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Rhode Island Current
Conn. Democrats nominate a ‘joyful’ Chris Murphy to third term
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy accepted an uncontested Democratic nomination for a third term Saturday, celebrating his status as a newly baptized bipartisan dealmaker in a divided Washington, while declaring Donald J. Trump a threat to American exceptionalism as a multicultural democracy. On a glide path to what is expected to be an […] The post Conn. Democrats nominate a ‘joyful’ Chris Murphy to third term appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
New poll finds rise in voters who see Mass. on wrong track
An increasing number of Bay State voters view the state as on the wrong track, leading to some slippage in elected officials’ approval ratings, according to a web-based poll conducted for the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. About 48% said the state is heading in the right direction, down from 59% in a similar poll done […] The post New poll finds rise in voters who see Mass. on wrong track appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
R.I. health care spending skyrocketed after COVID. Now it’s coming back down to Earth.
Chalk it up to a post-pandemic comedown. The nearly $9 billion price tag associated with health care spending in Rhode Island in 2022 marks a 1.6% per-person jump over 2021. That’s half the rate of increase in the prior year, and safely below the 3.2% benchmark set by a state panel focused on tracking health […] The post R.I. health care spending skyrocketed after COVID. Now it’s coming back down to Earth. appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
R.I. school composting law has no teeth. These students stopped gritting theirs and took action.
We see natural disasters and human-led ones on the news and witness how world hunger and a lack of clean drinking water plague and decimate communities worldwide. But we are only high school students, and it feels impossible to do anything about problems being exacerbated by climate change. Adults tell us it is up to […] The post R.I. school composting law has no teeth. These students stopped gritting theirs and took action. appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Survivors of domestic and sexual violence can break their leases early in some states
New Hampshire state Rep. Ellen Read remembers how trapped she felt as an 18-year-old in her native Tennessee, enduring the physical and emotional toll of an abusive relationship. The abuse Read suffered — which included being held captive in an apartment for days and hit by her abuser’s car — lasted years after she left […] The post Survivors of domestic and sexual violence can break their leases early in some states appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
‘Mom’ legislators see their numbers, influence grow but barriers to elected office remain
For the second time while serving in the Nevada Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro gave birth last year. And again, she publicly pledged to continue full participation in her duties. As the nation’s groundbreaker when it comes to working moms in a state capital, Nevada made history in 2019 as the only female-majority legislative […] The post ‘Mom’ legislators see their numbers, influence grow but barriers to elected office remain appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
U.S. Senate in FAA bill adds flights at Washington National, bucking local opponents
WASHINGTON — After hours of uncertainty Thursday, the U.S. Senate struck a deal to reauthorize several Federal Aviation Authority programs for the next five years, though Maryland and Virginia senators were vehemently opposed and lawmakers hoping to attach unrelated provisions lost out. The bill heads to the House next week for final approval. Lawmakers from […] The post U.S. Senate in FAA bill adds flights at Washington National, bucking local opponents appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Even as interest in women’s college sports rises, report finds big gap in participation
WASHINGTON — A congressional watchdog in a new report called on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to improve its enforcement of Title IX compliance in college athletics. The U.S. Government Accountability Office in the report issued Thursday appeared critical of the OCR’s oversight in expanding opportunities for women in college athletics, […] The post Even as interest in women’s college sports rises, report finds big gap in participation appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Tiverton School Committee chairman is McKee’s pick for permanent state health director
After two years of interim leadership, the Rhode Island Department of Health may soon have a permanent director. Gov. Dan McKee Friday morning announced the nomination of Dr. Jerome M. Larkin to head the agency. Larkin, who has over 30 years of experience in health care, serves as the medical director of inpatient infectious diseases […] The post Tiverton School Committee chairman is McKee’s pick for permanent state health director appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
A small subset in the General Assembly, Rhode Island mom lawmakers shoulder big demands
