Beverly Bootstraps and The Salem Pantry have seen a surge in donations and people seeking help over the weekend in anticipation of SNAP payments ending Nov. 1 amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Some of the pressure on local food pantries could ease after Monday, when the Trump administration announced it would pay out about half of regular SNAP benefits this month after two federal judges ruled the administration’s prior decision to stop all SNAP payments was unlawful.
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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana University is allowing its student newspaper to resume print editions after school administrators faced national backlash and allegations of censorship for abruptly ending print publications in October.
IU Chancellor David Reingold told the Indiana Daily Student in a letter published Thursday that he had authorized the newspaper to use its established budget this year “as the editors see fit — so long as they remain true to their budgetary parameters.”
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BLOOMINGTON — Indiana University is allowing its student newspaper to resume print editions after school administrators faced national backlash and allegations of censorship for abruptly ending print publications in October.
IU Chancellor David Reingold told the Indiana Daily Student in a letter published Thursday that he had authorized the newspaper to use its established budget this year “as the editors see fit — so long as they remain true to their budgetary parameters.”
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BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey is citing progress with the state’s efforts to crack down on street “takeovers” fueled on social media by drag racing enthusiasts.
On Thursday, Healey announced that state and local enforcement officials have thwarted attempted car “meet ups” in the state over the past week through online investigations that resulted in arrests and hundreds of traffic citations.
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METHUEN — School officials defended the separation of school and city legal services Monday night in opposition to efforts by some to consolidate resources.
The City Council has been discussing a tabled measure that would affirm City Solicitor Paul O’Neill is in charge of all legal services for Methuen, including its schools.
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A Salem woman who was arrested in 2023 for allegedly taking part in a ring selling stolen human remains claims her case should be dismissed because body parts are not legally considered “goods” — an argument a judge turned down this week.
Katrina Maclean, 46, owner of the Peabody-based “Kat’s Kreepy Kreations” and curator of Freaksantiquesuniques, argued in a brief filed in April that human remains are not considered property under the law.
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BOSTON — Backers of the state’s “millionaires tax” are accusing the Healey administration of defying the will of voters by tapping into proceeds from the tax to close out the previous fiscal year budget.
A supplemental budget filed by Gov. Maura Healey aimed at closing out the previous fiscal year budget calls for spending $225 million in “millionaires tax” proceeds to cover costs for grants to child care programs, universal free school meals, transportation service expansions and other items.
But the Massachusetts Teachers Association, a chief proponent of the tax, is blasting the proposal to use the money this way, saying the funding needs should have been covered by other revenue sources.
“Fair Share funds must be used to build upon the existing spending for public education and transportation, and not become dollars lost on balance sheets,” MTA President Max Page said in a statement. “Gov. Healey’s supplemental budget proposal defies the will of the voters and the spirit of Fair Share, which is raising money to grow our public education and transportation systems.”
Voters approved the so-called Fair Share proposal in the 2022 elections, setting a new 4% surtax on people with incomes above $1 million a year. The state collected more than $2.1 billion from the tax in the previous year, exceeding projections by budget writers.
A spokesman for the state’s Executive Office of Administration and Finance defended the governor’s proposal, saying the spending is in line with the intent of the voter-approved tax and the state budget.
“Our administration has consistently demonstrated our commitment to fulfilling the will of the voters who approved the Fair Share surtax to support our education and transportation systems,” the agency said in a statement. “The supplemental budget filed by the Governor maintains that commitment by proposing to use a limited amount of surplus surtax for education and transportation programs like universal school meals and child care provider grants.”
The approach, the agency said, “aligns with how surtax revenue was budgeted in Fiscal Year 2025 and is necessary to close Fiscal Year 2024 in balance.”
Healey’s $714 million supplemental spending plan, which requires legislative approval, seeks to close funding gaps for public health, substance use treatment and education, and fund collective bargaining agreements with labor unions.
It also calls for overhauling how Massachusetts approves renewable energy infrastructure projects, which has also drawn criticism from lawmakers who view it as an end-run around a stalled clean energy bill.
The issue of how billions of dollars in proceeds from the tax will be spent by the state government was a key issue in the debate over the proposal.
A chief criticism was claims by tax proponents that the money will be devoted exclusively to transportation and education spending were misleading.
