Articles by: Pat Ford

Rhode Island ACLU: NINE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS CALL FOR POLICE REFORM TO BE A PRIORITY IN 2024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION

      Press Release: Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union   Nine Rhode Island organizations have sent a letter to the Rhode Island House and Senate leadership and legislators on the first day of the 2024 legislative session, urging them to prioritize this year the passage of police reform bills beyond[Read More…]

by January 3, 2024

With All The Media Finger Pointing Over Reporting On The Mask Lawsuit? Here Is Some “ReReporting” Coalition Style

    There appears to be a bit o’ confusion about the reporting on the Southwell v. McKee lawsuit ultimately, after years of contentious litigation, won, in settlement (retreat) by Rhode Island Parents. So, to clarify, here is the Press Release issued by the Parents/Attorney, and our interview on the[Read More…]

by January 2, 2024

This Week In NATO: NATO Intercepted Russian Military Aircraft Over 300 Times in 2023 / UK to Lead NATO’s 2024 Rapid Response Force

This Week In NATO: A Compendium of NATO Statements NATO Intercepted Russian Military Aircraft Over 300 Times in 2023 In 2023, NATO air forces across Europe scrambled well over 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most intercepts occurring over the Baltic Sea. NATO has standing[Read More…]

by January 1, 2024

Rhode Island’s OpenDoors Opens New Supportive Housing Program for Women & Children

  Fresh off the success of their recently opened 24 Hour “Warming & Cooling Center” in Pawtucket, Nick Horton, Co-Executive Director of OpenDoors brings word of a new facility designed to meet the exploding needs for shelter, as well as transitional housing in Rhode Island. Editorial Note: The Coalition would[Read More…]

by December 31, 2023

ACLU Lawsuit Challenges Landlord’s Retaliatory Conduct Against Tenants Seeking to Organize with Tenant Civil Rights Advocates Reclaim RI

From the RI ACLU: Attorneys for the R.I. Center for Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union of RI today filed a lawsuit on behalf of four low-income tenants in Pawtucket and West Warwick who have been threatened with eviction for associating with Reclaim RI, a non-profit agency that organizes[Read More…]

by December 30, 2023

Mass Transportation Alert! Ferry Shuttle Service! RIPTA New Years Day Schedule!

  NO SHUTTLE SERVICE IN BRISTOL FOR FERRY ON SATURDAY If you’re planning on taking the ferry from Providence to Bristol this weekend, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is alerting you of a schedule change. Although the ferry will be available to carry passengers both Saturday and Sunday, no shuttle[Read More…]

by December 29, 2023

Biden Administration Announces Additional U.S. Military Assistance for Ukraine

Press Conference: US President Biden & Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Press Conference December 12, 2023   Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a written statement (see below), announced a final 2023 drawdown of $250 Million Dollars of weapons & equipment promised to Ukraine by President Biden, in a joint press[Read More…]

by December 27, 2023

RIPTA Alert! “Ride Free Central Falls” Pilot Program Will End on December 31, 2023

    The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is reminding passengers that the “Ride Free Central Falls” pilot program, which has been in effect since March 2022, will conclude on December 31, 2023. This initiative, aimed at testing geofencing technology to promote public transportation use, has been a valuable[Read More…]

by December 26, 2023

Cranston’s Mayor Hopkins Selects Robert Ryan as Cranston’s Next Fire Chief

    From The Office of Cranston, Rhode Island Mayor Kenneth Hopkins:   Mayor Kenneth J. Hopkins has announced the selection of Deputy Chief Robert Ryan to serve as Cranston’s next Fire Chief. Ryan, a thirty-six-year Cranston firefighter, will succeed James Warren as the leader of the fire department. In[Read More…]

by December 26, 2023

Statement from Secretary Yellen on President Biden’s Executive Order Taking Additional Steps With Respect to Russia’s Harmful Activities

  From The U.S. Department of the Treasury: Today, to further strengthen the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s tools to disrupt and degrade Russia’s war machine, President Biden issued a new Executive Order (E.O.) amending E.O. 14024 and E.O. 14068. This E.O. further targets Russian sanctions evasion and solidifies the U.S. commitment to[Read More…]

by December 24, 2023