‘The eureka moment’: Paul McCartney on ‘Man on the Run’ documentary, a new album and his enduring love of songwriting - The Boston Globe “I didn’t do it as a job, I still would do it as a hobby because it’s just, it’s in me. I love to do it,” the former Beatle said at a private Brown University event with filmmaker Morgan Neville.

NEW: Paul McCartney was in Providence last night and spoke at a private screening of "Man on the Run" hosted by Brown University at The VETS.

McCartney and filmmaker Morgan Neville spoke about the movie with Brown President Christina Paxson:

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Independent Ken Block, a new entrant in the R.I. governor’s race, says he’s in second place in early polling - The Boston Globe “I like the way I stack up,” said Block, an independent, who said he will definitely run after seeing the poll results.

NEW: Independent gov candidate Ken Block's poll is out, and puts him in second place behind either Democrat in November, though he fares better against McKee

He's now fully in the race, he says: "I like the way I stack up." www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/20/m...

Providence lawmakers, looking to cash in on the World Cup, consider letting bars stay open all night - The Boston Globe In an effort to compete with Boston, officials in Rhode Island are considering letting bars stay open 24/7. But not all bar owners are fans of the idea.

More than 2 million visitors from around the world are expected to descend on New England during the World Cup. Providence wants a share of their business, and officials believe they might have an irresistible lure: late-night boozing.

@bostonglobe.com
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Father wants R.I. Supreme Court to see if state law allowing grandparent visitation is unconstitutional - The Boston Globe Scott Naso has asked Family Court to suspend the trial and let the court review the law that allows grandparents to sue for visitation over a parent’s objections. The hearings resume Monday.

Widowed father wants R.I. Supreme Court to review whether state law allowing grandparent visitation is unconstitutional www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/19/m...

Providence mayor vetoes rent control, setting the stage for the campaign - The Boston Globe The measure passed the City Council Thursday night without enough votes to withstand Mayor Brett Smiley’s veto. His primary opponent, state Representative David Morales, has said he would sign rent st...

NEW: Mayor Smiley has vetoed rent control in Providence.

The City Council has 30 days to override, but does not currently have enough votes.

More: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/17/m...

Providence City Council approves rent control, but without enough votes to overcome mayor’s promised veto - The Boston Globe A tense two-hour debate Thursday night ended in passage of the ordinance. But the council will need another vote if they want to overcome an expected veto.

Everyone voted the same way they did two weeks ago, so you can look in this story: www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/02/m...

The Providence City Council has approved its rent stabilization ordinance for a second time, again on a 9-6 vote. Still not enough to survive a veto from Mayor Smiley. It goes to his desk next.

In Rhode Island’s messy cannabis rollout, worker-owned stores have yet to materialize - The Boston Globe The state’s requirement that some cannabis stores be owned by their workers was considered a bold move. None have opened yet.

By @stephmachado.bsky.social -- In Rhode Island’s messy cannabis rollout, worker-owned stores have yet to materialize
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The housing battle that could make or break the Providence mayor’s political career - The Boston Globe Mayor Brett Smiley wants to build more housing and kill a rent control proposal. Will it work?

Something to watch: After Mayor Smiley submitted his budget to the City Council tonight, they tabled it instead of referring it to the Finance Committee, an unusual move. Finance is chaired by Jo-Ann Ryan, a Smiley ally

Council President Miller would not explain why

The housing battle that could make or break the Providence mayor’s political career - The Boston Globe Mayor Brett Smiley wants to build more housing and kill a rent control proposal. Will it work?

NEW: Mayor Smiley's stance on rent control could be make-or-break for his political future

Tonight, he laid out his own housing plans in a public address to the City Council. Tomorrow, the council sends rent control to his desk, where he'll veto it

Students at the Croft School in Providence, which could close amid fraud allegations, are helping raise money to keep paying their teachers through the summer. And they had a playground press conference to tell everyone why:
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/10/m...

Update: City officials in East Providence say Aspen Aerogels pulled a permit to install the piece of equipment that exploded, but "never called for a final inspection to close the permit."
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/10/m...

NEW: The state fire marshal says the explosion at an East Providence manufacturing plant Wednesday was caused by “an accumulation of ethanol vapors in a drying oven,” and was an accident
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/10/m...

East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva says a piece of equipment blew up at an industrial plant last night with enough force to blow out walls and send metal flying across the facility.

“One is left in wonder that nobody died.”

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Judge halts cannabis lottery that would pick R.I.’s first retailers since legalization - The Boston Globe A federal judge sided with three plaintiffs from Florida and California who challenged Rhode Island’s residency requirement to own a pot shop

NEW: A federal judge has halted Rhode Island's upcoming cannabis lottery, siding with plaintiffs who challenged the state's residency requirement

It further upends the long-delayed rollout of new pot shops since RI legalized cannabis in 2022
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/09/m...

As Croft School collapses, one question remains: Where was the board? - The Boston Globe The four people charged with overseeing the private elementary school with campuses in Boston and Providence claim they, too, were blindsided by its stunning implosion.

