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More communities in western Mass. are pushing against automated license plate readers from companies like Flock Safety. We hear the latest on an effort in Springfield to ditch the cameras and why people feel they're violating their privacy. And, voters in Massachusetts will decide on a staggering 9 ballot questions when they hit the polls in November. We break down a measure to expand public records access and another to reshape how the state runs its primary elections. Plus, a years-long battle between animal rights advocates at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and UMass Amherst reignited this week. We discuss a new lawsuit trying to unveil who makes decisions on animal welfare at the school. We run down all that and more this week with our panel: Greta Jochem, investigations editor at the Springfield Republican; Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Anthony Cammalleri; and Dave Eisenstadter, state editor at MassLive.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office released a long-awaited state report that found hundreds of Catholic clergy in three dioceses, including Springfield, abused nearly a thousand children over decades..  We also look at the Boston Globe's report into how state regulators allowed out-of-state operators to purchase dozens of Mass. nursing homes, including ones in the 413. We discuss the impact as owners then squeezed the facilities for profit while the quality of care plummeted.  Plus, voters in 19 Franklin County towns will decide if their taxes will pay about half the cost of a new technical high school, totaling more than $230 million. And in another special election, some small regional districts will vote on regionalizing even more. Host Jill Kaufman is joined by panelists Aprell May Munford, reporter for the Springfield Republican; Erin-Leigh Hoffman, reporter for the Greenfield Recorder; and Matt Szafranski, editor of Western Mass Politics and Insight.

We hash out the latest on a lawsuit against OpenAI brought by news publishers including local news outlet The Shoestring. They allege the company stole their work to build up their AI models.  And the most recent MCAS results are out. While the tests are not a graduation requirement anymore, they still give us insight into what students are struggling with. We discuss how western Mass. is faring.  Plus, a lesbian bar in Greenfield, Last Ditch, has been making national headlines after their decision to loosen its mask mandate which sparked an intense backlash on social media. What do you do when a mission of inclusivity clashes with the bottom line?  This week’s panel for The Rundown includes Dusty Christensen, investigations editor at The Shoestring; reporter emeritus Paul Tuthill; and NEPM reporter Jill Kaufman.

Springfield Public Schools was the target of a cyberattack that kept kids out of schools for a week and gave hackers access to an unknown amount of personal data. How does the reliance of tech make educators more vulnerable in the modern day? We discuss. Plus, Springfield is playing host to two major pieces of litigation. We break down the latest on a lawsuit about a courthouse, and another about a casino.  And, data center discontent is sweeping Massachusetts as more and more communities are either pumping the brakes or banning the things outright. Why does everyone seem to hate data centers, and how is the state keeping up with the shift in public opinion? We're running down all of that and more this week with host Phil Bishop and panelists G. Michael Dobbs of Focus Springfield; Jim Kinney, reporter at The Springfield Republican; and Elizabeth Román, executive news editor at NEPM.

Residents in the 413 are concerned about potential negative health impacts from at least three different sites across the region: a cell tower, a natural gas plant, and water sewerage plants. What are the specific issues, and how are municipalities and the state reacting? We’ll discuss. And, the Berkshire Museum wrapped a lengthy renovation and is now back open to the public. Nearly a decade after a controversial auction of some of its artwork, has the community closed that chapter once and for all?  Plus, how does incumbency play into a candidate’s decision to participate in civic debate with their opponents come election season?  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Springfield Republican Reporter Jim Kinney; Berkshire Eagle Executive Editor Kevin Moran; and Executive Editor for NEPM News Elizabeth Román.

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center urges state officials to avoid a federal school voucher program, saying it’s weighted to benefit private schools. What does this mean for public schools? We unpack the details. And, while ten municipalities in the state – including one in the 413 – try to move away from fossil fuels, utility companies are investing $100 million in natural gas pipelines for most of them. We find out why. Plus, independent dairy farming in western Mass. takes a hit as Berkshire County loses another farm. What’s the future of local milk production in the 413? We discuss. As voters prepare to vote on a recreational marijuana repeal, South Hadley will consider lifting a ban on marijuana establishments. We talk about it more, and if this is representative of the proposal for a statewide ban. We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Chris Maza, executive editor of Reminder Publishing; Bridgette Davis, assistant professor of public policy at UMass Amherst; NEPM news reporter Phil Bishop; and making his debut on the panel, Jordan Wolman, a senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon.

The inequity of being the clean air and water resource for the state is bubbling to the surface in western Mass. in at least two recent news stories about the communities of the Quabbin Reservoir. We’ll unpack the details.  And, on heels of last week’s discussion about the controversy surrounding the winning bid to develop a new court house in Springfield, detailed reporting from the Springfield Republican newspaper reveals that the winning bidder, in the state’s eyes, was the third place choice among court house officials. Plus, as The World Cup winds down this weekend, and a soccer mystery in the 413 that’s proving to be less whodunnit and more "why wasn’t it done…”  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Dusty Christensen, investigations editor at The Shoestring; Erin-Leigh Hoffman, reporter with the Greenfield Recorder; Phil Bishop, NEPM news reporter; and Rich Parr, vice president at the MassINC Polling Group.

