Trump’s increasingly bizarre behavior can no longer be attributed to a calculated “strategy.”

Again: Why isn’t the media reporting on Trump’s worsening dementia?

Robert Reich

Over the weekend, on his Truth Social, Trump shared a video purporting to be a segment on Fox News — it wasn’t — in which an AI-generated, deepfaked version of himself sat in the White House and promised that “every American will soon receive their own MedBed card” that will grant them access to new “MedBed hospitals.”

What?

Believers in the “MedBed” conspiracy theory think certain hospital beds are loaded with futuristic technology that can reverse any disease, regenerate limbs, and de-age people. No one has an actual photo of these beds because they don’t exist.

Trump also posted (again, without any basis in fact) that the FBI “secretly placed … 274 FBI Agents into the Crowd just prior to, and during” the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, during which they were “probably acting as Agitators and Insurrectionists.”

Trump added that this “is different from what Director Christopher Wray stated, over and over again!” and went on: “Christopher Wray, the then Director of the FBI, has some major explaining to do. That’s two in a row, Comey and Wray, who got caught LYING.”

In fact, the Department of Justice’s inspector general reported that there were no undercover FBI agents at the January 6 riots. (FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the few FBI agents present on January 6 were there on “a crowd control mission after the riot was declared.”)

Trump also announced Saturday that he intends to send the U.S. military to Portland, Oregon, authorizing “Full Force, if necessary” to “protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”

Hello? Although protesters have been camping on the sidewalks outside the ICE office for months, the demonstration has dwindled to almost nothing. Of the 29 related arrests, 22 happened on or before July 4, when the protests were at their peak. 

What’s been the media’s response to Trump’s bonkers postings and announcements this weekend? Nada. The media either ignored them, mentioned them as part of Trump’s “strategy,” or assumed Trump was just being Trump.

But there’s another explanation.

Trump is showing growing signs of dementia. He’s increasingly unhinged. He’s 79 years old with a family history of dementia. He could well be going nuts.

You might think this would be covered in the news, but he isn’t facing anything like the scrutiny for dementia that Joe Biden did.

Perhaps the most telling evidence of Trump’s growing dementia is his paranoid thirst for revenge, on which he is centering much of his presidency.

The paranoia was becoming evident in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. On November 11, 2023, he pledged to a crowd of supporters in Claremont, New Hampshire, that:

“We will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible — they’ll do anything, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America and to destroy the American dream.”

Most media commentators chalked this up to overheated campaign rhetoric.

But since occupying the Oval Office, Trump has demanded that his attorney general target political opponents, urged the head of his FCC to threaten a major network for allowing a late-night comedian to say things Trump disliked, suggested that the government revoke TV licenses of network broadcasters that allow criticism of him, and pulled government security clearances from former officials whom he deems his enemies.

Less than two weeks ago, he demanded that the Justice Department prosecute a handful of named political opponents “now!” — including James Comey, whom Trump fired from his post in 2017 after Comey oversaw the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election; Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, who indicted Trump; and Adam Schiff, U.S. senator from California, who played an active role in the House hearings on January 6, 2021.

On September 19, Erik Siebert, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (initially selected for the position by Trump) resigned after Trump told reporters “I want him out.” Siebert had concerns about the strength of the evidence against both Comey and James.

The following day, Trump posted a message to his attorney general, Pam Bondi. “Pam,” it began, “Nothing is being done. What about Comey, Adam “Shifty” Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done.’”

He said he was promoting Lindsey Halligan, one of his former personal attorneys, to take Siebert’s place, and fumed: “We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

This advertiser seems to be the only one
Trump's "Truth Social" has. Their ad runs before
and after almost every Trump post. I could be
mistaken but it looks a lot like
the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

On September 22, three days after Halligan assumed office, she secured a simple, two-count indictment against Comey for allegedly lying to Congress and for allegedly obstructing justice.

“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey,” Trump exalted on social media following the indictment. “He has been so bad for our Country, for so long, and is now at the beginning of being held responsible for his crimes against our Nation.”

The Comey indictment was a blip in the weekly news cycle. The media appeared to shrug: Yes, of course Trump is vindictive, so what else is new?

But wait. Are his acts those of a sane person? Or of an aging paranoid megalomaniac?

