In the News… brief summary of the week’s news ending March 29, 2025

RHODE ISLAND

Newport Bridge one of 68 bridges in US recommended for assessments due to possibility of large ships hitting the infrastructure

Cambridge City Councilor one of the Boston brothel customers charged ($340 for 1 hour) – calls for him to step down.

UNFI will lay off another 30 (100 in Dec.)

Providence had a billboard against sex trafficking during the March Madness games

19 parking lots will serve Tidewater Landing soccer games in Pawtucket. Most are at least 15 minute walk from stadium. Cost will be $20, $30 and more (day of).

Bar Lazio opened in Cranston

Urban Air Adventure Park opened at 300 Quaker Lane in Warwick

Fall River/New Bedford – Boston rail is running

CCRI to offer buyouts to 109 employees for early retirement

A bill that would have required nonprofits to submit and post employee salaries as a condition for requesting state funds was withdrawn before being heard in committee.

Apex pyramid top removed, as it was damaged in a storm

98-year old New Bedford woman rides the SouthCoast train, her “dream come true”, as rail service begins from NB and Fall River into Boston

370 in MA arrested for deportation by ICE last week

Gov. McKee advocating for department head raises which can only be done in March

Biogen moving world headquarters to Kendall Square in Boston

200 teachers in Providence school system terminated

1 of 2 people in Brockton Mall shot and killed was from RI

Guy Fieri’s Boston Kitchen + Bar on Tremont Street closed after 3 years

27 Kohls stores to close – 1 in Stoughton, MA, 0 in RI

The Chanler at Cliff Walk and the Francis Malbone House included in US News Best Bed & Breakfasts

CDC terminated four grants worth $31M in RI that support a number of the state’s post-pandemic initiatives. Federal funding was used for programs in childhood vaccination, epidemiology, etc.

CDC terminated grants in MA (see above) from the CDC for $100M

Gregg Amore, RI Sect. of State responded to the President’s EO that all voters provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote – by saying that all voters attest to citizenship – different than providing proof – he opposes because it creates an undue burden on American citizens.

Providence has “no updates at this time” on seeking named sponsorship of the Providence Rink

Tom Giordano leaving the Partnership for Rhode Island after eight years

CCRI will hold an Open House on Saturday, April 5, 10 am – 1 pm on the Knight campus

Judge Frank Caprio will give the 2025 commencement address at Providence College

Pawtucket’s school superintendent, Patricia Royal, filed a federal lawsuit against city officials, alleging racial bias and defamation; currently on a leave of absence

Cost of a new state-run long-term care hospital in Burrillville inflated 82% to $197 million

Sports wagering in Massachusetts hit almost $628.2 million in February — a 17% decrease from January 2025; 15.8% increase from February 2024. Last month Massachusetts hit six consecutive months of total wagers reaching over $600 million

Gov. McKee announces $221M grant signed with US DOT, thanks Sean Duffy and Trump administration – begins drawing down money immediately for Washington Bridge

Brown University class of 2029 has 2,418 accepted applicants, an 5.65% acceptance rate. Total applicants decreased from around 50,000 to 42,765 total. Int’l students coming in from 89 countries. More details: https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/03/brown-admits-565-of-applicants-to-class-of-2029

Rep. Seth Magaziner no longer intends to move to District 2, which he promised to when running

UNAP doing an informational picket at RI Hospital

Cranston Pool opening may be delayed as contractors find an unknown, large drainpipe

Cranston legislator says he will come up with a system to help find lost people who are non-verbal and autistic after the 4-day missing of one girl

URI secures contract – with UConn – to work with Electric Boat

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who came to the US since October 2022 have had their temporary status here revoked

70% of 8th graders in the US were below proficient in reading, and 72% were below proficient in math

Student loan management moved to SBA

Dollar Tree selling for $1Billion the Family Dollars that they had acquired earlier

Finland rated the happiest country in the world – US has fallen to its lowest position, at 24 in the World Happiness Report

Without Social Security, almost 38% of seniors would be in poverty.

