News

For Rhode Islanders between 15 and 44 years old, the leading cause of death is accidental drug overdose, usually involving prescription painkillers.  State health leaders are calling it an epidemic. There’s growing evidence that tracking the number of pills doctors prescribe to potential abusers might ease the problem. But Rhode Island’s fledgling prescription drug monitoring program is just getting started.

The dark side of opiates

The public is invited to comment Tuesday on a proposed rate increase by the Providence Water Supply Board. Because Providence sells its water to other municipalities, the rate increase would affect residents in nearly 60 percent of the state.

It’s the first rate hike in four years, and for city residents it means a 24 percent increase. The water board says that’s an additional $6.00 for the average customer.

For the cities of Warwick and East Providence, and for the Kent County and Bristol County water authorities, rates would go up 32 percent.

Moody's Investors Service isn't taking lightly debate about whether to pay back bonds issued to fund the state's investment in 38 Studios. The agency has downgraded the 38 Studios' bonds and warned Rhode Island of other possible action:

There’s an old chestnut in banking: If you owe the bank $10,000, the bank owns you. If you owe the bank $100 million, you own the bank.

That’s pretty much what has happened in Rhode Island state government’s quest to regulate the state-sponsored gambling emporiums at Newport Grand and at Twin River (aka Twin Rivahs in Vo Dilundese) in Lincoln.

Tomorrow on Morning Edition, you can catch my story about Rhode Island's fledgling prescription drug monitoring program. It's a program that's supposed to spot troubling trends in prescription drug misuse. And as you might know, there's plenty of trouble to spot in Rhode Island, where prescription drug overdose death rates have soared along with rates of addiction to narcotic painkillers.

For the third week in a row, gas prices remained unchanged in the Ocean State. Drivers are seeing prices holding steady at $3.59 a gallon for regular unleaded, according to the latest survey from AAA Southern New England.

That’s up two cents from how much a gallon of gas cost Rhode Island drivers last month. And it’s almost a dime more than drivers in Massachusetts are paying.

Bay State drivers are paying an average $3.50 a gallon for regular unleaded. That’s up a penny from last week.

Voters will still have to show identification to vote in Rhode Island -- but not a photo ID -- under a compromise ticketed for passage in the House of Representatives.

On today's podcast, a hearing on the state budget is scheduled to for this week in the House Finance Committee, and Twin River Casino prepares to launch table games.

Plus, considering the lack of Republicans in Rhode Island in this week's commentary from Political Analyst Scott MacKay.

Rhode Island and the rest of New England have become foreign territory for Republicans, says Rhode Island Public Radio political analyst Scott MacKay.   

Governor Lincoln Chafee, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will be among the dignitaries who gather Monday morning for the dedication of  Joyce House – an apartment building for homeless vets.  Rhode Island has roughly 270 homeless veterans, but has designated beds for only about a third of them.