Rhode Island’s top elected officials are keeping a close eye on the Trump administration’s effort to deport a Lebanese transplant physician with ties to Brown University. Dr. Rasha Alawieh was detained at Boston Logan International Airport last week and sent back to Lebanon on the grounds that she may be sympathetic with the Lebanese militant […]
Seth Magaziner
Posted inHealth, Local, Politics
Rhode Island lawmakers call on Congress to defend Medicaid
Stephanie Manfredo, a Rhode Island mother of three, says Medicaid was a life saver for her family after several of her children were born at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence with significant health complications. She said she worries about cuts Republican lawmakers in Washington are now considering. “The cuts being proposed could absolutely cripple […]
Posted inHealth, Local, South County Bureau
Rhode Island health centers raise alarm over proposed Medicaid cuts
Famous homeowners like Taylor Swift have helped polish the image of Westerly, R.I. But the tony image belies a harsher reality for the year-round folks in this beach town. More than one in five of the town’s roughly 23,100 residents – close to 5,000 people – are enrolled in Medicaid, the government insurance program for […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Feb. 7, 2025
When it comes to the Super Bowl, I am mostly there for the nachos — and the harbinger of baseball drawing closer. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 31, 2025
It’s never too soon to start crafting your #HealthcarePolicyValentines (or to get moving on a dinner reservation for Feb. 14) You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** 1. STORY OF […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Magaziner says Trump is trying to remake the federal government
The Trump administration’s freeze on trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans — which was rescinded Wednesday after a broad backlash — shows how the White House is intent on remaking the federal government, according to U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner. During a late-morning news conference in his Warwick office, Magaziner spoke before the federal […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Nov. 15, 2024
The quiet phase of the campaign season got a little louder this week. Welcome back to my weekly column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Approval for McKee and Matos falls in new Pell Center poll
With 2026 drawing closer, the approval ratings for Gov. Dan McKee and Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos declined in a new poll by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. The poll shows approval falling two percentage points for each of the two state officials since an earlier Pell survey in June, with McKee showing a […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 30, 2024
You love it when Peter Farrelly sneaks in a Rhode Island reference. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE WEEK: Running for […]
Posted inOn Politics, Political Roundtable
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner on the presidential race, inflation, climate change and more
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner faces a very different election landscape than when he won his congressional seat in 2022. Although Republicans had high hopes, Magaziner beat GOP candidate Alan Fung two years ago by just under four percentage points. This time around, Magaziner faces token opposition, but it’s unclear if Democrats will be able to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate may be up for grabs, and polls show a close presidential race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. Magaziner describes Trump and the election deniers who support him as a threat to democracy. So how should Democrats respond if Trump wins in November and their fears come to fruition? What does Harris need to do to overcome voters’ concerns about inflation and other issues? And how does Magaziner see the outlook for strengthening democracy in the US and abroad? This week on Political Roundtable, The Public’s Radio political reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with the congressman from Rhode Island’s 2nd District.
