WPRI: Ground broken on Pawtucket-Central Falls commuter rail, bus hub

WPRI: Ground broken on Pawtucket-Central Falls commuter rail, bus hub

By Bill Tomison

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — With the heft of shovels, Rhode Island leaders launched a transit center project Friday afternoon kicking around Pawtucket and Central Falls for years: a new commuter rail station that will incorporate the state’s public bus service.

The hub project is part of the RhodeWorks bridges and transportation infrastructure improvement initiative. Joining Gov. Gina Raimondo for the groundbreaking were the state’s congressional delegation; Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Jim Langevin and Rep. David Cicilline all played roles in securing funding for the project.

On Pine Street at Goff Avenue, the new transit center will be situated in a wedge-shaped lot next to a neighborhood of industrial mill buildings – several redeveloped, or being redeveloped, into loft apartments and more – all part of the Conant Thread District straddling the two cities, which itself has lofty goals for development.

When the transit center’s commuter rail connection is finished, it’ll allow riders to connect to Providence, T.F. Green Airport’s InterLink, and Wickford Junction stations on the MBTA’s intercity rail system, as well as Boston and South Attleboro, and all the Massachusetts cities in between.

It’ll take over from Pawtucket’s current bus interchange on Roosevelt Avenue. The center will include an overpass over the train tracks, elevators, ramps and stairs. Early estimates figure 520 people will board transit at the hub each day.

The price tag for the project is $47 million, funded by federal grants known as TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery – now known as BUILD) grants, funding from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), as well as grants from the state and city.

The actual construction work starts immediately, according to RIDOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin, and the bulk of it will take about three years all told. The bus aspects are set to be completed by the end of 2020; train, late 2021, but train service won’t be expected to start until summer 2022 due to safety testing. Most of the work will be done during overnight hours, when Amtrak trains won’t be running on the rails that workers will have to build over and alongside.

WPRI: RI officials prepare for potential cybersecurity threats on Election Day

WPRI: RI officials prepare for potential cybersecurity threats on Election Day

By Sarah Doiron

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — With the general election just 11 days away, local and federal officials are working together to make sure every vote counts.

Jeanette Manfra of the Department of Homeland Security was in Rhode Island on Friday, working with election officials to ensure the voting process is secure.

“Don’t let anybody dissuade you go out and vote,” Manfra said. “We’re doing all we can to ensure all votes are counted and counted correctly.”

State leaders say Rhode Island is prepared for any cybersecurity threat that could potentially happen.

“In 2016, the country, in a lot of ways a number of us were caught off-guard and unprepared for the interference that the Russians were carrying out against us,” Congressman Jim Langevin said. “We will not be caught off guard again.”

“The 2016 election made clear we need to make more improvements and set aside additional resources to protect our elections,” Congressman David Cicilline added.

In addition to $3 million in federal funding, the Department of Homeland Security said there will be a local adviser in the state on Election Day as well.

“Rhode Island is just a leader in both election security and cybersecurity,” Manfra said. “The work that is being done here is being copied elsewhere in the country.”

Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea said election security is never done, and it’s never just one precautionary measure. She said the state will have a multifaceted approach on Election Day.

“Our country is facing a real threat by Russians and other foreign actors who want to erode public trust in our elections,” Gorbea said.

Polls will be open on Nov. 6 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Warwick Beacon: CCRI to host symposium on opioid alternatives

Warwick Beacon: CCRI to host symposium on opioid alternatives

SOURCE: Warwick Beacon

WARWICK, R.I. – The Community College of Rhode Island’s health sciences departments will host the second in a series of awareness events about the pre-eminent public health crisis of our time – opioid addiction.

The Non-Opioid Pain Treatment Symposium will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, in Room 4080 at the college’s Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick. The event is free of charge and open to all.

The symposium will present data the Rhode Island Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force has collected about the crisis. Two panel discussions will follow. The first includes Rhode Island public officials charged with action steps to reduce drug-related dependency and deaths. During the second panel, medical professionals will present data about the success of non-opioid pain treatment therapies.

The symposium will encourage discussion about changing the culture of pain management and promote evidence-based non-opioid therapies for chronic pain, such as clinical massage therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, neuropathic medicine and behavioral therapy.

“The goal of the symposium is share the size and impact of the crisis in Rhode Island and what we are doing about it,” said Regina Cobb, director of CCRI’s Therapeutic Massage program. “Health professionals who attend will better understand their role and the evidence-based interventions they can use for pain management.”

Dr. James McDonald, chief administrative officer, Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline at the Rhode Island Department of Health, will moderate the panels.

