JD Vance Doubles Down on Attack on 'Childless Cat Ladies'

Keep up this great campaign strategy, Vance

JULIA CONLEY for Common Dreams

After days of condemnation from critics including actress Jennifer Aniston and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Sen. JD Vance was given the opportunity on Thursday to clarify his remarks from 2021 in which he said the Democratic Party was run by "childless cat ladies."

Instead, the Ohio Republican and running mate of former President Donald Trump assured SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly on "The Megyn Kelly Show" that while he has "nothing against cats," he meant what he said in terms of "the substance" of his argument.

Vance made it clear, said Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), "that he meant no disrespect to cats, but he did mean to demean women and still holds the view in 2024 that they should be punished for not having children."

The comments in question were made by Vance to then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson when Vance was running for the Senate.

Calling out Buttigieg—who, the secretary disclosed this week, was struggling at the time to adopt a child with his husband—and Vice President Kamala Harris, a stepmother of two and the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Vance said people without biological children "don't really have a direct stake in" the future of the country and therefore shouldn't hold higher office.

In separate remarks that same year, Vance said parents should "have more power" at the voting booth and that "if you don't have as much of an investment in the future of this country, maybe you shouldn't get nearly the same voice."

He also specifically categorized people who don't have children as "bad" in an interview in 2021, saying the government should "reward the things that we think are good" and "punish the things that we think are bad," with people taxed at a lower rate if they have children.

Trump's plan for job creation

Yep

Need help dealing with federal bureaucracy?

Over 1000 Rhode Islanders called Seth

U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) announced that his office has helped 1,000 constituents cut through red tape at federal agencies like the IRS and Social Security Administration – returning $5,674,021 owed to Rhode Islanders. 

“I came to Congress to improve the lives of working Rhode Islanders in any way possible,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am incredibly proud of our constituent services team, who are committed to providing the highest level of service and ensuring constituents receive the assistance they need and the benefits they have earned. We will continue working hard to cut through the bureaucracy and advocate on behalf of Rhode Islanders.”

 

Dozens of constituents shared testimonials on their customer service experience working with Rep. Magaziner’s office to resolve issues with a federal agency. A selection is below: 

Expert talks about weekend’s dragonfly invasion at area beaches

Dragonfly beach Armageddon

Tony LaRoche

From the Washington Post to CNN, from the Boston Globe to CBS News, and media outlets in between, the hordes of dragonflies that benignly and briefly swarmed beaches in southern Rhode Island and Newport on Saturday was news everywhere.

Viral social media videos showed beachgoers ducking under beach towels, gazing in disbelief or quickly deploying their cell phones as thousands of dragonflies descended on local beaches such as Green Hill in South Kingstown and Misquamicut in Westerly. The spontaneous invasion lasted only minutes.

Rhody Today turned to local expert David W. Gregg, executive director of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey, which has been housed at the University of Rhode Island for 30 years. 

While the Survey is an independent nonprofit organization, URI faculty and staff sit on its board of directors and it is loosely affiliated with the College of the Environment and Life Sciences and its Department of Natural Resources Science.

Rhode Island is home to 140 species of dragonflies and damselflies, a total of 92 species of dragonflies and 48 of damselflies, said Virginia “Ginger” Brown, the state’s leading dragonfly expert. They occur in all parts of the state, even on islands, with most found in still water bodies such as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, bogs and swamps.

Gregg, who served as a source on the dragonfly invasion for numerous media outlets, said the weekend’s swarming may have been caused by blue dashers, a feisty species of dragonflies. Here’s what he had to say about the unusual occurrence.

Private equity firm buys company behind Rhode Island lottery in $6.3B deal

Vulture capitalists buy Bally's - fasten your seatbelts

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

The gambling company that exclusively supplies Rhode Island’s lottery equipment and technology is being acquired by a private equity firm in a $4.1 billion, all-cash deal, according to a Friday announcement.

