Political violence and elections in Trumplandia
That Kavanaugh victory party feels like it was so long ago. The GOP sounds nervous again. The mid-term elections are a referendum on Trump, so Trump declares. If the Trump-sympathetic doesn’t judge their well-being in stock market performances, it’s going to be hard to say they are better off now than 2 years ago. Hell, […]
Providence, Central Falls sue Jeff Sessions and Justice Department
The cities of Providence and Central Falls—and in a separate suit, the state of Rhode Island—are taking the Department of Justice and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to court over its manipulation of federal grant funds to support the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration agenda. The grant in dispute is the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice […]
Single-payer is better for businesses, says one expert
Dr. James Cowan has seen how health insurance works from multiple angles and both sides of the pond, consulting for the National Health Service, the United Kingdom’s public health-care system, to serving as an expert for the health-care insurer Aetna here in the United States. Now acting as an advisor for the Rhode Island Health […]
Spicer claims Cohen doesn’t have info against Trump during sparse book-signing
I had time to ask Sean Spicer, the former press secretary under President Trump for six months last year, exactly one question during his book signing at a Middletown Barnes and Noble on Friday. I asked: “This week, reports were released saying that Michael Cohen testifies that Donald Trump knew about a meeting of campaign […]
Stage set for progressives to take over Rhode Island
As the deadline to run for elected office came and went Wednesday afternoon, there are more than a few political newcomers—many young, and many centered around social justice—that could constitute the makings of a progressive wave in Rhode Island. Governor Most notable might be the governor’s race, where Matt Brown promises to give incumbent Governor […]
Graduate workers at Brown dodge Trump’s labor board in historic agreement
Graduate workers at Brown University announced a landmark agreement with the university Thursday afternoon, paving the way for one of the first collective bargaining agreements for graduate employees at a private institution in the country. Graduate teaching and research assistants at public universities have long had access to collective bargaining rights, as they fall under […]
Cicilline describes life inside, and politics behind, tender age detention centers
“It’s horrific,” said Congressman David Cicilline. “It’s barbaric.” The Rhode Island Democrat was describing what he saw after visiting immigration detention centers on the Texas/Mexico border this weekend where President Donald Trump’s family separation policy is playing out as a moral and political crisis before America’s and the world’s eyes. “It is horrifying to see […]
Reed, Whitehouse counter forced separation of undocumented families
Sen. Jack Reed and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse renounced the Trump administration’s separation of immigrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border during a meeting of immigration advocates, community leaders, and pediatricians at Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island on Monday. Both senators have announced their support for the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by California Senator Dianne […]
Date set for climate lawsuit brought by kids against U.S. government
On Thursday, April 12, 2018, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon set October 29, 2018, as the first day of trial in the landmark constitutional climate lawsuit brought by 21 American youth against the U.S. government. This development follows multiple rulings issued in favor of the youth plaintiffs in Juliana v. United […]
Ninth Circuit rules in favor of youth plaintiffs in constitutional climate trial
Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas, writing for a unanimous three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, rejected the Trump administration’s “drastic and extraordinary” petition for a court order to drop the landmark climate lawsuit brought by 21 youth supported by Our Children’s Trust. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon lifted the […]
Doug Jones won, but it was the Washington Post that beat Roy Moore
By many Americans’ standards, Roy Moore is the worst congressional candidate in a long, long time. He thinks America was better during slavery, he thinks homosexual relationships should be illegal, and he thinks there should be a religious requirement to serve in Congress. He’s openly loyal is to Christianity and the Bible before America and […]
Christiane Amanpour, new PBS talk show host, first studied journalism at URI
When Christiane Amanpour takes over from Charlie Rose on Monday night, she’ll be assuming one of the highest profile positions in journalism. It’s a long way from Kingston, Rhode Island, where the famed CNN foreign correspondent received her first formal journalism training as an undergrad at the University of Rhode Island. The newly-minted PBS late […]
Who’s been accused of sexual misconduct, in seven charts
Long gone are the days when Harvey Weinstein was best known as the producer of “Pulp Fiction.” The disgraced movie executive may not even be best remembered for sexually preying on aspiring young actresses then launching Putin-worthy smear campaigns against the ones he thought might expose his behavior. Instead his ultimate claim to fame might […]
RI House delegation doesn’t follow Pelosi’s lead on superdelegates
Superdelegates aren’t sacrosanct to the Democrats’ presidential nominating process, as evidenced by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s willingness to rail against their role yesterday at the Community College of Rhode Island (and Sunday on CNN). But that doesn’t mean every House Democrat will follow her lead and speak out against the process that gives state […]
Berniecrats feel vindicated by Brazile’s book
In December 2015 I wrote an article about why I believed Debbie Wasserman Schultz was impeding democracy. At that point the focus was on the debate schedule, The Sanders’ campaign Van access denial and other issues. Fast forward to November 2017, almost 2 years later, and all over the news are additional revelations about democracy […]
Nancy Pelosi dodges on Donna Brazile book but dis’ed superdelegates
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi doesn’t want to talk about Donna Brazile’s new book. “Today we are very close to one year from last year’s election and one year from next year’s election,” said Pelosi, who was in Rhode Island for a Jamestown fundraiser on Sunday and then a stop at the Community College of […]
Sheldon Whitehouse grills Facebook, Twitter, Google on Russian hacking
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse co-chaired a subcommittee hearing yesterday that shed new light on the extent to which Russian operatives used social media to turn American voters against one another in the run up to the 2016 election. “We are trying in the Subcommittee to lay out the Kremlin playbook on election interference generally,” Whitehouse told […]
RI reacts to Trump decision to keep EPA from presenting local climate findings
The authors and supporters of a new report called The State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed hoped the new report would help call attention to the dire effects of climate change on coastal Rhode Island. Instead, the report is calling attention to the dire effects of the Trump Administration on science and speech. “I […]
RI delegation chides Trump for administrative dismantling of Obamacare
Rather than dismantling Obamacare through executive orders, Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump and Republicans to work with Democrats to fix the Affordable Care Act. The four Democrats oppose Trump’s executive orders that would allow for cheaper plans with fewer benefits and stop subsidies for some poor people’s health care. Senator Jack Reed […]
Burrillville shines at EFSB’s last public comment hearing
“I think this was an amazing public comment hearing,” said EFSB Chair Margaret Curran after the speakers were finished.
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