The Rundown

Host Jill Kaufman and panelists dive deep into questions 4, 5 and 9 that Massachusetts residents will see on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026: Voters in Western Massachusetts, are you ready for a nine-question ballot this election day? If not, have no fear! We’ll be looking closely at some of the proposed measures, and what a yes or no answer means for each. 

The proposals we’re examining include canceling firearms legislation, question 9, and same-day voter registration, question 4, and about how the state calculates tax revenue, question 5, which holds potential to return more money back to taxpayers, though that could make state budgets more difficult to design.

This week's panel includes Kevin Moran, executive editor of the Berkshire Eagle; Tatishe Nteta, provost professor of political science and director of the UMass Amherst Poll; and Elizabeth Román, executive editor for NEPM news. 

Host Jill Kaufman and panelists dive deep into questions 1, 3, 7 and 8 that Massachusetts residents will see on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026: 

Voters in western Mass., are you ready for a nine-question ballot this Election Day? If not, have no fear! We take a close look at some of the proposed measures, and what a yes or no answer means for each. We tackle Question 1, a question proposed to expand the public records law; Question 3, which aims to create all-party primaries; Question 7; an effort to build more housing in Mass.; and Question 8, the initiative to prohibit the sale of legalized recreational marijuana.

Plus, we open with a little advice on how to prepare for that moment when you're in the tiny voting cubicle. Pro-tip, you can bring in some notes! 

This week's panel includes Eric Lesser, senior counsel at WilmerHale & former state senator; NEPM reporter Phil Bishop; and reporter emeritus Paul Tuthill. 

Great Barrington has declared a local state of emergency over longstanding issues with their local water utility, Housatonic Water Works, which has been bleeding cash and leaving residents frustrated. 

And public records show the Hampden County Sheriff's department regularly shared inmate data with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We discuss how previously standard law enforcement partnerships face new scrutiny in the age of ICE.

Plus, a proposed hyperscale data center project in Westfield is no more after the planning board denied the developer an extension on their permit. We break down how this decision defies trends in data center discontent.

We're running down all that this week with panelists Jonathan Gerhardson, investigative reporter at The Shoestring; Greg Sukiennik, editor at the Berkshire Eagle; and Adam Hinds, fellow at Harvard in the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.

More communities in western Mass. are pushing against automated license plate readers from companies like Flock Safety. We hear the latest on an effort in Springfield to ditch the cameras and why people feel they're violating their privacy.

And, voters in Massachusetts will decide on a staggering 9 ballot questions when they hit the polls in November. We break down a measure to expand public records access and another to reshape how the state runs its primary elections.

Plus, a years-long battle between animal rights advocates at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and UMass Amherst reignited this week. We discuss a new lawsuit trying to unveil who makes decisions on animal welfare at the school.

We run down all that and more this week with our panel: Greta Jochem, investigations editor at the Springfield Republican; Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Anthony Cammalleri; and Dave Eisenstadter, state editor at MassLive.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office released a long-awaited state report that found hundreds of Catholic clergy in three dioceses, including Springfield, abused nearly a thousand children over decades.. 

We also look at the Boston Globe's report into how state regulators allowed out-of-state operators to purchase dozens of Mass. nursing homes, including ones in the 413. We discuss the impact as owners then squeezed the facilities for profit while the quality of care plummeted. 

Plus, voters in 19 Franklin County towns will decide if their taxes will pay about half the cost of a new technical high school, totaling more than $230 million. And in another special election, some small regional districts will vote on regionalizing even more.

Host Jill Kaufman is joined by panelists Aprell May Munford, reporter for the Springfield Republican; Erin-Leigh Hoffman, reporter for the Greenfield Recorder; and Matt Szafranski, editor of Western Mass Politics and Insight. 

We hash out the latest on a lawsuit against OpenAI brought by news publishers including local news outlet The Shoestring. They allege the company stole their work to build up their AI models. 

And the most recent MCAS results are out. While the tests are not a graduation requirement anymore, they still give us insight into what students are struggling with. We discuss how western Mass. is faring. 

Plus, a lesbian bar in Greenfield, Last Ditch, has been making national headlines after their decision to loosen its mask mandate which sparked an intense backlash on social media. What do you do when a mission of inclusivity clashes with the bottom line? 

This week’s panel for The Rundown includes Dusty Christensen, investigations editor at The Shoestring; reporter emeritus Paul Tuthill; and NEPM reporter Jill Kaufman. 

Springfield Public Schools was the target of a cyberattack that kept kids out of schools for a week and gave hackers access to an unknown amount of personal data. How does the reliance of tech make educators more vulnerable in the modern day? We discuss.

Plus, Springfield is playing host to two major pieces of litigation. We break down the latest on a lawsuit about a courthouse, and another about a casino. 

And, data center discontent is sweeping Massachusetts as more and more communities are either pumping the brakes or banning the things outright. Why does everyone seem to hate data centers, and how is the state keeping up with the shift in public opinion?

We're running down all of that and more this week with host Phil Bishop and panelists G. Michael Dobbs of Focus Springfield; Jim Kinney, reporter at The Springfield Republican; and Elizabeth Román, executive news editor at NEPM.

Residents in the 413 are concerned about potential negative health impacts from at least three different sites across the region: a cell tower, a natural gas plant, and water sewerage plants. What are the specific issues, and how are municipalities and the state reacting? We’ll discuss.

And, the Berkshire Museum wrapped a lengthy renovation and is now back open to the public. Nearly a decade after a controversial auction of some of its artwork, has the community closed that chapter once and for all? 

Plus, how does incumbency play into a candidate’s decision to participate in civic debate with their opponents come election season? 

We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Springfield Republican Reporter Jim Kinney; Berkshire Eagle Executive Editor Kevin Moran; and Executive Editor for NEPM News Elizabeth Román. 

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center urges state officials to avoid a federal school voucher program, saying it’s weighted to benefit private schools. What does this mean for public schools? We unpack the details.

And, while ten municipalities in the state – including one in the 413 – try to move away from fossil fuels, utility companies are investing $100 million in natural gas pipelines for most of them. We find out why.

Plus, independent dairy farming in western Mass. takes a hit as Berkshire County loses another farm. What’s the future of local milk production in the 413? We discuss.

As voters prepare to vote on a recreational marijuana repeal, South Hadley will consider lifting a ban on marijuana establishments. We talk about it more, and if this is representative of the proposal for a statewide ban.

We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Chris Maza, executive editor of Reminder Publishing; Bridgette Davis, assistant professor of public policy at UMass Amherst; NEPM news reporter Phil Bishop; and making his debut on the panel, Jordan Wolman, a senior reporter at CommonWealth Beacon.

The inequity of being the clean air and water resource for the state is bubbling to the surface in western Mass. in at least two recent news stories about the communities of the Quabbin Reservoir. We’ll unpack the details. 

And, on heels of last week’s discussion about the controversy surrounding the winning bid to develop a new court house in Springfield, detailed reporting from the Springfield Republican newspaper reveals that the winning bidder, in the state’s eyes, was the third place choice among court house officials.

Plus, as The World Cup winds down this weekend, and a soccer mystery in the 413 that’s proving to be less whodunnit and more "why wasn’t it done…” 

We’re running down all of that and more this week with our panel: Dusty Christensen, investigations editor at The Shoestring; Erin-Leigh Hoffman, reporter with the Greenfield Recorder; Phil Bishop, NEPM news reporter; and Rich Parr, vice president at the MassINC Polling Group.