Brown University will not divest from 10 companies that student activists said facilitated “the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.” The Corporation of Brown University, the university’s governing body, voted Tuesday to support the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on University Resources Management (ACURM) against divestment, according to a press release issued on Wednesday. ACURM found […]
Jeremy Bernfeld
Jeremy leads the investigations desk at The Public’s Radio, helping the newsroom publish more investigative and accountability journalism that matters to Rhode Island and the Southcoast.
Prior to joining The Public’s Radio, Jeremy was the director of collaborative reporting at WAMU in Washington, D.C., and founder of Guns & America, an award-winning national reporting project covering the role of guns in American life. He was also editor of Harvest Public Media, a collaborative project covering our food system based in Kansas City.
A native New Englander, Jeremy currently lives in Providence, where he spends his time chasing after his wife, daughter and dog, and occasionally riding his bike.
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Local
How will CVS layoffs affect Woonsocket?
As CVS employees await word on whether their jobs will be among the nearly 3,000 the Rhode Island-based company plans to eliminate, Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp says the city should be able to weather the layoffs, though concerns remain for the future. CVS Health, which is headquartered in Woonsocket, said Monday that it plans to […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
RI, MA politicians react to President Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign
Political leaders in Rhode Island and Massachusetts offered swift reaction to Sunday’s bombshell announcement by President Biden that he would drop out of his race for a second term as president. “President Biden made a selfless and noble decision” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a prepared statement. “We are forever grateful for his […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local
RI man wanted on firearms charges shot by Vermont State Police
A Rhode Island man wanted on charges related to possessing high-capacity firearm magazines was shot by Vermont State Police in Burke, Vt., Sunday night. Brenden Sackal, 30, of Hopkinton was in critical condition with non-life threatening injuries at a hospital in New Hampshire on Monday afternoon, according to Vermont State Police. Hopkinton Police Chief Mark […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Health, The Weekly Catch
Why overdose deaths are falling in Rhode Island, an artist carves scrimshaw into plastic trash from the sea, and more
For years, the number of people dying of drug overdoses was on the rise nationwide and in Rhode Island. Then, there was a push to change that, specifically by introducing the life-saving drug Narcan. Last year, the number of people overdosing actually dropped. We’ll look deeper into those figures. Also, we get an update on the week in politics with Ian Donnis, and Mike Szostak shares his favorite summer sports reads. Plus, the New Bedford Whaling Museum has a new exhibit of scrimshaw, not on whalebone, but on plastic trash recovered from the ocean. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
Brown reaches agreement to resolve complaint alleging antisemitism
Brown University reached an agreement with federal education officials to resolve a complaint over alleged antisemitism on campus, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights said on Monday. The DOE received a complaint in December 2023 alleging violations of the federal law that bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin — […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
Providence’s Betty Hasse is riding for another national championship
This story was initially published on Tuesday, May 14. Find an update below. When Providence’s Betty Hasse swings her leg over her bike frame on Wednesday, she’ll be ready to defend her national title. Hasse, 21, won the individual time trial in the under-23 division at last year’s USA Cycling Road National Championships. Often called […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Federal investigation alleges RI ‘warehouses’ children in psychiatric treatment
U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha is accusing the state of Rhode Island of violating the federal civil rights of children with mental health or developmental disabilities. A multi-year federal investigation alleges the state has kept children hospitalized at Bradley Hospital, an acute-care psychiatric facility, for longer than necessary by not providing them with the services they […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Governor nominates Dr. Jerome Larkin to lead RI Department of Health
After more than two years without a permanent director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Gov. Dan McKee has nominated Dr. Jerome M. Larkin to fill the post. Larkin, 61, is the medical director of inpatient infectious diseases consultation services at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate professor of clinical medicine at Brown University’s […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Transportation
Washington Bridge westbound must be demolished and undergo years-long rebuild
The state of Rhode Island plans to demolish and completely rebuild the westbound side of the Washington Bridge, a project officials expect to take two years or more. “We will be replacing the bridge,” Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference Thursday. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation closed the westbound span, which carries […]