Saturday, August 15, 2026

TOPICS

Focus

FEELING PROTECTIVE: Sen. Lori Urso, left, and Rep. Karen Alzate, both Democrat lawmakers from Pawtucket, led the effort to amend Rhode Island’s Fair Employment Practice law to include menopause-related health issues to the list of medical conditions that employers have to accommodate. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In R.I., menopause added to list of workplace protections

Sitting in front of a ­microphone, donning bright-pink glasses, Lori Urso proceeded to educate a room of mostly men about a topic most don’t...
QUALITY CONCERNS: Curtis Dyer, left, clinical pharmacy operations manager at PACE Organization of Rhode Island, speaks with PACE participant Mark Harter about his medications. With a greater number of air quality alerts in recent years, officials at PACE are worried about the effects on the elderly. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Air quality in R.I. a problem that just won’t blow over

On a typical week, PACE Organization of Rhode Island might have about 11% to 14% of its seniors cancel their visits to the nonprofit’s...
STAYING RELEVANT: Greenwood Credit Union CEO and President Frederick Reinhardt says credit unions need to adapt to how younger people prefer to bank, as many don’t use ATMs, barely use cash and don’t want to swipe a card, preferring to pay with their phone or a tap.
PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Gen Z banks differently; can credit unions keep up?

Gen Z is poised to become the most powerful force in consumer finance in the coming years, but credit unions risk missing out if...
­COMBATING CRYPTO SCAMS: 
Rep. Julie A. ­Casimiro was a sponsor of legislation intended to make it more difficult for fraudsters to take money from people using cryptocurrency ATMs, a growing problem nationwide. 
PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

As crypto ATM scams grow, R.I. moves to prevent them

These aren’t your parents’ ATMs – they’re a new tool increasingly exploited by scammers. Similar in appearance to traditional ATMs found in convenience stores, laundromats...
DIALING IT BACK: ­Maribeth Calabro, president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, says the policy at Nathaniel Greene Middle School in Providence to severely limit students’ access to cellphones during the day has worked well. 
PBN PHOTO/­MICHAEL SALERNO

Cellphone bans in class are going statewide

When Nathaniel Greene Middle School in Providence started using special pouches to lock students’ cellphones during the school day, teachers noticed a dramatic change. “The...
MORE THAN A GAME: Janice Mascarelli, center, a teacher at the Newport Family Child Opportunity Zone Summer Learning Academy at Pell Elementary School in Newport, plays Alphabet Zoop card games with Pell students to build letter and sound recognition skills as they prepare to enter first grade.
COURTESY NEWPORT FAMILY CHILD OPPORTUNITY ZONE SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY

As funding shrinks, can Learn365RI still get results?

During April vacation, it may be hard to imagine children feeling enthusiastic about more schoolwork during what’s typically an eagerly awaited break. But when Warwick...
THE REGULATOR: Cory King, Rhode Island’s health insurance commissioner, is overseeing changes to the state’s health care affordability standards requiring insurers to raise the amount they spend on primary care services and lower the number of prior authorization requirements. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Insurers face new rules to bolster primary care

Health care professionals are closely monitoring the fallout of new regulations the R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner established this year that are...
ADAMANT ADVICE: Charlene DeLuca, wedding planner and founder of Just a Girl Events LLC in Providence, recommends that bridal parties pay for event liability insurance coverage for their wedding, even if the venue doesn’t require it. She is pictured at the Graduate by Hilton in Providence.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Liability policy may need to be part of the nuptials

Imagine attending a joyous wedding reception at a picturesque Rhode Island location – where a radiant bride, a dashing groom and their families gather...
PROCEED WITH ­CAUTION: Pamela Thornton, director of strategic human resource services for the Employers Association of the NorthEast, says that companies relying on artificial intelligence to streamline hiring should still maintain a human connection during the process as much as possible.
PBN PHOTO/­MICHAEL SALERNO

Using AI to do the hiring far from an exact science...

As more companies are adopting artificial intelligence in the workplace, the technology is playing an increasing role in hiring processes, with many employers still...
FREE TO ASSIST: A mix of attorneys and law students staff the eviction help desk at District Court in the Garrahy Judicial Complex in Providence. Such pro bono work has declined in some areas since January. In the photo are, from left, Brian Furgal of Rhode Island Legal Services; Roger Williams University law student Michael Dabramo; Suzanne Harrington-Steppen, clinical professor of law and associate director of pro bono programs at RWU Law; and law student Megan Graham. 
COURTESY ELIZA VORENBERG

Lawyers try to adapt as pro bono needs rise

As Trump administration policies target areas such as immigration, LGBTQ issues and voting rights, the demand for pro bono services among vulnerable organizations and...
- Featured Event -

Latest News