Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - July 31, 2020

HOT

Congressman David Cicilline

The Rhode Island Chair of the Anti-Trust Subcommittee of the House Judiciary performed well in both managing the hearings and questioning the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Alphabet.

His questioning was solid. The only negative was the petty bout with GOP Congressman Jim Jordan.

HOT

Aniece Germain

Aniece Germain has been appointed to the recently vacated seat on the Cranston City Council to represent the city’s Second Ward. 

Germain said she had announced her run for the city council on June 8, after Councilman Paul McAuley indicated that he would not seek reelection -- and before he resigned suddenly just weeks later. 

Following his resignation, the Cranston Democratic City Committee nominated Germain for the position, which the full Cranston City Council then voted to approve on July 27. 

“I am humbled to receive the support for this appointment not only from my fellow members of the Cranston Democratic City Committee and Democratic Councilors, but also from three of my Republican colleagues on the Council. Bringing people together to make the change we want in our community is why I sought to become a city councilor in the first place," said Germain. 

HOT

Juan Wilson

Juan Wilson, an organizer of the "YesPVD" virtual youth summit being held on August 29, talked with GoLocalProv about the event that is focused on teenagers and career exploration that is "diverse and culturally relevant for the next generation."

With uncertainty around schools in the fall, students learning remotely, and looming questions about jobs and the economy, Wilson spoke with GoLocal about the educators and community leaders working to connect Rhode Island's youth during challenging times at the August event. 

Read the interview here. 

HOT

Massachusetts Schools

A new study ranks Massachusetts schools as the best in the country. In contrast, Rhode Island schools score as the worst in New England and in the lower half of U.S. rankings.

With much debate about what will Rhode Island public schools look like in the fall, Governor Gina Raimondo and President Donald Trump continue to press for a return to the classroom.

Rhode Island ranks far behind is New England peers. 

Massachusetts ranks #1

Connecticut #2

Vermont #5

New Hampshire #6

Maine #20

Rhode Island #27

HOT

Raimondo's Delaying Reopening

The numbers are the numbers. Governor Gina Raimondo made the correct decision to delay the move to Phase 4 of the reopening.

If Rhode Islanders are opposed to their decision -- then wear a mask and practice social distancing. 

HOT

Dr. Megan Ranney

The new head of the Center for Digital Health is the type of leader and innovator who can harness the big thinking and passion in Rhode Island along with science and tech to transform our collective health.

READ MORE

NOT

Less Local Media

Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, a top physician in Rhode Island and former chairman of Latino Public Radio, announced on Tuesday his radio show on La Mega 94.9 FM has been canceled. 

“Greetings friends of Dr. Pablo. I am very sorry to inform you that the administration of La Mega 94.9 FM decided to cancel the radio show,” said Rodriguez. 

“We are proud of the work accomplished during the pandemic and will continue on the networks,” said Rodriguez, the Medical Director for Community Affairs with Care New England.

Support — and Questions of Politics

Friends of Rodriguez and his work expressed their disappointment at the news. 

“Unfortunately the administration of Hispanic radio is not interested in educating or having an informed audience,” wrote Jose Aleman. 

“For me it was the best informative program the station had,” wrote Maria Diaz. 

Others, however, had a different take. 

“Excellent decision by the administration of the Mega, as some of the shows lean more for the political side than for the informative or entertainment that, after all, is the basis of the radio,” said Edgar Moreno, who has been a radio announcer and worked for Mega. 

“He unfortunately occupies that show to talk only about politics, using the virus situation as a pretext,” said Moreno. “Pablo only talks as a Democrat.”

Reynaldo Almonte with Latino Public Radio — who had previously sparred with Rodriguez over control of that station — said that he wondered if politics were at play. 

“If you don’t like Donald Trump, that’s your business. But lots of people in the Latino community like Trump,” said Almonte. "[Rodriguez] likes to blow things out of proportion."

“Where were people like Rodriguez when Barack Obama was deporting Latinos left and right?” added Almonte. 

"People Know Me," Says Rodriguez

Rodriguez said the decision by Mega, as he was told, was money - not politics. 

“It’s always money. There’s just not enough sponsors for medical shows,” Rodriguez told GoLocal, of what he was informed was the reason for the cancellation. “Add to that the sponsors take time to pay.”

