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(CNSNews.com) – Although no group has claimed responsibility for Monday’s deadly bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, a leading al-Qaeda ideologue last year recommended that jihadists in America include sporting events in their list of prospective terror targets.

www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2013/federal-indictment-unsealed-as-rhode-island-state-police-and-federal-agents-arrest-seven-search-ten-businesses-and-residences-and-seize-cash-vehicles-and-business-records-in-alleged-cigarette-trafficking-conspiracy Federal Indictment Unsealed as Rhode Island State Police and Federal Agents Arrest Seven; Search Ten Businesses and Residences; and Seize Cash, Vehicles, and Business Records in Alleged Cigarette Trafficking Conspiracy Investigation and Indictment Alleges Complex Interstate Conspiracy That Allegedly Defrauded Rhode Island of More Than $1 Million in Tax Revenue U.S. Attorney’s Office May 08, 2013 District of Rhode Island PROVIDENCE, RI—A federal grand jury indictment that names seven individuals and alleges a complex interstate contraband cigarette trafficking conspiracy responsible for the sale of more than $1.2 million dollars of contraband cigarettes in Rhode Island and the loss of...

Rhode Island on Thursday became the nation's 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, as a 16-year effort to extend marriage rights in this heavily Roman Catholic state ended with the triumphant cheers of hundreds of gays, lesbians, their families and friends. Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on the Statehouse steps Thursday evening following a final 56-15 vote in the House. The first weddings will take place Aug. 1, when the law takes effect. "I've been waiting 32 years for this day, and I never thought it would come in my lifetime," said Raymond...

Rhode Island on Thursday became the nation's 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed, as a 16-year effort to extend marriage rights in this heavily Catholic state ended with the triumphant cheers of hundreds of gays, lesbians, their families and friends.

Rhode Island is poised to join nine other states and the District of Columbia in allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Gov. Lincoln Chafee planned to sign gay marriage legislation into law Thursday evening, immediately following a final procedural vote in the state’s General Assembly. The outcome of the vote is not in doubt. Hundreds are expected to gather at the Statehouse to celebrate the new law, which has already passed the House and Senate once. The first weddings could take place Aug. 1, when the new law would take effect. …

Today I was able to meet “Misha,” whose real name is Mikhail Allakhverdov. Having been referred by a family in Boston that was close to the Tsarnaevs, I found Allakverdov at his home in Rhode Island, in a lower middle class neighborhood, where he lives in modest, tidy apartment with his elderly parents. He confirmed he was a convert to Islam and that he had known Tamerlan Tsarnaev, but he flatly denied any part in the bombings. “I wasn’t his teacher. If I had been his teacher, I would have made sure he never did anything like this,” Allakhverdov said....

The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering a nine-bill package of gun control legislation ­— including a statewide assault weapons ban — that Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 announced with other legislative and community leaders at a press conference last Tuesday afternoon. “This is a conversation that’s taking place right now in every state and at the national level,” said Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport. The bills are the product of months of collaboration between legislators and law enforcement officials, she said. The call to action was in part inspired by the Dec. 14 elementary school shooting in Newtown,...

Last Thursday's public hearing was effectively ground zero for "gay marriage" in Rhode Island. The hearing started early Thursday evening and lasted over 12 hours, until the following morning. Both sides were there in force. But the biggest impression in the State House that night was definitely made by the pro-family forces. The huge demonstration by the Hispanic community completely overwhelmed the homosexual activists who thought they would be dominating that day! It was an incredible sight.

Senate votes on climate change and the Keystone XL oil pipeline laid bare divisions among Democrats — and underscored why the White House, not Congress, will be where the critical climate decisions reside in President Obama’s second term.Several votes during the freewheeling debate over a nonbinding budget plan provided a political barometer of where the chamber, including vulnerable Democrats, stand on the topics. Advocates of the proposed pipeline scored a symbolic victory Friday when 62 lawmakers voted for an amendment backing the project to bring oil from Canadian tar sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries. Seventeen Democrats supported Sen....

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - - As of midnight, Rhode Island became the 15th state to decriminalize non-medical marijuana possession, meaning that anyone caught with up to one ounce will get a $150 ticket instead of facing a misdemeanor criminal charge. The softened penalty is the state's latest move to regulate use of a drug that has become more acceptable. The ball began rolling in 2006, when the General Assembly passed a law establishing a state medical-marijuana program, allowing patients to grow their own cannabis or get it from caregivers, or growers, certified by the state.

Last Thursday's public hearing was effectively ground zero for "gay marriage" in Rhode Island. The hearing started early Thursday evening and lasted over 12 hours, until the following morning. Both sides were there in force. But the biggest impression in the State House that night was definitely made by the pro-family forces. The huge demonstration by the Hispanic community completely overwhelmed the homosexual activists who thought they would be dominating that day! It was an incredible sight. When you entered the Rhode Island State House, this is the first thing you saw! As reported last week, if the "gay marriage"...

Customers who want to pay with a $100 bill at a Rhode Island chain of restaurants will now have to fill out a form. WPRI reports that Gregg's locations will now require a name, phone number and driver's license number whenever someone pays with a $100 bill. Owner Bob Bacon says it's because they have received five fake $100s in the last three months. He tells the station the policy is not about getting restitution if they receive a fake bill. He says it's about creating a paper trail so they can track down whoever is making the fake bills.

Rhode Island has the highest unemployment rate in the country, it’s crushed by unsustainable public sector salaries and pensions which are protected by union control of the legislature and politicians at every level, it is one of only two states losing population and may lose one of its two congressional seats in the 2020 census if trends continue. Yet Rhode Islanders continually vote Democratic, even reelecting to Congress the disgraced David Cicilline in 2012 when even the liberal Providence Journal turned on him. The Democrat-union grip on the state never has been tighter, and Rhode Island never has suffered more,...

<p>WOONSOCKET, R.I. – The economy of Woonsocket was about to stir to life. Delivery trucks were moving down river roads, and stores were extending their hours. The bus company was warning riders to anticipate “heavy traffic.” A community bank, soon to experience a surge in deposits, was rolling a message across its electronic marquee on the night of Feb. 28: “Happy shopping! Enjoy the 1st.”</p>

On Thursday, Jan. 24, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the "gay marriage" bill (H5015) by a 51-19 vote, two days after the bill was passed by the House Judiciary Committee. The move was not unexpected, given that the Speaker of the House, Gordon Fox, a Democrat, is openly homosexual and has been a champion of this bill. But the bill now moves to the Senate, where its fate is very uncertain. The Rhode Island Senate has not been as monolithic in its support for this bill as the House. The Senate President is on record as opposing it,...

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) announced Sunday that she has spearheaded a bipartisan letter calling on the French government to cancel plans to release a convicted terrorist who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an American and an Israeli diplomat. The letter, which was sent to France’s Ambassador to the United States, urges French officials to stop the release of George Ibrahim Abdallah, the former head of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Brigade who was convicted in 1987 of killing an Israeli diplomat and a U.S. military attaché. The U.S. State Department has also expressed its opposition...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rhode Island House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly passed legislation to allow gays and lesbians to marry in the only New England state where they can't. The House voted 51-19 after an often emotional debate that touched on civil rights, religion and the nature of marriage. The bill now moves to the Senate, where both supporters and opponents of gay marriage say it is difficult to predict the bill's fate. "This has been a long journey," said House Speaker Gordon Fox, who is gay and supported same-sex legislation when it was first introduced in 1997. "Today...

Rep. Patrick Kennedy: 'I don't need Bush's tax cut. I have never worked a [bleeping] day in my life'....

Rhode Island’s blue-on-blue showdown is heating up. Famed litigator David Boies is taking a 96 percent pay cut to represent the state against recalcitrant public sector unions. The New York Times reports: Mr. Boies became involved, he said, because he was convinced that Rhode Island’s pension troubles were just the tip of a $5 trillion iceberg of unsecured retirement promises to the nation’s millions of public workers. “This is something that can cripple state and municipal governments at a time when the federal government is, more and more, cutting back on the services it provides,” he said. Public unions and...

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 GoLocalProv News Team A prominent Rhode Island lobbyist and Democratic fundraiser gave a $300,000 personal loan to the twin sister of Jill Kelley, the woman tied to the love affair that ended CIA Director David Petraeus’ career, court documents show. Bankruptcy records filed by Natalie Khawam last April list Gerald Harrington, the founder of the Capitol City Group, as an unsecured creditor on the loan. Khawam owes nearly $4 million in total. The loan was first reported by the New York Post. A message left at Harrington’s Providence law firm was not immediately returned. The Post...

At least one fifth of Rhode Islanders receive some form of public assistance, including housing, health care, food stamps, and cash assistance, according to figures collected from several state departments and federal agencies by GoLocalProv. Welfare, strictly defined as direct cash payments, benefits a small slice of the population, about 22,000 individuals. But when all forms of public assistance are included, the number balloons to at least two hundred thousand. By far, the largest public assistance program is Rhode Island Medicaid, with 199,199 eligible residents in August 2012 and $1.6 billion budgeted for medical benefits in the current fiscal year....

