For my money, late summer/early fall is the most beautiful time of the year. Welcome back to my Friday column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Sign up right here *** 1. STORY OF THE […]
Ian Donnis
One of the state’s top political reporters, Ian Donnis joined The Public’s Radio in 2009. Ian has reported on Rhode Island politics since 1999, arriving in the state just two weeks before the FBI raided City Hall and Buddy Cianci’s East Side home. Ian covers breaking news, develops in-depth features and investigative reports, and welcomes a range of newsmakers to “Political Roundtable” each week. He also writes our Friday political newsletter and maintains a strong social media presence.
For many years, Ian was a panelist on WPRI-TV’s Sunday morning public affairs show, Newsmakers, and he’s a regular guest on A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. His previous experience includes serving as news editor of The Providence Phoenix and as a reporter for the Associated Press and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He has a BS in journalism from Boston University.
Outside of work, Ian enjoys baseball, cooking, and exploring Rhode Island.
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Newport Bureau
Rhode Island prosecutor who told police to turn off body cameras to be placed on unpaid leave
A Rhode Island state prosecutor arrested on a trespassing charge outside a Newport restaurant on Aug. 14 is being placed on unpaid leave, the Attorney General’s Office said Friday. Special Assistant Attorney General Devon Flanagan was arrested after declining with a friend to leave the outside of the Clarke Cook House restaurant. Police-worn body camera […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Politics
RI ACLU says new surveillance center in Providence requires more safeguards
The Rhode Island ACLU contends the City of Providence is moving too quickly in implementing an integrated surveillance center, adding that without additional safeguards, the system poses an Orwellian threat. In a letter to Mayor Brett Smiley and Police Chief Oscar Perez, the civil liberties group calls on city officials to enact a municipal ordinance […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS are offering buyouts to employees to close a budget gap
Employees of the joint organization that operates The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS are being offered voluntary buyouts due to the recent loss of $1.1 million in annual federal funding. “This is a significant and painful cut, and it’s not unique to us here in Rhode Island — it’s reshaping public media organizations across […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Politics
Fiscal watchdog raises concern about growth in Rhode Island state spending
State spending in Rhode Island continues to rise at an unsustainable rate amid slowing revenues and uncertainty about federal funding, a business-backed fiscal watchdog group warned in a report released Wednesday. The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council found that state general revenue spending climbed by 10.9% over the last two fiscal years, while state general […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Gov. McKee splits with campaign manager after less than three months on the job
With a little less than a year until the September 2026 Democratic primary, Gov. Dan McKee and Rob Silverstein — who started as McKee’s campaign manager in early June — have agreed to go their separate ways. “The McKee campaign and Rob Silverstein have mutually agreed to part ways,” the governor’s campaign said in a […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 15, 2025
Limit access to part of Wickenden Street for a movie shoot, sure, but obstruct my peregrinations to Pizza Marvin at your peril. Welcome back to my Friday column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Sign […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Metro Desk
Redevelopment of Providence’s ‘Superman Building’ to continue after owner’s death
The company that owns the so-called “Superman Building” in downtown Providence said Friday that it remains committed to redeveloping the property, even after the recent death of the company’s president. In a statement, High Rock Development announced that the Massachusetts-based company will now be led by its legal counsel, Michael Crossen, and that he will […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 8, 2025
If the ‘Taylor Swift tax’ is getting you down, you can snap up a Wyoming ranch bigger than Rhode Island for a cool $79.5 million. Welcome back to my Friday column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
McKee nominates Pryor to return as Commerce secretary
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee on Wednesday nominated a longtime former state official, Stefan Pryor, to return to his former role as Commerce secretary. Pryor signed on to lead the state’s economic development efforts before Gov-elect Gina Raimondo took office in 2015. Over time, he touted a series of high-profile job announcements, some of which […]
