On Friday, Superior Court Judge Sarah Taft-Carter gave final approval over the pension agreement between the city of Providence and its retirees, according to WPRI. more

Rhode Island’s tax rates are some of the highest in the United States, according to The Tax Foundation’s 2013 “Facts and Figures” report. more

Thanks to the results of extensive faculty, staff and student survey results, and studies of student enrollment patterns and faculty collaboration ties, Brown University on Wednesday announced its intention to expand its engineering school on land it already owns, while also announcing gifts of $44 million for that effort. more

State lawmakers, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee and Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin have unveiled a nine-bill plan to help “improve gun safety and strengthen existing laws dealing with firearm violations.” more

Women in the Rhode Island make, on average, 85 cents to every dollar paid to men, according to a new report released by the National Partnership for Women and Families. more

The next step in the redevelopment of the former Interstate 195 footprint in the capital city took place Monday, marked by an official groundbreaking at the western end of the property attended by Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee as well as the city’s congressional delegation. more

Many of the top supporters of health care reform in Rhode Island joined in a Providence Business News-sponsored panel discussion on “Health Care Reform and the Insurance Exchange,” held March 28 at the Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick. more

The CEOs of three commercial health insurers in Rhode Island joined the leaders of Lifespan, the state’s largest hospital network, and Coastal Medical, one of the state’s largest physician-run primary care practices, for a March 28 discussion on “Health Care Reform and the Insurance Exchange.” more

PROVIDENCE – The mayors of four Rhode Island cities joined several state legislators and a coalition of advocates last week in calling for the passage of legislation aimed at freeing Rhode Islanders from a cycle of debt caused by ultra-high-interest payday loans. more

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island last week became the latest state to roll back criminal penalties for minor marijuana possession, replacing the threat of jail time for those caught with pot with something akin to a traffic citation, The Associated Press reported. more