Bug report: High risk of West Nile Virus

Will flu, COVID-19 vaccines be available this fall?

What road blocks will Bobby Jr. and Trump throw up?

Meghan Holohan

As fall nears and the respiratory illness season begins, many people are wondering if they’ll be able to receive updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines amid the turmoil created by the federal government about vaccines. Some worry that recent changes could mean they have to pay out of pocket for their annual doses. 

But experts say Americans don’t have to worry about vaccine coverage—this year, at least. 

“There will be available an updated influenza vaccine and an updated COVID vaccine. So far, that’s pretty normal,” William Schaffner, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Health and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), told CIDRAP News. “Insurers, that is, the medical insurance industry, have said that they would cover those vaccines.” 

While Actively Trying to Deny Millions This Right, Trump Again Votes by Mail

Is it possible Trump votes by may BECAUSE it is "inherently corrupt?"

Stephen Prager for Common Dreams

Donald Trump has pushed to strip millions of Americans of the right to vote by mail. But he doesn’t seem to think these restrictions should apply to him.

The White House confirmed to The New York Times that the president voted by mail ahead of Florida’s Republican primary on Tuesday, marking at least the third time he has done so since becoming president. He also voted by mail in a state legislative special election earlier this year and in the 2020 Republican primary.

Though Trump has repeatedly characterized mail-in voting itself as a form of “cheating” and pushed to abolish it for most Americans under his proposed SAVE America Act, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said it was a “non-story” that he chose to participate in the practice himself.

“The SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel— but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,” she said. “As everyone knows, the president is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, DC.”

Florida notably does not distinguish between absentee and other forms of mail-in voting, allowing residents to cast votes without an excuse—so the system Trump used to vote by mail is the same one he wants to make illegal.

Failing to pass his SAVE America Act through Congress, Trump has attempted to restrict mail-in voting via executive order.

Inside Trump’s Failed Hunt for Noncitizen Voters

You want to find voter fraud? You're looking in the wrong place

By Peter Elkind, Jen Fifield, Doug Bock Clark, Ken B. Morales and Andy Mannix for ProPublica

Looking for voter fraud? Here are filings by Vic Mellor, Republican, on June 16 with the Justice Department as an agent of the Cuban government. Mellor wants to win the Sept. 9 Republican primary here in Rhode Island so he can run against Rep. Seth Magaziner (D) for the Second Congressional District seat.
Aside from the huge question of what the hell is Mellor doing representing the Cuban government, note that on his filing he lists his home address as Florida. Mellor filed his candidacy notice on November 1 with the Federal Election Commission, giving a Rhode Island address. That is contradicted by this filing made by him more than six months later. One of these two failings was false.

It was late March when Joe Teirab, the second-in-command at Minnesota’s U.S. attorney’s office, received an urgent email from Washington.

The federal government was scrambling to find criminal cases to back up President Donald Trump’s claims that illegal voting by noncitizens was tipping the scales in American elections. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a massive federal law enforcement agency, had been dispatched to work leads across the country, including hundreds in Minnesota.

Teirab was already under pressure. In an earlier missive, Nick Davis, a high-ranking Justice Department appointee helping to lead the election fraud crusade, had reminded him the cases were so high priority that Teirab and his staff couldn’t decline to move forward on them without express approval from agency higher-ups. On March 24, Davis demanded a status report — within hours.

Teirab, a former Marine and a Harvard Law graduate who’d run unsuccessfully for Congress as a Republican, responded with a blunt reality check.

“Bottom line up front,” he replied in an email reviewed by ProPublica. After subpoenaing records on about 130 people, only one had been referred for prosecution, his staff had told him. Agents had deluged local election offices with calls and demands for voting histories, demonstrating “a complete lack of understanding” of illegal voting investigations.

“The HSI task force has been disjointed and disorganized,” Teirab wrote. The entire process, he said, had been “dysfunctional.”

Ken Paxton wants to find voter fraud.
Did he look here...

Since Trump regained the White House, his administration has launched a series of unprecedented initiatives to find and prosecute voting by noncitizens, which he’s long claimed, without evidence, is rampant.

