RI has had at least two seats in the US House of Representatives since 1792, following the nation’s first census of 1790. Due to population shifts expected in the upcoming census of 2020, RI is widely anticipated to lose one. Because the US Constitution provides that each state must have at least one seat, RI would […]
Record Store Day is fast approaching on April 13, so mark your calendars! This celebration comes round once a year to recognize the important role independent record stores play in their communities and the lives of people who love music. A quick download has nothing on the tactile experience of flipping through albums, having access […]
On the evening of June 15, 2013, Breanna Mitchell’s SUV broke down on the side of a country road in rural Texas. Fortunately for Mitchell, local mother and daughter Hollie and Shelby Boyles stopped to help, as did passing youth pastor Brian Jennings. With things looking up, the newfound friends exchanged pleasantries as they worked to […]
The Rhode Island General Assembly, currently comprising a 38-member Senate and 75-member House, long facing criticism for undemocratic processes where decisions are made by a tiny cabal of leaders who punish dissenters by stripping them of committee assignments and their share of patronage pork, has announced plans for significant expansion. “The General Assembly should be […]
Did you ever see the episode of “The Simpsons” where Lisa Simpson (the most intelligent member of the family) gets invited to join the Springfield chapter of Mensa? That’s how it felt to walk into Providence’s What Cheer Writers Club (WCWC). If that reference falls flat for you, Lisa (often treated like the black sheep, […]
To the Editor, On Sunday, March 24, The Boston Globe published an op-ed by Paul Krugman titled “Holy Voodoo Batman” in which he notes that the Trump tax cut boom has fizzled, and no one thinks that it had more than the most short-term effect on the American economy. Growth rates, for myriad reasons, are […]
The Whale Guitar is the brainchild of Jen Long, designed by local artist William Schaff and created by Rachel XXX. Long said of the guitar, “Our mission is to advocate for ocean health and whale protection far inland, beyond the site of the ocean, through the fans of the guitarists who play the Whale Guitar. If people […]
A group of RI women from Kent County went to Washington for the Women’s March after inauguration day in 2017 and came back with a taste for more. They called themselves the Rhode Island ReSisters and focused their efforts on Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned WJAR, which has been required by their parent company to run news packages […]
On February 13, State Senator Sam Bell (District 5) submitted a law (S-0317) into the Senate Judiciary committee that sets criteria for sexual assault and criminal offense if you’re in the custody of a peace officer. Peace officers can be state or municipal police, bailiffs, correctional investigators and officers along with a laundry list of […]
Gov. Gina Raimondo’s proposed annual budget seeks a wide variety of new taxes, but the most legally dubious is a tax on “Lobbying Services as defined in §42-139.1-3(a)(3) ([North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code] 541820),” which reads “‘Lobbying’ means acting directly or soliciting others to act for the purpose of promoting, opposing, amending, or […]