Charlestown voters will face a confusing municipal election ballot in November

Battle lines between the CRU and CCA blurred by tactical maneuver

By Will Collette

November 5 will be different than any Charlestown election I’ve seen since 2000 largely because of our town’s unusual politics. In most municipalities, elections are waged by Democrats and Republicans.

Even in towns where municipal office is non-partisan, you know who the D’s and R’s are because they are picked, endorsed and campaigned for by town party committees.

Not so in Charlestown. Starting in 2008 and continuing today, Charlestown has been governed by one of two Political Action Committees (PACs) that have superseded traditional political parties in town.

In 2008, the Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA PAC) took power when they defeated Jim Mageau, a DINO who ran the Town Council for one term and managed to alienate just about everyone in town.

The CCA initially formed for the sole purpose of taking Mageau out. That was a broadly popular idea; even I supported dumping Mageau.

But the CCA quickly broadened its agenda to include helping its friends (especially wealthy non-resident property owners) and blocking out anyone they didn’t like (especially those who failed to contribute to their campaign fund). They were flexible on many issues, willing to make 180-degree flip-flops if a suitable amount of money was contributed to their coffers.

For 8 elections, the CCA called itself a strictly nonpartisan organization, eschewing political party labels so strictly that their candidates all ran as “independents.” Nonetheless, those “independents" were bound to obey the orders issued by CCA founder and town planning commissar Ruth Platner and the secretive CCA Steering Committee.

In 2022, that changed. A pro-reform PAC, Charlestown Residents United (CRU), handed the CCA its first major defeat, crushing the CCA slate for Town Council and winning a 4-1 Council majority.

The CRU is comprised of Republicans and Democrats who are not afraid to show their political affiliation, running openly as Democrats and Republicans. They have governed as a coalition.

After their 2022 beating, the CCA quietly dumped its sacred claim of independent nonpartisanship. Instead, they turned on their cloaking device - most CCA candidates are running under a party label. Like so many of its holy principles, the CCA is more than willing to cast them aside when it's expedient.

Can’t tell the players without a scorecard

That’s why the 2024 municipal ballot will call on voters to do something they generally hate to do – pay attention to detail. At a time when 91% of Americans say they're exhausted by politics, we're asking voters to engage in some "inside baseball" analysis of the candidates for office.

The CRU and CCA candidates will be intermingled on the ballot based on a lottery assignment of slots. 

There was a narrow window of time to get the party endorsement votes and neither party got its candidates endorsed before the state election deadline. That affects ballot position with the better placements given to "officially" endorsed candidates. 

After candidates filed their declarations of candidacy at last Wednesday’s deadline, we now know the slates for the two political action committees.

The Charlestown Residents United (CRU) will field a slate of two Democrats (incumbents Deb Carney and Peter Slom) and three Republicans (incumbents Rippy Serra and Steve Stokes plus Craig Marr, a new candidate but well-known for the Breachway Grill.

The CCA PAC’s slate consists of two registered Democrats (Sarah Fletcher and Peter Keating), one Republican (Angela Jalbert) and two veteran CCA politicos running as “independents.”

We’ll have lots more to say about the two PACs’ positions, histories and slates, but let’s take a look at the two CCA PAC “independents.”

Biggest surprise of the race so far

Platner, left, and Van Slyke, right

One of the two CCA independents is Ruth Platner who is giving up her Commissar-for-Life position as head of the town Planning Commission to make a first-time run for Town Council.

She takes the place of the CCA’s only Council incumbent, Susan Cooper, who isn’t running.

Platner is one of the town’s most controversial figures and she is featured in 499 Progressive Charlestown articles (CLICK HERE to see them).

She is the architect of the CCA’s shady land deals, cover-ups, phony outside threats, pay-to-play, anti-family and anti-child policies, flip-flops and favoritism toward wealthy non-resident property owners and so much more, documented in those 499 articles.

With her on the ballot as an “independent” for Town Council is Ruth’s Flying Monkey, failed former Councilor Bonnita Van Slyke. As far as I can remember, she’s never had an independent thought in her life.

Amen

By Adam Zyglis

Understand the GOP playbook for 2025

Spears' bill signed by Governor

New law will study creation of state Geographic Information System

Gov. Dan McKee has signed legislation from Rep. Tina Spears and Sen. Tiara Mack to commission a report from the Department of Administration to study the creation of a statewide Geographic Information System.

The legislation (2024-H 7985A, 2024-S 2995A) is part of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s 15-bill package of legislation to address Rhode Island’s housing crisis.

