Day of Action protest in Providence draws hundreds

Hardy Rhode Island protesters stand against ICE

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current

“Donald Trump, let’s be clear, immigrants are welcome here.”

That was the chant of the hundreds who gathered at the 195 District Park near downtown Providence Tuesday as part of a nationwide protest on the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second term.

Organizers estimated upward of 400 demonstrators came out for Providence’s portion of the “Day of Action” against Trump’s policies, even amid frigid temperatures that saw a high of 18 degrees. Wind conditions made it feel like 10 degrees.

Who pays the most to block Rhode Island environmental legislation?

New report identifies the main obstructionists

By Frank Carini / ecoRI News columnist

The first sentence of the 34-page report grabbed my attention. “After stunning successes in 2021 and 2022, climate action has slowed in Rhode Island.” I recognized the part after the comma, but, being the cynical pessimist that I am, I searched for some clarification about the rest.

The Brown University authors of “Who’s Obstructing Climate Action in the Rhode Island Legislature?” point largely to the 2021 Act on Climate, calling it a “groundbreaking initiative.” The law mandates the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions produced in Rhode Island to net zero by 2050.

“One of the most notable reasons for its success was the collaboration between environmentalists and the labor movement,” according to the report released last week. “This was a sharp departure from the divide between environmental groups and labor unions over the proposed Burrillville gas plant. As past research shows, labor-environment coalitions signal to legislators that key compromises have been worked out and that a bill will be broadly popular.”

The act’s language was drafted by lead sponsors Sen. Dawn Euer, D-Newport, and Rep. Lauren Carson, D-Newport, in consultation with staff at the Conservation Law Foundation. The AFL-CIO and Climate Action Rhode Island were also involved.

The 5-year-old law is certainly a major upgrade over the toothless Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 that was so fraudulently touted by lawmakers. But don’t sleep on Rhode Island’s uncanny ability to ignore environmental law. It’s the state’s superpower.

The team of faculty and students at the Climate and Development Lab at Brown University researched the lobbying and testimony on priority bills from the Environment Council of Rhode Island and Climate Action Rhode Island over the past several legislative sessions.

The main goal of their work was to answer a few key questions: Why do so many climate and renewable energy bills die in the General Assembly? What are the barriers to climate legislation in Rhode Island? Who is obstructing state climate legislation, and what strategies are they using?

Renee Good's murder shows no one is safe from Trump terrorism

You could be next

Robert Reich

If agents of the federal government can murder a 37-year-old woman in broad daylight who, as videotapes show, was merely trying to get out of their way, they can murder you.

Even if Trump and his vice president and his secretary of homeland security all claim, contrary to the videotapes, that Renee Nicole Good was trying to kill an agent who acted in self-defense, they could make up the same about you.

Even if Trump describes her as a “professional agitator” and his goons call her a “domestic terrorist,” they could say the same about you regardless of your political views or activism. If you have left-wing political views and are an activist, you’re in greater danger.

How can we believe what the FBI turns up in its investigation, when the FBI is working for Trump and is headed by one of his goons, and is investigating possible connections between Renee Good and groups that have been protesting Trump’s immigration enforcement?

What credence can we give federal officials who are blocking local and state investigators from reviewing evidence they’re collecting?

You could be murdered because Trump’s attorney general has defined “domestic terrorism” to include impeding law enforcement officers. What if you’re merely standing in the way — in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or maybe you’re engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience?

In October, Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen in Chicago, was in her car trying to warn people about ICE when she collided with a Border Patrol vehicle. Federal officials say she “rammed” the car. Her lawyers say she was sideswiped by it.

The agent then got out of his car and shot her five times. She survived. The Justice Department then charged her with assaulting a federal officer.

You could be next. All of us need to realize this. The people who are being assaulted and murdered are abiding the law.

The regime has also been grabbing people from their homes who are legally in the United States with permanent status — not just visas permitting them to work or study here but green cards — and whisking them away to prison because they’ve engaged in constitutionally protected speech the regime doesn’t like.

This is what happened to Mahmoud Khalil — who graduated from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, who has a green card, and whose wife is an American citizen.

Plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appeared at his apartment building on March 8 and then detained him without charges in a Louisiana ICE detention facility for three and a half months. (He missed his graduation and the birth of his first child.)

The Trump regime continues to try to deport him. A federal court heard arguments on October 22 in the regime’s ongoing deportation case against him but has not issued a verdict.