The acquisition by New York-based Apollo Global Management Inc. includes the gaming and digital business arm of International Game Technology PLC, along with financial services subsidiary Everi Holdings Inc. 

Under the proposed deal, set to close in the third quarter of 2025 pending federal regulatory approval, IGT will receive $4.05 billion, expected to be used to pay off debt with returns to shareholders, the company said. 

Everi shareholders will receive $14.25 per share in cash, which marks a 56% increase over its share price as of Thursday close. The combined acquisition of IGT and Everi is valued at $6.3 billion.

Rhode Island Republicans wonder what will make their party "great"

Maybe stop running rightwing nuts like Elaine Morgan and Justin Price? 

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Days after Donald Trump’s conviction in the New York hush-money trial, Steve Frias finally broke his silence.

The Rhode Island Republican National Committeeman told party leaders he would not seek reelection to the post he’d held for 12 years, denouncing Trump and his supporters for alleging the trial and verdict were politically motivated. 

“I kept procrastinating, hoping something would change, thinking ‘maybe I am wrong here,’” said Frias, an attorney who lives in Cranston.

But he knew it was the right thing to do based on the relief he felt the minute he stepped away. He longer had to feign allegiance to the presumptive nominee at the state party convention in late June, or the Republican National Convention in July.

Yet many Rhode Island Republicans tiptoe around the topic of Trump. They may be fearful of stepping out of line with the national party. More importantly, they may want to avoid alienating the 47% of Rhode Island voters who are unaffiliated.

Insurrectionist Justin Price wants to beat
 Megan Cotter to win back his seat

No Republican has won a federal or general office seat in the state in over a decade. And now, their marginal presence in the 113-seat Rhode Island Legislature could diminish even further, with three of the 14 Republican incumbents not seeking reelection in November and fewer than 30 Republican challengers for Democratic-held, or open seats.

While national politics isn’t entirely to blame, the shifting ideology of the national Republican party certainly hasn’t helped Rhode Island Republicans, said Wendy Schiller, a political science professor and interim director for the Thomas J. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University.

“The national Republican party is really out of step with what Rhode Islanders want and what they believe,” Schiller said in a recent interview. “It presents a real challenge for local candidates when your national party is saying it wants to cut Medicaid, doesn’t believe in climate change, doesn’t support infrastructure spending — all things Rhode Island desperately needs.”

Not to mention, the lack of cash and resources the Rhode Island GOP has to offer to candidates already facing an uphill battle simply because of voter demographics. 

In Trump's own words: he really does intend to end democracy

And so does his Veep choice:

Not qualified?

What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Mean for the Climate?

As Joe if not bettert

By ZOYA TEIRSTEIN

This story was originally published by Grist.

After weeks of intense media speculation and sustained pressure from Democratic lawmakers, major donors, and senior advisors, President Joe Biden has announced that he is bowing out of the presidential race. He is the first sitting president to step aside so close to Election Day. “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus entirely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a letter on Sunday.

He endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to take his place. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” he said in another statement. Not long after, Harris announced via the Biden campaign that she intends to run for president. “I am honored to have the president’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said.

During his term, President Biden managed to shepherd a surprising number of major policies into law with a razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate. His crowning achievement is signing the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA — the biggest climate spending law in U.S. history, with the potential to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions up to 42 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. While announcing his withdrawal, Biden called it “the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.”

New study shows at-home colon cancer screening test reduces risk of colorectal cancer death, as effective as screening colonoscopy

They work

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

A noninvasive colorectal cancer screening test that can be done at home could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer death by 33%, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. This is the first study to evaluate this tool's effectiveness in specific racial groups.

For this study, researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center -- Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC -- James), and Kaiser Permanente evaluated data from nearly 11,000 patients who underwent at-home FIT (fecal immunochemical testing) among Kaiser Permanente's members in Northern and Southern California between 2002 and 2017. 

Kaiser Permanente has one of the largest at-home screening programs in the United States and has been a leader in implementation of at-home colorectal cancer screening to increase overall screening guideline compliance and improve racial disparity gaps.

