Most local city and town councils and school committees livestream their meetings, but further improvements are needed to bolster public transparency, the Rhode Island ACLU said in a report released Wednesday. The report — an update to a previous one in 2023 — found that 33 of 39 city and town councils offer livestreaming to […]
Local
Posted inHealth, Local
Rhode Island healthcare advocates want to preempt a jump in Obamacare premiums
Rhode Islanders enrolled in HealthSourceRI (HSRI), the state’s health insurance marketplace also known as “Obamacare,” currently benefit from a federal assistance program that lowers their monthly premiums through a tax credit. These “enhanced premium tax credits” are due to expire at the end of 2025, and when that happens people could see significant premium increases. […]
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 inLabor, Local, Politics
Poll shows support for union issues in Rhode Island
Rhode Islanders remain pessimistic about the direction of the state, although they have a favorable view of organized labor and a number of the issues championed by unions, according to a new poll commissioned by the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. Based on responses from 400 registered voters in early February, the poll done by Fleming & […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Trump Administration spars with states over funding freeze in Providence federal court
The latest skirmish in the battle over federal funding to states took place in federal court in Providence Friday. Lawyers representing a coalition of 22 states — including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and Maine — asked a federal judge to prevent the Trump Administration from pulling funds because they don’t fit with the president’s […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Feb. 21, 2025
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. *** […]
Posted inEducation, Local
‘It’s heartbreaking’: Rhode Island children’s advocate laments the potential loss of federal funding for schools
The Trump administration is reportedly considering an executive order to scale back or abolish the U.S. Department of Education, which oversees federal funds for things like special education services, school infrastructure improvements, and student loans. Paige Parks, executive director of the nonprofit Rhode Island Kids Count, spoke with morning host Luis Hernandez about the potential […]
Posted inBusiness, Local
New bill aims to regulate crypto ATMs in Rhode Island
As cryptocurrency ATMs are becoming more popular, so are crypto scams. FBI data shows that Rhode Islanders lost over ten million in 2023 to fraud linked to crypto kiosks. A new bill in the General Assembly aims to establish rules for those kiosks to better protect consumers. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke about the issue […]
Posted inHealth, Local
As flu season rages, R.I. health officials urge vaccine
As New England faces one of the worst flu seasons in nearly a decade, public health officials are reminding Rhode Islanders to take proper precautions. “The most important thing is not to scare people, but to encourage people to get vaccinated,” said Rhode Island State Epidemiologist Dr. Suzanne Bornschein. “It’s definitely not too late.” So […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
Some Rhode Island craft brewers say state regulations throttle their businesses
Matt Richardson and his wife opened Tilted Barn Brewery on an old family farm in Exeter in 2014. Craft beer was exploding in popularity at the time and Tilted Barn was an immediate hit. Richardson, however, quickly discovered a problem he’s still dealing with more than a decade later: Customers who want to take home […]
