Food Safety Finds a Place Among ‘Kitchen-Table’ Political Issues

The political consequences of endangering millions

By Stephanie Armour

The run-up to the midterm elections is turning into a food fight — literally.

The summer was marred by a massive foodborne outbreak that sickened scores of people and the recall of tens of thousands of pounds of imported meat, turning the safety of the U.S. food supply into a topic of national conversation and a political cause.

Late-night talk show hosts joked about symptoms that included explosive diarrhea. As a precaution, chain restaurants such as Chipotle and Taco Bell yanked lettuce, jalapeños, and other suspected products from menus. Some food safety scientists blamed the outbreaks on federal cuts to public health.

These dynamics collectively have raised questions about whether it’s safe to order a salad or burger.

Democrats have come out on the offensive, saying voters worried about the safety of the U.S. food supply should oust Republicans in the midterm elections. The Trump administration has countered by accusing Democrats of scaremongering over food safety to score political points.

The political fracas reflects the toll that large-scale outbreaks have had on the public psyche. Midterm voters have long cared about pocketbook issues such as grocery prices, but the spate of recalls has them worried about whether the food they’re buying is safe to eat — and political leaders are paying attention.

The outbreak linked to cyclospora in lettuce led to almost 20,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of illness from May through August, compared with 1,180 cases during the same span in 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That makes it the largest recorded outbreak of the parasite.

Federal auditors say Trump Illegally Withheld Lifesaving Health Research Funds

US Government Accountability Office finds Trump illegally diverted health research money

Jake Johnson for Common Dreams

An independent federal watchdog concluded on Wednesday that the Trump administration violated the law last year when it refused to spend $78 million that Congress appropriated to support lifesaving healthcare research.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that the US Department of Health and Human Services, headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., violated the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 by withholding grant funds as the administration worked to gut the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Researchers and advocacy organizations say the grant freeze has derailed key patient safety research.

In response to the GAO’s finding, the congressional Democrats who called for the investigation said that the report “confirms what we have known for over a year: Donald Trump is stealing taxpayers’ dollars that Congress set aside to improve Americans’ health.”

The American mood is turning dark, and Republicans are likely to pay the price at the midterms

How bad with the midterms be for Trump?

Bruce Wolpe, University of Sydney

For the White House, the midterm elections are always agony. They are always a referendum on the president.

On October 12, 2010, I was serving on the Democratic staff of the US House of Representatives. It was just two years after Barack Obama’s historic presidential election victory. His majority in the House was 39 seats. I took a scan of the House races in the upcoming midterm elections. There were at least 86 vulnerable Democratic seats in play. My best estimate, that day, was that we would lose 54 seats, leaving the Democrats at least 15 short of a majority. It was clear all was lost.

In every Democratic office, the staff discussed with their representatives the catastrophe on the horizon. Republicans in the House are having that discussion right now.

Obama was routed with a 64-seat loss in the House that November. But the surprise was the Democrats retained control of the Senate, 53-47 seats, which is exactly what the Republicans hold today.

A replay of that scenario from 16 years ago would be but a modest catastrophe for President Donald Trump. He would still be dominant in Washington, exercising his immense executive power and keeping his hold on the Senate.

But that is not how expert political analysts are seeing the outcome of this election less than a month out from polling day. Charlie Cook, the founder of the Cook Political Report, is one of the most cautious. He projects the Democrats will take at least five to 15 seats and win control of the House. The Senate is more up in the air, where the Democrats need a net gain of at least four seats.

If Trump loses control of the Senate, it means his appointments – judges, cabinet officers, ambassadors – will not pass without Democrat support. All his legislative initiatives would have to be acceptable to Democrats.

The Democrats could also pass bill after bill on key issues such as affordability, inflation, energy prices and health care, and send them to the president’s desk, where Trump would likely veto them. There could be joint House-Senate investigations into Trump’s finances and exercise of power.

And all this activity will set the stage for the 2028 presidential campaign.

