Trump Justice Dept. threatens RI Sec. of State with criminal charges over voting issues

Feds threaten Rhode Island’s top election official with criminal charges if noncitizens vote

by Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore says he is being threatened with criminal charges by the Trump administration if state and local election officials fail to prevent noncitizens from voting in the upcoming midterm elections.

Amore’s office on Friday released a July 7 letter from Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon asking for an outline of the steps the state is taking to maintain “clean voter lists” and how it’s complying with federal law within five days.

“The letter’s true intention was obvious: to intimidate election officials in an effort to make us fall in line with the administration’s unconstitutional overreaches into election administration,” Amore, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I am confident that elections in Rhode Island are administered in accordance with federal and state laws.”

Dhillon’s seven-page letter includes a memo highlighting the federal election law requiring state and local officials to maintain voter records to ensure only eligible U.S. citizens vote in federal elections.

“Any election officer, including the chief election officer of the state, who knowingly retains noncitizens on the state’s (statewide voter registration list) or facilitates noncitizens in receiving and casting ballots could be subject to criminal liability,” Dhillon wrote.

We're back in court against Trump, this time over housing for the homeless

Attorney General Neronha sues Trump Administration for upending long-term housing support for homeless Americans

The long-term solution for homelessness is housing

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is co-leading a coalition of 21 attorneys general and two governors in filing a lawsuit against the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for unlawfully attempting to cap funding for permanent housing projects. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, argues that the move would result in tens of thousands of people losing their homes.

[From a Rhode Island Attorney General press release]

“The Trump Administration consistently and constantly targets our most vulnerable Americans, and this case is no different,” said Attorney General Neronha. “Those experiencing homelessness are in dire need of support, and these unlawful conditions on funding for permanent housing will cause tens of thousands of people to lose their homes. While this Administration will almost certainly continue trying to make life harder for Rhode Islanders and Americans everywhere, we will continue to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.”

Just last month, a coalition of states won a separate case against HUD in federal court in Rhode Island regarding the agency’s decision last year to impose illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which supports housing and other services for people experiencing housing instability or homelessness. Congress has prioritized stability in how funds are allocated, and the vast majority of CoC funds have traditionally supported permanent housing and similarly successful projects.

Two of a kind

Three affordable single-family homes in So. Kingstown, through So. County Habitat

 

South County Habitat for Humanity will be accepting applications for three single family homes in South Kingstown from July 1st through the 31st. About the Homes: Energy efficient, newly constructed homes with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a garage. Located in the Broad Rock area of South Kingstown, close to downtown. They offer a pathway to low-to-moderate income homeownership. Information Session: July 8th - 6PM In person and virtual We will be hosting an information session to present information about the homeownership program and application process. Refreshments will be provided. *Attendance is not required to apply. Please call 401-213-6711 X305 or email Aliyya@southcountyhabitat.org to register. Applications will be available at southcountyhabitat.org/homeownership starting July 1st.

July 15 invasive weed treatment scheduled for Carolina Trout Pond

DEM says pesticide won't harm fish but wants you to keep pets away and not fish for at least three days

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announces Carolina Trout Pond in Richmond, Shippee Sawmill Pond in Foster, and Meshanticut Lake in Cranston will be treated for invasive aquatic plants on Wednesday, July 15.

Anglers and boaters should avoid using these waterbodies during treatment to not impede the licensed applicators. Temporary water use advisories will be posted where applicable and nearby residents and visitors should keep pets from drinking from these waters for at least three days. 

These EPA approved herbicide treatments will target specific invasive aquatic plants including variable water milfoil, fanwort, water chestnut, sacred lotus, and various algae species. The treatment will not harm fish. All three waterbodies are popular with anglers and boaters and are annually stocked with trout.

Heat is on again, starting tomorrow

NWS Boston

@NWSBoston

A Heat Advisory is in effect from 11 AM Tues - 8 PM Wed for much of southern New England. Afternoon temps in the mid to upper 90s combined with higher humidity will make it feel like 95F-103F both days. #MAwx #CTwx #RIwx

EDITOR'S NOTE: Also expect air quality to suffer. You can check current air pollution levels HERE.

Will Trump require foreign tourists to get pregnancy tests?

Reaction to Supreme Court decision upholding birthright citizenship

Amanda Becker, National Reporter

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

In the wake of a Supreme Court decision this week upholding the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, the Trump administration and fellow Republican immigration hardliners are exploring alternative routes to limit citizenship rights for children born within the United States to foreign tourists. 

Markwayne Mullin, the head of President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, suggested on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning that this effort could include banning pregnant foreigners from traveling to the United States. 

“There are tourist visas that they get to come into the United States or into our territories just simply to give birth; they’ll come in the eighth month, maybe one, two, three weeks left, give birth here,” Mullin said. He did not offer any evidence that the practice is widespread.

They “have a child who may move back to China, raise the person in a communist regime — even though they’re a citizen of the United States — and they come back over here, and in some cases, they go to universities, stealing intellectual property. It’s absolutely been a national security issue,” Mullin continued.

Mullin added that there was a “long conversation at the White House” on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ruled in the birthright citizenship case. He met with Trump; Stephen Miller, a top adviser to the president and the architect of many of his far-right immigration policies; and Tom Homan, the president’s “border czar.”

Days After Monsanto Ruling, Trump EPA Approves More Forever Chemical Pesticides

EPA gives industry anything it wants

Jessica Corbett for Common Dreams

With every new decision, EPA brings this Onion
parody closer to reality

The US Environmental Protection Agency on June 30 continued its betrayal of President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to “Make America Healthy Again,” approving the use of multiple “forever chemical” pesticides on crops despite public health concerns.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are called forever chemicals because they don’t naturally break down—instead accumulating in human and animal bodies as well as the environment. They have been used in everything from fabrics for clothing and furniture to firefighting foam to nonstick cookware, and are tied to various health problems, including increased risk of some cancers.

