The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) quotes Brazilian education philosopher Paulo Freire on its webpage about multilingual learners: “Education should work to transform the quality of each person’s life, the environment, the community, the whole society.” But Spanish-speaking families at 360 High School in Providence have apparently found RIDE’s idea of transformation lacking. They […] The post ‘A school worth fighting for’: Parents of 360 High School students file federal lawsuit appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson decried antisemitism and raised the possibility of calling in the National Guard to disperse student protesters during a trip to Columbia University in New York City on Wednesday. Students on that campus, as well as others throughout the country in recent days, have hosted large anti-war rallies calling on the […] The post U.S. House speaker confronts anti-war protesters at Columbia University appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

NEWPORT — There’s a glimmer of hope in what seems like an increasingly divisive national political atmosphere: Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they value the nation’s founding principles of equality and pursuit of happiness, according to a new survey out of Salve Regina University’s The Pell Center. The results published Tuesday through Pell Center’s democracy-focused […] The post Salve Regina poll: Most Americans back founding democratic values over ethnic, religious identities appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan emergency spending law Wednesday to provide an additional $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, ending months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and public pleas for Congress to approve the funding. The package also included a measure requiring the popular app TikTok be sold by its Chinese […] The post Biden signs $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan into law  appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

When the subject of climate change comes up in young people’s lives, it’s often accompanied by “climate despair” – the scope of the problem can seem overwhelming, the stakes too high, and individual impact too limited. A new Earth Month poll of middle school and high schoolers across the country found that 72% of poll […] The post When young people think about the climate, despair follows appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

PROVIDENCE — Bad news for sofas, good news for cats: Veterinarians in Rhode Island may soon be prohibited from declawing felines for nonmedical purposes. The Rhode Island Senate on Tuesday voted 28 to 4 in support of legislation that would do just that. The bill sponsored by Melissa Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, bans declawing cats […] The post R.I. Senate moves to ban declawing of cats appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

PROVIDENCE — A week ago when the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness announced it would hold a rally Tuesday at the State House, the plan was to call on state leaders to allocate $30 million in the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget in order to maintain current services for homeless people. But when dozens […] The post McKee proposes budget fix to cover gaps in providing homelessness services appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor Tuesday announced a final rule that means millions of salaried workers who are employed in the executive, administrative or professional industries will become eligible for overtime pay. The rule will affect roughly 4 million workers in the first year of implementation and will be broken into two checkpoints. […] The post Millions of salaried workers to become eligible for overtime under new Biden rule appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal charges alleging that he schemed and knowingly fed lies to subvert the 2020 presidential election, eventually leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In the final argument of this term, the justices […] The post Trump’s claims of presidential immunity to be probed at U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio’s will soon be one entity. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced the approval of the merger of the two public media organizations Tuesday after conducting a review to ensure compliance with state law. Elizabeth Delude-Dix, chair of the board of directors of The Public’s Radio, thanked the […] The post Merger of The Public’s Radio and Rhode Island PBS approved appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York appeared to strongly disagree Tuesday with the former president’s lawyers’ explanation for why he should be considered in compliance with a gag order in the case. In a Tuesday morning hearing to determine whether to fine Trump for violating the order, Judge Juan Merchan warned […] The post N.Y. judge spars with Trump lawyers over gag order in criminal trial appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Democratic-controlled General Assembly approved a 2.5% general wage increase Tuesday for the bulk of state government’s workforce, about 46,000 state employees, many of whom also would receive a step hike in the coming fiscal year. In the House of Representatives, 97 Democrats joined with nine Republicans to back the raises, while […] The post Conn. Legislature OKs 2.5% raise plus step hike for most state employees appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

Rhode Island is set to receive nearly $50 million in federal funding to help low-income renters and homeowners pay for solar panels, Rhode Island’s congressional delegation announced on Monday. Rhode Island’s Equitable Access to Solar Energy (EASE) program, headed by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, is one of 60 projects nationwide to receive […] The post R.I. to receive $49M in EPA funds for solar panel expansion, access appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

WASHINGTON — An additional $95 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan cleared the U.S. Senate after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted Tuesday to send it to President Joe Biden. The 79-18 vote wrapped up months of debate within Congress about whether the United States should approve the aid or […] The post U.S. Senate sends foreign aid bill to Biden as McConnell chides GOP ‘isolationist movement’ appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

Want to stream Rhode Island legislative hearings on the go? There’s an app for that. The Rhode Island General Assembly on Tuesday announced the debut of a new streaming app for its broadcast arm, Capitol TV. The free app, available on iPhones and Androids and smart TV devices like Firestick and Roku, lets users watch […] The post Rhode Island Capitol TV launches free app to stream legislative hearings appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

It’s a classic case of political power dynamics. Community advocates, voters and lawmakers have spent years trying to bring payday loan reform to Rhode Island. And every year, it fails, with legislative leaders unwilling or uninterested in advancing the proposals to their respective chambers for a vote. Until last year, when the Rhode Island House […] The post Payday lending rates are sky high, but not optimism for R.I. Senate to pass reform this year appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

Jim Aloisi knows how Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt feels. “I understand why there’s a kerfuffle because I’ve been in that position,” said Aloisi, a former transportation secretary himself under Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. “It did remind me a little bit of me.” Tibbits-Nutt has been at the center of a firestorm since Thursday, when […] The post Former MassDOT Secretary Aloisi comes to defense of Tibbits-Nutt appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

University of Rhode Island (URI) Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn recently shared the secret for the best sports marketing tool with the university’s Board of Trustees: “Winning.” That seemed to hold true for the university’s football team, which sold more season tickets than ever for its 2023 season — one that ended in a 6-5 […] The post URI Rams women’s basketball won more games than men but still trails far behind in ticket sales appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

Gov. Dan McKee is asking the General Assembly to free up $1.3 million in unspent pandemic relief funds to help small businesses hurt by the ongoing closure of the westbound Washington Bridge. McKee’s office announced Monday afternoon the governor filed an amendment to his proposed fiscal year 2025 budget to create a direct grant program, […] The post McKee calls for $1.3 million in state aid for businesses hurt by Washington Bridge closure appeared first on Rhode Island Current.

WASHINGTON — A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices Monday seemed inclined to side with an Oregon town’s law that bans homeless people from sleeping outdoors, in a case that could have broad implications for local ordinances related to homelessness across the country. During oral arguments in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, conservative […] The post U.S. Supreme Court appears to lean toward Oregon city in complex homelessness case  appeared first on Rhode Island Current.