PROVIDENCE — State gasoline costs are persevering with to drop amid fears of demand weak point, with a 10-cent decline over the previous week in Rhode Island and a 23-cent decline over the previous month now.
A survey of gasoline costs on Monday discovered self-serve, common unleaded gasoline averaging $3.60 per gallon. Regardless of latest declines, the value nonetheless stays 20 cents larger than it was on the identical day final yr.
“Fuel costs are dropping sharply and are solely a nickel extra per gallon nationally than a yr in the past,” mentioned Diana Gugliotta, director of public affairs for AAA Northeast. “However with oil being the principle ingredient in gasoline, OPEC+’s transfer might sluggish this decline. Nevertheless, the gasoline value will doubtless quickly be decrease than it was a yr in the past.”
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AAA mentioned the latest steep plunge in home gasoline costs could also be affected by the outcomes of Sunday’s assembly of OPEC+, a bunch of 23 oil-producing nations, together with Saudi Arabia and Russia. Home gasoline costs have dropped 26 cents nationally prior to now two weeks.
However OPEC+ determined to keep up output cuts of two million barrels per day, about 2% of world demand. The aim of the transfer is to spice up the worldwide value of oil, which has fallen just lately on fears of demand weak point, particularly in China. Regardless, the nationwide common pump value for a gallon of gasoline dropped 14 cents prior to now week to $3.40.
The value survey decided that, nationally, costs dropped 14 cents over the previous week to $3.40 per gallon. Monday’s nationwide value is 39 cents decrease than a month in the past and 5 cents larger than on the identical day final yr.
The RIBridges/HealthSource RI hack and data breach are shocking. But the governor’s office, legislature, and the state agencies impacted by this breach should not be surprised. RI State Auditor General (Auditor) reports dating back years expressed plenty of concern about IT security and cybersecurity issues. We were…
PROVIDENCE — Channel 12 was hit with layoffs last week as its parent company – Texas-based Nexstar Media – moved to cut 2 percent of its workforce across the country.
The local cuts, which were in the high-single digits of employees, include at least one reporter, some sales staff, and several part-time employees.
The station is also putting “Dan Yorke State of Mind” – a weekly public affairs show hosted by the WPRO radio host – on hiatus after laying off the show’s producer. There’s a chance the show will return in some form next year.
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”Our broadcasting and sales divisions are streamlining their organizations to reduce our operating expenses and accelerate collaboration across the company,” Nexstar spokesman Gary Weitman said in a statement. “While it is difficult to make these sorts of changes, they will impact less than 2 percent of our workforce and allow us to focus on areas of growth for our viewers, partners, and customers. We are committed to managing through this period of unprecedented change in the media industry so that Nexstar continues to thrive for years to come.”
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What wasn’t said: What Weitman failed to mention in his statement was that Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook bragged to investors last month that Nexstar “delivered the highest third quarter net revenue in the company’s history.”
Behind the scenes: The Channel 12 layoffs were announced last Wednesday, and the company also abruptly canceled its Christmas party that was scheduled for yesterday afternoon at the Narragansett Brewery.
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During an all-staff meeting on Friday, general manager Pat Wholey acknowledged the station has had a “challenging” end to the year on the revenue side, but expressed confidence that his team has put together a plan that will cause the company minimal disruption in its on-air product.The layoffs at Channel 12 are unrelated to an unionization effort at the company that appears to have fizzled in recent months.
Disclosure: Channel 12 and Globe Rhode Island recently entered into a partnership that includes several on-air appearances each week with Globe reporters. Money doesn’t change hands as part of the deal, and the partnership will continue.
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.
Prosecutors say Alec Tahir Baker allegedly stole nearly $9 million dollars from companies and individuals across the country, including the Town of Bristol.
A man from California was allegedly involved in a scam that targeted the Town of Bristol, prosecutors said on Wednesday. Matthew J Lee/Globe staff
By Eva Levin
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2 minutes to read
A California man was indicted in federal court on Wednesday after he allegedly participated in multiple scams that defrauded people, establishments, and the town of Bristol, Rhode Island out of nearly $9 million dollars, prosecutors said.
The Rhode Island U.S. Attorney’s office named Alec Tahir Baker, a resident of Corona, California, as a “key participant” in an email conspiracy and money laundering scam.
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The indictment alleges Baker, 60, was involved in a scam where someone would send phishing emails to individuals, businesses, and Town of Bristol email addresses. If opened, prosecutors said, the email allowed the scammers to access the recipient’s computer information. Then Baker, along with unnamed co-conspirators, would allegedly direct victims’ banks to transfer money into an account owned by Baker or other conspirators, the indictment said.
According to the indictment, Baker, along with the co-conspirators, allegedly defrauded individuals and businesses of at least $8,854,243. In addition, the indictment alleges that around $7,649,876 in fraudulent proceeds were transmitted to bank accounts under Baker’s control.
Baker also allegedly targeted Bristol through the scam, allegedly stealing more than $300,000 dollars from the town.
First charged through a criminal complaint on Nov. 1, the Attorney’s office said Baker was arrested in Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 5 and detained after his first appearance in U.S. District Court.
He faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, bank fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft, the indictment said. Federal prosecutors said he will be transported to Rhode Island to be arraigned on those charges at a “later date.”
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Representation for Baker did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
California resident, along with alleged scam enterprise, allegedly defrauded Town of Bristol
The indictment alleges Baker and his co-conspirators used phishing emails to gain access to the Town of Bristol’s computer network in January of 2023.
“The next day, a member of the conspiracy caused $310,500 to be wired from one of the Town’s bank accounts into a business account controlled by Baker, who then withdrew or transferred funds from that account and deposited the money into other accounts he controlled,” the Attorney’s office said.
Of that $310,500, Baker allegedly withdrew $75,000 from the town’s Citibank account with the note “Q1 salary” on Jan. 20, 2023, the indictment said. Three days later, he allegedly withdrew $144,700 from the same Citibank account and deposited it into a Chase account, the indictment said. Next, on Jan. 31, the indictment said he withdrew $89,169.87 from the Citibank account and put it in a cashiers’ check payable to Al Hujen Group, a US Bank account operated by Baker.
The indictment said one of the involved scammers would allegedly pose as vendors and email employees of the targeted companies. The scammer would give the employee fraudulent bank information and direct the employee to make payments to that new account, which was controlled by Baker or co-conspirators, the indictment alleged.
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According to the indictment, the targeted companies and individuals were located across the country.
The Town of Bristol did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Eva Levin is a general assignment co-op for Boston.com. She covers breaking and local news in Boston and beyond.
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