Wide Open Door for Pesticide Lobbyists at the Agriculture Department

Not draining the swamp, but spraying it

By Robert Faturechi, ProPublica, and Danielle Ivory, The New York Times

This story was co-published with The New York Times.

At a private meeting in September, congressional aides asked Rebeckah Adcock, a top official at the Department of Agriculture, to reveal the identities of the people serving on the deregulation team she leads at the agency.

Teams like Adcock’s, created under an executive order by President Trump, had been taking heat from Democratic lawmakers over their secrecy. 

What little was publicly known suggested that some of the groups’ members had deep ties to the industries being regulated.

Adcock, a former pesticide industry executive, brushed off the request, according to House aides familiar with the exchange, who asked for anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Making the names public, they recalled her saying, would trigger a deluge of lobbyists.

In fact, interviews and visitor logs at the Agriculture Department showed that Adcock had already been meeting with lobbyists, including those from her former employer, the pesticide industry’s main trade group, CropLife America, and its members. CropLife pushes the agenda of pesticide makers in Washington, including easing rules related to safety standards and clean water.

Texans say Trump betrayed them on Hurricane aid

Texas Governor’s unprecedented criticism of Trump

By Conover Kennard 

The one achievement from Trump's post-Hurricane Harvey visit to Texas
was the marketing of new USA caps for sale on the Trump website ($40).
Melania's FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) cap is not
on the website, but there are lots of knock-offs selling at $19.

Republicans in Texas, including Gov. Greg Abbott, ripped into the new $44 billion White House disaster relief aid request as “inadequate.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Texas alone asked for $66 billion. Trump’s aid funding request is not only far less, but also is supposed to help rebuild Florida and Puerto Rico. The request is, however, consistent with Trump’s style when it comes to paying for construction projects, which is to stiff the contractors and dare them to sue. – Will Collette

It’s been two months since the state was devastated by Hurricane Harvey and Donald Trump has failed on his promise to rebuild Texas.

Abbott’s criticism is strikingly different than the day after Trump visited Texas in the aftermath of the hurricane.” His commitment was firm, strong and unequivocal,” Abbott said at the time. “That he was going to do everything he could to ensure that Texas will be restored as swiftly, as effectively as possible.”

But now, two months later, Republicans are calling the response “wholly inadequate,” according to the Dallas News.

The White House disaster relief aid request falls well short of the demands made by officials from Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

Greg Abbott said that the request “does not live up” to what Trump pledged in recovery aid. Abbott noted during a news conference that he’s still reviewing the White House request but that it appears to be “completely inadequate.”

What’s more, Abbott said, it “does not live up” to what Trump has pledged in recovery aid, then he said that Washington worked faster for victims of Superstorm Sandy than for Harvey. Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012 during the Obama administration, by the way.

Arrrrgggg, there be corporate pirates runnin’ the ship

The Corporate Crook Conquest of the Executive Branch

By Phil Mattera for the Dirt Diggers Digest

It appears that the Trump Administration will not rest until every last federal regulatory agency is under the control of a corporate surrogate. 

The reverse revolving door is swinging wildly as business foxes swarm into the rulemaking henhouses.

Among the latest predators is Alex Azar II, who was just nominated by Trump to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a position Tom Price had to vacate amid the uproar over his excessive use of chartered jets for routine government travel. 

Until earlier this year Azar was the president of the U.S. division of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.

Azar apparently shares Price’s abhorrence of the Affordable Care Act, but he also brings the perspective of a top executive for a drug company with a particularly sordid track record. 

Be sure you thank him or he will trash you on the internet

Can and can't

Wag that tail

Dog ownership linked to lower mortality rate

Uppsala University

Your health is a great reason to adopt a rescue dog, like  Billy,
one of the many looking for a home at Animal Rescue RI.
Also check at our local Charlestown Animal Shelter.

A team of Swedish scientists have used national registries of more than 3.4 million Swedes aged 40 to 80 to study the association between dog ownership and cardiovascular health. 

Their study shows that dog owners had a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease or to other causes during the 12-year follow-up.

A total of more than 3.4 million individuals without any prior cardiovascular disease in 2001 were included in the researchers' study linking together seven different national data sources, including two dog ownership registers. 

The results are being published for the first time in Scientific Reports. The goal was to determine whether dog owners had a different risk of cardiovascular disease and death than non-dog owners.

"A very interesting finding in our study was that dog ownership was especially prominent as a protective factor in persons living alone, which is a group reported previously to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death than those living in a multi-person household. Perhaps a dog may stand in as an important family member in the single households." 

The results showed that single dog owners had a 33 percent reduction in risk of death and 11 percent reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease during follow-up compared to single non-owners. 

DO Something

For women over age 65, adding 30 minutes per day of light physical activity may lower mortality risk

University of California - San Diego

That "to do" list of chores and errands could actually provide a variety of health benefits, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. 

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found women over age 65 who engaged in regular light physical activity had a reduction in the risk of mortality.

"Every movement counts," said Andrea LaCroix, PhD, senior author of the study and professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC San Diego. 

Trump Lies 9 Times a Day on Average Lately

The numbers keep going up.

By Kali Holloway / AlterNet

As of 3 AM Eastern Standard Time on November 14, Donald Trump has told 1,628 lies since taking office. 

We know this because the Washington Post has been diligently watching the numbers, keeping tabs on Trump’s huge fibs and falsehoods. 

