The consequences of eliminating public health and safety monitoring

Musk and the DOGE kids ripped out America's warning systems

By Terry H. Schwadron

The first two deaths related to the multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis have been reported from Michigan, though both had conditions that may have amplified dehydration issues prompted by the lettuce-borne illness.

Death from cyclosporiasis is considered uncommon, but the spread of the illness is now widespread, with cases now in 15 states. In Michigan alone, there are 11,234 cases, including 193 hospitalizations. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control count 18,000 cases of explosive diarrhea, intestinal infection and resulting dehydration.

The illness is known to exist during spring and summer, but this year’s numbers are much higher than normal. Its specific cause is a single-celled parasite that lives exclusively in humans and causes particularly violent diarrhea. Infection is almost always through ingesting food or water contaminated with feces — improper sanitation at farms or food processing facilities. Failure to provide field workers with adequate toilets or sinks can mean outbreaks.

Since the disease emerged a few weeks ago, there has been effort to identify its origin with efforts centering on Taylor Farms irrigation and operations in Mexico. Taylor Farms, which issued a recall, distributes iceberg lettuce mostly to market chains and restaurants across the Midwest. Early on, news reported that Taylor Fresh Farms was a million-dollar donor to Trump political causes and noted that while there is scrutiny of the food problem, there has been none by prosecutorial agencies.

Wow! The Trump administration gives initial OK to a Trump Family Bank.

‘Brazen Act of Self-Dealing’

Jake Johnson

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a regulatory agency whose leader was chosen by President Donald Trump, granted preliminary approval on Friday to World Liberty Financial’s application for a federal bank charter.

World Liberty Financial is a crypto venture launched in 2024 by the president’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and several partners. The firm’s website states that WLF is 38% owned by “an entity affiliated with Donald J. Trump and certain of his family members.”

WLF applied for a US bank charter in January, drawing alarm from lawmakers and watchdogs who said the review process would be rife with conflicts of interest. “We have never seen financial conflicts or corruption of this magnitude,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, said at the time.

The OCC, headed by Jonathan Gould, announced the approval decision in a letter published Friday. WLF’s application was assessed by career OCC staff, the agency said.

“The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has reviewed your application to establish a new national trust bank, which will engage in operations of a trust company and activities related thereto, including fiduciary activities, with the title of World Liberty Trust Company, National Association,” the letter states. “The OCC hereby grants preliminary conditional approval of your charter application upon determining that your proposal meets certain regulatory and policy requirements.”

In response to the news, Warren wrote on social media that “this is the most brazen act of self-dealing our financial system has ever seen.”

Senator Reed blasts Trump's switching loyalty from South Korea to North Korea as "delusional"

Trump's favoritism toward North Korean despot Kim Jong Un based on ego

By Will Collette

The United Nations went to war with North Korea in 1950 after the North invaded South Korea. Of the estimated three million people who died in that war, 36,574 were American military. We still have almost 30,000 troops stationed in South Korea as a deterrent to another invasion.

Trump posted this on his website

For reasons that are far from clear, Donald Trump began a "relationship" with Kim Jong Un culminating in Trump's 2019 visit and photo op with Kim that rocketed North Korea from being an isolated rogue state to becoming a world power. North Korea continues to expand its stockpile of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
It has provided Russia with troops and weapons to continue its invasion of Ukraine. North Korea has helped Iran develop its missile technology and has publicly backed Iran in the current war with the US and Israel.

Yet, despite all this, Trump has decided to punish South Korea, our ally for 70+ years, because South Korea chose not to participate in Trump's illegal war against Iran. As he so often does, Trump posted this extraordinary foreign policy shift on his Truth Social website, screenshot below. 

.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) went after Trump during an interview with Peter Alexander on MSNOW (see video above).

Excerpts from Reed's remarks:

“The president, in that — this sense, is delusional. He has this egomania that says every powerful figure in the world is — must bow down to me. They do that. That’s exactly the approach he took to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, when he took over. The Ukrainians, he dismissed, he said, ‘You don’t have the cards,’ et cetera.”