He’s stepped up this push in recent weeks, saying in a nationally televised speech that the American election system was “so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it.” To support that assertion, the Department of Homeland Security, HSI’s parent agency, released documents asserting it had found more than 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in just four states, all led by Democrats. The documents included no explanation of how that number was calculated.

It’s well known the administration has tasked HSI — a force established to combat drug cartels, terrorism and other cross-border criminal enterprises — with leading the campaign to find election fraud cases in the United States.

Did he look in the mirror?

But an investigation by ProPublica reveals for the first time how the Trump administration came to harness HSI’s personnel, technology and sweeping legal authority in service of its election agenda — and how meager the results have been, despite the prodigious resources sunk into the effort.

According to interviews and internal emails reviewed by ProPublica, career staffers at the Justice Department warned that transferring voter rolls to HSI to enable it to search for noncitizen voters could violate federal privacy laws. Similarly, longtime HSI insiders cautioned that using the agency’s databases and tools to search these lists would yield mismatches and wildly inflated results.

The administration plowed forward anyway.

Meet the CRU slate for Charlestown municipal office on August 25

 

Dan McKee declares "I AM the state of Rhode Island"

Helena Foulkes objected to McKee talking over her during their final debate and provoked King Dan's reply:

This was during their final debate before the September 9 Democratic Primary.

Westerly Residents Demand Action on License-Plate Cameras

Councilors Say They Have No Power Over Them

Adriana Vossari, RI & Local Government

Two license-plate reading cameras operate in Westerly — one privately owned, one run by state police — and councilors said the town has no contract with the company and no direct power to remove them. No vote was taken.

Residents used the second public comment period at the Westerly Town Council's Monday, August 17 meeting to object to automated license-plate reading cameras in town, and councilors responded that the town has no contract with the camera company and, by their own account, no direct authority over the two devices now operating here.

The exchange, captured in the Westerly Town Council's published meeting recording, produced one concrete factual point from the town manager: the town has never subscribed to the license-plate reader service, does not hold a contract with it, and its own downtown and beach camera footage stays in municipal hands. The practical takeaway for residents is that the cameras they are worried about are not the town's to switch off.

What the speakers said

A lifelong Westerly resident, speaking before the council for the first time, said he was driven to attend out of "grave concern" over the growing presence of the cameras. He told the council that communities nationwide have canceled contracts or banned the devices, and cited the Institute for Justice's tally of more than 100 documented cases of license-plate reader abuse. He said South Kingstown had become the 100th community to reject the readers, attributing that count to a camera-tracking project, and referenced a Rhode Island lawsuit over a wrongful arrest he said stemmed from a false positive. Those figures are his characterizations; the transcript contains no independent verification of them.

He also raised data-sharing, citing a 2018 Electronic Frontier Foundation study he said found only a fraction of a percent of scans are tied to public safety, and said some municipalities had shared data with more than 800 agencies. He said the company shortened its default data retention period from 30 days to seven, but called the changes minimal.

Looking for ways to take the stain out of well water

URI team to address remediation challenges of manganese in R.I. drinking water

By Krysta Murray, writer, College of Engineering.

Black and brown stains shown here in a sample sink
are classic effects of manganese.

A partnership between the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Department of Health will study manganese levels in Rhode Island’s drinking water. The project, “Statewide Support for Manganese Management in Rhode Island,” will be funded by a grant from the Emerging Contaminants in Small and Disadvantaged Communities through the health department’s Center for Drinking Water Quality and Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. It runs through Sept. 30, 2030.

Manganese is naturally occurring and comprises an appreciable portion of the earth’s crust. New England has higher concentrations of manganese than other parts of the U.S., due to glacial drifts that make up the region’s geology. Rhode Island depends on groundwater sources that have contact with the subsurface. Groundwater supplies roughly 26 percent of the state’s population with drinking water with an estimated two-thirds of that from public water supply and another third from private wells.

Bunker, left, a graduate student in the civil and environmental department and primary graduate student assigned to this project, and Joe Goodwill assess a water system in Rhode Island.

