Friday, September 4, 2026
Charlestown Gallery presents a new show
"Farmers Market" starts September 5
By the Charlestown Gallery
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| Shawn Kenney, Farm Fresh (2026) |
Charlestown Gallery is proud to present Farmers Market, an art exhibition celebrating food, fruits, vegetables, and the wonderful places where they’re grown and sold, from September 5th through October 12th, 2026, at Charlestown Gallery, 5000 South County Trail in Charlestown, RI.
Farmers Market features new artworks in a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastels, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics, and jewelry, showcasing Charlestown Gallery’s deep roster of talented artists, including Antonia Tyz Peeples, Jeanne Tangney, Pati Sylvia, Nick Paciorek, Shawn Kenney, Sheila Newquist, Richard Brady, Theresa Girard, Burl Dawson, Michael Stricklin, Lorraine Hynes, Armen Kojoyian, Mira Vitarello, Carol Shelton, Ed Rose, Anthony Tomaselli, David K. Anderson, Pam Ackley, Marshall Henrichs, Scott Conary, Jim Estes, Jodi Manca, and more.
The show was conceived of and curated by Kimberly Howard, Director of Charlestown Gallery. About the exhibition, Howard shares, “South County is fortunate to have a rich history of farming, land conservation and preservation, which provides our talented artists with landscapes and subjects in which to create. See what has inspired them and how they translate the ‘Farmers Market’ theme in their work. Stroll through the market with us as we memorialize these local treasures created in their studios, held in our gallery and waiting for you to take home.”
A reception for Farmers Marker is planned for Saturday, September 19th from 5-7pm.
For media or art inquiries please contact: Kimberly Howard, Director, (401) 364-0120 and CharlestownGallery@cox.net
Where is Trump's tariff-free beef coming from?
Cattle farmers are latest Trump allies to get shafted
By kos
His tariffs have constrained key overseas markets, with China shifting major soybean and other commodity purchases toward countries like Argentina and Brazil.
Immigration raids have created labor shortages and
driven up the cost of harvesting crops, some of which have been left rotting in
the fields.
But there was one corner of agriculture that was thriving:
cattle farmers.
A shortage of cattle combined with strong domestic demand
meant high prices. Cattle producers also argue that near-monopoly conditions
in the processing industry have pushed prices even higher. Since the 1990s,
Tyson Foods, Cargill, JBS, and National Beef have controlled upward of 80% of
purchases of cattle, squeezing cattle farmers on one end while consumers pay
more on the other.
That is, until Friday, when Trump announced that he would
temporarily allow a massive influx of tariff-free foreign beef into the United
States, explicitly intended to undercut domestic beef prices by 25%.
“Today, I concluded a deal to substantially lower the price
of ground beef for working American families,” Trump posted on
Truth Social. “[F]or the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to
300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of
quota tariff. We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent
below current market prices.”
On its face, Trump’s announcement is an extraordinary
admission that even he knows his economic policies aren’t working.
First, he’s temporarily lifting tariffs to lower consumer
prices. That’s a pretty remarkable concession from a president who has spent
years insisting that foreign countries pay his tariffs rather than American
importers and, ultimately, American consumers.
Trump’s ‘forever’ tariffs are kicking in for the long haul – and US consumers are footing the bill
Trump uses tariffs to wield personal power
Many business groups had hoped that the tariff wars would end in February, when the Supreme Court overturned Trump’s emergency tariffs. They got a rude awakening five months later, however, when Trump announced a raft of new import taxes to replace the levies that were struck down.
Covering nearly all U.S. imports, the advantage of these tariffs in the Trump administration’s view is that they’re more firmly based on existing U.S. trade law, beyond the reach of the Supreme Court’s review. And Trump has said he envisions enacting many more of these so-called trade law tariffs.
