NEW: An unexpected theme of the first McKee reelection TV ad? Sex positivity Campaign just resent the spot to fix jokes on a gfx and bought another week of TV time - but stands by attacks Foulkes spox calls McKee campaign "not ready for prime time" www.wpri.com/news/electio...

NEW: The R.I. Supreme Court has denied Providence's petition to exclude a high-ranking Cranston police officer from sitting on a police misconduct board when the panel hears the case of a controversial police officer for the *second* time in years. www.wpri.com/target-12/ri... @wpri12.bsky.social

On Oct. 2 last year, Alisha Crins texted her friends that a relationship with her male student “started as just flirting but just got out of control.” The texts were shared in an arrest report obtained through a public records request by @wpri12.bsky.social MORE: www.wpri.com/target-12/ne...

Helena Foulkes hit back at Gov. Dan McKee’s campaign on Wednesday over a new attack ad focusing on her time as a top executive at CVS. Fact Check by @TedNesi.bsky.social: https://www.wpri.com/news/elections/foulkes-cvs-respond-to-mckee-campaigns-new-tv-attack-ad/

TODAY: RIDE Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green will formally recommended to the R.I. Council on Elementary and Secondary Education that the state relinquish control of PPSD by July 1. What to know before tonight’s vote With @elisherman.bsky.social: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

Providence School Board tabled a vote on a transition proposal for PPSD, following news that RIDE's Education Commissioner wants to end the state takeover on July 1. President Ty'Relle Stephens said he heard this less than an hour before the meeting. www.wpri.com/target-12/rh... @wpri12.bsky.social

WPRI 12 NEWS/EMERSON POLL: Helena Foulkes is up big over Dan McKee in the Dem primary for gov, with just 3 months left before early voting Foulkes 40% McKee 20% Undecided 37% Much more in here and to come - tune in live on @wpri12.bsky.social www.wpri.com/news/electio...

⏰ ONLY 5 HOURS until results from our first @wpri12.bsky.social poll of 2026! Who leads the Dem Gov primary - McKee or Foulkes? And who's ahead for November? Who leads the open race for AG? How do voters feel about Trump, Reed, RIDOT and Shekarchi? Tune in at 5pm! www.wpri.com/news/electio...

NEW: A group of state employees has filed a class-action lawsuit against the state of Rhode Island, seeking damages they allege were caused by the state’s problem-plagued payroll system www.wpri.com/target-12/st...

BREAKING: With one final chance to override Mayor Brett Smiley's veto of a controversial rent control ordinance, the Providence City Council failed to do so in a 9-1 in vote. Developing story here: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, joined Newsmakers this week to discuss everything from the war in Iran to his bid for reelection. Watch on FOX Providence, WPRI 12+, and online: https://www.wpri.com/news/newsmakers/ @timwhiteri.bsky.social @tednesi.bsky.social

UPDATE: Councilman John Goncalves, who has been eyed as a councilor that could flip his no vote on rent control to yes, is NOT attending tonight's override vote "due to a personal conflict and prior out-of-state commitment." Background: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

A crucial vote that could override Mayor Brett Smiley’s veto of rent stabilization is set to happen at 6 PM. I’m here and will bring you updates on @wpri12.bsky.social tonight! Background: www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

NEW: Cranston firefighters have exceeded their overtime budgets by an average of $1.5 million annually over the past decade, a longstanding pattern that is helping fuel the city’s worsening fiscal picture. w/ @timwhiteri.bsky.social www.wpri.com/target-12/cr...

VIDEO + STORY: Four terminated Pawtucket firefighters caught up in drug investigation will get their jobs back, including one who will get a promotion. Chief Goncalves was disappointed with an arbitrator's ruling. Union declined to comment. MORE: www.wpri.com/target-12/pa... @wpri12.bsky.social

NEW: Cranston’s budget fight is escalating. Mayor Ken Hopkins now wants to eliminate senior services and cut new school funding to bring a proposed tax hike down to 4%. Opponents say the city’s seniors are being used as leverage www.wpri.com/target-12/cr...

Prosecutors dismissed a DUI charge against a man who police said previously hit and killed a woman while driving a snow plow in 2024. His lawyer tells Target 12: “The state concluded... the evidence was insufficient to prosecute the case further." www.wpri.com/target-12/sn... @wpri12.bsky.social

An Ethics Complaint has been filed in former-Speaker Joe Shekarchi's bid to become a state Supreme Court justice. @rwulaw.bsky.social Prof. @mjyelnosky.bsky.social argues it would violate the state's revolving-door law. www.wpri.com/target-12/la...

NEW: Inside the rise of Chris Blazejewski, the man poised to become the next House speaker of Rhode Island. My latest👇 www.wpri.com/target-12/wh...

A shellfish harvesting area in the lower Providence River is closed after around 800,000 gallons of untreated sewage were discharged into the river near Watchemoket Cove. More: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/800000-gallons-of-untreated-sewage-discharged-into-providence-river/ 

NEW: RI woman convicted in fraud case of falsely claiming to be U.S. Marine with cancer, is denied early release from prison. Sarah Cavanaugh failed to convince Judge John McConnell that she had "extraordinary and compelling" reasons for release. www.wpri.com/target-12/st...

NEW: Remember when that Cranston businessman accused Mayor Ken Hopkins of stealing his sports car? City taxpayers have paid about $47,000 in legal fees tied to the personal dispute. The case is now in settlement talks. w/ @timwhiteri.bsky.social www.wpri.com/target-12/cr...

Cranston's projected deficit grew by a half million dollars in just a month, per the latest spending report. Now totals ~$10.5 million. No plan currently in place to fix it --> www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

NEW: Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins says he's going back to the drawing board after the City Council rejected his proposed budget last night. The mayor spoke with @katewilkinson.bsky.social from Texas where he's attending a conference www.wpri.com/news/cransto...

