It’s the autumnal leaf-collection season, when the sound of leaf-blowers echoes across the land. Thanks for stopping by. You can follow me through the week on Bluesky, Threads and X.
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1. STORY OF THE WEEK
More than 10 years have passed since President Trump’s last recorded visit to Rhode Island – an April 2016 campaign event outside the Crown Plaza in Warwick. But Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brought a taste of the White House when he spoke Monday at the Naval War College in Newport. As Chris Shea reported, Hegseth’s main critique is that America’s military colleges have become too similar to civilian counterparts, “importing what he called the ‘worst pathologies’ of higher education at the expense of their focus on victory in the battlefield.” A 12-year partnership with Brown University was considered especially objectionable since, Hegseth said, “The only place more strikingly ideological in one direction — more than Columbia or Harvard — is Brown. It was long past due to end that relationship.”
Brown pushed back, with spokesman Brian Clark telling Shea that the university has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to the military through research, education and service. Tom Nichols, a Rhode Island-based staff writer at The Atlantic and retired professor at the Naval War College, wrote that Hegseth made two things clear: “First, the secretary has no real idea what goes on in war colleges. Second, Hegseth is very angry that the war colleges are not incorporating his personal political vendettas into their curricula.”
Meanwhile, a congressional effort to impeach Hegseth first gained and then lost momentum during the week of his visit to Newport. But questions of accountability remain. Comedian John Oliver’s withering takedown of Hegseth cited how the secretary has depleted upper ranks of the U.S. military – something that could take a generation to restore. On Newsmax, retired Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt criticized Hegseth for lifting a suspension of pilots who flew by Kid Rock’s house. And conservatives are among those troubled by how U.S. forces destroyed the crew from a shipwrecked purported drug boat off the Venezuelan coast. “That is something that is absolutely a war crime and could be prosecuted,” John Ullyot, a senior Pentagon spokesman under Hegseth, told NPR’s Steve Inskeep.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, poised to become chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee in January, said in a statement that House Republicans rejected voters’ message from the election by blocking consideration of impeaching Hegseth. “I think this partisan, party-line decision shows why Republicans were routed in the last election,” Reed said. “Democrats are committed to meaningful oversight and accountability. I will aggressively pursue the facts, follow the evidence, and provide rigorous oversight of Secretary Hegseth and the U.S. Department of Defense.”
(And, yes, Hegseth prefers to be called secretary of war. However, Ocean State Media uses the title secretary of defense, echoing NPR and the Associated Press.)
2. JUDICIAL SHOWDOWN
Rhode Island’s House Judiciary Committee will take testimony Tuesday afternoon on the nomination of Luis Matos to join the state Supreme Court. Supporters have rallied to his side. Gov-elect Helena Foulkes said this week she did not see it as her role to intervene in the nomination, following questions about Matos’ past stance on reproductive rights. Current Gov. Dan McKee nominated Matos.
3. RHODE ISLAND’S MOST INTERESTING MAN
Ted Widmer may not be a household name, but his resume is sui generis among Ocean Staters: speechwriter for Bill Clinton, Providence Phoenix columnist, a former part of the Upper Crust – a rock band whose members dress as 18th-century French aristocrats and sing about the difficulty of being rich – and now, a historian and author of such books as The Living Declaration: A Biography of America’s Founding Text. Widmer joined me on One on One this week to talk about the midterm elections, the outlook for President Trump, Democrats’ level of responsibility for the Trump era and much more.
Widmer began writing for the Phoenix when it was the NewPaper, so he has a long-term perspective on the trials and tribulations of Rhode Island. We ran out of time during the interview to delve into his assessment on how the state is faring, so here goes: “RI is a beautiful place to live, with wonderful universities, fun restaurants, gorgeous beaches and great, great people. At the same time, we can be complacent and even self-defeating. There was no reason to lose the Pawtucket Red Sox – that was a failure of political leadership. We lost the America's Cup. The once-mighty Providence Journal punched above its weight and gave RI readers a lot of important information, including about shenanigans in our politics. It was good for democracy to have that counterbalance.
“Within living memory, Rhode Islanders made high-quality products that were famous around the country ... precision tools, boats, textiles, silver, toys. Who else could have given the world Mr. Potato Head? Today, unemployment is low, and that's a good thing, but it would be even better to have new ideas and new industries coming in. RI needs to make things again. The bridge fiasco revealed that the infrastructure is in rough shape, and most polls reveal RI to be near the bottom of the state rankings for business climate. But we have two great senators, and I'm very encouraged by last week's election results, both locally and nationally. That gives me hope – our famous motto – for better times ahead.”
4. WHICH WAY ON ENERGY?
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, was among those cheering after the Senate this week approved a measure to ease energy permitting. The legislation was also backed by President Trump and major energy industry groups.
However, as Matthew Daly and Jennifer McDermott reported, “many environmental organizations have panned the deal because they say it would lock in fossil fuel development, weaken environmental safeguards and make it harder for communities to challenge energy project approvals.”
In a statement, Whitehouse said the legislation will serve Democrats’ goal of lowering energy costs, reducing emissions and “stopping data centers’ free ride.” He added a significant caveat, though: “As I have said all along, the ultimate success of this bill depends on the Trump administration getting wind turbines up and spinning to get affordable energy on the grid, and we still need to make progress on that front before final passage.”
For more on the latter point, see item 9.
5. PROVIDENCE AT NIGHT
Nolan Rogalski takes on an important question via an excellent read in the ProJo: why is Providence’s nightlife industry – a $1 billion contributor to the economy – struggling?
