Woonsocket Radio News Room

Campaign to kick off in support of bill by
Sen. Murray, Rep. Morin to raise RI Works benefits

 

STATE HOUSE – The Raising Rhode Island Coalition tomorrow will kick off its campaign in support of legislation to be introduced by Sen. Melissa Murray and Rep. Michael A. Morin to increase the benefits paid to children and families in the Rhode Island Works program.

The event will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 3:30 p.m., in the State Library on the second floor of the State House.

In addition to Representative Morin (D-Dist. 49, Woonsocket) and Senator Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield), the event will include Economic Progress Institute Policy Director Linda Katz, Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence Executive Director Tonya Harris and a parent with experience in the Rhode Island Works program.

According to the Economic Progress Institute, Rhode Island has not increased the benefit level in Rhode Island Works in nearly 30 years, and the 4,000 families who rely on Rhode Island Works receive an average of $6 per person per day. The legislation aims to lift children and families out of deep poverty and on a path to better opportunities.

 

Only a small number of college students have actually participated in pro-Palestinian campus protests. That's according to a Generation Lab survey reported by Axios. More than eight-in-ten say that protesters that vandalize property or illegally occupy campus buildings should be held responsible by their schools. Still, more students, nearly half, support the protests, with the rest mostly neutral or somewhat opposed.       Former President Trump's classified documents case in Florida has been indefinitely postponed. The trial was to start in late May, but now will probably be delayed until after the election. Meanwhile, Trump's hush money trial in New York is in recess until tomorrow. As he exited the courthouse yesterday, the former president said the prosecution's case is "totally falling apart."       A state of emergency has been declared for several counties in Michigan due to the severe storms that produced at least two confirmed tornadoes and possibly four twisters. Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement on X. There was also four-inch hail falling in the storms that left significant damage to buildings and roads, but thankfully did not result in any deaths.        Robert F. Kennedy Junior says a worm ate part of his brain and died inside his head more than a decade ago. The New York Times reports the Independent presidential candidate revealed the worm problem during his 2012 divorce proceedings, noting he had begun to experience cognitive issues and memory loss. Kennedy thought he might have a brain tumor but it turned out to be a dead parasite inside his head.        People grieving the loss of a loved one are increasingly turning to AI to assist in the grieving process. SnapChat, Replika, ElevenLabs, HereAfter are just some of the companies that allow users to create avatars of deceased loved ones. Generative AI tools, which use algorithms to create new text, video, audio and code, can try to answer questions the way someone who died might have.        Popstar Taylor Swift's famous feud with music mogul Scooter Braun will be getting its very own docuseries. Discovery-Plus announced Tuesday that its series "vs" will take a deep dive into the infamous battle. Titled "Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood," the two hour-long episodes will explore how Braun acquired the rights to the singer's first six albums in 2019 to Swift's "Taylor's Version" re-recording projects.        

Old News Archives