The Rhode Island House approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Boylan that would let properly trained nurses deliver routine foot care to elderly and homebound patients in their homes. The bill aims to prevent serious complications for seniors with diabetes and mobility issues while supporting aging in place and easing the burden on family caregivers.
Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced a six-bill package to enhance online safety for minors, targeting social media, gaming, school devices, and AI companions. The legislation includes age verification and an under-18 ban on social media (2026-H 7953), default-disabled open chats and parental purchase approvals (Rhode Island Children’s Online Safety Act), restrictions on addictive features and geolocation in school-issued devices (Safe School Technology Act), an Age-Appropriate Design Code for tech companies, safety standards for AI companions, and a commission to study third-party education platforms. Proponents aim to protect children from harmful content and mental health risks, while critics raise concerns over free speech, privacy, and enforcement challenges. Bills are in early stages in the Rhode Island General Assembly.
Rhode Island ranks near the bottom nationally with a score of just 1 on the 2026 EdChoice Friedman Index, placing it in the “Good Start” tier. The Ocean State has funded eligibility for private school choice under 1% and choice awards equal to only 2% of public per-pupil spending. While 14 states now offer universal choice, Rhode Island’s limited scholarship program continues to lag far behind the national expansion of educational options for families.
Antisemitic Attack at Cranston Pro-Israel Rally: An unidentified man shouting “Fuck Israel” and antisemitic slurs assaulted Rhode Island Coalition for Israel (RICI) supporters on March 31, 2026, ripping an Israeli flag from a young woman and attempting to push and kick demonstrators at Park Ave and Reservoir Ave. Police de-escalated; no injuries. RICI Executive Director Maria Friedman condemned rising Jew-hatred fueled by misinformation.
A new study finds that Rhode Island’s required warnings on cannabis products fall short of best practices for informing consumers about health risks, even as the state earned a passing grade for its labeling rules compared with other states that have legalized adult-use marijuana.
Rhode Island ranks 15th highest among U.S. states for its effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing, according to the Tax Foundation’s “Property Taxes by State and County, 2026” report.
A Rhode Island state senator is pushing for a $650 refundable child tax credit per child, aiming to deliver more substantial direct financial relief to families than a smaller proposal from Gov. Dan McKee and to combat child poverty amid rising living costs.
Defending Education exposes radical Sunrise Movement and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) guides in Rhode Island, including the “Schools: Drop ICE Toolkit” and “Wide Awake Guide,” urging students to stage campus sit-ins, May 1 boycotts, indefinite campouts, and overnight noise protests at Hilton hotels and Enterprise rentals for ties to ICE.
Sunshine Week (March 15-21, 2026) is here to honor the birthday of James Madison. Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.
A national tracker documents 486 student walkouts and protests in U.S. based K-12 schools since 2022, with a sharp spike in 2026 tied to opposition against immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, according to Defending Education. The organization’s K-12 Student Walkout and Protest Tracker relies on social media, news reports and press releases. It logs events across 48 states and the District of Columbia, affecting 245 districts and 523 schools.
K-12 students across Rhode Island are invited to create and post a short patriotic video explaining why they are proud to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with a focus on America’s founding principle of liberty. Sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, the contest will award $250 gift cards to three winners, $100 gift cards to six additional finalists, and copies of American History in No Time to all nine finalists. Full details and submission instructions are available at RIFreedom.org/America250RI.
Providence College has received a $1,125,554 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish the Saint Dominic Fellows Program, a three-year initiative focused on integrating virtue and leadership formation into undergraduate education.
Rep. William W. O’Brien, a Democrat from North Providence, introduced legislation (H 7594) that would increase the state earned income tax credit to 30% of the federal credit for tax years beginning in 2027. Rhode Island’s credit is currently set at 16%. The bill has been referred to the House Finance Committee.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced Thursday that it has launched an online petition calling on state policymakers to reconsider Rhode Island’s current energy strategy, arguing it could lead to higher electricity costs and increased risks to grid reliability.
Dr. Stephen “Doc” Skoly steps down as chairman of the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity to run for Congress in Rhode Island’s 2nd District, citing medical freedom, affordability, and individual liberty.
A Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil hosted Tuesday inside Salve Regina University’s Our Lady of Mercy Chapel has prompted concern among Catholic community members who say the event conflicted with the chapel’s sacred purpose and with established Catholic teaching on gender ideology and the human person.
Club America at Cranston West High School will welcome 2018 Winter Olympian Anthony Watson for a special discussion on American values on Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. in the school auditorium. The event is open to all students, parents, faculty, and citizens in the community. Registration is open here now.
J. William Middendorf II, a former U.S. Secretary of the Navy, ambassador, composer, and one of Rhode Island’s most distinguished public figures, died Oct. 24, 2025, in Fall River. He was 101.
The West Warwick School Committee is facing questions from parent rights advocates and community members about a Rainbow Club (LGBQT Alliance) at John F. Deering Middle School, after a July 29, 2025, job posting described the club as a space for “all members of the school community” to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity.
A legal battle over a controversial Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) regulation intensified this week, as Jane Doe, the mother at the center of a high-profile transgender policy lawsuit, and her legal team filed a scathing reply brief objecting to the state’s argument.
This week, Larry and Adam tackle Sten’s explosive editorial exposing the political corruption, media silence, and blind ideology driving Rhode Island’s march toward Net Zero chaos. From unelected bureaucrats to out-of-touch elites, they unpack how a radical agenda is crushing families and small businesses.
Mike Stenhouse hit home runs on the field and in the world of public policy—and now, he is headed to the College Baseball Hall of Fame. The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity is celebrating its CEO’s induction into the 2025 Hall of Fame class, honoring a standout collegiate career at Harvard and a life of leadership beyond the diamond.
A newly released report from the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity warns that the state’s aggressive green energy agenda could leave residents literally freezing in the dark, as ratepayer costs surge and grid reliability falters under mounting pressure. State lawmakers have enacted agenda-driven climate mandates without performing the necessary due diligence, jeopardizing both affordability and reliability for Ocean State families.
In a pivotal vote Tuesday night, the conservative majority of the Chariho Regional School Committee rejected a contract extension for Superintendent Gina Picard ending speculation about direction of the district. Picard has faced criticism from parents for her progressive agenda. The proposed contract would have extended Picard’s tenure through June 2028 at a starting salary of $170,404.20 with provisions for annual salary adjustments, and enhanced benefit.
Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers joined a coalition of New England lawmakers and free market policy leaders Tuesday to warn that alternative energy mandates are responsible for the region’s soaring electricity prices and potential grid instability.
The Law Centre at the Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), alleging that multiple state entities are violating Title IX regulations. The complaint, submitted Wednesday evening, cites nine named entities, including Rhode Island Commissioner of Education Angelica Infante-Green, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, Attorney General Peter Neronha, and six school districts—Barrington, Chariho, Cumberland, East Greenwich, North Kingstown, and Providence.
The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity announced Wednesday that it has received more than 160 petition signatures from residents urging the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) to end its policy allowing biological boys to compete in girls’ K-12 sports.
Rep. Seth Magaziner joins Mike Stenhouse to discuss the bipartisan TRUST in Congress Act and ethics reform.
Rep. Magaziner hosts ethics advocates to push for a ban on congressional stock trading. The Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act seeks to curb potential conflicts of interest by requiring lawmakers, their spouses, and dependent children to divest individual stocks or place them in a blind trust while in office.