The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor

You should learn to love a lower standard of living, for Trump's sake

By Nathalie Baptiste, HuffPost

The Trump administration released bad news about the economy on April 30: According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the economy shrank for the first time since 2022 in what is likely the first tangible sign for everyday Americans of the impact of President Donald Trump’s policies.

The news sent the stock market into a tailspin, while business owners warned that shoppers could start seeing empty store shelves.

But even as the bad news piles up, the Trump administration has decided to reassure panicked consumers with a chilling talking point: Poverty is good, actually.

Last month, as economists warned of the harm Trump’s tariff policies could cause, including drastically increasing the price of goods, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attempted to dismiss those concerns by insinuating that being able to afford things is not important to Americans.

“Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,” Bessent said to a crowd of economists.

It turns out this assertion was only the beginning of the Trump administration’s vision for a new American dream.

From Trump telling reporters that he’s not worried about empty stores to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying during an interview that in his version of America, multiple generations will work in the same factories, it sure seems like the Trump administration is trying to prime Americans for accepting and even enjoying a drastically lower standard of living.

See you at the mid-terms all right

Have you been abducted? Probed? Call this real number

Climate change: Future of today's young people

Trump message to tomorrow’s adults: “You’re screwed and I don’t care”

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Research led by climate scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) reveals that millions of today's young people will live through unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves, crop failures, river floods, droughts, wildfires and tropical storms under current climate policies. If global temperatures rise by 3.5°C by 2100, 92% of children born in 2020 will experience unprecedented heatwave exposure over their lifetime, affecting 111 million children. Meeting the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target could protect 49 million children from this risk.

This is only for one birth year; when instead taking into account all children who are between 5 and 18 years old today, this adds up to 1.5 billion children affected under a 3.5°C scenario, and with 654 million children that can be protected by remaining under the 1.5°C threshold. The study also highlights that children with high socioeconomic vulnerability face an even greater likelihood of unprecedented exposure to climate extremes in their lifetime. Deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed to safeguard the lives of children all around the world.

Do people really want to know their risk of getting Alzheimer’s?

Not for everyone and here's why

Claudia Cooper, Queen Mary University of London

A new study has highlighted the complex emotions and ethical dilemmas of learning your future risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Among 274 healthy research participants from the US aged 65 and over, 40% declined to receive their personal risk estimates – despite having initially expressed an interest in doing so.

These risk estimates were based on demographic data, brain imaging and blood biomarkers, offering an 82 to 84% accuracy in predicting the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease within five years. By comparison, age alone can predict this risk with 79% accuracy.

So the value of these tests is modest in people without any cognitive symptoms, and there are potential risks to disclosing them. People told they are at increased risk of dementia describe how this can feel like an illness in itself – or being in limbo between health and disease – and cause distress.

Participants who did not want to be tested cited the uncertainty of the result, the burden of knowing, and their negative experiences of witnessing Alzheimer’s disease in others. Those with a family history of Alzheimer’s were less likely to want to know their results – perhaps because of greater exposure to these negative experiences.

Black participants were less likely to want to know, too, which the researchers suggest could relate to greater experiences of stress, stigma and discrimination, making the prospect of a positive test result feel more threatening.

Perhaps the question here is not why more people didn’t want to know the result, but whether researchers should routinely offer them at all, given the lack of certainty of the results and the potential for distress.

Another issue is their limited usefulness for people without symptoms. Addressing lifestyle risk factors, such as eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, can reduce cognitive decline, a message the public is increasingly aware of. But knowing your risk doesn’t change the advice.

In contrast to areas like breast cancer, where people at high risk of the disease can be offered preventative measures, such as drugs, surgery or enhanced screening, there are no comparable interventions to reduce dementia risk in people without symptoms.

The authors of the new study explain that researchers used to be cautious about not sharing test results with participants in Alzheimer’s studies. But now there’s a growing expectation that people will be given their results. A proposed “bill of rights” for dementia research participants includes the right to get their results and have them clearly explained.

It’s hard to explain how uncertain these results can be. People often worry about getting dementia in general, not just Alzheimer’s, which makes up about two-thirds of all cases. Some people who are told they have a low risk of Alzheimer’s may still develop another form of dementia, such as vascular dementia.

The wider science that produced these future risk estimates has enabled the development of new diagnostic technologies unimaginable ten years ago. Similar blood tests can detect Alzheimer’s disease pathology in people with cognitive symptoms with over 90% accuracy, potentially enabling more accurate and timely dementia diagnoses.