Khalil did nothing illegal. He was in the United States legally. He has never been charged with a crime. He expressed his political point of view — peacefully, nonviolently, non-threateningly. That’s supposed to be permitted — dare I say even encouraged? — in a democracy.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump conceded Khalil was snatched up and sent off because of his politics. “This is the first arrest of many to come,” wrote Trump. “We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it.”

Trump could just as well arrest and expel permanent residents who voice support for, say, transgender people or DEI or “woke” or anything else the regime finds “anti-American” and offensive.

What’s to stop the Trump regime from arresting you for, say, advocating the replacement of Republicans in Congress in 2026 and electing a Democrat to the presidency in 2028?

Renee Nicole Good was murdered. Marimar Martinez was shot but survived. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested and jailed and is still fighting deportation. There are many others. The next could be you or someone you love.

What’s at stake isn’t just American democracy. It’s also your safety and security and that of your friends and loved ones. This is personal — to every one of us.

A dictatorship knows no bounds.

We must commit to peacefully fighting this regime, to ending Republican control of Congress in 2026, and to sending this dangerous gang packing in 2028 — assuming we’re still free and alive by then.

One less thing to worry about

You are not alone

 

In his own words, Trump explains why American consumers will pay 10% to buy goods from countries that oppose his aggression against Greenland

"Thank you for your attention to this matter." Yes, please do pay attention.

As the Trump Administration Withdraws from Climate Treaties, Legal Scholars Debate Whether—and How—It Can Do So

Can Trump walk away from treaties ratified by Congress?

By Georgina Gustin

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.

After the Trump administration announced on January 7 that it would withdraw from the foundational agreement underpinning the international effort to slow the climate crisis, global leaders and climate advocates expressed extreme frustration and anger. Few were shocked.

“We’re appalled,” said Michael Gerrard, an environmental lawyer who founded the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. “But not surprised.”

Whether—and how—the U.S. can actually exit the agreement, though, is still up for debate.

“It’s an open legal question whether a president can unilaterally withdraw from a treaty that has been ratified by the Senate. That issue has never been decided by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Gerrard said. “Another open legal question is whether the next president could rejoin without new ratification. Both of those are unsettled.”

Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities

Trump and Bobby Jr. are WRONG AGAIN

By City St George's, University of London

Edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan

Taking acetaminophen during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or intellectual disability among children. That is according to the most rigorous analysis of the evidence to date, published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women's Health, and led by researchers from City St George's, University of London.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 43 existing studies to determine whether acetaminophen was safe to use in pregnancy or not. This was in response to public concerns following claims back in September 2025 that suggested taking acetaminophen during pregnancy might impact the neurodevelopment of those children and increase their risk of autism.

The claims were based on earlier studies that reported small associations between acetaminophen in pregnancy and increased risks of autism. However, these were often based on studies prone to biases, including being limited by the type of data collected and not exploring comparisons between siblings to account for family history, which is vital information.

The team looked at 43 studies with the highest quality and most rigorous research methods and compared pregnancies where the mother had taken acetaminophen to pregnancies where they had not taken the drug.

We Found More Than 40 Cases of Immigration Agents Using Banned Chokeholds and Other Moves That Can Cut Off Breathing

Immigration agents have put civilians’ lives at risk using more than their guns.

by Nicole Foy and McKenzie Funk for ProPublica

An agent in Houston put a teenage citizen into a chokehold, wrapping his arm around the boy’s neck, choking him so hard that his neck had red welts hours later. A black-masked agent in Los Angeles pressed his knee into a woman’s neck while she was handcuffed; she then appeared to pass out. An agent in Massachusetts jabbed his finger and thumb into the neck and arteries of a young father who refused to be separated from his wife and 1-year-old daughter. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head and he started convulsing.

After George Floyd’s murder by a police officer six years ago in Minneapolis — less than a mile from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good — police departments and federal agencies banned chokeholds and other moves that can restrict breathing or blood flow.

But those tactics are back, now at the hands of agents conducting President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

Examples are scattered across social media. ProPublica found more than 40 cases over the past year of immigration agents using these life-threatening maneuvers on immigrants, citizens and protesters. The agents are usually masked, their identities secret. The government won’t say if any of them have been punished.

In nearly 20 cases, agents appeared to use chokeholds and other neck restraints that the Department of Homeland Security prohibits “unless deadly force is authorized.”

About two dozen videos show officers kneeling on people’s necks or backs or keeping them face down on the ground while already handcuffed. Such tactics are not prohibited outright but are often discouraged, including by federal trainers, in part because using them for a prolonged time risks asphyxiation.

