Magaziner supports Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax General Treasurer and congressional candidate Seth Magaziner said he’s supporting legislation that would tax excess profits of the big oil companies and distributing the proceeds back to consumers. Magaziner also called on his Republican opponent, Allan Fung, to join him in supporting this measure. “In the first three […]
Frank Prosnitz
Frank Prosnitz brings to WhatsUpNewp several years in journalism, including 10 as editor of the Providence (RI) Business News and 14 years as a reporter and bureau manager at the Providence (RI) Journal. Prosnitz began his journalism career as a sportswriter at the Asbury Park (NJ) Press, moving to The News Tribune (Woodbridge, NJ), before joining the Providence Journal. Prosnitz hosts the Morning Show on WLBQ radio (Westerly), 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and It’s Your Business, also on WBLQ, Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Prosnitz has twice won Best in Business Awards from the national Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW), twice was named Media Advocate of the Year by the Small Business Administration, won an investigative reporter’s award from the New England Press Association, and newswriting award from the Rhode Island Press Association.
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: GOP endorses slate, candidates won’t discuss Trump, Congressional candidates differ on Roe v. Wade, next deadline for candidates
GOP state convention endorses slate As expected, Rhode Island’s Republican Party endorsed Ashley Kalus for governor and Allen Fung for the U.S. House of Representative for the District 2 seat, at its recent state convention. Also endorsed were Aaron Guckian for lieutenant governor, Pat Cortellessa for secretary of state, Chas Calenda for attorney general, James […]
Posted inColumns
Just My Opinion: Celebrating the Fourth of July safely
If history is a barometer for the future, then over the next several days, thousands of Americans will be treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries from illegal and legal home fireworks displays. And a few, perhaps a dozen, will die. A U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) study estimated that in 2019 there were […]
Posted inNews
Nearly 20 percent of RI House candidates running unopposed
Nearly 20 percent of the candidates who filed to run for the state House of Representatives are running unopposed, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, with all but one a Democrat. In the state Senate, only two candidates are running unopposed, one Democrat and one Republican. Political parties had the option to appoint candidates […]
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: Here’s who’s officially running for local, statewide office
Let the games begin. Monday was the first day for candidates to declare for office in the 2022 primary and general elections. Candidates were required to file the declaration papers by 4 pm on Wednesday, June 29. This story will continue to be updated. U.S. House of Representatives, District 2 General Treasurer Seth Magaziner (D)Spencer […]
Posted inCity & Government
Candidate filings begin Monday
Aside from general offices and Congress, few candidates have emerged in the runup to the candidate filing deadline next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. That will certainly change as candidates file with their local Boards of Canvassers, and for statewide candidates with the Department of State’s Elections Division. Those filing will usher in what is expected […]
Posted inNews
Election 2022: Candidates respond to Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade
Gubernatorial and Congressional candidates were quick to condemn the U.S. Supreme Court’s action this morning to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Ruling The Supreme Court today, as expected, released its ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade that some 50 years ago established the right to abortion in the United States. The vote was 6 to […]
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: As the weather warms, so does the gubernatorial race
The calendar barely turned from spring to summer, but the climate surely began heating up in Rhode Island’s very competitive Democratic primary for governor. A television as by Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, among the gubernatorial candidates, generated some quick retorts from Gov. Dan McKee and Helena Buonanno Foulkes, another of the gubernatorial candidates. Nellie […]
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: Fox foregoes convention endorsement, NOW endorses Magaziner, GOP opposition to gun legislation, Ujifusa announces for state Senate
Fox foregoes party convention’s endorsement Joy Fox, among six Democratic candidates vying for the party’s nomination to run for U.S. House of Representatives in Rhode Island’s second district, is not seeking the party’s endorsement at its convention later this month. In a letter to the party’s executive committee, she encouraged the party, rather than endorse […]
Posted inCity & Government
Homelessness in RI up 50 percent in four years
Homelessness grew in Rhode Island by nearly 50 percent over the last four years, and by 20 percent in just the last year, according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Those numbers, considered by many at homeless shelters in Rhode Island, are low, with the real number, homeless advocates say, more like […]
Posted inCity & Government
Affordable housing for seasonal workers hard to find
Amid expectation of a robust summer season, Newport and other communities are worried they won’t be able to attract employees into a market where finding affordable seasonal housing is at best difficult, and in some cases nearly impossible, and where wages lag behind neighboring states. “It certainly will impact us,” says Erin Donovan-Boyle, executive director […]
Posted inCity & Government
Newport Mayor joins What’sUpNewp for a live virtual video conversation today at noon
