The fate of the Endangered Species Act rests on 2 simple words

Whales, eagles...Trump doesn't care

Sachi Kitajima Mulkey & Kate Yoder

Is this the origin of Trump's hatred for wild animals?

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The Endangered Species Act has stood as a pillar of conservation in the United States since 1973, bringing animals like bald eagles, manatees, and humpback whales back from the brink of extinction. 

But now, the Trump administration has taken its boldest step yet in an effort to strip legal protections for endangered species. Starting this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that it now considers it legal to kill a federally protected animal, as long as it wasn’t on purpose.

The directive comes after another recent revision to these legal protections went into effect this week, saying that damaging an animal’s habitat is no longer considered “harming” it. The two changes in combination take the teeth out of the Endangered Species Act and pave the way for industries to log, mine, pollute, or travel through areas without regard for what lives there.

The fate of the country’s rarest creatures could come down to the meaning of two seemingly simple words: “harm” and “take.” In this case, “take” refers to killing an animal. 

“A vessel that inadvertently strikes a whale has not taken it, because the vessel’s course was not set against the whale,” said the memo, signed by Brian Nesvik, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. “Felling a tree is not a take of the bats roosting in it unless the tree was felled for the purpose of killing or capturing them.”

Legal experts say this is an unprecedentedly narrow view of what these words mean in the Endangered Species Act, and that the moves are sure to be challenged in court. Almost two dozen states recently sued the Trump administration over changes to the law, and more lawsuits from environmental groups are expected to come. And if history is any indicator, the agency could soon find itself on the losing side of an old argument — one that’s been heard in courts before. 

Unhealthy Western diet linked to faster cognitive decline in people with genetic risk of Alzheimer's

Partial explanation for Trump's behavior issues

By Murdoch University

Edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan

An unhealthy Western-style diet was associated with faster cognitive decline in people with a genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research led by Murdoch University and Alzheimer's Research Australia. 

The study, Dietary patterns and cognitive decline in older adults: Findings from the Western Australia Memory Study, appears in the journal Nutrients.

As the world grapples with the growing public health challenge of dementia, there has been increasing academic interest in identifying lifestyle factors that may help maintain people's brain health as they age.

"Diet is particularly interesting because it is often easily modifiable, but people may not respond to dietary patterns in the same way," said lead author Dr. Carolina Blagojevic Castro, from Murdoch University's Center for Healthy Aging.

"In this study we investigated whether the types of food people regularly eat are associated with how their thinking abilities change as they get older," Blagojevic Castro said.

Tracking diet, genes and cognition

Using data from the Western Australia Memory Study (WAMS), the research team followed 185 older adults from Perth for more than seven years and examined whether unhealthy and healthier dietary patterns were associated with changes in different areas of their cognition, while also considering individuals' genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The team grouped the participants' diets into two main groups: a Western diet (unhealthy diet), consisting of foods such as red and processed meat, chips, pizza, sweets, refined grains and beer, and a prudent diet (healthy diet), consisting of things like fruit, vegetables, leafy greens, garlic and whole grains.

None of the participants had diagnosed dementia when they entered the study, but they were tested for genetic susceptibility factors such as the apolipoprotein E (APOE) variant, the strongest common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

Throughout the study, participants completed a series of cognitive tests to assess their attention, memory, executive function, language, recognition memory and general cognitive ability.

The effect appeared in carriers

"Our main finding was that among people carrying the APOE ε4 allele, greater adherence to a Western dietary pattern was associated with a faster decline in attention over time," Blagojevic Castro said.

"One of the most interesting findings was that the association with cognitive decline was not seen across the whole group but emerged specifically among APOE ε4 carriers."

"We did not find significant associations between the healthier prudent dietary pattern and cognitive decline, or between the Western dietary pattern and cognitive decline among people who did not carry APOE ε4."

Blagojevic Castro said the findings reinforced growing evidence that the relationship between diet and brain health was complex and not the same for everyone.

"What we eat may be one part of a much larger picture of healthy brain aging," she said.

Caution before dietary advice

"Our findings highlight why research into individual differences is important—approaches to protecting brain health may ultimately need to consider both lifestyle and biological factors rather than assuming that one approach will work equally well for everyone."

"However, our study is observational, so further research is needed before these findings can be translated into specific dietary recommendations based on genetic risk."

Publication details

Carolina Blagojevic Castro et al, Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Findings from the Western Australia Memory Study, Nutrients (2026). DOI: 10.3390/nu18162592

“You Have a Strong and Steadfast Friend,” RFK Jr. Tells Anti-Vaxxers

Kennedy’s remark comes as measles cases in the US are at their highest levels seen in decades.

By Chris Walker

This article was originally published by Truthout

On September 17, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), gave a keynote speech to an anti-vaccine group he once led.

Kennedy — a noted anti-vaxxer who has consistently peddled dangerous disinformation to the public — appeared at a conference held by Children’s Health Defense. During his speech, he sought to assure concerned members of the group that he was still allied with them, despite downplaying his controversial views while trying to get confirmed to his post last year.

“Let me be clear. You have a strong and steadfast friend at the White House,” Kennedy said in his speech.

Kennedy asked those gathered before him to be patient with his efforts, ambiguously stating that “we are doing this one day at a time.” 