Blood tests

Two major UK research programs are piloting these blood tests in the NHS to support the more accurate diagnoses of some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Improved and earlier detection is needed: a third of people with dementia in England and Northern Ireland are never diagnosed.

The benefits of the first drugs to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease are modest. In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence hasn’t yet been convinced that these drugs are worth the cost for the NHS.

Some might question a focus on identifying future risks for dementia before we have good treatments. But developing better treatments depends on the new scientific discoveries that are helping us detect Alzheimer’s earlier. Finding a treatment for an illness requires a detailed understanding of how that illness develops.

We are closer to delivering accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease than curative treatment. This presents a dilemma of how much to know about personal risk. Rights-based approaches situate this dilemma with the participant, to decide whether to know rather than researchers to decide whether to tell.

For researchers, disclosing results compassionately and clearly is difficult and for some, the knowledge will cause distress, however well it is conveyed. The option to receive results should come with warnings.

Claudia Cooper, Professor of Psychological Medicine, Queen Mary University of London

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Neronha outlines fix for R.I.’s broken health care system

Litigation, legislation, collaboration 

By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha took a break Wednesday from his breathless legal pursuit of President Donald Trump’s administration to chase a different foe: pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs.

“The cost of drugs is astounding,” Neronha told reporters gathered at his South Main Street office in Providence. “Pharmacy benefit managers…operate in a very secretive and shrouded way…Because they have 80% of the market, they’re able to use that market power to drive drug prices sky high and keep that difference.”

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Rhode Island Superior Court against three of the nation’s biggest PBMs — CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx — is perhaps the sharpest prong among many in a sweeping plan to restructure the way Rhode Island funds health care unveiled Wednesday morning. All of the initiatives in Neronha’s heavy slate of proposals are meant to remedy what Neronha called a “spectacular failure” that has been years in the making.

“It was looming then,” Neronha said Wednesday of the state’s health care crisis when he took office in 2019. “It’s here now.” 

In about 34 minutes of opening remarks, Neronha detailed his office’s new list of efforts to effect major change, from boosting mediocre Medicaid reimbursement rates to filling absences in primary care practices. The entire plan is available on a new website, titled “A Way Forward,” which went live during the press conference.

Two prominent local doctors blast one-sided coverage of South County Hospital struggle

Hospital CEO Aaron Robinson Misleads, Breaks Trust with Readers, Public In Newspaper Interview

Save South County Hospital

Broken Trust with South County Hospital CEO Aaron Robinson Described Below

By Roger W. Ashley, MD and Chris Van Hemelrijck, MD

(The two local esteemed physicians are responding to a recent Robinson-only focused story in the South County weekly newspapers The Independent and The Narragansett Times.)

It is with great interest that we read the article in The Independent (5-15-2025) and The Narragansett Times (5-16-2025) regarding comments made by South County Hospital Chief Executive Officer Aaron Robinson. How wonderfully ironic that such a statement could be made by someone whose leadership style is partly responsible for our local health care crisis. There follow statements reaffirming what we already know, that access to primary care providers is at a crisis point in RI. Robinson goes on to ask Rhode Islanders to lobby their elected representatives to step up their support to the beleaguered health care system.

He mentions that facing illness when your access to care is limited can be a scary place to be. The irony is that Aaron Robinson is, himself, primarily responsible for the loss of five Primary Care Providers from the South County Health Care System in the past five years. In addition to specialists in Cardiology - five physicians; in Oncology - three physicians and an NP; in Urology - two physicians; in Obstetric - one physician. And low reimbursement rates were hardly the reason for their departure since only one of these providers had left the state and two had decided to retire early.

He further cites the difficulties with finding a PCP [primary care provider] stating that he is on his fourth in five years. Actually as it happens, I (Dr. Ashley), is also on his fourth in five years, although I doubt that we are in the same situation since the first two of my four left because of Robinson’s style and demeanor.

The article also cites legislative efforts to correct deficiencies including in the uniquely low reimbursement rates compared to those in our neighboring states of MA and CT.---particularly Health Insurance Fairness (S.0681/H5832), Sponsored by Senator Susan V. Sosnowski and Representative Theresa Tanzi.

Interestingly, rather than lobbying for their support, Robinson has managed in some manner or other to offend at least two legislators, once by shouting and demeaning one in a meeting and another by refusing admission to a meeting to which they were led to believe they had been invited , leaving them (us) in the lobby because we were not on the “official list of invitees.”

In addition, his comments about “data based” care is perhaps an excuse for dismissing several practitioners from South County Health who were not seeing as many patients per hour as his ‘national standards’ suggested that they should. Lack of resources (secretaries and nursing assistance) as well as patient mix (elderly, first time visits) were apparently not considered.

