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:

Trump’s Tariff Chaos Crushes RI Small Businesses While Big Corps Get Free Pass

Bad for Rhode Island businesses and consumers

By Uprise RI Staff

A new Bloomberg report reveals the devastating impact of Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policies on American small businesses, while a comprehensive survey of Rhode Island manufacturers shows local companies are bearing the brunt of what amounts to a massive tax on U.S. consumers.

The reality that Trump’s administration refuses to acknowledge is simple: tariffs are a tax paid by American consumers and businesses, not foreign countries. When the administration boasts about “billions” in tariff revenue flowing into U.S. coffers, they’re celebrating money extracted from the pockets of American companies and working families who ultimately pay higher prices for goods.

A devastating survey conducted by Polaris MEP, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, and the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association between May 20 and June 27, 2025, reveals the carnage. Of nearly 100 Rhode Island manufacturers surveyed, a staggering 78.3% reported they either have or plan to adjust prices due to federal tariff changes – meaning Rhode Island families will pay more for everything from food to medical devices.

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. 

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.”

Trump’s Cuts to Job Corps Will Hurt All of Us

GOP expects people to work while closing doors to opportunity

By Paul Epstein

EDITOR'S NOTE: Trump's attack on the Job Corps has had the Exeter Job Corps Academy on the brink of extinction. The ProJo reported on Senator Jack Reed's effort to keep the center open as well as his comprehensive rebuttal to the Trump regime false claims that Job Corps training programs are no longer needed. - Will Collette

On a bitterly cold morning this January, Brendan and Amare hopped into my Ford Explorer and we drove 30 miles to Grafton, Massachusetts.

Our destination: the Grafton Job Corps campus, one of 125 similar sites in all 50 states. These campuses provide housing, education, and vocational training to tens of thousands of young people aged 16-24 in need of support, guidance, and direction in their lives.

The program grew out of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and Great Society initiatives over 60 years ago — back when our federal government sought innovative solutions to problems plaguing our country.

Coast Guard’s plan to remove 38 R.I. buoys raises concerns among mariners

Trump regime tells Rhode Island boaters "do your own research"

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

A bright red buoy near the entrance to Sakonnet Harbor has long served as a waypoint for lobsterman Gary Mataronas when sailing back to Little Compton on foggy days.

“It’s a tremendous aid to navigation,” Mataronas, a Little Compton town councilor, said in an interview. 

The U.S. Coast Guard will accept written comments on the proposed buoy removals through June 13, 2025. The proposed changes can be seen at www.bit.ly/D1Buoy. Comments can be sent via email to D01-SMB-DPWPublicComments@uscg.mil.

Which is why he and other Rhode Island mariners are concerned over a proposal from the U.S. Coast Guard to remove more than three dozen navigational buoys from the state’s waterways, including the Sakonnet River buoy.

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:

McKee among the least popular governors in the nation, new poll finds

Even in true Blue Rhode Island, incumbent is widely disliked

By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current

Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current

Gov. Dan McKee remains among least popular governors across the country, according to new polling data released last week by Morning Consult.

Surveys conducted between January and March show 43% of Rhode Islanders approve of the job McKee is doing, with 41% of respondents disapproving. Around 16% of those surveyed for the first quarter of 2025 did not have an opinion on Rhode Island’s Democratic governor. 

That’s a six point drop in favorability from the same time last year. McKee’s disapproval rating remains unchanged, leaving him tied for the fourth-highest disapproval rating among the nation’s 50 governors. 

Democrat Tina Kotek of Oregon and Republican Ron DeSantis of Florida also had disapproval ratings at 41%.

Morning Consult’s latest poll comes a little over a month after McKee announced his intention to seek reelection in the 2026 gubernatorial race.

Campaign spokesperson Mike Trainor did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Coastal Land Conserved on Winnapaug Pond

Whether the funding actually holds up remains to be seen

Water Wizz, the land's prior use

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator Jack Reed, Governor Dan McKee, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), the Town of Westerly, and Save The Bay announced the conservation of 7.31 acres of coastal land on Winnapaug Pond in Westerly. 

This project was made possible by a $2.635 million grant award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Coastal Zone Management Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

The NOAA award enabled DEM to buy a conservation easement from the Town of Westerly for the Sorensen property, a six-acre undeveloped salt marsh, formerly the Water Wizz property in Winnapaug Pond. This protects valuable habitat, enhances coastal access, and helps buffer nearby communities from climate change and sea level rise in a highly developed area.  

EDITOR’S NOTE: Not so fast! Funding for this project may be subject to Musk-Trump blockage or even cancellation. Read HERE for some of the latest court action. While it’d be great to actually see this acquisition go through, the federal funding isn’t real yet. Far from it. Even if the funds are received and spent, Trump has been attempting to “claw-back” federal funding for a broad range of activities he doesn’t support. Trump is in a court battle over his order to clawback $20 billion in grants for climate related projects such as this. – Will Collette 

Senator Jack Reed shows the cost to Rhode Island from Trump's new national sales tax

Sen. Jack Reed blasts huge military security breech by Trump's national security officials

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: Charlestown State Senator Elaine Morgan’s racism continues to embarrass

Morgan is a disgrace

By Will Collette

UPDATED with the verbatim response from Morgan posted on-line by her. It appears at the end of this article.

Since her election in 2014, state Senator Elaine Morgan (R-MAGA) seems to aspire to new heights of stupidity and bigotry with every passing year. Morgan represents the northern half of Charlestown.

Morgan is crass, racist, ignorant and totally ineffective in representing her constituents. The contrast with her Senate colleague Victoria Gu who represents the southern half of Charlestown couldn’t be starker. Victoria is smart, classy and thoughtful, plus she delivers real results especially when it comes to coastal protection.

Yes, those are generalities, so let’s get to the most recent specific. WJAR reports that Morgan staged a late night, self-described DOGE-like raid on the newly opened ECHO Village Pallet shelters in Providence featuring new pre-fab one-room shelters. Apparently, this area became a new part of Morgan’s district.

Her Dogey fact-finding mission failed when her unannounced nighttime visit was turned away by security guards responsible for the safety and privacy of the site’s homeless residents.

How dare they!!!

So Morgan went to Facebook and posted this:

"I was not welcome [. – SIC] I was told by a Big Rolly Poly [SIC] Dark skinned man with a lanyard around his neck."

Apropos of nothing, she added:

"REALLY!! Guess I’ll be checking more into this HEAVILY FENCED GATED COMMUNITY [WTF?]. Where the smell of cannabis was overwhelming [SIC].”

According to WJAR, she changed the post several times and landed on this version:

"I was told by a Large Dark skinned [SIC] man with a lanyard around his neck. [SIC]'I was not welcome there [SIC] this is private property.'"

House of Hope photo

Laura Jaworski, director of the non-profit House of Hope that operates the facility gave this statement to WJAR:

"The state senator’s remarks are both uninformed and offensive. The language used to describe one of our staff members is unacceptable, and we will not tolerate the disparagement of our residents or our dedicated team…Furthermore, pulling up unannounced at night and demanding a tour of ECHO Village is entirely inappropriate. Our policies are in place to protect the safety, privacy, and dignity of the individuals we serve, many of whom have experienced significant trauma… At House of Hope, the safety and well-being of our residents and staff at ECHO Village are our top priorities. Our team works hard to create a compassionate environment where residents are connected with essential resources like case management and permanent housing supports."

Funding and Jurisdiction

Elaine Morgan conducted her raid without any authorization from the General Assembly or any other authority, despite her Facebook posting's claim that she is "with Fox News and Doge [SIC]." Did Elon Musk give her a DOGE badge or a subpoena? Did Fox News issue her with press credentials?

The project is well outside her district. The project was also funded by federal funds passed through the state and the City of Providence. As Senator Jack Reed pointed out:

“This project [Echo Village] is paid for entirely with over $4.5 million in federal funds that I helped deliver to enable the state to expand and improve its homelessness prevention services.  We need a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to ensure that no Rhode Islander experiencing homelessness is without access to safe, warm housing that protects them from the elements.”

The Preserve Residences, from their website.

Morgan whines about fencing and security. In fact, that fencing and security not only is designed to protect residents but also to accommodate the site’s neighbors. 

Echo Village is not, as Morgan claims, a “gated community.” No one but a fool would confuse the one-room pallet houses at Echo Village with, for example, the controversial Preserve Residences (see photo at right) in Morgan’s district which describes itself as “Your Own Private Luxury Retreat.”

This is not the first time Elaine Morgan abused her office to conduct her own private crusade. In 2015, I reported on a complaint filed against Morgan for using her then office as Hopkinton Town Sergeant to interfere in a complicated domestic dispute. The town sergeant does not have police power. 

Hopkinton Police took no action against Morgan on this complaint nor on another complaint filed against her. The Hopkinton Town Solicitor refused to release any details about either of these cases other than to acknowledge their existence citing Morgan’s privacy rights, a novel defense of a public official who allegedly broke the law. Find more detail and documentation HERE.

What can we do about Morgan?

Being an ignorant racist has never seemed to bother her constituents enough to dump her. Further, being such a jerk has earned Morgan some national prominence as in 2015 when she called for Syrian refugees to be imprisoned in camps because of their religion.

She even made the renowned FRED list (Fanatical Republican of the Day) list a record 9 times for her far-right nuttiness.