A 2022 report by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis ahead of the tax’s approval by voters warned that while the plan clearly stated the money must be devoted to education and transportation, not all the surtax revenue is likely to be spent in those areas.
“The problem is fungibility, or the ease with which lawmakers can shift money between programs,” the report’s authors wrote. “There is nothing illegal or untoward about this approach; it’s a common part of legislative horse-trading.”
The report estimates that for every dollar raised by the surtax, spending on the stated earmarks is likely to increase by 30 cents to 70 cents, with the remainder being “diverted to other areas of the budget,” they wrote.
It also noted that revenue from the tax would be “highly volatile” and is likely to rise or fall sharply, depending on the economic conditions. The number of people paying the tax will increase gradually over time, the report noted.
Supporters say taxing the rich means more money to improve neglected public schools, expand child care options, and fix potholed roads and crumbling bridges.
Opponents argue the tax is hurting businesses and driving away corporate investment and job creators, while putting a drag on the state’s economy as it recovers from residual impacts of the pandemic.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
ANDOVER — Perfect late summer weather and the desire to support a good cause helped attract a large crowd to the 26th Hike for Hope walk on Saturday at The Park.
The daylong event kicked off with the annual walk and was followed by a family-friendly festival with live music, games and food trucks. Money raised through the walk supports those facing poverty, homelessness and hunger through programs offered at Lazarus House in Lawrence. Lazarus House, which opened its doors in 1983, has already served more than 30,000 guests in 2024. Among the participants were Micki LeBlanc, 84, and Denise Labrecque, 66, of Salem, N.H., who have raised more than $200,000 since the walk began.
Recent gun accidents were in the news on this day in 1880. One man took his gun out of his boat muzzle and shot himself, another young man’s gun exploded as he was trying to shoot a squirrel out of a tree, and a third shot his own hand off. The newspaper declared that its best advice for when one goes out is to leave the gun at home.
METHUEN — The City Council will likely vote on the purchase of the historic Searles Estate for the second time next month.
The council voted against the purchase of the property for $3.25 million last week, which would typically mean the end of the proposed resolution. But after recent legal advice from City Solicitor Kenneth Rossetti, Chair Joel Faretra said he will bring the matter back for another vote at the council’s next meeting in September.
City officials aim to preserve the historic site by acquiring the property from the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Those opposed have cited fiscal responsibility and said the city does not have a comprehensive plan for the aging estate.
The Searles Estate encompasses 25 acres, with 19 available for purchase by the city. The estate is valued at $10 million. The acquisition would also include $1 million in artifacts.
The vote Aug. 5, which left the community sharply divided, included two councilor absences and an abstention, leading to a potential conflict of interest.
Only six of nine councilors voted. Faretra, Nicholas DiZoglio, Ronald Marsan and Allison Mary Saffie voted in favor while Neily Soto and Patricia Valley were opposed.
Faretra said he was informed that the majority party can bring an item back for a vote, rather than just the prevailing side.
Soto said preserving the estate is important but that it should be done through a public-private partnership which places less of a burden on taxpayers.
Twelve potential buyers have looked at the estate over the years. One developer presented a plan that would demolish the estate and build apartments, according to the city.
Sisters of the Presentation of Mary purchased the estate in 1957 to house Presentation of Mary Academy, which closed in 2020. Since then, the religious order has endeavored to find a buyer.
The order was founded in France in 1796 and came to the United States in 1853, according to its website.
The estate would likely need about $250,000 in annual maintenance, according to Chief Administrative & Financial Officer Maggie Duprey.
The Methuen Historical Society has called the estate an “irreplaceable treasure” and urged the council and the community to support the purchase.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 3 but that date will likely be adjusted due to the state primary elections, Faretra said.
NEWBURYPORT — Anna Jaques Hospital will award $100,000 in grant money over the next two years to 10 community-based organizations serving the health needs of area residents.
The grants are part of the hospital’s Community Benefits Program to support programs that address community health priorities and help those facing the greatest health inequities within the hospital’s service area, according to a release from Anna Jaques.
Residents of Newburyport, Amesbury, Haverhill, Salisbury and Merrimac will benefit from the funding. Anna Jaques is part of Beth Israel Lahey Health.
