AGP Executive Report
Last update: 3 hours agoLabor Negotiations: Gov. Dan McKee said he’s staying in close contact with Teamsters Local 251 and First Student as bargaining continues, urging a “fair and swift resolution” for Rhode Island school bus workers. Labor Action Watch: Teamsters says more than 750 workers are preparing to strike at First Student as early as Sept. 2 after talks broke down on local supplemental agreements across multiple Rhode Island communities. Consumer & Food Safety: Hodo, Inc. recalled more than 10,000 cases of its Lightly Fried Chili Crisp Tofu sold in 29 states after it found printing ink “may have migrated into the product.” Local Philanthropy: BankNewport Charitable Foundation awarded $15,000 to Star Kids and $7,000 to FabNewport’s Healthy Meals Program. State Tax Update: Rhode Island’s cigarette tax increase was dropped from the final FY2027 budget, keeping the excise tax at $4.50 per pack. Business & Markets: The FTC and 22 state attorneys general sued Amazon over alleged manipulation of ad auctions that they say inflated prices by more than $20 billion; Rhode Island AG Peter Neronha is among the plaintiffs. Higher Ed & Research: URI professor Koray Özpolat earned a UN PRME Awards honorable mention for a cross-cultural supply chain sustainability case competition. Grant News: LSU and URI won a $4 million NSF grant to advance wetland science, linking Louisiana delta wetlands with Rhode Island salt marshes.
Note: AI summary from news headlines; neutral sources weighted more to help reduce bias in the result. Feedback is welcome. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions about the AGP Executive Report.