Progressive Charlestown

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706Fri, 18 Sep 2026 14:57:40 +0000Donald TrumpCharlestownHumorHealthScienceFoodpandemicThings To DoClass WarBusinessClimate changeEducationeconomyculture warTaxesright-wing nutsTechnologyecoRI.orgracismimmigrationgunsCCAvaccinationCivil rightscharityDEMcrime2016 electionsOtherWords.orgbehaviorWeatherPresident Obamaethicsfossil fuelfishingagriculture/farmingState and NationalJoe Bidenenvironmentmilitarygreen energyfascistJobsoceanBeachincome inequalityTown Council2020 electionimpeachmentwind powerfake newsChoiceRussiagateSupreme CourtenergyReligionRI FutureRuth PlatnerSolidarity2024 electiondrugsrecyclingTom Gentzunemploymentbugshazardous wasteagingcatscancerAffordable HousingplasticMedicaredark skiesdogstreesVladimir PutinDan Slatterysexual assaultbudgetShoppingSexismChristmasterrorismOpen Spacefact-checking CCAGina RaimondoLGBTSolar PowerSocial SecuritynuclearprivacyNinigretPlanning Commission2014 electionsDonna WalshunionsbirdsNarragansettsHillaryAutomobilesclean waterSheldon WhitehouseFilippi2012 electionspollingLisa DiBellopesticidesChariho SchoolsSeth MagazinerRFK JrRadical ChristianityElon MuskNASAMystic AquariumTea Partyenn.comwildlifeMcKeeUkraine2022 electionChinaJim LangevinfluIranTeresa Tanzihospitalinfrastructurechild abuseYMCAJim MageauCharlestown Livingtrash2026 electionDeb CarneyChambersinflationElaine MorganZoningCOPAR quarryNIMBYMark StankiewiczMitt RomneyWilliam DiLiberoend of the worldMike PenceSue SosnowskisportsGeorge TremblayrestaurantRobert MuellerRonald Reaganmitch McConnellNarragansett - South Kingstown PatchAreglado2018 electionsJustin PriceWhalerockNorth KoreaJack Reedcorporate welfareCanadaTrumpcarecrimes against humanity2012 Charlestown electionsveteransSandyTicksRussiaKamala HarristariffsFloridaPeter NeronhaCatherine Cool RumseyGregg AvedisianLarry ValenciaTed CruzinsuranceMexicoCRMCIraqmarijuanaCharlestown Land TrustWal-MartGov. ChafeeVictoria GuCharlestown PoliceProtestFrank GlistaRISCCRUCarcieriIvankadebtJared KushnerTina Spearsanti-semitismJoe LarisaRichard NixonCliff VanoverHomestead ExemptionJD VanceHagan McEnteeartMattielloMegan CotterGiulianiPaul RyanJoe ShekarchiMarge Frankgay marriageCharlestown Fire DistricttributePuerto RicoVan SlykeParks and Recreationemergency preparationHalloweenNancy PelosiBurlingameIll Wind RIMelaniaRick PerrypensionsDennis AlgiereAMTRAKSaudi ArabiaBloggingDavid CicillineDeSantisAllan FungCensusTom SgourosMemorialsWatchaug Pondorganized crimewastewaterDoreen CostaRichard SartorSyriaGreenlandMillstoneVandemoermusicBob CravenCurt SchillingIsraelOMGPDVenezuelaAmy WeinreichSteve BannonAfghanistanGorbeaRed Light CamerasElizabeth WarrenKathy FogartyBetsy DeVosKen SwainboycottJimmy CarterPaula AndersenPeepsQ-AnonCharlestown Historical SocietyAaron RegunbergTim QuillenTown Charter Changes 2012Lighting OrdinanceNinigret PondSarah PalinFoulkesTraceyCKevin McCarthyPope FrancisComeyJeff SessionsRand PaulAlana DiMarioWoonsocketinvasive plantsSocialismwildfireBen CarsonFrosty DrewNAAFTina JacksonGabe Amohistorypay less taxesGreen New DealRI-CANTalk Like a Pirate DaydisabilityCentral FallsJay Primianocivil warexerciseBizarro CharlestownColin Footebaby animalsKallie JurgensSPA-GateAngel TavaresBernie Sandersdomestic violenceWARMAFDURon PaulTaylor SwiftWilliam BarraquaculturetourismClay PellForagingForrester SaffordPope LeoreviewGeneral StantonJoe DolockJohn BoltonSpencer DickinsonautismwhalesClarkinPat AndersonTom FerrioVirginia WoottenChris ChristieDiossaEisenhowerFrank CaprioFrank MaherKen BlockOSPRIParks and Recreation CommissionSalt Pond CoalitionLyme DiseasePost OfficeRichard HospTomaquagHomelessnessJennifer Douglasfake fire districtsKilmartinMatt BrownTC Jun 2012TC091211Bob WatsonLeah BoisclairRick SantorumSolar Power for TomSusan CooperTC Apr 2012TC Mar 2012InspectionsKate WatermanMelina LodgeRippy SerraTurkeyBrandon ClearyBrian Patrick KennedyOcean MistQuadratoRIPTABC2011Candi DunnJill FonnemannJodi LacroixKrantzSLAPPSabrina MatosValerie LawsonCrashOct2011Harry StaleyMarxWhiskey Tango FoxtrotCamp DavisFaith LaBossiereGordon FoerSam WilcoxTC Jul 2012TC May 2012CubaEd PachecoOlympicsRed SoxTom DePatieantifaCommunity GardenConnie BakerDeRamelDr. Jen GunterErnie AlmonteLabor DayNikki HaleyOrd349PanamaPasquiset Pondmanurepublic radioCarolina Fiber and Fiction CenterLinda FabreMatt McHughRon RussoScott KeeleyWisconsinufosAFSCMEGrace FarrellI-RADULibertarianMollisScaramucciTC Sep 2012TimWalzWeek in ReviewBill ClintonCameron EnnisComet EleninGregg AmoreJohn RobitailleKalusLiz RobertsMellorMike BretonPawSoxQuonsetSteve LaffeyTC Feb 2012TC Jan 2012Theatre By the SeaWesterly Land Trustchild careduck pluckerFrick and FrackOcean State Theatre CompanyShannockVirginia Leeconflict of interestdeath penaltyBob FlandersFrank FerriTeamstersUNITE HEREopen records2028 electionApril Fools DayBlazejewskiBradford DyeCynthiaDrummondGirouxGrace KlingerJeb!Jeffrey AllenJoe TrilloKerry KingSharon AhernTC Aug 2012cartoon2019 electionsDan GordonJoAnne StolleRichard NewtonalcoholfluoridemonkeypoxpopulationslaverysmokingCDTCHenry SheltonIndiaJodi FrankMarsNick GrisetoRod DriverTC Nov 2012TC Oct 2012William Shatnercensorshiplawn caremagicspaceDINOHumorsJustin BieberLindsay LohanNick BottaiSpainSue Anderbolischartcoffeeelectric carsforeign aidgenocidepolice brutalitypoliorfkwage theftProgressive Charlestowna fresh, sharp look at news, life and politics in Charlestown, Rhode Islandhttps://www.progressive-charlestown.com/noreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger32972125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-1610464410557153200Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +00002026-09-18T09:00:00.207-04:002026 electionDonald TrumpPost OfficeSupreme CourtU.S. Postal Service Failed to Properly Handle Some Ballots During This Year’s Primary Elections, Audit Finds<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Already it begins</b></span></p><h1><header class="wp-block-group entry-header is-layout-flow wp-container-core-group-is-layout-3ce78d47 wp-block-group-is-layout-flow" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #31302d; font-weight: 400; margin-block: 0px;"><div class="wp-block-propublica-opener" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-block: 0px;"><div class="wp-block-group p-article-meta-1 p-article-meta-1--left is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="p-article-meta-1__byline wp-block-propublica-byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111110; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.4; margin-block: 0px; margin-top: 16px;"><div class="wp-block-propublica-byline__right" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><div class="wp-block-propublica-byline__content" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="wp-block-propublica-byline-text" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By </span><span class="wp-block-propublica-byline-profile" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/jen-fifield" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jen Fifield</a> for ProPublica</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></header></h1> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNEljV0T-EUUFhCBAb6bn4IJoidY0XiJDZ37S01veCeVZy-CXytcC_9BURpb98LeG9ukCU72tuM8_XNC_Ey_AAJifLVkgbcbL7YJA3esXYi9q4Hv8C2SQurBrGjr0sQAPtlf4r-3Ik9EbEK2MYbUlxQR6wqLUJMZnsWhtz-W6VkOfO3HW-HR-KRcsfXk/s480/giphy.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNEljV0T-EUUFhCBAb6bn4IJoidY0XiJDZ37S01veCeVZy-CXytcC_9BURpb98LeG9ukCU72tuM8_XNC_Ey_AAJifLVkgbcbL7YJA3esXYi9q4Hv8C2SQurBrGjr0sQAPtlf4r-3Ik9EbEK2MYbUlxQR6wqLUJMZnsWhtz-W6VkOfO3HW-HR-KRcsfXk/s320/giphy.webp" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some U.S. Postal Service facilities failed to properly handle ballots during this year’s primary elections, according to a new audit from the agency’s Office of Inspector General. Election experts say the findings call into question the agency’s ability to meet even greater demands for the November election that are under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.</span><p></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-09/26-054-r26_0.pdf">The audit, which is dated Sept. 4</a> but has not been previously reported, found a lack of training for post office staff on how to properly and expeditiously handle mail ballots, deficiencies in how ballots were tracked and errors leading to delays, all of which risked ballots having incorrect postmarks or otherwise arriving late to election officials, which could lead to their rejection. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The identified failures increase “the risk that Election and Political Mail is not handled, documented, monitored, and reported in accordance with Postal Service policy,” the audit said, though it noted that “most facilities we visited generally adhered to Postal Service’s election-related policies and procedures” and that nearly 99% of ballots reached election officials in a timely manner.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/us-postal-service-failed-to-properly.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/us-postal-service-failed-to-properly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5737048037807713324Fri, 18 Sep 2026 03:52:00 +00002026-09-17T23:52:00.206-04:00Class WarEisenhowerOtherWords.orgSocialismIs It Socialism Or Just Common Sense?<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Take a look behind the red-baiting rhetoric</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">By <a href="https://otherwords.org/authors/chuck-collins/">Chuck Collins</a> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqNrvhsoTWwMFLPYI_4t0SbIp0iobgArBXBH7qnNvZ-nWedDKFhI8SGU2mz_fbZBrqtsJVvOQcAjl5SO_bisPL23Wiwtvj0P9GWy75VifHCGpmL73BMEODV0-ukJuef_wq9WbPhOqUC3RcfOyMvAwnQn1GedmcE7FNltYhoALsuy7MByk42bfwsAk200/s640/image1787515736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPqNrvhsoTWwMFLPYI_4t0SbIp0iobgArBXBH7qnNvZ-nWedDKFhI8SGU2mz_fbZBrqtsJVvOQcAjl5SO_bisPL23Wiwtvj0P9GWy75VifHCGpmL73BMEODV0-ukJuef_wq9WbPhOqUC3RcfOyMvAwnQn1GedmcE7FNltYhoALsuy7MByk42bfwsAk200/w371-h400/image1787515736.jpg" width="371"></a></div>The debate over capitalism vs. socialism often looks like a battle of cartoon caricatures: Monopoly Man versus the Marx Monster.