Even if it’s unclear to which category Trump belongs, shouldn’t this question be central to the coverage of his presidency? At the very least, shouldn’t the media be actively investigating?

***

PS: Gentle reminders: You can find my new book, Coming Up Short, at your local bookstore or order through bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores. You can get the audiobook here. 

Saturday vigil for child victims of gun violence

How low can McKee go?

Very high "unfavorable" numbers

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Helena Foulkes has a big lead but still has a name recognition
problem McKee perhaps has TOO MUCH name recognition

Gov. Dan McKee can’t score a win with Rhode Islanders, with seven in 10 people disapproving of his job performance and almost as many saying he does not deserve to be reelected, according to results of a University of New Hampshire (UNH) survey published Monday.

The Ocean State Poll out of the UNH Survey Center surveyed 737 residents, including 666 likely general election voters. It comes two weeks after a separate University of Rhode Island survey showed equally unfavorable ratings for the incumbent Democratic governor. The UNH survey also suggests more Democratic voters prefer McKee’s Democratic rival, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, over him in a hypothetical 2026 gubernatorial primary, though most voters remain undecided.

The margin of error in the survey overall was 3.6%, though questions specific to Democratic primary voters have a 5.9% margin of error.

Turn out for candidate papers signing for Jill Fonnemann

Fonneman (D) is running for Charlestown Town Council in the December 2 Special Election

Jill announced on Instagram:

"Well I have already let the cat out of the bag to pretty much everyone I’ve seen for the past three or four weeks, but I would like to formally announce that I will be running for the Charlestown Town Council in the special election on December 2nd. As of yesterday, I turned in my papers declaring my candidacy and have already been contacted by the news, so at this point it is official. I hope that my past precedes me with being involved in our special town of Charlestown Rhode Island, along with serving on the Parks and Recreation Commission for the past 2.5 years. My thoughts are if I am able to be more involved and add to the community even more, that is what I am striving to do. I appreciate your consideration in voting for me and if you decide against it, I thank you for any thought that you will put into it. @followers"

Truly yours,
Jill M Fonnemann

She will almost certainly receive the formal endorsement of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee next week.

If you are a registered Charlestown voter, regardless of affiliation, please drop by the Rathskeller tonight or Friday and Saturday at noon to sign her official papers. 

Childhood plastic exposure could be fueling obesity, infertility, and asthma

Try not to feed plastic to your kids 

NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine

A sweeping review from NYU Langone Health reveals that everyday exposure to plastics—especially during childhood—poses lasting risks for heart disease, infertility, asthma, and even brain development issues. These chemicals, found in packaging, cosmetics, and common household items, can disrupt hormones, ignite chronic inflammation, and lower IQ.

Childhood exposure to chemicals used to make plastic household items presents growing health risks that can extend long into adulthood, experts from NYU Langone Health report.

This is the main conclusion after a review of hundreds of the latest studies on the topic, publishing online Sept. 21 in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The article is being released to coincide with a gathering of experts the same week in New York City to discuss the global impact of plastics on human health.

In their report, the authors outline decades of evidence that substances often added to industrial and household goods may contribute to disease and disability, particularly when they are encountered early in life. The review focuses on three classes of chemical -- phthalates used to make plastic flexible, bisphenols, which provide rigidity, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which help materials resist heat and repel water.

The results of the studies, which together assessed thousands of pregnant mothers, fetuses, and children, tied these toxins to a wide range of long-term health concerns, including heart disease, obesity, infertility, and asthma.

UPDATED: Westerly pol Bob Ritacco’s rape case is going to trial AND THE JURY ACQUITS

Ethically-challenged party boss faces biggest challenge to date

By Will Collette

UPDATED: Well, that was quick! Teflon Bob once again skates as yesterday's jury verdict acquitted him on both counts. 

For many years, Bob Ritacco was the old-school political boss of Westerly Democrats, largely deciding who got elected and who was told to “wait your turn.”

Despite numerous charges of corruption, Teflon Bob always seemed to escape accountability while continuing to hold on to power.

Charlestown residents may recall the key role Ritacco played as head of the Westerly Zoning Board in keeping the infamous, mob-tainted Copar Quarry operating on the Charlestown-Westerly town line.

