Here's how it went, courtesy of Jeff Tiedrich:
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
A single sauna session sends immune cells surging through your body
Feeling sick? Finns say hop in the sauna
University of Eastern Finland
A new Finnish study reveals that just 30 minutes in a sauna
can temporarily flood the bloodstream with additional white blood cells,
potentially helping the immune system patrol the body and detect threats. The
surprising response resembles the immune boost seen during exercise and may
help explain some of the health benefits linked to sauna bathing.
Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Kid Rock do sauna
workout. In blue jeans.
During the study, researchers observed an increase in every
type of circulating white blood cell they measured. Among them were neutrophils
and lymphocytes, two important groups of immune cells. Neutrophils are often
among the first defenders to respond to an infection, while lymphocytes include
cells that recognize specific threats, produce antibodies, and help coordinate
immune responses.
The increase was temporary. Within 30 minutes after the
sauna session, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts had returned to their original
levels.
Who controls the past, controls the future
The EPA is quietly killing its web archive
Rachel
Santarsiero, Mother Jones
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In a little-noticed webpage update, the Environmental
Protection Agency has announced
a plan to decommission its online web archive at the end of the year, a move
that would wipe tens of thousands of publicly available environmental resources
from the web. The discreet banner notice comes in stark contrast to EPA
Administrator Lee Zeldin’s recent public takedowns of the agency’s power plant pollution standards and federal methane regulatory system.
“The EPA’s online archive makes information about a wide
variety of environmental issues and past policies available to the public,
dating back at least 20 years,” said Gretchen Gehrke, co-founder of the
Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, or EDGI. “This information is
irreplaceable, and if the archive is decommissioned, that information will be
lost forever.”
For decades, the web archive has been an unparalleled resource for researchers, legislators, policymakers, and the public writ large. It houses everything from fact sheets and environmental reports to agency policy changes and regulatory actions, making it a tool for “democratic oversight,” according to Gehrke, who for 10 years has been tracking changes to vulnerable federal environmental data.
Monday, November 2, 2026
Some tips for last-minute undecided voters
Your vote counts. Be wise how you use it
By Will Collette
As of Monday after early voting ended, 2323 of Charlestown’s 6805 active registered voters cast their ballots either by mail or through in-person early voting. On
its own, that’s a big turn-out for a non-Presidential election. Tomorrow, it’s up to the remaining 4,482 to decide whether to go to the polls
and, if so, to decide how they will cast their ballots.
To find out WHERE you need to go to vote, CLICK HERE.
From a Progressive Charlestown standpoint, many of those
decisions are clear and at the federal and state level, we should follow Donald
Trump’s call for us to vote like he’s on the ballot…and vote for Democrats,
especially US Rep. Seth Magaziner, and Helena Foulkes for Governor.
At the town level, the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee
supports three outstanding Democrats for Town Council:
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| Left to right: Town Council President Deb Carney, Cynthia Drummond and Jill Fonnemann. Endorsed Democrats. |
Charlestown Residents United (CRU) is a bi-partisan PAC that
has held the Council majority for the past four years. They defeated the
Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) and it’s corrupt and inept leadership in
2022 and have since delivered competent, fiscally responsible, no-drama
government. Their Council slate:
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| Charlestown Residents United's endorsed slate for Town Council |
In my opinion, the CRU incumbents – Deb Carney, Craig Marr
and Steve Stokes – have earned re-election. Jill Fonnemann is also one of my
favorites – I supported her first election effort in December’s special election to fill the Council term of the late Rippy Serra. I don’t know much
about Republican Matt Westover, other than he gave negative answers to the
Womenx Project’s survey on women’s rights issues.
Democrat Cynthia Drummond (D) is on the town Democrat’s list
but not on CRU’s list. She IS featured on the CCA’s endorsement list as if she
was the top of the ticket.
Because this seemed contrary to Cynthia’s interview remarks to Alex Nunes that she wanted to steer clear of the CRU-CCA rivalry and only
seek the town Democratic endorsement, I asked her this:
COLLETTE’S QUESTION:
[F]rom the CCA campaign material, it looks like the CCA is touting you as the top of their ticket. Did you give the CCA your consent for them to market you so prominently?
