In the News… quick recap of the News of the week, ending Oct. 2, 2026

Here is a “Cliff Note” version of the news of the week of interest to Rhode Islanders, including the region, national and international news – as well as passing of note

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Laura Hart, from the Gov’s communications office has a new job at CCRI (ProJo)

Green Oceans discovered the sunken ship, Mistress, near a wind turbine off Block Island

GE Vernova & Vineyard Wind withdrew their legal actions, allowing ongoing work and long-term maintenance of the 806-megawatt project to move forward

New fountain set to be installed on Cranston St. at the end of Knightsville restoration, will resemble larger one at Itri Park and replace the iconic one in disrepair

Homeless Memorial service set for October 22,  11am-1pm at Mathewson St.

Peacedale Pumpkin Patch set up with sales supporting Warm Center Welcome House

Highest rainfall this weekend in Rhode Island in Coventry at 5.9″ – in Brockton, MA, 8.32″

Hooters in Warwick sold for over $1M

RI one of 12 states for ICE focus

Salve Regina investigates racial accusations at a football game

Saturday is the 44^th Governor’s Cup football game between the University of Rhode Island and Brown University at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket.

Aldeia Portuguese coffeehouse opens in Barrington

Health insurance rates approved, but $86M less than proposed: 15.8% for Neighborhood Health Plan and 4.9% for Blue Cross. Average increases are 3.8% for small-group plans and 9.5% for large-group plans.

CVS Health will open a company-funded food pantry with FeedRI and the state education department, at Woonsocket HS, expected to serve more than two dozen families monthly.

Pawtucket Soup Kitchen stays in facility after facing eviction, at least through holidays

Oklahoma fugitive for crimes related to a child who walked away from minimum security prison was found in – Rhode Island by US Marshals and local police

AJ McCarron, former Alabama QB named first coach of the RI UFL Team, after one year of coaching

Regent flying glider did a national debut for select media and investors – it was successful – would be about an hour to NY, etc.

Some Amazon drivers in RI look to unionize

WCVB Chronicle anchor Anthony Everett to retire after 4 decades

RIDOT removing some bridges instead of replacing them. Route 37’s bridge over Power Road in Cranston removes a shortcut between Chapel View / DMV; replacing estimated at $16 million

Brown Health FREE Food is Medicine classes for people to make healthy, affordable choices

Cranston & Warwick police now have Bear Cats – RI State Police, East Prov. and Prov do as well

Formal partnership between CCRI and URI creating an RS to BN academic pathway and advancing nursing education and workforce development across RI

URI now has access to free RIPTA buses

A 2^nd Nitro Bar opened in Providence

Clementine, a bar in Providence owned by David Ciccilline has closed

Jewish gun club, Lox & Loaded has a Coventry chapter. The RI chapter is the organization’s 64th in the US, with about 2,000 members nationwide. Lox & Loaded’s first RI meeting will be in November at Midstate Gun Company. Established with organizers citing concerns about antisemitism, the initial session will focus on safety, without firearms or shooting.

Greenline Apothecary in Providence which closed is now a series of apartments

URI now also offering free RIPTA service

Former Wickford Elementary School to be converted to over 50 apartments with a fitness center and a pool in North Kingstown

Brown U Health to offer buyouts to over 200 employees

AAA Northeast urges vigilance during National Pedestrian Safety Month

A bill to designate rhythm and blues as Rhode Island’s state music is being proposed – again

Brown researchers found that veterans aged 20 to 39 had higher blood concentrations of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS than non-veterans of the same age

New federal Medicaid eligibility restrictions will affect fewer than 3,500 noncitizens

RI Hospital doctors are protesting the hiring of a former border patrol safety person

Budlong Pool, Cranston – contractor goes out of business leaving the city with management of the pool’s winterization – if a cover is wanted that cost is approx. $40K and per city was not paid for to the original vendor

Hook ‘n Ladder Pizza opening in Warwick, with a firehouse theme

Bank of America donates $10M to establish a psychiatric treatment program at Boston Children’s Hospital

