In the news… for May 20, 2023

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Comfort Inn in Dorchester, MA to use 99 rooms for homeless

New FedEx building operating in Pawtucket after leaving Cumberland

Demonstrators for bail reform protested outside of RI District Court, tieing themselves together, shutting down the ability for ACI buses to transport

Women & Infants large expansion has ballooned from $24 to $40 Million

The “Dignity Bus” that was to come to Woonsocket from Florida to help house the homeless on an emergency basis, is now not coming as the state canceled it. Woonsocket City Councilwoman Gonzalez is trying to resurrect the purchase.

The RI AG ordered that a receiver assume control of Pawtucket Falls Healthcare Center

Cranston Mayor Hopkins said he is generally pleased with the budget voted on for passage

50 people were reported to have been involved in a fight on Atwells Ave, coming out of a restaurant, the VL.

Saint Federal Hill will open where Tavolo was and closed – owned by George’s ownership

Located an hour north of Westerly Hospital, a 28,000 ground-mounted solar panel farm is generating power for the hospital, resulting in annual savings of more than $400,000 through virtual net metering.

Josh Saal’s contract ended with RI Housing April 26th

The Wayfarer Hotel in Newport will reopen this summer

Stop & Shop says they will eliminate all plastic bags by summer, and are now charging 10 cents for paper bags – all to encourage reusable bags

MA Governor’s son, Andrew Baker, arrested for DUI

Rockport shoe company will leave MA for their headquarters and eliminate 150 jobs

Breeze Airways flies its first non-stop to LA from PVD Airport

Mayor Smiley has ended The Providence Guaranteed Income Program, launched in 2021 for one year, then extended for 6 mos by Mayor Jorge Elorza.

A safe injection site will open on Huntington Ave in Providence in 2024

UMass gets $5M to launch AI Institute

Homeless were living inside Providence’s Washington Bridge towers – same bridge where bronze commemorative plaques were removed.

Jonathan Womer will be the new Director of the Department of Administration

RIPTA director Scott Avedissian’s contract extended by 2 years

Gov. McKee signed into law the payment of abortion for state employees and Medicaid patients

A Portuguese War Memorial was unveiled at the Veterans Cemetery in Exeter

A Providence resolution to rename India Street – Portugal Parkway – has passed the council

A Providence woman – Altagracia Adames – was arrested for doing dentistry at a home, without being a dentist

Taylor Swift plays in Foxborough for 3 days this weekend

Jimmy Buffet hospitalized and has canceled his Boston concert there.

$101 million will fund 23 housing projects across the state

A 1,400 self-storage unit will be built on Branch Ave in Providence

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Maine is trying an innovative program allowing landowners to “host” homeless encampments on their property – some homeless say they don’t want it because they would be on display and lose their privacy

Oxford Univ. removes Sackler name from buildings, university

WEEI Radio, which just closed its RI office, has been delisted from the NY Stock Exchange

North Carolina has vetoed and now overruled that veto, with a ban on abortion being maintained

Drug to treat hot flashes approved

NYC had a full plan underway to use school gyms to house migrants – most are also being used for students

Robert Kennedy, Jr. running for President said if he is elected he will release paperwork that proves the CIA killed his uncle.

Donald Trump says he will release all papers on the JFK assassination if elected

US will announce hundreds of millions in more aid to Ukraine

Italy begins to recover from historic floods in the north – over 500 roads washed out – 14 deaths – area still in search and rescue with rivers cresting

The IRS removed its entire team of investigators working on the tax issues surrounding Hunter Biden – this was requested by DOJ

Nebraska passed a ban on abortion after 12 weeks

Guinness’ world’s oldest dog is in Portugal and is 31

Allergy season is estimated to have extended by 13 days in the Boston area

Philadelphia Inquirer suffered a cyberattack

Tony Awards not on television this year due to writers’ strike

17 stores have closed in San Francisco from chains such as Anthropologie, etc.

Martha Stewart is on the cover of Sports Illustrated

Montana bans Tik Tok, but that ban will most likely be overturned by the courts

Overdose deaths in the US are said to have plateaued

The Commerce Department has $500 million in grants available to become technology hubs – part of the $10billion CHIPS and Science Act to stimulate investments in new technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotech.

Sen. Feinstein has returned to the Senate and begun casting votes – in response to a reporter’s question she replied that she hasn’t been away, she’s been working in the Senate and casting votes.  “You either know or you don’t know,” she told the reporter.

Travel warnings from New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Venezuela and Uruguay – each urged precaution for travelers when visiting the U.S., due in large part to gun violence.

Disney says it is no longer going to build a $1 billion corporate campus in central Florida that would have housed 2,000 employees

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will run for President as a Republican

A small charity, Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, and its chief executive, Sharon Toney-Finch, are said to have made up the story of veterans in a NYC hotel being moved out to make room for migrants.

NYC is now using the Roosevelt Hotel which has been closed for 3 years to house 850 families and serve as an intake center.

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PASSINGS

Josephine Raimondo, 91, mother of former Governor and now Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo

Jim Brown, 87, NFL legend