The suburban vote

Where they stand on student debt

Rep. Tanzi and Treasurer Diossa back shareholder study of going smoke-free in RI casinos

Help casino workers (and patrons) stay healthy 

Rep. Teresa A. Tanzi, joined by casino workers and advocates, delivered a letter to State Treasurer James A. Diossa urging him to vote in favor of a Bally’s shareholder proposal to study the potential cost savings of adopting a smoke-free policy for Bally’s properties. Treasurer Diossa announced that he will back the proposal.

“Casino workers are Rhode Islanders, parents, caregivers, taxpayers and human beings, and they deserve the same protections as everyone else in our state. It is fundamentally wrong to say that no one should be exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace, but carve out an exception that leaves one group of workers not only unprotected, but in fact, bathed in smoke every day,” said Representative Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, South Kingstown, Narragansett). 

WHO Overturns Dogma on Airborne Disease Spread.

Convincing the CDC and others is the next challenge

Amy Maxmen 

The World Health Organization has issued a report that transforms how the world understands respiratory infections like covid-19, influenza, and measles.

Motivated by grave missteps in the pandemic, the WHO convened about 50 experts in virology, epidemiology, aerosol science, and bioengineering, among other specialties, who spent two years poring through the evidence on how airborne viruses and bacteria spread.

However, the WHO report stops short of prescribing actions that governments, hospitals, and the public should take in response. It remains to be seen how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will act on this information in its own guidance for infection control in health care settings.

The WHO concluded that airborne transmission occurs as sick people exhale pathogens that remain suspended in the air, contained in tiny particles of saliva and mucus that are inhaled by others.

While it may seem obvious, and some researchers have pushed for this acknowledgment for more than a decade, an alternative dogma persisted — which kept health authorities from saying that covid was airborne for many months into the pandemic.

Specifically, they relied on a traditional notion that respiratory viruses spread mainly through droplets spewed out of an infected person’s nose or mouth. These droplets infect others by landing directly in their mouth, nose, or eyes — or they get carried into these orifices on droplet-contaminated fingers. 

Cybersecurity researchers spotlight a new ransomware threat

Be careful where you upload files

Selcuk Uluagac, Florida International University

Avoiding iffy downloads is no longer enough to ensure
this doesn’t happen. Olemedia/iStock via Getty Images

You probably know better than to click on links that download unknown files onto your computer. It turns out that uploading files can get you into trouble, too.

Today’s web browsers are much more powerful than earlier generations of browsers. They’re able to manipulate data within both the browser and the computer’s local file system. Users can send and receive email, listen to music or watch a movie within a browser with the click of a button.

Unfortunately, these capabilities also mean that hackers can find clever ways to abuse the browsers to trick you into letting ransomware lock up your files when you think that you’re simply doing your usual tasks online.

I’m a computer scientist who studies cybersecurity. My colleagues and I have shown how hackers can gain access to your computer’s files via the File System Access Application Programming Interface (API), which enables web applications in modern browsers to interact with the users’ local file systems.

The threat applies to Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Edge browsers but not Apple’s Safari or Mozilla’s Firefox. Chrome accounts for 65% of browsers used, and Edge accounts for 5%. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no reports of hackers using this method so far.

My colleagues, who include a Google security researcher, and I have communicated with the developers responsible for the File System Access API, and they have expressed support for our work and interest in our approaches to defending against this kind of attack. We also filed a security report to Microsoft but have not heard from them.

Why America Needs to Know about Trump Getting Spanked in Silk Pajamas

He's not just a career criminal, he's also an "orange turd" with no taste

By Thom Hartmann for the Independent Media Institute 

The most powerful elected Republican in America declared war on the rule of law.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Congress, on behalf of wannabee “day one” dictator Donald Trump, is going to use every power available to him and his colleagues to nullify America’s court system.

“President Trump has done nothing wrong here and he continues to be the target of endless lawfare. It has to stop. And you’re gonna see the United States Congress address this in every possible way that we can, because we need accountability. … All these cases need to be dropped, because they are a threat to our system.”

“All these cases” and potential future cases include Trump:

• Sharing secrets with Russia that burned US and US ally spies.
• Inciting rebellion against the United States on January 6th.
• Running his businesses from the White House while multiple foreign governments poured cash into his properties in violation of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
• Stealing national defense secrets from the White House, transporting them to Florida and New Jersey, and then lying to the FBI about them.
• Raping and then threatening and defaming E. Jean Carroll.
• Criminally obstructing investigations into his campaign’s ties to Russia.
• Conspiring with Republicans in multiple states to defraud the American people with forged Electoral College certificates.
• Threatening Georgia’s Secretary of State with criminal prosecution if he wouldn’t “find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.”
• Violating campaign finance laws on multiple occasions.
• Committing tax and insurance fraud.
• Extorting a foreign leader to manufacture dirt on his political opponent.

