Daily Briefing: Go ahead, take the (polar) plunge in 2024

The plunge is like a strange bonding experience, it benefits a good cause, and it starts the new year off with a burst of energy. Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Fri Dec 29 2023 Lynne Sullivan | Regional Executive Editor [@LSullivan73]( Well, folks, it's Lynne Sullivan again, filling in for Will Richmond one last time (he'll be back on Tuesday, bright and early!). After a rather gloomy week, I'm looking forward to cramming in some fun this weekend – perhaps a [fireworks show]( or even a last-minute [visit to LaSalette](. What I will not be doing is [participating in a Polar Plunge]( though I greatly admire the folks who are brave enough to do so. I don't love being in the water even on a hot day in the summer (I do like LOOKING at the water, though). And I really, really hate being cold. In what may not have been my best parenting moment, I did allow my son to participate in Fall River's plunge a few years back, when he was 9 years old. My husband was doing it, and Ian wanted to be just like his dad, so I said why not. But let me tell you, it was cold! Ian was so excited, but when he emerged from the water, his little lips were blue and his teeth were chattering. He couldn't even speak for a few minutes. I was convinced he was going to start crying or at the very least, complain the whole way home. [Sullivan polar plunge in fall river.jpeg] Projo Executive Editor Lynne Sullivan's husband and son, after a polar plunge in Fall River in 2014. Lynne Sullivan/The Providence Journal Nope. To this day, he insists that was one of the best moments of his life. It's one of those stories that gets embellished with each retelling, from the "freezing" temperature (it was at least 40 degrees out), to the "awful" weather (it was bright and sunny), to how "far" he and Greg ran into the water (up to their waists, that's it). Still, I get why he loved it – the crowd was laughing and excited, the plunge is like a strange bonding experience, it benefits a good cause, and it starts the new year off with a burst of energy. If you're feeling brave like Ian, here's [a list of plunges]( across the state. As for me, I'll be wrapped in a blanket with a cup of coffee, reading a book. 🧑‍⚖️ The nation's[immigration court backlog]( swelled by more than 1 million cases in 2023, according to new data, as the number of migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border surged. 🦈 Even in the winter, these researchers are tracking shark activity off Cape Cod. Here's [what they're looking for](. 🎂 From Watergate to the Rubik's cube, check out all the people – and things – [turning 50 in 2024](. ☔ [Today's weather]( Low clouds and areas of drizzle, high of 48. TOP STORIES [Foster and adoptive families find parent-to-parent help at The Village]( [Destiny and Julian Babin, adoptive children of Sue Babin, board chairwoman of The Village, work on their houses at the gingerbread event.]( This grass-roots network offers mentoring, resources and help dealing with both practical and emotional challenges. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [West Warwick's Xenia Raye. Winner of the girl's 400 crosses finish line.]( [Bill Koch picks his three most memorable sports stories of 2023]( Oftentimes, it’s the smaller moments in the margins that one remembers most. [READ MORE]( [Andrew Middleton in his new shop.]( [Would you move across the US to run The Map Center in RI? This guy did]( If you have two good options," Andrew Middleton says, "do the one that is the better story. This is the better story." [READ MORE]( [Early voters at Slater Park Pavilion polling in Pawtucket.]( [Who will be on RI's presidential primary ballot? Support takes shape.]( Starting Thursday, candidates can declare their intent to run. Many RI politicos have already begun lining up behind candidates. [READ MORE]( [Robert Petkoff as Harold Zidler and the cast of the North American tour of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," at Providence Performing Arts Center.]( [Review: 'Moulin Rouge!' is musical tour de force at PPAC]( The Tony-winning jukebox musical has all the eye-popping appeal of the hit movie, with some new songs added to the mix. [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 ➔]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. 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