He then goes on to extol the “introduction of new technologies” and the extraordinary pace of change in health care that frustrates members in the community, including the advocacy group Save South County Hospital. This group, made up of physicians and former Board of Trustees, are not only profoundly aware of these challenges, they understand that Aaron Robinson is not equipped to forge the partnership needed to effectuate those changes. Save South County Hospital now enjoys the support of all five of our local legislators in bringing about the change in leadership that is necessary to meet those challenges.

TACO

New Trump nickname (TACO - "Trump always chickens out") is catching on in the financial press

June 7: Strawberry Thanksgiving at Ninigret

HHS cancels funding for Moderna’s candidate H5 avian flu and pandemic vaccines

RFK Jr. makes sure we WILL NOT BE READY for a bird flu epidemic

Lisa Schnirring

In a startling pandemic preparedness development, Moderna announced that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has terminated a $590 million award it received in January for late-stage development of a candidate mRNA vaccine against H5 avian influenza and the development of other prepandemic vaccine candidates.

In the same announcement, Moderna reported positive interim phase 1/2 clinical data for its candidate vaccine targeting H5 avian influenza.

Contract awarded under Biden administration

Moderna received the HHS contract for an H5 vaccine in a $176 million base award in July 2024 amid a rising number of H5N1 infections in US residents, mostly agricultural works. On January 17 in the final days of the Biden administration, officials announced a $590 million contract to fund the development of vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses.

Following the transition to the Trump administration, the HHS in early March signaled that it was evaluating the contract.

The move comes amid continued circulation of H5N1 in US dairy cattle, poultry flocks, wild birds, and other mammals, as well as animal outbreaks in other countries and sporadic H5N1 infections in a few Asian countries, such as Cambodia and Vietnam.

HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is allied with groups that are skeptical about vaccines, especially mRNA formulations, which has shaped his recent policy decisions about COVID vaccines.

Trump pulls US out of world agreement to fight pandemics

World Health Assembly adopts Pandemic Agreement, ups funding for WHO

Lisa Schnirring

In a historic development, the World Health Assembly (WHA) at its plenary session today adopted a Pandemic Agreement, which is designed to better prepare the world and form a more equitable response to the next pandemic.

The WHA, made up of World Health Organization (WHO) member states, is the WHO's decision-making body. Yesterday, the Pandemic Agreement passed the committee A with 124 voting in favor, none against, and 11 abstaining.

In the making for 3 years, the agreement has been the subject of intense negotiations by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body appointed by WHO member states. In a WHO statement today, Teodoro Herbosa, MD, secretary of the Philippines Department of Health and president of this year’s WHA, said, now that the agreement has passed, health leaders must urgently implement its key elements, which include systems to ensure more equitable access to life-saving pandemic-related health products.

"As COVID was a once-in-a-lifetime emergency, the WHO Pandemic Agreement offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on lessons learned from that crisis and ensure people worldwide are better protected if a future pandemic emerges," he said.

No confidence in Trump economic plan causes US credit rating to drop

Credit agencies know a bad risk when they see one

Robert Reich for Inequality Media

Last Friday, the credit rating of the United States was downgraded. Moody’s, the ratings firm, announced that the U.S. government’s rising debt levels will grow further if the Trump Republican package of new tax cuts is enacted. This makes lending to the United States riskier.

(Moody’s is the third of three major credit-rating agencies to downgrade the credit rating of the United States.)

So-called “bond vigilantes” are being blamed. They’ve already been selling the U.S. government’s debt, as the Republican tax package moves through Congress. They’re expected to sell even more, driving long-term interest rates even higher to make up for the growing risk of holding U.S. debt.

Some right-wing Republicans in Congress have already used the Moody’s downgrade to justify deeper spending cuts in Medicaid, food stamps, and other social programs that lower-income Americans depend on.

Just follow the money. The real cause is the growing political power of the super-rich and big corporations...

But, hello? There’s a far easier way to reduce the federal debt. Just end the Trump tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy and big corporations — and instead raise taxes on them.

I’m old enough to remember when America’s super-rich financed the government with their tax payments. Under President Dwight Eisenhower — hardly a left-wing radical — the highest marginal tax rate was 91 percent. (Even after all tax credits and deductions were figured in, the super-rich paid way over half their top marginal incomes in taxes.)

But increasingly — since the Reagan, George W. Bush, and Trump 1 tax cuts — tax rates on the super-rich have plummeted.