The first panel on understanding the crisis will include Peter Neronha, candidate for Rhode Island attorney general; Tom Coderre, senior adviser to the governor and co-chair of the Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force; Linda Hurley, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare; Joee Lindbeck, assistant attorney general; and Lt. Cmdr. Kasim Yarn, director of veterans affairs in Rhode Island.

Panel two, featuring pain management practitioners speaking about non-opioid pain treatment approaches, includes Victoria Moutahir, massage therapist; Charlotte King, acupuncturist; Chrysanthi Kazantzis, naturopathic doctor; Jason Harvey, physical therapist; Nancy Dooley, occupational therapist; Alan Post, chiropractic services; and Dr. Ellen Flynn, Brown’s Mindfulness Center.

U.S. Rep. James Langevin, who has supported and co-sponsored multiple pieces of legislation aimed at ending the opioid crisis, will provide closing remarks.

“Rhode Island is among the states hardest hit by the opioid overdose epidemic. We need federal resources for treatment and recovery to help families struggling on the front lines of this public health crisis,” Langevin said. “But we must also work to halt addiction before it takes root. I look forward to this symposium to learn more about evidence-based non-opioid treatment alternatives and their use in managing pain.”

All participants who complete the session will receive a certificate of completion that can be used to apply for CEUs for various disciplines such as social work, peer certification and more. Learn more about the symposium and register online at www.ccri.edu/rehabhealth/opioidsymposium.

ProJo: Rep. Langevin, seeking to restrain Trump, faces Caiozzo, GOP moderate and veteran

ProJo: Rep. Langevin, seeking to restrain Trump, faces Caiozzo, GOP moderate and veteran

By Mark Reynolds

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –

A 57-year-old West Greenwich man who served in the Army before he ran a plumbing business is the Republican candidate who hopes to unseat U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin next month.

To continue his run in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, which started in 2000, Langevin must vanquish Salvatore G. Caiozzo on Nov. 6.

Langevin has done this before. But the political landscape has changed since the 54-year-old Democrat beat Caiozzo in 2016.

This is not to say that Caiozzo, who ran as an independent that year, now represents himself as Rhode Island’s version of President Donald Trump.

“I am Sal,” Caiozzo says in the early moments of his interview. “Sal is a guy who has been out here with everybody else and knows exactly what everyone is going through. I have my own platform.”

“Yes, I am a Republican, because I stand by certain Republican values, but it doesn’t mean I stand by all of them,” adds Caiozzo, who describes his politics as moderate and not unlike those of a John F. Kennedy Democrat.

That said, here are a few things that Caiozzo and Trump agree on:

Like Trump, Caiozzo supports members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization spending more money on their own defense.

“I think we’ve been used long enough by NATO,” says the candidate, who won endorsement from the Republican Liberty Caucus, an association of the GOP’s libertarian-leaning activists.

But if the U.S. spends less money on its NATO commitments, Caiozzo says, the savings should benefit veterans.

Caiozzo, who says he was disabled by exposure to chemicals on an Alabama Army base in the 1980s, talks quite a bit about supporting veterans.

Like Trump, Caiozzo wants to change the nation’s health-care policy. But he says he would not abandon parts of the Affordable Care Act that provide coverage for preexisting conditions.

Schools and education decentralization are central to the Taunton, Massachusetts, native’s platform. He says he wants to improve education across the country and he believes education should be governed at the state and local levels, not by the federal government.

Neither Caiozzo nor Langevin brought up the probe being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

When prompted, Caiozzo says, “I haven’t really seen the Mueller investigation come up with anything.” He adds that he regards the probe as a “waste of money.”

Langevin said if he and other Democrats can control the House after the election, they can provide stronger checks and balances on Trump generally.

He is hopeful, he says, that even with the current Republican majority in the House, Congress will keep Trump from shutting down the investigation.

“I’m determined to let the truth come out and let the facts lead where they will,” Langevin says.

But taking control of the House would “certainly allow us to advocate for and put forth policies that are important to building a strong middle class in this country,” he says.

“We would end attempts to try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act,” he says. “And we would hopefully work on ways to strengthen and improve health care, quality health care, in the country, and also work on growing good-paying jobs to further grow a strong middle class.”

The experienced politician has lots to say about how he would proceed if given the chance.

Langevin’s focus is on the middle class, improving the health-care system, launching infrastructure projects, protecting the country from cyberattacks and reducing gun violence.

“The country is at its best when we have a very strong middle class,” says the Warwick resident, who also says political leaders must do what’s possible to help Rhode Islanders gain the skills they need to find good-paying jobs.

