Organizers behind the nationwide "No Kings" protests claim more than 160 rallies are scheduled across the Commonwealth tomorrow.

Why it matters: Massachusetts us playing a big role in the nationwide mobilization organizers describe as possibly the largest single-day protest in U.S. history.

• With over 3,000 demonstrations planned nationwide, Massachusetts ranks second only to California in the number of scheduled events.

State of play: This will be the third wave of coordinated "No Kings" actions since the beginning of President Trump's second term.

• Protests are scheduled from the Berkshires to Cape Cod and the Islands.
• Events will run throughout the day, with start times from as early as 8:30am to as late as 5pm.

Zoom in: The flagship Mass. rally on Boston Common runs 2–4pm.

• Organizers anticipate over 100,000 protesters.
• Speakers include: Gov. Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
• The Dropkick Murphys will headline the musical lineup.

Between the lines: The protest is extending beyond domestic issues. Massachusetts Peace Action will be near the Embrace statue demonstrating against what it's calling the illegal U.S. war of aggression against Iran.

What's next: Organizers want sustained protests beyond Saturday and are urging attendees to commit to weekly pro-democracy actions.

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Some 27,000 eastern Massachusetts residents are getting letters in the mail with rare good news: They're the latest beneficiaries of a debt relief initiative, and some, if not all, of their medical debt has been wiped out.

Why it matters: One in eight Massachusetts residents has medical debt, per the state's Center for Health Information and Analysis.

• Among Black residents, that number is one in five.

Driving the news: Undue Medical Debt, with funding from the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, acquired some $42 million in medical debt earlier this year and forgave it.

• That amounts to an average of $1,560 per recipient, though they owed anywhere from $50 to $100,000, per Atrius.
• They focused on residents who earn at most 400% below the federal poverty level or who have medical debt at or above 5% of their annual income.

By the numbers: This round cleared medical debt for nearly 19,900 residents in Barnstable County.

• It also benefited residents in Plymouth, Middlesex, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Nantucket, Norfolk and Suffolk counties.

Threat level: People saddled with medical debt tend to forego medical care to avoid accumulating more debt, says Ann Hwang, the foundation's president.

• The debt may also hamper people from getting loans to pursue higher education.

How it works: Undue Medical Debt buys debt for pennies on the dollar, just like debt collection companies do.

• The debt could cover anything from emergency room visits to cancer treatment to mental health services.
• With donations, including from Atrius and individuals, the nonprofit has forgiven the debts of millions of Americans.
• Undue Medical Debt mails a letter with a confirmation number to recipients.

Recipients don't have to pay any taxes associated with having the debt forgiven, per Allison Sesso, president and CEO of Undue Medical Debt.

• There's no way to apply for the debt relief or to find out if you're a recipient of the program unless or until you get that letter.

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Few artists in recent memory have embraced their Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination as much as New Edition.

The intrigue: Each member of the group — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant — has feverishly promoted the Rock Hall's Fan Vote on social media.

• The Roxbury-born R&B act currently leads the annual poll by a solid margin over the likes of Phil Collins, P!NK and Luther Vandross.

What they're saying: "It's one of those bucket list things," Tresvant tells Axios.

• "It's rare that all of the members in a group are still here to witness this happening. It'd be a blessing to stand up there all together for an honor like that."

Reality check: Winning the Fan Vote by no means guarantees induction.

• The top seven vote-getters constitute a single "fan ballot" added to a pool of more than 1,200 voters.

Yes, but: Just the nomination caps an incredible six months for New Edition, a group that dominated the 1980s and became the archetype for the modern boy band.

State of play: Last year, the city of Boston declared Aug. 30 "New Edition Day." Boston renamed a portion of the street in the Roxbury neighborhood, where most of the members grew up, "New Edition Way."

• The group even named its current tour "The New Edition Way." The trek stopped in Cleveland a few days before this year's Rock Hall nominees were revealed.

What's next: The members say they'll continue to promote the Rock Hall nomination and keep their fingers crossed for when the class of 2026 is announced next month.

• "Some things come with patience," Bivins says. "The focus is on us now, and it feels just like it's our time."

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⚖️ A judge acquitted former North Andover police officer Kelsey Fitzsimmons of assault with a dangerous weapon, stemming from a June incident when a fellow officer shot her while serving a restraining order at her home. (Globe)

💸 Federal prosecutors charged nine people — mostly Dominican nationals in Massachusetts and New Hampshire — with running a nearly $1 million public benefits fraud scheme. (Herald)

🌉 The MBTA awarded a $1.05 billion contract to a Skanska joint venture to rebuild Draw Bridge One, one of North Station's key bridges, which carries around 80,000 commuters every day. (BBJ)

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Route 1 South was a parking lot yesterday at the start of the Brazil vs. France game.