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In the News… quick recap of the week. Oct. 4, 2025
New RIPTA schedule in effect
HealthSourceRI individual subscribers (not Medicare) could see premiums rise as much as 85%
Newport, RI named #4 in the top places to live on the East Coast by Travel & Leisure
Barrington School Committee announces the appointment of Robert Mitchell as Interim Superintendent of Schools
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) opens for applications on October 1st
City of Pawtucket joined the AARP Nationwide Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.
Providence Brewing is up for sale for $197,000
NEWEST Ocean State Credit Union location in Providence’s Financial District, 40 Westminster St, Prov.
State Rep. Robert Craven launches RI AG campaign – however – less than a week later: Craven announced that he was dropping out of the race noting problems for his family over past domestic issues
Boston’s South Station Tower is now renting/selling – average 1-bedroom goes for $1.3M – there are no affordable units, but developer paid into a city account for affordability
Yankee Magazine lists 4 Farmers Markets as best choices in New England: Block Island Farmers’ Market, Burrillville Farmers’ Market, Casey Farm Market, Hope St. Farmers Market, and Tiverton Farmers Market
Luxury real estate firm Serhant Real Estate, which is owned by the star of Netflix reality show “Owning Manhattan,” is expanding into Newport
70 “workers” not faculty terminated at Berklee
Brown University’s Herald news did a survey of 1st year students by identification as liberal or conservative – The poll found that economics is the most common primary concentration for first-year students who identify as conservative. Among first-year students who identify as very liberal, political science is the most popular intended concentration.
In a unanimous decision, the Brown University Police Sergeants Union issued a vote of no confidence in Brown University Police Chief Rodney Chatman and Deputy Chief John Vinson, saying: “reflects serious concerns over the failed leadership, contract violations and policies that jeopardize public safety and the sergeant’s well-being,”
Colliers has announced the sale of Harbor Lights, a unique 70-acre leisure and hospitality property situated on 70 waterfront-acres overlooking the Narragansett Bay. The property sold to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed price.
Warwick school traffic cameras now operational with fines being given out
General Dynamics receives $642M submarine additional contract
A University of New Hampshire poll found Gov. McKee trailing primary challenger Helena Foulkes 35 percent to 19 percent, with another 40 percent saying they were undecided.
2 new cases of TB in New Hampshire
Newport Chowder Company goes national
Western Massachusetts counties are moving more slowly to adopt accessory dwelling units (ADUs) than other parts of the state
Colliers has announced the sale of Harbor Lights, a unique 70-acre leisure and hospitality property situated on 70 waterfront-acres overlooking the Narragansett Bay. The property sold to an undisclosed buyer for an undisclosed price.
The latest MCAS scores (MA) indicate students have not returned to a pre-pandemic level of achievement, results that state officials called “sobering.”
$2.34M grant awarded for Providence River debris cleanup
The state’s conveyance tax rate increases from $2.30 to $3.75 per $500 of property value starting Oct. 1st
Former Judge Richard Licht receives $1.2M in settlement for accident
United Natural Foods ended its fiscal year with a loss of $118 million
47 yo prisoner from Cranston at RI ACI dies of fentanyl overdose after girlfriend passed drugs to him in a prison visit
Arthur T. Demoulas asks court to reinstate him as Market Basket CEO
Great White Shark filmed off the coast of Westerly
New York System on Smith Street in Providence to close
RI honors 3 Blue Ribbon Schools – Melville in Portsmouth; Pocasset in Tiverton & Bailey in Providence
Gloria Gemma Flames of Hope Sat – Lighting 6:22pm – RI State Ballet performance, food, music
Most popular Halloween costumes for 2025: KPop Demon Hunters – Characters from Wicked – Superheroes – Creepy Characters like clowns, etc. – Squid Game – and Cartoon characters like SpongeBob.
The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology in Providence return several cultural items — four sets of pigments, pottery, stones and stone objects — to the Wabanaki Nations, roughly a century after the objects were removed from at least nine burial sites in Maine
In RI, two out of three students in Rhode Island are not meeting expectations, and scores have not recovered sufficiently from pre-pandemic levels though they are trending in the positive direction
Providence City Council granted first passage to banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2033.
The Topsfield Fair will be held from Oct. 3-13.
Gronk Foundation gave $1.2M for a playground on the Esplanade in Boston.
Two golfers at an East Greenwich, Rhode Island country club were arrested after one allegedly hit another in the head with a club, and the second allegedly tossed a set of clubs into a lake amid a confrontation
$7.6B in climate change national funds to be cut impact URI, RI Energy office
Taylor Swift’s 12th album dropped – “The Life of a Showgirl”
Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie J. Lawson discussing the logistics of a joint hearing of the House and Senate Oversight Committees on the Washington Bridge, planned for November.
Ocean State Media, Rhode Island’s merged PBS and NPR announced
Vermont education officials say they will do better – in response to dramatic decline in student scores/proficiency
Hearings to be held – again – on Washington Bridge – the 3rd – with knowledge that some details may not be able to be talked about because of the legal cases working their way through the system to recover millions for RI
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Data in UK stolen on 8,000 children in nursery in cyberattack
CosPlay gathering in England take Guinness Book of World Record for most people dressed in character
Iowa Supt of Schools in Des Moines arrested by ICE for not deporting with an order, and possession of a loaded handgun and knife – citizen of Ghiana – here illegally since 1999, extended visa obtained to go to school here. Roberts fled when approached. School dept. said they hire a private firm to do a background check, but he asserted he was a citizen of the US, and the background check did not uncover otherwise. Placed on leave while this works out. During the week he resigned.
