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In the News… Quick Recap of News of the Week, Ending April 3, 2026
A quick recap of the news of the week, locally, regionally, nationally, internationally – and the Iran conflict – and deaths of note:
RHODE ISLAND & REGION
South Coast Health will now have their own police department to work with their security staff
Mohegan Tribe selling the Connecticut Sun WNBA team for $300 million to Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, a billionaire restaurant and gaming entrepreneur, currently the U.S. ambassador to Italy. Team will move to Houston and be called Houston Comets, reviving the name of the original WNBA franchise that won four titles from 1997-2000.
URI women’s basketball new coach Colleen Mullen, formerly of Albany
South Coast Health will now have their own police department to work with their security staff
PC Friars player Duncan Powell arrested by both Cranston & Providence police on separate issues – in Cranston for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and others, possibly with a weapon present and in Providence for domestic abuse, also involving a past girlfriend.
Mini soccer courts – similar to basketball courts being built in Woonsocket and Pawtucket by Centreville Bank – naming sponsor of Providence Football Club
Newport Creamery bought by Mark Bogosian
6 arrested for fighting outside the Strand Theater in Providence – one for assaulting a Providence Sargeant
Lexington, MA lays off teachers three months after voting to build a $660 million high school
New vehicles and equipment for the Pawtucket Police Department. Senator Whitehouse & Rep. Amo secured a $335,000
Massachusetts Senate President announces she will use the millionaires tax to fund additional lawyers for illegal migrants facing deportation
Johnson & Wales Commencement May 2nd – Aby Alexander, founder, president and CEO of Broad St Technologies, graduate school speaker – Johan Grahn, J&W grad, Senior VP and Head of Exchange Traded Funds at Raymond James Investment Management
Cranston City Council votes to allow Mayor Hopkins 2 more weeks to submit budget
Speaker Shekarchi announced Stefan Pryor was confirmed as head of Commerce RI
So. County Tourism has a new tourism video: https://www.southcountyri.com/
Cease and desist order to ACK Natural to prevent the island dispensary from delivering cannabis products around Nantucket.
Commercial Scalloping Season Ends With More Than 7,000 Bushels Caught off the coast of Nantucket – one of the most successful seasons, regardless of fierce weather
Capron Park staying a zoo at least for another year
Media reports that a lawsuit has been filed claiming Eleanor Slater Hospital committed Medicare/Medicaid fraud of over $500M – administrators in 2016-2021 time period conspired with financial agent for state to do are the claims
Attorney Joseph Molina Flynn was disbarred by the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Ken Block announces he will run for Governor – for he 3rd time – as an Independent
Providence Place will conduct a major infrastructure improvement project on Sunday, April 5, involving the replacement of rooftop HVAC, utilizing a helicopter lift from Station Park – traffic interruptions throughout the day.
Wendy Schiller named next deputy provost at Brown University
Warwick’s new Emergency Operations Center, located at Potowomut Station #10 opened with $530,000+ grant
Takeda Pharmaceuticals – Massachusetts’ largest biopharma employer – is laying off 247 employees
Boston is looking at a $100M deficit
Boston Globe RI reporter Alexa Gagosz moving back to Boston Globe reporting
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
TSA agents received their first checks, from the EO signed by President Trump
Contest for Miss Thailand loses her veneer teeth insert while introducing herself
Pope Leo visits Monaco as his first international visit of 2026
Peter Alexander is leaving NBC News after 22 years at the network – going to MSNOW – formerly MSNBC
US will have a new food label – “Product of the USA” – meaning grown, processed and made of US materials”
Tiffany Henyard, Mayor of Dolton, calling on president to bring in troops after her father was shot overnight. Dolton is approx. 20 miles from Chicago
CPAC straw poll on next presidential candidate – JD Vance won at 53% to Marco Rubio at 35%
On the new White House ballroom, “Now the military is building a BIG complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently – the ballroom becomes a shed for what is being built underneath”
Savannah Guthrie to return April 6th to Today show
Cuba has begun prison amnesty program, set to release 2,000 people this weekend
Historic Broadway restaurant Sardi’s to change owners, renovate century-old dining room
Supreme Court to hear birthright citizenship case
FDA abolishing inhumane treatment and testing of beagles, chimpanzees, and other animals.
