News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Listen to the WRNI Morning News Podcast for Friday, September 17, 2010.

By Catherine Welch

Providence, R.I. – Although Hurricane Igor is churning far off the eastern U.S. coast, it's bringing rough seas along the Rhode Island coast.

The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for Friday and Saturday. Meteorologist Charlie Foley says expect seas of 7 to 10 feet with swells of 5 to 7 feet. The high surf creates dangerous conditions for beach goers, says Foley.

"So I think it's a common sense approach when you have these very rough seas, don't get too close," he says.

By MEGAN HALL

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – About 124,000 Rhode islanders went without health insurance last year, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. It's the Ocean State's highest number of uninsured residents in more than a decade.

Rhode Island's number of uninsured residents increased by about three thousand people from 2008 to 2009. That's almost double the number of people without health insurance a decade ago.

By ELISABETH HARRISON

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Immigrant children in the United States are more likely to do well in school and less likely to engage in crime and drug use than their American-born peers. That according to a new report from researchers at Brown University called The Immigrant Paradox.

By FLO JONIC

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island's poverty rate rose from 10 percent of the population to nearly 13 percent in two years, according to preliminary Census data.

That means 133,000 Rhode Islanders are living in poverty, which is defined as an annual income of $22,000 for a family of four or 11-thousand for an individual. No other New England state experienced such a large increase.

By FLO JONIC

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island's unemployment rate dipped from 11.9 percent in July to 11.8 percent in August. It was the sixth consecutive month over month decline but still more than two percent higher than the national jobless rate.

Full employment is considered to be about five percent. Bryant University economics professor Edinaldo Tebaldi says that's a long way off.

By IAN DONNIS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The candidates in the 1st Congressional District staked out their stances on the Bush tax cuts on Wednesday.

Republican John Loughlin held a news conference outside the state Division of Taxation to express his opposition to all tax increases. He calls for extending the so-called Bush tax cuts due to expire next year.

Providence, RI –

Providence, RI – Listen to the WRNI Morning News Podcast for Thursday, September 16, 2010.

By WRNI STAFF

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Political reporter Ian Donnis, political analyst Scott MacKay and our special guests break down the results of this year's primary.