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The Best of Our Knowledge explores topics on learning, education and research.The East African Savannah is known to be the cradle of humanity.Now, researchers are presenting a different history of homo sapiens, theorizing they evolved all across the continent including in rainforests as early as 150,000 years ago.

Lawyer Michael Sparer works on health policy at Columbia’s Mailman School: “Public health in a certain sense is about balancing, the rights we have as individuals with the needs of society to preserve, protect, and promote the health of the population.” Not a bad approach to democracy in general. Sparer tells us about Roachdale, Indiana, basketball, and his dad Edward Sparer.

(Airs 05/23/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: SUNY Chancellor John King delivers his annual address, we’ll talk about the growing problem of food insecurity, and nearly 97 percent of school district budgets passed this week, we’ll talk to the head of the state school boards association.

In 2004, Historian Russell Shorto published “The Island at the Center of the World,” a book about Manhattan and the role of the Dutch in making New York (and America) what it is today. His new book, “Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America,” continues the story.

(Airs 05/15/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with New York State Assembly Republican Minority Leader William Barclay about the newly passed $254 billion dollar state budget and why he thinks the price tag is too high, the impact of federal cuts on New York, Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik exploring a run for Governor, and much more.

On this week’s 51%, we learn about an organization offering community to children and teens impacted by incarceration and deportation. The Pathfinder Network, which merged with the POPS Club in 2022, has support groups in schools across the country, where students can share their thoughts and fears stigma-free. POPS Founder Amy Friedman also edits a regular anthology of students’ creative work. The latest edition is titled Home and Away.

(Airs 05/16/25 @ 3 p.m. & 05/18/25 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and Daily Gazette Editor Miles Reed, and. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara and Miles talk about the importance of local media and sticking with a story, who decides what news is, whether reporters failed in their coverage of former President Biden’s cognitive abilities, and much more.

Children’s book author Kate DiCamillo — “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “The Tiger Rising,” “The Tale of Despereaux”— describes her innate ability: “I have a knack for nothing except being filled with wonder.” DiCamillo tells us about Sophie Blackall, a Minneapolis attic, and Vuillard’s “Repast in a Garden.”

(Airs 05/16/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calls on New Yorkers and all Americans to protect the federal food program SNAP, we’ll track federal funding cuts impacting rural, Northern NY, and State lawmakers are taking a fresh look at food regulations.

(Airs 05/23/25 @ 3 p.m. & 05/25/25 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and Daily Gazette Editor Miles Reed. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara and Miles talk about whether the media is to blame for not uncovering President Biden’s cognitive decline, when A-I gets in wrong, and much more.