“Manganese in drinking water is a pervasive health issue and treatment challenge across Rhode Island,” said Zach Shepard, principal environmental health risk assessment toxicologist on the project for RIDOH and a URI alumnus. “Public water systems, especially small systems and private well owners, are impacted by manganese in their water. In this project, RIDOH has partnered with URI to provide technical assistance to people who are impacted by manganese.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established a lifetime human health advisory benchmark of 0.3 mg/L of manganese. In trace amounts, it is essential for human survival, metabolism, and bone health. RIDOH enforces safe manganese limits in drinking water at 0.3 mg/L for infants aged one year or younger and 1.0 mg/L for everyone older than a year. Too much manganese can lead to neurological effects, especially with long-term exposure.

Play‑fighting or just fighting? New study suggests a rethink on how we play with cats

Pay attention unless you like to bleed

Julia Henning, Adelaide University

Joey and Frida fight for world domination.
Photo by Will Collette

Have you ever watched online videos of people “playing” with cats and noticed the cat doesn’t actually look like they’re having fun? If so, you’re likely better than the average person at reading cat body language.

Regular interactive play supports cats’ physical health, reduces stress, and strengthens the human–cat bond.

But according to our most recent study, what many people think of as “play” may not be play at all. In fact, these interactions cause cats annoyance or stress.

When ‘play’ isn’t actually play

When playing, both human and cat need to tell apart behaviors that might be threatening in other contexts, such as sudden movements, swatting or chasing.

Research shows people struggle to interpret cat communication and often fail to notice when a cat doesn’t want to play. Even when they do notice, many people choose to continue anyway.

To understand why people might misinterpret or ignore cat stress signals, in our new study we analysed 1,100 comments on social media videos hosted on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook depicting harmful “play”.

To avoid viral videos disproportionately influencing analysis, only the first 100 comments from each video were analyzed. Comments came from a mix of cat owners and non-cat owners.

All 11 videos included clear signs of cat distress such as hissing, biting, attempting escape, visible human injuries and, in some cases, cats being physically harmed. Despite this, 75–93% of comments on all videos were positive. How come?

Trump’s slapdash Reflecting Pool renovations stand in stark contrast to years of deliberation and engineering ingenuity that went into its creation

From the guy who bankrupted casinos

Jennifer Tucker, Wesleyan University

Work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting
Pool began in 1919. Bettmann/Getty Images

In the latest twist in one of the strangest ongoing scandals in Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that the government would be dropping charges against the four people accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the 2,000-foot long water basin that connects the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. 

Pirro said faulty construction – not vandalism, as Donald Trump had claimed – caused the pool’s liner to peel off in June 2026.

As I’ve followed this bizarre saga, I’ve found myself reflecting on the history of the pool itself. It was built in the 1920s, when Washington was transformed by ambitious construction projects, even as the nation grappled with political division, racial conflict and clashes between religion and secularism.

To me, everything about the pool’s early history – the debates over its placement, the innovative engineering techniques used during its construction, and its proponents’ longing for something visually and metaphorically unifying – stands in stark contrast to the slapdash renovations, blame games and abuses of power playing out today.

Coming to a consensus

In 1901, the U.S. Senate formed the McMillan Commission, a group of architects, landscape designers and artists, to develop a parks system for the nation’s capital.

The commission’s 1902 report also recommended a location for the future Lincoln Memorial. Although proposals for a memorial had emerged shortly after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, decades of political disagreement over its design, location and purpose had delayed construction.

The report proposed situating it at the western end of the Mall, near the Potomac River. Inspired by the waterways of Versailles and the reflecting basins of the Taj Mahal, the commission envisioned a reflecting pool linking the future memorial to the Washington Monument. In this way, these two magnificent monuments could be reflected in a huge mirror of water, framed by manicured, green grass.

Over the ensuing decade, the plans continued to elicit debate and controversy, pitting supporters of the commission’s vision against members of Congress, railroad interests and real estate developers.

The American Institute of Architects and American Federation of Arts backed the report, arguing that isolation from the city’s bustle created a dignified space for reflection. They also called attention to the qualifications of the artists on the commission, and to the economic viability of the site: The land was owned by the federal government, so the project’s funds could go toward the memorial itself rather than acquiring land.

Stephen Miller's secret campaign against helpless kids

That it's happening in the shadows doesn't make it less of a moral blight.

Anat Shenker-Osorio

By contrast, Miller's boss likes kids A LOT!

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, is making his dreams come true: accelerating the arrest and removal of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant kids.