“More complete information about the geography of Rhode Island means more informed and better decisions, whether for conservation or development,” said Representative Spears (D-Dist. 36, Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown, Westerly). 

“This report will be the first step toward a uniform and detailed statewide GIS that will give us all a much better understanding of Rhode Island’s natural resources, open spaces and buildable land. This will help municipalities, developers, conservation groups, policy-makers and the public to make more informed decisions about their communities and the state as a whole.”

Statin therapy may prevent cancer by blocking inflammatory protein

That’s a nice two-fer

Massachusetts General Hospital

A new study led by investigators from Mass General Cancer Center, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, reveals that statins -- commonly used cholesterol-lowering drugs -- may block a particular pathway involved in the development of cancer that results from chronic inflammation. The findings are published in Nature Communications.

"Chronic inflammation is a major cause of cancer worldwide," said senior author Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD, a principal investigator at the Center for Cancer Immunology and Cutaneous Biology Research Center of Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.

Internet addiction affects the behavior and development of adolescents

Plague of screen addiction

University College London

Adolescents with an internet addiction undergo changes in the brain that could lead to additional addictive behavior and tendencies, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

The findings, published in PLOS Mental Health, reviewed 12 articles involving 237 young people aged 10-19 with a formal diagnosis of internet addiction between 2013 and 2023.

Internet addiction has been defined as a person's inability to resist the urge to use the internet, negatively impacting their psychological wellbeing, as well as their social, academic and professional lives.

The studies used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to inspect the functional connectivity (how regions of the brain interact with each other) of participants with internet addiction, both while resting and completing a task.

The effects of internet addiction were seen throughout multiple neural networks in the brains of adolescents. There was a mixture of increased and decreased activity in the parts of the brain that are activated when resting (the default mode network).

Meanwhile, there was an overall decrease in the functional connectivity in the parts of the brain involved in active thinking (the executive control network).

These changes were found to lead to addictive behaviors and tendencies in adolescents, as well as behavior changes associated with intellectual ability, physical coordination, mental health and development.

Donald Trump ia a Profound Threat to Social Security, Medicare, and Seniors

How do we know? He's already told us—over and over and over again.

NANCY J. ALTMAN in Common Dreams

Donald Trump was the worst president for seniors in the history of the nation. That is not hyperbole. Alarmingly, if elected again, he will be even worse—and, worryingly, more effective.

When Trump ran for president in 2016, he claimed he would be the one Republican not to cut our earned benefits but, when he actually became president, every single one of his budgets proposed deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare, as well as Medicaid.

When Trump couldn’t get the cuts enacted, he employed the old tactic of “starve the beast.” Figuring tax cuts are easier to enact than benefit cuts, he cut income taxes which help to fund Medicare and Medicaid, and sought to defund Social Security, which has its own dedicated revenue source.

To advance his goal of undermining Social Security, Donald Trump grabbed the questionable power to go after its dedicated revenue unilaterally—something without precedent. Because Trump was limited to executive action, he was able to only defer the revenue, but he made clear that he would not just defer the revenue, but eliminate it, if he were re-elected. Insufficient dedicated revenue leads to automatic cuts. Conveniently, automatic cuts means there is no one to clearly be held accountable.

Trump’s goals to undermine these programs, so vital to seniors, have not changed. Trump continues to claim he won’t cut benefits despite his record to the contrary, but tells the truth from time to time. Moreover, he is reportedly considering, once again, defunding Social Security, if he has the chance. Trump also plans to continue to give his billionaire friends massive tax giveaways.

Imagine if Joe HAD been "jacked up"

by Nick Anderson

Charlestown Gallery: new art and a July 22nd event

 

• Charlestown Gallery You are invited to an Artist Appreciation Opening Celebrating All Our Artists July 20th, 2024 / 5pm -7pm   Rugs, Jewelry, Giclees and more on SALE all of July! Gallery Open THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY 11 - 4   Visit our Website   Always Open by Appointment Charlestown Gallery | 401-364-0120 | 5000 South County Trail, Charlestown, RI| http://www.charlestowngalleryri.com

  Charlestown Gallery | 5000 South County Trail | Charlestown, RI 02813 US

Learn more about the new strategy for current and future USGS microplastics research.

Special interest in how plastics get into the food chain

By USGS Communications and Publishing

Plastics are found in waterways throughout the world. Over time, they break down into tiny pieces not easily seen by the naked eye—smaller than 5 millimeters in size—and become microplastics, which may pose a risk to humans and wildlife.

