This week,  jury selection started for a <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/06/murder-stoughton-cop-police-trial-murder-suicide-massachusetts-pregnant">federal murder case</a> involving a former Stoughton police detective. Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell killed 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and staged it to look like a suicide. Also this week, Gov. Maura Healey declared a<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/05/healey-heating-bills-cost-cutting-assistance-oil"> "state of energy emergency</a>" in anticipation of high heating bills this winter.  

We also check in with <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/06/gaza-israel-hamas-war-jaser-abumousa-massachusetts">Jaser AbuMousa.</a> He fled Gaza shortly after an Israeli airstrike  killed several members of his family. It was shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. AbuMousa eventually settled in Walpole, Mass. with his two surviving, teenage children. AbuMousa spoke to WBUR's Lisa Mullins about the pull he feels to rebuild his homeland versus the push to help his children move forward in their new home.

Editor's note: a previous version of this podcast had technical problems. We apologize for the error.

This week, jury selection started for a federal murder case involving a former Stoughton police detective. Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell killed 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and staged it to look like a suicide. Also this week, Gov. Maura Healey declared a "state of energy emergency" in anticipation of high heating bills this winter. We also check in with Jaser AbuMousa. He fled Gaza shortly after an Israeli airstrike killed several members of his family. It was shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. AbuMousa eventually settled in Walpole, Mass. with his two surviving, teenage children. AbuMousa spoke to WBUR's Lisa Mullins about the pull he feels to rebuild his homeland versus the push to help his children move forward in their new home. Editor's note: a previous version of this podcast had technical problems. We apologize for the error.

This week,&nbsp; jury selection started for a <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/06/murder-stoughton-cop-police-trial-murder-suicide-massachusetts-pregnant" rel="noopener noreferrer">federal murder case</a> involving a former Stoughton police detective. Prosecutors allege Matthew Farwell killed 23-year-old Sandra Birchmore in 2021 and staged it to look like a suicide. Also this week, Gov. Maura Healey declared a<a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/05/healey-heating-bills-cost-cutting-assistance-oil" rel="noopener noreferrer"> "state of energy emergency</a>" in anticipation of high heating bills this winter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

We also check in with <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/06/gaza-israel-hamas-war-jaser-abumousa-massachusetts" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jaser AbuMousa.</a> He fled Gaza shortly after an Israeli airstrike&nbsp; killed several members of his family. It was shortly after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. AbuMousa eventually settled in Walpole, Mass. with his two surviving, teenage children. AbuMousa spoke to WBUR's Lisa Mullins about the pull he feels to rebuild his homeland versus the push to help his children move forward in their new home.

Editor's note: a previous version of this podcast had technical problems. We apologize for the error.&nbsp;

Man who settled in Mass. after fleeing Gaza reflects on what it means to move forward

WBUR's Tiziana Dearing takes us through this week's top headlines. The City of Boston released a <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/14/flock-boston-police-pilot-surveillance-technology-report">report</a> saying Flock Safety failed to keep its data secure during a 2025 pilot. Rep. Lori Trahan, along with other Democrats, urged congress to quickly work on guardrails for artificial intelligence. And Ed Sheeran's upcoming at Gillette stadium is at the center of a fiery debate about <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/17/ed-sheeran-macklemore-tour-artists-drop-out">censorship</a> - specifically about Israel-Palestine.

We also <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/17/boston-free-flu-covid-vaccine-fall-clinics">spoke</a> to Dr. Ashish Jha, who's the former COVID-19 response coordinator for the Biden administration. He shared the advice he gives his own family members on vaccines.

WBUR's Tiziana Dearing takes us through this week's top headlines. The City of Boston released a report saying Flock Safety failed to keep its data secure during a 2025 pilot. Rep. Lori Trahan, along with other Democrats, urged congress to quickly work on guardrails for artificial intelligence. And Ed Sheeran's upcoming at Gillette stadium is at the center of a fiery debate about censorship - specifically about Israel-Palestine. We also spoke to Dr. Ashish Jha, who's the former COVID-19 response coordinator for the Biden administration. He shared the advice he gives his own family members on vaccines.

WBUR's Tiziana Dearing takes us through this week's top headlines. The City of Boston released a <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/14/flock-boston-police-pilot-surveillance-technology-report" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> saying Flock Safety failed to keep its data secure during a 2025 pilot. Rep. Lori Trahan, along with other Democrats, urged congress to quickly work on guardrails for artificial intelligence. And Ed Sheeran's upcoming at Gillette stadium is at the center of a fiery debate about <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/17/ed-sheeran-macklemore-tour-artists-drop-out" rel="noopener noreferrer">censorship</a> - specifically about Israel-Palestine.

We also <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/17/boston-free-flu-covid-vaccine-fall-clinics" rel="noopener noreferrer">spoke</a> to Dr. Ashish Jha, who's the former COVID-19 response coordinator for the Biden administration. He shared the advice he gives his own family members on vaccines.

What you need to know for this year's flu, cold and COVID season

Plus, anti-Semitism and racist threats force one Massachusetts college to go to remote learning this week.

Harvard Law professor weighs in on our nation's most abhorred racial slur

Rebecca Herst, the director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston, and Andrew Gottlieb, the executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, joined us to discuss the report and its impact.

Sea level rise is inevitable. Now what?

More than 30,000 people in Massachusetts identified as Ukrainian, as of 2016. U.S. Congressman for Massachusetts' fourth district Jake Auchincloss has been working with some of them.

Rep. Jake Auchincloss on Ukraine abroad and at home

Dr. Gabriela Andujar Vazquez, infectious disease physician and associate hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, joined us to talk through all of this.

Ask the Doc: Endemic versus pandemic?

For the first time in more than 700 days, the general public can walk the halls of the Massachusetts State House. WBUR State House Reporter Steve Brown joins us live from the State House to talk about what it means to be back.

Massachusetts State House reopens to the public

Plus, where are we in the transition from pandemic-COVID to endemic-COVID?

State House reopening, Russia-Ukraine tension escalating, and sea-levels rising

Learn about the most important issues facing Massachusetts from the people in charge and the people most affected.

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