On Wednesday, City Council President Jessica Marino and the council’s attorney, Stephen Angell, suddenly resigned. The resignations come amid accusations of a romantic relationship between the two officials and claims of a conflict of interest.
Politics
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 29, 2025
There’s no truth to the rumor that the tax on paparazzi for Taylor Swift’s wedding will go to wipe out a budget deficit in Rhode Island. Welcome back to my Friday column. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Politics
Rhode Island gives Judge Frank Caprio a big sendoff
Friday’s funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul will be live-streamed at RIPBS.org starting at 10 a.m. Judge Frank Caprio had famously humble beginnings. But Friday he is receiving a farewell in grand style — the Rhode Island equivalent of a state funeral — befitting a man some people called “the nicest […]
Posted inEducation, Local, Politics
After suing the Trump administration, Rhode Island to get $29 million in delayed federal education money
A lawsuit by a coalition co-led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has unlocked about $29 million in frozen federal education money for the state. Twenty-three Democratic attorneys general and two governors joined the suit after the Trump administration froze at the end of June almost $7 billion in funding for programs administered by […]
Posted inBusiness, Environment, Labor, Local, New England News Collaborative, Politics, South County Bureau
Rhode Island lawmakers tilt at windmills, hoping to save Revolution Wind
Revolution Wind, the massive offshore wind farm under construction off the Rhode Island coast, appears to be dead in the water for now. Citing unspecified security concerns, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued an immediate stop-work order Friday. Now, Rhode Island lawmakers are pushing back, insisting that mothballing the project would cost thousands […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Aug. 22, 2025
For my money, late summer/early fall is the most beautiful time of the year. Welcome back to my Friday column. 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? Sign up right here *** 1. STORY OF THE […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Local, Politics
RI ACLU says new surveillance center in Providence requires more safeguards
The Rhode Island ACLU contends the City of Providence is moving too quickly in implementing an integrated surveillance center, adding that without additional safeguards, the system poses an Orwellian threat. In a letter to Mayor Brett Smiley and Police Chief Oscar Perez, the civil liberties group calls on city officials to enact a municipal ordinance […]
Posted inBusiness, Local, Politics
The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS are offering buyouts to employees to close a budget gap
Employees of the joint organization that operates The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS are being offered voluntary buyouts due to the recent loss of $1.1 million in annual federal funding. “This is a significant and painful cut, and it’s not unique to us here in Rhode Island — it’s reshaping public media organizations across […]
Posted inEconomy, Local, Politics
Fiscal watchdog raises concern about growth in Rhode Island state spending
State spending in Rhode Island continues to rise at an unsustainable rate amid slowing revenues and uncertainty about federal funding, a business-backed fiscal watchdog group warned in a report released Wednesday. The Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council found that state general revenue spending climbed by 10.9% over the last two fiscal years, while state general […]
Posted inLocal, Politics
Gov. McKee splits with campaign manager after less than three months on the job
With a little less than a year until the September 2026 Democratic primary, Gov. Dan McKee and Rob Silverstein — who started as McKee’s campaign manager in early June — have agreed to go their separate ways. “The McKee campaign and Rob Silverstein have mutually agreed to part ways,” the governor’s campaign said in a […]