RI Citizens for Responsible Government launches campaign to defeat Constitutional Convention; urges voters to reject Question 1

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

RI Citizens for Responsible Government, a diverse and growing coalition of Rhode Island individuals and organizations, held a press conference to launch its campaign to defeat a Constitutional Convention, which will be Question 1 on the ballot in this November’s general election. 

The coalition cited a number of reasons why they are opposed to a Constitutional Convention.

“A Constitutional Convention poses a direct threat to established civil rights, with the potential to introduce amendments that could undermine protections currently afforded under Rhode Island state law,” stated coalition Chair Vimala Phongsavanh, who is also Senior Director, External Affairs of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. 

“The influence of out-of-state special interests, empowered to spend without limits, further jeopardizes the integrity of our democratic process, potentially swaying outcomes away from the will of the people and towards narrow ideological agendas. A convention would also cost the state millions of dollars. The economic burden placed on taxpayers to fund a process that could ultimately erode established civil rights and democratic principles is alarming and underscores the outdated nature of the convention.” 

Phongsavanh continued, “Women and birthing people should be especially concerned about a Constitutional Convention because ballot measures have been used disproportionately across the country to impact and restrict reproductive rights. The 1986 Constitutional Convention in Rhode Island quickly spiraled from ‘good government’ to abortion politics. This is not the way to debate and decide these issues.”

Patrick Crowley, Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, said, “We can not let wealthy individuals and corporations buy our Constitution. A Constitutional Convention, for all intents and purposes, puts our Constitution up for sale. In states across the country with voter initiative, deep-pocketed special interest groups and wealthy individuals are distorting issues and hijacking local campaigns. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: One reason for Charlestown voters to vote NO to Question 1 is that former Charlestown Indian fighter attorney Joe Larisa is one of the small commission organizing for this convention.  - Will Collette

The CCA was responsible for Charlestown's 2022 financial crisis

CCA Council candidate Van Slyke wants you to forget what they did

By Will Collette

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance, for reasons known only to themselves, are trying to boost Ruth Platner's favorite puppet, ex-Town Counciler Bonnita Van Slyke, candidacy to return to the Council.

She and I are dueling in the Letter to the Editor pages of the Westerly Sun, something I'd rather not do. Generally, I'm content to watch the cranks bang away at each other. 

But Van Slyke's recent efforts to re-write history to canonize ex-Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz and now ex-Budget Commission chair Richard Sartor as well as erase the financial screw-ups that cost the CCA the 2022 election demanded a response.

Tenacious deep-digging by Steve Hoff and Council President Deb Carney uncovered years of financial mismanagement by Sartor, Stankiewicz and the CCA Council majority. 

Van Slyke's position was that both Stankiewicz and Sartor deserved to continue in their jobs because they were there a long time and, hey, how 'bout that tax rate? Bonnie says everything was fine and nothing happened because...low tax rate.

How do you argue with Charlestown Citizen Alliance Council candidate Bonnita Van Slyke when she just makes stuff up?

My rebuttal letter to Van Slyke's rebuttal appears below. No doubt, there will be another Van Slyke letter, then another and another as we find ourselves in an Escher's Loop. Unless someone else wants to get into this game of ping-pong. 

At some point, I'm going to get bored with this and simply stop. But for now, if Van Slyke wants to keep reminding voters how badly the CCA screwed up the money, then fine. That really worked well in the 2022 election.

Here's my letter to the Sun:

I challenged Van Slyke’s glorification of former Budget Commission Chair Richard Sartor and former Town Administrator Mark Stankiewicz. I argued both should have resigned after facts revealed they mismanaged Charlestown’s money for years.

Van Slyke says there was no mismanagement. She ignores the expansive cover-up where Stankiewicz used every trick in the state open records law to delay, deny and black out public records showing the extent of that mismanagement.

