Up to five cups of coffee per day OK for heart health. Energy shots, not so much
American Heart Association
The latest research indicates that consuming up to 400 mg of caffeine/day (equivalent to up to 5, 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day) is generally safe for most adults and appears to be linked to a lower risk of several cardiovascular conditions, including heart failure, heart disease and stroke in some individuals.
However, higher amounts of caffeine, such as levels found in energy drinks including energy shots, may increase the risk of high blood pressure and/or irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia.
More research is needed to better understand caffeine’s impact on the body, how different sources of caffeine impact heart health and how its impact may vary among different people, according to the scientific statement.
Previous studies have found that
caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant and psychoactive substance, and
coffee is the most common way people consume caffeine. The latest research
supports the conclusion that for most adults, consuming up to 400 mg of
caffeine/day (or up to 5, 8-ounce cups of caffeinated coffee per day) is safe
and appears to be linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease for some
individuals.
However, higher doses of caffeine, such as levels found in energy
drinks including energy shots, may cause cardiovascular harm, according to a
new American Heart Association scientific statement, “Caffeine and
Cardiovascular Disease,” published today in the American Heart Association’s
flagship peer-reviewed scientific journal Circulation.
The common rationale for drinking water at meals is that it physically stretches the stomach, triggering fullness so you don't eat too much. But a new Cornell study found no support for that idea in practice. The paper is published in the journal Appetite.
Instead, for every additional 100 grams of water participants drank, they ate about 39 more grams of food—roughly 49 more calories. People who frequently switched back and forth between bites of food and sips of water ate even more: Each additional switch was tied to about 4.4 more grams of food consumed.
Researchers suspect this "switching" effect works
by delaying something called sensory-specific satiety—the way a food's appeal
naturally fades the longer you eat it. Alternating with water may reintroduce
contrast that keeps the meal appealing longer, delaying the point at which
people stop eating.
"There's been this widespread advice that if we drink
water, it fills us up," said Paige Cunningham, assistant professor in the
Division of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Human Ecology. "But
water empties quickly from the stomach, so it likely doesn't fill us up for
long. Instead, water may increase how much we eat, providing lubrication that
can speed up eating and preventing dry mouth, which can prolong enjoyment of
the food."
The Trump
administration is coming under fire for its response to the outbreak
of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that causes explosive diarrhea and has
so far been documented in more than two dozen states.
Public
health officials still have not identified the source of the outbreak,
which typically spreads via contaminated produce.
In an interview with Axios published Saturday, David
Freedman, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, suggested that the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) has not been on top of tracking the outbreak the same way it
has been in the past.
“Right now it’s individual state health departments that are
having to speak up,” remarked Freedman, “because the CDC is really not
following it on a day-to-day basis.”Omer Awan, vice chair and associate program director for the
diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Maryland School of Medicine
in Baltimore, toldPBS in
an interview published Monday that infections will likely only grow if the
government doesn’t track down the source of the outbreak quickly.
“Because we haven’t pinned it down, that means that these
cases are likely to disseminate,” said Awan. “People are still eating the
contaminated food that’s leading to so many cases.”
Awan added that mass firings at the US Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), under the leadership of anti-vaccine conspiracy
theorist Robert
F. Kennedy Jr., were hindering CDC’s ability to track the disease.
Today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
researchers probe the 402 US foodborne disease outbreaks caused by marine toxins in
fish and shellfish over 23 years, revealing 1,280 illnesses, 96
hospitalizations, and one death.
Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education parsed
data from the CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System
(FDOSS) from 2011 to 2023.
Local, state, and territorial health
departments have voluntarily reported foodborne illness outbreaks to FDOSS
through the CDC’s National Outbreak Reporting System since 2009.
Storage of fish under uncontrolled temperatures can trigger
production of histamine, which can cause allergic responses in people, and
scombroid toxins made by bacteria with highly active enzyme histidine
carboxylase. Other marine toxins can be produced by algae and build up in fish
and shellfish through the food chain, occur naturally in fish species, or stem
from unknown sources.
The authors said that marine toxins cause most of the
noninfectious outbreaks reported to FDOSS each year.
