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Advocacy group says RI schools’ transgender policy puts federal funding at risk

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Advocacy group says RI schools’ transgender policy puts federal funding at risk


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  • The R.I. Center for Freedom & Prosperity is demanding the Rhode Island Department of Education rescind its policy protecting transgender students from discrimination.
  • The center argues that the policy, based on the recognition of gender identity, contradicts a Trump-era executive order asserting the existence of only two sexes.
  • They claim this discrepancy puts schools at risk of civil rights violations, federal funding loss and lawsuits.

PROVIDENCE – An advocacy group is demanding the Rhode Island Department of Education rescind its long-standing policy on the protection of transgender students from discrimination in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order stating there are only two sexes.

The letter from the R.I. Center for Freedom & Prosperity asserts that “the RI Department of Education [RIDE] has placed itself and every member school district in this State at risk of civil rights violations, which are likely [to] lead to investigations by the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, loss of federal funding, and/or discrimination lawsuits from aggrieved individuals.”

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Bottom line: RIDE’s lawyers reject the arguments that lawyer Gregory Piccirilli made in his letter to state Education Commissioner Angélica Infante Green on behalf of the advocacy group, which views the state’s stance on transgender rights as a large issue.

What are the complaints against the policy?

“This is an issue of grave concern for … thousands of parents across our state,” the center’s CEO, Mike Stenhouse, said Thursday. The fact the most, if not all have “adopted RIDE’s recommended guidelines … puts RIDE and every one of those school districts at serious legal and financial risk.”

The group is chaired by Stephen Skoly. the Cranston dentist who defied Rhode Island’s COVID vaccine mandate during the pandemic and ultimately sued for the right to see patients again. Former state GOP Chair Giovanni Ciccione is also on the board.

What is RIDE’s policy on transgender rights?

Stepping back, RIDE’s long-standing policy was designed to protect students “from discrimination and harassment based on their gender identity and expression. The policy also ensures that students have access to safe and supportive learning environments.”

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Titled “Protection for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students,” it says, in part:

“Programs and activities operated by Rhode Island public educational agencies shall be free from discrimination based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. By July 1, 2018, each local education agency shall adopt a policy addressing the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming students to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory school environment.”

Piccirilli, in his letter, contends there is no basis in state law for the regulation.

Beyond that, he cited the executive order Trump signed on his first day in office under the heading: “DefendingWomen from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

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Summarizing, Piccirill said Trump ordered all agencies within the executive branch to enforce all laws that “promote [the] reality” that there are “two sexes, male and female,” and that “[t]hese sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”

Two weeks later, he said, the U.S. Department of Education sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to K-12 schools and institutions of higher education advising them that the “Office for Civil Rights” intends to enforce a Trump administration interpretation of Title IX that bans “recipients of federal funds to issue policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “gender identity.”

The response from R.I. Department of Education spokesman Victor Morente: The regulations the center is challenging “have been adopted by the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education as well as by every school district in Rhode Island.” They are “supported by both state and federal law and will be enforced until the Rhode Island General Assembly and/or the U.S. Congress changes the applicable law.”He said every R.I. school district has a policy and most, if not all, are posted.

The state’s policy has gone through several iterations, but it began with this statement of principle: “All students need a safe and supportive school environment to progress academically and developmentally. … The purpose of this guidance is to foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for allstudents, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”



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RI Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Nov. 14, 2025

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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 14, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 14 drawing

01-08-11-12-57, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 14 drawing

14-19-34-42-43, Lucky Ball: 13

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Nov. 14 drawing

Midday: 2-1-0-8

Evening: 2-6-8-7

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Nov. 14 drawing

04-05-12-14-23, Extra: 31

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Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
  • Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
  • Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
  • Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
  • Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Newport Hospital earns top ranking – What’s Up Newp

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Newport Hospital earns top ranking – What’s Up Newp


Newport Hospital was among several hospitals in Rhode Island that achieved an A rating from the hospital watchdog group Leapfrog in its fall ratings. Three hospitals – Roger Williams Medical Center, Kent, and South County were awarded C or below, a pattern of declining ratings over the last few years.

Additionally, Women and Infants Hospital declined to participate in Leapfrog’s survey, according to Leapfrog. The group surveys more than 2,000 hospitals nationwide twice a year.

Both Fatima and Roger Williams are owned by California-based Prospect Medical Holdings, which filed for bankruptcy several months ago. There have been efforts to sell the hospitals while maintaining both of them open.

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Women and Infants is part of the Care New England Group, which also includes Kent Hospital, whose safety rating has steadily declined over the last few years.

Leapfrog, which conducted the survey, is a well-respected hospital watchdog group that describes itself as “the nation’s gold standard in evaluating hospital performance on national measures of safety, quality, and efficiency in both inpatient and outpatient areas.”

Hospital safety is critical, with surveys suggesting that as many as 440,000 patients die annually because of hospital safety errors. Studies suggest that preventable medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America.

Leapfrog assigns rankings, A to F, based on issues involving infections, surgical problems, safety concerns, and practices to prevent errors. Within each of these areas are also several measures.

