Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Walking into La Fruta Loca, you’re greeted by rows of large stuffed bears lining the windows of the Central Falls frutería and ice cream shop. I stopped by on a recent weekday afternoon, to talk with the shop’s owner, 51-year-old Lorena Vicente. Originally from Guatemala, now a U.S. […]
Economy
Posted inEconomy, En Español, Immigration, Local, Stories
‘La gente tiene miedo’: Temor de redadas de ICE aleja clientes de negocios en Central Falls
Click here to read in English. Entrando a La Fruta Loca, te saludan hileras de grandes osos de peluche que alinean las ventanas de la frutería y heladería de Central Falls. Pasé por allí una tarde reciente para hablar con la dueña de la tienda, Lorena Vicente, de 51 años. Originalmente de Guatemala, ahora ciudadana […]
Posted inEconomy, Local
Reimagining downtown Providence in a hybrid work world
Providence, like many cities across the country, has seen office spaces emptying out, as some companies are downsizing and moving towards hybrid work models. That can have a ripple effect on the city’s economy, including local businesses like restaurants and shops. What is Providence doing to avoid falling into the so-called doom loop that is […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Politics
If Trump tariff plan goes through, RI businesses and residents will foot the bill
Following his election, President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on most U.S. imports, including a 25% tariff on products from Canada and Mexico. If the administration makes good on that threat, it would upend decades of North American Free Trade. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke about the implications of Trump’s plan with Nina […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Politics
R.I., Mass. sue Trump administration over freeze in federal funding
Editor’s note: On Wednesday, President Trump issued a memo rescinding the funding freeze. Attorneys General Peter Neronha of Rhode Island and Andrea Campbell of Massachusetts have joined a coalition of other AGs in suing the Trump Administration over its sudden freeze in federal spending via grants, loans, and other avenues. “What a ham-handed way to […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Metro Desk
Providence Place mall is now in permanent court-ordered receivership
During a hearing on Wednesday, Rhode Island Superior Court Associate Justice Brian P. Stern made attorneys Mark Russo and John Dorsey of the Rhode Island-based law firm Ferrucci Russo Dorsey the permanent receivers of the Providence Place Mall. The pair had served as temporary receivers since Nov. 1. The mall had to enter court-appointed receivership […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Local
New investment fund aims to revitalize Rhode Island communities
TRANSCRIPT: This transcript has been edited for length and clarity. Luis Hernandez: The Rhode Island Community Investment Cooperative has launched a new community investment fund. The fund is designed to encourage the creation of small businesses and real-estate projects in neighborhoods that have been historically excluded from traditional forms of investment. Here to talk more […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Local
House commission set to look for solutions to Rhode Island’s eroding beaches
As rising seas and stronger storms, due at least in part to climate change, are carrying off tons of sand from Rhode Island beaches, a legislative commission tasked with developing ways to slow beach erosion met at the State House for the first time on Monday. Some of the hardest hit areas in the state […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Local
How will CVS layoffs affect Woonsocket?
As CVS employees await word on whether their jobs will be among the nearly 3,000 the Rhode Island-based company plans to eliminate, Woonsocket Mayor Christopher Beauchamp says the city should be able to weather the layoffs, though concerns remain for the future. CVS Health, which is headquartered in Woonsocket, said Monday that it plans to […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Metro Desk
No contractors have submitted bids to rebuild the Washington Bridge
After coming up empty-handed, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation chalks up the lack of bids to the ambitious August 2026 timeline for the project to rebuild the bridge. The initial request for proposals was publicized in April and focused on incentivizing bidders with cash for completing a bridge rebuild by August of 2026. It […]