The selection criteria for the grants included four major health priorities affecting the community that were identified during the hospital’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, completed in 2022: equitable access to care, social determinants of health, mental health and substance use, and chronic/complex conditions.
“By supporting and investing in local organizations that share our goal in addressing the health needs of our region, we improve the quality of life for local residents while strengthening the communities that we serve,” Glenn Focht, M.D., the hospital’s president, said in the release.
“We are proud to support these local organizations and the important work they do to reduce health disparities and inequities throughout our region,” he added.
The following 10 nonprofit organizations will receive two-year grants of $5,000 per year, for a total of $10,000:
Common Ground Ministries: This program provides basic services aimed at alleviating hunger and homelessness while being an advocate for those in need. The grant will help 90 to 100 people who the program serves each day.
Mitch’s Place, Emmaus, Inc.: This temporary overnight emergency shelter provides adults with a bed, meals, and housing search and employment assistance along with help securing permanent housing and health and social services. The money will help the shelter serve the 400 people it assists annually.
McKinney-Vento Program, Haverhill Public Schools: The grant will fund food programs, including food closets and a food pantry program, for families whose children attend Haverhill Public Schools and are experiencing homelessness. The program seeks to help an additional 40 students and up to 15% more families.
Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center, Youth Empowerment Series: This series provides violence prevention programs that teach students of all ages to lead conversations on healthy relationships and to make positive decisions. The money will fund expansion of the series into Newburyport, allowing the program to serve an additional 100 to 150 participants.
Link House: Children and Teen Center for Help (CATCH): CATCH seeks to empower and support those ages 5 to 18 and their families across the region to understand and nurture their mental well-being. The funding will help to increase the number of young people served by 10%.
Northern Essex Elder Transport (NEET): This volunteer driver program provides adults age 60 and older across the region with no-cost transportation to medical appointments. The funding will support the 4,000 rides provided to 500 people annually.
Nourishing the Northshore: VEGOUT program: This program provides free fresh, locally grown produce to food pantries and senior centers across the region from June to October. The money will help provide 280,000 servings of food — a 55% increase from 2023.
Our Neighbors’ Table: Wednesday Meal Program: The grant will assist this weekly community program based in Amesbury, which provides a hot, three-course meal served by volunteers or as carry-out orders to 300 people each Wednesday.
The Pettengill House: Behavioral Event and Substance Support Team (BESST): The money will provide a social worker and support for people and families with mental health and substance abuse needs in Merrimac, Salisbury, Amesbury and Newburyport. The program assisted 462 people in 321 households in 2023.
Sarah’s Place Adult Health Center: This senior adult day health program offers outreach and education to assist people in remaining healthy and independent in their own homes. The funding will help enroll an additional 25 to 50 participants in the program.
Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after a stunning 48 hours in which a bank run and a capital crisis led to the second-largest failure of a financial institution in U.S. history. What do you think?
“Let’s hurry up and bail it out so we can do this all over again.”
Ethan Dodds, Capsicum Specialist
“Just tell me if I have to jump out of my penthouse or not.”
Nora Khoury, Merkin Designer
“We deregulated our way into this mess, and we can deregulate our way out of it.”
YouTuber and internet personality Logan Paul has found himself with a massive target on his forehead recently. Paul, who’s been on something of a redemption arc these last few years following the “suicide forest” fiasco in December 2017, is back in hot water after crypto investigator Stephen “Coffeezilla” Findeisen published a three-part video series looking into CryptoZoo, a blockchain “game” Paul once heavily promoted. There are just two glaring problems here: The game doesn’t exist yet, and Paul’s most ardent fans and early investors have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process of supporting it.
Logan Paul, the older brother of boxer and media personality Jake Paul, is a YouTuber who began creating content on Vine in the early 2010s before migrating to Google’s video platform once Vine shuttered. He regularly uploads vlog-style videos in which he offers viewers a voyeuristic look into his daily life and the various shenanigans he engages in. While already a controversial figure during his early content creation days, Paul didn’t really draw the internet’s ire until December 2017 when he filmed a video in Japan’s Aokigahara Forest in which he and members of his crew filmed and interacted with a dead body in a manner many considered tasteless and inappropriate. (Aokigahara has a reputation for being a site of frequent suicides.)
