I want to know

Stolen valor and Donald Trump. What's MAGA going to do about it? Jim?

Here's what a non-MAGA person did...

Starting Saturday, don't get mistaken for Bambi's mom

Stand out during Hunting Season with Orange Safety Clothing

During hunting season it’s safety first, fashion second. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) reminds the public that it’s time to wear your fluorescent orange clothing and embrace high visibility fall fits. Bright and bold, orange clothing helps keep you safe while outdoors. 

Starting this weekend with archery deer season, anyone in state management areas and undeveloped state parks during hunting season must wear at least 200 square inches (a hat or vest) of orange from Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Feb. 28. Archery hunters are exempt from this requirement during archery deer season. For more details, visit www.dem.ri.gov/orange.

For a complete breakdown of hunting season dates and regulations, please review the 2026-27 Hunting and Trapping Regulation Guide available online at www.eregulations.com/rhodeisland/hunting and at local sales agents.

 For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Follow DFW on Facebook and Instagram (@ri.fishandwildlife) to stay up to date on news, events and volunteer opportunities. You can also subscribe to DFW’s monthly newsletter here.

And Make sure you abide by these rules, too.

For the humor-impaired, this is satire.

Studies provide more evidence that HPV vaccines benefit men

It works. It's safe. It stops cancer

Liz Szabo, MA

Three new studies add to a growing body of research showing that men and boys vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) are much less likely than others to be infected with the ubiquitous virus, which can cause cancers of the head and neck, anus, and penis, as well as genital warts.

• A randomized trial from Japan, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases earlier this month, found that Gardasil 9—which protects against nine HPV strains—dramatically reduced the risk of developing anal or genital HPV infections. The vaccine prevented 92% of persistent infections with the most common strains of HPV and 73% caused by strains that are less common but still able to cause cancer. The researchers followed more than 1,000 men for a median of 2.4 years.
• A real-world study from Canada, published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases yesterday, focused on gay and bisexual men ages 16 to 23. The study of nearly 1,200 men confirmed that HPV vaccination is most effective when given at a young age, before people are exposed to the virus. Men vaccinated by age 23 were 60% less likely to have anal HPV infections than others in the study. The researchers found no reduction in HPV risk among men vaccinated at age 27 or older.
• A review of 21 studies performed from 2007 to 2024, published in The International Journal of Infectious Diseases last week, found that HPV vaccinations prevent anal, penile, and oral infections in men. Studies included Gardail 9, as well as an earlier vaccine that prevented four HPV strains. While results varied from study to study, researchers from University of Florida and Merck Research Laboratories found that evidence suggests that vaccines provide good protection, ranging from a 51% reduction in the risk of penile HPV infections to a 100% reduction in the risk of oral HPV infections. Merck is the manufacturer of Gardasil 9.

“It’s exciting,” Neil Gross, MD, director of clinical research in the department of head and neck surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told CIDRAP News when asked about the new findings.

“We’ve known vaccination is the right thing to do,” said Gross, who was not involved in the studies. “That’s why HPV is recommended as a gender-neutral vaccination strategy. It’s nice to see some data quantifying the benefit.”

Good news for men and public health

HPV affects about 80% of sexually active women and more than 90% of men. A small number of people develop persistent HPV infections, which can lead to cancer. HPV spreads through intimate contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and even deep kissing. 

Survey data reveal demographic divides in Americans’ COVID vaccine hesitancy

Too stupid to live

Laine Bergeson

Vaccine hesitancy in the United States predated the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic added fuel to the fire. During the crisis, inconsistent public health messaging and emergency-use authorization of the COVID vaccine gave rise to a “parallel pandemic of vaccine hesitancy,” write researchers from Rush University College of Nursing in a new analysis published in Vaccine. That hesitancy led to many people being unnecessarily infected and hospitalized. 

“Some research has estimated nearly a quarter of a million preventable deaths due to non-vaccination in the US, during the period May 2021-Sept 2022,” they write. Average life expectancy in the United States decreased by almost two years because of COVID.

To better understand what drives Americans’ vaccine hesitancy, the researchers analyzed surveys from nearly 14,000 people. Their findings suggest that vaccination rates differed significantly by education level and age, and reasons for remaining unvaccinated differed by race and education level. 

Kennedy’s Quiet Hunt for Autism Culprits Stalls as Trump Orders Baseless Changes to Childhood Shots

Endangering children's lives based on quack science

By Amanda Seitz and Stephanie Armour

Donald Trump has ordered a reduction in childhood vaccines — publicly faulting the shots for an increase in autism cases — even as the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has failed to produce evidence linking vaccinations to the disorder.

While the executive order released Aug. 10 does not directly mention autism, Trump’s demand to limit vaccine recommendations has puzzled leading medical groups, doctors, and political analysts alike. The directive landed less than 90 days before midterm elections, which Trump’s own pollsters have warned could be jeopardized by anti-vaccine rhetoric.

