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

RI CAPITOL

RI Capitol’s Civic Intelligence Network · Powered by XPoLL

AllCommerceGovernanceJudiciarySources

Stay updated

One email every Monday morning with the week’s RI Capitol stories. Sign in with Google to subscribe — no password, one-click unsubscribe.

We’ll only store your name, email, and profile picture. Never shared, never sold.

Latest

276 articles · page 9 of 23
GovernanceFree press

Rhode Island Senate passes bill extending bar hours for World Cup matches

The Rhode Island Senate approved legislation allowing cities and towns to extend indoor service hours for bars and restaurants during 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. Participation would be optional for local licensing boards. The bill is part of a broader effort by lawmakers to capitalize on World Cup excitement, though specific vote details and bill number were not provided in the available sidebar text.

thenewportbuzz.comMAY 12, 2026
CommerceGovernancePaywall

Providence enforces first algorithmic rent-pricing ban against Audubon Capital

Providence filed its first enforcement action under the city's algorithmic rent-pricing ban against Audubon Capital Partners, owner of 95 Lofts, alleging use of banned software that coordinated rent increases up to 44 percent. The case marks the first test of the ordinance adopted last year to combat algorithmic price-fixing in the rental market.

RI Capitol
Civic intelligence network · Powered by XPoLL

Stay updated

One email every Monday morning with the week’s RI Capitol stories. Sign in with Google to subscribe — no password, one-click unsubscribe.

We’ll only store your name, email, and profile picture. Never shared, never sold.

© 2026 RI Capitol · All rights reserved.Aggregated summaries linking out to original sources. XPoLL.
bostonglobe.com
MAY 11, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

Federal judge orders ICE detainee re-detained after undisclosed murder warrant

U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose ordered Bryan Rafael Gómez, a 27-year-old undocumented immigrant wanted for homicide in the Dominican Republic, be re-detained by ICE after the U.S. Attorney's Office admitted it withheld the murder warrant at ICE's direction. DuBose said she would have decided differently had she known about the warrant when ordering his conditional release, and initiated a disciplinary review. A special counsel was appointed to investigate the prosecutorial misconduct.

bostonglobe.comMAY 10, 2026
JudiciaryFree press

RI federal court appoints special counsel to probe DOJ lawyer over concealed warrant

The U.S. District Court in Rhode Island appointed Roger Williams law professor Niki Kuckes as special counsel to investigate Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Bolan for possible misconduct after he hid a murder warrant from Judge Melissa DuBose during an immigration detainee's habeas proceedings. Bolan admitted ICE instructed him not to disclose the Dominican Republic homicide charge. Meanwhile, Bryan Rafael Gómez, the detainee ordered released and then re-detained, remains at large.

oceanstatemedia.orgMAY 10, 2026
JudiciaryPaywall

RI judge says US Attorney's Office committed 'massive breach' of trust in ICE case

U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose told Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Bolan during a Monday hearing that his office's failure to disclose a murder warrant for an ICE detainee constituted a 'massive breach' of court trust. Bolan said ICE instructed him not to confirm or deny the warrant's existence until international authorization was secured. DuBose is moving forward with a formal disciplinary referral to the court's full disciplinary committee to ensure the issue is fully investigated.

bostonglobe.comMAY 10, 2026
JudiciaryGovernancePaywall

Law professor files ethics complaint over Shekarchi's Supreme Court bid

Roger Williams law professor Michael Yelnosky filed an ethics complaint with the Rhode Island Ethics Commission alleging former House Speaker Joe Shekarchi's application for a Supreme Court seat violates the state's 'revolving door' law. The statute bars elected officials from seeking state employment for one year after leaving office. Shekarchi contends the Supreme Court is a constitutional office exempt from the prohibition. The Ethics Commission is expected to conduct a preliminary review on June 2.

bostonglobe.comMAY 10, 2026
JudiciaryCommunity

Child Advocate seeks emergency block of federal subpoena for minors' medical records

The Rhode Island Child Advocate filed an emergency motion to quash a DOJ subpoena demanding sensitive private medical records of minor patients who received treatment for gender dysphoria at Rhode Island Hospital. The motion, filed by attorneys from the Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island and ACLU, argues the subpoena is an 'unprecedented intrusion' that violates children's constitutional privacy rights. The subpoena was both filed and approved on the same day by a Texas federal judge, without opportunity for response.

riaclu.orgMAY 10, 2026
JudiciaryFree press

Former Matos campaign worker pleads no contest in signature scandal, avoids prison

Christopher Cotham, 47, pleaded no contest to two felony counts of violating nomination papers and two misdemeanor counts after admitting he fabricated voter signatures for Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos' 2023 congressional campaign. He was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation at Providence Superior Court. Cotham told state police he was paid $2 per signature and admitted looking up names and addresses online, then forging signatures — some of deceased voters. A co-defendant, Holly McClaren, also pleaded no contest last year.

wpri.comMAY 10, 2026
CommerceGovernanceFree press

RI Commerce Corporation opens satellite office at Innovate Newport

The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation will open a satellite office at Innovate Newport to expand access to business services across Aquidneck Island and Greater Newport. A ribbon cutting is scheduled for May 11 at 513 Broadway, with remarks from Mayor Charles Holder, RI Commerce President Jim Bennett, and Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce President Erin Donovan-Boyle. Bennett said the office will help Commerce serve businesses in the area and strengthen partnership with the Chamber.

whatsupnewp.comMAY 10, 2026
CommerceFree press

Aspen Aerogels to reopen East Providence plant after explosion

Manufacturing facility Aspen Aerogels plans to gradually reopen its East Providence plant in May following an April explosion in a high-temperature oven that injured 11 employees. According to an SEC filing, the company is working with local, state, and federal agencies to conduct mechanical, operational, and safety reviews before resuming operations. The final timeline depends on clearance from relevant authorities.

turnto10.comMAY 10, 2026
CommerceGovernanceFree press

RI House passes legislation creating employee ownership transition center

Rhode Island lawmakers are advancing legislation to create a Rhode Island Center for Employee Ownership to help businesses transition to employee ownership models. The center would connect sellers and employees to financing pathways, valuation expertise, and technical support. White Electric Coffee in Providence, which shifted to employee ownership in 2021, said the center could help smooth out uncertainty in the transition process and make it more accessible to small businesses.

pbn.comMAY 10, 2026
Advertisement
Sponsor
NewerPage 9 of 23Older