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Quadruplets discharged from Phoenix hospital; return home to Rhode Island

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Quadruplets discharged from Phoenix hospital; return home to Rhode Island


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Identical quadruplet baby girls and their parents are now back home on the East Coast after spending their first two months at a Valley hospital.

Rachel and Marco Vargas returned home to Cranston, Rhode Island, with four little bundles of joy. In January, the couple welcomed their identical baby girls into the world — Sofía, Philomena, Veronica and Isabel.

The couple traveled across the country for help with the pregnancy, seeking treatment from renowned multiple-birth specialist Dr. John Elliott at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix.

“While it hasn’t been an easy journey, we’re thankful that we came to Banner and Dr. Elliott for care, and we can’t wait to share the milestones that will come with raising our beautiful girls,” Rachel said.

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Rachel and Marco Vargas returned home to Cranston, Rhode Island, with four little bundles of joy.(Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix)

Dr. Elliott had never seen a pregnancy case like Rachel’s in his career. He said the chances of a pregnancy and delivery like Rachel’s were potentially around one in 40 million.

Two babies shared the same amniotic sac and had the umbilical cord inserted into the fetal membranes instead of the placenta, which could result in a 30-40% risk of death to the babies. Doctors say two of the babies were then diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), where there is uneven blood flow between identical twins sharing a placenta.

“With all the complications involved in Rachel’s pregnancy, we were very candid about the risks and potential outcomes, but we also underscored the importance of having a positive outlook,” Dr. Elliott said. “I believe that played an important role in her successful case, along with constant top-class medical care throughout their stay in Phoenix.”

In January, the couple welcomed their identical baby girls to the world — Sofía, Philomena,...
In January, the couple welcomed their identical baby girls to the world — Sofía, Philomena, Veronica and Isabel.(Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix)

The doctor and his team helped deliver the baby girls at 30 weeks. They remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) under the care of neonatologists, nurses and respiratory therapists until they were healthy enough to be discharged in late March.

“It was such a privilege for our team to care for Rachel and her babies,” said Dr. Suma Rao, medical director of the neonatal ICU at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. “These kinds of pregnancies can be quite scary for the parents and family members, so we are thrilled that they are all back home now with their healthy girls.”

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2 dead, 1 seriously hurt after crash on I-95 South in Warwick

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2 dead, 1 seriously hurt after crash on I-95 South in Warwick


WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — Two people are dead and another person seriously hurt after a crash involving two vehicles on the highway in Warwick Saturday.

Rhode Island State Police said the crash happened around 1:34 p.m. on the ramp from Route 113 West to I-95 South.

According to police, a Hyundai SUV that was driving in the middle lane of the highway started to drift to the right, crossed the first lane, and then crossed onto the on-ramp lane. The car struck the guardrail twice before driving through the grass median.

The Hyundai then struck the driver’s side of a Mercedes SUV that was on the ramp, causing the Mercedes to roll over and come to a rest. The impact sent the Hyundai over the guardrail and down an embankment.

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The driver of the Hyundai, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 69-year-old woman, were both pronounced dead at the hospital.

A woman who was in the Mercedes was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital in critical condition.

State police said all lanes of traffic were reopened by 4:30 p.m.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Judge rejects DOJ push for Rhode Island voter information

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Judge rejects DOJ push for Rhode Island voter information


A federal judge on Friday tossed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit aiming to force Rhode Island to hand over its voter information as part of the Trump administration’s push to acquire voter data from several states.

Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy wrote that federal law does not allow the DOJ “to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here,” siding with Rhode Island election officials. She added that the DOJ did not provide evidence to suggest that Rhode Island violated election law.

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McElroy, a Trump appointee, wrote that she sided with the similar decision in Oregon. That decision ruled that the DOJ was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists.

“Absent from the demand are any factual allegations suggesting that Rhode Island may be violating the list maintenance requirements,” she said in her ruling.

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D) praised McElroy’s decision. He said in a statement that the Trump administration “seems to have no problem taking actions that are clear Constitutional overreaches, regularly meddling in responsibilities that are the rights of the states.”

“Today’s decision affirms our position: the United States Department of Justice has no legal right to – or need for – the personally-identifiable information in our voter file,” he said. “Voter list maintenance is a responsibility entrusted to the states, and I remain confident in the steps we take here in Rhode Island to keep our list as accurate as possible.”

The Hill reached out to the DOJ for comment.

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The DOJ called for the voter lists as it investigated Rhode Island’s compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which allowed Americans to register to vote when they apply for a driver’s license.

The DOJ sued at least 30 states, as well as Washington, D.C., in December demanding their respective voter data. This data includes birth dates, names and partial Social Security numbers.

At least 12 states have given or said they will give the DOJ their voter registration lists, according to a tracker operated by the Brennan Center for Justice.

The department stated after it lost a similar suit against Massachusetts earlier this month that it had “sweeping powers” to access the voter data and that, if states fail to comply, courts have a “limited, albeit vital, role” in directing election officers on behalf of the administration to produce the records. The DOJ cited the Civil Rights Act as being intended to unearth alleged election law violations.

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Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than $500K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe

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Single Dad Says Grandparents’ Rights Trial Has Cost Him More Than 0K, but He'll Do ‘Whatever It Takes’ to Keep Daughter Safe


As the two-year anniversary of his wife’s death approaches, widowed single father Scott Naso is sounding an alarm to fellow parents across the country — and especially in Rhode Island, where he lives with his now 4-year-old daughter, Laila.



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