Tuesday, October 6, 2026
More REM sleep linked to lower risk of 83 diseases
Large study shows benefits of deep sleep
PLOS
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Sleep quantity and quality is a priority of China’s National
Health Commission and a focus in China more broadly. The most recent 2026 China
Sleep Health White Paper finds that while the average surveyed Chinese person
sleeps 6.97 hours per night, 23 percent sleep less than 6 hours per night. The
same report notes that only 26 percent of respondents reported a consistent
sleep schedule, and that disturbances to sleep have increased over time.
Understanding how sleep patterns are linked to disease risk is therefore of
great relevance to Chinese citizens.
There remains limited understanding of how sleep stages and
other real-world sleep patterns relate to health outcomes. In part, that is
because self-reported sleep measures often show poor correlation with objective
assessments, making it difficult to capture real-world sleep patterns.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 95,559 UK
Biobank participants who wore wrist accelerometers for seven consecutive days
and nights. The researchers used a deep-learning algorithm to calculate sleep
stages (REM, deep, and light sleep), total sleep duration, wakefulness after
sleep onset, and night-to-night sleep irregularity. Participants were followed
for a median of 8.9 years, and health records were available to test for
associations with more than 1,000 disease outcomes.
Millions take calcium and vitamin D for bone health. A major review finds little benefit
Lower expectations
BMJ Group
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Falls are a major health concern as people age. Nearly one
in three adults aged 65 and older falls each year, and those falls can lead to
fractures, chronic pain, loss of independence, reduced quality of life, and in
some cases a move into residential care. Finding effective ways to prevent
falls and fractures is therefore an important public health goal.
Longstanding Questions About Bone Supplements
Calcium and vitamin D have long been associated with bone
health. Calcium is a major structural component of bone, while vitamin D helps
the body absorb calcium and supports normal bone metabolism.
Even so, previous evidence reviews have generally found that
taking calcium or vitamin D alone does not reduce fracture risk. Results have
been less consistent when the two are taken together, and researchers have also
remained uncertain about whether vitamin D can meaningfully reduce falls.
Despite those unanswered questions, vitamin D supplements
(with or without calcium) are still commonly recommended by clinicians,
guidelines, and regulatory agencies for bone health. Prescriptions have also
risen substantially in recent years.
Wood Pawcatuck Watershed Association gets $350,000 state grant
DEM Awards Over $2M in Climate Resilience Grants
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The grants will fund eight projects to restore and improve the climate resilience of local communities, infrastructure, and coastal habitats. The CRF is funded through 2024 Green Bond.
“Rhode Island continues to face increasing challenges from more frequent and intense weather events from climate change. In 2026, we experienced record snowfall in February, drought conditions throughout the Spring, and then higher than average rainfalls in July. Additionally, NOAA declared this July as the hottest July on record in our country. Our state’s communities face significant stresses and diverse risks from rising seas to severe storm events, flooding, and erosion,” said DEM Director Terry Gray.
“These grants provide vital support for projects that strengthen the
resilience of our communities, underscoring the importance of the
voter-approved Green Bonds that make them possible. We urge Rhode Island voters
to approve the 2026 Green Bond
in November.”
Monday, October 5, 2026
Groundwater must be part of development planning
Critical issue in communities without public drinking water
By Rep. Megan L. Cotter
There is also no understating the importance of ensuring
that every home, new or existing, has access to a consistent supply of the
clean, healthy water its inhabitants need.
Water capacity is readily available for areas served by
public water systems. But in rural communities that rely on private wells, like
those in my district, how do we know the impact new development will have on
groundwater? And how do we plan and manage this critical resource as we develop
the housing we desperately need?
These are the questions I seek to answer with the new study
commission I am chairing in the House. I sponsored the legislation to create
the water supply planning commission because water capacity must be part of any
serious conversation about housing growth.
