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In the news… summary for week ending July 20, 2024
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Dighton-Rehoboth schools allowing students to opt out of playing sports w/members of opposite sex
NBC10’s Liz Bateson leaving to work at Centreville Credit Union
An adult with measles was diagnosed in Worcester, after travel
Omni Hotel workers in Providence will informational picket
President of Roger Williams Univ. won $1M with a lottery ticket – collected $700K in cash – ticket was purchased at a Stop & Shop in Bristol
Yankee Candle lays off 100 in Deerfield, MA
Barstool’s David Portnoy, adrift off the coast of Nantucket, rescued by Nantucket Coast Guard
$45M contract to Aetna Bridge to demolish the Washington Bridge is beginning early, per RIDOT – however, it will now not begin until September, in earnest
Flamingo seen for the 2nd time on Cape Cod
Sagamore Bridge(s) may take 10 years to replace!
Swings at Lawn on D in Boston to be dismantled due to lack of replacement parts…new installation includes glowing architectural pieces, not necessarily interactive or exercise related
The joint board overseeing the merger of Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio named Pam Johnston as its new president and CEO
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island and UnitedHealthcare of New England to share will share $3+ billion RI Medicaid program contract for the next five years
RI is first state in the nation to complete Phase 1 of the alternative fuel corridor under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program
Conan O’Brien will play at the Newport Folk Festival
Migrants who were sleeping at Logan are now sleeping in Boston’s train stations
Providence to swear in 38 new firefighters
Josh Kraft may run for mayor of Boston – Kraft is the son of Bob Kraft
4 children taken to hospital from YMCA Camp Westwood in Coventry, having consumed gummies with CBD – vomiting and nauseous – one child gave them to others.
71-year old swimmer killed in water off of Westerly
SmartAsset says the most expensive state to raise a family of 4 is Massachusetts
RI Housing does not have an in-house general counsel. An opening for one has been posted since September 2023, and received nearly 90 applications, but “many candidates did not possess the qualifications and subject matter knowledge we are seeking for this role.” Position pays $128,000 to $145,000 per year. – per Boston Globe
RI EOHHS Chief of Staff, Daniel Connors, named interim head of RI Housing, after departure of Stefan Pryor – Connors says he is not interested in the permanent position – per Boston Globe
Huttopia Berkshires of Quebec will construct an $8M, year-round luxury glamping resort in the Berkshires with 123 campsites with tents on platforms and sites with four-season tiny-houses
Hazmat incident at Carnegie Towers in Portsmouth when pool maintenance people mixed 2 chemicals – one hospitalized
RI home prices soar – average over $450K
Aaron Regunberg, gets national press as he founds a SuperPAC, “Pass the Torch” to encourage Pres. Joe Biden to drop out of Presidential race. Places ads in DC and Delaware “on his favorite shows”, email and phone campaign.
Federal judge Lincoln Almond to retire
Smithfield will pay $600K to former cannabis grower for lying about having an informant to obtain a search warrant.
Stefan Pryor, head of RI Housing, is said in two news reports, to have used Savage Law Firm to funnel money for housing development projects, to circumvent a cumbersome state bid process – this is a developing story.
Gentiva, a hospice program known locally as Kindred at Home, with offices in Warwick and around the US will pay $19M in Medicare fraud settlement
Hospitals in Boston return to paper and pen tracking for patients in hospital, ER, etc. as tech outage continued into Saturday
Nantucket reports Vineyard Wind debris from turbine blade continues to wash ashore as the company reports the one large blade has settled on the ocean floor.
Boston Children’s Hospital pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist, Christopher Sheerer, 35, arrested for child pornography possession and distribution – per Boston Globe
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Ammo vending machines are being installed in grocery stores and other locations in some southern states – Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado – machines use facial recognition technology to match facial image to ID. Company is American Rounds
Univ. of New Mexico having problems with enrollment due to violence on campus
Listeria in milk kills 2 in Canada
The Princess of Wales attended the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday in a rare public appearance after her cancer diagnosis.
GenZ is beginning to regret their tatoos, looking for ways to have them laser removed, etc.