Donald Trump and the power of the big FAKE number

Trump and Musk love to put out big numbers but the facts don’t back them up.

Paul Waldman

If there’s one thing Donald Trump loves more than a deal, it’s the announcement of a deal, the part where he comes before the cameras in triumph to tell the world that through his superhuman negotiating skills he has secured an agreement that will bring a future of unfathomable riches to all Americans.

These announcements invariably center on a dollar figure, usually one almost preposterously large. Five hundred billion, two trillion, 10 trillion — we are all supposed to marvel at the majesty of this number, to the point where our critical faculties fail us and we accept it without skepticism.

There may never have been a better case study of this than Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East. During the tour, Trump repeatedly touted the enormous deals he supposedly obtained from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but an examination of those and some other recent deals he has announced — all portrayed as new investments pouring into the American economy — shows them to be largely a mirage.

We’re the marks, and the suspiciously large dollar number is the centerpiece of the con.

So many deals you’ll be tired of all the deals

Here's how King Donald's meeting with the leader of South Africa went

Bronzer Boss

Beware of green slimy water

Steer Clear of Harmful Algae Blooms this Summer

As we approach the summer months and recreational activities on the State's abundant lakes, ponds and rivers increase, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) remind the public to be on the lookout for harmful algae blooms (HABs). 

HABs are caused by blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, which are naturally present in bodies of freshwater. Higher temperatures, slow moving water, and high amounts of nutrients cause the cyanobacteria to grow excessively and create potential for HABs. These HABs can produce toxins which can be harmful to humans and animals.

RIDOH and DEM work together to monitor and respond to HABs and issue recreational advisories when thresholds are met. During a HAB, all recreation, including swimming, fishing, boating, and kayaking should be avoided. 

In addition people should not drink untreated water or eat fish from affected waterbodies. Pet owners should not allow pets to drink or swim in this water. State and local officials work to post warnings around bodies of water when HABs are present. However, the public should be on the lookout for HABs and know to avoid affected waters if they encounter a HAB before warnings have been posted.

Affected waters may be bright to dark green in color and have dense, floating algal mats on the water's surface. The water may look like green paint, thick pea soup, or green cottage cheese. If you see bodies of water that look like this, it's best for people and pets to avoid contact with the water.

Biden is getting prostate cancer treatment, but that’s not the best choice for all men

Complicated choices - there is no universal answer

Luisel Ricks-Santi, University of Florida

Even when it comes to screening, it's an issue of benefits vs. risks

“Me encontraron càncer en la pròstata,” my father told me. “They found cancer in my prostate.”

As a cancer researcher who knows very well about the high incidence and decreased survival rates of prostate cancer in the Caribbean, I anguished over these words. Even though I study cancer in my day job, I struggled to take in this news. At the time, all I could muster in response was, “What did the doctor say?”

“The urologist wants me to see the radiation oncologist to discuss ‘semillas’ (seeds),” he said. “They are recommending treatment.” Many men, including former President Joe Biden, whose case is advanced, do choose with their doctors to treat prostate cancer.

However, I understood from my work that not undergoing treatment was also an option. In some cases, that is the better choice.

So I took it upon myself to educate my father on his disease and assist him with the life-changing decisions he would need to make. Our journey can give you a preview of what a cancer diagnosis can be like.

Nine of ten Americans reject RFK Jr.'s long-held stance on measles vaccine

One true thing RFK Jr. has said recently is don't take vaccine advice from him

Stephanie Soucheray, MA 

A new Annenberg Poll shows that 87% of Americans say the benefit of childhood measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination outweighs the risk, and 67% say they know that MMR vaccines don't cause autism.

2025 may see the highest measles case count in the United States since the disease was officially eliminated in 2000. With more than 1,000 cases identified, and many more likely unreported, the virus is taking hold in unvaccinated and under-vaccinated communities. The Annenberg Poll surveyed 1,653 US adults from April 15 to 28, 2025, on measles knowledge and attitudes toward vaccines.

Despite the number of current outbreaks (14) and illnesses (1,024 confirmed), only 6 in 10 of adults polled (58%) said there are more measles cases in the United States in 2025 than in the comparable period in 2024.

The poll picked up increased support for mandating MMR vaccine for public school entrance. Eighty percent of those polled said they supported requiring MMR vaccines for school entry, up from 73% in 2023. Only 18% of those polled said vaccines should be a matter of parental choice.

