Rhode Island Report

In 2021, Mel Thibeault was looking for ways to make friends in the queer community. So, she thought, why not invite everyone to go on a hike? Nearly four years later, the group continues to meet almost every weekend to spend time outdoors in Southern New England. Host Edward Fitzpatrick joined them to learn more. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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You’ve heard about how federal cuts to research funding are affecting elite institutions like Harvard and Brown, but what about our state universities? University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange says these reductions are just as harmful for colleges like his that educate the working class and create innovation in the local economy. He talks to host Edward Fitzpatrick about the impacts. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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The General Assembly wrapped up the 2025 legislative session Friday, June 20, at 1 in the morning. So, what happened? Host Edward Fitzpatrick talks with Globe Rhode Island's Steph Machado and Jim Hummel, the host of “A Lively Experiment” on Rhode Island PBS, to break down the final decisions. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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The runner-up in the latest season of Survivor lives right here in Rhode Island. Eva Erickson is a Brown University Ph.D. candidate and the first openly autistic person to compete on the show. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about Survivor, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and her work studying seal whiskers. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Colleges and universities across the country are under intense pressure from the federal government, both financially and politically, and Rhode Island’s institutions of higher learning are no exception.

For the latest episode of Rhode Island PBS Weekly, Globe Rhode Island’s Steph Machado sat down with Dan Eagan, the president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents all eight of Rhode Island’s private colleges. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Last week, Globe RI’s Dan McGowan and Alexa Gagosz moderated a discussion on Rhode Island’s health care crisis with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, Brown Health President and CEO John Fernandez, and Maura Iversen, the dean of the College of Health & Wellness at Johnson & Wales University.

A handful of protesters were at the event and outside, as a contract dispute between the health care system and nurses persists. This is a lightly edited recording of that conversation. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Today, we’re getting out of the studio and onto the field with the Providence Hurling Club. That’s hurling with an H- it’s one of the most popular sports in Ireland, but it’s also gaining steam in the United States. Here in Providence, the team has been around for 10 years. And they're pretty good- they've already won two regional championships.

Host Edward Fitzpatrick visited one of their practices to learn more. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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There’s a new team leading the Rhode Island Senate. Senator Frank Ciccone became the Democratic majority leader late last month, succeeding Senator Valarie Lawson, who is now Senate president. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about a proposed ban on assault weapons, smoking in casinos, taxing the rich, and other hot topics. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Scientific researchers in Rhode Island are reeling from canceled grants and other potential cuts to federal funding for their work. Globe Rhode Island's Steph Machado just finished a story for Rhode Island PBS Weekly about the effects of these cuts. She joins host Ed Fitzpatrick to talk about what she learned. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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Last week, President Trump proposed cutting more than 150 billion dollars in federal spending for next fiscal year. The cuts would axe a range of programs related to climate, education, health, and housing.

US Representative Seth Magaziner joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about that proposal, potential cuts to Medicaid, and his efforts to support a local nonprofit that feeds starving children. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected].

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