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Meeting for their first debate, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Republican challenger Benjamin B. "Barry" Hinckley jousted Tuesday over a long list of topics that included the economy, foreign policy and education. The candidates were cordial but direct during the one-hour encounter, each questioning the other's statements as they maintained a respectful tone. Hinckley, borrowing a line that Democrats often use on House Republicans, said liberals such as Whitehouse have shut down debate in the Senate. Whitehouse said Hinckley favors policies that would change social security and turn Medicare "into a voucher system." More than 300 people...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Retired social worker Jim Gillis was told his $36,000 Rhode Island state pension would increase by $1,100 next year to keep up with inflation. But lawmakers suspended annual increases, leaving Gillis wondering how he'll pay medical bills and whether he'd been betrayed by his former employer. "When you're working, you're told you'll get certain things, and you retire believing that to be the case," Gillis said. He and other retirees are challenging the pension changes in a court battle that's likely to have national implications as other states follow Rhode Island's lead. Cities and states around...

A Republican-controlled Senate in 2012 looks less likely than it did a few weeks ago, but the prospect for GOP gains is still quite solid. Of the 33 Senate seats up for grabs this cycle, seven are occupied by Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents who are not seeking reelection, three are occupied by Republicans who are not seeking reelection, 16 are occupied by Democrats seeking reelection, and seven are occupied by Republicans seeking reelection. This is the class of senators last elected in 2006, a midterm election that almost could not have gone worse for the GOP. A few recent developments...

(AP) PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Former major league baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, whose video gaming company recently collapsed, called the governor a "dunce of epic proportions." Schilling, who won a World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks and then two with the Boston Red Sox, criticized independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee in a Saturday exchange on Twitter about the collapse of 38 Studios, which got a $75 million loan guarantee from the state in 2010.

Close to 90 percent of states saw their unemployment rates rise in July, a potentially worrisome development for President Obama’s reelection campaign. The Labor Department reported Friday that 44 states in all saw their jobless rate go up, with four states seeing no change at all. Only Idaho and Rhode Island — along with Washington, D.C. — saw their rates drop last month. The economy added 163,000 jobs in July, the Labor Department said earlier this month, a figure that beat expectations and outpaced the sluggish job growth of the previous three months. But Republicans also latched on to the...

Gerard "the Frenchman" Ouimette, a former enforcer for the Patriarca family in Providence, RI, was sentenced to life in 1995 pursuant to the federal three-strikes-your-out law following an extortion conviction, and has used the time to write his memoirs What Price Providence? about the life as reported by W. Zachary Malinowski for the Providence Journal. The imprisoned mobster apparently has an ax to grind with law enforcement according to the book's description on Amazon: Readers will have difficulty discerning whose behavior is criminal, Gerard Ouimette's, the author, or the Government's. * * * This book tells the entire ugly truth,...

A mayor has come to the defense of a war memorial that features religious symbols and prayers after a national group called for the cross to be removed. "Place Jolicoeur" is a 91-year-old memorial in a Rhode Island city that honors hometown soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending their country during World War I and II.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) declared on the Senate floor Thursday that the debate over whether humans are causing climate change is over, and that it has been shown conclusively that human activity is leading to global warming. "People say there are questions about the theory," he said. "No, there are not. "The argument that the jury is still out on climate change is a false and bogus argument," he added. "The jury is not out. In fact, the jury is in, the effects are obvious, they surround us every day, and we need to take action." Whitehouse said the theory...

As The Blaze previously reported, liberals assembled this weekend in Providence, Rhode Island, for Netroots Nation, an annual conference aimed at promoting the progressive cause. Closing out the event was Van Jones, the former White House official who has distinguished himself as being especially hostile toward the American right. In his address, the one-time green jobs adviser warned the audience about the Tea Party and encouraged them to fight diligently to ensure their policies are enacted.

Distressed cities are finally doing what they should have been doing long ago, declaring bankruptcy to force concessions from public unions. Numbers are still a trickle, but at soon as a major city such as Oakland or LA selects that option, we will likely see a torrent of municipal bankruptcies. At a packed, two-day conference on municipal woes sponsored by Michael Stanton, the publisher of The Bond Buyer Distressed Cities Discuss Bold Tactics in a New Fiscal Era. The conference was devoted to a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the more powerful tools being used in many cities...

