By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief
Good Friday morning!
The Providence forecast calls for partly sunny with a high near 78. There is a chance of showers before 4 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 4 and 5 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 5 p.m.
New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch are possible, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
* * *
High tide in Providence is at 6:18 a.m. and 6:42 p.m. Low tide is at 11:06 a.m. Sunset is at 8:24 p.m.
* * *
Rhode Island gubernatorial candidates Democrat Helena Buonanno Foulkes, Republican Aaron Guckian, and independent Ken Block speak at a candidates forum at Smart Growth RI’s Power of Place summit from 3:15-4:45 p.m. at the Rhode Island School of Design followed by 20 minutes of Q&A. Investigative journalist Jim Hummel will moderate.
Congratulations to Hummel, a former Providence Journal and ABC6 reporter, and former Providence Journal and Boston Globe reporter Bruce Butterfield; retired Providence Journal Executive Editor Alan Rosenberg; and former Newport Daily News Executive Editor Sheila Mullowney. All four veteran journalists will be inducted into the Rhode Island Press Association Hall of Fame at the association’s annual awards banquet tonight at the Quonset O Club in North Kingstown.
Mariah Reynoso, the daughter of a concession worker at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, holds a strike sign as employees picket outside the terminal on June 25, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)
By Christopher Shea and Nolan Page
Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport’s 73 food and beverage workers walked off the job Thursday amid stalled contract negotiations with the Florida-based company that operates the restaurants and stands in the Warwick terminal. Concession workers organized under Unite Here! Local 26 began the one-day strike at 3 a.m., around the time the first shift would have reported in.
Gov. Dan McKee has vetoed legislation that would establish a mandatory statewide energy benchmarking and reporting program for buildings of 25,000 square feet or more. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
In his first veto of the 2026 legislative session, Gov. Dan McKee is blocking a bill that would require owners of large buildings to report their energy use to the state. The move has drawn outrage from environmental advocates and lawmakers.
A shower stall at the Newport County YMCA in Middletown. Gov. Dan McKee asks Rhode Islanders to voluntarily conserve water while Rhode Island is under a drought watch. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current)
By Nolan Page
Gov. Dan McKee “strongly encouraged” Rhode Islanders to take conservation measures as water demand peaks during the summer on Thursday as he announced the state’s first drought watch since 2002. Recommendations included fixing leaky plumbing, hand watering plants and being conscientious about the water used during showers and laundry.
Helena Buonanno Foulkes has received endorsements from a dozen local Democratic committees, picking up four alone on Wednesday night, June 4, 2026. (Photo by Nolan Page/Rhode Island Current)
By Nancy Lavin
Rhode Island gubernatorial challenger Helena Buonanno Foulkes now has the endorsements of a dozen local Democratic committees after picking up four major cities Wednesday. Gov. Dan McKee has only secured endorsements from two Democratic city committees.
An election worker processes mail-in ballots for the California state primary election at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on June 05, 2026, in City of Industry, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
By Jonathan Shorman | D.C. Bureau
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an appointee of President Barack Obama in Massachusetts, on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order restricting voting by mail. She found that Trump had exceeded his constitutional authority. State and local election officials have raised concerns that its requirements would inject chaos into preparations for the November midterm elections.
ICYMI
Virginia education group files ethics complaint against RI Senate president | Christopher Shea and Alexander Castro
Healey celebrates completion of Vineyard Wind project as company faces financial disputes | Hallie Claflin, CommonWealth Beacon
In more states, older people outnumber children | Tim Henderson, 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.