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.

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 prosecution of a former teacher at a Berkshires school on rape charges mean for the future of the state’s age of consent laws?We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Greg Sukiennik, news editor for The Berkshire Eagle; Jim Kinney, reporter for The Springfield Republican; and Principal of MLB Research Associates Matt Barron.

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: Greta Jochem, Springfield Republican newspaper investigations editor; Bridgette Davis, UMass Amherst assistant professor of public policy; and Dusty Christensen, investigations editor at The Shoestring.

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 currently using AI. Is your data at risk?Plus, with several proposition 2.5 overrides on local ballots, western Mass. leaders urge more state funding for rural areas.We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel, former State Sen. Eric Lesser, senior counsel at WilmerHale; Rich Parr, vice president of MassInc Polling Group; freelance journalist Jon Gerhardson, and NEPM Executive Editor for News Elizabeth Román.

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 hard to come by for many these days, we discuss the latest challenges that one western Mass. housing authority is facing to fill its empty units. Plus, nuclear arms and the surge of money and jobs that it's bringing to Pittsfield, without much public discussion. We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel Jim Kinney, reporter at The Springfield Republican newspaper; Anthony Cammalleri, reporter for The Daily Hampshire Gazette; Bill Shein, founder of Reason Gone Mad; and Phil Bishop, reporter for NEPM news.