By Janine L. Weisman | Editor-in-Chief

Good Friday morning!

Later this morning, the city of Providence will release the results of an independent review of the response to the Brown University mass shooting. Watch for a story on our site at 9 a.m.

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High tide in Wickford is at 8:42 a.m. and 8:59 p.m. Low tide is at 2:12 p.m. Sunrise is at 6:08 a.m. Sunset is at 7:25 p.m.

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The Cannabis Control Commission meets at 1 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed speaks at 1 p.m. at Riverside Cemetery in South Kingstown at a graveside service for First Lt. Franklin Hugh McKinney, 21, of Narragansett, who was killed during World War II when his F-5 reconnaissance plane went down in Thailand.

McKinney will be laid to rest next to the graves of his parents. In March 1946, McKinney departed an airfield in Yunnanyi, China, piloting an F-5 Lightning for a mission over Thailand and Burma and never returned. His remains were found at a crash site in northern Thailand and positively identified using DNA technology in March 2026.

Gov. Dan McKee arrives at WPRO in East Providence for a gubernatorial debate on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current)

By Nancy Lavin

Helena Buonanno Foulkes has widened her lead over Gov. Dan McKee, ahead 38 points with more than half of likely primary voters supporting her, according to a new University of New Hampshire poll published Thursday. McKee's campaign slammed the survey as "bogus," while its authors defended the methodology.

Charlene Lima, left, is challenging Sen. Dawn Euer, right, in the Democratic primary for Newport’s Senate District 13. (Courtesy photos)

By Nancy Lavin

Sen. Dawn Euer faces a challenge from progressive Democrat Angela Lima in the primary for Senate District 13 in Newport and Jamestown. While both candidates emphasize equity and affordability, the AFL-CIO-endorsed Lima says she brings a new perspective. Euer, endorsed by Attorney General Peter Neronha, cites her legislative accomplishments and says her work is not finished.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island headquarters in Providence. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)

By Alexander Castro

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha is calling on the Office of Health Insurance Commissioner to reject proposed 2027 premium increases from Neighborhood Health Plan and Blue Cross Blue Shield, arguing the hikes are untenable for Rhode Islanders. Neighborhood is seeking an 22.4% rate hike while Blue Cross wants a 9.8% increase.

Ahead of the May 2024 primary, a drop box for mail-in ballots sits outside the Shelby County Courthouse Annex in Shelbyville, Ky. (Photo by McKenna Horsley/Kentucky Lantern)

By Ariana Figueroa | D.C. Bureau

The U.S. Postal Service moved forward Thursday with new mail-in voting rules even as even as a high-stakes legal battle plays out. Democratic-led states, including Rhode Island, and voting rights groups are challenging the Trump administration’s policy to restrict mail-in voting.

ICYMI

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