Ocean State Media

The Celtics and Bruins flopped in the first rounds of their respective playoffs. The Patriots are coping with coach Mike Vrabel's off-field drama. And the Red Sox are a swing-and-a-miss disappointment so far this season. Thank goodness for the World Cup.

New England’s summer of soccer begins with World Cup matches in Foxborough As the Red Sox struggle and the Patriots stir drama, World Cup matches and fan events offer Rhode Island and Massachusetts a welcome summer distraction

A string of Supreme Court decisions has largely undone the federal Voting Rights Act. Though a bill to safeguard voter protections in Rhode Island made headway earlier this year, it will not get a vote. Here's the latest:

State voting rights bill stalls despite high-profile support Supporters say Rhode Island needs its own voter protections as federal safeguards weaken. Top lawmakers say the bill needs more work and will have to wait until 2027

We didn't start the fire... Or did we? Nearly 18 months before the Boston Tea Party, a group of Rhode Islanders rowed out from Pawtuxet Village, boarded the British revenue schooner HMS Gaspee and left it burning in Narragansett Bay. Learn more about one of the first major acts of armed resistance against British rule.

Did Rhode Island start the American Revolution? A daring nighttime raid in Narragansett Bay came before the Boston Tea Party and helped push the colonies toward a united response to Britain

Rhode Island officials plan to pass a record-setting $15.2 billion state budget this week. Here's what you need to know.

Five things to know about Rhode Island’s next state budget A $15.2 billion budget approved by the House would raise taxes on millionaires, create a state inspector general’s office and preserve Rhode Island’s 2033 renewable energy target