As Rogalski reports, “From bars and restaurants to theaters and clubs, nightlife businesspeople said the city is not sufficiently addressing their operating challenges, despite the massive ‘Life at Night in the Creative Capital’ economic study rolled out by the City of Providence in January 2025.”
Some businesses say they haven’t bounced back from the pandemic. There are other factors, including how drinking has become less prevalent among younger people. The departure of downtown workers has exacerbated Providence’s somewhat split identity; if there’s an event at the AMP or PPAC, the streets feel alive. OTOH, in the absence of such activity, things are far quieter, in a throwback to the old saw about being able to roll a bowling ball down Westminster Street at night without hitting anyone. But at least FM’s move from Johnston to the GTECH tower will bring more people closer to downtown.
6. COMING UP ON 2028
Don’t look now, but the “invisible primary” for the next presidential race is under way. Although Gina Raimondo sounded categorical in previously dismissing a possible run, our former governor was slated to attend a “What’s Next” event in Denver this week organized by Majority Democrats, a group led by U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts. One person to keep an eye on: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, whose two wins as a Democrat in a red state were piloted by Eric Hyers, the same guy who managed Raimondo’s 2014 run and was chief strategist for Helena Foulkes’ recent victory.
7. TRANSITION SEASON
The post-election end-of-year lull is upon us. Big headlines can still burst, but the new class of electeds is focused on standing up their administrations.
Here’s an update.
***Gov-elect Helena Foulkes this week named Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera and Bari Harlam, a former colleague at CVS and Hudson Bay Company, to co-chair her transition. You can find the names of her full transition committee here.
***Providence Mayor-elect David Morales named two experienced players, Jennifer Wood, as his chief of staff and Krystle Lindberg, as PVD’s next CFO, succeeding the retiring Lawrence J. Mancini. In related news, Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva announced his retirement, meaning that the incoming mayor has another key position to fill.
***Attorney General-elect Kim Ahern named Jerry Coyne, a veteran of the AG’s office, and Linn Freedman, chair of the data privacy and cybersecurity practice at Robinson + Cole, to chair her transition. Members of the transition team include Sandra Cano, Dr. Philip Chan, Col. Hugh Clements, Janet Coit, Zachary Cunha, Kevin Gallagher, Bethany Macktaz, Rebecca Partington and Peter Slom.
8. GUN STUFF
The U.S. Supreme Court is slated in three weeks to debate Viramontes v. Cook County — a high-profile case involving the ability of Rhode Island and other states to regulate the AR-15 platform and similar semiautomatic rifles. Everytown for Gun Safety plans to hold a Rhode Island news conference around the time when SCOTUS takes up the case. If you want to bone up on some history, I recommend American Gun: The True Story of The AR-15. It tells how a self-educated tinkerer came up with the weapon, stemming from a desire to provide a more effective gun to American soldiers. It took decades and decades for the AR-15 to gain popularity, and once it did, sales skyrocketed; the weapon’s use in mass shootings gained attention, and some states instituted new restrictions.
9. WIND POWER
The offshore wind industry saved a struggling New Bedford union, but now its future is unsure.
As my colleague Ben Berke reports, “If the Trump administration succeeds in ending offshore wind development in the United States, it will eliminate thousands of jobs on America’s waterfronts from Massachusetts to Virginia. Much of that work takes place in cities like New Bedford and New London, Conn., where state governments invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build port infrastructure and train workers for the offshore wind industry. The federal government’s abrupt shift in offshore wind policy has pushed companies to cancel plans for new factories in the U.S., redirect offshore wind development towards other countries, and even sell back their leases of federal waters. States that invested heavily in offshore wind are falling behind on climate goals and could see their purpose-built offshore wind piers sit empty for years. And the people who hoped for steady work in the offshore wind industry are now adjusting to a future without it.”
10. STAYING ON THE SCENE
While the election is over, “my interest in making Rhode Island a better place hasn't gone anywhere,” Ken Block writes via email. “For years, I've spent a great deal of time digging into how our government works, how we spend our tax dollars, and why some of the problems we face seem so difficult to solve. I've learned a lot along the way. And I have no intention of stopping. That's why I'm launching The Block Test, a new Substack publication dedicated to independent research, hard numbers, and better government. I'll be examining issues that affect Rhode Islanders every day: government spending, education, electricity costs, municipal finances, health care, elections, and more.
Some articles will be in-depth investigations. Others will be shorter observations about things that deserve a closer look. I'll be asking the questions that have always guided my work: Does it make sense? Does it work? Is it cost-effective? Is there a better way?
And I'll be sharing what I find, even when the answers are inconvenient or unexpected.”
11. REMEMBERING RUDY
Rudy Cheeks, aka Bruce McCrae, the well-known legend of Rhode Island’s creative scene who died in September, will be the subject of a celebration of life event, 4-8 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Met in Pawtucket. There will be music by the Young Adults, Mark Cutler & Emerson Torrey and Mark Taber.
12. KICKER
Pawtucket City Hall, a nationally recognized landmark building with flourishes that recall when America built grand public works to lift itself out of the Depression, could close as soon as next year because of its condition, reports Ben Berke: “The building suffers from persistent leaks in the roof that make the walls inside a sorry mess of flaking plaster and paint. The city runs plug-in air purifiers throughout the building to meet health and safety standards. Recent estimates from a pair of construction consultants suggest a full historic preservation of the building would cost over $90 million. Instead, in the final weeks of a 16-year run in office, Mayor Donald Grebien is moving some municipal functions to a ‘City Hall annex’ in a partially renovated factory complex just over a mile away.”