Former US attorney, Jessica Aber, 43, found dead in her Virginia home – initially said to be of “natural causes”

Fire at Epcot Park in walk-in cooler quickly extinguished

Pope Francis spoke from the hospital balcony last weekend and then was released to go home

Security clearances pulled for former Vice President Kamala Harris, fand ormer Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others

VP Vance and wife, Usha, visit Greenland

Approx. 1,000 ATF agents to be laid off

532,000 migrants in US will have their status revoked and have to leave, according to estimates

199 deported to Venezuela in first deportation plane now that the country is accepting them again – not all are going to jail, most just returning under country’s “repatriation”

Columbia Univ. interim President, Katrina Armstrong, resigns

Utah bans fluoride added to drinking water

Tiger Woods announces his relationship with Vanessa Trump, DJT Jr.’s ex-wife. Trump’s daughter, Kai, is a champion golfer – Woods was recently featured at White House Black History Month event

23 & Me going into bankruptcy – recommendations to secure DNA documentation, though this might not be possible

RFK Jr. wants SNAP program not used for soda

Segway recalls 220,000 scooters due to fall hazard

Darwin’s Cats are seeking to build the world’s largest feline genetic database by enrolling 100,000 cats from all walks of life to investigate the genetic influences behind cat traits, behaviors, and health issues, so humans can learn more to help them lead healthier and more enriched lives – go HERE if interested

Rolls-Royce shifting production to U.S.

2^nd time conjugal prison visit ended in death of wife in CA prison

Conference call on war strategy inadvertently invites The Atlantic journalist – results in hearings, investigations and discussion on use of SIGNAL as a secure method of communication. The Atlantic published the conversation from Signal, after the govt said it was not classified. Same judge who presided in deportation case now assigned to look at the SIGNAL case

USPS postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, resigns

Dr. Susan Mondarez new head of CDC

Billie Jean King completes college, a lifelong dream

EO on assuring voters are citizens when they register and other election reforms – proof of citizenship required, not just self-attestation

West Virginia first state to ban 7 artificial food dyes and 2 preservatives – will begin in 2028, but in 2026 they can no longer be included in school lunches

Women’s Sports Bars set to quadruple in US

Paris will make 500 streets car free, as it meets with approval of residents/business owners

Major league upgrades in ballpark menus for the 2025 season. 29 active MLB ballparks

28 ballparks opened this week with opening day – Boston is April 6^th

Sentebale, a So. African charity, founded by Prince Harry, has had infighting among its board. He has withdrawn from the board of directors, as well as his friend, both of whom founded the charity in memory of their mothers – some charges being made of mismanaged money and use of charity to fund Harry’s personal items

Pets require “passports” traveling in the EU now

The legalization of assisted suicide in the UK has been delayed by two years, leading some to suspect that the law will never actually be passed.

Johnny Mathis retires after 70 years singing

Major arrest of MS-13 head of East Coast operations in Northern Virginia – 24 year old taken in an upscale community, without incident

Soc. Sec. was to change to holding back 100% to account for overpayments, but reversed back to current 10%

Richard Pitino, New Mexico coach, and the son of St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, will replace Sean Miller in Cincinnati after Miller left Xavier for Texas

Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua and assistant killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza

Lower court judge – 1 of 650 district judges across US – rule against deportation and banning of trans in military – overrule Pres. Trump – will now go to SCOTUS

SCOTUS, in a 7-2 ruling authored by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, overturned a lower court’s decision that the ATF had exceeded its authority in issuing the 2022 rule targeting parts and kits for ghost guns.

4 US soldiers missing in Lithuania

In the EU the public is being told to put up 72 hours of supplies in case of weather, or other emergencies

Of all gun deaths, approx. 60% are from suicide

Fire bombing and fire in a Tesla dealership in Las Vegas – calls by Sen. Jasmine Crockett for more violence – some thinking it could come this weekend – “for my birthday”

Rep. Stefanik will not go on to be UN Ambassador – Pres. Trump says needs to hold her seat in NY

Head of MS-13 for all of East Coast identified, found, arrested in massive operation in well to do Northern Virginia community

6 Russian tourists died, including at least 2 children, in Egypt on a tourist submarine which sank – 29 survived

HHS nationally will be restructured – 10K staff to be let go – administrative staff to be replaced by more “scientists and front line” healthcare workers. Department will be known as AHA –

Univ. Of Michigan closes its DEI department

Ecuador asks for help from US – calling itself “the murder capital of the world” – wants US troops to help fight gangs

300 student visas have been revoked – no criminal charges

Judge ruled that 17 inspector generals Pres. Trump terminated do not have to be reinstated

7.7 Earthquake in Myramar – over 1,000 dead – many thousands in region injured, building collapses

US museums and galleries with federal funding to be scrubbed of “anti-American” aspects

Naval Academy not to consider “race” in future admissions

Maine Gov. and Principals’ Assoc do not sign on to US Title IX agreement on not allowing boys in girls’ sports

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PASSINGS

Kitty Dukakis, 88, wife of past Gov. Dukakis of MA

George Forman, 76, boxer and entrepreneur

David Graves, 76, RI PR icon, former spokesperson for National Grid

Mia Love, 49, first black Republican woman elected to congress, from Iowa, of brain cancer

John Rector, founder of Leo’s in Providence

Lenny Schultz, 93, comedian