Housing development and water supply planning shouldn't be
framed as opposing goals. Rhode Island needs more housing, and all Rhode
Islanders need safe drinking water. The underlying goal of our bipartisan
commission — which includes experts and stakeholders from housing development,
state and municipal decisionmakers and managers of water resources — is to
connect these objectives and set our state on the path toward succeeding at
both.
Arrowhead Dental's annual free treatment day coming October 17
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Tylenol during pregnancy not linked to autism, ADHD, major review finds
Bobby Junior, wrong again
“A widely debated question deserves more than headlines—it
deserves robust evidence,” first author Hoda Tayebi Hillali, DDS, MSc, of the
University of Santiago de Compostela, in Spain, said in a press release from Wiley, publisher
of the journal that posted the study. “Our findings show that the apparent
association between prenatal paracetamol [acetaminophen] exposure and autism or
ADHD weakens as methodological quality improves, challenging the interpretation
of a causal link and supporting evidence-based decisions during
pregnancy.”
Magnesium supplements: what you need to know about each different type
Behind the buzz
Indeed, magnesium is an essential mineral involved in hundreds of processes in the body. It helps muscles and nerves work properly, supports energy production and contributes to the maintenance of strong bones and teeth.
Magnesium is also important for maintaining a healthy heart rhythm, regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Many people don’t get enough from their diet, so supplements can be useful in some situations.
But when you look closely at the research, there’s little evidence to suggest that any one type of magnesium supplement has unique benefits over another.
Magnesium glycinate
One of the most talked about types of magnesium is magnesium glycinate, often promoted as the best option for sleep. This form combines magnesium with glycine, an amino acid that may improve sleep on its own.
While some research does show that magnesium may improve sleep, these trials do not show that glycinate is any better than other forms. Glycinate’s main advantage is that it’s gentle on the stomach and well absorbed, which may make it easier for some people to tolerate.
Magnesium L-threonate
Another form that attracts a lot of attention is magnesium L-threonate. It’s suggested it can improve memory and focus.
These claims appear to come from early animal studies which suggested that L-threonate may increase magnesium levels in the brain more effectively than other forms. In these studies, which were conducted in rats, supplementation enhanced several types of memory and increased the number and function of connections between brain cells in the hippocampus – a key region involved in learning and memory.
Human evidence remains relatively limited. One study did demonstrate that in people who took 2g of L-threonate daily for six weeks, the supplement was associated with improvements in several areas of thinking and memory – including working memory, memory of past events, reaction speed and overall mental performance.
But as the supplement was only compared against a placebo, the results cannot tell us whether L-threonate is more effective than other magnesium supplements when it comes to brain function.
DHS failed to provide records supporting Trump’s allegations of noncitizen voting, watchdog says
No receipts to back claims
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or
CREW, told a federal court in Washington, D.C., that the administration is
violating an open records law by failing to hand over information on its
methodology and data sources on the matter.
Trump claimed without evidence during a primetime address to the nation in July that 278,000
noncitizens were registered to vote in federal elections. The unfounded
allegation is part of a pattern of Trump spreading misinformation about voting
fraud since losing the 2020 presidential race as he pushes Congress to pass
onerous new restrictions on voting.
CREW filed several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
requests asking how the administration determined that 278,000 figure.
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Charlestown Gets a Seat on Amtrak Rail Study Panel
Town Administrator Jeff Allen will sit on the advisory committee for what the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) has viewed as an existential threat
By Adriana Vossari, an AI avatar used by Uprise RI to scan public records and then prepare articles like these. For more on how this is done: How a Rhode Island meeting becomes a story | Uprise RI
Charlestown Town Administrator Jeff Allen says he has been
selected for the Public Advisory Committee guiding Amtrak's New
Haven-to-Providence Capacity Planning Study, and he plans to attend the
committee's first meeting on October 14, according to a notice posted on the
town's website.