And those are just Trump’s commonly known crimes; we haven’t yet begun to dig into other consequential crimes Trump committed to become president in 2016 and during his four years in office.

From his teenage years violating fair housing laws by marking rental applications for his father’s properties with a “C” for “colored” when Black people applied, to decades of business crimes including a fraudulent “university” and fake charity, to stealing money from thousands of employees and contractors, Trump has been a one-man crime wave his entire life.

And now, given the choice between throwing in with a career criminal or defending America’s criminal justice system, separation of powers, and the rule of law, today’s Republicans have chosen to throw in with the crook. Barry Goldwater and Everett Dirksen are rolling over in their graves.

He thought it was money well spent

Can you see the difference?

Congress Passes Magaziner Provision to Protect Airports from Cyber Attacks

The legislation now heads to President Biden for his signature 

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives gave final passage of Representative Seth Magaziner’s (RI-02) provision to strengthen airport cybersecurity as part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act. Magaziner’s provision, adopted as an amendment to the bill with bipartisan support, now heads to President Biden to be signed into law. 

“The most fundamental role of our government is to keep Americans safe, and that’s exactly what this provision does – protecting travelers from cyber attacks by criminals, terrorists, rogue states and other bad actors,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism. 

“I’m pleased that this crucial and potentially life-saving provision was included in the final version of the FAA bill, and I will continue working to secure our homeland and protect our national security.” 

Airports are part of the United States’ critical infrastructure, and cyber attacks can carry widespread consequences for the economy and national security. The exposure of sensitive data, including customers’ personally identifiable information (PII), biometrics, and travel routes can put the safety of travelers at risk. 

Rep. Magaziner’s legislation addresses vulnerabilities that were revealed after cyber attacks on some of our nation’s largest airports. In 2022, over a dozen airport websites were targeted in a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks by a Russian-affiliated hacking group. 

The amendment will unlock $4 billion in annual funding from the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program to help airports, including Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport, meet 21st century cybersecurity standards. 

A copy of the amendment can be found HERE.

These Incredibly Popular Drugs Have Been Linked to Migraines

Trading a stomachache for a headache 

By AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY 

According to research published in Neurology Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology, individuals who use acid-reducing medications may face a greater risk of experiencing migraines and other severe headaches compared to those who do not use these drugs. 

The study highlights acid-reducing drugs including proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole and esomeprazole, histamine H2-receptor antagonists, or H2 blockers such as cimetidine and famotidine, and antacid supplements.

The study does not prove that acid-reducing drugs cause migraine; it only shows an association.

Acid reflux is when stomach acid flows into the esophagus, usually after a meal or when lying down. People with acid reflux may experience heartburn and ulcers. People with frequent acid reflux may develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which can lead to cancer of the esophagus.

Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for your health, whatever you might have heard

Whole-grain breads are a notable exception, among others

Gary Sacks, Deakin University; Kathryn Backholer, Deakin University; Kathryn Bradbury, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Sally Mackay, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

In recent years, there’s been increasing hype about the potential health risks associated with so-called “ultra-processed” foods.

But new evidence published this week found not all “ultra-processed” foods are linked to poor health. That includes the mass-produced wholegrain bread you buy from the supermarket.

While this newly published research and associated editorial are unlikely to end the wrangling about how best to define unhealthy foods and diets, it’s critical those debates don’t delay the implementation of policies that are likely to actually improve our diets.

You’re inhaling flame retardants on your morning commute

What's in the new car smell?

EHN Editors

The air inside our cars is full of harmful flame retardant chemicals — especially on hot days, according to a study published today in Environmental Science & Technology.

Researchers found flame retardants in the cabin air of all 101 cars that they tested. All of the cars were from 2015 or newer and 99% contained a particularly concerning flame retardant called TCIPP, currently being investigated as a potential cancer-causing compound. 

The study found that seat foam is the most likely culprit of the chemicals, and that warmer weather — which accelerates off-gassing from interior components containing the chemicals— was linked to higher concentrations in the car air.

