By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Wednesday morning!
Dolly Parton said, “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” The Queen of Country Music who died at age 80 Tuesday in Nashville knew how to shine with pure kindness and her philanthropic work. Twenty-one years ago, her foundation created Dolly’s Imagination Library, which donates 10 million books to children each year to improve literacy. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years since she made a surprise visit to the Newport Folk Festival. And it’s hard to believe she is gone.
Rest in Peace, Dolly.
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High tide in Providence is at 7:28 a.m. and 7:48 p.m. Low tide is at 12:47 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:04 a.m. Sunset is at 7:30 p.m.
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The Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m.
Connor Burbridge, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jack Reed, approaches a house in Providence’s Smith Hill neighborhood on May 2, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea
Connor Burbridge, a 31-year-old elder care worker running against Rhode Island’s five-term U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, is low on name recognition, endorsements and campaign cash but has high hopes as the Sept. 9 Democratic primary approaches. Even when voters who answer their doors when he comes knocking tell him: “I love Jack Reed.”
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Buonanno Foulkes’ record on opioids while leading CVS Pharmacy and Gov Dan McKee’s troubles launching the Washington Bridge rebuild weigh heavily on voters’ minds, a new WPRI poll shows. (Photos clockwise from upper left by Michael Salerno, CVS, Nancy Lavin and Alexander Castro)
By Nancy Lavin
Gov. Dan McKee has closed the gap behind his Democratic primary challenger, now 15 points behind Helena Buonanno Foulkes, according to a new WPRI-TV 12 poll. But when the 25% of undecided primary voters were pressed to choose between the two candidates, Foulkes' lead widened to 22 points.
Dolly Parton on stage in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 20, 2025, at the premiere of ‘Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony.’ Hailing from East Tennessee, Parton’s songwriting, savvy, charm and philanthropy made her a beloved figure globally. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
By Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
Dolly Parton, the Queen of Country Music, died Tuesday at age 80 in Nashville, Tennessee after decades of entertaining the world. Tributes poured in, including from Rhode Island's U.S. Sen. Jack Reed who honored her life and legacy, which including being a champion of literacy and public libraries, in a statement.
A wave of new state laws may be making it harder for private equity to scoop up hospitals and other healthcare companies. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)
By Anna Claire Vollers | Stateline
New state oversight laws are pumping the brakes on private equity’s push into healthcare, according to new data. The number of private equity-involved healthcare deals has declined since last year, and the value of those deals in the first half of 2026 is lower than it was for the same time in 2025, according to a new report from Pitchbook, a company that tracks private capital markets and investment data.
Western Line School District Assistant Superintendent James Johnson chats with second graders about books the class is reading at Riverside Elementary School in Avon, Miss., on Aug. 12, 2026. (Photo by Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today)
COMMENTARY
By Julia Steiny
Mississippi’s reading gains offer Rhode Island a lesson: science-backed instruction, early intervention, teacher coaching and accountability can help more children become proficient readers.
ICYMI
33 apply to be Rhode Island’s first inspector general. Few may qualify. | Christopher Shea
U.S. Supreme Court lifts pause on Trump mail-ballot order | Ashley Murray, D.C. Bureau
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