A man filmed a group of girls attacking a 12-year-old girl in his neighbor's garden, and told Providence, Rhode Island, police he thought it was a prank. Two of the girls have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy, and two others have been charged with simple assault and conspiracy, said Providence Police Sgt. Matthew Ryan. The 12-year-old suffered two black eyes, a bruised nose and bite marks on her hands. Holly Gingerella, the girl's mother, said, "My daughter is doing OK. She doesn't look very good, but she's a strong child." She said her daughter has...

Key leaders of the U.S. Congress want U.S. President Barack Obama to provide funds to help Israel, should it request it, to produce more batteries of the Iron Dome counter-rocket system. Israel's air force has three batteries deployed to protect cities in the southern Negev Desert against rockets fired by Palestinian militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip but budget problems mean it can't fund more batteries needed to shield the rest of the country. Iron Dome, which racked up a 90 percent kill rate against Palestinian Qassam and Grad rockets in recent weeks, was developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems...

CRANSTON, Rhode Island (Reuters) - A Rhode Island school board voted on Thursday to comply with a federal court order to remove a prayer banner that has been displayed in a public high school for nearly a half century, saying the cash-strapped district cannot face a costly appeal.

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. -- When the state stepped in to take over financially struggling Central Falls in 2010, Rhode Island's smallest city lost something fundamental: its democratic government. Mayor Charles Moreau would be forced to give back his key to City Hall, and the City Council was relegated to advisory status - unsure for months whether it was even allowed to convene. "They're being governed without elected representation," state Sen. Elizabeth Crowley said of Central Falls' 19,000 residents. "That flies in the face of the democratic principle that our country is founded on, not only our little city. Maybe we...

U.S. Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) is asking unemployed Rhode Islanders to share their stories so that his colleagues will understand the importance of passing an emergency extension to benefits set to expire for more than 2 million Americans on Dec. 31. The Congressman has launched a new Tell Your Story feature on his website in hopes to convince the House and Senate to pass the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2011 (H.R. 3346) which would continue the program through the end of 2012. More the 9,800 state residents currently depend on the aid and according to Director of the...

A battle is brewing in Rhode Island and you can weigh in with other Americans to stop this War on Christmas! November 30, 2011 Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee does not like a Christmas tree being called a Christmas tree. So he is changing it. According to FoxNews, Gov. Chafee has said the Christmas tree in the State House Rotunda in Providence, as of this year, will be called a "holiday" tree.

(NewsCore) - A Rhode Island lawmaker is calling Gov. Lincoln Chafee "Governor Grinch" for defying politicians and deciding that the state would have a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree." The governor defended his decision by arguing that it is in keeping with the state's founding in 1636 by religious dissident Roger Williams as a haven for tolerance -- where government and religion were kept separate. Chafee, an independent, said in a statement issued Tuesday that his stand was a continuation of past practice, "and does not represent a change of course on my part." But Rep. Doreen Costa,...

... After decades of drift, denial and inaction, Rhode Island’s $14.8 billion pension system is in crisis. Ten cents of every state tax dollar now goes to retired public workers. Before long, Ms. Raimondo has been cautioning in whistle-stops here and across the state, that figure will climb perilously toward 20 cents. But the scary thing is that no one really knows. The Providence Journal recently tried to count all the municipal pension plans outside the state system and stopped at 155, conceding that it might have missed some. Even the Securities and Exchange Commission is asking questions, including the...

Three years ago, a winner was chosen to make Rhode Island the nation's first state with an offshore wind farm. Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri made the announcement: Deepwater Wind Inc., -- a well-capitalized New Jersey wind power development company with hotshot lobbyists -- won the contract. Carcieri unveiled the $1.3 billion, 800-job venture in language fit for a legacy: "This is much more than an energy project. This is about creating a new industry in Rhode Island; an industry that puts Rhode Island at the epicenter of the emerging alternative energy market."

by John HillStand With Arizona Over 500 people turned out for a protest against R.I. Gov. Lincoln Chafee's support for in-state tuition for illegal aliens - which was implemented with a lawless decree by Chafee's education "czars" when he failed to get the Legislature to pass the outrageous bill. Local media hailed the "unusually large turnout for a weeknight" at the the State House in Providence, which included many Stand With Arizona activists, along with members of Rhode Island for Immigration Law Enforcement, and average citizens furious at the Obama-style bypassing of elected officials on behalf of illegal aliens....

