AGP Executive Report

Defense & Jobs: Raytheon is expanding its Portsmouth, Rhode Island missile defense operations with a $100M investment expected to add about 150 high-skilled jobs, boosting LTAMDS radar testing and Patriot GEM-T subcomponent production. Public Health Tech: Georgetown’s Health Security Operations Center is using dashboards and live monitoring to track World Cup disease risks, aiming to spot threats like COVID-19, measles, mpox, and mosquito-borne illnesses. Climate Resilience: Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded about $1.1M in EPA stormwater grants for design and engineering to reduce flooding impacts across multiple communities, including Pawtucket, Providence, and Jamestown. State Science & Education: URI is opening weekend hours for the public to view its corpse flower at Horridge Conservatory, with bloom timing uncertain but viewing windows set for June 13-14. Health & Safety: Rhode Island health officials are stressing tick awareness this summer as Lyme cases remain a concern, with Washington County noted for high rates. Local Governance: The Rhode Island Senate confirmed Michelle Reddish as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, and also advanced leadership for the Rhode Island Life Science Hub. STEM in Schools: Chariho Career & Technical Center student Kaitlyn Charette won the 2026 STEAM Logo Design Contest, with her design slated for statewide promotional use.

Workforce & Education: Chariho Career & Technical Center junior Kaitlyn Charette won Rhode Island’s 2026 STEAM Logo Design Contest, and her design will roll out statewide in November. Public Health Tech: Georgetown’s Health Security Operations Center is using dashboards and live monitoring to track infectious-disease risks for the 2026 World Cup. Climate & Resilience Funding: Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded about $1.1M in EPA stormwater grants for design and engineering to reduce flooding impacts across multiple towns, including Pawtucket and Providence. Local Life Sciences & Ports: A Pawtucket life sciences ecosystem piece highlights site and workforce needs, while Quonset’s Terminal 5 Pier at Davisville is already seeing real cargo momentum with its first ship call. Cannabis Governance: Rhode Island Senate confirmed Michelle Reddish as new Cannabis Control Commission chair, with Robert Jacquard reappointed. Courts & Immigration: A federal judge ordered USCIS to comply quickly after striking down a green-card/work-permit freeze, adding urgency for affected applicants. Environment & Conservation: Block Island’s Conservation Commission discussed pesticide concerns tied to tick control, weighing public health against impacts on beneficial and endangered species. STEM in the Classroom: URI is opening weekend hours for the public to view its corpse flower greenhouse specimen ahead of a rare bloom.

Rhode Island Infrastructure: The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded $1.0958M in EPA stormwater grants for design and engineering to help communities plan for more frequent flooding, including Bristol, Coventry, East Greenwich, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Middletown, New Shoreham, Pawtucket, Providence and West Warwick. Cannabis Governance: The R.I. Senate confirmed Michelle Reddish as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, with Robert Jacquard reappointed, as the state’s regulator continues overseeing medical, adult-use marijuana and hemp. Life Sciences & Ports: A new look at Pawtucket’s life sciences growth highlights how workforce and site readiness drive investment, while Quonset’s Port of Davisville is seeing real momentum from the Terminal 5 Pier’s expanded capacity for autos and other cargoes. Public Health Tech: A Providence-area story on AI in healthcare points to growing use of “ambient scribe” tools to reduce clinician typing and improve patient interaction. STEM/Community Science: URI is opening weekend hours at the Horridge Conservatory so the public can see its corpse flower before it blooms. Policy & Safety: Rhode Island lawmakers are weighing whether to require Guardian Caps for high school football to reduce head injury risk. Digital Life: A new Rhode Island Hospitality Association toolkit prepares World Cup visitors for local tipping and dining norms.

Cannabis Governance: Rhode Island Senate confirmed Michelle Reddish as the new Cannabis Control Commission chair, with reappointments also moving the state’s regulatory leadership forward. Public Safety Tech: Lawmakers are weighing whether to require Guardian Caps for high school football, aiming to reduce head injury risk. Health Alert: Rhode Island health officials confirmed a powerful synthetic opioid, cychlorphine, has entered the state’s drug supply—potentially up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl. AI Policy: A new push for AI regulation is colliding with Democrats’ internal splits over how much to preempt state rules, while Sen. Schumer signals the timeline may be tight. Ocean & Research Funding: NSF has started dismantling an ocean monitoring network early, raising alarms about lost data on warming seas. Local Innovation & Materials: A Rhode Island-linked recycling breakthrough highlights new ways to turn used mattress foam into synthetic leather and other products. STEM & Workforce: UConn launched a shipbuilding initiative to coordinate maritime research, workforce development, and supply-chain work. Courts & Tech Use: Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a ruling allowing a trooper to authenticate Google Earth photos in an I-95 interchange case.

