Progressive Charlestown

League of Rhode Island Businesses: Republican business owners seeking power by subverting campaign finance rules and misleading voters

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 03:35:00 +0000

Behind the mask

Things are seldom dull in the world of politics. This year, Rhode Island has seen the creation of the “League of Rhode Island Businesses,” an organization running several candidates for the General Assembly, many in Democratic primaries. League founder Dave Levesque, who owns the Brewed Awakenings coffee shops in Cranston, Johnston, and Warwick, is a Republican pro-gun activist who feels his point of view is underrepresented at the State House.

You can see a “Lively” interview with him where he calls women’s rights and the repeal of Roe v. Wade “little bitty issues” and tries valiantly to avoid saying that Joe Biden was elected President in 2020. (Kudos to Bill Bartholomew for pursuing him on the points.)

(Full interview here.)

Levesque was to be a featured speaker at a “Rhode Island First” rally planned for this past May, featuring Roger Stone. Yes, that Roger Stone, the treasonous fop with a Nixon tattoo on his back, was sentenced to prison for covering up for Donald Trump’s campaign collusion with Russian operatives in 2016. Trump commuted his sentence, leaving him free to become centrally involved in the 2021 “Stop the Steal” event that led to the January 6 assault on Congress.

Levesque’s League has embraced an innovative strategy to fund its candidates. They created 40 different PACs — one statewide and one for each city and town in Rhode Island — and when you donate through the League web page, it automatically distributes your donation among them so that you can totally evade the disclosure rules for campaign donations.

To me, the remarkable part is that they boast, right there on the website, that they are doing this to evade disclosure requirements. ➜

According to the state Board of Elections, what they are doing is indeed legal. It is a loophole in Rhode Island campaign finance law that allows a single organization to control multiple PACs. The League is not the only organization doing this, and a few unions control multiple PACs, as do Amica Insurance and Bally’s.

Presumably, this is why a bill to close this loophole failed in the General Assembly this year.

⟵ But for the sake of comparison, here is a chart of information from the Board of Elections showing all the organizations who control multiple PACs. (Thank you, Nancy Lavin, of the Rhode Island Current.) Sometimes a difference in degree becomes a difference in kind, and I marvel that any union would lobby to preserve this kind of disadvantage.

As Levesque has explained, the organizing base of the League is the pro-gun activists who show up to the state house every year to lobby against any proposed regulation of guns. Their website features lots of calls to action like this one. ⬇

As the League, they embrace more issues than just guns. They also inveigh against taxes, road tolls, and business regulation. In other words, standard Republican stuff. However, try as I might, I cannot find the word “Republican” anywhere on their website, or on any of the websites of candidates they endorse.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with advocating for positions I do not agree with. Obviously, I think people who hold positions I disagree with are misguided (that’s what it means), but go ahead and take those positions and defend them.

What’s remarkable about the League is the extent to which its candidates seek to obscure those positions, mainly by running in Democratic primaries on an essentially Republican platform.

Take Kevin Hoyle, for instance, a candidate in the Democratic primary for House District 32 in North Kingstown. Here’s how he introduces himself on Facebook, an image he included in an email exchange with me.

Challenged to endorse the state’s Democratic Party platform, Hoyle emailed me a detailed list of where he agrees and where he does not.

I suspect he thought this would end a conversation about what kind of Democrat he actually is by allowing him to say he agrees with most of it.

But his endorsement is filled with cautions and careful wording, such as saying “Recent IPCC reports may change some of this” in response to the platform’s Environment and Climate section, or noting that investment in transportation and infrastructure is important but not through taxes.

He supports the party platform on voting rights, but felt it was important to emphasize that he only wants voting rights for citizens. Imagining that there is anyone out there advocating for voting rights for non-citizens is a standard part of the MAGA fever dream, of course. Hoyle even included a strange hedge on the civil rights plank, questioning its use of the word “equitable”.

As an exercise in power, running very conservative, if not covertly Republican, candidates in September’s Democratic primary is not a terrible strategy. As we have seen all too well, many voters are not inclined to do much research on the candidates they vote for, and it is relatively straightforward to mislead them.

