U.S. labor secretary gives thanks to Cranston firefighters but takes no questions from press

Why the secret Labor Day visit?

By Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

The US Dept. of Labor marked Labor Day by hanging a
giant Big Brother banner from its DC headquarters

The first official visit to Rhode Island by a member of Donald Trump’s cabinet turned out to be a largely private affair. 

U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer met with Cranston firefighters at their Pontiac Avenue headquarters Thursday afternoon as part of her “America at Work” listening tour. 

The secretary’s staff and security detail drove directly into the fire department’s bay-windowed garage shortly before 1 p.m., closed the doors, then opened them once she was inside. Reporters were kept at a distance, and the secretary was kept out of sight. Firefighters then ran through demonstrations in baggy, fluorescent-colored hazmat suits as the secretary toured the station inside.

A few hours before the event, Hunter Lovell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor, said via email that Thursday’s visit builds on Chavez-DeRemer’s celebration earlier this year of National Apprenticeship Day, when she hosted the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) for a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on new apprenticeship standards for first responders. 

"This is bullshit."

Labor & political leaders oppose Trump's Revolution Wind stop-work order

Steve Ahlquist

“We are here for what I call a reckless move by the current administration that will have a detrimental impact not only on Rhode Island, but on our renewable energy quest up and down the East Coast,” said Michael Sabitoni, General Secretary-Treasurer of LiUNA and President of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. [It will halt] “the momentum that started here almost 20 years ago with the vision and the courage to address Rhode Island’s energy needs and all the hard work that went into building an offshore wind industry from scratch, with both Republican and Democratic administrations over the last 20 years...”

Sabitoni was speaking at a press conference held in Quonset, home to Ørsted’s Regional Offshore Wind Logistics and Operations Hub and several Rhode Island-built crew transfer vessels supporting the project.

“We’ve got a massive energy project offshore that is 80% complete, employing hundreds of tradesmen and women, that we are counting on to deliver almost 700 megawatts of much-needed power to our grid,” continued Sabitoni. “This is bullshit.”

The press conference, which included political and labor leaders, as well as construction workers, was held to condemn Donald Trump’s reckless stop-work order halting construction on Revolution Wind - a multibillion dollar offshore wind development that is 80% complete (with 506 megawatts installed of the 704 megawatt system) and critical to the region’s economy and energy future. The Trump administration’s effort to abruptly halt the project threatens thousands of local jobs, jeopardizes hundreds of millions of dollars in economic investment, and would increase electricity prices and impact grid reliability across New England.

“Hardworking men and women have dedicated time, effort, and training in a very difficult environment to build this complex offshore wind project,” continued Sabitoni. “The biggest little state in the union has a saying, ‘We are small, but extremely sophisticated.’ Rhode Island is the birthplace of the offshore wind industry, and it’s going to be Rhode Island that sends a message that this is our energy future. We need to continue to provide reliable, cost-effective energy for the citizens of Rhode Island and the New England region.”

Also speaking were Governor Daniel McKee, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, Patrick Crowley, President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO and Co-chair of Climate Jobs RI, and Rachel Miller, Chief External Relations Officer at Building Futures. Dozens of union workers and climate advocates were also in attendance.

Here’s the video: "This is bullsh*t." Labor and political leaders oppose Trump's Revolution Wind stop-work order - YouTube

Over $370K Grants Awarded to Local Food System Businesses

Funding may be the last from USDA program killed by Trump

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) have announced over $370K in Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grants to seven local food businesses and organizations. Funded by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), these equipment grants support supply chain resilience and food system sustainability.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This program is one of dozens wiped out by the Trump Regime. These may be the last grants we will see for the foreseeable future. For a complete list of USDA food programs axed by trump, CLICK HERE.  – Will Collette

“I'm glad the state is distributing these federal RFSI funds that were made available under the Biden Administration to local projects that will strengthen the resilience in Rhode Island’s food system and create new revenue streams for small and mid-sized farmers and producers,” said Senator Jack Reed. “This federal investment will benefit food producers statewide and help get more fresh, Rhode Island-grown food and products to tables, grocery stores, and restaurants across the region and beyond.”

