BREAKING: Brown President Christina Paxson just announced she will step down at the end of the upcoming school year Her decision to leave a year early will now trigger a transition in one of RI's most high-profile leadership positions www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

Brown U. President Christina Paxson will step down in 2027

Her 15-year tenure was marked by a construction and research boom but also a traumatic shooting on campus.

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TARGET 12: Four JNC members who provided key votes Tuesday to advance Shekarchi's judgeship bid have given him $30,000+ in campaign donations One of the four says he saw no reason to disclose or recuse John Marion and Steve Frias among those crying foul www.wpri.com/target-12/sh...

Shekarchi got over $30,000 from commission members who voted for his judge candidacy

The head of a good-government group said failing to disclose the donations “reflects a profound lack of judgement” by the four JNC members.

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NEW: A dual-language charter school has filed a federal lawsuit against some of the state’s most powerful elected officials, alleging they worked in concert with teachers unions during an election year to unfairly block the school’s opening www.wpri.com/target-12/ch...

Charter school sues McKee, RI General Assembly leaders over blocking its opening

The federal lawsuit alleges politics drove the plan to block the charter school from opening.

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BREAKING: After 20 years on the lam, sex assault fugitive Ronald Fischer is now back in Rhode Island. He will be processed at the ACI and expected to be in court early next week. Background: www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...

‘Most Wanted’ fugitive Ronald Fischer likely to return to RI Friday

Ronald Fischer could appear in a Rhode Island courtroom as soon as early next week.

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NEW: Fugitive Ronald Fischer is expected to be picked up in NYC Friday and returned to RI, per Manhattan DA spokesperson. Fischer vanished 20 years ago days before being convicted of sexual assault. www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...

‘Most Wanted’ fugitive Ronald Fischer likely to return to RI Friday

Ronald Fischer could appear in a Rhode Island courtroom as soon as early next week.

wpri.com

TARGET 12: Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins will return an antique car he was accused of stealing under a settlement that resolves part of a yearslong dispute with businessman Davide Broccoli www.wpri.com/target-12/ma...

Mayor Ken Hopkins to return antique sports car he was accused of stealing

Taxpayer-funded legal battles tied to the dispute remain active despite the agreement.

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A 9-month legal battle over the release of the Mt. Hope Bridge inspection report raises questions about whether RITBA improperly shielded the document for decades. RITBA has said they have applied a TSA policy to reports of all its bridges since 2009. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...

Feds: Mount Hope Bridge inspection report wasn’t sensitive after all

The Turnpike and Bridge Authority says it has deemed safety inspection reports too sensitive to release since 2009. The TSA disagreed.

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NEW: The "Taylor Swift tax" went into effect today. Here's how many properties it could impact... including what the pop star my have to pay come September. www.wpri.com/target-12/ta...

‘Taylor Swift tax’ goes into effect in Rhode Island. Here’s how many could pay

The owners of more than 8,000 properties were notified they may be subject to a new tax on certain second homes.

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TARGET 12: The state's stockpile of specialty hose to fight wildfires is in rough shape. But help is on the way. A little-known program loans out 35 miles of the hose to local fire departments. www.wpri.com/target-12/fa...

‘Fast-moving fires’: A $50K lifeline for Rhode Island’s aging wildfire hoses

The state loans out specialty hoses to combat wildland fires to local departments. But much of the stockpile has seen better days.

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NEW: One of RI's most prominent CEOs will step down Care New England chief Dr. Michael Wagner tells me he'll hand off to a new CEO early next year, after 4+ years leading the state's No. 2 hospital group (but will stay on as board chairman) Our interview www.wpri.com/business-new...

Care New England CEO Wagner to retire, join board

The head of the state’s No. 2 hospital group said the time was right to begin a leadership transition.

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NEW: Dino Guilmette, seen on ‘Real Housewives of RI,’ rejects plea deal in drug case. His lawyer is arguing the evidence against Guilmette was gathered unlawfully. www.wpri.com/target-12/di...

Dino Guilmette, seen on ‘Real Housewives of RI,’ rejects plea deal in drug case

Guilmette is facing 88 years behind bars and rejected an offer of five years of probation.

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NEW: The mom of a 15-year-old girl killed in a stairway collapse last year at the Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit alleges the club “knew or should have known” the stairs were unsafe. www.wpri.com/target-12/mo...

Mom of teen killed in stairway collapse sues Portuguese American club in Portsmouth

This is the second lawsuit against the club following the deadly incident one year ago this month.

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Only @wpri12.bsky.social was in court when the man accused of throwing a trash can at a motorcyclist on Federal Hill was arraigned on 1 count of felony assault. Robert Maggiacomo's attorney says there will be a "substantial defense." www.wpri.com/news/local-n...

NEW: Bristol bristles at RIPTA's request for yet another delay in the Mt. Hope Bridge inspection report lawsuit. The saga began with a Target 12 investigation that revealed the agency was refusing to release the report on the nearly century-old span. www.wpri.com/target-12/br...

