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In the news… quick recap of the week’s news ending 3.28.26
Just a quick recap of the news of the week – to keep you better informed. Local, regional, national, international – and passings of note:
RHODE ISLAND & REGION
Prov. Mayor Smiley “raced to a school”, according to some media reports, thinking ICE was present in the building, but it wasn’t – it wasn’t local law enforcement on another issue
Reported that a McKee administration memo directing state agencies to return to business as usual when it comes to hiring and spending.
Fight at a home in Providence – 3 left in critical condition
The Croft School accused of running a Ponzi scheme – 225 students in RI program – 2 other programs in MA with approx. 350 students
Burrillville HS football field will build a new structure for concessions, a handicap viewing plaza and a press box with the Town Council allocating an additional $165,000 for the upgrades.
Tammi Reiss, URI women’s b-ball coach off to the Univ of FL Gators
8,000 new hires at Electric Boat this year
Bally’s may look into offering Bingo
Rep. Seth Magaziner announced that he will not accept a salary during the ongoing partial government shutdown
Man commits suicide by jumping from the parking garage at the Kent Courthouse in Warwick
TF Green Airport will begin repaving runways – moving to use of shorter runways in the interim
Monica Cannon-Grant, who ran the nonprofit Violence in Boston Inc, begun by her, after the George Floyd period, to repay ¼ million in COVID funds for unemployment and rental assistance redirected to her own accounts and sentenced to home confinement
The Alpha Phi sorority will reopen at the University of Rhode Island in fall of ’26 after nearly a decade off campus after serious hazing issues
URI student newspaper reported that URI police responded to 16 medical emergencies this past week, all of which resulted in hospital transportation. Week before there were 6, week before there were 10.
Shred it days on Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at Edward King House with AARP – all welcome to bring up to 2 boxes
Jet Blue plane strikes coyote on takeoff at T. F. Green and returns to terminal
Track 15, venue with multiple restaurants/bars reports closure of 2 and opening of 2 – Yagi Noodles and Grumpy Pies will replace Giusto and Mother Pizzeria
MBTA is getting a $3.25 million federal grant to pay for security for World Cupp
Capron Park in Attleboro too expensive to maintain as a zoo says town manager – wants to transition it to a wildlife rehab
URI women basketball loses to Alabama in NCAA
Providence College Friars hired Bryan Hodgson as new coach
Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace may be renovated
Dighton-Rehoboth will NOT use first of summer days to make up snow days as the Supt. of schools approved their 180 day requirement waiver – Fall River has also submitted a waiver.
Gov. McKee wants legislature to double funding for the RI Food Bank – from double funding to the food bank from $1 million to $2 million.
Donna Sams to serve on the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
Ramp from Rt. 10 to 95 closing for 4 months
RI Traffic Tribunal magistrate William Noonan to retire
Providence College has restructured its Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office into its Catholic ministry office (BosGlobe)
Team Brazil and Team France in Boston for demonstration games for World Cup – staying at Ritz Carlton
Plane crashes on Block Island
Meredith McDonough is the new director of Trinity Rep – comes to RI from Actors Theatre of Louisville
Richard Hatch of Survivor fame gets final decision to repay the IRS $3.3M from 26 years ago
Yet another RI state employee payroll error – this accounting for over $200K in unpaid, not withdrawn union dues
Dr. Stephen Skoly (R) kicks off campaign to run for Congress, opposing Rep. Magaziner (D)
Brown admits 5.35% of applicants to class of 2030
Girl Scouts cookie sales less than the year before due to the winter weather and storms
Woman was found murdered in a Central Falls beauty salon – man arrested the next day after Flock cameras tracked him to nearby MA
NYC announcing new bicycle program, including dedicated lanes across Brooklyn Bridge – while national program wanes
NYC Mayor Mamdani talks about cheering for Ghana in the World Cup – Ghana Team is in Providence and Bryant for their time at the Cup games
Croft School in hands of a judge – receiver appointed – school must stay open in RI until end of school year – in Jamaica Plains, parents raised enough money to stay open
Patriots’ Drake Maye and wife announce “Maye Day Foundation” to support children & families in New England & North Carolina
Immigrant rights advocate arrested in Vermont for smuggling people in from Canada
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Elon Musk offers to pay the salaries of 50,000 TSA agents who have not been paid in 6 weeks
Bill Cosby loses sex assault case, to pay $59M to victim
Silverline women’s clothing store opens in Wayland Square
½ of wealthy clients of a Massachusetts investment advisor have either moved or are moving to primarily Florida (BosGlobe)
150 guests at a wedding ceremony at the Preserve at Chocorua in Tamworth, NH when the floor collapsed into the basement – over 100 injured – over-capacity
Collision of an Air Canada plane and a fire vehicle on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport in New York Sunday night with extensive damage to the plane – over 70 injured, 2 fatalities.
Jose Medina-Medina, illegal Venezuelan immigrant wanted for shooting death of Chicago Loyola college freshman, Sheridan Gorman. In May ’23 he was apprehended by Border Patrol and released – released again after arrest for shoplifting. 30 charges against him.
