How Charlestown voted

One out of four registered Charlestown voters turned out for this Primary

By Will Collette

Tina lands the Big One

Out of a total of 7,207 registered voters, 1,746 cast ballots in either the Democratic or Republican primary. Democratic turnout in Charlestown topped Republicans by roughly four to one to decide some hotly contested races, including House District 36, Governor and US House District 2.

The numbers allow some insights into Charlestown voters’ thinking. In the Democratic primary for Governor, Charlestown didn’t give Helena Foulkes the same margin she won in the rest of the state, picking her over Dan McKee by 57% to McKee’s 43% compared to Foulkes’ 24% statewide landslide.

Charlestown Republicans went for the more radical uber-MAGA nut Elaine Pellino over LORIB-adjacent Aaron Guckian. Current statewide numbers currently show Guckian up by a razor thin margin.

But more interesting to me is that only 307 Charlestown Republican voters cast ballots in the Primary compared to 1,357 Democrats. There were enough important primary matchups to offer registered voters from both parties' strong incentives to vote.

The almost 5 to 1 turnout edge for Democrats could mean good things for the Democratic slate for Charlestown Town Council, with three votes constituting a controlling majority.

Endorsed Democrats running for Charlestown Town Council: Council President Deb Carney, Cynthia Drummond and Cynthia Fonnemann

The most meaningful local race for Charlestown was the Democratic primary for House District 36, the seat held with distinction by Rep. Tina Spears, campaigning for a third term.

She was challenged League of RI Businesses (LORIB)-backed Leah Boisclair who makes her living by defending clients charged with sex crimes. She had lots of campaign signs out but that didn’t translate into votes.

Tina trounced Boisclair in Charlestown by a margin of 82% to 18%, roughly the same margin as the rest of District 36. With no opponent in November, congratulations to Tina for winning a third term.

And Boisclair can now turn her full attention back to representing guys charged with pedophilia, baby rape and domestic violence.

For November, we still have some important races that will be decided by the voters, this time with independents – the majority of the electorate – in the mix.

For the southern half of Charlestown, our great state Senator Victoria Gu is seeking a third-term and will face LORIB-backed challenger Westin Place, a MAGA guy she has beaten twice already.

Neither faced a primary challenger, but it’s worth noting that their party base voters cast ballots for them. Victoria scored 591 Charlestown Democrats’ votes, compared to Place’s meager 137 Republican votes. The vote counts are still lopsided when you look at the totals for all of Senate District 38.

2,884 Democrats voted for incumbent Victoria Gu while only 708 Republicans voted for Westin Place. Ouch.

Looks like Westin Place is heading toward Strike Three.

Samantha "Sam" Wilcox. Go, Sam Go!

The northern half of Charlestown will have to choose between the embarrassing incumbent Sen. Elaine Morgan (R-MAGA) who is facing a strong challenge from Richmond Town Council President Samantha “Sam” Wilcox.

Neither faced a primary challenger but nevertheless, their primary vote counts are worth noting. In Charlestown, Sam won 553 Democratic votes compared to Morgan’s 145 Republicans. Historically, Charlestown has usually backed Morgan’s Democratic opponent since she won the seat in 2016.

However, if you look at the comparison between Wilcox’s and Morgan’s total vote count for the whole district, Morgan might be in trouble. 

Even though she is backed by LORIB, her base of Republican primary voters only totaled 1,114 compared to the 2,732 Senate District 34 Democratic voters who turned out for Sam.

Going into the November 3 General Election with almost a 3 to 1 advantage in base voters is a good sign for Sam in a year that promises to be a big one for Democrats and a bad one for Republican incumbents.

Primary results are in no way foolproof predictors for the General Election where the majority of the electorate are independent voters. However, virtually every national poll shows independents moving sharply away from Republicans and toward Democrats whose base turned out in impressive numbers for this Primary.

Fingers crossed that Trump doesn’t cancel the November elections and that we win.

Works on everything

Trump NEVER pays

 

Smart kitty

When plastic companies write the lesson plans

Keep plastic industry propaganda out of schools

Joseph Winters

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

This fall, 54 million K-12 students are headed back to the classroom for another year of lessons in all the classic subjects: math, English, history, biology. But there’s another subject that’s been sneaking into school curricula: plastics.

A new report from the nonprofit Plastic Pollution Coalition documents the many ways the plastics industry has been inserting its agenda into classrooms across the U.S. — including through lesson plans and worksheets, hands-on science experiments, and a program called “PlastiVan” that travels from city to city teaching students about “the contribution plastics make to modern life.”

Industry interests offer these resources to teachers for free or for cheap, according to the report. The materials tend to highlight the necessity of plastics while downplaying their significant downsides to human health and the environment. 

“When that information is provided to kids, it obfuscates the true impacts of plastic pollution,” said Madison Dennis, senior policy and advocacy manager for Plastic Pollution Coalition and one of the report’s main authors. Besides harming marine life, plastics can expose people to hazardous chemicals, clog storm drains and contribute to flooding, and release planet-warming greenhouse gases. Dennis’ organization is calling for stricter school policies against the use of industry-sponsored learning materials. 

Can you slow the aging process?

Study reveals which interventions might help

By Karen Guzman, Yale University

Edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan

When Raghav Sehgal arrived at Yale as a graduate student several years ago, he wanted to explore the use of powerful computer science tools in cancer research. With an engineering background and a computational biology startup already under his belt, he was well prepared.

But as Sehgal began his Ph.D. studies, his thesis adviser at the Yale School of Medicine posed a larger question: If you want to solve cancer or any age-related disease, such as cardiovascular disease, why not solve aging itself?

"That put me on a different path," said Sehgal, an associate research scientist in psychiatry with specialties in computational biology and bioinformatics. "As researchers, we have a long way to go in understanding the aging process and whether the steps we take to manage it really work."

Today, Sehgal's research focuses on the biological systems that drive human aging and how to best measure aging, as well as why aging gives rise to diseases like cancer, diabetes and dementia. And while his research might not necessarily solve aging, he does explore whether the aging process can be reversed through interventions.

Testing which interventions truly register

In a new paper, Sehgal's research team took a significant step toward determining which existing anti-aging measures have quantifiable impacts. Using a new class of DNA-based blood tests, they found that lifestyle interventions and certain drug treatments appear to slow the aging process, while over-the-counter supplements don't have much effect.

The long afterlife of QAnon conspiracy theories haunting American politics

Crazy has a long half-life

Matthew N. Hannah, University of Wisconsin-Madison

On Election Day in 2024, as voters cast their ballots, Elon Musk posted a campaign music video supporting Donald Trump’s bid for president.

Set to Van Halen’s “Jump,” with a montage of 1980s cultural references and images of Trump in various strongman poses, the video includes a line about “PATRIOTS” in which the “O” turns into a “Q,” a reference to the online conspiracy theory QAnon.

Started on the online forum website 4chan in 2017, QAnon spread false, far-right theories on social media about a shadowy cabal of satanic pedophiles among the political elite, which Trump was purportedly fighting alongside a mysterious ally named “Q.”

As a scholar of conspiracy theories and extremism, I’ve watched QAnon seep from the margins into mainstream American politics over the past decade. While Q stopped posting in 2022, the movement did not disappear. As we near the 10-year anniversary of QAnon, these theories continue to haunt America’s politics.

The afterlife of QAnon

Building on the 2016 “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory, which claimed Democrats were trafficking children in the basement of a pizza restaurant based on interpretations of Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails, QAnon appeared on 4chan in October 2017 with claims that Clinton was about to be arrested.

That’s when someone calling himself Q claimed to be an intelligence operator trying to expose the “deep state,” a purported shadow government secretly controlling global events in pursuit of a satanic agenda. QAnon invited users to build the theory by decoding messages on social media. That work, Q claimed, would expose a satanic cabal of pedophiles among the elites.

The theory is an example of what author Naomi Klein has called a “conspiracy smoothie,” mixing existing theories into a vast conspiracy map, which absorbs existing conspiracy theories about events such as 9/11 or the JFK assassination into itself. The result is a sprawling theory combining paranoid interpretations of current events with historical conspiracies.

Polls suggest that 20% of Americans had favorable views of QAnon as late as 2022.

Many of Trump’s nominations for high-ranking posts were figures who had previously been considered on the fringes of national politics. Some of them have brought conspiracy theories into the highest echelons of government.

FBI Director Kash Patel, for example, has been sympathetic to QAnon. He appeared on a show hosted by a QAnon influencer before being selected to run the agency. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has advocated anti-vaccination conspiracy theories also shared by QAnon.

