Political Roundtable

Rhode Island voters recently approved $73 million in borrowing to enhance the Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College. The 60% vote in favor of Question 2 underscores public confidence in the idea that education can help improve the local economy. Voters also approved $87 million for a life sciences center at URI. At Rhode Island College, the man leading the charge is Jack Warner. He is being inaugurated today as RIC’s permanent president after more than two years as interim leader. Warner takes on the role at a time when many Americans wrestle with college-related debt. And with the Trump administration vowing to eliminate the federal Department of Education, Republicans and some other critics believe colleges in America have moved too far to the left. How will these issues affect Rhode Island? Can Rhode Island College really play a bigger role in the state’s economy? And what is Jack Warner’s strategic vision for RIC? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with president of Rhode Island College Jack Warner.

The post What’s next for the Institute for Cybersecurity at Rhode Island College and RIC President Jack Warner appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Megan Cotter is a progressive Democratic state representative who first won election by just 32 votes in 2022. Republicans had high hopes this week of winning back Cotter’s seat, since voters in her district in Exeter, Richmond and Hopkinton lean conservative. But Cotter scored an eight-point victory over former Republican Representative Justin Price, winning the race by about 700 votes. She was victorious even though Donald Trump this week had his best Rhode Island performance yet and beat Kamala Harris in the three communities making up Cotter’s district. So what does the outcome tell us about how Democrats can compete more effectively in the Trump era? How did Cotter overcome her challenges as a candidate? And where does she think Democrats should go from here? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with state Representative Megan Cotter.

The post How progressive state Rep. Megan Cotter won re-election in a conservative Rhode Island district as Trump rolled to victory appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Americans will finish voting Tuesday, although it remains unclear when a winner will be declared in the presidential race. It’s a more low-key election in Rhode Island, where the race for mayor of Cranston is among the top races. But a close vote is expected on ballot Question 1, which could set the stage for Rhode Island to hold its first constitutional convention since 1986. And next week’s election is a prelude to 2026, when Rhode Islanders will vote for governor and other statewide offices. So what do the current political headwinds mean for Governor Dan McKee? How would a Trump administration affect Rhode Island? And even if the state does stage a constitutional convention, would it make a real difference? This week on Political Roundtable, we have an in-depth election preview with two fellow political reporters, senior reporter with the Rhode Island Current Nancy Lavin and politics editor for WPRI-TV, Channel 12, Ted Nesi.

The post How a Trump election would affect R.I., why legislative incumbents maintain an edge, and more appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Americans’ confidence in elections has been shaken in recent years -- at least for *some*. Donald Trump’s false narrative about a stolen election in 2020 has led many of his supporters to doubt the integrity of the process. That’s despite evidence given by elections officials and even some members of Trump’s administration that the vote was free and fair. With a looming climax to the tight presidential race, the issue of election integrity is likely to surge front and center in the weeks ahead. As Rhode Island’s chief elections officer, Secretary of State Gregg Amore is on the frontlines of questions involving voting rights and fair elections. So what is he expecting? How should we combat lies and misinformation about elections? And if one man can popularize a phony narrative about the democratic process, what would it mean if that person regains the White House? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore.

The post Gregg Amore on declining confidence in elections, Trump, and what’s next for a state archive appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Donald Trump has vowed to go after his political enemies if he wins the presidential election. The U.S. Justice Department is part of the executive branch, so if Trump wins, he would have significant influence over what happens. Closer to home, the timeline for rebuilding the westbound Washington Bridge remains uncertain, although it’s likely to take longer than originally expected. And the healthcare landscape in Rhode Island faces a series of challenges, ranging from lower reimbursement rates than in Connecticut and Massachusetts and precarious finances for some hospitals. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha intersects with all of these issues. As a former top federal prosecutor in the state, Neronha previously worked for the Justice Department. He’s been an outspoken critic of Governor Dan McKee and his handling of the bridge. And Neronha has been one of the most vocal officials in the state in talking about the need for more urgency in confronting Rhode Island’s healthcare challenges. So what does Neronha think about what justice would look like in a Trump administration? What would he do differently on the bridge? And since term limits preventing him from seeking re-election in 2026, what is next for the longtime prosecutor? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha.

