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R.I. Kids Count releases 2025 Factbook, focuses on federal programs under threat | ABC6

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R.I. Kids Count releases 2025 Factbook, focuses on federal programs under threat | ABC6


The Crowne Plaza in Warwick. (Facebook/Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick (Airport))
The Crowne Plaza hosted the release of the 2025 R.I. Kids Count Factbook on Monday.

WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Kids Count, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping students in the state have the best learning experience possible, released their 2025 Factbook in a ceremony at the Crowne Plaza at 8 a.m. on Monday.

The meeting, attended by Gov. Dan McKee and members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, largely focused on federal programs that President Donald Trump’s administration has threatened to cut or cut funding to, in order to call attention to how it would affect Rhode Island students.

Currently, according to the factbook, 44,951 children in the state rely on SNAP benefits, and more than half of the state’s students- 75,933- participated in the National School Lunch Program, according to data from last December.

Kids Count also focused on the Head Start program, which is a federally funded early childhood education program primarily for low-income families that the Trump administration has already proposed eliminating funding for; 1,438 Rhode Island children are currently enrolled in Head Start, with 493 children on a waiting list.

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The factbook’s executive summary said that any changes in these programs would have a negative effect on students, stating that stability was a necessity for children to thrive.

Additionally, the factbook defended diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, which have been under attack by the Trump administration, saying that they were important for building community, eliminating disparities among students and fostering growth among students.

 

 





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Rhode Island

Release of rescued bobcats by the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island

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Release of rescued bobcats by the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island


The Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island rehabilitated two orphaned kitten bobcats starting last July and continuing through Monday, March 30, when the bobcats were released into the wild. Video from the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island and URI’s Quest Lab.



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Rhode Island

Crash closes Route 146 north in Lincoln

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Crash closes Route 146 north in Lincoln


The Rhode Island Department of Transportation reported a crash blocking all travel lanes on Route 146 north.

RIDOT posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the crash cleared shortly before 8 p.m.

Officials said the crash happened at the exit to Route 99 in Lincoln.

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

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


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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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’

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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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