Earlier this month, Rhode Island lawmakers finally passed a bill aimed at ending the predatory practices of payday lenders. We 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 describes what he found and the response from the fishing industry. On Artscape, a conversation about the fusion of Afro Cuban, Puerto Rican, and New Orleans jazz.
Programming note: The Weekly Catch will be taking a break, so this is the last episode you’ll hear for a while. But in the meantime, we’ll still be bringing you stories about local polities, arts and culture, and more throughout the week at thepublicsradio.org.
Links:
- Longstanding payday lending reform policy poised for passage in Rhode Island this year
- Can a bill protect New Bedford’s migrant teens from dangerous jobs?
- ‘Merging Roots’: Combining Cuban, Puerto Rican, and New Orleans jazz at Summer Beats
- William Cepeda & Elio Villafranca Sextet at Roger Williams Park (July 11)
- Providence Fringe Festival (July 13 – July 26)
- Newport Dance Festival (July 16 – July 20)
- Twain with Natalie Jane Hill (July 13)
Guests:
- Nancy Lavin, senior reporter for Rhode Island Current
- Ben Berke, The Public’s Radio metro reporter
- William Cepeda, jazz musician
- Elio Villafranca, jazz musician
The Weekly Catch is a production of The Public’s Radio. Our host is Luis Hernandez. Our producer is James Baumgartner. Our assistant producer is Joe Tasca. Our editor is Mareva Lindo. Thanks to Maddie Mott for our podcast artwork. Our Chief Content Officer is Sally Eisele, and our President and CEO is Pam Johnston.
The Weekly Catch will be taking a break, so this is the last episode you’ll hear for a while. In the meantime, we’ll still bring you stories and conversations that are important to you here in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. You’ll hear them throughout the week on Morning Edition, All Things Considered and online.
Subscribe to The Weekly Catch on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or use this RSS feed for your podcatcher of choice.
Got a question, comment, or suggestion? We’d love to hear from you. Email us: weeklycatch@thepublicsradio.org. Follow or reply to us at @thepublicsradio on Instagram, X (Twitter), or Facebook.
