Rhode Island Report

It’s been more than 20 years since Richard Hatch won the first season of "Survivor." Since then, the Rhode-Islander has embraced his "naked guy" brand and competed in "Celebrity Apprentice," "Survivor All Stars," and "The Biggest Loser." He also served a federal prison sentence for tax evasion. Richard joins us to talk about who’s catching his eye on this season of "Survivor," what he thinks of Do...

What’s the impact of having fewer Head Start classrooms? How has gun violence affected our young people? How does asthma relate to attendance in school? The organization Rhode Island Kids Count has been providing answers to these kinds of questions for nearly 30 years in its annual fact book. We talk to the executive director of Kids Count, Paige Clausius-Parks, for a preview of the latest data. T...

Sirens blaring, music blasting, horns beeping, ATVs -- Providence is full of noises. And those noises affect some communities more than others. Rhode Island PBS producer Michelle San Miguel and Brown Professor Erica Walker join us to talk about Walker's project examining which neighborhoods are the loudest, and what we can do to make urban noise more equitable. Tips and ideas? Email us at  ri...

The state's housing crisis is affecting our emergency departments. Rhode Island PBS producer Isabella Jibilian recently explored how residents without housing often use hospitals as a safe, warm place to stay, especially during the winter. She joins us, along with state Senator Josh Miller, who’s been arguing that Rhode Island should use Medicaid funds to provide housing. Tips and ideas? Email us...

In Rhode Island, we knew Nicholas Alahverdian as an advocate for Rhode Island foster children. He was notorious for spending time at the State House and lobbying officials, and he was pretty relentless about contacting reporters, including our own columnist, Dan McGowan. But law enforcement officials say he’s also a con artist and a sex offender who faked his own death. In 2022, they arrested him...

It’s been more than 10 years since part of Interstate 195 was relocated, freeing up 25 acres of prime Providence real estate. What’s happened since? And has the project lived up to its original intent? We get an update from Marc Crisafulli, the new chairman of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/p...

The list of people running to replace US Representative David Cicilline in Congress is getting longer every day. What is the state of the race, and who's in the best position to win? We’re joined by Brown University political science Professor Wendy Schiller and Jim Hummel, host of “A lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at...

A man who made headlines promising to turn Memorial Hospital into a solution for the state’s homelessness crisis is not all that he seems. Earlier this month, our own reporter Amanda Milkovits released the first installment of her investigation into Michael Mota - a businessman who is being chased for money in multiple states by creditors, investors, and vendors. Amanda joins the show to play some...

In December, Globe RI’s Alexa Gagosz wrote a story about the Strong family – Holly, Kiel, and their four children. They’re middle-class Rhode-Islanders – with jobs – who spiraled into homelessness last year. In their search for housing, they've spent more than $40,000 on hotel rooms and more than $5,000 on rental application fees. They're still living in a hotel. Ed Fitzpatrick talks to Holly and...

Brian Amaral from Globe RI is half Portuguese, which means he loves the food, but he doesn’t know how to make it. So, he drove to the home of Maria Lawton, the host of Maria's Portuguese Table on RI PBS for a cooking lesson. Listen in as Maria teaches Brian how to make “ovos com molho de tomate e cebola” or eggs with tomato and onion sauce. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See...

House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi is getting serious about Rhode Island’s housing crisis. Last week, he unveiled no less than 14 bills to address the problem. But will he even be in the State House much longer? He’s also considering a run for Congress now that David Cicilline has decided to step down -- and he says Gina Raimondo is encouraging him to go for it. He joins us to talk about that and more...

In 2010, David Upegui left a research job at Brown University to become a science teacher at his alma mater- Central Falls High School. That work has won him numerous awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He joins us to talk about rethinking science education and empowering students in Central Falls and beyond. Tips and ideas? Email us at...

Representative David Cicilline dropped a surprise announcement today- he’s resigning from congress to run the state’s largest philanthropic organization, the Rhode Island Foundation. Why is he leaving a seat he could have held for the rest of his life? Who will replace him? And how does this affect the rest of Rhode Island politics? Globe RI columnist Dan McGowan and Jim Hummel, the host of A...

Representative Raymond Hull, a Providence Democrat, has been at the State House for over a decade and has served in the Providence Police Department for 33 years. He was recently named deputy speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, making him the first Black legislator to hold that position.  He joins us to discuss his new role and the proposals to revamp the law that protects p...

Keith Nunes committed a murder as an 18-year-old, a crime that landed him a life sentence. Last year, after more than two decades in prison, Nunes was released, thanks to a law passed by Rhode Island's General Assembly. Under what’s known as Mario’s Law, people who committed a crime before they turned 22 may appear before the parole board after they’ve been in prison for 20 years. Nunes is one of...

Five years ago, at the age of 69, the Rev. Donnie Anderson came out as transgender. She had already been a presence in Rhode Island politics for more than two decades – including 13 years as the executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches. She is now the newly elected chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Women’s Caucus and the first transgender woman to serve in that role. She...

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed has been in the US Senate for more than 25 years. Over that time, he has risen to become chairman of the Armed Services Committee and a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee. He joins us to talk about his recent trip to Ukraine, a new drug threat in Rhode Island, and the recently opened train station in Pawtucket. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@gl...

Most of Rhode Island’s houses were built before lead paint was banned in 1978. That means chipping paint can expose residents - especially young children - to lead poisoning. The rates of this poisoning went up while children were stuck at home during the pandemic. And Central Falls was among the hardest-hit communities. Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera and Rhode Island PBS Weekly reporter Michell...

Gregg Amore is just a few weeks into his new position, but he’s already pushing for changes to Rhode Island’s elections. We talk about why he's advocating for same-day voter registration statewide, an idea that's drawn pushback from legislative leaders. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art1...

This week marks the start of the 2023 legislative session. What can we expect from Rhode Island lawmakers this year? Providence College political science professor Tony Affigne and Jim Hummel, host of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS, offer a preview and some analysis of the upcoming legislative session. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

There’s no shortage of artists in Rhode Island. Our state is home to Rhode Island School of Design and Providence calls itself the Creative Capital. But how do we define art? And how are local creators defining art for themselves? We’re joined by Tracy MacDonald, the host of Art inc. on Rhode Island PBS, to learn about the diverse cast of artists who call the state home. Tips and ideas? Email us a...

Rhode Island School of Design President Crystal Williams was officially inaugurated in October and just finished her first fall semester. She joins guest host Alexa Gagosz to talk about her vision for the school and some of RISD’s most pressing challenges. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a...

It’s been a big year for movies and TV shows in Rhode Island, including "Hocus Pocus Two" and HBO’s "Gilded Age." What does it take to attract film crews to Rhode Island? And are the state’s motion picture production tax credits paying off? We’re joined by Steven Feinberg, the executive director of the RI Film and TV office. He’s also the host of  doubleFEATURE  on Rhode Island PBS. Tips...

What does it mean to be two-spirit? A new documentary examines what that experience is like for one member of the Narragansett tribe. The film, "Being Thunder," tells the story of Sherenté Harris, a local teenager who’s navigating life, school, and dance competitions. We talk to Sherenté, who is now a student at Brown University and RISD, about the film, gender expression in indigenous communities...

Nine months after the start of the war in Ukraine, refugees from the conflict have started to make their way to Rhode Island. We talk to Justin Kenny from Rhode Island PBS Weekly and freelance journalist Alli-Michelle Conti about their upcoming TV segment profiling the Kreshchuks, a family of Ukrainian musicians who relocated to East Providence. Tips and ideas? Email us at  rinews@globe.com ....