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In the News… recap for week ending November 16, 2024
A quick roundup of happenings of the week in Rhode Island, the region, nationally, and internationally – with passings of note.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Deborah Flannery, RI Housing Dept Deputy Sect, appointed in Dec, 2023, has resigned to take a job with Vermont Housing Finance Agency
Ken Block produced new documents saying the East side of the Washington Bridge has had major repairs and may need more
Boston Globe and WPRI-Ch. 12 have a new reporting relationship
Johnston Mayor Polisena quoted in compelling post-election interview on what went wrong and how a Republican swath went through Johnston and other cities and towns
Both Gov. McKee and Mayor Smiley have said they will not use local police or cooperate in mass deportations
Bob Billington will resign as ED of tourism in Blackstone Valley but will stay on as train conductor for Polar Express.
Tom Brady statue unveiling put off to 2025 due to Brady’s travel schedule
Brown University’s Musical Forum puts on “Legally Blonde” – saying… “In the time that we’re in right now, it’s very important to make something that’ll bring the community joy.”
Stop & Shop hit with cyber attack
Attleboro declares water emergency
Askew, a music venue in the Providence Jewelry District will close
Avery Willis Hoffman, inaugural artistic director at Brown Arts Institute steps down- “I’m eager for us to have a little space to learn from the experience, and proactively consider what comes next,” he added.
BAI will not be hiring another artistic director immediately,
ProJo printing plant to close – losing 136 Jobs
Dimeo Construction Co. has leased 28,000 square feet of Class A office space at Northwoods Office Park
Jeffrey Hirsch, owner of the Lobster Pot restaurant in Bristol, has been named chair of the Bradley Hospital board of trustees
RI’s Senesco to launch hybrid ferry for state of Maine
The Disability Rights Rhode Island, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island, and Children’s Rights filed a lawsuit on behalf of all Medicaid-eligible children in Rhode Island who are often being denied legally required home and community-based mental health care services, and being inappropriately institutionalized instead.
The Foundry Artists Association’s 42nd Annual Holiday Show, featuring over 65 regional artists, opens on December 5 at the Pawtucket Armory
Over 1,000 Women & Infants frontline staff walked an informational picket line “to speak out against chronic staffing shortages, double shifts, lack of respect and failure by management to bargain in good faith.””
The most popular gas station in Rhode Island, according to Mental Floss is Cumberland Farms
Green Line Apothecary 2 locations closing – transferring to CVS locations
Tortilla Flats restaurant for sale
$200,000 approved to renovate the Gay Head Light,in Martha’s Vineyard
Peter Marino, former CEO of Neighborhood Health, is now an author, with his 1st book, The Kingfisher and the Crow
Parents, ACLU, Disability Rights, Children’s Rights have sued RI for failure to care for children with mental health needs
The city councils in Brockton and Lowell join Boston, Fall River, Salem and Worcester in authorizing a no camping on public property ordinance – designed to move homeless people from encampments.
Conjuring House ordered to close by state of RI, has been operating without proper insurance, employee workers’ comp, etc.
Restauranteur Barbara Lynch who announced the closure of all her restaurants is being sued by Boston and MA for $1.7 million in unpaid personal property taxes.
Macy’s location at Prov. Place Mall said to be for sale
Standard ambulance diversions now banned in Rhode Island. That means hospitals can no longer redirect EMS traffic for overcrowding or staffing shortages.
Home Show this weekend in Providence AMP
Feast & Fettle closing its Pawtucket retail store
Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank, and the Dept of Housing announce $2,880,000 for municipal infrastructure improvements to support affordable housing in Coventry, East Providence, Providence, West Warwick, and Pawtucket.
Roger Williams University School of Law received a $750,000 gift from Hassenfeld Family Foundation for social justice and the law.
Gary ‘Batman’ Balletto III (10-3) defended his CES MMA Welterweight World title against Brazilian Bruno Quintanilha (5-4) at sold-out Foxwoods venue
Gary ‘Tiger’ Balletto, inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame
28 men in the Boston brothel case will be identified, per the courts
Harvard students demonstrating with a “prayer-in” in support of Hamas and Palestine have been suspended for 2 weeks
Massachusetts fails to retore “Happy Hour” promotions for bars and restaurants
Rain not expected in the northeast until end of next week – red flag warnings about fires exist and brush fires have popped up from New Jersey on north.
Jack Warner inaugurated as the 11th president of Rhode Island College
On Nantucket, lack of school bus drivers is becoming “dire” as schools struggle with transportation
URI received their largest bequest – $65million, adding to $6M previously given, from the estate of Frank and Helen Izzi Schilling ’54. Helen was from Providence and went to URI and worked in nutrition for many years. The money establishes the Schilling Scholars Program.
Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner was in court for the federal grand jury probe into allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption in Steward Health Care, where he is on the board
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
New San Francisco Mayor calling for a State of Emergency on Day 1 over fentanyl deaths
Congress will disclose more UFO information on Nov. 13th
Pres. Trump and Pres. Biden met on Wed at the White House (1st ladies to meet at a later date)
Advance Auto Parts closing hundreds of stores
JD Vance will be the first Marine in history to be Vice President of the United States.
Kamala Harris campaign reported they raised $1B but are now $20M in debt – some performers who were promised heavy amounts – Oprah $1M – are concerned about being paid – Pres-elect Donald Trump has reached out offering to help where he can with funds left over, having put most of their investment into “earned media”.
Cuba was hit on Sunday with a nearly 7.0 mag earthquake
Amsterdam bans demonstrations after anti-Semitic violence
Boy Scouts auctioning Rockwell/Scouts paintings to pay for settlements with scouts
Jimmy Carter nominated for his 4th Grammy award for spoken sound selection – if he wins he will be the oldest winner
Taiwan Semiconductor, the largest CHIP producer, will pause shipments to China due to US concerns about Huawei, a Chinese telecom co under US sanctions.
