August 2025 – The Shoestring
Independent News for Western Mass| The Shoestring
Six candidates, including one incumbent, vying for two at-large City Council seats and will face off in a September preliminary election.| The Shoestring
Demonstrators aimed to prevent L3Harris employees from entering their workplace early Wednesday morning, calling attention to the company’s ties to the genocide in Gaza.| The Shoestring
Cuts are already limiting Mass. residents’ access to research and educational tools, but there is still time to oppose them.| The Shoestring
Federal agents have already disappeared some living without legal status in western Mass; for others, fear pervades.| The Shoestring
The fallout continues from UMass' protest encampment crackdown. Records show the police response cost at least tens of thousands of dollars.| The Shoestring
Activists continue to call for UMass to divest from war profiteers and drop charges against demonstrators.| The Shoestring
Via the state attorney general's office and preventive city ordinances, local workers are fighting to get their full paychecks.| The Shoestring
After 10 years under state control, officials have lauded the progress the district has made. But others have questioned the metrics the state has used to measure that success.| The Shoestring
The demonstration comes as more of Israel's political allies break with the country over the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.| The Shoestring
Earlier this month, youth who have experienced the Massachusetts foster care system spoke out on Beacon Hill.| The Shoestring
The end of the pandemic-era program means the loss of millions of dollars of direct aid for the state’s poorest residents. By Brian Zayatz Beginning in March, recipients of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits around the country will no longer receive extra benefits on their cards each month, due to negotiations over the federal […]| The Shoestring
Lawyers representing indigent defendants have drawn the ire of legislators and the governor as they refuse low-paying work| The Shoestring
A network of hundreds of cameras, accessible to police at any time for any reason, is concentrated in the city's poorest areas.| The Shoestring
Food assistance organizations are bracing for spikes in already-record numbers of residents seeking help as new SNAP cuts follow the expiration of the pandemic welfare state.| The Shoestring
After a decade of receivership, members of the Holyoke Teachers Association feel the state’s exit plan comes up short of justice for the predominantly Hispanic district.| The Shoestring
On May Day, teachers staged “walk-ins,| The Shoestring
Marchers trekked from Northampton to Springfield to pressure U.S. Senators Warren and Markey to work to end Israel's bombardment of Gaza.| The Shoestring
Thousands rallied across the region. Left-leaning organizations took an opportunity to underline societal discontent across political identities.| The Shoestring
Militant groups have targeted local Palestine-solidarity activists — part of what they say is an intimidation campaign to silence them.| The Shoestring
After several tense meetings, the commission named financiers of racist local real estate deeds, including Smith College and numerous local banks, with little fanfare.| The Shoestring
Some commissioners feel the commission did not talk to enough residents and skirted around issues of money.| The Shoestring
The Shoestring spent months investigating the police crackdown on a pro-Palestine encampment last spring. Body-camera footage shows violent and derogatory police behavior toward protesters.| The Shoestring
The state police response cost over $60,000, on top of $42,000 spent on UMass police presence. The university is now considering more stringent protest policies.| The Shoestring