Cannabis Regulation: The Rhode Island Senate confirmed Michelle Reddish as chair of the Cannabis Control Commission, with Robert Jacquard reappointed—setting up a new policy phase for medical, recreational, and hemp oversight. Life Sciences Leadership: The Rhode Island Life Science Hub named Bob Cormier as its new president and CEO, after Dr. Mark Turco’s unexpected resignation, a key move for local biotech momentum. AI Policy: A Supreme Court ruling could complicate DOJ investigations by tightening where certain federal charges can be tried—raising questions for cases involving Rhode Island institutions. Materials & Recycling: A new mattress-foam recycling process earned a U.S. patent, turning polyurethane waste into synthetic leather, shoe soles, and phone-case materials. Public-Private Tech & Planning: Pawtucket is hosting a “Game Changer” event on how Tidewater Landing’s P3 was built—covering planning, funding, and environmental permitting. Ocean Monitoring: NSF is dismantling parts of a major ocean observatory network early, a blow to long-term climate and marine research. Connectivity: GoNetspeed is expanding 100% fiber to East Brunswick, aiming for early fall connections. Maritime Workforce: UConn launched a shipbuilding initiative to coordinate research, workforce, and supply-chain efforts for U.S. maritime industry.

Local Innovation & Manufacturing: Rhode Island startup Nterprisers is partnering with Wazoku to plug small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers into open innovation challenges and global problem-solving networks. Medical Imaging Breakthrough: A new PET tracer, MK-6240, appears more sensitive than the current standard for detecting Alzheimer’s-related tau, potentially speeding diagnosis earlier in disease. Infrastructure in Motion: Crews have begun in-water foundation work on the new westbound Washington Bridge, starting with drilled shafts to support the replacement span and improve traffic flow. Coastal Resilience Funding: The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank approved Jamestown grants for shoreline embankment erosion work at Potter Cove and low-interest septic upgrades. Public Health Policy: Rhode Island lawmakers restricted Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 obesity treatments to people with Type 2 diabetes, a move critics say may raise long-term costs. STEM & Education: URI’s Sea Grant program highlights climate impacts on recreational fishing and boating, including warmer-water species showing up in Rhode Island waters.

Defense Tech: SAIC won a $50.6M follow-on task order from the U.S. Navy for torpedo defense systems, including work at Newport’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center and use of digital engineering plus cybersecurity tools. Energy & Policy: A Rhode Island Senate delay is leaving Gov. Dan McKee’s PUC nominee Donna Sams in limbo, with senators citing concerns about her energy-policy and science background. Public Health: Rhode Island lawmakers restricted Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 obesity drugs to people with Type 2 diabetes, but critics warn the short-term savings could drive higher long-term costs. AI & Elections: A Minnesota AI deepfake campaign ad triggered transparency concerns and runs into state disclosure rules. Ocean Science: The Trump administration has begun dismantling the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a 900-sensor network funded by NSF, raising alarms about climate and marine monitoring. Local Tech in Government: Southbury, CT is considering FLOCK license-reader cameras to help police with missing persons, stolen vehicles, and larcenies. Biotech/Research: Cullinan Therapeutics reported new clinical data across its T cell engager programs, including CLN-978 (CD19xCD3) and velinotamig (BCMAxCD3). STEM Community: URI Sea Grant highlighted a “Bay of the Future” aquarium exhibit tied to changing coastal fish populations and climate impacts.

Autonomous Vehicles: Waymo bought Apple’s former 5,500-acre self-driving proving ground in Arizona for $220M, keeping the test roads alive as Waymo scales robotaxi operations. Public Health & Food Safety: FDA expanded a GO Raw LLC pet food recall after freeze-dried and frozen products were found to have dangerously low thiamine (vitamin B1). Infectious Disease Watch: Nantucket officials are looking at MIT’s “Mice Against Ticks” idea—using engineered mice to slow Lyme transmission by disrupting the tick–mouse cycle. Climate & Research Funding: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) introduced a bill to fund EPA grants studying tropospheric ozone’s effects on climate, crops, and ecosystems. STEM Workforce: Roger Williams University’s Blue Fellows Program returns for a second year, pairing students with marine science and biotech researchers and industry partners. Local Science Spotlight: URI’s rare corpse flower is nearing bloom, with a live stream planned as the plant’s stench signals pollination. Policy & Compliance: URI says it’s reviewing proposed changes to federal “Uniform Guidance” rules that could affect research grant administration. Legal/Tech Hiring: A federal judge struck down Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee as an unlawful tax, with the administration signaling an appeal.