Trump Would Sell Anything for Personal Gain—Even Planet Earth

Tells oil execs they can have whatever they want if the price is right

ROBERT REICH in Robertreich.Substack.Com

Trump is selling everything to raise money for himself and his campaign.

The Trump Bible (which also includes a copy of the U.S. Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights).

Trump shoes (ranging from the nearly all-gold “Never Surrender” high tops priced at $399 to the lower-cut “Red Wave” and “POTUS 45”).

Shares in Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform.

Digital trading cards (of which the most recent set, “The Mugshot edition,” offers collectors a chance to own a swatch of the suit the former president wore for his Fulton County, Georgia, mugshot, priced at $99 a piece or $4,653 for the full set, which includes an invitation to a dinner at Mar-a-Lago).

Trump cologne and perfume stamped with the former president’s name (the “Victory47” bottles are each listed for $99 respectively. The cologne bottle’s image, subject to change, has a Trump head topper).

But now, Trump is selling something far, far bigger. In fact, you can’t get any bigger.

He’s selling the entire world.

Thanks, whatever-your-name-is

That's for starters

Jurassic Park was wrong

T. Rex not as smart as previously claimed

University of Bristol

Dinosaurs were as smart as reptiles but not as intelligent as monkeys, as former research suggests.

An international team of paleontologists, behavioral scientists and neurologists have re-examined brain size and structure in dinosaurs and concluded they behaved more like crocodiles and lizards.

In a study published last year, it was claimed that dinosaurs like T. rex had an exceptionally high number of neurons and were substantially more intelligent than assumed. 

It was claimed that these high neuron counts could directly inform on intelligence, metabolism and life history, and that T. rex was rather monkey-like in some of its habits. Cultural transmission of knowledge as well as tool use were cited as examples of cognitive traits that it might have possessed.

However the new study, published in The Anatomical Record, involving the University of Bristol's Hady George, Dr Darren Naish (University of Southampton) and led by Dr Kai Caspar (Heinrich Heine University) with Dr Cristian Gutierrez-Ibanez (University of Alberta) and Dr Grant Hurlburt (Royal Ontario Museum) takes a closer look at techniques used to predict both brain size and neuron numbers in dinosaur brains. 

The team found that previous assumptions about brain size in dinosaurs, and the number of neurons their brains contained, were unreliable.

Here's one major way plastics get into our bodies

Every breath you take

University of Technology Sydney

With recent studies having established the presence of nano and microplastic particles in the respiratory systems of both human and bird populations, a new University of Technology Sydney (UTS) study has modelled what happens when people breathe in different kinds of plastic particles and where they end up.

Led by Senior Lecturer of Mechanical Engineering Dr Suvash Saha, the UTS research team has used computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) to study the transfer and deposition of particles of different sizes and shapes depending on the rate of breathing.

The results of the modelling, published in the journal Environmental Advances, have pinpointed hotspots in the human respiratory system where plastic particles can accumulate, from the nasal cavity and larynx and into the lungs.

Dr Saha said evidence was mounting on the significant impact of nano and microplastics on respiratory health and the UTS study would provide essential insights for the development of targeted strategies to mitigate potential risks and ensure effective health interventions.

People with gas and propane stoves breathe more unhealthy nitrogen dioxide

Gas pollution is a hazard for the whole family

BY JOSIE GARTHWAITE

Households with gas or propane stoves regularly breathe unhealthy levels of nitrogen dioxide, a study of air pollution in U.S. homes found.

“I didn’t expect to see pollutant concentrations breach health benchmarks in bedrooms within an hour of gas stove use, and stay there for hours after the stove is turned off,” said Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Professor Rob Jackson, senior author of the May 3 study in Science Advances. Pollution from gas and propane stoves isn’t just an issue for cooks or people in the kitchen, he said. “It’s the whole family’s problem.”

Among other negative health effects, breathing high levels of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, over time can intensify asthma attacks and has been linked to decreased lung development in children and early deaths.

Although most exposure to NO2 is caused by cars and trucks burning fossil fuels, the researchers estimate that the mix of pollutants coming from gas and propane stoves overall may be responsible for as many as 200,000 current childhood asthma cases. 

One quarter of these can be attributed to nitrogen dioxide alone, according to the paper’s authors, who include scientists from Central California Asthma Collaborative, PSE Healthy Energy, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Cliff Vanover moans about Chariho bond rejection

He blames Charlestown Residents United and town Democrats

By Will Collette

Vanover is a self-proclaimed tick magnet,
drawing 30-60 bites a year

Like me, Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) Treasurer Cliff Vanover was disappointed at the outcome of the May 7 special election on the $150 million Chariho school construction bond question.

