“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Vince Lombardi, Hall of Fame coach of the Green Bay Packers Winning is the only thing? Not in Foxborough this week. Jerod Mayo won a football game last Sunday and got fired. He coached the New England Patriots to a 23-16 victory over the division-leading Buffalo Bills in […]
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Posted inBusiness, Health, Local
California company’s finances pose more uncertainty for two RI hospitals
Prospect Medical Holdings, the California-based owner of two cash-strapped safety net hospitals in Rhode Island, faces a possible bankruptcy filing, a move that would spell added uncertainty for Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence. Prospect’s exploration of restructuring was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which […]
Posted inHousing, Local, Metro Desk
Providence City Council opens makeshift warming center in council chambers
The council chambers at Providence City Hall transformed into an impromptu overnight warming center on Tuesday night. Volunteers dropped off hot pizza, fresh fruit, bottled water, and winter coats as unhoused people filtered in off the streets. “I’ve got to stay here because I have nowhere else to stay. I’ve been sleeping outside,” 62-year-old Bill […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
A divided Rhode Island Senate re-elects Ruggerio as president
Dominick Ruggerio won re-election as president of the Rhode Island Senate Tuesday, as the General Assembly met for the first time in 2025, although almost a third of senators did not support Ruggerio amid ongoing questions about his health. Ruggerio, 76, won another two-year term in one of the two top leadership positions on a […]
Posted inLabor, Local, Metro Desk
Rhode Island Hospital medical residents win union election, 464 to 27
Medical residents with Brown University Health, formerly called Lifespan, have formed a doctors’ union at Rhode Island Hospital. In a small fluorescent-lit room in the Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr. federal building in Boston Tuesday afternoon, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) employees spent more than 90 minutes opening envelopes and counting ballots. When it came time […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Politics
Providence legislative priorities to center around schools and housing
The City of Providence has announced its priorities for the legislative session that starts at the Statehouse Tuesday. Among them are plans to shore up more cash to cover the millions of dollars the city owes in funding for its schools, and measures meant to entice developers to build more housing. Schools When a judge […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford’s Moby Dick reading marathon draws record attendance
Organizers of the annual Moby Dick reading marathon in New Bedford say they set a new attendance record this past weekend. Nearly 2,500 people traveled to the Whaling Museum to participate, arriving from 37 states and countries as far away as Australia, Brazil, and Sweden, according to Amanda McMullen, the museum’s president and CEO. “It’s […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Amid threats to LGBTQ rights, a trans health advocate is seeking out community
In the wee hours of Nov. 6, Volta Tran was up watching the election returns. By 2 or 3 a.m., it became clear to her that Trump was coming out ahead. “It felt like a repeat of 2016, of course,” she said. “I felt, not numb to it, but I felt … I felt familiarity.” […]
Posted inArts And Culture, Local, South Coast Bureau
New Bedford reveals design for Herman Melville statue
New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell wants his city to do more to promote its connection to one of the great American novels. Mitchell unveiled the design for an eight-foot bronze statue of Moby Dick author Herman Melville at a press conference on Friday morning. The statue portrays Melville in a heroic pose with his mouth […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Jan. 3, 2025
It’s a shiny new year, brimming with possibilities. 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: The Rhode Island Senate remains the more fractious of Smith […]
