Internet casinos thrive in 6 states. So why hasn't it caught on more widely in the US?
In the 10 years that it has been operating in New Jersey, internet casino gambling has generated nearly $7 billion in revenue for casinos and their affiliates, sent over a billion dollars in tax revenue to the stateโs coffers, and helped keep Atlantic Cityโs nine casinos afloat while they were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Massachusetts city got nearly 10 inches of rain in 6 hours, flooding homes and eroding dams
Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with two communities declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes, creating moats around their foundations and leading to boat rescues of residents.
Steak-out: Rhode Island's runaway steer has been recaptured
FILE - This Feb. 2021 file photo provided by Adam Seaberg shows a cow that escaped on Feb. 4, in Johnston, R.I., as it was being unloaded at a slaughterhouse. Weeks after escaping, the steer was finally captured unharmed in Johnston by its owner on Friday, March 26, and returned to a Connecticut farm. (Adam Seaberg via AP, File)JOHNSTON, R.I. โ A steer that has been on the lam for nearly two months after escaping while on the way to a Rhode Island slaughterhouse was finally corralled Friday morning, police said. The beefy, 1500-pound (680-kilogram) fugitive was captured unharmed in Johnston by its owner and returned to a Connecticut farm, Johnston Chief Joseph Razza told WLNE-TV. The steer took off Feb. 4 when a wholesaler lost control of it outside Rhode Island Beef & Veal in Johnston, according to authorities.
Are suit jackets oppression? Lawmakers fight own dress codes
(AP Photo/Steven Senne)BOSTON โ A sneaker-clad Latino state senator in Rhode Island is objecting to his chamberโs jacket and dress shirt edict as a form of white oppression. With women and people of color elected in larger numbers in many states, legislatures are being forced to confront longstanding dress codes that are increasingly viewed as sexist and racist. But the Denver-based organization said roughly half of all state legislatures had some sort of formalized dress code in 2019. The Democrat-controlled Rhode Island Senate approved its new dress code Tuesday, over objections from Acosta and other lawmakers. But he said the strong opposition to ending the dress code outright only underscores the uphill battle younger, progressive lawmakers face in trying to advance more pressing priorities.
Rick Reetz Named Next Football Program Director For St. Andrew's Episcopal School
Austin, TXโSt. Andrew's Episcopal SchoolHead of SchoolSean Murphyand Director of AthleticsJeff McCraryjointly announce the hiring of veteran football coachRick Reetzas the next 5th through 12th-grade Football Program Director and Upper School Faculty Member. "I am thrilled to have Coach Reetz join us to lead our program," Murphy said. Some of the notable colleges and universities include Clemson University (captain on the 2016 team, national-runner up), University of North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Syracuse University, Boston College, Dartmouth College, University of Pennsylvania, Tufts University, Carnegie-Mellon University, Occidental College and many more. "We have confidence that Rick can help transform the St. Andrew's Football Program and create a meaningful and fun experience for our boys." AdA virtual meet-and-greet for Coach Reetz and his family will be held in the near future.
Where's the beef? Runaway steer still roaming Rhode Island
This February 2021 photo provided by Adam Seaberg shows a cow that escaped on Feb. 4, in Johnston, R.I., as it was being transported. More than a month after escaping while being unloaded at a slaughterhouse, the steer is still roaming the streets of Johnston, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Providence. (Adam Seaberg via AP)JOHNSTON, R.I. โ Where's the beef? More than a month after escaping while being unloaded at a slaughterhouse, a 1,600-pound (725-kilogram) steer is still roaming the streets of Johnston, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Providence. โThough it appears in this picture that it backs the blue, the escaped Johnston cow is still on the lam,โ police wrote.
Remains of Cold War-era Russian sub seen in film catch fire
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu)FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2016 photo, the remnants of a Cold War-era Russian submarine, once used as a floating museum until it sank in 2007, sits rusting in the Providence river in Providence, R.I. The remains of the submarine caught fire, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, as workers were using a blow torch to cut it up for scrap. (AP Photo/Jennifer McDermott, File)PROVIDENCE, R.I. โ The remains of a Cold War-era Russian submarine once seen in a movie starring Harrison Ford caught fire in Providence on Tuesday morning as workers were using a blowtorch to cut it up for scrap, fire officials said. The fire at a waterfront scrap yard sent a plume of black smoke over the city at about 9:30 a.m. but was quickly extinguished. AdIt sank during a norโeaster in 2007 and was sold for scrap.
