Is the just-signed Rhode Island “Equality in Abortion Coverage Act” unconstitutional?
Rhode Island High School Journalism Day is set to return this Friday, May 19, and we at the Rhode Island Press Association (my volunteer gig a… Read moreShorey: R.I. High School Journalism Day returns
More than 3 million Americans watched the CNN “town hall meeting” with former President Donald Trump last Wednesday night, in that hour repres… Read moreYorke: For news networks, there's a recipe for dealing with Trump
Humans have a way of romanticizing the past. We tend to believe that things used to be better. We wish we could go back to times when things were simpler. MorePitts-Wiley: I don't miss the past, but I miss some things
Taking a long walk around the neighborhood recently, something different became apparent: There were no houses for sale. MoreYorke: House not for sale
The House of Representatives passed a bill last week prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in female athletic competition wherever there’s a dollar of federal funds in the picture, minimal… MoreYorke: Trans debate sets us against each other
An old friend of mine lucked out in the online lottery, reportedly a thousand-to-one chance to get the tickets. He had been there before and was nearly demanding that I take them. MoreYorke: Carpe diem at Augusta National
Over the years covering local communities, quite a number of common themes stick out, but a notable one is the idea that things aren’t always as they seem or in keeping with accepted narratives. MoreShorey: At local level, information is key
This week we will cross the dozen mark for announced candidates in the race for Congressional District 1. Likely jumping in are yet another current and former state representative, a current aide to Pre… MoreYorke: Feelings aside, the facts are undeniable
Arlene Violet, a former Rhode Island attorney general who has stayed active in the state’s affairs, told me this week she has decided against running for congress to replace David Cicilline in District 1. MoreShorey: Violet decides against congressional run
Our mild winter doesn’t seem to have had a great effect in discouraging people from littering, with messes just about everywhere you look. MoreShorey: Time to clean up our messy streets
The recent release of the full Jan. 6 video brought two things to mind for me: MorePitts-Wiley: Can you believe your eyes?
Ed Cooley resigned as Providence College Head Basketball Coach on Monday. MoreYorke: Cooley left Friartown better than he found it
Can the coverage about possible contagion create the contagion? MoreYorke: On banking crisis, let's avoid the self-fulfilling prophecy
Recently, there has been some controversy surrounding celebrities. No, it’s not about TikTok, but weight-loss medicine. MoreBetancur: Life-saving medicine should be accessible to all
It was a shot heard round the political world when a couple weekends ago the news broke that Congressman David Cicilline was stepping down from his elected position to take a job leading the Rhode Islan… MoreYorke: Let's expedite the transition to new congressional representation
We now know that the public health authorities in Washington and here in Rhode Island were wrong about a lot when it came to COVID. One might even say that they wielded misinformation in order to contro… MoreSanzi: When Will Someone Say “We Were Wrong?”
