GoFundMe investigating campaign

A homeless man who helped a stranded motorist in Philadelphia said he is panhandling once again and using drugs, and he has no access to the money raised on his behalf.

Johnny Bobbitt gained worldwide attention when he used his last $20 to fill up the gas tank of stranded motorist Kate McClure in November 2017.

Ms. McClure and her boyfriend Mark D’Amico started a GoFundMe campaign in return, promising that Mr. Bobbitt would have a home.

Mr. Bobbitt told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he can’t use the $200,000 left out of the $400,000 that donors raised on GoFundMe, and he no longer has a camper or a car.

Ms. McClure said the couple did all they could to help Mr. Bobbitt.

In an interview with the Inquirer two weeks ago, Mr. D’Amico said he controls the money and will start dispensing it when Mr. Bobbitt gets a job and stops using drugs.

“Giving him all that money, it’s never going to happen. I’ll burn it in front of him,” he said, adding that giving an “addict” the money would be like “giving him a loaded gun.”

Mr. Bobbitt fears the couple may have squandered the money.

“I think it might have been good intentions in the beginning, but with that amount of money, I think it became greed,” Mr. Bobbitt said.

GoFundMe is investigating whether the money was mismanaged, and said it will work to ensure Mr. Bobbitt “receives the help he deserves and that the donors’ intentions are honored.”

‘Silent Sam’ arrests

Seven people were arrested on Saturday at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as tensions between demonstrators intensified over the toppling last week of the “Silent Sam” statue, which stood for over a century on campus grounds as a symbol of the Confederacy.

University officials had warned students on Friday about the possibility of more protests, writing in a message to students, “We urge you not to attend.” But on Saturday, packs of demonstrators supportive of the monument’s removal clashed with protesters advocating its preservation. Some demonstrators carried signs condemning racism; others had draped themselves in Confederate flags.

Of the arrests made on Saturday, two were connected with charges of assault, destruction of property and inciting a riot, Carly Miller, a spokeswoman for the university, said in a statement.

Three other arrests were in connection with assault, Ms. Miller said. The remaining two arrests were related to destruction of property and resisting an officer.

Fed keeps its cool

Federal Reserve officials are trying hard to ignore President Donald Trump,a nd they’re going to keep doing that even if he continues to pressure thecentral bank to slow downor stop its gradual increases in interest rates.

Atthe Kansas City Fed’s annual symposium inJackson Hole, Wyo., several policy makers responded to questions about recent remarks by Mr.Trump with straightforward comments that their rate decisions won’t be affected.