The occupant of a private airplane is dead after the aircraft crashed in Westerly, R.I., on Monday afternoon.

Air quality alerts have been issued for elevated ozone levels in parts of Western Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island until late tonight.

Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat, is seen as the state’s most progressive speaker, but his first big step was to back creation of an inspector general, a long-time GOP priority. Here are six things to know about new Rhode Island House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski. ⤵️

Monsanto Company and its affiliates, Solutia Inc. and Pharmacia LLC, have agreed to pay Rhode Island at least $25 million to resolve the state’s claims that they polluted waterways and natural resources with polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs.

From Rhode Map: The Rhode Island Foundation just announced nearly $650,000 in seed funding for 26 research projects. 🧪 Here’s a breakdown of the projects getting $25,000 grants from the foundation.

Pawtucket elementary school students have been going to school for fewer hours than required by law, a potentially costly mistake for an urban district that is now racing to make up the missed classroom time by the end of the year.

The Providence City Council failed to override Mayor Brett Smiley’s veto of its rent stabilization plan, killing the proposal for now.

Data released in the briefing shows the unemployment rate rose during the first quarter of 2026 – to 4.6 percent from 4.4 percent – hitting its highest level since the third quarter of 2021 and exceeding the national and New England unemployment rates, both at 4.3 percent.

Whether it’s a martini with a bump of caviar, a chilled Japanese-style highball, a classic dive with live music, or a nightclub for the over-30 crowd, Providence’s downtown offers a night out for every mood and every budget. Here’s where you should grab a drink this summer.

A Cranston, R.I., man who claimed to be a financial advisor with a $10 million portfolio has pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court, after spending most of a Massachusetts couple’s $140,000 on his own personal expenses.

In Rhode Map: The Providence City Council is holding a rare Friday evening meeting as it attempts to override Mayor Brett Smiley’s veto of its rent-control ordinance, but there is no sign that it has secured the 10 votes it needs to force the proposal into law.

Commentary: How do lawmakers justify these eliminations if the goal is sustainable revenue or supporting seniors who are struggling? Tax policy should reflect the ability to pay.

From Dan McGowan: Li Hou became a key contributor on one of New England’s top Division III tennis teams, winning more than 20 matches over four seasons, including the clinching victory that secured Rhode Island College’s Little East Conference championship last fall.

Rhode Island’s new House speaker is pushing for the creation of an inspector general to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in state government, citing the Washington Bridge failure and other high-profile recent government missteps.

The US Department of Homeland Security is doubling down on its criticism of a Rhode Island judge who released a man from ICE custody last month after ICE told the US Attorney’s Office not to inform her he was facing a homicide warrant in the Dominican Republic.

Commentary: Vetoing a policy that would protect tenants from steep rent hikes is not only a bad policy decision, it is putting thousands of Providence residents at risk of the negative health impacts caused by rent increases, rent debt, and eviction.

In passionate testimony Thursday, Rhode Island’s attorney general, a retired judge, and a clergy abuse victim called for the Senate to act now — and not wait for court advice — on a bill allowing expired civil claims for sexual abuse against institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church.

From Rhode Island Report x GBH 🎙️: t’s a tale of two bridges. The Washington Bridge amounts to a cautionary tale and the Iway bridge amounts to a success story. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here ⤵️

From Rhode Island Current: For the sixth consecutive year, the Rhode Island Senate passed legislation to reduce the maximum sentence for a misdemeanor crime by one day as a way to protect immigrants from being detained or removed from the country.

Congregation Jeshuat Israel can continue to worship at a 19th century building near Newport’s historic Touro Synagogue, from which the group was evicted last year, a judge has determined.

Commentary: Rhode Island is not helpless and needs to act. Three bills now before the General Assembly show how our state can push back constitutionally, carefully, and effectively.

Survivors of clergy sexual abuse and a Boston attorney who represents victims say the Rhode Island Senate is poised to thwart a landmark bill that would allow abuse victims to bring previously expired civil claims against institutions including the Roman Catholic Church.

From Dan McGowan: The FIFA World Cup begins next month, but Rhode Island already has a winner in a different worldwide challenge. 🍻

A Rhode Island judge blocked the US Department of Justice from obtaining medical records of transgender children and teens, hours before the deadline set by another judge for Rhode Island’s largest hospital system to hand the documents over.

