Shows / One On One With Ian Donnis
One On One With Ian Donnis
Long-form, in-depth interviews with the people shaping Rhode Island. Hosted by veteran political reporter Ian Donnis, the show goes beyond the headlines to explore the ideas, experiences, and motivations of newsmakers, artists, activists, public officials and other influential voices.
Episodes
- One On One With Ian Donnis
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner on the presidential race, inflation, climate change and more
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner faces a very different election landscape than when he won his congressional seat in 2022. Although Republicans had high hopes…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Lisa Pina-Warren on how the Nonviolence Institute tries to make Providence a more peaceful place
Violent crime in most American cities has generally trended down for decades, except for an uptick during the pandemic. There were 14 homicides in Providence…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Sen. Dawn Euer on climate change, her political future, Democrats’ hopes for November & more
Keep your eye on Dawn Euer, the Democratic state senator from Newport. She’s a potential candidate for attorney general in 2026, along with state…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Dr. Michael Fine on the shortage of primary care docs, misplaced priorities and other maladies afflicting healthcare in Rhode Island
The amount of U.S. spending on healthcare reached four and a half trillion dollars in 2022, or about $14,000 per person. Despite such massive spending, many…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Rep. Justine Caldwell on safe gun storage, choice for prescription drug patients, and why East Greenwich went from red to blue
State Representative Justine Caldwell personifies some of the significant changes that have swept over the General Assembly in the last decade. In 2018…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Steve Frias on why he’s not supporting Trump or Biden, how the RI GOP has to change, and more
Until recently, Steve Frias of Cranston held one of the top posts in the Rhode Island Republican Party -- national committeeman. Frias decided to not seek…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Brown professor Corey Brettschneider on the presidents who have threatened democracy and the citizens who fought back
Presidential threats to democracy are nothing new. Our second president, John Adams, outlawed dissent and tried to prosecute his critics. Andrew Johnson’s…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Reporters discuss the top Rhode Island stories so far in 2024
Rhode Islanders are among those celebrating the Fourth of July this week with cookouts, fireworks and family get-togethers. But politics rarely takes a day…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI Senate Democratic Whip Val Lawson on Washington Bridge, East Providence and the future of the Senate
Valarie Lawson has enjoyed a rapid rise in the Rhode Island Senate. Lawson was first elected in 2018 and she is now the third-ranking member in the chamber…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
House Speaker Joe Shekarchi on state spending, housing and his future plans
Rhode Island House Speaker Joe Shekarchi holds what is often called the most powerful job in state government. That’s because the speaker controls the…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI ACLU’s Steve Brown on police accountability, open records and the 2024 General Assembly session
Many of the hundreds of bills passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly each year raise issues involving civil liberties. That’s why Rhode Island ACLU…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
URI President Marc Parlange on RI’s economy, boosting research, and academia under fire
It’s not an easy time to be a university president. Academia faces criticism from across the political spectrum. Many campuses have been divided by the war…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
US Attorney Zachary Cunha on his probe of DCYF, safe storage and the rule of law in our polarized moment
Problems related to the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families have persisted for years. But when U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha recently…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Sabina Matos on bouncing back from an election loss, policy priorities, and what’s next
Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos was the early favorite in the race for an open seat in the First Congressional District last year. But a…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera on housing progress, what’s next for schools, and why more Latinos are voting Republican
Maria Rivera made history in Central Falls when she won election in 2020 as the first Latina mayor in Rhode Island. Rivera does not yet face any announced…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Rhode Island House Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski on the housing crisis, state revenue, pensions and more
Rhode Island has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to address the state’s housing crisis. Despite that, there are few tangible signs of progress so…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Brown professor Tricia Rose on how views of a colorblind America inhibit efforts to fight racism
As someone who grew up in Harlem and the Bronx, Brown University professor Tricia Rose has had a front row seat on the racial fault lines in American society…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
‘Our safety net really has started to fray’: Darlene Allen on what’s behind growing child fatalities in Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Coalition for Children and Families recently sounded an alarm about a growing number of deaths and near deaths involving young children. The…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor on local pushback, how long progress will take, and whether it should move faster
