Daily Briefing: Changes are coming to Waterplace Park

ALSO: What happens when a homeless encampment is displaced? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Fri May 10 2024 Will Richmond | Managing Editor Communities & R.I. [@Will_Richmond]( Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at [The Providence Journal]( and this is the Daily Briefing. If you've attended a WaterFire and strolled along the river starting at Waterplace Park or just gone for a walk you've experienced the stone and concrete walkways. But if you've been in area after heavy rains or during an extreme high tide you've probably also found them mostly impassable as the river rises and overflows the banks. That experience will soon change, but that doesn't mean you won't be able to enjoy your walk. [Riverwalk Waterplace park] This rendering of the Waterplace Park project shows how the city plans to restore the natural riverbanks while preserving standing and sitting space for events City of Providence/Contributed photo The Journal's Alex Kuffner reports that changes are coming to the popular area as part of the latest battle against climate change. [Just what will it look like? Alex has all the details.]( • On Sunday about 70 homeless people in Providence will be forced out of a pair of encampments they call home. What will they do next? The answer to that isn't clear and advocates for the unhoused aren't happy with the way Mayor Brett Smiley is handling the situation. [The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite talked with a resident of one of the encampments along with advocates to learn more about the state's current homeless situation and what options these residents do or don't have.]( • RISD has been at the center of the Pro-Palestinian protests on Rhode Island college campuses the past couple of days, but as they occupied the Prov-Wash building and shared images on social media, two stood out to Journal columnist Mark Patinkin. In his latest column, [Patinkin explains just who and what appeared to be used as inspiration during these protests.]( • The first championship of the spring high school season will be handed out this weekend as boys tennis players hit the court. What should you expect? Who are the favorites? [The Journal's Eric Rueb has it covered with these five things to watch for.]( • Do you love where you work? [Today is your last chance to nominate your workplace for Rhode Island's first top workplaces awards.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 🧬 AncestryDNA, 23andMe introduce you to new relatives. [Now the nightmare: They won't offer medical history.]( 💃 [Miss USA contestants call for 'full transparency']( from pageant amid Noelia Voigt's departure 🍴 Mass. restaurant group asks high court to [block ballot question on tipped minimum wage]( RHODY RANKS Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails. Did you know May is Zombie Awareness Month? [Casino.org]( conducted a weighted analysis to determine the states with the best and worst chances of zombie apocalypse survival. They examined real-life data across various categories including environmental conditions, availability of hiding spots, and valuable apocalypse professions. Unfortunately, Rhode Island ranked as the worst state for zombie apocalypse survival, nationwide - with a score of 0/100. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( ☁️ Cloudy and cooler with a shower in the area. Highs in the upper 50s. TOP STORIES [Pro-Palestinian student occupation at RISD ends peacefully. Here's how.]( [A RISD occupying student rallies crowd below.]( Pro-Palestine students who took over a Rhode Island School of Design building ended their four-day occupation Thursday after President Crystal Williams threatened them with expulsion. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Police car emergency lights]( [RI House approves change in law to make it easier to fire problem cops]( A long-awaited compromise bill to reform LEOBOR has been approved by the House [READ MORE]( [House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi with Majority Leader Christopher Blazejewski.]( [Key piece of Shekarchi's housing bill revived. Here's the new version.]( A key piece of the bill would require cities and towns to explain why certain parcels do not allow residential use. [READ MORE]( [Published Caption: With an unprecedented volume of mail-in voting expected, the winners of some close General Assembly races likely won’t be known until long after election night. [The Providence Journal, file / Sandor Bodo] Original Caption: PROVIDENCE, RI -- 5/14/2016 Rhode Island belly dancers from Providence and Bristol groups are practicing their craft on the steps of the Rhode island State House belly dancers all over the world are practicing their shimmies to make belly dance history once again! On Saturday, May 14, Shimmy Mobs, or belly dance flash mobs, will be appearing randomly in cities from coast to coast and across continents to promote World Belly Dance Day. Its purpose is to help raise funds for women???s shelters around the world. This is the sixth anniversary of Shimmy Mob.or us this Saturday!Team Providence and Team Bristol will be performing together in the Waterplace Park area this Saturday. The dancers will meet at 10:30 am on the steps of the State House for one last rehearsal before entertaining surprised audiences in the area. Sandor Bodo/The Providence Journal 1008230567 ri_pvd_Belly]( [US News released its Best States 2024 ranking. Here's how RI did]( Utah was ranked at the best state in the country. [READ MORE]( [The Gamm Theatre in Warwick, which will mark its 40th season this fall.]( [Surprises in store as Gamm Theatre unveils 2024-25 season lineup]( “You only turn 40 once!” says artistic director Tony Estrella. [READ MORE]( Advertisement Vote with Confidence This 7-day newsletter course will help you be an informed voter before Nov. 5. [SIGN UP NOW]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. The universal eNewspaper, the digital version of our print paper, plus bonus monthly magazines and hundreds of local papers. Original reporting of our hometown teams, from high school sports to the pros. [Unlock news for $1]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Newsletters]( | [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( Follow Us Problem viewing email? 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