They're counting on their base

Truth and honesty

Trump administration seeks to rescind approval for Revolution Wind

Trump is obsessed

By John Moritz, Rhode Island Current

Turbines can sometimes offer unexpected
benefits

The Trump administration is once again seeking to interrupt the development of Connecticut’s first offshore wind project, Revolution Wind off the Rhode Island coast.

In a federal court filing, attorneys representing the U.S. Department of the Interior sought permission to rescind the agency’s three-year-old approval for the construction of the Revolution Wind project, which is now nearing completion.

The filing was made in a lawsuit filed in 2024 by Green Oceans, an anti-wind energy group, challenging the federal government’s approval of permits for Revolution Wind and its sister project, South Fork Wind.

“The Department of the Interior agrees that remand of its prior approval of the construction and operations plan (“COP”) for the Revolution Wind Project is warranted so that the agency can reevaluate its compliance with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act,” the filing states. “Given that remand, the Court need not reach Plaintiffs’ other claims challenging Interior’s COP approval.”

A spokesperson for the project’s developer, Ørsted, declined to comment on the filing Monday.

The Department of Interior issued a statement Tuesday evening in response to a request for comment.

“The Department of the Interior is complying with a briefing schedule, not announcing a policy change. Our position has remained consistent throughout this administration and this filing should not be misconstrued as a shift in the Department’s approach to offshore wind,” the statement said.

Revolution Wind’s 65th and final turbine was installed in September, and developers say the project is on track to begin producing its full, 704-megawatt output by the end of this year.

The project is located off the coast of Rhode Island, with onshore assembly taking place at the State Pier in New London. The project began supplying power to the New England electric grid in March, and is supported by contracts with utilities in Connecticut and Rhode Island. (South Fork Wind, which was not mentioned in the filing, was completed in 2024).

Fiber is both diet fad and fixture for good health

There is no one‑size‑fits‑all way to increase your intake

Jean Liew, Boston University

The numbers are clear: Americans aren’t getting enough fiber.

Research has consistently shown that high-fiber diets are linked to significant health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer, as well as improved arthritis symptoms.

Despite these benefits, there remains a significant fiber gap in the typical American diet. The recommended daily fiber intake is 25 grams a day for women and 38 grams a day for men. From 2013 to 2018, only 4% of U.S. adults met their recommended adequate intake for dietary fiber. The average fiber intake was about 16 grams a day.

Adding fiber to your diet through eating more fiber-rich foods or by taking fiber supplements has become a viral health trend. At the same time, the 2025 update to the American dietary guidelines appears to downplay fiber’s role in a healthy diet, placing high-fiber whole grains at the bottom as the smallest part of the inverted food pyramid. This can be confusing, because the written guidelines themselves continue to highlight the importance of eating whole grains.

What does the science say about the health benefits of a high-fiber diet? And what steps can you take to incorporate more fiber into your diet? These and similar questions my patients have asked me as a physician-scientist prompted me to look further into the latest research on dietary fiber.

Basics of dietary fiber

Dietary fiber can be found in many sources, and the choices can be overwhelming.

Dietary fiber refers to carbohydrates your body can’t digest. Many whole foods are high in fiber. High-fiber foods include raspberries, avocados, oats and other whole grains, and lentils and other legumes.

Fiber also comes in supplements such as psyllium husk powder, known as the brand Metamucil, which comes from a plant called Plantago ovata. Isolated fibers such as inulin are now increasingly added to foods, including those marketed as high-fiber snack bars, keto-friendly carbs and even soda.

Moreover, not all types of fiber are created equal.

There are many types of fiber, each with different health benefits. McKeown et al./BMJ, CC BY-NC

For example, psyllium is a viscous fiber, meaning it forms a gel when added to water. This gel can contribute to early satiety, meaning you feel fuller after eating. Viscous fiber can help lower cholesterol, improve blood sugar levels and blood pressure, lead to a small amount of weight loss, and make bowel movements more regular.