Rhode Island has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years to produce more housing. But relatively little new construction has happened so far…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
United Way’s Cortney Nicolato on what it takes to make progress on housing, racial equity and more
Cortney Nicolato became president and CEO of United Way of Rhode Island in 2018. It was a homecoming for the Pawtucket native and URI grad who had worked in…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
State Rep. Jennifer Stewart on housing, improving schools, Washington Bridge & more
Jennifer Stewart won election as a state representative from Pawtucket in 2022. She ran on the idea that lawmakers should do more to help everyday Rhode…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Ken Block on disproving 2020 election fraud — and how to improve American elections
Ken Block was surprised to get a phone call from an unfamiliar number one day after the 2020 election. It was a lawyer for Donald Trump’s campaign, and he…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley on Washington Bridge, tax deals, city schools and more
Providence is the business, political and cultural capital for the state. But it faces some of the same hurdles as other cities, including the question of how…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
AP reporter Michelle Smith on Middletown native Michael Flynn’s role as an evangelist for Christian nationalism
The military career of Middletown native Michael Flynn hit a high point when he was named as Donald Trump’s national security adviser in 2016. But Flynn…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI House GOP Leader Mike Chippendale on the Washington Bridge, McKee’s budget, immigration & more
This week, Ian Donnis talks with Republican leader in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Mike Chippendale of Foster. See omnystudio.com/listener for…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on the wars in Israel and Ukraine, the economy and presidential politics
The global scene is marked by violence and uncertainty, with wars in Israel and Ukraine. Closer to home, many Americans are dissatisfied with their choices…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
State Rep. June Speakman on Washington Bridge, the fight for affordable housing, and a political scientist’s view on 2024
This week we'll hear from House Oversight Committee member state Representative June Speakman. Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI Senate Majority Leader Ryan Pearson on Washington Bridge, McKee’s budget, RIPTA and more
Legislative Oversight committees plan to hold a joint hearing Monday to examine the crisis involving the Washington Bridge. For now, motorists continue to…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Black Lives Matter RI PAC President Harrison Tuttle on police accountability, Washington Bridge, and equity in cannabis
Conservative activists and academics in some states are attacking efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Here in Rhode Island, the Providence City…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI GOP National Committeewoman Sue Cienki on Trump’s wins, the stakes for 2024, and what’s next for Rhode Island Republicans
Donald Trump moved closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination by winning the New Hampshire primary this week. Many voters dread a rematch…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RIPEC’s Michael DiBiase on RI’s tougher budget climate – and the fallout for schools, housing, healthcare and transportation
The gravy train is over. That sums up how Rhode Island’s fiscal landscape is in transition. In recent years, a gusher of federal COVID aid fueled consecutive…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Former RI Rep. Claudine Schneider on Trump getting knocked off the Colorado ballot, what’s next for the GOP, and women in politics
Claudine Schneider made history in 1980 when she became the first woman elected to Congress from Rhode Island. Forty-three years later, Ocean State voters…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
State Sen. Jake Bissaillon on General Assembly hot topics, R.I. economy, and reducing RI’s ‘brain drain’
Jake Bissaillon of Providence is the newest member of the Rhode Island Senate. He won a special election last year to fill the vacancy created by the death of…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore on voting, state archives, and the traffic this week in East Providence
Rhode Island’s top official with responsibility for voting-related issues is Secretary of State Gregg Amore. So how does he feel about the outlook for small-d…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
R.I. Senate GOP Leader Jessica de la Cruz on how RI Republicans can gain ground, whether Trump is holding them back, and the war in Israel
Jessica de la Cruz is one of the most high-profile Republicans in the state and she’s flirted with the idea of running for higher office. But the landscape for…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
R.I. Attorney General Neronha on healthcare, gun violence, and his criteria for a possible gubernatorial run in 2026
The Public's Radio Political Reporter Ian Donnis goes in-depth with Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha on this week's episode of Political Roundtable…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Marc Crisafulli on what’s next in the I-195 District, RI’s development climate, and the ubiquity of gambling
Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee named Marc Crisafulli as chairman of the I-195 District Redevelopment Commission last January. The thinking was that a seasoned…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies on RI’s economy, how to reduce poverty, and the next General Assembly session
