Dozens of Rhode Islanders turned out at the Statehouse Monday night to protest the deportation of a Rhode Island kidney doctor detained at Logan Airport last week. Although it’s been a mostly quiet year in terms of campus related protests, the deportation of Brown affiliate Dr. Rasha Alawieh mobilized the university’s community to the state […]
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Posted inImmigration, Local, Metro Desk
Judge postpones hearing after feds deport Rhode Island doctor
A hearing has been postponed for a Rhode Island kidney transplant specialist employed by Brown University Medicine who was refused entry into the U.S. last week and flown out of the country. On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin granted the motion to continue the hearing on the grounds that Dr. Rasha Alawieh […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Stories
Brown University advises visa and green card holders to reconsider travel plans
Amid news reports of federal deportation actions against people lawfully in the U.S., Brown University is suggesting that students, staff, and faculty who hold green cards or visas should not travel internationally. In an email sent Sunday, Brown Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell C. Carey, told the campus community, “Out of an […]
Posted inBusiness, Health, Local
Reliance on debt sparks concern on deal for two RI safety-net hospitals
The future of two cash-strapped hospitals — Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima in North Providence — has become increasingly tenuous over the last four years. Things got even more uncertain when the hospitals’ California-based owner, Prospect Medical Holdings, filed for bankruptcy in January. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha […]
Posted inEducation, Local
New leaders of Providence School Board on how to improve the city’s schools
The Providence Public School District has a new board. Five won election or re-election in November, and five were appointed by Mayor Brett Smiley. They recently chose Ty’Relle Stephens as the new president, and Anjel Newmann as vice president. At 23, Ty’Relle Stephens is the youngest president in the history of the Providence school board. […]
Posted inHealth, Immigration, Local
Lawyers for R.I. doctor allege she was deported despite federal court order
The family of a Brown Medicine doctor is alleging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection removed her from the country despite a federal judge ordering CBP to provide the court 48 hours notice. Dr. Rasha Alawieh held a valid H-1B temporary visa in her passport when she arrived in Boston on Thursday morning after visiting […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics, South Coast Bureau
Fishermen could face stricter catch limits as Trump slashes NOAA
The federal agency that studies the ocean and manages fisheries lost about 1,200 employees in February. But for the fishermen regulated by the agency, it’s still business as usual on the docks. On a recent Wednesday, many crews on New Bedford’s fishing piers were doing gear work for their next trip, as Eric Hansen repaired […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for March 14, 2025
What better way to celebrate Sleep Awareness Week than with a nap? 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 THE WEEK: “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local
Is a foot doctor qualified to be a coastal regulator? Rhode Island’s governor says yes.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s latest nominee to a state council that regulates the coast is renewing calls for reform. Michael Reuter, a podiatrist who has spent time on the Barrington Harbor Commission, was chosen last week to serve on the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Some critics, including South Kingstown resident and shoreline […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Washington’s love/hate relationship with the Ivy League
President Trump’s crusade against higher education is not without precedent. Campus politics have long been a source of contention, especially among conservatives. For nearly a century, in one way or another, parents and politicians have raised concerns about the ideological extremes of the ivory tower. For their part, universities have long struggled to find the […]