“The political timing, particularly for members on the Republican side in swing districts, is not good,” said Larry Bucshon, a former Republican congressman and retired doctor.

Trump’s willingness to gamble on the issue underscores the president’s impatience for his health secretary to deliver on a promise that he’d pinpoint a culprit for the sharp rise in autism diagnoses.

After more than a year, Kennedy and his close, anti-vaccine allies have blown past a deadline to turn up definitive answers in a multimillion-dollar research mission shrouded in secrecy, leaving the president to recycle debunked notions as he publicly assaults vaccines.

“This is about the most closed project that I’ve ever heard of,” Helen Tager-Flusberg, a renowned psychologist who runs the Coalition of Autism Scientists, said of Kennedy’s autism research efforts. “They’re treating it like the Manhattan Project in the 1940s. This is as opaque as it could possibly be.”

The White House did not answer questions about what research is informing the president’s opinions or which vaccines he believes could be linked to autism.

The Department of Health and Human Services said the president’s action builds on the agency’s January announcement that it was reassessing the nation’s vaccine schedule and recommended reducing childhood immunizations based on peer countries’ guidance. However, no other peer country separates the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine as the president has now ordered.

“As the secretary said, HHS will examine every biologically plausible hypothesis, follow the evidence wherever it leads, and make findings and actions available as they are ready,” HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said in an email.

The Great Renaming

Appropriate Canadian response

Trump goes on another spree of posting bizarre and scary posts about himself

This is the guy who has the nuclear launch codes. He's already shown he will go to war on a whim, terrorize American cities and ruin people's lives. 

Without accountability from Republicans who control Congress and the Supreme Court.

All of these were posted by Trump.

Trump explains how his insider stock trading is for the country.

Trump on the March in Washington, DC

Trump as the commander of the US Space Force, nuking the planet

This certainly gives ME nightmares

I'm sure George Washington was very impressed, especially with all of Trump's posts

Trump thinks he's the Green Lantern

Wood River Health and Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds Bring Rally4Recovery to Washington County

Coming this September 12

For the first time, Rally4Recovery is coming to Washington County, bringing together individuals in recovery, families, healthcare providers, community organizations and local leaders for a celebration of hope, healing, resilience and community.

Hosted by Wood River Health and Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds (HBHM), Washington County's Health Equity Zone, the inaugural Rally4Recovery Washington County will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Rhode Island Quad, 10 Ranger Road in Kingston, Rhode Island. The free, family-friendly event will feature live music, food, activities for all ages, wellness resources, and opportunities to connect with organizations supporting recovery and overall well-being. Rally4Recovery Washington County is presented in partnership with RICARES, the Wellbeing Collaborative, the URI Community First Responder Program, and the URI Collegiate Recovery Program.

Rally4Recovery is part of a national movement that celebrates recovery, fosters hope and belonging and raises awareness about the many pathways individuals take to achieve wellness. Held in communities across the country, recovery rallies bring together individuals in recovery, family members, healthcare providers, peer recovery specialists, community organizations, and advocates to demonstrate that recovery is possible and that support is available.

The launch of Rally4Recovery in Washington County marks an important milestone for the region. While local organizations have long provided recovery, behavioral health, and social support services, this is the first event of its kind to unite healthcare, recovery, educational and community partners around a shared vision of recovery, wellness and belonging. The event will showcase the growing network of resources available throughout the county while creating opportunities for residents to connect with resources, peer support and one another.

Long-term melatonin use linked to 90% higher heart failure risk

Researchers emphasize that the study was observational - correlation is not the same as causation

American Heart Association

Long-term use of melatonin, a widely used sleep supplement, was linked to a higher risk of heart failure, hospitalization for heart failure, and death from any cause among people with chronic insomnia, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025.

The findings do not prove that melatonin itself caused the increased risks. However, they raise new questions about the long-term safety of a supplement that many people view as a harmless or "natural" way to improve sleep.

Why Melatonin Is So Widely Used

Melatonin is a hormone made naturally by the pineal gland in the brain. It helps control the body's sleep and wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. Levels of the hormone typically rise when it gets dark and fall during daylight.

Synthetic melatonin is chemically identical to the hormone produced by the body. It is commonly used for insomnia (difficulty falling and/or staying asleep) and jet lag.

Melatonin supplements are available over the counter in many countries, including the U.S. In the U.S., over-the-counter supplements are not regulated, so each brand of supplement can vary in strength, purity, etc.

For the new study, researchers divided participants according to their documented melatonin use. People with at least one year of melatonin use recorded in their electronic medical records were placed in the "melatonin group." Those with no record of melatonin use anywhere in their medical records were assigned to the "non-melatonin group."

"Melatonin supplements may not be as harmless as commonly assumed. If our study is confirmed, this could affect how doctors counsel patients about sleep aids," said Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, M.D., lead author of the study and chief resident in internal medicine at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in Brooklyn, New York.

