Rhode Island Report

More than 200 years ago, Jamestown, R.I., had the largest percentage of enslaved people in the state. What happened to the Black community there? A local historian has been working to bring that history to light. That’s just one segment in the most recent episode of the "Our Town" series on Rhode Island PBS. RI PBS Arts and Culture Producer Ross Lippman joins our host, Ed Fitzpatrick, to talk more about the series. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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Winter is here, thousands of Rhode Islanders are experiencing homelessness, and there are not enough shelter beds. The state's largest provider of housing for homeless individuals thinks building apartments, not just opening more shelters, is the answer. The Globe’s Steph Machado sat down with Michelle Wilcox, the president and CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island, to hear about the plans. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] 

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Globe Rhode Island columnist Dan McGowan moderated a Dec. 12 discussion about the future of the Rhode Island Foundation – the state’s largest funder of nonprofits. He started by talking to  Rhode Island Foundation president and CEO David Cicilline, and the foundation’s new board chair, Ann-Marie Harrington. He also spoke with nonprofit leaders Lamont Gordon of College Visions, Lisa Guillette of Foster Forward, and Dr. Amy Nunn of the Rhode Island Public Health Institute. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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On Thanksgiving Day, the Boston Globe published an article about a Rhode Island man named Patrick Fealey. He’s a former journalist who wrote about his experiences with homelessness in Esquire magazine.

 A Narragansett family tracked him down and found him a place to live. His story has gone viral, generating an overwhelming response and helping push his GoFundMe page to over $160,000. Patrick Fealey joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk about his story and the response he has received. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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One of the state's best sportswriters and radio hosts will be writing about Rhode Island sports as a freelancer for the Globe. Kevin McNamara's first story comes out today. McNamara joins Ed to look ahead to what he'll be writing about, including what he says is the biggest sporting event of the year in Rhode Island: the Providence College / University of Rhode Island men's basketball game on Saturday. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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What’s it like to cruise around the Ocean State on a bicycle? Local author Robert Isenberg recently released a collection of essays about his experiences cycling here, and all over the world. He says his book, "Mile Markers," is designed for everyday people who like to explore on two wheels, and joins our host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk more about the book. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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This week, families can start applying for spots in Rhode Island’s charter schools for next school year. The demand is high – far exceeding the number of available seats – as families seek alternatives to traditional public schools. And yet, some advocates say Rhode Island should limit the expansion of charter schools. Chiara Deltito-Sharrott from the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools joins Steph Machado to talk more about the future of these schools. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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It’s been more than three years since the US pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. Now, it’s the only country in the world that bans girls from going to school after sixth grade.

Khadija Nazari escaped Afghanistan in 2021. Now she’s a Brown University student working to help the women who got left behind. She’s teamed up with a group of Rhode Islanders to run a secret school for girls back in Kabul. Nazari and one of her board members, Anne Sliney, join us to talk more about Afghanistan and the school. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Ed Fitzpatrick sits down with the Globe’s Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, the host of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS, to debrief the election results. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Last week, the Rhode Island chapter of the American Federation of Teachers elected Maribeth Calabro as their new president. She now heads the largest teachers union in the state. It represents 12,000 members in districts such as Providence, Cranston, Warwick and Pawtucket. Steph Machado spoke with Calabro for an episode for RI PBS Weekly. This is an extended version of their conversation. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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