Life sciences building being built in Somerville, MA has been halted due to lack of interest
World population to peak at 10.3 billion
Gershkovich found guilty, sentenced to 16 years in Russian prison
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea Castera swam in the Seine on Saturday to show the river’s readiness for the Olympic swimming events.
Houston electric provider insists residents turn their thermostats to 78 degrees – he addressed the public at a press event with a thermostat behind him, in his office, set to 70 degrees
Pres. Trump survived assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday – the shooter was killed and one rally attendee was also fatally injured. At least 2 others wounded. A 20 year old identified as the shooter.
The DNC pulled down over 38 buses with anti-Trump messages and billboards from Milwaukee, ahead of RNC.
Venice drops its new entry fee – to $5
Vaccination rates for children decrease around the world – over $12M fewer in 2023
Babies R Us is coming back – stores will be inside Kohls
Jon Stewart announces he will not do his satirical show from the RNC, following the assassination attempt of Pres. Trump
Hunter Biden asking for cases to be thrown out, using strategy from Donald Trump’s cases
J. D. Vance chosen as the VP candidate to run with President Trump – his name has been added to the Trump Force One airplane
Robert F. Kennedy, running for President, is being given extra security.
Charges against Pres. Trump for the documents case have been dropped due to choosing prosecutor was unconstitutional – an appeal will be made
“X” and SpaceX will move out of California, to Austin, TX
A plot to kill Pres. Trump (and Pompeo) by Iran has been long standing, in retaliation for the killing of Solomani by then-president Trump. The plot has surfaced fresh in connection with his presidential nomination as the Republican candidate.
Singer Ingred Andress who sang a disastrous, off-key National Anthem at a game this week says she was drunk and is now going to go to rehab
Bill Gates says he owns 1 out of every 4,000 farm acres in US
NJ Sen. Menendez guilty on all charges – will appeal
Another $1.2Billion in student debt forgiven
Kathie Lee Gifford recovering from hip replacement – tells people to take rehab and recovery seriously – she did too much too fast and is now in pain
Nashville, IL evacuated as dam burst
Walmart retooling clothes for young, middle Americans
French government – cabinet – all resign – but will stay on due to the Olympics coming in – until a new cabinet is appointed
6 people (2 Americans of Vietnamese descent) found dead in a Bangkok Hotel
Pres. Biden has COVID and will isolate in Delaware
Karen Read jury list is “empounded” as jurors and judge say they fear for their safety
John Deere said it was scaling back diversity and inclusion initiatives. The company will stop participating in cultural awareness events and audit its training materials.
31 point drop in minority women support for Biden – as they move to Trump
Drone attack on Tel Aviv went undetected by iron dome security – 1 dead, 10 injured
Crowdstrike has 60-80% of computer service business – too big to fail? This is the company with massive failure being experienced, impacting computers, airlines, banks, etc. Will the US govt mandate breaking business down among multiple providers
Ukranian leader Zelenskyy and Donald Trump will meet to talk about ways to bring peace. Zelenskyy will be in the US at the end of July to address Congress.
Clint Eastwood, 94, announced the death of his long time partner, Christina Sandera, who was 61
New student loan forgiveness attempt by Pres. Biden to work around failed SAVE program is also shot down by court
Experts say there are millions of computers that will need to be rebooted all over the world – fix could take weeks, months, more, for some critical companies without IT staff
Thailand’s head of party, Trong, has died at 80
800 flights canceled for Saturday, alone, in the fallout from the global tech outage
Head of the Secret Service will begin to explain security issues during the Pres. Trump shooting as she appears before congress on Monday
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PASSINGS
Joe Bryant, 69, father of Kobe Bryant
Lou Dobbs, 78, journalist, broadcaster
Shannen Doherty, 53, actress, Beverly Hills 90210
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, 74, D-Texas, of cancer
Jacoby Jones, 40, NFL player
Bob Newhart, 94, actor and comedien
Richard Simmons, 76, fitness and entertainment guru
James Sikking, 90, actor, Hill Street Blues, Doogie Howser, M.D., etc
Ruth Westheimer, 96, love and sex advisor