LISTEN: Last Friday, our editor-in-chief @mszafranski.bsky.social joined Paul Tuthill and @dustyc123.bsky.social for the Rundown with Carrie Saldo on @nepublicmedia.bsky.social for some local post-election analysis. #mapoli www.nepm.org/therundown/2...

Springfield residents are once again facing the revival of a proposed wood-burning "zombie plant" that has been stalled for over a decade by community opposition. Irina Costache and Regine Spector report: theshoestring.org/2025/10/22/s...

Earlier this year, the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts decided to “open up” its communications to the broader community by launching a Facebook page. A post intended to promote "open mosque day," accumulated a sudden spark of harmful and threatening comments. By Joe Douglass.

New illustration in @theshoestring.bsky.social theshoestring.org/2025/10/22/s...

One private equity-backed firm recently bought more than 10% of funeral homes in western Mass, where corporate consolidators now own a quarter of mortuaries — part of a nationwide trend in the death care industry. Reporter @jongerhardson.bsky.social investigates: theshoestring.org/2025/10/28/t...

We won an award!🥳🗞️🎙️Last week, @nenpa.bsky.social honored Greta Jochem and me with their top yearly honor, a Publick Occurrences award, for our reporting with @nepublicmedia.bsky.social and The Springfield Republican on how easy it is for Massachusetts police to seize, and keep, people's property.

Unionized nurses at Northampton's Cooley Dickinson Hospital say they will hold a strike authorization vote next month — the first step toward possibly walking off the job. Our latest from the labor beat, by @dustyc123.bsky.social:

David Sullivan has spent more than $13,000 and counting of taxpayer money on a private law firm to fight against police transparency in #Massachusetts after I sued him over his refusal to release the names of police officers who were charged with crimes. #mapoli

I'm thinking of 9-year-old Aliah Reyes as the AQI near where she lives is over 150 today. We need climate action to reduce the risk of wildfires & associated smoke, and action to filter indoor air. Read this by @dustyc123.bsky.social to learn about the health impacts of air pollution #WesternMa

"try to keep her inside, but even then it’s hard — I run 2 dehumidifiers and 3 air purifiers just to keep the air somewhat clean” Rivera said. “It makes me anxious because any bad air day can send us to the ER. It impacts our whole family. We feel trapped inside, constantly worried about her health”

From many miles away, wildfire smoke is traveling to New England and hitting already-polluted areas hardest. "Watching your child struggle to breathe is terrifying," one parent of a child with asthma said. Our latest on the continuing local impacts of climate change from @dustyc123.bsky.social:

Last month, a judge said the militant group Betar “triggered” the ICE arrest of a Hampshire College student. Palestine-solidarity activists at UMass say similar groups have come after them, too. Our latest from Dan McGlynn and @jongerhardson.bsky.social. Original art by illustrator Melissa Mendes.

Some @theshoestring.bsky.social-related news: @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social and Donovan Lee are fighting for greater transparency in our region!

These are the police departments the lawsuits were lodged against: • Boston • Worcester • Springfield • New Bedford • Massachusetts State Police The Globe’s suit against the Boston Police Department is the broadest.

“No one is watching, no one will hold them accountable, so they can just do what they want,” said one HUD attorney. “The civil rights laws that people marched for and fought for, ... it’s not happening. And people are really being harmed by it.” By @jessecoburn.bsky.social

After seizing 30+ luxury cars from an alleged cannabis trafficker in 2020, the Northwestern DA auctioned many of them. Since then, police & prosecutors have been busy spending the $2 million in proceeds. Our latest from @dustyc123.bsky.social on the controversial process of “civil asset forfeiture”:

It was a case police billed as one of the region’s biggest-ever drug bust. After seizing 30+ luxury cars from an alleged cannabis trafficker, the DA’s office auctioned many of them in 2022. Since then, police and prosecutors have been busy spending more than $2 million in proceeds. My latest:

My latest for @theappeal.org: James Carver spent 36 years in prison after he was convicted of setting one of the deadliest fires in #Massachusetts history. But after reviewing new scientific evidence, a judge set him free. “They took my life away for nothing,” Carver said.

On May Day, teachers staged “walk-ins,” nurses picketed in front of Baystate Medical Center, peace activists protested, and hundreds took to the streets of Springfield. Reporting by @dustyc123.bsky.social and photos by @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social

“Are you worth only 3%?” Springfield teachers’ union organizing for better conditions. The Springfield Education Association is asking for pay raises, more sick days, and parental leave. They say they’re organizing so educators feel they have a future in the district. Reporting by Sam Spratford

Despite recent attempts to boost the state’s education funding, some western Mass cities and towns are facing big school-budget crunches. Local activists have started to fight for stronger local funding. Reporter divina cordeiro brings us a dispatch from some of those growing movements.

