Prudent advice

Things that used to be fine

 

Zapping lanternflies

URI entomologist suggests novel removal technique to help tackle invasive pest

Kristen Curry

Jack Whitney ’26 demonstrates the SLF vacuum technique;
 URI researchers say it can help tackle invasive
spotted lanternfly. (URI Photo / Dana Terrill)

Most of the student researchers in Lisa Tewksbury’s Biocontrol Lab at the University of Rhode Island were born after the film “Ghostbusters” came out in theaters, but they’re experimenting with an iconic technique from the popular 1984 movie as part of efforts to stop a local invasive pest leaving its own destructive, oozy impact on agriculture around the state, including local vineyards.

Tewksbury, an entomologist in URI’s Department of Plant Sciences and Entomology, conducts research on biological control of species which can put local crops at risk. She says donning a URI-inspired version of the iconic vacuum pack could help Rhode Islanders do battle with the aggressive spotted lanternfly, one persistent planthopper making inroads in the northeastern U.S.

Tewksbury says that residents of impacted areas could even use this approach at home, deploying a handheld vacuum, then carefully disposing of the captured insects afterward.

Research highlights dangers of eating toxin-contaminated seafood

Bad fish

Mary Van Beusekom, MS

Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers probe the 402 US foodborne disease outbreaks caused by marine toxins in fish and shellfish over 23 years, revealing 1,280 illnesses, 96 hospitalizations, and one death.

Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education parsed data from the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) from 2011 to 2023. 

Local, state, and territorial health departments have voluntarily reported foodborne illness outbreaks to FDOSS through the CDC’s National Outbreak Reporting System since 2009.

Storage of fish under uncontrolled temperatures can trigger production of histamine, which can cause allergic responses in people, and scombroid toxins made by bacteria with highly active enzyme histidine carboxylase. Other marine toxins can be produced by algae and build up in fish and shellfish through the food chain, occur naturally in fish species, or stem from unknown sources. 

The authors said that marine toxins cause most of the noninfectious outbreaks reported to FDOSS each year. 

“Marine toxins that cause foodborne illness are tasteless, odorless, resistant to cooking or freezing, and can produce a complex variety of gastrointestinal, neurologic, and neuropsychologic symptoms,” they wrote. “Among persons with severe illness resulting from ingestion of marine toxins, cardiovascular and respiratory manifestations can result in hospitalization and death.” 

CDC is falling behind on tracking the spread of dangerous diarrhea outbreak

Is it incompetence, stupidity, or malice?

Stephanie Soucheray, MA

In parts of the country, including southeast Michigan and northern Ohio, clinicians are tracking scores of cases of sudden, explosive diarrhea and gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensi.

Michigan now has 1,251 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to state officials today, more than doubling the case count reported over the July 4 weekend. Typically, Michigan reports around 50 cases per year, but during the last week of June state officials first noted an outbreak of 170 cases that has since skyrocketed.

Of the 1,251 patients, 44 have been hospitalized, according to the case count.

In Ohio counties that border southeast Michigan, officials are tracking more than 500 cases, including 306 in Lucas County, the Associated Press reports. In an update yesterday, however, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) confirmed only 177 cases statewide as of July 2, with 28 people hospitalized. Most cases have occurred since June 20, the ODH said.

Officials tell restaurants to wash produce carefully 

No source has been identified in the outbreaks, but the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) is now recommending enhanced washing procedures for “restaurants, commercial kitchens, and other entities preparing or serving raw produce in Southeast Michigan.”

The recommendations include careful washing of lettuce, herbs, green onions, raspberries, and snow peas, all foods associated with past Cyclospora outbreaks.

“Cyclosporiasis is not usually life-threatening, but dehydration from frequent bouts of diarrhea can cause severe illness, particularly among younger or older people and those who have weakened immune systems,” the MDHHS said. “The time between being exposed and becoming sick is usually about one week but can range from two days to two weeks or more. Untreated, the illness may last from a few days to more than a month. Symptoms may go away and then return.”

The Ongoing Presidential Psychiatric Emergency

Will We Overtake Mental Pathology, before It Overtakes Us?

Dr. Bandy X. Lee

I was forwarded this astute video, which I quote in full:

MAGA cult isn’t a political movement; it’s a mental illness. There is a psychological reason for that. Forensic psychiatrist [Bandy] Lee at Yale School of Medicine spent years studying what happens when a psychologically dangerous leader gains mass influence.

She found that leaders’ mental pathology does not stay confined to the leader. It spreads to his followers through emotional bonds, through rallies, through constant exposure. It induces delusions, paranoia, and a propensity for violence in people who were previously psychologically healthy. 