“There was this relationship with Putin, and we know how that is going on. And it’s the same situation with North Korea. Kim Jong Un is not, I think, terribly impressed with Donald Trump. And withdrawing forces from Korea, canceling exercises, plays into his game.”

I'd love to hear from Trump's local MAGA supporters. I'd especially like to hear from Jim Mageau, Trump's most vocal Charlestown supporter. Mageau often references his Army service in South Korea in the years following the ceasefire with North Korea. 

Cheating or just trying to win?

Is 2026 the year of the crossover voter in Rhode Island? What the data says.

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Democratic voters in Charlestown, Block Island,
Westerly and So. Kingstown need to know about phony
"Democrats" like Leah Boisclair. They are fronts
for a MAGA guy who set up a network of PACs
to support fake Dems in the Sept. 9 primary

Lifelong Republican Joe Paglia recently disaffiliated from the GOP for the first time in his life.

His views haven’t changed. But the Narragansett resident and small business owner sees the registration change, which lets him vote in local and state Democratic primaries, as a way to change the course of a political path he doesn’t like.

“I don’t want anyone who’s too far left, or even too far right,” Paglia, 59, said. “I just want someone who can get stuff done, 

Rhode Island, like much of the country, has a long history of crossover voting, in which partisan voters change political affiliations to influence the outcome of primary races of opposite political parties. But the strategy has gained renewed attention across the Ocean State this election cycle, widely promoted by a conservative-leaning political group, The League of RI Businesses.

“This is the best time to knock out the worst candidate,” is the declaration on a graphic on The League’s Facebook page. The accompanying post explains that unaffiliated voters in Rhode Island can vote in either party primary. Voters who are registered Democrats or Republicans cannot access the opposite party’s primary ballot.

“In the Rhode Island primaries, who’s on the Democratic ticket decides the election,” said Dave Levesque, co-founder of the League. 

It’s not just about preventing candidates perceived as too progressive from winning. 

Levesque, also a Republican turned independent, also believes there are Democratic candidates who truly represent the business-minded, small government platform that he and other conservative voters embrace. Ten of the 23 state legislative candidates endorsed by the League are Democrats, including Mark Mesrobian, who is challenging Sen. Alana DiMario for the District 36 seat representing parts of Narragansett, North Kingstown and New Shoreham.

Paglia, a district voter, said he appreciates Mesrobian’s business background and emphasis on affordability concerns, including energy costs. Voting for Mesrobian is the main reason he disaffiliated, though he also plans to vote for Joe Solomon Jr. in the four-way Democratic primary for the attorney general’s race, he said.

According to Levesque, the League’s strategy is gaining traction, with many Republican voters verbally committing to disaffiliate to vote in local primaries.

The numbers say otherwise.

Why we fight

Iran War Enters 6th Justification - The Onion

Tomaquag hosts Sept. 9 walk

 REGISTER: Indigenous Wisdom: Our Connection & Responsibility to Water Tickets | Tomaquag Museum

Join us for a walk at Ninigret Park with cultural educator Chenae Bullock, LPIM, a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation and Montauk Descendant. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives on water as a living relative and source of life, culture, and community. Together we will reflect on our own relationship with water and explore what it means to move from using water to honoring, protecting, and taking responsibility for it.

Chenae Bullock, LPIM, is a citizen of the Shinnecock Nation and descendant of the Montauk people. As founder and CEO of Moskehtu Consulting, she leads cultural preservation, traditional canoe revitalization, and Indigenous wellness initiatives rooted in her coastal whaling lineage. A licensed Indigenopathic practitioner and global advocate for water protection, Chenae has led ancestral water journeys, revitalized Mishoon (traditional dugout canoe) making, and guided sacred paddling practices across tribal territories. Through her work, she connects Indigenous knowledge, environmental stewardship, and cultural understanding, emphasizing the vital relationship between water, life, and humanity.

