Could public power work as an alternative for R.I. by offering cheaper, more reliable energy?
We've seen this work elsewhere, too. In Hudson Valley, N.Y., where communities are exploring a public takeover of their failing utility, Central Hudson, residents are fed up with skyrocketing rates and terrible service. An independent study found that public power could cut costs by up to 37 percent while providing better reliability and faster response times. Instead of paying massive executive salaries and shareholder dividends, public utilities reinvest in infrastructure and customer service.
Let's be honest: This won't be cheap. Creating a public utility takes significant upfront investment. But
Rhode Island already has a clear example of how effective publicly owned utilities can be. The
By reinvesting its revenues back into the local system, rather than distributing profits to out-of-state shareholders, Clear River has managed to keep costs down and provide more reliable service. This is proof that public power works, right here in Rhode Island. If public power can provide cheaper and more reliable energy in Burrillville, it can work for the rest of the state too. It's time for Rhode Islanders to have the same opportunity to benefit from this model.
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Democrats across the country lost elections because people are tired of weak, incremental change. They want bold, real solutions that put them first — not utility companies, not shareholders, but them. Public power is one of those solutions. Rhode Islanders deserve the same choices as communities across the country.
Democratic state Representative Megan L. Cotter represents District 39 in Exeter, Richmond, and Hopkinton.
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Axios
42 minutes ago
- Axios
Read: Newsom demands Trump pull National Guard from LA protests
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday formally that requested President Trump's administration withdraw the National Guard from Los Angeles County, where troops are responding to immigration raid protests. Why it matters: Trump in a Saturday memorandum that authorized the action in response to the LA unrest cited a rarely used provision in federal law that enables presidents to deploy national National Guard troops, but Newsom called the action "unlawful." The big picture: Newsom and other Californian Democratic leaders criticized Trump and his administration on Sunday for the action, as tensions remained heightened between authorities and protesters in a weekend that's seen tear gas deployed. Driving the news: Trump in his memo said that to the "extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." However, David Sapp, the California governor's legal affairs secretary, said in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that local law enforcement resources were "sufficient to maintain order." What they're saying: Newsom said the action was "a serious breach of state sovereignty" that inflamed tensions "while pulling resources from where they're actually needed," as he posted copies of Sapp's letter to his social media accounts on Sunday.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Live Updates: Tensions Flare Between Protesters and Law Enforcement in L.A.
News Analysis National Guard troops in Los Angeles on Sunday. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California has formally asked the Trump administration to remove them. It is the fight President Trump had been waiting for, a showdown with a top political rival in a deep blue state over an issue core to his political agenda. In bypassing the authority of Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard to quell protests in the Los Angeles area over his administration's efforts to deport more migrants, Mr. Trump is now pushing the boundaries of presidential authority and stoking criticism that he is inflaming the situation for political gain. Local and state authorities had not sought help in dealing with the scattered protests that erupted after an immigration raid on Friday in the garment district. But Mr. Trump and his top aides leaned into the confrontation with California leaders on Sunday, portraying the demonstrations as an existential threat to the country — setting in motion an aggressive federal response that in turn sparked new protests across the city. As more demonstrators took to the streets, the president wrote on social media that Los Angeles was being 'invaded and occupied' by 'violent, insurrectionist mobs,' and directed three of his top cabinet officials to take any actions necessary to 'liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion.' 'Nobody's going to spit on our police officers. Nobody's going to spit on our military,' Mr. Trump told reporters as he headed to Camp David on Sunday, although it was unclear whether any such incidents had occurred. 'That happens, they get hit very hard.' The president declined to say whether he planned to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows for the use of federal troops on domestic soil to quell a rebellion. But either way, he added, 'we're going to have troops everywhere.' Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, posted on social media that 'this is a fight to save civilization.' Mr. Trump's decision to deploy at least 2,000 members of the California National Guard is the latest example of his willingness and, at times, an eagerness to shatter norms to pursue his political goals and bypass limits on presidential power. The last president to send in the National Guard for a domestic operation without a request from the state's governor, Lyndon B. Johnson, did so in 1965, to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama. Image President Donald Trump in New Jersey on Sunday. On social media, he, his aides and allies have sought to frame the demonstrations against immigration officials on their own terms. Credit... Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times But aides and allies of the president say the events unfolding in Los Angeles provide an almost perfect distillation of why Mr. Trump was elected in November. 'It could not be clearer,' said Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker and ally of the president who noted that Mr. Trump had been focused on immigration enforcement since 2015. 'One side is for enforcing the law and protecting Americans, and the other side is for defending illegals and being on the side of the people who break the law.' Sporadic protests have occurred across the country in recent days as federal agents have descended on Los Angeles and other cities searching workplaces for undocumented immigrants, part of an expanded effort by the administration to ramp up the number of daily deportations. On social media, Mr. Trump, his aides and allies have sought to frame the demonstrations against immigration officials on their own terms. They have shared images and videos of the most violent episodes — focusing particularly on examples of protesters lashing out at federal agents — even as many remained peaceful. Officials also zeroed in on demonstrators waving flags of other countries, including Mexico and El Salvador, as evidence of a foreign invasion. 