Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Rep. O’Brien calls for a House Oversight meeting on ILO Group education contract

 

STATE HOUSE – Rep. William W. O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence) is requesting a House Oversight Committee meeting to examine the recently awarded $5 million contract to the ILO Group for the purposes of safely reopening schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When I first read the news reports regarding this contract, I, like many others, was outraged.  To pay a group of outside individuals $5 million for the work that the Department of Education should be doing is beyond outrageous.  In this climate, where every single education dollar counts, I see this as an extreme waste of taxpayer dollars and I will be writing to Speaker Shekarchi and Oversight Chairwoman Serpa to request a meeting on this important matter,” said Representative O’Brien.

“The taxpayers of Rhode Island should not have to worry about their hard-earned money being squandered on duplicative services and it is my hope that the House Oversight Committee can get the answers that the residents of Rhode Island deserve,” concluded Representative O’Brien.

 

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2026 has begun in some parts of the world. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, and New Zealand already held celebrations earlier today. It comes as there was an increased police presence in Sydney as Australia rung in the new year after the deadly Bondi [[ BOND-eye ]] Beach attack earlier this month. Another million or so revelers are expected to pack New York City's Times Square for the Big Apple's annual celebration.        President Trump is ending National Guard deployments in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the cities were gone if it wasn't for the federal government stepping in, adding they will come back in maybe a different and stronger form when crime begins to soar again. The move comes weeks after the Supreme Court rejected Trump's bid to send National Guard members to the Chicago area to protect federal officials who were enforcing his immigration policies.        Drugmakers are set to raise the prices of hundreds of medications in the new year. A new analysis from health care research firm '3 Axis Advisors' found that a higher number of drugs would see median price hike hovers around four percent despite drugmakers pledging to offer more favorable prices under new Trump administration policies. Pharmaceutical companies entered into voluntary agreements with the White House rather than be subjected to tariffs that could impact their profits.        Some light snow could ring in the New Year tonight in New York City and Boston. It's from a weaker area of low pressure traveling down from southern Canada that's shifting East over the Great Lakes region. Snow is forecast to fall from Ohio to Pennsylvania as a result before moving Northeast.        SNAP recipients in five states will see restrictions on soda, candy and other foods starting tomorrow. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase of certain foods through the program. It comes as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again effort, and it could impact more than 40 million Americans.        A Walt Disney World worker is being treated after they were hurt while stopping a boulder prop from bouncing into the audience during an Indiana Jones stunt show. The incident happened Tuesday during the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Video on social media shows the boulder bouncing off track and starting to head toward the crowd watching the show before a staff member stepped in front of it, getting knocked to the ground.       

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