Everyday items like straws, water bottles and takeout containers can be sources of microplastics. Humans and wildlife can be exposed to microplastics by inhalation, ingestion and skin contact. This exposure can occur as microplastics are lifted into the air by the wind, absorbed into soils, or enter waterways through runoff.

As a result of the inextricable link between human, wildlife and ecosystem health, microplastics can even make their way into the food web. Microplastics can be mistaken for food by wildlife. When animals whose bodies contain microplastics are consumed, microplastics move throughout the food web.

Microplastics have been found in the stomachs of both humans and wildlife, as well as within human blood and placenta.

New Systematic Review Unveils the Best Way To Lose Weight

Bariatric surgery seems to be the winner 

By AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METABOLIC AND BARIATRIC SURGERY 

Systematic reviews of medical literature from 2020 to 2024 indicate that bariatric surgery, also referred to as metabolic or weight-loss surgery, results in the most significant and enduring weight loss compared to treatments with GLP-1 receptor agonists and lifestyle changes. These findings were presented at the 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

Researchers found lifestyle interventions such as diet and exercise resulted in an average weight loss of 7.4% but that weight was generally regained within 4.1 years. GLP-1s and metabolic and bariatric surgery proved far superior. Studies included thousands of patients from clinical studies and several randomized clinical trials.

Five months of weekly injections of GLP-1 semaglutide resulted in 10.6% weight loss and nine months of tirzepatide produced 21.1% weight loss. However, once treatment stopped, about half the lost weight returned within a year despite which drug was used. If injections were continued, tirzepatide patients plateaued at 22.5% weight loss at 17-18 months. Patients on semaglutide plateaued at 14.9% during the same time period.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery procedures gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy demonstrated total weight loss of 31.9% and 29.5% one year after surgery, respectively. Weight loss of approximately 25% was maintained for up to 10 years after surgery.

500 years ago, Machiavelli warned the public not to get complacent in the face of self-interested charismatic figures

What history teaches us about tyrants

Vickie B. Sullivan, Tufts University

Julius Caesar was the first tyrant of Rome, after which
Rome was never again free. 
Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images

A United States president sought to remain in office after his term ended, maintains a worshipful following and has declared he will operate as a dictator only on “day one” if reelected. 

His cunning and manipulation of American politics and its legal system have, so far, blocked efforts to hold him accountable.

That sort of activity has been called “Machiavellian,” after Renaissance writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who lived from 1469 to 1527. He wrote a notorious little treatise called “The Prince,” in which he advises sole rulers – his phrase for authoritarians or dictators – as well as those who aspire to sole rule to use force and fraud to gain and maintain power.

But scholars of Machiavelli like me know there is much more to his analysis. His 16th-century writings discuss not only princely rule but also republican governments, in which citizens select leaders directly or indirectly for specified terms. 

He instructs republican citizens and leaders, including those of the United States, to recognize how vulnerable the governments they cherish are and to be vigilant against the threats of tyranny. Machiavelli’s advice is as relevant now as it was then.

Understanding the backlash to Dobbs v. Jackson

American women are doing more than just protest

Linda J. Nicholson, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

A young woman holds a sign demanding a woman’s right
to an abortion at a protest following the closing of a
Madison, Wis., abortion clinic on April 20, 1971. 
ASSOCIATED PRESS

As someone who over the past 50 years has thought about and written many books and articles on U.S. feminism, I should have been less surprised by the strong electoral backlash to the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, a judgment that overturned the 1973 Roe V. Wade decree and thus 50 years of national abortion rights.

True, I expected massive street demonstrations and marches after Dobbs was announced, the kind of political actions that abortion-rights supporters used in the years before Roe was enacted – and in the years since, as abortion rights continued to be challenged.

But surprising to me, and to many others, was the nature of the backlash. People were taking their outrage not only to the streets but to the ballot box as well.

In August 2022, for example, 60% of voters in Kansas easily defeated a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have taken away abortion rights in Kansas.

Abortion rights also motivated many existing and new Democratic voters to turn out during the 2022 midterm elections, causing Republicans to fare worse than expected.

Similar favorable outcomes for Democrats also occurred in special elections in places such as Virginia and Ohio in 2023.

And now, heading into the presidential election in November, abortion rights continues to command a central spotlight in American politics.

Why have abortion rights so recently come to occupy such a center stage in our state and national elections? I believe that over the past few decades, there have been major shifts in how women live, view themselves and are viewed by others. 

