We’re taking a local approach to national affairs, especially because at the top of this administration’s list of issues is immigration, and this particular nation of immigrants is about to celebrate a birthday. 

Some of those immigrants will be naturalized as American citizens in Northampton on the 4th of July this week. and we’ll hear from folx who get to see that process firsthand from the Center for New Americans, Laurie Millman and Harleen Multani. And perhaps we'll see if we who were born here might be able to keep our citizenship if we were asked to take the same tests that we ask of those who come here from afar.

But honestly that might be a little in jeopardy too, and there’s a whole lot that is happening in the judicial branch overall, so we’ll speak with former editor-in-chief at Slate and author of Antidemocratic, Haydenville's own David Daley about the possible repercussions of the recent slew of decisions from the highest court in the land. 

Plus Mr. Universe, Kainaat Studios and Hampshire College’s Salman Hameed explores the wicked cool images we’ve gotten from the Vera Rubin Telescope, coupled with the bittersweet knowledge that the DEI forward parts of the observatory's website, and perhaps their program, have been scrubbed.