“Marine toxins that cause
foodborne illness are tasteless, odorless, resistant to cooking or freezing,
and can produce a complex variety of gastrointestinal, neurologic, and
neuropsychologic symptoms,” they wrote. “Among persons with severe illness
resulting from ingestion of marine toxins, cardiovascular and respiratory
manifestations can result in hospitalization and death.”
Cooking (to 158 degrees Fahrenheit or higher) kills the Cyclospora parasite.
A food safety specialist at
the University of Rhode Island, Nicole Richard leads efforts to help businesses
and restaurants be food-safe for their customers. Now she’s sharing tips for
consumers wondering what to do this summer as a fearsome illness makes news:
How to avoid the dreaded cyclosporiasis?
Richard, a URI research associate and food safety researcher
with the University’s Cooperative
Extension, shares tips on food safety that can be applied year-round for
good health and stress-free dining.
She has more than 20 years of experience
developing resources and programming for businesses and consumers through
URI’s Food
Safety Research and Education Program and is a frequently requested
expert on food safety in home and business settings. Richard also chairs the
Rhode Island Food Safety Task Force.
What should people know about cyclosporiasis and
how much do we need to be concerned here in New England or if traveling to
other parts of the country?
Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness caused by the parasite
Cyclospora that primarily affects the intestines, causing diarrhea, nausea,
stomach cramps, and fatigue. It is typically associated with fresh fruits,
vegetables and herbs, likely contaminated by water, soil or food handlers.
Humans serve as a host for the parasite. They may not show signs of illness and
can shed the parasite while handling food.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not yet identified
a specific source of the outbreak.
Has an outbreak like this happened to this degree before?
Good agricultural practices on farms minimize risk of contamination; URI has trained nearly 300 farmers, agricultural professionals, and partner organizations in science-based practices that help reduce food safety risks. (URI Photo / Nora Lewis)
The United States has experienced outbreaks caused by
cyclosporiasis before, but not to the magnitude of this current outbreak.
What measures do you recommend for people to protect
their health and that of loved ones?
If immunocompromised or concerned about this parasite, the
best advice is to wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under
running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. This will reduce the risk of
infection. Cooking kills the parasite, so heating food to 158 degrees
Fahrenheit (or 70 degrees Celsius) or higher is effective.
Is Cyclospora found in water or in food? Is eating out in
restaurants safe?
Water is the transmission vehicle that carries the parasite
to fresh produce.
A Cyclospora outbreak does not mean restaurants are unsafe.
Outbreaks are usually linked to specific contaminated foods or suppliers;
restaurants use food safety practices to prevent contamination and remove
affected products. The risk is highest from the specific food items involved in
the outbreak, not from eating at restaurants in general.
URI’s Food Recovery Course lets participants get hands-on experiences with Rhode Island food systems; applications are open now. (URI Photo / Vanessa Venturini)
Applications are open for Food Recovery for
Rhode Island at the University of Rhode Island, a community education
program offered through URI Cooperative Extension. The six-week online course includes
field experiences that can be completed at participants’ convenience — and, for
many, the experience kickstarts greater involvement in Rhode Island’s food
system.
The program
celebrated five years of food action this spring. To date, 250 Rhode Islanders
have enhanced their food literacy through the Food Recovery for Rhode Island
program, all the while tackling a large problem. Thirty-four percent of Rhode
Island residents experienced food insecurity last year, and demand for food
assistance has also increased. With the rising cost of food, more people than
ever are interested in maximizing their groceries at home. Food also remains
the largest component of Rhode Island’s single landfill, with harmful
greenhouse gases released as it breaks down.
Vanessa
Venturini, the program’s co-founder at URI Cooperative Extension, says Food
Recovery for Rhode Island addresses residential food waste through grassroots
change.
From tomatoes and berries to lettuce and peppers, shoppers are feeling sticker shock in the produce aisle.
Recent headlines have focused in particular on soaring tomato prices. They spiked by roughly one-fifth from June 2025 to June 2026, according to consumer price data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But across the board, fruits and vegetables have gotten more expensive. Lettuce prices jumped by about 32% during that same 12-month period, while prices for all fresh vegetables increased about 10%. Fresh fruit saw smaller hikes, with apples up 7% and citrus fruit prices rising 6%.
