Rhode Island

BOSTON (Reuters) - Tea Party conservatives and liberal activists may make unlikely allies when they meet on the elite grounds of Harvard Law School next month to talk about changing the constitution.

BOSTON (Reuters) - High winds and flooding hit New England on Sunday as Tropical Storm Irene buffeted the six-state region on its way up the U.S. East Coast, but its bark appeared to be worse than its bite.

Hurricane Irene hit New York late Saturday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said as rain and stronger winds began to lash the city.

Hurricane Irene killed at least eight people along the US east coast, cut power supplies to nearly a million and churned toward a direct hit on an anxious New York city.

US President Barack Obama warned the US east coast was in for a "long 72 hours" as he led his government's response to Hurricane Irene at a disaster command center in Washington.

BRISTOL, Rhode Island (Reuters) - The sign in big red letters taped to the door at the Prudence Island ferry landing in this bayside Rhode Island town said it all: "Hurricane Approaching."

NEW YORK (Reuters) - American John Isner, battling against the wild weather as much as his opponent, beat unseeded Julien Benneteau of France 4-6 6-3 6-4 in North Carolina on Saturday to claim his second title in six weeks.

CONWAY, Mass (Reuters) - Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick warned on Saturday it would be unsafe for people to venture out on Sunday when extreme rain and winds from Hurricane Irene are expected to slam southern New England.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene caused as much as $1.1 billion in insured losses in the Caribbean, catastrophe modeling company AIR Worldwide said on Friday, with more expected to come as the storm heads for the U.S. Northeast.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass (Reuters) - Residents of inland areas in Massachusetts loaded up on essential provisions from water to batteries on Friday as New England states urged people to prepare for the barrage of Hurricane Irene this weekend.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Not fooled by warm, sunny weather, New Englanders scurried on Friday to prepare for a potentially devastating hurricane on track to pummel the Northeast United States over the weekend.

BOSTON (Reuters) - Not fooled by a warm, calm, sunny Friday, New Englanders scurried to prepare for a potentially devastating hurricane on track to pummel the Northeast United States over the weekend.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene is likely to cause more insured losses in the Bahamas than 1999's devastating Hurricane Floyd, catastrophe modeler AIR Worldwide said on Thursday, even as the storm increasingly tracks toward a weekend landfall in the greater New York City area.

(Reuters) - Oil terminals, refineries, pipelines and nuclear power plants from the Bahamas to Rhode Island braced for Hurricane Irene on Thursday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the annals of natural disasters, it doesn't get much worse than a major hurricane directly striking New York City and Long Island.

Insurance giants State Farm and Allstate recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples for the purpose of discounts. Insurance giants State Farm and Allstate recognize the marriages of gay and lesbian couples for the purpose of discounts, CBS News' Moneywatch blog reported. Married couples can, on average, save 10 percent off their auto premiums. Esurance, a direct to consumer online insurance company, also offers the discount in California, Illinois, Oregon and Washington, and is set to expand into more states. The reduced rates are in effect in the six states where gay marriage is legal plus the District of Columbia. The 18,000 California couples who married in 2008 can receive the discount. Couples who enter a civil union in New Jersey, Illinois, Hawaii, Delaware and Rhode Island or a domestic partnership in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington are also eligible for the savings. Loretta Waters, a spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, said it is possible othe

Russ Feingold announces he won't run for the U.S. Senate, paving the way for Tammy Baldwin to enter the race. Russ Feingold on Friday told supporters that he would not run for the U.S. Senate in 2012, increasing the likelihood that Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin will jump into the race. ?While I may seek elective office again someday, I have decided not to run for public office during 2012,? Feingold wrote in an email to supporters. Feingold, who served in the U.S. Senate for 7 years, also brushed aside appeals for him to consider a run to replace Republican Governor Scott Walker. ?I am also well aware that I have a very strong standing in the polls should I choose to run again for the U.S. Senate or in a recall election for governor,? he wrote. ?After twenty-eight continuous years as an elected official, however, I have found the past eight months to be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective.? The decision increases the likelihood that Baldwin will enter the race

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An unstoppable conveyor belt of rain drenched the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Monday, adding to record-breaking precipitation that triggered flood watches and a local state of emergency at the start of the workweek.

More than 1,000 Chicago-area couples have applied for civil union licenses in June and July. More than 1,000 Chicago-area couples have applied for civil union licenses in June and July. Illinois began issuing civil union licenses on June 1. Four additional states have legalized the union, including New Jersey, Hawaii, Delaware, and most recently, Rhode Island. Demand has been highest in Cook County, which includes Chicago, the third largest city in the United States. According to the Daily Herald, county clerks' offices in Cook County issued 1,098 civil union licenses and 6,884 marriage licenses between June 1 and July 31. An additional 301 couples applied in surrounding counties DuPage (110), Kane (83), Lake (72) and McHenry (36). Officials added that not all couples seeking a civil union were gay or lesbian. ?The first day was very historic, but now it's just another license that is issued by our office,? said Cindy Pagano, the chief deputy clerk in Lake County. While demonstrators i

(Reuters) In the wake of the 2007-2009 economic recession, investors in the $3.7 trillion U.S. municipal bond market have been rattled by predictions of possible bankruptcies.