Here’s how that worked. You ask for public records. You are stalled until the last possible hour when you receive an astounding price quote for the cost of retrieval and review. Nothing happens unless you agree to pay. If you pay, you get page after page of documents almost completely blacked out. You can appeal but that takes adds more delay.

After a struggle, the truth did come out – at least enough to verify the “misallocation” of $3 million, as Stankiewicz called it and some of the underlying problems.

But not all. That’s why many Charlestown residents called for an outside review, including a forensic audit, to get to the heart of the matter.

Van Slyke and her CCA Council colleagues refused to even placean outside review on the agenda for discussion and had Sartor and Stankiewicz conduct a self-audit that of course found them blameless. Later reviews found serious systemic financial management issues. Van Slyke says they came out clean every time only showing she didn’t read them.

Van Slyke repeats her lie that poor Mark Stankiewicz was “forced out” by the new Council majority when records show Stankiewicz had lined up a new job in Berkley, MA months before the 2022 election while Van Slyke and her CCA colleagues still assumed they were invincible at the polls.

Bonnita declares I have no right to raise these issues because it hurts Sartor’s and Stankiewicz’s feelings so the Democratic Town Committee should silence me. Maybe the CCA can control what its followers say, but not the rest of us.

For a decade, Sartor, Stankiewicz and the CCA Council majority failed their primary responsibility: properly manage the taxpayers’ money. They claimed – Van Slyke still does – that everything was fine because Charlestown has a low tax rate.

Van Slyke wants to return to the Council. The CCA wants to regain the majority on a campaign crafted from a tissue of lies. They will say or do whatever they can to win.

In 2022, Charlestown voters pierced the CCA’s fog of deception and voted them out. On November 5, I hope they will do it again.

So, what's been happening?

For more cartoons by Tom Tomorrow, CLICK HERE

Here comes the Seafood Festival!

How to Bulk Erase Old Tweets for Free

Why Delete Your Old Tweets?

By Greg Brailsford UpriseRI

One of the primary reasons people choose to delete their old tweets (or rather, “posts” – is that what we’re supposed to call them now?) is the simple fact that people change. 

What seemed witty, insightful, or appropriate years ago may no longer align with one’s current beliefs, values, or public image. As we grow and evolve, so too do our perspectives of the world. 

The version of you that fired off a controversial opinion in 2010 may cringe at that same sentiment today. Privacy concerns also play a significant role in the decision to purge old tweets. With the increasing sophistication of data mining and artificial intelligence, every tweet becomes a potential data point for analysis. 

Elon Musk and his Grok AI models are using our digital interactions to train algorithms and predict behavior. By deleting old tweets, you can limit the amount of personal data available for harvesting, potentially reducing your digital exposure and maintaining a greater degree of privacy.

The professional implications of past online behavior have become increasingly relevant in recent years. Employers routinely scour social media profiles of potential hires, and old tweets taken out of context can have devastating consequences on your career prospects. 

What was once an innocuous joke shared among friends can become a liability in the professional world. By proactively removing potentially problematic content, you can safeguard your professional reputation and avoid the pitfalls of having your entire online Twitter (er, X) history scrutinized by current or future employers.

Of course the decision to delete old tweets is not without its critics. Some argue that erasing one’s digital history is a form of revisionism, potentially obscuring personal growth and accountability. Others point out that once something is posted online, it may never truly disappear, as screenshots and archives can preserve content long after it’s been deleted from the original platform. But if you are not a public figure, it is unlikely that this applies to you, and that’s good news.

Another way toxic plastics get into the food chain

PFAS increasingly added to pesticides, study finds

SHANNON KELLEHER 

Despite widespread alarm about the health and environmental impacts of toxic PFAS, the chemicals are increasingly being added to pesticides applied in homes and crops across the US, according to a new study.

The findings, published July 24 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, add to growing concerns about PFAS contamination in the US food system and waterways and highlight pesticides’ “underappreciated” role in the problem, said David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group and an author of the study

The study revealed that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) account for 14% of all active ingredients in pesticides used in the US, including almost one-third of active ingredients approved in the last decade. Even when PFAS are not intentionally added to these products, the fluorinated containers in which they are stored have been found to leach PFAS into their contents, the study concluded.