“Families across the Ocean State deserve access to affordable, healthy food,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. “This latest round of funding will support six small businesses as they connect more Rhode Islanders with fresh products from local farmers and fishermen.”

“This funding for Rhode Island’s food infrastructure is a win for local farmers and consumers. By strengthening our state’s food supply chain, we’re not only supporting small businesses but also ensuring that more locally grown food reaches Rhode Islanders,” said Representative Seth Magaziner. “I’m glad to see these federal dollars at work, and I’ll always fight to bring more of our tax dollars home to strengthen Rhode Island’s food supply and lower food costs.”

“At a time of rising prices — from eggs to produce and other grocery staples — it’s important that we bolster Rhode Island’s food supply chains and infrastructure,” said Representative Gabe Amo. “This funding will help support farmers in our state who rely on local markets to sell their products while also delivering fair wages for laborers and fair prices for consumers. I look forward to continuing to work as a delegation to bring these federal resources home to help bring down prices and put healthy on the table for families.”

These grants will help expand the production and distribution of RI Grown products by improving local capacity for processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, and selling products like specialty crops, dairy, grains, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry. The grant awardees are:

New Pell Center poll shows little overlap between RI Republicans and Democrats on the health of U.S. democracy, the economy, and immigration policy.

Dan McKee's approval rating continues to tank

Pell Center, Salve Regina University 

Download full report here. 

Well over half of registered voters in Rhode Island believe the United States democracy is not healthy, though the level of concern varies by political party, according to a new survey from Salve Regina University’s Pell Center. 

The survey was directed by Pell Center Associate Director and Fellow Katie Sonder and fielded by Embold Research between June 16-22, 2025.  It gathered responses from 804 registered voters in Rhode Island, with a modeled margin of error of 3.6 percent. 

Survey respondents are those registered to vote in Rhode Island who voted in the 2024 presidential election. The survey results show large divides between the major political parties, highlighting two very different lived realties between Democrats and Republicans.

Over half of registered Democrats agree that the United States is operating as a democracy, but 80% say it is not healthy and 94% believe we are facing a constitutional crisis. Democrats perceive a decline in the strength of the checks and balance system, which likely bolsters their sense of democratic backsliding. Only one-third (32%) agree the system is strong while 64% agree that country has fallen into dictatorship. 

Republicans, on the other hand, are seven times more likely to agree that our democracy is healthy than they were in the June 2024 Voices of Value survey. Well over three-quarters of Republicans (83%) say policies from the Trump administration have helped them personally and the percent who agree that polarization has increased dropped by 15 percentage points between June 2024 (86%) and June 2025 (71%).

While all respondents tapped disinformation and fake news as a leading contributor to political polarization, just as they did in the June 2024 survey, the percent who believe political leaders add to the schism has increased. 

R.I. leaders are planning their next move after feds withhold $30M in K-12 funding

Where's our money?

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

State leaders are considering their next steps as they face the potential loss of nearly $30 million in federal education funding halted by the Trump administration — a cut that could devastate afterschool programs, multilingual learning, and adult education in Rhode Island.

The funding is part of the roughly $6.8 billion for K–12 school districts nationwide halted abruptly by the U.S. Department of Education last week, despite being earmarked by Congress for programs supporting migrant students and English learners, as well as educator training, school technology, and afterschool programs in high-poverty schools.

“This will impact every single school district in Rhode Island — everyone is going to feel this,” state Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green said at a press conference inside the Providence Career & Technical Academy’s library. “No one saw this coming, and we have been left in the dark.”

Funding was expected to be disbursed by the federal government on July 1. 