Senate confirms Raimondo as Biden commerce secretary
FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2021 file photo, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Rhode Island Gov. The Senate has voted to confirm Raimondo as President Biden's commerce secretary. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON โ The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to serve as President Joe Bidenโs commerce secretary and help guide the economy's recovery during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Later Tuesday, the Senate voted 95-4 to confirm Cecilia Rouse to be chair of Biden's Council of Economic Advisers.
CVS posts strong Q4 numbers, but pandemic weighs on results
CVS Health Corporation (CVS) on Tuesday, Feb. 16 reported a fourth-quarter net income of $973 million. The company's health insurance business also has started adding claims for COVID-19 treatments. CVS Health earned $973 million in the final quarter of 2020, with results adjusted for one-time gains and costs totaling $1.30 per share. CVS Health operates one of the nationโs largest drugstore chains with nearly 10,000 retail locations. AdShares of CVS Health Corp. slipped 4% to $71.24 while broader markets rose slightly Tuesday.
Does your child want to be a toy tester? Find out how you can sign them up
PAWTUCKET, Rhode Island โ How would your kids like to be toy testers? You can sign them up at Hasbroโs FunLab here. The FunLab is Hasbroโs in-house Toy and Game testing research facility, located within Hasbro headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Testers normally have to go to a testing site to participate, but because of the pandemic, the program is virtual. The studies in this program are one-time tests and are scheduled anywhere from one day to one week in advance.
The Latest: Wet snow turns to sleet in northern New England
A sprawling, lumbering winter storm has walloped the Eastern U.S., shutting down coronavirus vaccination sites, closing schools and halting transit. In its second day in the Northeast, a snow storm left nearly 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow piled up in parts of New Hampshire. The Yale New Haven Health system, which runs several hospitals in southern Connecticut, said its vaccination sites were closed Tuesday and staff were contacting people to reschedule appointments. In New England, nearly 15 inches (38 centimeters) of snow piled up in southeast New Hampshire, and the mountains were getting heavy snow as well. The National Weather Service reported 30 inches of snow fell in parts of Sussex and Morris counties on Monday.
Slots filled for Memorial Hermann COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic in Sugar Land for those 65 and older
SUGAR LAND, Texas โ All slots are filled for a Fort Bend County COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land Wednesday, Feb. 3 to Saturday, Feb. 6, authorities said Tuesday. If you are 65 years of age or older, you are asked to complete a vaccination verification form that will confirm your eligibility for vaccination. Public registration is available only to those 65 years of age and older, consistent with the stateโs Phase 1B guidance. Approximately 16,000 COVID-19 vaccinations will be administered, Memorial Hermann said. Vaccine supply is limited and appointments will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis until the available appointments are full.
Creator of RI's beloved Big Blue Bug landmark dies at 88
(AP Photo/David Klepper, File)PROVIDENCE, R.I. โ The creator of the Rhode Island landmark, the Big Blue Bug, which advertises a local pest control business on Interstate 95 in Providence, has died. According to his obituary, George Cardono died Tuesday at the age of 88, the Providence Journal reported. The idea for the beloved termite came from Big Blue Bug founder Leonard Goldman, his son Stephan and โtheir outside advertising manโ Cardono according to a 2012 Providence Journal column by Mark Patinkin. Cardono, an artist with a Rhode Island School of Design background, studied termites under a microscope to create the advertisement. AdThe 58-foot-long, 4,000 pound (17 meter-long, 1,815 kilogram) Rhode Island icon cost $30,000, the newspaper reported.
Biden's Commerce pick, Raimondo, voices tough line on China
Gina Raimondo testifies remotely during her nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. Gina Raimondo, a former venture capitalist, would be responsible for promoting opportunities for economic growth domestically and overseas. U.S. companies need to get a license to sell sophisticated technology to companies on the list. Raimondo promised to give the Census Bureau more time to crunch the numbers for the 2020 census if needed. โI believe we need to take the politics out of the census and we need to rely on the experts,โ Raimondo said.
Biden picks Rhode Island Gov. Raimondo as commerce secretary
FILE - In this March 1, 2020 file photo, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo faces reporters during a news conference, in Providence, R.I. President-elect Joe Biden has picked Rhode Island Gov. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)WASHINGTON โ President-elect Joe Biden has picked Rhode Island Gov. Her name had been floated for Biden's health secretary, though she said last month she would be staying in Rhode Island and continuing to focus on the coronavirus pandemic. She is a former senior adviser and deputy chief of staff at the Small Business Administration and a small business entrepreneur herself.
