Exploring Providence's abandoned East Side train tunnel

Rhode Island Report's final weekly episode aired last week. We'll no longer be posting episodes on a regular basis. But, you can still find more of our reporting at Globe.com/RI. Thank you to our guests and listeners for a great five years! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you’ve lived in Rhode Island long enough, you’ve heard about Providence’s abandoned train tunnel. The last train passed through in the early 1980s. Since then, it’s been a site for graffiti, art installations, parties, and a riot. Host Edward Fitzpatrick walks all the way to the end with Sandor Bodo, a filmmaker who’s making a documentary about the tunnel. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the Democratic primary less than a month away, incumbent Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien is facing a challenge from Adam Greenman, the former president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. Host Edward Fitzpatrick brought the two candidates together for their only debate, in which they sparred on topics ranging from Hasbro's departure to the Tidewater project, development at the former Memorial Hospital and Apex sites, and protecting residents from ICE. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

She made headlines across the country during the World Cup, when she marched at the front of a Tartan Army parade in Providence. She has also appeared at events ranging from New England Patriots games to local festivals. Dawn and her owner, Justin Taymes, joined host Edward Fitzpatrick on the Rhode Island Report podcast to talk about her appearances. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, Rhode Island's Tad Devine has been one of the Democratic Party's most accomplished political consultants. Now, the chief strategist behind Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign has written a new book called "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie.” The La Salle Academy and Brown University graduate offers an insider's account of one of the most consequential Democratic primaries in modern history. He gives guest host Dan McGowan a look behind the scenes. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On July 1, a new Rhode Island law made it possible for victims of sexual abuse as children to sue institutions that didn’t protect them, even if the statute of limitations has expired. So far, more than 50 lawsuits have been filed against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. And St. Aloysius Home, a former orphanage in Smithfield, R.I., is named more than any other church property. The Globe’s own Amanda Milkovits has been digging into what happened there. She joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about what she’s learned. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

States use tax policy to compete with each other for businesses and jobs. But does it work? Professor Adam Myers from Providence College recently completed a book titled “Coordination Failure” that explores this question. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about Rhode Island’s millionaires tax, its “Taylor Swift tax,” and decisions by local companies such as Hasbro to leave the state. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In May, the Rhode Island House of Representatives elected a new leader. Chris Blazejewski, a Providence Democrat, is now House Speaker, a role many call the most powerful job in state government. He joins host Edward Fitzpatrick to talk about his priorities for the General Assembly. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our team is taking some time off for the summer, so we're bringing you an episode from 2025 about Rhode Island's state coral. Astrangia poculata, also known as Northern Star Coral, isn't like those colorful reefs down in the tropics, but it might play an important role in protecting its more vibrant cousins. To find out more, host Edward Fitzpatrick met with Roger Williams University Professor Koty Sharp, a champion of using Rhode Island’s official state coral for marine research. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our team is taking some time off for the summer, so we're bringing you this episode about Rhode Island's 'clamarati." Every year, they visit clam cake shacks all over the state, sampling as many deep-fried clam cakes as they can -- so you don’t have to. We tagged along with them in 2024 for their tenth clam cake crawl. Tips and ideas? Email us at [email protected] Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.