Update – Due to some technical difficulties on What’sUpNewp’s end we’ve been forced to have to postpone this chat. We will reschedule it as soon as we can. We’ll check in with Newport Mayor Jeanne Marie Napolitano today (Wednesday) at noon for her monthly videocast, looking for updates on proposed school regionalization with Middletown, charter […]
Posted inNews
Celebrating our rivers: 7 Rivers Festival, June 25-26
We may be the Ocean State, but on June 25 and 26 we’ll be celebrating some of Rhode Island and nearby Connecticut rivers at a 7 Rivers Festival that recognizes the wild and scenic status of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed in Rhode Island and Eastern Connecticut Events are being held in 11 towns, all along the […]
Posted inNews
Dale Venturini, executive director of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, joins WUN on Tuesday for virtual conversation
This has been a couple of tough years for the hospitality industry, but even with exploding gasoline prices it promises to be a robust vacation season in Rhode Island. We’ll talk with Dale Venturini, executive director of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, on Tuesday at 11:30 am to get her projections for the season that’s […]
Posted inNews
Keeping our pets safe during the summer
Windows open in your car on a beautiful spring or summer day. Your dog nudges its head out the window, ears flapping, mouth open and obviously enjoying the experience. But is it safe? And how safe is it to leave a dog untethered in the cargo area of a pickup truck, or left inside a […]
Posted inCity & Government
Congressional candidate Segal joins What’sUpNewp videocast today at 4
It’s a crowded field for the Democratic nomination for Rhode Island’s second district U.S. House of Representatives seat. Among the candidates is David Segal, a progressive Democrat who has received endorsements from leading progressive political groups, and leading progressive Democrats like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Update – 4:10 pm: This conversation has been canceled. We’ll […]
Posted inNews
Election 2022: Candidates take to social media, advocating for labor, school choice, and the LGBTQ+ community
Magaziner supports unionization effort at Starbucks State Treasurer and Congressional District 2 candidate Seth Magaziner is supporting the unionization effort by Starbucks workers in Warwick. His campaign said Magaziner is supporting the workers organizational effort, fighting for better wages and working conditions, and becoming the first unionized Starbucks in Rhode Island. “For too long, the […]
Posted inNews
Election 2022: Gorbea, Foulkes win endorsements, Kalus says RI gun laws strong enough
Gorbea wins union, EG Democratic Committee endorsements Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, who is among five Democrats running for governor, has been endorsed by the Carpenters Local Union 30 and East Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. On its Facebook Page, the East Greenwich Town Committee announced its endorsement of Gorbea, its first endorsement in the 2022 […]
Posted inNews
Meteorologist Kelly Bates returns to local television, June 11
Kelly Bates, the long-time WJAR-10 meteorologist who parted with the station over a contract dispute last September, is joining WLNE-6 as the weekend meteorologist and science reporter, according to a Facebook post by Bates and news release from WLNE. “We are thrilled to have Kelly join the WLNE family and are looking forward to bringing […]
Posted inNews
How safe are Newport’s schools?
How safe are Newport’s schools? In the aftermath of the tragic massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Independent School District in Texas, parents and students across the nation are asking about the schools in their communities. We’ll ask that question of Newport School Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain when she joins us for her monthly […]
Posted inNews
Authors Series: Jan Brogan, author of ‘The Combat Zone’, joins What’sUpNewp live virtual video conversation
Jan Brogan’s latest book, The Combat Zone, has been shortlisted for a 2022 Anthony Award. An award-winning journalist and author of four other novels, one of which is under development for a television series, Jan joins What’sUpNewp at 12:30 p.m. today as we continue our Authors’ Series. Jan is a journalist, who is a contributor […]
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: Texas school shooting a call to action among RI candidates
Magaziner named a “Gun-Sense Candidate” General Treasurer and congressional candidate Seth Magaziner yesterday was named a Gun-Sense Candidate by Mom’s Demand Action for his strong record of taking action to reduce gun violence, according to a press release from Magaziner’s campaign. Following yesterday’s horrific mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas, Magaziner is calling […]
Posted inCity & Government
Election 2022: Commerce Secretary Pryor running for Treasurer
Pryor enters Democratic primary election Stefan Pryer, Rhode Island’s Commerce Secretary for the past six years, announced that he will run for state General Treasurer, setting up another competitive Democratic primary election this fall. Pryer, who was Connecticut’s Education Secretary before then Gov. Gina Raimondo brought him to Rhode Island to fill the Commerce Secretary’s […]
Posted inCity & Government
Area students receive civic leadership awards
Several area high school students were among 137 Rhode Island students that were honored earlier this month with 2022 Civic Leadership awards, given annually by Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea in recognition of high school students who have made outstanding contributions to their schools and communities over the past year. The Civic Leadership Awards […]
Posted inBusiness
Coastal Medical closes half its laboratories
Coastal Medical, which “merged” with Lifespan in April 2021, has “temporarily closed” more than half of its laboratories. This comes as Lifespan reportedly is also closing its weight loss clinic. According to the Coastal Medical website, it has temporarily closed six of its 11 laboratories, leaving some patients that rely upon the practice’s laboratories few […]