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In the news… summary week ending June 15, 2024
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
A flamingo has been seen off the coast of the Cape
WPRI won an Emmy for their story on the Johnston tornado
Bacco, recently closed on Federal Hill will reopen, per media reports, as “Dolce & Salato” and “The Armando Experience” on Douglas Avenue where the Brooklyn Tea House was.
RI must repay over $37M to the federal government for UHIP irregularities
Kirkbrae Country Club faces harassment charges after a female worker quit over a toxic work environment, with specific allegations that had been reported but no action taken
Black bear seen in Hopkinton – also in Burrillville, Warwick and North Kingstown
Martha’s Vineyard running out of cannabis – can’t be transported over water – last grower on the island has closed due to cost
Dan Hurley turns down going to the LA Lakers for $70M contract
14 scooters and mopeds captured in the Boston area by police
Middletown is installing speed cameras that will be operative during school hours/days
Conimicut Point, site of drownings nearly every year, has now activated a new warning system, with lights, sirens and an audio announcement
Daniel Webster Inn had a minor fire
RIPTA’s summer schedule to begin on June 15th
Deer jumped into a bus in Warwick, through the front window, died
Hobby Lobby will open at Patriot Place
North Kingstown has a policy to fly only government flags, saying “no” to Pride flag
Auduril, makers of autonomous submarine, has chosen Quonset to locate
FDA approves Lilly Alzheimer’s drug
Patrice Milos chosen as head of RI Life Sciences Hub
Tom Brady enters the Patriots Hall of Fame
Golfer Rory McIlroy and his wife have called off their divorce, have “reunited”
Pawtucket receives $250K grant to acquire 4 acres from Riverside Cemetery on Pleasant Street, along the Seekonk River to add to its “green initiatives”. Adds to the 9.49 acres bought last year.
Massachusetts will give 90 day notices out to homeless in temporary housing on July 1st
5 counties in FL with state of emergency, both costs, due to flooding from serious rain
RIPTA will activate their beach bus – summer service changes including express weekend service to South County beaches from various locations. Will run from June 29 to August 31.
Tides Family Services announced that St. Mary’s Home for Children will “pause” once all patients are transitioned to “other appropriate clinical settings in Rhode Island” to reassess the program. The CEO has been terminated. DCYF asking any further renovations/construction be stopped.
NEW East Providence Restaurant Week begins Sunday, June 16th – https://www.epbestinbusiness.com/restaurantweek
WBZ-TV announced new anchors to its morning show after the high profile departures of former hosts Liam Martin and Kate Merrill. New anchors of the 4:30 to 7am local news slot are Paula Ebben and Chris Tanaka.
Prospect Medical Holdings, owner of Roger Williams Hospital and Fatima Hospital, must pay more than $17 million to vendors within 10 days, per RI AG Peter Neronha
In Norfolk, MA, opening of the temporary emergency shelter at the Bay State Correctional Center has been delayed and is now scheduled to open during the last week of June.
Topping-off ceremony was held by the Governor at Tidewater Landing
Safe storage firearm bill signed into law by Gov. McKee
Rep. Camille Vella-Wilkinson, a Warwick Democrat, says she will not seek re-election after 8 years in the RI House of Representatives – and having served 6 years on the Warwick City Council.
MA approves shipping cannabis from the mainland to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, both of which are running out
MA says their opioid deaths are down 10%
RI effort to rename Victory Day to Peace & Remembrance Day failed at the RI legislature
Human composting bill failed
In MA, outdoor dining at restaurants may have lost its appeal as fewer restaurants are offering it.
RI electricity and gas providers restriction from shutting off residential utility services for nonpayment during the state’s winter utility termination moratorium, which stretches from Nov. 1 to April 15 of each year has been extended to May 1st.
RI forms Commission to consider adding a medical school to URI
Southcoast Rail won’t be ready until 2025
PVD Fest will be held Sept. 6-7, rain date to 8th, back at original downtown location
Plane wreck found in Lake Champlain – crashed 53 years ago with 5 men traveling from Vermont to Rhode Island.
Aug. 10 & 11 are Tax-free days in MA
One in four year-round Martha’s Vineyard residents are registered with the Island Grown Initiative free food pantry — the largest on the island. The number has increased fourfold in five years, with seniors and children making up about one-third of those served – MV Times
Portuguese street artist Bordalo II is creating a “Plastic Rooster” sculpture to be unveiled June 14 at 11 a.m. on the green space of the New Bedford YMCA at Union Street and North 2nd Street.
Secretary of State Amore’s quest for funding for a new RI Archives building was not approved
Bulkhead of Wetherill Park in Jamestown closed due to safety concerns and potential of sink holes
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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
4 Israeli hostages rescued by IDF from Gaza
Caitlyn Clark is being left off the US Women’s Olympic Team.