We lost in the total vote count by a tiny margin, but more relevantly, we failed to get all three Chariho towns to say Yes which was necessary under election rules. Charlestown voted overwhelmingly Yes, Richmond voted No by a tiny margin and Hopkinton was overwhelmingly No.

In my own post-election wrap-up, I blamed the strong MAGA elements that control town politics in both Hopkinton and Richmond, especially Hopkinton, for killing a needed and logical proposal to replace three aging, obsolete and dangerous elementary schools. The state would have provided $112 million of the $150 million.

The MAGA anti-education fog obscured the facts and created a false narrative sufficient to sucker the good people of Hopkinton and Richmond into voting against their own self-interests.

Cliff and I are in complete agreement that voting down the bond was a big mistake. However, Cliff chooses to rail against the electorate in general, claiming that a special election where only a small percentage of registered voters cast ballots is “not a reliable way to test public opinion.”

Yes Cliff, election results and your impression of how people feel don’t often match up. But guess what, Cliff? As Aaron Sorkin wrote in The West Wing, “Decisions are made by those who show up.”

You can speculate all you want about what you think is the public's opinion, but ultimately, you count the number of votes.

Special elections nearly always have lower turnouts than general elections and you have to plan with that in mind. In most constitutional democracies, you can’t force people to vote.

The school bond lost the popular vote, albeit narrowly but more significantly, in Chariho’s version of the Electoral College, we lost two towns to one. The popular vote really didn't matter much at all.

You could have gotten every CCA follower, at least those who actually live in Charlestown, to vote twice and we still would have lost by two towns to one. Hell, Charlestown could have cast 10,000 Yes votes and still would have failed to get the required unanimous three-town approval.

Nonetheless, Cliff wants a scapegoat for this loss and has decided to blame Charlestown Residents United (CRU) and Charlestown Democrats for not trying hard enough. Never mind the large forum organized on April 17 to support the bond or cooperation between Charlestown and Richmond Democrats to push a Yes vote. 

There were also lots of social media posts by those Cliff-scorned non-CCA elements, as well as a lot of internal work. But I do credit the CCA for their talent for grabbing credit for a consensus built by far more than the CCA alone. 

Following the CCA playbook, Brother Cliff doesn’t let the facts get in the way of CCA puffery.

The projector

You don't have to be alone

What are nanoplastics?

And why you should care

Mohan Qin, University of Wisconsin-Madison

You can’t see them, but there likely are nanoplastics in
this Mediterranean seawater. 
Lisa Schaetzle, Moment, via Getty Images

scieIt’s become common to read that microplastics – little bits of plastic, smaller than a pencil eraser – are turning up everywhere and in everything, including the ocean, farmland, food and human bodies. Now a new term is gaining attention: nanoplastics. These particles are even tinier than microplastics – so small that they’re invisible to the naked eye.

Nanoplastics are a type of microplastic, distinguished by their extremely small size. Microplastics are usually less than 5 millimeters across; nanoplastics are between 1 and 1,000 nanometers across. For comparison, an average human hair is roughly 80,000-100,000 nanometers wide.

Nanoplastics are attracting growing concern thanks to recent technological advances that have made researchers more able to detect and analyze them. Their smaller size means that they are more easily transported over long distances and into more diverse environments than microplastics. They can more easily penetrate cells and tissues in living organisms, which could lead to different and more acute toxicological effects.

Studies in the past two years have found nanoplastics in human blood, in liver and lung cells, and in reproductive tissues such as the placenta and the testes. Around the world, nanoplastics have been found in the air, in seawater, in snow and in soil.

We already know that microplastics are present from the heights of Mount Everest to deep ocean trenches. Now there is growing evidence that nanoplastics are more prevalent than larger microplastics in the environment.

Why You Shouldn’t Wear Makeup While Exercising

Guys, too

By WILEY 

Wrong!

A new study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology explores how wearing cosmetic foundation during aerobic exercise impacts skin and pores.

The study included 43 healthy college students (20 males and 23 females). Foundation cream was applied to participants on half of the face in two different areas (forehead and upper cheek). The other half of the face served as control.

Moisture increased after exercise in both the non-makeup and makeup zones; however, there was a greater increase in moisture in the makeup zones. This may be a result of makeup preventing moisture from evaporating from the skin. The elasticity of the skin increased after exercise, but to a greater extent in the makeup zones than in non-makeup zones.