Kamala Harris as A Corporate Crime Fighter

Won more than 40 cases for over $3 billion in fines and settlements

By contrast, Donald Trump IS a corporate criminal

By Philip Mattera, director of the Corporate Research Project in the Dirt Diggers Digest

The coming weeks are likely to see much discussion, pro and con, about Kamala Harris’ record prosecuting street crime during her time as District Attorney of San Francisco. Perhaps even more relevant to her as a presidential candidate was her tenure as the California Attorney General.

State attorneys general involve themselves in many issues, but one of their key roles is to address business misconduct, especially in the areas of consumer protection and antitrust. As the California AG from 2011 through 2016, Harris was for the most part an aggressive corporate crime fighter.

In Violation Tracker we have more than 40 cases her office successfully prosecuted, resulting in over $3 billion in fines and settlements. About one-third of that total came from a 2016 judgment against the predatory for-profit Corinthian Colleges, which by that time had ceased operations and was in bankruptcy.

Here are some of the other more significant cases:

A $750 million settlement with the Canadian company Powerex, which was accused of manipulating the market during the 2000-2001 western energy crisis.

A $323 million settlement with SCAN Health Plan to resolve allegations the company overcharged the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.

A $298 million settlement with JPMorgan Chase, which was accused of misleading state pension funds in the marketing of residential mortgage-backed securities. This was part of a broader $13 billion settlement the bank reached with state and federal agencies concerning the toxic securities that helped bring about the financial crisis of the late 2000s.

A $241 million settlement with Quest Diagnostics, which also involved Medi-Cal billing abuses.

A $168 million settlement with K12 Inc., a for-profit online charter school operator, and 14 affiliated non-profit schools known as the California Virtual Academies it managed, over alleged violations of California’s false claims, false advertising and unfair competition laws.

An $86 million settlement with Volkswagen concerning the installation of defeat devices to evade emissions testing in its diesel vehicles. This was a supplement to the company’s $14 billion federal-state settlement.

Among the other companies her office successfully pursued were Walmart (for over-charging customers), Toshiba (price-fixing), Wells Fargo (privacy violations) and Chevron (improper hazardous waste disposal).

Harris’ office was also involved in many cases brought by groups of state AGs, often taking a leading role. The largest case was a $25 billion settlement reached by federal and state agencies in 2012 with five of the largest mortgage servicing companies over their foreclosure practices. Others included:

Keep Charlestown on track

CRU slate asks for your support

Deborah Carney, Candidate for Re-election to the Charlestown Town Council 

On behalf of the candidates endorsed by Charlestown Residents United (CRU) I respectfully ask for your vote. 

In November of 2022, our Town elected a majority of Town Councilors supported by CRU, a bi-partisan political action committee. 

Since that time this Town Council has acted to make our government more transparent, fiscally responsible and responsive for the benefit of all residents.

Some highlights include:

*   Hired a new Town Administrator following the resignation of the former Town Administrator (who had applied for a new position before the 2022 election).

*   Hired a new Town Treasurer who has been cleaning up issues with the Town’s books and records;

*  Revised and dramatically improved formatting of Town Council meeting minutes to include information that is useful to the reader, including content of discussions;

*  Adopted a minimum work schedule of two regularly scheduled Council meetings each month, rather than one;

*  Returned a voice to the people of Charlestown by re-establishing the Charter Revision Advisory Committee as a standing committee and by selecting eleven of the Committee’s recommendations for ballot consideration in this upcoming election;

*  Established an Ordinance Review Ad Hoc Committee for a twenty-year overdue top-to-bottom review of Charlestown’s local ordinances, some of which were outdated, unconstitutional, or in violation of state law;

*  Contracted with the Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Service to guarantee 911 emergency medical response to all Charlestown residents;