But just as the work day was wrapping up on June 30, Infante-Green said she received an 83-word email from the U.S. Department of Education. It stated the Trump administration would review federally-funded education programs in order to ensure “taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities.” 

The email did not provide any timeline on how long that review would take, and Infante-Green said she still has yet to hear anything back from the Trump administration.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said in an interview with Rhode Island Current. “Historically, we would have gotten projections and gotten the money on July 1.”

Rhode Island Democratic Leaders blast Trump’s Big, Beautiful Boondoggle

Trump and His Mean-Spirited Republican Congress Destroy Sixty Years of Progress

Statement from U.S. Senator Jack Reed

“Republicans knew this bill is a bad deal for their constituents and passed it anyway.  This bill goes against the self-interest of average Americans in favor of the ultra-wealthy and corporations.  It slashes the safety net out from under hardworking families – taking away health care from millions -- in order to give special interests bigger tax benefits.  Republicans structured the bill so the ultra-wealthy can cash out right away while the little guy and average taxpayers will get stuck paying the bill for years to come.

“During this unprecedented time of chaos and dysfunction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and miss the latest developments. But the negative impacts of this bill must cut through the noise. Americans must be informed about the consequences of this legislation and they deserve to hear plainly from their elected representatives about how this bill is going to impact their families.

“Republicans are shifting a heavier financial burden onto families, communities, hospitals, and states.  Taking away people’s health coverage doesn’t mean they stop getting sick or can’t see a doctor.  Health costs for everyone will rise.  And it takes away over one trillion dollars in federal funding that states and localities rely on to provide vital services like schools, transit, nutrition assistance and aid to families in crisis.

“This fiscally irresponsible giveaway to the wealthy and well-connected is a debt-busting disaster.  It will cost U.S. taxpayers trillions of dollars in interest payments and Republicans unilaterally approved a record-breaking $5 trillion dollar debt limit increase.  But that’s just debt already incurred – this bill will add trillions of dollars in future debt when it’s all said and done, with little to no long-term benefit for middle- and working-class families. 

“Whatever short-term economic benefits this bill may offer, it will do lasting destructive damage to U.S. finances and young Americans will be forced to pay for it long after Donald Trump is gone.”

Statement from U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

“Trump’s Big, Beautiful-for-Billionaires Bill is one massively destructive piece of legislation.  Cooked in back rooms, dropped at midnight, and fraudulently scored, it increases costs for everyone by walloping the health care system, making families go hungry, and sending utility bills through the roof.  It saddles our children and grandchildren with trillions and trillions of dollars in debt – all to serve giant corporations, fossil fuel polluters, and billionaire Republican megadonors who are already among the richest people on the planet.”

Statement from Congressman Seth Magaziner

“Republicans in Congress have jammed through a bill that guts programs working people rely on to hand out tax breaks to the wealthiest people on the planet.

“The final version will cause millions of people to lose their health insurance, and will increase costs for millions more by slashing Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. It also cuts over $100 billion from SNAP, which helps 40 million Americans put food on the table, and will eliminate good-paying clean energy jobs in Rhode Island and across the country.

“This bill represents the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the ultra-wealthy in U.S. history, and is a shameful betrayal of the basic promise that the government should work for everyone, not just those at the top.

“Today, I voted ‘no’ and I will keep fighting back against cruel attacks on working Rhode Islanders. Despite today’s setback, our fight to lower costs and improve quality of life for working people will continue.”

RI Delegation Demands Reinstatement of National Endowment for the Humanities Grants for Ocean State Organizations

Termination of active grants and decision to not award grants will cause harm

Among the many projects Trump cancelled

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, demanded the Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Michael McDonald, reinstate active grants in Rhode Island. 

Combined with the cancellation of upcoming awards for Fiscal Year 2025, the congressional delegation outlined the harms of cancellation, including the devastating effects on the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities and the Providence Clemente Veterans Initiative.  

“Rhode Island organizations will be devastated by NEH grant cancellations. 