Princess of Wales ‘very sorry’ for missing Trooping the Colour event – sends letter from “your Colonel”
Netanyahu will address the US Congress on July 24th
Tornado Alley is shifting eastward, formerly centered in northern Texas, then in Louisiana, and now even more eastern
Belmont Stakes won by Dornoch, a 17-1 choice – followed by Mindframe and Sierra Leone
Neil deGrasse says the US race to the moon was a race over Communism
Several Israeli government officials have resigned because Netanyahu has not presented a “post-war” plan
Florida allows NIL deals for high school athletes so they can be paid for use of their images, etc – 30 other states and DC allow high schoolers to “cash in” in this way – Adidas just named elite class of athletes in US
NewsBreak, popular news app, has Chinese origins and uses AI to generate much of its coverage
Pres. Joe Biden has a group of Hollywood veterans and former campaign staffers who started Won’t PAC Down, a super PAC, to pitch the president’s campaign to voters under 30.
Healthcare construction survey shows a continued shift to non-inpatient care, with more renovations in that direction, and less construction
Teladoc hires Guidewell CEO as new CEO
Port of Baltimore fully open, cleared of debris – rebuilding of bridge will take years
Update of UNC fraternity men who counter-protested and re-flew the American flag during anti-Semitism demonstrations: Fraternities participated: Pi Kappa Phi, AEPi, Delta Upsilon, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Phi Gamma Delta, and Zeta Beta Tau. Plans. Funds now exceed $515,000 – and will be distributed after Labor Day. Charities being considered: Charities proposed by the frats include: Back the Blue NC, Wounded Warrior Project.
Parole in Place is a plan to protect immigrants who are married to US citizens.
100 members of Venezuelan gang have entered the US into Texas and are now committing murders and kidnapping women for sex trafficking – Venezuela will not share criminal records with US.
George Lopez walks off stage during his comedy routine, due to hecklers
North Korea now says it may switch from sending balloons with trash to sending balloons with toilet paper to South Korea
In Pakistan, the owner of a bar tried to set up a gay bar theme – authorities committed him to a mental hospital
Dick Van Dyke becomes oldest Emmy award winner in history
Hunter Biden convicted of all 3 felony charges – sentencing could be in 2-3 weeks
Oprah Winfrey hospitalized for severe stomach bug
Several American teachers in China were stabbed in a park
Demonstrators glued paper onto new portrait of King Charles – portrait has a protective coating and was not damaged
ICE arrests 8 immigrants for alleged ISIS ties
Noam Chomsky hospitalized in wife’s native Brazil after massive stroke
Russia moved Naval ships, submarine to Cuba, doing practice exercises – US tracking activities. Both US and Canada have sent patrol ships and attack submarines (US) to area
White House does not rule out a commutation – as it has a pardon
An anti-Semitic mob targeted an Oct. 7th memorial Nova Exhibit in Boston, defacing and harassing others, including reporters
5 Brooklyn Museum staff and board members’ HOMES were vandalized, defaced
Eli Lilly says THEY were responsible for the $35 cap in monthly insulin costs: In 2019, it first proposed an experiment to offer $35 monthly insulin to Medicare users. The Trump administration ran with the $35 plan and it expanded across several states. Then, the Biden administration expanded it again.
G7 announces $50B loan to Ukraine (this loan can be altered as country presidents change). Pres. Biden signed a peace agreement and he and Zelenskyy held a press event in Italy, where a 10 year pact was signed
North Dakota voters passed a measure to impose a maximum age limit of 80 on candidates for the U.S. Senate and House
Jewish leaders are asking for a mask ban for demonstrators for safety
Pres. Biden requests not having to stand during the Biden-Trump debate
Supreme Court unanimously approves access to abortion pill, mifepristone
Kyle Rittenhouse, famous as 17-year-old who shot and killed two men during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, four years ago has been named outreach director for a prominent Texas gun rights group – Big League Politics.
Former president Donald Trump was invited and attended a meeting with Republicans at Congress, and gave a brief press conference, first time back in DC
Parkland School buildings in Florida will finally be demolished – they have sat as they were on the day of the shooting that took place
Well’s Fargo fires employees who simulate at home work by initiating keyboard activity
Celebrity chef Guy Fieri just threw Robert De Niro out of one of his restaurants. He told him, “go eat at some woke place.”
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter accused of spying on Russia, has been formally indicted by Moscow prosecutors.
CNN says it will no long “censor” the word choices of Donald Trump in their reports as the campaign moves forward
Apple has reclaimed its #1 company status – after falling to #2 with Microsoft edging them out
Princess Catherine is set to appear at King Charles trooping of the colors TODAY, and released a message and photo saying she is doing better but “not out of the woods yet”.
US Olympic trials begin today
Attempt to hold US AG Garland in contempt did not pass Congress
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PASSINGS
Tony Lo Bianco, 87, actor
Edith Littlefield Blane, 95, author and first warden of Block Island
David Boaz, 70, libertarian scholar, head of Cato Institute
Adele Cooney, 76, former head of Parks and Recs for city of Pawtucket for nearly 30 years
Howard Fineman , of pancreatic cancer, reporter and columnist
Jason Golditch, 56, producer of RI Capitol TV, suddenly
Josh Maravich, 42, son of late basketball player Pete Maravich, and LSU player, died at home. His father died at 40 of a heart condition
Lou Pulner, 66, popular RI attorney and media commentator
Jerry West, 86, NBA legend, inspiration for NBA logo – 14 time NBA all-star
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