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In the news… for July 15, 2023
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Providence Restaurant Week goes through 7/22
Rhode Island residents, ages 55+, bring a valid Rhode Island ID to the Cardines Field in Newport on July 19 to receive free admission to a Newport Gulls game.
Nicole J. Benjamin, a shareholder at Adler, Pollock & Sheehan in Providence, has been elected president of the Rhode Island Bar Association
Free summer meals for children, noon to 1:15 in Warwick at Conimicut branch, library
Eviction proceedings pick up for Skyline in Providence
3 RI lighthouses will be transferred to private ownership in RI: Beavertail (RIDEM), Prudence Island & Sandy Point to nonprofits
Brown Univ students respond that approx. 40% of students identify as LGBTQIA+ – over 5 times the national rate
RI Drivers privilege card was supposed to be designed to be obviously different than a driver’s license – but the design is identical.
Paul LeBon suffers a minor stroke and withdraws as a candidate in CD1 race
Former State Senator Cindy Coyne named Executive Director of the Senior Agenda Coalition of Rhode Island.
Boston has opened 130 mealsites for children in the area this summer
3 Rhode Island lighthouses transferred ownership: Beavertail to RIDEM, Sandy Point on Prudence Island to Prudence Conservancy, and Watch Hill Lighthouse to Watch Hill Lightkeepers Association.
UPS workers staged a “practice picket” on Tuesday
Boston EMS is having a severe staffing shortage with over 50 openings
Johnston – with a word change from “takeover” to “oversight”, the Johnston School Committee agrees to the Mayor’s action to conduct an audit and direction following their consecutive years of budget deficiencies.
TopGolf is calling their new facility in Cranston “TopGolf Providence”
Legacy Lounge in Providence ordered permanently closed after 13 violations/complaints, latest being pad-locking doors from outside so people could have an after-hours get together
Cranston PTO President arrested for embezzling @ $3,000 from Stonehill Elem PTO
Man-o-wars seen on RI beaches – at least 1 person has been stung.
Buddy Cianci has been put into the national “Political Corruption Hall of Fame”
BCBSRI has named a new chief medical officer, and she’s an obstetrician-gynecologist with an MBA, Dr. Farah Shafi
24 Providence Early Child Care Providers receive $1Million+ for infrastructure projects
Save the Bay will open the Hamilton Family Aquarium in Newport in the fall of 2023
The Guild & Seven Stars Bakery will selected for the 195 District Park Pavilion
Richard Lisitano named president of Westerly Hospital (Yale)
Dr. Faizul Suhail was appointed RI Regional Medical Director for Marquis Health Consulting Services, which runs 7+ nursing home type facilities in RI.
Providence resignations continue, 6 so far, since new City Council President, Rachel Miller, took over.
Save the Bay‘s annual swim event is TODAY – Newport to Jamestown
Woonsocket Splash Pad in need of repair, running with sprinklers for now
Plans for St. Mary’s Feast are underway for next weekend – July 19-23
Cranston’s Itri Park in Knightsville is open with a stellar ribbon cutting event
TopGolf agreed to change its name from TopGolf Providence to TopGolf Rhode Island – a compromise with Mayor Hopkins who wanted TopGolf Cranston. Facility will open in the fall of 2023.
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
2 cases of malaria reported in Florida
Bud Light no longer in the top 10 of beers
New York is monitoring its shores with drones due to increased shark sightings
The Dutch Prime Minister has resigned
$150M fine for Bank of America for deceptive practices to customers
China school attack with 6 children killed in knife attack
The Prime Energy drink is being looked into due to its marketing to children. It contains as much caffeine as 6 cola drinks
NYTimes is eliminating its sports department
Maine Mastheads will buy 17 Maine newspapers, including the Portland Press.
Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten, 73, is released from prison after serving 53 years of a life sentence
Gina Raimondo, Sect. of Commerce, had her emails hacked by a Chinese entity – this happened in mid-May
Amazon said this year’s Prime Day was the best ever
CDC is restricting importing of dogs from high risk countries, requiring vaccinations, quarantining and banning some altogether
Thread, a new social media platform, has well over 100M users
Cannabis has sent increasing numbers of children and teens to hospital emergency rooms all around the US
85% of Americans in heat alert areas, with temps expected to rise and stay for some time
Inflation is showing signs of decreasing
President’s SAVE Plan for student loans, if enacted would have millions of Americans able to enroll in a new repayment plan that would: Interest won’t pile up as long as borrowers make regular payments. Millions of people will have monthly payments reduced to $0. And in as little as 10 years, any remaining debt will be canceled.
John Kerry to visit China to talk about climate change
Elon Musk is starting xAI, “to understand the true nature of the universe” as a competitor to CHAT GPPT
The Actors Union will join the Writers Union on strike – first time in 63 years
Finland has been admitted to NATO
India making 2nd attempt to land spacecraft on the Moon
Opill over-the-counter birth control pill will be available for all ages, including teens in early 2024
Aspartame should be possibly labeled as a carcinogen says the WHO – the CDC disagrees – and more research is called for
Pentagon will deploy 3K reserve troops to Europe in response to Ukraine war, per Pres. Biden
David’s Bridal stores saved as a buyer is found
Fenway Park‘s surrounding area will be improved with over $1 Billion investment
Long Island serial killer captured, called “a demon who walks among us” – victims were sex workers, a baby, and a man – all buried on the beach. Suspected killer is an architect in NYC, with his own firm.
Federal appeals court temporarily paused a lower court’s order limiting executive branch officials’ communications with social media companies about controversial online posts.
Student Loan forgiveness program still being worked on with an estimated $39M targeted for eliminating
Cause of death for Lisa Marie Presley determined to be complications of former bariatric surgery
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PASSINGS
Fabio Cairoli, IGT CEO of Global Lottery
John DeLuca, known as a RI mobster
Bill Reynolds, 78, former ProJo sports reporter and author
Andre Watts, 77, famed pianist who began playing publicly at age of 10
Peter Wells, Providence American