Limited to 25, so register today.

Three weeks out, McKee is still 20 points behind Foulkes in governor’s race

Dan's in trouble

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

McKee needs almost all the undecideds to go his way

Three weeks and a day out from the primary, Gov. Dan McKee has failed to narrow a 20-point gap with his Democratic gubernatorial challenger, Helena Buonanno Foulkes, a survey published Tuesday by The Pell Center at Salve Regina University finds. 

The poll of 857 likely primary voters echoes surveys by other organizations, which also showed Foulkes with a 20-point or higher lead over McKee. 

“There’s no strong surprises there,” said Katie Sonder, Pell Center associate director and fellow. “Helena Foulkes has been leading McKee over the last few months.”

The new survey is the Pell Center’s first 2026 election-specific poll, conducted Aug. 3 to 11 by Embold Research. The margin of error is 3.6%, with a 4.2% error margin for Democratic primary-specific questions.

Survey results were shared with Rhode Island Current in advance. 

More than 1 in 5 voters were still undecided at the time of the survey, which ended one day before the first televised gubernatorial debates. 

“With those undecideds, we could see it swing in either candidate’s direction,” Sonder said.

And the governor is “running strong,” said Sophie Mestas, a spokesperson for McKee’s campaign.

Come meet Climate Action endorsed candidates on Thursday

NEWS FROM THE RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR TINA SPEARS

AUGUST 2026

Meet the Candidates!  Thursday, August 20th at Tilted Barn Brewery

Climate Action Rhode Island and South County Action Team are hosting the candidates and you're invited.   Join the South County Local Team for a casual evening of conversation with Climate Action Rhode Island's endorsed candidates! Meet candidates, connect with fellow members, and enjoy some time on the patio while learning more about the people running to represent our communities.   Neighbors, friends and family are welcome to join.   SIGN UP HERE

Get your yard sign! Contact Tina at tina@tinaspearsri.com or call Kathleen 401 439 4469 to get yours!

If you'd like to donate to Tina's re-eelction campaign, please make personal checks payable to: The Friends of Tina Spears 82 Hillside Drive Charlestown, RI 02813   Or click HERE to contribute online or scan the QR code

Want to volunteer on Tina's re-election campaign? Contact us here. We have lots of fun and we'll keep Tina in the State House!

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State law prohibits the acceptance of any corporate or business checks. Only individuals and RI registered PACs may contribute. RI law requires contributors to note place of employment. Contributions are limited to $2,000 per person per calendar year, and are not tax-deductible.

RI judge tosses Trump’s latest attempt to reconfigure federal homelessness programs

Rhode Island beats Trump in court again over program to house the homeless

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

A Rhode Island federal judge has again blocked the Trump administration from siphoning federal funds from no-strings-attached housing for formerly homeless individuals.

In a pair of identical, 10-page orders issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy wrote that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act by attempting to divert $4 billion in federal fiscal 2026 grants from “Housing First” programs. 

As the name suggests, the model prioritizes providing a stable living environment for people who have lived on the streets or experienced mental illness before addressing their health, education and social services needs.

Twice in the last seven months, federal housing officials have sought to reallocate federal grant funds, shifting money away from permanent supportive housing programs to transitional housing and other short-term programs. The original, November 2025 federal memo prompted a pair of lawsuits by community advocates and state officials, also heard separately before McElroy who determined the Trump administration overstepped its authority and struck down the proposed funding restrictions.

South Kingstown Council Demands State Police Remove Flock Camera It Learned About From News Story

Charlestown says it has no Flock cameras and doesn't want any 

Adriana Vossari, RI & Local Government

The town's seven Flock Safety license-plate cameras are scheduled for removal August 17-18. A separate state police camera at Route 2 and Route 138 has been operating since July 4, and the council has now formally asked that it be taken down.

The South Kingstown Town Council voted to send a letter to the superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police demanding removal of a license-plate reading camera that state police installed in town in July, after council members said they learned of it from a news story rather than from their own police department.

