If you live in one of these 12 states: Then at some point next year, you’ll no longer be able to buy soda with SNAP funds. All 12 of these states have been granted waivers by the federal government to ban soda purchases with SNAP funds (among other things) under HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative. The waivers take effect between January and July 2026, depending on the state. In many [...]

New Jersey's had a rough go of it lately. More specifically, it recently watched three more factories close as jobs continue to flee the state. Every closure is unique - some factories go under because of tariffs, others because of global streamlining, others still because of relocations to states with friendlier labor laws... But the pain felt by the workers who have lost their jobs and the economies that have lost [...]

Massachusetts seems to be getting more than its fair share of bad news lately. More specifically, a number of beloved chain restaurants are rapidly closing locations, reducing the number of choices residents have when eating out. The issues are, of course, not specific to Massachusetts - rising food and labor costs, worker shortages, uncertain consumer demand, and the rise of food delivery apps - but they certainly [...]