Langevin, the first quadriplegic elected to Congress, was paralyzed when he was accidentally shot as a 16-year-old. He says he’s captivated by research that shows that a large proportion of all guns tied to crimes are funneled through a very small proportion of companies that supply guns.

“There is something wrong with that,” he says.

 

Salvatore G. Caiozzo

Age: 57

Residence: West Greenwich

Occupation: Retired from plumbing business, disabled veteran

Affiliation: Republican Party

Education: Monsignor Coyle & Cassidy High School, attended Labore Junior College and the University of Palermo

Previous elected office: None

Family: Single with two grown sons and one daughter

 

JAMES R. LANGEVIN

Age: 54

Residence: Warwick

Occupation: U.S. representative

Affiliation: Democrat

Education: Rhode Island College, Harvard University

Previous elected office: Rhode Island secretary of state, 1995-2000; state representative, 1989-1994

Family: Single

WPRO: RIPTA unveil 3 new zero-emissions buses

WPRO: RIPTA unveil 3 new zero-emissions buses

By The Associated Press and Tessa Roy, WPRO News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island’s public transportation agency has its first electric buses.

Gov. Gina Raimondo joined federal and state officials Monday to unveil the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s three new zero-emissions, electric buses. She called it a “major step toward a cleaner and greener future.”

“We bought three buses now, like the ones we just rode on, and over the next four years, we’re going to be replacing about one third of our fleet. So four years from now, we think we’ll have a third of our fleet to be electric,” she said.

A number of officials, including Rhode Island’s whole congressional delegation [including Congressman Langevin], took rides on the new buses on Monday. Senator Jack Reed said they will benefit not just the environment, but also public health.

“We have, particularly in urban areas, significant outbreaks of of asthma, chronic lung problems. One of the major contributing factors is transportation, cars, buses. Once we get those under control,  we’re going to have a situation with better health outcome,” he said.

The leased buses will be tested and staff will be trained in the maintenance and charging of the vehicles before they are put in service.

The $14.4 million plan includes replacement of aging diesel buses with the purchase of 16 to 20 electric buses starting in 2021, as well as installation of a charging infrastructure in the state for private electric vehicles.

The state’s portion of the settlement with Volkswagen over its emissions testing scandal will help pay for the program.

PBN: URI receives $746K for aquaculture worker training

PBN: URI receives $746K for aquaculture worker training

By Chris Bergenheim

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – The University of Rhode Island received $745,815 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island Sea Grant program, the R.I congressional delegation [including Rep. Jim Langevin] announced Thursday evening.

The funds will be used to strengthen training programs for entry-level aquaculture workers in Rhode Island and support the development of an online training curriculum that could be deployed nationally.

The in-person training will include initiatives to improve aquaculture worker safety, promote critical skills and boost employee recruitment and retention.

The URI Rhode Island Sea Grant Extension supports the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries by providing scientific and research-based data to public- and private-sector entities.

The grant will also support a pilot program to train both in-person and online instructors in select states.

“Year after year, Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry continues to grow, producing jobs as well as high-value seafood that’s enjoyed up and down the East Coast. This new federal grant will expand job-training opportunities and help Rhode Island continue to cultivate homegrown businesses,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement.

The state’s 73 shellfish farms sold more than 8.4 million oysters in 2017, accounting for the bulk of Rhode Island’s aquaculture exports, according to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Aquaculture farms in the state also grow clams, scallops and mussels.

ProJo: Expert tells URI crowd that climate-change research may mean ‘our survival’

ProJo: Expert tells URI crowd that climate-change research may mean ‘our survival’

By Alex Kuffner

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — The former head of oceanography and meteorology for the Navy argued for more funding for research to understand the impact of climate change while delivering the keynote speech at a science symposium at the University of Rhode Island on Tuesday.

“It’s not just science at stake. It’s our survival,” Rear Admiral (Ret.) Jonathan White said to hundreds of people at the event at the Graduate School of Oceanography campus in Narragansett.

White is president and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for ocean research, education and policy. His name was mentioned last year in connection with the top position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but President Donald Trump instead nominated Accuweather CEO Barry Myers.

Standing in front of images of the destruction wrought last week by Hurricane Michael at Tyndall Air Force Base, in Florida, and flooding around Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia, he said that climate change is a threat to coastal military installations and, in a larger sense, to national security overall.

“Our military, the more and more they have to deal with infrastructure and the effects of climate change, whether it’s helping others or trying to get in and out of our bases, the less ready they are going to be to go on missions … all over the world,” he said.