In this week’s episode of Political Roundtable, Ian Donnis goes in depth with the executive director of the Economic Progress Institute, Weayonnoh…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Gabe Amo on his run in CD1, the war in Israel, and Biden’s less than stellar approval rating
Gabe Amo may be poised for a long career as an elected official in Rhode Island. For that to happen, Amo first has to defeat Republican Gerry Leonard in the…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
CD1 Republican candidate Gerry Leonard on his campaign, the war in Israel, and disarray in the U.S. House
Gerry Leonard calls himself a John Chafee-style Republican. But hard-right lawmakers who struggled for weeks to elect a new speaker typify the club that…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
RI AFL-CIO’s Pat Crowley on organized labor’s current moment, meager progress on schools, and what to do about income inequality
One familiar face in Rhode Island's labor movement, Pat Crowley of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, is poised to take over the leadership of that union. So can labor…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed on Israel at war, disarray in the House, and Gina Raimondo’s political future
Jack Reed’s first term in the U.S. Senate coincided with the so-called “vacation from history.” That was the period between the end of the Cold War and 9/11, a…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Rep. David Morales on fighting for the working class, being pragmatic and what to do about income inequality
David Morales was 22 years old when he was elected as the state representative for Providence’s Mount Pleasant, Valley and Elmhurst sections. Morales was…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Dr. Ashish Jha on promoting public health, curbing COVID, and more
Dr. Ashish Jha believes that an ounce of data is worth a thousand pounds of opinion. He makes that observation in his bio on X, formerly known as Twitter…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Scott Avedisian on RIPTA’s financial challenges, transit improvements, and what’s next for a downtown transit center
In a small state like Rhode Island, you might think it would be easy to create a good public transit system. But RIPTA has wrestled with a lack of funding…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Cherie Cruz on overcoming obstacles, being a state rep and fighting for criminal justice reform
After growing up in poverty, Cherie Cruz got two degrees at Brown University before she was 40. The Pawtucket Democrat’s role as a Democratic state…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Gabe Amo on his historic win in CD1, how it happened, and what’s next
Gabe Amo made history when he won the Democratic primary in Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District earlier this week. The Pawtucket native and former White…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: RI reporters on the Democratic fight coming down to the wire in the 1st Congressional District
Rhode Island voters will decide the outcome of two primaries in the First Congressional District next Tuesday. The Democratic side of the race has gotten most…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Magaziner on Biden’s approval, challenges for Democrats, and the outlook on Social Security
In the race last year for the seat formerly held by Langevin, Democrat Seth Magaziner beat Republican former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung by almost four…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Hellendrung on the resurgence of Narragansett Beer and what it shows about Rhode Island and brewing
Narragansett Beer used to be the best-selling lager in New England and it sponsored the Red Sox baseball back in the day. But by the turn of the century…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Powers on next steps for the Rhode Island GOP, how Republicans can court more Latino support, and Donald Trump
The last GOP governor was elected in 2006 and the party holds just 14 of 113 legislative seats. Now, can Rhode Island Republicans overcome their long-term…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Fine and Koller on the cost of healthcare, the primary care doc shortage and the reimbursement challenge for RI’s hospitals
This week: Dr. Michael Fine who served as head of the state Department of Public Health from 2011 to 2015. He is now a writer, community activist and chief…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Santilli on housing, homelessness – and where things go from here
The Rhode Island Association of Realtors recently reported that despite national trends, the median price of a home in the state is still climbing. The median…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Shekarchi on Cranston Street Armory, Matos’ signature controversy, and firefighter-hypertension bill
The Rhode Island House of Representatives passed the most recent state budget in just about three hours last month. That rapid pace reflects strong support in…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Quezada on CD1, what voters say, and why she’s running
Ana Quezada has won election four times as a state senator from Providence. Now, she’s targeting a loftier goal: the vacant seat in Rhode Island’s First…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Beauté on the economy, technology and why she’s running in CD1
Stephanie Beauté is hoping to translate her interest in politics into a seat in Congress. She ran as last year for secretary of state and is now part of the…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Smiley on Philly fallout, PVD Fest, Providence taxes, and more
Brett Smiley has benefited by presenting a fresh face as the mayor of Providence. But the city’s underlying fiscal challenges are never far from the surface…
- One On One With Ian Donnis
Political Roundtable: Amo on Philadelphia controversy, RI’s pension overhaul and why he’s running in CD1
Gabe Amo is well known by political reporters and other people who play close attention to Rhode Island politics. The son of immigrants from Africa, Amo grew…