27Speaks

The Express News Group
  • 4.6 (24)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The editors of The Express News Group talk about what news on the East End.

  1. 2025 South Fork Year in Review: The Top 10 Stories

    3D AGO

    2025 South Fork Year in Review: The Top 10 Stories

    The editors share the South Fork's top 10 stories of 2025.

    1h 22m
  2. Less Screen Time, More Green Time

    12/18/2025

    Less Screen Time, More Green Time

    What happens when kids put down their phones and step into the wild? Jen Skilbred knows firsthand. She’s the assistant director for environmental education at Group for the East End, where her job often means leading students off the pavement and into forests, fields and shorelines to discover the region’s plants and wildlife. Last year alone, Group for the East End reached more than 2,270 students across the East End. So earlier this year when Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide ban on student cellphone use during the school day, Skilbred saw an opportunity to extend that phone-free time beyond the classroom by getting kids outside and reconnecting them with nature. This week, the editors are joined by Skilbred to talk about what happens when young people discover the magic of the natural world. “Let’s make real life more interesting than screens,” Skilbred says. “We live on the East End, and there are so many beautiful outdoor spaces.” CHRISTOPHER SCOTT PHOTO

    46 min

  3. 12/11/2025

    A New 27east and More Big Changes for The Express News Group

    The Express News Group is launching a brand-new 27east.com this month, a major step forward for local news coverage on the South Fork. The upgrade comes during the same month that longtime Executive Editor Joseph P. Shaw steps back to a consulting editor role while Bill Sutton steps up to become the ninth editor-in-chief in the history of both The Sag Harbor Express and The Southampton Press. In addition, Brendan J. O’Reilly assumes the newly created digital editor role. In this week's podcast, the editors and co-publishers discuss these and other changes as well as the better reader experience that the new website will provide.

    45 min
  4. Spotlight on the Hamptons Doc Fest: Films, Stories and Festival Highlights

    12/04/2025

    Spotlight on the Hamptons Doc Fest: Films, Stories and Festival Highlights

    Hamptons Doc Fest is back, and from December 4 to 11 will screen 33 feature-length and short documentaries at Bay Street Theater, Sag Harbor Cinema and, new this year, Southampton Playhouse, which hosts the closing night film, “Lost Wolves of Yellowstone.” This week, the editors talk to Jacqui Lofaro, founder and executive director of the Hamptons Doc Fest, about the festival’s 18th season and some of the highlights that are not to be missed.

    49 min
  5. Feeding Southampton: Heart of the Hamptons Responds to Rising Need

    11/27/2025

    Feeding Southampton: Heart of the Hamptons Responds to Rising Need

    The staff and volunteers at Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry work hard year-round to feed hungry Southampton residents. But 2025 has been a particularly difficult year for those facing food insecurity. Reductions in federal funding for pantries and the added pressure of suspended SNAP benefits means the pantry is feeding more families than ever. This week, the editors are joined by Molly Bishop, executive director of Heart of the Hamptons Food Pantry, to talk about how she and her crew are meeting the need as they settle into their new location at 44 Meeting House Lane in Southampton Village.

    42 min
  6. Preserving the Past: CPF Grant Gives WHBPAC $4 Million for a Brighter Future

    11/09/2025

    Preserving the Past: CPF Grant Gives WHBPAC $4 Million for a Brighter Future

    The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center was recently awarded $4 million from Southampton Town’s Community Preservation Fund. The money will be used for capital projects and enhancements at the historic 1932 theater. While the CPF, a 2 percent property transfer tax, was originally used for open space purchases, in recent years its use has expanded to include preservation of important structures owned and operated by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. In addition to the preservation of the theater’s iconic façade, the CPF agreement stipulates that WHBPAC will continue to operate as a space for diverse cultural programs, serving as a community anchor for generations to come. This week, the editors are joined by WHBPAC Executive Director Julienne Penza-Boone and Marketing Director Heather Draskin, who talk about the history of the theater, the process that led to the CPF award and how the theater will use the funds in the future.

    48 min
  7. Federal Immigration Sweep Shakes the East End

    11/07/2025

    Federal Immigration Sweep Shakes the East End

    On Wednesday, November 5, ICE agents swept into Hampton Bays and Westhampton, setting upon immigrant laborer gathering spots and businesses that employ or are frequented by immigrants. The officers made several arrests as part of the largest local federal immigration sweep since the start of the second Donald Trump administration. This week, the editors talk about the operation with senior reporter Michael Wright, New York State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni and, from OLA of Eastern Long Island, Executive Director Minerva Perez and legal advocate Erika Padilla.

    47 min
  8. Voices of Valor: Preserving the Stories of Veterans

    11/06/2025

    Voices of Valor: Preserving the Stories of Veterans

    This Saturday, November 8, three generations of local veterans — Angelique Williams (Navy 1997-2014), Ed German (USMC 1967-1970) and Martin Sylvester (Army 1943-1945) — will be honored at Southampton Arts Center with a screening of a trio of short films about their military service created by USA Warrior Stories, which was founded in 2017. Ahead of the screening, USA Warrior Stories founders Matt Hindra and Nick Kraus joined the editors and reporter Cailin Riley to share what they’ve learned from recording hundreds of first-hand accounts of military life.

    59 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

The editors of The Express News Group talk about what news on the East End.

Information

  • Creator
    The Express News Group
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    310
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    27Speaks

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