In the News… recap of the week ending May 16, 2025

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Obama summer home on Martha’s Vineyard up for sale for $39 Million

Freight Farms, a Boston-based company that repurposed shipping containers into high-tech farms that could grow food, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and ceased operations.

The Daily Table, a low cost grocery chain in MA is closing – at least 4 stores in the area

Brian Shortsleeve – who chaired Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign announced his bid for the Republican nomination for Gov. of MA

Four arts and theater organizations filed a complaint in RI federal court against the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), seeking clarity on the EO that federal agencies to cease spending federal funds on “gender ideology.

Freight Farms, in Boston, files for bankruptcy – company bringing fresh produce to people

Between 15 and 20 families of Azorean Portuguese descent who are living in Fall River have flown back to the Azores because their visas have expired and they fear intensifying immigration enforcement.

Due to “public safety concerns,” Worcester City Hall will be closed to the public at 5 p.m. today, prior to two city meetings that are being held virtually via Zoom. 

International Tennis Hall of Fame reopened May 14 after $3M renovation

The Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island has announced the return of Jewish Culture Fest, set for Sept. 14

Galito Restaurant, a Portuguese eatery in Pawtucket, will close end of May. The Santos family is retiring.

Bill Bartholomew reported by Boston Globe to be considering running for Lt. Gov.

Lynn Dambruch to step down as Warwick School Administrator – retiring after many years

A new health care report attributes increased spending to rising hospital prices and increased use of high-cost weight loss drugs

Boots on the Ground will be held May 23, 24, 25 at Fort Adams in Newport

Bar Lazio is the newest restaurant in Knightsville, Cranston

Seven Stars Bakery opened its seventh café at 1740 Broad St. in Cranston’s Edgewood

Hiring freeze in Boston due to budget

Lockheed Martin to lay off 64 at Andover facility

URI to launch Rhody license plate campaign

1,500 in Boston attended a Mass for the new Pope

Providence branch, NAACP, placed under administratorship of the National NAACP in March, with NEAC Area Conference President Tanisha Sullivan to serve as Administrator. In April Gerard Catala was suspended from the NAACP. He served as President. Nicole Tingle, the First Vice President, became President of the Providence Branch.

Women & Infants laying off 12 people

Wally’s Wieners will open in a week on Federal Hill

Greenleaf Compassion Center in Portsmouth will be bought out as it is in receivership

Palestinian, anti-Israel group in Providence demonstrated in front of Prov. City Hall, which included having a Palestinian flag horizontally put up just above the front stairway -not flying over the building along with the American flag. A Jewish group also attended, with a few flags. Total group about 50 with a strong showing of Providence Police.

Prov Mayor Smiley said there was no city flag policy but there will be one soon. There is a state policy governing public building use of flags from foreign countries statewide, however.

Prov. City Council President Rachel Miller acknowledged that the full council had not considered the flag and event request and that there will be a policy in the future.

Gov. McKee gave the commencement addresses at Salve Regina and Rhode Island College this weekend

Housing: US Census notes Rhode Island was the slowest state to build new homes since 2020, with fewest number of new units in the continental US in 2024, just 922 from 2023 to 2024.

Swastika symbol on Brown Univ. restroom door – removed by administration

Criminal deported from Rhode Island recaptured back in Providence after assaulting ICE officer

2 RI shellfishing areas will be open 10 extra days due to good water quality samplings – Greenwich Bay and the Lower Providence River areas

Two Newport museums are opening their doors to active-duty military members and their families at no cost this summer as part of the Blue Star Museums program – The Newport Restoration Foundation and Sailing Museum and National Sailing Hall of Fame, from May 17 to Sept. 1 – Beyond Newport, six other Rhode Island museums are taking part, including Museum of Work and Culture, Woonsocket, Bristol Art Museum and Coggeshall Farm Museum, Bristol, Providence Children’s Museum and RISD Museum, Providence, and Living Sharks Museum, Westerly.

The Oliver Hazard Perry Tall Ship will be at the Herreshoff Docks in Bristol, RI this weekend, with events scheduled

Massachusetts Black Bears more of a problem this year – capturing efforts may double, hunting season

Portuguese families are leaving the United States of their own accord in order to avoid forced deportation by the US government, the president of the New Bedford Immigrant Assistance Centre says – families are primarily from The Azores. Alternatively, over 18,000 people illegally in Portugal are being told to leave the country or be deported. 23,500 immigrants have had their residence permit application rejected.

Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ) will rebrand to: Central Providence Unidos.

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

7 J.C. Penney stores will close – none in RI – closest in NH

Health officials warn that eating romaine lettuce in plastic packaging is a gamble right now.

