Western Mass Politics & Insight

Longmeadow Daze: Something Wicked Dark Money This Way Comes…

wmasspi — Mon, 11 May 2026 03:33:06 +0000

As Longmeadow has moved toward developing its own municipal fiber, that is local Internet service, a nebulous and shadowy advocacy group and one of the nation’s largest telecommunications groups have moved in—at least on Facebook in town.

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Briefings: With Judge’s Nod, Federal Oversight of Pearl Street Concludes…

wmasspi — Fri, 08 May 2026 05:05:28 +0000

A federal judge in Springfield has agreed to dissolve the consent decree that the city of Springfield and the federal government had agreed to in 2022. On Thursday, Judge Michael Ponsor granted the joint motion to end the agreement, which the parties had filed about 10 days ago. The ruling was not a surprise.

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West & East of Local Public Media, NEPM & GBH, to Formally Join Hands…

wmasspi — Fri, 08 May 2026 03:15:09 +0000

Seven years after New England Public Radio and WGBY merged to become New England Public Media, the nonprofit media landscape is shifting again. Last Friday, the GBH Foundation, which oversees NEPM now, announced that it would formally absorb the 413’s largest public broadcaster.

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Appeal Is Just One Stop on the Long Path to Saving Springfield’s Climate Grant…

wmasspi — Thu, 07 May 2026 05:24:25 +0000

WASHINGTON—Fifteen months after Springfield formally accepted its Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change (ECJCC) grant, it and several cities and environmental groups were fighting to keep the program alive. Far from 36 Court Street, in a wood-paneled courtroom between the Capitol and the White House, a motley crew of grantees urged a federal appeals court to reverse a lower court’s dismissal that had doomed an effort to revive the ECJCC program.

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Baystate Acquisition of Mercy to Alter Medical Landscape & Hopefully Avoid a Crisis…

wmasspi — Mon, 04 May 2026 05:20:43 +0000

The COVID pandemic, in the words of Mercy & Baystate's then leaders, provided an opportunity to collaborate and share resources. As the shroud of the coronavirus began to lift, they took turns appearing at the weekly pressers. One did not quite represent the other at each tradeoff. Little would anybody know then that their successors—or perhaps successor—could conceivably be in a position to do so.

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Springfield and Feds Move to Close the Lid on Pearl Street Oversight…

wmasspi — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 05:46:26 +0000

Just over four years after the City of Springfield, the Springfield Police Department and the federal government reached a court-monitored settlement, the pact may be coming to an end. Springfield and the feds jointly have filed a motion to terminate the agreement. If the court agrees, it will end a saga that has cast a pall over Pearl Street and City Hall for years.

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Analysis: Class Dismissed at Hampshire Should Be a Warning Bell for the 413…

wmasspi — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:24:54 +0000

Hampshire College, which ran a non-traditional baccalaureate program for undergraduates, is not representative of the 413’s higher education institutions. Yet, the closures of colleges do happen. Hundreds of layoffs will follow Hampshire’s demise. Just as important, the episode underscores the stakes for the wider Western Mass region.

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Take My Council, Please: Quite an Oversight and Foresight to See…

wmasspi — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:38:58 +0000

On April 13, the Springfield City Council took a few forward actions that could have significant implications for two neighborhoods. It granted a zone change to Temple Beth El’s property on Dickinson Street, which could yield significant housing development. Meanwhile, the body authorized funding for a new branch library for East Springfield.

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Briefings: With HHS at Ways & Means, It Was Richie Vs. Bobby (Jr.)…

wmasspi — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 03:35:27 +0000

In his opening remarks at a hearing with US Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr., Springfield Congressman and Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal alluded to their shared, if indirect history. As a young man, Neal supported Kennedy’s father, the OG Bobby Kennedy. Twelve years later, Neal was a delegate for Senator Edward Kennedy.

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Take My Council, Please: Throw Your Hands Up and Shout…

wmasspi — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:30:42 +0000

The Springfield City Council brought fury to a procedural debate and waxed meticulous on the details of a food truck ordinance this week. During a rare Tuesday meeting, the body confronted a relatively simple agenda. Yet, it was debate over a motion that led to shouting, threats of expulsion and accusations of censorship.

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