Happy New Year! 🥂

Valley Medical Group says it’s entering a partnership with a Cambridge-based company to negotiate better insurance contracts and eventually offer better care. They hope to avoid becoming part of a large hospital system, as many primary care practices have done. https://bit.ly/4qugzDR

A plot line that was developing a year ago, overshadowed 2025 by a long shot: President Donald Trump's return to the White House and its impact on Beacon Hill. https://bit.ly/45pyC5V

The holiday tradition since 1993 returns! Classical NEPM and the Berkshire Bach Society present Bach at New Year’s: The Six "Brandenburg" Concertos, on Dec. 30 at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Get your tickets now: nepm.org/bach

Are you as smart as an As Schools Match Wits contestant? Let's find out! Q: What event led to the Coercive Acts of 1774? Don't miss the season 65 premiere of As Schools Match Wits on Saturday, Jan. 3 #onNEPM TV! nepm.org/asmw

Community support is everything to NEPM. Keep it going into 2026 — make your year-end gift today at nepm.org/donate.

📚✨ Love to read? Join the NEPM Book Club! 📅 Next meet-up: Thursday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. 📖 Book: "The Ten Year Affair" by Erin Somers 🎤 Special Q&A with the author! Don't miss out! Sign up now at nepm.org/bookclub

Merry Christmas! 🎄

The holiday tradition since 1993 returns! Classical NEPM and the Berkshire Bach Society present Bach at New Year’s: The Six "Brandenburg" Concertos, on Dec. 30 at the Academy of Music in Northampton. Get your tickets now: nepm.org/bach

Your favorite holiday tradition is back! 🎄The Call the Midwife Holiday Special returns Wednesday, Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. #onNEPM TV.

Are you as smart as an As Schools Match Wits contestant? Let's find out! Q: What's pewter made of? Don't miss the season 65 premiere of As Schools Match Wits on Saturday, Jan. 3 #onNEPM TV! nepm.org/asmw

Evelyn Harris, a prominent Pioneer Valley musician and one-time member of the internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble "Sweet Honey in the Rock" died suddenly this week. https://bit.ly/4p0bhit

The traveling program, created by Naomi Westwater, aims to give credit to the role of musicians of color in the folk music genre while supporting today's non-white folk artists. https://bit.ly/457tfbw

Immigration arrests and deportations have shot up in New England, with the participation of federal, regional and local institutions. https://bit.ly/3KUugwS

New England Public Media and The New York Times make the perfect match. Get your subscription to all the news that's fit to print when you become a NEPM member today: nepm.org/radiopledge

U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat, says some of the GOP members who broke away from Speaker Mike Johnson on ACA vote were facing pressure in their respective districts.https://bit.ly/3Y1nubv

You've traveled all over Europe with Rick Steves, now join him for a crash course in wine! 🍷 Reserve your spot for a very special evening with Rick in this virtual wine tasting by donating to NEPM today: nepm.org/radiopledge

Make the NEPM hoodie a go-to piece of your wardrobe. "It is exceptionally comfortable, it's very warm, it's very hardy," says NEPM's Phillip Bishop. Get yours today by giving to NEPM at nepm.org/radiopledge!

The spin of the dreidel, the warm candlelight, may your Hanukkah be happy, healthy and bright. Happy Hanukkah from NEPM!

'Tis the season for NEPM! ❄️🎄☃️ Check out NEPM's holiday programming schedule for festive cheer, music and entertainment all month long: nepm.org/holidays

With NEPM Passport, get extended access to your favorite PBS shows — all season long! Stream, catch up, and rewatch your favorites. Learn more: nepm.org/passport 📺📱

In 1907, a wealthy Mass. astronomer managed to convince much of the country there was proof of life on Mars. Science writer David Baron's book, "The Martians," traces the rise and fall of that theory, including the role of an Amherst college scientist and his writer wife. https://bit.ly/4aIaqiI

The armed services committees in both the House and the Senate are looking into strikes against boats, which the Trump Administration alleges have been trafficking drugs. https://bit.ly/4pgEVkf

The weather outside is frightful, but the new NEPM beanie is so delightful. 🌨️ This #GivingTuesday, get your beanie with your gift supporting local public media in western Mass.: nepm.org/give

Public media is more than stories about our community, it's taking action to make it better. Thank you for supporting NEPM and the March for the Food Bank.

Holidays can feel tough when you miss someone you love. 💛 These gentle tips and activities can help kids find comfort and remember the special people in their lives.