Joe Cotter, 16, glanced nervously at the panel of lawmakers eyeing him behind the dais of a first-floor Rhode Island State House hearing room. One familiar face gazed back at him: his mom, Rep. Megan Cotter. Her legislation to create a skateboarding program for Rhode Island schools was the reason he was there. An avid […] The post A small subset in the General Assembly, Rhode Island mom lawmakers shoulder big demands appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Chronic social isolation poisons kids’ chances of academic success
Loneliness and social isolation are driving a national mental health crisis. Adults suffer too, of course. But we’re raising kids with anti-social habits who will turn into young adults who may ultimately retreat from the world or become difficult to live with. Teachers report that many kids are already difficult. Undisciplined students have pushed some […] The post Chronic social isolation poisons kids’ chances of academic success appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
As millions lose federal help to pay for internet, some areas aim to fill the gap
In the small North Carolina town of Bryson City, just outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Kathleen Wain raises two grandchildren in her subsidized-rent apartment, taking them to sing in a church choir on weekends. For the past year and a half, Wain has received a discount on her internet service through a short-term federal […] The post As millions lose federal help to pay for internet, some areas aim to fill the gap appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
‘A long time coming’: R.I. House approves reforms to Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights
PROVIDENCE — After nearly two hours of debate and strong opposition from progressive lawmakers, the Rhode Island House of Representatives Thursday approved bills to reform the state law governing the process for investigating and disciplining police officers accused of misconduct. The House voted 58-14 to pass a bill by Deputy Speaker Raymond Hull and 59-13 […] The post ‘A long time coming’: R.I. House approves reforms to Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Asylum seekers with criminal records would be more quickly removed under Biden proposal
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday it’s proposing changes to the asylum system that would allow immigration officials to reject asylum seekers who have a criminal record that poses a threat to national security or public safety and quickly remove them. Those changes will occur during the initial screening stages, a senior U.S. Department […] The post Asylum seekers with criminal records would be more quickly removed under Biden proposal appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
‘Supply chain issues’ are putting Providence pallet shelter village on hold until at least fall
They were supposed to be the quick solution to shelter Providence’s homeless population. But 45 one-room cabins assembled in February within the on-ramp to Route 146 South off Victor Street had only two residents on Thursday: a pair of pigeons roosting on a roof. The $3.3 million ECHO Village project was supposed to have opened […] The post ‘Supply chain issues’ are putting Providence pallet shelter village on hold until at least fall appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Steward landlord denies its rents are excessive
Steward Health Care’s primary landlord, Medical Properties Trust, fought back on Thursday against the running narrative in Massachusetts that the two companies engaged in a coordinated effort to strip Steward hospitals of value. Edward Aldag Jr., the chairman and CEO of Medical Properties Trust, and other members of the firm’s leadership group told financial analysts […] The post Steward landlord denies its rents are excessive appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Keeping hope alive: Lawmakers consider extension to RIC scholarship program
Less than 72 hours before Rhode Island College’s graduating seniors receive their diplomas, lawmakers considered extending the state program that paid tuition for nearly 100 soon-to-be graduates. The discussion before the House Committee on Finance’s meeting Wednesday stemmed from matching proposals — one submitted by Gov. Dan McKee as a fiscal 2025 budget amendment and […] The post Keeping hope alive: Lawmakers consider extension to RIC scholarship program appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has proposed loosening the illegal status of marijuana at the federal level – but that doesn’t mean the federal government now condones recreational or medicinal use in the many states that have legalized the drug. Moving marijuana from the government’s list of the most dangerous and least useful substances to […] The post Still much unknown on how marijuana policies would change in states under Biden plan appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind
Matt Haney’s home in San Francisco isn’t far from a methadone clinic. The 42-year-old state lawmaker has watched people line up early each morning outside the clinic in the Tenderloin, a community long considered the epicenter of the city’s substance use epidemic. His neighbors wait for the daily dose of methadone that relieves their cravings […] The post More addiction patients can take methadone at home, but some states lag behind appeared first on Rhode Island Current.
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