Rhode Island Public Radio

House Finance Committee Approves 2014 Budget

Ian Donnis — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:52:58 +0000

The House Finance Committee Tuesday passed an 8.2 billion budget for the fiscal year starting July first. The spending plan doesn’t include any new broad-based taxes and wipes out some of Governor Lincoln Chafee’s initiatives.

In Brazil, Protests Continue As Some Cities Cut Bus Fares

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:49:00 +0000

For a second night in a row, tens of thousands of Brazilians took the streets on Tuesday to protest everything from the cost of living to government corruption.

The AP reports:

"More than 50,000 people massed in front of the city's main cathedral.

Book News: Kim Jong Un Reportedly Gave 'Mein Kampf' As Gifts

Annalisa Quinn — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:00 +0000

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

Kim Jong Un gave top officials in North Korea copies of Adolf Hitler's autobiography, Mein Kampf, as gifts on his birthday last January, according to a report in New Focus International, a newspaper written largely by North Korean defectors. It seems the book was intended to promote a study of Hitler's economic reforms, and was not necessarily meant as an endorsement of Nazism.

Rhode Island Gaming May Take a Hit Once Massachusetts Casinos Open

Elisabeth Harrison — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:26:03 +0000

Casino gambling just like in Las Vegas is scheduled to begin Wednesday at Twin River in Lincoln.

The one-time dog track has become the first venue ever in Rhode Island to offer table games thanks to voters, who approved the change to stave off competition from new casinos proposed for Massachusetts.

Gambling is a major part of the state budget, and to better understand how games like blackjack and roulette will affect the budget, Rhode Island Public Radio's Elisabeth Harrison sat down with Paul Dion from the State Department of Revenue.

Heat, Spurs Headed To Game 7 After Stunning Game 6

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:12:00 +0000

We'll let LeBron James do the talking. He said about the sixth game of the NBA finals between the Heat and Spurs:

"It's by far the best game I've ever been a part of."

And it certainly was a stunner: The Heat's Ray Allen hit a three-pointer with just 5.2 seconds on the clock to tie the game, denying the Spurs of their fifth NBA title. The game went into overtime and remained airtight, but eventually the Heat prevailed 103 to 100.

ESPN has highlights:

Game 7 is in Miami at 9 p.m. ET.

Just Washed Your Car? Try Speeding To Dry It

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:09:00 +0000

Police in Canada say a man was driving 112 MPH on a highway south of Black Diamond, Alberta. In court, the man explained that he had just washed his car, and was simply speeding in order to dry it off.

Banner Misspells College World Series

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:04:00 +0000

A huge banner over the third-base dugout spelled the name of the tournament incorrectly — college had three Ls. Organizers of the tournament were embarrassed — especially because they had to hold off on fixing the problem until there was a break in play.

Taliban Attack Kills 4 Coalition Soldiers; Afghan Govt. Suspends Talks

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:45:00 +0000

In the hours following an announcement by the Taliban and the United States saying they were ready to begin peace talks, we received reminders of just how tenuous that situation is: On Tuesday night the Taliban said they fired two rockets near Bagram airbase in Kabul.

TV, Movie Streaming Services Want To Grow With Kids

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:12:00 +0000

Twenty percent of Netflix's streaming is made up of content for kids. Amazon just ordered a bunch of pilots of kids' shows. TV critic Eric Deggans says subscription streaming services are going to lean on parents' desire for control of what their kids watch as they build their audiences.

Disney World Raises Entrance Price For Magic Kingdom

Matthew Peddie — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:12:00 +0000

Disney is trying something new. It's charging a higher admission price for the Magic Kingdom than its other theme parks in Orlando. A one-day pass to the Magic Kingdom now costs $95 — compared to $90 for Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios.