Imagine staring down a 160% interest rate

Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at The Providence Journal and this is the Daily Briefing.

When my oldest son was younger he used to marvel at Providence's Superman Building.

During one visit to Kennedy Plaza, he gazed upward at the height and we attempted to take a tour when they were being offered, but the tickets ran out before we could secure them.

He no longer holds that sense of awe but the building remains a landmark in my family when we drive by. When we're returning from a trip to points north of Rhode Island and it reminds us we're close to home or just that we're in Providence. The building will also always remind me of him as a young boy and how interested he was.

Now it sometimes feels like it will take a heroic act to save the Superman Building and as a developer works to convert the building into residences could cashflow be its kryptonite?

Could that be the case now?

The Journal's Wheeler Cowperthwaite talked with state officials to learn more about the fate of the project – including the potential need for more funding – and what's happened so far since work resumed in late 2023.

• Imagine paying 160% interest on a loan. In desperate times, it may be the only option for some even if it means digging out of what feels like a lifetime of debt.

Curtailing the triple-digit interest rates charged by storefront lenders is still a priority for R.I.'s General Assembly, but lawmakers see new high-tech threats emerging.

The Journal's Antonia Farzan takes a deeper look at the issue.

• A federal judge is expected to rule in the coming months on a private school student’s quest to play high school sports for a fifth year due to his disability.

The Journal's Katie Mulvaney takes a look at the case and the reasons why the student's family wants the teenager to continue to play and why the Rhode Island Interscholastic league feels otherwise.

• As Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey return to Providence today for the first time since 2017 the Journal's Jonny Williams takes a look back at the circus' interesting history with Rhode Island.

• If you love lobster rolls a new option will start appearing in Rhode Island this weekend. Journal food and dining editor Gail Ciampa has the tasty details.

More from The Providence Journal

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RHODY RANKS

Every day we receive emails ranking Rhode Island. While the work behind the ranks may be dubious, they can be fun. Each day I'll share where Rhody Ranks from one of the latest emails.

A study by Hello Millions identified which states’ residents have the most interest in appearing on TV.

According to the study, Rhode Island is home to people who are most likely to want to be a reality TV star – with the state experiencing an average monthly search volume of 179.07 per 100,000 of the state’s population. This is 38% more likely than the U.S. national average identified in the study.

TODAY'S WEATHER

☀️ Sunny much of the time; pollen levels will be very high. Highs in the low 60s.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Imagine staring down a 160% interest rate