In the news… summary on Feb. 17, 2024

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

5,871 are receiving methadone at one of RI’s 17 opioid treatment centers; another 5,106 have a prescription for drug treatment – as of end 2023

Brown Univ’s Hillel Center received emails with violent threats to Brown-RISD Hillel leaders – security determined no imminent risk

Nicholas Retsinas has resigned from the board of RI Housing

Johnston Coyote has been confirmed as rabid

Angel Taveras, former Mayor of Providence, has been named a director at Washington Trust bank

Bid requests have gone out to rebuild Cranston’s Budlong Pool

Father Ruggieri of St. Patrick’s Church in Providence named to be Bishop of Portland, Maine

UPS laying off 130 workers in Warwick

Plant City will open in Barrington

Skyline Restaurant will be allowed to remain with the Mota group and not transfer to a new company. Mota is looking for companies to take it over, also saying his business is down 95%

Kathryn Sabatini will lead the RI AG’s Civil Division, replacing Miriam Weizenbaum, who is stepping down after four years in the AG’s office.

General Assembly passes bill to name media room at Amica Pavilion after late Journal columnist Bill Reynolds

Gio of Giovanni in the Morning on WPRO will retire in April after 50 years on the air

A 12-family emergency shelter will open at a URI campus building on the side of the campus from Feb. 21 through April – it will be run by The Warm Center.

Jack Warner, serving as interim pres. of RI College has been named President.

RI Sen. Ryan Pearson says the RI budget returns “to vanilla” after years of pandemic funding

URI gmail and university email having glitches – may be down – reset passwords when you can

Tasca race car driver topped the 300 mile per hour mark in car racing.

RI will launch a plan to defeat Alzheimer’s

ABC6 staff will attempt a unionization

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Finland airlines is weighing passengers

Measles: at least one case has been reported each in California, Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, and Ohio. Washington State has seen three cases, Pennsylvania, nine, with eight in  Philadelphia. Delaware has seen 20-30 cases.

Defense Sect. Austin was taken back to the hospital on Sunday night to treat bladder symptoms and he has relinquished his office to Assistant Defense Sect. while he is in the hospital

A woman opened fire with a gun labeled “Free Palestine” at a Joel Osteen mega-church. The shooter was killed and her 7 year-old son was shot and is not expected to survive. Assailant was born a man, but identified as a woman. Anti-Semitic items and a sticker on her firearm have been found. Her neighbor had a restraining order, and a long history of crime and mental health reports.

Fewer 16-year-olds are choosing to get their driver’s license – once a rite of passage. They are also going to sleep earlier, drinking less.  Felt the pandemic changed “coming of age” activities. One thing they are doing more is being on their phones, “almost constantly”.

The UK economy has officially entered recession.

Usher got married in a Vegas Chapel to his long time girlfriend – they have 2 children together

Case of Bubonic Plague reported in Oregon – believed to have caught it from a pet cat – last known case reported in 2015

SuperBowl set record as the most watched television show

CISCO will lay off over 4,000

At the National Archives, two climate activists dumped red powder on themselves and the case holding the United States Constitution

The US govt has banned use of Tik Tok by federal employees and downloading it to devices – yet, Pres. Biden took to Tik Tok to activate a president’s account and began posting.

8 states have approved use of Medicaid funds for food and housing as an “experiment” – 1 is Massachusetts.

Judge dismisses suit against people who stole body parts that were willed to Harvard for medical research.

Homeland Security director Mayorkas was impeached by House – will more than likely not be confirmed as so in the Senate

Farmers continue to protest throughout Europe about their inability to make a living

One of the Hamas leaders, his wife and family, are viewed in tunnels in Gaza

NYC online remote learning did not work on the snow day on Tuesday – city blames IBM

A Missouri school district tested out a 4-day school week and it was found to have “no difference”, either positive or negative on education levels

The person who took the Jackie Robinson bronze statue, leaving only his feet, was arrested, and his motivation was said to be monetary – the statue had a value in bronze of $75K

Nikki Haley has called on Pres. Biden to resign

Democrat Tom Suozzi will take Republican George Santos’ position in congress

The spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has been unveiled from its scaffolding, in preparation for a December 2024 opening.

At least 10 people shot in Kansas City after the Chiefs SuperBowl parade – one killed, 3-4 seriously injured. 2 arrested. Shooters were involved in a “dispute”

Taylor Swift gives $100K to family of DJ killed in Kansas City shooting

Explosive hearing with DA Fani Willis and her lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, in Georgia regarding charges brought against Pres. Trump.

Pres. Trump will go on trial in March having to do with Stormy Daniels in 2016

Pres. Carter went into hospice one year ago

Japan’s cherry blossoms are blooming early

Representative candidate in California says country’s minimum wage should be $50/hr

Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark becomes top NCAA scorer

Joe Manchin says he will not run for President

Plans announced to re-boot Bewitched

Pres. Trump required to pay $355M in NY civil case, with restrictions on doing business – he will appeal

Pesticide linked to reproductive issues found in Cheerios, Quaker Oats

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PASSINGS

Bob Edwards, NPR radio host of Morning Edition, 76

Bill Post, 96, inventor of Pop-Tarts

Marcia Spindell, 71, of Rhode Island, artist, dancer, therapist

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