The NEH’s cancellation of the $530,000 Rhode Island Council for the Humanities General Operating Support grant may force the organization to pause programs that provide civic education programs for young people, serve veterans, and support historical sites,” wrote the lawmakers. 

“We urge you to promptly reinstate all NEH grants to Rhode Island organizations and reverse the decision to end grants for Fiscal Year 2025. 

FULL TEXT OF LETTER:

Rhode Island's members of Congress work anti-hunger programs from Musk/Trump attacks

Standing united 

As the Trump Administration arbitrarily cuts and freezes critical assistance for food pantries, schools, and local farmers, Rhode Island food banks and school nutrition advocates are preparing for the fallout: increased childhood hunger, more struggling families, and a shift in burdens from the federal government to local schools, governments, and non-profits. 

All four members of Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation joined the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Economic Progress Institute (EPI) for a virtual town hall to discuss the evolving situation and help food pantries and soup kitchens strategically plan for the future. 

During the public forum, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo discussed how the Trump Administration is putting food assistance on the chopping block and outlined their opposition to proposed Republican cuts to essential programs that Rhode Islanders rely on like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as Medicaid, and other core government services. 

They noted that this week, the Trump administration moved to cut another $1 billion for food aid by cancelling the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program which provided funding for states to purchase food from local farmers and fishers for hunger relief distribution and the Local Food for Schools and Child Care Cooperative Agreement Program which provided funding for the purchase of local foods to be used in school meals. 

Farm Fresh RI operated these programs in Rhode Island and the Trump Administration cancellation means Rhode Island schools and food pantries will lose roughly $3 million in nutrition assistance funding. 

UPDATED:: ver $1M in Grants Awarded to Support RI's Local Food System

This could be the last time the USDA funds these grants

UPDATE: The Providence Journal reports that federal funds for food and farming programs have been frozen or cancelled by President Musk. This has led to Farm Fresh Rhode Island to have to lay off 8 of its 48 staff with more cuts likely to happen. Rep. Seth Magaziner calls these cuts illegal. The Trump regime calls these programs "non-essential." These among many other issues will be adjudicated in the federal courts.   - Will Collette

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) is announcing over $1M in Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grant awards to four local food businesses and organizations. 

These projects support the development of RI Grown products and will support expanded capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling, and distribution of locally produced food products, including specialty crops, dairy, grains for consumption, aquaculture, and other food products, excluding meat and poultry. 

DEM’s RFSI Grant Program is funded through American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants that directly support middle of the supply chain activities in RI’s local food system. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Virtually all programs like this are targets of cuts by President Musk and King Donald.  On Wednesday, I sent DEM this message:

First, has DEM actually received the funding from the USDA to support the current grant award? It looks like just the kind of funding that President Musk seeks to impound. 

If the funding has been held up, is restoration of funding part of AG Neronha's litigation against the Trump administration?

Has DEM been given any indication whether the RFSI grant program will continue?  

I did not get a response

- Will Collette

Thousands gathered at Rhode Island State House to protest Trump, Musk and "lawless billionaires"

Protests grow around the country against President Musk and King Donald

Steve Ahlquist

Hey Charlestown. Is this guy not a dead-ringer
for ex-CCA leader Tom Gentz? It's not, of course,
but the resemblance is uncanny. - Will Collette.
Steve Ahlquist photo.

On Saturday, Thousands gathered on the south side of the Rhode Island State House to “fight back against the lawless billionaires that are defying the Constitution and ignoring a United States District Court ruling in Rhode Island.” I covered the words of United States Representatives Seth Magaziner (Democrat, District 1, Rhode Island) and Gabe Amo ((Democrat, District 2, Rhode Island) here.

To help Rhode Islanders in need, the rally raised a large amount of food and additional monetary donations for the Rhode Island Food Bank, which faces State and federal cuts. Six SUVs and trucks were filled with food.

Indivisible RI organized the event in partnership with Climate Action RI, RI Working Families Party, Black Lives Matter RI PAC, and Reclaim RI.

Here’s the video: Fight Back & Give Back: RI Protects Our Own from Lawless Billionaires

The transcript has been edited for clarity:

RI officials push back against illegal Trump actions

Rhode Island officials on guard as Trump tries to impose federal funding freeze

By Christopher Shea and Alexander Castro, Rhode Island Current

UPDATE: The Trump regime withdrew the funding freeze order after massive nationwide backlash. Unknown: what Trump will do next and the status of the lawsuits by Rhode Island and other states to block this illegal action.  - W. Collette

A Trump administration order to pause federal spending on Tuesday led to bureaucratic bedlam in Rhode Island and across the country as state government officials tried to assess the local impact of suddenly turning off federal spigots.

The maneuver also sabotaged a resolution introduced Tuesday afternoon by Rhode Island Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz, a North Smithfield Republican, congratulating Donald Trump on his “historic and extraordinary victory in the 2024 presidential election” and wishing him a successful presidency. 

It’s a tradition in the Rhode Island Senate to send congratulations to the new commander in chief. If de la Cruz’s resolution had passed, it would have directed the secretary of state to send a certified copy to the president. Alas, it failed in a 21-14 vote. Ten Democrats joined the four Republican senators who voted yes. 

In a statement issued late Tuesday night, de la Cruz said it had been her “sincere hope” that her colleagues would uphold the chamber’s tradition. “Despite being critical of policies of past Presidents, I have always wished them success — because I want America to succeed —  to become strong, safe, healthy, prosperous, and great again,” she said.

A Senate resolution congratulating Joe Biden passed in 2021. And the House version sponsored by House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale, a Foster Republican, passed Tuesday, as it did in 2017 after Trump’s first inauguration. There was no vote breakdown for the House resolution as the chamber approves all resolutions at the end of each session with a single voice vote, House spokesperson Larry Berman explained in an email.

The reason the Senate held a roll call vote for its resolution was because a senator objected to the voice vote, said Senate spokesperson Greg Paré.

Give us our money!

Port of Galilee & State Marine Facilities Awarded over $15M to Strengthen Climate Resilience

Vital infrastructure investment 

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), and the Congressional Delegation announces that Rhode Island has received a $15.5M Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award – the largest grant ever received by the state through the program – matched with state funds,to improve resilience to the increasing impacts of climate change. These funds will be used for a $17.2M project to elevate structures at the Port of Galilee in Narragansett and Wickford Dock. Additionally, a total of eight docks will be replaced at three DEM marine facilities – Galilee, DEM’s Division of Marine Fisheries’ Jerusalem facility, and DEM’s Division of Law Enforcement’s Wickford Marine Base. 

Climate change is causing extreme weather, inland and coastal flooding, and sea level rise, with scientific modeling predicting that these impacts will accelerate. Galilee is one of the largest ports on the East Coast, the 13th highest value fishing port in the country according to NOAA, and the 4th highest value fishing port on the East Coast. The grant will fund design strategies and marine construction projects to reduce hazards and improve operations at these facilities vital for public safety, commercial fishing, emergency response, and marine resource monitoring.  

The people want bread and circuses. They will definitely get a circus

It's hard to accentuate the positive, but I will try

By Will Collette

The Charlestown Citizens Alliance (CCA) got whipped again by Charlestown Residents United (CRU). All five CCA Council candidates were rejected. All five CRU candidates were elected.

The CRU picked up another Planning Commission seat.

The CCA's consolation prize, for what it's worth, was getting voters to reject most of the Charter revision questions the CCA opposed.

I am unspeakably shaken by Trump's win and the apparent loss of Congress to the MAGA mob, but there's nothing I can do about that except urge you all to get vaccinated and make whatever energy-saving improvements you need in your house before Bobbie Kennedy Jr. abolished the national vaccine program and the MAGA's wipe out green energy programs.

Over the coming weeks, we'll have time to ponder what else we must do, but for now, let's review the state and local results where for the most part, the good guys won.

Charlestown Town Council

Rippy Serra (CRU) edged out Deb Carney to win the right to the Town Council President's chair. Unless he declines, Deb would move to the VP slot. Voters re-elected 3rd-place finisher Steve Stokes, elected new Councilor Craig Marr of Breachway fame and gave Peter Slom his first full term.

The best CCA finisher, is Sarah Fletcher who ran as a Democrat and had the good fortune to appear first on the ballot. She finishes in 6th place and out of the money.

Planning Commission

CCA leader Ruth Platner and her dog's body Bonnita Van Slyke were soundly rejected by Charlestown voters, with Platner finishing 9th and Van Slyke in last place. Platner seems likely to stay on in her role as Planning Commissar where she can continue to terrorize small businesses and homebuilders. Maybe she'll let Van Slyke take notes for her.

Platner tried to make dark skies the town's marquee issue, but it clearly bombed with the voters.

 

For Planning Commission, the top vote getter was CRU candidate Glenn Babcock. Here are the Planning Commission results:

Charlestown Charter Revision Proposals

Charlestown voters voted on 11 proposed amendments to the Town Charter. Charlestown ballot questions. The CCA opposed five of those questions and had reservations about Question 8 which would prevent Council majorities from blocking the Council minority from putting items on Council meeting agendas. 

The CCA got their wish on four of the five questions they opposed. 

Voters rejected Question 7 and Question 15. Together, those questions would have equalized the terms of office for the Town Council and Planning Commission at four years, staggered. Voters also rejected Question 10 which would have made the use of a Search Committee to fill Town Administrator vacancies optional. 

In a victory for the Westerly Sun, voters turned down Question 9 which would have made it optional for the town to post notices in a print newspaper. Yeah ok, the Sun needs the revenue.

Voters ignored CCA opposition to Question 14 by approving it by almost 20 points. This vote means that emergency rescue services will now be included in the Town Charter as a basic municipal service. Why the CCA opposed this question is beyond me.

Instead the CCA devoted so much of its energy to trying to make Charlestown's dark sky this year's imaginary political crisis. They tried to convince voters that only they, the CCA, can protect our wonderful dark skies by blocking all development and buying more open space, even though more than 60% of Charlestown's land area is already protected open space. 

They also put a lot of energy into pushing their point of view on the Charter revision questions, perhaps at the expense of actually getting their people elected. Maybe this will work out for them in the long-run, but short-term, the voters inflicted a crushing blow to CCA power.

State Results 

As expected, Rhode Island voters have re-elected Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo by comfortable margins which is very good news. Their work in the new MAGA Congress will be a key part of any strategy to defend democracy, our basic rights and the environment against the attacks to come.

Controversial state Question 1 to convene a state Constitutional Convention lost big, as hoped. The other four state ballot questions, all for good job-creating programs, were approved by comfortable margins.

In local General Assembly races, all of South Kingstown's Democratic women won either by default or by wide margins. 

In the rematch for Senate District 38 between incumbent Sen. Victoria Gu and MAGA dude Westin Price, Victoria won by a handy 15 points. This district includes the southern half of Charlestown.

Charlestown's state Rep. Tina Spears was unopposed and thus automatically re-elected.

In Senate District 34 which includes the northern half of Charlestown, MAGA state Senator Elaine Morgan (R) beat Democrat Steve Moffitt. Last night, her margin seemed insurmountable at over 20 points, but by morning, that lead was trimmed to 8 points. Still, that doesn't count so she wins and will continue to grace the State House with her toxic personality for another term.

In neighboring House District 39, there was another rematch. Hardworking state Rep. Megan Cotter (D) faced MAGA insurrectionist Justin Price. Pundits predicted this race would be very close since Megan only won by 22 votes in 2022 and the district is one of the most conservative in the state.