Qatar suspends its role in mediating talks between Hamas and Israel
Tom Homan named “Border Czar” in charge of borders and deportation by Pres-elect Trump
A FEMA official has been fired for instructing hurricane relief workers in Florida to avoid homes with Trump flags.
Jake Paul, aged 27, and Mike Tyson, aged 58, will square off in a boxing match at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium
President-elect Trump offered Rep. Elise Stefanik the US ambassador to the United Nations
New Wicked dolls from the musical have a website on the packaging which leads to an adult porn site – advising parents to toss out the packaging or cover up the website
Haiti has ousted its Prime Minister who was a UN official and medical doctor, brought in to run the country
Gig workers hold at 10% of the workforce
104 is now the # of people felled by McDonald’s food poisoning issue from slivered onions – 4 have developed serious kidney problems, 1 has died, dozens remain hospitalized
Betting markets like Polymarket, did better than all polls
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin will head the EPA
Megan Fox is expecting a baby with Machine Gun Kelly
Art Garfunkle and Paul Simon met and resolved their differences, having long parted company
Former Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm paralyzed from the chest down after falling off of a horse in a polo accident
A Spirit Airlines flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti was struck by gunfire on Monday, forcing it to be diverted to the neighboring Dominican Republic. US has now advised against travel to Haiti
A Jet Blue Airlines found a gunshot hole on the outside of the plane
A Southwest plane was shot at while landing in Texas
Sen. Marco Rubio appointed as Secretary of State.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead Dept. of Homeland Security.
Chris Wallace quit CNN after 3years. The 77-year-old says he will look at an independent platform such as streaming or podcasting, which he described as “where the action seems to be.”
Andrea Bocelli celebrates 30 years in his career
23andMe cuts 40% of its workforce, discontinues all therapy programs
Harriet Tubman made a US General posthumously
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (1996-2007) appointed as Ambassador to Israel.
My Little Pony finally is admitted into the Toy Hall of Fame
John Ratcliffe appointed Director of National Intelligence
Steve Witkoff appointed special envoy to the Middle East.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy named to new Department of Government Efficiency
Peter Hegseth nominated as US Secretary of Defense
COSTCO recalls 80,000 pounds of butter because packaging fails to mention milk as ingredient
Lunchables says it will be removed from school lunch programs in states where it is
FAA extends flight ban to Haiti for 30 days
John Krasinski named sexiest man alive – he is a Brown Univ. graduate
Pres. Biden & Pres. elect Trump met at The White House. Biden welcomed him back and said, “get everything you need”. Mrs. Biden handed Pres. Trump a handwritten letter for Mrs. Trump
Melania Trump will split her time as 1st lady between DC & NYC, where Barron is in college
Sen. John Thune named Senate Majority leader on 2nd round of votes in the Senate
¾ of Americans now said to be “obese”
FBI raided owner of Polymarket, betting app that predicted the election, where US citizens are restricted from betting
Both Mahomes & Kelce’s homes were broken into and robbed during a game
Al Sharpton says he will hold an MLK rally during the inauguration
Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of NBC News’ ‘TODAY’ show
Iran has opened mental health clinics to treat young women who will not wear the hijab, – where they will use “scientific and psychological treatment”
Meg Whitman resigns as US Ambassador to Kenya
John Sauer nominated as Solicitor General of the US
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Doug Burgum – Gov. of No. Dakota named Dept of Interior
Douglas Allen Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Lindsey Vonn back on the U.S. Ski Team at age 40
COP29 – international climate change conference – not going well as countries are unsure of US future role – Argentina has left, and other countries failed to show up
Pickleball is now offered at San Quentin prison and other prisons
The Onion submitted a “lower bid” in a court ordered auction for InfoWars, operated by Alex Jones – purchase challenged in court. Representatives of the Onion shut down the operations, live, as the action was being streamed with the assistance of Steve Bannon. A half hour later, Jones was back on the air with an identical show. Next day courts blocked the bid-sale and are investigating.
Democracy Forward has formed to “thwart President Trump’s administration – 800 lawyers and 280 organizations now belong
Disney told investors they predict profitable times ahead
Bluesky social media has gained 1 million users since the election – most coming from “X”
Conan O’Brien will host the next Oscars
Karoline Leavitt named White House Press Secretary
Steven Cheung named White House Communications Director
H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon
Netflix shows a bare-bottom live shot of Mike Tyson walking away from the camera in an interview leading up to the fight, cutting the feed quickly
Jake Paul earns unanimous decision over 58-year-old former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson
Editor of The Atlantic resigns after she posted that Donald Trump supporters are fascists
Holtermann’s Bakery in Staten Island was called out by Whoopi Goldberg for refusing a large order of pastry for her birthday – Goldberg said on air that maybe it was because of her politics. Holtermann’s held a press conference to explain about the size of the order and a malfunctioning boiler system and railed about Goldberg’s statements. Since, they have been overwhelmed with orders and their website is down. Goldberg has doubled down on her claim.
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PASSINGS
Bobby Allison, 86, 3-time Daytona 500 winner
Judith Jamison, 81, dancer, artistic director at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
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Gary Balletto’s nickname is Tiger, not Batman
Showing my age again – it’s Paul Simon, not Peter Simon
In the same vein, Trump’s appointees will bring Simon & Garfunkle’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” back to a Number one spot in Music.
Hi, Lesley – right on Paul Simon – we made the change
Re the Ballettos, one is the son of the other! Batman is 29 and Tiger is 49.