The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island on behalf of several arts organizations over new requirements from the Trump administration that prohibit federal funds being used to “promote gender ideology.” Applicants for National Endowment for the Arts grants must now tick a box on their application […]
David Wright
David Wright is a veteran TV, radio, and digital reporter who has contributed stories to Rhode Island PBS Weekly since 2022 and more recently joined The Public’s Radio team.
For more than 20 years, he was a correspondent at ABC News. Career highlights include covering the White House during President Trump’s first term, the Vatican during 3 different papacies, and reporting from numerous global conflict zones, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Darfur, and Gaza. Past interviews include Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, John Kerry, Hamid Karzai, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Elon Musk.
He recently won a New England Emmy and a NETA award for a story he did for Rhode Island PBS Weekly. Other awards include several national Emmy and Murrow Awards, plus a Peabody, a DuPont, and an Overseas Press Club award.
David began his career in public radio as a reporter and host at WBUR and KQED. A native of Buffalo, he is a graduate of Harvard and Oxford. He and his wife Victoria met when they were both covering the 2005 papal conclave in Rome. They have 3 teenage daughters and a German Shepherd Dog.
Posted inEconomy, Local, Politics
Rhode Islanders caught in the crossfire of trade war
A trade war between the U.S. and Canada will likely be costly for Rhode Islanders. That’s because Canada is by far the state’s largest international trading partner, accounting for 22% of Rhode Island’s exports to the world. Rhode Island exports $487 million in goods, plus another $166 million in services to Canada every year. Canada, […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk
Customers say don’t mess with ‘The System’
At Olneyville New York System this week, the news has been bittersweet. The family that has owned these iconic Rhode Island restaurants for four generations announced they have agreed to sell the business to a restaurant group from Newport. Greg Stevens and his sister Stephanie Stevens Turini are hoping to retire, and there’s no one […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Rhode Island healthcare advocates want to preempt a jump in Obamacare premiums
Rhode Islanders enrolled in HealthSourceRI (HSRI), the state’s health insurance marketplace also known as “Obamacare,” currently benefit from a federal assistance program that lowers their monthly premiums through a tax credit. These “enhanced premium tax credits” are due to expire at the end of 2025, and when that happens people could see significant premium increases. […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Trump Administration spars with states over funding freeze in Providence federal court
The latest skirmish in the battle over federal funding to states took place in federal court in Providence Friday. Lawyers representing a coalition of 22 states — including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Maine — asked a federal judge to prevent the Trump Administration from pulling funds because they don’t fit with the president’s […]
Posted inHealth, Local
As flu season rages, R.I. health officials urge vaccine
As New England faces one of the worst flu seasons in nearly a decade, public health officials are reminding Rhode Islanders to take proper precautions. “The most important thing is not to scare people, but to encourage people to get vaccinated,” said Rhode Island State Epidemiologist Dr. Suzanne Bornschein. “It’s definitely not too late.” So […]
Posted inHealth, Local
Judge says sale of RI hospitals can move forward
Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence have been losing money for years. According to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, that’s because the California hedge fund that owns them has prioritized investor returns over patient care. California-based Prospect Medical is now trying to sell these two […]
Posted inHealth, Local, Politics
Massachusetts judge temporarily halts Trump NIH cuts nationwide
The NIH under the Trump administration wants to cut the money it adds to federal research grants to cover laboratory costs and other institutional overhead. Of the $35 billion NIH spent last year, 25% went to indirect costs. The NIH under the Trump administration wants to cut that to 15%, potentially saving billions of dollars. […]
Posted inLocal
New England courts become battleground over Trump cuts
Among more than 40 federal lawsuits filed against the Trump administration so far, this week has brought major developments in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. On Monday, the chief judge of U.S. District Court in Rhode Island ruled the administration had defied his previous order to unfreeze billions of dollars in federal grants. Judge John J. […]
Posted inStories
Winter storm blankets Rhode Island with snow
Check parking bans, closings, and cancellations here. Heavy snowfall Saturday night and into the day Sunday blanketed much of the region. As of late morning, the whole state, except Block Island, remained under a Winter Storm Warning through 4 p.m. Sunday. But according to the National Weather Service, the brunt of the storm appears to […]