As long as Roe was in place, these shifts could coexist with the abortion rights Roe provided. When Roe was overturned, the clash between these newer versions of womanhood and the elimination of such rights led to major outrage at the ballot box.

Forgetful or brain-dead?

Secret Service protocol

 

Beware of Jumping Leeches: Video Evidence Ends a Century of Skepticism

How soon before they make it to Florida?

By AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 

This video taken in Madagascar in 2017 shows a Chtonobdella leech taking a small jump followed by a big leap to the ground. Credit: © Mai Fahmy

Video evidence that at least one species of terrestrial leech can jump is presented in a new study, showing behavior that scientists have debated for more than a century. Researchers from the American Museum of Natural History, Fordham University, and City University of New York (CUNY)’s Medgar Evers College published the footage and corresponding analysis today (June 20) in the journal Biotropica.

“We believe this is the first convincing evidence that leeches can jump and do so with visible energy expenditure,” said lead author Mai Fahmy, a visiting scientist at the Museum and a postdoctoral researcher at Fordham University. “There have been previous accounts of leeches jumping, including onto people, but those reports were often explained away as leeches just attaching to passerby as they brushed against shrubs or dropping from a branch above. This study dispels that argument.”

Food wastage problem needs to be addressed urgently

 Garbage

University of New South Wales

Two UNSW experts have called on industry and consumers to do more to prevent high levels of waste in the food supply chain.

Urgent changes are needed to solve the increasing problem of lost and wasted food, according to UNSW experts.

A recent report from the Australia Institute highlighted the fact that more than 7.5m tonnes of food is wasted in this country each year, costing households in excess of $19 billion.

That is in addition to figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation which say around 30 per cent of all food produced globally is lost or wasted.

Professor Johannes le Coutre, who is responsible for the UNSW Food program, says the food industry needs to do more to reduce waste – but he also urges consumers to be more mindful of throwing away perfectly good food.

Billionaire Grandson of Gilded Age Plutocrat Gives Trump Super PAC $50 Million

Big billionaire bucks shore up Trump

JAKE JOHNSON for Common Dreams

Dynasty of oligarachs

Billionaire businessman Timothy Mellon, the grandson of Gilded Age plutocrat Andrew Mellon, made a $50 million donation to a pro-Donald Trump super PAC last month, a day after the former president was convicted by a New York jury on 34 felony counts.

Mellon had previously donated $25 million to super PACs backing both Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate. 

The New York Times noted late Thursday that Mellon, a reclusive GOP megadonor who has described safety net programs as "slavery redux," is "now the first donor to give $100 million in disclosed federal contributions in this year's election."

Incumbents are unopposed in nearly half of General Assembly races

Charlestown rep. Tina Spears (D) unopposed

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

Left, Rep. Tina Spears (D) and right, Sen. Victoria Gu (D)

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm compiling analysis of the contenders for Charlestown's municipal offices. Some interesting developments and surprises. Stay tuned/ - Will Collette

Former Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt will not attempt a comeback run for the Rhode Island Legislature this year, despite commissioning a voter survey and telling local news outlets she was considering challenging Rep. Jon Brien, an independent, for the seat she once held.

In an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon, mere hours before the 4 p.m. filing deadline for state and local candidates to submit their declaration paperwork, Baldelli-Hunt cited her commitment to her health as reason for her decision not to run. Prior to winning the mayoral race in 2013, Baldelli-Hunt was a state legislator for seven years. 

“It was recently confirmed and I am now scheduled for a procedure on my heart later this summer with the hope of a successful outcome and a full recovery,” Baldelli-Hunt wrote.

Health concerns were also the reason she gave when she resigned from the mayoral post last fall, on the heels of a WPRI-12 investigation exposing her role in a controversial city land deal.  

However, controversy has not deterred former Rep. Justin Price, an Exeter Republican, from trying to regain his seat. Price, who served four terms beginning in 2014, narrowly lost the 2022 general election to Democratic challenger Megan Cotter. During his 2022 campaign, Price faced scrutiny for attending the Jan. 6 march on the U.S. Capitol, though he said he did not enter the building.

The rematch between Cotter, who is seeking reelection, and Price is one of a handful of high-profile races expected this fall.

Senate Democrat Victoria Gu will also face her 2022 Republican competitor, Westin Place, for the seat representing parts of Charlestown and Westerly. Gu bested Place in the 2022 general election by a decisive 19 percentage points. Prior to Gu’s win, however, the seat was held by Republican Dennis Algiere for 20 years.

