The Weekly Catch

Like many other states, Rhode Island has a shortage of primary care physicians. We’ll hear from a doctor at Brown who says things could worsen by the decade’s end. And thousands of immigrants are going to Massachusetts to seek asylum and shelter. Many are falling victim to scammers promising to fast-track their immigration status. Also, a new documentary called “Israelism” follows the journey of two young Jewish people reckoning with differing narratives around Israel. And Ian Donnis looks back on the biggest political stories of 2023. Plus: a few tips on what to do this week.

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There is a growing tension on the campus of Brown University between students and the school’s administration over the war between Israel and Hamas. Those tensions came to a head at a recent vigil-turned-protest on campus. And one year after recreational cannabis sales began in Rhode Island, what progress has the state made on its promises over social equity? Also, there’s a new law in Massachusetts that makes phone calls free in prisons and jails – it’s welcome news for the prisoners and their loved ones, who until today have had to pay exorbitant fees. And UMass Dartmouth’s chancellor speaks out for the first time since the abrupt closure of the Star Store in August. Plus: The week in politics, and a few things to do this week.

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With a worsening shortage of primary care providers, Rhode Island’s most vulnerable communities are struggling to get basic care – and losing trust in the American medical system. Also, noise pollution from things like traffic or leaf blowers can be bad enough, but imagine hearing gunshots for hours on end. We hear about a Cranston neighborhood’s fight to silence a nearby police shooting range. And one of the reporters on our series about migrant teens working in seafood processing plants shares some of the responses she got at a recent community listening session. Plus, a conversation about the role of seaweed in New England life, and the ways it’s been immortalized in art. That and more on this week’s episode.

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After months of campaigning, the voters of the first congressional district picked Gabe Amo to go to Congress. We sit down with a panel of political reporters to discuss what happens next for the freshman congressman. And we talk to our Metro Reporter Olivia Ebertz about the arrest of 20 student protesters at Brown University earlier this week. Also, The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS plan to merge into one organization. We’ll talk to the leaders of both groups to find out how this came to be, and what it means to the viewers and listeners in the region. And, the GAMM Theater is running Martin McDonagh’s play “Hangmen.” Artscape producer James Baumgartner and host Luis Hernandez share a review of the play.

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It's been a relatively quiet couple of months in the race to represent Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District. The election ends on Tuesday – but what does it mean for voters when candidates or the media treat an election as a foregone conclusion? Also, 2023 has been a big year for labor. Unions representing actors, car manufacturers, janitors and more have gone on strike across the country. Are labor movements gaining momentum, or are these high-profile cases an anomaly? And the city of Providence is making a new comprehensive plan – and they want to hear from you. Plus, a conversation with the new director of the RISD Museum. All that and more on this episode of The Weekly Catch.

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This week, U.S. Senators addressed the crisis of migrant children working in dangerous jobs across the country. But can a divided Congress work together to find solutions? And a conversation about tenants’ rights, a week after a condo complex in North Providence was abruptly condemned, leaving some residents living out of their cars. Also, the story of a local artisan who makes hand-carved gravestones. Plus, political reporter Ian Donnis on the week in politics. All that and more on this week’s show.

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Rhode Island officials are confident that this winter, they will be more prepared to help those experiencing homelessness than in previous years. We hear about the state’s new plan from Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor. Also, the Rhode Island Food Bank just released the 2023 Hunger Survey. What does it show about who in the state is going hungry? And a new commission in the Rhode Island State Senate is asking residents for their ideas to improve the strained relationship between teachers and leadership at Providence Public Schools. Plus, the week in politics, a conversation with AS220 founder Umberto Crenca about his new art show, and more.

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We talk with leaders from New England’s Jewish and Palestinian communities to hear about how they’re getting through these difficult times. Also, in the final part of our collaboration with oral history project Nuestras Raíces, we hear from Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera about how she overcame a fear of public speaking to become the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. And the URI Guitar Festival is right around the corner. Artscape Producer James Baumgartner talks with blues performer Jontavious Willis. Plus, Ian Donnis discusses possible names for the next Majority Whip in the Rhode Island legislature.

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A new investigation into a former Fall River police officer reveals flaws within the department’s internal affairs process. We talk with South Coast Bureau Reporter Ben Berke about some key takeaways from his report. And when José Gonzalez came to Rhode Island College in the 1970s, he felt like an outsider – we hear how that experience led him to create the Latin American Student Organization. Also, we give our review of the latest show at Trinity Rep: A dark comedy about a modern-day descendent of a woman executed during the Salem Witch Trials. Plus, the latest in politics, and a few things to do this week.

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A group of Pawtucket residents, elected officials and activists have been campaigning to save the city’s Morley Field. Now they say the city may have been violating land-use laws for years. And many people think of redlining as a thing of the past, but the justice Department this week found evidence of discriminatory lending in a number of American cities – including in Rhode Island. Also, we share the first in a series of stories from Latinos in Rhode Island, a new collaboration with a local oral history project. Plus, a conversation with a Sephardic musician who sings songs in Ladino set to original music.

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