Local Features

In this hour long special, Rhode Island Public Radio's political reporter Ian Donnis and political analyst Scott MacKay sit down with local observers on both sides of the complex and hotly contested same-sex marriage debate in Rhode Island.

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

For several months we’ve been hearing news about the cash-strapped Central Coventry Fire District, fighting to stay open during liquidation. 

These financial woes seem like a case study for the challenges many cities and towns face, as they try to provide services through a patchwork of municipal agencies.

The Town Council has loaned the district $300,000 to stay open for a few more weeks.  The debate surrounding the fire district is complicated, so we sat down with Gary Cote, President of the Coventry Town Council, to get the details.  

Some of the toughest decisions any of us will ever make will take place in a doctor’s office. But before those decisions ever come up, doctors must often wrestle with the options themselves. And those options are growing more complicated every year. In this next to last episode in our series Future Docs, we ask how today’s medical students are learning to grapple with tomorrow’s ethical questions.

Ray Sullivan, the head of Rhode Islanders United for Marriage, joins the Roundtable this week to discuss the state Senate vote in favor of same-sex marriage; concerns about the impact on religious institutions; how the battle was won, and other issues.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear testimony Wednesday on a bill that would allow Rhode Island State College Police to carry guns. 

The hearing comes after a scare at the University of Rhode Island about a gunman on campus, and Rhode Island is currently the only state in the country that does not allow armed campus police at public colleges and universities. The University of Rhode Island is also expected to release its preliminary review in the coming days examining how it responded to the report of a possible shooter.

It’s been about six weeks since Brown University philosophy major Sunil Tripathi disappeared. For a few hours he was erroneously linked to the Boston Marathon bombings. His family was horrified that he was rumored to be involved. 

Sunil’s brother, Ravi Tripathi, stopped by our studios to talk with Rhode Island Public Radio’s Flo Jonic.

Sunil "Sunny" Tripathi is six-foot tall, last seen wearing a black ski jacket and black hat with a Philadelphia Eagles logo. Anyone with information should call the Providence or Brown University police.

Bicycles in Rhode Island

Providence is striving to become a city where young people want to live and work. For many, having a green way to commute is vital. In this Policy and Pinot we explore how making the city an attractive place to live and bike could boost the capital city’s bottom line.

Moderator:
Bradley Campbell – Environment Reporter / Weekend Host, Rhode Island Public Radio

Providence Business News Editor Mark Murphy joins Rhode Island Public Radio's Dave Fallon for a weekly business segment we're calling "The Bottom Line." Each Friday it looks at business news and themes that affect local business and the public.

This week Dave and Mark talk with Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, also RIPTA chairman. The segment centers on proposals to move bus lines out of Kennedy Plaza and to restructure RIPTA lines across the state.

When to Listen

You can hear The Bottom Line each Friday at 5:50pm.

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung joins the Roundtable this week to discuss the aftermath of the attack at the Boston Marathon, the merits of negotiated pension settlements, his potential gubernatorial campaign next year, and other issues.