<o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Across the planet there are countless flavors of capitalism and socialism, unique mashups of free markets and government policies. Into this muddle wade the right-wing ideologues who fear the red “socialist” demon hiding in every corner.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If Fox News existed in the 1950s, they would’ve labeled Republican President Dwight Eisenhower a socialist for taxing the wealthy and making broad public investments to expand homeownership, enable debt-free higher education, and build infrastructure and technology that expanded the modern middle class.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet, what do these labelers call modern-day China, a country that<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-minted-billionaire-everyday-last-093000419.html"> mints hundreds of billionaires</a> a year and dominates global markets with private production? Are they socialist or capitalist?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, social democracies, like Canada and the northern European countries, have progressive tax systems and strong social safety nets. Sweden, with its generous welfare state, has<a href="https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/how-sweden-became-more-entrepreneurial-us"> higher rates of entrepreneurship</a> than the United States.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These countries also have higher rates of social mobility than the United States — meaning it’s easier for lower-income people to escape poverty and become stable. The American Dream, apparently, has moved offshore.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These welfare states, with their higher taxes on the wealthy, exist comfortably alongside healthy market economies. However, in the United States, whenever a politician proposes that billionaires pay their fair share of taxes so we make public investments in opportunities for everyone else, they are labeled socialist or even communist.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/is-it-socialism-or-just-common-sense.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/is-it-socialism-or-just-common-sense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-8900765769694980186Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:02:00 +00002026-09-17T20:02:00.210-04:00behaviorDonald TrumpA miracle: Trump says something that's true!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNWDnnj2Rp6NydKM0ovrqnW9iTAsqdEZlcY0Ult1bZXa9rNW2AzTotZTpK75X3ZLyRr189O2Y1LBZvJDA9341L-5Kup09x-ONuzrU19o_cs3ViMH-Ppvw-kAVGOgcHcpY6nUyPG99nKd1WcnnDZ34ECrdoYuwS0alOUBr3umKNz4CA2Zc_6CwgXLsunM/s1800/I%20agree%20with%20Trump.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNWDnnj2Rp6NydKM0ovrqnW9iTAsqdEZlcY0Ult1bZXa9rNW2AzTotZTpK75X3ZLyRr189O2Y1LBZvJDA9341L-5Kup09x-ONuzrU19o_cs3ViMH-Ppvw-kAVGOgcHcpY6nUyPG99nKd1WcnnDZ34ECrdoYuwS0alOUBr3umKNz4CA2Zc_6CwgXLsunM/w584-h730/I%20agree%20with%20Trump.jpeg" width="584" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/a-miracle-trump-says-something-thats.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-3680403781242769310Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:00:00 +00002026-09-17T18:00:00.210-04:00Donald TrumpJoe BidenSecretary of Homeland Security declares Joe Biden is STILL President. If only...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Q1n0jiA_vlhC3KC-ReltlSNirOBrzxF9CwChiAg82aElMP9EKdLverAOsPAOywuvoKRQIdQ33HpqLT6gviixCvU1qjeOcuHhWVxr0mqWuyOoP5yjnPmXUBuIVAB6jgIaPdXnXmHzqTcKPgcAlnqCw03xoDUUVb41Kr8SSxIXu0T-wsgEqXGgt_fQF3E/s435/Joe%20Biden%20is%20STILL%20President.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="435" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Q1n0jiA_vlhC3KC-ReltlSNirOBrzxF9CwChiAg82aElMP9EKdLverAOsPAOywuvoKRQIdQ33HpqLT6gviixCvU1qjeOcuHhWVxr0mqWuyOoP5yjnPmXUBuIVAB6jgIaPdXnXmHzqTcKPgcAlnqCw03xoDUUVb41Kr8SSxIXu0T-wsgEqXGgt_fQF3E/w640-h614/Joe%20Biden%20is%20STILL%20President.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/secretary-of-homeland-security-declares.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-3610233462568322284Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:06:00 +00002026-09-17T16:06:00.207-04:00Donald TrumpinsuranceTrump’s $500 Healthcare Rebate Plan Called ‘An Absolute Joke’ as Premiums Skyrocket<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>But of course, Trump NEVER pays</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/author/jake-johnson">Jake Johnson</a> for Common Dreams</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKLrQZ8oE6WTvVk46v6Ej3iVe6mEQnyz9qc96oX78YHkvQy42o9UJlpyFbPhi5xwchF3EDYJYrY8WBTCga-RDyS1rityzuTse3IotPSABuehFtaC3kkTQkL4UMW-DLnFPdDJ3NLqG_KPkBTmTRxheBfKndIuHLYkKgNElvgJB9qrcn0KkiYIvaET-w5M/s1000/bafkreihufvfrxjg7xhkaorj7xjwj25nrfk55oil3vlae5llizgx2rm2ksq.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEKLrQZ8oE6WTvVk46v6Ej3iVe6mEQnyz9qc96oX78YHkvQy42o9UJlpyFbPhi5xwchF3EDYJYrY8WBTCga-RDyS1rityzuTse3IotPSABuehFtaC3kkTQkL4UMW-DLnFPdDJ3NLqG_KPkBTmTRxheBfKndIuHLYkKgNElvgJB9qrcn0KkiYIvaET-w5M/w320-h400/bafkreihufvfrxjg7xhkaorj7xjwj25nrfk55oil3vlae5llizgx2rm2ksq.webp" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> said that his administration would issue $500 rebate checks to some Americans who were purportedly “overcharged” under the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/affordable-care-act">Affordable Care Act</a>, a move that would provide little to no relief to the millions of people impacted by surging health insurance premiums.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/white-house">White House</a> said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/09/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-announces-the-working-families-obamacare-refunds/" target="_blank">fact sheet</a> that around a million Americans in 30 states would receive rebate checks, beginning next month—just weeks before the November midterms. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brad Woodhouse, president of the advocacy group Protect Our Care, ripped the rebate plan as “an absolute joke,” calling $500 “a drop in the bucket compared to what Americans are paying because Trump and <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/republicans">Republicans</a> gutted <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/healthcare">healthcare</a> to bankroll massive tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Woodhouse was referring to a Republican </span><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/budget" style="font-family: inherit;">budget</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> measure, signed into law last summer by Trump, that enacted more than $800 billion in cuts to </span><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/medicaid" style="font-family: inherit;">Medicaid</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> over the next decade.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/gop">GOP</a> also declined last year to extend enhanced ACA subsidies that helped reduce costs for tens of millions of Americans, sending premiums skyrocketing. Some families have seen annual premium increases in the <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/health-insurance-premium-spikes-imminent-as-tax-credit-enhancements-set-to-expire" target="_blank">thousands of dollars</a>, leading many to <a href="https://www.familiesusa.org/press-releases/nearly-4-million-americans-dropped-aca-marketplace-coverage-this-year/" target="_blank">drop marketplace coverage entirely</a>. ACA premiums are <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/affordable-care-act-premiums-2027" target="_blank">set to surge by double digits</a> for a second consecutive year in 2027.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/trumps-500-healthcare-rebate-plan.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/trumps-500-healthcare-rebate-plan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-4035780994085540289Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:46:00 +00002026-09-17T11:46:00.210-04:00AMTRAKCCACharlestownRuth PlatnerMobilize the Charlestown Choo-choo Panic Team!<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Amtrak will ask Providence crowd about improving rail service between New Haven and Providence</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://upriseri.com/reporters/adriana-vossari/"><b>Adriana Vossari</b></a>, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">RI & Local Government</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxSKgoPoLcFPr179e93fUKf3C7YetxQ62g9SA6-w7Gsd9C4YNWS2ULCI6ecE8bstqI0oSEUNKUf6d8Au8Z3JD2mMapq2y7o3HKACAovErZpYqPskXr-U93IL2zziqSVnjbqkOF1wZxHnVlGiKqmZJ2Eubp8xhf007EO43al_01fnQmO_CKmf6oFGqNHE/s400/Keep%20the%20hoax%20alive.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="278" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxSKgoPoLcFPr179e93fUKf3C7YetxQ62g9SA6-w7Gsd9C4YNWS2ULCI6ecE8bstqI0oSEUNKUf6d8Au8Z3JD2mMapq2y7o3HKACAovErZpYqPskXr-U93IL2zziqSVnjbqkOF1wZxHnVlGiKqmZJ2Eubp8xhf007EO43al_01fnQmO_CKmf6oFGqNHE/w334-h482/Keep%20the%20hoax%20alive.png" width="334"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) has a special <br>interest in raising the alarm over what was <a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2016/12/the-amtrak-plan-and-charlestown.html" target="_blank">never <br>a serious threat</a>, an issue that <a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2024/02/who-wants-to-climb-aboard-ruthies.html" target="_blank">died 10 years ago</a>. CCA <br>leader Ruth Platner has <a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/06/election-year-means-ruth-platner-powers.html" target="_blank">tried FIVE TIMES to rev up <br>fear</a> in town as a political maneuver. <br>- Will Collette, editor </span></b></td></tr></tbody></table>Providence is one endpoint of a federally funded study that could shape future capacity on the rail corridor Amtrak and MBTA trains share, and Saturday's pop-up is the nearest chance for Rhode Islanders to comment in person.