The Trump administration’s cuts in science research have led to lost jobs and stalled research in the Ocean State. Protesters showed up to the State House on Friday as part of a national movement called Stand Up For Science. We hear from one of the protest’s organizers. Also, there is a lot of fear and anxiety in the majority-Latino city of Central Falls. Business owners say they’re already feeling the impact because people without legal status are avoiding public places. Plus, the campus of UMass Dartmouth is built in the architectural style of Brutalism. We’ll take a look at why that style was used and why it’s gonna cost the school hundreds of millions to fix up its campus. That and more on this week’s show.
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 inCriminal Justice, Local
Remembering Bruce Selya, federal judge known for his creativity and neutrality
Judge Bruce Selya, one of Rhode Island’s longest-serving judges, died last week at the age of 90. Attorney Karen Ellsworth, a former court reporter for the Providence Journal, covered many federal cases presided over by Judge Selya. She joined morning host Luis Hernandez to reflect on the judge’s life and legacy. TRANSCRIPT: This interview has […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local
What’s on in March at the Community Libraries of Providence
The Community Libraries of Providence offer a slew of programming every week for kids and adults at their nine locations around the city – from book clubs, to youth maker- spaces, to free help with your homework or your taxes. We’ll be highlighting a few of those events in this new monthly segment. For March, […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Business, Politics, The Weekly Catch
How climate change affects home insurance, our Washington Bridge project, and more
The issues with the Washington Bridge have affected all of us, and will for years to come. This week we launched Breaking Point: The Washington Bridge, a new, community-centered project exploring how we got here, the impact of the bridge on our lives, and what the future holds. And we want to hear from you. Also, the threat of climate change is making it harder and more expensive for Rhode Islanders to insure their homes. How can the state and homeowners prepare? Plus: We hear about Track 15, a food hall opening in March that will transform Providence’s historic Union Station, featuring seven restaurants from local chefs. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
Track 15 food hall will transform Union Station with 7 new restaurants
Providence’s historic Union Station was once a hub for 14 intercity train tracks, a crucial stop in southern New England that helped the city’s jewelry, textile and machinery industries thrive. In just a few weeks, it’ll be home to Track 15: a food hall and plaza that will feature local chefs offering everything from Indian plates to Mexican fare. Morning host Luis Hernandez met with developer Chris Marsella in January at the construction site behind the building which currently houses our studio and the Rhode Island Foundation. It will soon be the home of Track 15.
Posted inBusiness, Education, The Weekly Catch
What Education Department cuts would mean for R.I., crypto scams, and more
The Trump administration has threatened to cut back or even eliminate the Department of Education, which is responsible for enforcing civil rights protections, overseeing student loans, and funding things like special education. What would those cuts mean for Rhode Island? Also, scams involving cryptocurrency ATMs are on the rise. We learn about a new law that would regulate crypto kiosks in Rhode Island – and we hear from a Brown professor who explains how he was recently scammed out of more than $2000. Plus, the WaterFire Arts Center is hosting an exhibit of over one hundred posters spanning 70 years and a dozen countries throughout Latin America. That and more on this week’s show.
Posted inEducation, Local
‘It’s heartbreaking’: Rhode Island children’s advocate laments the potential loss of federal funding for schools
The Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order to scale back or abolish the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees federal funds for things like special education services, school infrastructure improvements, and student loans. Paige Parks, executive director of the nonprofit Rhode Island Kids Count, spoke with morning host Luis Hernandez about the potential […]
Posted inBusiness, Local
New bill aims to regulate crypto ATMs in Rhode Island
As cryptocurrency ATMs are becoming more popular, so are crypto scams. FBI data shows that Rhode Islanders lost over ten million in 2023 to fraud linked to crypto kiosks. A new bill in the General Assembly aims to establish rules for those kiosks to better protect consumers. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke about the issue […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape
Posters display creativity, culture and resistance in ‘Graphic Voices of Latin America’
Artists throughout Latin America have long used graphic posters as a form of storytelling, cultural celebration, political expression, and resistance. A new exhibit at Waterfire Arts Center features roughly 100 posters from across Latin America, spanning more than 70 years. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with the curators of the exhibit, Jose Menendez Lopez and Tatiana Goméz Gaggero.
Posted inArts And Culture, Health, The Weekly Catch
How possible cuts to NIH could affect RI, the Green Book in New England, and more
A judge has temporarily blocked a major policy change announced last week by the National Institutes of Health. It would have significantly reduced payments to universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. If the change goes through, how will it affect Rhode Islanders, and the many places here that get funding from the NIH? Also, we hear about a project from the Boston Globe, highlighting more than 300 New England locations featured in the Green Book, the famous guide that listed safe places for Black travelers from the 1930s to the 1960s. Plus, a conversation with writer and director Dave Solomon, the latest artist-in-residence at Westerly Library and Wilcox Park. That and more on this week’s show.