Over the 298 days since his inauguration, Trump has told an average of 5.5 lies every single day of the week, Monday to Sunday. While he barely works weekdays and golfs every weekend, he apparently never takes a vacation from lying.

Over the last 35 days, Trump has been even more dishonest than usual, upping his daily average to 9 lies every 24 hours. 

Thanks to the extra effort he’s put into misleading the country on a diversity of topics in recent weeks, he’s likely to reach “peak liar” status by January 20. 

“That puts the president on track to reach 1,999 claims by the end of his first year in office, though he obviously would easily exceed 2,000 if he maintained the pace of the past month,” the Post notes.

Trump tends to lie about the same things over and over again. 

It’s all about Republican donors

Patriotism, Taxes, and Trump

By Robert Reich

For more cartoons by Mike Luckovich, CLICK HERE.

Selling the Trump-Republican tax plan should be awkward for an administration that has made patriotism its central theme.

That’s because patriotism isn't mostly about saluting the flag and standing during the national anthem. 

It’s about taking a fair share of the burden of keeping America going.

But the tax plan gives American corporations a $2 trillion tax break, at a time when they’re enjoying record profits and stashing unprecedented amounts of cash in offshore tax shelters.

And it gives America’s wealthiest citizens trillions more, when the richest 1 percent now hold a record 38.6 percent of the nation’s total wealth, up from 33.7 percent a decade ago.

Justice for all. Literally.

For more cartoons by Jen Sorenson, CLICK HERE.

RI Food Bank reports on hunger in Rhode Island

Mark your calendar for our Holiday Open House.

2017 Status Report:
Congress Proposes Cuts to Critical Programs

Congress is prepared to make significant cuts to safety-net programs that thousands of Rhode Islanders rely on. At the same time, hunger is at a new high level in Rhode Island. The Food Bank cannot possibly provide enough food to make up for major cuts to federal nutrition programs.

Holiday Open House:
Saturday, December 9, 9 am to Noon

The Food Bank’s annual Holiday Open House is Saturday, December 9 from 9:00 am to noon. This free, family-friendly event will include Food Bank tours, nutrition education demos and recipe samples, live music and holiday refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of food or funds to stock the shelves for the holiday season and winter ahead.

© 2017 Rhode Island Community Food Bank

200 Niantic Avenue

Providence, RI 02907

Phone: (401) 942‑MEAL (6325)

Email: [contactus@rifoodbank.org]

Privacy Policy

Sue Sosnowski, Kathy Fogarty receive honors

Several legislators honored by RI Farm Bureau at annual meeting

Sen. Sue Sosnowski

The Rhode Island Farm Bureau recently awarded several legislators with awards for their legislative work during the bureau’s annual meeting which was held at the Quonset Officers Club in North Kingstown on November 16.

The 2017 Outstanding House Environment and Natural Resources Committee Person Award was presented to Rep. Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence), Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), and Rep. Alex D. Marszalkowski (D-Dist. 52, Cumberland).  

The representatives were recognized for their work on the committee where they supported the views of the RI Farm Bureau.

The bureau also awarded three legislators with the RIFB Navigator Award.  The award is given to deserving individuals or entities that are fearless in protecting the rights of Rhode Islanders and preserving agriculture in our state. 

Rep. Kathleen A. Fogarty (D-Dist. 35, South Kingstown) was recognized for sponsoring legislation (2017-H 5772) that exempts seeds and plants used to grow food and food ingredients from sales tax.

Celebrating Thanksgiving

The best way to improve Americans' life expectancy isn't some fad diet.

It's to reduce inequality.

By Keith Payne

You’ve heard, no doubt, of the miraculous Mediterranean diet, which is said to keep Italians and Greeks living healthy lives into their 80s and beyond. 

The Japanese diet is popular, too, as the Japanese live the longest lives in the world.

Then there’s the Nordic diet, full of fish and dairy, that helps make longevity in Sweden and Norway among the longest in the world.

Countless studies have tried to identify the critical ingredients in these diets. Should we eat grilled squid like the Greeks? Or more lingonberries like the Swedes?

But the closer you look at the link between specific diets and health, the fuzzier the link becomes.

The French live some of the longest lives on earth. The oldest known person was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who lived to 122 (and a half). And yet the French diet has become known as “the French paradox,” because it’s suspiciously high in saturated fat.

The diet-focused answer? The red wine must protect them!

Other countries, like Germany and Canada, have long lifespans, yet no one puts schnitzel and poutine on our list of health foods. What if the apparent link between a country’s diet and its health is an illusion?

Early xmas for 35,000 Rhode Islanders

First time ever in Rhode Island: Treasurer will automatically return unclaimed property  

Rhode Island Treasurer Seth Magaziner announced "YOUR MONEY" a program which is mailing money to more than 35,000 Rhode Islanders who have unclaimed property with the state.

  

"It's hard for families to make ends meet, and ever harder when banks, insurance companies and other corporations fail to send you money that is rightfully yours," said Treasurer Magaziner. "I developed YOUR MONEY to make sure as many Rhode Islanders as possible get their missing money back in their pockets where it belongs."

  

About 1-in-5 Rhode Islanders have unclaimed property waiting for them. 

In the past, residents have had to check the state's database to see if they have unclaimed property and then submit a claim. 

YOUR MONEY matches unclaimed property with known addresses so money can be returned automatically.