Columns | EastBayRI.com - News, Opinion, Things to Do in the East Bay

Donnis: A reprieve for the end of SNAP benefits, and Mayor Smiley on housing and other issues

STORY OF THE WEEK: The impending end of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) for millions of Americans this weekend has been squelched for now due to a court ruling in Providence. … more

By Ian Donnis | 11/3/25

Donnis: Chatting with Ken Burns while waiting for news on the Washington Bridge

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: How will history judge President Trump? A longer view will shed light on whether he’s known more for a peace deal in the Middle East and reordering global trade, or for … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/27/25

Donnis: A new book explores ties between religion and guns

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: American evangelicals emerged as a political force decades ago, helping to propel Ronald Reagan to the White House in 1980. Less well known is how U.S. evangelicals -- unlike … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/20/25

Shekarchi talks state spending and, yes, the governor’s race

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: As he contemplates a possible run for governor, Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi remains unapologetic about growing state spending — and he’s unwilling to … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/14/25

Donnis: Washington Bridge saga is more than a basket of lemons

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When you’ve got lemons, make lemonade, or so the old saying goes. Gov. Dan McKee seems to be employing this approach with the Washington Bridge. … more

By Ian Donnis | 10/6/25

Violet: You can see we're on the path to Totalitarianism, right?

One must be blind, deaf, and dumb not to witness the incremental but steady march toward totalitarianism. President Donald Trump is employing every powerful tool he can to intimidate and silence his … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 10/1/25

Donnis: Is the commander-in-chief becoming the editor-in-chief?

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: In 1983, 30 years after sharing in a Pulitzer for the ProJo’s coverage of an East Providence bank robbery, Ben Bagdikian published The Media Monopoly. The book … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/29/25

Donnis: A sharp debate about free speech, following political violence

STORY OF THE WEEK: Fallout from the assasination of Charlie Kirk in Utah last week continues to roil American politics, media and entertainment. The most prominent example is … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/22/25

Donnis: Leaders from both sides unite to decry violence

STORY OF THE WEEK: The assasination of conservative organizer Charlie Kirk, 31, in Utah was roundly condemned by elected officials and political activists in Rhode Island. Local Young Republicans and … more

9/15/25

Donnis: The mayor's race is another worth watching as 2026 approaches

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Politics is not foremost in the minds of most Rhode Islanders. Any number of things — the resumption of school and college, the approach of football and the slow fade of … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/8/25

The long, twisting story of wind power in Rhode Island

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Controversy marked the evolution of Rhode Island’s wind industry from the start. The state’s last GOP governor, Don Carcieri, pointed to a plentiful natural resource … more

By Ian Donnis | 9/2/25

A fond tribute to 'America's Nicest Judge'

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: People will remember Judge Frank Caprio long after the viral moment featuring a state prosecutor behaving badly fades into the past. With his singular persona as … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/25/25

A few of the items removed from the 300th anniversary time capsule planted in 1975.

Little Compton time capsule begrudgingly gives up its secrets

One of the last events of Little Compton’s Tricentennial in 1975 was the burying of a Time Capsule on Pike’s Peak on August 9th, to be opened on August 9, 2025. A few days prior to … more

By The Town Crier | 8/21/25

Commentary: Governor McKee is no friend to RIPTA

Last week, Governor Dan McKee sent a letter to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board of Directors that is one of the most hypocritical public statements I have seen during my time in the … more

By Rep. Julie A. Casimiro | 8/19/25

Fireworks over the future of RIPTA

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Debate over the future of RIPTA is providing fireworks in an otherwise quiet stretch of summer in the Ocean State. State Rep. Julie Casimiro (D-North Kingstown) took aim at Gov. … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/18/25

A shaky R.I. economy is sure to impact the race for governor

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: If the Washington Bridge is one subtext for next year’s statewide election in Rhode Island, the overall state of the economy is a political evergreen. Now, … more

By Ian Donnis | 8/12/25

Is our republic on life support?

In listening to the rhetoric today of American citizens against each other, I have wondered if a second civil war is not unimaginable. On the so-called political left and the right, epithets are … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 7/25/25

Column: Fresh tautog, wine berries and other childhood hustles

I was picking wineberries today. My father called them thimbleberries. I currently have three patches along my north wall. It got me to thinking of ways I made money during the summer as a kid … more

7/21/25

Public poll shows pessimism and anxiety

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Seventeen years ago, during the Great Recession, URI economist Leonard Lardaro espoused a view that Rhode Island had passed the point where it could solve its own problems . In … more

7/21/25

Will the Speaker make a run for Governor?

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: Could House Speaker Joe Shekarchi be any more coy on the question of whether he will run for governor next year? “I don’t even know that I have a timetable,” … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/30/25

Ignore the storm clouds over the state budget

THE BENJAMINS: Given the focus on the gun issue, it’s easy to forget how the House of Representatives passed a $14.3 billion budget last week. The Senate is poised to take it up today. While … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/23/25

The state budget is back to its pre-Covid ways

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: In some ways, the $14.3 billion budget approved by Rhode Island’s House Finance Committee this week is a return to the pre-COVID norm. But in other ways, it’s a … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/16/25

After House passage, assault weapons bill hangs over Smith Hill

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When does the calculus of doing nothing outweigh the value of doing something at the Statehouse? That question will hang over Smith Hill until the resolution of the proposed … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/9/25

AG Neronha gets aggressive on R.I. health care crisis

1. STORY OF THE WEEK: When Attorney General Peter Neronha makes a presentation, he really goes to town. A case in point was the news conference in his office Wednesday, about confronting Rhode … more

By Ian Donnis | 6/2/25

Rhode Island is awash with conflicts

Politicians in the state no longer hide their conflicts of interest. It is probably because the voters have become anesthetized to abuses. Here are just a few recent examples. Speaker of the … more

By Arlene Violet, Esq. | 6/2/25