Rhode Island officials should have been aware of the problems that eventually led to the abrupt closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, according to a detailed forensic audit of decades of the bridge’s inspection reports and other documentation. The 64-page analysis by engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. is dated April 2024, but was […]
Jeremy Bernfeld
Jeremy leads the investigations desk at The Public’s Radio, helping the newsroom publish more investigative and accountability journalism that matters to Rhode Island and the Southcoast.
Prior to joining The Public’s Radio, Jeremy was the director of collaborative reporting at WAMU in Washington, D.C., and founder of Guns & America, an award-winning national reporting project covering the role of guns in American life. He was also editor of Harvest Public Media, a collaborative project covering our food system based in Kansas City.
A native New Englander, Jeremy currently lives in Providence, where he spends his time chasing after his wife, daughter and dog, and occasionally riding his bike.
Posted inHealth, Local
Rhode Island, Massachusetts join regional public health partnership to coordinate disease prevention
Several Northeast states, including Rhode Island and Massachusetts, announced a new regional partnership on Thursday meant to pool resources and expertise on public health. The group, called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, will share information about emergency preparedness, infectious diseases, vaccine recommendations and other topics, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. “We look […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Rhode Island rejects Trump administration request for voter registration list
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore on Tuesday told the Trump Administration he wouldn’t provide the state’s full voter rolls, which include personally identifiable information. In a letter to an attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division, Amore said he would provide the DOJ with voter information that is already publicly available, but […]
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
DOJ sues Providence public schools over loan forgiveness for ‘educators of color’
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Providence public schools and the Rhode Island Department of Education of “blatant race discrimination” in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday over a loan forgiveness program for teachers of color. The Providence Public School District’s “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” offered “teachers of color” up to […]
Posted inLocal, Transportation
RIPTA board approves plan to reduce bus service on most routes
Rhode Island’s public transportation system will see big service reductions in September after its board approved cuts on Thursday. The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority voted to accept a controversial plan put forward by Gov. Dan McKee and RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand that reduces bus service on 46 of its 58 routes and will require […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Criminal Justice, Local
Judge Frank Caprio, ‘Caught in Providence’ star, dies at 88
Longtime Providence Municipal Court Chief Judge Frank Caprio died Wednesday, according to the court, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 88. Known for his wry humor and sense of empathy in the courtroom, Caprio became an unlikely social media star thanks to his “Caught In Providence” TV series. In 2022, he spoke with […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
Curt Columbus, artistic director of Trinity Rep, to step down next fall after 20 years
The longtime artistic director of Providence’s Trinity Repertory theater company plans to step down next fall, the theater company announced Wednesday. Curt Columbus has led the theater group since 2006, directing more than 25 productions. He is also a playwright. In a statement, Columbus said it is “time for new adventures, for me and for […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local
Rhode Island AG Neronha leads suit that accuses White House of using funds for crime victims to coerce states
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha and a coalition of other Democratic attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday, accusing the federal government of restricting access to funds allocated for victims of crime. At issue is funding related to the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), enacted in 1984, which created a […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Transportation
RIPTA proposes largest cuts to bus service in its history
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority proposed service reductions to nearly all of its bus routes on Thursday as it tries to balance a budget deficit. The proposed cuts, which are laid out in detail on RIPTA’s website, would affect 58 routes total, 17 of which would be eliminated entirely. In an interview after announcing […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, South Coast Bureau
Medical oxygen, smoking materials may have caused Gabriel House fire, investigators say
Investigators believe the deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River started in a resident’s room from either a failed oxygen concentrator or smoking materials later found in the room. “During this past week, investigators have retrieved and recovered more evidence, reviewed video footage, and spoken to witnesses,” Bristol County District […]