I knew both Adrian Hall and Eugene Lee, two titans of the American theater. Both of these men have had a profound impact on my life and career as an actor and theater artist. They both died within days … MorePitts-Wiley: Taking a leap of faith
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- Aaron Andrews takes over well-known pizza shop in North Smithfield
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The off-duty optics of a recent high-profile criminal case of someone in blue are too much for his police chief and mayor to bear. So, they have moved to terminate him. MoreYorke: Dolan case will likely end in reinstatement
One of my favorite things about working at The Valley Breeze, both under our founders and current owners, is that we don’t just limit ourselves to these pages when it comes to following our mission of m… MoreShorey: It's spelled c-o-m-m-u-n-i-t-y
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“We now have a mandate!” MoreYorke: Our elections aren't mandates, so let's shake it up
The meme posted last week on the official Instagram page of the Providence Police Department read like this: MoreYorke: The solution to policing has to come from within
Do you suddenly feel pressured to leave a tip everywhere you go and for almost everything you buy? Are you unsure, frazzled even, after running in to buy a cup of coffee and being prompted by a screen t… MoreSanzi: This whole tipping thing has gone too far
Gov. Dan McKee should have one clear takeaway from his broadcast State of the State speech last week in front of the General Assembly, the judiciary, and education leaders: MoreYorke: Governor's speech went over with a thud
Many years ago while I was living in San Diego, The Human Eye Theater, a company my wife and I had formed, produced an all-Black production of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by Tennessee Williams. As far as I … MorePitts-Wiley: We now expect to be lied to
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would say they don’t enjoy an episode of “Caught in Providence.” Whether on cable television or streaming, the mostly parking and traffic ticket cases heard … MoreYorke: Caprio court show not quite the feel-good story it was cracked up to be
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- A tropical getaway here at home: So much to see at Providence's Botanical Center
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- Voters say no to combined liquor and grocery in Blackstone
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I know very little about actor Wendell Pierce beyond what I’ve seen in a few episodes of a couple of shows, and can’t say whether his life overall is one to emulate or not. MoreShorey: We desperately need more de-escalation in 2023
The American Civil Liberties Union joined the court proceedings on behalf of the Statehouse homeless encampment last week. In doing so, it both professionalized the argument for its clients and lost the case. MoreOn homeless encampment, the process played out as it should have
This column isn’t about whether a new in-progress sushi restaurant on Diamond Hill Road in Woonsocket or new hotel on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence are good ideas. MoreShorey: Take a moment (or several), and ponder what you just read
Rhode Island Superior Court Judge David Cruise made a baffling interim decision last week. MoreYorke: Baffling decision by judge
It’s hard to imagine anywhere on Broad Street in Cumberland where a roundabout would make sense to calm traffic, or that there would be space for one on a busy stretch of Route 44 in Greenville where space is also at a premium, but if the success of such traffic circles elsewhere is any indi… MoreShorey: Roundabouts are working
“Hey Dan, how’s the homeless in Cumberland doing?” MoreYorke: Are we willing to try real empathy on homelessness?
Each year since our wedding day in 2006, my wife and I have maintained a consistent pattern of attendance at holidays. We knew early on that we could remove any potential drama and questioning by simply rotating which holidays we would spend with which side of the family, and it’s worked lik… MoreShorey: A three-day Thanksgiving feast
My friend Amy is fighting cancer, again. It’s lung cancer and before you wonder if she is a smoker, no, she doesn’t smoke (not that it should matter). In fact, she’s one of those super healthy people who never even smoked one cigarette. I certainly cannot say the same. But she is now, for th… MoreSanzi: Staring down the bear, again
I did not turn the news on during election night as I’d usually do. It wasn’t that I was not interested in the results, I just didn’t want to endure hours of chatter that was not going to influence the outcomes. I just wanted to know who won. This would determine how I was going to plan for … MorePitts-Wiley: I voted with my grandchildren in mind
Our propensity to lose touch with people was there pre-pandemic, but I sometimes wonder how much worse it’s gotten since COVID upended our lives. MoreShorey: Renew that connection, it’ll do the world some good
Go back to high school when they told us we would get at least 200 points on each SAT test by simply writing our name correctly. MoreYorke: Barely beating the 35 percent floor is embarrassing
Rhode Island has a very strong group of reporters covering what happens in this little state, but that doesn’t mean local news coverage is what it needs to be. MoreShorey: The news desert problem hits home
Social media is part of all of our lives. Some of you may only use Facebook to stay connected with family here and there. Maybe you use LinkedIn to keep your resume up to date and connect with professional colleagues. Others, like myself, may use Twitter as their primary source of news conte… MoreBetancur: Have we gone too far in this age of social media?
My wife and I had the pleasure of traveling to visit old friends this past weekend. The after-dinner conversation went in the typical directions for 60-somethings. Our grown-up kids, our jobs, our health and wellness, our retirement plans. MoreYorke: Where will we be five years from now?