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Staff from the New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study will set up a public pop-up in downtown Providence on Saturday, taking questions and collecting comments from noon to 6 p.m. during PVDFest. According to an event notice posted by the Town of Charlestown, the table will be on Washington Street between Mathewson and Clemence streets. The notice, which is undated, directs people who cannot attend to submit comments through the project website. PVDFest's own schedule lists the festival for September 18 and 19.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pop-up is one piece of an Amtrak-led planning study of rail capacity along the Northeast Corridor between New Haven and Providence. The study's website says the work began in mid-2026 and will run roughly 24 months of engagement, coordination and analysis. If that schedule holds, the analysis period would extend into about mid-2028.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What the study is not, at this stage, matters as much as what it is. Amtrak said in its July 7 launch announcement that there is no preconceived preferred alignment and no preferred set of improvements. The <a href="https://newhavenprovidencestudy.com/s/FINAL_20260619_09_NHV-PVD-Outreach-and-Engagement-Plan_PUBLIC-FACING_v05.pdf">June 2026 Outreach and Engagement Plan</a> states that the study will not include detailed engineering, environmental permitting, land acquisition or construction. A federal environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act is not part of it either. Anything that eventually got built would require its own separate planning, design and environmental approvals.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></span></b></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/mobilize-charlestown-choo-choo-panic.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/mobilize-charlestown-choo-choo-panic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5421666822955933954Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +00002026-09-17T09:00:00.199-04:002026 electioncrimeDonald TrumpethicsHow anti‑bribery laws apply to Trump’s promise of $5,000 payments if Republicans keep control of Congress<p><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Just remember, though, Trump NEVER pays</b></span></p><div class="theconversation-article-body"><figure> </figure> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/austin-sarat-174772">Austin Sarat</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/amherst-college-2155">Amherst College</a></em></span> </span><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/09/10/561450/trump-promises-5000-dividend-in-convention-speech-but-only-if-republicans-win/"></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYQpaX1MYyh-2UavjJjMxBOM4cFjDX3-IWVHUkVQ0JaACx_MI02hYkqpWir4zLN-Rq4ETQDBB-AH-Zjqm91ANBEh_xJ-NrLMMz53WwnTDDI-WDOYLntJes3WpSXYL9gp5qySUMv3mA0wZ7ENzOoIL-tsnaXLMXmQi47vNZVE5JgBVUwfwGhBu0RNdGGI/s1170/70061bc2-ed68-43c9-84d7-06d534957a1e_1170x1064.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1170" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYQpaX1MYyh-2UavjJjMxBOM4cFjDX3-IWVHUkVQ0JaACx_MI02hYkqpWir4zLN-Rq4ETQDBB-AH-Zjqm91ANBEh_xJ-NrLMMz53WwnTDDI-WDOYLntJes3WpSXYL9gp5qySUMv3mA0wZ7ENzOoIL-tsnaXLMXmQi47vNZVE5JgBVUwfwGhBu0RNdGGI/w400-h364/70061bc2-ed68-43c9-84d7-06d534957a1e_1170x1064.webp" width="400"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In his keynote address to the Republican midterm convention on Sept. 9, 2026, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/10/trump-dividend-midterms-gop.html">Donald Trump promised</a> that if Republicans retain control of Congress in November, he <a href="https://time.com/article/2026/09/10/trump-dividend-five-thousand-dollars-midterms-republican-convention/">would authorize a US$5,000 payment to every American adult</a>. </span><p></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trump’s offer seems to run afoul of federal laws, which make it <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/597">a crime to pay for votes</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">After Trump’s speech, <a href="https://x.com/samstein/status/2097870389489594746">political commentator Sam Stein posted</a> on X: “trump openly bribing people to vote for republicans. $5k per person if republicans hold the house and the senate?” </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stein was not alone in referencing bribery. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, <a href="https://www.citizen.org/news/trumps-desperate-attempt-to-bribe-voters-ahead-of-election-is-a-new-low/">issued the following statement after Trump’s speech</a>: “Trump knows he can’t do this, and yet he’s attempting to bribe voters with the false promise of cash to help his party win an election.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">But as a <a href="https://press.umich.edu/Books/T/The-Rhetoric-of-Law">scholar of political and legal rhetoric</a>, I think it’s worth further examining what the president said and whether his promise violated any law.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">An American tradition</span></h2> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZl6tyMILC3_lb1kCi6QjNQfDGjlPc4pDYk53KdcRhcZuYTxPYvdrF-gCBNxk3w4KglTP9JFjYynDXbwxTGBMD4eNCUVW82E_NufrdVmcRwMHVaO0T6Qv8ux4bNApFD6na7iJe39flYm6J_7pmv_Q3t2WIBKH81oI1ClNUi2ZEotUBAQF4HomsI5S0Z0/s510/Trump%202024%20promises%20and%202026%20lie.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="435" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZl6tyMILC3_lb1kCi6QjNQfDGjlPc4pDYk53KdcRhcZuYTxPYvdrF-gCBNxk3w4KglTP9JFjYynDXbwxTGBMD4eNCUVW82E_NufrdVmcRwMHVaO0T6Qv8ux4bNApFD6na7iJe39flYm6J_7pmv_Q3t2WIBKH81oI1ClNUi2ZEotUBAQF4HomsI5S0Z0/w341-h400/Trump%202024%20promises%20and%202026%20lie.webp" width="341"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paying voters to support a particular candidate, or promising government jobs in exchange for votes, <a href="https://live-sas-www-history.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/publications/2016/mary-frances-berry">has a long history</a> in the United States. <a href="https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/william-boss-tweed-and-political-machines/">It was a staple</a> of <a href="https://politicaldictionary.com/words/machine-politics/">machine politics</a> in big cities starting in the late 19th century. </span><p></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The political scholar <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055408080106">Simeon Nichter argues</a> that it would be better to describe these practices as examples of “turnout buying.” <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055408080106">He notes</a> that “observers in various U.S. cities have complained that some politicians use ‘street money’ – small, unreported cash payments ostensibly used for legal get-out-the-vote efforts such as canvassing and transporting voters – as direct payments for turnout.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">What Nichter describes has made a comeback in our era.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Recall <a href="https://abc7news.com/story/elon-musk-broke-law-promising-voters-1-million-payouts-wisconsin-board-says/19515645/">Elon Musk’s effort to ensure a Republican victory</a> in a 2025 state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin. He spent millions in that effort and, as <a href="https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/elon-musk-likely-broke-the-law-by-promising-voters-1-million-payouts-wisconsin-board-says/">The Associated Press reported</a>, offered “$1 million to people who voted in the Supreme Court election” to encourage them to vote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">In July 2026, the Wisconsin Elections Commission <a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-wisconsin-election-million-dollar-checks-2900f27acc373c9f1661a934f00c0c3d">found enough evidence to refer</a> citizen complaints about Musk’s behavior to a district attorney, “which can choose,” as the AP notes, “to bring criminal charges over violating the state law against election bribery.” </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A month later, a state prosecutor said he could <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/elon-musk-wont-face-election-bribery-charges-in-wisconsin-state-prosecutor-says/">not prove Musk’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt</a> and would not bring charges.</span></p> <h2><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></h2></div><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/how-antibribery-laws-apply-to-trumps.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/how-antibribery-laws-apply-to-trumps.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-9213454801130850647Thu, 17 Sep 2026 03:57:00 +00002026-09-16T23:57:00.199-04:00crimeDonald Trumpethicsorganized crimeVladimir PutinTrump Americanizes Putin-style corruption<p><b><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Trump's thuggery will lead us to a very dark place</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://substack.com/@sabrinahaake">Sabrina Haake</a><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6HA60Mzegpe2ClzgCdRsH1bCt8NpxoCRDsVRuO22V9F_AsKHfBGit8mU0JY_cekkWHyG64xRPeH116qBI-gmutXpo_haDYonWtpEOvGBiinaj-0WBJQG2CKL4m_SNoT2Vc7F6k8O1jOemuF3UAFu2DHzFIwNEHBgqt8uL6GHrMGV8vSyqx9G3mHSH2A/s639/S4Ori0w_d.