Daily Briefing: Feel the love, Rhode Island-style

ALSO: How long should the state hold on to a deceased body? ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Wed Feb 14 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. Happy Valentine's Day to all Daily Briefing readers. I love having you spend a bit of your morning with us and to celebrate The Journal's Katie Landeck has some [Rhode Island-themed Valentine's to get you in the mood](. [Projo Valentines Day Cards 7] Rhode Island themed Valentine's Day Cards for your sweetheart... or anyone really. Katie Landeck • Could blue paint help provide a clearer picture of what happened with the Washington Bridge? As investigations into the broken tie-down rods continue, The Journal's Mark Reynolds and Patrick Anderson take a look at the blue paint found around the pieces in question and images of the area in an effort to pin down just when they may have broken. [Take a look at what they found here.]( Meanwhile, the congested span handled its first significant snowfall on Tuesday. [We sent reporter Wheeler Cowperthwiate over the span to see how drivers were handling the commute.]( • You may want to make sure you've had breakfast first before checking out the stories from Journal food and dining editor Gail Ciampa this week. From [a pop-up bakery in Pawtucket creating incredible cupcakes and cakes]( to over 50 options of burgers available through [this year's Newport Burger Bender]( you're going to have your taste buds tempted. [Burger Bender 2024] The Fifth Element's entry into the Newport Burger Bender features a diner-controlled spicy blend of queso fuego, chili-infused cheese sauce. Want to enjoy more heat, inject more of the sauce. Jacquelina Paiva Gail also has all [the latest restaurant news with a batch of new openings to report,]( along with – unfortunately – the news of some places closing. She's also got the delicious details on a [Newport restaurant now offering steakhouse options]( – how do 20 to 40-ounce bone-in cuts sound? • How long should the state hold on to a deceased body? The RI Department of Health is hoping a new bill will clearly answer that question and highlights the possession of one such body for over a year as an example of why this measure is needed. However, one state lawmaker says the bill will lead to another problem, one that would hurt low-income families. [The Journal's Antonia Farzan looks at the pros and cons of the proposed change.]( • Tuesday was a day to break out the sleds and the plow trucks. [Journal photographers Kris Craig and David Del Poio caught all the action from a snowy day across the state.]( WORTH A READ [💵]( [Social Security 2025 COLA seen falling]( leaving seniors struggling and paying more tax 🍩 Super Bowl effect: [Ben Affleck's Dunkin Donuts tracksuit]( sells out after big game ad 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 [A Fall River family won $20K on 'Family Feud.]( How they did it, and how they'll spend it. 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 has revealed which rom-coms are the most popular in Rhode Island, with the 1999 classic, "10 Things I Hate About You," crowned top. The research conducted by [JeffBet,]( analyzed monthly Google searches over the past 12 months to find which rom-coms were the most popular in each state. They combined the number of searches for each standalone rom-com title, with searches such as ‘where to watch [movie title]’ or ‘watch [movie title]’ to find compile their most popular list. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( ☀️ Plenty of sun; breezy in the afternoon. Highs in the mid-30s TOP STORIES [McKee gave most state workers a paid day off for Tuesday's snowstorm]( [A plow cleans up midday in Barrington.]( Neither the governor's office nor the Department of Administration answered why state workers were not told to work from home. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Roger Williams University Law Dean Lorraine Lalli (left) with first year student Ruth Dimanche in a mock courtroom at the Roger Williams University Law school.]( [How an RWU Law alum is 'stepping boldly' to diversify RI's legal field]( Today, students of color make up 28% of the first-year class at RWU Law. [READ MORE]( [The lineup of brunch cocktails is impressive at The George.]( [Several Providence restaurants lose liquor licenses. Here's a list.]( For now, four Providence restaurants were served cease-and-desist letters for not renewing their liquor licenses on time. [READ MORE]( [A coyote walks across a lawn in Newport. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management says Rhode Island residents will probably start seeing more coyotes with the spring weather as coyotes look for food to feed their pups.]( [Coyote that attacked 2 people last week had rabies, tests confirm]( A coyote believed responsible for two attacks last week tested positive for rabies, the state has confirmed. [READ MORE]( [Noon mass for Ash Wednesday at the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul in 2018.]( [Why do Catholics give things up for Lent? A guide to the season.]( What are you giving up 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. 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