Rodriguez, who said he’d had the show on Mega for “around six months” said he did not believe politics were a factor. 

“I’ve been in this town 35 years. You’ve lived under a rock if you don’t know me or my views,” said Rodriguez. “Anybody who knows me knows I’ve supported Democrats and Republicans, and fundraised for both Democrats and Republicans.”

Rodriguez, who’s given predominantly to Democrats, contributed to former Republican — turned independent — Lincoln Chafee, for his 2010 run for Governor. 

Chafee later appointed him to the board of the then-Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. 

“You can’t make everybody happy — but how can you speak about this pandemic and make everybody happy? People need to stop looking at it like it’s political gamesmanship. I’m only focused on health. You can’t couch that,” he said. 

Mega did not respond to request for comment at time of publication. 

NOT

WJAR 10's Parent Company

WJAR-10’s parent company Sinclair Broadcasting Group is under fire for creating a “news” segment that promotes one of the most controversial conspiracy theories ever connected to the coronavirus.

In a segment of "America This Week" produced by Sinclair,  Eric Bolling, the host of the show, welcomed guests that claim Dr. Anthony Fauci is responsible for creating COVID-19.

"Larry Klayman is the founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch. He’s teamed up with Dr. Judy Mikovits, who worked with Dr. Anthony Fauci and is an expert in virology. I spoke to them both recently about the potential legal action they are seeking against Dr. Fauci. Then I brought in Dr. Nicole Saphier to weigh in on all their allegations. Take a listen," says Bolling in the introduction.

WATCH VIDEO

"I believe Dr. Fauci has manufactured the coronaviruses in monkey cell lines and shipped them from and paid for and shipped the cell lines to Wuhan, China, now for at least since 2014. He published that fact and funded the studies that were published in 2015 in Nature Medicine that stated that the original cell line the Chinese used to grow the virus was shipped from Ft. Detrick, USAMRIID, the biosafety level 4 facility there," claims Mikovits.

"Well we’re looking at a possible RICO case, Eric, and we’re analyzing that right now, but what it appears happened is the Chinese got that virus. And we know that $3.7 million was given as a grant during the Obama administration to that Wuhan laboratory, that’s not in dispute. And the Chinese then engineered it into a bioweapon," claimed Klayman.

"So what happened here, actually, is relevant to our lawsuit in Dallas, Texas, our class action against the communist Chinese who are releasing, either accidentally or by design, this pandemic," said Klayman. "So, it’s a very serious matter, and it needs to be looked into. No one wants to discuss it, and I suspect the president probably knows about this right now, which is why -- and I support the president personally, but I don’t think that’s why he’s -- I think that’s why he’s going not real strong against China right now, because this virus actually had its origins, apparently, in a lab in Ft. Detrick, Maryland."

NOT

Raimondo Administration 

Parents at Henry Barnard at Rhode Island College (RIC), frustrated at what they say is the lack of information about the finances -- and future -- of the school, sent a public record request seeking communications among administrators about their children's school. 

The response? A bill for an estimated cost of $2,100 from state officials. 

Currently, the tuition-based pre-K through grade five laboratory school at RIC continues to have an "interim" principal, and parents are worried they aren't being told the full picture. 

"We've loved [Henry Barnard]," said Ann Wang, who has a seven-year-old and soon to be four-year-old at the school. "It's an affordable option, but more than that, it's a community."

Barnard has long been celebrated as an education success story in Rhode Island and a high performing lab for RIC students studying education.

"There were always rumblings [about the financial status] of the school, nothing really that gave us cause for alarm except that the school hasn’t had permanent leadership. It didn’t seem like RIC was putting out a search," said Wang. "The response from [RIC] was they have a new Dean, and they were 'getting to it.'"

"Especially given COVID, we know the financial impact on RIC has been substantial," said Wang. "We asked in May what the plan is, and got nothing. So we sent the APRA."

READ MORE HERE

Raimondo Administration, Part 2

The state of Rhode Island sent out tax return payments signed by Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.

Really?

Really. 

Good news is that banks apparently cashed them. 

NOT

President Donald Trump

The ever more desperate President Donald Trump pondered -- publically -- delaying the election. No, it does not work that way.

It did prove a distraction on the day it was announced the U.S. posted the worst economic quarter in recorded history due to the coronavirus pandemic.