Rhode Island Report

We’ve got a special bonus episode for you today. Earlier this month, in front of a live audience, Globe columnist Dan McGowan interviewed House Speaker Joe Shekarchi. From the Washington Bridge funding to an assault weapons ban, education to the governor's race, Shekarchi had a lot to say. This is a lightly edited recording of their conversation. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com...

Attorney General Peter Neronha railed at Governor McKee at a House Finance hearing last week for not funding new positions for his office as it battles President Trump’s agenda. Neronha says if “you are not standing with us, then you are standing with Trump.” The attorney general joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to explain what he means. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Po...

It's been nearly 18 years since security officers discovered a one-room apartment within the walls of the Providence Place Mall. It was built by a group of local artists, led by Michael Townsend and Adriana Valdez Young. Now there's a full-length documentary about their "Secret Mall Apartment." Its first theatrical screening is March 21, at - where else - the Providence Place Mall. Michael and Adr...

Dorcas International, which serves thousands of refugees and immigrants annually, is facing funding cuts and layoffs amid changing policies in Washington. For the latest episode of Rhode Island PBS Weekly, guest host Steph Machado sat down with Kathy Cloutier, the executive director of Dorcas International, to learn more about what’s happening on the ground under the Trump administr...

As the Trump administration threatens to remove federal funding for a range of initiatives, from scientific research to health insurance, local lawmakers are pushing back. Providence Democrats Senator Tiara Mack and Representative David Morales are the co-chairs of the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian- American, and Pacific Islander Caucus – or RIBLIA. They say the group’s legislative...

Former US Representative Jim Langevin has a long track record of leading cybersecurity efforts in Congress. The Trump administration's cuts to positions at the federal Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency “make no sense,” he says. He joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk about these developments and the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College. Tips and i...

Refugees come to the United States to escape dictatorships, oppression, and violence. But the Trump administration’s freeze of the refugee resettlement program and its ramped-up deportation efforts are making many refugees wonder if they’re safe here. Host Ed Fitzpatrick talks to two people who fled to the United States - a man who escaped slavery in Mauritania and a woman avoiding female genital...

Students are afraid to come to English classes. Young immigrants are skipping weekly soccer games. The Trump administration has stopped funding resettlement of refugees, who are here in the United States legally. But Teddi Jallow, executive director of the Refugee Dream Center in Providence, who came to the United States as a refugee herself, is determined to continue her work helping newcomers to...

You might have heard of the Green Book, a guidebook that was widely circulated from the 1930s through the 1960s to help Black travelers find welcoming places across the country to stay, eat, and fill up their cars. But did you know that many of those locations were in New England? Emily Sweeney, a Boston Globe reporter, has documented and mapped more than 350 spots in this part of the country. Swe...

Since April, a small group of inmates in Rhode Island's medium security prison have been learning how to code. It's part of a program called  The Last Mile . The classes are designed to help inmates find jobs and stay out of prison. Globe RI’s Steph Machado just finished a story for Rhode Island PBS about The Last Mile. She joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk more about the program. Tips and id...

Indie pop singer-songwriter Lainey Dionne has gone from performing for classmates at Smithfield High School to becoming a voting member of the Grammy’s Recording Academy. She talks to our guest host, Boston Globe reporter Chris Gavin, about her journey and life as a working musician in Rhode Island. Dewey Raposo, RI PBS producer of Ocean State Sessions which showcases local musicians, also joins t...

Last week, during R.I. Governor Dan McKee’s State of the State address, a group of Rhode Islanders planned to protest in the State House rotunda. But the area was roped off and guarded by state and Capitol police, who said the space had been reserved by the governor’s administration. But no one used it during and after the address. Now, the ACLU is considering a First Amendment lawsuit, saying tha...

In July 2024, the Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld Mario’s Law ,  which gives juvenile offenders a chance at freedom after serving 20 years. A month after the ruling, Mario Monteiro – the man the law was named for – was released. He faced two life sentences as a 17-year-old, and served 23 years in prison. Monteiro joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk about life in prison as a young person, and...

Today marks the start of Rhode Island’s legislative session. What can we expect from lawmakers this year? The Globe's Steph Machado and Jim Hummel of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS join host Ed Fitzpatrick and make some predictions. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/p...

Tonight, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley will light the City Hall Menorah to celebrate the eight nights of Hannukah. And this year, the event will hit close to home. He recently converted to Judaism. Before the holidays, Steph Machado sat down with the mayor and Rabbi Sarah Mack, the senior rabbi at Temple Beth-El, to talk about the journey he’s been taking for the past year. Tips and ideas? Em...

More than 200 years ago, Jamestown, R.I., had the largest percentage of enslaved people in the state. What happened to the Black community there? A local historian has been working to bring that history to light. That’s just one segment in the most recent episode of the "Our Town" series on Rhode Island PBS. RI PBS Arts and Culture Producer Ross Lippman joins our host, Ed Fitzpatrick, to talk more...

Winter is here, thousands of Rhode Islanders are experiencing homelessness, and there are not enough shelter beds. The state's largest provider of housing for homeless individuals thinks building apartments, not just opening more shelters, is the answer. The Globe’s Steph Machado sat down with Michelle Wilcox, the president and CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island, to hear about the plans. Tip...

Globe Rhode Island columnist Dan McGowan moderated a Dec. 12 discussion about the future of the Rhode Island Foundation – the state’s largest funder of nonprofits. He started by talking to  Rhode Island Foundation president and CEO David Cicilline, and the foundation’s new board chair, Ann-Marie Harrington. He also spoke with nonprofit leaders Lamont Gordon of Co...

On Thanksgiving Day, the Boston Globe published an article about a Rhode Island man named Patrick Fealey. He’s a former journalist who wrote about his experiences with homelessness in Esquire magazine.  A Narragansett family tracked him down and found him a place to live. His story has gone viral, generating an overwhelming response and helping push his GoFundMe page to over $160,00...

One of the state's best sportswriters and radio hosts will be writing about Rhode Island sports as a freelancer for the Globe. Kevin McNamara's first story comes out today. McNamara joins Ed to look ahead to what he'll be writing about, including what he says is the biggest sporting event of the year in Rhode Island: the Providence College / University of Rhode Island men's basketball game on Satu...

What’s it like to cruise around the Ocean State on a bicycle? Local author Robert Isenberg recently released a collection of essays about his experiences cycling here, and all over the world. He says his book, "Mile Markers," is designed for everyday people who like to explore on two wheels, and joins our host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk more about the book. Tips and ideas? Email us at   rinews@gl...

This week, families can start applying for spots in Rhode Island’s charter schools for next school year. The demand is high – far exceeding the number of available seats – as families seek alternatives to traditional public schools. And yet, some advocates say Rhode Island should limit the expansion of charter schools. Chiara Deltito-Sharrott from the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools joins S...

It’s been more than three years since the US pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. Now, it’s the only country in the world that bans girls from going to school after sixth grade. Khadija Nazari escaped Afghanistan in 2021. Now she’s a Brown University student working to help the women who got left behind. She’s teamed up with a group of Rhode Islanders to run a secret school for gir...

Ed Fitzpatrick sits down with the Globe’s Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, the host of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS, to debrief the election results. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Last week, the Rhode Island chapter of the American Federation of Teachers elected Maribeth Calabro as their new president. She now heads the largest teachers union in the state. It represents 12,000 members in districts such as Providence, Cranston, Warwick and Pawtucket. Steph Machado spoke with Calabro for an episode for RI PBS Weekly. This is an extended version of their conversation. Tip...