Japan releases a rulebook for cyclists due to the increasing amounts of accidents
YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5million to settle a lawsuit President Donald Trump brought over the suspension of his account following the deadly Jan.6, 2021, riot in Washington, DC. YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5million to settle a lawsuit President Donald Trump brought over the suspension of his account following the deadly Jan.6, 2021, riot in Washington, DC.
Data breach in UK’s Harrod’s customers accounts
Head of Nintendo will retire, replaced by long time employee
3 dead, 8 injured in North Carolina when a shooter on a boat shot into the bar and escaped on the breachway
DHS to provide security at US immigration offices
Chinese have found a $1Million skull – changing theories of evolution and history
Missouri re-distsricts – eliminates 1 Democratic seat
Bad Bunny to perform at SuperBowl
Mass shootings by 2 40 y.o. ex-Marines, who both served in Iraq, in less than 24 hours. Unrelated. North Carolina bar, 3 dead – and Michigan Church, 4 dead, also firebombed church
Netherlands president tells 60K illegal Syrian immigrants to “go home immediately”
100% tariff on movies made outside of the US.
4th strike on cartel boat carried out by US
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are married.
Humana will not pay commissions for enrolling new members across 288 Medicare Advantage plans in 2026
Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban separate after 19 years of marriage
Judge Judy sold her Newport home for $15M+ – had bought it for $9M
Pfizer will significantly reduce select drug prices – some will be available on new admin’s website, TrumpRX
Open AI is implementing parental controls over ChatGPT after death of child
Govt shut down at midnight, Oct. 1 – not expected to lift until at least Oct. 14th
After nearly 20 years off the air, Reading Rainbow is returning to screens. It will not be on PBS, but on Kidzuko, an educational YouTube channel from Sony Pictures Television.
Antarctica gains 100 BILLION tons of ice in one year for the first time in decades.
20 story high rise partially collapses in NYC after an explosion
Walmart removing synthetic dyes, etc. by 2027
Greta Thunberg and other passengers aboard a fleet of Gaza-bound aid ships have been detained by the Israeli military – for a second time – and will be deported
16 states have $8 billion in green-energy funding cancelled: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington
Veteran burials will continue, but headstones will not be put on until government shutdown concludes
Executive Order declaring any armed attack against Qatar a threat to the US, which would provide “all necessary means”, including military to help defend the nation.
Greenland conducted defense games
United Nations Security Council approves creation of 5,550-person force to help Haiti suppress gang violence
Pentagon will use polygraph to investigate serious leaks
Voice of America is furloughed during govt. shutdown and off the air
Brown is among nine universities invited to sign a 10-point memo called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” by the Trump administration
White House official memo to Congress: “The US is in non-international armed conflict with drug cartels”
Oct. 6th begins new SCOTUS session
Amazon package sent to a woman in Maine, along with her order, contained piles of voting ballots
$300K raised for the wife and children of the shooter who also started the fire at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Michigan
Top 5 Halloween candies in the US, with Reese’s Peatnut Butter Cups 1st. 2nd: M&Ms. 3rd: Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar. 4th: Snickers. 5th: Skittles
1st Church of England appoints a woman as Archbishop of Canterbury to lead
Abrego Garcia loses case to stop deportation – has 30 days to appeal
Chevron El Segundo refinery blew up with massive fire outside of LA
The entire role of a woman in a film is being played by an AI generated character
About 5% of the people on a cruise are ill with norovirus – approx. 180 of 1,874
$7.6B in climate change national funds to be cut
“Warwick Mall art” will present a touring exhibition of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, opening 10-17-2025
Mountain Dew could soon be colored with carrots and purple sweet potatoes instead of artificial dyes
Anti-trans athlete activist Riley Gaines gives birth to daughter
AG Peter Neronha announces he will not run for Governor or other office
Pres. Trump said he is considering a $2,000 check for Americans from the tariff income
P. Diddy sentenced to 4+ years in prison – with time served that is about 3+ years
Speaker Johnson declines to bring House into session next week, meaning that the government shutdown will continue until at least October 14th, unless the Senate passes the House-passed Clean Continuing Resolution (CR).
Hamas asked for several clarifications including a timeline for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, clarification over defensive and offensive weapons as well as guarantees over ending the war. As many as 20 of the 48 remaining hostages are believed to still be alive. The Sunday deadline may be extended for complete response to 20-point peace plan. (NYT)
Reports that Apple has removed apps that allow ICE tracking
S&P 500 and the Dow Jones closed the week at record highs
US Treasury moving forward with a new $1 coin bearing President Trump’s image
Attack on synagogue in Manchester, England, done by a man out on bail having been charged with rape. 2 victims were said to have been hit by police fire.
Mandami says he will eliminate the NYC “gifted program” if elected – saying it is discriminatory
SCOTUS agrees to hear a challenge (certiorari) to gun restrictions on Hawaii that decides if states can prohibit a person from bringing a handgun onto private property that is open to the public without the property owner’s consent.
Amazon Prime Day is Tuesday.
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PASSINGS
Marion Burros, 92, food writer for Washington Post, NYT, and author
Jane Goodall, 91, anthropologist
Russell M. Nelson, 101, the 17th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint