This Just In: Danger from Delta variant

Also, the Biden administration seeks to reinstate death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber. [providencejournal.com]( This Just In Tuesday, June 15 [At Anthony's Pharmacy in Providence, Rosa Montes brings Manuel Saquic his vaccination card after his vaccination on Tuesday.]( [Danger from Delta variant]( Also, the Biden administration seeks to reinstate death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber. Good afternoon and welcome to This Just In. I'm Mike McDermott, managing editor of The Providence Journal, on a surprisingly lovely afternoon in Rhode Island. I'll start by wishing a [happy National Lobster Day]( to those who celebrate. The Rhode Island Department of Health today reported one coronavirus death and 33 additional cases of COVID-19. There were 5,260 additional negative tests, for a 0.6% positive rate. The state has reported an average of 29 new cases a day over the last seven days. The number of COVID-positive patients in Rhode Island hospitals was up slightly, to 38 at last count, on Sunday. The so-called Delta variant of the coronavirus is causing alarm around the world, and Dr. Ashish Jha of the Brown University School of Public Health predicts that it [will pose a "huge problem"]( for unvaccinated people in the coming months. In other news related to the coronavirus, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found that a Rhode Island doctor, Anthony G. Farina Jr., [willfully exposed employees to the virus]( last year at his practices in North Providence and West Greenwich. Saying that the rundown condition of the state health lab on Orms Street undermined its ability to fight the coronavirus, the Health Department is urging that $82 million of the money that Rhode Island received from the American Rescue Plan be spent on [constructing a new lab building]( in downtown Providence. President Joe Biden is an opponent of capital punishment, but his Justice Department is urging the Supreme Court [to reinstate the death sentence]( of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The state Supreme Court [has ordered a lower court judge to rule]( on the propriety of a settlement agreement between the owner of Champlin's Marina on Block Island and the state's coastal regulatory agency. That agreement sparked an outcry from opponents of Champlin's marina-expansion plan. In March the high court refused to ratify the settlement, but in their recent ruling the justices said that the long-running dispute "must end." South Kingstown officials are asking a court to order a political consultant to describe [how he acquired names and addresses of students]( for a mailer that was sent in April in support of an ultimately unsuccessful school bond referendum. Christiane Amanpour, the CNN anchor and University of Rhode Island graduate, last night [told viewers]( that she has ovarian cancer. Rhode Island's rarest toad [isn't as rare as we had thought]( An exhibit at the Rough Point mansion in Newport that described the death in 1966 of Eduardo Tirella [has been modified]( following publication of a book that makes the case that Doris Duke murdered Tirella. Figuring out the alignment of high-school football teams in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League isn't high-level diplomacy, but it's comparable. Eric Rueb [breaks down the plan for next year]( which involves four divisions but five Super Bowls. Have a great night. And remember, if you enjoy This Just In, please encourage friend to sign up. [Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.]( [click here]( Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback]( © 2021 75 Fountain St. , Providence, RI 02902