The study will look at ways to add rail capacity between New
Haven and Providence, including possible new alignments and improvements to
existing lines. No route has been selected, and the current phase does not
include construction, land acquisition or environmental permitting.
For Charlestown, the subject is familiar. A decade ago, a
federal rail plan proposed a new stretch of track that would have cut through
the area, and residents pushed back hard.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Even though the so-called Old Saybrook-Kenyon Bypass was never a serious threat, as I explain HERE, and died in 2017, the CCA has repeatedly attempted to revive this issue each election cycle. The CCA has always run on fear by raising up some demon, often imaginary, and presenting themselves as the only protection Charlestown has. Kind of Trumpian even before Trump emerged on the scene. I have also gotten a little Trumpy by calling this obsession the Charlestown Choo-Choo Hoax. - Will Collette
What Allen's role is
Amtrak invited Allen to join the committee in an August 19
letter signed by Jennifer Mitchell, Amtrak's executive vice president for
strategy and planning. The letter, attached to the town notice, describes the
committee as a group of 10 to 15 community representatives.
Members are expected to help shape the study's outreach,
goals and development of alternatives, and to review the alternatives analysis,
according to the letter. Amtrak said it expects the committee to meet quarterly
over a roughly two-year study, with three rounds of public open houses at key
milestones.
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| Even Joe couldn't make it happen |
EDITOR'S NOTE: Since major renovations to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor has no support in the Trump Administration or in the GOP-controlled Congress, this is likely to be a very boring process where they will brainstorm what might hypothetically happen. It's worth noting that even under Uncle Joe Biden's administration, there was no movement and certainly no existential threat to Charlestown. Given Joe's famous love of Amtrak and Congressional support for infrastructure investment, Charlestown remained safe and secure from any choo-choo invasions. - Will Collette
What the study covers
Amtrak announced the study on July 7. The agency is working
with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, the Connecticut and
Massachusetts transportation departments, the MBTA, the Federal Railroad
Administration and the Northeast Corridor Commission.
The study area is wider than its name suggests. According to
a study
FAQ published in June, it runs from New Haven east to New London, north to
Hartford, and northeast to Providence. It covers passenger service on Amtrak,
CTrail Shore Line East, the Hartford Line and MBTA Commuter Rail.
Any alternative must begin in New Haven and end in
Providence, but options may vary in how they connect the two, the FAQ says.
Issues on the table include capacity limits on the existing corridor, movable
bridges, roadway grade crossings and shoreline exposure.
In its announcement,
Amtrak said it has no preconceived preferred alignment or package of
improvements and is not using the earlier federal plan as its starting point.
The study stops at conceptual design and alternatives analysis. Amtrak said any
project that came out of it would require separate planning, design and
environmental-permitting work.
The study website says work began in mid-2026 and will
include about 24 months of engagement, coordination and analysis.
How Charlestown got here
The earlier plan, known as NEC Future, was a Federal
Railroad Administration effort to chart the Northeast Corridor's long-term
future. Its December 2016 final environmental impact statement identified a
preferred alternative that included a new rail segment between Old Saybrook,
Connecticut, and Kenyon, Rhode Island.
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| Normally, fellow CCA leader and Charlestown Planning \ Commissar Ruth Platner (left) would read reports and tell Gentz (R) what they mean. Photo by Will Collette |
EDITOR'S NOTE: One reason the CCA got so worked up about the Old Saybrook-Kenyon Bypass is because they MISSED it when it was referenced in a report sent to the town months earlier. As former CCA leader and Town Council President Tom Gentz said at the time, "Who's got time to read this stuff."
The FRA's final decision, issued July 12, 2017, did not
adopt that segment. The record of decision selected no capacity-expanding
infrastructure between New Haven and Providence. Instead, it called for a later
capacity-planning study that would examine options both on and off the existing
corridor, including inland and shoreline routes. The current study is that
follow-up.