Trump, Musk, RFK Jr. actions erode Americans' trust

Americans losing trust after public health leadership shakeups

Mary Van Beusekom, MS

Somehow, Americans aren't inspired

New poll results show that 4 in 10 US adults say that recent changes in federal leadership will erode their trust in public health recommendations, while just over a quarter say they will gain confidence, with results divided by political bent.

After 100 days into the Trump administration, a March poll of 3,343 US adults by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation reveals simmering suspicion after a recent plethora of federal leadership edits.

Examples of the changes include the installation of leaders such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary and the ouster of people like Peter Marks, MD, as the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) top vaccine official. 

For context, Americans' faith in its public health institutions—especially among conservatives—has been declining for years, bottoming out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MAGA posters suitable for framing

Free to Trump, a billion dollars to us

Charlestown's contractor choice for "Solarize Charlestown" is a worker cooperative

The Rhode Island Worker Cooperative Alliance and Fuerza Laboral see a worker-owned business business future

Steve Ahlquist

SolPower, one of the member companies, was chosen
by Charlestown for its 2017 Solarize Charlestown
project that offered residents discounted solar panels.
In my opinion, they did a great job and I wish
the town would do it again. - Will Collette

“I am a worker/owner at a worker cooperative cafe in Providence,” said Chloe Chassaing. “I was a longtime worker at the business, and four years ago, we purchased the business and reopened it as a worker cooperative. It’s been rewarding to work there and see the difference it’s made for us as workers to have a say in our workplace and to be able to collaborate to run the business. It increases the sense of dignity and investment in our workplace.”

Chassaing was emceeing the Worker Cooperative Advocacy Day, which was celebrated by the Rhode Island Worker Cooperative Alliance, Fuerza Laboral, and elected officials at the Rhode Island State House. During the short speaking program, legislators, owners of employee-owned businesses, and organizations that support worker cooperatives in Rhode Island shared their experiences and strategies for fostering a sustainable local economy, including proposed legislation to encourage employee ownership: the Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act (H5940/S0752). If passed, the legislation would increase the opportunity for employees to purchase and own the businesses where they work when that business is sold.

“It’s been a pleasure to be part of a group of people interested in helping build the next economy that values sustainability, equity, and opportunity,” continued Chassaing, about the Rhode Island Worker Cooperative Alliance. “The United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Cooperatives. It’s fitting to be part of that global movement.”

“Fuerza Laboral primarily focuses on labor justice,” noted David Molina-Hernandez, the Community and Media Coordinator at the group. “That’s why we started the nonprofit. Our population is primarily a Latino, immigrant, and low-income community.

“We talk about the transformational power of worker-owned cooperatives. More than just businesses, worker-owned cooperatives are engines of opportunity because they come with equity. Fuerza Laboral decided to go full-out on the cooperative movement once we figured out that it is the best way to help low-income families escape poverty because they go from being workers to worker/business owners.

“Cooperatives are structured as democracies - they’re transparent and have shared responsibility,” continued Molina-Hernandez. “They are a natural defense against labor injustices, such as wage theft. You cannot steal from your other worker-owners the way a boss can steal from workers. Cooperatives defend against abuses of power and wrongful terminations for the same reason: everybody has a vote and makes decisions. Because of how cooperatives are structured, labor injustice cannot happen in a cooperative. Decisions aren’t made in a boardroom far away. They’re made by people who do the work and know the community.

“Have you seen how many businesses are born from immigrants in Pawtucket and Central Falls?” asked Molina-Hernandez. “Many of these businesses are owned by first-generation immigrants. It was their dream when they came to this country. They are the heartbeats of our neighborhoods, but these owners are approaching retirement. We face the critical question: What will happen to these businesses? If they close, we all lose. We lose the city, the workers, families, and the vibrant culture surrounding these businesses.

“But if we were to transition them into cooperatives, we would preserve jobs, keep the wealth local, and honor the legacy of those who built them and made Rhode Island unique. Cooperatives are practical, rooted in shared effort, and built to last. These businesses, which brought different colors, shapes, textures, and smells to Rhode Island, will be here and able to last. It is not only an economic strategy but also a moral responsibility for us to keep these businesses. We must ensure that local businesses survive, thrive, and remain in the hands of the people who care about these businesses. Today, we have one goal: To advocate for cooperatives and the solidarity economy.”

Jennifer Stewart is the State Representative for House District 59 in Pawtucket. She is the prime sponsor of the Rhode Island Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act in the House. Senator Frank Ciccone has the Senate bill.

