By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Thursday morning!
Drink plenty of fluids today. Stay in an air-conditioned room. Stay out of the sun. Check on relatives and neighbors.
Basically, keep your cool. That’s the advice on an Extreme Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service continuing today through 8 p.m. Saturday for all of southern New England with the exception of Cape Cod and the Islands. Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 98 to 115 degrees are expected. The worst of the heat and humidity are expected today and Friday.
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management forecasts that air quality will reach UNHEALTHY levels statewide today for sensitive groups due to elevated ground-level ozone. That could worsen asthma and other lung conditions for children, older people, and others with pre-existing respiratory issues.
The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has this list of cooling centers across the sate for those seeking relief from the heat wave.
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High tide in Warwick is at 10:21 a.m. and 10:35 p.m. Low tide is at 3:40 p.m. Sunset is at 8:23 p.m.
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Because of extreme heat this week, the Providence City Council meets tonight at 6 p.m. in the Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr. Auditorium on the first floor of the Providence Public Safety Complex rather than the City Council Chamber.
Former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, left, scrolls through his phone while the Rhode Island Ethics Commission meets behind closed doors on June 23, 2026. Next to Shekarchi is his attorney, Thomas Dickinson. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
Providence Superior Court Judge Richard Licht, who himself once sought a Rhode Island Ethics Commission opinion before joining the bench, will hear former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi's lawsuit against the panel’s investigation into his application to to become a justice for the state Supreme Court.
Democrat Helena Foulkes, shown at Grow Smart Rhode Island’s 2026 Power of Place summit gubernatorial forum on June 26, 2026, has a 20-point lead in Rhode Island’s Democratic gubernatorial primary race, with 42% support over McKee’s 22% in a new poll. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
Helena Buonanno Foulkes leads the Democratic gubernatorial race, but Gov. Dan McKee has closed the gap according to a University of New Hampshire survey published Tuesday. Independent gubernatorial candidate Ken Block remains a strong contender in the general election, especially if McKee wins the Democratic primary.
People cool off with their dogs at the dog-friendly section of Montrose Beach on June 30, 2026 in Chicago. High humidity and temperatures in the 90s with heat indices above 100 degrees are expected to remain in the city for the next several days. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
By Sam Gauntt
As outdoor celebrations and events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary and the World Cup reach their peak, local officials across the country are urging caution amid a heat wave blanketing many East Coast and Midwestern states.
Rhode island lacks uniform standards to determine a youth offender’s eligibility for referral to their local juvenile hearing board. It often depends on where they live and what time of day the offense occurred. (Getty image)
COMMENTARY
By Kerem Pele Köylüoğlu
A new legislative study commission will spend the next year and a half looking at how juvenile hearing boards operate across Rhode Island. It will find that there is no clear statewide guarantee that a young first time offender will have the chance to avoid formal court involvement. And challenges finding data from around the state, a Brown University student writes.
ICYMI
New barriers save the day for Bristol July 4th concerts in the park | Jordan J. Phelan
States gird for new Medicaid ‘medically frail’ rule | Shalina Chatlani, Stateline
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