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In the news… April 8, 2023
RHODE ISLAND AND VICINITY
Eastern Fisheries in New Bedford tells their 200+ employees that most will be laid off – employees feel it is retaliation for requesting better working conditions
RISD strike demonstration began again on Monday
Alcohol banned on Wellfleet Beach
Mac’s Bowling in West Warwick will close
Top of the Bay restaurant will open soon
Nonprofits that serve the state’s LGBTQ communities have until April 13 to apply for grants of up to $10,000 through the Equity Action Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.
The MBTA needs $12 billion to address current safety and capital spending demands and must hire hundreds of new employees just to stay ahead of staff retirements
Rhode Island College President Dr. Jack R. Warner, alongside Gov. Dan Mckee, Postsecondary Education Chair David Caprio and elected officials, today cut the ribbon to mark the official reopening of Horace Mann Hall, the flagship building of the college’s Feinstein School of Education and Human Development (FSEHD). A three-year, $25 million renovation of the building was recently completed, its first major transformation since opening in 1971.
John Trentesaux was sworn in by Mayor Donald R. Grebien as the City of Pawtucket’s 20th Fire Chief
East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva is trying to score a win for the city to temporarily host Pawtucket soccer team at Pierce Memorial Stadium. Brown University is also Brown University “happy to connect” if the team reached out (PBN)
Massachusetts is America’s most AI-obsessed state, with an average monthly search of 1,446 for AI-related terms per 100,000 people. Massachusetts has the second-highest proportion of searches for ‘ChatGPT’, ‘Craiyon’ and ‘Open AI Playground’ on average every month.
URI defeats PC in the first-ever collegiate pickleball match.
Central Falls High School Principal Bob McCarthy named RI High School Principal of the Year
Michael Mota faces eviction for his Skyline Restaurant in Providence – he responds by publishing his attorney’s letter to the city on Facebook. Efforts are also underway to remove him from the lease at Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket and have the city take the building under eminent domain.
Katharine Woods, who had been the chief medical officer of the Arizona State Hospital, has been hired to fill the role as head of Slater Hospital in RI
The Pawtucket-Central Falls Commuter Rail Station will see a “transformational”, new six-story, 180-unit residential and commercial development to immediately reshape the neighborhood around the transit hub.
R.I. food pantries face surge in demand following SNAP benefit decreases last month
7th Annual Quahog Week April 23-29, 2023
A skate park has opened in Pawtucket, in the shadow of McCoy Stadium
The Paul J. Wildenhain Memorial Animal Shelter in Pawtucket, closed to the public for the better part of three years, is set to reopen again next Monday, April 10th
RIPTA’s free R-line bus has increased ridership by 40%
Former Congressman Langevin will head “Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies” at Rhode Island College – Gov. McKee will seek $4M budget
Hope Scholarship at Rhode Island College (RIC) has been added to the budget and would provide last-dollar tuition support to RIC in-state students for their junior and senior years.
$20 million available to fund important RI infrastructure – road, bridge, and sidewalk projects on locally maintained city and town roads.
RI’s Olivia Culpo, a former Miss Universe, and SF 49ers Christian McCaffrey are engaged, making national news
The homeless shelter at the Cranston Street Armory had a stabbing on Friday morning when one person tried to stop another from taking his items – the police have the attacker and the victim was hospitalized.
RI has released its Local Education Agency Accountability report for all Rhode Island schools which contains a lot of scores about performance, quality and graduation rates overlayed with geography, race and in some cases, poverty. To view the detailed report: https://reportcard.ride.ri.gov
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
Congressman Fetterman has left the hospital and is at home recovering
Finland joins United Nations
Former Governor Stacey Adams joins the staff of Howard University
Democratic state lawmaker in North Carolina, Rep. Tricia Cotham, announced Wednesday that she is jumping to the Republican Party, giving the GOP vetoproof majorities in both the state’s legislative chambers – she says the Dem. Party no longer represents her beliefs and has strayed far from its original intent.
The Masters will play this weekend.
Russia has its turn (rotating) at heading the Security Council of the UN for April
7 members of the govt. inspection team on the train derailment investigation in East Palestine – got sick and they recovered in 24 hours
Washington has ordered 30K abortion pills – Washington State Univ. has ordered 10K as they anticipate the law changing about access
Saudi Arabia and other OPEC nations say they will cut oil production by 1 million barrels a day
3 Americans and 3 Canadians are on the Artemis mission to the moon
The Chinese Yuan is now the more common used currency in Russia
Climate activists have poured black liquid into a fountain in Rome to protest against government inaction.