Blake Filippi, who was the Republican leader in the House from 2018 to 2022, first won his seat in a Democratic primary in 2014. After defeating Donna Walsh, one of the leaders of Progressive Charlestown, he was unopposed in November and promptly disaffiliated upon his election. Eventually, he became the House Minority leader, successfully — and repeatedly — winning re-election while never using the word “Republican” on his campaign website. You can say this is essentially dishonest, but you can also say, hey, it worked.

EDITOR'S NOTE: While Rep. Donna Walsh was a Progressive Charlestown favorite and I personally work with Donna on issues and her campaigns, she never had any official connection to Progressive Charlestown. - Will Collette

So this is the League of Rhode Island Businesses: Republican business owners who are seeking power by subverting campaign finance rules and misleading voters. Hoyle is not the only such candidate, and with the lure of plenty of untraceable money to spend, the League has recruited several others, including Mark Mesrobian in Narragansett and North Kingstown; Vanessa Lopez in Pawtucket; Brian Coogan in East Providence; and Leah Boisclair in Charlestown and Westerly. These are all going to be well-funded campaigns, and here’s hoping that money is not enough in the state’s Democratic primaries.

A guest post by Tom Sgouros, Public policy nerd and data scientist. Currently at work on projects in public finance, immunology, astronomy, and information theory. Also a bus rider.

SteveAhlquist.news is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It's hard being green

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:05:00 +0000

New reason why Trump should take over Greenland. NOT a joke.

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:00:00 +0000

You're invited!

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:06:00 +0000

Charlestown Residents United Fundraiser!

When: Tuesday, July 14, 5-7 pm.

Where: The Breachway Grill, 1 Charlestown Beach Road.

Why: To support the good work the members of CRU have achieved since gaining the majority on the council, keeping the tax rate low, accomplishing major public works projects like repairing the breachway and paving Charlestown Beach Road, and protecting the rural nature of our town.

What: Pizza and wings, with a cash bar.

We realize this is a busy time of year, so if you can't make it and would like to donate anyway, please visit our web page by clicking here and filling out the form.

We hope to see you there next Tuesday night!

Charlestown Residents United | PO Box 412 | Charlestown, RI 02813 US

Charlestown Conservation Commission holds July 23 on the safety of your well water

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:05:00 +0000

Cool, crisp, clear … safe to drink?

Kristen Curry

In Rhode Island, private well owners are responsible for
testing and maintaining the quality of their own well water.

To provide residents with information on private well water testing, treatment, and maintenance, research associate Lisa Hollister with the University of Rhode Island’s Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program and private well specialist Shannon Nakama with the Rhode Island Department of Health Private Wells Program will hold a free program on Thursday, July 23, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Cross’ Mills Public Library, 4417 Old Post Road, in Charlestown.

This program is held in partnership with the Charlestown Conservation Commission and the Cross’ Mills Public Library. Attendees will learn about well maintenance and protection, the importance of regular well water testing, and resources available to interpret results.

Click Here to Read More >>

New research suggests that heavy soybean oil intake may disrupt the gut

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:13:00 +0000

America’s Most Popular Cooking Oil May Be Harming Your Intestines

By SciTechDaily.com

A diet high in soybean oil is found to encourage the growth of harmful bacteria such as adherent invasive E. coli in the gut. Credit: Sladek lab, UC Riverside

Soybean oil or “vegetable oil” is everywhere in the American diet. It is used in salad dressings, sauces, fried foods, packaged snacks, frozen meals, and many restaurant meals. Most people may consume it regularly without realizing how much they are getting.

New research from the University of California, Riverside suggests that high soybean oil intake may affect more than body weight. In mouse studies, it has been linked to changes in gut bacteria, a weaker intestinal barrier, greater susceptibility to ulcerative colitis, and metabolic problems.

The findings do not prove that soybean oil causes these diseases in people. But they do raise concerns about how often this inexpensive, widely used oil appears in processed and restaurant foods.