The proposal for Springfield’s new $600 million courthouse sparks conversation and controversy over its planned location. We unpack the details of a lawsuit filed to block the selection. Meanwhile, western Mass. was the location for the first Democratic U.S. Senate debate earlier this week, and our panel will breakdown the candidates’ performances.  And, should Massachusetts ban so-called forever chemicals? We weigh in on how to mitigate toxic PFAS contamination. Plus, we debut a new segment, The Rundown Rewind! We look back on the Inspector General’s report on the sheriff’s budget. We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: G. Michael Dobbs, host at Focus Springfield; Greta Jochem, investigations editor at The Springfield Republican; and reporter emeritus Paul Tuthill.

Holyoke becomes one of the first cities in the state to ban data centers, while another 413 city considers a moratorium on them – we’ll unpack why communities in western Mass. are having concerns about their impact.  Meanwhile, municipalities in Berkshire County face difficult decisions as they struggle to find enough volunteers to fill government positions.  And, new standards are being considered by the state for high school graduation requirements.  Plus, Mass Audubon has developed a new wildlife preserve in the 413.  We’re running down all of that and more this week with panelists Berkshire Eagle reporter Clarence Fanto; Aprell May Munford, reporter for The Springfield Republican Newspaper; and former State Senator Adam Hinds.

In this special edition of The Rundown, we take a closer look at higher education.  The 413 is a hotbed of higher education in the state. Massachusetts already ranks number one as the most educated state for adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and now two and four year college degrees are free or low cost for many people here. We examine what impact that’s having, for better and for worse. And, with rising tuition costs, what new federal loan caps could mean for college students here in western Mass. and beyond. Plus, the job market is thawing a bit; what does that mean for recent and future grads? We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Laura Colarusso, editor for the Commonwealth Beacon; Phil Bishop, reporter for NEPM news; and recent UMass Journalism and Public Policy graduate Lucy Postera.

Our panel explores the hidden reason why your sewer bill is getting more expensive, and what, if anything, can be done about it.  And, General Electric outlines the final pages of its plan to clean up PCBs in the Housatonic River.  Then, license plate cameras raise privacy concerns in Agawam.  Plus, a look back as we mark the 15th anniversary of the devastating tornado that touched down in western Massachusetts on June 1, 2011.  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: G. Michael Dobbs, host of “Government Matters” at Focus Springfield; Greg Sukiennik, news editor for The Berkshire Eagle; and Elizabeth Román, executive news editor at NEPM.

Our panel takes a deep-dive into the reasons why two Massachusetts colleges, including one in the 413, are closing their doors. And fare-free transit in the Pioneer Valley was a big hit, so how will the PVTA follow up? Plus, we look back at the impact and legacy of two pioneering leaders that we lost this past week in western Massachusetts, former State Rep. Benjamin Swan and Henry M. Thomas III, former president and CEO of the Urban League of Springfield. We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Aprell May Munford, reporter for the Springfield Republican; former state senator and senior counsel at WilmerHale, Eric Lesser; and Dave Eisenstadter, state editor for MassLive.

A Springfield student is at the forefront of a lawsuit that alleges racial segregation in Massachusetts schools. We’ll unpack the details. In other Springfield news, while federal oversight of the police department draws to a close, reforming the department will continue.  And, the village known as Turners Falls marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre, we find out how the community is fighting to remember and reconnect with the true history. Plus, the iconic former U.S. Representative and Massachusetts’ own Barney Frank dies at age 86. We speak about the legacy he leaves behind. We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel, Greenfield Recorder reporter Erin-Leigh Hoffman; Matt Szafranski, editor-in-chief for Western Mass. Politics and Insight; and Springfield Republican reporter Jim Kinney.

We take a look at the impending closure of post offices in the 413 and the impact that could have on two communities in Hampden and Franklin Counties.  In education news, a conservative group files a civil rights complaint against UMass Amherst to give white students access to programs for minority students.  And, we examine how some schools in western Mass. have been impacted by a nationwide cyberattack.  Plus, the U.S. Department of Education investigates Smith College for accepting transgender students. We explore what it could mean.  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Paul Tuthill, reporter emeritus; Ryan McCollum, principal of RMC Strategies; and NEPM reporter Phil Bishop.

Today's show has an environmental impact focus: polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) contamination has long been a problem in the 413, particularly in the Berkshires. The state claimed it wasn’t testing blood for PCBs, but it has been for years. We unpack the details.  While renewable energy is popular in many circles, some residents of western Mass. have concerns over battery and solar permitting. We examine why some are seeing red over green.  And, proposed changes to environmental protections at the federal level could have direct impacts right here in the 413. We explore what it could mean. Plus, from the big questions file: What the heck is pee-cycling?  We’re running down all of that with this week’s panel: Adam Hinds, senior advisor at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute; Bill Shein, founder of Reason Gone Mad; Greta Jochem, investigations editor at The Springfield Republican; and Sarah Robertson, independent reporter.