Rhode Island Report

For decades, Rhode Island's Tad Devine has been one of the Democratic Party's most accomplished political consultants. Now, the chief strategist behind Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign has written a new book called "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie.” The La Salle Academy and Brown University graduate offers an insider's account of one of the most consequential Democratic primaries in modern history. He gives guest h...

On July 1, a new Rhode Island law made it possible for victims of sexual abuse as children to sue institutions that didn’t protect them, even if the statute of limitations has expired. So far, more than 50 lawsuits have been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. And St. Aloysius Home, a former orphanage in Smithfield, R.I., is named more than any other church property. The Globe’s own Amanda Milkovits ...

States use tax policy to compete with each other for businesses and jobs. But does it work? Professor Adam Myers from Providence College recently completed a book titled “Coordination Failure” that explores this question. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about Rhode Island’s millionaires tax, its “Taylor Swift tax,” and decisions by local companies such as Hasbro to leave the state. Tips and id...

In May, the Rhode Island House of Representatives elected a new leader. Chris Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat, is now House Speaker, a role many call the most powerful job in state government. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about his priorities for the General Assembly. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com

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Our team is taking some time off for the summer, so we're bringing you an episode from 2025 about Rhode Island's state 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 R...

Our team is taking some time off for the summer, so we're bringing you this episode about Rhode Island's 'clamarati." Every year, they visit clam cake shacks all over the state, sampling as many deep-fried clam cakes as they can -- so you don’t have to. We tagged along with them in 2024 for their tenth clam cake crawl. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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Our team is taking a little time off for the summer, so in honor of Pride month, we're reupping this episode about Queer Hikes- a Southern New England group that started five years ago and continues to meet almost every weekend to support each other and spend time outdoors. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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Survivors of child sexual abuse in Rhode Island can now sue institutions that enabled or covered it up, even if previous time limits have expired. That’s thanks to a law just signed by Governor Dan McKee.Jim Scanlan has been advocating for this bill at the State House for years. He was sexually abused in the late 1970s by a Boston College High School priest. His real-life story was the basis for a character known as “Ke...

Five years ago this month, for the very first episode of this podcast, we interviewed then-US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, former governor of Rhode Island. Now she's back on the Rhode Island Report, to talk about her life after the Biden administration, artificial intelligence and its potential impact on jobs, and whether she’s running for president. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.

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In their first head-to-head debate in the Democratic primary for mayor of Providence, incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley and state Representative David Morales took questions from Globe Rhode Island’s Steph Machado on rent control, local control of Providence schools, public safety, the city's unfunded pension liability, snowstorms, and more. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com. 

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Host Edward Fitzpatrick gets out of the studio to join Dr. Judson Brewer, of the Brown Mindfulness Center, as he leads students and researchers on a run up one of the steepest hills in Providence. They get together to do this every Wednesday, and they say it’s not just about getting exercise. Brewer, known for his TED Talks and books like "Unwinding Anxiety," leads the runners through a series of mindfulness techniques as the...

Globe Rhode Island’s founder of The Food Club, Alexa Gagosz, recently hosted the first Food Club Live, a series of one-on-one "fun and honest" conversations with some of the biggest names in Providence’s food scene. From the trends shaping where and what we eat, to what it takes to build something worth reserving a table for, the early May event brought out restaurateurs, chefs, industry insiders and patrons. Because ev...

A flawed bridge, frayed nerves, fraught politics – this has been a daily reality for Rhode Islanders since the abrupt closure of the Washington Bridge westbound in 2023. But it’s not the first time the state has grappled with how to replace a critical highway bridge. Rhode Island Report partnered with GBH's Big Dig podcast for a live conversation about Providence’s complicated relationship with its urban highways....

Last week’s US Supreme Court ruling on Louisiana’s election map has gutted the landmark federal Voting Rights Act. That’s according to Shahidah Ali, the Political Action Committee Chair for the Rhode Island Coalition of Black Women, and John Marion, the executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island. They join host Edward Fitzpatrick to react to the high court ruling and talk about a proposed Rhode Island Voting ...

You might have heard of the Green Book, a guidebook that was widely circulated from the 1930s through the 1960s to help Black travelers find welcoming places across the country to stay, eat, and fill up their cars. But did you know that many of those locations were in New England? Emily Sweeney, a Boston Globe reporter, has documented and mapped more than 350 spots in this part of the country. She joined host Ed Fitzpatrick in 2025...

The biggest race in Rhode Island this election season is the Democratic primary for governor. Incumbent Daniel McKee is facing a rematch with former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, whom he narrowly defeated in the 2022 primary.

So, we brought both candidates into the studio separately to explain where they stand on major issues, including the high cost of energy and housing, the proposed millionaires tax, the Washington Bridge crisis,...

In the Ocean State, surrounded by water, we’re vulnerable to climate change and in particular, sea level rise. We’re seeing the effects everywhere – from the collapse of part of the Newport Cliff Walk to the erosion of local beaches. Salve Regina University biology and biomedical sciences professor Christine Ramsay joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about ways to protect the places we love as the climate change...

It’s been just over a month since President Trump declared war on Iran. The Constitution gives Congress the power to initiate war, but the president started the surprise airstrikes without their approval. Is that constitutional? Host Edward Fitzpatrick talks to Salve Regina University History Professor William Leeman about the history ofpresidential war powers. We want to hear from you! Fill out our listener survey, and we&rs...

Launched nearly three decades ago in a prime location between the State House and downtown as an economic catalyst for Rhode Island's capital city, the Providence Place mall now has more than 20 empty storefronts and restaurant spaces. It's been in receivership since 2024, and is up for sale. What happens next? Globe reporters Steph Machado and Alexa Gagosz have been following this story, and join guest host Megan Hall for an upda...