Investigation

finds abuse

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A new report says Rhode Island Catholic clergy abused hundreds of children for decades, while church leaders minimized the scandal.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Peter Neronha released the report after a multiyear review. The report says at least 75 clergy molested more than 300 victims since 1950. Neronha says church officials agreed to hand over records, but did not allow key people to be interviewed.

The diocese, in response, says the report reflects its cooperation but misleads the public into thinking the problems are ongoing. Three current or former priests charged with sexual abuse during the review are awaiting trial.

US issues

nuclear permit

(AP) — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued its first construction permit for a commercial nuclear reactor in eight years. The commission granted the permit Wednesday for a Bill Gates-backed company to build a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor in western Wyoming.

The company filed for the permit in 2024. Construction of the reactor 130 miles northeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, is expected to begin within weeks, with a completion target of 2030. Gates is eyeing next-generation nuclear plants as a power source for the electricity-hungry data centers behind artificial intelligence. He is a founder of and primary investor in TerraPower, the company building the plant.