The Saturday Send: Oct. 25, 2025

 

The Saturday Send

Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed.  This week, Hallie Claflin does a deep dive into the long-term affects of Steward Health Care's bankruptcy filing, and what hospital closures could mean for the Healey administration going forward. Plus: Universities and businesses grapple with the prospect of lower international enrollment in Boston-area schools, permitting can't catch up to demand for new housing, state senators question sheriff spending, and more. Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading. — The CommonWealth Beacon team

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When communities lose trust: One year after Steward Health’s bankruptcy and the death of two hospitals By Hallie Claflin One year after Steward Health Care’s demise, the Nashoba Valley and Dorchester communities are grappling with strained EMS services, diminished access to care, and trust that has been broken. Local leaders, hospital staff, and residents say they are a testament to the devastation that lingers after communities lose their critical infrastructure. READ MORE

Mass. faces grim reality of fewer international students By Jon Marcus Massachusetts’s schools have recruited higher proportions of international students than colleges and universities almost anywhere else because of a demographic decline and the comparatively high cost of higher education here. But even before the second Trump administration, there were signs the bottom was falling out. READ MORE

Boston housing permitting lags as residents express support for zoning changes By Jennifer Smith Eighty-one percent of Boston residents, according to a new Abundant Housing Massachusetts poll, support a goal of building 30,000 new homes in Boston – signaling broad agreement on the scale of the crisis, even as questions persist about whether such targets are achievable or even useful. READ MORE

Senate Dems propose oversight council to counter ‘unsustainable’ spending growth by sheriffs By Chris Lisinski Reaching beyond the probe backed by the House, the Senate will vote Thursday on a bill that would create a “fiscal oversight council” that could force sheriffs to rein in their spending with muscular authority. READ MORE

Four Supreme Judicial Court cases to watch in November  By Jennifer Smith In November, the seven Supreme Judicial Court justices will wrestle with some disputes that are years or decades in the making. Others touch on current crises. And the Legislature’s action or inaction is often a factor. READ MORE

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The profit and price of October in Salem This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Hallie Claflin talks with Dominick Pangallo, Mayor of Salem. Every year in October, Salem experiences a massive tourism boom as more than a million visitors flock to the site of the Salem Witch Trials for the spooky season. How does a small city of 45,000 manage the influx of tourists? How do Salem residents feel about the influx? And how lucrative is the tourism industry? Pangallo addresses these and encourages all to explore the great things Salem has to offer all year round. LISTEN NOW

Published by MassINC

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