Rhode Island Report

Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio details his top priorities for the new legislative session, including expanding access to pre-K, funding school construction projects, and replacing the lead water pipes still in use across Rhode Island. Plus, an East Greenwich native shares the story of an infamous chestnut battle from his youth. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Poli...

This isn't "Squid Game," but back in the day chestnut fights were brutal battles in at least one Rhode Island schoolyard. On this week's episode, Ed Fitzpatrick returns to his native Greenville for a showdown with his childhood friend Sue Tremblay. 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...

In late October, North Kingstown High School was rocked by the news that its longtime basketball coach, Aaron Thomas, had been conducting naked “body fat tests” on students for about 25 years. Students, parents, and now the attorney general’s office want to know what happened and how this practice continued for so long. Globe RI journalist Amanda Milkovits has been covering this story since the be...

When CCRI President Meghan Hughes becomes the chair of the Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, will it help students or conflict with their best interests? She talks with Dan McGowan about this new role, what COVID did to enrollment numbers, and her priorities for the college moving forward. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califo...

Lorén Spears, the executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, gives us some perspective on Thanksgiving. We also talk about an intriguing new exhibit on Indigenous boarding schools, how to better serve Native students, and what should be done with Providence’s Columbus statue. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Providence College Professor Eric Hirsch is sounding the alarm on Rhode Island’s homelessness crisis. He says the governor and the General Assembly have failed to address the record number of people on the streets, while they sit on $1 billion in COVID relief funds. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...

At a time when information on COVID-19 and kids was nowhere to be found, Brown Economics Professor Emily Oster filled the void. She gave parents advice, advocated for a return to in-person learning, and even developed a database on how COVID has affected schools across the country. Emily joins us to talk about her work, and the latest COVID development: vaccines for children ages 5 to 11. See Priv...

We go behind the scenes of a haunted house in the town of Johnston, where Michael DeCesare has been scaring the heck out of Rhode Islanders for almost 20 years. Michael is the creator of Deadly Fantasies, Silent Nightmares. It’s a spooky experience he operates out of his own home for free, once a year on Halloween. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy a...

Governor Dan McKee joins us in the studio to talk about his first seven months as governor and his plan for spending $1.1 billion in federal COVID relief funds. He also fires back at critics of his administration's decision to award a lucrative education contract to ILO, a consulting firm with ties to his long-term ally. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at ht...

The Rhode Island Political Cooperative aims to run up to fifty progressives for local and statewide offices, but not all progressives are onboard with its approach. The group has been criticized for challenging liberal incumbents and supporting candidates with questionable social media posts. One of the Coop’s co-founders, Jennifer Rourke, joins us to clarify what the group is all about. See Priva...

The Papitto Opportunity Connection is a new foundation that’s dedicated to supporting nonprofits and businesses in local communities of color. In its first 10 months, the organization has given away more than 7 million dollars. We talk to the founder, Barbara Papitto, and Arnell Milhouse, a member of the foundation’s advisory board. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Pr...

Five Democrats are competing in next week’s primary to be the new senator for the east side of Providence. What’s the difference between the candidates? What factors will affect who wins? And why should the rest of the state care? Globe columnist Dan McGowan helps us sort it all out. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

Jorge Elorza has a big campaign account and plenty of name recognition. So why did he pull out of the governor's race? Ed Fitzpatrick talks to the mayor about his decision, what’s next for him politically, and what he’ll do with his remaining time in office. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:/...

Tens of thousands of people have escaped Afghanistan after the take-over by the Taliban. And up to 250 of them might be headed to Rhode Island. Ed Fitzpatrick talks with Omar Bah, the head of an organization that plans to help them, and Negina Sadat, who made the very same journey six years ago. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy an...

Brown University professor Baylor Fox-Kemper, a lead author of a new United Nations climate report, sits down with Globe RI's Brian Amaral to talk about rising seas, the potential impact on Rhode Island, and what Rhode-Islanders can do to stem the tide. 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/...

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson was the first Black woman to serve on Rhode Island's district and superior courts. She has served on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston since 2010, and was the first Black judge and second woman on the that court. Judge Thompson discusses what she learned from her family, why the judicial system must reflect society, and how she came to write such distinctive opi...

In the wake of Tropical Storm Henri, Ed Fitzpatrick talks to two guests about what was -- and what could have been. Globe RI reporter Carlos Muñoz describes what it felt like on the ground as the storm barreled into the coastline. Marc Pappas, director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, discusses the statewide impact, and how it could have been far worse. Tips and ideas? Email us at...

One hundred and twenty-nine people were exonerated of crimes in the United States last year, meaning they were cleared of their guilt and set free after wrongful convictions. Scott Hornoff is one such exoneree. In 2003, he was released from prison after spending more than six years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, he’s the advocate behind a new Rhode Island law that will provide mone...

Ocean Staters pride themselves on the state’s beautiful coastline and summers on the water. But, in actuality, only a fraction of Rhode Island’s beaches are accessible to the public. And when the majority of an area is privatized or locally restricted, it inevitably means some communities are being left out.  Ed Fitzpatrick talks with Globe RI reporter Brian Amaral about the history of beach...

Last year, less than eight percent of state business contracts were awarded to minority owned enterprises. That’s below the ten percent marker promised by the state, and could mean a hefty loss of income for minority owned businesses already struggling to keep up with white-owned competitors. Ed Fitzpatrck talks with Rep. Karen Alzate about the needs of minority owned businesses, and what’s top of...

With August marking the 56th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Ed Fitzpatrick sits down with veteran civil rights leader Clifford Montiero. At 83, Montiero has spent more than 60 years fighting for equal voting rights in Rhode Island and across the country. But there's so much more work to be done, he says. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...

Every year, the Newport Folk and Jazz festivals take over Fort Adams in Newport for two unforgettable celebrations of music and community. Every year, that is, except last year, when COVID forced their cancellation. Jay Sweet, executive producer and director of the Newport festivals, talks about getting through a rough 2020; how the festivals will be different this summer; and what he’s most excit...

Dan McGowan talks with Angélica Infante-Green about how the pandemic changed our understanding of student learning, where Rhode Island should spend federal education dollars, and whether she’d be willing to send her own children to Providence schools. 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/pr...

In the last month, the Atlantic Shark Institute has tagged more great white sharks off the coast of Rhode Island than they have in any year prior. Globe Rhode Island reporter Amanda Milkovits talks with Jon Dodd, executive director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, about his decades-long passion for sharks, the important role these animals play in the health of the ocean, and what shark behavior ca...

Peter Neronha has been Rhode Island's attorney general since January 2019, working on big-news topics like gun violence, hate crimes, and police misconduct. Ed Fitzpatrick talks with the attorney general about growing trends in violent crime, the argument for getting body cameras on all Rhode Island police officers, and what the state needs to do better to address crimes rooted in bigotry and bias...