Second, the CCA is notorious for demanding loyalty from all their endorsed candidates not just to their platform but also to every directive from the leadership. They purged their very first Council [in 2010] when the CCA decided to make a 180-degree switch of position on wind energy going from positive support to total opposition. Were you asked to pledge your loyalty to their platform? To their leadership?
CYNTHIA’S RESPONSE:
When I decided to run, I stated that I would not be accepting endorsements from either the CCA or CRU. I did not want to become embroiled in the rivalry between the two PACs, which I often find distracting and unnecessary. The CCA accepted that I had declined their endorsement, but asked if they could still support me, which I agreed to. Then I learned that for CRU, CCA support amounted to what they considered to be an endorsement, and that CRU would, therefore, not support me.
For the record, I have known Deb Carney for more than a decade and I did reach out to her before announcing my candidacy. We have always gotten along well, and I believe she has done an excellent job as council President.
The CCA has never demanded loyalty or anything else from me and I have declined to take part in their campaign activities such as canvassing or envelope stuffing. Consistent with that effort, I went door to door last Sunday with my neighbor who is a Republican and not affiliated with either PAC. The CCA has put me at the top of their ticket, which I am fine with.
I take Cynthia at her word that she is not committed to the
CCA. Throughout her years as a journalist covering Charlestown politics, I felt
she has been honest and forthright.
Cynthia isn’t the only candidate the CCA has given an unsolicited endorsement. Council member Steve Stokes (CRU-R) received the CCA’s “conditional” endorsement, a dubious honor he never sought. The Democratic candidates for Chariho School Committee also did not seek the CCA’s endorsement.
Indeed, Democrat Holly Eaves rejected the CCA's unsolicited endorsement and asked the CCA to remove her from their website, which they have done.
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| I urge voters to reject the CCA's Ruth Platner for Planning and her crony Bonnie Van Slyke for Council. |
Among the Charlestown Town Questions, I urge you to support
Question 6 to approve funding for construction of a new unified Chariho District
elementary school on the site of the existing Charlestown Elementary. It’s needed
badly. Since Hopkinton and Richmond often vote against investment in Chariho, Charlestown
voters need to get this referendum passed.
I also urge you to vote YES on Question 7. This question is
bitterly opposed by the CCA because it would cut the current six-year staggered
terms for Planning Commission members to a staggered 4-year term. The CCA says
the 6-year terms are necessary so commission members for continuity on major
projects. I say “WTF?”
This is the CCA saying the quiet part out loud – that they use
the Planning Commission to talk projects to death and run out the clock on the
funding developers hope to use. Six years for Planning to complete its work on
projects is four years too long. The CCA knows that projects with government funding
face deadlines and that investors in private projects will not wait 6 years for
a final decision.
Charlestown is the ONLY Rhode Island municipality that still
elects its Planning Commission. All other towns appoint their planning boards.
The state enacted
legislation in 1972 in an effort to de-politicize planning decisions. In
Charlestown, the CCA has ensured that planning decisions are hyper-politicized,
if not outright corrupt. While holding on to an elected board is the real problem with Charlestown’s
planning, voting YES on Question 7 is a step in the right direction.
Re-elect incumbent
state legislators EXCEPT ONE
Senator Victoria Gu, Reps. Megan Cotter, Carol McEntee and
Kathy Fogarty have done a terrific job and will hopefully win re-election in
landslides.
One incumbent deserves defeat: state Senator Elaine Morgan
who represents the northern half of Charlestown. She has embarrassed her
district and the state of Rhode Island with her MAGA-inspired antics.
Instead, I strongly recommend her opponent, Democrat
Samantha “Sam” Wilcox, the effective Richmond Town Council president. Unlike
Morgan, she has the skills and intelligence to actually help her district that
spans northern Charlestown through Exeter.
Finally, I recommend you vote to approve four of the five state
bond proposals. They meet important infrastructure needs and will create jobs.
The businesses at Quonset are pretty profitable, especially
Electric Boat. Isn’t it time that they, not the taxpayers, finance the
continuing build-out at Quonset? If taxpayers are going to continue pouring in millions,
we need an expanded role for the community in decision-making and a lot more
transparency. Send the right message: Vote NO on state Question 3.