EXPLAINER: Why the smallest state has a big virus challenge
The nation's smallest state by area has reported 1,870 pandemic deaths so far, far fewer than many states but giving Rhode Island the nation's sixth highest COVID-19 death rate. Like other Northeastern states, Rhode Island was hit hard early in the pandemic. Clusters of cases among students were reported this fall at the University of Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University and Providence College. Like other states, Rhode Island limited indoor dining and customer capacity at many businesses in the spring and temporarily shuttered bar areas, gyms and theaters. Rhode Island has performed more than 2 million tests, more per resident than any other state, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Mail carrier treated to the โ12 Days of Christmasโ
COVENTRY, R.I. โ A Coventry, Rhode Island, man who appreciates his mail carrier has gone above and beyond to make sure she knows it this Christmas by giving her a special delivery for the โ12 Days of Christmas.โDonald Vanasse says every year, he typically gives a gift to his mail carrier around the holidays. โYou give them a card, you give them a gift or something and I figured this year that I would be extra special,โ Vanasse says. โThis year, especially weโve realized these are our essential workers, these people have to go out every day, they canโt work from home, they couldnโt stay away from people they had to do this and risk their lives.โVanasse wanted to make sure his mail carrier, โJen,โ knew that he was grateful for all sheโs done, so he came up with the idea to give her โ12 Days of Christmas.โRead more: http://bit.ly/3hdyNXG
Judge approves settlement in women's sports case at Brown
FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2019, file photo, people rest on grass while reading at Brown University in Providence, R.I. The university and attorneys for student-athletes, who challenged the Ivy League school's decision to reduce several women's varsity sports teams to club status, announced a proposed settlement Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)PROVIDENCE, R.I. โ A federal judge on Tuesday approved a settlement between Brown University and student-athletes who had challenged the Ivy League school's decision to drop several women's varsity sports. The settlement originally announced in September restores the womenโs equestrian and womenโs fencing teams to varsity status, and calls for an end to a 1998 legal agreement ensuring gender equity in varsity sports at Brown on Aug. 31, 2024. It stemmed from a legal challenge in June to the Providence, Rhode Island school's decision to reduce several women's varsity sports teams to club status.
Acclaimed art scholar, ex-RISD president Roger Mandle dies
PROVIDENCE, R.I. โ Roger Mandle, an internationally renowned art scholar and the former longtime president of the Rhode Island School of Design, has died, RISD said Tuesday. Mandle died Saturday in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, after a long battle with cancer, the school said in a statement. A painter himself, Mandle served as president of RISD from 1993 to 2008. Bush, Mandle helped shape and guide U.S. art and design policy. He was a former director of the Toledo Museum of Art, a former associate director of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and a member of the Ohio Arts Council.
5 states OK measures eradicating racist language, symbols
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)BIRMINGHAM, Ala. โ Alabama voters reversed themselves from a few years ago and removed racist vestiges of segregation from the state constitution that courts long ago ruled unconstitutional. Rhode Island did a similar a U-turn to eradicate the word โplantationsโ from the stateโs official name. To the west, Utah and Nebraska approved provisions similar to Alabama's to delete constitutional language allowing slavery as a possible punishment in criminal cases. โThis ballot initiative is part of a broader shift in Rhode Island to reconcile with the past," said Mark, the political scientist. โI think this is a unique moment in history.โAll those ballot measures involved changing symbols or wiping away reminders of injustices of long ago.
What the Elsa? Sanitation workers dress up as โFrozenโ characters to delight neighborhood kids
LINCOLN, R.I. โ A trio of Rhode Island sanitation workers have gone viral due to their Halloween hijinks. Mitchell Shallcross, Colby Laferriere, and Angel Vargas decided to switch things up a bit on their garbage collection route through the streets of Lincoln last Friday. โIt was one day before Halloween and we knew there were a lot of kids on our Friday route, and we wanted to do something fun and kind of festive,โ said Laferriere. โWhen we drove past the bus stops a lot of kids they thought it was funny, they were laughing, they were clapping a lot of thumbs up.โThe group drove by Jamal Burleyโs home, too. The Lincoln resident and father of two said he heard his wife laughing while she looked out of a window.
Across the country: 5 noteworthy ballot measures that deserve some attention
To see what exactly the ballot measures are in each state, click or tap here. Below are five noteworthy initiatives we thought weโd mention from across the country. Mississippiโs flag redesignThe state Legislature in June eliminated the old state flag that had the Confederate battle emblem, which was widely thought of as racist. Californiaโs app-based driving proposalThis initiative will decide whether app-based transportation and delivery drivers are classified as independent contractors or as employees. Coloradoโs abortion banThis is a ballot initiative that will likely draw a lot of attention across the nation.
