In the News… recap of the week, Aug. 24, 2024

RHODE ISLAND & VICINITY

Average price of home hit $500K

Cranston Mayoral primary Republican debate set for Aug 26^th at Cranston Central Library

Cranston Democratic candidate forum set for Aug. 29^th at 6pm at Cranston’s Hall Library

WBZs’ Christina Hager leaves after 25 years of reporting

MIT says their incoming freshman class is less diverse due to the Supreme Court ending affirmative action rules

Martha’s Vineyard is having an outbreak of Alpha-gal, from ticks. This causes a disease where you develop an allergy to meat products

13 groups have toured the Apex location in Pawtucket as the city looks to fill the area, per the Valley Breeze

Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers in Cranston will be closing. Travis Landry, formerly of Bruneau, has a fall planned launch of “Landry Pop Auctions” with Rago Wright, their 6^th standalone auction house.

Newport approves installation of “flock” cameras

$779M in federal dollars to RI to repair 15 bridges

Pawtucket Fire Station #1 has reopened, after extensive renovations to this historic bldg

The East Side Art Center has moved from Rochambeau Ave. in Prov to Pawtucket

The MBTA ferry service may be delayed due to a young humpback whale in Boston Harbor

Kelvin Roldán, a former Connecticut state lawmaker who has been RI’s deputy education commissioner for system transformation, is leaving after 5 years (BosGlobe) – Drew Echelson, former chief of schools and accountability for Boston Public Schools may be moved into supervising Providence Schools

Newport Historical Society is raising $4.5 million for a center for Black history in Newport.

3 Providence schools – Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, Juanita Sanchez Educational Complex (JSEC), and Mount Pleasant High School have aligned their pre-existing Career and Technical Education programs with the National Academy Foundation, a national education non-profit that brings schools and businesses together to better prepare students of all backgrounds to succeed in college, career, and their futures. 

Steven Heilborn of Bristol won $35,000 playing the “Patriots” Instant Game. He will use the funds on an upcoming missionary trip to Africa to assist at a medical clinic for the poor, and at a program in West Virginia to donate food to those in need in Appalachia.

St. Mary’s Home for Children permanently closing

Rhode Island College with the assistance of the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) and Rhode Island Energy has completed a campus-wide installation of LED lighting systems with controls. 

Killington sold to a group of local passholders led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri

Providence School Board unanimously voted to return the schools back to city control at the end of the 2024-25 school year. Ultimate decision will be that of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education.

Oxford, MA putting in a 6pm curfew on outdoor activities to avoid EEE

Canadian railroad on strike, impacting supply chain to US

Blinken leaves the Mideast with no ceasefire or hostage deals

Paris Hilton’s celebrity trailer caught fire on set; she lost everything

Andy Gresh downsized from WEEI

Review of police shooting of man in Johnston who killed his neighbors, involving multiple city chases, confirms all policies were followed in securing the safety of the public

URI received a $7 million gift from Cherubina “Ruby” DeChristofaro, wife of the late Joseph DeChristofaro to advance molecular and neuroScience research. URI’s Center for BioTechnology and Life Sciences building will be renamed in honor of the DeChristofaros.

Karen Read’s motion to dismiss 2 charges denied by Judge

RI DEM, RI DOH issue warnings about mosquito protection amidst a EEE, WNV, etc. concern – suggesting smart scheduling of activities, particularly school sports, and protection being used

At least 3 cities in MA – Oxford, Douglas, Sutton, and Webster take required steps to end sports during key risk times for mosquitos

The Wild Plant Society ended their sale of plants due to an invasive contamination of their soil with jumping worms. These worms destroy soil and can be transported easily into locations.

Massachusetts expected to infuse Steward hospitals with more than $700M to keep them open

The Newport meeting regarding the wind turbine blade debris where a man acts in an assaultive way to a woman speaking, holding up shards of debris, has now been picked up by the national news. The man who has been featured on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s website, has, according to Newport Police, been identified, and the situation is being investigated

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

Thailand elects 37-year-old daughter of former political leaders as Prime Minister

OpenAI takes down Iranian accounts using ChatGPT to make anti-government memes

Michael Wallace, of WCBS 880 Radio signed off – the station will sign off in a week

$800 is the average back-to-school family expense

Chicago has set aside “free speech” area with permitting – for the DNC – the ground level stores are boarding up many of the glass front stores in anticipation of over 100K protesters representing literally hundreds of groups

Harris-Walz campaign will spend approx. $370 million on digital and television advertising between Labor Day and Election Day.