As a trade economist who has been following the tariff wars, I believe that the longer these import taxes are in place, the more the consumers will bear their burden. The 2025 “Liberation Day” tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down, as well as other levies Trump announced after the February ruling, turned out to be temporary. But the bulk of the new levies are designed to be permanent.
That means that for consumers, the total cost burden is likely to increase even if the tariff rates don’t change – because the new tariffs will be stacked on older ones.
The cost squeeze
On one level, Trump’s tariff fixation is a mystery. Tariffs continue to be unpopular, and it’s unclear why Trump would double down on them before midterm elections when his approval ratings, including on the economy, are so low.
But on another level, Trump’s embrace of tariffs can be understood as an instrument of personal power. He has long viewed them as tools for negotiating leverage, and he recently declared that U.S. tariffs “aren’t high enough.” The president also has deflected criticism of their impact on consumer prices by claiming erroneously that foreigners pay for them.
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Honor Life of Gloria Steinem ‘By Organizing’ for Rights, Equality, and Freedom
“Thank you, Gloria, for showing the world what it means to speak up for women’s equality.”
Jon Queally for Common Dreams
Steinem, regarded as an icon of the second-wave feminism
that emerged in the 1960s and 70s and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, was known for
decades as a leading voice on reproductive rights,
women’s equality at work, and gender equity across society.
According to her representatives, Steinem died Wednesday at her home in New York City, surrounded by loved ones. An exact cause of death was not given.
“Gloria’s near-century on earth was years well-lived, and
she continued working for equality until the very end,” read a message posted
to her Instagram account.
“Gloria’s greatest gift was her ability to listen to others,
to make others feel seen and heard,” the message continued. “Her words,
actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves. Gloria
lived true to her independent spirit, always with curiosity and a great sense
of humor.”
SEIU leaders on why the union supports Helena Foulkes over Dan McKee
McKee’s record speaks for itself
By Jesse Martin and Victoria Mitchell
It was a great day for nursing home caregivers, residents,
and family members. We believed it was the beginning of safer, more dignified
care for our loved ones and a commitment that 80% of any Medicaid increases
would go toward worker wages. But five years later, the law - once one of
Governor McKee’s crowning pandemic achievements - has become all but
non-existent by the actions of the Governor himself.
This broken promise by Governor McKee deeply disappointed
caregivers and residents who desperately needed the law’s protections. But it
is not the only one. That’s why, this Labor Day, as we reflect on
workers’ rights, our healthcare system and the economy, we - as leaders
of SEIU 1199NE, the
state’s largest healthcare union - conclude that the status quo cannot
continue. We have had enough of McKee’s empty promises and have voted instead
to endorse Helena Foulkes for Governor.
A recent article in the Providence Journal quotes
McKee’s campaign spokesperson as saying, “Governor
McKee’s record on labor and healthcare speaks for itself.” We could not
agree more. Here are a few reasons why:
Six months after McKee signed the nursing home staffing law,
he signed the first moratorium delaying enforcement, followed by a succession
of executive orders suspending fines, the only enforcement mechanism to hold
for-profit nursing home owners accountable. Finally, in December
2023, he suspended the law altogether.
Charlestown Mini-Super changing ownership
Local guy is new owner
By Bob Yarnall
The Mini-Super is thankfully staying in local hands, those
of Charlestown resident Jeffery Hanks. Jeff has owned and operated Hanks
Hardwood Floors since 2012. Continued success, Jeff!
‘Utterly Unsustainable’: Employer-Sponsored Healthcare Costs Set to Keep Surging
Bad choices no matter where you look
Brett
Wilkins for Common Dreams
That’s $388 more than last year, and the pain is expected to
intensify in 2027. According to a survey conducted by WTW, another consultant,
US employers anticipate their healthcare costs will soar 11.1% next year. That
could be the steepest increase in more than two decades, and would mark the
fifth consecutive year of rising employer healthcare costs.
