Deep dive into higher ed.

Deep dive into higher ed.

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 [https://www.businessinsider.com/massachusetts-most-educated-us-state-per-degrees] educated state for adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and now two [https://www.wgbh.org/news/education-news/2024-12-27/free-community-college-faces-growing-pains] and four year college degrees are free or low cost [https://www.mass.gov/info-details/fair-share-is-making-higher-education-more-affordable] for many people here. We examine what impact [https://www.mass.gov/news/mass-degrees-deliver-new-report-highlights-economic-impact-of-governor-healeys-college-affordability-investments]that’s having, for better and for worse. And, with rising tuition [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/20/business/college-costs-in-massachusetts-new-england/] costs, what new federal loan caps could mean for college students here in western Mass. and beyond. Plus, the job market is thawing [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/06/08/newsletters/massachusetts-job-market/] 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 [https://commonwealthbeacon.org/about/people/laura-colarusso/], editor for the Commonwealth Beacon; Phil Bishop [https://www.nepm.org/people/phillip-bishop], reporter for NEPM news; and recent UMass Journalism and Public Policy graduate Lucy Postera [https://dailycollegian.com/staff_name/lucy-postera/].

Rising sewer costs, license plate surveillance, remembering the 2011 tornado

Our panel explores the hidden reason why [https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/northern_berkshires/pfas-concerns-drive-up-sewage-sludge-disposal-costs-berkshire-county/article_9b52920b-fb3d-479b-a9a6-718d0c729b41.html] 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 [https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/central_berkshires/ge-rest-of-river-cleanup-reach-5a-pittsfield/article_b272e74e-6ed0-44f1-b562-e8da3adc0397.html] PCBs in the Housatonic River.  Then, license plate cameras raise privacy concerns [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/06/after-residents-raise-concerns-agawam-councilors-question-new-license-plate-cameras.html] in Agawam.  Plus, a look back [https://medium.com/@gordonmdobbs/heres-hoping-we-don-t-need-fema-assistance-this-summer-dd69e496801f] as we mark the 15th anniversary [https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2026-06-01/15-years-after-a-tornado-tore-through-springfield-mayor-sarno-reflects-on-the-citys-past-present] of the devastating tornado that touched down in western Massachusetts on June 1, 2011 [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/springfield-to-commemorate-15th-anniversary-of-tornado.html].  We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: G. Michael Dobbs [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLolIYDZfz1YJdfXhvKQiI9igy3Ls5En3Z], host of “Government Matters” at Focus Springfield; Greg Sukiennik [https://www.berkshireeagle.com/users/profile/greg%20f.%20sukiennik], news editor for The Berkshire Eagle; and Elizabeth Román [https://www.nepm.org/people/elizabeth-roman], executive news editor at NEPM.

Behind college closures, future of public transit

Our panel takes a deep-dive into the reasons why two Massachusetts colleges [https://www.masslive.com/education/2026/05/inside-the-demise-of-2-closing-mass-colleges-as-they-tried-to-survive.html], 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 [https://theshoestring.org/2026/05/27/after-success-of-fare-free-transit-whats-next-for-pvta/]? 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 [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/civil-rights-icon-and-former-state-rep-ben-swan-dies-at-92.html] and Henry M. Thomas III [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/henry-thomas-who-led-urban-league-of-springfield-for-52-years-dies-at-77.html], 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 [https://www.masslive.com/staff/amunford/], reporter for the Springfield Republican; former state senator and senior counsel at WilmerHale, Eric Lesser [https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/people/eric-p-lesser]; and Dave Eisenstadter [https://www.masslive.com/staff/deisenstadter/], state editor for MassLive.

Alleged racial segregation in schools, fed. oversight of Springfield police dept. ends & more

A Springfield student is at the forefront of a lawsuit [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/springfield-student-lead-plaintiff-in-lawsuit-against-the-state-alleging-racial-segregation-in-mass-schools.html] 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 [https://wmasspi.com/2026/04/springfield-and-feds-move-to-close-the-lid-on-pearl-street-oversight.html], reforming the department will continue [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/federal-oversight-of-springfield-police-department-ends-but-reform-work-continues.html].  And, the village known as Turners Falls marks the 350th anniversary [https://recorder.com/2026/05/17/remembering-peskeompskut-hundreds-gather-in-turners-falls-to-mark-350-years-since-great-falls-massacre/?_gl=1*e3q00p*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTEyMjMxMDI0NS4xNzc5MTk3MzA1*_ga_Z4Z8FXE9YH*czE3NzkxOTczMDQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzkxOTczMDQkajYwJGwwJGgw*_ga_VG1FLNYBX4*czE3NzkxOTczMDQkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzkxOTczMDQkajYwJGwwJGgw] of the Great Falls Massacre, we find out how the community is fighting to remember and reconnect [https://nolumbekaproject.org/350-2/] with the true history [https://recorder.com/2026/05/18/nolumbeka-project-native-american-sculpture/]. 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 [https://recorder.com/author/erin-leigh-hoffman/]; Matt Szafranski [https://wmasspi.com/about-us], editor-in-chief for Western Mass. Politics and Insight; and Springfield Republican reporter Jim Kinney [https://www.masslive.com/staff/jkinney/].

Post office closures, education cyberattack, targets on DEI

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 [https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/massachusetts-state-rep-bud-williams-leads-fight-to-save-springfields-pine-point-post-office/] and Franklin [https://gazettenet.com/2026/05/13/its-a-bummer-shutesbury-residents-lament-pending-post-office-closure/] Counties.  In education news, a conservative group files a civil rights complaint [https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/05/complaint-filed-to-get-white-students-access-to-umass-program-for-minorities.html] against UMass Amherst to give white students access to programs for minority students.  And, we examine how some schools in western Mass [https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/09/business/canvas-outage-cyberattack-havoc-colleges/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results]. have been impacted by a nationwide cyberattack [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2026/05/cyberattack-on-canvas-platform-highlights-vulnerabilities-and-risks-for-schools].  Plus, the U.S. Department of Education investigates Smith [https://www.nepm.org/regional-news/2026-05-05/i-dont-feel-safe-students-at-smith-college-react-to-federal-probe-on-colleges-trans-women-policy] 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 [https://www.wamc.org/news/2023-12-22/wamcs-pioneer-valley-bureau-chief-paul-tuthill-retires-after-nearly-five-decades-in-radio], reporter emeritus; Ryan McCollum [http://rmc-strategies.com/about-ryan-mccollum/], principal of RMC Strategies; and NEPM reporter Phil Bishop [https://www.nepm.org/people/phillip-bishop].