on this episode, we’ll go over the latest in a fake feud between late-night TV host John Oliver and a Kingston bakery.
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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 Eagle,” Mochrie joins us to talk about the art of improv, and how it has shaped his life and career.
Also on this episode, we’ll take a look back at New York's infamous 2009 Senate coup.
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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, the film, and the legacy of "Back to the Future."
Also on this episode, reporter Rob Gavin discusses his investigation into sex trafficking in the Capital Region, which investigators say is "significant." 


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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 current maintenance costs are in some cases more expensive than the proposals to completely raze it. Times Union columnist Chris Churchill has been talking about what changing the highway might do for New York’s capital city for years, and joins us to talk about what he thinks of the new proposals.
Also on this episode, Times Union Hudson Valley writer David Levine talks about the life and death of Prohibition-era gangster Legs Diamond, who was murdered 93 years ago this month.
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Sprinkling sodium chloride on roads and highways during winter months has long been an effective way to avoid hazardous driving conditions. But ongoing research out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is showing that while road salts are essential for human safety, excessive use of them is profoundly affecting freshwater flora and fauna living near roads and developments. Recently, biology Professor Rick Relyea and his team found that frogs in particular have been evolving faster than normal to cope with saltier water. He joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to talk more about what that means for local wildlife.
Also on this episode, features editor Sara Tracey talks about the big winners and big surprises in this year’s Times Union Best of the Capital Region contest.
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This year’s New York state budget is done and dusted. Capital reporter Dan Clark gives us the highlights of the $237 billion behemoth, which includes tools to crack down on illegal cannabis and new plans to spur housing development.
Also in this episode, we’ll talk with playwright Matthew Spangler, who wrote a stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel “The Kite Runner” that’s coming to town next week.
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