In the news… summary for April 13, 2024

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

PC Basketball Coach Kim English has had his contract extended by 6 seasons

Port of Davisville auto business expected to increase by 25% with Maryland bridge fiasco

Rep. Magaziner announced $485K in federal funding for the Johnston PD – portable radio units, carbine patrol rifles, pole mounted speed measuring signs and 2 special services unit

Gov. McKee wants to extend the Hope scholarship at RIC through 2030

RI Judge rules current law on possessing child erotica is too vague and therefore unconstitutional

Local NBC10 and WPRI12 agree to pay workers who work on Sunday time and a half

46 dogs rescued from a hoarding situation in Pawtucket

Cranston location for Swarovski sells for $8.8M – company looking to relocate in Cranston with a smaller footprint

Scrap heap on Allens Ave. caught fire and was contained

Goddard College in Vermont to close

Cranston Mayor assembling a committee to look at all levels of tax exemptions in the city, first review in 20 years

Jim Bennett has been appointed to serve as the next president and chief operating officer of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation.

Food trucks banned for health concern reasons at Cisco Beach in Nantucket – say they are enforcing a section of the food code that requires formal bathroom facilities with hot water for food establishments.

Bally’s had 88 people arrested by Lincoln Police in 2023

Amazon jobs in Johnston starting to be posted on Indeed

Breeze Airways to start direct flights to So. Carolina and Colorado in May

6 people arrested for targeted children for sex in Warwick – 4 from RI, 1 from CT and 1 from MA

Christ Essandoko has committed to the PC Friars basketball team. A rugged 7-foot center he played for two years at Saint Joseph’s, the first as an academic redshirt.

2 babies died in 2 days in Rhode Island, under unannounced circumstances

Courts ordered Johnson Pond’s water area maintained and repaired

Brown University received a “D” from the Antidefamation League (ADL) for antisemitism on campus. Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all received “F’s”

RI will hold a press event on Monday to review what services are available to protect children in RI, as announced by RI DCYF

Star Five said it will build “the absolute highest quality experience in the market” for a storage facility where Swarovski building is now located and has been sold in Cranston

Jenks Park Residence in Central Falls will offer 30 units of safe, affordable, fully-furnished transitional housing to women and children. This model is the first-of-its-kind in our state, and includes wrap-around medical and mental health services, job training, tutoring support, and more.

One Neighborhood Builders new units in Riverside will be offered on a sliding scale based on income. Monthly rents are calculated based on income and household size but range from $1,180 to $1,348 for a 1-bedroom apartment and $1,349 to $2,024 for a 2-bedroom apartment.

Cranston City Councilor, Aniece Germain, resigned from the City Council, siting both political issues as well as her work with Hope and Change for Haiti.

RI DCYF will hold a press event on Monday to better inform Rhode Islanders of their services and other services offered in the state to help parents and children, to keep children safe, and free from injury.

The IRS has extended federal tax filing/payments for those living only in Providence, Washington and Kent Counties by 3 months, to July 15th. ALL RI tax filings for those in all counties have been extended to July 15th.

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Pres. Biden expected to provide more loan assistance this week

Nassau County, NY sports group puts restrictions on biological males competing against biological women to prevent injury. Cases are pending in court.

VP Kamala Harris misspoke saying women’s basketball brackets were first available in 2022, when they were actually started in 1982

Past president Trump says he raised $50M+ at his fundraising event – Pres. Biden raised $24M at his in NYC

The demand for lithium, needed for EVs and other battery powered devices is projected to soar 20x by 2040

Singer and rapper Jelly Roll wins video of the year at the 2024 Country Music Television awards

Oregon Powerball player wins nearly $1.33B jackpot

Tesla reportedly suspends plans to build a low-cost entry-level sedan

The eclipse is projected to deliver a $6 billion infusion to the US economy—not far off the combined impact of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ($5.7 billion) and the 2023 Super Bowl ($1.3 billion).

The Pope and Vatican blasts sex change surgery, surrogacy and gender theory as grave threats to human dignity

Massive container ship loses power near New York’s Verrazzano Bridge days after Baltimore Bridge incident

About half of the cancer drugs that win accelerated approvals don’t improve patient survival or quality of life, according to findings based on clinical trials 

Mexico suspended diplomatic relations with Ecuador after Ecuadorian authorities raided the Mexican embassy to arrest their former vice president. 

Israel president Netanyahu says he has set a date for attack on Rafah – while removing troops from there temporarily

A Nevada attorney kills 2 at law office and then turns gun on himself

Lt. Gov. Matos’ campaign worker was charged in the illegal and fraudulent collection of ballot names

Southwest flight loses engine cover in flight, successful lands

Geneos Therapeutics has produced a drug that is shrinking liver tumors in initial trials

NAIA which oversees smaller colleges has banned trans athletes from participation in women’s sports

1 Powerball winner in Oregon wins over $1.3 billion

Taylor Swift’s music returns to Tik Tok

Pres. Biden announces more student loan forgiveness plans

Target stores that still have self-checkout will install cameras at the locations

99 Cents stores will close – all 300+ – as the company files bankruptcy due to violence, theft and inflation

First comic book to feature Superman sells for record $6M at auction

US warns Israel attack from Iran is imminent

Commerce Department awards US subsidiary of Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC $6.6B in grants, $5B in loans to build a third semiconductor production facility in Arizona

Reporter from “Reporters without Borders” was detained in Hong Kong  and expelled from country

Amanda Knox will be tried again, at her agreement, to try and permanently put aside the charges relative to murdering a roommate in Italy.

Kidney patient who received a pig’s kidney doing well at home with no sign of rejection.

Starbucks is installing sound-buffers on the ceilings and walls in reaction to customer complaints about loud noise

Jewish students suing Cooper’s Union for lack of protection, failure to discipline, and creating an unsafe environment

McKinsey & Co. begins laying off, with its first phase of 300

Tiger Woods knocked out an observer at the Masters with a shot taken from a wooded area

Walmart opens high tech warehouse with AI and robotics

Americans in Israel warned by US to stay in major cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, due to constant retaliation threats from Iran

Sleep survey shows 1 in 3 workers sleep a little on the job

The White House issued condolences to family of O.J. Simpson

Harvard required SAT scores once again

MA will turn the Chelsea Soldiers Home into a homeless shelter

Moderna will close its plant in Africa

The Golden Bachelor, first match-making reality show matching “seniors” announced that their first couple who were married, would now be divorced after 3 months.

Houston government building crashed into deliberately by a stolen 18-wheeler – at least 1 dead – driver had been to the building the day before when he was denied a commercial driver’s license

The world is on alert this weekend for retaliation by Iran to Israel – the US and the UK both said they will defend Israel

Over 30 barges have broken free in Pittsburgh, and have floated down the Ohio River – closing several bridges. 23 barges were fully loaded, 3 were empty, with 6 now stuck under a dam.

A mass stabbing kills at least 5 in shopping mall in Sydney, Australia – security killed the attacker

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PASSINGS

Roberto Cavalli, 83, fashion designer

William Delaire, 56, Food Guy RI food blogger, found in Warren river

Raymond DiPasquale, president of Massasoit College in Brockton, former President of CCRI and RI Education Commissioner

Sonya Gray, 89, retired ProJo reporter

Peter Higgs, 94, proposed existence of Higgs boson particle

Robert MacNeil, 93, of NPR, formerly half of the MacNeil Lehrer Report

Bruce Melucci, 80, Providence entrepreneur and former mayoral aid