The size of pores increased in skin without makeup after exercise, but not significantly in skin with makeup. This may indicate that wearing makeup may block pores. Oil levels increased in the non-makeup zones and decreased in the makeup zones, suggesting that it may be difficult to maintain proper oil levels on the skin when wearing makeup.

Bird Flu Not a Dire Threat for Most of Us — Yet.

It Is Bad for Poultry and Dairy Cows.

Amy Maxmen 

Headlines are flying after the Department of Agriculture confirmed that the H5N1 bird flu virus has infected dairy cows around the country. Tests have detected the virus among cattle in nine states, mainly in Texas and New Mexico, and most recently in Colorado, said Nirav Shah, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a May 1 event held by the Council on Foreign Relations.

A menagerie of other animals have been infected by H5N1, and at least one person in Texas. But what scientists fear most is if the virus were to spread efficiently from person to person. That hasn’t happened and might not. Shah said the CDC considers the H5N1 outbreak “a low risk to the general public at this time.”

Viruses evolve and outbreaks can shift quickly. “As with any major outbreak, this is moving at the speed of a bullet train,” Shah said. “What we’ll be talking about is a snapshot of that fast-moving train.” What he means is that what’s known about the H5N1 bird flu today will undoubtedly change.

With that in mind, KFF Health News explains what you need to know now.

AFL-CIO's Patrick Crowley speaks on the future of climate and labor in Rhode Island

The practical aspects of jobs and a green economy

STEVE AHLQUIST

On April 24, Patrick Crowley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, spoke briefly at an event sponsored by Fountainhead RI [which does not take its name or guiding principles from the infamous 1943 Ayn Rand novel] about the future of climate and labor in Rhode Island. The event was in the Waterfire Arts Center.

Here’s the Secretary-Treasuer’s talk, edited for clarity:

“My name is Patrick Crowley. I'm the Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island, AFL-CIO. We have 80,000 working men and women who are part of our unions across Rhode Island. We are 20% of the workforce, and that's one of the reasons why we say Rhode Island is a labor state.

“A couple of years ago, the labor movement recognized something very interesting. We were the first state in the nation to build offshore wind, and it was the men and women of the Rhode Island Building Trades who put in those six turbines off the coast of Rhode Island. But we recognized that as this industry was changing, the labor movement needed to have a significant presence in it.

“I just want to acknowledge something that Justice Brandeis said back in 1932, and most of you probably have heard a version of this, but he talked about how states are the ‘laboratories of democracy.’ What he really said was, ‘a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.’

MAGA conundrum

Role model

Walk Your Way to a Longer Life

NIH Study Reveals Simple Tricks

By NATIONAL HEART, LUNG AND BLOOD INSTITUTE 

John Cleese is 84. This could be why

According to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health and published in the journal Circulation, adults at risk for heart disease who were given daily reminders and incentives to increase activity boosted their daily steps by over 1,500 after one year. 

Furthermore, many participants continued to maintain this new level of activity six months later.

The findings were simultaneously presented as late-breaking research at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Session.

The improvements, which also resulted in an extra 40 minutes of moderate exercise each week, correlated with a 6% reduced risk of premature death and a 10% reduced risk of cardiovascular-related deaths, compared to data from prior studies. 

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that most adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, like fast cycling, or a combination of the two, paired with twice-weekly strength sessions.

Keep doing this if you want a heart attack

Anger and Arteries

By AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION 

Brief anger can temporarily impair blood vessel function, potentially heightening heart disease and stroke risks, finds new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

• When adults became angry after remembering past experiences, the function of cells lining the blood vessels was negatively impaired, which may restrict blood flow. Previous research has found that this may increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• In this study, episodes of anxiety and sadness did not trigger the same change in functioning of the blood vessel lining.

A brief episode of anger triggered by remembering past experiences may negatively impact the blood vessels’ ability to relax, which is essential for proper blood flow, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

Previous research has found that impairment of blood vessels’ ability to relax may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which may, in turn, increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

R.I. House approves reforms to Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights

‘A long time coming’ 

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Good cops should have no cause for concern

After nearly two hours of debate and strong opposition from progressive lawmakers, the Rhode Island House of Representatives Thursday approved bills to reform the state law governing the process for investigating and disciplining police officers accused of misconduct.

The House voted 58-14 to pass a bill by Deputy Speaker Raymond Hull and 59-13 in favor of identical legislation sponsored by Senate President Dominick Ruggeiro that updates the controversial Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights (LEOBOR).

