In the news… for April 15, 2023

LOCAL & REGIONAL

Boston University was granted an early win in a proposed class action brought by students who claimed the school breached its contract with them when classes were forced online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both Lifespan and CNE have stopped universal masking

Gov. McKee announced a 365 day extended Education plan for cities and towns to buy into

DCYF will use the abandoned state psychiatric institution in Exeter for a new 16-bed residential treatment facility for adolescent girls who otherwise must leave the state to receive specialized care.

Newport Restaurant Week 4/14-23

Wavemaker Fellowship is reopened, a program that offers student debt relief in the form of refundable tax credits of up to $6,000/year to professionals working in the STEM, design, and Healthcare fields.

Los Angeles under fire for blaring classical music in train stations to deter homeless people

Ocean State Job Lot and Ecogy Energy held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of a 250kW solar array on the roof of their store in Richmond. It is the company’s third, and part of the retailer’s ongoing plan to host the largest rooftop solar portfolio in Rhode Island, hosted atop its stores from Westerly to Woonsocket. 

Governor of MA to buy 1 year worth of abortion medication to prevent the impact on women of the state and protection for violation by physicians

Biogen cuts another 885 jobs, including the entire line of MS drug development

A summer Pickleball multi-day event will be held at Fenway this summer

JetBlue expanding direct flights from Worcester (Orlando, Ft. Myers)

Mayor Hopkins confirms COSTCO will come to RI in mid 2024, over in the Chapel View area

TopGolf won’t open until the fall.

Matunuck Oyster Bar, URI team up for new, $2.4M shellfish hatchery.

Rep. Stephen Casey of Woonsocket will run for Congress

Arlene Violet will not run for Congress

Steven Skoly, DMD, will consider running for CD1 as a Republican

Former RI Gov. Raimondo on Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential” list

WEEI closing Rhode Island office

Peter Pan Bus Co. will pick pp the canceled New Bedford – Boston bus service

Brown University plans to add 3 “affinity groups” on campus by the start of summer 2023 – The Global Brown Center – The Undocumented, First-Generation College and – The Low-Income Student Center

In February, Brown office of EMS advertised CPR training to its internal community and all classes were full almost immediately. “From students to faculty and staff, it was clear a large portion of our community wanted to know what to do if somebody fell ill in front of them”.

Block Island has elected to drop out of #RIIL baseball’s Division III.

RIPTA is saying if not fully funded, they will have to do significant layoffs and cuts in service.

Over 700 acres were burned on Friday in the Exeter area – about 20 people spent the night in a shelter and several homes were evacuated

Warwick’s police department will be featured on “On Patrol” television show

An 11 story, 150 apartment building is proposed for the 195 land in Providence

The Boston Marathon is Monday

The Swan Boats in Boston Commons are now open

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

First human death from H3N8 bird flu recorded in China, WHO says

Sen. Blumenthal fractures femur at parade for U-Conn. basketball team when someone trips and falls on him – he finished the parade but later was found to have had a fracture – screws were inserted to aid in healing

Rental rates in Portugal are up 50%

Justice Thomas has said he was advised by colleagues in the judiciary that the trips were “not reportable.”

3 shot at Delaware shopping mall

DACA recipients may be extended health insurance through Medicaid

Grand Canyon north delayed in opening due to snow

Derailment in Pittsburgh – no toxic chemicals involved

Deadly bacteria linked to eyedrops has grown resistant to nearly all treatments, CDC says

Tiger Woods pulls out of Masters just before the 3^rd round

Moderna executive has said: vaccines for cancer, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases will be ready by 2030.

Biden administration weighing cutting milk from WIC reimbursements for poor families

Ports Of Los Angeles And Long Beach Close Due To Widespread Worker Shortages

Terrorism level raised to severe in northern Ireland – ahead of Pres. Biden’s visit

Golfer John Rahm of Spain wins the Masters

Mike Pompeo says he has decided not to run for President

“Super Mario Bros.” hauls in $204M domestically, $377M globally over Easter weekend, the best opening global box office debut ever for an animated film

New York City has 130,000 places for 3- and 4-year-olds in its pre-K and 3-K programs, but only 100,000 students. 30K spots are empty, and several areas with the highest rates of vacant seats are among the city’s poorest, among them Brownsville, Brooklyn; East Harlem; and several neighborhoods in the southwest Bronx.

At least six people have died following an avalanche in the French Alps

Minnesota law now guarantees free breakfast and lunch for all students in the state, regardless of how much money their parents make.

Tupperware says it may go out of Business

Pres. Biden will look to social media influencers to boost votes in his next campaign

Whole Foods closes San Francisco store due to rampant crime, drugs – says to “ensure the safety” of its employees

Granger Smith, a country music star says he is dropping out of music and going towards a faith based life and career – he wll go into the seminary

Chinese professionals are quitting high level positions for manual jobs in record numbers – offering time for family, creativity, and less stress

NRA convention underway, noting importance of keeping citizens rights to own guns, extending rights across state lines, and calling for a fast-tracked death penalty for mass shooters

Virtual veterinary/Pet visits are becoming more popular

FBI now warning about using public charging stations – better to use your own charger.

Survey shows 50% of Americans may want to buy an electric cars

Germany to shut final three nuclear power plants as concern over green energy targets grows

Portland, Maine is asking residents to take in homeless now living in tents

Italy declares state of emergency over influx of immigrants

Puerto Rico declares state of emergency over coastal erosion

In NYC, Uber is working to help people get e-bikes off the streets due to the battery fire situation

NYC has hired its first Rat Czar to clean up the rat problem in the city

21-year-old who shared highly classified documents on the internet arrested in No. Dighton, MA

Florida puts 6-week limit into law for use of abortion pill

Mitch McConnell to return to Congress next week after extended recovery

Diane Feinstein (CA) wants a fill-in appointed to her committees while she recovers from shingles

US govt workers told they must substantially increase their time in the office – particularly those working in the DC

Budweiser is saying it did not know the marketing direction the Bud Light division was taking with promotion with the trans YouTube star

JP Morgan Chase says bankers must work 5 days a week in the office

California wants to ban the use of K9s because they could bite criminals

Just over 50 million adults in the U.S. were living with chronic pain in 2016. In 2021, that became 1 in 5 Americans – with 1 in 14 living in high-impact pain, restricting daily activities. Studies have linked such pain to depression, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, higher suicide risk, and substance use and misuse.  

Kevin O’Leary says NYC is not invest-able – he is going to move all his companies out because of safety – savings on taxes – etc – “I wouldn’t ask anybody to live there or work there” – no go states:  New York, Massachusetts (punitive taxes), New Jersey, and California.

Supreme Court temporarily restores full access to abortion medication

France age increase for retirement pensions held up by courts – protests take place and a major protest planned for May 1st. Unions plan to continue their protest – all while Pres. Macron signs changes into law.

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PASSINGS

Richard Bornstein, 73, RI philanthropist

Al Jaffe, 102, Mad Magazine chief cartoonist

Mary Quant, 93, fashion designer known for 60s fashion

Mimi Sheraton, 93, NYT Food Critic