Transcript: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Baseball has been a man’s world for most of its century-plus long existence, but that is rapidly changing. This season, the Worcester Red Sox became the latest professional baseball team to hire a woman to a front office position, naming Rhode Island native […]
Luis Hernandez
Luis helms the morning lineup. He is a 20-year public radio veteran, having joined The Public's Radio in 2022. That journey has taken him from the land of Gators at the University of Florida to WGCU in Fort Myers to KNPR in Las Vegas and then to WLRN in Miami.
Luis sees himself as a journalist and an entertainer, which is what drives him every morning—bringing more local news to the listeners and doing it in an interesting and sometimes fun way.
He also co-hosts Artscape and hosts The Weekly Catch. In his spare time, Luis is working on a couple of novels, a couple of podcasts and is getting back into painting.
Posted inHealth, Housing, The Weekly Catch
An app for addiction treatment, Narragansett’s affordable housing problem, and more
Rhode Island has one of the nation’s highest rates of overdose deaths involving cocaine, a problem the state is trying to address with a new smartphone app. But is it reaching those most in need? Also, the town of Narragansett has one of the lowest percentages of affordable housing in the state. We hear about some steps taken earlier this week by the town council intended to address the housing shortfall. And RISD is celebrating its second Black Biennial. We’ll hear from the co-curator who is seeking to break down the walls between the institution and the surrounding community. Plus: the week in politics, and a few things to do this week.
Posted inEducation, Health, Local
Child poverty is down but disparities remain, according to Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook
Transcript: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: There’s some good news and some bad news in a new report that examines how Rhode Island children are doing when it comes to safety, education, health and economic well-being. The Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook shows that, overall, child poverty is down, […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local
With climate change increasing wildfire risk in Rhode Island, how can state officials prepare?
Transcript: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: Last spring, a massive wildfire burned hundreds of acres at the Queens River Preserve in Exeter. It was the largest forest fire in Rhode Island since 1942, and it prompted the creation of a special legislative commission tasked with providing recommendations on proper […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
Livestream: Luis Hernandez in conversation with Brad Gooch author of ‘Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring’
Biographer Brad Gooch is coming to Jamestown Saturday, May 4th, at 4:00 PM for an early stop on a national book tour for RADIANT: The Life and Line of Keith Haring, already hailed as the definitive account of the iconic American artist. Join us for the live stream of what promises to be a fascinating […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Weekly Catch
Students strike a deal at Brown, roots of militarized police response to college protests, and more
Pro-Palestine demonstrations have cropped up on university campuses around the country, leading in some cases to arrests and clashes with police. But Brown University students and administrators this week reached a peaceful conclusion. We hear from two students about how it happened. Also, violence between cops and student protestors may seem familiar to those who witnessed the campus unrest of the 60s and other eras. But today’s militarized police response to protests at Columbia and other colleges has its roots in post-9/11 policies. Plus, we hear about a biography on one of the most influential American artists of the past 50 years: Keith Haring. That and more coming on this episode of The Weekly Catch.
Posted inEducation, Local, Metro Desk
Brown University students on how the pro-Palestine encampment came to a peaceful conclusion
Brown University proved to be an outlier at university campuses this past week as police elsewhere broke up encampments and arrested protesters. Pro-Palestinian activists at Brown reached an agreement with their school’s administrators to end an encampment.
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
New biography explores ‘The Life and Line’ of artist and activist Keith Haring
Whether you know it or not, you’ve probably seen Keith Haring’s art. After making a name for himself as a graffiti artist in New York in the early 1980s, these days his signature pop art can be found on everything from murals to fashion to stamps. Though he died at just 31 years old, Haring’s work left a lasting impact on the art world and American culture. For Artscape this week we talk with author Brad Gooch, who explores the artist’s life and work in his new biography, “Radiant: The Life and Line of Keith Haring.”
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local
Criminal justice advocate calls for independent investigation into Cranston prison deaths
Transcript: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Dave Fallon: Over the past three months, four inmates have died at the ACI in Cranston. Advocates for criminal justice reform have written a letter to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections calling for an independent investigation into those fatalities, along with a series of […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, The Weekly Catch
Fifty years later, local Portuguese communities celebrate end of authoritarian Estado Novo regime
Fifty years ago, the authoritarian Estado Novo regime was overthrown in Portugal by a military coup. Known today as the Carnation Revolution, it’s a day that’s celebrated around the world – including by the large Portuguese-American community here in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Also, Rhode Island nursing homes are facing understaffing, patient injuries, and preventable deaths, and the issues are only getting worse. Plus, we bring you a special performance from local singer Gian Carlo Buscaglia, who made a name for himself singing romantic ballads and songs of social justice in the streets of Harvard Square.