Would you buy your groceries at Providence Place? One of the mall's new owners wants to bring a supermarket into the shopping complex and said he has his eye on Costco. MORE: www.wpri.com/business-new... @wpri12.bsky.social

If you didn't already understand just how busy Providence will be this summer... Providence ACT Director Joe Wilson Jr. explains why pretty well. STORY: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

UPDATE: McKee campaign says governor raised about $500,000 during Q1 Largest three-month total McKee has ever posted, but also less than half what Helena Foulkes took in over that period No cash-on-hand number out for McKee yet; report due Thursday www.wpri.com/news/electio...

UPDATE: @whitehouse.senate.gov slams Trump DOJ move to keep Calenda effectively serving as RI's US attorney, saying other options with bipartisan Senate support were ignored Administration "is plainly attempting an end run around the law," Whitehouse argues. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...

NEW: Another huge fundraising haul for @helenabfoulkes.bsky.social as Dem gov primary draws closer Her campaign says it raised $1.1M during Q1, bringing her cash on hand to $3.65M McKee has not reported his Q1 number yet - filings due to Board of Elections by Thurs www.wpri.com/news/electio...

INBOX: Speaker Shekarchi & SenPrez Lawson issue joint statement about Rte 10 on-ramp structural failure, saying they'll talk to the governor and be "discussing next steps," tho no suggestion so far of additional RIDOT oversight www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

Drone shots by our @wpri12.bsky.social photog Kyle Kane give a better sense of the damage from last night's structural failure at the Route 10 on-ramp. This was today, after the debris had been removed from the train tracks. www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

NEW: How big is @helenabfoulkes.bsky.social lead over @govdanmckee.bsky.social? Yesterday's poll - taken in March- showed Foulkes with a 14-point lead But today's latest from UNH shows her lead up to *34* points as McKee support slumps to 11% @reed.senate.gov up double-digits, too

Attorneys for an embattled scrap metal yard asked a judge to dismiss a two-year-old complaint against the business. A Mayor Brett Smiley spox tells me they're not backing down in the fight against RI Recycled Metals. www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

Hot take: Skip The Real Housewives of RI—your local council meeting is where the real drama is.

NEW: No matter who polls it, the Foulkes/McKee primary contest doesn't move Foulkes at 34% and McKee at 20%, with 38% undecided, in new survey by RI charter schools league affiliate "Nothing we haven't seen," says Joe Fleming Poll also tested battery of charter Qs www.wpri.com/news/electio...

A new committee will vet Mayor Brett Smiley's $635 million budget proposal this year, taking control away from Finance Committee Chair, Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan. MORE: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

NEW: Ken Block campaign poll gives us first look at the general election for RI gov Foulkes leads Block by most, tho the margin is a tie (and McKee trails) when voters hear Block's case, per poll by Charlie Baker's former campaign manager Foulkes & McKee teams quick to recall Block's GOP days

VIDEO: Mayor Brett Smiley's promised veto of the City Council's rent control ordinance sets the stage for a fiery Democratic primary against State Rep. David Morales, who supports it. I asked Smiley if he's worried about his rebid. Updated story --> www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

NEW: Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins will seek General Assembly approval to increase the city’s annual tax levy by 7.4% in an attempt to address a multimillion-dollar deficit. Developing story 👇 www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

PROVIDENCE: Mayor Brett Smiley's $636 million budget does NOT raise taxes and proposes new funding for housing measures. In-depth coverage: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

NEW: 3 debates are a lock for RI's Dem gov primary @helenabfoulkes.bsky.social and @govdanmckee.bsky.social campaigns agreed today to do 3 *before* early voting starts Aug 19 - a timing lesson Foulkes learned the hard way when she lost in '22 Polls show huge % of voters are still undecided

NEW: A major Rhode Island behavioral health provider is asking lawmakers to intervene in a $1.3 million dispute, accusing state officials of “regulatory overreach” and failing to grasp the billing systems they oversee www.wpri.com/target-12/1-...

PROVIDENCE: Setting the stage for a reelection bid this fall, Mayor Brett Smiley will unveil his fourth tax-and-spending plan on Wednesday in what will be the final budget address of his first term. Here's what we know so far: www.wpri.com/news/local-n... @wpri12.bsky.social

NEW: Rhode Island’s largest Medicaid health plan is threatening legal action against the state, alleging a decade of “inaction” has left the organization with $135 million in unpaid debt for services www.wpri.com/target-12/me...

NEW: The region's 4 House Dems are starting to weigh in about Swalwell sexual assault allegations @amo.house.gov: Should resign or be expelled @repauchincloss.bsky.social: Ethics Cmte & police should probe @magaziner.house.gov: No comment yet @keating.house.gov: No comment yet

TARGET 12: After police in Swansea received an anonymous tip that a second-grade student may have brought a gun to school last week, police said the student’s parents initially denied having any firearms in their home. www.wpri.com/target-12/po... @wpri12.bsky.social

The city of Warwick will be extending the school day by 15 minutes district-wide, beginning Friday, April 10, for the remaining 44 days of the school year. More: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/west-bay/warwick-extends-school-days-moves-last-day-of-school/ 

Dune Brothers will no longer be slinging fried seafood at its Crescent Park clam shack. Details: https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/providence/dune-brothers-clam-shack-not-returning-to-crescent-park/ 

NEW: A special master has cleared a former New Bedford District Court judge and a prosecutor of allegations of a secret romantic relationship, while flagging concerns about the judge’s conduct and handling of evidence www.wpri.com/target-12/ne...

📰Happy Local News Day - a great day to subscribe to your local paper, watch a local TV newscast, and remember that an LLM can't knock on anybody's door or ask Qs at a presser for ya