Hot Topic

What’s R.I.’s solution to prevent data breaches?

Hot Topic 01/20/2023

The state hasn’t been immune to major data breaches – the latest example being an R.I. Department of Health mishap that exposed the protected...

THE ABORTION PILL mifepristone can now be dispensed by retail pharmacies, but which ones will decide to go through certification process to sell it. AP FILE PHOTO/ALLEN G. BREED

Pharmacies will weigh several factors in deciding whether to dispense abortion...

Hot Topic 01/13/2023

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion pills means drug stores will have to make a decision...

ADVOCATES FOR the unhoused say Rhode Island's "Homeless Bill of Rights" should have protected those camped out on the Statehouse lawn last month when Gov. Daniel J. McKee ordered them removed from the grounds. A Superior Court judge sided with McKee. / PBN FILE PHOTO/CASSIUS SHUMAN

Does ‘Homeless Bill of Rights’ need an update?

Hot Topic 01/06/2023

Rhode Island’s adoption of a “Homeless Bill of Rights” may have won state leaders praise when it was passed in 2012, but the weakness...

STATE LEADERS ARE in a good financial position with a $610 million surplus projected for fiscal 2023, but some say a lot of that money is because several state agencies have been understaffed and overworked. / PBN FILE PHOTO/CASSIUS SHUMAN

Some R.I. officials say job vacancies a big part of projected...

Hot Topic 12/30/2022

The projected $610 million budget surplus awaiting the General Assembly and the administration of Gov. Daniel J. McKee has been the subject of speculation...

SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATIONS between the developer for the Revolution Wind project and Rhode Island fishermen over the installation of power cables in the fishing grounds off the Rhode Island coast may be the model on how to resolve future disputes as more offshore wind projects seek approvals. / SOURCE: R.I. DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT / PBN GRAPHIC/ANNE EWING

Is this a path to peace between offshore wind, fishermen?

Hot Topic 12/23/2022

Fishermen and offshore wind developers say a recent agreement over the installation of undersea cables for the 100-turbine Revolution Wind project marks a turning...

THE EXTERIOR of Providence City Hall won't change, but many of the people who make decisions inside the building will. Come January, newcomers will fill nearly half of the City Council seats and there will also be a new mayor. / PBN FILE PHOTO/CHRIS BERGENHEIM

Enormous turnover among Providence leaders is unchartered territory

Hot Topic 12/16/2022

The Providence City Council is on the brink of a massive shift, with nearly half of its members leaving office at the end of...

CANNABIS PRODUCTS are on display at Mother Earth Wellness Center in Pawtucket, one of the five Rhode Island locations that started selling recreational marijuana on Dec. 1. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Is R.I.’s cannabis rollout fair?

Hot Topic 12/09/2022

With legal recreational cannabis sales underway in Rhode Island, not all retail dispensaries will start on equal footing. Industry observers say the state’s delay...

FEELING THE SPIRIT: Providence Place mall reported an increase in visitors to the mall in the first weekend of the holiday shopping season, placing the rise at about 3% above a year earlier. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

R.I. shopping centers feeling merry about December despite economic challenges

Hot Topic 12/02/2022

Crowded stores and stronger-than-expected sales have analysts predicting that the rest of the holiday shopping season will be a banner one despite higher prices,...