How Melatonin Impacts Heart Health

Separating fact from rumor

Cleveland Clinic

If you’re dealing with insomnia and you’ve taken melatonin as a sleep aid, you’re not alone. It’s a popular over-the-counter supplement that many people swear by. But recent rumblings about its safety for your health might be making you toss and turn.

It’s important to clear up one thing right off the bat: There are currently no proven links between melatonin supplements and heart disease or problems. So, you can rest a little easier if you’ve been worried.

But that doesn’t mean melatonin is risk-free — or even the right solution for your needs.

Cardiologist Michael Hill, MD, walks us through the research.

Does melatonin use cause heart failure?

There’s no clear evidence that melatonin causes heart failure.

So, why the chatter? It’s because researchers found possible links between melatonin and heart failure. They used a health records database to compare two groups of adults with insomnia — those who took melatonin for at least one year, and those who didn’t.

They found that within a five-year period, the melatonin group had higher rates of:

• Heart failure
• Hospitalization for heart failure
• Death from any cause

“These are striking findings, and that’s why they made headlines,” Dr. Hill acknowledges. “But there are some important caveats.”

Dr. Hill explains:

• There’s no proof that melatonin caused heart failure: The research makes associations, but it doesn’t prove causation. That’s a huge distinction. It means there are patterns, but there’s no proof that melatonin is the driving factor.
• The findings aren’t peer-reviewed: “This is a research abstract, meaning a presentation of preliminary data,” Dr. Hill notes. “It must go through rigorous peer review before we accept the findings as fact.”
• Gaps remain: Because these are early findings, we don’t know the factors, like melatonin supplement dosage or treatments given to the non-melatonin group. We also don’t know if some people had sleep apnea or other diagnoses.
• Heart failure can cause sleep issues: It’s possible that some study participants had issues because they were already in the early stages of heart failure and didn’t yet have a diagnosis. That would add more gray area to the findings.

“Based on the information available so far, we can’t say that melatonin causes heart failure,” Dr. Hill clarifies. “But the topic is on our radar, and we’ll continue learning.”

Charlestown air quality is still unhealthy but should get better tomorrow

Air Quality Forecast | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Why Wildfire Experts Are So Worried About This Year’s Fire Season

Trump cutbacks, climate change, widespread drought

At minimum, Charlestown will catch the smoke. Plus, we are in "moderate" drought

By Peter Aldhous

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.

As bad as things got in Los Angeles in January 2025, when 31 people died and more than 16,000 buildings were destroyed by wildfires roaring into residential neighborhoods, many wildland firefighters look back on the rest of last year as a dodged bullet. 

Across the nation, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), which coordinates the federal wildfire response, the total area burned in 2025 was about two-thirds of the average over the past 10 years.

This year is shaping up to be a very different prospect, wildfire experts warn. Key environmental indicators show that the nation is a tinderbox, gripped by widespread drought and with a light snowpack in the mountains that will offer little relief as its remnants melt away. 

At the same time, upheaval in the federal wildland firefighting effort and the loss of many staff qualified to join wildfire incident teams since Donald Trump took power for the second time have left firefighters deeply concerned about their ability to mount an effective response.

“I think this is going to be the year,” warned Timothy Ingalsbee, co-founder and executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics and Ecology. “The conditions are just ripe for some really bad outcomes.”

Indeed, 2026 is already off to an inauspicious start.

As of Friday, the NIFC reported that some 2.4 million acres had burned in wildfires for which it had generated incident reports. That’s almost double the 10-year average for the time of year.

Great new local website breaks great news about a new Charlestown Town Council candidate

Eat your heart out, CCA

By Will Collette

This is Cynthia's Corgi, Maris, who WON'T
be on the campaign trail

Alex Nunes, former South County bureau chief for Rhode Island public radio, left the station after Donald Trump wiped out federal funding for public broadcasting. I was worried that meant an end to his outstanding coverage of local coastal issues such as the fake fire district ripoff and beach access.

Fortunately, Alex won the post of Executive Editor for the Westerly Sun and is working hard to revitalize that local institution. But having way more energy than me, he has also set up a side gig.