Other popular types of fiber are fermented, meaning they are eaten and processed by bacteria that live in your gut. These gut bacteria make proteins that can lower inflammation in the body. Inulin is one type of fermented fiber and can be extracted from chicory root and Jerusalem artichokes.

Nutrition experts recommend getting a variety of fiber-rich foods in your diet because of the added benefit of other nutrients in these foods, such as antioxidants.

Probiotics versus fiber

Besides fiber, adding probiotics to your diet may also benefit your gut health.

Probiotics are a category of fermented foods that still contain live microbes when you eat them. These include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, yogurt and kimchi, which are changed by the addition of live microbes, such as bacteria or yeast. Although the terms sound similar, these fermented foods that have “good” bacteria added to them are not the same as the fiber that gets fermented by bacteria already in your gut.

Think of it this way: Fiber provides the material for the gut bacteria to work with. Probiotics provide more “good” gut bacteria to join the community that already exists.

In a 2021 study, researchers examined the gut microbiomes of 36 healthy adults who either ate a diet high in fiber or a diet high in fermented foods. They found that those who ate a high-fiber diet had a gut microbiome that was more active in making the enzymes that break down fiber. That means these microbes got better at using the fiber they were fed to make byproducts helpful for the body.

In contrast, those who ate a diet high in fermented foods had a gut microbiome that was more diverse, meaning they had many different species of bacteria in their guts. They also had lower levels of inflammation. Many chronic conditions can raise levels of inflammation in the body, and exposure to inflammation can put stress on the body, contributing to issues such as cardiovascular disease.

The results of this small study point to the possibility that combining high-fiber and fermented foods in your diet could synergize their health benefits in nourishing the gut microbiome.

How can you get more fiber in your diet?

With so many options available, what’s the best way to increase your fiber intake?

Some barriers to eating enough dietary fiber include cost, accessibility and tolerability. Some high-fiber whole foods, such as berries, can be expensive. Highly fermentable fibers, such as inulin, often cause bloating and discomfort, especially if you aren’t used to eating them. This can be a turnoff for high-fiber drinks and snacks, since they contain so much fiber in a single serving.

There are many ways to increase the amount of fiber you eat on a daily basis. The general recommendation is to do it slowly to allow your body to get used to the higher amount of fiber and to stay hydrated so your body can use the water along with the fiber for optimal bowel health.

Most importantly, try a variety of fiber sources to figure out what’s right for you. Some people will be able to reach the recommended fiber levels by eating whole foods alone; others will add supplements or eat foods with added fiber. There is no one-size-fits-all healthy diet.

Unlocking the full benefits of fiber

More focused research is needed to understand more about the types of fiber that are beneficial to health, in what doses, and in what combinations. But these nutrition studies can be tricky.

My research focuses on finding links between fiber and different diseases in observational data and figuring out how to test them in a clinical trial. For example, one large observational study found an association between higher self-reported intake of whole grains and lower risk of arthritis. But researchers still need to test this connection in clinical trials, which requires deciding the right type and amount of whole grains to recommend, as well as the right length of time to test this diet.

While there have been many small clinical trials on fiber, they have not been big enough, specific enough or broad enough to provide answers that can be put into guidelines for everyone. Adequate funding has been one major hurdle to starting such large, well-designed trials.

At the same time, scientists already know many confirmed benefits of dietary fiber, and the gap lies in educating the public and making changes so that foods high in fiber are affordable and accessible to more people.

Jean Liew, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The end is near for US hemp THC market.

But uncertainty continues for Rhode Island growers.

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

On less than an acre of farmland in Hopkinton, rows of hemp plants were nearing harvest. Most of their “colas” — dense clusters of buds prized for smokable flower — had already been cut ahead of a nor’easter bound for southern New England on the last weekend of September.

The rest will be harvested in the next couple of weeks and turned into concentrate, destined to become products such as tinctures, 1-milligram THC gummies and 5-milligram THC lemonades, which Lovewell Farms launched earlier in September.

