The Public's Radio

Rhode Island Public Radio, also known as The Public's Radio, serves as the NPR affiliate for Rhode Island and parts of southeastern Massachusetts. The station's studios can be found in the historic Union Station in downtown Providence. It features a programming lineup that includes NPR shows like Morning Edition, On Point, and All Things Considered, along with a strong focus on local news reporting.

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New plan targets 15,000 more housing units in RI by 2030 - TPR: The Public's Radio

1 day ago | thepublicsradio.org | Ian Donnis

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and Housing Secretary Deborah Goddard unveiled Wednesday a plan to build 15,000 new housing units over the next five years through what Goddard called a “carrot” approach. “We’re going to set municipal goals for every community, both production goals and low-mod housing — low- and moderate-income housing goals — and we’re going to reward progress,” Goddard said during a Statehouse news conference.
RI Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, 76, has died

3 days ago | thepublicsradio.org | Ian Donnis

Rhode Island Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, 76, the longest serving lawmaker in the state and an influential local political player for decades, died early Monday. “It is with deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio earlier this morning,” the Senate said in a statement. “We are so grateful for the love and support of his friends and colleagues.
TGIF: Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for April 18, 2025

6 days ago | thepublicsradio.org | Ian Donnis

Is it too much to yearn for a major motion picture about Buddy Cianci and a cool indie about the Dorr Rebellion? You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, threads and X. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. ***1. STORY OF THE WEEK: If the sine qua non of President Donald Trump is about pushing boundaries, the apex of that tendency is coming front and center.
Amid tariff battle, support for Trump remains strong in his best Rhode Island community

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Ian Donnis

Don Fox has a front row seat to the trade war between the Trump administration and China. That’s because his Burrillville, Rhode Island-based company, Alashan Cashmere, imports cashmere sweaters made in China. Now, tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump threaten to bring Fox’s business to a standstill for the fall season. The tariffs on the products he imports now range from 140-160%, Fox said.
Meet Kwame Dawes, Brown University professor and new poet laureate of Jamaica

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Luis Hernandez

Kwame Dawes is a poet, actor and musician whose work is shaped by a journey that started in Ghana, where he was born, all the way to Jamaica, where he was raised. Dawes, who joined the staff at Brown University in 2024, was recently named the poet laureate for Jamaica. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with Dawes about his journey, his poetry, what it means to be a poet laureate, and the current environment on college campuses. This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Smiley outlines tax increases for property owners

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Olivia Ebertz

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley on Tuesday released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2026, which begins on July 1. “This year’s City budget was exceptionally difficult to balance,” he said. According to the mayor, the city had to dig into its finances this year to find funding for its public schools, due to a lawsuit settlement from November. Smiley hopes to find the extra funding in property taxes, increases in city fines and fees, and cost-saving measures from city departments.
How psychiatric patients get caught in a cycle of homelessness and spotty care

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Aaron Bolton

When L tells the story of her mom — and how she’s stuck in a repetitive cycle of mental health crises and bouts of homelessness — she refers to a thick stack of papers and notes she’s accumulated along the way. L has spent more than a year trying to navigate Montana’s mental health system, searching for anyone who could help her mom manage her symptoms and achieve enough stability to get off the streets and into a permanent home.
Reed, Magaziner say GOP plan is to slowly kill Social Security

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Ian Donnis

While Republicans have long accused Democrats of using scare tactics to fan fears about Social Security, two Rhode Island Democrats say the GOP’s planned cuts to the taxpayer-funded retirement system speak for themselves. U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner were among those who spoke Tuesday at a mid-day news conference at the St. Martin De Porres Center, a senior center in Providence.
How do we solve the climate change home insurance crisis?

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Juliana Merullo |Megan Hall

Megan Hall: Welcome to Possibly, where we take on huge problems, like the future of our planet, and break them down into small questions with unexpected answers. I’m Megan Hall. Journalists, researchers and politicians have been sounding the alarm in recent months about a new industry impacted by climate change: home insurance. In the past two episodes we’ve looked in to what the problem is and how different states are approaching it.
R.I. feels impact of Trump tariffs, the battle for South County Hospital, and more

1 week ago | thepublicsradio.org | Luis Hernandez |Mareva Lindo

President Trump has upended global markets with a series of executive actions on import tariffs. We talk with a URI economist about the potential impact here in Rhode Island and some ways the state’s economy has already been affected. Also: the battle over the future of South County Hospital continues. Reporter Lynn Arditi tells us what’s driving the dispute and what’s at stake. And: Can you name five women artists?