Disney will open in Abu Dhabi

Kentucky Derby-winning jockey suspended, fined $62,000 for striking horse too many times – 8 times, 2 over the allowed 6

40 TD Bank branches closing (none in RI)

McDonald’s will hire 375,000 workers this summer

Amazon will work more with FedEx than UPS

Pres. Trump announces trade deal with China

Hamas says it will release the last known US hostage that is alive at the beginning of this week

Groups of approved refugees from So. Africa – mostly of Dutch descent – are on their way to the U.S.

EO being signed to lower costs of prescription drugs

Bentley student dies after accidentally falling from balcony during senior class trip to Bahamas

Britain has decided to end its open borders policy, take control of its borders, and issued a White Paper on citizenship and immigration – PM said the experiment has failed and it is destroying England

Portugal to deport 18,000 people in the country illegally.

Argentina to close its borders and makes a decree for immigration reform

Only living US hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, released – he plans to come to the White House some time this month

Afrikaner refugees fleeing persecution from their native South Africa have been offered citizenship in the US – first groups arrived

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halts construction of “EPIC City”—an attempted Islamist enclave in the heart of Texas. One of the city’s owners openly declared: “Jews and Christians are filthy.”

Mexico suing Google over decision to refer to the Gulf of America

Gov. Newsome urges CA to “take back the streets” from the homeless, outlaw encampments – 1/3 of the US homeless population lives in CA.

Bindi Irwin, daughter of Steve Irwin, underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Irwin, suffered from “10 years of insurmountable fatigue, pain & nausea” only recently diagnosed as endometriosis.

UnitedHealth Group new CEO Andrew Witty, who took over after the murder of the CEO, resigned and the company suspended its annual forecast due to surging medical costs, sending shares plunging over 15% to a four-year low.

Ziploc being sued for undisclosed microplastics in their products

Federal judge in Pennsylvania rules the US can use the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to fast-track the deportation of accused Venezuelan gang members, but must give them at least 21 days’ notice and the opportunity to challenge their removals.

US Dept. of Agriculture restoring some weather websites

Mali dissolves political parties

FDA is seeking to remove prescription fluoride for children from market

Microsoft to lay off 3% of its workforce

Older adults are being warned against receiving the chikungunya vaccine

Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy Foot Locker – $2.4B

Cannes Festival institutes modest clothing regulations – no “BIG” dresses and no obvious nudity

Commerce Sect announces AI relationship with UAE – best chips in the world – to be made in US to be bought by allies connected by US cloud using US companies. $250B a year to be made in America

Mark Cuban going off of Shark Tank “time to move on to other things”

Largest Antebellum mansion in US – Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana – destroyed by fire

Former FBI Director Comey under investigation for posting a photo of shells on a beach he thought was “cool” – it said “86 47” referring to eliminating the 47^th president.

Jennifer Lopez fell during a performance and had stitches and bruises noticeable on her face – she said she slipped off her male dancer because he was sweaty and shirtless, not like when they practiced with his shirt on.

Charter to buy Cox Communications for $34.5 billion

CVS will be buying some Rite Aid stores in the Pacific Northwest that are set to close

Salman Rushdie’s attacker gets 25 years in jail

RI Senate declines to act on Cabinet pay raises, and House approves, so cabinet level raises go through with Governor’s support

U.S. drug overdoses in 2024 dropped to their lowest annual level since 2019, according to a report updated Wednesday by the CDC. Preliminary data shows roughly 80,000 fatal overdoses in 2024, down a whopping 26.9% from the year prior. Overdose deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants decreased as well, and fatalities aren’t just dropping in a few states — nearly all are reporting lower numbers.

10 escapees from Louisiana prison remain on the loose of the original 12. They are considered armed and dangerous – prison is within residential areas of New Orleans region. Officials feel they had help both from within and outside the minimum security prison – holding maximum security inmates.

Supreme Court extends freeze on use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations – deportations of Venezuelans will not be allowed under the 18th century wartime law while the matter is litigated in the courts.

First pass of Pres. Trump’s “big beautiful bill” fails to pass the House by four on the Budget Committee who want to see changes made, particular in health related items

A 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit put on hold an injunction that had blocked implementation of an executive order exempting more than a dozen federal agencies from obligations to bargain with unions.

Former FBI Director James Comey was interviewed by US Secret Service agents at their DC field office after he posted a photo on social media noting “86 47” – feelings are that the interview will not result in arrest or charges.

Pope Leo XIV affirmed Friday that the family is founded on the “stable union between a man and a woman,” and that the unborn and elderly enjoy dignity as God’s creatures.

Thousands of NY/NJ commuters stranded as transit strike continues into weekend

In first negotiations in years, Russia and Ukraine agree to exchange 1,000 prisoners, each

Palestinians in Gaza may be moved to Libya while country, in ruins, is rebuilt.

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PASSINGS

David Souter, 85, retired Supreme Court justice

James Robert Winoker, 93, business leader in RI