A man remains at large more than a week after a federal judge in Rhode Island decided ICE could re-detain him. He was initially released, after the federal government did not tell the judge he faces a homicide warrant in the Dominican Republic.

Mass deportations risk harming Rhode Island’s economy, hurting local businesses, and exacting “a devastating toll” on immigrant families and communities, according to a new report by the Latino Policy Institute and other groups.

From Rhode Map: In some ways, it’s a game of chicken with the union. The RIFTHP believes it can win support for the current legislation in the House and the Senate and that McKee has already publicly said he’d sign the bill.

Commentary: The city deserves a mayor who creates a sound housing policy, not a false fix, writes one Providence resident.

Rhode Island’s largest school district is looking to cut more than 100 jobs in the next school year to help close a budget gap caused by enrollment declines, school officials said, a figure that includes 67 teaching positions.

A Rhode Island judge on Tuesday slammed the Department of Justice for what she called “misrepresentations” that led a Texas judge to order Rhode Island Hospital to turn over medical records of transgender youth to the Trump administration.

Best piece of snail mail I’ve received in a long time ☺️ I’m a proud @bostonglobe.com subscriber and now I have @fitzprov.bsky.social autograph 🤩

With former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s seeking a state Supreme Court seat, attention is again focusing on Rhode Island’s distinction of having the only state supreme court with lifetime appointments and no mandatory retirement age.

A Portsmouth, R.I., man who murdered his landlord with a hatchet in 2023 has been sentenced to life in prison, according to prosecutors.

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha on Tuesday announced his office is suing the Quidnessett Country Club in North Kingstown for building an unauthorized seawall at its North Kingstown golf course and defying state regulators by refusing to remove it.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence announced it has merged parishes in Warren and East Providence, and has closed another in Exeter. The changes follow similar moves made by the diocese last year, when it merged several parishes in Pawtucket, Providence, and West Warwick.

As more than five million fans around the globe prepare to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, concerns over disease outbreaks are growing.

Commentary: The more the state delays clean energy deployment, the longer Rhode Island families and businesses remain exposed to fuel price spikes that customers cannot avoid.

Bravo’s hit reality TV series is coming back for a second season, NBCUniversal revealed during its Upfronts presentation in New York on Monday.

The manufacturing plant in East Providence where an oven exploded in April, injuring 11 employees, could reopen as soon as this week, as long as it gets a final all-clear from city building inspectors.

The founder of Alex and Ani has filed a lawsuit against her sister, alleging she misused the assets of their family’s decades-old Rhode Island-based jewelry business to secretly subsidize Air & Anchor, another jewelry venture.

A man seen in a video shared on social media being hit by Providence police in April has filed a formal complaint against the department.

Rather than vote on the bill, the Rhode Island Senate will ask the state Supreme Court to weigh in on whether it would be constitutional to allow previously expired civil claims for sexual abuse against institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church.

From Rhode Map: The Chris Blazejewski era officially begins this week in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, and the newly elected speaker is already gearing up for a busy couple of months. So what should we expect from Speaker Blazejewski?

Do you remember the Mother’s Day snowstorm of 1977? Temperatures plunged as a mid-spring storm moved in, blasting Massachusetts and Rhode Island with wintry conditions.

A 20-year-old man was fatally shot early Monday in Providence, R.I., authorities said. The shooting occurred around 2:17 a.m. in the area of Swift and Spring streets, police said.

Rhode Island State Police have arrested two men during a nationwide human trafficking investigation, officials said.

The Yawgoo Valley Water Park in Exeter, R.I., is closing after more than three decades.

From Dan McGowan in Rhode Map: Turner, who died this week, attended Brown University, but was famously kicked out. He returned in 1993 to receive an honorary degree, and deliver a commencement address.

Commentary: While we understand that changing administrative procedures has a cost for utilities, this is not a reason to ignore seriously ill Rhode Islanders who need better protection. We can’t keep hiding behind our courts and regulatory agencies.

More than two days after a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered an undocumented immigrant be re-detained, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not located the man who is allegedly wanted for homicide in the Dominican Republic.