Daily Briefing: Everything to start your week in 3 minutes

ALSO: Meet our fall All-State athletes. Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Tue Jan 23 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. As we all emerge from the weekend's cold the good news is it's about to warm up. The bad news, we've got a full week ahead and after the stretch of three holidays over four weeks we've got a little while until the next break comes around. Start the week with a look at these stories. • Whether you prefer the term "rent control" or "rent stabilization" could depend on how you feel it helps Rhode Island's housing stock. Could this also be the year it comes into effect in some communities? Advocates say the measure is needed as some have watched rents increase more than 100% and another study found that Providence saw the highest jump in rent prices of any city in the country with typical rent for the area rising to $2,074, a 7.5% increase over the previous year. [01 tenants] Protest art by 111 Summer St. resident and artist Tom West as seen through his third-floor studio window last fall. He and other tenants of the Providence apartment building faced steep rent hikes before having their leases terminated last December with little time to find new housing. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal, file Opponents say stabilization would make the state's housing crises worse and lead to less maintenance. With the arguments in mind, [The Journal's Antonia Farzan examines the issue in this week's Political Scene.]( • The story about Nathan Carmen – the young man accused of shooting his grandfather and later causing his mother's death in a boating accident – made national headlines. Now the story is being told in a new book that the author says will unveil new details that tell something different than investigators allege. [The Journal's Katie Mulvaney recently talked to the author to learn more.]( • [The Journal's Mark Patinkin continues his trip through Israel]( with a journey along the West Bank. Along the way, he sees firsthand the scars of conflict and later learns how an Israeli hospital is dealing with the fallout. • Historic preservation in Rhode Island typically leads to consternation about the loss of the state's past, but in Warren, the removal of a 140-year-old structure recently is a welcomed relief. [The Journal's Alex Kuffner has the story of the removal of the lower dam on the Kickemuit River]( which was built long ago to create a reservoir of drinking water for Bristol County communities. With that source no longer needed and a desire to restore habitats for fish and improve water flow, among other reasons, the time was now to take it down. • Rhode Island is full of incredible high school athletes and it's time to recognize the best from the fall season. Today we begin unveiling our All-State teams with a look at [Girl's Cross County]( [Girl's Tennis]( and [Boys Cross Country.]( • Rhode Island is full of characters and sometimes they end up on television. From "Survivor" to the "Jersey Shore" Rhode Islanders have made a name for themselves, sometimes in a dubious fashion or leading to long careers on the screen. [The Journal's Katie Landeck has a rundown of those who have made it as reality stars.]( WORTH A READ 🚓 [My cousin was killed by a car bomb in 1978](. A mob boss was the top suspect. Now, I’m looking for answers. 🗳️ [Joe Biden supporters push write-in campaign]( in New Hampshire: What to know 🏥 Steward Health Care — which runs hospitals in Brockton, Taunton and Fall River, as well as others in Massachusetts and around the country — [is $50 million behind on rent]( 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. A new study from pergola and pavilion designers [Pergola Kits USA]( calculated how much it cost homeowners in each state to run their festive decorations during the holiday period. "Using electricity pricing data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the average square footage of a home in each state, they worked out how much it would cost to run a LED light display for 10 hours per day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. "The fifth spot goes to Rhode Island, where the cost of Christmas decorations in 2023 was $44.70, marking a 10.46% increase from the previous year." [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌤️ Not as cold with sunshine mixing with some clouds. Highs in the upper 30s. TOP STORIES [McKee's lawyer seeks dismissal of GOP ethics complaint]( [Gov. Dan McKee]( It's a somewhat novel but potentially winning argument for the Democratic governor facing a potential decision Tuesday by the state Ethics Commission. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Work proceeds on Phase 3 of the Combined Sewer Overflow tunnel, part of the Narragansett Bay Commission's two-decade effort to stop stormwater from polluting the Bay.]( [A 2.2-mile tunnel is being drilled in RI. Where is the debris going?]( It's a lot of dirt to move. [READ MORE]( [North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, right, talks to Eric Pelletier, a division supervisor for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, at a house on West River Parkway during a Jan. 13 tour of flooding near a stream that significantly eroded its banks.]( [How will FEMA and the SBA help RI victims of the Sept. floods?]( Assistance from both FEMA and the SBA is available for renters, homeowners, business owners and nonprofits impacted by the floods. [READ MORE]( [Published Caption: These "I Voted" stickers were available at a polling station on the campus of the University of California, Irvine, in 2018. Rhode Island is looking for its own unique ‘I voted’ design to be used for the upcoming presidential election. [Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images via TNS] Original Caption: "I Voted" stickers at a polling station on the campus of the University of California, Irvine, on November 6, 2018, in Irvine, Calif. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1545043]( [Will RI see approval of same-day voter registration this year?]( RI's secretary of state and others want to repeal the current 30-day residency requirement for new voters in the state Constitution. [READ MORE]( [With 25 years of experience caring for elephants, Brett Haskins traveled 7,300 miles to Nepal in November and helped with an elephant health camp where experts gave Asian elephants check-ups, vaccinated them and treated their ailments.]( [How do you give an elephant a pedicure? Read this and find out.]( Healthy feet are important for elephants because they carry so much weight. That's why Providence elephant keeper Brett Haskins went to Nepal. [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]( 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](