The Trump EPA finalized its approval of using two PFAS pesticides, diflufenican and epyrifenacil, on corn and soybeans, the two most widely grown crops in the United States.

The agency also expanded its allowances for another previously approved forever chemical pesticide, bifenthrin, and greenlighted the first food use of chlormequat, a non-PFAS pesticide tied to reproductive issues.

“While the Biden administration had approved one PFAS pesticide in the prior four years, this is the third and fourth approval of a PFAS pesticide under Trump in just his second year in office,” the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) noted in a Tuesday statement. “The previous two PFAS pesticide approvals were cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram.”

Deal with Trump the way Dems dealt with Platner

League program on historic South County woman

Climate change means an earlier spring, which can be disorienting and threatening for migrating birds

Winter sightings of spring birds may become more common

Morgan Tingley, University of California, Los Angeles

Spring migration has taken flight, but with rising temperatures and shifting seasons, birds are adjusting when and how they migrate to keep up with a rapidly warming climate.

Morgan Tingley, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, studies the effects of climate change on birds.

Morgan Tingley discusses how climate change is affecting bird migration and behavior.

The Conversation has collaborated with SciLine to bring you highlights from the discussion, edited for brevity and clarity.

How is climate change affecting birds?

Morgan Tingley: In the spring, birds migrate north across the United States in order to get to where they will be spending their spring and summer. They try to time their migration so that they can arrive at their breeding grounds, build their nests and lay their eggs at the time of year when there’s going to be maximum food available.

But climate change is causing spring to happen earlier, which can cause real problems for birds. These earlier springs can result in birds falling behind local springtime because they arrive too late on their breeding grounds.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This past winter during the deep cold spell, I saw a bluebird visit our bird feeders and saw several Baltimore Orioles in the trees outside our Charlestown home. And robins on the ground. In the 25 years we've lived here, these winter sightings were a first. - Will Collette

Scientists finally solved how H5N1 bird flu hid in dairy cows

It's always the last place you look

University of Pittsburgh

Researchers uncovered why H5N1 bird flu attacks cows’ udders instead of their lungs: the virus’s preferred receptors are concentrated in mammary tissue. The breakthrough could help scientists predict future bird flu jumps and spot unusual infections before they spread widely.

When H5N1 bird flu began infecting U.S. dairy cattle in early 2024, veterinarians struggled to identify the cause. The virus was difficult to recognize because it behaved very differently in cows than it does in other mammals. Rather than primarily infecting the lungs, H5N1 caused severe infections in the udders while leaving the respiratory system largely unaffected.

Now, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health have uncovered the biological reason behind this unusual pattern. Their findings, published in Science Advances, provide the first detailed explanation for why bird flu took such an unexpected form in cattle. The work could also help scientists better anticipate how H5N1 might behave if it spreads to new animal species in the future.

Bird Flu's Unusual Appearance in Dairy Herds

The outbreak first emerged in dairy cattle in the Texas Panhandle, where animals developed severe cases of necrotizing mastitis, a painful inflammatory disease that damages tissue in the mammary glands.

New Disease Threats Follow Trump Administration’s Health Program Cuts

How Trump and Musk cuts have led to increased danger

By Stephanie Armour

As beachgoers flock to water during the busy July Fourth weekend, danger could be lurking in some areas.

Researchers this spring discovered flesh-eating bacteria in water in several coastal locations across New York’s Long Island, and town officials in the Hamptons vacation destination posted an alert about the findings. Eight people in Florida have been infected this year, and Mississippi health officials in June urged people to take precautions.

About 1 in 5 people infected by the bacteria die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet. The bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, can enter open wounds and cause tissue death and systemic sepsis.

“Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can get seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation,” the CDC says.

The risk of such public threats is mounting because climate change is expanding the territory of certain pathogens, but researchers say there’s another concern. The Trump administration has cut investments in programs and agencies that prevent, track, and respond to health hazards the federal government is now confronting.

Consider the reemergence of screwworm, which can infest and kill livestock, in the U.S. in June. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lost 18% of its workforce in the first six months of 2025, according to a report from the USDA’s Office of Inspector General, and the agency’s winnowed-down inspection service is helping lead the response to the parasite.

Or malaria. A freeze on foreign aid disrupted international malaria prevention efforts, and new federal guidance in May warned that the U.S. is vulnerable to the reintroduction of the infectious disease.

And when it comes to Vibrio, the Trump administration began removing hundreds of deep-sea instruments that monitor ocean waters and yield data that helps predict conditions that can allow the bacteria to flourish. Researchers have used the data to study Vibrio, which can multiply rapidly when water temperatures and salinity increase.

MAGA oligarch says Pope Leo is a ‘Chinese Communist Agent’

Thiel also said AI critics are doing the bidding of the Antichrist.

Brad Reed for Common Dreams

Right-wing tech billionaire Peter Thiel is accusing Pope Leo XIV of doing the work of the Chinese Communist Party with his criticisms of artificial intelligence.

According to a Thursday report from CNN, Thiel told the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado on Tuesday that the pope was inadvertently serving as a “Chinese communist agent” when he released a 42,000-word encyclical that called for strict regulation of AI, a technology that the pontiff said heightens the “risk of dehumanization” throughout the world.

Thiel argued that this sort of thinking was dangerous, CNN reported, because it could result in the US losing the “race” to build more advanced AI to China. Because of this, Thiel continued, the pope is essentially “working for the Chinese communists” by trying to tap the brakes on AI development.

Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, has long decried AI critics in harsh terms. Over the last year, he has been delivering a series of lectures in which he has said that opponents of AI development are working as agents for the Antichrist.

The Five Stages