THE EAGLE: A Times Union Podcast

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. 

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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 for sale.

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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 York state report warning that Lyme disease needs far more research.

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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 Real McCoy Beer Company.

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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.

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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.

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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 privacy and surveillance.

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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.

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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.

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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 120-foot crack forced the closure of a major Hudson roadway near schools and a retirement home this week.

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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.

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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 Merrimack in the MAAC Championship. And the weather is starting to warm up a little, which puts some of the region at risk for flooding. Read more here.

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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 stands.

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We got rare first look inside the $614 million cleanroom at Albany Nanotech that was built to house one of the most advanced chipmaking tools in the world.

Breaking news in the local restaurant scene today - Table Hopping’s Steve Barnes is reporting that The War Room Tavern in Albany is closing, after a little more than three years in business.

And finally, this last one is a real hoot: A tiny live eastern screech owl made headlines when he decided to swoop in and take a nap at a Hudson Valley flea market.

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Our Hudson Valley team has the latest on a small plane that made an emergency landing in the Hudson River near Newburgh Monday night.

Our digital team dug into some census data and found that it’s showing big population shifts across the Capital Region and Hudson Valley since the pandemic.

We’re really excited about some warmer weather coming up later this week, but winter is not done with us yet.

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It’s been 30 years since Albany-born author Gregory Maguire published his bestselling novel about the secret life of “The Wizard of Oz” big baddie, the Wicked Witch of the West. With the sequel to the hit film adaptation coming out in November, Maguire joins us on “The Eagle” to talk about why he thinks his story resonates with so many fans, how the last year of massive publicity for his work has gone, and what he’s currently reading.

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The viral content creator who fashions medieval weapons out of yarn and wrecks hilarious havoc on his friends has found himself in the spotlight of the fiber arts world. Steven Borzachillo joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to talk about his unlikely path from out-of-work screenwriter to crochet celebrity, and share a little exciting exclusive news about his next project.

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Oct. 6 marked seven years since the Schoharie limo crash that killed 20 people, becoming one of the deadliest ground transportation disasters in New York’s history.

This week on "The Eagle," we’re going to play you the first episode of "Catastrophic Failure," our limited series podcast on the crash. Please note that it contains graphic descriptions of the events of that day, and listen with care.

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It started as an investigation into possible Social Security fraud in a quiet Albany neighborhood. But when police discovered the bodies of what they think are a missing elderly couple, it turned into a murder case. Not something Times Union reporter Steve Hughes comes across every day on his beat. He joins us on The Eagle this week to talk about his coverage of the story.

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The award-winning children’s book author and illustrator teamed up for a new magical fairy tale about love, loss and a tiny girl’s quest to find her family. They join us on “The Eagle” this week, ahead of their book release and appearance at the Saratoga Book Festival. Also on this episode, comedian Zane Lamprey talks about standup, working with animals, and his Capital Region Roots.

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For the first time in a decade, we’ve brought on new writers to critique the dining scene in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley. On this episode, Steve Barnes sits down with Stephanie Gravalese and Shannon Lee to talk memorable meals, restaurants, and the role of the food critic in an age of Yelp reviews.

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Times Union columnist Chris Churchill explores an idea to pull all of the Capital Region under one municipal umbrella. Also on this episode, we debut a snippet of our new limited series true crime podcast, “The Girl in the Pond,” about the unsolved murder of Hazel Drew.

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The Emmy-, Oscar-, and Grammy-winning musician has a special bond with Saratoga Springs. He met his wife there, they visit family frequently, and in late August, he performed selections from his new album “Big Money” with the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC. He joins Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Marshall on this episode of “The Eagle” to talk about the new album and his collaboration with Randy Newman that brought the 81-year-old back to singing. 

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Edward Leon is facing federal arson and murder charges for setting the 2013 fire in Schenectady that killed David Terry and three of his children. His arrest came more than 12 years after the blaze, and if convicted, he could face the death penalty. On this episode of "The Eagle," we revisit the story, which up to this point had been one of the region's biggest unsolved cases.

Also on this episode, we'll sit down with longtime Capital Repertory Theater Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill to talk about her career, and what's next after she retires this year.

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When Lego artist Nathan Sawaya fell in love with the bricks as a kid, he never imagined it could lead to a successful career. Yet here he is, building massive and complex Lego sculptures for a living. The traveling exhibit featuring his works, which include a giant T. Rex, is coming to Schenectady in August. On this episode of “The Eagle,” Sawaya joins Arts & Entertainment Editor Rick Marshall to talk about the show, and some of the surreal experiences his work with Lego has made possible. Also on this episode, reporter Kelsey Brown talks about the major concerns New York...

New York State Police issued an Amber Alert early Sunday morning for a 9-year-old girl thought to have been abducted in a white van along I-87 near Lake George, New York. Less than 24 hours later, the girl’s body was found an hour north, and her father Luciano Frattolin had been arrested for her murder. On this episode of “The Eagle,” we’ll delve into our reporting on the case, and discuss the latest developments.

