Rhode Island
Washington Bridge funds frozen; ICE anxiety; Bryce Hopkins: Top stories this week
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse answers questions about the RFK hearing
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, in RI to attend a groundbreaking for the REGENT’ Seaglider factory, answers questions about the RFK hearing
Here are some of The Providence Journal’s most-read stories for the week of Jan. 26,supported by your subscriptions.
- When it comes to espionage thrillers, John le Carré and Tom Clancy couldn’t have topped the true story of Rhode Island’s top-secret World War II spy post in Scituate, where atmospheric and geographic conditions created unusually crisp radio reception – perfect for eavesdropping on enemy radio transmissions across the globe. After helping the Allies win the war, this quiet rural spot was in the running for another distinction: the site of a new city that would serve as headquarters of the United Nations. The Journal’s Paul Edward Parker has the amazing story of how Rhode Island almost became the capital of the world.
- As the U.S. Senate prepared to vet the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., refused to say whether he would vote for or against confirming his former law school classmate. But in questioning RFK Jr. Wednesday about his antagonism toward vaccines, Whitehouse told his friend, “Frankly, you frighten people.”
- Black History Month begins today, and Rhode Island offers plenty of ways to celebrate, from walking tours to virtual exhibits to celebrations that include poetry and music.
- Food editor Gail Ciampa offers 10 spots where you can drown your winter sorrows with affogato, an Italian dessert that combines warm espresso and creamy gelato. And she shares readers’ memories of the late, great Federal Hill restaurant Joe Marzilli’s Old Canteen.
- What were the greatest performances in Rhode Island high school basketball history? Jacob Rousseau fires up the time machine to offer a baker’s dozen highlights. For that, as well as the latest college, high school and Patriots news, go to providencejournal.com/sports.
Here are the week’s top reads on providencejournal.com:
The fate of $600 million in federal funding for Rhode Island highway projects, including the westbound Washington Bridge, is up in the air as President Donald Trump looks to halt spending on climate policies enacted by his predecessor Joe Biden.
This has resulted in a freeze in federal spending on previously authorized projects, Rhode Island’s all-Democratic congressional delegation said in a letter to Trump’s budget director Sunday, even if they are not directly related to clean energy or climate change.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on Tuesday joined attorneys general in 22 other states in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order suspending federal grants. Despite last-minute maneuvering by the Trump administration on Wednesday, a federal judge on Friday blocked the federal spending freeze – at least for now.
Politics: ‘It’s our money’: Has Trump defunded RI’s new Washington Bridge? What we know.
Rhode Island’s attorney general and education commissioner on Monday issued guidance to schools if confronted with federal immigration officials seeking access to any students.
While federal immigration enforcement policies are changing with President Donald Trump now in office, “basic legal and constitutional principles have not,” Attorney General Peter F. Neronha said in a shared statement with Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green.
“While we do not yet know if federal authorities will conduct operations targeting Rhode Island schools, this guidance is intended to assist schools, teachers, and administrators in protecting the rights of every student.”
Read the full story for details on that guidance amid escalating anxiety about an immigration crackdown.
On Wednesday, at least one person was detained in Newport during a federal immigration enforcement action by ICE and the FBI.
Immigration: Can ICE go into public schools in Rhode Island? Here’s what we know.
Last summer, agents from the New York enforcement bureau of the Federal Communications Commission traveled through a thickly settled section of Providence’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood searching for a pirate.
Riding in an unmarked vehicle, the agents circled the blocks of duplexes along Pomona and Armington avenues as their sophisticated direction-finding equipment zeroed in on the whereabouts of an unlicensed radio signal transmitting from the hill.
Like a hound on scent, their device led them onto Hendrick Street, where they slowed outside a two-story apartment house on a corner with an unobstructed view of the Rhode Island State House in the distance and an odd-looking antenna on the roof.
Read on to see what FCC officials did next, and why they say unlicensed “pirate” broadcasters pose a threat to public safety.
Local news: Alleged Providence pirate radio station tunes into trouble with the FCC.
Sunday night finally brought some resolution: Bryce Hopkins won’t play again for Providence College this men’s basketball season due to lingering left knee troubles.
“It’s been well-documented,” head coach Kim English said. “Obviously losing a player of Bryce’s caliber – a player we built this team around – is a great challenge. But that in itself should not be debilitating for our goals.”
Journal sportswriter Bill Koch says the Friars will have considerable work to do once the offseason arrives, starting with deciding how seriously to pursue another year with Hopkins, and adding at least one impact starter to the 2025-26 lineup.
Sports: Providence basketball’s Bryce Hopkins is done for the season. What happens next?