White House to halt construction on new wing until it gets approval from congress – per federal judge
NPR and PBS funding cannot be unilaterally cut – per federal judge
Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse Paintings Are Stolen in 3-Minute Museum Heist, Police Say
Thieves broke into the Magnani-Rocca Foundation outside Parma, Italy – paintings worth millions
Nearly half of Medicaid-enrolled children aged 3-11 missed preventive well-care visits in 2024.
ADP reports 62K jobs added last month
After 4,000 layoffs at Block, Jack Dorsey says all companies should replace middle managers with AI
Tiger Woods will leave the US for treatment
Former DHS Sect & S. Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s husband exposed in a tabloid story as being a cross-dresser. Noem has asked for prayers for her family and privacy.
Toy maker Hasbro Inc. has taken some of its systems offline
SpaceX files quietly for IPO
AG Pam Bondi will move to a job in the private sector. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will lead the Justice Department in the interim.
WIRED ends its print edition in the UK
Mid-America Publishing, a family-owned company that has operated newspapers in Iowa since 1961, will cease publishing and begin offloading its titles by early April
The NYT full portfolio – core news, games, cooking, sports coverage and more — will be accessible to Delta SkyMiles members via seatback screens and their personal devices
The Washington Post reports that young men in their 20s and 30s are increasingly drawn to the Catholic Church as they seek truth, beauty and – girlfriends.
Oracle makes thousands of foreign-worker requests amid layoff bloodbath
Arrest of a married couple in Southern California accused of defrauding Medicare out of nearly $7.5 million through fraudulent hospice claims.
Astronaut Victor Glover, when asked what it means to be the first black man to visit the moon: “It’s the story of humanity, not black history, not women’s history, but that it becomes human history.” “I also HOPE we are pushing the other direction that one day we don’t have to talk about these first. That one day, this is just—and listen to this—that this is the human history.”
RFK Jr. launches STOMP: Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics — a national program to measure, understand, and remove microplastics from the human body.
The National Capitol Planning Commission approves White House new wing plan
India trying to count 1.4B people via a census of sorts
$500B is the request for defense made in the budget by the President
US Jobs Report – 178K jobs added. 3 times the number expected. Most in healthcare and construction. 4.4% unemployment in US.
401 Gives campaign raises over $5M in RI to over 705 nonprofits
Gen. Randy George, top military officer has stepped down to retire at the request of Dept. of War head, Pete Hegseth
Chelsea Clinton to run in 130th Boston Marathon
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IRANIAN CONFLICT
Iran hacked into Kash Patel’s emails and is publishing them
South Korea having energy crisis because of their dependency on foreign oil – forcing vehicle rationing – beginning shifts back to coal for other uses.
Iran confirms death of IRGC’s Navy Commander Alireza Tangsiri
“I have nothing against artists. I had a rock band myself. My problem is that if you need a government subsidy to make art, you’re no longer an artist—you’re a public employee.” — Javier Milei, Argentina
US allows a Russian tanker of oil to go to Cuba
American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been abducted in Iraq
Largest bridge in Iran blown up
US Fighter Jet went down in Iran – pilot and crew search under way – pilot recovered – still searching for 2nd airmen. Also, helicopters flying rescue took fire but returned safely. A Warthog plane also went down, airmen recovered.
Monday is the deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz or face destruction of infrastructure.
Since the plane went down Iran has put out a $60K bounty on recovery of the airman live.
President and military leaders have been in meetings since then at the White House.
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PASSINGS
Ronnie Bowman, 64, bluegrass singer and songwriter, known for “Cold Virginia Night”, complications following a motorcycle accident in Nashville
Leonid Radvinsky, 43, secretive owner of “OnlyFans”, reshaping the porn industry, of cancer
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