By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Monday morning!
June is bustin’ out all over. The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins today and runs through Nov. 30.
An average hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes. The 2026 outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls for a 70% probability of eight to 14 storms (which means they have winds of 39 mph or greater) and three to six hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or greater), of which one to three would be major ones.
2025 marked the first year NOAA’s National Hurricane Center used Artificial Intelligence model guidance into their forecasts. In May of last year, the outlook called for a 70% probability of 13-19 named storms (which means they have winds of 39 mph or greater), six to 10 hurricanes, of which three to five would be major ones.
By the time the season ended, there were 13 named storms, five hurricanes and four major hurricanes.
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High tide in Newport is at 9:17 a.m. and 9:31 p.m. Low tide is at 2:23 p.m. Sunset is at 8:12 p.m.
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Gov. Dan McKee attends a 9 a.m. assembly at Coventry High School. At 1:30 p.m., he speaks at the Day of Portugal flag raising ceremony at East Providence City Hall.
The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation Board of Directors meets at 5 p.m.
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.
The Rhode Island State House is shown on a January night in 2026. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
Two long-debated topics on Smith Hill, a millionaire’s tax and a state inspector general, were cemented in the revised fiscal 2027 budget given first passage by House lawmakers Friday night. The record $15.2 billion budget was even higher than the $14.9 billion tax-and-spend plan Gov. Dan McKee unveiled in January thanks to an extra $228 million surplus revealed from updated revenue estimates in May.
A mob of Trump supporters gathers in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. An “anti-weaponization” fund was created by the Department of Justice in May 2026 that could make payments to those who took part in the Jan. 6 attack. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
By Jonathan Shorman, D.C. Bureau
President Donald Trump’s extraordinary $1.776 billion fund to pay off allies and others who say they have been wronged by past administrations has drawn widespread condemnation by opponents, including some Republicans, who characterize it as an act of brazen corruption. But the Trump administration’s push to reward its supporters also harkens back to an earlier era of American cronyism, experts say, while expanding the frontiers of political favoritism.
A licensed dispensary in Maryland sells cannabis-infused edible chews and dried marijuana flower. Many states with cannabis industries say they’re waiting for more detail before taking action in response to the Department of Justice’s rescheduling of medical marijuana. (Photo by Amanda Watford/Stateline)
By Amanda Watford | Stateline
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent rescheduling of medical cannabis will help those marijuana businesses. Companies will be able to claim some federal tax benefits. New research can start up at state universities. But the broader divide between federal and state marijuana policy remains largely intact, leaving states to navigate a fragmented landscape with few clear answers about what comes next.
For Amazon, this year’s reporting changes contributed to a 44% decrease in the number of employees and dependents listed as covered by Nevada Medicaid. (Photo via Amazon press center)
COMMENTARY
By Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui and Patrick van Esch
Consumers may pick a small brand instead of the giant, but they've just walked through a different door into the same store. And it’s getting harder and harder to escape, a pair of consumer behavior and marketing scholars who study purchasing decisions say.
ICYMI
Trump ordered limits on voting by mail. The Postal Service is moving to make states comply. | Jonathan Shorman, D.C. Bureau
Legislation allowing extended bar hours during World Cup games becomes law | Janine L. Weisman
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