Subscribe!
In the News… quick recap of the news of the week in RI and beyond – May 30, 2026
This is a quick recap of news of the week for Rhode Island, regionally, nationally and internationally – and deaths of note.
RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY
Woman struck on Boston street by Boston Duck Boat
32 of 39 RI cities and towns have standalone senior centers – an estimated 11,000 nationwide
Smithfield Town Council voted 4-1 against Data Centers in town
Mayor Smiley says all garbage cans have been swapped out for new ones in the city
Stray cat tests positive for rabies – in Burrillville
Champlin Foundation grants $12.1M to 103 R.I. organizations
MA millionaires tax generated over $3B last year
Los Andes Restaurant opens in East Providence
Massachusetts first state to certify a rideshare driver union after granting Lyft and Uber drivers’ collective bargaining rights
Boston Public Library to host 19 drag queen story hours for children at branches across the city as part of June Pride Month programming
Rebecca L. Aitchison has been selected to serve as the newest U.S. Magistrate Judge in Rhode Island’s federal court – she had been a public defender
$791,000 of federal funding secured for West Warwick Police Department for new emergency response fleet.
Approx. 1,350 speeding tickets in first WEEK of speed cameras in No. Kingstown
Groundbreaking for new Alfred Lima/Gilbert Stuart PK-8 school this week at former site of Gilbert Stuart Middle School
Clover, 12 restaurants specializing in quick service, including kiosks, will all shutter in the Boston area
Ed Brady announced he will run for Mayor of Cranston in 2028
Mayor Wu wouldn’t cross a picket line for an event at Harvard
Joe Mazzula named Coach of the Year – Johnston native, Coach of Boston Celtics
Explosion in Raynham battery making company – doors blown out but no injuries
More trips to Cape Verde and locations at TF Green
Prov. Schools officially voted back to city management as of July 1st
$500,000 in federal funding received for emergency communications for the North Smithfield Police Department
$13.1 million fit-out permit issued for Hasbro’s new Seaport, Boston headquarters – company will move 700+ jobs to Boston.
Thundermist Health Center’s new mobile medical unit is now Woonsocket, West Warwick, and South County.
Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank closed on a $6,200,000 Municipal Road & Bridge Fund loan to the City of Providence to complete the Mile of History Sidewalk Restoration Project, restoring approximately one mile of sidewalks along historic Benefit Street, known as the “Mile of History”
Lunches returning to Woonsocket park for youth this summer
RI entered into a statewide drought advisory
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association announced that during the Memorial Day weekend period (from noon on May 22, 2026 until 6:00 AM on May 26, 2026), law enforcement across Rhode Island arrested 55 individuals for Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
House OKs McNamara bill requiring soft shell helmet covers for high school football players – moves to Senate
Wood River Health in Hope Valley announced $750,000 of federal grant for its waiting area and affordable medical, dental, behavioral health, and social services
Seekonk will be getting a new Whole Foods
NRI NOW merged into the Valley Breeze with writer Sandy Hall staying with them
Lincoln and Smithfield will merge school transportation services.
Dino Guilmette of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island faces felony charges involving drug and fraud allegations.
Swerve Saturdays Roller Disco is back at The Providence City Center Rink on June 6th from 5PM to 10PM with DJ Manny Reese
RIDOH and DEM Recommend Avoiding Contact with Worden Pond
RIDOH Recommends Closing the Swimming Area at Easton’s Beach
Five people from Massachusetts, including two children, were killed after a bus crashed into multiple vehicles on a Virginia highway
First political ad is out from Gov. McKee – 2 days later Helena Foulkes comes out with her ad
RI State budget $15.2B
Johnston HS yearbook spells “School” wrong – Shool – on binder
From June 11 to July 3, RI bars can stay open until 4am, serving alcohol until 3am – for FIFA World Cup time
Fire on Carpenter Street, in Providence, of three multifamily homes. All total loss, with 1 building collapsing. 10 residents displaced, 2 firefighters with minor injuries.
