By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Monday morning!
Well, we need the rain today. But the National Weather Service has a flood watch in effect through Tuesday afternoon.
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High tide on Block Island is at 12:46 p.m. Low tide is at 6:07 a.m. and 6:38 p.m. Sunset is at 8:21 p.m.
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Jamestown’s Independence Day Fireworks display, originally scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m. at East Ferry Wharf, is postponed until Thursday, July 9.
Lawmakers will spend the next year studying the feasibility of a proposed, Rhode Island Foundation-led rewrite of the state’s education funding formula. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
A proposed major rewrite of Rhode Island's school funding formula by the Rhode Island Foundation’s Blue Ribbon Commission is on hold as the General Assembly creates a new commission to study the panel's recommendations and examine what the formula might mean for state and local budgets.
A lone star tick, which is a very aggressive tick that bites humans. A circular rash sometimes follows the bite. (Photo courtesy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
By Amelia Twyman | D.C. Bureau
The prime time for ticks is here in the United States, and after an especially active start to the season, experts are urging the public to stay alert and take preventive measures. Monthly emergency department visits for tick bites in April spiked to their highest level since 2017 and continued to remain high throughout May and June, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tick bite tracker.
North Smithfield High School students listen to oral arguments heard by Rhode Island Supreme Court justices during their visit to the school’s auditorium on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Ethan Shorey/Rhode Island Current)
COMMENTARY
By Jorge Elorza
Former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza argues Rhode Island should keep millions in federal scholarship tax credits for K-12 students instead of sending the money to Washington.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., looks on as Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By David Lightman | D.C. Bureau
The long, often agonizing struggle for Black political clout in Washington faces a new, uncertain and potentially troublesome chapter. A Supreme Court ruling and aggressive redistricting in Republican-led states are raising fears that the Congressional Black Caucus could lose significant representation, as changes to Voting Rights Act enforcement and district maps threaten majority-Black seats nationwide.
ICYMI
America’s 250th birthday is on sale. Where’s all that merch money going? | Ashley Murray, D.C. Bureau
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