Rep. Joseph Almeida, D-Providence, introduced legislation to the Rhode Island General Assembly Feb. 25 that would form the 1696 Historical Commission. The commission, named for the year enslaved Africans were first documented to have arrived in Rhode Island, would create a comprehensive curriculum ...
As the national unemployment rate inches back toward pre-crisis figures, Rhode Island’s rate has followed the general trend. But the state’s stubbornly high unemployment distinguishes it from national progress. As lawmakers attempt to identify the cause of the Ocean State’s struggles, a range ...
Approval of the finalized Thayer Street Planning Study in late January marked the conclusion of exploratory research on potential Thayer Street improvements, signalling a transition into the plan’s implementation phase. Following months of revision, the approved outline calls for the long-term development ...
The governors of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Delaware and Vermont — three of whom are alums — joined Wendy Schiller, associate professor of political science and public policy, at the first of five events Saturday that together composed the President’s Colloquium on the Virtues of a Liberal Education. ...
The sixth annual Senator Claiborne Pell Lecture on Arts and Humanities featured Arlene Goldbard, an activist and author, who spoke about art and culture as catalysts for social transformation Wednesday. The event, entitled “A Culture of Possibility for Providence,” also featured a panel of local ...
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Block launched a new stage of his campaign with the announcement of a plan to transform the state’s tax system, reduce government spending and instate multiple government reforms last week. Block, a 2010 gubernatorial candidate for the Moderate Party, is poised ...
“I think we are due for a shake-up,” said Seth Magaziner ’06, candidate for Rhode Island general treasurer, at a Brown Socially Responsible Investment Fund meeting Tuesday night. Rhode Island’s pension system and high unemployment rate stand out as critical issues that need to be addressed ...
Michael Fine, director of the R.I. Department of Health, gave the Ocean State a B-minus rating in the State of the State’s Health address Wednesday. The score was determined by compiling rankings from national health organizations. The rating is “a little bit subjective,” Fine said. “At the ...
Former Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau was released from federal prison Friday, and his conviction for federal program fraud — the illegal acquisition of federal dollars allocated to the state — was vacated, the Associated Press reported. Moreau’s release comes one year into his two-year sentence ...
The Joint Behavioral Health and Firearms Safety Task Force of Rhode Island proposed recommendations to the General Assembly last week that would prevent individuals with serious mental health issues from purchasing firearms. If the legislation is passed by the General Assembly, it would enable the ...
“We are tired of being used and abused,” said Krystle Martin, a waitress at the Hilton Providence and one of many of the hotel’s employees rallied Feb.18 to petition the hotel’s management, the Procaccianti Group, for better working conditions. Police blocked the entrance to the hotel, thwarting ...
“One should not be afraid to try something new,” said Nobel laureate H. Robert Horvitz to an audience of high school students and University community members at the Providence Career and Technical Academy Wednesday. Horvitz received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002 for research ...
Committees in the General Assembly reviewed several pieces of legislation this week, including budget proposals, a request to obtain evidence in the 38 Studios lawsuit and a bill to improve bus transportation for Providence students. Budget brief The Senate Committee on Finance met Feb. 25 to review ...
The trajectory of the Rhode Island gubernatorial race remains uncertain amid the entrance of new candidates in recent months, said the three members of a panel hosted Tuesday night by the Brown Democrats. The discussion came nearly two weeks after WPRI released a poll Feb. 12 that showed Mayor Angel ...
“I’m not actually a bully, but I hope I did a convincing job,” said one of the young actors from the short film “Robot and Boy” during a question-and-answer session Sunday at the Providence Children’s Film Festival. For the first time, the annual festival included an official program featuring ...
Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’17 signed an executive order Friday creating the Rhode Island Executive Climate Change Council. The newly formed council is charged with coordinating state environmental initiatives and advising Rhode Islanders and policymakers on how to combat the effects of climate ...
The Providence City Council approved a resolution in support of federal restrictions on the use of antibiotics in factory farms Feb. 6. The council may be the first in the country to pass such regulations. “It’s largely a symbolic act,” said Gus Fuguitt, spokesman for Food and Water Watch — ...
Many parents of Providence Public School District students have expressed concerns over student transportation issues this year, pointing to scheduling adjustments and budget cuts as problematic for elementary through high school students trying to get to school before the morning bell. The PPSD brought ...
General Assembly activities were cancelled last Thursday due to a snowstorm. Rhode Island legislators also have this week off for the Assembly’s mid-winter recess and will reconvene Tuesday. Several bills proposing marijuana regulation, early voting procedures and the establishment of an official ...
Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, D-Providence and North Providence, and Rep. Brian Patrick Kennedy, D-Hopkinton and Westerly, introduced legislation to limit the information employers and schools can obtain from social media sites, according to a General Assembly press release. The bill prohibits ...
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