A scrapyard in South Providence was shut down last month after two recent fires. This week a judge said it could reopen, despite opposition from state officials and locals who say the facility poses health risks to an already over-polluted neighborhood. And Monday is Victory Day here in Rhode Island, commemorating the surrender of Japan in August of 1945 that led to the end of World War II. We hear from a Newport resident and Japanese internment camp survivor who says it’s time to reconsider the holiday. Also, we hear about a documentary in the making focused on a neighborhood basketball league that transcended racial and class divides during the 1960s and 70s. That and more on this week’s show.
Luis Hernandez
Luis helms the morning lineup. He is a 20-year public radio veteran, having joined The Public's Radio in 2022. That journey has taken him from the land of Gators at the University of Florida to WGCU in Fort Myers to KNPR in Las Vegas and then to WLRN in Miami.
Luis sees himself as a journalist and an entertainer, which is what drives him every morning—bringing more local news to the listeners and doing it in an interesting and sometimes fun way.
He also co-hosts Artscape and hosts The Weekly Catch. In his spare time, Luis is working on a couple of novels, a couple of podcasts and is getting back into painting.
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
This Victory Day, some Rhode Islanders renew calls to reconsider the state holiday
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript was edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Monday is Victory Day in Rhode Island, commemorating the surrender of Japan in August of 1945 that led to the end of World War II. Rhode Island is the only state in the country to celebrate the holiday. While some see it as a […]
Posted inArtscape
New documentary highlights how North Providence Summer Basketball League transcended racial, class divides
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: It’s been nearly 30 years since the demise of the North Providence Summer Basketball League. It started as a pickup league for local kids in the early 60s and rapidly grew into one of the most popular in the region. A new documentary […]
Posted inEducation, Local
A new report says some New Bedford schools are segregated. What can we learn from the city’s desegregation efforts of the 1970s and 80s?
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Ten district and charter schools in New Bedford have been designated as segregated in a new report from the state education department’s Racial Imbalance Advisory Council. Segregation in schools is not new for New Bedford, but in the 1970s and 80s, there were […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Environment, The Weekly Catch
A fight over an illegal sea wall at a North Kingstown country club, the uncertain fate of WaterFire, and more
A North Kingstown country club is clashing with state coastal regulators, environmentalists and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after building an illegal sea wall along Narragansett Bay. Now the country club is trying to retroactively change the law. Also, WaterFire is an iconic Providence experience, but the nonprofit that runs it is in dire straits. We talk with the founder and CEO about what needs to happen to keep WaterFire afloat. And we hear from the composer behind a piece making its world premiere tonight at the Kingston Chamber Music Festival. Jerod Tate combines classical traditions with music from his Chickasaw heritage. Plus: political reporter Ian Donnis on the week in Rhode Island politics, and our picks for what to do this week.
Posted inPolitics, The Weekly Catch
What’s the cause of the recent increase in homelessness in Rhode Island, and what can be done about it?
One of the pressing questions going into next month’s Democratic Convention is who Vice President Kamala Harris will pick for her running mate. Former Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo is on the short list. We talk with political pundits from Brown University and the Boston Globe about that story and more. The number of people experiencing homelessness in the Ocean State is up from last year – by a lot. We’ll talk with the new head of the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness about fighting back myths and getting lawmakers to do more. And Cajun and Zydeco music is synonymous with life down in Louisiana. But, the local group Magnolia has brought the rich sounds of the Bayou to southern New England. Plus our picks for what to do this week.
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
‘This is what I was meant to do’: Dave Isay reflects on a career of storytelling, bridging America’s political and social divide
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Over the past 21 years, national story-gathering project StoryCorps has collected hundreds of thousands of conversations from all over the country and preserved them in the Library of Congress. It’s the largest collection of human voices ever gathered. Their latest initiative is One […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
Studio Session: Magnolia brings the sound of Cajun Country to Rhode Island
The Ocean State is pretty far from Louisiana, but the sound of Cajun country can be found all around Rhode Island – thanks in part to Alan Bradbury and Michelle Kaminsky. They’ve been dedicated to playing and teaching Cajun, Creole and Zydeco music here for decades, bringing back what they’ve learned from master musicians in Louisiana. They’re two members of the Cajun band Magnolia, which has been playing together throughout New England since 1989. For this week’s episode of Artscape, they joined morning host Luis Hernandez in the studio for this interview and live performance.
Posted inLocal, Technology
Vice-chair of A.I. task force says Rhode Island must seize opportunities, mitigate risks posed by new technology
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: We’ve been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence in recent years. This emerging technology has the potential to transform the state’s economy, government and our daily lives in unexpected ways. Earlier this year, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee established the state’s artificial intelligence […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Shoreline Access, The Weekly Catch
What’s next in the fight over shoreline access, as coastal property owners take aim at Rhode Island’s new law?
Last week a judge sided with coastal property owners, saying Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law amounts to an unconstitutional taking of private property. We’ll talk with a law expert about where this fight could go next. Also, a few months after the merger of The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS, the board has announced a new CEO. We’ll get to know Pam Johnston, the former head of news at GBH in Boston. And a new book features the long-lost story of John Jacobs. Originally published in 1855, he gave a unique account of his life under enslavement in the U.S. and a scathing criticism of the systems that allowed slavery to persist. That and more on this week’s show.