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In the news… for Feb. 11, 2023
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Boston is picking up a large part of the cost of BlueBikes and the MBTA passes for city employees to encourage them to use public transportation
Viola Davis got her Grammy – now has all 4 – Grammy, Oscar and Emmy, and Tony
Rep. David Morales has introduced legislation that would invest federal infrastructure funds to replace public and private drinking water service lines across the state that are contaminated with lead at no cost to property owners or tenants
RI will serve as the host state for the Navy during the Army-Navy game to be held in December
TACO looking to expand in RI property it owns across the street from their current location – would hire 75 local positions for a total of 130 nationwide
Paolino Properties will buy the RDW building on Smith Street – it will be rented to the state’s HHS office, which will open a second office there
More than a third of species that breed in Audubon’s 14 RI refuges are in decline, while only a quarter may be experiencing increases in numbers.
The Providence Journal is bringing back some select free lancers – the hiking column, the veterans column, etc.
MA Governor took $2.9 million from the budget for the inaugural celebration
5 North Kingstown football players were arrested for – shoplifting
A 47-year-old woman died on a park bench in Boston’s North End on Saturday night of the cold snap, wearing only a windbreaker for a coat – and was a known homeless person – she was found at 3:30am
Boston Mayor Wu wants to double summer job program for teens
3 candidates surfaced as finalists for Providence Police Chief – acting Chief Oscar Perez and Majors David Lapatin and Kevin Lanni. Oscar Perez was named Chief on Friday
Hasbro layoffs in RI began on 2/7
BrownUniversity is preparing to maintain a diverse student body without affirmative action, Associate Provost for Enrollment Logan Powell said at faculty meeting
Brown will establish a new institute for data science
RI Senator Gu has submitted a bill that would allow seniors earning up to 138% of FPL to remain on Medicaid. The bill has 16 cosponsors in the Senate. A companion bill (2023 H-5097) has been introduced by Rep. David Morales (D-Dist. 7, Providence) in the House.
Rep. Joseph M. McNamara (D-Dist. 19, Warwick, Cranston) decided to introduce legislation that would regulate the practice and ensure the protection of frozen embryos
RI Senate confirms Terry Gray to head RI DEM again
Joe Paolino wants to buy the Christopher Columbus statue that was removed by Mayor Elorza in Providence and put into storage after several incidents where red paint was thrown on it. There is another bidder from out of state, an art dealer from Pennsylvania. A Providence committee will decide.
A bill would require police at RIC and CCRI to carry firearms
Helena Buonanno Foulkes will serve on the Johnston School Building Committee.
PriMedia, a media buying company is closing – they are in Warwick and most famous for the Ginsu Knife promotions on cable TV
Nearly 50 unhoused people are being sheltered at the former Fort Devens facility as part of Massachusetts’ emergency shelter program
Massachusetts wants to create 1,100 housing units for the homeless for $85 million
11,000 migrants from the Mexican border are now in Massachusetts. 200 families were living in hotels last year – this year that number has risen to 454
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Actress Jennifer Coolidge was named the 73rd Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year at Harvard
HubSpot will lay off 500 employees
DraftKings to lay off 100 employees
ZOOM to lay off 15% or about 1300 employees
50% of Americans say they are worse off now than they were last year – in a Gallup poll
Another Chinese spy balloon seen flying over Latin America
Marty Walsh to leave Biden cabinet – to go to the National Hockey League Players Assoc
Lebron James sets NBA’s all time scoring record with Lakers
Ohio evacuation over fiery train explosions of toxic chemicals that are cancer causing – called a catastrophic failure that could produce hydrogen chloride clouds
Beyonce took her 32nd award, winning another Grammy
The character of “Grouch” who lives in a garbage can and is a hungry, dirty, homeless person has been retired
7.8 earthquake took place in Turkey & Syria – over 20,000 have died with numbers to climb
Dell to layoff 10% or 6,000 employees
Yahoo to layoff 20% – more than 1,600 people
Government wants to limit sugar and salt in school foods – saying this is an issue of national security
AMC will have different seat prices for different level of seat option (front, back, middle, etc.)
Disney will reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees in a bid to cut costs, Iger said Wednesday on the company’s earnings call for the year-end 2022 quarter. The figure represents 3.2% of Disney’s total headcount of about 220,000 worldwide as of Oct. 1, 2022.
2nd New Jersey city council person shot in a week
Another flying object has been shot down on Friday – this one over Alaska, the size of a small car, taken out by a fighter jet
The other balloon that was shot down has had its payload found, fairly intact, in 49 feet of water – recovery will be next week
The CDC is eliminating their COVID status counter and data will be the job of HHS
The search of former VP Pence’s house this week resulted in one document found
PASSINGS
Adrian Hall, 95, director at Trinity Rep, 1964-1989
Charles Kimbrough 86, actor most known for Murphy Brown
Eugene Lee, 83, theater and set designer, director
Charlie Thomas, 85, of The Drifters
Command Sgt. Major Richard Winkelman, 56, RI National Guard