Daily Briefing: Pop some popcorn and settle in for public meetings

ALSO: 🏘️ Is a housing crash on the horizon? Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Thu Jun 1 2023 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. Sure the idea of attending your local city or town council meeting or school committee may sound boring, but there are important discussions taking place. In many cases, those discussions will have a direct effect on you. Maybe the council is setting the annual budget and that could mean taxes are going up. The school committee might be deciding if certain schools could be closed. Trying to stay informed isn't easy, but maybe it would be a little bit more accessible if all these meetings were being livestreamed and maybe you could even participate from home. [07 Mayor 04252023] Providence Mayor Brett Smiley delivers his budget in City Council chambers on April 25, 2023. [The Providence Journal / Kris Craig] Kris Craig, The Providence Journal As The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite reports, the good news, according to a survey from the Rhode Island ACLU is that 32 municipalities in the state are still streaming their meetings after it became commonplace during the pandemic. The number of municipalities that post meeting recordings is higher, at 35. Still, there are frustrating aspects involved with remotely viewing meetings the survey found, but there are bills at the State House that could help remedy those issues. Maybe. How does your municipality stack up when it comes to making meetings as accessible as possible? Check out Wheeler's story and see what's being done to potentially create more access. Subscribe to The Providence Journal for the best coverage of Rhode Island. [Find our current offer here.]( WORTH A READ 🏡 There is little debate that the U.S. housing market is cooling down after home values rose at a frenzied pace during the pandemic. For the first time in 131 months, home prices fell year-over-year in February, ending the longest price growth streak. [So, does this mean a housing crash could be on the horizon?]( ⛳ Planning a family trip to the Cape this summer? [This list may come in handy.]( 📰 ICYMI: As the debate ramps up over how to ease Rhode Island's housing crunch, t[enants' rights groups are pushing to put new protections in state law]( including rent caps, an apartment registry and keeping eviction records secret. [Today's Weather]( 🌤️ Warmer with clouds giving way to sun. Highs in the mid-80s. TOP STORIES [RIPEC sends warning over $14B budget ahead of reveal. Here's why.]( [A file photo of the Rhode Island State House.]( RIPEC says the proposed spending plan is 43.7% more than just five years ago. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Nikki Ayres, Farm Fresh RI Dir. of Giving and Lucie Searle, Farm Fresh Real Estate Developer sit among some of the pieces of historic marble that will be up for sale. ]( [Farm Fresh RI found marble offcuts from State House. It's for sale.]( They were not expecting to find marble when they started doing site work. [READ MORE]( [Flames emanate from a police cruiser and a plume of smoke rises quickly in front of Providence Place mall early Tuesday morning.]( [For subscribers] [Man who lost an eye after 2020 protests suing Providence police]( Santos was struck with a 'less-lethal' projectile, was hospitalized for 10 days and ultimately lost his eye. [READ MORE]( [Road Work Ahead.]( [Bridge work on Route 37 causing yearlong lane shift]( Route 37 as it passes over I-295 will shift for the next year as crews demolish and build a set of four bridges. [READ MORE]( [Police at the scene of the shooting on North Main Street in Woonsocket on Wednesday night.]( [Grand jury clears fugitive task force in fatal Woonsocket shooting]( The Providence County Grand Jury has determined that the actions of two state police detectives and the deputy marshal were justified. [READ MORE]( Advertisement Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don’t miss out! We’re always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( 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. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( Follow Us 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](