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The Republican “One, Big Beautiful Bill” that has stormed through Congress is an omnibus bill that would adversely impact the lives of working-class Americans. Among the ways this legislation will impact Americans is in higher education access. In a misguided effort to slash government spending to address some very real issues of fiscal responsibility, Republicans have proposed changes to financial aid eligibility and Pell Grant allocations that would make it even harder for working students to pursue a bachelor’s degree. The bill proposes increasing the threshold for students to be recognized as full-time and thus receive adequate aid, this would be disastrous for working students who need to constantly scramble with limited time to meet credit requirements.

I’m writing to express my deep concern about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s recommendation to stop giving Covid vaccines to pregnant women and babies. His policy is not just unkind — it’s dangerous.

By JOHN PARADIS

President Trump and his MAGA movement don’t own patriotism or the American flag. Both belong to all of us.

I’m deeply disappointed, angry, and sad about what recently happened with the U.S. government funding bill — instead of blocking the Republicans’ terrible budget bill, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer helped them pass it. This gives the Trump/Musk administration free rein to continue dismantling our federal government for another six months without getting anything in return. Sen. Schumer should step aside as leader. And every Democrat in the Senate should tell him to step down now while they make plans for new leadership. I’m seeing our democracy slipping through our fingers, and want the Democratic Party to fight harder before it’s too late. So I’m calling on Senate Democrats to elect a leader who will stand firm to stop the Trump/Musk takeover.

While I appreciated U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern's time and many thoughtful responses to questions from constituents inside the First Churches of Northampton on Saturday, I was disappointed that he did not call out the crowd members who booed the man who exercised his First Amendment right to free speech and spoke his mind about Obamacare and the Inflation Reduction Act.

I’ve just read “Law looks to minimize land use concerns,” (Recorder, Dec. 7) and was reminded of our next Enviro Show Quote of the Week by John Paul II: “The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say...

Thank you for “Friends remember multi-talented political activist Joshua J. Dostis, aka Waffles T. Clown” (Recorder, Nov. 16). Over the years I had the opportunity to engage in some edgy direct actions with Waffles. Most memorable to me was our...

If I told you that our state runs the only program in the country that targets hunger and health by making fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers accessible to families on SNAP, you might feel proud of that fact. And if I shared that this...

Thank you, Recorder for your coverage of last week’s state Department of Environmental Protection hearing on FirstLight’s application for continued operation of its facilities on our beloved Connecticut River. Naturally there was a lot of concern...

I attended the wonderful Stone Soup Cafe-sponsored Harvest Supper on Aug. 24, and learned that it was initiated by the late Juanita Nelson, an advocate for local foods and farming. While at the event, I also noticed life-size likenesses of Juanita...

A gentle reminder that as we reach for cozy blankets with cooler temperatures, birds start their migration south. Lights on at night can confuse them, making their journey more difficult and dangerous. You can see who and how many are migrating at a...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Five years ago, when Florence’s Gabby Thomas moved down to Austin, Texas to begin her professional running career, her new coach Tonja Buford-Bailey decided to test her out. Thomas moved to Austin a few weeks ahead of the rest of Buford-Bailey’s...

By JEFF LAJOIE

Two was nice, but three is better.In a surprise twist, Florence’s Gabby Thomas did not close out her Olympic Games with a gold in the 4x100 meter relay.That’s because Thomas still had one more event left in the tank on Saturday – the 4x400...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Less than 48 hours removed from her gold medal in the 200 meters on Tuesday, Florence’s Gabby Thomas and the U.S. women’s 4x100 relay team advanced to the finals by winning their heat in 41.94 seconds on Thursday.Thomas will look for her second gold...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

Gabby Thomas is golden.After winning a silver medal in the 4x100 meter relay and a bronze in the 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, the former Florence resident cleared the field in the 200 on Tuesday to claim the gold medal with a time of 21.83...

By RICHARD FEIN

 This column is about Saudi Arabia, a country that is changing domestically and may be important in establishing a degree of peace and security in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is an oil-rich monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty. Sunni Islam is the...

While reading the State House News Service article “Details emerge in massive climate bill” (Recorder, June 17) it became obvious to me there was way more said between-the-lines than in the actual text. It is understandable that politicians in Boston...

By DOMENIC POLI

CHARLEMONT — Being born into slavery in a place called Libertytown is perhaps the ultimate irony.But that’s a significant part of the life story of Basil C. Dorsey, a self-emancipated man whose remarkable quest for freedom will be detailed by local...

Razvan Sibii’s thoughtful column questioning referring to this country as “America” raised interesting points for me when I read it this morning [“Should ‘America’ be a synonym for USA?” Recorder, May 22]. While viewing the recent biographical film on...

By RICHARD FEIN

This is an update on a column I wrote last year about a threat to our future well-being: the national debt. To summarize, unless the debt crisis is brought under control soon the future will be much more difficult for you, your children, grandchildren...