Charlestown Tapas

A veritable buffet for the mind

By Will Collette

Another one of the Tribe’s economic development efforts blocked

The Navy said NO to a request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that 225 acres from the long-closed Newport Navy base be transferred to the BIA for the use of the Narragansett Indian Tribe. The tribe sought the land for economic development purposes, though it explicitly stated a casino would NOT be part of their plans. 

BIA would not agree to accept full responsibility for liabilities that might be attached to the Navy land, such as environmental problems. Old military land is notorious for the presence of hazardous waste – that was an issue when the Charlestown Naval air field was turned over to Charlestown and the US Wild & Wildlife Service.

Charlestown town government puts considerable effort into blocking tribal aspirations, even when they are outside of Charlestown, but in this case, there is no evidence that Charlestown or its hired gun attorney Joe Larisa played any role in blocking the tribe’s bid for the Newport Navy land. We’ll know for sure when Larisa’s next set of bills to Charlestown come in.

Frank Maher replaced as Hodgson campaign manager

Everything is Obama's Fault

Well, not quite everything
By Liza Donnelly

Click here to see what's not Obama's fault.

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Rings Around the Ring Nebula 

From NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

It is a familiar sight to sky enthusiasts with even a small telescope. There is much more to the Ring Nebula (M57), however, than can be seen through a small telescope.

The easily visible central ring is about one light-year across, but this remarkably deep exposure - a collaborative effort combining data from three different large telescopes - explores the looping filaments of glowing gas extending much farther from the nebula's central star.

This remarkable composite image includes narrowband hydrogen image, visible light emission, and infrared light emission.

Of course, in this well-studied example of a planetary nebula, the glowing material does not come from planets. Instead, the gaseous shroud represents outer layers expelled from a dying, sun-like star.

The Ring Nebula is about 2,000 light-years away toward the musical constellation Lyra.

Solar Power Gets Hot, Hot, Hot

It's hard to rig the rules against increasingly competitive green energy options.

By Emily Schwartz Greco and William A. Collins

With so many homeowners and businesses making greener energy choices, private utilities — along with big oil, gas, coal, and nuclear companies — see the writing on the wall.

Unlike some other denizens of the fossil-fueled set, this gang isn’t beating oil wells into solar panels, retiring nuclear reactors, or embracing wind and geothermal power. Instead, these guys are trying to coax lawmakers into rigging the rules against increasingly competitive new energy alternatives.

You see, the bulwarks of conventional energy are good at math. And the math is increasingly not in their favor.

Solar panels are growing so affordable, accessible, and popular that sun-powered energy accounted for 74 percent of the nation’s new electric generation capacity in the first three months of this year. 

Do gut bacteria rule our minds?

In an ecosystem within us, microbes evolved to sway food choices

Science Daily

It sounds like science fiction, but it seems that bacteria within us -- which outnumber our own cells about 100-fold -- may very well be affecting both our cravings and moods to get us to eat what they want, and often are driving us toward obesity.

In an article published in the journal BioEssays, researchers from UC San Francisco, Arizona State University and University of New Mexico concluded from a review of the recent scientific literature that microbes influence human eating behavior and dietary choices to favor consumption of the particular nutrients they grow best on, rather than simply passively living off whatever nutrients we choose to send their way.

Bacterial species vary in the nutrients they need. Some prefer fat, and others sugar, for instance. But they not only vie with each other for food and to retain a niche within their ecosystem -- our digestive tracts -- they also often have different aims than we do when it comes to our own actions, according to senior author Athena Aktipis, PhD, co-founder of the Center for Evolution and Cancer with the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCSF.

Pell refutes Taveras’ challenges to his resume

Cites national leaders who support his experience, qualifications to be Governor

PROVIDENCE, RI -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Clay Pell today released the following statement regarding questions of his experience:

"It’s unfortunate that Mayor Taveras has chosen to make this race for Governor about my resume, instead of his ideas for our state.

"I’m proud of my experience, and I’m grateful that leaders who I respect and admire, such as the former National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, the former Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, and the former Under Secretary of Education of the United States, have chosen to speak out on my behalf.

"The Mayor’s ads are a return to old politics that he once disavowed as a candidate for office. His attacks against me are an attempt to distort my record, not inform the public about my real experience.

"The leaders I worked with know first hand about my experience in the Coast Guard, at the White House, and at the Department of Education. Their statements speak for themselves about my qualifications to lead our state.

Larisa on the warpath

Joe Larisa collects $8,200 from Charlestown

By Will Collette

Read on to see what you got for this money

Yeah, well, blame me. In the lead item in the July13 Charlestown Tapas, I raised the question of what ever happened to Charlestown’s Special Counsel for Watching the Narragansetts in Case They Do Something Joe Larisa? 

Based on documents sent by Town Hall in response to my revolving open records request, Larisa had not submitted his bill for his $2,050 monthly retainer in several months.