Psychiatrists call this, folie à millions, or the madness of millions. Sixty-two courts ruled the 2020 election was not stolen. Trump’s own attorney general said there was no fraud. His own Department of Justice confirmed it and they still believe the election was stolen. This is not a political opinion. This is an induced delusion. This is why his followers stormed the Capitol and tried to commit an insurrection.

This is why they excused federal agents for killing Americans in the streets. This is why nothing that happens will ever change their minds. 

Lee found that the treatment is the same as any contagion: remove the exposure. The symptoms begin to fade when the source is gone, which is exactly why Trump cannot stop holding rallies. He knows what happens when the exposure stops. The delusion starts to break. These people are not true believers. They are addicted to their delusion. The delusion feels better than their real lives do, and they will try to burn everything down before they give up that delusion.

Now that we understand this, what shall we do about it?

No AFL-CIO endorsement is a win for Foulkes

Influential AFL-CIO opts not to endorse in RI Democratic gubernatorial race

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

The focus of the governor’s race temporarily shifted one block west of the State House Wednesday to a nondescript office building where leaders of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO met but opted not to endorse in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. 

The labor federation boasts more than 80,000 members, with endorsements determined by a two-thirds vote of its 15-person executive committee. But the panel that met behind closed doors didn’t even get as far as taking a vote on the two candidates seeking their backing, Gov. Dan McKee and challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes. 

“The consensus was, we could not get to a consensus,” Patrick Crowley, organization president, said in an interview Wednesday night. “We’re taking the position to stay neutral in the governor’s race. Individual affiliates can make their own endorsements if they wish.”

The decision marks another setback for McKee, whose reelection campaign is in need of a boost after trailing Foulkes by double digits in recent polls. Neither candidate received an endorsement from the Rhode Island Democratic Party at its state convention in June.

“He’s had so many losses,” said Joe Fleming, a political analyst for WPRI 12. “He really needs to find a way to start building momentum now that we’re heading into the primary.”

McKee’s campaign did not immediately respond to calls for comment Wednesday.

Early voting begins on Aug. 20. The primary is Wednesday, Sept. 9.

The AFL-CIO and the Rhode Island Democratic Party both endorsed McKee in 2022. Foulkes lost to McKee by three percentage points in a four-way Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Tides appear to have turned in Foulkes’ favor, with the former CVS executive prevailing with commanding, 20-percentage-point leads in polls released by WPRI-TV and the University of New Hampshire in May and June, respectively. 

Foulkes maintains a significant cash advantage and has picked up endorsements from a majority of municipal Democratic committees, including McKee’s hometown of Cumberland. On Tuesday, she unveiled endorsements from 26 state and local Democratic lawmakers in conjunction with a ceremonial opening of her campaign headquarters on Broad Street in Providence.

Nice plane

Not in the Epstein files

Misquamicut Pilot Composting Program Off to Strong Start

It's a start

By Dan D'Ambrosio / ecoRI News contributor

Sharon Saunders is encouraged by how well a pilot composting program is working at Misquamicut Beach. The program was launched June 1, after Saunders successfully pitched it to the board members of the Misquamicut Beach Foundation, on which she serves.

“It’s been very exciting,” Saunders said. “We’ve already had 13 people sign up to participate in the program. It’s easy to recruit people who are aware of the benefits and are educated about some of the negative components of throwing your food scraps into the landfill — the methane that’s produced in landfills that are close to capacity.”

Bottom of Form

The pilot program is starting small, with a collection bin provided by Black Earth Compost, based in Massachusetts. The bin — labeled “Food Scraps” — is in Saunders’ yard, because the foundation was unable to secure a public location.

“We did explore several options to see if we could come up with a more public space, either on town or municipal property or some other private property, but this was the best solution in the end for this year,” Saunders said.

The pilot program, which will run for the summer, can handle up to 30 families.

“I do believe we’ll easily get there,” Saunders said.

The foundation provided $2,000 to cover the purchase of the bin, some small canisters for people participating in the program, and a service contract for Black Earth Compost.

David McLaughlin, sustainability coordinator for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, said the state’s Central Landfill, in Johnston, is projected to reach capacity by 2046.

URI food safety expert offers information, tips to avoid summer’s cyclosporiasis

Paranoid about parasites? 

Kristen Curry 

Cooking (to 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)
 kills the Cyclospora parasite.

