Woonsocket Radio News Room

 

Statement from Speaker Shekarchi on Departure of Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor

 

 

STATE HOUSE – Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi issued the following statement today about the resignation of Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor:

 

“Stefan Pryor hit the ground running as the state’s first secretary of the Department of Housing and he shared my passion for addressing all aspects of Rhode Island’s housing crisis. He has a tireless work ethic and he produced immediate results in a very challenging housing climate. I wish him well in his future endeavors. I will work with Governor McKee to ensure the momentum we have achieved around our housing initiatives will continue under a new secretary.”

 

 

 

Crews are still searching for those missing in central Texas after historic flooding swept through the region. At least 120 people are dead and over 170 are still missing. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will be in the state tomorrow to tour the flood damage.        A federal judge is temporarily blocking President Trump's order to limit birthright citizenship. The judge also granted class-action status in the case after the Supreme Court limited the ability of judges to block orders nationwide through other means. Thursday's ruling stems from a lawsuit brought on behalf of a pregnant immigrant, immigrant parents and their infants. However, the decision only applies to infants not parents.        Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil is filing a multi-million-dollar false imprisonment claim against the federal government. The claim, which is a precursor to a lawsuit, names the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and the State Department. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate who helped organize pro-Palestinian protests at the Ivy League New York school, was arrested by ICE agents last March and held at a Louisiana detention center for months. He claims he was "falsely imprisoned, maliciously prosecuted and smeared as an antisemite."        The United Nations is slamming the Trump administration's move to sanction a senior human rights official. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he is imposing sanctions against Francesca Albanese, who serves as UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories. Rubio says Albanese is being sanctioned for her efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against the U.S. and Israel. Albanese has accused Israel of committing genocide and other war crimes in Gaza.        Vacation renters in the U.S. are likely wasting massive amounts of food every year. According to a study published in Waste Management, researchers projected an annual estimate of up to two-point-three-billion-dollars spent on food that was not consumed by the end of vacations. The study found that produce and pantry staples topped the charts of most discarded vacation groceries.        The Wimbledon men's semifinals get underway Friday. Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz and fifth-seeded American Taylor Fritz take to the court first. That's followed by top-seeded Jannik Sinner versus sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic. Meanwhile, the Wimbledon women's semifinals is set. American Amanda Anisimova will take on Poland's Iga Swiatek on Saturday. Anisimova is the first American since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach the women's final.       

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