Rhode Island Report

Rhode Island is the only state with its own official coral. Astrangia poculata, also known as Northern Star Coral, isn't like those colorful reefs down in the tropics, but it might play an important role in protecting its more vibrant cousins. 

To find out more, host Edward Fitzpatrick met with Roger Williams University Professor Koty Sharp, a champion of using Rhode Island’s official state coral for marine research. T...

The military is supposed to be apolitical, but critics say it’s getting pulled into the Trump administration’s political agenda. Senator Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat and former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to weigh in on what’s happening. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com

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Halloween is upon us, so we thought it’d be a good time to check in on Rhode Island’s most famous haunted location — the Conjuring House. Globe Rhode Island’s Amanda Milkovits spent the night there with her sister. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to tell the story of what happened. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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Coal once powered our country. Now, despite claims by the Trump administration, it’s the dirtiest, most expensive form of energy, according to Bob Wyss, a former Providence Journal reporter. Wyss tracks the history of coal in a new book called “Black Gold: The Rise, Reign, and Fall of American Coal.” He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk more about what he found. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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As ICE raids and deportations increase across the country, some Rhode Islanders are pushing back. Maya Lehrer is an organizer with the Rhode Island Deportation Defense Network. She says, "A lot of the time, just us being there and letting our neighbors know ICE is here is enough that they leave." Lehrer joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk more about this work. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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President Trump recently said he’d like to use US cities as “training grounds” for the military. And he’s trying to send the National Guard into places like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago. Is that legal? Roger Williams University School of Law professors Peter Margulies and Jared Goldstein join host Edward Fitzpatrick to help unpack that question. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@gl...

Who can get a COVID vaccine? What’s going on with Tylenol? Can we trust the CDC? There’s a lot of confusion right now in the world of public health.

Roger Williams University Public Health professor Jacqueline Cottle and Dr. Amy Nunn, the chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute and Open Door Health, join host Edward Fitzpatrick to help you navigate the latest news. Tips and ideas? Email us at&nbs...

Attorney General Peter Neronha has been busy these days, between filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to halt the Revolution Wind project to criticizing the latest health insurance rates. He also placed 2nd in a recent poll for the ic primary for governor. And he hasn’t even decided to run…. yet. He joins host Ed Fitzpatrick in the studio for an update. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@gl...

What does the Trump administration’s decision to halt construction for the Revolution Wind farm mean for Rhode Islanders? Roger Williams University engineering Professor Maija Benitz joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to offer some perspective on this controversial decision. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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Why are evangelical Christians more likely to own a gun than other Americans? William J. Kole, a Rhode Islander, a journalist, and a former evangelical Christian, investigates this question in a new book called “In Guns We Trust.”  He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about what he found. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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We went on a field trip to the factory responsible for host Edward Fitzpatrick’s favorite drink in elementary school: coffee milk. Autocrat coffee syrup is still made at a facility in Lincoln, R.I. What started with mill workers has become a state staple. We wanted to find out what goes into getting it right - the color, the caramelized sweetness - every time. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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We’re going back more than two decades to an iconic 2002 news story that took place on a beach in Portsmouth. 12 News’s Sean Daly reported on a couple who said they saw a sea monster, in an epic video segment known as “Mother, Mother Ocean.” Now, Frog and Toad -- a Providence gift store -- has immortalized that story with a new T-shirt and poster. Daly and Frog & Toad co-owner Asher Schofield join host Edward Fitzpatri...

We’re taking a little time off for the summer, and while we’re gone, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite episodes. This week, we have an episode about bicycle rides in Rhode Island. Local author Robert Isenberg loves riding his bike, so he published a collection of essays about his experiences cycling in Rhode Island and all over the world. Here’s our conversation from 2024. Tips and ideas? Email us at&n...

We’re taking a little time off for the summer, and while we’re gone, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite episodes. This week, an episode about pinball. In 2023, we visited the Electromagnetic Pinball Museum and Restoration in Pawtucket. The place is still going strong, almost two years later. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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We’re taking a little time off for the summer, and while we’re gone, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite episodes. This week, we have a conversation with long-time labor organizer George Nee. When we talked to him in 2024, he’d just retired as the president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, so he could finally tell us an incredible story involving the mob and a lettuce boycott. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@g...

We’re taking a little time off for the summer, and while we’re gone, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite episodes. This week, a story about the siblings behind Mr. Lemon, the frozen lemonade stand in a tiny white building on Hawkins Street in Providence. Last year, Mr. Lemon was celebrating its 50th year in business, and we were worried it would be its last. But the stand is open again this summer! Got a...

We’re taking a little time off for the summer, and while we’re gone, we’re re-releasing some of our favorite shows. This week, we’re bringing you our most popular episode of all time – How to talk like a Rhode Islander. Back in 2022, we asked dialect coach Thom Jones to show us how he teaches Hollywood stars to talk like Rhode Islanders. He even gave our producer a little lesson.  

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Lisa Pina-Warren has worked at the Nonviolence Institute for more than 15 years, and now she’s risen to the role of executive director. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about the nonprofit, her personal motivation for promoting peace, and her vision for the future. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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In 2021, Mel Thibeault was looking for ways to make friends in the queer community. So, she thought, why not invite everyone to go on a hike? Nearly four years later, the group continues to meet almost every weekend to spend time outdoors in Southern New England. Host Edward Fitzpatrick joined them to learn more. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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