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="435" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6HA60Mzegpe2ClzgCdRsH1bCt8NpxoCRDsVRuO22V9F_AsKHfBGit8mU0JY_cekkWHyG64xRPeH116qBI-gmutXpo_haDYonWtpEOvGBiinaj-0WBJQG2CKL4m_SNoT2Vc7F6k8O1jOemuF3UAFu2DHzFIwNEHBgqt8uL6GHrMGV8vSyqx9G3mHSH2A/w273-h400/S4Ori0w_d.webp" width="273"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Proving that a lying clock tells the truth twice a day, JD Vance <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBjoirIXs7o&t=1s">recently quipped</a> that politics have shifted so much that “if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story.” Vance was unwittingly acknowledging his own handiwork as he and his intellectually stunted boss flex <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/us/politics/trump-policy-blitz.html">Steve Bannon’s flood the zone strategy</a>: throw crap on the wall, throw it often and fast, until the American public is too overwhelmed to pay attention.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s working. Eighteen months into this nightmare regime, as one corrupt move follows the next, Americans are turning away. One study found that 65% of Americans across political affiliation and age groups are consuming less news due to <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/12/03/americans-are-following-the-news-less-closely-than-they-used-to/">information overload and fatigue</a>. It’s exactly what a corrupt administration wants.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for reading The Haake Take! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As Trump awards billions in no-bid federal contracts to his political donors, from the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/reflecting-pool-trump-timeline.html">no bid multi-million dollar Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool debacle</a>, to hundreds of millions to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/12/trumps-ballroom-costs-are-rising-what-we-know-about-the-secret-underground-bunker">build a ballroom</a>, to multi-<b><i>b</i></b>illion dollar no bid contracts to <a href="https://sabrinahaake.substack.com/p/how-far-will-our-raping-and-pillaging">rape and pillage our national parks</a>, his political donors are reaping unprecedented windfall rewards.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His sons aren’t doing too poorly either. After Republicans blew a gasket over <a href="https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2023/11/17/icymi-whistleblower-docs-show-burisma-hired-hunter-biden-for-his-political-weight-and-carefully-navigated-his-appointment-to-protect-joe-biden/">Hunter Biden serving on a corporate board</a>, the Trump boys have cashed in big time with an <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-sons-eric-and-don-jr-cash-in-on-dads-war-with-mega-drone-deal/">Air Force contract to buy interceptor drones</a> from Don Jr. and Eric (who have no experience in the drones business), Don Jr.’s ownership stake in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/28/world/europe/trump-lutnick-sons-kazakhstan.html">a mining project that just secured $1.6 billion in government backing</a> (ditto), and a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/05/28/nx-s1-5837561/white-house-asked-pentagon-to-loan-money-to-a-company-linked-to-trumps-oldest-son">$620 million Pentagon loan for Don Jr.’s venture capital firm</a>. Trump’s crypto scams have caused investors to <i>lose </i>up to<b> $3.8 billion</b> while the Trumps <i>pocketed</i><b> </b>up<b> to $2.3 billion </b><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/crypto/articles/trump-crypto-family-netted-2-105601198.html">across the same crypto projects</a>. Now Trump wants to personally profit from “<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-truth-social-media-insider-trading-posts-feeds-traders-25c2c5be926f2650d0610c84100cffb8">selling” early internet access</a> to his social media posts, which will facilitate large scale insider trading.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, as wealthy individuals spend millions to <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/embarrassment-riches">secure presidential pardons</a>, and Trump’s $1.8 billion <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-anti-weaponization-fund">slush fund for his supporters</a> refuses to die, the Department of the Treasury just <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/5361679e-c4c2-4a07-83e5-86437e1ec0d1?j=eyJ1IjoiMTdmdXluIn0.CxOEs3DwM-kfqF7aUfl_xp2isvTAlA_sQnnQ8zugmmg">announced</a> that it is destroying its anti-corruption database, the federal registry of shell-company ownership. It plans to destroy all the data <i>it has already collected</i>, to prevent future FBIs, future DOJs, and future local police departments from ever seeing the incriminating data. A true crime novelist couldn’t write this stuff as fast as it’s happening.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></b></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/08/trump-americanizes-putin-style.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/08/trump-americanizes-putin-style.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-7886554527823834816Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:01:00 +00002026-09-16T20:01:00.203-04:00Donald TrumpHumorThe question<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kYx_8_0cAUP_C8RzASiyOH70_pZGnrsv_RTdHNYmMQmiTDS-NxTrX7grmolrvm7o8uGkYlwa52gUqSFE_wK6u5UsCBzql-16rsAaQ9wvN90eBG_RyYIwCVsR0RPZku5JJRzbTOIc0vlc0N8mGSPvdLDkVfarB5KmrllxYDr8y_pWSJqJzlHbL3u0Rq0/s1081/9-11-26-the-gopians-speak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1081" data-original-width="730" height="886" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kYx_8_0cAUP_C8RzASiyOH70_pZGnrsv_RTdHNYmMQmiTDS-NxTrX7grmolrvm7o8uGkYlwa52gUqSFE_wK6u5UsCBzql-16rsAaQ9wvN90eBG_RyYIwCVsR0RPZku5JJRzbTOIc0vlc0N8mGSPvdLDkVfarB5KmrllxYDr8y_pWSJqJzlHbL3u0Rq0/w598-h886/9-11-26-the-gopians-speak.jpg" width="598" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/blog-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-4417558287756297457Wed, 16 Sep 2026 23:07:00 +00002026-09-16T19:07:00.216-04:00censorshipethicsmusicsportsRobert Kraft is a hypocrite<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgQAX8a0Beoqclv7xHNJS78B2ZXRmdsrs6x_TEcbATb3_5fKQ7hmq5WcuA5Y_JMlOQPq_knkX1e42hCBuovd-2_j-sNnZnQ7adL3Ua6nVDmgnPMO5RniR7nKC8Y5mPs8rUxTORWrpJj9OxMXaKS4tz5CI12ANuWjX8Tpa_16jmqecTWdCXU3-nZd25WI/s543/i1W3ofF_d.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="435" height="803" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgQAX8a0Beoqclv7xHNJS78B2ZXRmdsrs6x_TEcbATb3_5fKQ7hmq5WcuA5Y_JMlOQPq_knkX1e42hCBuovd-2_j-sNnZnQ7adL3Ua6nVDmgnPMO5RniR7nKC8Y5mPs8rUxTORWrpJj9OxMXaKS4tz5CI12ANuWjX8Tpa_16jmqecTWdCXU3-nZd25WI/w642-h803/i1W3ofF_d.webp" width="642" /></a><br /></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/robert-kraft-is-hypocrite.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-541401376259068763Wed, 16 Sep 2026 22:00:00 +00002026-09-16T18:00:00.199-04:00artCharlestownShoppingThings To DoSaturday: Arts and Crafts in the Park<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdJGadJp90sQR6gOsiPA_LIrtS0doeGFvlmjwKJelLQ8i-34KtmvtGzEmH_VYKwAmJYld4JVg-mL-mzjLNhWHr7L7_ZkinyTXtEShjWcXZFh85jqdYhLbLrl2S0VaFzEHIpprmPSLe_dGyZ5Vpn251td89qj2AnsWfFb2jZ7M_JmKLFmlkuBmRg2ThkY/s701/788629783_122307881960198209_4156311088937115694_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="751" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdJGadJp90sQR6gOsiPA_LIrtS0doeGFvlmjwKJelLQ8i-34KtmvtGzEmH_VYKwAmJYld4JVg-mL-mzjLNhWHr7L7_ZkinyTXtEShjWcXZFh85jqdYhLbLrl2S0VaFzEHIpprmPSLe_dGyZ5Vpn251td89qj2AnsWfFb2jZ7M_JmKLFmlkuBmRg2ThkY/w563-h751/788629783_122307881960198209_4156311088937115694_n.jpg" width="563" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/saturday-arts-and-crafts-in-park.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-9132645102471638924Wed, 16 Sep 2026 20:06:00 +00002026-09-16T16:06:00.219-04:00energyfossil fuelUtilities are overcharging Rhode Island heat pump owners<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>New report finds Rhode Island’s electric rates overcharge many heat pump customers</b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Conservation Law Foundation news release</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FR_17eItcels4ZF2l2qjQq1L8AirAzxUEcy5mE3TvnmE-1g_Cj_-9D1aTd2tIuie9Nn8Mpk3egpfU4QMQ0PoBz9gbSO6tKgU5bmwu1hA8xteBqUaoIrtAbGcj7PxdpgugZ8VeL7j3UbjoXhKTR2DpRJXpAki91UvNZz3xd9efbjxyBceoKdctA9i5hQ/s480/giphy.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FR_17eItcels4ZF2l2qjQq1L8AirAzxUEcy5mE3TvnmE-1g_Cj_-9D1aTd2tIuie9Nn8Mpk3egpfU4QMQ0PoBz9gbSO6tKgU5bmwu1hA8xteBqUaoIrtAbGcj7PxdpgugZ8VeL7j3UbjoXhKTR2DpRJXpAki91UvNZz3xd9efbjxyBceoKdctA9i5hQ/w400-h400/giphy.webp" width="400"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rhode Island is encouraging more families to install energy-efficient heat pumps because they can lower energy bills, improve air quality, and reduce climate pollution. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet many households that make the switch aren’t seeing as much savings as they should because the state’s electric rates charge them more than it costs the utility to serve them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A new independent analysis by Switchbox, commissioned by the <a href="https://give.edf.org/page/search-donate?contact=search&ub_tc=1&ub_o=35&ub_cta=6&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=edf_summer-match_pd_ck&utm_medium=ad&utm_id=1787782015&wave_code=32&isc=M326A51&utm_content=822285222882&c_src2=google---ad%E2%80%94-edf_summer-match_pd_ck&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23975179595&gbraid=0AAAAACgkNbNx-mjyc-JhixpIPIb-fBE9Q&gclid=Cj0KCQjw79nUBhCgARIsADSHka3oMdP5aEPQCY0JoD6mKt6k58L4HCn4SSx9-_KA3aZrb01Fz2_Ia-YaAnnoEALw_wcB">Environmental Defense Fund</a>, <a href="https://www.clf.org/">Conservation Law Foundation</a>, <a href="https://www.greenenergyconsumers.org/">Green Energy Consumers Alliance</a>, <a href="https://acadiacenter.org/">Acadia Center</a>, and <a href="https://giving.sierraclub.org/page/91240/donate/1?supporter.appealCode=N24ZSEGO21&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=240614558&gbraid=0AAAAAD9KhE7XXaIUngOwlV7o-c9_FSRhG&gclid=Cj0KCQjw79nUBhCgARIsADSHka16okN9xWT3oLI1jwphRimTRDTbn5p6NWjP8KK9rgH8jG3km_3xPQUaAh5YEALw_wcB">Sierra Club</a>, finds that Rhode Island’s current electric rates systematically overcharge many households that use heat pumps. The report, <a href="https://tracking.us.nylas.com/l/be573311196b43649abb6b1c9f16e059/2/78873f3e815cdbe408b0721d99d8ee0760be5de243524f2df786052cbd39d485?cache_buster=1788273263">Heat Pump Rates in Rhode Island: Analysis of Fair Rates for Heat Pump Customers</a>, shows those households often pay more than they should while effectively subsidizing an outdated fossil fuel heating system. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The report recommends a dedicated heat pump rate that better reflects the actual cost of serving heat pump customers, helping more households save money while making heat pumps more accessible.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/utilities-are-overcharging-rhode-island.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/utilities-are-overcharging-rhode-island.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-2635001246623418Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:59:00 +00002026-09-16T11:59:00.122-04:00agingfluvaccinationSome adult vaccines are linked to lower dementia risk. Can they promote brain health?<p><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Scientists keep finding new and unexpected benefits to vaccines</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/meghan-holohan">Meghan Holohan</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxRQQ4zvaYwtrbPNTULPRsiCw_sZ8lYWEuEGsZ5BMlokIn6P4hrr06jAP2kPxL9To_UTeSO6mhJg4a_qNxwJyHw8DTqZPzvCHtgXp94tfppe84xUsQKSfhroX6eh4YNqWu4tXrCXVIlFCnKA-SCyNRapJZ9UFbOJxpCbKg6wqMNTpD1NXFaTVcGyrzo8/s547/images%20(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="365" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxRQQ4zvaYwtrbPNTULPRsiCw_sZ8lYWEuEGsZ5BMlokIn6P4hrr06jAP2kPxL9To_UTeSO6mhJg4a_qNxwJyHw8DTqZPzvCHtgXp94tfppe84xUsQKSfhroX6eh4YNqWu4tXrCXVIlFCnKA-SCyNRapJZ9UFbOJxpCbKg6wqMNTpD1NXFaTVcGyrzo8/w332-h495/images%20(1).jpeg" width="332"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">About seven years ago, Paul Schultz, MD, a professor and neurologist at UTHealth Houston, met with the biomedical informatics team he regularly collaborates with as they investigate risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Someone made a comment that piqued his interest. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“My colleagues who were looking through the databases said, ‘Hey, we found a signal that the influenza vaccine seems to be associated with less Alzheimer’s. Is that something you know already?’” Schultz told CIDRAP News. “I was like, ‘Oh my God; that’s totally unexpected.’” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The team began researching the relationship between receiving a flu vaccine and Alzheimer’s disease risk. Their first <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.3233/JAD-220361" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><b>paper</b></a> compared people who received the regular flu vaccine with those who didn’t and estimated the likelihood of each group to develop Alzheimer’s.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Three years of receiving the influenza vaccine was associated with a 20% reduced risk, and six years was associated with a 40% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s for at least eight years,” Schultz explained. “It’s an association, not a cause and effect, but quite striking.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the past several years, more research has emerged showing a relationship between some adult vaccines and a lower risk of dementia. Recent studies show an association between receiving the recombinant shingles and flu vaccines and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The vaccines themselves are different. But why are they starting to show some signals that they might be reducing risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?” asked Glen Finney, MD, director of the Memory and Cognition Program at Geisinger Health and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “Well, what are vaccines doing? They’re re-training your immune system.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></span></b></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/some-adult-vaccines-are-linked-to-lower.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/some-adult-vaccines-are-linked-to-lower.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5427720221066112099Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +00002026-09-16T09:00:00.116-04:00Donald TrumppollingRFK JrPolls show Americans have lost confidence in federal government, public health leaders<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Trump and Bobby Junior destroyed public trust </b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/stephanie-soucheray-ma">Stephanie Soucheray, MA</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH17FzNYCSSMqPKMy7qAzNqLWf_qPPQ0CdLMYG0GE9jN5_6a9QHsQv4C6PdWzxwo1u6pag1LHFZM7c4tN9tb-Pp2kaZYidQ1sOK1XfGK4WjoRziYYfidFQBglSYxLeoAv0cwCyIAA8NzxrvfSBGn7tdmBNPiU5T0gDaw1gNLhtYTPKcd24uJuNz4mI5E/s1000/RFK%20looks%20terrible.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="1000" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH17FzNYCSSMqPKMy7qAzNqLWf_qPPQ0CdLMYG0GE9jN5_6a9QHsQv4C6PdWzxwo1u6pag1LHFZM7c4tN9tb-Pp2kaZYidQ1sOK1XfGK4WjoRziYYfidFQBglSYxLeoAv0cwCyIAA8NzxrvfSBGn7tdmBNPiU5T0gDaw1gNLhtYTPKcd24uJuNz4mI5E/w400-h210/RFK%20looks%20terrible.webp" width="400"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two new polls, one from the Annenberg Foundation and one from the Associated Press (AP), show that American adults are losing confidence in the federal government in matters of healthcare, and trust in public health figures, such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former US public health leader Anthony Fauci, MD, are dropping. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Annenberg <a href="https://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/public-confidence-in-fauci-declines-since-spring-but-still-exceeds-rfk-jr/" target="_blank" title="(opens in a new window)"><b>poll</b></a>, just 38% of Americans said last month they are confident that Kennedy is providing trustworthy information about public health. That proportion is statistically unchanged from both April 2026 (37%) and February 2025 (38%), the Annenberg foundation said. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rjuayafuWRjpcP0q8bJR93fT6ggNwQoP9wzy5bXCbGRxjNrM_NphuGlVHHSpcOt858CpEcrnPBwRxs_THQu_eL847L0gxkcFTjPa8mWPOyCdqHa3cj24C8lwqKXtEKx7XTAjMdpLOfnH2Rb__R5RsH8XbCY6qJDtlK8MtSD40yVwnkYS2zOlFPkjrD0/s720/Dr%20Fauci.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rjuayafuWRjpcP0q8bJR93fT6ggNwQoP9wzy5bXCbGRxjNrM_NphuGlVHHSpcOt858CpEcrnPBwRxs_THQu_eL847L0gxkcFTjPa8mWPOyCdqHa3cj24C8lwqKXtEKx7XTAjMdpLOfnH2Rb__R5RsH8XbCY6qJDtlK8MtSD40yVwnkYS2zOlFPkjrD0/s320/Dr%20Fauci.webp" width="320"></a></u></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>National confidence</u> in Anthony Fauci, MD, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and agency within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), took a hit over the summer, when Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee but declined to answer its questions on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fifty percent of respondents said they are somewhat or very confident that Fauci provided the public with trustworthy information about matters concerning public health, a statistically significant decline of 5 percentage points, from 55%, in April 2026. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Overall, Fauci still is considered much more trustworthy than Kennedy. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/polls-show-americans-have-lost.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/polls-show-americans-have-lost.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5464322736289168783Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:05:00 +00002026-09-15T20:05:00.118-04:00Donald TrumpHumorTrump pays his dues<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEe50s2mvoyIEuP7Q7Esvc6a3_q2pO3ie_DvfuwtiAljNeFp3IB2HubrBzn1OXKFdk_rWigkmLEkFzuDT36NqO1LNVW0fjj6TmsD_yWoHz-OaJ4uj0HodfTWeYK3eClTXvfurBXwwXYVpux3rEhqwHsH4MhvnSmWnbC8OgleMwZNrjZ4FBO-kIwqIW9M/s991/Fuck%20him.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="730" height="814" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEe50s2mvoyIEuP7Q7Esvc6a3_q2pO3ie_DvfuwtiAljNeFp3IB2HubrBzn1OXKFdk_rWigkmLEkFzuDT36NqO1LNVW0fjj6TmsD_yWoHz-OaJ4uj0HodfTWeYK3eClTXvfurBXwwXYVpux3rEhqwHsH4MhvnSmWnbC8OgleMwZNrjZ4FBO-kIwqIW9M/w601-h814/Fuck%20him.jpg" width="601" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/08/trump-pays-his-dues.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-8464617964818979620Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:05:00 +00002026-09-15T18:05:00.118-04:00BeachCharlestownThings To DotrashCharlestown Beach Cleanup Hits Shoreline Saturday<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Time to clean up after the summer people</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://upriseri.com/reporters/jaxon-veridian/"><b>Jaxon Veridian</b></a>, Entertainment & Culture<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA73kwftv0Rx7K2squrUoHBzth1lUYxfoeqTBe5dB7Du2MhCC1zTbcMRa9JBj0DtlKA_q-7fP3J__WP4XPuIYwrVx9fIoyEy_3MUuumvnOlTUpnWydXomGpejwpd9gKcmwHQqaDjFhhqn6tSPHaPO4XbRFIbT7cyHZNl5N48g2U_9oRmlsKcZvykG-w8U/s1706/Screenshot_15-9-2026_114245_savebay.org.