Opinion

Republicans in Congress, along with the Trump Administration, have suggested $880 billion in cuts over the next 10 years to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees Medicaid. Medicaid provides more than 70 million with healthcare nationwide. The Trump Administration also is attempting to cut National Institutes of Health grants for medical research.

To our city leadership: We plead with you to support these spaces and the humans behind them.

Worcester, we must reawaken the traits of good leaders born during COVID. Employees and clients are feeling betrayed by organizations taking back commitments. Reawaken your courage, curiosity, commitment, conscientiousness, and empathy.

In early February, Racquel Knight, director of Worcester-based Center for Women & Enterprise Central MA, was laid off along with the four other directors of New England's CWEs. Gaby King Morse, CEO and president of CWE, cited the President Donald Trump Administration’s attempt to freeze federal aid to nonprofits with government contracts as the reason for the layoffs.

Opportunities for AI in social good extend beyond health. Human-centered AI design utilizes deep learning to foster fair workplaces, enabling supervisors to address employee mistreatment while empowering workers to advocate for better wages and growth.

People often refer to support for justice-impacted individuals as a second chance at opportunity and employment. Such chances are critical to expanding work experience, skill development, and economic mobility.

A cryptic e-mail arrived in my inbox in early November of 2020: “I support the efforts of a philanthropist who is interested in contributing to the United Way of Central Massachusetts. I was hoping to schedule a quick follow-up call to discuss next steps.”

Public funding delays, caused by legislative processes and bureaucratic inefficiencies, force organizations to operate without signed agreements, jeopardizing their ability to meet the needs of those they serve.

Central Mass. is well positioned for economic growth in 2025. Macroeconomic factors, namely declining interest rates and a reduction in the growth rate of inflation, suggest the national economy will trend upward in 2025.

Worcester, New England’s second largest and fastest-growing major city, continues to benefit from a surge in both public and private investments. This growth is positively impacting residents and businesses across the city’s diverse community.