5TYNTK May 8 – Canvas Cyberattack Chaos, Lewiston Trash Problem, Portland Population Shift, Maine Chef Finalist, IG Follower Purge

1. A massive cyberattack on the online learning platform Canvas caused chaos at colleges and universities across the country Thursday as students prepared for finals. A hacker group called “ShinyHunters” claimed responsibility and threatened to leak school data unless contacted by May 12th. Schools including Virginia Tech, Harvard, and the University of Florida reported disruptions, with some even postponing final exams. Officials say passwords and Social Security numbers likely were not exposed, but students are being warned to watch for phishing scams. Husson, Bowdoin, and several other Maine schools use the Canvas platform. (WMTW)

2. Trash and hazardous debris are becoming a growing problem in parts of Lewiston, with residents saying some neighborhoods have become noticeably dirtier over the past few years. City leaders say cleanup efforts are underway, but some of the biggest problem areas sit on private or railroad-owned land the city can’t legally clean up itself. (WGME)

3. New census data shows only 40 percent of people living in Portland were actually born in Maine — a huge drop from 72 percent back in 1980. The city has seen a major wave of newcomers since the pandemic, with people relocating from across the country for lifestyle, jobs, and the coast. If current trends continue, one projection says there could be almost no Maine-born residents left in Portland by 2050. (PH)

4. Acclaimed Maine chef Cara Stadler is heading to the finals of CBS’s “America’s Culinary Cup” with a shot at winning one million dollars — the biggest prize in cooking competition history. Stadler, known locally for several restaurants including the former Bao Bao Dumpling House, will face two nationally recognized chefs in the finale airing Wednesday night at 9:30 on CBS. After advancing through 13 competitors, Stadler said she’s proud of the run, adding quote, “It’s nice to represent Maine.” (PH)

5. Meta confirmed it removed millions of fake and inactive accounts overnight in what social media is calling “The Great Purge of 2026.” Kylie Jenner was hit the hardest, losing nearly 15 million followers, while Cristiano Ronaldo dropped 8 million and Taylor Swift lost 4 million. BLACKPINK also lost more than 10 million followers. (Google)

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