Providence’s police oversight board has voted to fire executive director Jose Batista. The decision followed an hour and a half of public testimony in support of the director.
Sofie Rudin
Science and Environment Reporter
401-302-1057
srudin@thepublicsradio.org
Sofie Rudin is the science and environment reporter at The Public’s Radio. She previously worked as producer, editor, and general assignment reporter. Her series "When is it time to retreat from the sea?" was a finalist for a Covering Climate Now Journalism Award. She also led the development of web pages for reporting on COVID-19, shoreline access and The 2020 Gallery, which won a National Headliner award and PMJA award. Sofie graduated from Brown University in 2017, where she studied geology.
Posted inArticle
Police oversight board director defies board to release video footage of alleged assault
The director of Providence’s police oversight agency is accusing the police department and the board that hired him of standing in the way of civilian oversight of the Providence police. In defiance of a vote by the Providence External Review Authority board, executive director Jose Batista is releasing video footage of an alleged assault by a Providence police sergeant.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Election updates: Biden wins presidential race, AP reports
Updates Updated Nov. 7, 2020, 11:40 a.m. Results: Election security: Tracking the vote: Rhode Island Results Map Massachusetts Results Map Contested Rhode Island House Races Of the 75 Rhode Island House races, 32 are contested. Forty-three races are uncontested, although one candidates has mounted a write-in campaign. All results are available on the Board of […]
Posted inArticle
Legal observers, journalists raise concerns about police response to recent protests
A series of events—including the arrest of a legal observer and the pepper spraying of a journalist while filming—is sparking concern that police response to recent protests in Providence was overly broad, potentially infringing on First Amendment rights of assembly and of the press.
Posted inEpisode
‘I’m considering it life or death’: Cranston voters on what’s at stake in this election
With Election Day just over a week away, Cranston voters say the stakes in this election feel higher than ever. While there are significant local races for mayor and state representatives, many voters say they see their ballot as a way to shape the future of the country.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Cranston voters line up to cast ballots, as early voting begins in RI
In Cranston, 451 voters cast their ballots on the state’s first day of early in-person voting.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Following primary gains, progressive candidates seek to tip the scales on Woonsocket’s city council
A progressive slate of candidates running for city council in Woonsocket is hoping to repeat the success General Assembly candidates pulled off in the September primaries. The election could be an indicator of whether progressives’ focus on racial justice and the environment is resonating with voters in northern Rhode Island, says Lauren Clem, who reports on Woonsocket for The Valley Breeze.
Posted inArticle, Politics
Oversight board raises concerns about Providence police officers’ failure to intervene in alleged assault
Providence’s police oversight board has released the results of an investigation into an alleged assault by a police sergeant. The report recommends that the city require officers to intervene if they see misconduct occurring.
Posted inArticle, Health
Escalating affordable housing shortage leaves low income families with few options during pandemic
Rhode Island’s long-standing shortage of affordable housing is deepening during the coronavirus pandemic, making it more difficult for low income families to find apartments to rent.
Posted inArticle, Health
‘Hurry up and wait’: Rent relief programs struggle to deliver aid to low income tenants
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of Rhode Island families have applied for help paying rent. But of the $13.5 million in federal funds allocated towards rent relief by the state, less than half a million dollars have reached families in need. Program leaders and housing advocates describe a patchwork of aid programs ill equipped to deal with a rise in housing instability.