Click Here to Read More >>

Anti-vaxxer mom likely to have her lawsuit dismissed

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

She is charged with murdering her twins whom she claimed were killed by vaccines

Walker Bragman

An Idaho woman whose claims that vaccines killed her toddler twins were promoted by Robert Kennedy Jr.’s former anti-vaccine group has been arrested and charged with their murders.

Andrea Shaw, 23, formerly of Payette, Idaho, was arrested on Tuesday after a grand jury returned an indictment, charging her with two counts of first-degree murder, which requires premeditation, in connection with the deaths of her 18-month-old twins, Dallas and Tyson. Police found the twins unresponsive in their shared bed on May 1, 2025 after responding to a 911 call.

Shaw blamed the flu, hepatitis A, and DTaP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccines the children had received days earlier, but the indictment alleges that she suffocated the toddlers. The arrest concludes “a lengthy and thorough” multi-agency investigation led by the Payette Police Department, according to a press release posted to the department’s Facebook page. That investigation was launched last year as foul play was suspected.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD), the anti-vaccine advocacy group founded and previously led by Kennedy before he became Health and Human Services Secretary, picked up Shaw’s story and promoted it for months. Days after her children’s deaths, Shaw appeared on a CHD podcast, claiming that her husband’s side of the family all suffered allergic reactions to the flu shot that the pediatrician ignored. In the days after the vaccines, she said, her children deteriorated, prompting a hospital visit. On the eighth day, they died.

Shaw later became the lead plaintiff in a racketeering lawsuit filed by the group against the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)—while under investigation for murder.

Click Here to Read More >>

‘Brazen Crypto Corruption’ Helps Trump Pocket $2.2 Billion During First Year Back in Office

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 03:39:00 +0000

Explains why Trump has been pushing crypto so hard

Jake Johnson for Common Dreams

Annual financial disclosures released Tuesday reveal that Donald Trump pocketed at least $2.2 billion—more than half of it from his family’s crypto grift—during his first year back in the White House, a windfall that experts say is without precedent in American history.

The disclosure report shows that Trump pulled in $635 million in royalties from Celebration Coins, an entity linked to the president’s meme coin. The president also disclosed around $527 million in proceeds from token sales by World Liberty Financial, the Trump family crypto venture spearheaded by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr.

“It is completely unprecedented,” Megan Gorman, a tax attorney who has studied the history of presidential wealth, told The New York Times of the president’s windfall.

Robert Weissman, co-president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, said in a statement that “Trump’s obscene income is driven by various cryptocurrency schemes, leveraging his political position to exploit a scam-driven industry that he once said was nothing more than a racket.”

“In doing so, he’s ripping off investors—to the tune of billions—who want to get in on the game with him, or think that buying his crypto products is an innocent means to show their support,” said Weissman.

“Most troubling, Trump’s personal profit interest has now aligned him with the crypto industry, paving the way for dangerous legislation that will facilitate mass rip-offs and even threaten financial system stability.”

Trump’s massive profits from an industry he’s tasked with regulating represent what the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center (CLC) described as an “unprecedented” conflict of interest, notwithstanding the White House’s laughable claim that “neither the president nor his family has ever engaged—or will ever engage—in conflicts of interest.”

“We have never seen a president have direct conflicts of interest with his financial holdings and the policies he supports, and it’s another example why we need widespread ethics reform now,” Kedric Payne, CLC’s senior director of ethics, told The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal noted that, in addition to crypto profits, “Trump reported $4.7 million in income last year from Trump-branded watches, as well as $1.9 million in royalties from his ‘Save America’ book.”