Pentagon Secretly Working to Divert Billions From National Institutes of Health

Looting research funds to pay for Trump wars

Jake Johnson for Common Dreams

Donald Trump’s Department of Defense is reportedly working to divert billions of dollars in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health to bolster the Pentagon’s budget as the administration wages a costly, destructive, and open-ended war on Iran.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top House Democratic appropriator, revealed late Thursday that the Pentagon—without notifying lawmakers or the public—signed an interagency agreement that could give the Defense Department “access to billions of dollars that Congress provided to NIH for critical biomedical research.”

Under the deal, which the Trump administration disclosed to Congress under pressure from Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, the Pentagon would pull funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose annual budget is around $7 billion. It is unclear whether NIH has signed the agreement.

Trump is still determined to build his new "Trump Class"
battleships

“This secretive attempt to siphon research funds away from NIH is outrageous. The interagency agreement needs to be terminated immediately,” DeLauro said in a statement. “These funds were provided for lifesaving medical research, not as extra money for the Department of Defense. It is no secret that the Department of Defense is facing enormous financial pressure because of President Trump’s war of choice with Iran. But the Trump administration cannot make American patients, families, and scientists pay the price.”

“Circumventing Congress to divert money intended to help Americans who are exposed to HIV, influenza, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases—and directing those funds to the Department of Defense—is beyond the pale,” DeLauro added. “DoD already has programs, funded by Congress, to research and develop medical countermeasures to chemical, biological, and nuclear threats, and does not need NIH funding to do so. The administration must provide Congress with a full accounting of how this interagency agreement was developed and exactly how much taxpayer money it is trying to transfer to DoD.”

WEDNESDAY is Primary Day

Your vote is important

By Will Collette

Primaries in Rhode Island during non-Presidential years are often seen as inconsequential, especially in Charlestown. It’s been 20 years since Charlestown’s last primary, 2006, when Donna Walsh defeated incumbent DINO Rep. Matt McHugh.

This year, House District 36 is once again going to be decided in the Democratic primary where progressive incumbent Rep. Tina Spears is being challenged by DINO self-proclaimed sex crimes defense lawyer Leah Boisclair.

Boisclair is a product of the insidious MAGA-inspired political action galaxy of 40 PACs under the umbrella of the League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB). LORIB is also backing the primary challenge of DINO Mark Mesrobian against Narragansett state Sen. Alana DiMario as well as several other LORIB challengers in several other primary races.

LORIB is also backing candidates in the general election, including challengers to Charlestown’s Sen. Victoria Gu, as well as Rep. Megan Cotter, Rep. Kathy Fogarty and Rep. Carol McEntee.

The differences between Tina Spears and her DINO challenger are so stark that there can be little doubt who will do better to serve Charlestown voters. Tina has deep roots in the community and a proven track record in the General Assembly. Boisclair does not. She has chosen to make her living by advertising to and representing accused pedos and baby rapers. I’m not making this up: check her own website.

Boisclair is also going to serve LORIB’s agenda of cutting taxes for the rich, rolling back sensible gun control measures and curbing environmental protection.

Please, for Charlestown’s sake, support the re-election of our outstanding state Representative Tina Spears.

Besides when will Boisclair have time to represent House District 36 when she's busy representing guys accused of these crimes:

I’ve already voted by mail (eat it, Donald Trump) in this and the rest of the Democratic ballot.

I voted for Helena Foulkes over our hapless incumbent Governor. This one was easy. Even though I have no illusions about Foulkes being a classic corporate Democrat of the Gina Raimondo-type, she’s bound to be better than McKee. McKee has shown himself to have no fixed principles, no talent for picking and managing qualified people and a tin ear for ethics and corruption.

I voted for Keith Hoffman for Attorney General. He is in a close race with former co-worker Kim Ahern, when both worked for term-limited incumbent Peter Neronha. Neronha picked Hoffman as his choice and I like and trust Neronha’s judgement. But I will shed no tears if Kim Ahern wins.

I would however, be pretty upset if LORIB-adjacent attorney general candidate Joe Solomon wins. If you look around Charlestown, nearly every Leah Boisclair sign has a Joe Solomon sign next to it. Solomon has adopted LORIB’s strategy of encouraging Republicans to change their party registration so they can vote for him in this Primary. No real Democrat does that.

The other hotly contested race is for Lieutenant Governor, currently held by ineffectual incumbent Sabrina Matos. She faces several challengers in the Democratic primary and may make it through with the vote split about the crowded field. I voted for “Jay” - Xay Khamsyvoravong – former mayor of Newport based on his effective leadership there.

There is either no challenger or only token opposition to the re-election of General Treasurer James Diossa, Secretary of State Greg Amore, Senator Jack Reed and Rep. Seth Magaziner.

Labor Day message from the US Department of Labor

Why did no one challenge this?