“We’ve leaned into the cans and beverages because the state regulations allow that,” Mike Simpson, co-founder of Lovewell Farms, said in an interview standing next to the hemp plants, joint in hand. “And we’re making hand over fist doing that.”

Rhode Island’s regulated hemp market generated $2.85 million in sales in 2025, according to data provided by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission. Drinks and seltzers infused with THC — the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant that can cause impairment— accounted for $2.36 million, or about 83% of the total. The state had 201 licensed hemp businesses as of Oct. 1, including 169 retailers.

But the market Simpson joined could soon be upended by a federal restriction that Rhode Island regulators say they must enforce. Starting Dec. 11, federal law will prohibit the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container.

Existing regulations adopted by the Cannabis Control Commission in 2025 have allowed all products to contain up to 1 milligrams of total THC per serving, or 5 milligrams of total THC per package. 

Elon Musk, Newt Gingrich, and Palmer Luckey walk into a bar ... and are given the keys to the DoD.

“Project Meridian” is the stuff of satire

Paul Waldman

A photo of Project Meridian’s first meeting last week.
(DoD via X)

Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth once again summoned high-ranking officers to Quantico so he could tell them the Iran war has been an unmitigated triumph (“courageous and historic operations that every red blooded American is proud of”) and peacock with pride about the new, testosterone-maxxed military his purges have created.

“We are no longer the woke department or the weak department,” he said. “No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors.”

Then Hegseth announced the creation of “Project Meridian,” a new effort to “creatively look to the future and identify the domains that we must conquer and capabilities we must master,” and “ruthlessly map the trajectory of wars, domains, and technologies to ensure this war department, your war department dominates the future.” Leading this project of ruthless mapping will be “three of our nation’s best minds”: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich.

In other words — at the risk of being unkind — a weirdo, a beardo, and a fatty.

There’s nothing wrong with trying to anticipate what the future of war might look like and how to prepare for it, of course. But if Pete Hegseth and this trio are the ones guiding the way, we may be in for trouble.

Getting a jump on the spotted lanternfly

Now is the time to tackle pesky pest’s egg masses before they hatch

Kristen Curry

Fall and winter are the times to tackle
lanternfly egg masses before they hatch.
(URI Photo / Biocontrol Lab)

The spotted lanternfly was spotted everywhere in southern New England this summer, alighting on mailboxes, plants, decks, cars — and numerous social media feeds. If you thought they were everywhere, you were not imagining it.

Although easily spotted for their colorful aspect in summer, this invasive insect is a master of disguise at this time of year, laying its easily missed egg masses to build next year’s bug brood.

But researchers in the University of Rhode Island’s Biocontrol Lab are offering suggestions of ways to stop the spotted lanternfly in its tracks before it hatches. As a bonus, tackling an egg mass is easier than snagging the lively planthopper.

“Management of the eggs is our best bet,” said entomologist Lisa Tewksbury, lab director, “because then you have less feeding from nymphs and adults in the spring and summer season.”

She’s joined by research assistant Dana Terrill ’22, part of a team at URI studying ways to deploy biological control of species, which can put agriculture at risk. URI’s Biocontrol Lab conducts research to reduce populations of invasive species and is one of seven USDA-approved sites in the U.S. assisting with spotted lanternfly biocontrol research.

The adult spotted lanternfly is easy to spot.
(URI Photos / Dana Terrill)

Terrill and Tewskbury fielded questions about spotted lanternfly management and ways people can help address the problem this fall.

Why did Rhode Island see so many lanternflies this summer and what does it mean for our local agriculture this fall?

Spotted lanternflies have been found in all five counties in Rhode Island and populations were abundant throughout the summer. Populations are increasing due to their continued establishment and expansion, as well as their ability to be readily transported by cars, equipment, and other materials. 

The preferred host of spotted lanternfly is the invasive Tree of Heaven, but the spotted lanternfly also threatens Rhode Island’s vineyards and orchards.