Click Here to Read More >>

Trump tells NATO the US is back to a shooting war with Iran, still thinking about taking over Greenland and is launching a new trade war against Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:06:00 +0000

Trump won't stop his war against the world until he gets the Nobel Peace Prize

This week's Tea with Tina to focus on housing

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:06:00 +0000

NEWS FROM THE RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR TINA SPEARS

JULY 2026

Let's Talk Housing 
at the next Tea with Tina

Our next Tea with Tina will be
Saturday, July 11th @ Caf Bar in Charlestown
5153 Old Post Road
10 AM–12 NOON
 
Join the conversation on housing 
with Tina Spears and guests Deb Carney and Collin Penney 

FRIENDS,
 
In our community, every voice is welcome. Whether your priority is affordable housing, protecting our rural character and environment, or finding the right balance, your perspective matters. 
 
Housing is one of the most important issues facing our community,
with thoughtful perspectives on all sides.
 
The future of our towns should be shaped by those who live in it. Let's come together, learn more, and build a path forward.
 
Following our discussion, there'll be a short Q&A to give us an idea of solutions we hope to explore with your input: 
What makes our area special, and what should we protect for future generations?
What are your biggest concerns about development here?
What housing challenges do you believe our neighbors face today or will face in the future?
What principles should guide housing decisions moving forward?
 
We hope you'll join us. Together, we can shape our community's future. If you are unable to come, you can email your thoughts on these questions to tina@tinaspearsri.com

Have you seen our new yard signs?Contact Tina at tina@tinaspearsri.com or call Kathleen 401 439 4469 to get yours!

If you'd like to donate to Tina's re-eelction campaign, please make personal checks payable to:
The Friends of Tina Spears
82 Hillside Drive
Charlestown, RI 02813
 
Or click HERE to contribute online or scan the QR code

Want to volunteer on Tina's re-election campaign? Contact us here. We have lots of fun and we'll keep Tina in the State House!

Get our latest updates!

Add your email...

State law prohibits the acceptance of any corporate or business checks. Only individuals and RI registered PACs may contribute. RI law requires contributors to note place of employment. Contributions are limited to $2,000 per person per calendar year, and are not tax-deductible.

It’s official! I am absolutely NOT running in the Sept. 9 Democratic Primary for House District 36

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 20:06:00 +0000

Please vote for our terrific incumbent Rep. Tina Spears

By Will Collette

As reported earlier, I accidentally checked the wrong box when I filled out my Declaration form to continue as a member of the Democratic District 36 Committee.

For a short but embarrassing period of just under a week, I became an unwilling rival to our great state Rep. Tina Spears and the DINO-LORIB candidate Leah Boisclair in the September 9 Democratic Primary.

Boisclair is a self-described “sex crimes defense attorney” who is supported by the MAGA-friendly League of Rhode Island Businesses.

This morning, the Charlestown Board of Canvassers accepted my request to amend my form to reflect my original intent to serve on the District 36 Committee and not run for the District 36 seat itself.

It was a unanimous decision (3-0), and I thank them for their understanding.

The Board of Elections has been officially notified and has taken my name off the Secretary of State’s candidate database.

Tylenol during pregnancy doesn’t increase risk of child’s autism or ADHD

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Once again, Trump and Bobby Jr. are proven wrong

Meghan Holohan

There is no association between using acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. It adds to the evidence highlighting acetaminophen’s safety during pregnancy.

“Paracetamol (acetaminophen) remains a safe and essential analgesic [pain reliever] and antipyretic [fever reducer] during pregnancy, whereas alternatives, such as NSAIDs [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs] and opioids carry well-documented risks,” wrote the University of Hong Kong–led research team.

“Unwarranted reluctance to use paracetamol could lead to undertreatment of pain and fever, or the use of more harmful alternatives, both posing risks to the pregnancy and developing fetus,” they added.

Click Here to Read More >>

Charter school association revokes award they gave Dan McKee

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

McKee used to be charter school champion, but tough re-election campaign made him abandon his principles

By Diane Ravitch

Rhode Island welcomed charters under former Governor Gina Raimondo. When she left to become President Biden’s Secretary of Commerce, lieutenant governor Dan McKee took her place.

He was widely viewed as a strong supporter of charter schools. He was closely associated with the creation of Rhode Island’s mayoral academies, especially the Blackstone Valley Prep network.

But this year, he signed legislation pausing the approval of new charter schools for three years. He said that declining enrollment and funding challenges warranted the pause.

