Mice may drive Lyme disease more than deer

Hunting season on mice?

By Amanda Watford, Rhode Island Current

For more than three decades, researchers have been tracking ticks, mice, oak trees and other wildlife in a New York forest to better understand what makes Lyme disease more likely to spread.

Their latest findings challenge some long-held assumptions — including the idea that deer are a major driver of Lyme disease risk.

Researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, a nonprofit environmental research group, found that white-footed mice, not white-tailed deer, are closely linked to the number of young blacklegged ticks, the life stage most likely to infect people with Lyme disease.

A year with a large mouse population was followed by about a 40% increase in nymphal ticks the following year. But more mice don’t necessarily mean a higher percentage of ticks carrying Lyme bacteria. Researchers initially expected the two to rise together because white-footed mice are especially good at transmitting the bacteria to ticks.

The researchers found that other animals, including skunks, squirrels and opossums, also feed larval ticks. Because those animals are less efficient at transmitting the bacteria, the mix of hosts can affect how many ticks become infected.

In other words, mouse populations can help predict how many ticks there will be, but not necessarily how many will carry Lyme bacteria.

The researchers also found that large crops of acorns can set off a chain reaction: More acorns mean more food for mice, which can mean more ticks two years later.

What comes next for the 1 million people who have lost – or will soon lose – Temporary Protected Status

Trump tells Haitians, Somalians to get out

Jean Lantz Reisz, University of Southern California

At the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, 1.3 million individuals from 17 countries were living and working in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status, or TPS.

TPS is a humanitarian form of protection from deportation for people who cannot return to their home countries because of an armed conflict, environmental disaster or other extraordinary circumstances.

In 2025, the Trump administration began terminating or not renewing TPS for those countries, making its way through 13 of them. As the administration turns its attention to the few remaining nations, most TPS holders have lost or will soon lose their protection from deportation and their authorization to work. Many will be separated from their families and the communities they have lived in for decades. Some will be forced to return to countries like Afghanistan, Haiti and Syria, all of which are on the U.S. State Department’s “Do Not Travel” list due to war, terrorism or other extreme violence.

As a law scholar who studies immigration detention, I can say that most people with TPS never had a path to anything more permanent, which means, as they face deportation, they have little recourse.

Trump EPA Takes ‘Yet Another Sledgehammer’ to Clean Water Act

“This proposal declares open season on the nation’s waterways” 

Jessica Corbett for Common Dreams

Donald Trump’s administration sparked fresh fury on Friday when it proposed a supplemental rule to further gut Clean Water Act protections for streams and wetlands in the wake of a “catastrophic” US Supreme Court ruling three years ago.

The supplemental proposal from the Department of the Army and Environmental Protection Agency builds on their widely criticized proposed rule from November for defining “waters of the United States” (WOTUS)—both of which go further than the high court did with its 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA.

While the American Petroleum Institute and some Republicans in Congress joined Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in promoting the new proposal, environmental and public health advocates sounded the alarm.

Trump ends disastrous Irish trip after a nice meeting with the President of Ireland

Not the first time Trump has "stolen valor." Hey Jim - what do you say about Trump posting an image of himself wearing the Congressional Medal of Honor?

The greenest building is the one still standing after a disaster

Build green for lower costs and survival

Fernanda Cruz Rios, Drexel University

Construction choices are often the difference between a house surviving a hurricane or being torn apart. Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images

When Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida Panhandle in 2018, a beach house called the Sand Palace was left standing, while more than half the buildings around it were destroyed.

Its owners had built it to withstand roughly double the wind speed that Florida’s code required, with reinforced concrete walls on 40-foot (12-meter) pilings. The cost was about 15% to 20% more than standard construction, but the owners wanted a house that could survive storms.

The owners of the Sand Palace talk with WJXT4 about why they built the home to survive hurricanes.

Designers usually measure how “green” a building is by its carbon footprint – the greenhouse gases released making, transporting and running everything that goes into it. The Sand Palace’s extra concrete expanded its carbon footprint, making the house appear less environmentally friendly on paper.

But a green building has to last for its intentionally small carbon footprint to make a positive difference. Damage from a flood, a wildfire or a hurricane can require significantly more building materials to repair it, ballooning its carbon footprint over time.

As storms happen more often and with more intensity, considering the full life cycle of a building and its costs over time becomes increasingly important to get an accurate picture of how sustainable that building really is.

As we age, the body appears to sacrifice walking efficiency in exchange for stability.

Scientists reveal why walking gets so much harder with age

Flinders University

New Australian research is shedding light on why walking often becomes slower and more tiring with age. The findings suggest that the body gradually gives up some movement efficiency in favor of staying stable and upright.

Led by researchers at Flinders University and the University of Canberra, the study found that aging is associated with a "safety-first" walking strategy. This approach emphasizes stability instead of speed and energy efficiency, helping explain why older adults may fatigue more quickly and also face a greater risk of falling.

