Springfield's schools are closed today — and the reason should worry every district in the state.

All Springfield Public Schools buildings are shut down today after what officials are calling a "cyber incident" interrupted systems needed for basic school operations. Superintendent Dr. Sonia Dinnall has ordered every staff member and every student with a district-issued laptop to stay off district networks entirely until officials figure out what happened. After-school programs are canceled too. The central office is open, but even phone service may be spotty.

Here's the part that should really get your attention: this is at least the fourth time in recent years a Massachusetts school district has been hit hard enough by a cyberattack to shut down entirely. Nantucket schools closed after a ransomware attack, and Fall River's South Coast-area district went dark this spring for the same reason. School districts are increasingly soft targets — they hold troves of student and staff personal data, often run on underfunded and outdated IT infrastructure, and don't have the cybersecurity budgets of a hospital or a bank. Springfield is the state's third-largest district, serving roughly 24,000 students, so this isn't a small blip.

What happens next: expect a slow, cautious reopening as investigators determine the scope of the breach — whether it's ransomware, a data exfiltration, or something else — and whether any student or employee data was compromised. If history is a guide, that determination could take days, and parents should watch district communications closely for updates on when (and how) school resumes. The bigger question for Beacon Hill: when does the state start treating school cybersecurity as core infrastructure funding rather than an afterthought?

Full story at WBUR →

New Bedford's license-plate camera scandal just got worse. Internal affairs records show one New Bedford police officer ran her ex-girlfriend's license plate through the department's Flock camera system more than 650 times, then ran her ex's new partner's plate over 200 times — logging the searches under false pretenses like "traffic infraction." Another officer ran his girlfriend's plate nearly 70 times. Chief Jason Thody has recommended both officers be fired, and the department's entire Flock system remains suspended following a public backlash. New Bedford Light →

A new coalition wants to undo the state's abortion law — via the ballot box. The Compassionate Care Coalition, backed by Massachusetts Citizens for Life and Massachusetts Family Action, filed paperwork with Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office to try to repeal the law Governor Maura Healey signed in August, which removed restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks in cases of serious medical complications. The effort would target the 2028 ballot, meaning this fight is just getting started. CommonWealth Beacon →

State Police bring in outside monitors after recruit's death. Nearly two years after 25-year-old recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia died following a boxing exercise at the State Police Academy, the department has hired PFM Group Consulting to independently track its progress on 103 recommended reforms over the next five years. Four troopers face criminal charges in connection with Delgado-Garcia's death. A new recruit class — delayed from its original June start — will finally begin training in late October. WBZ / CBS Boston →

UnitedHealth executives are pouring money into Rep. Katherine Clark. More than 40 UnitedHealth officials and board members — led by CEO Stephen Hemsley and his wife — have donated over $100,000 to Clark's campaign this cycle, far more than any other federal candidate has received from the insurer's leadership. The timing isn't subtle: Clark is the No. 2 House Democrat, and the industry clearly sees her as a firewall against progressives pushing Medicare for All. Boston Globe →

Rockland is running out of water, literally. Under an ongoing Level 4 emergency water restriction, Rockland's Select Board is weighing whether to join the MWRA regional water system — a move that would solve the town's chronic shortage but come with a steep, multi-decade price tag. The town's water utility, run jointly with Abington, is also juggling a new PFAS treatment plant and reservoir expansion while housing growth adds even more pressure to a strained supply. South Shore News →

Plymouth's preservation money has a paperwork problem. A town audit found 44 Community Preservation Act–funded properties — parks, historic sites, affordable housing — are missing legally required deed restrictions, some dating back over two decades. The revelation set off a tense Select Board meeting over whether the town should freeze future CPA grants until the paperwork catches up. South Shore News →

Today: New Hampshire holds its primary, with a wide-open Senate race to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and a bruising Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District featuring Shaheen's own daughter, Stefany. Results should start rolling in tonight. WCVB →

Today: Governor Healey is set to hold a news conference on the state's data center industry — worth watching given how much land, energy, and local pushback these projects are generating across Massachusetts. WWLP Western MA →

Tomorrow: Rhode Island holds its primary for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and Providence mayor — a rare four-way marquee ballot for our neighbors to the south. Boston Globe →

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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

PACs

• Forward MA Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/3/2026
• Massachusetts Freedom Fighters Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 9/3/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Compassionate Care Coalition — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/3/2026
• Clean Air Cashback Public Policy Question Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 9/3/2026

OCPF →

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