In the News… recap of the news of the week ending 3-14-26

A short recap of major stories of the week in Rhode Island – the region – nationally – internationally – and passings of note. We have added an update on the Iran conflict as well.

RHODE ISLAND & REGION

Cranston’s new charter school will transition to a public high school

Boston Symphony Orchestra opted not to renew conductor Andris Nelsons contract, after 13 years

LaMar Cook, aid to MA Gov. Healey, who is being prosecuted for drugs being mailed to him, had drug paraphenalia (scales, fentanyl and cocaine traces, etc.) found in his office closet

Wearable tech company, WHOOP, will hire 600 in the Boston market

Brown will offer optional hostile intruder training to students, faculty and employees

Steve Maurano, head of communications at Providence College to retire

10,000 fewer Rhode Islanders in HealthSource – down from an estimate of approx. 13,000 – Gov. McKee may bring costs of insurance down through HealthSource to encourage more to sign up

Point32Health eliminates 100 more jobs – 450 so far this year

Speed cameras approved in Barrington

Warwick Police will begin using a drone

Fire at warehouse at Greylawn Foods in Cranston – all got out with no problem, sprinkler system worked – owned by Goldman family – over 100 years old – fire started in work being done on loading dock

Fire in 3-tenement with 4^th attic unit on Sorrento Street, Providence displaced 25 residents  – 16 adults and 9 children, with questions about maximum occupancy for this rental home

Bills come in to RI for snow removal aid from other state: Pennsylvania, $558,512.52 – Connecticut, $385,633.08 – Vermont, $250,226.24 – Maine, $217,517.63

 $850,000 of federal funding for the South Kingstown Housing Authority to build a new community center for local residents

Waymo to bring its autonomous taxi service to Boston, claiming the technology is ready to handle the city’s complex infrastructure and severe winter weather

Seamark restaurant in Encore Hotel in Boston votes to unionize – management now set to close down the business due to costs

WCTK Radio (Cat Country) sold to Red Wolf Broadcasting

Converting business buildings to housing is being discussed in Providence – targeted locations could include: Atlantic Mills in Olneyville, Turks Head and ProJo building in downtown Providence

Dave’s Marketplace, previously announced their soon to be delivery service – will be partnering with Door Dash and will launch about mid-April

Truck tolls will have to wait until 2027 due to an upgrade in the system needed to be made – officials opposed to truck tolls believe it’s to get past the 2026 primary election

Head of RI Dept. of Admin who resigned due to the payroll and W-2 issue – now the assistant to the director has resigned. Reports that state employees in the system are getting multiple forms with different dollar amounts and paycheck amounts still inaccurate

Getaway Ranch in Richmond, RI, had most of their animals taken away due to charges of maltreatment

Cranston schools will have a significant cut in staff, teachers, paraprofessionals, etc. due to budget shortfall in the city

Cranston to cut, per source, approximately 40 positions as they deal with a budget shortfall near double digit millions – bumping in union positions, union over non-union, etc.

PC has let men’s basketball coach Kim English go after 3 seasons – buyout approx. $7M

18 states increased to 20 states to adopt SNAP changes that would limit use on certain foods deemed unhealthy – sugary sodas, candy, etc. Rhode Island is not one and Gov. McKee has said he does not support mandatory restrictions

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

358 cases of Measles in Utah

British Columbia adopting permanent daily savings time

All out effort for scammers to steal IRS refunds says the IRS

Shield of the Americas meeting was held – about 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries participating – more to be added:

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Trinidad and Tobago

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern emigrated with her family to Australia

Reports that Canada will exceed 100,000 assisted suicides – more than the country’s WWII death toll

“The Great Moderation” is how the Bank of America study on drinking habits of today best describes young people who are not drinking as much as they used to

Monash University in Australia investing $10M to recruit professors from the US

IED explosives found in device thrown in NYC, near Mayor’s residence and a public park.  2 individuals arrested; million dollar home in PA searched of parents of one as well as a storage facility in Langhorne, which showed chemical tracings. Interviewed the person said he wanted to be bigger than the Marathon bomber. Evidence that both related to Middle East groups

Former Director of the Quincy, MA Department of Elder Services pleads guilty to embezzling city funds to pay for framed self-portrait, 153 pounds of bourbon steak tips, music studio recording and Toyota Prius.

