Cities and towns across Massachusetts hope to increase young voter turnout in local elections by lowering the voting age to sixteen or seventeen. Somerville, Northampton, Southborough and Concord are just a few of the municipalities which have attempted but failed to secure state approval.

State Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, said allowing young people to vote on local matters helps ensure they'll keep voting throughout their lives.

"That voting power fosters a real sense of civic duty and does in fact encourage higher turnout rates among young adults," she said.

Opponents contend teenagers lack the ability or motivation to fully understand what's at stake in an election. But Rausch points to Takoma Park, Maryland, where the turnout rate for sixteen and seventeen-year olds exceeded that of any other age group for the first election in which they were allowed to vote.

Rausch is sponsoring legislation to allow Massachusetts' municipalities to lower their voting age for local elections without approval from the state legislature but it's been tabled for the session. She says it's just one of a few issues where home rule gets in the way of local autonomy. Still, she said young people are already engaged in local issues, often related to their schools, and many students hold jobs and pay local taxes.

"And they are active members of every community I represent, and they are both contributors to and beneficiaries of community and local government services," she continued.

Rausch added the effort is part of civics education, which was solidified as a centerpiece of K-12 education in Massachusetts in 2018, and which received a significant funding boost from the state legislature this past year.


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Community action agencies in Utah and across the nation are celebrating 60 years of battling poverty and empowering communities, which started with the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Jennifer Godfrey, CEO of Utah Community Action, said there are a total of nine community action agencies in the Beehive State, with each one aiming to help Utahns in their own unique way. She added all nine organizations have the ability to provide services that can change people's lives.

"Not only is it incredibly humbling to be a part of that work, but it is also such an honor to be working with these individuals who are experiencing poverty," Godfrey noted. "Because everybody deserves a second chance from time to time."

Godfrey pointed out people who experience poverty are not a monolith, because poverty is a complex issue and there is not a single reason behind it for many people. In Utah, Native Americans experience the highest rate of poverty at just above 27%.

Utah has been a leader when it relates to volunteerism, and Godfrey encourages Utahns to continue strengthening its standing year-round by contacting their local action agency to help.

Utah's poverty rate is just below 9%, which sits below the national average of around 12%.

Godfrey stressed new challenges like increasing food, medical and housing costs are taking a toll on Utah residents. She added most people don't realize how many Utahns are actually living on the edge.

"In some instances, many instances in fact, the vast majority of individuals are one paycheck away from having a crisis," Godfrey asserted.

Regardless of the situation, Godfrey emphasized her organization is there to help, as action agencies are designed to be nimble to the needs of their respective communities.

A new survey of nonprofit leaders finds staff burnout is a major concern.

The 2024 "State of Nonprofits" report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy finds 95% of nonprofit leaders say staff burnout over the last year is worrying - and 57% name staff issues as one of their biggest challenges.

The Center's Vice President for Research Elisha Smith Arrillaga said the problem is getting worse.

"Burnout remains a top concern for most nonprofit leaders, which was also true last year," said Arrillaga. "But this year, we also find that half of nonprofit leaders are feeling more concerned about their own burnout than this time last year. And so that's really disconcerting to hear."

239 nonprofits took part in the survey. Researchers also found most nonprofits had a balanced budget or a surplus, this fiscal year and last.

Rusty Stahl - founder, president and CEO of the nonprofit Fund the People - said many nonprofit leaders hesitate to hire more staff because of unstable funding or restrictions on how money can be used.

But, he noted some progress. Recently, some of the country's biggest foundations moved to loosen limits on what can be spent on so-called indirect costs - such as staff and benefits.

"Nonprofit staff are not overhead," said Stahl. "They're the bedrock of organizational effectiveness. You would want to invest significantly in making sure that that bedrock is in place because everything else rides on it."

Stahl said nonprofit leaders can reduce turnover by focusing on staff wellness and improving organizational culture, employee engagement, pay, benefits, and workflow.




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The National Weather Service continues to survey damage across northern Arkansas after tornadoes ripped through the state over the weekend.

Crews have confirmed at least six twisters touched down causing widespread destruction. Schools and businesses remain closed, and thousands of residents are still without electricity as power lines across the state were destroyed.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed two executive orders, one declaring a state of emergency and a second authorizing paid leave for state employees affected by the storms.

"We are in, still, an assessment phase; we're going to have to continue," Sanders said. "The rebuilding efforts will come-this is not going to be a short process, but a long road ahead. But I can assure you that not only will our city, county, state and federal partners, we will work together. "

Seven people were killed in the tornadoes. The storms hit just a little over a year after five people were killed by tornadoes in 2023.

Families who have lost everything are receiving help from their neighbors as well as local, state and federal agencies. The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management is accepting monetary donations through the Arkansas Disaster Relief Program, and the Texas based nonprofit Texans on Mission is working with partner agencies in Arkansas to help residents pick up the pieces.

John Hall, chief mission officer and director of communications for Texans on Mission, said it is an emotional task.

"The very first thing we typically go in with is that we call box teams," Hall explained. "These are small groups of volunteers who bring in trailers full of empty boxes. They'll drive into these neighborhoods and start handing out these pre-boxes, that people then use to go through the debris and find the heirlooms and find the jewelry."

The organization also provides shower and laundry teams, mass feeding trucks and chain saw teams to clear away downed trees and debris. Crews from the National Weather Service are still checking damage patterns and the number of confirmed tornadoes could increase.


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