Working with Sun columnist Nancy Burns-Fusaro, there’s a new media source called the South County Star where Alex is continuing to work on the stories that made him a must-read/hear source on The Public’s Radio. Call the Star another must-read source.

He just broke the story that another fine local journalist, Cynthia Drummond, will be running as a Democrat for a seat on the Charlestown Town Council. She will not seek endorsement from either the CCA or Charlestown Residents United (CRU) but WILL seek the support of the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee.

In the 25 years since Cathy and I returned to Rhode Island to live in Charlestown, we’ve enjoyed Cynthia’s work. Charlestown was lucky to have her as its Westerly Sun specialist for many years. I loved her attention to detail, witty writing style and fairness. I was sorry to see her retire, though I still followed her freelance work for such publications as EcoRI.

Charlestown Town Council President Deb Carney told Alex Nunes she was “very excited” to run with Cynthia as both will be running as endorsed Democrats, elaborating further, “I know Cynthia going back to 2010. She’s very smart. She’s very scientific. She does her research.”

As does Deb.

Here's Cynthia's bio from her stint at the Rhode Island Current:

Cynthia Drummond began her journalism career as a television reporter in Canada. She holds a Master of Marine Affairs degree from the University of Rhode Island and worked for several years at The Westerly Sun, covering Hopkinton, Richmond, Charlestown and the Chariho Regional School District. In addition to writing for the Rhode Island Current, Cynthia covers the Town of Richmond for the Beaver River Valley Community Association.

Alex reported that she moved to the US in 1998 and became a US citizen.

One thing she won’t do as a candidate is use her beloved Corgi Maris as a political prop as so many others do. Maris is prominently featured in Cynthia’s Bluesky account and she seems like a natural campaigner.

This is how King Donald keeps his promises

Assembly approves Victoria Gu legislation to expand online database of affordable housing

First step in getting a place to live is finding one

The General Assembly voted today to approve legislation sponsored by Sen. Victoria Gu and Rep. Thomas E. Noret to expand the searchable online database of low- and moderate-income housing to better serve Rhode Islanders searching for a home.

“A few years ago, the General Assembly tasked RIHousing with creating and maintaining a searchable online database of low-income housing developments to inform the public of low-income housing opportunities,” said Senator Gu (D-Dist. 38, Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown). 

“But that law only narrowly applied to the limited number of rental units funded by RIHousing, leaving large gaps that made it difficult for Rhode Islanders searching for affordable housing to find an available unit. This bill expands that database to all low- and moderate-income housing units — including homeownership units — to create a comprehensive one-stop location for Rhode Islanders searching for housing.”

The legislation (2026-S 2690, 2026-H 7778) expands the database to include all residential developments that meet the definition of low- or moderate-income housing, including homeownership units. Currently, the database is limited to rentals in specific low-income housing developments and subsidized housing developments.

Foulkes campaign accuses McKee of false statements about CVS

Dan McKee Yet Again Attacks CVS, Rhode Island’s Largest Employer

Following the McKee campaign’s second ad, which was riddled with lies, Foulkes for Governor Communications Director Angelika Pellegrino issued the following statement:

“It’s been just two weeks since Dan McKee lied about Helena in his first ad, claiming she held a position she never had, that she was responsible for a merger that closed after she left CVS, that she was responsible for the other company’s decisions prior to the merger, and that she doesn’t care about Rhode Islanders’ health. This new ad doubles down on these lies and is a direct attack on Rhode Island’s largest employer. Helena is proud to have led the charge to take tobacco off the shelves at CVS, despite the large amount of revenue tobacco generated.”

“McKee can’t defend his record as governor so is lashing out at Helena because he knows voters do not think he deserves an unprecedented third term.”

The facts are:

• Helena ran the retail division. She was never the CEO of CVS, and it is absurd to suggest she merged CVS with Aetna. 
• Helena left CVS before the merger closed.
• The premium increase and changes to enrollment cited in the ad occurred before Aetna merged with CVS. 

Rep. Tina Spears bill for guardrails on use of artificial intelligence in mental health care passes the General Assembly

Great job, Tina!

