Newsmakers | WPRI 12 News

This week on Newsmakers: Republican candidate for governor Aaron Guckian on the GOP race for the State House, criticism from rival Elaine Pelino, and more; plus, Tim White is joined by The Boston Globe's Dan McGowan and Steph Machado to break down the latest in the Providence mayoral race, the city's schools and headlines from the campaign trail.

This week on a special edition of Newsmakers: a debate between the two candidates running for Providence mayor, incumbent Brett Smiley and challenger David Morales. Tune in for upcoming 12 News debates ahead of Rhode Island's Sept. 9 primary election featuring the candidates for lieutenant governor (July 31 at 6:30 p.m.), attorney general (Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.) and governor (Aug. 18 at 8 p.m.).

This week on Newsmakers: Republican candidate for governor Elaine Pelino discusses a new poll showing her ahead, criticism from rival Aaron Guckian, her policy positions and more; plus, Ted Nesi is joined by The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson and Rhode Island Current's Nancy Lavin to break down the latest headlines from the campaign trail.

Karin Wulf, Professor of History and Director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University, discusses the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and what the milestone means for how Americans understand the nation's founding. Then John Marion of Common Cause RI discusses recent cases impacting elections.

This week on Newsmakers: Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi, Rhode Island's most prominent political independent, explains why he endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes and discusses key issues facing his city; then, 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming joins Tim White and Ted Nesi to break down the state of the governor's race.

This week on Newsmakers: state Rep. Joe Solomon Jr. of Warwick discusses his Democratic primary campaign for attorney general; plus, Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming to discuss the latest setbacks for Gov. Dan McKee's reelection bid against Helena Foulkes.

This week on Newsmakers: Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Xay Khamsyvoravong, a Newport city councilor, discusses his campaign and his priorities; plus, a closer look at U.S. Sen. Jack Reed's challengers, Democrat Connor Burbridge and Republican Ray McKay.

This week on Newsmakers: Ted Nesi is joined by The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson and Rhode Island Current's Nancy Lavin for a roundtable on the key issues as the General Assembly session wraps up; plus, Kim Kalunian's one-on-one interviews with Republican 2nd Congressional District candidates Stephen Skoly and Vic Mellor.

This week on Newsmakers: Brown Health CEO John Fernandez and Care New England CEO Dr. Michael Wagner discuss their push for a $70 million increase in state Medicaid funding, why their hospital groups are losing money, the primary care crisis and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming and political strategist Cara Cromwell to break down the results of the brand-new 12 News/Emerson College poll, including on the Dan McKee-Helena Foulkes gubernatorial primary.

A brand-new 12 News/Emerson College poll of Rhode Island voters finds Helena Foulkes leading Dan McKee 40% to 20% in the Democratic primary for governor. In this podcast extra, Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming to break down the poll results in the governor's race, plus the campaign for attorney general, key issues, confidence in RIDOT and more. The half-hour special is also available to stream on the 12+ smart TV app.

This week on Newsmakers: U.S. Sen. Jack Reed discusses the war in Iran, his alarm about the Pentagon, Electric Boat, immigration funding, his reelection campaign and more.

This week on Newsmakers: R.I. Republican Party Chair Allyn Meyers discusses Joe Shekarchi's resignation as House speaker to pursue a Supreme Court appointment, the outlook for the 2026 elections, President Trump and more; then, a reporters' roundtable on Shekarchi's decision and the new House leadership team of House Speaker Chris Blazejewski and Majority Leader Katherine Kazarian.

This week on Newsmakers: Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Sue AnderBois, a Providence city councilor, discusses her campaign, energy policy, rent control and more; then, Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming to break down the latest polling the McKee-Foulkes gubernatorial primary.

This week on Newsmakers: Barrington businessman Ken Block discusses his newly launched independent campaign for governor, state government failures, housing, the millionaires tax, energy and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Congressman Gabe Amo discusses the war in Iran, the ongoing DHS shutdown, immigration, Artemis II, upcoming elections and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Democratic gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes discusses her campaign, criticism from incumbent Dan McKee, housing, energy, taxes and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Secretary of State Gregg Amore discusses his legal fight with the Trump administration, the SAVE Act and voter ID, the upcoming election, the proposed $45 million state archives bond and more.

U.S. District Judge William Smith retired in January after 23 years on the bench. He reflects on his career and the current state of the judiciary in unprecedented times.

This week on Newsmakers: Attorney General Peter Neronha discusses his report on clergy sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, why he endorsed Helena Foulkes for governor, the deal to save Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals, and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson to break down two brand-new polls on the race for Rhode Island governor; plus, an encore presentation of Walter Cryan's 1998 retrospective on the Blizzard of '78.

This week on Newsmakers: Laurie-Marie Pisciotta, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island, and Prachi Kene, counseling professor at Rhode Island College, discuss the Pawtucket rink shooting and the state of behavioral health care; plus, a special report on the state's efforts to combat chronic absenteeism..

This week on Newsmakers: Pawtucket mayoral candidate Adam Greenman discusses his Democratic primary challenge against Don Grebien, Hasbro, Memorial Hospital and more; state Rep. Jon Brien talks about being the General Assembly's only independent, challenges in Woonsocket, the $70,000 rug mistake and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Gov. Dan McKee discusses the resignation of RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, his reelection campaign, the line-item veto, energy costs, hospitals and more.

This week on Newsmakers: John Loughlin, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, discusses his campaign for the No. 2 office, energy policy and more; then, Tim White and Ted Nesi examine local ICE fallout, the future of Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals, Providence's snow struggles and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Massachusetts Congressman Bill Keating, who represents New Bedford and is the top House Democrat on European affairs, discusses the fallout from President Trump's push to acquire Greenland and other topics.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming and Rhode Island Current senior reporter Nancy Lavin to break down Gov. Dan McKee's State of the State and what his budget plan says about the election year ahead.