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="1706" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA73kwftv0Rx7K2squrUoHBzth1lUYxfoeqTBe5dB7Du2MhCC1zTbcMRa9JBj0DtlKA_q-7fP3J__WP4XPuIYwrVx9fIoyEy_3MUuumvnOlTUpnWydXomGpejwpd9gKcmwHQqaDjFhhqn6tSPHaPO4XbRFIbT7cyHZNl5N48g2U_9oRmlsKcZvykG-w8U/w451-h184/Screenshot_15-9-2026_114245_savebay.org.jpeg" width="451"></a></div>Rhode Islanders can join a two-hour shoreline cleanup at Charlestown Town Beach on Saturday, contributing hands-on effort and data to state and global marine-debris tracking.<o:p></o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Listen, there is a very particular late-September energy along the Rhode Island coast — the crowds have cleared out, parking gates flip open, and South County beaches settle into that crisp, quiet post-season groove. But if you think the shoreline simply takes care of itself once the lifeguards pack up their umbrellas, I have some numbers for you.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On Saturday, <a href="https://savebay.org/save-the-bay-invites-volunteers-to-engage-in-statewide-cleanups-and-seathechange-at-ocean-conservancys-41st-annual-international-coastal-cleanup/">Save The Bay</a> and the Town of Charlestown are summoning volunteers down to Charlestown Town Beach for a two-hour sweep from 9 to 11 a.m. The meetup point is 557 Charlestown Beach Road, and according to the town's notice, the clean-up corridor heads from the beach down toward the Breachway. It is quick, it is outdoors, and frankly, it is an easy entry point into a massive global undertaking.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/charlestown-beach-cleanup-hits.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/charlestown-beach-cleanup-hits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5300688947032920346Tue, 15 Sep 2026 20:03:00 +00002026-09-15T16:03:00.115-04:00CanadaDonald TrumpEducationThings To DoUnless blocked by Trump as an "enemy alien," Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to speak at Brown on Sept. 22<p><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>Maybe he can help us understand Trump's war on Canada</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brown University </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6O6c5cQsq-XO8Q1SF9vXWOhDJHCPJywyBUy4iDlhKqSU6hI-eGn7CFQn9g6z88o-o7Ts7s0CvbAf8w5v2ULOtJ9fABRl5Au3hyphenhyphen4ZaIQVFByENAQWcpV-49yN8fQTe63cTv7Cuy6nzK5__WxAvc61DKotB1LoYBJBsuf9YzTJe-zZ2jyUJnhb0ZjsiIw/s1206/Canadian%20wind%20turbines.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="1206" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6O6c5cQsq-XO8Q1SF9vXWOhDJHCPJywyBUy4iDlhKqSU6hI-eGn7CFQn9g6z88o-o7Ts7s0CvbAf8w5v2ULOtJ9fABRl5Au3hyphenhyphen4ZaIQVFByENAQWcpV-49yN8fQTe63cTv7Cuy6nzK5__WxAvc61DKotB1LoYBJBsuf9YzTJe-zZ2jyUJnhb0ZjsiIw/w400-h378/Canadian%20wind%20turbines.webp" width="400"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Former Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau will deliver Brown University’s 106<sup>th</sup> <a href="https://ogden.brown.edu/">Stephen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture on International Affairs</a> on Tuesday, Sept. 22.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an open-to-the-public talk titled “Leadership, Democracy and the Evolving Global Landscape,” Trudeau will reflect on his time in office and discuss the forces shaping democracies, international alliances and public life. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Drawing on his experience leading Canada through a period of global change, he will share insights on Canada-U.S. relations, the evolving world order, institutional trust and civic engagement. Trudeau will also speak about the challenges and opportunities facing democratic societies in an increasingly interconnected world. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="435" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-cJLdT2BEVU_lfNHMMIjogDMXn0xmVEd0mWpMbPN2BYRgDLKFUDhzoFYPcvOhyphenhyphenLJqhHHmwj6gmGXOmwMHDkPoADO9fEPpl00X85W2qMRdB8pWP7yMePQWgDzJ6LA1n5-uxA3T0uP9a6QJcfC-cH4aA1BiLsj5R8BjyJIbWMh88ny8vNENOR4DTktK7Q/w400-h300/Canada%20wall.webp" width="400"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trudeau served for a decade as Canada’s 23rd prime minister after leading the Liberal Party of Canada to a historic majority government in 2015. During his time in office, he set about delivering an ambitious agenda that included appointing Canada’s first gender-balanced cabinet, launching a national $10-a-day childcare program, lifting over 2 million Canadians out of poverty, advancing Indigenous reconciliation, and taking action to fight climate change, including through policies that attracted investment in clean economic growth and jobs.</span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Confronted with a series of global economic and security shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trudeau worked to address international and domestic issues while continuing to deliver on a progressive vision for Canada. During his talk at Brown, he plans to share insights into societal resilience, high-stakes international diplomacy, shared economic growth and meaningful, lasting change.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/unless-blocked-by-trump-as-enemy-alien.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/unless-blocked-by-trump-as-enemy-alien.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-1822522930156947023Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:59:00 +00002026-09-15T11:59:00.118-04:00ChinaDonald Trumpend of the worldTechnologyTrump exhibits a fundamental incompetence that places us all in grave danger.<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Trump calls AI extinction threat a "hoax"</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.commondreams.org/author/jeffrey-d-sachs">Jeffrey D. Sachs</a> in <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/">Common Dreams</a><o:p></o:p><br></p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XjUTzFqGU4hsRHCjkeNBGI5yRh3gmAWFdxdlPdvjF_wHVSs5bvGaRAxlFSvdspWXdQ7YuF5ZJNG49FGqbZse1SdLcrLk2CDxeS-jlEKE4RcAPijVKo_KE5GIZ42uCeRSDax8vzn3GJT8VBfuQXSszFBSYa-qLm_Jx9pg5KZbiZ0YFchFdpOmBmcFtJA/s1276/5ae76ef5-7db3-4a73-b024-cceccd9a067e_1176x1276.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1176" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XjUTzFqGU4hsRHCjkeNBGI5yRh3gmAWFdxdlPdvjF_wHVSs5bvGaRAxlFSvdspWXdQ7YuF5ZJNG49FGqbZse1SdLcrLk2CDxeS-jlEKE4RcAPijVKo_KE5GIZ42uCeRSDax8vzn3GJT8VBfuQXSszFBSYa-qLm_Jx9pg5KZbiZ0YFchFdpOmBmcFtJA/w369-h400/5ae76ef5-7db3-4a73-b024-cceccd9a067e_1176x1276.webp" width="369"></a></div>On Sunday the President of the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/united-states">United States</a> stood on a golf course in County Clare, Ireland and was asked what he intended to do about the most serious technological warning of our lifetime. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">His answer, in full, was that America is beating China. “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/13/trump-rejects-calls-so-slow-ai-development-citing-chinese-competition/" target="_blank">We’re leading China in AI</a>. We’re the most sophisticated country in the world, and frankly, I want to keep it that way, because whoever wins AI wins.” He added that “you have a lot of negative forces that are bringing it up that shouldn’t be bringing it up, and they’re bringing up things that won’t happen.”<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Consider who was doing the bringing up. The warning did not come from activists, academics, or a congressional commission. </p><p class="MsoNormal">It came from the industry itself, from the people who build the AI systems and whose fortunes depend entirely on building them faster. </p><p class="MsoNormal">The day before, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei <a href="https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier" target="_blank">published an essay asking that the pace of capability advance be slowed</a> and committing his own company to embed outside evaluators with employee-level access. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2026/09/12/anthropic-ceo-calls-for-ai-race-to-slow-down-musk-and-openai-s-altman-agrees" target="_blank"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgnTmb_b2Rb9G7q7lukwC6ibYtG18lu3WLd8b-GbrW8pXDNTpPGBQXlB_hzodYTslJNt6hZdPptbHAInq1hGKRWjp89UuijEeJqbacDCpAn0EIViLXqoMmJ12-zEA8HyzGtxHNo8Z2OVmMu17IafnPxLiENOilELLBcGuBNENMM1kbNtUgoaoKWKo2I8/s1154/2aae80f3-4a28-43a6-a292-ea9826590e28_1154x552.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="1154" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgnTmb_b2Rb9G7q7lukwC6ibYtG18lu3WLd8b-GbrW8pXDNTpPGBQXlB_hzodYTslJNt6hZdPptbHAInq1hGKRWjp89UuijEeJqbacDCpAn0EIViLXqoMmJ12-zEA8HyzGtxHNo8Z2OVmMu17IafnPxLiENOilELLBcGuBNENMM1kbNtUgoaoKWKo2I8/w400-h191/2aae80f3-4a28-43a6-a292-ea9826590e28_1154x552.webp" width="400"></a></div>Sam Altman agreed and said OpenAI would do likewise. <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>, a direct competitor who called Anthropic “misanthropic and evil” only in February, wrote three words: “Dario is right.” Three rival laboratories in the most valuable commercial race on earth asked to be restrained, against their own immediate interest. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Amodei did so while his company prepares what is expected to be the largest public offering in history, at a valuation of two trillion dollars or more. Tobacco executives never did this. Neither did the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/tag/oil">oil</a> majors, the chemical companies, or the banks.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nor is the concern vague. Amodei points to <a href="https://www.anthropic.com/institute/recursive-self-improvement" target="_blank">recursive self-improvement</a>, the use of AI to build the next generation of AI, which has accelerated sharply since the summer, and to the <a href="https://metr.org/blog/2026-08-26-openai-hugging-face-incident-investigation/" target="_blank">OpenAI–Hugging Face incident of August</a>, in which a swarm of agents attacked targets nobody had asked them to attack and tried to break into the system that was grading their performance. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Current and former Anthropic researchers have said publicly that these systems <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/mike-johnson-house-recess-ai-doom-warnings" target="_blank">could kill off humanity within the decade</a>. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/11/politics/mike-johnson-house-recess-ai" target="_blank">A letter from House members</a> cites mass cybersecurity breaches and the development of biological and chemical weapons. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/trump-exhibits-fundamental-incompetence.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/trump-exhibits-fundamental-incompetence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-2660885411691634071Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:00:00 +00002026-09-15T09:00:00.218-04:00Chariho SchoolsCharlestownLGBTsportsChariho Committee Declines Legal Opinion on Barring Transgender Girls From Girls' Sports<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Culture war pounds on</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://upriseri.com/reporters/adriana-vossari/"><b>Adriana Vossari</b></a>, RI & Local Government</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EMaFwYcTSy51ynMPdMTKiNSA4wlACuah65_AzZ9njxeZHvrmxSB7hB-69zIaDYQqmRPXnjQ5KNnRXiblNWM3Wj-cgl6pF2CwhTWJ1paaNSW_s67KPSF0gytjLpJVLYQKry_3Ze3Nd4oVl3HtO7rGIccClu6yIwasVumaT8zH85qcMZT7yN-IgrZRTio/s480/giphy.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EMaFwYcTSy51ynMPdMTKiNSA4wlACuah65_AzZ9njxeZHvrmxSB7hB-69zIaDYQqmRPXnjQ5KNnRXiblNWM3Wj-cgl6pF2CwhTWJ1paaNSW_s67KPSF0gytjLpJVLYQKry_3Ze3Nd4oVl3HtO7rGIccClu6yIwasVumaT8zH85qcMZT7yN-IgrZRTio/s320/giphy.webp" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">No change to Chariho athletics policy. The committee declined to pay for a legal opinion, and no policy was placed on a future agenda.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Chariho Regional School Committee member's request for a paid legal opinion on prohibiting "biological males from participating in biological female sports" failed at Tuesday's meeting, with only three members raising their hands in support.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to the school committee's published meeting recording, the request came during the meeting's final item, when the chair asked members for future agenda items or legal opinions. A member said he wanted an agenda item to implement such a policy "in accordance with the recent United States Supreme Court decision." He also asked for a legal opinion on whether that federal decision overrides Rhode Island law, saying, "I think that federalism trumps Rhode Island law."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The committee, which oversees schools serving Richmond, Hopkinton and Charlestown, did not adopt or debate any policy language. Only the request for a legal opinion was put to a vote.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span></span></b></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/chariho-committee-declines-legal.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/chariho-committee-declines-legal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-5528247037447402979Tue, 15 Sep 2026 03:55:00 +00002026-09-14T23:55:00.205-04:00behaviorDonald Trumpfake newsterrorismThe muted response to Trump 9/11 fantasy is a media failure<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Failure to call out Trump on his 9/11 lies</b></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://substack.com/@lisaneedham">Lisa Needham</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6RiL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc100932-37c6-45bb-9a57-72837017ed27_7756x5171.jpeg" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: inherit; mso-no-proof: yes;"><a href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6RiL!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffc100932-37c6-45bb-9a57-72837017ed27_7756x5171.jpeg" target="_blank"><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"><img border="0" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjBSqA7NZpNTth4citcgXi1UPvQQNOphqjXk3xahLgOJjKQX9E7i1emcfqLOMv82-OPwhNtfKnyZm75UvWvw-tKQXgJAMMEyIHhSxi6CqXfyTdCfT7Ob67pkuXiL15lcSsVPaBRTljl8mRqgbsJH8eYR9T9fWXd6-zv64-hAK_TqizmhlLdkP41hQmmP0" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_8" width="623"></span><span style="mso-no-proof: no;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><b>Trump <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mv7oexz3vd26">snaps at a reporter</a> after Trumpapalooza. (Andrew Harnik/Getty)</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to 9/11, Donald Trump has always had a problem with the truth. Now that he’s increasingly detached from reality and completely surrounded by sycophants, his lies have gotten downright bizarre.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The absolute weirdest of these has to be Trump’s fantasy that he was literally pulled to safety by brave firefighters as he stood … Inside? Near? Under? … the US Steel Building, now One Liberty Plaza.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="743" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQ3SXmXLxPV0KoKyGUOENsBeKkWpeOskz1S8jvKelsirZtKHEGuCiRbqUo76QsOUI-1olB6FbmZOInbFp9cuv6eB-8vgF1RMhyBqPAOOuI7Kujwdw3ec_Yh6iS_R_905Xp1NgGvd26FCcdMdW2InsNfAP0yh7-iAQE2JUXMzHmBlp3lFkUQGBKCcbbts/w399-h400/Screenshot_11-9-2026_11939_www.publicnotice.co.jpeg" width="399"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/08/politics/fact-check-trump-9-11-claims">significant fear</a> that the US Steel Building might collapse, fear that turned out to be wrong. But on both September 12, 2001, and September 14, 2001, rescue workers were evacuated and rushed from the building.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which, apparently, is where Trump comes in: </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">“The United States Steel Building was creaking. Really creaking. And we thought it was going to fall down. The truth is it creaked a lot. It creaked. It still creaks, but it never came down. And I’ll never forget two firemen. We thought it was coming down on top of us. And two firemen, big strong guys, and I’m not the smallest guy in the world. They grabbed me under the arm, said, ‘Got to get out of here.’ And they literally lifted me up. This is not easy to do. I’m big. They lifted me up and they started running with me. I said, ‘Fellas, I can run myself.’ But they were amazing.”</i></p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To hear Trump tell it, he’s also some sort of air traffic savant, heavily implying that as he watched the second plane on 9/11, he knew it was going to hit the Twin Towers:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“I saw the second plane hit and you saw that come and you’re watching it and it’s because I watched the air patterns for years and you know where the planes are. They go up right up the Hudson River. This thing was coming right into the second building and I said, ‘Wow.” So I watched that happen and I said, “Wow, we are now in a different time.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wow. Wow, we are now in a different time. What soaring and stirring rhetoric, right?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.publicnotice.co/p/alex-pretti-trump-lies" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s another big problem with this make-believe, which is that Trump Tower is some <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-claims-firefighters-carried-ground-zero-after-911/story?id=136306942">four miles away</a> from Ground Zero, so the chance Trump was keenly watching the air patterns over the Twin Towers is pretty much zero.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With Trump, it’s always tempting to try to determine whether he knows he’s lying or believes his own lies. Before his second term, that approach still made some sort of sense, because his lies were at least reality-shaped, more about puffery than outright fantasy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But you could see the outlines of full fabulism starting to ramp up.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></span></b></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/the-muted-response-to-trump-911-fantasy.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/the-muted-response-to-trump-911-fantasy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-8348893232623845020Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:06:00 +00002026-09-14T20:06:00.200-04:002026 electionbehaviorCanadaDonald TrumpIranA perfectly normal week<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cChUdE1HpKu6TiBI9aaFv52lu_XaHO9t4Yd3F-xT3wxtF_hXkOLZrBn39UuMMsp_fdDf3yGx9CR1lkbebJdZJmr0RVtHzojxCcvxXF9j0MikWlhXB7WFautoNQoeCpM40-kcD6G-Q5r_qfobPQ9JGky8xKCZ6FmyVlnS1M872xCh6F82VlGQ32l8tFM/s1100/Tom6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1100" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5cChUdE1HpKu6TiBI9aaFv52lu_XaHO9t4Yd3F-xT3wxtF_hXkOLZrBn39UuMMsp_fdDf3yGx9CR1lkbebJdZJmr0RVtHzojxCcvxXF9j0MikWlhXB7WFautoNQoeCpM40-kcD6G-Q5r_qfobPQ9JGky8xKCZ6FmyVlnS1M872xCh6F82VlGQ32l8tFM/w640-h606/Tom6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/a-perfectly-normal-week.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-7169923711135623255Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:00:00 +00002026-09-14T19:00:00.207-04:00behaviordrugsgunsHealthTake care of yourself and your loved ones<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMoyizkY8DC89l8sRfR3t7U6g4-3WAf1tuGuWv8Zo_-RRjU70xoMMxcyZHKBMc9zvjZFQWl55pg9F_YkR7oZhcAL4zWrZqlY8Aal8o2B6ptDl253g5CPWNts-aubVoWnTW13rdEPmy8B4RAXMv_umNFZBt4S3vKhkGjmcgjLmC9NAz0zkZvncaPhNroY/s900/HRyyiyhacAAo0So.