That ended on April 25, 2022 when Ritacco was indicted by a Rhode Island grand jury and arraigned on two counts of first-degree sexual assault (rape). He was charges with two separate sexual assaults on May 29, 2021 against a woman while she was incapacitated.

Ryan Blessing of the Westerly Sun cited the court filing that described Ritacco’s alleged crime this way:

“According to the indictment, Ritacco allegedly penetrated the victim once with his mouth and once with his penis while the victim, a woman, was physically helpless.”

After the indictment, Ritacco said he would take a “leave of absence” as chair of the Westerly Democratic Town Committee. However, the WDTC expelled him and elected new leadership.

Ryan Blessing’s article details the long and convoluted legal road travelled between the 2022 indictment and the anticipated trial. CLICK HERE to read.

If convicted, Ritacco faces a prison sentence of 10 years to life for each offense. In the meantime, let’s remember that under law, a person is innocent until proven guilty.

UPDATE: Asst. Charlestown Solicitor Bob Craven ends campaign for Attorney General after only four days.

Former Assistant Atty Gen. Keith Hoffman becomes second official candidate to replace term-limited Peter Neronha

By Will Collette

UPDATE: After his disastrous campaign launch, described below, Bob Craven announced today (Thursday) that he was ending his campaign for Attorney General. In a statement described by WPRI "The 69-year-old said he was making the decision “because my family — and my sobriety — must come first,” and out of a “genuine desire to protect my family from further pain.”

WPRI described additional legal problems in Craven's past. Craven's statement referred to the 2001 domestic violence charge brought against him:

“I spent yesterday with my family, discussing the events of that night more than 20 years ago,” he said. “Understandably, it is something we rarely talk about — it was the darkest moment of my life, and my family’s. As we spoke, I learned more details about my conduct that night — details that had been lost in the fog of too much alcohol. I do not say that by way of excuse, but by way of explanation.”

Incumbent RI Attorney General Peter Neronha is term-limited from running for another term in 2026. A likely three-way race for the Democratic nomination to become his successor is underway.

Neronha has anointed his former Assistant AG Keith Hoffman as the best person to continue Neronha's on-going battle with the Trump regime over assaults on civil rights and Draconian budget cuts. 

Hoffman had a smooth launch that featured Neronha's support. This is in sharp contrast to Bob Craven's day one gaffe where he claimed to have received the endorsement of the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2024. The Coalition asserts he did not get their endorsement. 

RICADV is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and as their director Brianna Henries said:

“We do not make political endorsements. Nor do we engage in any electioneering or political campaign matters involving any candidates for public office.” 

Craven acknowledged his error, as reported by WPRI:

“The inclusion of an endorsement by the Coalition Against Domestic Violence was an honest mistake due in part to similarities with the name of another advocacy group,” he said, an apparent reference to the R.I. Coalition Against Gun Violence.

WPRI Target 12 reporters tied this gaffe to Craven's previous legal problems:

"Family Court records reviewed by Target 12 confirm Craven was arrested by North Kingstown police on Aug. 31, 2001. The records show Craven was “removed” from the home and a judge later granted a restraining order sought by his estranged wife. (They later reconciled.)

"While Craven’s campaign told The Boston Globe that the case was later dismissed, court records for the matter are no longer available, likely because the records were expunged.

"The Globe reported that Craven was involved in a second incident where he was charged with simple assault, but Craven said it did not involve his wife. That case, too, is no longer available in court records."

In my opinion, this is obviously a bad way to start a campaign, and it could nip Craven's ambitions in the bud. However, it's a year until the 2026 election and almost a year away from the Democratic primary. Given voters' short attention spans, maybe it's better to screw up early than closer to election day. That assumes that there will be no further mention of Craven's gaffe or his past legal problems.

Oct. 5: Grassroots Organizing for Social Justice. Panel presentation

Great woman, life well lived

Rhode Island Democrats: get campaign training for 2026

October 4: Come celebrate Cranberry Thanksgiving

McKee faces backlash for keeping Washington Bridge forensic audit secret for over a year

McKee fails Watergate test - that the cover-up is worse than the crime

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Corrosion and section loss are visible in this inspection photo of exterior tie-down rod for cantilever beam F at Pier 6 on the Washington Bridge, taken July 21, 2023. (Photo from Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. report)

Legislative leaders on Monday called for yet another oversight hearing on the handling of the 2023 closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, three days after the release of a long-awaited forensic audit of what led to its failure was made public.

