Rhode Island Report

What happens when a patient sues their doctor for a medical error? A new documentary film, "A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone," tells the story of patients and doctors who’ve gone through this process. The documentary was directed by Brown University medical students Alex Homer and Viknesh Kasthuri. We talk to the producer, Dr. Mark Brady, and Dr. Gita Pensa, one of the featu...

The most closely watched contest in Rhode Island this election cycle is the Republican primary for Cranston mayor. Incumbent Mayor Kenneth Hopkins is facing a challenge from state Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung. So, we brought both candidates into the studio separately to explain where they stand on the major issues. Then we put their responses together so voters can easily compare and con...

We've got a special bonus episode for you today. Earlier this week, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley joined Globe columnist Dan McGowan and a live audience for a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from public schools to the rising cost of housing in the capital city. This is a lightly edited recording of their conversation. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com S...

A while back, we did an episode about Mr. Lemon – the frozen lemonade stand that’s been open for 50 years on Hawkins Street in Providence. A lot of you had stories to tell about Mr. Lemon. We picked some of our favorites and put them together for this episode. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at...

When we die, there are usually just two choices for our remains-- burial or cremation. But what if there was a third option? For the past two years, State Representative Michelle McGaw has been pushing for a bill that would make human composting legal in Rhode Island. She joins us to explain. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...

Around 200 years ago, the area near the Rhode Island State House and the train station was home to a working-class neighborhood called Snowtown. It’s largely forgotten today, but a team of researchers is trying to change that. Globe RI’s Carlos Muñoz talks to two members of the Snowtown Project research team - Heather Olson and Traci Picard. They say they're aiming to "put those peo...

Now that the General Assembly is out of session, and it’s quieter at the State House, we thought it would be a good time to visit one of Ed’s favorite spaces - the Rhode Island State Library, "a treasure trove of American history, not just Rhode Island history," according to R.I. Secretary of State Gregg Amore. Join us for a tour. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy a...

Most kids spend their summers at camp, at the beach, or on vacation. But this month, 30 students from Providence are on the Brown University campus instead. They’re part of the new Brown Collegiate Scholars Program – a year-round support system to help local students go to college. Ed talks to the director of the new program- Nick Figueroa. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See...

For more than 10 years, FRINGEPVD: The Providence Fringe Festival has been bringing new, weird, and experimental performances to Providence. And it’s happening right now  t hrough July 27th. Josh Short, the founder and artistic director of the Wilbury Theatre Group, joins us to talk more about the festival. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https:...

This week, we’re coming to you on location at Yacht Club Soda in North Providence. The family-owned business recently launched its Soda Pop Poll ahead of November's presidential election. It's a rematch pitting Donald's Trumpian Punch against Joe's Bidenomics Berry. Yacht Club Soda owner John Sgambato talks to us about the poll and his company. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com ....

Every year, a group of Rhode Islanders visits clam cake shacks all over the state, sampling as many deep-fried clam cakes as they can -- so you don’t have to. This year marks their tenth clam cake crawl, so Ed decided to join them. 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...

In May, the US Department of Justice accused the state of Rhode Island of violating the civil rights of hundreds of children by warehousing them at Bradley Hospital, a psychiatric hospital for children. Steph Machado took an in-depth look at the issue for Rhode Island PBS Weekly and Globe Rhode Island. She joins us to talk about what she found, and some possible solutions. Tips and...

On Friday, the Rhode Island legislative session wrapped up in the early morning hours, when most of us were asleep. Ed sorts through the Assembly's final decisions with Globe RI’s Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, the host of A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https...

It’s been 50 years since the Rao family opened Mr. Lemon in Providence. Customers come to the tiny white building on Hawkins Street for the frozen lemonade, and many return because they feel like family. Colleen, Joe, and Janice Rao know almost everyone – and their favorite flavors. They talk with Ed about the business and their first year serving lemonade without their mother, Eileen Rao. Got a s...

The game of golf isn’t often associated with young people or diversity, but one nonprofit in Rhode Island is trying to change that. For more than 20 years, Button Hole in Providence has been making the game affordable and accessible to children in the area. Ed talks to Anaridis Rodriguez, host of “Generation Rising” and Don Wright, executive director of Button Hole, about the program. Tips and ide...

When the US Senate confirmed Judge Melissa DuBose in March, she broke two barriers. She became the first person of color and the first openly LGBTQ Judge to serve on the US District Court for Rhode Island. She officially starts that job in January, but she joined us in the studio for a preview of what’s to come. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art...

The City by the Sea is known for its history. It's also on the front lines of climate change. Some of Rhode Island's biggest tourist attractions – Newport's mansions and other historic properties – are increasingly impacted by rising sea levels and extreme weather. Rhode Island PBS Weekly reporter Pamela Watts and Preservation Society of Newport County director of museum affairs Leslie Jones join...

If you want to know about military actions around the world, ask US Senator Jack Reed. He’s Rhode Island’s senior Senator, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and often joins congressional delegations on trips overseas. Steph Machado down with Reed for Sunday’s episode of Rhode Island PBS Weekly for an update on the US’s role in the wars in Gaza and Ukraine as well as some issues closer...

Earlier this week, our own Dan McGowan and Brian Amaral moderated a live conversation about the Blue Economy and Rhode Island’s sustainable future. The panel featured Patty DiOrio, VP and head of project development, Americas at Ørsted; and Bill Fazioli, managing director of program and business development at the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. If you missed part of the conversation, you can li...

Earlier this week, our own Alexa Gagosz moderated a live conversation about Climate and Business Resilience in Rhode Island's Food Ecosystem. The panel featured Ester Bishop, who is the co-owner, chef, and farmer at Gnarly Vines Farm; Ben Sukle, the chef and owner at Oberlin and Gift Horse restaurants in Providence; and Robert Andreozzi, the chef-owner at Pi...

Today, we’re getting out of the studio and putting on our running shoes to talk with Mark Sheeran. He’s an ultra-marathoner who’s spent the past few months running down every street in Providence. He invited Ed to tag along as he finished up one of his last runs. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at ht...

Rhode Island’s Board of Elections has a new executive director – but he’s no stranger to the job. Miguel Nuñez has been working for the board for nearly 25 years. He took the top spot in February, breaking ground as the board's first Latino executive director. Miguel talks with Ed about leading the BOE, and the biggest threat he sees coming up in this election year. Tips and ideas? Email us at&nbs...

St. Mary’s Home for Children in North Providence has been in the news since January when the state's Office of the Child Advocate released a scathing report about conditions there. Our own Amanda Milkovits has been following the story ever since. She’s recently talked with a family whose grandchild has been a resident there for a year. They say things there have not changed. Tips an...

Every year, Rhode Islanders read the same book as a part of the Reading Across Rhode Island program. This year’s selection is  Solito - a memoir by Javier Zamora. It tells the true story of Javier’s journey from El Salvador to The United States as an unaccompanied nine-year-old. Javier joins Ed in the studio, along with Maureen Nagle, education chair of Reading Across Rhode Island. Tips and i...

When reporters are working on important stories, they often use Rhode Island's Access for Public Records Act, or APRA. It gives them the ability to ask for government emails, data sets, or other documents. But APRA isn’t perfect. So, there’s a bill before the General Assembly to make it stronger. Ed talks with Colleen Cronin, a reporter who covers environmental issues for...