By Alexander Castro | Reporter
Happy Friday!
And so we’ve reached the end of this twisty, turny, curved racetrack of a week in which the General Assembly barrel rolls toward the conclusion of this year’s lawmaking. And in the other corner: we the press, clinging, like simians swinging on tree branches, to each minute and fast-moving development in the process. I may adore the feeling of going fast, but there are limits to speed. So my weekend will be restful, forces beyond my control notwithstanding. Here’s hoping yours is too. I guess we have to survive Friday first, though!
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High tide in Narragansett is at 11:48 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Low tide is at 5:21 p.m. Sunset is at 8:15 p.m.
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Two new associate justices, Joanna M. Achille and Maria Ferro Deaton, will be sworn into the Rhode Island Superior Court by Gov. Dan McKee in a back-to-back pair of ceremonies starting at 1:30 p.m. at the Rhode Island State House. The ceremonies will also be streamed on Capitol TV.
An initial graphic in Gov. Dan McKee's campaign ad (left) has been replaced with a new version that does not contain references to sex and drugs (right). (Screenshots courtesy of WPRI-TV 12 and YouTube)
By Nancy Lavin
Gov. Dan McKee’s reelection campaign replaced a commercial with a new version Wednesday, wiped clean of off-color sex and drugs references in a split-second shot of a health insurance card graphic. McKee’s campaign spent another $66,804 to air the revised, 30-second ad 161 more times on local TV networks through June 8, FCC filings show.
A rodenticide bait box seen on Atwells Avenue in Providence in May 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
A bill to limit the sale of anticoagulant rat poisons in Rhode Island has passed both the House and Senate. The legislation, aimed at protecting natural predators, now awaits final concurrence votes before it could head to the governor's desk.
Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone, a Providence Democrat, speaks on the chamber's floor on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
The Rhode Island Senate on Wednesday approved two bills from the chamber’s majority leader aimed at restricting state and local participation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and exposing federal officials to lawsuits in state court.
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon and members of her staff exit a classroom at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional Junior High and High School in West Greenwich on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
The nation’s largest labor union has sued the U.S. Department of Education over its decision last year to cancel 28 grants created to help teachers improve techniques for working with English-language learners.
Scott Rabideau waves to supporters following his Senate confirmation to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Screenshot)
By Nancy Lavin
The newly reshaped Rhode Island Coastal Management Council (CRMC) is set, with the Rhode Island Senate confirming Scott Rabideau as the sixth and final appointee on Thursday in a 38-0 vote made without discussion.
The exterior of U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island at 1 Exchange Terrace, Providence. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
President Donald Trump’s administration's Justice Department is appealing a Rhode Island federal judge's ruling that blocked its access to sensitive voter registration data like Social Security and driver’s license numbers.
Rosebrook Commons, a 144-unit mixed use mixed income apartment development with 23,000 square feet of small business ground floor commercial retail and community space on West Main Road in Middletown, is shown under construction in July 2025. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)
COMMENTARY
By Michael DiBiase and Jeffrey S. Hamill
In response to Rhode Island’s daunting housing affordability challenges, state policymakers have advanced key policy initiatives. While progress has been made, it hasn’t been felt by the vast majority of Rhode Islanders, write Michael DiBiase and Jeffrey S. Hamill of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC).
ICYMI
RI Senate approves bill reviving expired clergy abuse lawsuits | Christopher Shea
Massachusetts sits on federal cash for EV chargers, ‘mystifying’ transit advocates | Jordan Wolman, Commonwealth Beacon
First-time homebuyers face hurdles despite gradual improvement | Tim Henderson, Stateline
Things are looking up for the Crook Point Bridge | Alexander Castro
Rhode Island backed a pro-slavery amendment 165 years ago. Now lawmakers look to repeal it. | Nancy Lavin
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