Happy Wednesday! I'm Dan McGowan, and I think the Rhode Island high school basketball state champions should play the Connecticut high school champions every season. Follow me on X (Twitter) @DanMcGowan, or send tips to
dan.mcgowan@globe.com.
There’s a big change coming to the US attorney’s office in Rhode Island.
Sara Bloom, who was acting US attorney for most of 2025 and returned to the role of first assistant US attorney when President Trump appointed Charles “Chas” Calenda as the interim US attorney, is set to retire from federal service.
Bloom is leaving her role next week, according to Lindsay Lague, a spokeswoman for the office.
The bigger picture: That’s a lot of institutional knowledge of the Justice Department leaving Rhode Island.
Bloom was an assistant US attorney in Massachusetts for 25 years before joining the Rhode Island office as Zachary Cunha’s No. 2 in 2022. She was promoted to acting US attorney after Cunha, a President Biden appointee, resigned last year.
Calenda is expected to hold the interim US attorney title for 120 days (as of Dec. 30, 2025), but it appears unlikely that he would win Senate confirmation to remain in the role.
After 120 days (April 29), the US District Court of Rhode Island can appoint a US attorney until the vacancy is filled by a Senate-confirmed selection.
🤔 So you think you're a Rhode Islander...
Today's question comes from everyone who let me know that yesterday's answer was incomplete. We know that both Lincoln Chafee and Pat Toomey are two living former US senators from Rhode Island. Can you name the third?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Do you have the perfect question for Rhode Map readers? Don't forget to send the answer, too. Send me an email today.
The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ The conversation around three-year college degrees, amplified by growing interest in state-sponsored programs that help students graduate high school with college credit for free, has sparked a lively discussion about the purpose of college, including who benefits, as well as the state’s role in making college more affordable for residents. Read more.
⚓ A father who is trying to keep his in-laws away from his 4-year-old daughter testified on Tuesday about how he came to see them as a danger after his wife died from breast cancer. Read more.
⚓ In an opinion piece for Globe Rhode Island, Brown University master’s student Anzhela Kalsynova writes that nursing home quality hasn’t improved since 10 nursing homes in Rhode Island were acquired by private equity firms. Read more.
⚓ In an opinion piece, Alan Krinsky from the Economic Progress Institute writes that Governor Dan McKee's plan to exempt Social Security income from state taxation will do nothing to help those who need it most. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ As Democrats nationally map an ever-evolving strategy to counter President Trump, the party in Massachusetts is trying to frame its home city as a seat of historic resistance — a message it hopes will help persuade the Democratic National Committee to name Boston as host of the party’s national convention in 2028. Read more.
⚓ Is Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. coming for your Dunkin'? Read more.
⚓ The Foxborough Select Board is standing firm on not granting the entertainment license FIFA needs to stage seven World Cup games this summer at Gillette Stadium. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Map readers, if you want the birthday of a friend or family member to be recognized Friday, send me an email with their first and last name, and their age.
⚓ Attorney General Peter Neronha is to release a long-awaited report on child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence. The report comes out at 10 a.m., and we'll have full coverage at Globe.com/RI.
⚓ Providence College men's basketball hosts Marquette at 7 p.m.
🏆 Pop quiz answer
Martha McSally was appointed to fill John McCain's US Senate seat in Arizona in 2019. She lost to current US Senator Mark Kelly in 2020. McSally grew up in Warwick.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to newly retired US District Court Judge William E. Smith about his career and President Trump's attacks on the courts. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
Our address is:
The Boston Globe
225 Dyer St., Floor 2
Providence, RI 02903
Thanks for reading. Send comments and suggestions to dan.mcgowan@globe.com or follow me on X (Twitter)
@DanMcGowan. See you tomorrow.
Please tell your friends about Rhode Map! They can
sign up here.
The Globe has other email newsletters on topics ranging from breaking news alerts to sports, politics, business, and entertainment –
check them out.
Boston Globe Media Partners thanks its sponsors for supporting our newsletters. The sponsoring advertiser does not influence or create any editorial content for this newsletter. If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact us here.
You are receiving this because you signed up for Rhode Map. Unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter.
