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Call center is now open to answer questions about RIBridges cyberattack. What to know.

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Call center is now open to answer questions about RIBridges cyberattack. What to know.


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PROVIDENCE – Vendors working for the state have set up a call center to answer customer questions following the cyberattack earlier this month on Rhode Island’s public benefits computer system in which private information from hundreds of thousands of people was stolen. 

Deloitte, the information technology company that built and runs the system known as RIBridges and UHIP, contracted credit reporting agency Experian to run the multilingual call that opened Sunday morning. 

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The toll-free hotline can be reached at 833-918-6603. It was set to remain open on Sunday until 8 p.m. and then continue operating from Mondays to Fridays between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. 

“Call center staff will be able to provide general information about the breach as well as steps customers can take now to protect their data,” a news release from the Gov. Dan McKee’s office said. “Unfortunately, as the analysis of the data involved is still happening, call center staff will not be able to confirm whether a particular individual’s data is or is not included in the breach at this time.”  

“Once the impacted individuals are identified, they will be mailed a letter with the information they need to secure free credit monitoring services,” the release continued. 

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The RIBridges system was shut down on Friday after Deloitte discovered dangerous malware embedded in its computer code. On Saturday, McKee said that the cybercriminals had stolen the personal data belonging to hundreds of thousands of Rhode Islanders. A negotiator has been holding ransom talks with the criminals, and it’s believed the data could be exposed as early as this week, the governor said at a news conference. 

Individuals who have received or applied for health coverage or health and human services programs or benefits could be affected by the data breach. The programs managed by the RIBridges system include: 

  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)  
  • Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)  
  • Health coverage purchased through HealthSource RI
  • Rhode Island Works (RIW) 
  • Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS)  
  • General Public Assistance (GPA) Program  
  • At HOME Cost Share 

State officials have urged anyone who has applied for benefits through the system since 2016 to change passwords and monitor their bank accounts for suspicious charges. 

The state has set up a website to provide information about the attack and steps customers can take to protect their data. It’s located at cyberalert.ri.gov. 

Deloitte first alerted the state and police about a potential attack on Dec. 5. McKee said the state did not disclose that there could be a problem until the breach could be confirmed and to prevent triggering the release of personal data. 

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He said he did not know how much money the hackers demanded, because Deloitte was communicating with them. However, he said he would have the final say on the decision to pay a ransom. 



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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 15, 2025

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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 15, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

08-41-52-53-58, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

19-31-33-36-46, Lucky Ball: 07

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

Midday: 7-1-5-9

Evening: 3-7-9-0

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from Jan. 15 drawing

17-18-25-26-33, Extra: 16

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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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Rubio aligns himself with Trump in confirmation hearing • Rhode Island Current

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Rubio aligns himself with Trump in confirmation hearing • Rhode Island Current


Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to become secretary of state, found a mostly welcome reception Wednesday during his confirmation hearing. He aligned himself with Trump’s foreign policy positions while also keeping the skeptical tone toward many foreign nations that has been his calling card during his 14 years in the Senate.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Rubio called China a top threat to the United States and said the war in the Ukraine needs to come to an end. He echoed concerns about growing Chinese influence over the Panama Canal that Trump has voiced, saying it was not a new issue. Trump recently refused to rule out the use of military force when it comes to the fate of the Panama Canal.

“President Trump is not inventing this, this is something that’s existed now for at least a decade,” Rubio said, adding that China could turn the canal into a “choke point” because it controls port facilities at both ends.

Rubio, who is Cuban American, disagreed sharply with the decision announced this week by the Biden administration to remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. After President Joe Biden took that action, the island nation announced it would release more than 500 prisoners.

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Rubio would not commit to senators that the Trump administration would reinstate the terrorism designation, saying that decision would be up to Trump. But Rubio added that “nothing that was agreed to is irreversible and binding on the administration.”

Power clash

Rubio, who served as a state legislator and speaker of the Florida House before he ran for U.S. Senate, clashed loudly with Trump when both were running for president in 2016. But after Trump won the nomination, which included a thumping of Rubio soundly in the Florida primary, the two forged an alliance. Rubio emerged as an influential voice on foreign policy, especially as it came to countries in Latin America.

Rubio was reportedly on a short list to become Trump’s vice president, but reports at the time said that some Trump supporters were skeptical about Rubio noting — for example, that he did not object to the election results of 2020.

Rubio supports NATO

Rubio’s confirmation could come as soon as next week and even several Democrats on the committee expressed support for him.

It was during the hearing that news emerged that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal including a release of hostages.

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Rubio defended Israel during his remarks and said that Hamas had used civilians as shields during the 15-month war. He defended the North American Treaty Organization even though Trump has been critical of the organization. Rubio insisted Trump supports NATO but said he agreed with the president-elect that European countries need to contribute more to help pay for their own defense.

Rubio said he still supports a law he co-sponsored that prevents any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without approval from Congress.

The hearing was briefly interrupted by protesters, with one person yelling at Rubio about “forever wars” while another protester could be heard speaking in Spanish about babies in Nicaragua and Cuba. “I get bilingual protesters,” Rubio quipped afterward.

DeSantis’ Senate pick

Rubio’s imminent departure from the Senate will give Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a chance to appoint someone to hold the seat until it comes up for election in 2026. DeSantis said this week that he had talked about the position with U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills, but said he was unlikely to appoint someone now in the House because Republicans hold such a slim majority in the chamber.

Some media outlets have flagged Attorney General Ashley Moody as a top contender to replace Rubio.

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Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: [email protected].

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Taylor Swift is renovating her mansion in Westerly, R.I. These are the planned upgrades. – The Boston Globe

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Taylor Swift is renovating her mansion in Westerly, R.I. These are the planned upgrades. – The Boston Globe


In all, the work is expected to cost $1.7 million, the records show.

A video posted on TikTok earlier this week showed workers at the home loading wood into an area of the home that was already under construction.

A few commenters offered guesses about what Swift may be doing with the extra space.

“She’s installing the Eras Tour stage, per my request,” quipped one.

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Wrote another: “She’s finally getting my guest room ready!”

Property records show the 12,657-square-foot, 1904 mansion, which has sweeping views of the Block Island Sound and a private pool, already boasts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

Swift snagged the mansion in 2013 for approximately $17.75 million – reportedly paying for the property in cash. Records show the home now has an assessed value of about $20.67 million.

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Over the years, Swift has hosted numerous summer parties and getaways for her circle of celebrity friends at the home. She welcomed Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, to name a few, this past summer.

Taylor Swift performs during “The Eras Tour” on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Lindsey Wasson/Associated Press

Swift has also given Holiday House her signature songwriting treatment.

For 2020’s “Folklore,” she penned, “The Last Great American Dynasty,” which details the home’s storied past with previous owner Rebekah Harkness, a mid-century heiress who married William Hale Harkness, a Standard Oil heir.

Not unlike Swift, Harkness was known for throwing lavish parties, sometimes drawing the ire of locals. It’s a comparison Swift – who faced some criticism herself, such as when she posted “No Tressing” signs around her property and some beach barricades after moving in – invites in the song.

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“Fifty years is a long time/ Holiday House sat quietly on that beach/ Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/ And then it was bought by me,” she sings. “Who knows, if I never showed up, what could’ve been/ There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen/ I had a marvelous time ruining everything.”


Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.





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