Rhode Island
Bottle bill would hurt RI small business; missing points in AG gun report | Letters
Bottle bill a burden on small business
I read that state legislators are considering implementing a bottle deposit system in Rhode Island (“Could this be the year of a bottle bill in RI?” News, March 7) and I have real concerns about what the increased costs of this idea would do to working families and small businesses like mine.
I care about reducing litter and protecting our environment. But a bottle bill would force small businesses like mine to spend more up front and take on the administrative burdens of running this program. Small businesses are having a tough time dealing with high prices. We cannot afford to take on more costs.
I hope that lawmakers stand with small businesses, our employees and customers who need relief from higher prices and costs and will reconsider moving forward with a bottle bill. It would be better if lawmakers focus on ways to protect our environment that do not add financial burdens on business owners.
One of these ways that’s been proposed by state leaders is an Extended Producer Responsibility program that boosts recycling for all recyclables, not just bottles and cans. This modern system has been used successfully elsewhere to increase recycling rates. And the cost is covered by the producers of packaging materials, not by consumers or small businesses. I hope that leaders will consider this more cost-effective and less burdensome approach instead of adding more costs to Rhode Island’s working families and small businesses.
Reyes Galindo, Providence
Missing points in AG’s gun-crime report
A couple of things were glaringly missing from the article about the attorney general’s report on gun crime in Rhode Island (“AG releases report on gun crime in RI,” News, April 5).
First, not a single word about any arrests involving so-called ”assault weapons.” Arrests for possession of large-capacity magazines were mentioned, but nothing about arrests for possession or use of “assault weapons.” Yet, our legislators want to ban possession of these rifles by law-abiding citizens? Apparently, they want to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
Second, the AG says the report is meant to show how successful his office has been in enforcing current gun laws. If he has been so successful, why does he need additional gun laws?
Most bothersome is the AG’s statement that “hundreds if not thousands” of older gun cases are still pending, one dating back to 1978. Doesn’t this statement prove that he’s not enforcing current gun laws? Yet, he wants to add more gun laws to the books.
Unbelievable!
Lonnie Barham, Warwick
Cannabis harmful to pregnant women
In response to the column by John J. Tassoni Jr. (“State’s cannabis profits should fund drug treatment, prevention,” Commentary, April 8), I say ditto. The chemicals in marijuana, particularly THC, can pass from the mother to the baby through the placenta during pregnancy and through breast milk after birth.
Repeated research has shown that cannibis use while pregnant or breastfeeding will lead to several complications that include lower birth weight, premature birth, and brain developmental problems for the baby.
It is crucial for all people to understand these risks and make informed decisions. It is critically important that pregnant or breastfeeding women avoid using cannabis in any form ‒ whether by smoking, vaping, edibles, or oils.
Might I suggest requiring an escrow of cannabis profits to fund the extra resources and special education services required by these newborns.
Dr. John Concannon, Cranston
RI enriched by Endowment for the Humanities
Rhode Islanders should be deeply concerned about the latest efforts by DOGE to dismantle the very institutions that enrich our communities and preserve our shared history. By targeting the National Endowment for the Humanities, DOGE is threatening to substantially reduce staff, cut grant programs, and even rescind funding that has already been awarded.
The consequences of these cuts would be devastating. NEH funding supports vital programs in education, public history, libraries, and cultural institutions across Rhode Island. It helps teachers bring history to life in classrooms, sustains museums that showcase our local heritage, and funds research that deepens our understanding of the world. Without NEH support, many of these programs will disappear, leaving a void that will be difficult ‒ if not impossible ‒ to fill.
Rhode Islanders have long understood the value of the humanities in shaping our communities, fostering civic engagement, and driving economic development through arts and cultural tourism. The attack on the NEH is an attack on the very fabric of our state’s cultural and educational institutions.
We must not allow this to happen. Congress must take action to prevent these reckless cuts and protect the NEH’s critical role in supporting education and the humanities. The people of Rhode Island ‒ and the nation ‒ deserve better.
William Stark, Newport
Let Trump balance the budget
Looking at the front page of The Journal I see the headline “Trump’s cuts have cost RI $91.6M” (News, April 2).
Well, maybe our political leaders, who are constantly voting themselves more raises, should have waited instead of tripping over themselves grabbing for more pay and more benefits! How about cutting back on the number of politicians in this state.
Yes, President Trump has a responsibility to balance the budget, not give away the house like Joe Biden. Yes, we must pull up our bootstraps and be efficient as well as cost effective in government, to clean up the Biden Hole in our nation’s bank account.
Donald Trump will be the first POTUS to balance the budget. Get some tough skin for the sake of others!
Arthur Russo, Cranston
Questions for the protesters
I am a retired Air Force veteran and a lifelong Rhode Island resident. I consider myself an independent voter who believes our political leaders past and present have not always done what was best for Rhode Islanders.
If the people of Rhode Island want to spend their time protesting like in the recent “Hands Off!” rally, here are some valid and true concerns that should reflect in the chants and signs. Why do we have a higher cost for taxes, utilities, medical care, and automobile insurance in Rhode Island? Why does a small state like ours spend more dollars per resident than states that are larger in population?
No matter what political preference, we need to begin electing local and congressional politicians that are going to support policies that are best for Rhode Islanders no matter who the president happens to be.
David Zinno, Wakefield
A unique Rhode Island story is headed to the big screen with cast and crew in Warwick currently filming the project.
New England filmmaker Hanna Gray Organschi’s feature directorial debut is underway in the Ocean State, telling the tale of a controversial drive-thru condom kiosk that once really existed in Cranston.
