URI researcher awarded $296,000 USDA grant to study spinach

Gotta fill those spinach pies

Kristen Curry

URI Assistant Professor Camilo Villouta, left, and Ph.D. student Deniz Camli-Saunders are conducting new research growing hydroponic vegetables. (URI Photos / Shalyne Scott)

Plant-based agriculture is changing with the introduction of new engineering, technology, and information tools. Camilo Villouta, an assistant professor in the University of Rhode Island’s Plant Sciences department, not only has a green thumb, but he also brings a sophisticated command of modern tools to his position at the University. Now he’s taking his plant engineer mindset to new research growing hydroponic vegetables.

Backed by a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) award, Villouta has received a competitive food research grant from the department’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to conduct research connected to controlled environment agriculture. The two-year project is already underway and will conclude in 2028.

The rising demand for locally sourced, fresh produce available year-round has led to the rapid growth of controlled environment agriculture in urban areas, including in Providence where growing national producer Gotham Greens opened its only New England location.

Villouta serves as the controlled environment agriculture specialist at URI, focusing on hydroponic and greenhouse production systems.

“My research has always been strongly applied and connected to real-world production systems,” said Villouta. “I work closely with growers to understand and address the challenges they face, particularly in controlled environment agriculture. My approach is to study plant physiology in detail and translate that knowledge into practical solutions that improve production outcomes.”

In Connecticut, Doctors Now Sue Patients Most Over Medical Bills, Surpassing Hospitals

Chasing medical debt

Noam N. Levey and Katy Golvala and Jenna Carlesso, CT Mirror

Many hospital systems in Connecticut have stopped suing their patients over unpaid bills, stung by criticism about the harm caused by aggressive collection tactics.

But physicians, dentists, ambulance companies, and other health care providers are still taking their patients to court, a Connecticut Mirror-KFF Health News investigation of state legal records shows.

Lawsuits by doctors and other nonhospital providers now dominate health care collections in Connecticut, the records show, accounting for more than 80% of cases filed against patients and their families in 2024.

That’s a major reversal from just five years earlier, when hospital system lawsuits made up three-quarters of health-related collection cases in the state’s courts.

The shift is moving medical debt collections into a less regulated realm. Most hospitals, because they are tax-exempt nonprofits, must make financial aid available to low-income patients and follow federal regulations that limit aggressive collection activities. Other medical providers, such as private medical groups, are generally exempt from these rules.

The lawsuits are typically over bills of less than $3,000, but the impact on patients can be devastating. Lawsuits are among the most ruinous byproducts of a health care debt problem that burdens an estimated 100 million people in the U.S.

Lawsuits can lead to garnished wages, liens on homes, and hundreds of dollars of added debt from interest and court fees. They also pile additional financial strains on struggling families, prevent patients from getting needed care, and sap trust in medical providers.

Trump Declares Victory in Iran. Reality Disagrees.

Killing, destruction, trashing the global economy and making life miserable for America is not "winning"

By Mitchell Zimmerman

Did you know that Germany won World War II?

Because so many died in the Soviet Union, the combined Russian and U.S. military deaths in World War II were over twice that of Germany. So Germany won — except for the small matter of the Soviets and the U.S. occupying burned-out Berlin at the end of the war.

Similarly, U.S. forces suffered about one tenth as many combat deaths as the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army in the Vietnam War. So we won. Except for the North Vietnamese overrunning Saigon in 1975 and reunifying the country under Communist rule.

The same upside-down “logic” applies to Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. has defeated Iran — since our bombs have devastated Iran and since the U.S. has killed many more Iranians than Iranians have killed Americans.

Back in the real world, none of Trump’s war aims has been achieved. Notwithstanding the cost to Iran and its people, Iran is emerging as an even stronger regional power.

Master negotiator

This is how Trump honors women athletes

Start small: How to make your garden grow this spring

URI Cooperative Extension gardeners offer green suggestions and advice

Kristen Curry 

URI Cooperative Extension gardeners can offer novice growers helpful suggestions and advice. (URI Photo / K. Curry)

For novice gardeners looking to break ground this spring, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension gardeners say there’s always a good reason to get outside and grow.

Shanelle Haile’s career brought her around the world, but her efforts in her own backyard gave her a place to experiment with social issues at a condensed size. Haile spent six years working in Washington, D.C., and abroad as a development officer and advisor with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Tomatoes are an easy plant for new growers and will be highlighted at this year’s Cooperative Extension Spring Plant Sale on May 9 at URI. (Photo provided Cooperative Extension)

RIDOH reports a 2nd measles case

"Measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination"

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising the public that a confirmed case of measles has been identified in Rhode Island. This is the second case of measles identified in Rhode Island in 2026. However, this case is not associated with the measles case that was identified in Rhode Island on April 18.

