By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Monday morning!
It’s a pot holiday and Patriots' Day in Massachusetts.
Good luck to Rhode Island State Police Troopers Matt House and Arnaldo DeLacerda Dju who are running in the Boston Marathon today. They are raising money for Cops for Kids with Cancer, Inc. and have already surpassed their fundraising goal.
* * *
High tide in Newport is at 10:48 a.m. and 11:11 p.m. Low tide is at 4:00 p.m. The sun is already up now! Sunset is at 7:31 p.m.
* * *
Clients at Good Neighbors Community Kitchen and Food Pantry in East Providence wait in line for food assistance on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
Looming federal mandates requiring states to improve accuracy in distributing food assistance benefits has forced Rhode Island officials to work fast to improve the problematic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). But advocates fear the state's error rate reduction plan could cut off vulnerable recipients.
Cannabis Control Commissioners Robert Jacquard, left, and Layi Oduyingbo talk ahead of the panel’s meeting April 17, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission on Friday offered its first public update since a court ruling paused retail licensing, while still withholding its legal strategy as it appeals in an effort to resume awarding licenses.
Motorists travel on Route 93 with the Boston skyline in the distance. (Photo by CommonWealth Beacon)
By Jordan Wolman | CommonWealth Beacon
Massachusetts did not file a mandated report on state vehicle emissions due on March 1, according to its Department of Environmental Protection. In fact the state has not complied with the Baker-era regulation since it took effect in 2019.
Cyberattacks delay care, disrupt services, and put patients directly at risk. (Getty photo)
COMMENTARY
By Ava Forsberg
Rhode Island has a cybersecurity strategy but lacks strong, enforceable requirements for hospitals. But the growing threat of a cyberattack raises the stakes and makes the need for stronger cybersecurity an urgent priority.
Rhode Island U.S. District Judge Mary S. McElroy, a Trump appointee, tossed the U.S. Department of Justice’s lawsuit to obtain Rhode Islanders’ sensitive voter data on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
By Alexander Castro
Rhode Island U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy granted a motion by Secretary of State Gregg Amore and voting rights intervenors to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit to obtain Rhode Islanders’ sensitive voter data. McElroy also denied the DOJ’s motion to compel Amore to hand over unredacted voter records.
ICYMI
National Guard ‘follows the Constitution,’ general says of troops possibly deployed to polls | Jonathan Shorman, D.C. Bureau
Trump says he’s going after Medicaid fraud, but is mostly focusing on blue states | Shalina Chatlani, Stateline
Thanks for reading Swell. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.