The vote came at the council's August 11 meeting, according to the South Kingstown Town Council's published meeting recording. It landed roughly two weeks after the council voted on July 27 to terminate the town's own contract with Flock Safety, the vendor whose cameras read and log vehicle license plates for use in investigations.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In a separate article by Alex Nunes for the South County Star, Charlestown Town Council President Deb Carney said unequivocally “There are no Flock cameras in Charlestown,” and “As of today the State Police have no plans to put a Flock camera in Charlestown.”

Charlestown recently reported the theft of a URI research camera to monitor beach and surf conditions. The town stated this was NOT a Flock camera. Carney reiterated, “So the key takeaway — there are no Flock cameras in Charlestown.”  - Will Collette

August 29: Join with the Hopkinton Dems

And be thankful

Support for caregivers and partners of people with dementia

Police have used Flock cameras to stalk their exes, track abortion patients, and spy on protesters

Cops Abusing Flock Surveillance Cameras

Brett Wilkins

Here's a Rhode Island. CLICK HERE to download
RI ACLU document

A new database launched on August 12 that details more than 100 cases of alleged abuse by law enforcement officers using Flock Safety’s nationwide camera network is adding fresh urgency to the growing backlash against automated license plate readers.

The database, published by the Institute for Justice (IJ)—a libertarian nonprofit public interest law firm based in Arlington, Virginia—documents “romantic stalking, wrongful stops and detentions, non-law enforcement use, and other types of misconduct.”

“Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) were sold to American communities as a targeted tool for catching car thieves and finding missing people,” IJ said in an introduction to the database. “What they actually purchased has grown into something far broader and more frightening: an AI-powered network of cameras that photograph and log the movement of every driver who passes, whether or not they are suspected of any crime.”

Tracking the Trump administration’s favors to the pesticide industry

He kept his promises to them

Stacy Malkan 

The pesticide industry has spent decades building a highly effective influence operation in Washington D.C., shaping how pesticides are regulated and how American agriculture operates. Its political influence did not begin with the Trump administration and has extended across both Republican and Democratic administrations.

But over the past 18 months, the Trump administration has delivered a string of victories to the pesticide industry that could reshape pesticide use and public health protections for years to come. 

This tracker documents the Trump administration’s favors to the pesticide industry since January 2025. 

Personnel is policy: The Trump administration has filled many key posts with pesticide industry allies. U.S. Right to Know identified 26 administration officials with ties to the pesticide industry’s lobbying or legal network, including 11 political appointees at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where former chemical industry lobbyists now occupy the four highest-ranking positions overseeing federal pesticide regulations. 

More PFAS pesticide approvals: In July 2026, EPA approved three new pesticide active ingredients that many scientists classify as PFAS, bringing the total number of PFAS pesticides approved since November 2025 to five. PFAS “forever chemicals” are highly persistent and linked to serious health problems including cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, liver and thyroid disease. Many scientists and regulators classify PFAS as substances containing at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene carbon atom, but EPA uses a narrower definition adopted in 2023 that excludes compounds containing only one fluorinated carbon.  

Weakened endangered species protections: In July 2026, the Trump administration completed changes to Endangered Species Act regulations – including rescinding the longstanding regulatory definition of “harm” – that could make it easier for the EPA to approve pesticides with fewer safeguards for threatened and endangered species. 

Legal triumph for Bayer: In June 2026, the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration and Bayer in a 7–2 decision likely to block thousands of state-level lawsuits alleging that Bayer failed to warn consumers that Roundup causes cancer. The ruling gives greater legal weight to EPA’s approval of pesticide labels, making it harder for injured people to argue under state law that a manufacturer should have provided stronger warnings than EPA required. For decades, state failure-to-warn claims served as an independent check on EPA pesticide approvals, allowing juries to hold manufacturers accountable even when EPA had approved a pesticide label. The Court’s ruling narrows the pathway through which injured Americans can sue corporations that cause harm. 

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