Defense & Jobs: RTX is investing $100M to expand Raytheon’s Portsmouth facility, boosting LTAMDS radar testing and Patriot GEM-T component production, supporting additional air-and-missile defense work. Research Spotlight: URI graduate student Adeleke Justin Akinkurolere will present nutrition research on ingestive behaviors using multimodal wearable sensors at Nutrition 2026. Public Health & Food Safety: FDA expanded a recall of certain GO Raw LLC freeze-dried and frozen raw pet foods over dangerously low thiamine (Vitamin B1) levels. Education Policy: A Rhode Island teachers’ union-backed lawsuit challenges the federal government’s termination of grants supporting bilingual teacher training for English learners. Tech & Compliance: BBB referred prediction market Kalshi to regulators after it declined to participate in an inquiry into social media endorsement disclosures. Infrastructure: Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded $1.1M in stormwater grants to 10 communities for flood mitigation and drainage upgrades. Consumer Tech Regulation: RI Senate advanced a bill requiring staffed checkout lanes at a set ratio to self-checkouts in grocery stores. Campus Science Buzz: URI’s corpse flower countdown is underway, with a livestream planned as the rare Titan arum nears bloom.

University Leadership: Pamela Swett has been appointed dean of the University of Rhode Island College of Arts and Sciences, starting July 26, bringing experience in interdisciplinary planning and research support from McMaster University. Early Childhood & Research: URI’s Kingston Campus Child Development Center director Jessica MacLeod received the International Association of Laboratory Schools Mary Jane Taylor Distinguished Service Award, and URI graduate student Adeleke Justin Akinkurolere will present ingestive-behavior research at NUTRITION 2026 using wearable sensors and motion data. Public Works & Resilience: The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded $1.09M to 10 communities for stormwater and flood-mitigation design work, including green infrastructure in Providence’s Washington Park area. Defense Tech Jobs: Raytheon will invest $100M in Portsmouth, adding 150 jobs tied to Patriot GEM-T components and LTAMDS radar testing. State Policy Watch: Rhode Island Senate advanced a bill requiring staffing ratios for grocery self-checkouts, and another measure limiting restrictive covenants that block properties from becoming grocery stores heads to Gov. Dan McKee. Immigration & Tech Workforce: A federal judge struck down Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee as an unlawful tax, a potential relief for employers relying on skilled foreign workers.

Defense & Manufacturing Jobs: Raytheon (RTX) will invest $100M to expand its Portsmouth facility, aiming to speed testing of the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor and boost Patriot GEM-T subcomponent production, with 150 high-tech jobs expected. STEM Education: North Kingstown High School opened a new machinist and manufacturing defense facility after nearly four years, adding CNC and manual training plus industry-credential software, backed by Electric Boat, the Champlin Foundation, and state grants. Coastal Resilience: URI’s Coastal Institute is helping Block Island plan as erosion reshapes the island; a new study will “decode over a century of coastal change” to guide what to protect. Stormwater Funding: Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank awarded about $1.1M in EPA stormwater grants to 10 communities (including Jamestown, Middletown, Pawtucket, Providence, and Block Island’s New Shoreham) for design and engineering to reduce flooding. Immigration Policy (Tech Workforce): A federal judge struck down Trump’s $100,000 H-1B fee as an unlawful tax, a potential reprieve for U.S. employers that rely on skilled foreign workers. Public Health & Policy: Rhode Island-linked coalition efforts are pushing Formula 1’s FIA to end tobacco/nicotine sponsorships, including nicotine pouches, citing youth exposure risks. Research & Environment: A new look at deep-ocean exploration says humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of the deep seafloor—about the size of Rhode Island—underscoring how much remains unknown. Local Tech/Business: AstroNova reported fiscal Q1 net income of $653K on $39.4M revenue, with shares up sharply year-to-date.

Rhode Island Education & Tech-in-Action: Portsmouth students are getting hands-on science and tech lessons at AGInnovation Farm, a partnership with the Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District that ties growing food to support for local food banks. Local Health & Research: A URI public health professor is pushing a better way to study homelessness, highlighting “hidden homelessness” (people who are “doubling up”) that gets missed by federal counts. Ocean & Climate Tech: A new climate round-up spotlights the environmental pressure from data centers as AI booms, and also flags the Trump administration’s move to dismantle a deep-ocean observation network. Environment & Consumer Safety: A state-by-state crackdown on PFAS (“forever chemicals”) is accelerating, with Rhode Island among the states moving ahead on disclosure and restrictions. Medical Breakthrough: Brown University Health is discussing an experimental pill for advanced pancreatic cancer that targets RAS mutations, reporting improved survival versus chemotherapy alone. Policy Watch (RI): The Rhode Island House approved a $15.2B FY27 budget, including a phased-in millionaire’s tax and added funding for healthcare, families, and transit. AI Governance: Regulators are raising expectations for insurers’ AI use, with cybersecurity warnings that frontier AI could speed up cyber threats. STEM Pipeline: Unitil’s scholarship fund awarded STEM grants to New England students, including a URI-bound student studying public health.