Oil prices soaring, crashing, soaring again as the Iran conflict continues and Strait of Hormuz passage opens and closes

Uber expands its “women only” service nationwide

“Access Hollywood,” and “Access Live,” will end in September. Others: “The Steve Wilkos Show” – “The Kelly Clarkson Show”  – “Karamo”

Little Debby has released new snack items while eliminating quite a few others

Wells Fargo is moving the headquarters of its wealth‑management business from San Francisco to West Palm Beach, Florida, making it the first major U.S. bank to base its wealth unit there

A $300Billion oil refinery will open in Brownsville, TX – first new refinery in US in 50 years

Reports that Pam Bondi was temporarily moved to a U.S. Military Base at some point this week after threats

RFK Jr. had rotator cuff surgery

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz announces that his family is leaving Seattle for Florida the same day Democrats passed an income tax on Washington state

Target and COSTCO both moving to lower prices on certain everyday items

Taco Bell will be coming out with frozen under eye patches

Yamaha leaving CA for Georgia

NYC Mayor wants to impose top taxes on wealthy (51% increase) and increase estate tax 215% on 7.1M dollars to $750,000 – everything under $750,000 would be taxed at 50% – impact on legacy to family left behind – no city in country has a tax like this

Attack with a car rammed into synagogue in Michigan, driving for a distance down a hallway. A fire started and the assailant died in the fire with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A security team was on duty and credited with stopping the assault – over 120 students and staff at preschool uninjured. Assailant was Lebanese who had family members killed he had said by Israel.

Heightened alert for Jewish groups throughout the US

Shooting at Old Dominion University – shooter, Mohamed Jalloh, naturalized citizen from Lebanon, convicted of providing material to ISIS, former Guard member – killed professor in a military training classroom, overtaken by students and one student stabbed and killed the shooter

Lindsey Vonn is posting photos of her workouts on a stationary bike

Greta Thorburg is now protesting about US involvement with Cuba – most recently protested about Gaza, first on the scene protesting about Climate Change

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Iranian conflict

US called on Iran to surrender – they responded they never will\

Iran says it will not strike their neighbors unprovoked anymore, but if they are fired upon they will retaliate

Lebanon’s Justice Minister requests the arrest of Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem.

Lebanon: Imposing ban on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in their country. Security forces ordered to find, arrest, and deport IRGC members.

100,000+ Iranians have left Iran – refugee concerns rising – building temporary camps until conclusion a possibility in Turkey, or other border countries. Total population about 93M

China buys 90% of its oil from Iran

Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Khamenei who was killed, is named successor – has not been seen and a statement he was said to have released was read by a news reporter

US service member dies in Saudi Arabia – 7^th to lose their life

Iran had 1,200 missiles aimed at Middle East nations and planned regional control – this influenced the Israel/US decision to act now

Iran Nat’l Womens Soccer Team refused to sing the Iran anthem is now in Australia, appealed to Australia for asylum as they would be killed if they return. 5-7 girls will stay, others opt to return, but have not yet arrived in this fluid situation.

The Iran Centrifuge Technology Company, a key facility under the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran that manufactures components for uranium enrichment centrifuges and is central to producing advanced centrifuge parts bombed by US/Israel forces

Forces sunk 46 Iranian ships – believed to be none left

The island of Kharg off coast of Iran is a barren limestone outcrop. Home to the country’s main oil export terminal, where 94 per cent of the crude is loaded on supertankers – US strategically bombed “every military area” without touching oil areas

Iran laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz 

Over 140 US service members have been injured, with over 100 returning to service after treatment

16 Iranian boats used to lay mines in the Strait have been destroyed

U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in Iraq, another aircraft landed safely – this was not due to enemy fire or interaction – 4 confirmed dead

Iran spokesman warns if the US targets oil resources of Iran, they will destroy oil resources throughout the middle east – 30% of oil comes from this area

At least 2,500 US Navy and 2,500 US Marines and another ship sent to Middle East

Tripoli coming to the area from Japan to help other carriers – will take at least a week to arrive

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PASSINGS

Ernie Anastos, 82, iconic New York anchor who also once worked at WPRI-Ch. 12 in RI, of pneumonia

Gaythorne “Poochie” Angell, Jr., 91, owner operator, Foxy Lady

 Santa George, 73, popular Santa in RI – Cardi’s, Polar Express, etc.

“Country Joe” McDonald, 84, famous for Country Joe and the Fish at Woodstock, of Parkinson’s complications

Jennifer Runyon, 65, actress known for Ghostbusters, of cancer