They were wrong. This time, Price was sent home to watch The Price Is Right by a margin of 8 points and 654 votes.

What's next?

On the national level, I really don't know except to know that it's going to be bad.

I just turned 75. After a lifetime as an activist, it's hard to face this kind of loss though I am happy at what's happened here at home. Almost 15 years ago, Tom Ferrio and I started Progressive Charlestown as a counterweight to the Charlestown Citizens Alliance.

We did a lot of other stuff - lots of national politics, environmental news, weather reports and public service announcements, cartoons, science and astronomy. Basically whatever interested us and might interest you. A total of almost 30,000 separate posts.

Over 15 million people clicked on our posts, 2 million in the past year alone and almost 42,000 just yesterday. We never considered "monetizing" the site and just did it as a combination public service and source of entertainment for us as well as for you.

We accomplished the main thing we wanted to do when we started this thing: to bust the CCA. Now that this has been done, I am trying to decide if I want to continue and, if so, how much I am willing to put into it. I'm talking to family and friends but would also like to hear from you. 

I would really like to see others step up to keep the site going. 

Please e-mail us at Progressive Charlestown with your thoughts about its future direction. On

Harris Leads Trump by 14-percentage points in New Rhode Island Survey from Pell Center at Salve Regina University

Rhode Island voters Like Harris, Whitehouse, Magaziner and Amo. Dan McKee, not so much

* Less than or equal to 4% from each category said they plan to vote for another candidate, excluded here. Totals may not add to 100 due to rounding.

The survey was fielded by Embold Research on behalf of the Pell Center at Salve Regina University between September 16 and September 20, 2024, via the web and SMS messaging. It gathered responses from 876 likely voters in Rhode Island, with a modeled margin of error of 3.5%.  Jim Ludes and Katie Sonder directed the survey for the Pell Center.

Harris enjoys strong margins in most measured demographics, but—tracking with national polling—lags behind Trump with men who did not attend any college.  In that demographic, she trails Trump by 29 points.  In contrast, Harris enjoys a 55% margin among college educated women in Rhode Island.

The presidential race in Rhode Island seems to hinge on only a handful of issues.  When asked about the issue most important in determining their vote, 44% of Republicans cited immigration while 35% cited the economy.  Democrats are motivated by the health of American democracy (33%) and reproductive rights (24%).  Issues like crime, gun control, health care, education, foreign policy, climate change, taxes, and student loan forgiveness barely registered with voters.

With both U.S. Senate candidates and a TV station willing, at least one debate likely

Also, an update on Rhode Island's two US House of Representatives election

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

After coasting to victory in her Republican U.S. Senate primary race, state Rep. Patricia Morgan of West Warwick on Thursday challenged Democratic incumbent Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse to a public debate before early voting kicks off Oct. 16.

The Whitehouse campaign has indicated he’s willing, and one TV station has already extended invitations to both candidates.

Morgan had some practice when she taped a debate with her GOP primary opponent Raymond McKay Aug. 16 on WPRI 12. She went on to beat the former Warwick city administrator 64.5% to 35.5% in Tuesday’s primary. 

Whitehouse’s televised appearances during his Democratic primary against Michael J. Costa were strictly through paid advertisements. Rhode Island’s junior U.S. Senator fended off Costa’s long-shot bid 83.8% to 16.2%.

Eleven state legislative hopefuls drop out of signature certification deadline

No-hopers drop out

By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

By Matt Davies

Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has an unobstructed path to victory in the November election, after a would-be Republican challenger failed to turn in the required 50 signatures of district voters needed to make the November ballot.

Dana James Traversie, a Warwick Republican whose campaign website describes himself as a hacker with “zero political experience,” had initially signaled his intent to run against Shekarchi but did not appear to gather any signatures, according to the Rhode Island Department of State Elections Division portal. Traversie initially challenged Shekarchi in 2022, losing the general election race by a 20 percentage point margin.