From columnist Shirley Leung: There’s really one big unanswered question about the stunning implosion of the Croft School: Where was the board?

Commission finds former R.I. state administrator did not violate state ethics code - The Boston Globe James E. Thorsen was accused of accepting an expensive lunch during a 2023 trip to Philadelphia, but commission members concluded there was no intentional violation.

Ethics Commission finds former R.I. state administrator James E. Thorsen did not violate state ethics code
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/08/m...

Brown University settles with campus police chief, names former Providence police chief as head of public safety - The Boston Globe Rodney Chatman was placed on leave shortly after the Dec. 13 mass shooting.

Brown's former campus police chief is officially out following a settlement, and Col. Hugh Clements is the new permanent campus chief

The former chief, Rodney Chatman, had been placed on leave soon after December's mass shooting.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/08/m...

Irish contractor sentenced to 4 years 8 months for bilking R.I. and Mass. homeowners - The Boston Globe John O’Brien, of Dublin, delivered a tearful apology after victims gave heart-wrenching descriptions of the savings lost and the trust broken by his home repair scams.

Irish contractor sentenced to 4 years 8 months for bilking R.I. and Mass. homeowners. John O’Brien, of Dublin, delivered a tearful apology after victims gave heart-wrenching descriptions of the savings lost and the trust broken by his home repair scams.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/07/m...

Globe Rhode Island on Instagram: "The nation might consider New Englanders as buttoned-up and reserved. But after watching Thursday’s premiere of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” that reputation... 9,724 likes, 519 comments - rhodeisland on April 3, 2026: "The nation might consider New Englanders as buttoned-up and reserved. But after watching Thursday’s premiere of “The Real Housewives of Rhode...

I feel like this was the reason the guy in this (wonderful) @stephmachado.bsky.social man-on-the-street interview went viral. He was totally unimpressed with RHORI for completely valid reasons. He had not bought the hype. And it was so refreshing to hear.

A controversial mural depicting a slain Ukrainian refugee is now on a Lebanese restaurant in Providence’s Federal Hill - The Boston Globe “I saw a lot of myself, honestly, in Iryna,” said the owner of Opa, a restaurant owned by a Lebanese family who have welcomed the mural. Her story “really spoke to us.”

NEW: The artist behind a controversial mural of a Ukrainian refugee killed on a N.C. train last year — the partially completed piece outside a Providence LGBT+ club that was abruptly canceled last week — is painting a new mural of the woman. @bostonglobe.com
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/06/m...

Old mills are hard to turn into apartments. But could they help solve the state’s housing crisis? - The Boston Globe Massachusetts needs to build nearly a quarter of a million new homes over the next decade to meet demand.

Repurposing old mills in Massachusetts is a way to preserve the state’s history and build new housing at the same.

“It’s sort of a no-brainer if that space is historic and can be preserved in its historic character but serve a new purpose,” said Jessica Rudden-Dube, of Preservation Massachusetts.

Conman or family man? Court documents offer contrasting views of an Irish contractor who defrauded homeowners. - The Boston Globe John O’Brien, of Dublin, will be sentenced April 7 in US District Court in Rhode Island for bilking dozens of homeowners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts out of $1.5 million.

Conman or family man? Court documents offer contrasting views of an Irish contractor who defrauded homeowners. John O’Brien, of Dublin, will be sentenced April 7 in US District Court in RI for bilking dozens of homeowners in RI and Mass. out of $1.5 million
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/05/m...

It’s in my contract as “lady who writes about Providence”

!

Providence City Council approves rent control, but without enough votes to overcome mayor’s promised veto - The Boston Globe A tense two-hour debate Thursday night ended in passage of the ordinance. But the council will need another vote if they want to overcome an expected veto.

I respectfully submit that the most dramatic thing that happened in the 9 o'clock hour in Rhode Island last night was not the Real Housewives premiere, but rather the high-stakes showdown on rent control at Providence City Hall
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/02/m...

Providence City Council approves rent control, but without enough votes to overcome mayor’s promised veto - The Boston Globe A tense two-hour debate Thursday night ended in passage of the ordinance. But the council will need another vote if they want to overcome an expected veto.

NEW: The Providence City Council approved a rent control measure for the first time, but was one vote short of the 10 they'll eventually need to override the mayor's promised veto

“The conversation’s very much alive," said Council President Miller

www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/02/m...

Breaking: The Providence City Council passes rent control 9 to 6, but is short of the 10 votes they’ll need to override Mayor Smiley’s eventual veto. Full story to come

Tense night in the City Council chamber as they prepare to vote on rent control. This was the reaction to Councilman Taylor’s opposition to

Foulkes accuses R.I. Governor McKee of presenting a ‘false choice’ between lower bills and climate goals - The Boston Globe The Democratic challenger’s plan calls for holding Rhode Island Energy accountable for rate increases, and creating a $40 million program to boost solar power and battery storage.

@helenabfoulkes.bsky.social accuses @govdanmckee.bsky.social of presenting a ‘false choice’ between lower bills and climate goals. The Democratic challenger calls for holding RI Energy accountable for rate increases and creating $40m program to boost solar power
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/02/m...