*  Expanded video coverage/streaming of Town committee meetings;

*  Conducted a long-overdue review of the Ninigret Park Master Plan;

*  Guaranteed the right of all Councilors to place items on the meeting agenda by stopping the practice of freezing out a minority Councilor’s agenda items;

*  Supported the children of Charlestown by funding the purchase of portable lighting units which will be used for evening sports practices at Puchalski Field, and for safety at Trunk or Treat, and the New Year’s Eve Bonfire celebrations;

*  Permitted the South County Tourism Council to fund and locate the Thomas Dambo Troll exhibit in Ninigret Park- a huge tourism success;

*  Funded the Charlestown Elementary School playground equipment through use of Impact Fees; 

I respectfully ask for your vote for the current Town Councilors; Rippy Serra, Stephen Stokes, Peter Slom, Deb Carney and new Town Council candidate, Craig Marr.  For Planning Commission, Glenn Babcock and Laura Rom; and for Town Moderator, Ray Dreczko.

Please visit www.charlestownresidentsunited.org for information on our candidates and our platform.

This is so sad

 

JD Vance wasn't always stupid

Good timing: Study unravels how our brains track time

Time is on your side

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Illustration by UNLV graduate student and study co-author Talha K. Soluoku

Ever hear the old adage that time flies when you're having fun? A new study by a team of UNLV researchers suggests that there's a lot of truth to the trope.

Many people think of their brains as being intrinsically synced to the human-made clocks on their electronic devices, counting time in very specific, minute-by-minute increments. But the study, published this month in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed Cell Press journal Current Biology, showed that our brains don't work that way.

By analyzing changes in brain activity patterns, the research team found that we perceive the passage of time based on the number of experiences we have -- not some kind of internal clock. What's more, increasing speed or output during an activity appears to affect how our brains perceive time.

Natural Compound Found in Olives Found To Reduce Blood Sugar Levels and Promote Weight Loss

Another factor in your choice of pizza

By AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITION 

New research from a mouse study indicates that elenolic acid, a compound naturally occurring in olives, may reduce blood sugar levels and promote weight loss. This study could lead to the creation of affordable and safe natural products designed to help manage obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans.

The researchers found that after just one week, obese mice with diabetes that were given oral elenolic acid weighed significantly less and showed better blood sugar (glucose) regulation than before treatment and compared to control obese mice not receiving elenolic acid. The glucose-lowering effect was comparable with that of the injectable diabetic medication liraglutide and better than metformin, one of the most common oral medicines for type 2 diabetes.

“Lifestyle modifications and public health measures have had limited impact on the rising prevalence of obesity, one of the top risk factors for type 2 diabetes,” said research team leader Dongmin Liu, PhD, a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech. “Available obesity drugs are ineffective in weight loss maintenance, expensive, and/or carry potential long-term safety risks. Our goal was to develop safer, cheaper, and more convenient multi-targeting agents that can prevent the occurrence of metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes.”

Kamala Harris Is the Winning Choice for Seniors

Donald Trump may be old but he doesn't understand the needs of older people

NANCY J. ALTMAN for Common Dreams

The author's organization has endorsed Kamala Harris for President

Joe Biden has been the best president for seniors in over half a century. Kamala Harris will be even better.

As president, Biden has been an unwavering protector of Social Security and Medicare. In his 2024 State of the Union Address, he made it crystal clear that he would shut down any Republican attempts to create a closed-door commission to cut Social Security and Medicare. Indeed, he promised, “If anyone here tries to cut Social Security or Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop them.”

Harris will be as fierce a defender, and she will do more. She will expand Social Security and Medicare and ensure that all benefits will continue to be paid in full and on time for the foreseeable future by requiring billionaires to pay their fair share.

