Bartholomewtown

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew talks with Jason Dodier, co-founder of Fountainhead Rhode Island, about building stronger connections between Rhode Island’s people, industries, and global opportunities. They explore how the state can compete in the emerging AI and data-infrastructure economy—not by chasing massive data-center campuses, but by investing in local talent, practical AI adoption, res...

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew moderates a debate for Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island featuring incumbent, Democrat nominee Sabina Matos and Republican nominee John Loughlin Support the show Follow Bill on Instagram and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew moderates a debate for Governor of Rhode Island. WPRO x BTOWN debate series. Featuring Democrat nominee Helena Buonanno Foulkes, Republican nominee Aaron Guckian, independent Ken Block. Support the show Follow Bill on Instagram and YouTube

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew speaks with Cortney Nicolato, president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island, about the ALICE study and why the old federal poverty measure misses a huge share of working families. They discuss how nonprofits are filling gaps in state services, why funding is under strain, and what policy and system changes could better support Rhode Islanders. https://unitedwayr...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Guckian on staying in the Rhode Island governor’s race ahead of the first debate Bill Bartholomew interviews Republican gubernatorial nominee Aaron Guckian just hours before the first of three major statewide debates. The conversation centers on whether Guckian will stay in the race, how he differentiates himself from independent candidate Ken Block and Helena Foulkes, and w...

Send us Fan Mail read Singer's piece here: https://www.oceanstatemedia.org/economy/2026-09-28/we-do-not-want-to-turn-people-away-r-i-nonprofits-face-financial-crisis Rhode Island’s nonprofit fiscal cliff and the future of local public media Bill Bartholomew talks with Singer, Chief Strategy and Audience Officer at Ocean State Media, about a growing crisis hitting Rhode Island nonprofits, publ...

Send us Fan Mail How the Morales campaign turned branding, video, and community trust into a winning Providence message This episode looks at the communications strategy behind David Morales’ Providence campaign and why it connected so strongly with voters. Bill Bartholomew is joined by Ross Lippman, Lindsey Bond, and Luis Morales to break down the brand identity, short-form video strategy, and th...

Send us Fan Mail Megan Cotter on rural politics, voter conversations, and calling out toxic school committee behavior Bill Bartholomew speaks with Rhode Island State Representative Megan Cotter, District 39, about her reelection campaign, what she is hearing while knocking on doors, and why she resists rigid political labels. The conversation turns to a disturbing Facebook exchange involving Cotte...

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew talks with independent Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Ken Block about a newly released poll, the three-way race against Helena Foulkes and Aaron Guckian, and what the numbers suggest about the final stretch. The conversation also digs into fundraising, outside spending, and whether debates and forums can give voters a real contrast between the candidates. Su...

Send us Fan Mail Lost and Found with Pamela Fernandez on WaterFire Accelerate Bill Bartholomew speaks with artist Pamela Fernandez about WaterFire Accelerate, the professional development program for artists 30 and under, and the culminating group exhibition Lost and Found at the WaterFire Arts Center. The conversation moves from Providence’s creative ecosystem to Fernandez’s Dominican and Provide...

Send us Fan Mail Trauma-Informed Policing in Rhode Island and Beyond Bill Bartholomew speaks with Liz Gledhill, director of the Center for Trauma Informed Policing at Family Service of Rhode Island, about a Rhode Island-built model that trains law enforcement to respond to families and children in crisis with more empathy, better situational awareness, and less additional harm. The conversation fo...

Send us Fan Mail Rhode Island Transit, Smart Growth, and the Real Cost of Underfunding RIPTA Bill Bartholomew talks with Scott Wolf, executive director of Grow Smart Rhode Island, about why transit is much more than a social service and how better funding could support housing, economic development, tourism, and affordability across the state. They also dig into the governor’s race, the gap betwee...

Send us Fan Mail Eric Moyal, founder of Project Insulin, joins Bill Bartholomew to explain how his nonprofit is working to create and sell generic insulin directly to patients at cost. The conversation covers the insulin affordability crisis, why Rhode Island can be a powerful place for early-stage startup growth, and what it takes to build a long-term biotech project in a tough fundraising enviro...