Racial justice movement a factor for 5 state ballot measures
FILE - In this Tuesday, June 30, 2020 file photo, Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration employees Willie Townsend, left, and Joe Brown, attach a Mississippi state flag to the harness before raising it over the Capitol grounds in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)The Black Lives Matter movement isnโt named in any of the 120 statewide ballot measures up for a vote on Nov. 3. But this year's nationwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice are major factors in the campaigns in several states for measures with distinctive racial themes. In Mississippi and Rhode Island, Black supporters of the ballot measures hope this yearโs nationwide spotlight on racial injustice will bring a different outcome than when similar proposals were on the ballot previously. In Utah, the slavery measureโs lead sponsor was Rep. Sandra Hollins, the only Black person now serving in the Legislature.
Brown U. rebuts 'conspiracy' in fight over women's sports
PROVIDENCE, R.I. Brown University rebutted what the school calls spurious conspiracy claims" as it responded to an allegation that it is failing to comply with a 1998 agreement ensuring gender equity in sports. The Ivy League school this year announced it was cutting several varsity women's and men's sports, and reducing them to club status. The agreement stemmed from a lawsuit filed after Brown dropped womens gymnastics and volleyball as varsity sports. Brown last month released internal documents, including emails from high-ranking school officials, that Public Justice and the ACLU said show Brown wanted to undermine and dismantle the 1998 agreement. Brown President Christina Paxson said the school fully supports women's sports.
From farm to beach, Democrats across America nominate Biden
(Democratic National Convention via AP)SACRAMENTO, Calif. A Montana cattle range, a California beach, a historic bridge in Alabama. These were the sometimes kitschy, sometimes poignant scenes from the first-ever virtual roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention. Fred Guttenberg spoke about Biden's compassion following the murder of his daughter at the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Each state also cast some votes for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the last Democrat in the race to challenge Biden. Following tradition, Delaware, Biden's home state, was the final state to announce its support for Biden, with Gov.
Rhode Island boy digs up massive 2 1/2-pound mollusk
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. An 11-year-old Rhode Island boy clamming with his grandfather found a giant quahog that is thought to be one of the largest ever harvested in state waters. Cooper Monaco, of Wakefield, found the massive mollusk Monday in the Weekapaug section of Westerly, and donated it to the University of Rhode Islands Marine Science Research Facility in Narragansett, the university said in a statement Thursday. The state Department of Environmental Management does not keep quahog records, but a typical quahog grows to about 4 inches (10 centimeters) across, the university said. And then I felt the edge of it and I thought, holy moly, this is a clam. So I pulled it out. Ed Baker, the manager of the URI Marine Science Research Facility, plans to put the quahog on display.
A troubling pandemic thought: Are THESE the good old days?
A man wearing a mask leaves a gift shop on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, in Hope Valley, R.I. Could these be the good old days? But consider this: What if THESE are the good old days? The pandemic continues to buffet the planet economically, dashing hopes that the worst of the joblessness might be behind us. The pandemic is "going to get worse and worse and worse, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters last week. These times were in right now perilous as they are will soon be looked back on fondly as the good old days. Prepare accordingly, tweeted Columbia University philosopher Rory Varrato.
WATCH: Breakfast buddies share morning meals at tiny picnic table
"It's actually pretty cool to watch," Lopes says. A few months ago, Lopes hung bird feeders all around his backyard. A few weeks ago, he bought a miniature picnic table and put it next to the one he and his family uses. They're actually pretty funny to watch," says Lopes. A few weeks ago, Lopes said he witnessed a beautiful breakfast date.
Reconnaissance Aircraft Finds Tropical Storm Fay Has Formed Just Off The Coast Of North Carolina
Location 40 miles ENE of Cape Hatteras North Carolina Wind 45 mph Heading N at 7 mph Pressure 29.68 Coordinates 74.9W, 35.5NDiscussionAt 500 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Fay was located near latitude 35.5 north, longitude 74.9 west. Fay is moving toward the north near 7 mph (11 km/h). Watches and WarningsChanges with this advisory:A tropical storm warning has been issued from cape may New Jersey northward to watch hill, Rhode Island, including long island and long island sound. Summary of watches and warnings in effect:A tropical storm warning is in effect for, * cape may New Jersey to watch hill Rhode Island including long island and long island soundA tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours. Wind: tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the coast within the warning area on Friday and spread northward through the warning area Friday night.
Texans Nation in Patriot country
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island โ The countdown to the biggest game in the Texans franchise history is on as two heavyweights set to clash in Foxbourough Monday night. Texans fans poured into Patriot country to show their support. The diehard fans were in Providence, greeting the Texans when the team buses carrying the players and staff arrived at their team hotel Sunday afternoon. "Our team is so underrated," said Texans fan David Mendez. They moved up here, and we just love the Texans," said Texans fan Patrick Brion.