We reviewed footage with a panel of eight former police officers and law enforcement experts. They were appalled.

This is what bad policing looks like, they said. And it puts everyone at risk.

I received a message from the Florida MAGAnut who wants to be my US Representative

Another MAGA outlier wants to represent Charlestown

By Will Collette

It’s pretty unusual to get an e-mail from a candidate for the US Congress that serves as a rebuttal to a speech by a state Governor, in this case Dan McKee and his State of the State address to the General Assembly.

It’s even more unusual when that candidate doesn’t even live here. The candidate is Victor Mellor, an ultra-MAGA nut who lives in a colony he built to house himself and like-minded rightwing loonies. Mellor went through the motions of renting an apartment in Rhode Island so he could run against our outstanding US District 2 Representative Seth Magaziner.

Mellor was born in Woonsocket but has been living in Florida for the past 30 years. 

In 1994, his ex-wife in Woonsocket filed criminal charges against Mellor for beating and attempting to kill her. After leaving for Florida, Mellor again faced criminal charges in 1998 for allegedly beating his live-in girlfriend with a closed fist on at least 4 occasions.

Mellor was not tried or convicted in either case and told the Providence Journal “My past doesn't define me." Maybe Mellor should hire local attorney Leah Boisclair to help him explain his past. Boisclair calls herself a “Sex Crime Defense Attorney” and wants to unseat our state Representative Tina Spears (Democrat, District 36) in the upcoming Democratic Primary.

Mellor was a January 6 insurrectionist and told the Providence Journal that January 6 was among the “top 5” moments of his life.

I make no secret of my dislike for Dan McKee, but in my opinion, Mellor doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His news release proves it: Mellor seems to have no purpose in making this statement against McKee’s speech other than to allow him to tout his undying loyalty to Donald Trump and his hateful MAGA policies.

Here is Mellor’s statement. I added my own notes in Bold Red.

Mellor: “Rhode Islanders Need Results, Not Rhetoric.”

Victor Mellor, U.S Congressional Candidate, gives response to Rhode Island’s State of the State Address.

Governor Dan McKee’s State of the State address spoke at length about programs and promises but failed to acknowledge the real consequences of years of rising costs, shrinking opportunity, and families being pushed closer to the edge every month.

I agree with the Minority Leader that Rhode Islanders are being asked to accept more government while receiving less relief.

Will Collette: Like Mellor would know from his gated compound in Florida. I wonder if he even knows the Minority Leader’s name.

From a congressional standpoint, the path forward is clear.

First, we must restore accountability and results. Under President Trump’s administration, federal policies have already begun moving the country in the right direction, strengthening national security, restoring fiscal discipline, and prioritizing American citizens. The problem is not federal inaction; it’s state leadership that has failed to fully leverage these reforms for Rhode Island families.

WC: Donald Trump himself admits that he is accountable to no one and nothing other than his own “morality.” He’s “moving the country in the right direction?” How? By declaring war on our allies, building gold battleships, running the most corrupt regime in our history, pushing white supremacy and racism? “Fiscal discipline?” Yeah, like destroying the White House to build a $400 million gold ballroom, giving tax breaks and pardons to oligarchs and pedos, imposing a national sales tax (tariffs) and throwing hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work. I don’t know if we can stand three more years of such “progress.”

As a member of Congress, I will work directly with state legislators to bring maritime and defense contracts back to Rhode Island, contracts that mean good-paying jobs, skilled trades, and long-term economic stability, especially in a state with deep naval and maritime roots. That’s how we rebuild a working-class economy.

WC: Yeah sure, the same way that Trump tried to strangle those same industries with his relentless attack on offshore wind, a move bitterly criticized by those same construction and maritime workers.

Second, we must be honest about workforce development. Not every child wants or needs a four-year college degree. I strongly support Career and Technical Education and skilled trades programs that prepare students for real careers. Rhode Island should be producing welders, electricians, shipbuilders, technicians, and engineers.

WC: No one disagrees with expanding educational opportunities, except maybe Donald Trump who is destroying public education by cutting funds and killing the US Department of Education. Mellor fails to mention the crippling effect of Trump’s attack on science, research and health care. This not only cost Rhode Island thousands of jobs but also hobbled cancer research and is exposing Americans to preventable, potentially deadly diseases.

Third, our priorities must be clear: Rhode Island citizens come first. Public resources should serve the people who live, work, and pay taxes here, not incentivize illegal immigration while residents are told to do more with less.