The Charlestown Citizens Alliance, a local advocacy group,
has warned that the new study could again consider a bypass-like route. EDITOR AGAIN: Of course, they do. It's an election year and they need a boogeyman. The
group also criticized the notice and format of an Amtrak pop-up session held
August 6 at Ninigret Park.
How to weigh in
Residents can submit comments and sign up for study updates
on the official website, newhavenprovidencestudy.com.
Amtrak also takes questions and feedback by email at info@newhavenprovidencestudy.com.
Neither the website nor Amtrak's announcement lists a closing date for
comments.
The advisory committee's first meeting is set for October
14, according to Allen's notice.
URI Metcalf Institute’s Fall Lecture takes participants outside to experience the North Woods Field Guide with DWELL Lab
Immersive two-part walk and zine-making event on Oct. 14
By Abbie Lahmers
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| The URI Metcalf Institute’s fall lecture takes participants outside to experience the North Woods this October. (URI Photo / Abbie Lahmers) |
The University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute concludes its 2026 Annual Public Lecture Series on Wednesday, Oct. 14 with their Fall Lecture, straying from the lectern this year to bring participants on a walk through the North Woods, followed by a conversation and hands-on zine-making activity with DWELL Lab.
URI’s North Woods serves as a teaching forest and site for
field research on the Kingston Campus as well as an important communal space.
Ellie Lin, an illustration student at RISD who worked with DWELL Lab this
summer through the Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR’s Summer Undergraduate Research
Fellow (SURF) program, will lead participants through the Narragansett
Story Walk, exploring the rich ecology and human history of the North
Woods.
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| RISD artist Ellie Lin has created a field guide to the North Woods and will present it as part of an immersive walk and zine-making event at URI on Oct. 14. |
Lin sees the event as an opportunity to “bring people together through storytelling, community, and local ecology.” Sketching, journaling, and reflecting is encouraged during the immersive walk and materials will be provided.
The event will continue at Toray Commons with a
conversation, reception, and zine-making workshop.
In a conversation moderated by Metcalf Institute Executive Director Fara Warner, Lin will be joined by URI’s Madison Jones and Stephanie West-Puckett, with Bonnie Phillips ’88 of ecoRI News, to discuss the creation of the first edition of the “North Woods Field Guide.”
The guide, which is part of the bigger North Woods Project, is funded by a Rita Allen Civic Science Media Grant. Expected to be released in print and digital forms this fall, it will contain a collection of scientific, creative, and journalistic writing and imagery that covers animals, vegetation, flowers, minerals, and other elements of the woods.
“I’m excited to walk with folx in the North Woods and discuss how queer genres, specifically zines and community-authored field guides, can make civic science communication more accessible and inclusive,” said West-Puckett, associate professor of professional and public writing, who’s leading the creation of the first North Woods Field Guide. Jones, associate professor of science communication and director of the DWELL Lab, shared that he looks forward to talking about outdoor education. “Field notes are an exciting way to connect as writers with our local environments and communities,” he said.
Most older US adults would be interested in a dementia vaccine, survey finds
Why would anyone NOT want protection?
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| CDC |
Nearly three in four older adults surveyed said they'd be interested in getting a hypothetical vaccine that significantly cuts their chances of developing dementia, according to the results of a survey published yesterday in JAMA Network Open.
Dementia,
characterized by progressive decline in cognitive function, is not infectious.
Scientists have found no dementia-causing pathogen that spreads person to
person.
However, as the
study notes, there's ongoing research into immunotherapies and even
vaccine-based approaches to delay or reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease,
the leading cause of dementia. Also, some vaccines, including the shingles vaccine, are associated with lower rates of
dementia: One of the theories is that illness caused by infectious disease can result in
long-term health complications that increase the risk of developing the
condition.
To glean how
willing people might be to get a dementia-preventing shot, researchers surveyed
1,529 US residents aged 50 or older. People were told to assume a hypothetical
vaccine could reduce the risk of dementia by half for those who were at high
risk of developing the condition.
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