Spotted lanternfly adult females lay egg masses between September and December or up until the first or second hard freeze when all adults will die for the season. Egg masses will remain dormant throughout the winter and hatch in the spring. 

Before the egg masses hatch in May through June, the best way to get ahead of the new emerging generation is to find and destroy the overwintering egg masses by squishing them to kill the eggs or to scrape them into a container with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer using a hard, flat edge.

If you want more thorough control of the tree than scraping can accomplish, you can use horticultural oil on egg masses during the dormant season (February to April is the best time to do this) or contact a pest management professional to make the application for you.

Next Hurdle: Home Heating Oil

Nightmare ahead

By Terry H. Schwadron

Upgrade if you can afford it.
Photo by Dave Meckler on Unsplash

Moving towards November is affecting more than the elections. The seasonal changeover from gasoline refining to home heating will be transferring the high cost of oil fuel to home heating.

Already, the prospective rise – massive in some areas of the Northeast – has emerged as an elections issue in the Maine senatorial race with harsh words for Sen. Susan Collins from Democratic opponent Troy Jackson.

An Axios analysis finds prices jumping at least $2 per gallon for home heating oil over this time in 2025 from around $2.50 to $4.63 now and projected to cross the $6 per gallon price by deep winter.  Families that heat with oil could pay about 50% more this winter than last, according to from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), up from its 31.3% projection in mid-September.

Or add a heat pump. Photo by Shawn Rain on Unsplash

The average cost of heating a home with oil is expected to rise by about $878, costing over $2,600 this winter.

The reasons are the same as those for price hikes for  gasoline at the pump – wars in the Middle East, and to a lesser extent, between Ukraine and Russia, which has depressed global output.

By comparison, the Energy Information Administration’s Winter Fuels Outlook  projects electricity bills will rise 4% nationally, while natural gas bills will fall 9% and propane spending will drop 3%. EIA expects a smaller increase on heating oil than NEADA, projecting a 21% increase in household expenditures.

Study Finds Natural Dairy Trans Fats Behave Very Differently From Industrial Fats

It's ok now

By University of Reading

Milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese naturally contain small amounts of trans fats, but a large review suggests these fats do not carry the same health risks as the industrial trans fats long associated with cardiovascular disease.

Researchers analyzed 22 studies involving thousands of people in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Across both controlled dietary trials and long-term population studies, naturally occurring dairy trans fats were not linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular death, or type 2 diabetes.

The findings, published in Nutrition Research, challenge the assumption that all trans fats have comparable effects on health.

Natural and industrial trans fats are not the same

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat. Some form naturally in the digestive systems of ruminant animals such as cows, sheep, and goats and therefore occur in their milk and dairy products.

Industrial trans fats are produced through partial hydrogenation, a process historically used to make vegetable oils more solid and stable. These fats, once common in some processed and fried foods, are strongly associated with increased cardiovascular risk.

Trump Bought Millions in SpaceX Bonds, Then Eased Space Travel Regulations

Trump doesn't bother to hide his corruption

By Chris Walker

This article was originally published by Truthout

Trump's financial disclosures also show he bought millions in stock from Meta as the company ramps up its AI efforts.

Donald Trump made over 500 stock trades in the month of August, recent filings show, including millions of dollars in bonds purchased for SpaceX, just days before the administration loosened regulations that would have affected the company.

According to the most recent disclosures from Trump, the president purchased bonds from the company worth at least $1 million and up to $5 million. 

Those trades involving SpaceX occurred on August 18. Two days later, on August 20, Trump issued a memorandum announcing the purported launching of “the golden age of space transportation.” Among other items, the memo seeks to loosen regulations on potential companies that venture into commercial space travel, and directs federal agencies to “incentivize co-development of space transportation infrastructure with private sector partners.”

Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have had a complicated but mostly friendly history. Musk infused hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2024 presidential election in support of Trump, and led the Trump administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative that gutted many federal agencies. The two had a brief falling out afterwards, but in recent months seem to have reconciled.

