Daily Briefing: Could Jack Reed be the key to replacing the Washington Bridge?

ALSO: Catch up on everything that happened at this weekend's high school championships. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Mon Jun 3 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 it feels like we don't know much about what's to come for the Washington Bridge, but we do know it will be expensive. Fortunately, as the state seeks federal funds for the project, we have an ally used to getting money from the Feds. [In this week's Political Scene, Antonia Farzan looks at Sen. Jack Reed's success in bringing home funds for everything from sewer lines to squid jigging studies.]( How did Reed gain his influence and what will happen when he eventually leaves office? Antonia finds out. [U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, left, and Jack Reed flank U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as they talk to reporters after the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic groundbreaking in Newport. 05062024] U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, left, and Jack Reed flank U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as they talk to reporters after the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Atlantic groundbreaking in Newport on May 6. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal • In the cemetery in Tunisia lies the body of an East Providence man who was one of the very first Army Air Force crew members (and probably the first Rhode Islander) lost in the European theater during WWII. Journal contributor Frank Lennon recently visited the grave of Staff Sgt. Rene A. Leger of East Providence, who is buried in the North Africa American Cemetery. [Lennon shares Leger's story in this week's Veterans Voice.]( • Covering high school championship weekend requires a championship-caliber team and the crew in the Journal sports department did just that. [From the field to the court to the track they had it all covered this weekend.]( • The school year is coming to a close, but the state's high school students aren't slowing down. [Check out the nominees for this week's Providence Journal Student of the Week and cast your vote.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 👪 Role reversal: [millions of kids care for adults but many are alone](. How to find help. ⚖️ [Hunter Biden trial:]( Why his gun case hinges on one fateful day when he wasn't using drugs 🛍️ [TJX announced plans to open more than 1,300 new stores.]( Here's what to know 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. Today is World Bicycle Day and [buycycle]( a European's marketplace for bikes, has ranked various cycling factors including the elevation range, cycle route length and overall state safety score to uncover the best places across the nation that are perfect for families to teach their kids to ride the bike. That study has revealed that Rhode Island is the best state to learn to ride a bike in 2024. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌤️ Partial sunshine. Highs in the low 80s. TOP STORIES [D-Day survivor from RI shares his harrowing story with Mark Patinkin]( [Richard Fazzio, now 99, recalls his experiences at Omaha Beach during World War II.]( “I’m praying, don’t let my mother get one of those telegrams,” says Richard Fazzio, now 99, wounded at age 18 while ferrying troops to Omaha Beach. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [“When someone flushes a toilet, there’s not enough water to brush your teeth,” said Paul Frechette, showing the meager stream from the bathroom faucet at his Jamestown home.]( [Will this Jamestown neighborhood run out of water?]( Residents said they have had to all but abandon their homes, as their wells are not providing enough water. [READ MORE]( [Dominick J. Ruggerio, Joseph Shekarchi, Gov. Dan McKee]( [Money for bridge, RIPTA, pensions in state budget bill; no bank tax cut]( Previewing some of the major themes in the year's big tax-and-spending bill, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said it will prioritize "education at every level and supporting children." [READ MORE]( [BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 30: Red Sox President Sam Kennedy, left, and Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow pose former Red Sox player Dustin Pedroia during the Red Sox Hall of Fame ceremony before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 30, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)]( [For new Sox Hall of Famer Dustin Pedroia, next stop Cooperstown]( His work ethic, passion, talent, personality and desire to win during his 17-year professional career in the Red Sox organization is nearly unmatched. [READ MORE]( [NEW Providence Journal Summertime Fund 5/19/2014]( [Donate now to the Journal's 52nd annual Summertime Fund]( The fund has sent thousands of youngsters to camp since The Providence Journal launched it in 1972. [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. 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