Happy Thanksgiving! We're thankful for viewers and listeners like you.

Health care costs for millions of Americans could rise at the start of 2026 if action is not taken to restore subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. https://bit.ly/4omoB02

The holiday season kicks off in the 413 with a slate of wonderful options for making memories at local cultural events. Find your perfect holiday memory in this week's Culture to Do: https://www.nepm.org/culture-to-do/2025-11-25/culture-to-do-nov-26-2025

Boston Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan says we haven't seen this type of cold snap happen this early since the 1960s. https://bit.ly/3Kh77V1

It's simple: our neighbors are hungry. And this week, the March for the Food Bank with NEPM's Monte Belmonte raised almost $800,000 for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Learn more about hunger in western Mass. and how you can still help at nepm.org/hunger.

For the first time ever, the annual March for the Food Bank hits the Berkshires today! Join Monte Belmonte and food bank supporters in Pittsfield for the Berkshire Mini-March, a 3-mile walk beginning and ending at Hot Plate Brewing. Learn more: nepm.org/hunger

Food banks around the U.S. have been busier than usual in the past month. Produce for soup kitchens and pantries comes from several sources, including fields that are gleaned of excess crops, after farmers finish their harvest. https://bit.ly/4iak932

When SNAP funding was cut for residents in early November Hameed Bello and his wife Ayo, co-owners of Farm Store 99 in Springfield, continued to serve customers, even when they couldn't pay. https://bit.ly/4inNB5N

Andrew Morehouse, the executive director for the Food Bank, cited high food insecurity rates, in particular Hampden County and Franklin County, which had the highest food insecurity rates of any county in the state in 2024. https://bit.ly/48aPu0Z

In Springfield Public Schools, about 87% of all students eat breakfast every morning, followed by 75% of elementary school students in North Adams and 73% in Holyoke, a new report finds. https://bit.ly/4ia3rAY

Dave Rothstein was known for small acts of creativity, like carving intricate designs on fresh snow in his driveway, as well as big and dramatic efforts, such as a backyard igloo he turned into a speakeasy. https://bit.ly/4r7TtEd

Democrats had made restoring cuts to health care subsidies a condition of resolving the shutdown stalemate. But some in the Senate joined Republicans to make a deal to reopen the government. https://bit.ly/4nYimiL

The federal SNAP program became a sort of political football during the gamesmanship of the government shutdown. But what actually happens to the more than 1 in 10 people in America who, according to the USDA, can’t afford enough to eat? https://bit.ly/4plQnuO

Though SNAP has been restored and the shutdown has ended, some local restaurants took action to feed residents who relied on this aid and they've decided to continue this work throughout the month of November. https://bit.ly/43WyLNR

Massachusetts Senate leaders say they’re nearing a deal on the supplemental budget and preparing to take up the House-passed cannabis reform bill before their holiday break begins Wednesday. https://bit.ly/43uUV9G

We’ve updated our evening news schedule to better fit your routine. Starting tonight, PBS @NewsHour airs weekdays at 6 p.m., followed by BBC News: The Context at 7 p.m. See the full NEPM TV schedule at nepm.org/tvschedule.

The six-part epic event begins tonight. Don't miss #AmericanRevolutionPBS, a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, at 8 p.m. #onNEPM TV.

With NEPM Passport, get extended access to your favorite PBS shows — anytime, anywhere! Stream, catch up, and rewatch your favorites. Learn more: nepm.org/passport 📺📱💻

Union fire fighters in Amherst, Massachusetts, are calling on town management to fully staff the department, after last week's blaze that destroyed an apartment building, displacing 232 people. https://bit.ly/4r27rrg

Both US. Representatives Jim McGovern, D-Worcester and Richard Neal, D-Springfield say the shutdown does not reslove the issue of health care subsidies. https://bit.ly/484hlA6

During a meeting of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday in Springfield, the city's mayor, Domenic Sarno, told the panel MGM has not lived up to its part of the deal when it comes to developing a property near the casino it operates. https://bit.ly/3XxnCPy

UMass Amherst poll shows Healey would win again if the election were today. It also shows Mike Kennealy leading the Republican contenders for the job. https://bit.ly/4496fbB

Between Friday and Monday, many trains between New Haven, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts and further to the north, will be replaced with buses. https://bit.ly/43XjcFo

After rupturing his Achilles, Russell Samora, of Great Barrington, set out to test his recovery and resolve. 368,000 steps later, he knew what he was made of. https://bit.ly/4qWbVzr