HHS Replaces Childhood Vaccination Schedule With
List Of Recommended Animal Bites - The Onion

Despite measles case numbers reaching record highs this year compared to the past several decades, Kennedy only addressed the situation once in his speech, asking his audience to “care about every child who dies from measles,” adding that “they get headlines.” 

In the same breath, he called for the audience to “care about children who are dying or suffering or being injured by vaccine injuries,” a highly exaggerated anti-vax talking point. 

According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 3,471 confirmed cases of measles identified across the U.S. since January 1 of this year. That number already exceeds the number of cases counted in 2025, and is a 12-fold increase over the 285 cases counted in 2024. 

The CDC website does not yet include a count of the total number of deaths. However, other state health agencies have recorded at least four deaths from measles in 2026, the highest number seen since 1992.

Experts agree that higher rates of measles are due largely to anti-vax sentiment becoming more mainstream. The virus requires a higher threshold than most to keep it from spreading.

Canada considers what to do if Trump orders an invasion

Canada must consider even unlikely threats — including an American invasion

Andrea Charron, University of Manitoba

Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has considered the possibility of American military action against Canada, and that the Canadian Armed Forces had examined potential responses.

Such a scenario remains extraordinarily unlikely, but that’s precisely why it belongs in contingency planning. Serious governments do not dismiss low-probability, high-consequence risks simply because they appear remote.

The first responsibility of the prime minister of Canada, as head of government, is to protect Canadians. That responsibility requires preparing not only for the most likely threats, but also for the unlikely scenarios that could have profound consequences for the country.

In intelligence and security circles, these possibilities are sometimes described using a “swan” metaphor. Preparing for likely events, or “white swans,” is routine.

Equally important, however, is considering “black swan” events: highly improbable developments that fall outside normal expectations but could have disruptive and far-reaching effects.

Why plan for black swan events?

First, contingency planning often yields benefits beyond the specific scenario being examined. By challenging assumptions and exploring unconventional possibilities, organizations can identify vulnerabilities, uncover strengths and develop habits of adaptive thinking. The value lies not only in the plan itself but in the planning process.

A future threat to Canada may have little resemblance to a hypothetical attack by the United States, yet the lessons learned from examining an unexpected attack could inform responses to other contingencies, including missile, cyber or hybrid threats that exploit North America’s geography.

Second, Canada has a long history of planning for unlikely but consequential scenarios. During the period between the First and Second World Wars, Canadian military planners developed Defense Scheme No. 1, which considered the possibility of conflict with the U.S.

American planners, for their part, developed War Plan Red — a scheme to invade Canada in the event of a war with the United Kingdom.

Neither expected war, but both recognized the importance of understanding strategic options. During the Second World War, the United States-Canada Basic Defense Plan (referenced as the Black Plan) was penned by Canada to respond to a scenario should Germany defeat the U.K., leaving Canada and the U.S. vulnerable to the Axis powers.

Good company

Upcoming Charlestown Democrats events

 

C-Town Dems News

September 2026

It's Election Season!

The League of Women Voters of South County has scheduled a series of candidate forums ahead of the November 3 General Election. Charlestown's events are listed below:

Chariho School Committee Forum Saturday, October 3 from 2 – 4 PM   Voters will have the opportunity to talk directly with our candidates from Charlestown in a conversational setting. Each candidate will be seated at an individual table, and attendees will circulate around the room at designated 15-minute intervals.   Chariho High School cafeteria 453 Switch Road, Wood River Junction Sponsored by the South County Star

Charlestown Town Council Candidate Forum Tuesday, October 6 at 6 PM   The forum will include all candidates for Charlestown Town Council, including Democrats Deborah Carney, Cynthia Drummond and Jill Fonnemann.   Cross' Mills Public Library 4417 Old Post Rd, Charlestown

The Charlestown Democratic Town Committee has endorsed the following local candidates:   Charlestown Town Council Deborah Carney, Cynthia Drummond, and Jill Fonnemann Chariho School Committee Holly Eaves, Craig Louzon, and Linda Lyall House District 36 Tina Spears Senate District 34 Samantha Wilcox Senate District 38 Victoria Gu

Our next meeting date is October 7, 2026 Join us at the Charlestown Police Station at 6 PM. All registered Democrats are welcome!

Congratulations to Tina Spears on her Primary Election Win!

You can meet Tina and her guest Sam Wilcox, Senate District 34 candidate, at the next Tea with Tina!

More Sam! Sam is hosting another Town Hall on October 14th at 6:30 PM at the Richmond Senior Center. The incumbent declined a “meet the candidates” night, but Sam will continue to be accessible to voters with questions. All are welcome. Invite your friends!   Richmond Senior Center 1168 Main St. 2nd Floor, Wyoming

If you'd like to donate to the Charlestown Democratic Committee, you may   Send checks payable to: Charlestown Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 1088, Charlestown, RI 02813  or Scan the QR code  or Click the button below   DONATE

Call for Volunteers Your Charlestown Democratic Town Committee needs you! We are looking for active participants who want to help support Democratic candidates and causes. If interested, visit charlestowndemocrats.org and click VOLUNTEER. Please consider joining us!

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The Charlestown Democratic Town Committee manages the affairs of the Democratic Party in the town of Charlestown, RI subject to RI Election Law, State Party rules and its own bylaws. We meet the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM at the Charlestown Police Station. Any Charlestown registered Democrat is welcome to attend.