Rubber Hut has been filming on West Shore Road in Warwick since early June and now Deadline.com is reporting even more big names have joined the cast.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
From the beginning actress Grace Van Patten (The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox) has been attached to the project playing Emanuella DelVecchio, a former Pan-Am stewardess who opens the condom kiosk in her Italian Catholic town and becomes a lightning rod in the community.
Big Names Join the Rubber Hut Cast
Now, additional big names like Emmy Rossum (Shameless), Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), Ariana Greenblatt (Now You See Me, Now You Don’t), Rosemarie DeWitt (Untamed), and Fisher Stevens (Succession) have been added to the cast as well.
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Critics’ Choice Awards; Theo Wargo/Getty Images; Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for L’Oréal Paris; Aurore Marechal/Getty Images; Lia Toby/Getty Images; canva
Though character details are still being kept under wraps, filming is expected to continue in Warwick until late June. Some of these stars could be spotted locally soon.
READ MORE: Real Housewives of Rhode Island To Film Second Season Soon
No word on what other Rhode Island locations might be used in this production or if any further Ocean State filming will continue after the condom-kiosk scenes are through. No release date has been revealed either.
The True Story Behind the Condom Hut
Rubber Hut is the true story of a one-time photo kiosk turned condom kiosk that gained national attention in 1992. DelVecchio had the idea to paint the renovated Fotomat kiosk pink and white and exclusively sell condoms as a public health response to the AIDS crisis.
The Italian Catholic neighborhood she opened in had other ideas.
DelVecchio enraged the community with her “Condom Hut” and they protested the concept. The “Condom Hut” was also condemned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, had a rock thrown through its window and was covered in graffiti. The business closed within a year.
READ MORE: New Bedford’s Closed Down Bars That Are Impossible To Forget
Now this wild tale out of Rhode Island is getting national attention once again. Cast and crew are shooting scenes at the newly built hut to share this unique story with a whole new generation soon.
15 of the Weirdest Laws in Rhode Island
The world has changed and yet some laws have stayed the same.
These are some of the strangest laws still on the books in Rhode Island.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Weird Sports It’s Now Legal to Bet On in Massachusetts
You might not know what floorball is, but you can now bet on it.
Gallery Credit: Michael Rock
Weird Weather Phenomena That Has Struck Massachusetts in the Last 50 Years
This suffocating heatwave that has arrived on the SouthCoast may be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t compare to these strange moments in Massachusetts history that had us wondering what Mother Nature was up to. Which one do you remember the most?
Gallery Credit: Maddie Levine
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A Scottish soccer fan we first introduced you to back in March
has passed through Rhode Island on his remarkable cross-country journey.
Craig Ferguson, 22, is walking from California to Massachusetts just in time for Scotland’s first World Cup match in Foxboro on Saturday.
After more than 100 days on the road, thousands of miles walked and countless steps taken in a kilt, Ferguson’s ‘Tartan Trek’ is almost complete.
“It is such a mix of emotions now. I remember we spoke for, I believe when I was in Colorado when we last spoke,” Ferguson said as he approached Kennedy Plaza on Wednesday. “It’s such a mix of emotions thinking, ‘What am going to do when this is done? It’s so close to being over.”
Supporters greeted Ferguson in Providence during one of his final stops of a journey that started more than 3,000 miles away.
“We thought it would be a great thing to come see him, cheer him on, because it’s a fantastic thing raising money for charity,” said Stephen Nicholason, who is visiting from Glasglow for the World Cup.
“Look at this today. And all along the way, that’s been the theme to this entire thing … Scotland and America showing their support,” Ferguson said. “The Americans as well who have been following me from every step of the way.”
He started his journey at the Santa Monica Pier and after more than 100 days, he has walked nearly 3,000 miles to raise money and awareness for mental health.
Ferguson said he was inspired to go on this journey after Scotland qualified for the European Championship in 2023, and his best friend, Struan, said they should walk to the game.
“That’s the reason behind every single step that I take,” Ferguson added. “I’m doing this for every person who’s ever been affected by mental health, anyone who’s ever lost someone to suicide, anyone who’s ever suffered with mental health issues.”
Joining Ferguson on his journey is his friend Matthew, who’s been following him in an RV to make sure he is safe.
The walk has not been easy, with plenty of blisters, bad weather and other challenges along the way.
“Walking 35 to 40 miles, every single step that I take, I think would put anyone in a very tired position,” Ferguson explained. “I’d say the hardest point was probably coming across the Mojave Desert … we are not built for the desert, especially not walking in a kilt.”
Now, the end of his journey is finally in sight as he expects to arrive in Boston on Friday before watching Scotland play Haiti at Boston Stadium on Saturday.
“You’ve just got to overcome the challenges,” Ferguson said. “That’s what makes getting to moments like this and hopefully Boston so special.”
You can follow his journey on social media and donate to his cause, which supports the Scottish Action for Mental Health.
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Updated:
Good morning! Happy Wednesday! We’ll see the humidity rising through the day and it will be very humid for the next couple of days. We do have some shower chances ahead, but most of the next few days will be dry.
Dew points will rise into the 60s today…especially this afternoon. Tomorrow, with dew points in the 70s, it’ll be very humid (and the weather looks hot for Thursday, too). The dew points and thus the humidity will drop into the weekend.
INTERACTIVE RADAR: Live Pinpoint Weather 12 Radar »
“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-wed-6-10-26/” FLIGHT TRACKER
TODAY
Hour-by-hour forecast for today…
Hour by Hour // A close look at the upcoming conditions »
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“https://www.wpri.com/weather-now/weather-now-for-wed-6-10-26/” BEACH AND BOATING FORECASTS
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LOOKING AHEAD
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-Meteorologist T.J. Del Santo
T.J. Del Santo (tdelsanto@wpri.com) is the weekday morning and noon meteorologist for 12 News. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Threads and BlueSky.
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