Rhode Island

McKee outlines ‘game plan’ for R.I., but ball will be in General Assembly’s court – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

McKee outlines ‘game plan’ for R.I., but ball will be in General Assembly’s court – The Boston Globe

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi holds the book about college basketball coach John Wooden that Governor Daniel J. McKee presented to him before the State of the State speech on Tuesday.Edward Fitzpatrick

But once the governor proposes his budget Thursday, there is no guarantee the House and Senate will follow his playbook.

For example, in last year’s State of the State speech, McKee called for reducing the state’s 7 percent sales tax rate to 6.85 percent to save taxpayers about $35 million a year. But the Assembly rejected that idea, with Shekarchi, a Warwick Democrat, saying, “There were other priorities in my caucus. Unfortunately, it was a policy decision.”

In this year’s State of the State speech, one of the lines that drew the loudest applause was when McKee said, “This year, let’s finally pass an assault weapons ban in Rhode Island.”

But soon after the speech, Ruggerio, a North Providence Democrat, reiterated his opposition to a state ban on assault weapons. “That needs to happen on a national level,” he said. “You can’t have one state that has a ban and another state that doesn’t.”

In Tuesday’s speech, McKee outlined some big-ticket proposals, including a $100 million housing production bond, plus bond referendums for a University of Rhode Island life sciences school, a Rhode Island College cybersecurity program, and a State Archives and History Center.

But Ruggerio sounded skeptical about the housing bond, saying the state has already approved more than $300 million for housing. “Spend what you have and if you need more, come to see us afterward,” he said.

When this year’s legislative session began on Jan. 2, Shekarchi warned that, “This year, there are some very tough decisions ahead,” adding that “the influx of new federal pandemic relief is finished.”

But some of those proposals dovetail with Shekarchi’s emphasis on housing and life sciences. “I thought it was a good speech,” the House speaker said. “I thought he checked a lot of themes that are important to Rhode Islanders, important to members of the chamber.”

Shekarchi said McKee’s proposed bond items total about $300 million, but he said that matches the amount of state debt that is “coming off the books.” At this point in the year, budgeting is based on projections, he said.

“But I think it’s certainly within an affordable range,” Shekarchi said of the governor’s proposals.

After Tuesday night’s speech, Representative David Morales, a Providence Democrat, walked through the State House rotunda after, noting the governor hadn’t said a word about the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority — although some legislators say the agency needs $110 million to stay on track.

“There was no mention of RIPTA even though they are on the verge of a fiscal cliff as a result of the lack of state investments over the years,” he said, citing the potential for service cuts.

Morales also said he wished he’d heard McKee address staffing shortages in the Department of Human Services and the potential for layoffs of social workers and behavior specialists in Providence schools. And while McKee proposed a $100 million housing bond, Morales said, building new homes takes years and the state needs to address rental costs now.

“I did not hear a speech that reflects the reality of working Rhode Islanders across the state,” he said.

Flags for Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns flank the entrance to the House of Representatives chamber for Tuesday's State of the State speech. — Flags for Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns flank the entrance to the House of Representatives chamber for Tuesday’s State of the State speech.Edward Fitzpatrick

Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore praised McKee for proposing a bond item for a State Archives and History Center. He said noted Rhode Islanders have been excited to get an up-close look at the Independent Man statue, which was removed last month from atop the State House for the second time in history because its base had split.

“Rhode Islanders are proud of their history and want the opportunity to see it up close,” Amore said. “A new Rhode Island State Archives and History Center would provide that opportunity — as well as opportunities for tourists from all over the country and the world to learn more about Rhode Island’s critical role in the founding of our nation, and its many achievements since.”

General Treasurer James A. Diossa thanked McKee for mentioning the Secure Choice Act, which would create a portable individual retirement savings program for Rhode Islanders working at businesses with as few as five employees. Administered by the state, the new program would give employees a chance to save for retirement through payroll deductions at no added cost to employers.

“Rhode Island is ranked near the bottom of the nation in private sector employees with retirement plans,” Diossa said. “This legislation will ensure that more Rhode Islanders can look forward to dignity and security in retirement after a lifetime of hard work.”

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has acknowledged he is considering running for governor in 2026 because of what he sees as state government’s failure to act with urgency on issues such as climate change and health care. And he cited those issues when asked for a response to McKee’s State of the State speech, which noted that the Revolution Wind offshore wind project is set to begin construction this year.

