By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Thursday morning!
Unionized food and beverage workers at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport who have gone almost two years without a raise were scheduled to begin a strike at 3 a.m. when the first shift reports.
The 73 members of UNITE HERE Local 26, employed by Grove Bay Concessions, a Florida-based company, have been working without a contract since Aug. 1 and have been at the bargaining table for over a year. Elected officials and community leaders are expected to join the picket activity between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to a UNITE HERE Local 26 news release.
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High tide in Newport is at 5:43 p.m. Low tide is at 10:25 a.m. and 11:54 p.m. Sunset is at 8:23 p.m.
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Gov. Dan McKee signs legislation (S2342/ H7290) limiting grocery store self-checkouts to a minimum of one staffed checkout for every three self-checkouts at a 1 p.m. ceremony at UFCW Local 328 in Providence. The new law will make Rhode Island the first state to enact a statewide self-checkout staffing ratio. At least one self-checkout station must meet the accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Public Utilities Commission meets at 1 p.m.
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board of Directors meets at 1:30 p.m.
The House of Representatives seen on the last day of the 2026 legislative session, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Nolan Page
Of the 75 members of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, only 22 faced potential challengers while nine were not seeking reelection, as of Wednesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to file declaration of candidacy forms for the 2026 primary and general elections. All 38 state senators filed to run for reelection. Only 13 have an opponent. The list of candidates is not yet considered final, as cities and towns continue to upload information to the Rhode Island Department of State website.
Then Majority Leader Sen. Valarie Lawson, an East Providence Democrat, listens to debate to determine a new Rhode Island Senate President on April 29, 2026. Lawson secured 24 votes against her two competitors that night to become president. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea and Alexander Castro
Defending Education, an Arlington, Virginia, organization known for mounting legal challenges to DEI initiatives and LGBTQ-inclusive school policies across the country filed an ethics complaint Monday against Rhode Island Senate President Valarie Lawson for advancing bills the group claims benefits the education union she leads. The group claims Lawson, who serves as president of the National Education Association Rhode Island, violated the state’s code of ethics by voting on two pieces of legislation.
President Donald Trump looks on during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on May 27, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
By Jennifer Shutt
The Trump administration sent Congress a request Wednesday for $87.6 billion in emergency funding to cover the cost of the war in Iran and other expenses. White House budget director Russ Vought wrote in a letter that in addition to addressing “urgent needs” for the Defense Department, the funding would help the U.S. government assist with the Ebola outbreak and provide aid to American farmers.
ICYMI
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