It was a point that was also raised by U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, who has pushed for an assessment of the military’s vulnerabilities to climate change.

“The dangers to national security are real and we must support the researchers who improve our understanding of the threat and ways to mitigate it,” he said.

The symposium’s focus was not just on security issues but on the effects of sea-level rise, more powerful storms and increased rainfall on coastal communities in general.

Washington Post: The Cybersecurity 202: The U.S. needs a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly, cybersecurity experts say

Washington Post: The Cybersecurity 202: The U.S. needs a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly, cybersecurity experts say

By Derek Hawkins

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A slight majority of digital security experts surveyed by The Cybersecurity 202 say the United States should follow in the European Union’s footsteps and pass a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly.

Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation requires companies with customers in the E.U. to notify regulators of a breach within 72 hours or face a severe penalty. Fifty-four percent of experts we surveyed supported a similar law in the U.S.  The Network is our panel of more than 100 cybersecurity leaders from government, academia and the private sector who vote in our ongoing, informal survey on cybersecurity issues. (You can see the full list of experts here. Some were granted anonymity in exchange for their participation.)

Some experts said they favored federal legislation because it would help replace the patchwork of state laws that govern data breach notification in the United States. “Today, companies in the United States are required to comply with 50 different state laws when they suffer a data breach affecting personally identifiable information they control,” said Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who has introduced legislation to create a national breach notification standard. “This is bad for business and bad for consumers, who are treated differently depending on where they live.”

“Europe now plays by one set of rules, while the United States plays by over 40,” added Jeff Moss, who founded the Def Con and Black Hat hacking conferences. “This is a costly, confusing and at times contradictory mess that only a national breach notification law can resolve.”

The issue has been in the spotlight in recent weeks. In late September, Facebook reported that hackers stole information that could have allowed them to take over of tens of millions of accounts. After learning of the breach, Facebook disclosed it within 72 hours even though the company did not have all the information about the breach. Google took a different approach. The search giant learned that a software bug exposed data on half a million accounts on its social media service Google in March but did not disclose it until this month — and was criticized for not being transparent.

Survey respondents disagreed on how much time companies should be given to disclose their breaches. Langevin’s bill, for instance, would offer companies more leeway than GDPR. Instead of three days, they’d have 10 days to notify regulators after discovering a breach, and 30 days to notify consumers. “These timelines allow flexibility for companies to determine the scope of a breach while ensuring prompt notification so people can protect themselves,” he said.

There are competing bills on Capitol Hill, though: Legislation introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) would mirror GDPR, requiring companies to disclose a breach within 72 hours of discovering it.

And other experts said 72 hours would be the right time frame. Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm CA Veracode, said that window would help the victims of a data breach take quick action to protect themselves from attackers who seek to misuse their information. “Attackers want to monetize the private data the companies store,” he said. “People have a right to know and protect themselves from subsequent attacks using this data, whether it is phishing or fraud. Having a standard like 72 hours will help all companies being on a level playing field and build processes to respond in a timely way.”

Harley Geiger, director of public policy at the cybersecurity firm Rapid7, agreed — provided that the countdown begins “when the company concludes a breach has occurred, not on discovery that an incident or attack occurred.”

“The company will need time to identify and investigate the incident, determine whether data was accessed or exfiltrated, and conclude based on the evidence that a breach has actually occurred,” Geiger said. “Reporting ‘a breach’ to regulators or the public prior to that process can be counterproductive for all sides, including consumers.”

The hack disclosed by Facebook late last month illustrates the complications of reporting a breach early. While Facebook took just three days to notify privacy regulators and the public that hackers may have compromised up to 50 million user accounts, the social media giant had only just begun to investigate the incident at the time of the announcement, and Facebook officials weren’t able to offer users a clear picture of the risks. In an update Friday, Facebook revealed that the hack affected about 20 million fewer users than it previously estimated — but that hackers had stolen more sensitive information than the company initially indicated, including search histories and location data.

Mark Weatherford, a former cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security, supports a breach notification law but cautioned that figuring out the scope of an incident is complex and time-consuming work. “While there needs to be a trigger that starts the process, reporting too soon leads to mistakes, revisions and recriminations that might be avoided by waiting until enough information is gathered,” he said.

Jamie Winterton, director of strategy for Arizona State University’s Global Security Initiative, said a U.S. breach notification law should be coupled with measures that provide recourse to breach victims and impose consequences on companies. “Timely notification is important. But without some guidance on what regulators — and victims — should do, it feels somewhat toothless,” she said. “They should specifically address the needs of breach victims and establish some sense of corporate responsibility.”