This was awkward for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (sic), which had honored him in 2009 as a Charter School Champion. Taken aback, the Alliance did something unprecedented. It withdrew his award!

Today, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools withdrew its recognition of Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee as a Charter School Champion, marking the first time in the organization’s 21-year history this award has been rescinded.

This happened after McKee signed a bill “that enacts a moratorium on public charter schools for three years, lowers the statewide cap from 35 to 28, and prohibits already approved schools from opening.”

Click Here to Read More >>

Chemical Accidents Rise, Analysis Shows, as Trump Administration Proposes Weakening Safety Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 03:39:00 +0000

Chemical accidents can happen anywhere, including Charlestown, as past history shows

By Liza Gross

2007 explosion at Bradford Dye
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

Physicist Ronald Koopman appeared at a Southern California Air District meeting in 2018 to talk about what seemed like an arcane scientific topic: hydrofluoric acid dispersion and water mitigation testing.

Hydrofluoric acid, also known as hydrogen fluoride or HF, is used to manufacture a range of materials, including refrigerants, gasoline, fluorine-based pesticides and fluoropolymers like those used to make Teflon. It’s also one of the most corrosive and dangerous chemicals known. Koopman conducted experiments with the chemical in the 1980s that warned about the potential of deadly accidents at facilities that use the hazardous materials.

2023 fire at former Kenyon Mill on Route 2

With the Trump administration poised to roll back rules intended to protect workers and communities from catastrophic industrial chemical releases, and a new analysis showing rising rates of chemical accidents, Koopman’s presentation on highly hazardous materials has taken on a new urgency.

The number of accidents involving releases of dangerous chemicals rose by 57 percent between 2021 and 2025, from 83 to 131, according to an analysis released Monday by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit that works with former government officials.

Injuries or deaths from accidents also rose, from 60 to 89 over the same five-year period, the analysis found. Incident reports released by the Chemical Safety Board (CSB), an independent agency that investigates chemical accidents, show that more than 650 accidents occurred between April 2020 and May 2026, with 103 resulting in fatalities, 355 causing injuries and 314 doing “substantial property damage.”

Close to 150 million people live within 3 miles of these facilities. Historically underserved and overburdened populations, including people who identify as Black and Latino, are at greatest risk of exposure to an accidental release.

Click Here to Read More >>

Put some peroxide on it

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:07:00 +0000

Donald Trump post shows what he will do when he lands on the moon. Brilliant idea!

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 22:05:00 +0000

Trump's war on green energy is about as successful as his war on Iran

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +0000

How US renewable-energy growth persists despite federal policy uncertainty

This guest post is by:

Dhruv Modi, research analyst, Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland

Alicia Zhao, research manager, Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland

Tyler Stotland, research analyst, Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland

Prof Nate Hultman, director of the Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland, and professor in the School of Public Policy, University of Maryland

Despite recent shifts in federal energy policies, our analysis shows that the US transition to renewable energy is continuing.

The current administration has enacted a range of changes to prioritize fossil-fuel energy and environmental deregulation in the US, while withdrawing support for renewables.

Yet solar, wind and battery storage accounted for over 90% of new energy capacity in 2025.

This is thanks to the falling cost of renewable energy technologies, investments spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and local and state policies, according to our research at the Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland.

Our analysis examines recent trends in the US energy landscape, focusing on rising electricity demand, new electricity capacity additions and generation, as well as fossil-fuel production and state-level case studies.

Click Here to Read More >>

Chariho United organization makes the case for your support for new elementary school

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Unified Elementary Campus Update

Public Hearing on the Land Deal for the New Elementary School: July 7

Charlestown is holding a public hearing on Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Charlestown Elementary School (in the cafeteria/gymnasium) to discuss a question that will appear on the August 4 referendum ballot. This is separate from the school bond vote in November. It deals specifically with the land and lease arrangements needed to build the new school.

