Jennifer Stewart won election as a state representative from Pawtucket in 2022. She ran on the idea that lawmakers should do more to help everyday Rhode Islanders with key needs like healthcare and housing. But these are complex issues that defy easy solutions. Stewart is one of a number of progressive lawmakers who have joined the legislature over the last decade, moving the General Assembly a bit more to the left. But Rhode Island still faces familiar challenges in building a stronger economy ...
Apr 05, 2024•4 min
Ken Block was surprised to get a phone call from an unfamiliar number one day after the 2020 election. It was a lawyer for Donald Trump’s campaign, and he wanted to know if Block would search for evidence of fraud in the election. Block ran as a third party candidate for governor in 2010 and as a Republican in 2014. But he’s also an expert in database technologies and data analytics -- and that’s why the Trump campaign reached out to him. Block details his findings in a new book. So why has Trum...
Mar 29, 2024•4 min
Providence is the business, political and cultural capital for the state. But it faces some of the same hurdles as other cities, including the question of how to maintain a vibrant downtown when more of the people who used to fill offices are now working remotely. After decades of talk about the importance of public education, is there a plan for improving Providence schools when the city regains control of them from the state in the next year or two? Our guest for Political Roundtable this week...
Mar 15, 2024•4 min
The military career of Middletown native Michael Flynn hit a high point when he was named as Donald Trump’s national security adviser in 2016. But Flynn resigned after being in the role for just a few weeks, and he’s better known now as a leader of Christian nationalist movement. The Christian right embraces Trump, and according to Politico, an influential think tank plans to infuse Christian nationalist ideas in the White House if Trump wins in November. What does this mean for democracy? Is th...
Mar 08, 2024•4 min
This week, Ian Donnis talks with Republican leader in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Mike Chippendale of Foster. The post RI House GOP Leader Mike Chippendale on the Washington Bridge, McKee’s budget, immigration & more appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio .
Mar 01, 2024•4 min
The global scene is marked by violence and uncertainty, with wars in Israel and Ukraine. Closer to home, many Americans are dissatisfied with their choices amid a likely showdown between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Congress remains sharply divided, and paralysis prevails on issues like immigration. Many Americans feel jittery about the economy, even with a soaring stock market and low unemployment. Can politicians make a positive difference on the issues that matter mo...
Feb 23, 2024•4 min
This week we'll hear from House Oversight Committee member state Representative June Speakman. Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti faced four hours of questions during a legislative Oversight hearing earlier this week. But after it was over, some key questions remained unanswered -- including how the westbound Washington Bridge passed an inspection last summer and is now considered so damaged that it may need to be replaced. More insight into what happened is expected...
Feb 16, 2024•4 min
Legislative Oversight committees plan to hold a joint hearing Monday to examine the crisis involving the Washington Bridge. For now, motorists continue to wrestle with congested traffic at peak times and the ripple effect sometimes extends beyond Interstate 195 into the streets of Providence, East Providence and other communities. If the westbound Washington Bridge needs […] The post RI Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson on Washington Bridge, McKee’s budget, RIPTA and more appeared first on TPR...
Feb 09, 2024•4 min
Conservative activists and academics in some states are attacking efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Here in Rhode Island, the Providence City Council and General Assembly reflect the makeup of the state much more so than they did 15 years ago. And the two largest police departments here, Providence police and the State Police, […] The post Black Lives Matter RI PAC President Harrison Tuttle on police accountability, Washington Bridge, and equity in cannabis appeared first on TP...
Feb 03, 2024•4 min
Donald Trump moved closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination by winning the New Hampshire primary this week. Many voters dread a rematch between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, but here we are. Suffice it to say, the November election has huge implications for the future of the country. Closer to home, Republicans continue to struggle to win political office. The GOP is locked out of federal and statewide posts, perhaps because of the image of the national party’s direction under T...
Jan 26, 2024•4 min
The gravy train is over. That sums up how Rhode Island’s fiscal landscape is in transition. In recent years, a gusher of federal COVID aid fueled consecutive budget surpluses. Now, however, the state is returning to a time of bigger disparities between needs and available money. Governor Dan McKee yesterday unveiled his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July first. The General Assembly will now spend months reviewing the governor’s plans and incorporating its own changes. Among those ...
Jan 19, 2024•4 min
Claudine Schneider made history in 1980 when she became the first woman elected to Congress from Rhode Island. Forty-three years later, Ocean State voters still have not sent another woman to the U.S. House or Senate. But Schneider is still making news. She is one of six plaintiffs behind a lawsuit that knocked Donald Trump off the Colorado ballot last month. The top state court there ruled Trump engaged in insurrection by trying to overturn the 2020 election. The post Former RI Rep. Claudine Sc...
Jan 12, 2024•4 min
Jake Bissaillon of Providence is the newest member of the Rhode Island Senate. He won a special election last year to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin. Bissaillon cut his political teeth as a student organizer for Barack Obama at Providence College in 2008, and he later worked as chief of staff for the Providence City Council and for state Senate President Dominick Ruggerio. So why did Bissaillon want to make the transition from political staffer to...
Jan 05, 2024•4 min
Rhode Island’s top official with responsibility for voting-related issues is Secretary of State Gregg Amore. So how does he feel about the outlook for small-d democracy as America hurtles toward 2024? What can be done to boost confidence in elections and dispel misinformation? And how did Amore, an East Providence resident, fare amid the traffic nightmare caused this week by the closing of the westbound part of the George Washington Bridge? The post Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore on...
Dec 15, 2023•4 min
Jessica de la Cruz is one of the most high-profile Republicans in the state and she’s flirted with the idea of running for higher office. But the landscape for Republicans is pretty bleak here. The last Republican governor to win office was Don Carcieri in 2006. A GOP candidate has not won any of the four other state general offices since 1994. And Republicans hold just 14 of 113 seats in the General Assembly. What does de la Cruz make of all this? Is Donald Trump damaging efforts to build the G...
Dec 08, 2023•4 min
The Public's Radio Political Reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on this week's episode of Political Roundtable. The post R.I. Attorney General Neronha on healthcare, gun violence, and his criteria for a possible gubernatorial run in 2026 appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Dec 01, 2023•4 min
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee named Marc Crisafulli as chairman of the I-195 District Redevelopment Commission last January. The thinking was that a seasoned lawyer and business executive like Crisafulli could help nudge forward development in the acres once covered by Interstate 195. The process has been unfolding for more than a decade and it remains a work in progress. The post Marc Crisafulli on what’s next in the I-195 District, RI’s development climate, and the ubiquity of gambling appea...
Nov 17, 2023•4 min
In this week’s episode of Political Roundtable, Ian Donnis goes in depth with the executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies. The post Political Roundtable: Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies on RI’s economy, how to reduce poverty, and the next General Assembly session appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Nov 10, 2023•4 min
Gabe Amo may be poised for a long career as an elected official in Rhode Island. For that to happen, Amo first has to defeat Republican Gerry Leonard in the off-year election Tuesday in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. The post Gabe Amo on his run in CD1, the war in Israel, and Biden’s less than stellar approval rating appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Nov 03, 2023•4 min
Gerry Leonard calls himself a John Chafee-style Republican. But hard-right lawmakers who struggled for weeks to elect a new speaker typify the club that Leonard wants to join, the GOP caucus in the U.S. House. The post CD1 Republican candidate Gerry Leonard on his campaign, the war in Israel, and disarray in the U.S. House appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Oct 27, 2023•4 min
One familiar face in Rhode Island's labor movement, Pat Crowley of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, is poised to take over the leadership of that union. So can labor maintain its local relevance? The post RI AFL-CIO’s Pat Crowley on organized labor’s current moment, meager progress on schools, and what to do about income inequality appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Oct 20, 2023•4 min
Jack Reed’s first term in the U.S. Senate coincided with the so-called “vacation from history.” That was the period between the end of the Cold War and 9/11, a time marked by a lack of conflict on the world stage. Now, things are very different. The state of war between Hamas and Israel raises concerns […] The post Political Roundtable: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed on Israel at war, disarray in the House, and Gina Raimondo’s political future appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Oct 13, 20230
David Morales was 22 years old when he was elected as the state representative for Providence’s Mount Pleasant, Valley and Elmhurst sections. Morales was raised by a single mother in a rural town in California and in 2019, at age 19, he became the youngest person to ever graduate from Brown University’s master’s program in public affairs. The post Rep. David Morales on fighting for the working class, being pragmatic and what to do about income inequality appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio...
Oct 06, 2023•4 min
Dr. Ashish Jha believes that an ounce of data is worth a thousand pounds of opinion. He makes that observation in his bio on X, formerly known as Twitter, where Jha has more than 320,000 followers. That shows how Jha, dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, has emerged as a leading voice on pandemic preparedness and an array of other health-related issues. The post Dr. Ashish Jha on promoting public health, curbing COVID, and more appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Sep 29, 2023•4 min
In a small state like Rhode Island, you might think it would be easy to create a good public transit system. But RIPTA has wrestled with a lack of funding virtually since its establishment in the 1960s. The post Scott Avedisian on RIPTA’s financial challenges, transit improvements, and what’s next for a downtown transit center appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Sep 22, 2023•4 min
After growing up in poverty, Cherie Cruz got two degrees at Brown University before she was 40. The Pawtucket Democrat’s role as a Democratic state representative from Pawtucket is informed by different aspects of her life. The post Cherie Cruz on overcoming obstacles, being a state rep and fighting for criminal justice reform appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Sep 15, 2023•4 min
Gabe Amo made history when he won the Democratic primary in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District earlier this week. The Pawtucket native and former White House aide could become the first person of color to represent the state in Congress. The post Gabe Amo on his historic win in CD1, how it happened, and what’s next appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Sep 08, 2023•4 min
Rhode Island voters will decide the outcome of two primaries in the First Congressional District next Tuesday. The Democratic side of the race has gotten most of the attention, since the district is heavily Democratic and the primary winner has a strong chance of coming out on top during the general election. The post Political Roundtable: RI reporters on the Democratic fight coming down to the wire in the 1st Congressional District appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Sep 01, 2023•4 min
In the race last year for the seat formerly held by Langevin, Democrat Seth Magaziner beat Republican former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung by almost four percentage points. Magaziner kept CD2 in Democratic hands, but he has little seniority in Congress and Republicans control the House of Representatives. So how much can he get done, and how concerned is he that Donald Trump may be able to regain the White House in 2024? The post Political Roundtable: Magaziner on Biden’s approval, challenges for De...
Aug 25, 2023•4 min
Narragansett Beer used to be the best-selling lager in New England and it sponsored the Red Sox baseball back in the day. But by the turn of the century, Narragansett faced an uncertain future. Then in 2005, Rumford native Mark Hellendrung spearheaded a resurgence for the brand after buying it with a group of investors. The post Political Roundtable: Hellendrung on the resurgence of Narragansett Beer and what it shows about Rhode Island and brewing appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio ....
Aug 18, 2023•4 min