This individual is a female in her 20s who had traveled from outside the country to visit family in Rhode Island. This person was treated at Brown University Health Urgent Care in Middletown on April 24 and tested positive for measles at the Rhode Island State Health Laboratories. This person did not require hospitalization.

Measles is almost entirely preventable through vaccination. Approximately 97% of Rhode Island kindergarteners have completed the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine series, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. MMR vaccine is safe and effective.

New breakthrough treatment for pancreatic cancer

What You Need to Know

By Erin Post 

A new therapy that targets RAS mutations present in more than 90% of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma — the most common type of pancreatic cancer — approximately doubles overall survival according to clinical trial results announced today.

Revolution Medicines shared Phase III clinical trial results for a pill called daraxonrasib in patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer. For decades, RAS was considered “undruggable,” meaning that there was no effective way to target RAS. These results greatly expand the potential benefit of targeted therapies for patients with pancreatic cancer.

“We are standing at the threshold of groundbreaking treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer,” said PanCAN Chief Scientific and Medical Officer Anna Berkenblit, M.D., MMSc. “Today’s announcement represents a real opportunity to bring new hope for people facing this disease: hope for more time with family, hope for better quality of life and hope that ongoing and future research may ultimately lead to a cure.”

Next, Revolution Medicines will need to take their data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If the FDA grants approval for daraxonrasib, it will be made available as a treatment for patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma who have been previously treated.

Legislators’ Annoyance at Underfunded Green Bonds Grows

It takes real money

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

Rockville is probably a farther drive than most Rhode Islanders prefer to make, but the ones who visit the area in Hopkinton are treated to some of the most beautiful forestland in the state.

Having an unbroken block of forest along the state’s western border has long been the conservation goal for environmental officials and environmental groups. 

The Department of Environmental Management, with The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island, recently announced the state bought nearly 70 acres of forestland on the Princess Pine Estate in Hopkinton to be incorporated into the Rockville Wildlife Management Area.

The North Road purchase borders DEM, Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society lands, in a 2,140-acre block of preserved open and recreational space. It will also boost public access for boating and fishing along Wincheck Pond.

Bobby Junior and Donald Trump Junior went out and bought a bunch of sushi

Tomaquag Museum’s New Exhibition

"Revolution to Reclamation, Freedom through Indigenous Sovereignty"

Tomaquag Museum's new exhibit, "Revolution to Reclamation, Freedom through Indigenous Sovereignty" opened on April 22nd to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States. 

While the American Revolution serves as a historical focal point, the exhibit moves beyond commemoration to connect the past with the present through an exploration of land, freedom, responsibility, and enduring Indigenous presence.

This exhibition represents the first complete transformation of the museum's gallery space since 1996. Executive Director Lorén Spears encourages past visitors to return, noting that many will scarcely recognize the reimagined space. 

Designers at SmokeSygnals have reshaped the gallery through innovative exhibit fabrication and immersive design. At its center is a striking art installation of life-sized figures set against a watercolor forest, creating a visual anchor while emphasizing the enduring connection between Indigenous peoples and the land. 

As Spears explains, "We are the land, the land is us. What we do to the land, we do to ourselves. This is ancient wisdom passed down through our ancestors".

Pressure mounts on Citizens Bank over its funding of ICE contractors

Brown union to pull $500K from Citizens Bank over ICE ties. 

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current

The union representing working graduate and undergraduate students at Brown University will withdraw nearly half a million dollars from Rhode Island’s largest bank, aiming to pressure it to cut ties with private prison companies that detain immigrants on behalf of the Trump administration.

A group of Boston-area churches plans to pull about $1 million if leaders at Citizens Bank do not meet with them within a week to discuss similar demands to no longer financially support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

“If you do happen to know a bank that is not involved in these sorts of shady business dealings, we’d love some recommendations,” Michael Ziegler, president of AFT-RIFT Local 6516, told 300 demonstrators gathered outside Citizens’ Providence headquarters Thursday morning.

The announcements came before and after the bank’s annual shareholder meeting. As bank officials and stockowners headed inside to the meeting, protesters urged them to push the company to cut financial ties with CoreCivic and the GEO Group — two of ICE’s biggest contractors.

“We’re all here today for the same reason: to protest the reign of terror and abuse being caused by ICE in Rhode Island and across the country,” Julie Craven, one of the organizers for the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition, told protestors and press gathered outside the bank. “Citizens Bank has been the financial engine that made it all possible.” 

Peter Lucht, a spokesperson for Citizen’s Bank, declined to comment on Thursday’s protest and account-holder demands. 

Researchers Have Found a Dietary Compound That Increases Longevity

Natural compound, good for you, in popular fruits and veggies

By University of Seville

A little-known nutrient found in everyday fruits and vegetables may be doing far more in the body than scientists once believed.