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The U.S. Justice Department appointed John A. Sarcone III as first assistant district attorney of New York’s Northern District this week, which effectively makes him the region’s top prosecutor, at least temporarily. The move comes after a panel of federal judges declined to appoint him to the role permanently. Times Union Editor Casey Seiler and Managing Editor Brendan Lyons discuss the appointment, and some of the recent reporting on Sarcone.

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David Wain and Ken Marino are names you may recognize from their many movie and TV credits, including the “Wet Hot American Summer” franchise, “The Residence” on Netflix, and MTV’s ‘90s sketch comedy show “The State.” Their latest venture is something a little different—they formed a garage band during the pandemic, and their jam session videos took off on YouTube. Now, “Middle Aged Dad Jam Band” is touring the country, performing covers of popular ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s songs. They’re headed to Albany for Alive at Five on July 17, and Wain and Marino join Arts and Entertainment Editor Rick Mars...

Democrats Dorcey Applyrs and Zohran Mamdani had decisive victories in the contentious Albany and New York City mayoral primaries on June 24. Times Union editor Casey Seiler, columnist Chris Churchill and reporter Steve Hughes discuss the biggest surprises about the results, and the implications of those wins.

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A news anchor went viral last week when she delivered the news while in labor with her first child. The Times Union’s Kristi Gustafson Barlette discusses that story and recent others in the local TV news industry.

Also on this episode, Hudson Valley reporter Maria Silva talks about the remarkable life story of the owner of Kingston’s oldest Chinese restaurant.

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In April 2025, Keri Mazzuca was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 1997 death of her newborn, whose remains she left in Washington Park. The case of Baby Moses had been unsolved for decades before DNA analysis in 2024 identified Mazzuca as the mother. Prosecutors released video of her 2024 confession to police this week. On this episode, Managing Editor Brendan Lyons speaks with former Albany City Deputy Police Chief Steve Reilly, who responded to the call the day the remains were found in the park, and who investigated the case for many years.

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On the night of May 2, 2024, police forcibly removed an encampment of students, faculty and community members protesting the war in Gaza at SUNY New Paltz. It was the largest encampment clearing on a state university campus, and 130 people were arrested. Four student journalists reported on the events of that night for the school’s newspaper, The Oracle. On this episode of they join the Times Union’s Phillip Pantuso to look back on that night, and how what happened has affected their lives, their career aspirations, and their campus.

Also on this episode, a teen...

Times Union business reporter Larry Rulison had a way more exciting week than you. He joins us this week on “The Eagle” to discuss his epic triumph on an episode of “Family Feud” that aired Tuesday. Also on this episode, our features editor Gary Hahn looks back on his impressive four-decade career with the paper.

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News that a biotechnology company is claiming to have brought back the long-extinct dire wolf got us thinking about creatures that used to roam upstate New York. Times Union reporter H. Rose Schneider joins us to talk about those critters, which include 8-foot-tall beavers, 10-foot-tall sloths, and some very dapper-looking waterfowl. Also on this episode, Capitol Confidential’s Dan Clark and Capitol Bureau reporter Raga Justin talk about what’s next for New York lawmakers now that they finally have a budget.

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This week, two local actors join us on the show to celebrate the Bard of Avon's 461st birthday. Also, education reporter Kathleen Moore discusses the latest shake up in the Capital Region higher education scene: the announcement that The Albany College of Pharmacy and Russell Save College intend to merge.

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The judge declared a mistrial after a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision in the trial of Edward Holley, the Middletown man accused of murdering 20-year-old Megan McDonald in 2003. Times Union reporter Lana Bellamy was in court every day of the 7-week trial, and joins us to go over how it all went down. Also on this episode, Capitol Confidential’s Dan Clark sits down with New York State Budget Director Blake Washington.

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While it’s rare, there are thousands of documented incidents of surgeons leaving items inside patients’ bodies by accident each year in the United States. On this episode of “The Eagle,” Times Union reporter Emilie Munson talks about her recent investigative work looking into these medical errors, and how doctors and hospitals are trying to avoid them. Also on this episode, we’ll hear an addiction policy specialist’s views on allowing wine in New York grocery stores.

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Jamie Sullivan is one of 10 woman drivers on the current Monster Jam circuit, driving the popular pastel-hued, unicorn-shaped monster truck Sparkle Smash. She joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to talk about driving up interest in the sport for women, and what it’s like to be behind the wheel of her truck.

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How much of what we’re throwing in our single-stream recycling bins is actually recycled? Turns out, only 5% to 6% of plastic used in the United States gets recycled. Times Union reporter Lucy Hodgman joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to share what she learned after a recent visit to an Albany recycling facility.

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Olympic Champion figure skater and cancer survivor Scott Hamilton joins us on this episode of “The Eagle” to look back 45 years at his first Olympic experience in Lake Placid, to discuss the state of figure skating today, and to talk about his efforts to raise money for cancer research to improve the lives of patients going through life-saving treatment.

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