The Rundown with Carrie Saldo

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...

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 considere...

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 wors...

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...

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...

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 communi...

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 cyb...

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...

Healthcare in the 413 takes center stage this week as Baystate Health announces plans to take over Mercy Medical Center. What will the impact be? We unpack the details. And, the Massachusetts Republican Party held its convention this past weekend, and we explore how the local arm of the GOP will be positioning itself heading into the November midterm elections. Plus, what does the recent prosecuti...

 The Massachusetts Public Record Law – what is it and how is it supposed to work? And how are journalists using, or trying to use, it to dig into stories?  We answer those questions and look at a few examples right here in the 413 of where public records requests have helped generate news and support the public’s right to know.  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Gre...

Hampshire College has announced it will  close its doors in the fall of 2026. We discuss the whys, the hows, and what it means in the greater higher education landscape, especially for the future of the 5-college consortium. Then, we take a look at the impact of artificial intelligence on the inner workings of Massachusetts government departments and examine which state agency functions are curren...

We dive into two different issues on the ballot, the state legislature’s push to ban social media use for many teens as awareness rises on the psychological and addictive qualities of extended screen use.  And in the category of closing the barn door after the horses have left, an initiative that would – once again – make recreational marijuana use illegal.  Then, while affordable housing can be h...

Our panel’s reaction to President Trump’s address to the nation about the War in Iran. That war was one of many reasons regional protestors raised their voices in the third ‘ No Kings ’ rally. Then, an "opportunity to own?" State Senator Paul Mark has filed a new bill hoping to encourage business owners to transition to a co-operative model. Western Mass. is home to several worker-owned co-ops, wi...

Why did the Hampden County Sheriff announce 50 job cuts and up to $4 million in budget cuts this week? And which cities and towns in the 413 will be impacted? We discuss.  And, Springfield’s joint effort to claw back climate grants cut by the Trump administration hits federal appeals court. Plus, criticizing a system they alone hold the power to change, lawmakers from the 413 and beyond sound off...

On this episode of The Rundown with Carrie Saldo:  After 142 workers were furloughed by a Springfield rail car manufacturer, the parts needed to do their job have at last been cleared by customs. But was a months-long delay needed? And how soon might employees be back at work? And in the wake of the federal government’s intensified deportation policies, some local and state leaders want Lenco Indu...

This week on The Rundown with Carrie Saldo, the panel unpacks the effects the war in Iran is having here in the 413, from increased prices at the gas pumps to reaction from Iranian students in the U.S. — and how local legislators are reacting. And we explore a state budget hearing at UMass Amherst on road repair funds, west-east rail, and many other local issues.  Plus, plans to address health car...

In for Carrie Saldo, NEPM reporter Jill Kaufman talks with panelists about changes among Governor Maura Healey’s top appointed leaders and what it means for western Massachusetts. The newly appointed secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED), Eric Paley, was just in Greenfield on his first official visit . Franklin County movers and shakers explained to him how this most rur...

Our panel explores how several communities western Mass. are addressing health insurance costs that are affecting the bottom lines of school and municipal budgets. And, we take a look at how business in the 413 is impacting the future of computing. Plus, we examine two very different sides of nuclear as a bill to prohibit nuclear weapons gains traction on Beacon Hill and as power companies take a...

Food pantries in the 413 are seeing an increase in need; we unpack why that is and what local legislators are saying and doing to address it.  And, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern pushes back on Veterans Administration Secretary Douglas A. Collins for allegedly restricting the speech of VA chaplains who are memorializing Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who was killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis.  Plus, long-t...

Hydropower is in the news this week as a Hampden County utility company secures a contract extension to continue hydropower use, while an energy company in Franklin County clears a hurdle in its quest to open two facilities despite concerns from locals. And some 413 high schools look to an app to reign in cell phone use , while local municipalities seek to curtail nicotine use by young people. We...

The state’s largest snowfall in four years hit 413 hard earlier this week. We plow through the impact of the storm on cities , residents and workers . And, the Trump administration is targeting the government's primary program to address homelessness, and the effects could have a big impact in western Massachusetts cities. Plus, we look at the rising costs of utility bills in the state and what it...

Gov. Maura Healey delivers the annual State of the Commonwealth Address , and our panel puts what she said in context for western Massachusetts. And, water levels at the Quabbin Reservoir are 10 feet lower than normal, and surrounding communities are questioning water use and stewardship of the reservoir. Should public policy be changed to address their concerns? Plus, a decision made by the U.S....

Low enrollment could cost the Pittsfield school district millions in state education aid as statewide public school enrollment has decreased to its lowest level in over a decade. And whether they like it or not, the residents of Agawam may be getting a new battery storage plant in town. We explore why they can’t say no . Plus, we talk about the transparency, or lack thereof , in public records and...

The Rundown with Carrie Saldo returns with a 413 perspective of the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States government. And, we unpack the details as Southampton residents debate the potential impact of a proposed solar power field on farmland and the Barnes Aquifer . Plus, with a slate of elected officials sworn into office after November’s elections, we exami...

Baystate Health contends with a projected $146.7 million annual shortfall in the wake of a Trump administration domestic policy bill. What could it mean for healthcare in the 413? And, a study recommends the dismantling of the Route 2 overpass in the city of North Adams. What could the costs and benefits be? Plus, while the Healy administration pushes for more accessory dwelling units statewide, t...