By Christopher Shea | Reporter
Hiya,
The pressure campaign against Citizens Bank continues Saturday as the coalition targeting the Rhode Island-based financial institution for its financial ties to private prison companies that detain immigrants on behalf of the Trump administration has organized a “national day of action” protests across 15 states.
That includes demonstrations outside nine branches in Rhode Island, according to the interactive map from the De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition.
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Want to be part of a world record? The Providence Place mall could make history Saturday as organizers attempt to set the mark for the most people simultaneously juggling soccer balls.
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Here’s your look at the week that was:
The Rhode Island House of Representatives debates the fiscal year 2027 state budget at the Rhode Island State House in Providence on Friday, June 5, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
A record $15.2 billion fiscal 2027 budget breezed through the Rhode Island House of Representatives in near record time Friday, with the 65-10 vote finalized with an hour to spare before sunset.
The exterior of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Johnston. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
Rhode Island’s immigration service nonprofits are celebrating a decision by a federal judge Friday to toss the administration's policy that froze permits and other benefits for applicants from nearly 40 countries subject to travel bans.
The Crook Point Bascule Bridge in Providence, seen here on June 3, 2026, has been locked in an upright position over the Seekonk River since 1976. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
The iconic Crook Point Bascule Bridge in Providence is possibly a step closer to finding new life, due to the General Assembly's passage of legislation that would create the Crook Point Bridge Authority. The new quasi-public agency would take over ownership of the bridge from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and manage its preservation and potential redevelopment.
Dr. Ann Hagan Webb, a survivor who was abused by a priest from 1957 to 1965 while she attended Sacred Heart School in West Warwick, watches the Senate deliberate from the chamber gallery on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
The Rhode Island Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to create a two-year window for new clergy sex abuse lawsuits against institutions. The legislation now heads to the House for consideration.
Daniel Trafford (left), a State House publicist, speaks with Rep. Joseph Solomon on the House floor on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
A joint resolution to repeal Rhode Island's 1861 ratification of the ultimately unsuccessful Corwin Amendment went to a House floor vote Wednesday, 165 years after Rhode Island lawmakers voted in support of its attempt to appease southern states by preventing federal interference in slavery.
A home under construction in Providence's Silver Lake neighborhood. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
A new report by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council found the $120 million housing bond approved by voters in 2024 has so far financed 200 new rental units at an average cost exceeding $512,000 per unit, with the state covering roughly half the expense. The independent business and tax policy group says the subsidy-heavy approach is too costly to meaningfully ease the affordable housing crisis.
ICYMI
Rat poison ban clears both chambers of RI General Assembly | Alexander Castro
RI Senate votes to restrain ICE operations, opening door to lawsuits | Christopher Shea
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