Rhode Island Report

In late October, North Kingstown High School was rocked by the news that its longtime basketball coach, Aaron Thomas, had been conducting naked “body fat tests” on students for about 25 years.

Students, parents, and now the attorney general’s office want to know what happened and how this practice continued for so long. Globe RI journalist Amanda Milkovits has been covering this story since the beginning. She joins us to explain exactly what we know about the controversy. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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When CCRI President Meghan Hughes becomes the chair of the Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, will it help students or conflict with their best interests? She talks with Dan McGowan about this new role, what COVID did to enrollment numbers, and her priorities for the college moving forward.

Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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Lorén Spears, the executive director of the Tomaquag Museum, gives us some perspective on Thanksgiving. We also talk about an intriguing new exhibit on Indigenous boarding schools, how to better serve Native students, and what should be done with Providence’s Columbus statue. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Providence College Professor Eric Hirsch is sounding the alarm on Rhode Island’s homelessness crisis. He says the governor and the General Assembly have failed to address the record number of people on the streets, while they sit on $1 billion in COVID relief funds. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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At a time when information on COVID-19 and kids was nowhere to be found, Brown Economics Professor Emily Oster filled the void. She gave parents advice, advocated for a return to in-person learning, and even developed a database on how COVID has affected schools across the country.

Emily joins us to talk about her work, and the latest COVID development: vaccines for children ages 5 to 11.

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We go behind the scenes of a haunted house in the town of Johnston, where Michael DeCesare has been scaring the heck out of Rhode Islanders for almost 20 years. Michael is the creator of Deadly Fantasies, Silent Nightmares. It’s a spooky experience he operates out of his own home for free, once a year on Halloween. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Governor Dan McKee joins us in the studio to talk about his first seven months as governor and his plan for spending $1.1 billion in federal COVID relief funds. He also fires back at critics of his administration's decision to award a lucrative education contract to ILO, a consulting firm with ties to his long-term ally. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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The Rhode Island Political Cooperative aims to run up to fifty progressives for local and statewide offices, but not all progressives are onboard with its approach. The group has been criticized for challenging liberal incumbents and supporting candidates with questionable social media posts. One of the Coop’s co-founders, Jennifer Rourke, joins us to clarify what the group is all about.

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The Papitto Opportunity Connection is a new foundation that’s dedicated to supporting nonprofits and businesses in local communities of color. In its first 10 months, the organization has given away more than 7 million dollars. We talk to the founder, Barbara Papitto, and Arnell Milhouse, a member of the foundation’s advisory board.

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Five Democrats are competing in next week’s primary to be the new senator for the east side of Providence. What’s the difference between the candidates? What factors will affect who wins? And why should the rest of the state care? Globe columnist Dan McGowan helps us sort it all out. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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