(Photo courtesy of MacArthur Foundation) “Disability rights advocate Alice Wong” Amy Lam Connector Staff Alice Wong, a disability rights advocate and author at age 51, died on Nov. 14 at a hospital in San Francisco. It is important to note the issues in the disability community, “People with disabilities face inaccessible educational, professional, and social environments.…
Congress set to release Epstein Files
(Photo courtesy of J. Scott Applewhite) “Epstein survivors gather outside Capitol” Makayla Mahoney Connector Staff On Wednesday, Nov. 19, President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Transparency Act after it passed unanimously in the Senate the night before. This comes after weeks of continuous pressure to release the Epstein files, a promise that President Trump ran…
Longest government shutdown ends
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Levin) “North Bridge Visitor Center in Concord” Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor After 43 days, on Nov. 12, President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan bill from both chambers of Congress, officially ending the longest government shutdown in American history. The bill was voted 60-40 in the Senate and 222-209 in the House. …
U.S. Treasury ceases penny production
(Photo courtesy of Matt Slocum) “One of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint” Olivia O’Sullivan Connector Staff On Nov. 12, 2025, after over 230 years in circulation, the last pennies were minted in Philadelphia at the U.S. Mint. The Mint has announced an auction for the final coins produced. President Trump directed the…
Americans struggle without SNAP benefits
(Photo courtesy of Matt Rourke) “Americans wait in line for food assistance” Olivia O’Sullivan Connector Staff In the wake of the government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would run out of funding to operate SNAP – the federal food assistance program – by November. The Trump administration previously stated that…
UMass Lowell students confront preachers
(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Heffner) “Students gather outside the South Campus quad” Makayala Mahoney Connector Staff On Thursday, October 30th, a UMass Lowell student threw a glass of milk at a religious demonstrator on south campus, resulting in his detainment by local law enforcement. The student was released on personal recognizance on Friday, October 31st,…
Voters rebuke Trump in 2025 elections
(Photo courtesy of Yuki Iwamura) “Zohran Mamdani declares victory at watch party” Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor On November 4, Americans headed to the polls to make their voices heard in state and local elections, marking the first test of President Donald Trump’s second administration, as the country grapples with the longest government shutdown in history. …
MassPIRG students fight for public health bill
(Image courtesy of Luke Van Horn) “Students in front of the Massachusetts State House” Sabine Laurent de Cannon Connector Editor “The Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MassPIRG) empowers many students across our state to enact social change. Whether it is civic engagement, environmentalism, or improving campus life… This organization has driven me to fight for…