The General Assembly approved two pieces of legislation from Sen. Lori Urso and Rep. Tina L. Spears to create artificial intelligence safety guidelines related to suicidal ideation and mental health treatment. The bills are part of the Senate’s 17-bill package of healthcare legislation.

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 would also be required to refer users to a crisis service provider as soon as it detects any of these expressions, and developers would have to submit annual reports to the Attorney General’s office showing the number of safety protocol activations and related metrics.

“AI chatbots are a new kind of technology that provide an experience that to many users feels like speaking to a friend or a therapist. But chatbots aren’t human and they do not live up to the professional standards of a trained therapist,” said Representative Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly). “This legislation puts up necessary guardrails to protect the users of chatbots, because, as we have seen in too many tragic instances, the products are not currently equipped to deal with users experiencing a crisis in a safe and responsible manner. Whether at home or in a clinical setting, human oversight and thoughtful safety regulation are necessary to keep Rhode Islanders safe from a growing and untested technology.”

BAD air and heat today. Smog lifts Saturday

Air Quality Alert: Unhealthy Ozone for Sensitive Groups Expected Thursday

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) forecasts that air quality will reach UNHEALTHY levels for sensitive groups due to elevated ground-level ozone on Thursday, June 11. The alert is being issued statewide.

Key Details:

• UNHEALHTY ozone levels for sensitive groups are expected across the entire state.
• Peak levels begin early afternoon, continuing into the evening.
• Fine particles are also expected to be elevated, reaching MODERATE.

Health Impacts: Unhealthy ozone levels may cause:

• Throat irritation, coughing, and chest pain
• Shortness of breath and increased risk of respiratory infections
• Worsening of asthma and other lung conditions- particularly for children, the elderly, and others with pre-existing respiratory issues.

Recommended Actions:

• Reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
• Take frequent breaks and choose less strenuous activities.
• Monitor for symptoms like coughing or shortness of breath.
• People with asthma or lung conditions should follow their action plans and carry quick-relief medications.
• Schedule outdoor activities in the morning when ozone levels are lowest and typically GOOD on the Air Quality index.

Air quality can change throughout the day. To stay informed, download the AirNOW app or visit www.airnow.gov for real-time updates and forecasts.

Additional information is also available on DEM’s air quality forecast page at www.dem.ri.gov/airquality.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov [pvxtjxbbb.cc.rs6.net]. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter/X (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates. Sign up here to receive the latest press releases, news, and events from DEM's Public Affairs Office to your inbox.

New Pell Center national survey finds Americans with the strongest authoritarian attitudes are the most likely to support violations of democratic norms

By the numbers, Republicans like fascism more than Dems

Salve Regina University’s Pell Center

Americans with the strongest authoritarian attitudes are more likely to support political actions that violate democratic norms, according to a new survey from Salve Regina University’s Pell Center. 

While support for democratic norm violations is generally low across the population, high authoritarians—a characteristic identified through a series of questions designed to surface those sentiments—are more likely to support government actions like ignoring court decisions, censoring media sources, and changing election rules to disadvantage the political opposition.

Download the full report here.

The survey was directed by Pell Center Associate Director and Fellow Katie Sonder and fielded by Embold Research between May 4-12, 2026. 

It gathered responses from 2,034 likely voters in the United States, with a modeled margin of error of 2.2 percent. It examined how Americans perceive the health of U.S. democracy, democratic norm violations, and partisan identity, as well as the relationship between authoritarian attitudes and those views.

While support for democratic norm violations remains relatively low, substantial differences exist across partisan and ideological groups. Most Americans do not support election interference, but high authoritarians are more likely than any other demographic subgroup (gender, race, age, etc.) to support changing election rules to make victory harder for the opposition.

Additionally, higher levels of authoritarianism were strongly associated with conservative political identification. 

Of those scoring highest on the authoritarian scale, 80% were Republican or Republican-leaning. Of those scoring lowest on the scale three-quarters were Democrat or Democrat-leaning.  

Finally, Americans remain deeply divided on the basic state of American democracy 

itself. While 95% of Democrats say the United States is facing a constitutional crisis, a majority of Republicans believe the country has a strong system of checks and balances and a thriving economy.