Primary results: LORIB loses, real Democrats win

MAGA gun PAC seems to have lost EVERY Democratic primary

By Will Collette

EDITOR'S NOTE: Am having tech problems with graphics. So in the absence of that, check out this one Tina posted on Xitter yesterday: Tina Spears on X: "Are you HOOKED on civic engagement??? 🎣 I know I am! Early voting wraps up today, and tomorrow is your last chance to CAST your ballot. Make your voting plan and REEL in that vote! https://t.co/ep8qJXDxDZ" / X

Well, the top story for Charlestown is our respected state Representative Tina Spears absolutely crushed her opponent, sex crime defense lawyer Leah Boisclair, by a margin of 82% to 18%, despite a ton of money poured into Boisclair by the ultra-rightwing League of Rhode Island Businesses, and the gun lobby. 

Based on the posted results as of 9 PM, Tina’s margin of victory is the highest for a Democrat facing a LORIB-funded challenger.

Since Tina has no Republican challenger in the General Election unless LORIB boss Dave Levesque wants to spend more money running a write-in campaign. Otherwise, Tina wins a third term as Charlestown’s Rep.

State Senator Alana DiMario, representing neighboring South Kingstown and Narragansett, beat her LORIB challenger Mark Mesrobian by 72% to 28%. She also has no opponent in the General Election.

Bob Craven Jr. won his primary to replace his dad as state Representative for North Kingstown by 74 to 26 beating LORIB-backed Kevin Hoyle.

LORIB lost all six of the Democratic primary challengers they paid for upstate: three in the Senate and three in the House. Only two of those races had margins of less than 10 points.

There will be a second chance for LORIB in November when its remaining clients, all running as Republicans, attempt to beat Democratic incumbents. We have many of those in South County where LORIB is going to try knocking out Charlestown’s state Senator Victoria Gu by backing a guy Victoria has already beaten twice.

In South Kingstown, Rep. Carol McEntee also faces a loser, Jessica Drew Roy, who also lost to McEntee twice already. Rep. Kathy Fogarty will face Jennifer Nerbonne whose main political experience was as a Donald Trump delegate at the 2024 GOP Convention.

Rep. Megan Cotter will face climate-change denier and Moms for Liberty maven Jasmine Roy.

The most peculiar LORIB challenge is an effort to unseat Westerly state Rep. Sam Azzinaro, funding his opponent developer Christopher Stanton. Sam, a very conservative Democrat, doesn't fit the LORIB target profile. Indeed, in other districts, LORIB has backed DINO incumbents, such as Coventry-West Greenwich state Senator Leonidas Raptakis and several others.

The November race that may be the most high drama is the effort by Richmond Town Council President Samantha (Sam) Wilcox to finally rid South County of the embarrassing MAGA nut, Sen. Elaine Morgan who represents the top half of Charlestown and is backed by LORIB. Go, Sam, go!

Cold consolation

While Dave Levesque ponders where all his money went while crying into his iced latte, there were some LORIB-adjacent scores that may give him some cold comfort.

Levesque and LORIB did not endorse any candidates for state office or Congress, but there were still such characters as Florida carpetbagger and MAGA nut Vic Mellor who hung around LORIB a lot. He won the GOP primary by 58% to 42% for the green light to challenge Charlestown’s US Representative Seth Magaziner in the November election. I just wonder how serious Mellor would be about representing RI District 2 since he is already a registered representative of government of Cuba. Not joking.

LORIB-adjacent Republican Aaron Guckian appears to have edged his MAGA-nut opponent Elaine Pelino by 298 votes. We’ll see if that result holds up.

In Charlestown, lots of Leah Boisclair signs were paired with LORIB-adjacent Democratic candidate for Attorney General Joe Solomon. He lost, coming in third out of four candidates, losing to winner Kim Ahern by a wide margin. If Rhode Island had run-off elections when no candidate gets 50+% of the vote, Solomon would not have made the run-off.

Bye, bye Dan

The marquee event of the day is of course the battle for Governor between inept incumbent Dan McKee versus Helena Foulkes. As expected, McKee got waxed by a margin of 62 to 38.

I think everyone in the state knew this was coming, given McKee’s unprincipled and incompetent management of the state’s business. Democratic voters chose corporate Democrat Helena Foulkes to move on to the three-way November election. She will definitely face so-called independent Ken Block and most likely Republican challenger Aaron Guckian.

I have no illusions about Foulkes being far more corporate than progressive. Despite that, I kind of like her but expect, as I am with nearly every politician, that I will probably be disappointed. However, she could be great. And I believe she will be a far better Governor than either Guckian or Block.  

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