Former Sen. James Langevin, who now runs a cybersecurity program at Rhode Island College will be an advisor on ChatGPT, AI issues

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Supreme Court allows expanded voter citizenship checks to resume using SAVE database

White House blocked CNN from traveling on Air Force One

Iran “deal” rejected as is

Russia Foreign Minister addressed the UN calling all of the WEST as bullies in fiery speech 

2 massacres in S. Africa, dozens killed in 2 bars, nation in a “murder crisis”

2 Chinese Giant Pandas arrive at Atlanta Zoo today for a 10-year US residency – Ping Ping (“peace”) and Fu Shuang (“double blessings”)

Four Americans among six killed in Athens 2-story building explosion in Plaka area

White House blocked CNN from traveling on Air Force One and says court order doesn’t include special invitation venues such as the President’s plane and the Oval office

The UN released a list of companies that do business with Israel

Predictions that US will negotiate a deal with Cuba next, without military involvement

Terror plot uncovered and prevented at RAF (Royal Air Force Base) used by US in England – all British nationals in their 20s

SpaceX starship rocket launches into orbit today in Texas

Walmart says prices don’t adjust depending on time, etc. as digital pricing causes questions

Pet adoption increasing seen as sign of better economic times

Cornell facing civil lawsuit from woman who says she was raped by 7 men at a fraternity in 2024

$15 billion steel project planned for Iowa – approximately 6,000 construction jobs and 1,750 permanent jobs, produce @10 million tons of steel annually beginning in 2030

ICE/DHS announces next 10 states for focus: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Possible new note in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance case

SCOTUS rules in favor of restarting swift deportations of illegal aliens to third countries for now, 6-3 –  countries where the illegal is NOT from to make the process faster and get them out.

Judge orders New York to scrap rollout of 2^nd home tax and start over – siding with a group of homeowners who sued NYC over its introduction of the tax – dealing a loss to Mayor Mamdani.

High tech leaders at the White House have signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence, a statement on principles and standards for a safer AI/SI

American Idol contestant, Caleb Flynn, accused of killing his wife for another woman found guilty

Anthropic announces it will invest $518B in AI development

Nvidia releases new safety software for AI

Hamas armed wing commander killed in Gaza by Israeli strike

Robot Dogs to be sold to ICE by Boston Dynamics

First few months of college are the most dangerous time – the “Red Zone” for female students

Sean Diddy Combs said to have a cell phone and paying prisoners to do things for him, including giving him massages, cleaning his cell, making his bed, etc.

Pentagon says its Golden Dome missile shield will protect the entire homeland for $185 billion.

Conde Nast CEO leaves to head up Mattel

Elon Musk and Newt Gingrich will head a govt group on future of high tech warfare

US tightens restrictions with Cuba, with Sect. Marco Rubio saying “it has already fallen”

USDOJ announces taking down of 13 Chinese scam center operations

Christa Pike who was set to be put to death in Kentucky, which failed, is now in critical condition in a hospital

Actor Chad Lowe’s13-year old daughter Fiona, died of suicide

The Cornell Univ. student newspaper, one of the oldest in the US, made the decision to start covering the sexual assault story well before MSM covered it, pushing it out into the public

HUD identified more than $4.3 million in improper payments, including

housing assistance provided to registered lifetime sex offenders, ineligible non-citizens, and individuals whose identities or criminal histories were never properly verified.

Over 2,200 new air traffic controllers recently hired

Tony Romo, CBS part ways following OWI arrest, suspension, with millions in contract left and expected to be paid to him

Attempted highjacking and crashing intent of a plane filled with Israelis by a co-pilot thwarted by passengers – 2 pilots on board took over and landed the plane. Terrorist now said to have been banned from flying in his country due to his extremist views and anti-semitic actions, but was hired by this plane chain. Main pilot reccovering from his injuries.

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PASSINGS

Skip – Frederick Weingeroff, 93, RI entrepreneur, business leader, philanthropist