The Truth About Trump's Birthday Bash

It's a propaganda extravaganza that will cost you

Robert Reich

In light of my post about Trump’s plans for a Trump rally on the mall to celebrate the start of America’s 250th birthday festivities — designed, in his words, for “patriots” and promising to be “wild” — several of you wanted to know more about how it’s being planned and paid for.

This year’s 250th anniversary events, commemorating America’s founders’ refusal to be bound by a tyrant, were supposed to be planned by a nonpartisan, nonprofit group created by Congress in 2016 via a bipartisan congressional caucus of more than 350 members.

That nonpartisan, nonprofit group is called “America250.”

“America250” still exists, at least in theory. It lists as Honorary National Co-Chairs George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. Its ex-officio members include present and former government officials drawn from both parties. You can read more about it at the “Official website of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission,” here.

But “America250” is not planning this year’s 250th anniversary events on the mall or anywhere else in official Washington. Trump and his MAGA allies circumvented Congress and created their own planning committee, confusingly named “Freedom 250.”

Trump’s “Freedom 250” describes itself in much the same way “America250” does — as a “non-partisan organization leading the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday.” See here.

But unlike “America250,” Trump’s “Freedom 250” is bankrolling events promoting Trump and his political agenda (which is why most of the performing artists who originally agreed to participate dropped out last week when they learned of the ruse).

The “Freedom 250 toolkit” lists as its “core theme” elevating “President Trump’s Freedom 250 vision” — boosting Trump’s supposed achievements and not his many failures (such as two impeachments, criminal conviction on 34 felony charges, attempted coup against the United States, incitement of an attack on the U.S. Capitol, disastrous war in Iran, etc.) — analogous to Trump’s executive order requiring that the Smithsonian remove details about his impeachments from museum exhibits.

Not surprisingly, Trump’s “Freedom 250” is also designed to make money for Trump. Trump’s personal business is now trademarking the term “Trump 250,” along with a logo nearly identical to America250’s logo.

The Trump Organization has filed several trademark applications in connection with America’s 250th anniversary celebration, all featuring the Trump name as a centerpiece of the highly anticipated festivities. In one filing, a “Trump 250” image was trademarked to be used on a variety of merchandise including bumper stickers, tote bags, drinkware, clothing items, and golf balls. A wordmark application was also submitted for the name “Trump 250” on Friday.

Trump’s online store is already selling sweatshirts, a $200 dollar blanket, and golf balls with that logo.

Why now?

 

Sunday concert in Richmond

Bird Flu hits Rhode Island market

Avian Flu Confirmed at Live Bird Market in Providence

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) want to alert consumers that birds at Antonelli Poultry in Providence tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza during routine quarterly testing by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The infected birds, which included live chickens and ducks, did not come from Rhode Island farms. They were from out-of-state dealers. 

Earlier today (June 13), the State Veterinarian oversaw the USDA-required humane euthanasia of about 445 asymptomatic birds at the market to prevent the spread of the disease to other birds. Per USDA regulations, Antonelli Poultry will be closed until 5 days after they have disposed of infected birds and have cleaned and sanitized all areas of the business. Antonelli Poultry is closely cooperating with DEM and RIDOH.

Because staff at Antonelli Poultry may have been exposed to avian influenza, and out of an abundance of caution, RIDOH is monitoring all staff for 10 days for symptoms of avian influenza. The overall risk of humans getting H5N1 remains low.

“Cooking poultry to the proper internal temperature of 165° kills bacteria and viruses, including avian influenza A viruses,” says Director of Health Jerry Larkin, MD. “RIDOH recommends that if anyone still has poultry they bought between June 9 and June 12 that was killed and dressed by Antonelli Poultry, they should double bag the poultry and dispose of it in their regular trash. If you have properly cooked and eaten chicken from Antonelli Poultry, the risk of becoming ill is very low; however, if you develop symptoms of avian influenza, you should seek medical care.”

Symptoms of avian influenza include eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or pneumonia that requires hospitalization. People who get avian influenza can be treated with antivirals.

To prevent any foodborne illness, RIDOH recommends:

• Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after contact with raw poultry, meat, seafood, and eggs.
• Keep raw poultry and meat away from food that won’t be cooked—like fruits and vegetables.
• Cook food to the proper temperature and use a food thermometer to check the food’s internal temperature. You cannot tell by looking at food if it is cooked to the proper temperature.

Avian influenza infections in humans are rare. The best way to prevent avian influenza in humans is for people to avoid exposure.

