Baseball can seduce us. We fall in love with a team one day, walk away during a losing streak, and then return for an embrace when things get better. We do it over and over, right? Take the Boston Red Sox. The team that everybody expects to slide to last place in the AL East […]
Local
Posted inHousing, Local
Fed up with pests, erratic heat, and burst pipes, these Cranston renters are launching a tenants union
After a six-foot deep trench appeared outside her front door, Melissa Potter decided to help organize the Elmwood Tenants Union. “There’s nothing covering it,” she said in late February. “There’s nothing warning that it’s here.” The trench, apparently part of ongoing construction on the apartment building in which she lives, was just her latest grievance. […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
Fishermen displaced by offshore wind farm apply for compensation
On a recent weekday afternoon, fishermen sat around a large table at the New Bedford Port Authority, learning to fill out an online form that could entitle them to financial compensation from a company that some fishermen have treated as their sworn enemy. Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind developer, is constructing a 62-turbine wind farm […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, The Weekly Catch
Preparing for coastal erosion, Vineyard Wind to compensate fishermen, and more
Offshore Wind company Vineyard Wind is establishing a fund to pay fishermen for financial losses they may suffer as a result of the wind farm being built near Martha’s Vineyard. As South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke tells us, it’s the first program of its kind in the nation. And the General Assembly is considering a bill that would create a comprehensive plan to deal with threats to the Rhode Island coastline. We hear from bill sponsor State Rep. Tina Spears. Meanwhile, Newport Bureau Reporter Cheryl Hatch talks with a group of residents in Portsmouth that are taking storm and flood preparedness into their own hands. Also, we have a studio session with Keith McCurdy of Providence-based gothic folk band Vudu Sister. Plus: a look back on the week in politics; and a few recommendations on what to do this week.
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for March 29, 2024
There’s no truth to the rumor that Rhode Island will be the setting for a remake of “Waterworld.” You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local, Newport Bureau
Residents in a Portsmouth neighborhood take storm and flooding preparedness into their own hands
“Hi. Yeah. Yeah, we’re going down to the plantings.” Nicole Gotovich calls out to Common Fence Point resident Mil Kinsella, who’s passing in her SUV. Gotovich is taking me on a tour of the community’s sea level rise and storm surge mitigation projects. As we walk along Common Fence Boulevard on Mount Hope Bay, Gotovich […]
Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
Ken Block on disproving 2020 election fraud — and how to improve American elections
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 Trump not backed away from his lie about a stolen election? How can Americans move ahead when so many people disregard facts? And what needs to be done to strengthen the election process? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in-depth with Ken Block, author of “Disproven: My Unbiased Search For Voter Fraud For The Trump Campaign, The Data That Shows Why He Lost, And How We Can Improve Our Elections.”
Posted inHealth, Local
McKee names new Rhode Island interim health director
Governor Daniel J. McKee announced on Thursday the appointment of an infectious disease specialist who recently joined the Rhode Island Department of Health as its interim director until a permanent hire is finalized. Dr. Staci Fischer worked 15 years at Rhode Island Hospital and oversaw training for medical residents and fellows for Lifespan in her […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape, Local
Studio Session: Keith McCurdy of “gothic folk” band Vudu Sister
Keith McCurdy is the songwriter, singer and guitarist for Vudu Sister, a Providence-based band that includes a rotating cast of other musicians on violin, cello, bass and more. Drawing influence from ghost stories and the macabre, they describe their music as “Gothic Folk.” Keith says another big influence on his sound is the 90s MTV Unplugged series – in particular, Nirvana’s legendary set.
Posted inEnvironment, Local, South Coast Bureau
Developers seek to get offshore wind back on track with latest bids to New England states
Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island received bids for new wind farms on Wednesday from offshore wind developers seeking to get construction back on track after a string of projects were canceled last year because of rising construction costs. The bids seek to lock in higher electricity prices for offshore wind that manage to strike a […]