As an agricultural economist, I see a complex mix of factors at work: extreme weather, worker shortages and rising labor costs, and high energy and shipping prices, as well as fallout from the Trump administration’s trade policies, just to name a few. And because some of these inflation drivers affect multiple sectors, costs are building up throughout the supply chain.
The breadth of these factors suggests that widespread relief may not come quickly. But inflation-weary shoppers can still take some steps to ease the sting of high prices.
What’s driving higher fruit and vegetable prices?
To start with, weather disruptions have cut supply and pushed prices up.
Unusual freezes in Florida in early 2026, for example, hit a variety of crops – including citrus, strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes and sweet corn – leading to yield losses and higher prices.
Imports also play a critical role in the U.S. food supply, especially during the winter and early spring months, when domestic production is limited. And if adverse weather conditions coincide with changes in trade policy, as is the case with the U.S.-Mexico relationship, produce supply and prices are especially affected.
To protect the domestic tomato industry, the U.S. Commerce Department withdrew in June 2025 from a deal with Mexico, known formally as the U.S.-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement, to end duty-free access for Mexican tomatoes. This move effectively imposed a 17% antidumping duty on most tomato imports.
Growing everything from strawberries to collard greens is labor intensive, and for many years, worker shortages have compelled farms to hike wages. Amid those pressures, producers are reporting that having to pay more for labor is adding to their own rising production costs.
Another factor is fertilizer prices, which have spiked due to disruptions caused by the Iran war. This geopolitical shock has affected the flow of goods, including fertilizer and oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, hiking prices and fueling volatility in global fertilizer markets.
Fertilizer prices paid to manufacturers jumped by more than 20% year over year in June 2026, while nitrogen fertilizer prices increased a whopping 46%, according to U.S. government data.
With all these factors driving up costs, farmers have little control over the prices they receive for their products. Market prices are largely determined by the forces of demand and supply, including domestic production and imports. And considering that producer costs account for only about one-third of the retail price for fresh produce, those increases aren’t always fully passed through to consumers.
Beyond production costs, higher fuel prices have made doing business throughout the supply chain more expensive. The Iran war has resulted in a significant spike in fuel prices – roughly 27% over the year – which trickles down through the economy.
This jump has a pronounced effect on refrigerated truck rates, which are critical for shipping fresh produce. Those were 20% higher in June 2026 compared with June 2025, according to data from the Department of Agriculture.
In effect, these increases raise both the cost of producing fresh produce and of getting it from the farm to the final consumer.
What can shoppers do?
Food inflation delivers a major hit on consumer budgets, particularly for low-income Americans, who are more sensitive to price increases. When the quality of diet in vulnerable households drops, rising food costs may be among the contributing reasons. A May 2026 survey of shoppers illustrates this financial squeeze, with 1 in 3 households reporting a drop in fresh produce purchases as a result.
But there are still workarounds if you’re seeking affordable yet healthy options. For example, certain types of produce and legumes have been less affected by inflation, including bananas, oranges, potatoes, dried beans, peas and lentils.
Shoppers should also look to canned and frozen fruit and vegetables to save money. They’re just as healthy but less affected by inflation because their longer shelf life means that factors such as weather and transportation play less of a role. Prices for processed produce increased year over year by just 3%, and 2.4% for frozen.
The substitution for cheaper alternatives is already evident in consumer choices, as 1 in 5 shoppers have reported shifting from fresh to frozen produce.
That said, sustained produce inflation makes healthy eating more difficult – which is why the search for affordable alternatives is increasingly important.
With so many factors contributing to higher inflation, some of the challenges affecting produce prices may be too long-lasting and hard to resolve overnight. As a result, relief at the checkout line may take longer than many consumers would like.
A parasite that causes severe, watery diarrhea is spreading
across the United States, and health officials in Michigan are racing to
explain an unusual surge in cases.
Michigan's outbreak has grown fast. It has recorded 572
cases of cyclosporiasis as of July 4, up from 170 on June 30, according to the
state's Department of Health and Human Services. The state typically sees about
50 cases in an entire year.
The recent infections span seven counties in southeast
Michigan, and a source has not been identified. Officials are urging anyone
with symptoms to seek care.
Nationwide, at least 145 people in 17 states became sick
with cyclosporiasis between May 1 and June 16, according to the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those figures do not include
Michigan's more recent spike or updated figures after June 16.
A diet high in soybean oil is found to encourage the growth of harmful bacteria such as adherent invasive E. coli in the gut. Credit: Sladek lab, UC Riverside
Soybean oil or “vegetable oil” is everywhere in the American
diet. It is used in salad dressings, sauces, fried foods, packaged snacks,
frozen meals, and many restaurant meals. Most people may consume it regularly
without realizing how much they are getting.
New research from the University of California,
Riverside suggests that high soybean oil intake may affect more than
body weight. In mouse studies, it has been linked to changes in gut bacteria, a
weaker intestinal barrier, greater susceptibility to ulcerative colitis, and
metabolic problems.
The findings do not prove that soybean oil causes these
diseases in people. But they do raise concerns about how often this
inexpensive, widely used oil appears in processed and restaurant foods.
The latest data our team has amassed shows that the U.S. is falling short compared with what it could achieve, given its US$32 trillion economy. This is not a one-year blip – the U.S. has been underperforming for the past 25 years.
Think you're eating healthy? You may be missing this
heart-protecting nutrient
University of Reading
A large international study found that fewer than one in
five people consume enough flavanols, compounds associated with a lower risk of
heart disease.
Adding foods like blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad
beans, and cherries to your daily diet, especially when paired with green tea,
could be a simple way to support heart health, according to new research.
A large international study led by scientists from the
University of Reading, Harvard Medical School, the University of California
Davis, and Mars, Inc., found that most people are not consuming enough
flavanols, natural compounds linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
The researchers discovered that fewer than 20% of people
reached the flavanol intake level associated with heart health benefits. Even
many individuals who regularly ate the recommended five daily servings of
fruits and vegetables failed to meet that target.
It’s summer grilling season, but for many Americans, surging prices mean beef is no longer what’s for dinner.
The cost of beef, having spiked since early 2025, is coming under even more pressure. The most recent is the screwworm outbreak that hit cattle in Mexico and has now spread to the United States, where the cattle herd has already fallen to levels not seen since the 1950s, due in part to drought.
Meanwhile, potential trade disruptions loom. Just before U.S. and Mexican trade negotiators began meeting on June 16-17, 2026, to discuss the long-standing deal binding North America, Donald Trump warned that Washington may not renew the agreement, which was negotiated during his first term, and instead potentially withdraw from it altogether.
And because beef is both a top agricultural import and export for the U.S., the industry is especially vulnerable to any disruptions to the existing trade deal. As one example, the cost of ground beef is up by more than 20% just since January 2025.
Current trade uncertainty, reflecting Trump’s more fragmented, bilateral approach to negotiations, couldn’t come at a worse moment for inflation-weary consumers. The growing turmoil in the North American beef market risks further tightening supplies and raising prices.
When Elon Musk’s “Department
of Government Efficiency” took its chainsaw to the federal bureaucracy last
year, it created bottlenecks that may have hampered the fight against the
screwworm infestation currently menacing the southwest while making it much
more expensive.
The annual US Department of Agriculture (USDA) spending to combat the
flesh-eating insects only amounted to about $15 million per year. But along with
about $382 million aimed at combating animal-borne illnesses around the globe,
it was terminated in March 2025 as part of DOGE’s effort to root out what it
described as government “waste.”
But now, with the pests bearing down on Texas and New Mexico,
and at least 12 infections already identified in the US as of Tuesday,
the Trump
administration is spending at least $1 billion to fight the outbreak.
Last week, during a Senate hearing, Secretary of Agriculture
Brooke Rollins attempted to
shift blame for the screwworm outbreak onto the Biden
administration, while portraying herself and President Donald Trump as
proactive in response to reports last spring that the insects were rapidly
climbing through Central
America.
Rollins said she asked Trump for “$1 billion to build a significant
facility” in Texas that would breed hundreds of millions of sterilized male
screwworm flies, a method that had been used to keep them contained in South
America for decades. “Without hesitation, a couple questions, he said, ‘go.’”
That facility is expected to release around 300 million
sterile flies per week. But it is not expected to be fully operational until
the end of 2027.
In addition to the $15 million cut to monitoring the spread
of the bugs from Panama, the Houston Chronicle reported that DOGE paused plans for a
facility in Mexico that the Biden administration had authorized in 2024 as part
of a $165 million emergency package to fight screwworm.
As effective as
fasting can be for weight loss, it's often thought that depriving the
body of sustenance might have a negative impact on brainpower.
But is an impact on cognitive performance really an
inevitable part of the fasting experience?
According to a huge, recently published review, it's not
always the case.
Based on an analysis of 63 scientific articles representing
71 independent studies, and covering a total of 3,484 participants, the review
found that there was no meaningful difference in cognitive performance between
people who were fasting and people who were having
regular meals.
It's a comprehensive counter to the idea that moderate,
short-term restrictions on eating will deplete mental reserves in healthy
people, an idea found everywhere from snack adverts ("you're
not you when you're hungry") to the mantra that breakfast is the most
important meal of the day.
The researchers behind the analysis – psychologist Christoph
Bamberg from Paris Lodron University in Austria, and cognitive neuroscientist
David Moreau from the University of Auckland in New Zealand – don't want people
who could benefit from fasting to be put off by worrying that it'll lead to
foggy thinking.
"For most healthy adults, the findings offer
reassurance," Moreau
explained in a commentary for The Conversation.
"You can explore intermittent fasting or other fasting
protocols without worrying that your mental sharpness will vanish."
As the 2026 legislative session wraps up, lawmakers approved
a $15.2 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The budget
blueprint (H 7127 Aaa) aims to provide economic relief,
improve education and health care, and advance government reforms without
raising broad-based taxes or fees.
According to House Communications Director Larry Berman, the
House floor debate began at 3:35 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and lasted 3 hours and
45 minutes. House lawmakers offered 16 amendments, and 10 were approved
(none of these targeted aging programs and services). At 7:20 p.m., the budget
passed on a vote of 65 to 10, with 64 Democrats and one independent voting in
favor, while all 10 Republicans opposed it.
Greg Paré, Senate Communications Director notes: “On
Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the upper chamber debated the House proposal for two
hours and 17 minutes, beginning at 4:20 p.m. and concluding at 6:37 p.m.
Senators considered 12 amendments, but none were approved. The Fiscal Year 2027
budget passed 32-6 without changes. Senators Samuel W. Bell (D-Dist. 5,
Providence) and Leonidas “Lou” Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, East Greenwich and West
Greenwich) joined the four Republican Senators in opposing passage of the
budget proposal.”
Three days later, Gov. Dan McKee signed the
393-page Rhode Island General Assembly Fiscal year 2027 budget proposal at
10:30 a.m. at Children’s Friend in Providence.
While much of the attention surrounding the Fiscal Year 2027
budget focused on programs and services, lawmakers also approved several
significant policy changes and revenue measures. Chief among them is a new tax
on annual income exceeding $1 million. The phased-in surtax is expected to
generate approximately $142 million annually when fully implemented, providing
additional revenue to help support state services and offset potential
reductions in federal funding.
The state’s budget also creates an independent Office of
Inspector General to strengthen government accountability and oversight. In
addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved increased funding for
hospitals, behavioral health and home-care providers, child welfare programs,
public transit, and higher education, while authorizing an audit of the Rhode
Island Department of Transportation.
We’ve finished another legislative session! After many
nights of long committee hearings, bill sponsors and committee chairs
work on their bill edits, and June is when bills can be approved for
votes in committee and then gain final passage in the House & Senate.
New Leadership: In the past month the RI
House of Representatives also elevated Majority Leader Blazejewski to the
position of House Speaker and Majority Whip Katie Kazarian to the
position of House Whip. Congratulations to them and the outgoing Speaker
Joseph Shekarchi for their years of service.
Bills I Passed
Shoreline Access Disclosure for Oceanfront Property
Rentals:
The House & Senate passed my bill S-2734A to help
make sure renters and short-term rental guests understand Rhode Island’s
shoreline access rights.
Part of the motivation for this bill came from seeing
some short-term rental listings advertise a “private beach,” even though
Rhode Island law protects public shoreline access up to 10 feet above the
recognizable high tide line. This bill helps make sure visitors and
tenants get clear information about those rights before they stay at an
oceanfront property.