Plus there was an article in the Providence Journal that reported Larisa had moved his family out of state to South Dartmouth, MA.

Did the town finally decide to end the perpetual war against the Tribe and let Larisa go? Did he leave without submitting a final bill? Have we finally come to our senses in Charlestown?

Nah, no such luck.

All my inquiry managed to do was to get Larisa to catch up on his invoices for four months, rather than his usually two-month-at-a-time drill.

The bills (click here to read) cover his “work” on behalf of Charlestown for the months of March through June.

During that time, Larisa “worked” for a grand total of ten billable hours. If you’ve ever employed a lawyer, you know that “billable” hours are not usually the same as actual hours.

Anyway, we got a grand total of ten billable hours out of Larisa, for which we paid him $8,200. The simple math puts his effective hourly rate at $820. To be fair, we would have paid him the same amount if he did nothing since his contract with Charlestown guarantees him $2,050 a month.

How you are supposed to think about the events in Ferguson, Missouri

Approved responses

By Tom Tomorrow

Click here to see the entire list.

PRIVACY: another spyware alert

Leaked Docs Show Spyware Used to Snoop on U.S. Computers

by Jeff Larson and Mike Tigas, ProPublica

Software created by the controversial U.K. based Gamma Group International was used to spy on computers that appear to be located in the United States, the U.K., Germany, Russia, Iran and Bahrain, according to a leaked trove of documents analyzed by ProPublica.

It's not clear whether the surveillance was conducted by governments or private entities. Customer email addresses in the collection appeared to belong to a German surveillance company, an independent consultant in Dubai, the Bosnian and Hungarian Intelligence services, a Dutch law enforcement officer and the Qatari government.

The leaked files — which were posted online by hackers — are the latest in a series of revelations about how state actors including repressive regimes have used Gamma's software to spy on dissidents, journalists and activist groups.

Tune in August 28

URI to air shark documentary on RI PBS, Aug. 28

Todd McLeish, URI

KINGSTON, R.I. –A new documentary about sharks and shark research produced by the University of Rhode Island will premiere on Rhode Island PBS on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 8:30 p.m. 

The program, “Sharks: The Demon Fish?” examines how URI faculty and alumni are conducting wide-ranging research to develop a better understanding of sharks, one based on science rather than fiction. It explores a variety of human experiences with these misunderstood creatures, from curious tourists visiting the Florida Aquarium to dedicated shark scientists working in the waters off Cape Cod. 

"Stands to create tens of thousands of new jobs"

Report Outlines Vision for NE Renewables Growth

By ecoRI News staff

The upcoming elections this November will be central in deciding the fate of the renewable-energy industry in New England, according to a recently released report by the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). 

“Empowering New England with Clean Energy” is an original white paper that outlines a vision for the potential for renewable-energy growth and notes energy policies that the next governors must support to ensure that the renewable-energy sector continues on its current path to becoming New England’s next dominant industry.

Here's something completely different - a POSITIVE campaign ad

Looks like voters are again ready to tell Caprio to "shove it"

Seth Magaziner surge in the polls against Frank Caprio hardly a surprise

President Bill Clinton's August 27 visit to Providence to endorse and
support Seth Magaziner gives Frank Caprio the chance to tell a second
US President to take his endorsement and "shove it!"

By Will Collette

The clock is ticking down rapidly to the September 9 primary where Democrats will have to choose between Seth Magaziner and Frank Caprio as the Democratic candidate for General Treasurer. 

Polling shows Seth’s public support has jetted ahead to take a 12 point lead over Frank Caprio in the final days. This is a huge shift from the 18 point lead Caprio held over Magaziner in June – a 30-point swing!

It’s pretty easy to understand why this surge happened. One factor was the decision by the third contender, Ernie Almonte, to run not as a Democrat, but rather as an independent with the Republican Party’s tacit endorsement. That was probably a wise move for Almonte, after video emerged showing him promoting right-wing views on issues like Social Security, Medicare and tax cuts for the rich.

It looks like Magaziner picked up all of Almonte’s supporters and then some. Frank Caprio is stuck with his core constituency of very conservative Democrats and party regulars loyal to his father, Judge Frank Caprio.

It also didn’t help Caprio for his brother David, a former South Kingstown state Representative, to be revealed as a player and partner with Rep. Peter Palumbo in a sleazy deal to get the state’s big beach concession contract. In what looks like blatant bid-rigging, David Caprio filed the second best bid behind Rep. Palumbo to run the concessions at state beaches.

Everything You Need To Know About Ebola

Keep calm and die violently

By Jon Rosenberg 

Click here, if you dare.

Eating bugs - it's a thing

The Greener Meat

By Audrey Quinn and Jenn Manley Lee

This is the first screen in an interesting graphic article about the prospects that insects will become a popular human food source. For the entire infographic, click here. No recipes for mosquitos or ticks, however.