TRANSCRIPT: Luis Hernandez: Superintendent Montañez, it’s such a pleasure to speak with you again. How are you doing? Javier Montañez: Fabulous. Thank you for having me on your show today. Thank you. Hernandez: Lots to talk about, but let me get started with the star ratings that the Rhode Island Department of Education released earlier this year. […]
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 inBook club, Local
Book club: Elizabeth Rush, Providence-based author of ‘The Quickening’
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. Transcript: Luis Hernandez: This is the Public’s Radio. I’m Luis Hernandez. Thwaites Glacier was first spotted by polar researchers in 1940. It’s named after American glaciologist Frederick Thwaites. As the climate changes, this glacier could be one of the greatest contributors to sea level rise, […]
Posted inStories, The Weekly Catch
Abuse and neglect allegations at St. Mary’s, repatriating Indigenous human remains, and more
St. Mary’s Home, a place for children seeking drug rehabilitation and psychiatric help in Rhode Island, is under tough scrutiny. A recent report from the Rhode Island Office of the Child Advocate showed that the home was understaffed, and abuse was running rampant. Can the long-time facility be saved? And Brown University’s Haffenreffer Museum plans […]
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 inStories, The Weekly Catch
McKee’s ‘return to reality’ budget, preventing bridge suicides in Rhode Island, and more
After years of advocacy, two state lawmakers are hopeful that 2024 will be the year we see funding for suicide barriers along some Rhode Island bridges – a strategy that’s been effective elsewhere in the U.S. And school shooter drills have become a regular part of life for Rhode Island students. But how are they […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape, Local
Studio Session: Providence hot jazz collective Paper Moon
This week’s episode of Artscape features an interview and studio session with Providence-based “hot jazz” band Paper Moon. Morning Edition host Luis Hernandez talked with guitarists John Birt and Dylan Harley, who describe the band’s music as a kind of time travel back to the sounds of early jazz and artists like Django Reinhardt.
Posted inEducation, Local
How are school lockdown drills affecting Rhode Island students?
Luis Hernandez: In response to the prevalence of school shootings over the past 25 years, many schools across the country have instituted active shooter drills. It’s considered a sign of the times, but a Rhode Island lawmaker isn’t sure that mandatory lockdown drills are good. Joining me now is Barrington Representative Jennifer Boylan, chair of a […]
Posted inThe Weekly Catch
Behind the maternal health crisis, the debate over institutional neutrality, and more
Universities and their leaders are facing increased pressure to take a stand on political and social issues – most recently, the war in Gaza. When is it time for educational institutions to be silent, and when do they have a responsibility to weigh in? We’ll dig into the topic. Also, pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are soaring compared to many of our peers. What’s behind it? Rhode Island PBS is launching a new documentary series that looks into the issue here in the Ocean State. And we speak with the director of a new production at Trinity Rep inspired by the real-life stories of Latinos in Rhode Island. Plus, a look back on the week in politics. That and more coming up on The Weekly Catch.
Posted inArtscape
Latino oral history project inspires new play at Trinity
“La Broa’ (Broad Street)” is a new, original production inspired by the stories of Latinos in Rhode Island, collected through local oral history project Nuestras Raices. The show takes place at the fictional Doña Rosa’s Market on La Broa’, where we hear the stories of Latino immigrants from Providence and Central Falls. Morning Edition host Luis Hernandez spoke with the director of the play, Tatyana-Marie Carlo.
Posted inStories
Behind the Watch Hill lighthouse transfer, regulating short-term rentals, and more
Despite months of pushback from local fishermen and shoreline access advocates, the Watch Hill Lighthouse in Westerly is now in the hands of a private nonprofit, with no guarantee of public access. And Rhode Island is home to a lot of short-term rentals, via sites like Airbnb and Vrbo. Opponents say they can be disruptive, and contribute to the long-term housing shortage. We hear from the chair of a new State House commission that’s looking at the impact of short-term rentals on local communities. Plus, a look ahead to the year in politics, starting with the latest from Rhode Island’s General Assembly. That and more coming up on The Weekly Catch.
