The Rundown with Carrie Saldo NEPM Podcasts

Today on the Rundown with Carrie Saldo, panelists discuss pro-Palestine campus demonstrations at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Consistent with a nationwide student movement, protesters demand UMass to cut financial ties with Israel.

These demonstrations come as the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights investigates alleged discrimination against Palestinian and Arab students at UMass. These cases join more than 130 open investigations of ancestral-based discrimination at schools across the country. 

Plus, we weigh in on two local school districts on the search for new superintendents. The Springfield School Committee has been experiencing division as the national search to fill the role continues. Meanwhile, after months of controversy surrounding allegations of LGBTQ and racial discrimination, Amherst Regional School District selects Dr. E. Xiomara Herman to fill the position. 

Panelists include Eric Lesser, former state senator; Larry Parnass, executive editor for the Republican; and Elizabeth Román, managing editor at NEPM.

NEPM reporter and guest host Adam Frenier and panelists discuss comments by Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt on potential plans for state border tolls. This idea received backlash from governors of bordering states and was quickly shut down by Gov. Maura Healey; we dig into the potential impacts of border tolls on local communities.

Western Massachusetts representatives continue to push for a west-east rail, touting it as a huge economic opportunity for the region. We deliberate the plans for construction and the potential impacts of a new railway.

And, amid a changing climate, we’ll look at what some local homeowners are doing to floodproof their homes. Plus, what are the negative environmental impacts of solar farms? State Rep. Angelo Puppolo said that removal of trees for a 16-acre solar array project may affect the area’s groundwater.

Panelists include Steve Fox, UMass Amherst senior lecturer and former Washington Post reporter; Payton North, Reminder Publications executive editor; and NEPM reporter Caitlin Reardon.

One of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the United States is located right here in the 413. The Quabbin Reservoir provides 3.1 million people in central and eastern Massachusetts with drinking water, but could more western Massachusetts communities gain access to that resource?

The Pittsfield schools superintendent double checked some state numbers and unlocked $2.4 million in additional state aid for the district facing $3.6 million in budget cuts. We talk about this as many more western Massachusetts school districts grapple with budget woes.

Plus, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) announced late last week it is terminating its $185 million contract with the Springfield train car manufacturer CRRC. We get into the impacts this canceled contract could have on the company and the community.

This week’s panel includes veteran journalist Mike Dobbs; Matt Szafranski, editor-in-chief at Western Mass Politics & Insight; and NEPM reporter Nancy Eve Cohen.

Today on The Rundown, panelists discuss alleged civil rights violations at Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools, which have garnered attention from conservative and progressive media. We dig into the defamation and discrimination lawsuit that sparked this hotbed issue.

Magic mushrooms might be on the ballotwhen you cast your vote this November. What are the policy details and the potential impacts of legalizing psychedelics?

History was made this week as the fourth-largest city in New England swore in its first Black police superintendent, Lawrence Akers. As the Springfield Police Department continues to confront institutional blunders, we discuss the challenges ahead for Akers.

This week’s panel includes Dave Esenstadter, MassLive managing producer; Robert Rizzuto, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department public information officer; and NEPM reporter Nirvani Williams.

Plus, we’ll hear reporting highlights of the week from the NEPM newsroom, including a story about a new poll of Massachusetts residents that has President Joe Biden with a comfortable lead in the 2024 election, and more.

Today on The Rundown with Carrie Saldo, panelists discuss the impact of a new hospital in North Adams. Ten years after the closure of the only regional hospital in northern Berkshire County, the North Adams Regional Hospital has admitted its first patient.

And manufacturers of PFAS, an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are under legal fire from the city of Westfield, the Massachusetts attorney general, and more. We'll dig into the details behind the lawsuits that allege toxic chemicals are contaminating the environment.

Plus, eclipse mania! What can you expect to see on April 8, and why it’s the subject of conversation around water coolers and kitchen tables everywhere.

This week’s panel includes Dusty Christensen, investigative editor for the Shoestring; Greta Jochem, investigations editor for the Springfield Republican; and NEPM reporter Alden Bourne.

Plus, reporting highlights from the NENC on the GOP’s attempts at a modest comeback in very blue Massachusetts and the importance of protecting your eyes during the upcoming eclipse.

Find more information about the eclipse from NASA.

On The Rundown, our panel confronts a continuance without a finding. Key figures facing criminal neglect charges in the Holyoke Soldiers' Home COVID outbreak of 2020 had their latest day in court and we discuss how these cases were resolved.

The state’s new commissioner of elementary and secondary education promises to return local control of Holyoke’s school district. What does this mean for the Paper City?

And, the Biden administration is refusing a disaster declaration request to provide federal funds to three Massachusetts counties hit hard by flooding, and the western Massachusetts congressional delegation is pushing back. 

This week’s panel includes MassLive reporter John Micek, political consultant Anthony Cignoli and NEPM reporter Jill Kaufman.

Plus, we’ll hear some reporting highlights of the week from the NEPM Newsroom and the NENC with stories about crows contributing to new advanced imaging technology, marijuana community impact lawsuits, and America’s fastest growing sport: pickleball.