Metro
Occupiers urge Biden to tax the rich
By Sona Mkrttchian | February 23About 20 demonstrators lined up outside the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Providence Thursday to protest the arrival of Vice President Joe Biden, who was in town to support Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse at a fundraiser for his re-election campaign.
Providence schools may go paperless
By Phoebe Draper | February 15Kindergarten students may soon be learning arithmetic on iPads, as part of a new "paperless classroom" initiative sponsored by the Rhode Island Department of Education.
Simmons, Taveras meet to discuss payments
By Sona Mkrttchian | February 15Mayor Angel Taveras met with President Ruth Simmons yesterday afternoon to discuss the possibility of the University increasing its annual contributions to the city. Taveras' administration wants Brown to double its annual $4 million contribution. At a press conference yesterday, he said he feels optimistic ...
Taveras declares Providence 'in peril'
By Sona Mkrttchian | February 13Mayor Angel Taveras stressed the importance of making sacrifices as the city faces the looming threat of bankruptcy during his annual State of the City address last night. In an unprecedented gesture, Gov. Lincoln Chafee '75 P'14 attended the speech, standing behind Taveras as he spoke.
At celebration, state leaders discuss R.I. black history
By Alexa Pugh | February 8As legislators and local community leaders gathered at the State House for the third annual Joint Legislative Black History Month Heritage Celebration, Corey Walker, associate professor and chair of the department of Africana Studies, distilled the spirit of the night to a single question: "Is America ...
Legislation spotlights domestic abuse
By Mathias Heller | February 8Harvard junior Nicholas Alahverdian is not your typical lobbyist. Lobbyists often have long-standing connections with lawmakers and years of experience working in legislative corridors to advance their agendas. But beginning as a teenager, Alahverdian, who is now 24, saw lobbying as a necessity.
R.I. budget proposal targets eateries
By Sona Mkrttchian | February 8A week after Gov. Lincoln Chafee '75 P'14 released his budget proposal to the General Assembly, Rhode Island residents are expressing their distress over its proposed tax increases, which Chafee himself called "controversial" during his annual State of the State address to legislators last week.
Bill would allow wine, beer at farmer's markets
By Kat Thornton | February 6New legislation in the Rhode Island House of Representatives may allow local wineries and breweries to sell their products at farmer's markets in Rhode Island. Currently, these companies are required to go through a distributor in order to sell wine and beer at the markets.
MBTA cuts would limit student access to Boston
By Morgan Johnson | February 6The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority may eliminate commuter rail service weekdays after 10 p.m. and weekends, according to proposals released last month by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Board Finance Committee. These changes, which would affect students who travel between ...
Bankruptcy looms as mayor threatens legal action
By Kat Thornton | February 2Correction appended.
Rep. proposes ban on smoking in public spaces
By Adam Toobin | February 1In 2005, smokers received some bad news — Rhode Island had joined a number of other states in banning smoking inside bars and enclosed workspaces. Now, state Rep. Richard Morrison, D-Bristol, wants to take that law a step further and make it illegal to smoke in any outdoor public establishment. ...