In the News… quick recap of news of the week 12-20-25

A quick synopsis of the news of the week in Rhode Island, regionally, nationally and internationally – and passings of note. Any questions, let us know – at news@rinewstoday.com 

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

30% of Latino congregations are down in the Latino parishes, as parishoners are staying home due to ICE raids, per Bishop

Self-checkout crime ring also active in Rhode Island

Milford, MA bowling alley and arcade owners charged with COVID relief fraud of $1.5M, using funds to build a home, etc.

$100M gift from Rob & Karen Hale to Boston Children’s Hospital will go towards a $640M pediatric psychiatric hospital

RI Blood Center will have a blood drive Mon, 12/22 from 8am to 7pm at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick. This blood will replenish supplies used to care for Brown U shooting victims at Rhode Island Hospital.

Smithfield School Committee says the Supt, who has resigned, failed in her job to keep children safe in schools

Brian McGrory to return to Boston Globe as editor – left in 2023

New adolescent behavioral health unit opening at Newport Hospital for treating 8 children ages 12 to 18 experiencing serious mental health challenges

MIT professor said to be Portugese and Jewish was shot to death in his home in Brookline

Alagie Jatta, 29, and Paul Ohore, 32, both of the Bronx, were picked up on warrants and charged with murder in the brutal Nov. 24 attack on Daevon Silva, 23, of Pawtucket

“27 East River Street” development would neighbor the Henderson Bridge, Waterman Grille

Finn’s Restaurant is now open again – Wednesday through Sunday

Olivia Iafrate, a Johnston HS senior selected as one of 32 girls from across the country to play flag football during the 2026 NFL Pro Bowl Games.

Maria Bucci, head of the Democratic Party in Cranston, stopped for DUI in East Greenwich. Video of her arrest and confrontational words with police officer have gone public – see it HERE

Over 30,000 in RI lost power for some time in the wind and rain storm Friday

Shannon Gilkey, RI Commissioner of Secondary Education will lead an effort to bring together all RI colleges and universities to address security on campus

Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket open up deer hunting as a way to help control the proliferation of ticks – and Lyme Disease – on the islands

Boston Planning Dept. of 170 votes to unionize

___

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

The FBI has stopped a planned terrorist bombing in Los Angeles set for New Year’s Eve. Audrey, 30; Zachary, 31; Dante, 34; Carol, 41 – from Turtle Island Liberation Front extremist radical group targeting five different locations.

Rob & Michele Reiner were stabbed to death in their home by their son, Nick, who was known to have a substance use problem.

Brian Walshe convicted of murder prior to chopping up her body and disposing of it – life without parole

Katie Pavlich Jumps to NewsNation as New 10 PM anchor from Fox

Roomba again in bankruptcy court for restricting – products will continue

Ford scales down EV production due to lack of demand

More drug boats destroyed by US drones – 2 or 3 a day on average

Limited $60 tickets for FIFA World event – 20M requests for tickets already received – FIFA bows to world protest on price of tickets

Merrian-Wesbster new word:  SLOP – meaning poor quality meme-like images

BBC lawsuit issued for $6B filed by Pres. Trump for splicing two separate interviews together to change content.

Donald Trump Jr. will marry Bettina Anderson

8 months of home confinement and 3 years parole for doctor who supplied ketamine to Matthew Perry

Workers at the Louvre vote to strike

Paypal is seeking to become a bank now that banking regs are eased

Retiring Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced her engagement to Brian Glenn, who works for the news network Real America’s Voice

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles gave a very candid interview to Vanity Fair – White House backed her up after criticism for the negativity of the article about her and others in the administration, which is characteristic of VF

Federal judge rules ballroom construction at White House can continue

President Trump signed executive order on Dec. 15 to formalize the designation of fentanyl as a ‘weapon of mass destruction.’

Stelvio Park in Italy uncovers dinosaur footprints that go back 210 Million years.

Maryland to consider reparations and has formed committee

Video of “double-tap” destruction of drug boats will not be released

Alan Jackson, Karen Reed’s defense attorney, will now represent Nick R n the stabbing death of his parents, Rob & Michele Reiner

Hungary has moved to criminalize NGO and other groups who assist illegal migrants. Naming it the “Stop Soros” law.

Don Bongino, head of the FBI, will leave his position in January. Attributed by some to conflicts with AG Pamela Bondi, and fighting off conspiracies and false information – also said to be frustrated about being able to accomplish more than he has – says he will return to his radio show and maybe television.

The DC plane crash can now sue the US as the govt claims responsibility for the crash

Academy Awards will move to YouTube next year, free, and not on networks

Doctors in England participating in a 5-day walkout – during uptick in the flu

400 migrants in Spain who had occupied an abandoned school were evicted by the government

Cardinal Timothy Dolan announces his resignation as archbishop of New York. The Vatican accepted Dolan’s resignation and confirmed that Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois will replace Dolan.

Greg Biffle, NASCAR legend, his wife and children all killed in a private plane crash in NC

Kennedy Center will now be known as the Trump-Kennedy Center, in recognition of the $257Million raised by the President to completely renovate the facility

Christmas Eve, Christmas and the day after Christmas declared national holidays for federal employees – no work except those who have critical positions

HHS will no longer pay via Medicaid for gender altering care of any kind

Federal rescheduling of cannabis will allow for accelerated research and standardized drug development

Diversity visa lottery-type program paused in wake of Brown University shooting incident – efforts to eliminate this have failed several times in the last 10 years

NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani’s newly appointed director, Catherine Almonte Da Costa, withdrew after her “tweets” were exposed that were anti-Semitic from a few years back

Famine in Gaza said to be over – however, other officials say famine is now widespread – ?

More Epstein files released Friday

Michael Keaton will accept Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Award

ACA health cost reduction continuation plans underway – if not passed costs could double for some

US hits specific targets inside Syria

Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan found guilty of obstructing justice – sentencing upcoming – could be as much as 5 years, though not expected to be so

RFK Jr. pledges to focus more on Lyme Disease

US vaccine schedule for children is under review – may adopt a similar schedule to that of Denmark

TikTok under new effort to be sold to American investors

___

PASSINGS

Anthony Geary, 78, soap actor, General Hospital

Peter Greene, 60, actor, Pulp Fiction & The Mask