Earning A ratings for the fall of 2025 were Newport, Miriam, Rhode Island, and Westerly Hospitals. Newport, Miria,m and Rhode Island are part of Brown University Health (formerly Lifespan), while Westerly is part of the Yale/New Haven group. Landmark Hospital in Woonsocket received a B rating; Kent, Fatima and South received C ratings; and Roger Williams Medical Center received a D rating.

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Several trends were also evident. Newport and Miriam Hospitals have been trending up, scoring B in the spring and fall of 2022, but in 2023 reaching an A rating, and remaining there. Rhode Island fell to a C in the fall of 2023, rising to B in both surveys in 2024, and in the two reports in 2025 have achieved an A rating. 

Landmark has been consistently A-rated since 2022, with the only exception being a B in one of the reports in 2024. Westerly has been rising, from a C in the spring of 2022 to an A in 2025. Fatima has been C-rated with only one exception, a B in the fall of 2022. Roger Williams also consistently received a C until this fall, when its ranking dropped to D.

South County had ranged between A and B, falling to C this fall. 

For those hospitals that trended lower, a significant problem appears to be effective leadership to help prevent errors. “Effective leadership to prevent errors: Errors are much more common if hospital leaders don’t make patient safety a priority. Leaders must make sure that all hospital staff know what they need to work on and that they are held accountable for improvements.”

South County, which is Rhode Island’s only independent hospital, experienced a disruption among physicians several months ago, in a rift with the administration that apparently has yet to heal. 

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Leadership, or lack of leadership, was also noted for other hospitals not performing well. 

Meanwhile, other issues remain: healthcare – the lack of primary care physicians (nationwide); the study to determine whether to build a second medical school at the University of Rhode Island; and the threatened closure of Roger Williams and Fatima Hospitals.



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Volleyball Inks Five Commitments For 2026 – Providence College Athletics

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Volleyball Inks Five Commitments For 2026 – Providence College Athletics


Providence, R.I.- The Providence College volleyball head coach Margot Royer-Johnson announced today (Nov. 12) that Ellie Chu, Lyla Buser, Aubrey Easterwood, Ava Dyer and Gwen Koss each signed a written offer of athletic aid to attend Providence College beginning in the fall of 2026 and compete as members of the Friars’ volleyball program.

Chu is a 5’9 setter from Sierra Madre, Calif. She plays for Polytechnic School, where she serves as captain and has recorded 1,703 assists, 583 digs, 345 kills and 215 aces. Chu made First-Team All-Conference in the 2025 season and holds the school record for serving the most consecutive points (24). She plays club for SC Rockstar Volleyball Club. 

“Ellie is an extremely fundamentally-skilled player as both a setter and defensive specialist,” Royer-Johnson said, “Her serve is a huge weapon and she is a spitfire on the court. She will help us defensively and give us depth at the setter position. She is a perfect fit for us.”

Buser is a 6’3 right side from Wellington, Fla. She plays for Cardinal Newman High School and is a three-year captain. Buser has recorded 809 career kills, 82 aces, 205 blocks and 287 digs. She led her team to two District Championships and was named Best Offensive Player in 2024. She plays club for Jupiter Elite Volleyball.

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“Lyla is a killer on the right side,” Royer Johnson said. “Her length allows her to put up a big block and her tenacity and speed will allow her to be an immediate offensive weapon for us. We are so happy she is a Friar!”

Easterwood is a 6’4 middle blocker from Dallas, Texas. She plays for John Paul II High School, where she served as captain. She helped lead her team to the State Semifinals in 2024. She has recorded 341 career blocks and posted a .378 pct her sophomore year (2023), a .422 pct as a junior (2024) and an impressive .466 as a senior (2025). Easterwood was named to the 2025 AVCA All-American Watch List. She plays club for TAV.

“Aubrey is a massive presence in the middle. She transitions well to hit and her reach will make her difficult to defend,” Royer-Johnson said, “Her strength as a blocker will make an immediate impact on our team. We are pumped to start working with her in Friartown!”

Dyer is a 5’8 libero from Fort Worth, Texas. She plays for R.L. Paschal High School, where she is a four-year captain. Dyer holds the record for most digs in a single game (39) and has recorded 1,580 career digs. She is a three-time All District First-Team selection, two-time Paschal Volleyball MVP and the 2025 District Defensive Player of the Year. Dyer plays club for TAV.

“Ava is super quick and reads hitters better than anyone we have seen at her age,” Royer-Johnson said, “She never gives up defensively and will provide a spark for us immediately. We look forward to her contagious energy on the court right away.”

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Koss is a 6’0 outside hitter from Houston, Texas. She plays for Stratford High School, where she has recorded 1,252 kills and 1,173 digs. She helped lead her team to the State Finals in 2024 was named to the State Championship All-Tournament Team. Koss was named to the 2025 AVCA All-American Watch List. She plays club for Houston Skyline Volleyball Club.

“Gwen is a solid six-rotation hitter. Her passing and hitting efficiency are due to her strong platform and ability to read the game,” Royer-Johnson said, “She is a smart hitter, who is comfortable hitting every shot. Welcome to Friartown, Gwen!”

-GO FRIARS!-



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