Political Reporter Ian Donnis moderates a spirited discussion on local politics.
Listen every Friday during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. You can also subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or plug our RSS feed into your podcatcher of choice.
State Rep. Patricia Morgan on her GOP challenge to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
State Representative Patricia Morgan has repeatedly won the support of voters in her district based in West Warwick. Now, she’s taking on a much bigger challenge: trying to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin on violence in the Middle East, RI’s economic challenges and the local mediascape
Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin is no stranger to the Middle East. He traveled to the region after the first intifada in the late 80s and returned this year. His conversations with Israelis and Palestinians became part of Patinkin’s latest book, “The Holy Land at War: A Journey Through the West Bank, Israel and Gaza.”
State Sen. Pamela Lauria on Rhode Island’s primary care shortage, Washington Bridge and what’s next in the Senate
State Senator Pamela Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, has a front-row seat on health care issues since she’s a nurse practitioner for Coastal Medical, a primary care practice serving more than 100,000 patients. Lauria is also co-chair of the legislative commission studying the potential of a possible state med school at URI. So what is the freshman senator’s prescription for improving healthcare in Rhode Island?
Jennifer Hawkins of ONE Neighborhood Builders on Rhode Island’s housing crisis, Hasbro’s possible move and what’s next
Rhode Island’s housing crisis is a tough nut to crack. Even though hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to promote new housing, progress has been slow and the cost of housing keeps going up. This week on Political Roundtable, an exit interview with president/CEO of nonprofit developer ONE Neighborhood Builders Jennifer Hawkins.
RI GOP Chairman Joe Powers on Tuesday’s primary, Trump, and what’s next for local Republicans
What does the Republican Party’s local leader have to say about the GOP presidential candidate? Can Rhode Island Republicans improve on their past performance? And what can be done about the housing affordability crisis?
Common Cause’s John Marion on 2024 elections, open records, and more
Since becoming executive director of Common Cause of Rhode Island in 2008, John Marion has been keeping a close eye on state government. As one of Rhode Island’s top political watchdogs, Marion is concerned that a second Trump presidency could pose a major threat to American democracy. Marion discusses those concerns and other topics on this week’s edition of Political Roundtable.
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner on the presidential race, inflation, climate change and more
Like many of his Democratic colleagues, Rep. Magaziner has some strong opinions about the potential of a second Donald Trump presidency and the need to strengthen American democracy. So how should Democrats respond if Trump wins in November and their fears come to fruition? And what does Harris need to do to overcome voters’ concerns about inflation and other issues? That and more on this week’s episode of Political Roundtable.
Lisa Pina-Warren on how the Nonviolence Institute tries to make Providence a more peaceful place
The Nonviolence Institute was formed more than 20 years ago and it has become a vital part of the response in Providence. The founding director, Teny Gross, now leads a similar effort in Chicago. And the first woman director of the Nonviolence Institute, Lisa Pina-Warren, was appointed to that role last month. So how is Providence doing in addressing the roots of violent crime? And what would it take to make a bigger impact?
Sen. Dawn Euer on climate change, her political future, Democrats’ hopes for November & more
Keep your eye on Dawn Euer, the Democratic state senator from Newport. She’s a potential candidate for attorney general in 2026, along with state Representatives Jason Knight and Robert Craven. Euer is also someone who may be able to move up in Senate leadership next year.
Dr. Michael Fine on the shortage of primary care docs, misplaced priorities and other maladies afflicting healthcare in Rhode Island
The amount of U.S. spending on healthcare reached four and a half trillion dollars in 2022, or about $14,000 per person. Despite such massive spending, many aspects of American healthcare are marred by problems. There’s the shortage of primary care doctors. An emphasis on treating disease rather than promoting long-term health.
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.