Happy Saturday! Here’s another edition of my weekend column for WPRI.com — as always, send your takes, tips and trial balloons to tnesi@wpri.com and follow me on Twitter , Threads and Facebook .

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Nesi's Notes

1. Helena Foulkes may not be campaigning for governor yet, but make no mistake — she’s already a candidate. Foulkes has more campaign cash in the bank than Dan McKee , who narrowly defeated her in the 2022 gubernatorial primary and has signaled he plans to run again. But Foulkes, a former CVS executive, has no reason to make it official yet. “There’s no race going on, so I’m not running for anything at the moment,” she said on this week’s Newsmakers . “But I do want to be in a position where I’m prepared, so I’m raising resources and laying the groundwork.” Foulkes has kept a relatively low public profile since her primary loss, but under the radar she’s been active. She’s forged relationships with two up-and-coming mayors, Maria Rivera of Central Falls and Joe Polisena Jr. of Johnston, and is helping both with education policy. She’s also been showing up to meetings about proposed RIPTA service cuts, and acknowledges that public transit was a subject where she needed to learn more. “When I think about the future of this state, I could imagine a world where we should be tripling the spend on RIPTA — get more people moving faster, cars off roads, and it’s also great for the climate,” she said on Newsmakers. If McKee does run in 2026, he could be a formidable opponent once again due to the power of incumbency and his solid job approval rating. That may be part of the reason Foulkes is working to ensure she starts her campaign with much more money than him. “I’m leaning into it so that I have a chance to serve,” she said.

2. Of course, even if Dan McKee were to opt against running again in 2026, there’s no reason to think other Democrats would automatically give Helena Foulkes a coronation. A McKee retirement would create the first open race for governor since 2014, when Lincoln Chafee declined to seek a second term, and would be a tempting option for many an ambitious pol. Despite public flirtations, Attorney General Peter Neronha has all but ruled out running himself as long as Foulkes is in the mix, so that takes one big name off the table. What about House Speaker Joe Shekarchi ? He’s previously said he can’t imagine ever running against McKee — but if McKee weren’t running, that would be a whole different scenario. And there is already talk around the State House about a potential Shekarchi candidacy. The speaker certainly has the financial firepower to mount a statewide campaign. He has nearly $2.5 million in his campaign account, far more than any other state official, and he raised more money than either Foulkes or McKee during the first fundraising quarter of this year.

3. And if you really want to get into some 2026 fan fiction — imagine the scramble if Jack Reed were to surprise everyone and retire, creating the state’s first open U.S. Senate race in 20 years? There’s no doubt Joe Shekarchi , for one, would take a hard look at that contest. But Shekarchi himself has said Reed is running again, and that remains my operating assumption, too.

4. Another big question about 2026: how will voters be feeling about the Washington Bridge closure by then? Traffic complaints have quieted considerably since RIDOT opened the third westbound lane, taking some of the immediate pressure off state officials. This week RIDOT put out its request for bids to build the new westbound bridge, with a target completion date of August 2026 — which just happens to be the month before the 2026 primary for governor. That sets up a high-stakes moment for Governor McKee if he runs for re-election: he might be celebrating a campaign-season ribbon-cutting for a bridge completed on time and on budget, or he might be explaining why the deadline was blown. The McKee administration is hoping to incentivize a fast construction process by offering incentive payments of up to $10 million in exchange for getting lanes opened early. Meanwhile, state lawmakers took a step toward expanded oversight of the bridge situation this week, passing a bill to require monthly status reports from RIDOT. That should provide timely information for the public — as well as a talking point for East Bay lawmakers when they face questions on voters’ doorsteps later this year.

5. The fiscal times, they are a-changin’. That’s one takeaway from a new RIPEC report examining Governor McKee’s 2024-25 budget plan , which General Assembly leaders will use as the foundation for the final budget bill they’ll be writing during the coming weeks. While state revenue has been increasing by 6.4% annually over the last five years, it’s only forecast to grow by 2.9% over the next five, which won’t keep up with spending demands. A key reason for the disconnect is Medicaid, but it’s not the only one. “The governor’s use of one-time dollars to fund continuing expenses contributes to a sizable structural deficit,” warned RIPEC CEO Mike DiBiase , who added that McKee’s plan “does not fully reflect the more difficult budgetary choices anticipated in the next fiscal year and beyond.”

6. One in four Rhode Island lawmakers didn’t cast a ballot in the presidential primary .

7. The U.S. House bill to expand the definition of antisemitism divided local Democrats, with Bill Keating voting in favor but Gabe Amo and Jake Auchincloss voting no. ( Seth Magaziner was away on paternity leave.) Auchincloss’s vote was particularly striking considering he is a prominent Jewish Democrat, a staunch supporter of Israel and an outspoken critic of anti-Zionist campus protesters. “I believe it is unconstitutional,” Auchincloss said of the bill, going on to say the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression had “persuasively argued” that the expanded definition would “unconstitutionally constrain academic freedom.”

8. Brown President Christina Paxson has declined interview requests since university leaders managed to defuse the campus’s Gaza encampment without the sort of chaotic scenes playing out at other schools. But The New York Times took notice of what transpired on College Hill, contrasting Brown leaders’ approach with that of their counterparts at Columbia . Neil Mehta , top editor at the Brown Daily Herald, offered some context during an appearance on PBS NewsHour . “[W]hile on the surface, it does seem that Brown’s encampment popped up alongside these encampments across the country, divestment has been a question at Brown for quite some time,” Mehta said. “Back in 2020, an advisory committee at the university recommended divestment, but the president said no, citing the fact that it was what she characterized as a contentious geopolitical issue. As a result of that decision, there was quite a bit of activism back in 2020 which has really continued into now. So what we’re seeing right now at Brown was a success for the protesters in a way that they haven’t seen before.”