Send us Fan Mail https://global-trade-summit.bryant.edu/ Bryant’s Global Trade Summit at a volatile moment for international business Bill Bartholomew speaks with Jason Kelly, director of the Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University, about the 40th anniversary of the Global Trade Summit and why it matters during a period of tariff uncertainty, policy shifts, and supply chain p...

Send us Fan Mail EVENT LINK!  https://newportfilm.com/films/unbowed/ This episode introduces the documentary Unbowed , a Rhode Island-centered film about Omar Bah, his journey from the Gambia to resettlement in Providence, and the founding of the Refugee Dream Center. It also explores how the film team captured both the personal and policy realities of refugee life during a politically charged era...

Send us Fan Mail Adam Greenman on winning the Pawtucket mayoral primary and what residents want next Adam Greenman, the presumptive next mayor of Pawtucket, talks about his upset primary win over longtime Mayor Don Grebien and why he got into the race in the first place. The conversation centers on what voters were saying on the ground, from affordability and city services to the loss of Memorial...

Send us Fan Mail Bill Bartholomew reads from Lula da Silva’s 2002 Letter to the Brazilian People , then connects its message—an ambitious agenda paired with an open invitation to allies—to Providence’s current political moment. He argues that David Morales can stay committed to affordability and rent stabilization while building productive relationships with skeptics and institutional partners. Th...

Send us Fan Mail Rhode Island Primary Results: An Affordability Referendum, Not Just an Anti-Incumbent Wave Bill Bartholomew breaks down Rhode Island’s primary results and argues the night was driven by one central issue: affordability. He connects the outcomes in the governor’s race, Providence mayor’s race, and local council contests to a broader rejection of leaders who seemed disconnected from...

Send us Fan Mail Rhode Island Primary Day Preview: McKee vs. Foulkes, Providence Mayor, and the Races to Watch Bill Bartholomew previews Rhode Island’s Democratic primary with a focus on the long-running Helena Foulkes versus Governor Dan McKee race, the tight Providence mayoral contest, and the down-ballot primaries that could shape the night. He argues that turnout, low-information voters, and s...

Send us Fan Mail Inside Communications: Rhode Island Primary Closing Messages and Election Predictions Bill Bartholomew and Half Street Group’s Mike Raia break down how campaigns shift from persuasion to turnout in the final stretch before Rhode Island’s primary elections. They also look at which candidates are handling their closing messages well, how early voting changes campaign strategy, and w...

Send us Fan Mail EPISODE DESCRIPTION - Ready to publish Rhode Islanders are sending a blunt message: the healthcare system is not just expensive, it's forcing people to delay care, skip tests, and rethink whether treatment is even worth it. University of Rhode Island sociologist Julie Keller unpacks the new survey data exposing how deep the affordability crisis really goes - and why the numbe...

Send us Fan Mail BB is joined by Dan McGowan for a final-week look at Rhode Island’s primary races. They unpack turnout, the Providence mayoral contest, the governor’s race, and the down-ballot battles for lieutenant governor and attorney general. In this episode Why turnout and early voting may decide the election The momentum behind David Morales in the Providence mayoral race Whether Brett Smil...

Send us Fan Mail Rhode Island’s primary sprint, the Providence mayor’s race, and the shakeup in statewide politics With early voting underway, Bill Bartholomew and Jim Hummel (The Hummel Report, Ocean State Media, WPRO) break down a Rhode Island primary that feels unusually compressed, low-energy, and wide open in several marquee races. They focus on the governor’s race, the Providence mayoral pri...

Send us Fan Mail Annajane Yolken on Ward 13, rent stabilization, and the future of Providence Bill Bartholomew speaks with Annajane Yolken , a Democratic primary candidate for Providence City Council Ward 13 , about why she entered the race and what she hears at the doors. Yolken explains how her work in social services and overdose prevention shaped her view of Providence's affordability cri...

Send us Fan Mail Connor Blier on Providence Ward 13, rent stabilization and local political trust Connor Blier joins Bartholomewtown to explain why he entered the open Providence Ward 13 race and how his personal history in Rhode Island shapes his campaign. The conversation centers on rent stabilization, city leadership, and his broader argument that local politics has drifted away from working-cl...