Researchers analyzed movement data from 107 healthy adults between the ages of 26 and 86. They found small but meaningful age-related differences in how the ankle and nearby muscles manage each step.

How the Ankle Changes With Age

Lead author and sport and exercise technology expert Dr. Cody Lindsay says the ankle is essential for maintaining balance while also helping propel the body forward.

The 75 Most Corrupt Things Trump Did in 2026

So far.

A long read but worth it

Ron Filipkowski

Sep 04, 2026

This is a list of the 75 most corrupt things Trump did in 2026. These are not all of the corrupt things. There were many more, all of which I chronicled throughout the year in my daily column ‘Today in Politics.’ I was planning to list 100. However, to get it under the length restrictions for Substack emails, I had to cut the list down to 75.

… These examples are limited to instances where Trump used the presidency to enrich himself, family members and/or wrangle or extort donations to his PAC. It also doesn’t include corruption from his cabinet members or other members of his administration when those things didn’t directly benefit Trump or his family - and there were many of those.

… These are listed in chronological order for the dates when the stories broke which uncovered the corruption. The sheer scope and breadth of these scams and grifts is staggering. It is hard to imagine one family coming up with this many ways to profit off the presidency, but the Trumps have certainly been tireless in finding creative new paths to turn the US presidency into their own personal ATM.

… The other thing that is noteworthy, especially heading into the midterms, is that Republican majorities in Congress have allowed this to happen with zero oversight or investigations. They stood passively by doing nothing, which has only emboldened Trump to be more brazen in his schemes knowing there will be no consequences. Democrats already plan several investigations of many of these specific things as soon as they are able to acquire subpoena power and control of hearings.

… If you aren’t a subscriber or haven’t been in the past, you can read yesterday’s daily Today in Politics column here. My weekly podcast Uncovered is here. Now, on to the specific examples of the most corrupt presidential administration in the history of the US. By far.

Bottom of Form

League of Rhode Island Businesses crashed and burned in Charlestown and across the state

Conservative business group’s multi-PAC strategy flops as General Assembly incumbents prevail

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

In contrast to the stunning primary day upsets in which Democratic challengers dethroned Rhode Island’s governor and the mayors of Providence and Pawtucket, every sitting state lawmaker seeking reelection won Wednesday night.

Incumbents typically hold an advantage, especially in Rhode Island, where the rigor of the job coupled with low pay and a dominant Democratic party suppresses competition. Nearly two-thirds of the 113 General Assembly seats featured a single candidate this election cycle, with just 13 sitting lawmakers — all Democrats — facing primary challengers (excluding open seat contests).

“It’s very hard to go against General Assembly leadership,” said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island. “They put a lot of resources into protecting their members.”

But a new political group with an unconventional campaign finance strategy to unseat progressive lawmakers focused more attention on the few contested races by endorsing conservative-minded candidates. The League of RI Businesses champions gun rights, lower taxes and business-friendly policies, and backed a slate of challengers by circumventing the state law capping political action committee donations at $2,000 per candidate per year.

Yet The League’s 40 PAC strategy — one for every city and town plus a statewide organization — and open solicitation of anonymous donations failed to notch any wins on primary night. 

All seven of the Democratic challengers endorsed by The League in state legislative races lost, some defeated by a 50- or 60-point margin.

“Not only did we not win, we just got clobbered,” said Dave Levesque, co-founder of The League. “It’s an embarrassment.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Despite their monumental losses in the Primary, LORIB is still running a number of candidates in the November 3 General election. Among their targets: Charlestown's Sen. Victoria Gu, local Reps. Megan Cotter, Carol McEntee, Kathy Fogarty and (oddly) Sam Azzinaro. I say oddly because Sam is at least as conservative as Rep. Leonidas Raptakis who was endorsed by LORIB. Plus, Sam is male and nearly all of LORIB's targets are progressive Democratic women. 

LORIB tried and failed to find challengers to local Democrats Sens. Sue Sosnowski and Bridget Valverde and Rep. Teresa Tanzi. They will all retain their General Assembly seats since they face no opposition on November 3.

LORIB is also endorsing MAGA nut Sen. Elaine Morgan who, in her own way, represents the northern half of Charlestown. She faces a powerful challenger in Samantha "Sam" Wilcox, Richmond Town Council President - Will Collette

Hope voters see it this way

 

Can't see the difference

Republican challenger to US Rep. Seth Magaziner must be accountable for his role in the January 6 insurrection

Magaziner invites D.C. police officers to talk about Victor Mellor’s participation in the January 6 Capitol attack

Steve Ahlquist

Harry Dunn, Seth Magaziner, and Daniel Hodges

In opposition to Republican challenger Victor Mellor’s campaign for Congress, incumbent U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (D-RI) (whose district includes Charlestown) stood outside the Rhode Island State House on Thursday alongside two police officers, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, who fought to defend the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Mellor has spoken proudly about his participation in the riot, calling it one of the “top 5” moments of his life and saying, “I’m a J6er, and will not apologize for it.”