Adopted in 1976, LEOBOR protects police officers from being fired immediately or put on leave without pay when misconduct charges against them arise. The law has been greatly criticized by social justice advocates, who say it’s unfair for police to review internal misconduct.

Attempts to reform the law stalled in previous years due to disagreements over who would sit on an expanded five-member panel that rules on any disciplinary action. General Assembly leaders finally reached a compromise earlier this week. 

“Reform to LEOBOR has been a long time coming and this legislation will not only deliver transparency and accountability to the public, but it will also help police departments across the state root out misconduct in a fair and just way,” Hull said in a statement Thursday.

Under the existing law, officers accused of misconduct appear before a panel made up of three active or retired police officers — with one picked by the chief, one by the officer under investigation, and a third chosen by both or a presiding Superior Court judge.

The hearing panel under Hull and Ruggerio’s legislation would still contain three officers, but they would instead be randomly chosen by the Police Officers Commission on Standards and Training. The panel would also include a retired judge and an attorney “selected in consultation with the Supreme Court’s committee on racial and ethnic fairness.”

The amended legislation also removes the prohibition preventing police chiefs from making public statements about cases that have not yet had a LEOBOR hearing or releasing video evidence.

Both bills allow police chiefs to suspend officers for a longer amount of time: five days for those accused of minor infractions and 14 days for those facing more serious complaints, such as excessive force or felonies. Suspension without pay is now two days before the right to a LEOBOR hearing kicks in. 

House Judiciary Chairman Robert Craven, a North Kingstown Democrat, called the changes “a major improvement” to what’s on the books now.

“This legislation is born of collective, productive, researched compromise,” Craven said. “That’s the mission of this body — this House. I believe in my heart this is the answer to police misconduct.”

Progressive lawmakers lauded General Assembly leadership for the work it took to craft the legislation, but said they felt it did not go far enough.

US is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world

US conservatives push policies that life begins at conception but ends at birth

Joya Misra, UMass Amherst

Preschool today, success tomorrow. 
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

In most American families led by couples, both parents are in the workforce. Almost three-quarters of American mothers with children under 18 work.

At the same time, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. children are being raised by single moms.

Yet child care is generally unaffordable, and paid leave is not available to most U.S. parents.

Around the world, however, most employed women automatically get paid maternity leave. And in most wealthy countries, they also have access to affordable child care.

These holes in the U.S. safety net are a problem for many reasons, including one I’ve been researching with my colleagues for years: Paid parental leave and child care help women stay in the workforce and earn higher wages over time. This lack of parental leave and child care may explain why the U.S. is no longer a leader in women’s workforce participation.

Hazardous waste

By Nick Anderson

Trump has been a Russian tool for decades

Environmental Justice, RIPTA Funding Top Goals of Rhode Island Council

Targeted legislative agenda

By Rob Smith / ecoRI News staff

The state’s environmental groups rolled out their legislative priorities April 30 at the Statehouse, announcing their focus on environmental justice zones, reducing building emissions, and securing funding for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.

The priorities, spearheaded by the Environment Council of Rhode Island, a coalition of more than 60 environmental groups and organizations, were announced during ECRI’s annual Lobby Day at the Statehouse. The event featured speeches from lawmakers, state officials, and Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi, D-Warwick.

ECRI’s priorities are centered around seven different individual bills.

The Building Decarbonization Act (S2952/H7617), legislation that would require large buildings statewide to begin tracking the amount of fuel, water and greenhouse gas emissions they consume and produce over a three-year period, with the intention to create a building performance standard to be executed by the Office of Energy Resources (OER).

An additional section of the bills would require all new building construction to be all-electric, using no fossil fuels for heating, cooking, or other processes.

Scientists Develop One-for-All Virus Vaccine

No More Endless Boosters?

By UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - RIVERSIDE 

Researchers at UC Riverside have developed a new vaccine approach using RNA that is effective against any strain of a virus and can be used safely even by babies or the immunocompromised.

Every year, researchers try to predict the four influenza strains that are most likely to be prevalent during the upcoming flu season. And every year, people line up to get their updated vaccine, hoping the researchers formulated the shot correctly.

The same is true of COVID vaccines, which have been reformulated to target sub-variants of the most prevalent strains circulating in the U.S.

This new strategy would eliminate the need to create all these different shots, because it targets a part of the viral genome that is common to all strains of a virus. The vaccine, how it works, and a demonstration of its efficacy in mice is described in a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.