I know that from the time that I was a 15-year-old junior and walked onto the stage at Airport High School in a little country town in Carleton, Michigan, that my life was going to be changed forever. MorePitts-Wiley: Telling your story is important
Designed for Rhode Islanders who can’t or won’t clear their calendar on Nov. 8, “early voting” began on Oct. 19 and runs straight through to Monday, Nov. 7. MoreYorke: Early voters are conscientious and informed
I have yet to receive a ticket for exceeding the speed limits of Rhode Island’s growing collection of camera-enforced school speed zones (I hope I didn’t jinx myself), but I know plenty of people who have gotten one or more of them. MoreShorey: Could speed zone programs use more common sense, cohesion?
She wasn’t charged with any crime or ethics violation and there was no hint of corruption. She just had long-time disagreements, often and not too softly, with the majority of the city’s legislative body. MoreYorke: Horror show in Woonsocket
For most of my professional career, I’ve been fortunate to work within different nonprofit organizations serving different needs and communities. Most of these national and local organizations have been around for many years; in most cases, unsurprisingly, they have been led by the same pers… MoreBetancur: We should not be the only face of our organizations
I don’t often give my opinions on local matters, for obvious reasons as a journalist, but I’ll occasionally make an exception to talk about the importance of local journalism or bring up something everyone should get behind (like not littering!). MoreShorey: Every community should believe in public art
My parents always taught us to be gracious in victory as well as in defeat. One event that should be a source of gratitude to others and respect for a vanquished opponent is a stunning victory in a close election. Yet, Gov. Dan McKee showed an amazing lack of grace when candidate Helena Buon… MoreViolet: McKee shows another side
My wife and I were enjoying a light continental breakfast last Saturday in the quaint kitchen dining area of what has become a favorite getaway spot on Cape Cod. MoreYorke: A Cape trip and a reminder that discrimination still exists
When back in 2015 then-Gov. Gina Raimondo introduced the RhodeWorks 10-year highway and bridge improvement program, she insisted that tolls on large commercial trucks were a common-sense funding mechanism to help fund it. She argued that such vehicles were the major source of damage to the i… MoreYorke: On tolls, this mess could all have been avoided
Sen. Jack Reed has always seemed like a reliable and measured moderate. I have voted for him every time he’s been on the ballot since our move to Rhode Island in 2005. I appreciated his steadiness. He showed no signs of being an ideologue. He earned his law degree at Harvard Law School. I di… MoreSanzi: On Title IX, Trump/DeVos were right, Obama/Reed are wrong
Two recent events have given me cause to pause and reflect on history and the world we live in. Those two events on the surface may not seem to have anything to do with each other, however, I came to see how they were very much related. MorePitts-Wiley: Kings, queens, history and truth
The New York Football Giants are 2-0. MoreYorke: Contentious primary sets up dramatic November election
I don’t know how you parents with children in more than one sport at a time do it. This fall my three kids are all playing soccer, with practices on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, followed by three games at different times on Saturday. MoreShorey: I love my life at the soccer field
All due respect to the holidays, this is the most wonderful time of the year. MoreYorke: Despite politics, it's the most wonderful time of the year
Editor’s note: The Breeze invited gubernatorial candidates this summer to have their supporters write columns on their behalf. This is the last in that series. MorePaul: Matt Brown and Cynthia Mendes will do what’s right, even when it’s hard
Next week’s primary in Rhode Island will all but decide many races in our area and the state, bringing to a conclusion many months of intense campaigning. Some candidates have walked hundreds of miles through sweltering heat, shedding pounds along the way. MoreShorey: No matter what happens next week, we all choose what’s next
In my more than 50 years in the theater I’ve learned a great many life lessons. The first lesson may have been that to be a performing artist, talent is fifth on the list of things you need to find your way onto the stage. Of those five things, courage is first, followed by discipline, focus… MorePitts-Wiley: We want jobs that care about us
