This Just In: Hello, Dan McKee; farewell, Eddie Beard

Also, one possible explanation for falling COVID hospitalizations in Rhode Island. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Thursday, January 14 [Edward P. Beard, second from left, "Tip" O'Neill, right - 1978]( [This Just In: Hello, Dan McKee; farewell, Eddie Beard]( Also, one possible explanation for falling COVID hospitalizations in Rhode Island. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. One year ago today, Gov. Gina Raimondo [delivered what was probably her final State of the State address](. It's amazing to look back on where the state was then, pre-pandemic, and think about where we were today — and I'm not just talking about the maskless faces and the presence of Nicholas Mattiello in the speaker's chair. The one constant? A big budget deficit that loomed over it all. This year, that looming deficit is much larger, and the man who will inherit it as governor is Dan McKee. The governor-in-waiting [gave a news conference today]( at a Chelo's restaurant. And although McKee in the past had criticized Raimondo's approach to helping small businesses hurt by the pandemic, today he wouldn't say a single thing that he would have done differently from her over the last six years. One of the leading candidates to eventually replace McKee as lieutenant governor is former Central Falls Mayor James Diossa. On the day we learned that Raimondo was headed to Washington, Diossa [resigned from the board]( of a company that is seeking a license to run a medical marijuana dispensary in Rhode Island. This week, we lost one of those truly only-in-Rhode Island personalities, with the death of Eddie Beard. Mark Patinkin [pays him tribute today]( saying that his rise from Providence housepainter to U.S. Congress seemed to prove the American credo that anything is possible. The coronavirus pandemic in Rhode Island has been in a bit of a seesaw phase recently. The numbers got very, very bad in early December, then improved following Raimondo's three-week "pause," only to begin deteriorating again in the days after Christmas and New Year's. Now they're improving again. New cases, test positivity and hospitalizations [are all down so far this week]( but unfortunately we are very close to reaching the sad milestone of 2,000 COVID deaths. One possible factor easing the burden on Rhode Island hospitals: [the increased availability of monoclonal antibodies]( which seem to help COVID-positive people recover more quickly. Lifespan [is participating in]( and seeking volunteers for, a late-stage trial of a new vaccine manufactured by Novavax of Maryland. Police in Lincoln [are investigating the "suspicious" deaths]( of a husband and wife who lived in an apartment in Manville. That was [an excruciating loss]( for the URI Rams last night. The Boston Bruins start their season tonight. How will they do? [Here are predictions for the NHL season from the USA TODAY Network](  Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, [please encourage a friend to sign up]( [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2021 75 Fountain St. , Providence, RI 02902