Latest news with #RhodeMap
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Rhode Island DMV warns of surge in fraudulent text messages
Officials shared an example of one of the messages, which states the alert is a 'final notice' from the 'Department of Motor Vehicles.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up 'Enforcement Penalties Begin on May 30,' the message reads. 'Our records indicate that you currently have an unpaid traffic violation… Please pay immediately before enforcement to avoid license suspension and further legal disputes…' According to the DMV, the messages cite 'fictitious legal code and link to fraudulent websites.' The agency said it does not send requests for payments or threats through text messages – the DMV sends information through the US Mail – and emphasized the public should not click on any suspicious links, as doing so could expose 'individuals to identify theft, malware, or financial fraud.' 'Scammers are continually preying on people's fears to manipulate them into revealing personal and financial information,' DMV Administrator Walter R. Craddock said in a statement. 'We encourage all Rhode Islanders to stay alert and verify their driving privileges only through reliable, official sources.' Advertisement Officials said fraudulent messages can be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at 'Rhode Island residents who have concerns about their DMV records should utilize our Online DMV Customer Portal at Christopher Gavin can be reached at
Boston Globe
a day ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Politically, who has the most to gain – or lose – from R.I.'s proposed assault weapons ban?
Related : So who has the most to gain (and lose) politically from the assault weapons ban? Here's a breakdown. Governor Dan McKee The governor desperately needs a win after a new poll from the University of New Hampshire had his job approval rating He's been out front on banning assault-style weapons, including the proposal in his budget proposal to essentially force the legislature's hand to take action. While others will take credit for getting it over the finish line, McKee will be the one signing it into law if the General Assembly passes the bill. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Senate President Val Lawson Advertisement It's the first real test of Lawson's presidency. As I wrote Senator Frank Ciccone The newly elected Senate majority leader has a major test on his hands, too. He opposes an assault weapons ban, but killing the legislation this year will undoubtedly result in him getting a credible, well-funded Democratic primary opponent next year. Advertisement State Representative Jason Knight Knight has been working to pass an assault weapons ban for several years, and this year will mark the first time it comes to a vote in the House. It's no secret that Knight wants to run for attorney general next year, and you'll hear a lot from his campaign about spearheading gun safety legislation. House Speaker Joe Shekarchi Nothing happens in Rhode Island without the speaker's blessing, so he'll be able to take credit for his chamber approving the legislation. Shekarchi continues to flirt with the idea of running for governor next year, and this is the kind of legislation that will be attractive to Democratic primary voters. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Familiar faces and newcomers battle for Ruggerio's seat in R.I. Senate District 4
Stefano Famiglietti (D) The North Providence councilman and lawyer begins the race as the heavy favorite with the endorsement of the Senate 4 District Committee and the support of the majority of the elected officials in town. He also understands how to win a tight Democratic primary, having defeated an incumbent Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Marcia Ranglin-Vassell (D) Advertisement No one understands how to win a close race better than Ranglin-Vassell, who stunned the Rhode Island political class in 2016 when she beat then-House Majority Leader John DeSimone Lenny Cioe (D) The good news for Cioe is that he has run in three consecutive Democratic primaries in the Senate District 4. The bad news is that his vote count against Ruggerio fell from 1,633 in 2020 to 845 last year. Still, there will be familiarity in the district with this progressive candidate, who works as a registered nurse. Advertisement Manny Taveras (D) An account executive for a pharmacy benefits manager, Taveras has a good person to ask about how to win a multi-candidate primary where the establishment appears to be supporting someone else: his brother, Angel Taveras, swept to victory in the 2010 Providence mayoral race despite not being the endorsed Democrat. Alexander Asermely (R) The attorney has never run for office before, and is running in a district where residents tend to vote reflexively for Democrats in local elections. But President Trump's vote count has increased steadily in North Providence in three consecutive presidential elections. Stephen Tocco (I) A former member of the Smithfield Town Council, Tocco earned just 6 percent of the vote during his campaign for Senate District 4 last year. This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
New poll shows R.I. Governor Dan McKee's approval rating at 19 percent
The bigger picture: McKee announced plans to Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up So what now? Advertisement If you're Foulkes, you do you. You keep raising money, and you cross your fingers that McKee stays in the race and any other top tier contenders take a pass. If you're Shekarchi, this is when you ramp up behind-the-scenes talks with union leaders to suggest that it's time to nudge McKee into retirement with the old 'for the good of the Democratic Party' argument. Translation: Your point is, 'If you don't want Foulkes, you need me.' Advertisement If you're Neronha, you capitalize on your moment. Your But campaigns don't magically come together, so you have to start raising money and building a team. If you're McKee, you brace yourself and buckle in. You and your team have always known this campaign was going to be a slog. Yes, but: The poll asks relatively generic questions that offer voters the ability to vent their frustrations, but it doesn't demonstrate the decision they'll have to make between the candidates, which McKee has consistently won during three successful campaigns for statewide office in the past. Still, McKee is in desperate need of a UNH poll shows President Trump's job approval at 37 percent – nearly twice McKee's. He might get a boost in the next week or so because This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Dan McGowan can be reached at
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Providence poised to raise city tax levy by 7 percent
Advertisement Ciccone and Bissaillon are both viewed as supporters of Smiley, but their neighborhoods are poised to see some of the largest property tax increases, which they fear will substantially drive up rents for their constituents. Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Start with the obvious: Ciccone is suddenly much more powerful than he was three months ago. As majority leader, he likely has the ability to singlehandedly push through or kill Smiley's tax bill. As Channel 12's Alexandra Leslie Advertisement Then again, Ciccone doesn't want to be a one-term majority leader (unless he gets a promotion). A vote for the levy increase could add to the likelihood that he'll face a challenger in the Democratic primary next year. Bissaillon's bet: Bissaillon has been much more direct with the Smiley administration: He maintains that he won't support a tax levy increase unless it agrees to an obscure tax change related to industrial properties in the city – his argument is that he doesn't want properties like the Manchester Street Power Station to see a tax decrease when his constituents are going to see large increases. In some ways, Smiley's team took Bissaillon for granted. They were dismissive of his proposal, and assumed he'd be a good team player and support their levy increase anyway. But he has made it clear that he isn't bluffing, and the administration has indicated it will support a version of his bill. 'I won't support it unless I feel like I've done everything I can to help my constituents,' Bissaillon said Tuesday. What to watch: The tax levy bill isn't the only one the Smiley administration is seeking. Lawmakers seem poised to support an event parking tax that could help the city, and there appears to be momentum on a new tax break This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, Advertisement Dan McGowan can be reached at