A food safety specialist at the University of Rhode Island, Nicole Richard leads efforts to help businesses and restaurants be food-safe for their customers. Now she’s sharing tips for consumers wondering what to do this summer as a fearsome illness makes news: How to avoid the dreaded cyclosporiasis?

Richard, a URI research associate and food safety researcher with the University’s Cooperative Extension, shares tips on food safety that can be applied year-round for good health and stress-free dining. 

She has more than 20 years of experience developing resources and programming for businesses and consumers through URI’s Food Safety Research and Education Program and is a frequently requested expert on food safety in home and business settings. Richard also chairs the Rhode Island Food Safety Task Force.

What should people know about cyclosporiasis and how much do we need to be concerned here in New England or if traveling to other parts of the country?

Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora that primarily affects the intestines, causing diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, and fatigue. It is typically associated with fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, likely contaminated by water, soil or food handlers. Humans serve as a host for the parasite. They may not show signs of illness and can shed the parasite while handling food.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet identified a specific source of the outbreak.

Has an outbreak like this happened to this degree before?

Good agricultural practices on farms minimize risk
of contamination; URI has trained nearly 300 farmers,
agricultural professionals, and partner organizations in
science-based practices that help reduce food safety risks.
(URI Photo / Nora Lewis)

The United States has experienced outbreaks caused by cyclosporiasis before, but not to the magnitude of this current outbreak.

What measures do you recommend for people to protect their health and that of loved ones?

If immunocompromised or concerned about this parasite, the best advice is to wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. This will reduce the risk of infection. Cooking kills the parasite, so heating food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (or 70 degrees Celsius) or higher is effective.

Is Cyclospora found in water or in food? Is eating out in restaurants safe?

Water is the transmission vehicle that carries the parasite to fresh produce.

A Cyclospora outbreak does not mean restaurants are unsafe. Outbreaks are usually linked to specific contaminated foods or suppliers; restaurants use food safety practices to prevent contamination and remove affected products. The risk is highest from the specific food items involved in the outbreak, not from eating at restaurants in general. 

Wildfire smoke persists over Charlestown and the rest of the state. It stinks.

Ivermectin isn’t a cancer miracle drug, but influencers claim otherwise

Another reason why social media is a bad source of medical information

Dannell D. Boatman, West Virginia University

In the meantime, this happened

Though researchers have been studying the animal deworming drug ivermectin for decades, there is no evidence that it’s a safe or effective way to treat cancer in people.

However, a June 2026 study put the topic back in the spotlight. After being downloaded more than 85,000 times before its official publication, the study gained traction on social media – particularly X – and within alternative health communities, where it was shared widely to bolster broader claims about repurposing antiparasitic drugs as cancer treatments. 

While traditional news outlets were covering renewed public interest in ivermectin for cancer following the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the conversation surrounding this particular new study unfolded outside of mainstream media coverage.

Shortly after the study was published, scientists raised serious concerns about how the study arrived at its findings, conflicts of interest and the peer-review process.

For one, the study did not have a comparison group to determine whether patients taking a combination of ivermectin and another antiparasitic truly saw improvements due to these drugs or the conventional cancer therapies they were also taking. Moreover, the study relied on patients’ own self-reports rather than medical record information. Unlike medical records, self-reports cannot be independently verified and are more susceptible to bias, making them less reliable as scientific evidence.

Although the journal issued an Expression of Concern shortly after publication, the study has not yet been retracted.

This case illustrates a recurring challenge in how science reaches the public. Early findings can spread quickly through news coverage, social media and online communities, while the evidence needed to fully evaluate them can take months or years to develop. By the time additional evidence emerges, many people have already shared the original report or made financial and medical decisions based on it.

As a health communication researcher, I study how people interpret new cancer information, how health misinformation spreads and how communication can support good health behaviors.

The renewed attention surrounding ivermectin and other antiparasitic drugs offers an opportunity to understand why some scientific findings become influential before researchers fully understand what they mean.

Leading climate scientist accuses Trump Energy Dept. of misusing his research

Climate scientist who “proved” humanity is warming Earth says government report got it wrong

University of East Anglia

A pioneering climate scientist is challenging a U.S. government report that cited his research while reaching what he says is the exact opposite conclusion. 

Benjamin Santer and his colleagues say decades of satellite data clearly reveal the atmospheric “fingerprint” of human-caused climate change. Their new peer-reviewed analysis argues the report contains major scientific errors and should not be relied upon in climate policy decisions.

A leading climate scientist is pushing back against what he describes as "demonstrably incorrect" claims in a major US government climate report, arguing that it misrepresented his research and understated the role of human activity in global warming.

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