From Other Sources: News for and About Amherst

I have assembled some local stories from the last two weeks from other media sources that we couldn’t cover in the Indy but that I think are worth reading. But first, I provide a few recommendations from readings on the security of the upcoming elections and on housing that I think are worth a look.

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This Week’s Recommended Reads

Elections
Several election law authorities (Mark Elias (Democracy Docket), Rick Hasen (Election Law Blog), Michael McNulty, and The Brennan Center for Justice) have been sounding the alarm on the Trump Administration’s plans to interfere with free and fair elections this November. While those plans are well underway, so is resistance to the plans. To me, and to these writers, the outlook is more ominous than most are predicting, and in my opinion, there is way too much writing out there suggesting that there is no need to worry, and that Trump’s plans are destined to fail. Our concern should be heightened by the recent SCOTUS decision allowing Trump to continue, for the moment, to meddle with mail-in voting, even though the Constitution gives the president no authority to regulate elections. Check out the two articles below, or Rick Hasen’s blog, for a summary of the plans to steal the elections, and what can be done about them.

The GOP Has a Plan to Undermine Free and Fair Elections. We Must Stop Them by Marc Elias (7/27/26). The GOP is not acting like a party trying to persuade voters to support its candidates — because it isn’t. Instead, the Republican Party’s entire strategy boils down to this:

1. Change the rules and misuse government resources to make it harder for Democratic voters to cast ballots.
2. Control and manipulate voter registration databases to disqualify enough Democrats from voting.
3. If all else fails, make false claims of fraud as an excuse to subvert the results.

I have written about each of these tactics separately. But with less than 100 days until the election, it is important to understand that they are part of one holistic strategy. (Democracy Docket)

The Trump Administration’s Strategy for Reshaping Elections by Michael McNulty (3/27/26). The 2026 midterms will be a stress test for whether election outcomes are determined by the will of the voters or by who controls the machinery of elections. President Donald Trump and his allies have pursued a sequence of actions that, taken together, mirror strategies of democratic backsliding elsewhere, reshaping the rules, the referees, and the information environment to tilt the playing field before a single vote is cast. This playbook is not unique to the United States. I spent more than two decades working on elections in countries where – time and time again – democracy was eroded by those in power and where seizing control of elections was a key feature in the authoritarian playbook. (Just Security)

Housing
This week, we feature an article by Charles Marohn, President of the journal Strong Towns. Marohn has been outspoken in his criticism of trickle-down approaches to the housing crisis, arguing that it is insufficient and frequently incorrect to argue that simply building more housing will drive down housing costs. He cites the boom and bust of the rental market in Austin, TX to make his case, and we have reposted his essay in this week’s Indy. Marohn has argued that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the housing crisis, and that interventions must be local (meaning appropriate to the locality) and incremental. In his weekly newsletter this week, he emphasized that one key to the housing crisis is to build housing that is actually affordable. He offers an example of affordable small homes, recently constructed in Fayetteville, AR.

Cute Infill Houses are Affordable Without Subsidy by Robert Steuteville (8/21/26). These units have been dubbed the “Painted Babies,” a takeoff on San Francisco’s famous “Painted Ladies,” the copiously photographed Victorian homes on a hill overlooking a park. Like their San Francisco counterpart, the 520 SF Painted Babies are colorful and lined up on a steep slope. They are much smaller, less ornate, and cute, but also adjacent to a green space—the 74-acre Walker Park, which has trails, disc golf, a senior activity center, and more. The houses are less than a mile from Fayetteville’s courthouse square, the heart of the city. Each home achieves affordability without subsidies, selling at a price point attainable to 60 percent AMI households while remaining less expensive than nearby one-bedroom apartments. (Public Square)

