Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

Noah Dobson’s wife Alexa gushes over ‘fairytale’ experience of marrying beau in the same Rhode Island location as John F. Kennedy
Earlier this month, Habs defenseman Noah Dobson married sports reporter Alexa Serowik in Newport, Rhode Island. The wedding ceremony was held on July 1 at St. Mary’s Church, the same location where John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy got...

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientists share studies on reef mapping with NUWC Division Newport workforce
NEWPORT, R.I. – Dr. T. Aran Mooney, Dr. Seth McCammon and Dr. Yogesh Girdhar from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts shared their studies on coral reefs, mapping sounds and the use of autonomous underwater vehicles...

Rhode Island man arrested for online threats to kill President Trump and senior officials
A Rhode Island man was arrested and charged with making violent threats against President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, according to prosecutors. The suspect, 37-year-old Carl D....

Rhode Island man faces charges after threatening to kill Trump, Bondi and Stephen Miller on Truth Social
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

New survey shows deep political divide among Rhode Island voters
Rhode Island Democrats and Republicans are living in vastly different realities when it comes to their perceptions of American democracy and the economy, according to a new survey released today by the Pell Center at Salve Regina University. The...

University of Rhode Island students discover historic shipwrecks
A team of eight students, scientists and engineers from the University of Rhode Island (URI) recently returned from the first survey of known shipwrecks in the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. Using the university’s new, state-of-the-art...

Top elected officials in Rhode Island are struggling in new poll
A new poll released Wednesday by Salve Regina University offers some alarming approval ratings for Rhode Island’s top politicians, with only US Senator Jack Reed cracking 50 percent and none of the five state officeholders reaching 40 percent. My...

Rhode Island Energy Foundation awards $250,000 in grants to local nonprofits
PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Energy Foundation has announced $250,000 in grants to support 22 nonprofit organizations dedicated to enhancing the lives of residents throughout the state. Since 2022, the foundation – an independent nonprofit funded...

Fake news, disinformation, political leaders drive Rhode Island Democrats and Republicans to live in different realities
New Survey Results: RI Democrats and Republicans are living in different realities Well over half of registered voters in Rhode Island believe the United States democracy is not healthy, though the level of concern varies by political party,...

Rhode Island awards $400K in agricultural energy grants
Terrence Gray, Director | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture and Forest EnvironmentTerrence Gray, Director | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Division of Agriculture and Forest...

Rhode Island Updates ‘Revenge Porn’ Law to Include AI-Generated Deepfakes
Rhode Island has strengthened its “revenge porn” statute to include sexually explicit images created with artificial intelligence, closing a growing loophole in the fight against digital exploitation. The new law, championed by Rep. Jason Knight...

Rhode Island’s Iconic Modern Diner Is for Sale
Somewhere between memorable radio gigs, a short stint as Senator Bernie Sanders's press guy for his first congressional campaign in 1988, and my nearly 10 years as a talk host at my current dial position, there was Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I...

From Engineering Blackhawks to Healing Warriors: One Surgeon’s Path to Navy Service
BOSTON – Designing helicopter engines wasn’t the end of her story. It was just the beginning. Before becoming a trauma surgeon, Dr. Isabel M. Bernal worked as an aerospace engineer, contributing to aircraft such as the Blackhawk. Even while...

Rhode Island Homeowners Urged To Switch To Solar Energy Amid Rising Electric Rates -
(MENAFN- Evertise Digital) With electric rates on the rise, Rhode Island homeowners are facing an opportune moment to reduce their monthly expenses by adopting solar energy. The summer season, known for its extended daylight hours, presents an...

Canceled grants get the spotlight at a Capitol Hill 'science fair'
Sumit Chanda, a professor of immunology and microbiology at Scripps Research who focuses on pandemics, has made a career out of preparing for disaster. But Chanda faced a disaster of a different kind this year, when the future of his research was...

Rhode Island First in Nation to Add Workplace Protections for Women Experiencing Menopause – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues In 2012, Rhode Island became the first state to pass a Homeless Bill of Rights. Three years later, it led again by banning the use of bullhooks on elephants. In 2021, the state once more broke...

URI receives $7M federal grant to boost research in...
SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island has been awarded a multimillion-dollar federal grant to fund a professor’s study on the impact of micro and nanoplastics in Rhode Island, as well as boost the state’s workforce. URI announced...

URI awarded $7 million NSF grant to boost research excellence in environmental microplastics
KINGSTON, R.I. – July 8, 2025 – Microplastics can be found everywhere. They’re not just in waterways like Narragansett Bay but they can be found in shellfish, drinking water, and the human body. Research conducted at the University of Rhode Island...

Courts Grapple With ‘Constitutional Attacks’ On Law Barring Marijuana Users From Gun Ownership, Congressional Researchers Note
A new report from congressional researchers examines the state of law around a federal statute that prohibits gun possession by consumers of marijuana and other illegal drugs, noting that a growing number of federal courts are now “finding...

RI officials call for release of $30M in federal education funds
The Trump administration has frozen nearly $7 billion in education funding, $30 million of which was designated for Rhode Island. Rhode Island officials are preparing a legal challenge, citing a Supreme Court precedent that prevents the executive...