The man behind family separation in the first Trump term who once boasted that policy would “prove to be a migration deterrent” has now teamed up with another deadly threat, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to attack the most vulnerable kids in our country: those here on their own.

By law, kids who cross the border alone are put into the care of the Office Of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In recognition of children’s vulnerabilities and need for protection, this system exists outside the confines of the Department of Homeland Security and therefore the clutches of ICE and Border Patrol.

Thanks to the Constitution itself and federal law, these children have the right to legal counsel, age-appropriate living quarters usually in state-licensed settings with prompt release to vetted sponsors, and fair hearings with special allowances to protect them from trafficking or other abuse.

But as The Guardian reported from immigration court in New York City, “the faces of migrant children — some as young as three — have been beamed onto a video screen throughout the summer as they faced deportation hearings.” These children did not have lawyers, in violation of aforementioned federal law, and thus faced interrogation by Trump appointee Judge Lisa Ling.

This is a scene taking place out of public view across the country, impacting 24,000 kids.

Learn this lesson

 

Charlestown Residents United announces upcoming events

 

Community Update | August 2026 Week of 8/17 Charlestown Residents United (CRU) remains committed to keeping our community informed about important local events, town initiatives, and opportunities to meet the candidates seeking to represent us. Are you registered to vote? CHECK HERE.  Early voting begins Thursday, August 20 Coming Up: Town Meeting Calendar - be mindful. Meet the Candidates Event! - be connected. Hosted by Charlestown Residents United Tuesday, August 25 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM Candidate Spotlight - be informed. Putting Faces to the Names on Your Ballot Beginning Monday, we’ll be spotlighting the CRU-endorsed candidates running for office in Charlestown. Whether you’re already familiar with the candidates or meeting them for the first time, we invite you to check back each week and learn more about the people who are stepping forward to serve our community. Volunteer Corner - be engaged! What skills are you willing to share? CRU encourages you to participate in the events that help shape the future of our town. Add your email here to receive updates. Charlestown Residents United | PO Box 412 | Charlestown, RI 02813 US

Head Start could soon be overhauled.

Here’s exactly what would change.

Chabeli Carrazana, Economy and Child Care Reporter

This story was originally reported by Chabeli Carrazana of The 19th. Meet Chabeli and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.

The Trump administration is pushing a total overhaul of Head Start that could fundamentally reshape the 60-year-old program that has provided childcare and key support for America’s lowest-income families. 

A new proposed rule released last week put more than 1,400 regulatory provisions that govern how Head Start is implemented on the chopping block. Across the country, 1,600 Head Start grant recipients provide quality care for disadvantaged children, as well as support for families by connecting them to health insurance, job training, developmental screenings, specialist referrals and postpartum support. 

This latest proposal is aimed at cutting red tape and allowing more flexibility in the programs, the administration said. 

“There's 1,600 providers across the country facing different conditions, and our proposed rule will reduce their paperwork. It will streamline duplicative statutory requirements and give them flexibility for things like personnel and workforce decisions, as well as licensing relief,” said Alex Adams, the assistant secretary at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), on a call with reporters. 

But Head Start providers and experts say the proposal may actually make it harder for programs to operate and transform Head Start to look more like commercial childcare than an anti-poverty program. 

“Families lose the assurance that Head Start means the same thing everywhere, and taxpayers lose a clear measure of impact that Head Start funding should have,” said Celena Roldan Sarillo, the president of Start Early, a nonprofit that advocates for quality early learning. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on a call with reporters to announce the changes that “it is important to protect” Head Start, which is administered by HHS and was created in part by Kennedy’s uncle Sargent Shriver during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Kennedy wants to see more nutrition and physical activity requirements added to Head Start, and agrees the new rules could streamline it and open seats for more children. 

That messaging, however, is misleading, said Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, the senior vice president at Start Early. 

“At first glance, these proposed changes might not seem so terrible, but as you dig deeper into it, what we will find is that there really are a lot of changes that will impact what is the heart of Head Start,” Sanchez Fuentes said, adding that the performance standards are not just red tape, “they really are the foundation for how we ensure that programs across the country are supporting children, families and communities in the way that they want best.”

Here is a breakdown of what the administration is proposing to change for Head Start.

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.