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Morgan, a Republican, says she would fight for her constituents and she’s trying to capitalize on issues like inflation and immigration. But Whitehouse has vanquished a series of rivals since first winning his Senate seat by beating Lincoln Chafee, a Republican at the time, in 2006. When former state Supreme Court Justice Robert Flanders ran […]

The post State Rep. Patricia Morgan on her GOP challenge to U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

When Hamas attacked Israel last October 7th, it raised concerns about a wider conflict in the Middle East. This week, Iran fired more than 180 missiles into Israel, in response to Israel’s assassination of the head of Hezbollah. The question now is how Israel will respond … and whether the Middle East can step back from the brink of an intensifying war.

Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin is no stranger to the region. He traveled to the Middle East after the first intifada in the late 80s and returned this year. His conversations with Israelis and Palestinians became part of Patinkin’s latest book, “The Holy Land at War: A Journey Through the West Bank, Israel and Gaza.” Patinkin has been a columnist at the ProJo since 1979. Forty-five years later, he’s still at it, writing with a mix of humor and outrage about different aspects of life in Rhode Island. So how does Pantikin view the outlook for stepping back from the precipice of wider violence in the Middle East? Does he think Rhode Island politicians are up to the task of building a stronger economy? And how does the longtime columnist feel about the evolving media landscape in the state? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with columnist for The Providence Journal Mark Pantikin.

The post Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin on violence in the Middle East, RI’s economic challenges and the local mediascape appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Rhode Island faces a growing shortage of primary care doctors. Medical specialists make more money than primary care doctors, and the economic conditions for physicians are better in Massachusetts and Connecticut. This is why a legislative panel is studying whether it would help to create a state medical school at the University of Rhode Island. There are a host of other healthcare-related challenges in the state, including the difficult fiscal outlook for some hospitals and Rhode Island’s heavy reliance on public payers like Medicare and Medicaid. State Senator Pamela Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, has a front-row seat on these issues since she’s a nurse practitioner for Coastal Medical, a primary care practice serving more than 100,000 patients. Lauria is also co-chair of the legislative commission studying the potential of a possible state med school at URI. So what is the freshman senator’s prescription for improving healthcare in Rhode Island? As an East Bay resident, how does Lauria assess Governor McKee’s performance on the Washington Bridge issue? And as a Democrat and longtime gun safety activist, what is her explanation for why Donald Trump remains a competitive presidential candidate? This week on Political Roundtable, I’m going in-depth with state Senator Pamela Lauria.

The post State Sen. Pamela Lauria on Rhode Island’s primary care shortage, Washington Bridge and what’s next in the Senate appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Rhode Island’s housing crisis is a tough nut to crack. Even though hundreds of millions of dollars have been allocated to promote new housing, progress has been slow and the cost of housing keeps going up. This is a key issue for the future of the state, since Rhode Island needs more housing if the state’s economy is going to grow. There are other worrisome signs on the economic front. The iconic toy-maker Hasbro is considering moving its headquarters and hundreds of jobs elsewhere. And the state’s fiscal outlook suggests a return to the perennial deficits that in the past have typically greeted lawmakers at the start of every General Assembly session. So what can be done to accelerate progress on housing? Why does Rhode Island still lack engines of new job growth? And what does a respected housing advocate make of all this as she prepares to leave her longtime job? This week on Political Roundtable, an exit interview with president/CEO of nonprofit developer ONE Neighborhood Builders Jennifer Hawkins.

The post Jennifer Hawkins of ONE Neighborhood Builders on Rhode Island’s housing crisis, Hasbro’s possible move and what’s next appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.

Tuesday’s Rhode Island primary featured a rare spotlight on Republican candidates. Cranston was the scene of a hard-fought mayoral campaign — one of the few places in the state with such high-profile GOP competition. The losing candidate, Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, has been a bright spot for the Rhode Island GOP, but she’s been taken off […]

The post RI GOP Chairman Joe Powers on Tuesday’s primary, Trump, and what’s next for local Republicans appeared first on TPR: The Public's Radio.