“Small businesses account for approximately 99% of all businesses in the United States, and they provide jobs for 47% of private sector workers,” said Representative Stewart. “These small businesses anchor our local tax base, donate to local charities, and support our community events. They are vital for the health and stability of our communities. Yet, when an owner wants to exit their business for any reason, most Rhode Island small businesses have no succession plan. Moreover, in the coming weeks and months, many small business owners plan to retire - what analysts refer to as the ‘silver tsunami.’

“Some businesses will be sold to a larger company or an out-of-area buyer, and a few will be passed on to family members. According to Project Equity, not only do the vast majority of business owners not have a succession plan in place, but many are finding it increasingly difficult to find a buyer when they are ready to sell.

“None of those scenarios are good for the long-term stability of our communities, so the Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act is aimed at providing small businesses with continuity and providing employees the life-changing opportunity to co-own their workplaces,” said Representative Stewart. “The bill focuses on informational obstacles to worker ownership. The bill tries to provide guidelines and mechanisms for informing employees that the business they work for is available for sale. It’s also a way to get employees to imagine themselves as worker/co-owners. It tries to provide some guidelines to facilitate that process, and lay out some incentives for business owners to entertain fair market competitive offers by a motivated group of employees to buy the business.

“By facilitating sales of small businesses to existing employees, local economies can preserve these successful businesses while gaining the many demonstrated and well-researched benefits of worker ownership. These benefits include better productivity, higher pay, more job stability, and the survival of the business in question. Worker-owned and employee-owned businesses have more savings. I found an interesting statistic about this. While nearly half of Americans cannot manage a $400 emergency expense, according to the Federal Reserve in a 2015 report, most worker/coop employees believed they could find $2,000 in an emergency. That is a significant difference.

“Employees owning the businesses where they work have repeatedly shown that they improve business resilience and strengthen the communities in which they operate,” said Representative Stewart. “They provide a pathway to business ownership for entrepreneurs who may not have access to generational or inherited wealth. They bring increased job satisfaction, workplace democracy, and job security for the people who do the heavy lifting, everyday work that allows these businesses to thrive."

In short, the Rhode Island Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act seeks to:

• Incentivize business owners selling to employees;
• Maintain small business legacies;
• Preserve community character;
• Provide opportunity for cooperative employee ownership;
• Create sustainable & dignified jobs; and,
• Strengthen Rhode Island’s economic resilience

“We can build a better capitalism,” said Representative Stewart, “and this event is the start of that effort.”

Eric Beecher is one of 12 employee owners at Sol Power, a solar installation company based in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Sol Power has been in business since 2013, powering more than a thousand homes in Rhode Island with clean energy installed by employee/owners.

“We are in a four-season outdoor construction industry, which is a tough business to be in, but our approach to it is providing people with careers,” said Beecher. “It’s not a seasonal job. We are providing people with good green-collar jobs and career opportunities. A great example of that is our low turnover. Since 2013, we’ve had four people leave our business.

“We’ve seen other companies come and go. You heard a little about the sustainability of employee-owned businesses. We’ve outlasted pretty much every big national company in Rhode Island. We’re now considered the old company in Rhode Island. And the reason we are sustainable and still here is because of employee ownership. That’s why we’re outlasting the competition. If you look online at our reviews, you see that every customer gives us five stars and not just a quick review, but a heartfelt comment about our company. That’s because we take pride in reaching out to and connecting with customers while providing the best service possible.

“Sol Power is an amazing place to work. I love it. It has been amazing for me. I’ve been there since the start, and it’s incredibly important to me,” said Beecher. “That’s why we need to extend this opportunity to more people. We are a sustainable business, we’ve been here for the long haul, and we are providing our employees with a life-changing opportunity, incredible pay, incredible benefits, and the satisfaction of running your workplace. That’s why it’s so important that we extend this opportunity to as many people as possible: so they can also experience the joy of running their own business, and all the financial and equitable benefits that go with that.”

---

Pawtucket resident Shelby Mack is a member of the Lefty Loosey Bike Collective, a democratically run community bike shop based in the Valley Neighborhood of Providence and part of the Rhode Island Worker Cooperative Alliance. Mack is also an MBA student studying worker ownership as an economic development tool.

“I’m going to speak briefly about the evidence for worker ownership as an economic development strategy,” said Mack. “Over the past year, I have been researching how worker cooperatives can contribute to creating vibrant, inclusive economies where every resident can meet their basic needs, and those of their families and loved ones, but also learn, contribute meaningfully to their communities, and thrive. Research shows that supporting worker cooperatives is an effective economic development strategy, building community resilience and creating sustainable, dignified jobs.

“According to a 2017 study from the National Center for Employee Ownership, when workers have an ownership interest in organizations where they work, wages are 33% higher, median job tenure is 53% longer, and net worth increases 92%. That’s almost double.