Doctors in India go “on strike” after female doctor in a hospital was raped and murdered 

Iraq considering amending Sharia Law to allow families to marry off daughters as young as 9

California saw a net outflow of 24,670 high-earners who had an average adjusted gross income of $1.3 million. In New York, there was a net outflow of 12,040 high-earners, with those movers reporting an average AGI of $1.1 million. Where did they go? Florida – Texas – North Carolina – South Carolina – and Arizona

Robert DiNero taken off Twitter – “X”

JLo filed for divorce

General Motors and the United Auto Workers reached a tentative deal to end a strike

Foreign passport holders being allowed to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt

Iran confirmed as the hacker behind both former Pres. Trump and VP Harris campaigns

World’s oldest person dies at 117

GM to lay off over 1,000 software engineers

X office closed in Brazil

Citizenship path opened for immigrant spouses of US residents

Israel recovers bodies of 6 hostages – also said that Israel agrees to “bridging” proposal – now up to Hamas for response

Boston’s Rock 92.9 is being replaced by Bloomberg Radio, as the classic rock station moves to HD2 next month.

Trinidad & Tobago removing Columbus from their coat of arms

Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is now available for the season

Sephora laying off hundreds – in China

Anime Con in NYC is on this weekend – 100,000 tickets sold

Bullets found inside the bodies of the hostages recovered from the Gaza Strip earlier this week raise suspicions of execution in Hamas captivity.

Chick-fil-a launching family-friendly streaming service

VP candidate Walz on his son: “Gus is a high school senior. His parents recently disclosed to People magazine he has a non-verbal learning disorder, ADHD and an anxiety disorder. But they called his condition “his secret power” and said he’s “brilliant” and poised for success. He got his driver’s license last fall.” (Boston Globe)

US Dept. of Labor acknowledges new jobs number was off by 818,000

Florida is considering building golf courses on state park land.

US Postmaster says mail to rural areas will be slowed down – delivered about a day later – to save money and service

COVID vaccine for the new strain has been approved and should be available in days for those over 6 mos old

Canadian government moves to end freight rail shutdown which could devastate supply chains for US

Biggest diamond in over a century found in Botswana — 2,492 carats

Portugal reporting immigrant population up by 35%

“The time has come for interest cuts” – Fed Chair…

Multiple Secret Service agents put “on leave” as part of ongoing investigation into the Trump assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Among the agents is the USSS event coordinator for the Trump rally

Free COVID test program to begin again

Back-to-School restrictions going into place at US colleges and universities to curb protests such as no tents, banners up for specific period of time, etc.

Side Hustle?  Up from 19% to 36% – mostly Gen Zers

RFK, Jr. suspends his campaign; tosses support to Donald Trump. Gives dramatic presentation on corruption of government and the DNC, then pivots to big pharma, big food, and chronic illness and obesity

Germany festival attenders attacked by a man with a knife. 3 dead, 4 injured. Still at large.

In Gorham, Maine a large dump truck filled with stone crashed through a wooden covered bridge, built during Civil War times, and into the water below

Rumors of Beyonce or Taylor Swift, etc. attending the last night of the DNC convention, when Kamala Harris would speak are now thought to have been intentional to boost viewership – multiple, usually reputable sources, such as TMZ, The Hill, etc. were duped into reporting it.

The star of the Olympics pommel horse, from Worcester, will go on Dancing with the Stars

Ozempic being considered by Medicare – officials say at the cost of the drug today that would increase the US deficit. Ozempic is also being prescribed for children as young as 6.

SpaceX will do the first private company space walk this coming week

Massive flooding in Bangladesh, at least 36 killed. Govt says it was caused by flood gates opened in India, on the border, with no warning. Millions impacted with lost homes, Businesses.

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PASSINGS

6 Israeli hostages recovered in Gaza from Hamas, thought to have been executed

John Aprea, 83, actor

Roger Cook, 70, landscaper on “This Old House” multiple series

Phil Donahue, 88, legendary talk show host

Natalie Joslin, 96, nonprofit leader in RI

US Rep. Bill Pascrell, 87, of New Jersey