Local News Roundup

Growing Community in the Local Food System: How Grow Food Northampton Brings Fresh Produce and Connection to Public Housing by Laura Spencer (8/28/26). Along with buying and distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds of produce from local farms each year, Grow Food Northampton’s Food Access Team has established community gardens at each of the housing sites as an additional resource for those at risk of food insecurity. Residents who choose to garden receive the tools, compost, educational workshops, and a variety of seedlings from local nurseries at no cost. A series of wooden raised beds have been built near the gardens for those with limited mobility. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Boston LLC Provided $29.5M Loan to Keep Hampshire College Afloat by Scott Merzbach (8/27/26).  A limited liability corporation with a Boston address provided a $29.5 million loan to keep Hampshire College solvent for its summer and fall teach-out, according to documents filed with the Hampshire Registry of Deeds. The paperwork, posted online, shows that on July 29 College President Jennifer Chrisler and John Dineen, the college treasurer, signed the loan provided by Artocarpus Partners, LLC.That came after trustees in early June reached an agreement in principle on the loan, which gave the board sufficient financial confidence to continue operations, according to a letter sent to the community from Chrisler. Since then, the so-called teach-out has progressed steadily, allowing students to finish their Division III requirements and advance through their Division I and Division II pathways toward a final graduation in December. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Anonymous $29.5M Loan to Hampshire College Tied to Luxury Seaport Address by Maya Shavit (8/25/26). An anonymous loan to keep Hampshire College alive for a final semester appears to have been provided by a limited liability company based in Boston’s Seaport District. The loan — given to the school by an entity described by college officials in June as a “philanthropic partner” —  totaled $29.5 million and was signed on July 31. It was approved by the state on Aug. 3.According to the mortgage paperwork, the loan came from Artocarpus Partners LLC. The LLC, incorporated less than two weeks before Hampshire’s loan was finalized, is based at  300 Pier 4, a luxury residence in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. (Boston Business Journal)

Judge Weighs Northampton Divestment Lawsuit After Supporters Rally by Anthony Cammelleri (8/27/26). Following an approximately 65-person rally Wednesday afternoon to support the city after it was sued for its commitment to divest from entities involved in human rights violations in Israel and Palestine, a Hampshire Superior Court judge heard the city’s motion to dismiss the case. The National Jewish Advocacy Center, representing 10 Northampton residents, filed a lawsuit in March, months after City Council approved the resolution last September. In a lively debate before Superior Court Judge Charles Groce III, the city, represented by attorneys Jason Talerman and Alan Seewald, argued that the resolution constituted free governmental speech, as it was nonbinding and simply “urged” the city to divest from companies or entities that profit off the war. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Zebrafish Research Projects on Campus Awarded Nearly $6M in NIH Grants. by UMass News & Media (8/26/26). Zebrafish have emerged as a critical tool for researchers looking into what causes certain diseases in humans and Alicia Timme-Laragy, professor of environmental health sciences in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, has been awarded a pair of multi-million dollar grants to further her work with the tropical fish. Timme-Laragy, along with collaborators Craig Albertson, Gerald Downs and Rolf Karlstrom from the College of Natural Sciences, and Erik Learned-Miller from the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, were awarded a four-year, $2.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to enhance equipment across four independently run zebrafish laboratories on campus. (UMass News and Media)

Mead Art Museum at Amherst College Launches Russian Art Exhibition Series by Ashley Shook (8/25/26). Amherst College is launching a two-part exhibition series showcasing the Thomas P. Whitney Collection, beginning Tuesday. The Whitney Collection represents one of the largest holdings of art, rare books, and manuscripts from the Russian Empire and Soviet Union in the United States. The first exhibition, titled “My beautiful, pitiful age”, opens Aug. 25 and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. A second exhibition, “Anchors and Aspirations”, will open in February 2027. (WWLP)