This week on Newsmakers: Rhode Island Foundation President and CEO David Cicilline discusses his push for an overhaul of the state's K-12 funding formula; then, Hospital Association of RI President Michael Sroczynski on the future of Roger Williams and Fatima plus broader challenges facing the sector.

This week on Newsmakers: a New Year’s reporters roundtable breaks down the fallout from the Brown University shooting and looks and ahead to what will make headlines in 2026. Ted Nesi is joined by The Boston Globe's Steph Machado and The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson.

This week on Newsmakers: in excerpts from a special edition of "Behind the Story" taped on Dec. 17, Ted and Tim are joined by 12 News anchor Kim Kalunian to discuss how news outlets covered the shooting at Brown University and the days that followed.

This week on Newsmakers: Bishop Bruce Lewandowski of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence discusses the deadly shooting at Brown, faith in difficult times, the future of the diocese, immigration and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Democratic attorney general candidate Kim Ahern discusses her campaign, her priorities and her time leading the state's cannabis agency; then, League of RI Businesses co-founder David Levesque discusses the group's hopes of shaking up the State House.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming and political strategist Cara Cromwell to break down the latest UNH poll of Rhode Island voters and the outlook for the 2026 governor's race.

This week on Newsmakers: a 1976 interview with the late U.S. Sen. John Pastore conducted by his colleagues Claiborne Pell and Edward Brooke, newly digitized by archivists at Providence College; plus, a sneak preview of the new Target 12 series "The Last Don of Providence," about the rise and fall of mob boss Luigi "Baby Shacks" Manocchio.

This week on Newsmakers: Melissa Cherney, new CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, discusses record-high demand for food assistance ahead of Thanksgiving, the recent SNAP crisis and more; then, a look at how Rhode Island's congressional delegation spent the week.

This week on Newsmakers: R.I. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green discusses the new school year, the latest RICAS test scores, reading comprehension, A.I., the Smithfield hazing investigation and more.

This week on Newsmakers: state Rep. Jason Knight, D-Barrington, discusses his campaign for attorney general, criminal prosecutions, the Washington Bridge, President Trump and more; then, Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton sits down with 12 politics editor Ted Nesi in Fall River to discuss his Democratic primary challenge against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.

This week on Newsmakers: R.I. Superior Court Presiding Justice Alice Gibney discusses her retirement after a 44-year career on the bench, the rule of law in 2025, her most memorable cases and more.

This week on Newsmakers: Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell discusses her new move to Dartmouth, why she's running for reelection, whether she might run for Congress someday and more; plus, Tim White and Ted Nesi break down the latest on Rhode Island's housing crisis.

This week on Newsmakers: Nate Raymond, legal affairs correspondent for Reuters in Boston, discusses his recent article about the central role New England judges are playing in court fights over President Trump's policies, plus, a look at the week's biggest political headlines.

This week on Newsmakers: Attorney General Peter Neronha discusses why he won't run for governor, the Roger Williams and Fatima hospitals transaction, the indictment of his New York counterpart and more; plus, Ted Nesi looks back at the life and times of Rhode Island legend John Pastore on the 80th anniversary of his inauguration as governor.(This week's episode previously went out with audio from an older episode - we apologize for the error!)

This week on Newsmakers: Keith Hoffmann, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, announces his newly launched campaign, the abrupt exit of rival Bob Craven, the Trump administration and more; then, Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by The Providence Journal's Patrick Anderson to break down a big week in local news.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming and political strategist Cara Cromwell to break down the early weeks of the Rhode Island governor's race, the coming contest for attorney general, the Jimmy Kimmel controversy and more.

This week on Newsmakers: state Rep. David Morales discusses his newly launched Democratic campaign for Providence mayor, police funding, pensions, ICE and more; then, R.I. Republican Party Chairman Joe Powers and R.I. Young Republicans Chairman Ken Naylor Jr. discusses the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the outlook for the 2026 election locally.

This week on Newsmakers: Democratic candidate for governor Helena Foulkes discusses her newly launched campaign, the Washington Bridge, criticism over opioids, jobs, the Charlie Kirk assassination, and more.

This week on Newsmakers: a political potpourri. First, Ted Nesi sits down one-on-one with Congressman Seth Magaziner to discuss his work to ban members of Congress from trading stocks. Next, an encore of Kim Kalunian's live interview with Gov. Dan McKee. Then, Tim White is joined by Eli Sherman for a look at the battle between New England leaders and President Trump over the Revolution Wind project.

This week on Newsmakers: Tim White and Ted Nesi are joined by 12 News political analyst Joe Fleming and political strategist Cara Cromwell to examine the outlook for Rhode Island's 2026 primary election one year out.

This week on Newsmakers: Ted Nesi talks one-on-one with Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council President and CEO Michael DiBiase about a big new report on why state spending is going up so much; plus, 12 News reporter Alexandra Leslie looks at the life of Providence Municipal Court Judge Frank Caprio, who has died at age 88.

This week on Newsmakers: Secretary of State Gregg Amore discusses navigating the Trump administration, the ILO lobbying investigation, the State Archives, his political future and more; then, Tim White takes a fresh look at the 1975 Bonded Vault heist that marked a key moment in the history of the New England Mafia.

This week on Newsmakers: New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell discusses the first months of South Coast Rail, controversy over the police department, political controversies, the proposed waste processing facility and more.