Culpo-McCaffrey wedding; Judge Caprio on CBS; Ukrainian basketball players: Top stories

Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of June 23, supported by your subscriptions.

• How did three teenage basketball players from Ukraine end up at Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket? The Journal's Tom Mooney shares their stories, from the shock of Russia's invasion in February 2022 to the destruction of their gymnasium in Kyiv, to their youth basketball team's flight to Latvia and their eventual move to the United States, where they were welcomed by families in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and elsewhere. “These girls are tough. They’re very tough,” said a member of one host family. “You know they’re missing family, but they won’t show it."

• New this week in our Summer Guide: For water enthusiasts, we have insider tips on surfing in RI; the tranquil joys of Little Narragansett Bay; and the up-and-coming sport of foilboarding. Planning to visit Block Island? Here's where to eat, drink and stay, and a guide to the best walking trails. We recommend beach reads with an Ocean State connection, and clue you in on why you should collect seaweed to fertilize your garden. And maybe this is the summer you'll learn to fish, with beginner advice from expert angler Dave Monti, or finally visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport. When the day is done, take the family to a Rhode Island FC soccer game, or savor the sunset while sipping a cocktail at a rooftop bar with a great view. And find out what was named RI's best beach in reader voting.

• For the latest on the NBA Draft, the U.S. Senior Open in Newport and athletes with Rhode Island connections heading to the Summer Olympics in Paris, go to providencejournal.com/sports.

Here are the week's top reads on providencejournal.com:

RI's Judge Frank Caprio gets 'CBS Mornings' segment after numerous viewer requests

No stranger to national attention, former Municipal Court judge and "Caught in Providence" star Frank Caprio was featured in a feel-good piece on "CBS Mornings" on Monday.

"I’ve never gotten more requests from viewers for a story on anyone than I have for one on Judge Caprio," CBS correspondent David Begnaud wrote on X.

Through "Caught in Providence," Caprio achieved viral fame for his compassion and willingness to give defendants a break. In 2023, amid questions about the profits from his TV show, he cut a deal with the City Council that allowed him to retire but take on the title of "judge emeritus."

The 87-year-old was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. According to the CBS piece, he completed treatment a few weeks ago.

Good news: RI's Judge Frank Caprio gets 'CBS Mornings' segment after numerous viewer requests

'Let it begin': Olivia Culpo, Christian McCaffrey jet to RI for their wedding. Here's a look.

Olivia Culpo is one flight closer to saying “I do” in her home state of Rhode Island.

On Monday, Culpo posted photos on Instagram with fiancé NFL running back Christian McCaffrey and her dog Oliver Sprinkles. The trio headed out onto the tarmac, where a huge "Mr and Mrs" sign greeted them outside the plane.

"Let it begin," Culpo captioned the post.

While the couple has not confirmed it, it's believed they are getting married on Saturday, June 29, based on a May 29 Instagram post by Culpo, most likely at the Ocean House in Westerly. On Wednesday, Culpo and McCaffrey jointly posted photos of them getting their marriage license at Westerly Town Hall.

Entertainment: 'Let it begin': Olivia Culpo, Christian McCaffrey jet to RI for their wedding. Here's a look.

'I'm not backing Trump': Top official in RI's GOP would rather give up his post than back Trump

When President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, others in his party insisted it was rigged.

When Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts by a New York jury, his party-mates again implied it was rigged.

Steve Frias begged to differ.

Despite his high-ranking position within the Rhode Island GOP, Frias was the only Rhode Island Republican who, when asked where he stood on Trump's conviction, publicly said:

"It is not rigged. ... [And] I am not going to attack judges, whether they are a New York state court judge or a United States Supreme Court Justice. I believe in the rule of law. Period."

In the days leading up to that statement, Frias quietly alerted his colleagues in the state Republican Party that he would not run again to be one of Rhode Island's two representatives on the Republican National Committee, as he would be expected to wholeheartedly support the party's nominee for president.

Politics: Top official in RI's GOP would rather give up his post than back Trump

Warren family honors legacy of late son, a Mt. Hope hockey player, for 22 years. Here's how.

Less than three weeks before what would have been J.P. Medeiros’ 43rd birthday, the scholarship fund named in his memory awarded its 100th scholarship, to Mt. Hope High School senior Tommy Godbout.

Godbout played on Mt. Hope’s ice hockey team until his sophomore year, when he received a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia.

Medeiros, a Mt. Hope graduate, died in April 2002 while attending Quinnipiac University, and the scholarship fund began soon afterward. The first award was given out just two months later from donations received at his memorial service.

“What we chose to do to manage the grief of our loss [was to] turn it into the celebration of the other young people because it becomes medicinal," said J.P.’s mother, Maryem Medeiros. "When you can do something in your child’s name for another child, a little bit of them comes through the door."

Sports: Warren family honors legacy of late son, a Mt. Hope hockey player, for 22 years

Get a sneak peek at The Breakers' third floor, opened to the public for the very first time

The Breakers' third floor, which had been used as a summer residence for members of the Vanderbilt family as recently as 2018, is about to open to the public for the first time in the Newport mansion’s 129-year history.

Arguably the most famous of Newport's mansion museums, The Breakers opened to the public for tours in 1948, but the third floor had remained a private residence for the Vanderbilts until 2018, long after the Preservation Society of Newport County purchased the building in 1972.

Read the full story to find out more about the limited-run tours that will offer a glimpse at a preservation project in progress.

Newport: Get a sneak peek at The Breakers' third floor, opened to the public for the very first time

To read the full stories, go to providencejournal.com. Find out how to subscribe here.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Olivia Culpo wedding; Judge Caprio on CBS; Ukraine basketball players