Times Square stabbing fallout: New York police fatally shot Pamela Cisneros after she allegedly stabbed Bank of America vice president Erin Piacenti in Times Square; Piacenti was returning to work after maternity leave, and a Rhode Island man was also injured. Cisneros’ father said she’d been receiving monthly injections for a mental illness, while family members questioned why officers didn’t stop her without lethal force. Rhode Island health policy: Gov. Dan McKee backed a plan to raise Rhode Island Medicaid primary care reimbursements, with a review finding rates may need to jump 48% to 66% to cover costs. Trans youth care in court: Vermont and New York joined multi-state lawsuits challenging a Trump administration rule that blocks Medicaid/CHIP reimbursement for gender-affirming care for low-income transgender youth. Menopause in prisons: A Prison Policy Initiative review found menopause is largely missing from public prison policy documents, with Rhode Island lacking menopause-specific language. Local environment & science: URI researchers secured a $4M NSF grant to expand coastal wetland restoration work in Rhode Island and Louisiana, and Roger Williams University published lab breeding methods for coral species. Public safety: Rhode Island reported two more Warwick raccoons testing positive for rabies, bringing the year’s total to 34. Civic/land use: A Rhode Island Superior Court ruling dismissed a Burrillville resident’s anti-turf project counterclaim under the state’s anti-SLAPP law. Housing demand: Zillow data points to where renters may be heading next, with Providence ranking among the hottest markets of 2026. Heritage: The Sowams Heritage Area coalition finalized its feasibility study for possible National Heritage Area designation.