This video and the subsequent reaction to it absolutely tanked Paul’s career for much of 2018. However, since then, Paul’s been rehabilitating his image as a media personality and professional wrestler, signing to WWE’s Raw while hosting a YouTube podcast that boasts over four million subscribers. Dude’s doing very well for himself. However, he’s the internet’s main character again following what appears to be his involvement in one of the biggest crypto scams that has been uncovered to date.
Coffeezilla
In a three-part video series totaling a little over an hour, Stephen “Coffeezilla” Findeisen—a YouTuber who “uncovers scams, fraudsters, and fake gurus that are preying on desperate people with deceptive advertising”—looked into CryptoZoo. What the hell is CryptoZoo? Well, as Paul explains it, it’s a “really fun game that earns you money.” According to the official website, which says the game is currently “undergoing upgrades to the core infrastructure of the ecosystem,” CryptoZoo is an “autonomous ecosystem that allows ZooKeepers to buy, sell, and trade exotic animals and hybrids.” Basically, it’s an NFT game in which players purchase zoo coins, CryptoZoo’s in-game currency, to buy egg NFTs that are hatched to become animals. Once hatched, you then breed those animals together to make hybrids and the rarer the hybrid, the higher the daily yield of zoo coins. Cash those out and boom, you’re pulling in money. In short, it’s structured to work like passive income.
Unfortunately, this “play-to-earn” NFT game filled with hand-made art—as Paul likes to heavily emphasize on his podcast Impaulsive—has never yet been playable, despite letting people sink tons of money into it. Coffeezilla discovered that, since CryptoZoo’s introduction in 2021, Paul stans have spent some $2.5 million on eggs alone, with the coin itself skyrocketing to a market cap of roughly $2 billion. Some folks Coffeezilla talked to shelled out tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars on CryptoZoo because they believed Paul was a “changed man” and he was creating a “safe place” for the everyperson to invest in cryptocurrency. Turns out they were wrong, at least on the second part, because now those people are out thousands of dollars.
Coffeezilla
Rob, or Helicopter Bob, one of the victims Coffeezilla video-chatted with, said he lost “just under $7,000 with CryptoZoo.” Helicopter Bob explained that the passive income, the project’s core mechanic, “never did [work] from the beginning and wasn’t even written into the contract where it showed you were actually yielding with Zoo.” He went on to say that “there was no way to claim your yield [and] there never was.” Basically, people were putting money into a system that was providing zero returns.
Worse yet, as an unnamed person told Coffeezilla in a separate video call, those who invested in CryptoZoo couldn’t even hatch the eggs they bought. “It’s just a picture,” the person said about the eggs. “There’s nothing I can do with it. It’s basically worth nothing whatsoever.” So, you’ve got diehard Paul fans pining to play a nonfunctioning game and losing money in the process. A game, mind you, that still doesn’t work to this day.
Coffeezilla
In Coffeezilla’s videos, we hear Paul explain certain issues with CryptoZoo’s development. Specifically, he says a “developer fled to Switzerland” with the source code and held it hostage for $1 million, and this is why the game’s been broken. But this developer, who Coffeezilla spoke to in the course of his investigation, claims that he hadn’t been paid at all for his work on CryptoZoo, despite bringing on a team of 30 engineers and burning $50,000 a week to build the NFT project. Another CryptoZoo developer Coffeezilla spoke with corroborated the claim, saying he also hadn’t been paid at all. Not only were Paul’s fans finding holes in their wallets after investing in CryptoZoo, but it appears that the people working on the project weren’t even being paid adequately or on time.
Kotaku reached out to Findeisen and Paul for comment.
Paul, for his part, has said that the report is “simply not true” and that, “when appropriate, all bad actors will be exposed, explained, & held fully accountable,” promising more details in his January 3 podcast. On December 26, Paul publicly invited Coffeezilla to appear on the Impaulsive podcast to hash everything out, though Coffeezilla responded by saying that he’d already invited Paul onto his show the day before. It remains to be seen whether or not anything will come to fruition from these exchanges.
Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen announced that they “amicably finalized” their divorce after 13 years of marriage. What do you think?
“Now he can finally focus on his career!”
Josephine Carrillo, Freelance Bagger
“This is exactly why I refuse to date supermodels.”
Clarence Warner, Glaciologist
“She should have respected his wishes to put his family a distant second.”