'Illegal criminal aliens and violent mobs have been committing arson, throwing rocks at vehicles, and attacking federal law enforcement for days,' wrote Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. Mr. Newsom, whom the president refers to as 'Newscum,' has long been a foil for Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly targeted California and its leader as emblematic of failures of the Democratic Party. 'We expected this, we prepared for this,' Mr. Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times. 'This is not surprising — for them to succeed, California must fail, and so they're going to try everything in their tired playbook despite the evidence against them.' Image Law enforcement officers and members of the California National Guard engaged protesters in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit... Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times On Sunday, the governor sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally requesting that Mr. Trump rescind the call-up of the National Guard, saying federal actions were inflaming the situation. He was echoed by other Democratic officials, who said the mounting demonstrations were the result of Mr. Trump's own actions. The president and his aides 'are masters of misinformation and disinformation,' Senator Alex Padilla of California, a Democrat, said in an interview. 'They create a crisis of their own making and come in with all the theatrics and cruelty of immigration enforcement. They should not be surprised in a community like Los Angeles they will be met by demonstrators who are very passionate about standing up for fundamental rights and due process.' Republicans defended Mr. Trump's moves, saying he was rightfully exercising his power to protect public safety. 'The president is extremely concerned about the safety of federal officials in L.A. right now who have been subject to acts of violence and harassment and obstruction,' Representative Kevin Kiley, Republican of California, said in an interview. He added: 'We are in this moment because of a series of reckless decisions by California's political leaders, the aiding and abetting the open-border policies of President Biden.' Trump officials said on Sunday that they were ready to escalate their response even more, if necessary. Tom Homan, the president's border czar, suggested in an interview with NBC News that the administration would arrest anyone, including public officials, who interfered with immigration enforcement activities, which he said would continue in California and across the country. Image Protesters in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday. Credit... Alex Welsh for The New York Times Mr. Trump appears to be deploying against California a similar playbook that he has used to punish universities, law firms and other institutions and individuals that he views as political adversaries. Last month, he threatened to strip 'large scale' federal funding from California 'maybe permanently' over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. And in recent days, his administration said it would pull roughly $4 billion in federal funding for California's high-speed train, which would further delay a project that has long been plagued by delays and funding shortages. 'Everything he's done to attack California or anybody he fears isn't supportive of him is going to continue to be an obsession of his,' Mr. Padilla said. 'He may think it plays smart for his base, but it's actually been bad for the country.' White House officials said there was a different common denominator that explains Mr. Trump's actions both against institutions like Harvard and immigration protests in Los Angeles. 'For years Democrat-run cities and institutions have failed the American people, by both choice and incompetence,' Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement. 'In each instance,' she added, 'the president took necessary action to protect Americans when Democrats refused.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hegseth returns to Capitol Hill to defend Trump's defense budget plan
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will appear before Congress this week for the first time since his tumultuous confirmation to discuss the fiscal 2026 military budget, even though the full White House request for his department has yet to be released. Hegseth is scheduled to appear before both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on Tuesday and before the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday. All three hearings are intended to be focused on funding issues for the next fiscal year. But questions from lawmakers are unlikely to stay only on that topic. Democratic lawmakers have already discussed plans to grill Hegseth on his use of non-secure messaging platforms ahead of overseas airstrikes, policy decisions ending outreach programs to women and minority recruits and the high-profile dismissals of multiple defense officials in recent months. The defense secretary will be accompanied by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine in his first post-confirmation testimony, as well. Caine replaced Gen. CQ Brown after the latter was fired by President Donald Trump in February for unspecified reasons. Last week, Senate leaders said they didn't expect specifics on the president's defense budget plan for several more weeks. But lawmakers said they need to press forward on the issue now to have any hope of reaching a funding deal by October, the start of the new fiscal year. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen Navy/Marine Corps Budget Navy Secretary John Phelan, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Middle East/Africa Posture Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Michael Langley, head of U.S. Africa Command, will testify on current challenges and the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Appropriations — 10 a.m. — H-140 Capitol FY2026 Defense Budget Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Pending Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations. Senate Appropriations — 2 p.m. — 192 Dirksen FY2026 Defense Budget Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Appropriations — 3 p.m. — 2359 Rayburn FY2026 VA/Military Construction Budget The full committee will mark up its draft of the VA appropriations bill for fiscal 2026. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Navy/Marine Corps Budget Navy Secretary John Phelan, Acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Veterans' Affairs — 11 a.m. — 360 Cannon Pending Legislation The subcommittee on economic opportunity will consider several pending bills. House Armed Services — 3:30 p.m. — 2118 Rayburn Army Munition Industrial Base Department officials will testify on challenges and strategy with the Army munitions industrial base. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — G-50 Dirksen Central Command Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, will testify on current challenges and the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn FY2026 Defense Budget Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Pending Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations. Senate Appropriations — 10:30 a.m. — 192 Dirksen Army Budget Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request.
