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James Diossa was re-elected as Mayor of Central Falls, RI in 2016, after rising to Mayoral status in 2012 at the age of 27.

In 2018, Mayor Diossa was also named President of The Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, a testament to the work he has done as leader of a municipality in the midst of recovery from a near economic collapse.

Diossa’s tenure as Mayor of Central Falls overlapped with the city emerging from bankruptcy, and he has been gradually working to guide the Central Falls towards an era of renewed prosperity, driven by investments in infrastructure and the recalibration of decadeslong policies.

With recent RICAS  standardized testing scores presenting Central Falls students behind most of an already underperforming Ocean State’s public school system,  I wondered what signature issues Mayor Diossa would tackle to sure up his city’s future during his final two years in office.

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Democratic United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is junior Senator from Rhode Island, and has served in the post since 2007.

From his early years working under former Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun to contemporarily serving on prominent positions including on the Budget, Finance and Judiciary committees of the United States Senate, Senator Whitehouse discussed his tenure in public life, using the politics of practicality to make change and specific actions he has taken in the Senate to help move Rhode Island forward.

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Dr. Wendy Schiller is Chairwoman of Brown University’s political science department, where she instructs students in poli-sci and international and public affairs.  

Dr. Schiller is also a frequent contributor to local and national media outlets, providing distinct commentary on issues of politics, policy and government.

With the 2018 election cycle in the rearview, I wanted to get Dr. Schiller’s big-picture takeaways and impressions on how she sees Rhode Island and national politics developing in the coming year.  

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Hilary Levey Friedman teaches courses in Brown University’s Department of Education, and is also an author and the President of The RI chapter of The National Organization for Women.

I was curious as to Professor Friedman’s opinion on what are the most pressing issues facing women in Rhode Island.

Our conversation addressed a multitude of issues that RI NOW are focused on, from reproductive rights to gender-based economic and educational disparities, to transgender rights and protections.  

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Kim Kalunian is an anchor and reporter for WPRI channel 12 television in Providence, RI, where she has emerged as a signature talent on the station’s roster.

Ahead of pursuing a full-time broadcasting career, which launched with radio work, and a stint at Providence news-talk station WPRO, Kim was a full-time stage actress, performing nationally and locally, including at Trinity Rep.  

I identified with Kim’s journey as an artist, making bold choices to pursue her dreams - and fulfil her purpose - and her application of The Artist's Life to news media.

I’d wondered what it was that made Kim decide to shift from the stage to the newsroom, and how her life’s journey informs her approach to delivering news to the WPRI audience.

We discussed some key commonalities between fine art and journalism, including the idea that, at the end of the day, artists and journalists are each charged with the pursuit of examining, trying to make sense, and report back on the human condition.

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Republican Blake Filippi is the recently elected Rhode Island House Minority Leader, leading a caucus that has less than 15% of House membership in an overwhelming Democratically controlled lower chamber.  

Following an election cycle that saw Rhode Island Republicans fail to mount any serious challenges for statewide offices, and with the national Republican brand soured by the antics of President Donald Trump, I sat down with Representative Filippi, an attorney and organic cattle farmer who represents Block Island and portions of South County, to gain an understanding of who the Rhode Island Republican party is and where it might be headed.

Does he believes the party can appeal to a larger swath of Rhode Island voters that may be seeking to preserve some their socially liberal values, but have a desire for fiscal restraint or increased opposition and debate within state government?

And as Minority leader, how will his own socially-liberal, fiscally conservative viewpoints impact his decision making process and the coalitions he seeks to establish in the House with fellow Republicans,  traditional Democrats and also progressive Democrats, who recently established themselves as the Reform Caucus.

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Parker Gavigan is an investigative reporter for NBC 10 WJAR, where he is a member of the I-Team, channel 10’s longstanding investigative unit which rose to prominence through the work of Jim Taricani, Diana Keolsh and others.

We discussed Parker’s responsibility in maintaining the I-Team and channel 10 as the Providence-New Bedford market’s number-one rated news station, adapting as a broadcaster in light of shifting viewing habits, news stations serving as a public service,  plus I straight-up ask Parker for his thoughts on why corruption and malfeasance have routinely been exposed at some of the highest levels of Rhode Island politics.

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In this episode of The Bartholomewtown Podcast, Bill Bartholomew sits down with Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee President Joseph Molina Flynn.  Flynn highlights which Rhode Island elected officials are working effectively with the Rhode Island Latinx community, looks towards the 2022 election and offers insight into his own background as an immigrant, Rhode Islander, Law student and attorney.

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In this episode of The Bartholomewtown Podcast, Bill sits down with WPRO AM midday host Matt Allen.  The pair discuss Allen's broadcasting career, including his time working with former Providence Mayor Buddy Cianci, the future of local media, plus Matt offers his advice to progressives on how to win over  a broader audience with their messages.

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Special episode!  Election Day In Rhode Island, roundtable panel with Ben DeCastro and Kobi Dennis, plus checking in with Attorney General candidate Peter Neronha and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Giovanni Feroce.  Welcome to Election Day In Rhode Island.

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