By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief

Good Friday morning!

Tonight the Sakonnet River Bridge will be lit in green in recognition of World Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)/Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) Awareness.

These two conditions affect an estimated 1 out of 200 young children in the U.S., who experience sudden noticeable changes in mood, behavior, and sensory and motor functions when an infection triggers an abnormal immune response that attacks the brain.

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High tide in Providence is at 7:38 a.m. and 7:59 p.m. Low tide is at 12:50 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:51 a.m. Sunset is at 6:14 p.m.

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U.S. Sen. Jack Reed visits Bom Café on Washington Street in Providence at 11 a.m. to highlight efforts to prevent companies from using AI-enabled algorithms to charge consumers higher prices. Reed will join small business owners and experts from the Economic Progress Institute.

A review of Rhode Island’s motor voter system found noncitizens can’t access registration. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

By Christopher Shea

A review of Rhode Island’s motor voter system finds procedural steps prevent noncitizens from accessing voter registration, Secretary of State Gregg Amore and House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale confirmed this week.

Left to right, Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates Ken Block, Helena Buonanno Foulkes and Aaron Guckian face moderator Gene Valicenti during the live debate hosted by NBC 10 WJAR in the lobby of the Providence Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (WJAR)

By Nancy Lavin

Gubernatorial candidates Helena Buonanno Foulkes, Ken Block and Aaron Guckian presented their plans on housing, energy and education in a live debate hosted by NBC 10 and Coastal ABC on Wednesday at the Providence Performing Arts Center. One of the sharpest divides was in how each candidate felt about working with Providence Democratic mayoral nominee, David Morales.

A Mrs. Potato Head stands outside Hasbro headquarters on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

By Nancy Lavin

The personal information of more than 600 Rhode Island residents who worked for or bought products from Hasbro Inc. may have been exposed during a two-part data breach earlier this year, according to an email the company sent to the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office on Wednesday.

The White House pictured on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

By Jennifer Shutt | D.C. Bureau

A federal judge is expected to rule on whether the Trump administration can revoke White House press passes for journalists at CNN, MS Now and Politico or if those reporters will be able to continue accessing the grounds while the case continues. 

A construction worker wields a hammer on the job at the Mill Creek Residential project in Paramus, N.J., in May 2026. The supply of skilled workers in construction and other trades is under pressure from aging, immigration enforcement and a rush to build data centers. (Photo by Tim Henderson/Stateline)

By Tim Henderson | Stateline

A perfect storm of harsh immigration enforcement, aging journeymen and a building boom for data centers is wreaking havoc on the nation’s supply of skilled trade workers. Worker shortages are the top reason for construction project delays, a September survey by the Association of General Contractors of America found.

ICYMI

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