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In the News… Quick Recap of News of the Week ending Oct. 30, 2026
A quick recap of items making the news in this last week – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally – and some passings of note
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Colored lights at Sakonnet Bridge now dark as company that makes them went out of business
Cuba – Marco Rubio and CIA put notices out to the people of Cuba that “the time is now” for the people to act to secure their freedom
Rumble strips are being installed in Somerville, MA on bike paths
RI first state to sue META over lack of protection from scams on FB platform
Palestine Day event in downtown Providence Saturday featured presumptive Mayor Morales speaking in support of Question 7 that would require the city to divest municipal funds from Israel supportive companies. Jewish Alliance President Baker raised concerns about its financial and community impacts. Sitting Providence Mayor Smiley has called Question 7 legally unenforceable.
East Greenwich recognizing its 350th-anniversary
Extreme Airsoft in Wakefield, RI faces possible closure after 17 years
RI Cannabis Control Commission voted 2–1 to expand delivery hours to 7 am–11 pm
Sakonnet River Bridge decorative lights no longer working, parts company out of business
RI Special Olympian decorates home for Halloween, invites in neighbors, on national news
Bird rescue, Congress of the Birds, Chepachet needs $50K to treat 2,500+ birds this year
50 years anniversary of Trinity’s Christmas Carol this year
The Judicial Nominating Commission sent the names of four sitting judges and a controversial former state senator to Gov. Dan McKee to be the next chief judge of District Court – former Democratic state Sen. Stephen R. Archambault and District Court Judges James Caruolo, Mary McCaffrey, J. Patrick O’Neill and Debra Saunders.
$45M mansion up for sale in Nantucket – never lived in
Mass. General Brigham’s to close their PANDA/PANS treatment program, 1 of only 10 in US
New: Flu stats – Massachusetts is #25 out of 50 states – Rhode Island is #35.
RI Voting in the first ten days of early voting this year is 88% higher than the number of early voters during the same period in the 2022 midterm election.
Rhode Island Medicaid Director Kristin Sousa named as Interim Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), effective October 29.
Coventry 19 year old dies after being stabbed at a backyard party turned violent.
Brown will reopen Barus and Holley classrooms in summer 2027 after an extensive redesign process
Providence Schools Superintendent Javier Montañez has hired a private lawyer to negotiate an exit agreement with the school board
Emmily’s (no typo) coffee shop is opening on Greenville Ave in Johnston
Gov. says COSTCO is good to have but we need to continue focus on recruiting 6-figure salaried jobs that raise the economy – President of Job Lot says COSTCO is the best realtor in the US
Providence’s 20th Dunkin’ coming to Thayer St.
5-year-old walked away from Dighton elementary school – after a recess monitor position had been eliminated due to budget concerns – child went up to a house and resident called police
AG Neronha presents a new state-run health insurance system prior to leaving office
Work is beginning in Tiverton to address PFAS in water systems
Massachusetts Question 2 would allow Public Defenders to unionize – Boston Globe endorses
Johnston woman wants to buy the Rocky Point corkscrew roller coaster which is at an amusement park that is going out of business in the state of Washington
Whole Foods going into the old East Side Marketplace location – no word on the small Whole Foods right up the street from that location
Ribbon-Cutting Monday at DCYF’s new $45 million female adolescent behavioral health campus
RI Hospital staff notes repeated car break-ins and asks for better security
Providence schools – multiple schools found to have dysfunctional heating systems
Bally’s: The Australian Federal Court imposed a penalty of $183 million payable in four installments over 19 months for failing to manage laundering risks from its dealings with the Asian gambling junket Suncity and its funder
Nearly 30 Federal Hill businesses are looking to hire (https://federalhillprov.com/jobs/)
Gov. McKee hints that a women’s basketball team may be coming to RI
Providence School Supt. Javier Montañez announces he will leave – no date given
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Most popular beers in US – Corona, Guinness, Budweiser
Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) picked by readers of Condé Nast Traveler as their favorite in the entire country
AUDI confirms a multi-billion dollar auto manufacturing investment in Georgia
Iran has substantially increased efforts to target Americans
Venezuela opposition figure, Maria Corina Machado, returns home to challenge leaders
Archdiocese of New York will pay $800+ million to settle sexual abuse claims of 1,300 people
Fox hosts Sean Hannity, 64 & Ainsley Earhardt, 60 married in Florida after a 2-year engagement
Netflix reporting far less daily app use than in previous years
Albanians burned down their supreme court building
Microsoft offers voluntary exit packages to 60,000 staff
Flu rates out of all 50 states: 1. Hawaii — 4.6% 2. Florida — 3.58% 3. Louisiana — 3.5% 4 (tie). California — 3.23% 4 (tie.) South Carolina — 3.23%
DoorDash may be purchasing Instacart
Former FBI Director James Comey faces 3rd federal indictment on illegal transfer of confidential information
Brazil’s Bolsonaro flees after not being elected Said to be in Ecuador or Argentina. Ended up in US, given visas for family by President Trump
General Motors to move from NY Stock Exchange to NASDAQ
New iPhones ($2K) which fold are reportedly cracking-contact Apple support for replacement
When asked, Grok says the best location in the world to survive nuclear war is – Australia
2 high speed trains in Spain crashed – many fatalities, injuries
US CDC director Shuford resigns after 4 mos on the job
Former FBI Director Bongino say everyone should take 30 days preparedness measures
Chris Brown given suspended 8-mos sentence in London for a 2023 attack
75% of dead former NFL players had CTE
The Mexican Navy is patrolling beach areas and hauling out huge seawood plumes that are choking beaches onland.
NYT investigative report shows that a candidate – Dan Sullivan – was recruited from the general population to pose confusion with the party candidate – Dan Sullivan – and that the recruitment was intentional
Patriots Coach Vrabel acknowledges the injuries and risks in professional football
Apple debuts touch-screen laptop computer
Surface-to-air missile added at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Refrigeration systems at 6 U.S. military facilities switched to defrost mode, spoiling food. May be connected to similar attacks onrefrigeration systems at approximately 100 French supermarkets earlier this month.
Pope Leo XIV has requested a mail-in ballot becoming the first pope in 2,000 years to vote in a secular election.
Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, the Pentagon’s chief military planner, accusing the officer of leaking classified information to the press, is fired, will be prosecuted
Villa Vie Residences, a cruise that never ended had to stop because of fuel costs – people on board had sold their homes, or their life’s savings to spend their years aboard the yacht as their permanent homes
Binance suspends withdrawals after crypto hacking incident
21-year-old woman arrested for threatening to kill Pres. Biden at Daytona Beach rally
Google Alphabet stock dropped dramatically
46+ million Americans voted by early Friday; 45.9 million early ballots cast in the 2022 midterms
1 in 8 Americans has worked at McDonalds
Deepening selloff in Wall Street’s technology
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PASSINGS
Barbara Barrie, 95, Actress, Ends Her Life Through Medical Aid at 95 After Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
Eric Bauza, 46, voice of Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, of heart disease
Jim Boyd, 84, former anchor on Boston’s WCVB TV news
Noah Adams, 84, long time host of “All Things Considered”, brain tumor
Aram Garabedian, 91, former Cranston City Council president, state legislator and Warwick Mall co-managing partner died Friday following an eight-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Walter Koenig, 90, actor, Chekov in Star Trek
Anika Rashaun, 34, reality TV star, of breast cancer
Susan St. James, 80, actor, of pancreatic cancer