As the Journal noted, expensive cancer treatments and
widespread adoption of weight loss drugs are among the factors driving up
spending—and costs. For workers, that means larger deductions from their
paychecks, higher out-of-pocket costs, and, for some, abandoning insurance
altogether.
“Employers are telling us that this is utterly
unsustainable,” WTW population health leader Jeff Levin-Scherz told the
Journal.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Green Report Card Gives Rhode Island’s Climate Change Actions Bad Grade
Rep. Tina Spears and Sen. Victoria Gu score "A" grades, Sen. Elaine Morgan gets an "F"
By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff
Rhode Island has slowed its actions against
climate change in the past two years, and environmental groups have found
themselves playing defense.
Tina and Victoria fought hard for the environment
That’s the takeaway from a new report by the Environment Council of
Rhode Island (ECRI), a coalition of some 60 organizations dedicated to
environmental advocacy. The group released its biennial Green Report Card on Aug. 27, less than two weeks
before the state primary elections.
It’s a big difference from just four years ago, when the
report card for the legislative sessions of 2021-2022 called them “the best two
years of environmental policymaking” in state history.
“We need to act quickly and decisively to slash emissions
from buildings and transportation and get on track to meet our climate
commitments,” said Jordan Miller, ECRI’s executive director. “We must ensure
that all our communities benefit from a just transition to a net-zero future.
The next steps we take are vital if we want to secure a healthy and sustainable
future for all Rhode Islanders.”
Elaine Morgan didn't
Environmental organizations have had a tough few years in
the General Assembly. Of the 68 priority bills ECRI identified in 2025, only
21% passed the Legislature. The group fared a little better this year, with a
third of its 78 endorsed bills securing passage out of legislative chambers.
None of the group’s eight top priority bills from the past
two years passed into law. Those priorities included a package to fund the
Rhode Island Public Transit Agency, new offshore wind procurement, a bottle
bill and extended producer responsibility omnibus bill, and building
benchmarking legislation.
That doesn’t mean the General Assembly has been completely
hostile to the group’s priorities; ECRI noted in its Green Report Card that the
past two years saw some significant wins in standards for labor and workforce
development, new protections against PFAs and rodenticides, and a stronger
Green Bond for voters in November.
Charlestown Residents United asked for continued support from Charlestown voters
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Nearly one in five Medicaid-eligible adults may miss new 80-hour work rule
Trump covering health coverage for more people
Edited by Gaby Clark,
reviewed by Robert
Egan
Map of the Proportion of Adults Age 18 to 64 Years at Risk
of Noncompliance Who Were Plausible Medicaid Expansion Enrollees and
Potentially Subject to Work-Reporting Requirements, by State. Credit: JAMA
Health Forum (2026). DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2026.2938
.webp)
Up to 10 million people may lose Medicaid coverage in the
United States due in part to new work requirements and eligibility
redeterminations under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which mandates a
reduction of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid spending over a decade.
While the administrative
burden associated with meeting and maintaining these work requirements
is expected to be the primary driver of disenrollment, a new study led by
researchers at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and the Arnold
School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina (Arnold School)
found that millions of Medicaid enrollees may lose their health coverage
because they are unable to achieve the required work hours.
Who is most at risk
Set to take effect nationwide on Jan. 1, 2027, the new
federal Medicaid work reporting rules require adults enrolled in the Affordable
Care Act's Medicaid expansion to show that they are working, volunteering,
enrolled in school and/or participating in job training for at least 80 hours
per month, with certain groups exempt. But the new study found that nearly 20%
of Medicaid-eligible adults living in states that expanded Medicaid are at risk
of noncompliance because they are unlikely to fulfill the minimum required
hours once the rules take effect. The findings are published in JAMA Health Forum.
Certain groups were more at risk of noncompliance than
others. Women had a 22% higher probability of having insufficient or
inconsistent work hours than men, while married Medicaid enrollees had an 18%
lower probability of noncompliance than unmarried enrollees.
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