Daily Briefing: Go inside one of RI's last rooming houses

ALSO: How RI senators are tackling health care. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Wed Mar 6 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. From home prices to rents the cost of living in Rhode Island continues to rise. I probably don't need to tell you that and those seeking a place to live are certainly well aware of the costs. With living units increasingly difficult to come by, an old method could help. As The Journal continues to examine the housing issues plaguing Rhode Island, Antonia Farzan recently spent time in a Woonsocket rooming house. It's an option that has become a dying breed in Rhode Island, with the number of units no longer even being tracked by the U.S. Census. But inside the home in Woonsocket, Antonia finds a comfortable life for those inside the one room they call their home, which in some cases has offered a lifeline when few or no other options exist. [Art posters cover the walls in Edgar Pedraza's room at 233 High St. in Woonsocket, one of the last remaining rooming houses in the state. 02262024] Art posters cover the walls in Edgar Pedraza's room at 233 High St. in Woonsocket, one of the last remaining rooming houses in Rhode Island. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal [Could rooming houses help put a dent in the state's housing shortage? Antonia examines the pros and cons.]( • It was a busy afternoon at the State House Tuesday as senators sought to improve health care in the state. Unveiled was a 25-bill package that seeks to make Rhode Island a more attractive place for medical professionals to work. That package of bills also addresses prescription drug costs and telehealth services and more. [The Journal's Katherine Gregg breaks it all down as the proposals head through the Senate.]( • It's Providence College against Ed Cooley part 2. The Friars were at Georgetown this time and the crowd was a little friendlier to the home team's coach. Meanwhile, PC's tournament hopes are rising with every made shot and falling with every miss. [Catch up on all the highlights and what it means for playing into March.]( • What's the hottest thing in cakes? Try setting them on fire. Journal food and dining editor Gail Ciampa headed to Borrelli's Pastry Shop in Coventry to check out their latest creation, Burn Away Cakes. Owner Brayn Boza is always on the hunt for new ideas and after a couple of tests produced the latest creation that is now available for sale. [Forget the candles and see how he's doing it.]( • We all know living in Rhode Island is great and Yankee Magazine has given three Ocean State towns its stamp of approval. [The Journal's Katie Landeck has a look at who made the list.]( WORTH A READ 🗳️ T[rump and Biden roll to victory, but show signs of weakness]( on Super Tuesday: 6 takeaways ⚾ Lucas Giolito suffers worrisome injury. [Will 'pitching panic' push Red Sox into a move?]( 🌊 [If you haven't secured that Cape Cod summer rental]( you best act fast 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. With March Madness about to start, [WalletHub]( is out with their rankings for the best cities for college basketball fans. Here in Rhode Island, Kingston is tops, ranking 20th, while Providence is 40th. [TODAY'S WEATHER]( 🌧️ Windy and cooler with rain; watch for areas of flooding; travel will be slow. Highs in the mid-40s. TOP STORIES [Where will the Flea be? Providence market has a new home this summer.]( [The Providence Flea at it's old location. The flea market will start at its new location this summer.]( After losing a bid to keep their spot on South Water Street, the Providence Flea will have a new home right across the river. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [Nicholas Cote, a former chief clerk in District Court, at his home in June.]( [Ex-court fixer asks court to preserve evidence after rumor of document shredding]( An anonymous letter accuses court officials of destroying evidence in ex-administrator's lawsuit. [READ MORE]( [A no-trespassing sign stands incongruously next to a public right of way to the beach in Charlestown.]( [How this new package of bills would expand the public's access to RI's shore]( One bill would require people who buy shoreline property to sign a disclosure acknowledging the public's right to the shore. [READ MORE]( [An AR-15 rifle.]( [RI faith leaders gather at State House to seek support for gun safety]( RI faith leaders implore state "leaders to lead" by allowing votes on assault weapon, safe storage bills [READ MORE]( [In this image taken from video, alleged U.S. fugitive Nicholas Rossi speaks during a hearing livestreamed on Jan. 16, 2024, in Salt Lake City. He denied being a man accused of faking his own death and fleeing the country to Europe to avoid rape charges.]( [Former RI conman given more time to fight Utah rape case after money issues]( From jail in Utah, the former RI child care advocate has been unable to connect with his wife to arrange payment for his lawyer. [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? 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