Daily Briefing: RI woman featured in documentary offering hope to ALS patients

ALSO: Why this D-Day may have a special meaning. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Thu Jun 6 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. Plain and simple, ALS sucks. There's no need to create a competition among illnesses to say which is the worst, but from first-hand experience, I know what ALS does to a person. I watched as it took away my father-in-law's life. How it changed him from a strong person full of life who enjoyed a good meal to a shell of himself, who had to eat through a feeding tube, and that wasn't even at the end. I watched as family members tried everything possible to provide care, taking leave from their jobs to become full-time caregivers. They burned out as they watched someone they cared for so deeply essentially disappear in front of them. Hope of a potential treatment may be too late for our family, but if it could save people that pain in future that will be great news and a new documentary on Amazon Prime, staring a Rhode Island woman is showing what could be coming. [02_Christa_06052024.JPG] Christa Thompson, of East Greenwich, who lost her husband Olin to ALS, makes an appearance on a new documentary streaming on Prime about the political movement that built around the disease. President Obama, other big names, also appear in the film produced by Katie Couric. Christa is photographed at her East Greenwich home. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal [The Journal's Katie Mulvaney reports on the release of “For Love and Life: No Ordinary Campaign” which features Christa Thompson, an East Greenwich woman]( who shares the story of her husband, assistant federal public defender Olin W. Thompson III, who was lost to the disease in 2022. • Today marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day and this year's celebration in Normandy, France, will be especially meaningful, since it's likely the last major anniversary that D-Day participants will attend. [The Journal's Jack Perry recently talked with Tim Gray, founder and president of the World War II Foundation, about the event that will be celebratory but somber.]( • Fresh out of college, Jessica Vega, now a senior policy analyst at RI Kids Coun previously served the City Council president in Central Falls, was struggling. Payday loans seemed like the answer to her problems − but only created new ones. [The Journal's Antonia Farzan talked with Vega about her experience as legislation to cap lenders' interest rates moves through the General Assembly.]( • Will offshore wind lead to lower electricity bills? For all the hype around the industry that should be the hope. [The Journal's Alex Kuffner reports that at least one study is optimistic for savings, but just how much?]( • Rhode Island General Assembly is sprinting toward the end of its session and there's plenty to do. [The Journal's Katherine Gregg is tracking it all in this handy guide on what's moving through the State House.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 🎖️ 80 years ago, on the beaches of Normandy, WWII shifted course: [Here's how D-Day unfolded]( 🌎 [Earth marks 12 straight months of record heat]( a bewildering climate change milestone 🏀 [Who will win 2024 NBA Finals?]( Mavericks vs. Celtics picks, predictions and odds 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. Research reveals the top 10 best states to visit for an adventure vacation with Rhode Island placing 44th. The study conducted by [Westgate Branson Resorts]( analyzed data for nine key indicators that contribute to an adventurous vacation, which typically involves activities that offer excitement, adrenaline, and exploration. These factors were then combined into an index to give each state a total score and were ranked accordingly to discover the top destinations in America for an adventurous getaway. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( ⛈️ Considerable cloudiness and not as warm but humid with a couple of showers and a heavy thunderstorm. Highs in the mid-70s. TOP STORIES [Bridge contractors don't want the state to get more time to sue them]( [Traffic on the eastbound span of the Washington Bridge rolls toward East Providence in late January. At right is the East Bay Bike Path span.]( Unsurprisingly, AECOM and other engineering firms connected to the bridge came out against extending the time the state has to sue them for their work. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves ]( [How an arrest has divided the Pawtucket police chief and elected officials]( The arrest of an 83-year-old Black man has raised already-heightened tensions in Pawtucket. [READ MORE]( [Richard Fazzio, now 99, recalls his experiences at Omaha Beach during World War II.]( [D-Day survivor from RI shares his harrowing story with Mark Patinkin]( “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]( [Dorothy Tierney and Raymond Draper pose by a large statue of a dog in an unknown location.]( [Photograph in Journal evokes memory of romance ended by World War II]( When Joan Masse saw a photo of Raymond Draper in a Providence Journal Memorial Day story, she knew right away that it was her mother's first love. [READ MORE]( [Hendricken takes game one over South Kingstown in series action. Griffin Crain with game winning hit.]( [Hendricken baseball takes first game of D-I final series]( Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. at RIC on Saturday and the Hawks will be bidding for a sweep. [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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