9. Aaron Regunberg has a message for fellow progressives: stop eating your own. The Democrat and former state rep, who came up short in a bid for Congress last year, penned an essay for the website Common Dreams this week that calls out leftists who attacked AOC for her decision to join President Biden at a recent climate event. The criticism was that AOC should not have been appearing alongside Biden at a time when the left is upset about his administration’s policy on the Israel-Hamas war. However, Regunberg thinks that view is shortsighted and counterproductive. “Our movement needs to start calling out AOC derangement syndrome for what it is,” he writes. “It’s not just stupid. It’s not just cynical. It is, in actual fact, the perfect distillation of a strain of left politics that represents a betrayal of our cause.”

10. Cumberland is turning out to be another community to watch in this year’s election. Mayor Jeff Mutter is now facing a challenge from independent Brad Dean , with a subplot involving that wetlands controversy which forced out Tony Silva as the governor’s chief of staff. Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson may be challenged by former state Rep. Jim McLaughlin , who noted recent tension between the leader and the Senate president . And on Thursday, state Rep. Brandon Voas drew a Democratic primary challenge from Phoenix Witt . Across the border in Pawtucket, Mayor Don Grebien will be challenged in his re-election race by Nathan Luciano , chairman of the Republican City Committee (who plans to run as an independent).

11. Here’s an item from my Target 12 colleague Eli Sherman : “Providence Mayor Brett Smiley hasn’t had too many big political fights since he became mayor nearly a year and a half ago. That changed this week when the mayor used his influence to prevent the City Council from overriding his veto of their ‘8-Law’ ordinance , which had originally passed with 13 votes last month. The council only needed 10 votes to override, and leadership expressed confidence that they had the votes necessary. But Council President Rachel Miller ended up tabling the vote after realizing too many councilors had second thoughts. It marks a political victory for Smiley and a setback for Miller. Cracks are always the first sign of a break, so look for her to try and regain control before the next scheduled vote in two weeks. ‘Cheers to good public debate. Happy Friday,’ Miller wrote on social media amid discussion of the veto setback.”

12. The Ethics Commission will investigate a nepotism allegation against Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins involving his firefighter son-in-law .

13. People on the move … Secretary Raimondo will be in Newport on Monday for the NOAA MOC-A groundbreaking … beloved state spokesperson Mike Healey is leaving his longtime post as the R.I. Department of Environmental Management’s chief public information officer … Navyn Salem’s nonprofit Edesia Nutrition will benefit from $200 million in emergency federal USAID funding to feed children in Gaza and elsewhere, per the congressional delegation … Congressman Auchincloss has hired Georgina Burros as his new communications director; she previously worked for the British Embassy (h/t Lisa Kashinsky ) … and lastly, say it ain’t so: my talented pal Brian Amaral is leaving The Globe, and journalism altogether, for a new profession. I won’t miss getting scooped by Brian, but I’m definitely going to miss reading his stories.

14. CVS Health is going through a rough stretch as health care margins get squeezed.

15. In the mood for a little Rhode Island history today? Governor McKee and Secretary of State Gregg Amore are holding office hours for the newly restored Independent Man statue. “He has his shine back, and I have to say, he is looking sharp,” McKee reports. The State House will be open today from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with guided tours departing from the main lobby at 10, 10:30, 11 and 11:30 a.m. Mark Rabinowitz , the conservator who oversaw restoration of the statue, will give brief presentations about the process at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m., too. Amore passed along word of a special added attraction: the State Archives will be displaying the actual Act of Renunciation , the document cutting ties with King George III issued by Rhode Island leaders on May 4, 1776 — hence why today is Rhode Island Independence Day . The document isn’t usually available for public view because it can’t be safely displayed at the current State Archives building (a point that Amore is making to help advance his case for the proposed Archives building .)

16. Condolences to the family and friends of Janice Glynn , who died last weekend at age 69 . Glynn was one of our anchors here at WPRI 12 in the 1980s, when she worked alongside the legendary Walter Cryan . She was also one of the six local TV anchors featured on the cover of the very edition of Rhode Island Monthly back in 1988 , and was known for her warm presence on the air. After the movie “Broadcast News” came out, Glynn was one of the local TV journalists surveyed about their impressions of the film by the Projo. “I wonder if people outside the business appreciate or understand all of it,” she told John Martin , The Journal’s longtime TV writer. “That scene with the producer racing to get the tape into the control room happens here every night. It’s the immediacy of TV.”

17. Jennifer Bernstein offers an alternative perspective about climate change .

18. Good news: scientists have made a new breakthrough against glioblastoma .

19. Naomi Kanakia wonders why modern novelists are so reluctant to discuss money .

20. Set your DVRs: This week on Newsmakers — Helena Foulkes . Watch Sunday at 5:30 a.m. on WPRI 12 and 10 a.m. on Fox Providence, or listen on the radio Sunday at 6 p.m. on WPRO. You can also subscribe to Newsmakers as a podcast via Apple , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts. See you back here next Saturday morning.

Ted Nesi ( tnesi@wpri.com ) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi’s Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter , Threads and Facebook .

An earlier version of this column gave an incorrect figure for spending growth.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.