Traversie in an interview Friday morning said he decided not to run in order to devote time and energy to helping Republican challengers in other state legislative races.

“Obviously going up against the Speaker of the House isn’t easy,” Traversie said. “I can put a ton of energy into that race and most likely lose. There are other races, based on my estimation, where I can offer more support and there is a chance.”

Traversie also said he plans to start raising money now in the hopes of mounting a more competitive campaign against Shekarchi in 2026.

Candidates for local, federal, and state office had 10 days in early July to gather signatures of registered voters — the amount depends on the office they are seeking — and turn them in to local boards of canvassers, who in turn reviewed the papers against voter registration files and other documents before submitting a certified, final signature count for each candidate to the state, due by 4 p.m. Thursday. Results were made available online later that night.

It’s not unusual for the signature gathering process to winnow the field, particularly for first-time or lesser known candidates. Indeed, none of the 11 dropouts from state legislative races based on final signature certifications are incumbent lawmakers. 

Biden's new solar energy plan will bring $50 million to Rhode Island

On Earth Day, RI Delegation Delivers $49.3M for Cost-Saving Clean Energy Upgrades

In an effort to make clean energy upgrades accessible to more Rhode Islanders, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo announced that the state will receive $49.3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Solar for All Program.

The Biden Administration’s $7 billion announcement of clean energy funding comes on Earth Day 2024 and was made possible by the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169), which Democrats passed in 2022. 

The funding secured for Rhode Island Equitable Access to Solar Energy (EASE) programs will support the launch and expansion of a comprehensive suite of seven financial assistance programs and twelve project deployment technical assistance initiatives designed to equitably address financial barriers to solar adoption. 

These initiatives will facilitate broader, more equitable access to reliable solar power across Rhode Island’s most historically underserved communities. 

According to Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER), these funds will help serve thousands of households in the Ocean State, help to unlock millions in household energy cost savings over time, and realize significant reductions in annual carbon dioxide emissions.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In 2017, we took advantage of the Solarize Charlestown to install solar panels at a discount. Over the past seven years despite living in a wooded area, our monthly electricity bill is much lower plus we get a monthly check from National Grid for their purchase of excess power our panels produce and feed into the grid. We've long past the break-even point. Charlestown ought to do this again and if they do, you ought to consider going solar.     - Will Collette

RI Congressional incumbents amass impressive campaign war chests

Lots of green helps keep RI Blue

By Janine L. Weisman, Rhode Island Current

Congratulations to Seth and wife Julia McDowell
on the birth of their new daughter, and son Max's
new sister. Not to mention the healthy
campaign war chest.

The state’s Democratic congressional delegates up for re-election this year are showing healthy war chests, according to first quarter campaign finance reports with the Federal Elections Commission.

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner reported he had over $1 million in cash on hand as of March 31 for his reelection bid to seek a second term in his 2nd Congressional District seat.

The first quarter filing deadline was Monday.

Republican Steven Corvi, a Warwick resident, formally announced his campaign to run for the 2nd Congressional District seat to the news media on April 13. Corvi, whose LinkedIn page says he has a Ph.D. in history, is listed as an adjunct history professor at Bentley University and Northeastern University. 

RI Congressional Delegation Urges SBA to Swiftly Assist Local Businesses Impacted by Washington Bridge Closure

Bridge closure is an economic disaster 

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting the agency to expeditiously review applications for economic assistance and provide updates on its efforts to deliver federal relief to local businesses. 

 

Following the sudden closure of the Washington Bridge, the federal delegation sent a letter to SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman to promptly review the state’s disaster assistance request. A week later, Administrator Guzman approved low-interest, long-term Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to ensure impacted small businesses could access low-cost financing they may need to stay afloat during this crisis. However, many RI businesses are struggling to access federal assistance.