We should definitely arm teachers

New Cholesterol Guidelines Could Drastically Reduce Statin Use for Millions

Should heart risk be recalculated?

By UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 

If national guidelines were updated to include a new risk equation, approximately 40% fewer individuals may qualify for cholesterol-lowering statins to prevent heart disease, suggests a study involving researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and University of Michigan.

The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, explores the implications of broadly implementing the PREVENT equations, introduced by the American Heart Association in November 2023. These equations are intended to refine the tools doctors use to estimate a patient’s 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.

At a population level, the number of adults recommended for statins could decrease from 45.4 million to 28.3 million. At the same time, the study showed that most people who would be recommended to take statins are not currently taking them.

Cutting-Edge Study Reveals a Link Between Obesity, Inflammation, and Aging

Lighten up

By NATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH CENTER - CNIO 

The accelerated aging of our population underscores the urgency to understand the molecular changes occurring in the body over time. The mTOR protein complex plays a critical role in many body functions, particularly in metabolism. A new study by CNIO researchers shows that even slight increases in mTOR activity can induce premature aging in animal models, reducing their lifespan by up to 20%.

This study, published in Nature Aging, provides insights into why diseases associated with aging worsen in individuals with a high body mass index, an indicator of obesity and inflammation. It also explains why calorie restriction, known for extending lifespan in animals, promotes healthy aging by activating specific genes that interact with mTOR.

Additionally, the study introduces a new research tool designed “to study the relationship between nutrient increase and the ageing of different organs,” according to lead author Alejo Efeyan, who heads the Metabolism and Cell Signalling Group at the National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO).

1 in 4 parents say their child can't go to sleep because they're worried or anxious

Kids DO have lots to worry about

Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

One in four parents describe getting their young child to bed as difficult -- and these parents are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave on a video or TV show, and more likely to stay with their child until they're asleep.

Many bedtime battles stem from children's after dark worries, suggests a new national poll.

And while most families have bedtime rituals to help their little ones ease into nighttime, many rely on strategies that may increase sleep challenges long term, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

Overall, one in four parents describe getting their young child to bed as difficult -- and these parents are less likely to have a bedtime routine, more likely to leave on a video or TV show, and more likely to stay with their child until they're asleep.

"Our report reinforces the common struggle of getting young children to sleep. When this transition to bedtime becomes a nightly conflict, some parents may fall into habits that work in the moment but could set them up for more sleep issues down the road," said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark, M.P.H.

"Establishing a consistent bedtime routine is crucial. When children don't get enough rest, it can impact their physical development, emotional regulation and behavior."

Nearly one in five parents say they have given their kids melatonin to help with sleep while a third stay in the room until their child completely dozes off, according to the nationally representative poll that includes responses from 781 parents of children ages one to six surveyed in February.

Beware the Republican Plot to Replace US Democracy With a New Confederacy

Trump’s MAGA GOP solely wants to seize absolute political and economic power.

THOM HARTMANN in ThomHartmann.Com

Have you noticed how rarely Republicans talk about actual issues?

They rant about brown people pouring over the southern border but refuse to even discuss what could be done about it. In fact, when the Senate came up with a workable solution, Republicans in the House killed it at the insistence of former U.S. President Donald Trump. No policies, no solutions other than a Nazi-like roundup of 11 million people and a series of concentration camps.

They complain about the state of the economy, but have no arguments about what can be done to enhance the economy other than more tax cuts for billionaires, who are already paying a pathetic average 3.4% income tax.

They whine that our students aren’t doing well but refuse to engage in any serious discussion about how to take us back to the era when America had the newest and most successful public education system in the world.

They’ll yell about prescription drug prices and the high cost of insurance, but their only policy suggestion is to end Obamacare and Medicaid.

They love to slander Back Lives Matter and big cities with large Black populations but refuse to even entertain a conversation about healing the racial divide in this country; instead, their efforts are directed toward outlawing or decertifying Black History classes, as just happened in South Carolina.

All of this is because the GOP is now a post-politics party.

The reason why is simple and straightforward: The people who’ve captured the Republican Party envision a day when they won’t have to even pretend that they’re engaging in good-faith political discussions or negotiations because they will have outlawed, sidelined, or intimidated their opposition into impotence and silence.

They’re using our political system this election year, in other words, so they can seize enough power to destroy our political system.

And they have a model they’re using for what they want to replace it with: the Confederacy.