Bristol objects as RITBA seeks more time in Mount Hope Bridge inspection report lawsuit

Bristol is objected to a request by RITBA for another delay in a lawsuit over the inspection report of the Mount Hope Bridge.

wpri.com

NEW: The judge overseeing the state’s Washington Bridge lawsuit has tapped a special master to resolve ongoing disputes over access to documents, including internal emails at the governor’s office. www.wpri.com/target-12/sp...

Special master appointed in Washington Bridge lawsuit amid fight over McKee, RIDOT emails

Nearly one million pages of documents have been produced, but disputes linger over emails of top officials.

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NEW: A Washington Bridge milestone - RI has now spent $200M addressing the bridge failure (and counting) RIDOT chief says work on new bridge is "going great" - still slated to open late 2028 Lawmakers are moving to audit RIDOT over next 6 months www.wpri.com/traffic/i-19...

Washington Bridge spending passes $200 million as construction ramps up

RIDOT’s interim director says work on building a new bridge is “going great” and “couldn’t go an better.”

wpri.com

McKee is shrugging off his campaign's "sex yes" ad snafu, telling me today, "I don't think it's a big deal ... I'm glad we're still talking about the ad" Foulkes senior adviser slams McKee team, saying mistake "shows what a clown show his campaign is" www.wpri.com/news/electio...

McKee campaign edits TV ad to remove sex, drug jokes

The governor’s team said the text of an on-screen graphic “slipped through review.”

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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...

McKee campaign edits TV ad to remove sex, drug jokes

The governor’s team said the text of an on-screen graphic “slipped through review.”

wpri.com

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

RI Supreme Court declines to review Sgt. Hanley case

The R.I. Supreme Court has declined to review a lower court’s ruling related to a controversial police officer’s fight to keep his job.

wpri.com

NEW: A Newport man is accused of inappropriately touching a 16-year-old girl on a Breeze Airways flight from Tampa to TF Green in November. James Brugman is facing two federal charges. The victim says he also showed her explicit content on the flight. www.wpri.com/target-12/ne...

Newport man accused of touching teen on flight from Tampa to Rhode Island

James Brugman is facing two federal charges that he inappropriately touched a 16-year-old girl while flying into T.F. Green.

wpri.com

Brown Health CEO John Fernandez and Care New England CEO Dr. Michael Wagner joined Newsmakers this week to talk about Rhode Island's healthcare crisis. Watch on FOX Providence, WPRI 12+, and online: https://www.wpri.com/news/newsmakers/ @timwhiteri.bsky.social @tednesi.bsky.social

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...

Cranston fire overtime blows past budgets year after year

The Fire Department overtime budget is poised to increase 40% amid Cranston’s financial woes.

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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...

Cranston mayor proposes axing senior services to lower tax hike

The revised budget proposal comes after the City Council rejected a 7.4% tax hike last month.

wpri.com

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...

Law professor files ethics complaint against Shekarchi over RI Supreme Court application

RWU professor Michael Yelnosky argues Shekarchi’s application to the state’s highest court would violated the Revolving Door law.

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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...

‘Stolen valor’ fraudster denied early prison release in RI

Sarah Jane Cavanaugh claimed she had been assaulted in prison. She is slated to be released in August.

wpri.com

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...

Cranston mayor vows new plan after council shoots down budget

Mayor Ken Hopkins said “everything is on the table’ after the council rejected his plan that included a 7.4% tax hike.

wpri.com

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...

Federal court declines to appoint new US Attorney in RI; Calenda stays in charge

The Trump administration has moved to keep its pick in place to continue as Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor.

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NEW: U.S. District Court declines to tap a new interim top federal prosecutor in RI, which means there is no U.S. Attorney here right now. Charles "Chas" Calenda says he's still in charge. www.wpri.com/target-12/fe...

Federal court declines to appoint new US Attorney in RI; Calenda stays in charge

The Trump administration has moved to keep its pick in place to continue as Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor.

wpri.com

Days after Mayor Brett Smiley vetoed the City Council's rent control ordinance, State Rep. David Morales (who is running for mayor) joined supporters of the measure and urged six councilmembers who voted against it to change their votes. www.wpri.com/news/electio... @wpri12.bsky.social

Morales slams Smiley over rent control veto, presses councilors to flip votes

Providence mayoral candidate Rep. David Morales took aim at Mayor Brett Smiley’s veto of the City Council’s rent stabilization ordinance.

wpri.com

NEW: Cranston’s push to override the state’s 4% tax cap is moving forward without backing from the city’s own legislative delegation, leading House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale of Foster to step in as the bill’s sponsor www.wpri.com/target-12/cr...

Cranston’s proposed 7% tax hike sponsored by out-of-town lawmaker

Mayor Ken Hopkins turned to House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale to sponsor a 7.4% tax hike proposal.

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