Carefully crafted messages, glossy images, signs with the colors and slogans the experts say will resonate best with average Joe, they’re all part of a successful campaign for office, but they shouldn’t ultimately determine who ends up making the decisions that impact your life the most. MoreShorey: Local elections matter more than you think
As any independent-minded scientist will tell you, science is rarely settled. Many even say it’s never settled because it is “an ever-evolving body of human knowledge.” There was a time when some claimed the science of lobotomies was settled. Or that nicotine and opioids weren’t addictive? A… MoreSanzi: Waiting for an apology and a promise
Editor’s note: The Breeze is inviting gubernatorial candidates this summer to have their supporters write columns on their behalf. This is the next in that series. MoreLima: Muñoz running on authentic relationships, not transactional ones
Most Rhode Islanders living outside the Oak Hill neighborhood have never seen the site of the proposed new soccer stadium in Pawtucket. MoreYorke: On stadium project, look past the titillating headlines
During the first week of August, I attended a press conference at Providence City Hall to witness the announcement of the Immigration Legal Assistance and COVID-19 Recovery Program. In partnership with Dorcas International, the program will provide free legal assistance related to the federa… MoreBetancur: Do we value immigrants?
On an off day last week, during rush hour crawling through the Route 295 North Cranston caverns, I came upon a high-end black SUV with a single sticker neatly tucked into the bottom left of the back window. MoreYorke: Our highways are a stomach-turning testament to free speech
“Hi. I’m Seamus’s Uncle Dan.” MoreYorke: What we have here is a failure to communicate
On Monday I was shopping at Marshalls and noticed a woman with a medium-sized dog on a leash. For a quick second I wondered to myself why the dog was in the store and then, just as I was about to turn my attention to the back-to-school section of lunch boxes and backpacks, I noticed a sizabl… MoreSanzi: Doggone it with these pets in stores
I was in St. Louis for an annual family reunion this last Fourth of July weekend. It was a grand time in every way possible. Four generations of my beautiful family gathered to laugh, hug, kiss new babies, dance, compete and feast. We always end this event with a picnic of about 150 people. … MorePitts-Wiley: Saddened, but not surprised
Don Fox is playing show and tell. MoreYorke: For Burrillville's Fox, time to start walking it back
Editor’s note: The Breeze is having supporters of various candidates for governor write columns this summer. This is the latest in the series. MoreJessica de la Cruz: R.I. needs a governor like Kalus
In my full-time job, a big part of my work focuses on coalition building and advocacy for different issues impacting Rhode Islanders. For many like myself, July brings the work of a full legislative year to an end. However, the end of the session doesn’t always bring joy. Instead, it brings … MoreBetancur: Advocacy is both joyful and exhausting
At this time of year, public enthusiasm and the long-revered tradition of celebrating the nation’s founding combine to fill the local skies with fireworks. MoreOne More Thing: The work behind the fireworks
Most people, I’ve learned, want things to be better. MoreShorey: Learning is patriotic
The most patriotic people I know are immigrants to the United States. Their appreciation for America is different from mine because they have personally experienced life without the freedom and opportunity that exists here. I have not. MoreSanzi: They love this country
For decades during my broadcast career I have avoided what I refer to as “shelf topics,” conversations that generate the same boring and predictable calls. MoreYorke: Two topics no longer avoidable
Last month I wrote an article that was in part a reaction to the series of horrific mass shootings in New York, Oklahoma and Texas. I also wrote about a conversation I had with a young man who said, “It’s crazy out there, be safe and arm yourself.” MorePitts-Wiley: Hold onto joy
There is a proposed bill in the R.I. Statehouse that would require, as of July 1, at least two police officers in each public school. MoreYorke: We should be investing in counselors
About a month ago, news swirled that RIPTA would be suspending its express bus service to the beach. I felt a pain in my belly immediately, and a wave of nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. MoreBetancur: More than a ride on a bus