Congressman Jim McGovern Visits Puerto Rico, United States Virgin Islands
Joins Congressional Delegation to Spotlight Recovery Efforts WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) took part in a two-day congressional delegation in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to shine a light on recovery efforts following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which took place nearly one year ago. “Democrats pledged we would not forget about our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands as they recover and rebuild,” said Congressman McGovern. “We want to make sure that the failures of this administration during the weeks and months after Hurricane…
CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT REACHES 10-YEAR HIGH AS INDUSTRY ADDS 19,000 JOBS IN JULY AND 303,000 FOR THE YEAR; INDUSTRY UNEMPLOYMENT SETS RECORD LOW
Construction Officials Say Firms Would Likely Have Added More Workers if they Could Find Them, Urge Education Officials to Do More to Encourage Students to Consider High-Paying Construction Careers Construction employment increased by 19,000 jobs in July and by 303,000 jobs over the past year, reaching a 10-year high, while the industry's unemployment rate and level hit an all-time low, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said it was likely firms would have added even more workers if they could find qualified candidates to hire. "The construction industry has…
Woonsocket Man Killed in Fatal Motorcycle Crash on I-95
Colonel Ann C. Assumpico, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, reports that a Woonsocket resident died in a fatal motorcycle crash on Interstate 95 in Pawtucket last night. The victim was identified as Carlos Carrasquillo Baez, age 29, of 65 Arnold St., Woonsocket. The crash occurred at approximately 9:25 in the southbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Pawtucket, south of Lonsdale Avenue (Exit 26). The investigation revealed that Mr. Baez was allegedly travelling at a high rate of speed when his motorcycle collided with the other vehicle. Mr. Baez was ejected…
RI Fire Departments Receive $107K to Purchase Gear & Improve Safety
Central Falls, Kingston, and Albion Fire Departments win federal AFG awards CENTRAL FALLS, RI - Thursday, August 2, 2018, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline announced $106,668 in federal funding to help the Central Falls Fire Department, Kingston Fire Department, and Albion Fire District purchase needed equipment and gear to help them better serve their communities. The funding is being awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. The Central Falls Fire Department will use $59,048 to purchase a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) washer/extractor dryer, which the…
Road Damage from Earthquakes Is Latest Hawaii Volcano Peril
Associated Press HONOLULU — Officials on Hawaii's Big Island, where the Kilauea volcano has been spewing huge amounts of lava for months, are bracing for the possibility that frequent earthquakes will cut off a major highway. Emergency officials dealing with the eruption are turning their focus to the aptly named village of Volcano, where dozens of small earthquakes shake the ground every hour as Kilauea undergoes dramatic changes. The summit caldera is also collapsing, causing even larger temblors almost daily. Officials are worried about cracks and holes in Highway 11, a 45-minute lifeline connecting a rural district with Hilo, the island's…
US Administration Proposes Freezing Auto Fuel Efficiency Standards
VOA News The Trump administration has announced plans to freeze fuel efficiency standards for vehicles. The administration also announced Thursday it wants to rescind the authority of California and other states to set more stringent vehicle mileage standards to address environmental issues like climate change and smog. New fuel-efficiency requirements, which were set to take effect in 2020, would be frozen through 2026. The freeze, proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department, would increase projected daily oil consumption by 500,000 barrels by the 2030's, the administration also said the freeze would save up to 1,000 lives each…
US Security Chiefs Express Alarm About Election Meddling
VOA News/Steve Herman Just hours after top national security leaders made a rare joint appearance in the White House briefing room Thursday to express concern about efforts by Russia and potentially others to meddle in upcoming elections, President Donald Trump made an appearance at a rally where he seemed to be unable to come down hard on Russian President Vladimir Putin, even in the face of the mounting evidence of Russian election interference. “I got along great with Putin,” Trump said at the rally. Trump again accused the media of writing fake news, calling media reports of Russian interference in…
US Objects to China’s Internet Restrictions
VOA News The "remains deeply concerned with China's long-standing restrictions on freedom of expression online," a State Department official said Thursday, reacting to Google's reported plan to relaunch its search engine in China. "We strongly object to all efforts by China to force companies to block or censor online content as a condition for market access," the official said. Google shut down its Chinese search engine in 2010, citing government attempts to "limit free speech on the web." But a company whistle-blower who spoke to the online publication The Intercept said Google was in the advanced stages of launching a…
US Presses Turkey to Release Detained US Pastor
VOA/Cindy Saine Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with his Turkish counterpart Friday in an effort to obtain the release of Andrew Brunson, a detained pastor who Turkey accuses of backing terrorism. The Trump administration has placed sanctions on Turkish officials because of Brunson’s detention. Turkey says the sanctions are unacceptable. Pompeo and Mevlut Cavusoglu met on the sidelines of a meeting of regional ministers in Singapore. Andrew Craig Brunson, an evangelical pastor from Black Mountain, North Carolina, arrives at his house in Izmir, Turkey, July 25, 2018. An American pastor who had been jailed in Turkey for over 18…
STATEMENT BY PROVIDENCE CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT DAVID SALVATORE
The legal opinion issued by the Providence City Solicitor's Office states that the contract entered into by the former Council President with GoLocalProv is both "invalid and unenforceable" under the Home Rule Charter and the Providence Code of Ordinances. While the opinion does not "go beyond the legitimacy of the contract to explore the potential misuse of more than $60, in city funds," it does note that those funds were paid "to 'publicize' events which had, for three years prior to the GoLocal contract, already been made available to the public free of charge through the Providence Open Meetings Portal."…