Area groups are trying to make up some of the loss in SNAP federal food assistance that started Saturday. The Worcester County Food Bank distributes food to meal programs, shelters and food pantries across the region.

The controversies around Maine's Graham Platner are resurfacing difficult conversations among Democrats about who gives them the best chance to recapture the House and Senate.

Boston University community members gathered around at lunchtime Friday to watch pumpkins fall off a roof.

Cog editor Cloe Axelson interviewed Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and her dog Bailey, who's dressing up as Stephen Colbert for Halloween this year. They talked about dogs, political humor in a democracy, and why she keeps moving.

Helen Kahn, who runs the weekly market for Grow Food Northampton, said a third of all market sales are from SNAP purchases.

Said Ahmed and the Rev. Miniard Culpepper are both political newcomers battling to fill the seat of disgraced former councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in District 7, an area that includes high poverty rates, low homeownership and poor health outcomes.

Gov. Maura Healey’s cabinet has seen major turnover this year, in roles from veteran services to transportation, as the first-term Democrat faces reelection in 2026 and a continuing onslaught from the Trump administration on federal funding, energy and health care.

Pediatricians across Greater Boston said they are extending patient visits and booking follow-up appointments to talk to families about vaccines, sometimes at the expense of other important topics like sleep and nutrition.

An exhibit at Harvard's Houghton Library showcases the work of the macabre illustrator Edward Gorey, who attended the university in the 1940s.

Two IRS workers in New England say they are furloughed as the government shutdown drags on and are concerned about their livelihoods. "It about time that we stop being used as pawns in this situation," said Beth Willwerth, an IRS employee in Andover.