• Avoid direct contact with birds or other animals infected with, or suspected to be infected with, avian influenza.
• Avoid direct contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry, or other animals.
• Do not touch surfaces or materials contaminated with saliva, mucous, or animal feces from wild or domestic birds or other animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza.
• Do not touch or drink raw milk (unpasteurized milk), especially from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza
• Do not handle any sick or dead wild birds or other animals without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

“DEM works closely with federal and State veterinary and public health officials to respond quickly to confirmed H5N1 cases in domestic birds,” said State Veterinarian Scott Marshall, DVM. “The USDA performs quarterly testing at live bird markets to ensure the public’s safety.” 

This is Rhode Island’s first confirmed domestic bird case of avian influenza in 2026. Rhode Island has previously confirmed infections in noncommercial flocks in 2022 and in 2025. 

To learn more about avian influenza in humans, visit RIDOH’s website. To learn more about avian influenza in animals, visit DEM’s website.

Wetlands a Vital Link in Ecosystem Chain for Hundreds of Species

Appreciating these vital lands

By Bonnie Phillips / ecoRI News staff

Amanda Andrews cradled the tiny eastern red-backed salamander in her hands.

“It’s warmer now,” she said. “It’s moving more.”

Bottom of Form

She had found the salamander in the damp, chilly soil under a rock in the North Woods at the University of Rhode Island, 225 acres of forest, wetlands, and streams adjacent to the college campus on Flagg Road.

It was a rainy, cool, late April evening, and the salamander was sluggish in the cold at first. After spending some time in the 18-year-old West Greenwich resident’s warm hand, it became more active, scooting around her palm.

Andrews said it wasn’t her first time holding one of the creatures.

“These are like the ones in my garden,” she said. “I catch them all the time in my yard.” Her mother Sandy, standing nearby, laughed and added, “We live for this.”

Why guys need to advocate for HPV vaccination

Men face rising threat of HPV-related cancers

Liz Szabo, MA

“I’ve got what?”

Michael Whelan stared at his doctor for what felt like hours. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Whelan saw the doctor once a month to help manage arthritis pain in his neck and back. Now, his doctor was talking about the results of a recent scan. Whelan, then 66, was expecting to hear about his joints.

Instead, Whelan heard the doctor explain that the scan showed a suspicious mass on the right side of his throat, which might indicate cancer.

Whelan almost fainted.

“The first thing that I did was I touched my throat,” Whelan told CIDRAP News. “And I could feel it.”

Whelan said he had no symptoms of cancer.

No pain, no difficulty breathing or swallowing. Until that day in the doctor’s office four years ago, Whelan said he’d never noticed the hard lump under his skin.

Further testing revealed that the mass was malignant and caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

“Something I’d never heard of almost killed me,” Whelan said.

‘A virus-driven cancer epidemic’

Twenty years after the approval of a safe and highly effective vaccine against HPV, one-third of Americans have never heard of the virus. 

Many are unaware that the virus causes more than 49,000 cancers a year, including tumors of the head and neck, cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, and anus. 

When the vaccine was first approved in 2006, it was promoted as a way to prevent cervical cancer, which was then the most common type of HPV-related tumor. Routine screenings and vaccinations have since reduced the incidence of HPV-related cervical cancers. 

That’s led head and neck tumors—which are mostly found in men—to emerge as the most common HPV-related cancer. While HPV leads to 11,100 cervical cancers each year, the virus causes 16,000 cancers in the head and neck, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Victoria Gu's homeowner insurance protection bill goes to Governor for signature

A modest aid to a growing, serious problem

The General Assembly approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Samuel A. Azzinaro and Sen. Victoria Gu to require insurers to provide customers with advance notice of nonrenewal for homeowners and residential fire insurance policies.

The legislation (2026-H 7066A, 2026-S 2011A) would require insurers to provide written notice of nonrenewal at least 60 days before the renewal date for homeowners and residential fire insurance policies, beginning July 1, 2027.

“Insurance companies are being a lot more selective about the location and the condition of the houses they insure, declining to cover homes in coastal areas or with older roofs or water heaters,” said Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown). “The 60 days’ advance notice will help homeowners find alternative insurance coverage and find tradespeople if they need to fix something at their house in order to continue insurance coverage.”

In recent years a number of insurers in Rhode Island have stopped providing home insurance, mirroring a national trend of higher prices and fewer options for homeowners.

