Ryan L. Fox
It was a game that everybody in New England circled around the calendar. Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs came into Foxborough and stunned the Patriots 23-16 on their home turf. That loss proved fatal as each team finished the 2019 NFL Season with identical records (12-4). But because of that loss, the Patriots got bumped down to the 4th AFC Playoff spot and the rest is history. Now in the early part of the 2020 season, the two teams met in a Week 4 showdown at Arrowhead Stadium. However the Patriots were without star QB Cam Newton, who ended up testing positive for COVID-19 during testing prior to the Patriots leaving for Kansas City. Originally slated for Sunday at 4:25 p.m., the game got moved to Monday night after both teams were cleared to play by the NFL. But without their star QB and arguably the team’s most vital player, the game was an uphill battle before the first snap. Mark Colley
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about incredibly hard economic times for Rhode Island, and the numbers to back that up are jarring. The state’s unemployment rate in August sat at 12.8 percent, the second-highest in the country. In February, unemployment in Rhode Island at 3.4 percent — tied for 22nd-lowest. Jobs in every state industry except two, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, have decreased compared to August of 2019, including a 21.5 percent drop in those employed in leisure and hospitality — an industry that employed 60,000 Rhode Islanders at this time last year. In the second quarter, the Rhode Island Economic Indicator Briefing reported an economic contraction of 40.6 percent of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), a harder hit than regional counterparts or the national average. In May, experts projected an economic recovery for the state that would take three years. On a more local level, dozens of Rhode Island restaurants are closing. Bravo Bistro in downtown Providence shut its doors permanently at the start of the pandemic, as did Nick’s of Westminster. Eleven Forty Nine and Blackies followed. Now, Venus De Milo and Birch are in the process of shutting their doors. The economic crisis that this pandemic presents for the state of Rhode Island is dire and jarring. Yet, in the midst of all this, Rhode Island is raising its minimum wage. Earlier this week I announced that there will be Halloween this year. In times like this, we need fun, levity, and a sense of community more than ever. Like everything else, it will look different. We’ll all need to make some changes and take extra precautions, but we can still make this a fun, safe evening for our kids.
I want to encourage everyone to be safe and thoughtful about how you celebrate. If you have an older relative at home, or you live in a higher-density community, consider staying home and watching a movie, or doing a virtual pumpkin carving with friends. If you go out and it’s crowded, turn around. Let’s all be safe and make sure the choices we make on Halloween don’t result in the need for new restrictions a couple weeks later. If you do go out to trick-or-treat, here's some guidance for you Allan Giberti
I’m sure many people are hung over this morning because of debate drinking games. I did not partake in any drinking activities last night although I was on a pretty good political high after Tuesday night’s debate. While the Democrats are trying to spin this as a win for Joe Biden because President Trump was a big lying bully, the truth is President Trump was the clear winner of Tuesday night’s debate. |
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