Food is Medicine: The General Assembly has
passed my Food as Medicine bill, which creates a task force to design a
Medicaid pilot program that uses medically tailored meals or other
nutritional supports to improve the health of patients with
chronic, diet-related conditions.
Food insecurity is strongly linked to many of the most
costly preventable chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, and obesity, which drive enormous health care spending.
Medicaid accounts for about one-third of our state
budget and is growing at an estimated 6% per year. Our budget will have a
growing deficit unless we look at evidence-based programs like food as
medicine.
60 Days Advance Notice of Home Insurance
Non-Renewals: Insurance companies are being a lot more selective
about the location and the condition of the houses they insure, declining
to cover homes in coastal areas or with older roofs or water heaters. The
bill that Rep. Azzinaro and I passed requiring 60 days’ advance notice
will help homeowners find alternative insurance coverage and find
tradespeople if they need to fix something at their house in order to
continue insurance coverage.
Spotlight: Youth Mental Health
988 on Student & Staff Ids: Last week
the General Assembly passed a bill Rep Earl Read & I sponsored to put
suicide prevention and substance use crisis hotline numbers directly on
student and school staff ID cards. At a time when young people are
facing growing mental health challenges, we need to promote awareness of
resources like 988.
The General Assembly also passed a youth crisis response service billthat codifies
a successful pilot program into law. The programhelps
kids in crisis by getting them fast, specialized care with behavioral
health clinicians (avoiding unnecessary emergency room visits) and
connecting families to ongoing support.
Thank you to constituents who wrote to me about the
importance of funding 988: This year, the Senate also advanced a
separate bill by Senator Melissa Murray to protect the long-term funding
of Rhode Island's 988 crisis line and BH Link services. More than 90% of
988 calls are resolved through phone support alone, connecting people with
trained counselors before a crisis escalates. The bill stalled in the
House, but we hope to pass it next year. More info here
Looking ahead: Vote for the Green Bond this Nov
& Op-Ed on Managed Retreat
We got an extra $5 million for climate resiliency
in the Green Bond which will be on the ballot in November! Annually,
each town can apply for grants from this pool of funding to strengthen
their infrastructure. One example: Westerly received funding for a flood
wall around a pump station for the wastewater treatment plant.
Managed Retreat: These photos I took in
South Kingstown show how shoreline armoring—like rock walls and elevated
structures—disrupt the dynamic beach ecosystem and make it harder for
people to walk along the beach. As sea levels rise and more coastal
property owners build hard structures to protect against erosion, the
public part of the beach gets narrower, and in these pictures, it has
become impossible to pass along the shoreline.
That's why we need to plan ahead before the next major
storm. Instead of repeatedly rebuilding in areas that face
increasing flood and erosion risks, towns can identify safer places for
homes and infrastructure over the long term. Read more about our
work to help Rhode Island communities prepare for rising seas and protect
public access to our shoreline:
62-65
year old early retirees will now get the same exemptions
from Social Security tax as people 65 and older. Seniors
still must have incomes under $107,000 for single filers and
$133,750 for married filers in tax year 2025, to qualify.
Rural
Health Transformation Grant - RI received over $150 million
in the first year of this federal program and will use it to
implement innovative programs like Community Paramedicine - see this website for more information. Stay
tuned for more healthcare highlights and impacts of HR1 on our
healthcare system
Education
Funding Formula: only minor changes this year by increasing
the “student success factor” - which is an additional amount of
funding for each low-income student - from 40% to 43%. We will need
to monitor the new Senate commission to study the funding formula,
specifically the one suggested by the Blue Ribbon Commission
Status
of CRMC reform bill: The bill that passed last year
required the Governor to appoint members with expertise in coastal
matters. There are some new members that the Senate confirmed this
year with expertise with civil engineering, coastal wetlands, law,
etc. but it remains to be seen whether the political dynamic will
change and I still support the overall reform that would restructure
CRMC so it’s similar to DEM, with a staff and director making the
decisions instead of a politically appointed all-volunteer council.
Status
of Bottle Deposit & Recycling bills: The bill that
passed last year began the first stage which is a needs-assessment
to look at our recycling system as a whole. That is still in
progress
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