EVENT: JOIN R.I. LEGISLATORS AND PROTEST THE LAWLESS DECREE OF SUBSIDIZED TUITION FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS BY GOV. CHAFEE'S UNELECTED 'BOARD OF GOVERNORS'WHO: SWA Activists from RI, CT and MA - and ALL SWA'ers to call, fax or email. 6 Rhode Island Representatives and Senators will be attending the protest and holding a press conference (see below).WHERE: Rhode Island State House (Smith St. Side). Providence, R.I.WHEN: Wed., Oct 5th, 2011, 5:00 P.M. NOTE: SWA will be providing signs for you to print out (if you need them please email us at act@standwitharizona.com). Otherwise please bring your own (non-political) signs against in-state...

Providence, RI - Rhode Island State Police say that the shooting death of a woman's Pit bull, "Champ" was an "unfortunate accident". Accident or not, a beloved family companion is dead. The tragedy happened on Wednesday morning when a fugitive task force was stationed outside of a home in Providence. Though the task force was waiting for a fugitive to emerge, they were instead greeted by two dogs who had been let out for a potty break. Moments after the dogs were let outside, shots were fired. The officer who fired the three shots told the dog's owner that the...

FOLLOW THE LAWThat would be a sure-fire cure for our Economically Transmitted Disease [ETD]. MERS and their Banker pals are adroit enough to gobble up free homes, along with all the various "credit enancements" that go with it...but they aren't quite adroit enough to do it without breaking the law. Too bad for them.

In the wake of Central Falls's bankruptcy filing last Monday, lawmakers and local officials across the Ocean State have had to come to grips with the fact that the tiny city's fiscal "issues" are not unique. As you may remember, Central Falls's financial woes are primarily the result of the city's $80 million unfunded pension liability. The city was forced to file for bankruptcy after union retirees failed to agree to concessions that would have slashed pension benefits by as much as half. The filing was a wakeup call for Rhode Island, which is suffering from widespread pension crises. Combined,...

The tiny, cash-strapped town of Central Falls, Rhode Island, is expected to know Monday whether it is officially bankrupt. Robert Flanders, the town's state appointed receiver, will work through the weekend to decide whether he will file for bankruptcy on behalf of Central Falls... ... Central Falls faces a $4.9 million budget shortfall. The real financial problem, however, is the city's $80 million public pension debt and it's public safety worker pension fund is on track to run out by October. A Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filing would give Central Falls the opportunity to change it's union agreements. But it...

It's not Jefferson County, yet, but it could certainly be seen as the precursor to the first domino. "The state-appointed receiver overseeing the cash-strapped Rhode Island town of Central Falls has filed for bankruptcy on the city's behalf in an effort to help it get back on its feet. Receiver Robert G. Flanders and Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee announced the step - which Flanders has described as a last resort - at a news conference at City Hall. Flanders filed the legal paperwork seeking bankruptcy protection Monday. "From the ashes of bankruptcy Central Falls will rise again," Flanders said."...

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — The retirees came from near and far, gathering in a muggy auditorium here to listen to an urgent pitch: give back a big chunk of your pension or risk losing it all. This city of 19,000 is broke and headed for bankruptcy, partly because it has promised retired police and firefighters millions of dollars in pensions and benefits that it cannot begin to afford. And so Robert G. Flanders Jr., a state-appointed receiver who is trying to right the city’s finances, found himself on the stage at Central Falls High School on Tuesday, asking retirees...

When a voter ID bill passed in Rhode Island last week, longtime opponents were stunned. How could this happen in one of the country’s most Democratic and liberal states? Why did Democratic leaders and black legislators support it? And why did Governor Chafee sign it? Some say black politicians were trying to protect themselves from Hispanics’ growing political power — two longtime black legislators were defeated by Hispanics in the 2010 elections. Some cite illegal immigration as a driving force. Some say voter ID is simply essential. Whatever the reason, [ideologues] are still seething a week later. That includes many...

PROVIDENCE - The fight over Rhode Island's new voter identification law continued for three days after Governor Chafee quietly signed the legislation, with opponents saying they were led by the governor's office to believe they still had a fighting chance. A week earlier, Democratic North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue vetoed a voter-ID bill passed by her state's Republican-controlled legislature, saying it would "unnecessarily and unfairly disenfranchise many eligible and legitimate voters." But there was no such opposition from Chafee in Rhode Island, where Democrats overwhelmingly control the House and Senate. Democratic House Speaker Gordon D. Fox was one of the...