Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I m Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal. Welcome to winter in New England. Not only is today the day of the winter solstice, it s the first day after the three-week pause ordered by Gov.
Gina Raimondo. If you need a refresher on what you can and can t do in this latest phase, here it is.
Rhode Island and its neighbors, Massachusetts and Connecticut, today announced a sweeping commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. The three states, plus the District of Columbia, have agreed to be part of the Transportation Climate Change Initiative, which will require suppliers of gasoline and diesel to participate in a cap-and-trade program. The proceeds would go toward mass transit, electric vehicle charging, and other clean transportation options. And yes, it means the cost of fuel at the pump is likely to go up. But it will be a couple of years before the program gets off the ground.
Dr. Whit Fisher saw the pandemic at its worst. A practicing Rhode Island emergency physician, Fisher went to New York City in the spring to help in a hospital crushed by COVID.
As a second surge hits Rhode Island, The Providence Journal spoke to Fisher to get his perspective about what it was like in the epicenter of the epicenter, and to compare it to what he is facing right now when he works at Rhode Island Hospital and Newport Hospital.
Rhode Island is in a tough spot as fall turns to winter. It’s worse than it was during our spring peak, much worse than it was during our summer lull, and is really the most challenging thing Fisher has experienced in his career here. For a time the state had more new cases per capita than any state in America, or any country in the world.