“Addressing climate change will take more than an investment in wind — much more,” Neronha said. “We are too far behind in our work to meet our Act on Climate goals,” he said, noting Massachusetts just issued its first climate report card.

In his speech, McKee said he plans to sign an executive order for a working group focused on improving the state’s healthcare systems. But Neronha said, “I don’t believe that our healthcare crisis can be squarely addressed through the resurrection of a 25-member commission” that is “nowhere nimble or fast enough to bring the change we need.”

McKee set a goal of increasing per capita income by $20,000 by the year 2030. And Neronha said that would help the imbalance in hospital reimbursements weighted too heavily toward public payers vs. private commercial payers.

Also, Neronha said he supports First Lady Susan McKee’s anti-litter campaign. “As someone who used to pick it up as a teenager when I worked for the town and loves the state’s natural beauty, I agree it’s a scourge,” he said.

Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.

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Rhode Island

Who is Dolores Catania? What to know about ‘The Real Housewives’ of RI guest

Published

4 hours ago

April 2, 2026

Press Room

Who is Dolores Catania? What to know about ‘The Real Housewives’ of RI guest

With the premiere of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island”, you may be wondering exactly who you will be seeing on the screen.

Premiering on Thursday, April 2, Rhode Island’s debut in “The Real Housewives” franchise will focus on seven women from all across the Ocean State. The series will also include appearances from a franchise-familiar face: “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania.

Never seen “The Real Housewives of New Jersey”? Here’s what to know about Dolores Catania ahead of Rhode Island’s series premiere.

Who is Dolores Catania?

Born and raised in New Jersey, Dolores Catania quickly became a franchise fan-favorite after joining “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” in Season 7. While “The Real Housewives” is known for drama, Catania herself is known as a mediator on the show, often helping to keep the peace rather than choosing sides in an argument.

The 55-year-old Bravo celebrity shares two children with her ex-husband Frank Catania, who she maintains a close friendship and business partnership with. Catania is now engaged to Paul “Paulie” Connell, and she recently told Us Weekly that she plans to take wedding inspiration from another part-time Rhode Islander: Taylor Swift.

A TV personality and multi-faceted entrepeneur, Dolores Catania is most well-known for her charitable work with women’s shelters and animal rescue organizations. In 2018, fans voted her as “Miss Congeniality” across the entire “Real Housewives” franchise. Her efforts have also been recognized with honors such as the key to the city of Paterson and the Ambassador of Hope Award by Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, according to Bravo.

How is Dolores Catania connected to Rhode Island?

While Dolores Catania will be featured throughout “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” she is not trading her Jersey housewife life for the Ocean State. Rather, Catania joins the new series as a friend and mentor.

Specifically, Catania comes into the show as a close friend of Rhode Island “Real Housewife” Liz McGraw, a well-known Rhode Island dispensary owner whom Catania met at a cannabis convention. Together, the pair has plans to launch a line of gummies for menopausal women.

“It was a dream to have her by my side. I couldn’t imagine anything cooler than to have her here on my home turf with me,” McGraw told Bravo about filming alongside Catania. “Dolores is just an amazing friend. She understands me and I understand her. I trust her with my life.”

Although Catania did not know any of the other cast members prior to filming, she told Bravo that she became close with the entire cast.

“In a really crazy way, I felt like I knew them forever. They’re all very relatable to me. Each person, in their own way, I very much understood and felt that I fit in,” Catania said in a release.

While Catania said no state could ever come close to New Jersey, she did admit that she enjoyed filming in the “calmer” state of Rhode Island. She added that she does not feel too different from the Rhode Island housewives, saying that viewers will love them for their relatability in the same way they loved the relatability of the New Jersey housewives.

How to watch ‘The Real Houswives of Rhode Island’

The debut season of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” will premiere Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. on Bravo. After the first episode, new episodes will air weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m.

Episodes will be available for next-day streaming on Peacock. This means that the first episode will be available to stream on Friday, April 3, with new episodes available to stream on Mondays each week after that.

Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ on Peacock

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Rhode Island

401Gives surpasses $5 million goal, setting records across the board for Rhode Island nonprofits – What’s Up Newp

Published

16 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

401Gives surpasses million goal, setting records across the board for Rhode Island nonprofits – What’s Up Newp

Rhode Islanders delivered.