“When worker cooperatives form a significant portion of a region’s economy, the results can be transformative. For example, in the Region of Emilia-Romagna, in Italy, two-thirds of residents are members of some form of cooperative. They have lower unemployment, a higher quality of life rating, and remarkably higher economic resilience than most of the country’s other regions. Importantly, policies, politics, funding, and mutual support have been organized over a century to make that happen.

“We in Rhode Island know we’re facing remarkable challenges. The cost of living is growing significantly, and wealth inequality is increasing. Nowhere in Rhode Island does minimum wage enable you to rent affordably. One-in-10 of our neighbors are living in poverty, and many more of us are struggling to make ends meet. Funding for critical life-saving programs is being threatened or has already been cut. Too often, our economic policy in this state is held hostage to large corporations’ decisions as to where to locate, whether to be here or move.

“Small businesses, which are the lifeblood of our economy, are also in jeopardy. According to data compiled by Project Equity, 56% of small business owners in Rhode Island are over 55, meaning we have that impending silver tsunami we’ve been hearing about today. Industry experts suggest that some small businesses, maybe 70 to 80%, do not successfully sell when the owner wants to exit. And it does not have to be this way. We can build our economy from the ground up, from the people up.

“Worker ownership through Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), employee trusts, and worker cooperatives expand the benefits of small business ownership for the many instead of the few,” continued Mack. “Worker ownership is not just about financial security and wealth building, although this is critical. From my experience running Lefty Loosey, with 13 other people for the past five years, I can tell you that making decisions together has helped me feel how precious democracy is and how important it is to fight for it when it’s under attack. I feel such a deep sense of pride in what we’ve built together, the hundreds of bicycles we’ve given away to people who need them, the hundreds of people who have found that they can learn mechanical and hands-on skills when given the opportunity through our classes, and the thousands of people whose bikes we’ve helped repair. We’ve done so much more together when we harnessed the creativity and initiative of so many people than we would have if just one or two people had run this business.

“That’s a pride I want everybody to have the opportunity to feel,” said Mack. “That’s why we worked to introduce the Rhode Island Opportunity for Employee Ownership Act. As you’ve heard, it allows workers to buy a business in the event of a sale, and provides an incentive to the seller. We invite Rhode Islanders to imagine a future where worker ownership is the norm, not the tiny exception; where most of us can experience the financial security, resilience, and sense of pride that comes with ownership and stewardship.”

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Tomato trade dispute between the US and Mexico is boiling over again – with 21% tariffs due in July

Trump launches new trade war over tomatoes

Andrew Muhammad, University of Tennessee and Luis Ribera, Texas A&M University

Although technically they’re a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most-consumed vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among the fresh produce the nation buys from foreign countries, tomatoes often rank first or second, behind avocados.

This trade is now jeopardized because the Trump administration has revived a three-decade-old effort to limit imports.

As economists who study global trade issues affecting agricultural commodities and processed food products, we have assessed the benefits of imported tomatoes and other products on consumers and businesses. Fresh tomato imports ensure year-round availability for consumers, contribute significantly to the U.S. economy by generating billions in sales and supporting thousands of jobs, and promote competitive pricing that benefits both consumers and businesses.

New import restrictions could put all that at risk because domestic production cannot satisfy national demand. For tomatoes, like steel and other products, efforts to reverse trade imbalances can decrease consumer satisfaction and potentially destroy more jobs and economic activity than they create.

How the Trump Administration Aims To Slash Health Care Spending

“It’s exceedingly foolish to cut funding in this way”

Elisabeth Rosenthal

Health care has proved a vulnerable target for the firehose of cuts and policy changes Donald Trump ordered in the name of reducing waste and improving efficiency. But most of the impact isn’t as tangible as, say, higher egg prices at the grocery store.

One thing experts from a wide range of fields, from basic science to public health, agree on: The damage will be varied and immense. “It’s exceedingly foolish to cut funding in this way,” said Harold Varmus, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and former director of both the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

The blaze of cuts have yielded nonsensical and perhaps unintended consequences. Consider instances in which grant funding gets canceled after two years of a three-year project. That means, for example, that $2 million has already been spent but there will be no return on that investment.

Some of the targeted areas are not administration priorities. That includes the abrupt termination of studies on long covid, which afflicts more than 100,000 Americans, and the interruption of work on mRNA vaccines, which hold promise not just in infectious disease but also in treating cancer.