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMoyizkY8DC89l8sRfR3t7U6g4-3WAf1tuGuWv8Zo_-RRjU70xoMMxcyZHKBMc9zvjZFQWl55pg9F_YkR7oZhcAL4zWrZqlY8Aal8o2B6ptDl253g5CPWNts-aubVoWnTW13rdEPmy8B4RAXMv_umNFZBt4S3vKhkGjmcgjLmC9NAz0zkZvncaPhNroY/w640-h640/HRyyiyhacAAo0So.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSbQhyFeXG5303oqnBt0xmmSjTOOm9CpIaz5CNryIlvm_Ic7KzeO_jIiwFQaUoFHTPU5ax5AnQ_h4e02OSpUQIfMMAdulEyIhb6-MRHYsljVsso62DKp9jGB_4HHA4Hg7fDPgOK6onpJ8FZmzN0DhzDzd8XkEQiPjktRiVOejt5Eh6T1DP2CjMzyVwgQ/s933/HR237jhWgAEAGLV.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="705" height="819" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSbQhyFeXG5303oqnBt0xmmSjTOOm9CpIaz5CNryIlvm_Ic7KzeO_jIiwFQaUoFHTPU5ax5AnQ_h4e02OSpUQIfMMAdulEyIhb6-MRHYsljVsso62DKp9jGB_4HHA4Hg7fDPgOK6onpJ8FZmzN0DhzDzd8XkEQiPjktRiVOejt5Eh6T1DP2CjMzyVwgQ/w619-h819/HR237jhWgAEAGLV.jpeg" width="619" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/take-care-of-yourself-and-your-loved.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-4810413031104511890Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:01:00 +00002026-09-14T18:01:00.201-04:00rfkTrumpers attack hospices<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFX0_qiLPgxvvOfYtlKRooqJr-OZC4QiZlKEml4nwFcn4KP1eVpcl1pvYZXt07LhVL4V4Q3apZO-m4lYNPyn6CC6mgTqxKFhD9_8gTgbB6v28FIdHDvqBxWYGBiju9e-RcN_MFldAm88J5Ni7Zem-J6Ayv8dIaCG-OO48CqNQU8gWi9pyNrH2OyXG8vfs/s866/Screenshot_9-9-2026_11571_bsky.app.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="866" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFX0_qiLPgxvvOfYtlKRooqJr-OZC4QiZlKEml4nwFcn4KP1eVpcl1pvYZXt07LhVL4V4Q3apZO-m4lYNPyn6CC6mgTqxKFhD9_8gTgbB6v28FIdHDvqBxWYGBiju9e-RcN_MFldAm88J5Ni7Zem-J6Ayv8dIaCG-OO48CqNQU8gWi9pyNrH2OyXG8vfs/w640-h456/Screenshot_9-9-2026_11571_bsky.app.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">RFK wants the dying to die faster</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FxhpgGN7pKRkhtaBwUHooEgmv0koGdU4JpNP_WX4XCa44SZgyWqjP3Kwcx970WnPT5ZDCqO1Qg25gQ8PwzGAe8_wuRzR6UQnWrr-oUK3HlG_s7zQpP1rI0X2cFiOoHrgZTcDFZjjGvvq3SzgakSzhD8r0SE9TPzj5lEE8p1H8eibdW5kT5zS4vDkCWo/s743/image1788718244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="594" height="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FxhpgGN7pKRkhtaBwUHooEgmv0koGdU4JpNP_WX4XCa44SZgyWqjP3Kwcx970WnPT5ZDCqO1Qg25gQ8PwzGAe8_wuRzR6UQnWrr-oUK3HlG_s7zQpP1rI0X2cFiOoHrgZTcDFZjjGvvq3SzgakSzhD8r0SE9TPzj5lEE8p1H8eibdW5kT5zS4vDkCWo/w576-h720/image1788718244.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><p></p>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/trumpers-attack-hospices.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-3768183114497500800Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:01:00 +00002026-09-14T16:01:00.195-04:00CharlestownFoodThings To DoNarragansett's townwide Gansett Days celebration returns September 18–20<p><b><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Gansett Days Returns With Weekend of Food and History</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://upriseri.com/reporters/jaxon-veridian/"><b>Jaxon Veridian</b></a>, Entertainment & Culture<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDXZwKOXrSP5-I4INjCzyEMySELM6QO8VUAoT1vMP3C7oNzuQFRM9MXAc3tyBqF8jO7wDCjQMVlCvV2dmxRGzzs50GzeFKW8VufczigPpAyxv56BrSHqVAxemCvdcLLS5Hw3DPxO73B6FYrjSB8PZZ3BSQwJXFwMby0Rb2wxsHxSdVL4eTOzRRQBngMc/s390/200.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="390" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDXZwKOXrSP5-I4INjCzyEMySELM6QO8VUAoT1vMP3C7oNzuQFRM9MXAc3tyBqF8jO7wDCjQMVlCvV2dmxRGzzs50GzeFKW8VufczigPpAyxv56BrSHqVAxemCvdcLLS5Hw3DPxO73B6FYrjSB8PZZ3BSQwJXFwMby0Rb2wxsHxSdVL4eTOzRRQBngMc/s320/200.webp" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Residents across South County can take advantage of three days of seaside programming, local food competitions, historic walking tours, and free recycling services in Narragansett.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Look, there is something deeply romantic about post-Labor Day South County. The summer rush thins out, the breeze carries that first crisp edge of autumn, and locals reclaim the coastline for a brief, glorious stretch. If you are already mapping out how to spend those golden September afternoons, circle your calendar: the Town of Narragansett announced yesterday that Gansett Days is officially returning from September 18 through September 20.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, if you think Gansett Days is just one centralized festival where everyone gathers in a single town square, think again. It operates as an expansive, townwide umbrella celebration — labeled across municipal records as Gansett Days/Endless Summer — pulling together everything from culinary cook-offs and historical architecture walks to hands-on river ecology.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The town’s Parks and Recreation Department organized the broader weekend schedule, following up on a previous edition held in September 2025. While town listings vary slightly on the exact overall morning start time — the municipal calendar lists 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., while a revised special-events calendar notes 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — the individual marquee events across South County are locked in with specific schedules.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;">The Food Main Event: Calamari Festival</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For anyone whose personal food pyramid includes fried seafood, Saturday, September 19, brings the marquee attraction: the Rhode Island Calamari Festival and Cook-Off at Veterans Park, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organized by the <a href="https://narragansettcoc.com/event-calendar/ri-calamari-fest/">Narragansett Chamber of Commerce</a>, the festival puts Rhode Island's official state appetizer directly in the spotlight.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Local kitchens will compete for the Calamari Trophy, with a lineup of confirmed competitors that includes Coast Guard House, Georges of Galilee, Surf Shack, Sea Craft, Two Ten Oyster Bar, The Haversham Tavern, and Suya Joint. Beyond the fried squid showdown, the park will host raw oysters, food offerings from Celeste’s pop-up, desserts prepared by Job Corps students, craft beer and wine, and live music.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/narragansetts-townwide-gansett-days.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/09/narragansetts-townwide-gansett-days.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783158733584732706.post-4173769893817284829Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +00002026-09-14T12:00:00.118-04:00CharlestownLyme DiseaseTickswildlifeMice may drive Lyme disease more than deer<p><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hunting season on mice?</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Amanda Watford, <a href="https://rhodeislandcurrent.com">Rhode Island Current</a><br></span></p> <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9PSxeYl41e5HLl79pUr3yJpiMEZsA4eRbsptmrpxvQE-b5LUXcRCZkSeEFL9jL48hM0mwSBgGKkrjBSM__n7e7KhhGADeXEvlr3pa5PPSboBgOQaR94KvfHNbGb0Oc7fGbzQMwv4RO5h3IvukxhgJp84KnKDPb5s6axkpHV03BxCfEnyktvtKX_r3R8/s358/200.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="358" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9PSxeYl41e5HLl79pUr3yJpiMEZsA4eRbsptmrpxvQE-b5LUXcRCZkSeEFL9jL48hM0mwSBgGKkrjBSM__n7e7KhhGADeXEvlr3pa5PPSboBgOQaR94KvfHNbGb0Oc7fGbzQMwv4RO5h3IvukxhgJp84KnKDPb5s6axkpHV03BxCfEnyktvtKX_r3R8/s320/200.webp" width="320"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">For more than three decades, researchers have been tracking ticks, mice, oak trees and other wildlife in a New York forest to better understand what makes Lyme disease more likely to spread.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Their latest findings challenge some long-held assumptions — including the idea that deer are a major driver of Lyme disease risk.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, a nonprofit environmental research group, found that white-footed mice, not white-tailed deer, are closely linked to the number of young blacklegged ticks, the life stage most likely to infect people with Lyme disease.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">A year with a large mouse population was followed by about a 40% increase in nymphal ticks the following year. But more mice don’t necessarily mean a higher percentage of ticks carrying Lyme bacteria. Researchers initially expected the two to rise together because white-footed mice are especially good at transmitting the bacteria to ticks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The researchers found that other animals, including skunks, squirrels and opossums, also feed larval ticks. Because those animals are less efficient at transmitting the bacteria, the mix of hosts can affect how many ticks become infected.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, mouse populations can help predict how many ticks there will be, but not necessarily how many will carry Lyme bacteria.</span></p> <div class="halfwidth"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="500px" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/SuD1m/1/#embed" width="100%"></iframe> </span></div> <p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The researchers also found that large crops of acorns can set off a chain reaction: More acorns mean more food for mice, which can mean more ticks two years later.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/08/mice-may-drive-lyme-disease-more-than.html#more">Click Here to Read More >></a>https://www.progressive-charlestown.com/2026/08/mice-may-drive-lyme-disease-more-than.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown)