Rhode Island Report

With the election less than a week away, misinformation, conspiracy theories, and deepfakes are raging online. University of Rhode Island Professor Sara Sweetman is working to help young people sort fact from fiction. She finds they are often better at reading and interpreting visual data than the generations who came before them. There's a lot that we can learn from them, Sweetman says. She joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk more about bringing media literacy to Rhode Island’s students.

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Last week, Senate President Dominic Ruggerio issued a statement endorsing Democratic Majority Whip Valarie Lawson to replace the current majority leader, Ryan Pearson. How did this rift begin and what will happen next? Senator Ryan Pearson joins us to tell us his side of the story. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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In this presidential election, there’s a lot of concern about threats to democracy. But we’ve been here before.A new book by Brown University Professor Corey Brettschneider titled The Presidents and the People profiles five past presidents who expanded their power and tried to overturn democratic principles. Brettschneider tells host Ed Fitzpatrick that the hope for our future lies not with courts or politicians, but with “we the people.” Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Aquaculture. Pipe fitting. Firefighting. These are just a few of the careers high school students can learn in hands-on courses across the state. Our very own Steph Machado's most recent story in collaboration with "Rhode Island PBS Weekly" is about the growth of career and technical education programs - or CTE - which have more than doubled since 2017. She joins Ed to dig into how this approach is changing the landscape for Rhode Island’s students. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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As president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, George Nee has been one of the main labor leaders in the state for decades. Now at age 75, he’s getting ready to retire. Nee joins Ed to talk about his long career in labor organizing - including a stint as Cesar Chavez’s bodyguard, and a brief brush with organized crime. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Who should have access to the shore in Rhode Island? It’s an escalating fight between property owners, towns, and the public, more than a year after the passage of the state's landmark shore access law. Isabella Jibilian, a producer at Rhode Island PBS Weekly, and Alex Nunes, the South County bureau chief at The Public’s Radio, recently collaborated on two episodes about this topic. They join Ed in the studio for an overview of what they found. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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The Economic Progress Institute prides itself on being the people’s lobbyist, among dozens of lobbyists representing corporations and powerful interests at the Rhode Island State House. EPI advocates for laws that improve the lives of low- and modest-income Rhode Islanders. Ed talks to EPI Executive Director Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies about their wins and losses in this year’s state budget, and their priorities for next year. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Rhode Islanders headed to the polls yesterday to vote in local primaries, and the night belonged to incumbents. Ed breaks down the results with Globe RI’s own Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, host of A Lively Experiment on Rhode Island PBS. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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What happens when a patient sues their doctor for a medical error?A new documentary film, "A World of Hurt: How Medical Malpractice Fails Everyone," tells the story of patients and doctors who’ve gone through this process. The documentary was directed by Brown University medical students Alex Homer and Viknesh Kasthuri. We talk to the producer, Dr. Mark Brady, and Dr. Gita Pensa, one of the featured experts. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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The most closely watched contest in Rhode Island this election cycle is the Republican primary for Cranston mayor. Incumbent Mayor Kenneth Hopkins is facing a challenge from state Representative Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung. So, we brought both candidates into the studio separately to explain where they stand on the major issues. Then we put their responses together so voters can easily compare and contrast. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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