Drag shows were stopped in Tennessee and then that was overturned by local courts
McDonald’s corporate offices will close for 3 days while layoffs were executed
Asa Hutchinson, former Governor of Arkansas, will run for President
Finland joins the UN
NPR has laid off 80+ employees – in a ZOOM call disgruntled employees called management “racist” for this action
Florida has passed a concealed carry – anywhere – without permit – legislation
½ of California’s large trucks must be electric by 2035
US Census may ask African Americans if they are descendants of slaves when the next census is done, preparing the path for national reparations
In Los Angeles, a health care team is building relationships with unhoused people, using trackers that allow them to check up on patients periodically for routine visits or in case of medical emergency.
One in six people are affected by infertility over their lifetimes
Train derailed in Montana – no injuries, no dangerous items
Train detailed near The Hague – 30 injured, 5 killed
1st-grade Virginia teacher who was shot & wounded by 6yo student is filing a $40 million lawsuit
Ohio school district will now go only 4 days a week because of how “tired” the teachers are
Cash App creator Bob Lee, 43, killed in San Francisco stabbing
Robert F. Kennedy will run for President, challenge Joe Biden in primary
California ski season is extended
Twitter labeled NPR as “state owned media”
FedEx looks to cut $4 Billion
Magellan Diagnostics charged with selling defective lead tests for water
LSU women’s wining b-ball team at first said they will not go to the White House due to a dust-up with the First Lady when she invited both the winning – and the losing team – but then changed their minds and will attend, but team captain Angel Reese says she is “hurt” by the comments of Mrs. Biden.
2 Tennessee legislators were expelled for leading a demonstration at their state house and trying to address the group using megaphones. 1 Tennessee legislator who was not using a megaphone retained her position. The 2 can run for office again – they were active on the anti-gun issue in response to the shooting at their local school
Jobs report showed jobs not growing as they were expected to
Fastest growing part of the labor market is 55+ year olds
Abortion pill access is being challenged by one court ruling the original FDA approval was flawed and withdrew the approval. That ruling is one hold for 7 days to allow for appeal. This drug has been on the market for 20+ years. In another ruling, moments later, a Washington State judge ruled to preserve access. Next steps will take it to the Appeals Court – and finally to the Supreme Court.
Military plans and records of the US for China, Russia, etc. conflicts have been leaked onto the internet – US officials are investigating
At the Masters golf tournament, several trees fell without warning, in the crowds watching the tournament after bad weather and wind – play was suspended and people evacuated – no injuries.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is under scrutiny for accepting lavish trips worth millions over the years. Thomas responds noting there was no legal responsibility to report and notes President Biden’s similar issues. Calls for strengthening ethics rules for SCOTUS followed, with Thomas’ resignation unlikely.
VP Kamala Harris, who did not attend any event related to the Nashville shooting of 6, including 3 children, rushed to the city yesterday to support the 2 legislators who were expelled, shouting from the podium in their support.
Regulators over railroads said the industry must examine the way trains are “put together” and why so many derailments are happening.
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PASSINGS
Gary Gaube, 71, former Pres/CEO of Landmark Medical Center
RI Justice Michael Higgins
Spring is in the air – Aunt Carrie’s opens at the end of April !!
School scores – Hmm… Are they being used for the purpose for which they were designed? I doubt it. I had them in the 60s and they were used to check the curriculum. Was it too hard, did it need adjustment, who needed stronger skills in an area? We were told to bring a couple of #2 pencils and to fill in the marks completely. That’s the extent of preparation. Nobody taught to the test – it was learned in class. Have to wonder what is going on in the schools all day.
Ohio is playing into the “4-day work week” movement. I hope that the school days are longer. Our kids are already undereducated.
Politics – What was done to the 2 reps. was wrong. They have the right to free speech and were voted in by their constituents, not the State of Tennessee. That’s who they represent and the voters in their district should be outraged. Strange, too, that the ‘black’ reps. were banned but the ‘white’ rep. wasn’t.
The Rep. in So. Carolina is another who isn’t representing her constituents. Switching parties while in term is lying to those who voted for her. She should be recalled.
So much to address and so little time.