Vol. CXXXII · No. CCLXXVIMONDAY, MAY 25, 2026Ocean State Edition

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276 articles · page 11 of 23
GovernanceFree press

Speaker Blazejewski appoints new chief of staff, Ray Simone exits State House

Newly elected Speaker Christopher Blazejewski will not retain former Speaker Joe Shekarchi's chief of staff Ray Simone, according to sources. Danica Dayian Iacoi, chief legal counsel to the majority leader and a veteran House staffer since 2004, will serve as Blazejewski's chief of staff. Simone, who ran Senator Jack Reed's Rhode Island office for decades and earned $234,000 as Shekarchi's chief of staff, is leaving the State House.

golocalprov.comMAY 9, 2026
CommerceFree press

Brightstar Lottery signs nine-year lease extension, anchors downtown Providence headquarters

Brightstar Lottery has signed a long-term lease extension to remain at 10 Memorial Blvd. in Providence through at least July 2036, with an option for seven additional years. The agreement, announced by Brightstar and property owner FM, keeps the company's global headquarters in downtown Providence and stabilizes a major downtown employer.

pbn.com
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MAY 8, 2026
CommerceGovernanceOther

Rhode Island workers' compensation rates drop 2.5%, marking 11th straight annual decrease

Rhode Island's regulator approved a 2.5% average reduction in workers' compensation loss costs, effective August 1, 2026. The decrease marks the 11th consecutive annual reduction, totaling a 75.8% net decrease since 2015. More than 200 insurers write workers' comp coverage in the state, and officials credit workplace safety improvements by RI employers.

insurancejournal.comMAY 8, 2026
GovernancePaywall

Chris Blazejewski Elected New Rhode Island House Speaker After Shekarchi Resigns

Christopher Blazejewski, a 46-year-old Providence Democrat, was elected Rhode Island House speaker on May 7 by a 65-10 party-line vote. He replaces K. Joseph Shekarchi, who resigned the speakership to seek a state Supreme Court seat. Katherine Kazarian of East Providence became the first female House majority leader. Blazejewski, a self-described progressive first elected in 2010, pledged to focus on helping working families, improving healthcare and education, and protecting Rhode Islanders from federal overreach.

providencejournal.comMAY 8, 2026
GovernanceJudiciaryFree press

Shekarchi Steps Down as House Speaker, Applies for Rhode Island Supreme Court Seat

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi resigned from his leadership post on May 7 to seek appointment to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, ending months of speculation. Shekarchi, 63, submitted his application for the vacancy created by Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg's retirement. He pledged to suspend political activity and fundraising while his application is reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission. Shekarchi will remain a House member but faces questions about state ethics code provisions barring lawmakers from seeking judicial appointments.

rhodeislandcurrent.comMAY 8, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Federal Judge Orders Re-Detention After ICE Withheld Murder Warrant

US District Judge Melissa R. DuBose ordered Bryan Rafael Gómez, a 27-year-old undocumented immigrant, be re-detained by ICE after the US Attorney's Office failed to disclose at ICE's direction that he was wanted on a homicide warrant in the Dominican Republic. DuBose initiated a disciplinary referral over the omission, calling it an 'egregious' breach of candor. The federal government later apologized, but DHS had publicly criticized DuBose as an 'activist judge' for releasing Gómez—a characterization the court called 'demonstratively false.'

bostonglobe.comMAY 7, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

House Speaker Shekarchi Expected to Step Down, Seek RI Supreme Court Seat

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is expected to resign the speakership—widely considered Rhode Island's most powerful political post—to apply for a vacancy on the Rhode Island Supreme Court by Thursday's deadline. Majority Leader Christopher R. Blazejewski is set to succeed him. The move raises 'revolving door' ethics questions, as a similar 2020 application by then-Senator Erin Lynch Prata drew scrutiny over whether legislators can seek judicial appointments while in office or within one year of leaving.

bostonglobe.comMAY 7, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

RI Child Advocate Sues to Block DOJ Subpoena for Transgender Care Records

Rhode Island's Office of the Child Advocate filed an emergency motion in US District Court to quash a Department of Justice subpoena demanding detailed medical records of minors receiving gender-affirming care at Rhode Island Hospital. A Texas judge had already granted DOJ's enforcement order without hearing from the hospital. Judge Mary McElroy (D.R.I.) scheduled a May 12 hearing. The child advocate called the subpoena an 'unprecedented intrusion' issued for an 'improper purpose' rather than legitimate law enforcement.

bostonglobe.comMAY 7, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Senator Whitehouse Warns GOP on Sidestepping US Attorney Confirmation

US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Republicans will 'permanently disable' the panel's oversight if they allow the Trump administration to bypass Senate confirmation for US attorneys—including in Rhode Island, where Charles 'Chas' Calenda was kept in place without nomination or hearing. Whitehouse, a former US attorney, predicted Democrats will use the same tactic when back in power, warning, 'Don't come complaining to me.'

bostonglobe.comMAY 7, 2026
JudiciaryFree press

Federal Judge Denies Early Release for Rhode Island Stolen Valor Convict

A US District Court judge denied a motion for sentence reduction by Sarah Cavanaugh, who was convicted in 2023 of pretending to be a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient and faking illness to collect over $250,000 in donations. She received a 70-month federal sentence and remains scheduled for release in August 2026.

turnto10.comMAY 7, 2026
CommerceFree press

Senesco Marine, Havoc partner to manufacture autonomous vessels, create new RI jobs

Senesco Marine and Havoc announced a partnership to manufacture state-of-the-art autonomous uncrewed surface vehicles in North Kingstown. The collaboration between the two Rhode Island-based companies will create new jobs over time, including positions for engineers, software developers, and shipbuilders. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated the partnership as a boost to Rhode Island shipbuilding.

turnto10.comMAY 7, 2026
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