Medical Research Breakthrough: Brown University Health highlighted an experimental pill, daraxonrasib, that targets RAS-driven pancreatic cancer, extending average survival to 13.2 months versus 6.7 with chemotherapy and shrinking tumors by 32%. Environmental Tech & Waste: University of Rochester researchers developed bacteria-powered “bio-stickers” (3D-printed) to speed up bioplastic breakdown in cold ocean conditions where it otherwise lingers for decades. Local Life Science & Workforce: R.I. Life Science Hub partnered with the Pawtucket Foundation to build healthcare career pathways, aiming to connect students to local opportunities. Public Health & Data Centers: A climate roundup points to a UN report estimating data centers’ massive electricity, carbon, water, and land impacts as AI drives growth. Governance & Funding: A Rhode Island House budget cleared $15.2B for FY27, including a phased-in millionaire’s tax and added support for healthcare, families, and transit. Policy Watch (PFAS): A state-by-state crackdown on “forever chemicals” is reshaping product rules, with Rhode Island among states moving toward disclosure and restrictions. Digital Safety: A Rhode Island traveler story warns that “digital detox” can backfire—smartphones can be a real safety tool when you need help.

Revolutionary War Tech & Storytelling: Former U.S. Naval officer Ray Deptula’s new novel reframes the American Revolution through the uncertainty and human cost of battle, blending research with lived experience. Biotech & Materials: University of Rochester researchers developed reusable 3D-printed “bio-stickers” that use bacteria to speed up bioplastic breakdown in marine environments—aimed at tackling slow, cold-water degradation. Environment & Infrastructure: A new climate round-up highlights the environmental footprint of data centers as AI drives electricity and water demand, alongside reporting on the dismantling of a deep-ocean monitoring system. Public Health & Policy: Federal judges blocked Trump administration efforts to attach gender and immigration conditions to USDA funding, including food assistance—an immediate legal win with national ripple effects. Rhode Island Focus: URI public health professor Molly Richard argues Rhode Island’s homelessness counts miss “doubled up” families, pushing for better measurement that can unlock services. State Tech Governance: Rhode Island’s House advanced a $15.2B FY27 budget with a phased-in millionaire’s tax and new oversight moves, setting the backdrop for future tech and infrastructure spending.

Data Centers & Energy Policy: Vermont’s GOP Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a bipartisan data-center law after critics warned the move could mean higher utility bills and more pollution for residents. Climate & Tech Infrastructure: A new UN climate round-up highlights the growing environmental footprint of data centers as AI demand surges, adding pressure for smarter power and water planning. Public Health & Research: URI public health professor Molly Richard argues Rhode Island’s homelessness picture is distorted by federal “point-in-time” rules that miss “doubled up” households, pushing for better study methods. Homeland-Scale Health Risk: With World Cup travel ramping up, experts warn U.S. public health capacity is stretched after federal cuts, raising concern about infectious disease readiness. STEM & Workforce Pipeline: Unitil’s scholarship fund awarded STEM grants to Rhode Island-area students, including a URI-bound public health track. Local Governance & Housing: A Rhode Island housing analysis says allowing more homes can stabilize municipal finances by expanding the property-tax base. AI Governance: Regulators are tightening expectations for insurers’ AI use and cybersecurity risk management, signaling compliance will increasingly cover model-driven decisions.

SNAP Fight: A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new conditions on billions in SNAP funding, siding with 19 Democratic-led states and D.C. that said the rules could disrupt help for low-income families. Public Health & Travel: With World Cup travel ramping up across the U.S., experts warn that weakened federal public health capacity could leave Americans more exposed to infectious disease risks. Rhode Island Budget: The Rhode Island House approved a $15.2B FY27 budget, including a phased-in millionaire’s tax and new funding for healthcare, families, and transit. Ebola Readiness: Public health officials say U.S. Ebola risk is low, but concerns are growing as staffing cuts strain preparedness. STEM Pipeline: Unitil’s scholarship fund awarded six New England students $5,000 each for STEM studies, including a URI-bound Rhode Island student. Cancer Breakthrough: Brown University Health highlighted an experimental pill for advanced pancreatic cancer that improved survival versus chemotherapy alone. Digital Safety: A Rhode Island software developer’s “digital detox” gone wrong is a reminder that going fully offline can create real-world safety risks. Ocean Monitoring: Reporting flags efforts to dismantle a key ocean observatory system, raising stakes for environmental tracking.