Thursday: a session on the issues of artificial intelligence.
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| A session discussing the role of AI in creating and spreading misinformation, and strategies to stay vigilant against its effects. |
Sen. DiMario honored for her work supporting families and children with special needs
Honored for her effective advocacy
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| From left, Sen. Alan M. DiMario and RIPIN Executive Director Samuel Salganik. |
Sen. Alana M. DiMario was honored today for her work on behalf of families and children with special needs with a Legislative Partner award at the RIPIN Annual Breakfast.
“I am honored to receive this award and celebrate the 35th anniversary of RIPIN, a group founded by parents of children with special needs who recognized that through community and mutual support they could build a more inclusive and supportive Rhode Island,” said Senator DiMario (D-Dist. 36, Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham).
“I’ve been proud to do my part in
the General Assembly to move our laws in the same direction. Every child
deserves to thrive, and every family deserves the support they need to provide
the best learning environment possible for their children.”
Senator DiMario has sponsored a number of laws supporting
special education and children with special needs, including to improve
individualized education plans (IEP) for children and their parents, to
ensure that parents of children with special educational needs have
access to local advisory committees for support and advice, to allow
students to help with IEP physical education classes, and to codify federal
504 education plans into state law.
She also successfully advocated for the state budget to fund
behavioral
health training for staff in out-of-school programs and personally
supported workforce training for child mental health professionals by covering
membership fees for infant and child care professionals.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Senator DiMario was one of several Democratic women legislators in South County who were targeted for defeat by the far-right League of Rhode Island Businesses. She beat her LORIB challenger Mark Mesrobian by 72% to 28%. She also has no opponent in the General Election tomorrow so she automatically will retain her seat. - Will Collette
Medicare Drug Plans Are Hiking Premiums While Trump Claims Victory on Medicine Prices
Another Trump lie- he DIDN'T lower seniors' prescription costs
But enrollees can avoid the average increase — from $34 a month to $51 — by switching to lower-cost plans during the program’s open enrollment period, which runs through Dec. 7.
Robert Travis Scott of Abingdon, Virginia, did just that in late October after he received a notice that his AARP-UnitedHealthcare Medicare drug plan premium would be increasing from $39.60 a month in 2026 to $121.90 in 2027. With just a little work checking prices online, Scott found a Humana plan for $19.30 with similar benefits.
“Yes, I am quite happy about that,” he said of the new plan he just found. He said he was stunned his existing plan was going up so much and worried that other seniors won’t shop for plans to save money. He estimates he saved himself about $1,000 for next year.
“With some plans increasing premiums substantially, the stakes are higher this year for people with Medicare stand-alone drug coverage if they sit on the sidelines during open enrollment,” said Juliette Cubanski, a vice president and the director of the Program on Medicare Policy at KFF, which conducted the analysis. KFF is a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.
Rising drug costs are among the litany of affordability issues angering voters ahead of November’s midterm election. Donald Trump, whose approval rating in some polls has dipped to the lowest level of his two terms in office, claims his administration has succeeded in negotiating lower prices from drug manufacturers.
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s company was facing a criminal investigation for allegedly enabling and profiting from the sale of illegal drugs on its platforms.
Zuckerberg off the hook after donating millions to Trump schemes
Jake Johnson for Common Dreams
Bloomberg Law reported Thursday that “senior leaders” at the Justice
Department “ordered career prosecutors in the Western District of Virginia to cease the
criminal investigation following advocacy from Meta’s legal team.” Meta is
headed by Mark
Zuckerberg, a billionaire who has worked to ingratiate himself with Donald Trump by
helping to bankroll his inauguration and ballroom project.
“This is what Meta’s money is buying,” Kyle Jacobs-Morse,
deputy executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, wrote
in response to reports of the halted probe.
The existence of the Meta investigation was first revealed
in March 2024 by The Wall
Street Journal, which reported at the time that US prosecutors were “sending
subpoenas and asking questions as part of a criminal grand jury probe looking
into whether the company’s social-media platforms are facilitating and
profiting from the illegal sale of drugs.”
According to Bloomberg Law, DOJ leaders’ decision to
sideline the probe came “just after company executives were subpoenaed to
testify.”
Time to vote!
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