Rhode Island
Fighting against the return of Rhode Island’s \
Joanne Giannini is a freelance writer and a former state representative from Providence, 1994-2011.
We can fight many things in life. We as a society and human race have cured diseases, fought wars, put men on the moon and have made strides in all areas of human life. We all fight the good fight to protect and preserve our family and lives.
But the good fight continues when I read the bills introduced in the General Assembly by Sen. Tiara Mack and Rep. Edith Ajello to decriminalize prostitution and legalize its many activities. The bills that were introduced in both the House and Senate chambers would promote sex trafficking, prostitution and human trafficking.
Before October 2009, prostitution indoors was legal in Rhode Island and the state was considered as a safe haven for sex trafficking and sexual exploitation.
In 2006, I filed the state’s first bill to ban human trafficking. Massage parlors were popping up all over Providence and stories were being reported in the news. The living conditions of the mostly young Asian girls working in the parlors were deplorable. As I have said so many times before, they were living like pets in a cage, living in one room with mattresses on the floor and cooking on sterno. Many were brought here from other countries and promised a better life. What they didn’t bargain for was a life of sexual exploitation, abuse, disease and, possibly, death.
More: Is it time to legalize prostitution in RI? The arguments for and against
There were about 30 illegal brothels posing as massage parlors throughout the state. Young girls were being trafficked here from neighboring states for sex. It was Rhode Island’s dirty little secret.
It took years to pass legislation to ban human trafficking for sex and forced labor, prostitution, and minors working in the adult entertainment industry. It wasn’t a popular issue and the many forces making big money weren’t happy at all. And now still they are trying to return to the dark days when Rhode Island was the only state other than Nevada to have legal indoor prostitution.
Finally, in October of 2009, in a special House session, we passed three important bills to become law:
- A bill to ban indoor prostitution in Rhode Island.
- An amendment to the 2008 human trafficking bill, which not only banned human trafficking for sexual exploitation but banned trafficking for forced labor. It also created a human trafficking task force which was made up of a diverse group of health specialists, law enforcement agencies, human service agencies and various women’s groups to provide services to victims of trafficking.
- A bill to ban minors from working in the adult entertainment industry after young teens were found working in strip clubs.
Now, numerous bills have been filed in both the House and Senate chambers which would return Rhode Island’s dirty little secret.
The bills would fully decriminalize the sex trade in Rhode Island, including acts of pimping, purchasing sex, and brothels. The move not only threatens the well-being of vulnerable women and children throughout the state, but it will also increase sex trafficking throughout the region.
Specifically, the bills:
- Decriminalize pimping.
- Decriminalize sex buying.
- Decriminalize brothels.
- Position Rhode Island as a regional sex tourism destination once again.
More: Political Scene: From sex workers to shoreline access, there’s a legislative study
It’s 2024, and we are still fighting the good fight to stop sexual predators from exploiting young women, children and young men. We are still hearing the voices from victims who cried for help and tell their heart-wrenching stories of sexual abuse, drugs and sickness.
It saddens me that the bills’ supporters don’t hear the victims’ voices, but only the voices of those who will make money on the backs of the victims if these bills are passed.
I continue to add my voice to stop the passage of this legislation, and I hope you will do the same. Please call your state representative and tell them to vote no on these bills.
Rhode Island
RI Lottery Mega Millions, Numbers Midday winning numbers for June 5, 2026
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 5, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from June 5 drawing
13-30-50-52-66, Mega Ball: 02
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from June 5 drawing
Midday: 5-3-4-8
Evening: 6-7-9-7
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from June 5 drawing
01-06-07-12-32, Extra: 05
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 5 drawing
06-38-51-54-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life 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 Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 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.
Rhode Island
The Most Expensive House in Rhode Island—Around the Corner From Taylor Swift’s Home—to Ask $23.5 Million
A waterfront estate in Rhode Island could set a record in the same neighborhood where Taylor Swift owns a home.
The 2.75-acre estate on Pawcatuck Avenue in the village of Watch Hill will soon hit the open market for $23.5 million, making it the most expensive active listing in Rhode Island. The property is in Westerly, a peninsula in the state’s western-most section, at the meeting point with Connecticut and New York.
MORE: A Former Gilded Age Inn Perched on a Cliff Above the Hudson River Lists for $2.9 Million
The main New England-style home spans 7,000 square feet across four levels, with five bedrooms, several reception rooms, a wet bar and a wine cellar. There is also a three-bedroom guest house, which spans close to 5,000 square feet, along with a saltwater pool surrounded by a bluestone deck and a newly refinished tennis court, according to the listing with Geb Masterson of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
“Properties don’t often come up for sale in Watch Hill,” Masterson said via email. “People and families often stay for generations, holding onto the homes their parents bought.”
The property, which has an alternate address on Bay Street, is fully outfitted with amenities for waterfront living, including a boat house, boat garage and a dock that can accommodate a 70-foot yacht. There is also a three-bedroom guest house, according to the listing.
Swift has owned a home in the Watch Hill neighborhood since 2013—a bolthole where the global pop star reportedly throws the best July 4th bash in town. Additionally, earlier in the year, Swift and her fiance, football star Travis Kelce, were rumored to be marrying in a coastal wedding venue nearby, but recent gossip suggests the wedding will actually be held in New York City in less than a month, on July 3.
Mansion Global Boutique: Why Your Home Needs a Little ‘Ugly Beauty’
The sellers purchased the Watch Hill property in April 2020 for $10.4 million via a trust, from the family who built it in 2006, according to records accessed through PropertyShark. The 2020 sale was approved by a Connecticut District bankruptcy court, as the prior owner was in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings related to the home as well as to a ski resort he owned in Vermont, according to court documents and news reports.
The sellers and previous owners couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Rhode Island
R.I. Senate passes pair of DiPalma bills on dementia services and pension revocation for sex crimes – What’s Up Newp
The Rhode Island Senate passed two bills sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma, D-Middletown, on Thursday — one creating a state dementia services coordinator and another allowing the state to revoke pension benefits from public employees convicted of job-related felony sex crimes.
The first bill (2026-S 2874) would create a dementia services coordinator within the Rhode Island Department of Health to oversee the state’s approach to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. According to DiPalma’s office, the coordinator’s duties would include overseeing implementation and updates of the Rhode Island Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorder State Plan, analyzing dementia-related data collected by the state and recommending strategies to improve coordination of services provided by public and private entities.
“Unfortunately, most of us have been touched in some way by Alzheimer’s and dementia,” DiPalma said in a statement. “Whether it’s caring for a loved one or seeing a friend suffering from these devastating diseases, the toll they take is significant. That’s why it’s important to have a central authority in the state whose job it is to support all those afflicted by these diseases.”
The second bill (2026-S 3296) would authorize the State Retirement Board to revoke or reduce a person’s pension benefits if the individual is convicted, or pleads guilty or no contest to, a felony sex crime related to their public office or public employment.
“Any state worker who commits a sex crime in relation to their official duties does not in any way deserve the continued financial support of the state through pension benefits,” DiPalma said. “This is a common-sense measure that will hold sex offenders accountable for their despicable actions.”
DiPalma represents District 12, which includes Middletown, Little Compton, Newport and Tiverton. Both bills now head to the House for consideration. Rep. Julie A. Casimiro, D-North Kingstown, has introduced companion legislation on the dementia services coordinator (2026-H 7542), and House Judiciary Committee Chairwoman Carol Hagan McEntee, D-South Kingstown, has introduced companion legislation on the pension revocation (2026-H 7656).
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