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By SCOTT MERZBACH

AMHERST — A briefly considered White House federal funding freeze order and other possible changes in how federal money is disbursed, including for grants related to diversity, equity and inclusion projects, is prompting University of Massachusetts leaders to keep researchers regularly updated about possible funding shortfalls and disruptions to their ongoing work.

By ALEXA LEWIS

During the last election cycle, voters in nearly a dozen legislative districts — including the district that includes all of Southampton — voted in favor of a nonbinding ballot question instructing their state representative to support a single-payer health care system in the state.

By EMILEE KLEIN

The “Doomsday Clock” is moving forward.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

BOSTON — Less than three months after voters rejected a ballot measure to legalize certain natural psychedelic substances and introduce therapeutic care, legislators have filed 10 bills at the start of this legislative session hoping to push the cause forward.

By ERIN-LEIGH HOFFMAN

ERVING — Though her midwife told her to be prepared for a quick birth, Amy Clukey expected to make it to Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield from her home in Templeton in time to deliver her second child.

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Shockwaves from a 3.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Maine could be felt across Franklin County Monday. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake stuck York Harbor in southern Maine at 10:22 a.m., and could be be felt across New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

By ALEXA LEWIS

Just a few days before a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas began last Sunday, more than 120 Valley residents eagerly tuned in to a virtual presentation by authors and friends — one Palestinian and the other Jewish — who for some time have sought ways to find common ground and bridge the divide between their peoples.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

AMHERST — Yamiche Alcindor’s “ah-ha” moment came when she was in high school and heard the story of Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of offending a white woman.

By CHRIS LARABEE

For its work in closing the digital divide in Franklin County and the North Quabbin, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance has named the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) a 2024 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer.

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

A new bill signed by Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday will ban the practice of declawing cats in Massachusetts, a victory for animal rights activists who view declawing as inhumane.

By SAMUEL GELINAS

BOSTON — Pro-immigrant nonprofits, organizers, and politicians from across the state are bracing for a second Trump presidency as they seek to protect the state’s undocumented population — and a letter recently addressed to Gov. Maura Healey may give glimpses into the reality of challenges ahead, which may include lawsuits and jail time for those disregarding federal immigration laws.

By EMILEE KLEIN

Sue Stubbs isn’t afraid of taking risks — in fact, she welcomes it.In the 1980s, near the beginning of Stubb’s 44-year career as ServiceNet’s CEO, there weren’t any homeless shelters to serve Northampton’s unsheltered population. The state saw...

By CHRIS LARABEE

GREENFIELD — With the support of a five-year, $7 million grant, three of Baystate Health’s hospitals are launching a substance use disorder treatment program, which will be based at Baystate Franklin Medical Center.The $7 million grant, awarded by the...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON — The roller coaster ride last week over a down-to-the-wire congressional spending bill ended on a high note for U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, who expressed victory that some $220 million in federal money will soon be in the hands of New England...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

SHUTESBURY — Residents, town officials and the legislative delegation are raising concerns about a proposed forest management plan for land at the edge of the Quabbin Reservoir that could involve removing many tall white pines using large equipment...

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

WENDELL — The Selectboard plans to appeal the state attorney general’s recent rejection of the town’s battery energy storage bylaw.During a Dec. 18 executive session, the Selectboard opted to contract with Springfield-based law firm Doherty Wallace...

By ALEXA LEWIS

Hunched against the cold in a warehouse filled with freshly picked vegetables, a farm laborer sat down for lunch. But her mind was somewhere else.“I’m feeling scared, because when I go out, I’m not feeling safe to walk to the supermarket. I’m worried...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

NORTHAMPTON — Even many in Donald Trump’s circle are unsure whether the president-elect intends to follow through on his often expansive, and some would say, hyperbolic rhetoric — the kind of exaggerated speech that heralded a “big, beautiful wall”...

By SAMUEL GELINAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden has been in the giving spirit. In the past month, he went out of his way and against his word by pardoning his son Hunter, followed by an announcement that he would be pardoning a list of 39 others, and granting...

By ALEXA LEWIS

EASTHAMPTON — After a “rigorous” search process, the Easthampton School Committee has selected longtime Springfield Public School District educator Michelle Balch as the district’s new superintendent.The committee voted unanimously to offer the...