401Gives, the statewide day of giving powered by United Way of Rhode Island, surpassed its $5 million fundraising goal by the time giving closed at 6 p.m. Wednesday, setting new records for donors, gifts and participating organizations in the initiative’s seven-year history.

Over 36 hours, 20,112 donors made 32,544 gifts to benefit 705 Rhode Island nonprofits — each figure a new high for 401Gives, which has now raised more than $24 million since its debut in 2020.

“401Gives and the generosity shown by our Rhode Island neighbors is nothing short of extraordinary, to have pushed the bar even higher with another record-breaking year is incredible,” said Cortney Nicolato, United Way’s president and CEO. “This is significant funding for our nonprofits, dollars they didn’t have just days ago. At a time of real need, our neighbors rose to the occasion, underscoring what I’ve always known to be true… Rhode Islanders always have one another’s back.”

Giving began at 6 a.m. Tuesday, with a $20,000 matching gift from the Papitto Opportunity Connection kicking things off. The effort crossed $1 million within its first few hours. Additional matches from Rhode Island Energy, Rhode Island Foundation, Eastern Bank and CapEx helped drive sustained bursts of activity throughout the day and a half. This year’s 401Gives began a day earlier than usual to honor Passover.

Among the top fundraisers, Newport’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center led the large nonprofit category with $204,864 raised, followed by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island at $165,329. School One topped medium-sized organizations with $81,165, while The Gordon School led small nonprofits at $61,312 and Partnership for Providence Parks paced micro organizations at $65,949. Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England surpassed $55,000, exceeding their goal. In all, 113 organizations raised $10,000 or more and 196 exceeded $5,000.

The Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education engaged the highest number of individual donors at 519, followed by Foster Forward at 449 and Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance at 312.

“From Woonsocket to Westerly and everywhere in between, nonprofits touch our lives every single day, and often in ways people don’t even realize,” said Caitlynn Douglas, who leads 401Gives for the organization. “To see the way our community rallies around 401Gives and supports organizations that are feeding families, caring for seniors, educating our children, protecting our environment, enriching the arts, and so much more is extremely powerful. We hope donors see 401Gives as the beginning of an ongoing relationship with nonprofits and more than just a day of giving.”

Rhode Island’s nonprofit sector accounts for 18 percent of the state’s total workforce. 401Gives is powered by United Way of Rhode Island and its Alliance for Nonprofit Impact.

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Rhode Island

Who is Rosie DiMare? What to know about the ‘Real Housewife’ of RI

Published

1 day ago

April 1, 2026

Press Room

Who is Rosie DiMare? What to know about the ‘Real Housewife’ of RI

With the premiere of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” you may be wondering exactly who you will be seeing on the screen.

Premiering on Thursday, April 2, Rhode Island’s debut in “The Real Housewives” franchise will focus on seven women, with special appearances from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania. One of Rhode Island’s seven “Real Housewives” is Rosie Woods DiMare, a familiar face for Rhode Islanders who watch the morning news.

Here’s what to know about Rhode Island “Real Housewife” Rosie DiMare ahead of the series premiere.

Who is Rosie DiMare?

A lifetime New Englander, Rosie DiMare grew up just over the Rhode Island border in Massachusetts before spending her college years in the city at Boston University, according to her LinkedIn. DiMare now lives in North Kingstown with her dog and husband, professional Frank Sinatra impersonator Rich DiMare.

If you think you’ve seen Rosie DiMare on TV before, you’re right – she used to be a television news anchor for WPRI and, more recently, NBC WJAR Channel 10, reporting on the morning traffic and hosting her own afternoon lifestyle show.

After 10+ years of working in local news across the country, DiMare decided to do her own show under her own production company, and she is now the host of her own lifestyle program. Outside of her work in entertainment, DiMare also works as a DJ, an emcee and a social media manager for several local companies.

According to her personal bio from Bravo, DiMare will face multiple challenges this season as friend drama unfolds while she and her husband move.

Here’s what Bravo said about Rosie DiMare’s arc in the debut season: “Former Rhode Island television news anchor Rosie DiMare and her husband, Rich, are leveling up, trading their cozy over-the-garage apartment for a sprawling dream home. As Rosie focuses on growing her local lifestyle program, she also faces challenges within her inner circle, leaving her to reassess loyalties and where she truly fits in with this evolving, close-knit group.”

How to watch ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’

The debut season of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” will premiere Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. on Bravo. After the first episode, new episodes will air weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m.

Watch ‘The Real Housewives of Rhode Island’ on Peacock

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