Dumb journalists think being a tough interviewer requires writing down gotcha questions in advance. Smart journalists know that the trick is just listening and sometimes going, ‘how so?’

Five international students enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst had their visas revoked and student status terminated by the federal government this week, according to a statement issued by the school Friday night. Reporting by Jonathan Gerhardson @jongerhardson.bsky.social

Let’s support shoestring who says they are paywall free!

Such an honor and a pleasure to talk about journalists and their bullshit at the THE STRIKE conference this past weekend with @kimkelly.bsky.social @dustyc123.bsky.social and Sierra Dickey !!

Earlier this month, Northampton settled Eric Matlock’s civil rights lawsuit against city police for $100,000. But that's not the only payout the city has made in recent years. @dustyc123.bsky.social investigates the civil rights lawsuits against the NPD in recent years:

Must-read reporting from @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social:

Massachusetts residents and lawmakers are in a state of limbo waiting for updates on proposed federal cuts to Medicaid. They say the effects of those cuts would be devastating. Those cuts threaten healthcare for 2 million Massachusetts residents. Reporting by Shelby Lee @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social

As the Trump administration slashes funding for climate-change adaptation, green energy, and supports for vulnerable communities, I wrote about the "hydroclimate volatility" in western Mass and worldwide. My latest:

The city’s payroll data show, out of its top 100 earners, 91 worked for the Boston police and each made more than $380,000 when combining their base pay, overtime, retroactive pay and other compensation. www.wbur.org/news/2025/03...

For at least the second time in two years, Northampton has settled a civil rights lawsuit against its police department. And there's another civil rights suit still pending in federal court, too. My latest for @theshoestring.bsky.social:

Behind the scenes of the state’s recent announcement that some marijuana products sold at local dispensaries could be contaminated with yeast and mold, is a legal battle between laboratories fighting over testing methods and standards. Reporting by Sarah Robertson.

Earlier this year, UMass Amherst's Political Economy Research Institute released a database outlining “air toxic” exposures for schools nationwide. Of the 13 schools in the first percentile for highest toxic hazards in Massachusetts, eight are in Hampden County. Reporter divina cordeiro's latest:

Brave to @jeffstein.bsky.social, WaPo's chief economics correspondent, for not wasting any time in stating what must be stated. Hopefully the first of many.

Following a dress code crackdown in November and the firing of a unionized staff member in January, the River Valley Co-op union has moved into bargaining, where workers say they have been met with contention. By R. Nicholas and @shelbyyy-xo.bsky.social theshoestring.org/2025/02/16/r...

For more than a decade, Springfield residents and local environmentalists resisted efforts to build a wood-burning “biomass” power plant in their city. In this deep-dive piece, Regine Spector and Irina Costache look back at the battle against what some critics came to refer to as the “Zombie plant.”

Lockheed Martin’s CEO sits on the board of Mass General Brigham, which owns Northampton’s Cooley Dickinson Hospital. That’s a “profound conflict of interest,” local peace activists told The Shoestring’s Dan McGlynn: theshoestring.org/2025/02/12/p...

At least 593 western Mass workers unionized in 2024, according to federal data — everyone from cannabis dispensary workers in Whatley to Smith College student workers and the staff of the transgender health-care center Transhealth. Now, Starbucks workers hope to continue the wave. My latest:

Public health experts and those in #harmreduction have concerns about the opioid reversal agent Opvee. But the company that makes it, Indivior, has found a vocal ally in its marketing of the drug: police. My latest investigation for @theshoestring.bsky.social and New England Public Media:

Public health experts have concerns about the opioid reversal agent Opvee. But the company that makes it, Indivior, has found a vocal ally in its marketing of the drug: police. Check out @dustyc123.bsky.social's joint investigation w/ New England Public Media: theshoestring.org/2025/02/03/h...

New F-35 jets are coming to Westfield — a decision the federal government announced last month. The military planes have generated significant noise complaints in other places they're stationed. They'll soon be roaring over the 413, too. Jonathan Gerhardson reports. theshoestring.org/2025/01/14/d...

Easthampton is again in the headlines amid discord on its governing bodies. At a City Council meeting this week, details from a year’s worth of conflicts bubbled to the surface. But the story goes back further than that. A weekend deep dive for you from Shelby Lee: theshoestring.org/2025/01/25/s...

Police threatening to break a protester's ankle, bragging about punching an arrestee, putting hands on protesters’ necks. That's some of what reporter divina cordeiro has discovered in newly obtained body-camera footage from the state's 2024 crackdown on a pro-Palestine encampment at UMass Amherst:

So many stunning details in these videos that The Republican's Greta Jochem spent months fighting for. Accountability reporting at its finest: www.masslive.com/westernmass/...

It is truly wild that it is estimated that more than 20 million people died of Covid and the prevailing vibe is that the world overreacted. That is an astonishing toll! More people died of Covid in the US than in the Civil War. www.pbs.org/newshour/hea...