Rhode Island Report

Imagine studying science or math in a different language. Many English learners in Rhode Island’s public schools face this challenge every day, and their numbers are growing. What is the state doing to help these students succeed? Guest host Dan McGowan talks with RI PBS reporter Michelle San Miguel and Providence School Board President Erlin Rogel about the issue. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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To celebrate Black History Month, we’re joined by Valerie Tutson, the executive director and festival director for Rhode Island Black Storytellers, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the awareness, appreciation, and application of Black storytelling. She talks with Ed about her work, avoiding the trap of ‘trauma stories,’ and training a new generation of storytellers. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Nearly 20 percent of General Assembly members belong to the Rhode Island Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Caucus. The caucus co-chair, Senator Jonathon Acosta of Central Falls, joins us to talk about some of his priorities, including police accountability, feeding more students, and raising taxes on the wealthiest households. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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If you want to know something about Rhode Island’s Latino community, ask Marta Martinez. Marta is the executive director of Rhode Island Latino Arts and the founder of the Latino Oral History Project of Rhode Island. She’s spent decades collecting the stories of Spanish-speaking pioneers, leaders, and community members. Now, her oral history collection is the inspiration behind La Broa’ — a new play at Trinity Rep. We talk to Marta about the play and her work capturing the history of Rhode Island’s Latino community. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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It’s been about a year since Oscar Perez became the new chief of the Providence Police Department — and the first Latino to hold the position. He joins the Globe's Steph Machado to talk about community policing, crime trends in the city, and what his appointment means to communities of color. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Edesia Nutrition, a North Kingstown nonprofit that feeds malnourished children around the globe, got a big boost last year when the Bezos family made a donation worth nearly $140 million. Edesia founder and CEO Navyn Salem joins us to talk about how the money will help them serve many more kids, at a time when war and climate change are threatening children like never before. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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It’s easy to assume that giving birth in the US is pretty low-risk. But according to a new documentary, women in America die of pregnancy-related causes at a rate that’s up to 10 times higher than countries such as Japan, Spain, and Germany. "The Risk of Giving Birth," a three-part series by Rhode Island PBS, digs into the dangers of pregnancy, especially among women of color. We talk to Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, one of the experts featured in an episode on birth-related issues in the Latino community. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Providence College basketball hit the big time a little more than 50 years ago, when Ernie DiGregorio and Marvin Barnes led the team to its first Final Four tournament. Ernie D tells the story of that journey in a new book, "Star with a Broken Heart." We talk about the book, basketball, and his long friendship with Barnes and PC Coach Dave Gavitt. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Today is the first day of the 2024 legislative session. So what will lawmakers act on this year — housing, law enforcement accountability, guns, a new courthouse? We get some predictions and analysis from our 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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In 2023, we heard all about tinned fish, “girl dinner,” butter boards, and zero-proof drinks. Inflation drove up prices, and we haven’t heard the end of trying to build a more sustainable food system. So what’s in store for the food and restaurant world in 2024? Guest host Alexa Gagosz gets some predictions from Jason Evans, the founding dean of the College of Food, Innovation and Technology at Johnson & Wales University. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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