Read his own words: Trump's brain is gone

The guy with the nuclear launch codes

Stephen Robinson

Donald Trump’s recent interviews with Time and The Atlantic revealed a president who is completely unhinged and incoherent. Sadly, that’s not news. 

But what stood out is that Trump is consistently confused and disconnected from reality even on issues that are supposedly in his wheelhouse.

Trump has always been an ignoramus who masks his intellectual shortcomings with bombast and declarations of his own brilliance, but his rambling nonsensical responses in these latest interviews should set off alarms — especially in light of all the media attention and scrutiny Joe Biden received after his disastrous debate performance or when Special Counsel Robert Hur described him as “a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”

Trump, who turns 79 in June, is the oldest person ever elected president. His repetitive speech patterns, frequent use of empty phrases, and overall rambling discourse are too often graded on a curve.

White House officials and pandering Republicans might boast about Trump’s boundless energy in a manner that would shame North Korean state media, but the Time and Atlantic interviews tell a very different story.

Corruption, old school and new school

Hey MAGA, wanna eat? Go work in the fields.

Plastics may disrupt the body’s clock, raise risk of chronic disease, study finds

You need regular sleep patterns for your health

Pamela Ferdinand

Chemicals found in common food packaging plastics like cling film and snack pouches may interfere with the body’s natural 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, increasing the risk of sleep disorders, diabetes, immune problems, and even cancer, new research shows.

Published this month in Environment International, the study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology is the first to show that everyday polyurethane (PUR) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics contain compounds that can disrupt the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) by quickly interfering with a specific cell signal (A₁R) linked to sleep and light.

Unlike previous research that focused on slow, hormone-related effects, this study reveals a faster, direct impact on key “clock genes” through a different kind of biological pathway. That means plastic chemicals may contribute to serious health problems like diabetes or cancers in more ways than scientists currently know, the researchers say.

Tea and chocolate may help lower blood pressure

Hail Britannia!

University of Surrey

We might have another reason to enjoy our daily cup of tea or small piece of dark chocolate, as a new study from the University of Surrey has found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols -- found in cocoa, tea, apples and grapes -- may improve blood pressure and the health of our blood vessels.

The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed data from 145 randomized controlled studies, and found that regular consumption of flavan-3-ols can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure.

In some cases, the average blood pressure-lowering effects were comparable to those seen with some medications.

Flavan-3-ols were also found to improve the function of the endothelium -- the inner lining of blood vessels -- which is crucial for overall cardiovascular health.

This improvement occurred independently of blood pressure changes, suggesting a broader positive impact on the circulatory system.

Asians made humanity's longest prehistoric migration and shaped the genetic landscape in the Americas

Somehow, they got past ICE. Trump blames Biden

Nanyang Technological University

An international genomics study led by scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and Asian School of the Environment (ASE) has shown that early Asians made humanity's longest prehistoric migration.

These prehistoric humans, roaming the earth over a hundred thousand years ago, would have traversed more than 20,000 kilometers on foot from North Asia to the southernmost tip of South America.

This journey would have taken multiple generations of humans, taking thousands of years. In the past, land masses were also different, with ice bridging certain portions that made the route possible.

The Trump Coalition Wants to End Democracy as We Know It

Breakdown of four groups who want a few billionaires and certain religious zealots to consolidate their political power.

Peter Montague for Common Dreams

The Trump coalition includes four groups of people:

1. The MAGA (“make America great again”) base, mostly rural white men and women;
2. A group of Silicon Valley billionaires known as the PayPal Mafia;
3. A separate political movement called “religious nationalists”; and
4. The Trump crime family itself.

All four groups share one basic aim: to degrade our one-person-one-vote election system so a few billionaires and certain religious zealots can consolidate their political power to eliminate free and fair elections to become even more controlling and richer than they already are.

Here are brief descriptions of the four groups.

1: The MAGA Base: Who Are They?

The hardcore, mostly rural MAGA base can be understood as an echo of the Confederacy. Philosophically, many of them are the same people who tried to destroy the United States to preserve slavery via the Civil War (1861-1865). In their view, the basic ideas that inspired the founding of the U.S. (1776-1788) are wrong: All humans are not created equal and should not have equal rights under law. In 2022, MAGA believers included about 15% of the U.S. adult population, or about 39 million out of 258 million adults.

DISCLOSURE: Peter is a valued old friend. We collaborated often when I was organizing director at the organization now known as the Center for Health and Environmental Justice especially on issues that involving fighting corporate crime.

King Donald loves a parade

Army announces ticket sales for Donald Bone Spurs birthday military parade on June 14

Will the troops be required to learn how to goose step?