The legislation now goes to the governor for his consideration.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Cathy and I had our homeowner policy cancelled TWICE last year due to increased risk from climate change. It was hard to find ANY carrier willing to replace our coverage. Having extra time to deal with such a mess is greatly appreciated  - Will Collette

Justice Department says Trump has the right to bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and no one has the power to stop him

No limits

Sarah K. Burris, Alternet

Trump's Statue of Fascism

The Justice Department was in court on Friday fighting for President Donald Trump's bulldozing of the White House East Wing for his ballroom.

The oral arguments Friday deal with who has the right to sue over the destruction of the White House. Matthew Russell Lee, who runs "Inner City Press," was live-posting the back and forth. Among the first things he quoted the DOJ as saying was, "There is an aspect of self-inflicted harm here."

But all arguments about the size, appeal or funding of the ballroom don't matter because the DOJ claims the case doesn't have standing to begin with.

Trump's new plans for the White House

"In an appeals court fight over the White House ballroom, DOJ says the federal government could quickly bulldoze the Statue of Liberty, and no one would have standing to sue over the changes once the demolition is done," wrote Politico legal reporter Kyle Cheney on X.

The exchange came from Judge Patricia Millett, who questioned, "If the government decides very quickly to bulldoze the Statue of Liberty, the people whose ancestors — that was the first thing they saw coming to this country, but the government moved too fast — nothing can be done?"

The DOJ agreed.

During the government shutdown, Americans watched in horror as large machinery tore into the historic building. The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued the Trump administration in an effort to block construction of a 90,000-square-foot structure.

The terrors of solar panels

Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association announces upcoming events

 

Upcoming Events at WPWA Full Strawberry Moon Paddle Sunday, June 28th, 6:30-9pm   Join WPWA to relax with views of both sunset and moonrise over the Wood River. Enjoy the Strawberry Moon at dusk on the Wood River. Evening paddles are a real treat to hear the bull frogs, green frogs and beavers. Beavers often grace us with their stealthy swims or loud tail slaps. Upriver from the WPWA Campus, the river is wide and offers a nice view of the moon reflecting off the water. Event takes place on Sunday, June 28th. There is no rain date reserved for this event due to moonrise times. Kassi@wpwa.org will send an email Friday or Saturday morning if the weather forecast does not permit a safe paddle trip. Event is 6:30-9:00pm, the group will launch at about 6:50 pm and paddle for over an hour and a half. Headlamps are encouraged for on-land activities. Cost is $30 for WPWA members. Kayaks and gear are included. If you are a WPWA Otter, Osprey, or Eagle Member, the program is free and you will not be asked for payment when you register online. 4 tandem kayaks are also available, great for an adult to share with a child under 11. The registration link will indicate the number available, if any. You may renew your WPWA Membership here: https://wpwa.org/ For More Information Contact: Kassi Donnelly: kassi@wpwa.org PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Register Here  Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Paddle Trip Tuesday June 16th, 4:30-7pm (Rain Date Thursday, June 18th) Funded and organized by the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council. Tomaquag Museum education staff are sharing their knowledge and stories. Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association is providing kayaks, gear and instruction. A three-way partnership! The Stewardship Council event description and registration: Raised to honor the wisdom and ancestral knowledge of the land and water. The paddles will focus on the relationship between humans and the natural world through indigenous knowledge Limited spots available, must be age 10 or older. Tuesday, June 16, 4:30pm to 7pm Location: Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association, 203 Arcadia Rd, Hope Valley, RI 02832 Limited Availability. Register before Friday, June 12. *RAIN DATE: June 18 Contact Casey at coordinator@wpwildrivers.org with questions. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. https://wpwildrivers.org/recent-events/   Register Here Interested in learning more about the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers? The National Designation: How WPWA led the efforts to earn the watershed a prestigious designation within the National Parks Service's Wild and Scenic Rivers System. https://wpwa.org/projects/ Activities of the local Stewardship Council: A group of representatives appointed by towns, agencies and key organizations in the watershed. Supported by the National Park Service.  https://wpwildrivers.org/   Staff: Casey at coordinator@wpwildrivers.org Summer Evening Kayak: A Delightful Way to Experience Wetland Flowers Late July and Late August Join the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council, the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, and the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association for a series of summer evening paddles on the Wood River to discover aquatic flowers.  Besides plant identification we will also learn about the ecology of the Wood River and why it has been designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. When • Thursday, July 23, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm • Friday, July 24, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm Rain date Saturday, July 25, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm • Thursday, August 20, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm • Friday, August 21, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm Rain date Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 5 pm to 7:30 pm Where WPWA, 203 Arcadia Road, Hope Valley, RI 02832 (Google Directions), (Written Directions ) In July we usually see native rhododendrons, sweet pepperbush, pickerel weed, and several types of floating water lilies. With any luck there will still be swamp rose and swamp azaleas still blooming.  In August we should be treated to Joe-pye weed, boneset, monkey flowers, bur marigolds and the spectacular cardinal flowers. These paddles will be led by naturalist Denise Poyer, former Program Director for WPWA and currently a member the Wild and Scenic Rivers Council and RIWPS.  The Wild and Scenic Rivers Council is subsidizing some of the cost of these paddles to help make them more available to the community. • Limit to 15 participants per paddle. The paddles are appropriate for beginner kayakers, 10 and over. • Fee: $30 per person, includes individual kayaks, paddles, life jackets, and paddle guides. Fee is due at time of registration. Fee  is non-refundable. No discount for bringing your own kayak and no refunds for no shows.   • Participants will be asked to sign a standard liability waiver at the event prior to participation. Participants under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign on their behalf. • General Guidelines for WPWA kayaking programs: What to Wear. What to Bring, What to Expect Links to register for this July 23 paddle or any of the other upcoming paddles in this series.   PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. https://riwps.org/exploring-natives/  Register Here