Referendum Vote (Charlestown residents only)

Tuesday - August 4, 2026 - 8:00am - 8:00pm

Charlestown Town Hall Council Chambers

What's actually being decided

The town owns the land where the new unified elementary school would be built (the current Charlestown Elementary School site) and also owns Wicklund Field next door. For the school project to move forward, the town needs to formally authorize two things: a ground lease with Chariho Regional School District and a license agreement for Wicklund Field.

Ground Lease with Chariho Regional School District

This would let the district demolish the old Charlestown Elementary building and construct, finance, and operate the new elementary school on that same site. The town would still own the land. The district would be leasing it long term to build and run the school there.

Proposal

Wicklund Field License Agreement

This would allow the district to use Wicklund Field, a town owned recreation area, for school purposes. Because Wicklund Field was purchased or improved using federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grants, there are rules about how it can be used. The town would keep ownership, and the field would still have to remain available for public outdoor recreation, in line with those federal requirements.

Why this matters

Even if voters approve the school bond in November, the district cannot build the school without the town's permission to use this land. This August referendum question is what gives the town council the legal authority to enter into those lease and license agreements. Without it, the project has nowhere to go.

What a "yes" vote means

A yes vote authorizes the town council to move forward with the ground lease and the Wicklund Field license, and to pass whatever ordinance is needed to put those agreements into effect.

What a "no" vote means

A no vote means the town council would not have that authorization, which would stop this piece of the project from moving forward as planned.

View Presentation

Chariho United is a non-partisan community group formed to support inclusive, fully funded public schools in Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton.

We believe strong schools are the foundation of a strong community, and that every student deserves the resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive.

Past Editions

25 Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

We're suing Trump again

By Anna Claire Vollers, Rhode Island Current

Twenty-five Democratic-led states plus the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration over its new work requirements for people who get their health insurance through Medicaid.

At issue is a “medically frail” designation that the states say is too narrow and will make it too difficult for ill and disabled people to remain on Medicaid.

They’re challenging the administration’s guidance on who can be exempt from the work requirements included in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the broad tax and spending measure President Donald Trump signed a year ago.

Medicaid is the publicly-funded health insurance for people with low incomes. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act — 40 states plus the District of Columbia — must require those adults to prove they’re working, going to school or serving their communities for at least 80 hours a month to receive Medicaid. Georgia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, which have used federal waivers to expand their Medicaid programs, are also subject to the new work rules.

The new lawsuit specifically targets new federal guidance that narrows the definition of who can qualify as “medically frail,” a key exemption used to excuse Medicaid recipients from work requirements if they have serious disabilities or illnesses. The guidance came in the form of an interim final rule published this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Click Here to Read More >>

South County Democratic women get a wave of legislation passed at the end of the General Assembly session

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 03:51:00 +0000

Coffee autocrat wants to push them out to MAGAtize South County

By Will Collette

MAGA millionaire Dave Levesque, owner of the Brewed Awakenings coffee shop chain wants to change the political landscape of South County to fit his vision of a MAGA paradise by ousting virtually every South County Democratic woman holding a General Assembly seat.

To further his dream, Levesque set up the “League of Rhode Island Businesses (LORIB)” with a statewide political action committee and a local version in all 39 Rhode Island cities and towns. Don’t bother looking for the “Charlestown LORIB” or the “Westerly LORIB” because they only exist on paper filed with the Board of Elections.

This panoply of PACs serve the useful purpose of allowing Levesque to get around state law that limits PAC donations to $2000 per candidate. His clever solution: set up each of his candidates with multiple donations from his array of PACs.

Charlestown’s challenger to our state Rep. Tina Spears, self-described “sex crimes defense attorney” Leah Boisclair, received her initial cash from five different Levesque PACs.

