Rhode Island Report

<p>A weekly podcast from The Boston Globe on what’s bubbling in Rhode Island news. In-depth interviews with newsmakers, perspective and analysis from Globe Rhode Island reporters, and intimate conversations with community members across the state.</p>

Setting the record straight on Tylenol, vaccines, and autism

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 rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09-25
17:33

Will Attorney General Neronha run for Governor?

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@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09-22
22:32

What’s happening with offshore wind in Rhode Island?

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09-18
19:23

The link between white evangelicals and guns

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09-11
18:44

Coffee milk: R.I. state drink is steeped in Industrial Revolution history

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

09-04
16:49

The story behind the R.I. sea monster epic, 'Mother, Mother Ocean'

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 Fitzpatrick to talk about this piece of Rhode Island lore. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

08-28
18:49

Encore: Cycling Rhode Island and beyond

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 rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

08-21
17:58

Encore: Pawtucket pinball museum goes full tilt

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

08-14
09:37

Encore: George Nee on organizing, Chavez, and an unlikely assist from the mob

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@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

08-07
23:44

Encore: The Mr. Lemon Family

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 story about Mr. Lemon? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

07-31
11:34

Encore: How to talk like a Rhode Islander

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.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

07-24
21:20

Lisa Pina-Warren on leading the Nonviolence Institute

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

07-17
18:31

'That sense of belonging': Getting outside with Queer Hikes

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

07-10
11:28

URI’s president on the effects of federal research cuts

You’ve heard about how federal cuts to research funding are affecting elite institutions like Harvard and Brown, but what about our state universities? University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange says these reductions are just as harmful for colleges like his that educate the working class and create innovation in the local economy. He talks to host Edward Fitzpatrick about the impacts. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

07-03
16:08

What happened in the final hours of Rhode Island's legislative session?

The General Assembly wrapped up the 2025 legislative session Friday, June 20, at 1 in the morning. So, what happened? Host Edward Fitzpatrick talks with Globe Rhode Island's Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, the host of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS, to break down the final decisions. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

06-25
22:06

Survivor runner up and Brown Ph.D. student Eva Erickson

The runner-up in the latest season of Survivor lives right here in Rhode Island. Eva Erickson is a Brown University Ph.D. candidate and the first openly autistic person to compete on the show. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about Survivor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and her work studying seal whiskers. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

06-19
19:24

R.I. campuses in crisis: 'An attack on the entire higher education sector'

Colleges and universities across the country are under intense pressure from the federal government, both financially and politically, and Rhode Island’s institutions of higher learning are no exception.For the latest episode of Rhode Island PBS Weekly, Globe Rhode Island’s Steph Machado sat down with Dan Eagan, the president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents all eight of Rhode Island’s private colleges. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

06-09
15:17

Rhode Map Live: Rhode Island’s health care crisis

Last week, Globe RI’s Dan McGowan and Alexa Gagosz moderated a discussion on Rhode Island’s health care crisis with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, Brown Health President and CEO John Fernandez, and Maura Iversen, the dean of the College of Health & Wellness at Johnson & Wales University.A handful of protesters were at the event and outside, as a contract dispute between the health care system and nurses persists. This is a lightly edited recording of that conversation. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

06-05
01:04:12

On the field with the Providence Hurling Club

Today, we’re getting out of the studio and onto the field with the Providence Hurling Club. That’s hurling with an H- it’s one of the most popular sports in Ireland, but it’s also gaining steam in the United States. Here in Providence, the team has been around for 10 years. And they're pretty good- they've already won two regional championships.Host Edward Fitzpatrick visited one of their practices to learn more. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

05-29
11:39

Senate Majority Leader Frank Ciccone on his new role

There’s a new team leading the Rhode Island Senate. Senator Frank Ciccone became the Democratic majority leader late last month, succeeding Senator Valarie Lawson, who is now Senate president. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about a proposed ban on assault weapons, smoking in casinos, taxing the rich, and other hot topics. Tips and ideas? Email us at rinews@globe.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

05-22
18:46

Recommend Channels