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Judge rules that HUD effort to change criteria for homeless funding is unlawful

By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration’s effort to dramatically change the criteria to get tens of millions of dollars in funding to aid homeless people was unlawful. Several nonprofits filed a lawsuit last year accusing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of changing the rules […]

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Newport City Council confronts $925,000 public safety overrun as budget season opens

 In the opening round of a citywide budget workshop series, Newport’s City Council pressed department heads and finance officials Monday night over a nearly million-dollar public safety spending gap, deferred fire station maintenance and an ambitious proposal to reshape how the city manages its parking operations — all against a backdrop of union contracts, supply […]

Posted inArts & Culture

PPAC reveals its 2026/2027 season — and all six Broadway shows are new

On Tuesday morning, the management team at the Providence Performing Arts Center unveiled its 2026/2027 season in the theater’s grand lobby. Alan Chille, PPAC’s new president and CEO, first announced the Broadway season, sponsored by The Taco and The White Family Foundation. Chille was excited that all six of these shows are new: Operation Mincemeat […]

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401Gives surpasses $1 million in just hours as Rhode Islanders rally behind local nonprofits

Rhode Islanders didn’t wait long to open their wallets. 401Gives, the statewide day of giving powered by United Way of Rhode Island, surpassed $1 million in donations by 9:42 a.m. Tuesday — just a few hours after giving began — with more than 3,700 donors contributing to 602 nonprofits. The Haitian Project led all organizations […]

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This Day in RI History: March 31, 2010, Record-breaking floods devastate the region

Where were you during the flood of 2010? You may recall that the flooding crippled parts of the state and shut down the Warwick Mall and other businesses for months. National Weather Service Photo The National Weather Service explained what happened. Pre-existing elevated river levels and saturated soil conditions from recent heavy rainfall combined with […]

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Millions spent, doors still closed: Inside the stalled Newport Performing Arts Center

Farrar Associates of Newport has been the general contractor for the Opera House project (Newport Performing Arts Center) and is responsible for a considerable amount of work completed under phase one and funded by a 2014 state Council of the Arts Bond Referendum. James Farrar, President of Farrar Associates, after some initial confusion on our […]

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Tiverton’s West Place Animal Sanctuary receives customized Land Rover Defender 130 after winning national award

West Place Animal Sanctuary has received a customized Land Rover Defender 130 vehicle after winning the Honoree Award in the 2025 Defender Service Awards presented by Chase, the organization announced Monday. The vehicle handover took place Sunday at Jake Kaplan’s Land Rover Warwick, where West Place supporters, volunteers and staff gathered to celebrate the honor. […]

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Coalition rallies to save Newport Hospital birthing center, plans State House lobby day

A growing coalition of Newport-area organizations is calling on Brown University Health to publicly commit to preserving the Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center at Newport Hospital — and is mobilizing residents to make their voices heard at the Rhode Island State House next month. The Coalition for Newport Hospital Birthing Center, which includes more than […]

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Newport educator Jo Eva Gaines honored with Rhode Island Foundation’s 2026 Black History Month Award

The Rhode Island Foundation honored Newport educator Jo Eva Gaines with its 2026 Black History Month Award, recognizing her decades of service as a pioneering figure in public education. The award was presented at the foundation’s annual Black History Month celebration. “Jo Eva Gaines is a pioneering figure in the world of public education. At […]

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As fuel prices rise, US lawmakers push to suspend the federal gas tax

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As the war in Iran pushes U.S. gas prices toward $4 a gallon nationally, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax in the latest attempt to try to control surging energy costs. Lawmakers say the action would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on […]

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IYRS launches new runabout restoration course in partnership with Antique & Classic Boat Society

IYRS School of Technology & Trades has announced a new Runabout Restoration Course, a 9-month hands-on program developed in partnership with the Antique & Classic Boat Society (ACBS). The pilot course gives students the opportunity to complete a full restoration of a classic 17-foot 1940 Chris-Craft Deluxe, from structural rebuild to final water testing. Classes […]

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Rhode Island’s family caregivers provide $2.8 billion in unpaid labor each year, AARP report finds

Rhode Island’s family caregivers provide an estimated $2.8 billion worth of labor each year, the vast majority of it unpaid, according to a new report from AARP. The report, “Valuing the Invaluable 2026,” finds that 155,000 Rhode Islanders care for older parents, spouses, neighbors, and other loved ones, contributing 111 million hours of care annually. […]

Posted inArts & Culture

Charter Books to host Columbia Journalism School professor Nicholas Lemann for book talk in Newport

Charter Books and the Loeb Visitors Center will host an evening with author and Columbia Journalism School professor Nicholas Lemann on Tuesday, April 14, from 6 to 7 p.m. at 50 Spring St. in Newport. Lemann will discuss his latest book, “Returning: A Search for Home across Three Centuries,” which was published March 24. The […]

Posted inCity & Government

Newport City Council reshapes parking rules

Newport’s City Council passed a comprehensive residential parking permit ordinance at its March 25 regular meeting and voted to delay 12 scheduled Audrain Automobile Museum car events pending a required police meeting. Residents also raised concerns about tenant housing conditions, nonprofit governance and water infrastructure funding. A parking program reborn—and already under scrutiny The council […]

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