Local
Republican candidate for Rhode Island State Representative Steven Frias conceded his race in District 15 against Incumbent Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello on Tuesday. Frias lost the contest by only one percent and less than 100 votes, after a final count of mail-in and provisional ballots was taken, more than two weeks after Election Day.
In Providence, the I-195 Redevelopment Commission plans to pay $10,000 to the New Jersey-based Fane Organization real estate firm to explore a proposal to build residential high-rises on land which was formerly used by the highway. If the Committee finds the plan to be feasible, the new buildings would be the three tallest in the state. The largest of the planned three planned buildings would be 55 stories and 604 feet in height.
National
President-elect Donald Trump has continued to make selections for his cabinet as the work of preparing for a new administration continues. Elaine Chao, a female immigrant from Taiwan and a former secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush, has been chosen for Secretary of Transportation. Tom Price, a representative from Georgia, chairman of the House Budget Committee and Obamacare opponent, will be nominated as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Banker, former Goldman Sachs partner, and finance chair for the Trump campaign Steven Mnuchin is expected to be nominated for Secretary of the Treasury.
The Ohio State University campus endured a knife attack on Monday, when 18-year-old OSU student Abdul Razak Ali Artan ran into pedestrians with a car and wounded 11 people with a knife. No victims were killed or sustained life-threatening injuries. The attacker was not carrying a firearm, and was later shot and killed by an Ohio State Police officer. The terrorist group Islamic State has claimed credit for the attack after Artan’s viewing of terrorist propaganda, although there is no evidence of a direct link to the group.
World
On Monday night, a plane in Colombia crashed while carrying 77 people. Seventy-one passengers were killed, leaving just six survivors. Among the passengers were members of Brazil’s Chapeconese football club, journalists, coaches and guests. Investigations are still underway to determine the exact cause of the deadly crash, but early theories suggest the jet may have run out of fuel. Of the six survivors, three were soccer players, two were members of the crew and one was a journalist.
Former Cuban president Fidel Castro has died at the age of 90. The revolutionary and politician was head executive of Cuba for 47 years before handing power to his brother, Raul Castro, in 2008. The news of Castro’s death was announced by his brother late last Friday night. The Cuban government announced that a period of national mourning for Castro will be ongoing until nine days after his death.