500th lighting of Waterfire set for Sat, May 30th
Real Housewives of Rhode Island now #2 show on Bravo, per David Portnoy, via Bravo
___
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Wakes & funerals of more than 50 in the northern part of Congo banned, due to Ebola
More than 8,000 cases since March of measles in Bangladesh
T.J. Maxx wants to open 1,700 stores in Europe
Jelly Roll says he has lost over 250 lbs on his weight loss mission
IRS considering asking citizenship questions to form
Walmart is moving out several senior executives in a restructuring
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson are officially married
New US govt. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia, founder of Airbnb
Deadliest coal mine disaster in years kills over 90 in China
U.S. Attorney Scott Brady, Pennsylvania, new Executive Director of Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
White House shooting Sat. night – 21 year old from Maryland, Nesire Best, known to local police, Secret Service. Said to believe he was Jesus, w/mental illness. Tried to get on the property before. Shot with a handgun 20-30 times at the building where President was. Killed by law enforcement. Bystander also shot.
NASCAR’s Kyle Busch cause of death – severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis – cause of death later detailed as: had been battling bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks”. The pneumonia progressed into sepsis, which set in roughly one day before his death. The sepsis triggered disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is abnormal clotting throughout blood vessels that cuts off flow to organs. That was followed by hemorrhagic shock caused by severe bleeding. The DIC and hemorrhagic shock lasted for hours.
2nd Ebola treatment center burned by locals
Marco Rubio and US delegation visit India
Former AG Pam Bondi being treated for thyroid cancer – has had surgery
172 million barrels – 5.4 billion gallons – of oil will be released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Indianapolis sets a teen curfew for the summer -to get ahead of the ‘teen takeover’ trend. Ages: <15 9pm curfew daily 15-17 9pm curfew Sunday-Thursday 17-19 11pm curfew Friday-Saturday
New York City removed its last public payphones in Midtown Manhattan.
Spanish renters rally due to out of reach rental increases
1000+ cases, 220 deaths – Ebola – with spreads to central Africa – 2 cases found in Italy
Mike Needham, longtime aide to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, promoted to a top national security job
US demands all countries negotiating peace in the Mideast sign on to the Abraham Accords
Multiple people injured in “major chemical explosion” at Nippon facility in Longview, Washington state – several fatalities
NASA announces it will build a moon station on the moon
Jill Biden now says she thought Joe Biden was having a stroke at the presidential debate he had with Donald Trump
Rosie O’Donnell shows before and after photos of her facelift
Vrabel speaks out about how his marriage is going, saying it’s going well and I love my wife
Waymo pauses service on highways out of safety concerns
National Spelling Bee winner word – “bromocriptine” — a polypeptide – winner: Shrey Parikh, 14, of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Joy Bahar of The View taking sabbatical for a few months to do theatre in England
An additional 500 National Guard to DC
Federal judge says President Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center and that officials halt its plan to close the venue for two years for renovations – president tells says if he can’t have his name on it, or renovate it, then he’ll walk away from it, asking Congress to dismiss it as a federal program
Some performers drop out of nation’s 250th celebration – Vanilla Ice responded: “We’re just entertainers, man. Just get out, shut up, and play.”
Real Housewives of Rhode Island now #2 show on Bravo, per David Portnoy, via Bravo
Trump Accounts app live for research – deposits and $ shows up July 1st
4 remaining men in Laos cave safely removed
___
PASSINGS OF NOTE
Roger Desjardins, 101, RI US Army Veteran
John Marion, 92, voice and face of Sotheby’s auctions for over 30 years
Janice O’Donnell, , former head of Providence Children’s Museum for 30 years
Sonny Rollins, 95, “greatest living jazz musician” on saxophone
Vincenzo “Enzo” Tardio, 78, owner of The Blue Grotto restaurant, Federal Hill – in retirement he served tableside at Capriccios