Here’s the video: Magaziner v Mellor - YouTube

Representative Magaziner condemned the January 6 United States Capitol attack and Donald Trump’s pardons for the rioters, which included those found guilty of assaulting law enforcement officers.

Mellor's campaign in a nutshell (photo by Tom Ferrio)

“Five years ago, a violent mob attacked our nation’s Capitol and the police officers sworn to protect it,” said Representative Magaziner. “They did this because they wanted to overturn a presidential election. Their candidate, Donald Trump, lost that election, so they tried to stop the count through violence and rob the American people of their voice.

“The rioters punched and trampled police officers, beat them with sticks and rocks, sprayed them with mace, and electrocuted them with tasers. Over 170 officers suffered injuries, including broken bones and concussions. Four officers died by suicide in the months that followed. Hundreds of Capitol and DC Metropolitan Police officers bravely did their duty that day and put their lives in harm’s way to protect the building and our democracy. We must not forget the sacrifices that those officers made, or let anyone rewrite the history of what happened on January 6, 2021.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: Vic Mellor is a registered agent of the government of Cuba. Here's a screenshot of Mellor's filing showing which Cuban government entities he represents. Mellor also needs to explain this.

A once-nightly pill could offer a new way to treat obstructive sleep apnea without a CPAP machine.

Goodbye CPAP? New sleep apnea pill cuts breathing events by 44%

American Thoracic Society

A once-nightly oral medication significantly improved obstructive sleep apnea in a large phase 3 clinical trial presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference. The drug, known as AD109, is designed to treat OSA by targeting the neuromuscular problems that contribute to airway collapse during sleep.

The study, "Aroxybutynin and Atomoxetine (AD109) for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Phase 3 Trial," was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In the SynAIRgy trial, people who received AD109 experienced fewer interruptions in breathing, less oxygen deprivation, and better overall blood oxygen levels while they slept. More than 40 percent improved enough to move into a less severe OSA category, while 18 percent achieved complete disease control.

‘Starwashing’: The new space race has an environmental problem

What Tech billionaires aren't saying about their space ambitions
Kate Yoder, Senior Staff Writer

"This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter here."

As artificial intelligence devours more land and electricity, a new breed of tech companies promises that outer space holds the solutions to our problems on Earth. If data centers are so hard to find a place for down here, why not put them hundreds of miles above the planet instead? Since power demand surges in the evening, why not send tens of thousands of mirrors into orbit to shine sunlight down on demand, powering solar farms after sunset? 

These ideas might sound far-fetched, but they are real proposals from Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and start-ups in the space industry. As private industry drives the new “space race,” now launching more rockets than countries do, even the cosmos is starting to feel a bit crowded. A growing amount of so-called “space junk” has led to concerns that all the metal could collide, creating a destructive layer of debris that anything launching into orbit would have to contend with. Earlier this month, part of a discarded SpaceX rocket unintentionally slammed into the moon at 5,400 miles per hour, blasting a new crater.

As Musk’s SpaceX, Bezos’ Blue Origin, and other companies expand into space, they risk causing more problems for Earth in the process: air pollution, climate effects, and light pollution. The practice of downplaying these negative consequences while trumpeting the message that space operations can make life better on Earth has a new name: “starwashing,” a term the space researcher Melissa E. Yingling helped popularize in an article published in The Conversation earlier this month. 

The Trump EPA Is a Toothless Friend of Polluting Industries, Analysis Shows

Lasting damage to public health

By Peter Aldhous

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

By its own account, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is doing a fantastic job. In a March report on its performance in the last fiscal year, the agency boasted that it had concluded 2,127 civil enforcement cases, “the highest in nine years.”

That number wasn’t wrong, but it was very misleading, an Inside Climate News analysis of EPA data reveals. 

For starters, the 2025 fiscal year included the last three-and-a-half months of Joe Biden’s presidency. Comparing years beginning on Jan. 20 casts the current EPA’s record in a much less forgiving light. New lawsuits filed against the most egregious polluters—one of the strongest weapons in the EPA’s enforcement arsenal—have fallen off a cliff under the second Trump administration. 

Meanwhile, the EPA has shifted how it approaches the administrative orders that comprise the vast bulk of its enforcement. It’s imposing fewer monetary penalties in favor of orders that merely require offenders to clean up their act.

Those compliance orders are now dominated by small-scale actions against public water systems, slapping officials on the wrist for failing to file inventories of and inform customers about water service lines made of lead. 

While it’s important to address potential contamination of drinking water with a potent neurotoxin, these orders represent an administrative checkpoint in a much longer process of pipe replacement mandated by the Biden administration. They are a far cry from tough action against violators in the oil and gas industry and other major polluters and have allowed Donald Trump’s EPA to pad its numbers with activities that impose little cost on offenders.