Medicaid vs. Medicare Access: New data from the American Society of Retina Specialists shows Medicaid pays far less than Medicare for vitreoretinal surgeries overall, with big state-to-state swings—up to 84% higher in Nebraska but 48% lower in New Jersey—raising fresh concerns about fewer provider choices for patients. Water Infrastructure: U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito hailed unanimous Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passage of the 2026 Water Resources Development Act, sending it to the Senate floor and pointing to benefits for safe drinking water, wastewater, flood control, and ecosystem restoration in Rhode Island. Election Claims Pushback: Voting and cybersecurity experts challenged President Trump’s assertions that China accessed massive U.S. voter files, saying the data is often publicly available and that there’s no sign it changed election outcomes. Providence Politics: In a televised Providence mayoral debate, Mayor Brett Smiley and Rep. David Morales clashed over “municipal socialism” versus a back-to-basics approach, with the race framed as a fight over Democratic Party direction. Local Government & Schools: Block Island’s school committee is scrambling with no superintendent or principal as it tries to keep staffing stable heading into September. Public Health: Rhode Island is among states under air-quality alerts as Canadian wildfire smoke spreads, with officials warning of unhealthy conditions for sensitive groups. Banking & ICE: Citizens Bank says it’s ending credit ties with two ICE prison contractors, GEO Group and CoreCivic, after protests over their role in detaining immigrants. Rhode Island Courts: A Rhode Island detention facility used for ICE and U.S. Marshals detainees filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, seeking to restructure about $167 million in bond debt.