According to declarations filed with the Board of Elections, Levesque is challenging these incumbent Democrats:

Rep. Tina Spears (Charlestown, So. Kingstown, Westerly and Block Island) faces a Sept. 9 primary challenge
Rep. Megan Cotter (Hopkinton, Richmond, Exeter and West Warwick)
Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee (South Kingstown et al.)
Rep. Kathy Fogarty (South Kingstown et al.)
Open seat left by Rep. Julie Casmiro
Open seat left by Rep. Bob Craven Sr.
State Sen. Alana DiMario faces a Sept. 9 primary challenge
Sen. Victoria Gu (Charlestown, Westerly and South Kingstown)
Plus conservative Democrat Rep. Sam Azzinaro (Westerly)

Levesque supported Laura Turini to challenge Sen. Bridget ValVerde in the Sept. 9 Democratic Primary, but Turisi didn’t file a declaration. He also failed to find candidates to challenge one of his prime targets, Rep. Teresa Tanzi as well as Sen. Sue Sosnowski. Tanzi, Sosnowski and ValVerde are now running unopposed.

If records make any difference, Levesque bevy of challengers will have to confront the incredibly productive General Assembly session these Democrats achieved as well as their earlier achievements.

Just before the Assembly closed this session, the following bills were passed. I am using the descriptions produced by the State House News Bureau.

Click Here to Read More >>

Yes, they are

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:01:00 +0000

South County Rising community meeting on July 10

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Protest in Ashaway on Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:04:00 +0000

Legislation enacted to provide safety guidelines for AI chatbots and AI use in mental healthcare

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 20:02:00 +0000

Much needed protection

Two bills from Sen. Lori Urso and Rep. Tina L. Spears to create artificial intelligence safety guidelines related to suicidal ideation and mental health treatment have been signed into law. The bills are part of the Senate’s 17-bill package of healthcare legislation.

“As the incorporation of AI in uses that directly impact human health and safety rapidly expands, it is imperative that we recognize the potential harm from these systems, whose operation is often inconsistent with professional standards,” said Senator Urso (D-Dist. 8, Pawtucket). “We have all read about the tragic instances in this country in the last few years involving distressed individuals who have turned to chatbots for companionship, advice or counsel and whom, evidence has shown, have been encouraged to, or not appropriately discouraged from, engaging in self-harm. It is time to put safeguards in place to protect Rhode Islanders of all ages from this rapidly expanding technology, both at home and in a clinical setting.”

The first bill (2026-S 2195Aaa, 2026-H 7350Aaa) requires developers to incorporate protocols to protect vulnerable users who may express suicidal ideation, desires for self-harm or desires to physically harm others while interacting with a chatbot. The systems must also refer users to a crisis service provider as soon as it detects any of these expressions, and developers will have to submit annual reports to the Attorney General’s office showing the number of safety protocol activations and related metrics.

Click Here to Read More >>

No, your drinking water isn’t contaminated by abortion pills

noreply@blogger.com (Progressive Charlestown) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Viagra, maybe? Condoms, definitely.

Jenae Barnes, Climate Reporter

This story was originally reported by Jenae Barnes, Climate Reporter of The 19th. Meet Jenae and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy.

Anti-abortion advocates, including Republican lawmakers and state officials, want the EPA to review mifepristone as a water contaminant. Scientists say there’s no evidence it harms the environment or people.

While there is no scientific evidence that abortion medication is contaminating Americans' water supply, it has nonetheless become a central claim by the anti-abortion movement. Activists, Instagram influencers and Republican Party officials — including state and federal lawmakers — are doubling down on what experts describe as a disinformation campaign that mixes environmental policy and reproductive rights, and risks exploiting legitimate concerns about clean water.

“What if I were to tell you that every time you fill up a glass of water at your kitchen sink from the tap, you were actually *drinking* someone else’s abortion,” influencer Isabel Brown wrote in an Instagram post in May. In the accompanying video, the Gen Z conservative content creator, who has more than 1 million followers on her platform, talks to Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, a national anti-abortion organization, and contends that anti-abortion medication is “poisoning” the water.

The claim isn’t new. For decades, anti-abortion advocates have argued that abortion medications, primarily mifepristone, pollute the environment and put pregnant people’s health at risk. But the argument has now become part of a widespread and often coordinated effort to create federal and state policy that further suppresses abortion access.

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You're invited!

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at the next Tea with Tina