PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island, Jan. 7 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island issued the following news on Jan. 6, 2026: * * * State Agrees to Allow Access to State House Rotunda by Protesters Before the 2026 "State of the State" Address State officials have agreed to keep most of the first floor and rotunda at the State House open for use by the public immediately prior to, and during, Governor McKee's upcoming annual "State of the State" address in January. * In an important prel  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: * * * Crapo, Reed Legislation to Eliminate Barriers to Housing Assistance for Veterans to Become Law * Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) celebrated Senate passage of their bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the legislation, which exempts veteran disability benefits from being included  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following Fed Notes article: * * * Assessing Recession Risks with State-Level Data/1 By Hie Joo Ahn/2, Yunjong Eo/3, and Lucas Moyon This note evaluates recession risks at the national and state levels using a state-of-the-art Bayesian Markov-switching model that distinguishes between full-recovery recessions (U-shaped recessions) and those that generate lasting damage, or hysteresis (L-shaped recessions). While states exhibit considerable  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 -- Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * Magaziner Releases 2025 End-of-Year Report * WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) released his office's 2025 End-of-Year Report that includes a summary of his legislative actions, constituent services, community outreach, and federal funding secured for Rhode Island's 2nd Congressional District over the past year. Magaziner's 2025 End-of-Year Report can be found h  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (TNSFR) -- The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum of Art has announced plans to return two Native American objects of cultural patrimony to the Tejon Indian tribe. This action follows the requirements of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The items include a cooking basket featuring abstract banded designs and a necked jar decorated with a diamond rattlesnake pattern. According to museum records, the cooking basket was a gift from a   more

SMITHFIELD, Rhode Island, Jan. 7 -- Bryant University issued the following news: * * * The stories we wear: Professor Judith McDonnell's Bryant legacy * Professor of Sociology Judith McDonnell, Ph.D., opened her talk with an apology. She's sorry, she told the packed room, if she gets emotional. This is her 36th and final year teaching at Bryant and recalling so many personal memories takes on additional resonance. Also, she noted to the HERstory crowd gathered to hear from prominent women   more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Whitehouse, Gillibrand Expose Polluters' Efforts to Avoid Accountability, Undermine States' Rights U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) filed an amicus brief supporting New York's effort to hold big polluters accou  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * Whitehouse, Padilla Introduce Bills to Ban Taxpayer Payouts for January 6 Rioters * Senators' bills would prevent the Trump Administration from handing out millions in taxpayer funds to Capitol rioters Washington, DC - On the fifth anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced a pair of bills to prevent Jan  more