Our Contact Information Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association 203 Arcadia Road Hope Valley, RI 02832 401-539-9017 http://www.wpwa.org

Why 40 per cent of people are avoiding the news, according to a psychologist

Coping by not looking

Ali Jasemi, Wilfrid Laurier University

During several recent conversations, people have told me that they’ve stopped checking their phones in the morning. Not because nothing was happening, but because everything was. They described the feeling as standing under a waterfall of perpetual bad news.

This experience is far from an isolated one. According to Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report, 69 per cent of Canadians at least occasionally avoid the news now.

Globally, 40 per cent report they at least sometimes or often do the same, the highest figure ever recorded. People shared consistent reasons for this: the news put them in a bad mood, they felt overwhelmed and powerless to act.

As a researcher in developmental psychology, focusing on social development and psychological well-being, I argue that news fatigue is not laziness, weakness or a generational decline in civic interest. It’s the predictable response of a human brain meeting an environment it was never designed to navigate.

Wired for bad news

Long before smartphones or even the printing press, our cognitive architecture was shaped by a single problem: stay alive long enough to reproduce. Our ancestors whose attention drifted past the rustle in the grass left fewer descendants than those who froze, looked and listened.

The brain that paid attention to threats was the brain that survived.

This is the foundation of what psychologists call the negativity bias, one of the most replicated findings in cognitive science. Across decades of research, the human mind has been shown to weigh negative information more heavily than positive, attend to it faster and remember it longer.

A predator nearby mattered more than a beautiful sunset. The cost of missing a real threat was death, while the cost of overreacting was a few minutes of wasted vigilance. The asymmetry made this bias adaptive.

Here is the problem: the human brain has not changed since then. We are the same species as we were thousands of years ago. What’s changed is the size of the world it’s asked to scan for threats.

How Melatonin Impacts Heart Health

Separating fact from rumor

Cleveland Clinic

If you’re dealing with insomnia and you’ve taken melatonin as a sleep aid, you’re not alone. It’s a popular over-the-counter supplement that many people swear by. But recent rumblings about its safety for your health might be making you toss and turn.

It’s important to clear up one thing right off the bat: There are currently no proven links between melatonin supplements and heart disease or problems. So, you can rest a little easier if you’ve been worried.

But that doesn’t mean melatonin is risk-free — or even the right solution for your needs.

Cardiologist Michael Hill, MD, walks us through the research.

Does melatonin use cause heart failure?

There’s no clear evidence that melatonin causes heart failure.

So, why the chatter? It’s because researchers found possible links between melatonin and heart failure. They used a health records database to compare two groups of adults with insomnia — those who took melatonin for at least one year, and those who didn’t.

They found that within a five-year period, the melatonin group had higher rates of:

• Heart failure
• Hospitalization for heart failure
• Death from any cause

“These are striking findings, and that’s why they made headlines,” Dr. Hill acknowledges. “But there are some important caveats.”