The audit report commissioned by Gov. Dan McKee had been kept under wraps by the state for more than a year after he first promised to make it public during a March 2024 press conference when he announced the bridge would need to be rebuilt.

Then on Friday evening, the 64-page report by Illinois-based engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. (WJE) was posted online by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office, which is actively suing 13 of the vendors contracted to conduct maintenance. Contents of the analysis were first reported by WPRI-12. 

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson said late Monday afternoon they were “deeply troubled by the findings” of the audit, which identified decades worth of failures by the state and its contractors responsible for maintaining the westbound span of Interstate 195.

Charlestown's long-time animal rescue chief Kathleen McA'Nulty dies at age 63

She served Charlestown with distinction for 36 years 

CHARLESTOWN - Charlestown, RI's beloved Animal Control Officer, Kathy McA'Nulty died peacefully at home surrounded by friends and family on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 62 years old.

Kathy grew up in Maynard, MA, one of four children of Daniel and Donna McA'Nulty. With the help of her sister, Susan, Kathy mounted a concerted campaign to adopt her first dog, Bingo, who launched her life-long passion for animals. During her high school years, she volunteered at Buddy Dog Humane Society. After graduating from Becker College in Worcester, MA, with a degree in Animal Care, she went to work at a local RI kennel and began to develop her expertise for handling animals of all kinds. It wasn't long before she found the community and position that would become her happy place for the next 36 years as the Animal Control Officer for Charlestown, RI.

Kathy's unwavering compassion and tireless care for animals made an immeasurable impact on all the animals and people she worked with. Alongside dogs and cats, she embraced horses, rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, guinea pigs, ferrets, birds, and even pet rats. In more than three decades, she improved the lives of thousands of animals and always sought to bring people and animals together in the most healing and meaningful ways.

Beyond her work for the Town, every aspect of her life involved animals. From dog sledding to horseback riding, to her own constantly evolving family farm, Kathy's heart and soul were dedicated to animals. Her other great love was music, and she followed her favorite band, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, in concerts throughout New England. Kathy loved her life, and she will be forever celebrated and missed by her many friends and all the caring people she touched.

She is survived by her sister, Susan Racine, her nephews Jeffrey and Matthew Racine, and her two nieces Sabrina and Regina McA'Nulty. A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Friends of the Charlestown Animal Shelter, 50 Sand Hill Road, Charlestown, RI 02813.

For online condolences, please visit www.buckler-johnston.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

As Huberto and Imelda pass by, be careful

MAGA Supreme Court threaten American lives and freedom

The Court’s right-wing MAGA majority is shredding the Constitution and denying our rights.

By Paul Gordon 

The Supreme Court begins its new term today. This happens every year. But this year is different. We live in a very different country than the one that existed a year ago.

During Donald Trump’s second term, his administration and allies have been using the force of government to intimidate the American people into surrendering our constitutional rights. So in a system based on checks and balances, that means the Supreme Court has never been more important.

With Congress under the control of ultra extreme forces, it’s been up to the courts to stop Trump from becoming a tyrant. Across the country, district and some circuit judges nominated by both Democratic and Republican presidents have shown themselves up to the task.

However, their patriotic work is all too frequently undone by Trump’s collaborators at the Supreme Court. As we prepare for a new Supreme Court term, we should be aware of how the far-right justices have already chosen to help Trump take our democracy apart, piece by piece.

Most notoriously, before the 2024 election, they infamously ruled that he cannot be prosecuted for illegal actions he takes as president. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

In the Trump v. CASA case last June, they severely cut back on the ability of courts to effectively block enforcement of even the most blatantly unconstitutional policies. In that case, the Court’s MAGA majority allowed Trump and his administration to carry out policies that are likely unlawful during the months or years it takes for the merits of the case to be decided.

The CASA case was about stripping Americans of their citizenship based on their parents’ immigration status, so-called birthright citizenship. But the dangerous principle applies to the violation of any constitutional right.