Local state reps getting measures passed by getting them folded into the state budget

Local Democratic women legislators use the budget to get good legislation passed

By Will Collette

Progressive Democratic state Representative Teresa Tanzi used the legislative budget process to get two legislative priorities through the General Assembly. Rep. Megan Cotter got more funding for wildfire fighting and prevention as well as increased Green Bond funding. Sen. Alana DiMario used the budget to win stable funding for mental health support for children and new parents.

While some may call this cheating, it is a time-honored method of getting bills passed that might otherwise fail, either because they are low-visibility or easily defeated by opposing lobbyists. 

The US Congress uses what they call the "reconciliation" process to accomplish this, most recently when Republicans used it to pass a full funding for ICE immigration thuggery. Generally, this procedural device can only be used for issues that involve direct spending.

I used it once when I worked in DC as staff director for the Citizens Coal Council. Our priority legislation aimed to protect and compensate people when their water is threatened by underground coal mining. The coal industry blocked this bill when it stood on its own but couldn't stop it from passage when we got it into the federal budget.

Reps. Tanzi and Cotter, and Sen. DiMario had news releases sent out to describe the measures they inserted into the budget. The following summaries are taken from those news releases.

It's time to boycott CBS

Juneteenth in Wilcox Park

FY27 budget heads to Gov. McKee’s desk after Senate approval

Republicans fail in effort to remove new tax on the rich

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

A $15.2 billion budget — the highest state spending plan on record — heads to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk, following the Rhode Island Senate’s approval Tuesday.

The upper chamber’s 32-6 vote followed more than two hours of debate and a dozen failed amendments, including three Republican-led attempts to strike down or weaken the millionaire’s tax headlining the fiscal 2027 budget. All four chamber Republicans voted against the budget, along with Democrats Sam Bell of Providence and Leo Raptakis of Coventry.

The Senate’s blessing marks the penultimate hurdle for the tax-and-spend plan ahead of the July 1 start date. But where McKee stands remains in question — especially because last year he declined to sign the budget, letting it take effect without his signature. 

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

The budget features a 1% increase in taxes on income over $1 million, followed by 1% increases in the next two years, rather than the 3% hike in one year McKee proposed in January. Lawmakers explained the phased-in approach would strike a balance between revenue generation that offsets federal funding cuts and economic and business development. 

Taxing top earners has dominated debate throughout the legislative session, including across the rotunda on Friday, where the Rhode Island House of Representatives reviewed and ultimately approved a carbon copy of the spending plan, again with opposition from its 10 Republican members.

Local Democratic party leaders endorse Foulkes and Khamsyvoravong over incumbents

In unusual move, city and town chairs reject both McKee and Matos

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

The Democratic challengers for governor and lieutenant governor, Helena Buonanno Foulkes and Xay Khamsyvoravong, won the backing of local party leaders during a closed-door meeting at the Rochambeau Library in Providence Monday night.

The Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs did not disclose vote details from its endorsement meeting, which offers municipal party heads a chance to assert influence in state and federal primary races. 

“We are incredibly fortunate in Rhode Island to have such strong leaders serving our state and so many talented candidates willing to put themselves forward for consideration,” Erich Haslehurst, president of the association, said in a statement. “All of the candidates who sought our endorsement have demonstrated a commitment to public service and are working tirelessly to earn the trust and support of Rhode Islanders.”

The endorsement for Foulkes over Gov. Dan McKee comes as she amasses more donations and support from voters than McKee in recent public polling.

EDITOR'S NOTE: My wife Cathy served on the Association for a number of years and during several election cycles where such endorsements were made. One such event stands out, the 2016 Governor's race that came down to Gina Raimondo, Angel Tavares and Clay Pell. Cathy's insistence on supporting Clay, who had been unanimously endorsed by the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee, caused a deadlock that resulted in no endorsement for anyone for Governor that year. She came under tremendous pressure from other town chairs who had cut deals to switch their votes and wanted her to do the same. She was the only town chair who refused to sell out.   - Will Collette