Indeed, Musk sat beside Trump at a recent White House summit on artificial intelligence (AI), and the president awarded him the National Medal of Science on Thursday. 

Charlestown Town Council votes to examine costs and benefits of joining Portsmouth's lawsuit against new state laws on development

Charlestown Council Studies Standing in Portsmouth Suit, Advances Bikeway Review

Adriana Vossari, RI & Local Government, is NOT an actual person but rather is an AI-bot used by UpriseRI to review and summarize public records. Click here for their explanation for how this is done: How we report meeting stories →

Summary: Charlestown has not committed money to Portsmouth's development-law lawsuit; the council first wants information on whether the town has standing. Instead, the town planner and planning solicitor will research whether the town has standing. A field meeting with state officials on Old Post Road bike markings is also being arranged. Beverage license renewals go to a Nov. 9 public hearing.

The Charlestown Town Council voted 5-0 at Tuesday night's meeting to have the town planner and the planning solicitor research whether Charlestown has legal standing to join Portsmouth's Superior Court lawsuit over state development laws, before any town money is committed. That is according to the Charlestown Town Council's published meeting recording.

The council also voted to set up a field meeting with state transportation officials about bicycle markings on Old Post Road. It ordered the beverage license applications, which the clerk said are all renewals, advertised for a Nov. 9 public hearing and announced three openings on a regional school building committee.

Portsmouth lawsuit: research first, money later

Councilor Van Slyke said that, from her understanding, Charlestown's share would be a flat fee of $4,106.95, which would get the group through the briefing at the preliminary injunction hearing.

Town Administrator Jeffrey Allen said he contacted Joe Larisa, an attorney involved in the case, and received an email from him. Allen relayed that Larisa said the effort seeks one flat fee based on population, that no town is obligated for more without a vote, and that Portsmouth has already obligated $20,000. Allen said Hopkinton is currently the only town that has joined, and that other towns have the matter on their dockets.

EDITOR's NOTE: Attorney Joe Larisa is a controversial figure known for representing rightwing anti-government causes. He is Charlestown's lawyer for "Indian Affairs" and his constant attacks against the Narragansett Indian Tribe have drawn accusations of racism from tribal leaders. - Will Collette

Councilor Van Slyke said the planner and Planning Commission have proposed specific changes in the past without result. "Hope is not a plan," she said, adding that working with legislators and joining the suit is not an either-or.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Councilor Van Slyke is the only council member aligned with the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA). Nearly everything she says is scripted for her by de facto CCA leader Ruth Platner. Van Slyke is well known for her untrue statements and nonsense speech. For examples, read my series of "Slyke of Hand" columns. One that is tightly related to this article covers Van Slyke's defense of the botched Charlestown Comprehensive Plan written by Van Slyke's master, Ruth Platner.- Will Collette 

Other members favored waiting. One council member said the better course was to have the town planner propose changes to the laws and bring them to Charlestown's senators and representatives in the new legislative session. Councilor Peter Slom asked what would happen if too few towns contributed. A council member noted that Portsmouth also has an election next month. Slom said he would like to hear directly from the attorneys before committing money.

European leaders unveil Trump statue

The naked truth

By Walter Einenkel

“The Orange Plague” is seen on display in a European Parliament building. Courtesy of Jens Galschiøt

The European Parliament unveiled “The Orange Plague,” a new gold leaf-covered statue depicting President Donald Trump naked while sitting on the shoulders of a smaller man.

The 8-foot statue—which is in a parliament building in Strasbourg, France—shows Trump holding a golf club on top of a pedestal that reads, “I am sitting on the back of a man. He is sinking under my burden. I will do anything to help him. Except stepping down from his back.”

A sponsor of the exhibit is Danish politician Per Clausen, who has been a vocal critic of Trump’s, referring to him as a political bully.

“Trump likes gold,” Jens Galschiøt, the creator of the statue, told CNN. “In a way, I think he would like this sculpture.”