Daily Briefing: RI's housing market is booming like never before

ALSO: Get ready for the Newport Folk Festival ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Thu Jul 25 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 have friends or family trying to buy a house in Rhode Island recently there's a good chance your jaw dropped hearing their stories. Bids tens of thousands over asking price – if not more – being rejected. In my neighborhood, we just saw a rundown, vacant home sold for over a hundred thousand more than the listing price. It's enough to make first-time homebuyers shake their heads, if not worse. As The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite reports the price of a single-family home in Rhode Island has nearly doubled since 2019, with the median price of a single family home now just short of a half-million dollars. What's driving the climbing costs and is there any hope in sight? [Here's what Wheeler found.]( • We all know Rhode Islanders aren't afraid to harvest their own quahogs, but what about mussels? They're on menus throughout the state, but you'd be hard-pressed to find many of them in the state's waters. [Thayer Bob] Steamed mussels are always served with toasted bread for sopping up the broth. Bob Thayer, file/ The Providence Journal [Journal reporter Antonia Farzan explains the difference between the more popular blue mussels and the ribbed mussels you're more likely to find in the Ocean State]( along with some of the reasons why the latter is much more prevalent in Rhode Island, and also considered less desirable to eat. • Are you headed to the Newport Folk Festival this weekend? [Here's a look at everything you need to know before you go from alternative ways to get there, what you can bring with you and even some guesses at possible surprise performances.]( • More than 20,000 people were impacted by a data breach at the Wyatt Detention Facility and personal information, including Social Security numbers, was stolen and posted to the dark web. [The Journal's Katie Mulvaney reports that now a class action lawsuit has been filed.]( • Trolls, elephants and now birds. [Journal photographer Kris Craig gets a look at the latest public art display to land in Rhode Island.]( More from The Providence Journal [Find the latest obituaries here.]( [Subscribers can read the eNewspaper here.]( WORTH A READ 📰 [Biden's farewell:]( Leaving to Kamala Harris the race he wanted to run 🌋 [A baffling, dangerous explosion in Yellowstone]( What is a hydrothermal explosion? 👰 'Really a stealth operation': [Mariah Kennedy Cuomo marries Tellef Lundevall in Hyannisport]( 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. New research has revealed which card games Rhode Island finds most confusing, with Poker taking the top spot. Multiplayer card game site [World of Card Games]( analyzed the average number of monthly Google searches for terms related to different card games such as ‘how to play Blackjack’ and ‘Baccarat rules explained’ to determine which ones Rhode Island finds most confusing. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌩️ Warmer; a shower in the morning followed by a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon; storms can bring flooding downpours and localized damaging wind gusts. Highs in the low 80s. TOP STORIES [This solar farm on a Bristol landfill generates enough power for 700 homes]( [A new solar project on a closed landfill in Bristol is generating enough power for about 700 homes.]( A new solar project built atop a capped landfill in Bristol is the largest project of its kind in Rhode Island, generating power on undesirable land. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Constitutional Convention chairman Keven McKenna, right, is applauded by, from left, Secretary of State Kathleen Connell, Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fay, House Speaker Mathew Smith and Lt. Gov. Richard Licht.]( [RI's unions are organizing against a constitutional convention. Here's why.]( Those in opposition to a constitutional convention worry that it would 'open the floodgates' for special interest groups. [READ MORE]( [Vice President Kamala Harris speaks Wednesday during Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s convention at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.]( [RI's Dem convention delegates informally endorse a candidate]( A majority endorses Vice President Kamala Harris. [READ MORE]( [Jan 3, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence Friars forward Bryce Hopkins (23) shoots the ball over Seton Hall Pirates guard Dre Davis (14) during the first half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports]( [PC star Bryce Hopkins working his way back from ACL tear]( Exactly when the senior will be back on the floor is still not known. “It’s a very slow process,” Hopkins said. [READ MORE]( [PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 09: Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo attend the 12th Annual NFL Honors at Symphony Hall on February 09, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) ORG XMIT: 775915603 ORIG FILE ID: 1464623425]( [These RI restaurants have been visited by celebrities this year]( Here's what to know about which celebrities have been spotted dining in Rhode Island this year. [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. 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