Posted inArts And Culture, Local

What’s on in October at the Community Libraries of Providence

Afternoon host Mareva Lindo talks with Cheryl Space, library director of the Community Libraries of Providence, and Michelle Freeman, library supervisor at the Knight Memorial Library, about what’s happening at the Community Libraries of Providence in October.  Hispanic Heritage Month highlight: Encuentro Literario Cheryl Space: It will be at the Knight Memorial Library on Oct. […]

Posted inArts And Culture, Local

Fear of nuclear war plus Reagan-era optimism? It’s ‘Cold War Choir Practice’ at Trinity Rep

Cold War Choir Practice at Trinity Repertory Company – September 4 – October 5. It’s 1987 in Syracuse, New York. Michael Jackson dominates the charts. Ronald Reagan is president. And The Cold War, with its threat of nuclear war, is ever-present in American culture. That’s the setting of the latest play at Trinity Rep, called […]

Posted inArts And Culture, Local

Ocean State Session: For Jake Blount, folk music is always evolving 

If you try to describe the music of Providence-based artist and scholar Jake Blount, chances are you may fall short. And in a few months time, that description could be totally off. He plays the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and you could say it’s “traditional” or “folk.” But to some people, that might mean something […]

Posted inArts And Culture, Business, Politics, The Weekly Catch

Payday lending reined in, fish processors face fines for underage workers, and more

Earlier this month, Rhode Island lawmakers finally passed a bill aimed at ending the predatory practices of payday lenders. We’ll look at what the new law means and how it took 15 years to get it passed. Our reporting on underage undocumented children working in New Bedford fishing houses has at least one Massachusetts lawmaker looking at ways to end the practice. Our reporter Ben Berke will describe what he’s found and the response from the fishing industry. On Artscape, a conversation about the fusion of Afro Cuban, Puerto Rican, and New Orleans jazz.

Posted inArts And Culture, Economy, Politics, The Weekly Catch

Local tourism slumps under Trump, highlights of the 2025 RI legislative session, and more

In the 2025 Rhode Island General Assembly session, lawmakers passed a major gun law and numerous bills tackling housing and healthcare. We’ll look into what legislators achieved and failed to get done, as well as what to expect in 2026. Also, Trump administration policies are scaring off tourists. Hotels have higher than normal vacancies, and restaurants are closing on certain days due to low traffic. What kind of summer season will we have this year? Plus, thousands in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cape Verdean independence this weekend. We talk with two people from our region who are being featured at a national celebration in Washington, D.C. That and more on this week’s show.

Posted inArts And Culture, Education, Politics, The Weekly Catch

Behind the bills: Rhode Island’s new gun control law and student cell phone ban

On today’s show we look at two significant bills signed into law this week by Gov. Dan McKee. First, a ban on the sale and manufacture of assault-style weapons. How effective are bans like this at actually tackling the problem of gun violence? A national expert breaks it down. Also: Rhode Island has joined the growing number of states banning cell phone use in schools. We’ll hear from a Providence teacher who says she hopes it will reverse some of the learning losses that have happened over the past decade. And we remember George Kent, the founding musical director of the Chorus of Westerly, who died recently at the age of 88. That and more on this week’s show.

Posted inArts And Culture, Artscape

Ocean State Session: The psychedelic soul of Melo Green

This week, we bring you a live performance and interview with Rhode Island psychedelic soul artist Melo Green. It’s part of Ocean State Sessions, a collaboration with our colleagues at Rhode Island PBS. Artscape editor Mareva Lindo spoke with Melo Green earlier this year at Big Nice Studio in Lincoln, R.I., where he and his band performed three songs from his latest album “Laminar Flow.”

Posted inArts And Culture, Politics, The Weekly Catch

‘Why Nothing Works,’ honoring the legacy of Rev. Daniel Davis, and more

It’s been a year and a half since the Washington Bridge was partially closed, and it’ll be years more before it’s fully repaired. We talk with the author behind the book “Why Nothing Works,” who says this is just another example of a national problem: government can’t accomplish big things anymore. Also, Daniel Davis escaped slavery in Maryland and found his way to Rhode Island in 1862. He became a beloved reverend at a church in Alton. We’ll hear about Davis’ life, and a ceremony at the church next week to honor his legacy. And on Artscape – a look back on our conversation with Chef Sky Kim, the 2025 James Beard award winner for “best chef Northeast.”

Posted inArts And Culture, Politics, The Weekly Catch

Organizers behind the local ‘No Kings’ protest this weekend, and why the Providence NAACP is practically shut down

his Saturday, the United States Army celebrates its 250th anniversary. Trump is honoring the day with a military parade – the first such event since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. Millions across the country are expected to hold “No Kings” protests in response. We’ll talk with organizers of two local protests. Also, the Providence NAACP is practically shut down. The president and all the officers were suspended by the national NAACP. We’ll get an update. And for Artscape we meet local artist Jordan Seaberry. He has a new web comic called “WTF can artists do during a fascist takeover?” Plus, Ian Donnis takes a look back on the week in Rhode Island politics and we have a few recommendations for things to do this week.

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