Honoring a Grandmother’s Legacy: A $50M Anonymous Donation Funds ‘Betty’s Kitchen’ at Amherst College by Scott Merzbach (8/24/26). An anonymous $50 million gift to Amherst College will name the main dining area inside the new Ford Student Center on campus as Betty’s Kitchen. A few months after the college received a separate $50 million donation from William “Bill” Ford, a member of the Class of 1983, his wife, Molly Ford, and the Ford family, the college announced last Thursday that Betty’s Kitchen will recognize an anonymous donor’s grandmother and all of those who have fed, nurtured and inspired every member of the college community. The two $50 million gifts are among the largest the college has received. In 2009, the college took in two anonymous cash gifts totaling $125 million, with the larger at $100 million, at the time believed to be the largest any liberal arts college had ever received. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Two Harvests, One Field: Hadley Farm Shows off Agrivoltaics as Other Growers Take Interest by Scott Merzbach (8/24/26). At Joe Czajowski Farm, the corn yields from the field below the agrivoltaics are about 80% of what comes from the corn stalks in the nearby open conventional fields, but even though the corn quantity is a bit lower, the ears have the same quality, he said. “It’s worked really well for us,” Czajkowski said of the agrivoltaics. “You shouldn’t have to work too hard to convince people it’s a good thing.” In the fourth year of operation, and with broccoli, lettuce, and cilantro among previous crops grown below the panels, Czajkowski said he is ready to embark on putting Hadley’s best-known crop, asparagus, in the field, which he believes may do better with the shade provided by the panels. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Amherst Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop 13%, Falling Short of 2025 Climate Goal by Scott Merzbach (8/21/26). Greenhouse gas emissions in Amherst dropped by nearly 13% below 2016 levels last year, well short of a 25% goal included in the Climate Action, Adaptation and Resilience Plan adopted by the Town Council five years ago. But even though a greenhouse gas emissions inventory report provided to the Energy & Climate Action Committee this month shows the town didn’t meet the initial goal — which the Town Council first approved in November 2019 — Sustainability Director Stephanie Ciccarello said Amherst is seeing progress that many similar communities haven’t accomplished. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Get Growing with Mickey Rathbun: Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret Gardens of Grace Episcopal Church by Mickey Rathbun 8/21/26). Tucked away in downtown Amherst, a passionate ministry transforms a historic churchyard into a blooming sanctuary. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Free Run Your City Program Returns to UMass for Fall Session Starting Aug. 30 by Ryan Ames (8/18/26). After a successful inaugural season this past spring, the Run Your City Amherst-UMass program is making its return. Starting on Sunday, Aug. 30, local children in grades K-8 will be able to participate in a six-week running program designed to introduce the sport to kids through activities led by UMass student-athletes.Run Your City is a nationwide nonprofit with 107 chapters around the country that was founded in 2018. The program is free for all who participate. (Daily Hampshire Gazette)

Further Afield

Immigration / Public Safety

Immigration Arrests Soar Hitting 50,000 in July by Vanessa Romo (8/26/26). Immigration and Customs Enforcement recorded 49,571 arrests in July, setting the highest monthly arrest total in President Trump’s second term, according to recently released government data provided by ICE to the Deportation Data Project based at U.C. Berkeley and UCLA.The total surge averages out to 1,599 apprehensions a day, and tops June’s record-breaking number of 43,021 arrests by 15%.Since taking over in March, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullinhas pivoted from the confrontational style of immigration enforcement of his predecessor, Kristi Noem. The former head of DHS often accompanied ICE officers on high profile raids, including Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which left two American citizens dead at the hands of federal agents. Instead Mullin pledged to fulfill the Trump administration’s deportation goals while keeping the department out of the headlines. The latest data is reflective of a strategy that is working. (NPR)

The System Meant to Protect ICE Detainees is Collapsing by Vanessa Romo (8/20/26). One of the last remaining checks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and private-prison contractors running immigration detention centers has all but collapsed, leaving thousands of people trapped in a system with nearly nonexistent oversight, according to an NPR review.The grievance system in immigration detention is designed to offer a safe channel to report violations of detention standards and seek redress, without fear of retaliation. It’s often the only recourse for people to submit complaints about detention issues, including mistreatment, unsanitary conditions, medical neglect and sexual assault. But an NPR review of documents, available data and interviews with experts has found the system — which in the best of times was a complex patchwork — barely operates and even at times backfires for those using it. It is one of the few remaining safeguards for immigrants in federal custody after the Trump administration effectively dismantled other oversight offices. (NPR)

As ICE Detention Expands, Deaths Reach 22-Year High by Connor Greene (8/10/26). The fatality rate in ICE custody reached a 22-year high in the opening months of this fiscal year, according to a report published in the medical journal JAMA earlier this year. Between the beginning of October and Jan. 19, the latest date in the report’s analysis, 18 immigration detainee deaths were reported; since then, at least 17 other people have died while being held by ICE. By comparison, 3 people died in ICE detention in the full 2022 fiscal year, per the report. (Time)