In a decision that could have significant impacts on the fees that consumers pay in real estate transactions, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that “unearned” fees charged by lenders and other service providers do not violate federal law as long as they are not split with anyone else. more

Steven Lohrenz was recently elected to the Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s board of trustees. Lohrenz is the dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He has held the position since January 2011, and previously served as chair of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Department of Marine Science. Lohrenz earned his Ph.D. in biological oceanography from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. more

If you are a believer in the power of the Knowledge Economy to transform Rhode Island, the past few weeks have been unsettling. more

There are many things that the Ocean State would like to be known for – Newport’s mansions, stuffies, Waterfire, Trinity Rep. But the odds are long against the supposition that we want to be known as the home and final resting place of 38 Studios LLC. And yet, that seems to be Rhode Island’s fate. more

Despite the hoopla over recent jobs numbers and the June 5 long-term fiscal outlook from the Congressional Budget Office, the underlying reality of the U.S. economy hasn’t changed all that much lately. We are still in the midst of the hard slog following the financial crisis, and we still face a massive long-term, government budget deficit. more

A “moral hazard” is defined as a lack of incentive to guard against risk where one is protected from its consequences. more

At a business-community outreach forum on June 5, Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee made it clear that despite the dark cloud of 38 Studios LLC’s implosion hanging over Rhode Island, the state remains ever-ready to help small-business development. more

For many Rhode Island business groups, the $8 billion state budget lawmakers have begun debating and are expected to pass this week was notable for what it did not include: more

The path from Jewelry District to Knowledge District took a detour this spring. First a Providence budget crisis and fears of bankruptcy prompted the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce to pull out of a public-private partnership to market the Capital City as a knowledge and research hub. more

The U.S. Department of Labor announced nearly $12 million in grants to states to improve the quality of workforce data, including a $1 million award to the R.I. Department of Labor and Training. more