WC: Sure, send in the ICE stormtroopers. Beat, pepper spray, arrest and detain without charges or legal counsel anyone, US citizen or not, who can’t produce proof of citizenship that these illiterate goons will accept. These immigrants so hated by MAGA grow our food, build our homes, look after the elderly and pay their taxes. They would love the chance to live here as legal citizens as our own parents, grandparents and great grandparents did.

Finally, we must address energy costs honestly. Rhode Islanders endure some of the highest heating costs in the nation, especially during our frigid winters. Energy prices will not come down by doubling down on the most expensive forms of energy available. Allowing pipeline access for affordable heating fuel would provide immediate relief to families and seniors, while offshore wind continues to drive costs up.

WC: Destroying the renewable energy industry is not the way. Green energy costs are beating fossil fuels. Bringing back coal will cost lives and productivity from pollution-caused illness. It’s a bald-faced lie that offshore wind is raising costs.

Leadership is not about managing decline; it’s about changing direction, when necessary, even when it’s not popular.

As a constitutional conservative and supporter of President Trump’s America First agenda, I will fight to ensure federal policy lowers costs, creates jobs, strengthens national security, and restores common sense. Rhode Islanders deserve leadership that delivers results.

WC: All evidence to the contrary in the first year of Dear Leader’s second term.

Rhode Islanders are hardworking, resilient, and proud of this state. We deserve leadership that lowers costs, creates opportunities, and puts citizens first. As a member of Congress, I will work every day to deliver real results, not rhetoric, and ensure Rhode Island has a stronger voice in Washington.

WC: Rhetoric. Really? How about cutting food prices on Day One? Ending Russia’s war on Ukraine on Day One? Making health care affordable? Making housing affordable? How about defending the Constitution? My advice, Vic: stay in Florida.

Read on about the cult camp Victor Mellor, carpet-bagging challenger to Rep. Seth Magaziner, runs in Florida:

You are free to fire

Are you wondering when you'll get your $2000 check?

War with NATO over Greenland explained.

In letter to Norway's Prime Minister: "OK, no Peace Prize, so how about a War Prize?"

See if you can track the logic of this "explanation" for Trump's economic war on the world

Trump Isn’t the First to Be Gifted a Nobel Prize He Didn’t Win—Joseph Goebbels Got One Too

In 1943, Norwegian writer Knut Hamsun gave his Nobel Prize for Literature to the infamous Nazi criminal.

Brett Wilkins

Trump posing with Machado in front of his tacky gold fixtures.
Love the shit-eating grin.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s gifting of her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump raised eyebrows around the world on January 15—but it wasn’t the first time that the winner of the prestigious award gave it away.

Last month, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the peace prize to the 58-year-old opposition leader “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Machado joined a notorious group of Nobel Peace laureates who either waged or advocated for war, as she backed Trump’s aggression against her country. This has included a massive troop deployment, military and CIA airstrikes, bombing of boats allegedly transporting drugs, and the abduction earlier this month of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Trump has ordered the bombing of nine other countries during his two terms, more than any other president in history. US forces acting on his orders have killed thousands of civilians in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. 

While running for president in 2016, Trump vowed to “bomb the shit out of” Islamic State militants and “take out their families,” and then followed through on his promise.

Despite being passed over by Trump for installation in any leadership role in Venezuela so far, Machado presented Trump with her framed Nobel medal along with a certificate of gratitude during a January 15 meeting at the White House. Trump subsequently posted on his Truth Social network that “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

That gesture prompted the Norwegian Nobel Committee to issue a statement noting that the prize cannot be given away.

Diabetes drugs may be changing cancer in surprising ways

Diabetes is a risk factor for cancer

West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Researchers are taking a closer look at how medications used to treat diabetes may also influence cancer. While diabetes itself has long been associated with higher cancer risk, scientists are now investigating whether diabetes drugs play a direct role beyond controlling blood sugar levels and body weight. 

A recent review examines how widely used treatments such as metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, and GLP-1 receptor agonists may affect cancer growth by changing how cells multiply, how the immune system responds, and how inflammation develops. These insights point to possible new treatment strategies while also highlighting how much remains unknown.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) has been linked to a higher likelihood of developing several types of cancer, including liver, colorectal, and breast cancer. Managing blood glucose and body weight remains essential for people with diabetes, but growing evidence suggests these factors alone do not fully explain the increased cancer risk. 

This has led scientists to explore how diabetes medications themselves might influence cancer, either by reducing risk or, in some cases, creating unintended effects. Understanding this connection could help clarify how diabetes treatments fit into cancer prevention and care, though further research is still needed to unravel the underlying biology.