Christopher Columbus statue that was pulled down from its location in Maryland is reinstalled in DC at the Eisenhauer Executive Office Building
Markwayne Mullin confirmed as head of Dept. of Homeland Security
45 nations in Washington, DC for global Summit – “Fostering the Future”
Miss Rachel said, “I am political” in response to criticism about her outspoken opinions about ICE.
US State Department secured the release of Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old Colorado researcher held by the Taliban in Kabul since January 2025, spending over 14 months in near-solitary confinement.
Firetruck at LaGuardia did NOT have a transponder – impossible to track once on the runway
Trader Joe’s massive recall of frozen foods
NASA announces plans to build a $20 Billion space station on the moon
META fined $375M in New Mexico case involving addicting a young girl to social media – they will appeal
Prince Charles will visit DC in April and address Congress
Daniel Coyle of Colorado, doing research in Afghanistan, was released from prison where he had been held almost totally in solitary confinement for the past year
Amount of hospice payment fraud in one county in LA equals more payments made than in all of US
US DOT removes exemption for members of Congress in going through airport lines
META, Google found liable in social media trial in LA Superior Court – Jury awards $3M to one plaintiff
U.S. Army will raise the maximum enlistment age from 34 to 42 years old and remove the waiver requirement for individuals with a single prior conviction for marijuana possession – effective 4.20.26
Pres. Trump will meet with President Xi in Beijing on May 14th and 15th – Xi will then come to DC at a later time
Dame Sarah Mullally officially “enthroned” as the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the Church of England – first woman to take the role in 1,400 years.
Criminal referral for prosecution on homeowner insurance fraud with NY AG Letitia James
SpaceX going for an IPO – could be worth more than $1.75 trillion when it lists – most valuable listing of all time – could list this week
Elon Musk’s offer to pay TSA workers can’t be enacted due to his company’s potential conflict of interest with govt. contracts
Healthcare Advisory Committee formed in DC—top experts from across the country coming together to provide “insight on how to cut costs, reduce red tape, and put patients first”.
Olympics will do a 1-time gender swab test on athletes and allow only biological females to participate in women’s sports categories “from now on”
Pres. Trump’s signature will appear on new currency marking the 250th
Colleges are turning to oral exams to combat the AI trend
Tiger Woods arrested for DUI/impairment – tried to drive around a car on a residential road and flipped his car. Field sobriety test was a -0- then refused a urine test. No injuries. Released on bail
New cholesterol guidelines released – RINewsToday will report this week
42 states hold bartenders accountable if the customers they over serve kill someone
No Kings rallies throughout major cities
Artemis II mission to send a manned crew around the moon – may go deeper into space than anyone has been before
Gillette Stadium had natural grass put down for the World Cup – similar to length at a golf course
Roger Clemens threw out 1st ball at WooSox opening day – along with Gov. Healey
Savannah Guthrie to return to The Today Show in 2 weeks
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Iranian conflict
22 countries have now signed on to military support for the Strait of Hormuz
CNN documented Iran’s underground missile cities and now there is question over how they got access to film.
Iran fired a missile over 4,000 miles at Diego Garcia, a UK/US location – after those who disbelieve their imminent threat said they could never reach that far – only 2,000 miles – now their capabilities to hit US targets and friendly nation targets is known
EU urges members to start storing winter gas as Iran war causes price surge
Pres. Trump pauses bombing of infrastructure targets saying the US has had 2 days of promising talks with proposed new leadership – but Iran’s public leader says there have been no talks
Approx. 3,000 elite 82nd Airborne to deploy with their Commander and headquarters element, and his staff, to the Middle East — to begin assessing what will be needed once the target is assessed.
Day after CNN said there were no negotiations between US and Iran happening, as Pres. Trump said, Wolf Blitzer says, “We’re now learning from a senior Iranian source that there has been an outreach between the U.S. and Iran.”
Iran’s elite navy chief responsible for closing Strait of Hormuz killed in airstrike by Israel
Effort in Providence to have bars open 24 hours during FIFA World Cup
US gives another 10 days at Iran’s request and at news that “negotiations are going well”
USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group deploying to the Middle East with three guided-missile destroyers already underway – replaces the USS Ford, in Crete for repairs from an onboard fire – to arrive 10 days or less
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PASSINGS
Dash Crofts, 85, Seals & Crofts, complications of heart surgery
Carrie Anne Fleming, 51, Canadian actress – Supernatural and iZombie, of breast cancer
Paul Geremia, well known singer of the Blues from RI
George Haseotis, 95, founder of Cumberland Farms
Robert Mueller, 81, former FBI chief who probed the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 United States election, had Parkinson’s for years
Valerie Perrine, 82, actress, Superman roles
Jessi Pierce, 37, NHL reporter, and her 3 children in a house fire in Minnesota. Husband was away at work at the time
Chip Taylor, 85, songwriter known for “Wild Thing”, “Angel of the Morning”, of cancer
James Tolkan, 94, actor, best known for Back to the Future & Top Gun, no cause listed
Jeff Webb, 76, a “mentor” to the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, in a pickleball accident.