WAMC Northeast Public Radio

06/19/2026

Today we honor Juneteenth — a day of reflection, remembrance, and celebration of freedom.

Tune in to WAMC for special programming highlighting Black history, culture, and community.

9:00am – Rhythm Atlas

Join host Denis McGilvray this week for The Rhythm Atlas Juneteenth & Black Music Month Special. The program shines a light on African-American musical styles that are part of our nation’s cultural landscape: blues, jazz, folk and country roots traditions, R&B, New Orleans funk, and more.

10:00am – No Small Endeavor - Juneteenth Special: Fred Gray, James Lawson. And Willie James Jennings

Our Juneteenth Special features three prominent black voices on the issue of race. Fred Gray discusses working as MLK’s lawyer during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Willie James Jennings describes the religious and cultural origins of racism. And James Lawson, architect of the civil rights movement, explains how he and other leaders came to believe that the only way to effectively desegregate the nation was through non-violent protest.

11:00am – The Juneteenth Jazz Jamboree

"The Juneteenth Jazz Jamboree" is a musical and historical celebration of a significant African-American holiday that marks the formal end of slavery and has evolved into a tradition of food, games, music, and remembrance of ancestors. The program includes freedom-related jazz from John Coltrane, Louis Jordan, Max Roach with Abbey Lincoln, Paul Robeson with Count Basie, Charles Lloyd, Carmen McRae and more (including musical tributes to African-American icons such as Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis), as well as background and insights from African-American emancipation-celebration historian William Wiggins.

2:00pm – REEL MUSIC – The Best Of Mychael Danna

Mychael Danna is an Oscar-winning Canadian composer. He received the Academy Award for Life of Pi, and he’s written scores for Capote, Fracture, The Good Dinosaur, The Nativity Story, and The Addams Family. We’ll sample Danna’s best

3:30pm – Science Unscripted – How Do Pigeons Know They’re Going?

This week on Science Unscripted, if you've heard the news going around the world about pigeons, you're in luck. We got one of the lead researchers into our studio in Bonn, Germany, to tell us all about their incredible discovery

06/18/2026

Tomorrow is Juneteenth, and in Berkshire County, the regional chapter of the NAACP is celebrating in Pittsfield. The commemoration of the last enslaved people in the United States learning of their freedom in 1865 will include the dispersal of scholarships to Black high school graduates pursuing higher education, a multigenerational Frederick Douglass reading, and more.

Dennis Powell has used his voice for over a decade as the NAACP Berkshire County Chapter president to decry systemic racism and injustice in the region and beyond. He spoke about this and more with WAMC Berkshire Bureau Chief Josh Landes.

An interview with Berkshire County NAACP President Dennis Powell.

06/18/2026

Congress has opened an investigation into Bard College's ties to convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after Bard President Leon Botstein's name appeared extensively in the Epstein files and an investigation detailing his relationship with the late s*x offender.

Congress has opened an investigation into Bard College's ties to convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. It comes after former Bard President Leon Botstein's name appeared extensively in the Epstein files and an investigation detailing his relationship with the late s*x offender.

06/18/2026

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a federal lawsuit Tuesday against New York State, Public Partnerships LLC and other key players in an embattled home care contract for an “alleged fraud scheme.”

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing New York and Public Partnerships LLC, alleging fraud in the contract, bidding process, and transition of the CDPAP home care program.

06/18/2026

Following protests and lengthy debates, city council members in Holyoke, Massachusetts, have approved language effectively banning new data centers from coming to town.

06/17/2026

Tim Walters was doing his best to support his family — but living in a two-bedroom apartment with four children and extended family brought new challenges.

His story of change, resilience, and finding a way forward.

Walters had been living with his sister, but he and his four kids needed more space.

06/17/2026

New York Attorney General Letitia James said talks with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office and a powerful business group are underway about possible changes to a bill that bans surveillance pricing.

The bill would prevent retailers from using data about individual shoppers to charge them more for an item than other shoppers would be charged.

06/16/2026

An early Tuesday morning barn fire has killed more than a dozen racehorses in Saratoga Springs.

The Saratoga Springs barn fire killed 17 horses. Four horses were rescued unharmed, and one horse reportedly escaped the barn but was found early Tuesday relatively untouched by the flames.

06/16/2026

At the beginning of the year, Saratoga Springs’ annual Flag Day parade was set to be cancelled due to a lack of funding. But after months of fundraising and community support, the tradition carried on this weekend.

At the beginning of the year, Saratoga Springs’ annual Flag Day parade was set to be cancelled due to a lack of funding. But after months of fundraising and community support, the tradition carried on this weekend…