Researchers from the University of Seville and the University of Kent report that phytoene, a colorless carotenoid present in foods like tomatoes, carrots, oranges, and peppers, can extend lifespan and protect against key processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease, at least in a widely used laboratory model.

Their experiments in the tiny worm Caenorhabditis elegans showed lifespan increases of 10 to 18.6 percent, along with a 30 to 40 percent reduction in the toxic effects caused by amyloid-β42, the protein associated with brain plaque formation in Alzheimer’s.

Rethinking an Overlooked Compound

Phytoene has long been overlooked. Unlike better-known carotenoids such as beta-carotene or lycopene, it does not give foods their bright colors and has often been treated as an inactive precursor rather than a functional compound.

The research, part of Ángeles Morón Ortiz’s doctoral work, tested both purified phytoene and extracts derived from microalgae, specifically Chlorella sorokiniana and Dunaliella bardawil. These extracts, which contained high levels of phytoene, performed just as well as the pure compound. Importantly, the treatments did not interfere with the worms’ growth or food supply, suggesting the benefits were not due to reduced calorie intake or stress.

Further experiments revealed how phytoene may be working. The compound improved resistance to oxidative stress, a process driven by unstable molecules that damage cells and contribute to aging and diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. At certain doses, survival under oxidative stress increased by as much as 53 percent. This aligns with what scientists already know about carotenoids, which can neutralize harmful molecules or activate the body’s own defense systems.

The Alzheimer’s-related findings are also significant. In the worm model, amyloid-β42 buildup leads to progressive paralysis. Animals given phytoene showed a clear delay in this effect, indicating protection against protein aggregation, one of the hallmarks of the disease.

House approves Rep. Tanzi bill to disclose AI use in health care visits

Require your health care provider to prove "I am not a robot" 

The House voted to approve legislation (2026-H 7538) from Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi to require health care providers and facilities to notify patients if they use artificial intelligence tools to document visits.

“AI scribes and similar tools have the potential to decrease the documentation burden for medical providers and improve the quality of visits for patients,” said Representative Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett). 

“But as with any rapidly expanding new technology, particularly in a sensitive field like health care, it is important to protect patients and transparently disclose when AI scribes are being used. I’d like to thank my colleagues for helping to ensure that will happen by advancing this bill one step closer to becoming law.”

Measles, misinformation, and what's actually in the MMR vaccine

Bobby's lies cost lives

Jake Scott, MD

More than 4,000 Americans have contracted measles since January 2025. Two children and one adult have died. Sixteen states have fallen below the vaccination threshold required to prevent sustained transmission. The United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status, which it achieved in 2000.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a message for the communities at the center of these outbreaks: the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine contains "millions of particles that were created from aborted fetal tissue, millions of DNA fragments." It does not.

He is the nation's chief public health officer. He is making this claim during the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades. He is making it about the one vaccine that could stop that outbreak. And he is directing it at the religious communities—Mennonite, Orthodox, conservative Catholic—in which vaccination rates are lowest and where the current cases are concentrated.

Let’s explore what the manufacturing, regulatory, and scientific records actually show.

Where the vaccine comes from

Viruses can replicate only inside living cells. To make the rubella component of the MMR vaccine, manufacturers grow the live weakened virus in a human cell strain called WI-38. 

In 1962, a researcher named Leonard Hayflick isolated cells from lung tissue obtained from a single elective abortion performed in Sweden. Those cells were placed in laboratory cell cultures—controlled environments where cells are grown outside the body—where they have been propagating ever since. The cell strain used in Merck's MMR-II traces its lineage to that original culture. 

The chickenpox and hepatitis A vaccines use a similar strain, MRC-5, established in 1966 by J.P. Jacobs from lung cells obtained from an elective abortion performed in the United Kingdom.

Both of these facts come directly from the product pages of the American Type Culture Collection, the national repository that catalogs and sells biological materials to researchers—the same database cited by those making these claims.

These cell strains are not immortal. They replicate for roughly 50 passages, then reach the end of their replicative lifespan. Manufacturers maintain frozen seed stocks that can be thawed to start fresh cultures as needed. This finite nature is a safety feature: It distinguishes these strains from continuous cell lines, which replicate indefinitely and carry a theoretical cancer risk.

The cells used today are the laboratory descendants of those original strains, not material from any abortion. The original cells have not existed for sixty years. No new abortions are performed to manufacture these vaccines.

Once the virus finishes growing in these cell cultures, it is extracted and purified. What ends up in the final vaccine is the weakened virus, stabilizing ingredients, and trace amounts of residual protein and DNA left over from the production process. There are no intact human cells in the vaccine.