The application by the Centurion Foundation, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, to buy two Rhode Island hospitals was made public Monday by the state Department of Health and the Office of Attorney General. As part of a public comment period, the two state agencies plan to stage two public meetings on the proposed acquisition and they are […]
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Posted inLocal, Political Roundtable, Politics
RI GOP National Committeewoman Sue Cienki on Trump’s wins, the stakes for 2024, and what’s next for Rhode Island Republicans
Donald Trump moved closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination by winning the New Hampshire primary this week. Many voters dread a rematch between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, but here we are. Suffice it to say, the November election has huge implications for the future of the country. Closer to home, Republicans continue to struggle to win political office. The GOP is locked out of federal and statewide posts, perhaps because of the image of the national party’s direction under Trump. At the Statehouse, Republicans hold just 14 of 113 seats in the General Assembly. Can the GOP rebound to play a bigger role in Rhode Island politics? Why do Republicans by and large continue to line up behind Donald Trump? And what does one of the top GOP officials in Rhode Island have to say about all this? I’m Ian Donnis and this week I’m going in depth with Rhode Island Republican National Committeewoman Sue Cienki.
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics, Transportation
Lessons from Rhode Island’s free ferry experiment
The Bristol-to-Providence free ferry was a short-lived experiment that started on Dec. 21 as an emergency response to the Washington Bridge closure. But it was dropped on Jan. 19 because of low ridership and steep costs. Does that mean commuter ferry service in the Ocean State is a lost cause, or could it play some […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape, Local
NEH grants $444K to Tomaquag Museum for new home on URI campus in Kingston
The Tomaquag Museum is Rhode Island’s only museum that’s totally devoted to telling the story of Indigenous peoples from a first-person perspective. Thanks to a substantial grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, it’ll soon have a new home at the University of Rhode Island campus in Kingston. In a conversation with Morning Edition […]
Posted inLocal, On Sports
Class or Crass: How will Friartown greet Ed Cooley
Ten months after leaving his dream job for the biggest challenge of his career, Ed Cooley returns home to Providence Saturday afternoon. I can only imagine the greeting from 12,400 rabid spectators in the Amica Mutual Pavilion when he is introduced with his Georgetown basketball team. Cheers? A few. Boos? An explosion so loud, I […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
R.I. Ethics Commission dismisses GOP complaint against McKee
The Rhode Island Ethics Commission on Tuesday unanimously voted to dismiss an ethics complaint filed against Gov. Dan McKee by the state GOP. McKee hailed the ruling, calling the complaint irresponsible and a waste of taxpayer resources. But a good government watchdog said the governor’s behavior in the episode – lunching with a lobbyist and […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk
Officials assessing Washington Bridge to determine if full rebuild is necessary
More than a month after the westbound side of the Washington Bridge was abruptly closed to traffic, officials were still determining if the bridge could be repaired or must be completely rebuilt, Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti said Monday during a press conference. “It could be a repair of the existing structure, […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Education, Local, Metro Desk
Rudolf Haffenreffer collected dozens of human remains. Now Brown University wants to give them back
The Haffenreffer Museum at Brown University expects to transfer its full collection from Bristol to Providence in the fall of 2025. But before it does, it wants to return the roughly 86 human remains in its collection to their rightful Tribes of origin. The repatriations are long overdue, as a federal law requiring them has […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Political Roundtable, Politics, Stories
RIPEC’s Michael DiBiase on RI’s tougher budget climate – and the fallout for schools, housing, healthcare and transportation
The gravy train is over. That sums up how Rhode Island’s fiscal landscape is in transition. In recent years, a gusher of federal COVID aid fueled consecutive budget surpluses. Now, however, the state is returning to a time of bigger disparities between needs and available money. Governor Dan McKee yesterday unveiled his budget proposal for the fiscal year starting July first. The General Assembly will now spend months reviewing the governor’s plans and incorporating its own changes. Among those closely following the process are the business-backed fiscal watchdog group, the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, and RIPEC President and CEO Michael DiBiase.
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ roundup on Rhode Island politics for Jan. 19, 2024
The General Assembly is heading toward a busier time, now that the budget process is underway. 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 *** STORY OF […]