A Heat Advisory is effective Wed 11am to Thu 8pm in RI, MA, and CT for dangerous heat index (combination of heat and humidity) up to 103. The body loses the ability to regulate its temperature by evaporating sweat, possibly causing severe illness such as heat stroke, which is life-threatening. The heat index is an […]
Through a series of weird parliamentary maneuvers, RI hurled itself into a legal nightmare on gun control. Three proposed bills would ban carrying long guns (rifles and shotguns) in public except for hunting (H.7358/S.2825), acquisition of firearms and ammunition by anyone under 21 (for whom handguns were already prohibited) (H.7457/S.2637), and possession of magazines capable […]
RI has detected its first probable case of monkeypox virus. The state Department of Health (RIDOH) said in a statement that a male patient in his thirties who resides in Providence County is hospitalized in good condition after testing positive for an orthopox virus, which is a genus of viruses that includes moneypox. The case […]
RI has not escaped the national trend of proposed legislation that would impose restrictions on discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools or on teaching history in such a way as to make students feel discomfort on the basis of race, sexual orientation or gender identity. Rep. Patricia Morgan (R-West Warwick), who has […]
Recreational cannabis will be legal in RI under a new bill that will be signed into law at a ceremony later today (Wed, May 25) announced by Gov. Daniel McKee for 3:15pm on the south plaza of the State House. Motif plans to live-stream the ceremony – facebook.com/motifri/videos/748307499532845 – on Facebook. RI joins 18 other […]
The RI Supreme Court this morning (May 5) ruled unanimously, 5-0, in a consolidated case involving multiple criminal defendants (State v. Deric S. McGuire et al.) that a failure to follow strict state law requirements for wiretap warrants totally invalidates those warrants, justifying a suppressing of evidence for all of the fruits of the invalid […]
Bilow’s Law of Twitter: “No worthwhile ideas can be expressed in 140 characters, and even fewer in 280.” My public journalist Twitter account (@MikeBilow) was created in 2015 by which time Twitter was fairly mature, although still long before the 2016 election and 2020 pandemic that saw social media sink into a swamp of misinformation […]
[Listen to a podcast about this article: motifri.com/home/episode-2-michael-bilow] A few months ago, a friend of mine was killed by government policy. This may seem an extreme claim, but my friend was attending a house party, like those which happen all the time. Someone offered him cannabis, and he accepted. Laced with fentanyl, it killed him. […]
Today, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a second booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (that is, either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) for everyone age 50 and older at least four months after their prior booster dose, with a strong recommendation for everyone […]
UPDATE: View our video recording of the full 45-minute event at motifri.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ukraine-vigil.2022-03-26-720p-h264-crf35.mp4 An umbrella group calling itself “Rhode Islanders for Ukraine” announced a vigil in support of the Eastern European nation, now fighting against an invasion by Russia, to be held Saturday, March 26, at 4pm on the south side of the RI State House, […]