Vice President Harris, President Biden, and the Democrats have already laid out their shared policy vision for a future Harris administration. It proves that a focus on seniors’ policy is written into the DNA of a Democratic administration. The draft 2024 Democratic Party Platform states:

GOP attacks against Kamala Harris were already bad – they are about to get worse

To no one's surprise, MAGAs have already started racist, sexist attacks

Stephen J. Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a political event on July 17,
2024, in Kalamazoo, Mich. Chris duMond/Getty Images

Public opinion polls suggest that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is doing slightly better than Joe Biden was against Donald Trump, but Republican attacks against her are only now ramping up.

Even as a candidate for vice president, Harris was the target of an intense barrage of conservative attacks that claimed, among other things, that she slept her way to political prominence, a common slur against women in power. 

The anti-Harris rhetoric is part of what a report by the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, described as a broad pattern of gendered and sexualized attacks on prominent women in public discourse.

More recently, those comments were joined by conservative attacks branding Harris as the “border czar,” part of an effort to tie her to immigration, a hot-button topic for conservatives.

The intense attacks so far are only a fraction of what will come. Trump is skilled at both character assassination and political self-defense. Together, they translate into an exceptional ability to defeat his political rivals once they enter the presidential campaign arena.

But Harris also has sharp rhetorical skills that could make this a fierce election fight.

Trump’s alternative facts

As I discuss in my book “Presidential Communication and Character,” Trump is highly skilled at both channeling white working-class anger into political support for himself and at convincing his supporters to disregard the former president’s own well-chronicled professional and personal failings.

Trump’s character generates enduring contempt among liberals, but those voters will back the Democratic nominee.

Big tough guy

Trump says the words: if he is elected, 2024 will be America's LAST election

Magaziner Clinches Wins for Climate Resiliency Efforts in Rhode Island

Once again, Seth delivers for the district 

U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) clinched several wins for Rhode Island in H.R. 8812: Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, a comprehensive water infrastructure development bill, which passed the House in a bipartisan vote. 

 

The bill includes an authorization of $289,775,000 for the Rhode Island Coastline, Coastal Storm Risk Management project, including $188,353,750 in federal dollars. The project would strengthen climate resiliency along the Rhode Island coastline by elevating 290 residential structures, floodproofing 171 non-residential structures, and floodproofing 36 critical infrastructure facilities. 

 

Space Station makes a 6-minute Charlestown overflight at 9:07 PM

Maybe you can see Boeing's latest fiasco

By Will Collette

Finally, we have an evening where the sky should be clear to watch a near complete transit of Charlestown by the International Space Station (ISS). I generally don't report on overflights unless conditions are good.

There's a new feature attached to the ISS: Boeing's new Starliner space module that has been stranded for weeks because of leaking helium and bad thrusters. Boeing says everything is fine but it's not.

At least it's not a 737. Boeing is now officially a corporate criminal having pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges of failing to disclose information about the 737 crashes that killed 346 people around the world.

No Boeing exec is doing jail time for these crimes and the $244 million fine, though large, is just the cost of doing business. 

In my opinion, no taxpayer money should be spent on deals with corporate criminals. If the federal government was serious about stopping corporate crime they could, at minimum, suspend and debar Boeing from government contracts for some appropriate length of time. They could revoke its corporate charter or seize the property involved in the criminal act.

That's what I would do, for what it's worth. But meanwhile, at 8:50 PM, the ISS with its Boeing appendage will transit Charlestown skies starting at 10 degrees over the northwest horizon, heading up to almost overhead at 83 degrees and finally disappearing 12 degrees over the east southeast horizon.

Tonight, the National Weather Service predicts tonight’s weather will be mostly clear.

6-7 minutes is the maximum time for an overflight. The station relies on reflected light from sunset (or sunrise) to make it visible to us on the ground and 6-7 minutes is roughly how long it takes for the ISS to go from one end of the sky to the other.

Here's the message I received from NASA this morning, courtesy of their "Spot The Station" e-mail listserve:

Time: Sat Jul 27 8:50 PM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 83°, Appears: 10° above NW, Disappears: 12° above ESE

Sign up for the NASA alerts.