The Public's Radio and WBUR Partnership

The Public’s Radio in Rhode Island and WBUR have a partnership in which the news organizations collaborate and share stories.

More than a hundred students from Brown University gathered on the main campus green on Monday to support their peers on hunger strike. (Olivia Ebertz/ The Public’s Radio)

Brown University Board won’t vote on divestment amid student hunger strike

Brown University president Christina Paxson is continuing to decline to bring forward proposals to divest the school’s endowment from companies protesters say perpetuate and profit from “human rights abuses in...

Local Coverage

Feb 6, 2024

Construction crews work on the eastbound lanes of the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I., Aug. 4, 2007. (Stew Milne/AP)

Potential rebuild of key R.I. bridge could take two years, federal official says

Officials are considering how to repair a key Rhode Island bridge that was abruptly shut down in December due to structural issues. If the westbound portion of the bridge needs...

Local Coverage

Feb 6, 2024

The outside of the Fall River police department.(Gretchen Ertl via The Public's Radio)

Jury finds Fall River cop guilty of covering up police station beating

Nicholas M. Hoar, a policeman with a long record of violent incidents during his four years of active duty, including a fatal police shooting in 2017, was found guilty of...

Local Coverage

Feb 2, 2024

The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. (Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Brown University looks to repatriate over 80 native remains

The Haffenreffer Museum at Brown University wants to return the roughly 86 human remains in its collection to their rightful tribes of origin before transferring its full collection to Providence...

Local Coverage

Jan 22, 2024

Wind turbine components are organized on the dock at New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. The pieces will be assembled at sea as part of the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm.(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Vineyard Wind jobs report offers look into offshore wind industry employment

A jobs report submitted to Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources digs into data provided by Vineyard Wind’s contractors and provides some of the clearest employment figures yet, offering a significant...

Environment

Dec 20, 2023

The Prysmian Group plans to build its factory on the former site of New England's largest coal-fired power plant. (Image courtesy of the The Prysmian Group via The Publicc's Radio)

Somerset approves tax cut to secure new offshore wind cable factory

A tax cut approved by a town meeting in Somerset Monday night clears the way locally for a project that politicians from Beacon Hill to the White House have heralded...

Environment

Nov 8, 2023

Charlie Borden's goal is always to fish the limit. With his Massachusetts permit, that's 500 pounds per day. (Olivia Ebertz/The Public's Radio)

Why are we seeing more black sea bass in Rhode Island and Massachusetts?

A recent report shows that local landings of black sea bass are higher than ever before thanks in part to warming waters pushing the fish further north.

Local Coverage

Aug 11, 2023

Michael Pessoa, pictured, served more than 18 years as a police officer in Fall River. He was fired in 2022. (Ben Berke/The Public's Radio)

Ex-Fall River cop sentenced to prison in police brutality case

Former police officer Michael Pessoa will serve at least a year and a half in state prison after a jury convicted him of using excessive force and covering it up...

Local Coverage

Jun 23, 2023

Construction resumed June 1 on the country's first major offshore wind project, following a picket by the International Longshoremen's Association. (Ben Berke/The Public's Radio)

Work resumes on Vineyard Wind after union protest causes six-day delay

A picket by the International Longshoremen’s Association halted construction on America's first major offshore wind farm for nearly a week. The union accused the project’s developer, Vineyard Wind, of falling...

Local Coverage

Jun 5, 2023

Workers from Local 1413 of the International Longshoremen's Association picket at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal on Friday, May 26, 2023. (Ben Berke/The Public's Radio)

New Bedford longshoremen’s union extends protest against offshore wind developer

Members of a New Bedford longshoremen’s union are protesting over hiring decisions related to construction of the nation’s first major offshore wind farm.

Local Coverage

May 31, 2023

The Ash Street Jail, which opened in 1888, in New Bedford. (Ben Berke/The Public's Radio)

New Bedford houses one of the oldest jails in the country. A new sheriff wants to close it

A former sheriff described the conditions at the jail "Dickensian" and groups have frequently called for its closure. Last week, just 15 days into his new role as Bristol County...

Local Coverage

Jan 25, 2023

Family plans to sue Fall River police for fatal shooting of Anthony Harden

A letter Harden’s family sent to Fall River officials on Thursday questions the credibility of the police narrative of the shooting, calling attention to the “extremely suspicious” location of a...

Local Coverage

Jan 20, 2023

A photo of Larry Ruiz-Barreto's car taken after a fatal police shooting in 2017. (Courtesy of Bristol County District Attorney's Office via Joseph J. Voccola & Associates)

Falsification charges against Fall River cop prompt calls to reinvestigate his past

The family of Larry Ruiz-Barreto wants the FBI to reinvestigate the police shooting that killed the 19-year-old after the officer involved was recently charged with filing false reports in another...

Local Coverage

07:06Jan 19, 2023

The Red Ink Community Library is a nonprofit located in Providence’s Mt. Hope neighborhood. (Nina Sparling/The Public's Radio)

Group interrupts book reading in Providence with Nazi imagery

The Red Ink Community Library — a nonprofit library, reading room and organizing space in Providence’s Mt. Hope neighborhood — said the group interrupted an event celebrating the 174th anniversary...

Local Coverage

Feb 22, 2022

President Joe Biden speaks about the government's COVID-19 response in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Biden to send military personnel to help hospitals in Rhode Island as COVID-19 cases surge

Starting next week, 1,000 military medical personnel will begin arriving to help mitigate staffing crunches at hospitals across the country, including Rhode Island.

Health

Jan 13, 2022

For 10 months, the CDC's moratorium delayed the last step in the eviction process: the tenant's removal from their home. (Ben Berke/The Public's Radio)

A Last Defense For Thousands Facing Eviction In R.I. And Mass. Will Expire This Weekend

The federal moratorium on evictions expires July 31, exposing thousands of families in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to removal from their homes after they fell behind on rent during the...

Local Coverage

Jul 30, 2021

Rhode Island Becomes 1st State To Approve Supervised Drug-Injection Centers

A supervised drug-injected center is a place where people can safely inject illegal drugs. Supporters of these centers say it can save lives.

Here & Now

04:49Jul 22, 2021

Neyda DeJesus, the residential director at the Women's Resource Center, said staff have worked longer hours this past year to keep the center operating through the pandemic. The building is currently open to clients by appointment. (Antonia Ayres-Brown/The Public's Radio)

Domestic Violence Advocates Describe Increased Demand For Support Services During Pandemic

Rhode Island saw a surge in calls to domestic violence helplines in 2020, as people were directed to stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As much of the...

Local Coverage

05:11May 14, 2021

Natasha Viveiros, RN, works to vaccinate a patient at the Chafee Health Center in Providence. (Brett Davey/Providence Community Health Centers via RIPR)

Language, Socioeconomic Barriers Make Getting Shots To Vulnerable R.I. Residents ‘A Marathon, Not A Sprint’

Health officials in Rhode Island are working to make vaccine distribution more equitable. They’ve produced outreach videos in multiple languages, lowered the age criteria for some hard-hit zip codes, and...

Local Coverage

07:55Mar 5, 2021

Joseph Rose, 66, of Portsmouth, says he was unaware when he signed up for a vaccine that Clinica Esperanza's mission is to serve the hardest-hit neighborhoods. (Gretchen Ertl for The Public's Radio)

Hundreds From Across R.I. Sign Up For COVID-19 Shots Meant For Hard-Hit Neighborhoods

More than 70% of the people vaccinated at a clinic intended for residents of a Providence neighborhood with many immigrants and essential workers over a week in mid-February were seniors...

Local Coverage

04:52Mar 4, 2021