NEW HAMPSHIRE — Tax season is underway, but some Granite Staters could face delays in receiving federal tax refunds under changes announced by the Internal Revenue Service.

An executive order signed last year by President Donald Trump aims to phase out paper checks and money orders for federal payments, including tax refunds, in favor of direct deposit. The policy applies to refunds issued by the IRS, as well as payments from Social Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Beginning in 2026, the IRS said it will continue to process individual income tax returns filed without bank account information, but refunds will be temporarily frozen until the taxpayer provides direct deposit details or requests a paper check.

Taxpayers can update or submit banking information through an IRS Online Account. Those without direct deposit can also request a waiver to receive a paper check. The IRS advises filers to verify routing and account numbers before submitting returns and to set up an online account to respond quickly if a refund is held.

The IRS said most refunds rejected by banks will also be frozen and will not be automatically reissued as paper checks. Taxpayers whose refunds are frozen will receive a CP53E notice outlining the next steps.

The board of directors for ARMI, the government-funded Manchester research project led by inventor Dean Kamen, is meeting to discuss its next steps in the wake of newly released documents showing Kamen’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

This comes as revelations last week about Kamen’s relationship with Epstein prompted FIRST, the youth-based robotics organization he founded decades ago, to hire an outside law firm to review his conduct while he takes a leave of absence.

Kamen hasn’t been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to his interactions with Epstein, which include phone calls, emails and shared travel in the years after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes against minors in 2008.

On Monday, Blake Moret, who serves on ARMI’s board of directors, confirmed in an email to NHPR that the board “is convening to discuss the current situation,” but provided no other information. Kamen serves as both the executive director and board chairman of ARMI.

Read more: ‘Thank you for . . . an incredible visit’: New docs show Kamen spent time on Epstein’s island

Stefany Shaheen, a Democratic candidate for United States Congress in New Hampshire who has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars as a consultant for ARMI in recent years, said Monday that ARMI’s board of directors “needs to address this matter independently.” A campaign spokesperson said Shaheen ended her work for ARMI in January, though she remains listed on the group’s website as its chief strategy officer.

In addition to his formal titles, Kamen has served as the public face and loudest booster at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, or ARMI, the government-funded research project based in Manchester that is attempting to kickstart medical breakthroughs in tissue and organ science. Since 2016, Kamen has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal government for ARMI’s work. He also essentially serves as ARMI’s landlord across multiple buildings he owns in the city’s millyard, collecting millions of dollars in rent from the project over the past several years.

Kamen has not responded to several requests for comment from NHPR in recent days. But in a statement provided to WMUR over the weekend, Kamen said that he has “no knowledge of any of the horrific crimes of Jeffrey Epstein or his associates other than what I have learned from news reports. In addition to crossing paths at various conferences and events, Jeffrey Epstein reached out to me to become involved in my projects to bring clean water and distributed power to developing countries by offering resources and introductions to the leaders of those countries.”

Kamen’s statement continued: “After initial meetings, it became apparent that his only interest was self-promotion and I avoided further meetings. Given what is known now, I of course regret even those limited interactions. I will defer all further comment on this topic until the conclusion of the independent review.”

In addition to his nonprofit work, Kamen is also on the board of directors of Beta Technologies, a Vermont-based publicly traded company that designs electric aircraft. NHPR reached out to the company on Monday about Kamen’s continued role at the firm, but did not receive a response.

Kamen is also listed as a member of the board of trustees for the X Prize Foundation, a group that uses prizes to spur innovation in a range of fields. The foundation did not respond to a request for comment.

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Three firefighters were injured when a natural gas leak caused an explosion and fire Monday at a New Hampshire mental health center, but the building’s occupants all evacuated safely.

About 40 people were in the Greater Nashua Mental Health facility when someone called 911 to report an odor of gas, State Fire Marshall Sean Toomey said. Firefighters were still investigating when the explosion happened and part of the building began to collapse, said Nashua Fire Chief Steve Buxton. He said the three injured firefighters were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident prompted authorities to send an alert to nearby homes and businesses telling people to extinguish any burners or flames and to prepare to evacuate.

Jesci Larochelle said she was in her living room watching TV, less than a half mile from the fire, and felt her house shake like a tree had fallen on it. She began checking the house for damage when she received the alert, she said in a text message.

Nashua is in southern New Hampshire, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Boston. The center, which provides substance misuse services and services for deaf and older adults, is on a busy stretch of road in a heavily commercial area.

The blast appeared to have obliterated at least part of the building, with aerial footage from WCBV-TV showing flames and smoke billowing from the rubble. Bits of wreckage appeared to be scattered in the snow and a parking lot in front of the facility.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Nashua native, said she had been briefed on the explosion and offered thanks to the “heroic efforts” by firefighters and first responders.

The blast comes amid a lengthy cold spell in the Northeast, and Buxton said the weather hampered efforts to get water to the flames. A natural gas leak and explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home late last year killed three people and injured others, prompting lawsuits and an ongoing federal investigation.