She even got through the 2024 election unscathed despite her 22 year old son Ian’s no contest plea to Westerly Police charges of third-degree sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl he had met online. His plea came in September shortly before the election.

What makes Ian’s misdeeds relevant is Morgan’s long record of promoting legislation to crack down on sex offenses including third-degree sexual assault. But of course she also supports a sex offender in the White House.

In 2022, Morgan was busted by the state Board of Election for illegally looting her campaign accounts to go on personal spending sprees (ever classy, she laid the blame on her deceased husband while making the contradictory claim that she "takes full responsibility"). MAGA-leaning voters in Richmond, Hopkinton and Exeter stuck with her. With some pride, voters in northern Charlestown usually support Morgan’s opponents by wide margins.

Since her MAGA-leaning constituents seem to like her racism, corruption and ineffectiveness, what can be done?

The RI Constitution does not allow for recall elections against state legislators. Some towns allow for recall elections of local elected officials. Example: the Gun Lobby’s unsuccessful effort to oust the entire Exeter Town Council by recall election in 2013. But municipal recall ordinances don’t apply to state legislators.

However, I suggest exploring whether her conduct, especially her abuse of power and racist verbiage, warrants a complaint to the RI Ethics Commission. Using her position as a state Senator to stage an unauthorized raid on a non-profit public service outside of her jurisdiction seems ripe for a sustainable ethics complaint, but I’m not a lawyer. I would invite those who ARE to weigh in on this subject.

I blame King Donald

The new regime of King Donald and President Musk has given license to people like Morgan to feel emboldened to say and do some truly terrible things.

All over the country, racists, white nationalists and Nazis have been liberated to run amok.

Triggered by Trump’s implied blessing, Morgan deputized herself as a one-woman posse and set out to bust those alleged pot-smoking homeless people in Providence who were trying to get a night’s sleep without being rousted by some Hopkinton fruitcake.

I think Morgan's response speaks for itself without any additional commentary from me.  - W. Collette

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

Senator Jack Reed denounces Trump/Vance alignment with Russia

Good turnout at Providence rally against President Musk (and Donald Trump)

The Emergency Rally to End Musk's Government Takeover and Demand Our Senators Step Up

Steve Ahlquist

Over 800 Rhode Islanders rallied outside of Senator Jack Reed’s office on a chilly Saturday afternoon with a clear demand for Rhode Island’s federal delegation: Use every possible tool to protest, obstruct, and fight Elon Musk’s illegal takeover of the Federal Government.

The event, which was organized in partnership with Indivisible Rhode Island, Climate Action Rhode Island, Rhode Island Working Families Party, Black Lives Matter Rhode Island PAC, and Common Cause Rhode Island, featured members of the public, community leaders, and State and local elected officials who called on Rhode Island Senators, as well as all other Rhode Island and Federal elected officials, to take all actions possible in the face of this unprecedented constitutional crisis.

You can watch the video here: 800 Rhode Islanders rally outside Senator Reed’s office, demanding he fight against Musk's takeover

“We are grateful for Senator Reed and Senator Whitehouse’s leadership in this fight,” said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island. “But the United States Senate is the institution in our government best positioned to protect the views of the minority. While we don’t believe a majority of Americans support the lawlessness we’re now seeing, there is no denying that a majority of the Senate is turning a blind eye. We need Senators Reed and Whitehouse to use every available tool at their disposal to protect all Americans from what Musk and others are doing and to get Donald Trump to tell Elon Musk, ‘You’re fired!’”

“Elon Musk now controls our nation’s finances, is overruling laws and the entire legislative branch of government, and has tried to fire all federal employees,” said Aseem Rastogi, an organizer with Indivisible RI. “Rhode Islanders do not want unelected billionaires in charge of our government – and we expect our leaders in Washington to be leading the resistance to these brazen violations of the Constitution.”

Specifically, protestors listed three concrete ways they believed Rhode Island’s federal delegation should be leading the resistance to Musk’s actions.

• Placing a blanket hold on all Trump nominees moving forward until the crisis at Treasury is resolved.
• Denying unanimous consent to grind Senate business to a crawl until the crisis is resolved.
• Using quorum calls to disrupt the flow of GOP business in the Senate until the crisis is resolved.

“These tactics aren’t solutions, but they can force the GOP to fight for every single destructive step they want to take,” said Aaron Regunberg, senior policy counsel with Public Citizen, which has filed several lawsuits challenging DOGE’s illegal actions. “And we’re here to make clear to our senators: We think that matters. Because the slower we can make them go, the less they can destroy – and the more we can demonstrate the depravity of their agenda and Musk’s coup attempt to the public. Like every would-be tyrant in history, they want us to think that we’re powerless to stop them. But we’re not powerless, and our Democratic leaders are not powerless. We need them to start acting like it.”

Saturday rally in Providence against Elon Musk's coup

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.