I was dreamin’ when I wrote this/Forgive me if it goes astray/woke up super-early for Lively/hence my acuity is on the wane today. 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. *** […]
Zachary Cunha
Posted inLocal, Politics
Cunha resigns as U.S. attorney for Rhode Island
Zachary A. Cunha resigned his position as U.S. attorney for Rhode Island on Monday at the direction of the White House, his office said. Cunha, who assumed his role in December 2021, was nominated by President Joe Biden. Presidents often replace U.S. Attorneys appointed by their predecessor and Cunha was not expected to stay on […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Politics
Zachary Cunha reflects on four years as RI’s top federal prosecutor
TRANSCRIPT: Ian Donnis: U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha, what is top of mind for you when you look back on your tenure as Rhode Island’s top federal prosecutor? Zachary Cunha: Well, you know, as I look back at the past three years, I’m tremendously pleased at the extent to which we’ve been able to make progress […]
Posted inPolitical Roundtable, Politics
US Attorney Zachary Cunha on his probe of DCYF, safe storage and the rule of law in our polarized moment
Problems related to the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families have persisted for years. But when U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha recently unveiled the findings of a probe into DCYF, state officials stood up and took notice. Cunha is the top federal prosecutor in the state, and his office has enormous power. After being nominated by President Biden in 2021, Cunha has pursued federal prosecutors’ standard approach in zeroing in on crimes involving drugs, fraud, guns, and violence. But these are not normal times. If Donald Trump retakes the White House in November, he is expected to remake the Justice Department, and Trump says he’d consider pardoning people who rioted at the capitol on January sixth. So what’s it like pursuing the rule of law in the time of Trump? And how much difference can federal officials make in improving the lives of vulnerable kids? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island Zachary Cunha.
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Local, The Weekly Catch
Federal investigation of DCYF, local hunters group advocates banning captive hunting, and more
Bradley Hospital is in the news this week. The U.S. Justice Department alleging the state’s child welfare agency is violating the civil rights of children with behavioral and developmental disabilities by keeping them hospitalized long after their treatments have ended. We’ll talk to a reporter who’s been following the story for years. Also, we’ll find out more about proposed legislation to ban hunting captive wild animals in Rhode Island.
And a company in Pawtucket called Gif-o-Graf has a fun way for students to create stop-motion animation
Posted inHealth, Local
Federal investigation alleges RI ‘warehouses’ children in psychiatric treatment
U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha is accusing the state of Rhode Island of violating the federal civil rights of children with mental health or developmental disabilities. A multi-year federal investigation alleges the state has kept children hospitalized at Bradley Hospital, an acute-care psychiatric facility, for longer than necessary by not providing them with the services they […]
Posted inLocal
Rhode Island man charged with setting fires at predominantly Black church in North Providence
A Rhode Island man was arrested Thursday, accused of setting multiple fires around the Shiloh Gospel Temple in North Providence on Sunday. The majority of the congregation is Black, the church’s administrator told investigators. Kevin Colantonio of North Providence is in federal custody and charged under a federal arson statute, U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha […]