Now that President Donald Trump has rechristened the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, Journal columnist Mark Patinkin figures that opens the door to changing other geographical labels, too. If the Gulf of Mexico can be renamed, he says, why not Rhode Island itself?
Mark proposes some alternative names for the Ocean State (Corruptia? South Massachusetts?), and wonders if the tiniest state in the country really needs 39 separate cities and towns. Why not consolidate them into a half dozen or so with names that more accurately capture their essence? Check out his full column, and then let him know what you think.
Mark Patinkin: Why stop at the ‘Gulf of America’? Maybe it’s time to rethink names of RI cities and towns
To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here.
Rhode Island
R.I. leading multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration housing policy – The Boston Globe
Rhode Island and other states had recently won a ruling against HUD’s attempt to overhaul a federal homelessness grant program in fiscal year 2025.
US District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy found that HUD acted arbitrarily and capriciously in imposing illegal conditions on billions of dollars in funding for the Continuum of Care program, through which HUD distributes billions of dollars to state, local, and nonprofit agencies to support housing and services for people facing homelessness.
For more than two decades, HUD had followed a “Housing First” model, which prioritizes rapid placement in permanent housing without requiring people to first meet conditions such as sobriety or a minimum income threshold.
However, on June 1, the Trump administration moved forward with new rules for fiscal year 2026 that seek to re-implement a cap on permanent housing. The new Notices of Funding Opportunity will set aside $1.3 billion for transitional housing and supportive service-only grants — which the coalition of states say will have the effect of capping permanent housing projects at about 68 percent of the funds.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the new terms on June 1, saying the old model didn’t work.
“The ‘housing first’ experiment failed Americans by warehousing the vulnerable without results. This ideology promised to end homelessness. Instead, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent while homelessness increased to record levels,” Turner said in a statement. “Housing alone will not solve a crisis driven by addiction and mental illness. Under President Trump’s leadership, HUD is making necessary reforms to put recovery first.”
HUD said that the new Notice of Funding Opportunity for $4.04 billion through the Continuum of Care homelessness assistance program would support organizations that facilitate treatment and recovery and “prohibit funding the widespread use of illicit drugs and distribution of paraphernalia.”
The lawsuit alleges that the new conditions will mean a large number of permanent housing projects funded by the Continuum of Care program will lose funding, which will lead to people being evicted, placing further strain on state and local governments.
“Instead of investing in programs that help people stay safe and housed, the Trump Administration has embraced policies that risk trapping people in poverty and punishing them for being poor,” the 44-page lawsuit alleges.
The shift threatens housing for at least 97,000 residents of CoC-funded permanent housing across the country according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The states argue that HUD’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act for failing to proceed with notice-and-comment rulemaking, and for being arbitrary and capricious. They ask the court to declare that the challenged conditions are illegal and to block HUD from implementing them.
Along with Neronha, attorneys general from all New England states except for New Hampshire have joined the lawsuit. The coalition also includes attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.
(WJAR) — Thirty-two years ago was the commissioning of a Navy submarine named after the Ocean State.
Maria Stephanos was on board the USS Rhode Island on July 9, 1994.
Rhode Island was the Navy’s 15th Trident class ballistic submarine.
It was commissioned in Newport and was the first to be christened in its namesake state.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — They come from all walks of life, including many professionals in the community, taking time out of their busy days to welcome students to school with enthusiasm and handshakes.
“We learn a lot of new handshakes, too,” Kobi Dennis said. “High-fives. Pounds with an explosion. We get a little bit of everything.”
It’s the Handshake Initiative, the brainchild of now Central Falls Police Chief Anthony Roberson.
Everybody can use some encouragement, and students in Rhode Island get that the minute they head toward the school building.
Initially, the students and parents didn’t know what to think.
“I was confused because I thought it was going to be a normal day,” said one student.
“Their parents were getting out of their cars trying to see what’s going on,” Reservoir Avenue School Principal Cynthia Torres said.
But now, they crave it.
“It makes me feel motivated,” another student said.
Dennis adds in an etiquette component.
“Teaching the kids how to shake hands, look one another in the eyes with a firm grip — girl or guy — firm grip and say ‘hello’ and introduce yourself, that’s part of the initiative as well,” Dennis said.
Providence school superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez said it sends a strong message.
“We hear you, we see you, and we’re here for you,” Montañez said.
Torres strategically uses them on standardized test days.
“They say, ‘I’m going to do really good today,’” she said.
“It makes me feel encouraged to do better in school,” a student said.
They’ve connected with thousands of students across Rhode Island.
“It’s about shaking hands and building relationships, but it’s also about letting young people know that there are professionals in the community cheering for them every single day,” Dennis said.
Do you know of a nonprofit organization or volunteers doing great work in your community? Fill out a short nomination form for “Community Treasures.”
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