By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief

Good Thursday morning!

Good Lord, Rhode Island needs rain. The Providence forecast calls for a mostly cloudy day with a chance of showers and thunderstorms possible after 2 p.m. Chance of precipitation is 50%. The National Weather Service says new rainfall amounts would be less than a tenth of an inch, but higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.

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High tide on Block Island is at 11:01 a.m. and 11:24 p.m. Low tide is at 4:51 p.m. Sunset is at 8:21 p.m.

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Members of Scotland’s renowned Tartan Army who are staying in Providence during the FIFA World Cup present a $10,000 donation to Hasbro Children’s Hospital at a 1 p.m. ceremony in the outdoor garden space accessible from the hospital campus’ Eddy Street entrance. Yes, there will be bagpipes.

The Providence City Council meets at 6 p.m. The Council will vote for the second and final time on the city’s fiscal year 2027 budget. Councilors will also consider an ordinance reforming the Juvenile Hearing Board, which would ensure that all eligible young people arrested for a nonviolent offense are automatically referred to the Board. 

The Rhode Island delegation sign is shown at the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024 in Milwaukee. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

By Nancy Lavin

Legislation passed by the General Assembly sent to Gov. Dan McKee’s desk on Tuesday shifts the state’s 2028 presidential primary from late April to the first Tuesday in March, dubbed “Super Tuesday." Fifteen states, including every other New England state except New Hampshire, held their 2024 primaries on Super Tuesday, determining one-third of all delegates sent to presidential nominating conventions.

Turbine installation for Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine project now completed south of Rhode Island, is shown. The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge’s ruling that the Trump administration’s attempt to block project permit reviews was unlawful. (Photo courtesy of Ørsted)

By Nancy Lavin

The Trump administration is running out of legal paths to block offshore wind development, after the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston dismissed its appeal seeking to overturn a Massachusetts federal judge’s ruling. Attorney General Peter Neronha — one of 18 Democratic state attorneys general who first sued the Trump administration in May 2025 for attempting to halt offshore wind development — framed Monday’s judgment as a victory.

The nacelle and blades of a Vineyard Wind turbine at the offshore wind farm off Massachusetts are seen in May 2026. (Photo by Eleonora Bianchi/The New Bedford Light)

By Anastasia E. Lennon | The New Bedford Light

One of Vineyard Wind’s parent companies allegedly owes nearly $1.2 million to its Boston landlord over unpaid rent, according to a lawsuit filed against the offshore wind company last week. It marks the second financial dispute tied to the wind project in recent months that has spilled into public view.

The Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain outside of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on June 16, 2026. The Columbus Circle fountain is one of nine ornamental fountains in Washington, D.C. that have recently undergone improvements reportedly funded in part by National Park Service fees. (Photo by Amelia Twyman/States Newsroom)

By Amelia Twyman

Rhode Island’s U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is among congressional Democrats demanding transparency from the Department of the Interior after media reports revealed the Trump administration redirected about $90 million in national parks fees to help prepare for America’s 250th birthday in Washington, D.C. 

ICYMI

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