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The Shoestring
Healthcare costs squeeze municipal budgets, prompting exodus from regional insurer
As rising healthcare costs bear down on local governments, teachers are losing their jobs, cities and towns are cutting services, and the cash-strapped Hampshire Group Insurance Trust, which provides health insurance to thousands of municipal employees in western Massachusetts, is trying to stay afloat.
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Judge allows class-action suit against Baystate Health to proceed
Centered on patient data-sharing between Baystate and tech giants Meta and Google, the suit could expose the hospital system to hundreds of millions in liability.
UMass organizers seek unity in latest Popular Assembly
The fourth event of its kind in recent years brought organizers together to discuss coordinated efforts between parallel movements on campus.
Rural schools speak up about funding challenges
Organizers of a week of action believe state intervention can help prevent financial “death spirals” in shrinking districts
Easthampton Tenants Union is racking up wins
Citywide tenants unions are rare. But they’re starting to pop up nationwide, including in Easthampton, where neighbors are building power by fighting for cheaper rent, building maintenance, and more.
Local officials come out against rent control
Landlords and developers are organizing to oppose a grassroots ballot measure for statewide rent control, and they’re counting on elected officials to help them spread the word.
ABOUT THE SHOESTRING
The Shoestring is an independent news publication in Western Massachusetts that provides in-depth and accurate journalism covering local politics, culture, and power. We bring you the stories, perspectives, and context that no one else does, from Northampton and across the Connecticut River Valley.