Yet 46 percent of respondents said the United States shouldn’t impose a breach notification standard similar to the one in Europe.

“Unfortunately, GDPR does not take into account the reality of incident response and will lead to multinational companies disclosing breaches before they can provide accurate information or even be sure their attacker has been flushed from their network,” said Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former chief security officer who is now an adjunct professor at Stanford University. “Any U.S. law should balance promoting speedy disclosure with accurate disclosure.”

Jessy Irwin, head of security at Tendermint, agreed. “Being required to report a breach so early in the investigative process, when new facts emerge and information changes rapidly, will cause much more harm than it prevents on all fronts, especially if reporting has the potential to compromise an organization’s ability to effectively coordinate with law enforcement,” she said. “This kind of instant-gratification breach reporting legislation sets up smaller teams with fewer resources for major, major failure.”

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, some experts argued. “Timing isn’t always the most important part of transparency,” said Steve Weber, founder and director of the Center for Long Term Cybersecurity at the University of California at Berkeley. “And — as most people in the business know — 72 hours isn’t enough time to unravel what has really happened in even a moderately complex breach. The intention behind the law may be good, but this provision is just not sensible.”

Giving companies flexibility is reasonable, as long as they’re acting in the interest of the breach victims, said Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “While we have been concerned about companies sitting on this bad news, there are also legitimate reasons for delay, like when either the company or law enforcement is trying to identify and catch the perpetrators or when important facts about the situation (how many people are impacted) are still unclear,” she said. “Fiduciary responsibility framing can help give some clarity here; the company must act in the interest of those whose data is impacted, not its own here.”

There could be risks to consumers, too. Some experts worried that a 72-hour timeline could wind up overwhelming users with unnecessary notifications that their information was compromised just to meet the standard. “The deadline is going to produce a lot of half-baked breach reports and lead to ‘breach notice fatigue,’ ” said Stewart Baker, former general counsel of the National Security Agency.

ProJo Editorial: For U.S. House: Cicilline, Langevin

ProJo Editorial: For U.S. House: Cicilline, Langevin

SOURCE: Providence Journal Editorial

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island benefits from experienced, hardworking leadership in Washington. For that reason, we encourage our readers to vote to re-elect U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and James Langevin. As Democrats, they could become more powerful after January, if pollsters’ predictions hold true and control of the U.S. House flips to their party.

Representative Langevin, who serves Rhode Island’s Second District, sits on the House’s Homeland Security and Armed Services committees. Far from being content to serve as a partisan back-bencher, he has been a been a strong and assertive voice on defense and security matters. He supports internet privacy protections and wants to harden cyberprotections for the critical infrastructure of Rhode Island and the country.

He has correctly identified diagnosed weaknesses in America’s cyberdefenses, even as cyberspace is increasingly a battlefield for nation-states, terrorists and criminals. He has demonstrated a grasp of the havoc that could follow a widespread, malicious attack, and consistently advocated for greater cooperation among the interdependent public and private sectors.

Mr. Langevin also has advocated for broader and deeper health care services for all, especially the disabled. As a paraplegic, he provides a unique and personal perspective on issues ranging from stem-cell research to study of the most effective ways for people to undergo rehabilitation after becoming paralyzed.

He is popular, too, with Rhode Islanders, enjoying sizable electoral majorities after successful stints as a state representative and Secretary of State.

Representative Langevin is opposed by military veteran and Republican Sal Caiozzo, who is an advocate for veterans harmed by toxins while serving. Mr. Langevin’s experience and willingness to reach across the aisle suggest he is the better choice.

In the First Congressional District, which includes Providence and Newport, former Providence Mayor Cicilline enjoys a huge party registration advantage over Republican challenger Patrick Donovan and should coast to victory.

Mr. Cicilline has been an advocate for trying to limit the spread of guns in America. He has aggressively pushed for expanded background checks for gun purchasers and a ban on assault weapons.

In Washington, Mr. Cicilline’s articulate tongue has served him well. He has been willing to appear on conservative TV programs, making the case for his party’s values and helping to bridge the yawning partisan chasm in the nation’s capital. He has also spoken out for manufacturing in America. And he has been a champion of newspapers and a free press.

Mr. Cicilline could well be leadership material. A respected member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he is competing for the new elected position of assistant majority leader. Little Rhode Island can use all the power it can get in Washington.

We believe Rhode Island voters would be well-served by returning its incumbent U.S. House members to office.