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Visa change complicates adoption for Rhode Island family

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Visa change complicates adoption for Rhode Island family


With international visa processing paused, a local family is fighting to get their adopted daughter home.

Dave and Grace Macchione thought they were finally at the finish line.

After first meeting their daughter, Zuli, the Rhode Island couple spent the past year following the required steps to adopt her.

Working through the legal process with adoption agencies, the State Department, and immigration services to bring her to the United States and finalize her citizenship.

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Martha Konstandinidis spoke with the family about their efforts to reunite with their daughter after federal visa complications. (WJAR)

They first connected with Zuli in December 2024 through an exchange program, hosting her in their home for about a month.

The family says that time together only strengthened their bond.

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With plane tickets booked and their trip to Colombia set to leave Jan. 24 to complete the adoption, the family says everything suddenly changed.

They learned the adoption process had been paused as the U.S. government moved to revoke more than 100,000 international visas spanning more than 75 countries, citing security concerns.

The Macchiones say they’ve reached out to local and federal officials for help, but they’re still left with little concrete guidance as they try to figure out what happens next and how long the delay could last.

Now, they’re pushing for the process to continue, not only for Zuli, but for other children and families caught in the same uncertainty.

In the meantime, they say they stay connected with Zuli through video calls, reassuring her they’re still coming, even if the timeline is no longer clear.

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Back in Rhode Island, they say her room is ready. The only thing missing is her.

The couple is urging decision-makers behind the pause to consider the families who have already followed every step required to adopt legally and are now stuck waiting with no clear end in sight.



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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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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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