Dr. Hill explains:

• There’s no proof that melatonin caused heart failure: The research makes associations, but it doesn’t prove causation. That’s a huge distinction. It means there are patterns, but there’s no proof that melatonin is the driving factor.
• The findings aren’t peer-reviewed: “This is a research abstract, meaning a presentation of preliminary data,” Dr. Hill notes. “It must go through rigorous peer review before we accept the findings as fact.”
• Gaps remain: Because these are early findings, we don’t know the factors, like melatonin supplement dosage or treatments given to the non-melatonin group. We also don’t know if some people had sleep apnea or other diagnoses.
• Heart failure can cause sleep issues: It’s possible that some study participants had issues because they were already in the early stages of heart failure and didn’t yet have a diagnosis. That would add more gray area to the findings.

“Based on the information available so far, we can’t say that melatonin causes heart failure,” Dr. Hill clarifies. “But the topic is on our radar, and we’ll continue learning.”

Charlestown air quality is still unhealthy but should get better tomorrow

Air Quality Forecast | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Why Wildfire Experts Are So Worried About This Year’s Fire Season

Trump cutbacks, climate change, widespread drought

At minimum, Charlestown will catch the smoke. Plus, we are in "moderate" drought

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.

As bad as things got in Los Angeles in January 2025, when 31 people died and more than 16,000 buildings were destroyed by wildfires roaring into residential neighborhoods, many wildland firefighters look back on the rest of last year as a dodged bullet. 

Across the nation, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which coordinates the federal wildfire response, the total area burned in 2025 was about two-thirds of the average over the past 10 years.

This year is shaping up to be a very different prospect, wildfire experts warn. Key environmental indicators show that the nation is a tinderbox, gripped by widespread drought and with a light snowpack in the mountains that will offer little relief as its remnants melt away. 

At the same time, upheaval in the federal wildland firefighting effort and the loss of many staff qualified to join wildfire incident teams since Donald Trump took power for the second time have left firefighters deeply concerned about their ability to mount an effective response.

“I think this is going to be the year,” warned Timothy Ingalsbee, co-founder and executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “The conditions are just ripe for some really bad outcomes.”

Indeed, 2026 is already off to an inauspicious start.

As of Friday, the NIFC reported that some 2.4 million acres had burned in wildfires for which it had generated incident reports. That’s almost double the 10-year average for the time of year.

Great new local website breaks great news about a new Charlestown Town Council candidate

Eat your heart out, CCA

By Will Collette

This is Cynthia's Corgi, Maris, who WON'T
be on the campaign trail

Alex Nunes, former South County bureau chief for Rhode Island public radio, left the station after Donald Trump wiped out federal funding for public broadcasting. I was worried that meant an end to his outstanding coverage of local coastal issues such as the fake fire district ripoff and beach access.

Fortunately, Alex won the post of Executive Editor for the Westerly Sun and is working hard to revitalize that local institution. But having way more energy than me, he has also set up a side gig.

Working with Sun columnist Nancy Burns-Fusaro, there’s a new media source called the South County Star where Alex is continuing to work on the stories that made him a must-read/hear source on The Public’s Radio. Call the Star another must-read source.

He just broke the story that another fine local journalist, Cynthia Drummond, will be running as a Democrat for a seat on the Charlestown Town Council. She will not seek endorsement from either the CCA or Charlestown Residents United (CRU) but WILL seek the support of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee.

In the 25 years since Cathy and I returned to Rhode Island to live in Charlestown, we’ve enjoyed Cynthia’s work. Charlestown was lucky to have her as its Westerly Sun specialist for many years. I loved her attention to detail, witty writing style and fairness. I was sorry to see her retire, though I still followed her freelance work for such publications as EcoRI.

Charlestown Town Council President Deb Carney told Alex Nunes she was “very excited” to run with Cynthia as both will be running as endorsed Democrats, elaborating further, “I know Cynthia going back to 2010. She’s very smart. She’s very scientific. She does her research.”

As does Deb.

Here's Cynthia's bio from her stint at the Rhode Island Current:

Cynthia Drummond began her journalism career as a television reporter in Canada. She holds a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Rhode Island and worked for several years at The Westerly Sun, covering Hopkinton, Richmond, Charlestown and the Chariho Regional School District. In addition to writing for the Rhode Island Current, Cynthia covers the Town of Richmond for the Beaver River Valley Community Association.

Alex reported that she moved to the US in 1998 and became a US citizen.

One thing she won’t do as a candidate is use her beloved Corgi Maris as a political prop as so many others do. Maris is prominently featured in Cynthia’s Bluesky account and she seems like a natural campaigner.