By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Tuesday morning!
People don’t seem to have much sympathy for the plight of Tesla Cybertruck owners. But one tells Reporter Christopher Shea of his frustration that even after the state has encouraged more EVs on the road, the Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority charges EV trucks more to cross the Pell Bridge — just because they’re heavier.
Then again, the bridge’s roadway is in really sad shape.
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High tide in Little Compton is at 11:15 a.m. and 11:34 p.m. Low tide is at 5:06 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:25 a.m. Sunset is at 6:54 p.m.
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The State Properties Committee meets at 10 a.m.
The Permanent Legislative Commission on Child Care in Rhode Island meets at 2:30 p.m.
Physicist Les Johnson, former chief technologist at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, delivers the first lecture of the 2026 University of Rhode Island Honors Colloquium at 5:30 p.m in Edwards Hall on the Kingston campus. Johnson will talk about how realistic interstellar travel is, and the challenges of distance, time and known physics related to such travel.
Gresh Laing is shown with his Tesla Cybertruck on the Goat Island Causeway in Newport. The Newport Pell Bridge, across which he commutes each workday, is in the distance. (Photo by Laura Paton/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
Gresh Laing, who lives in North Kingstown and works in Newport, loves the pre-owned 2024 Tesla Cybertruck he bought last May. Then he noticed his E-ZPass account started refreshing more frequently. He learned he was being forced to pay a nonresident rate of $4 instead of 83 cents to cross the Pell Bridge because his EV truck exceeds 8,000 pounds.
The Woonsocket Wastewater Treatment facility is poised for new management under an agreement between the city and Veolia North America. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
Woonsocket plans to bring in Veolia to temporarily operate its wastewater treatment plant as the city continues working on plans to close its controversial regional sewage sludge incinerator. The City Council approved a six-month contract on Monday night to replace the company that is leaving over a payment dispute.
The Rhode Island Board of Elections rejected a recount request by GOP gubernatorial candidate Elaine Pelino, seated before the panel. (Screenshot)
By Nancy Lavin
The Rhode Island Elections Board rejected a request to recount the ballots in the Republican gubernatorial primary because the margin between Aaron Guckian and Elaine Pelino was too high to qualify under state law. But the outcome is not final yet, with a rereading of ballot machine memory sticks set to commence Tuesday morning.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 9, 2024. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom)
By Jacob Fischler | D.C. Bureau
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday kept in place a lower court’s order blocking President Donald Trump’s embattled plan to place new restrictions on mail ballots for this year’s midterm elections.
A mother and daughter are pictured at a protest against arrests of immigrants at green card appointments in Salt Lake City. Two lawsuits filed Monday challenge new federal guidance that could affect green card applicants who have used Medicaid or food assistance. (Photo by Annie Knox, Utah News Dispatch)
By Nada Hassanein | Stateline
States, including Rhode Island, along with cities and counties filed a pair of lawsuits Monday challenging new federal rules that will allow immigrants’ use of safety net resources to be taken into account for green cards and other applications to stay in or enter the country.
ICYMI
Congress returns to session before midterms sprint, but no action expected on AI fears | Jennifer Shutt, D.C. Bureau
COMMENTARY: ‘The Uprising’ shows how medieval people weren’t so obedient after all | Joelle Rollo-Koster, The Conversation
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