Rob Smith

Paywalls on court documents impede democracy. But instead of getting rid of PACER fees, the judiciary is implementing a 20% fee hike. free.law/2026/10/21/p...

did the Massachusetts tourism board write this answer?

Our newsroom has joined 59 other publishers to file a mass-action lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft. This piece in @truthout.org by @binjreports.bsky.social publisher and co-plaintiff @jasonpramas.bsky.social explains why. truthout.org/articles/the...

I will now, for you, rank the New England states.

In @ecorinews.bsky.social's newsletter, publisher Jo Detz announces joining a lawsuit vs. OpenAI & Microsoft for "essentially stealing our work." She writes: "it feels good to be standing with others against a trillion-dollar industry that shows little care for the work of writers and artists."

interesting, Ken Block now backs merging DEM/CRMC. When I asked him during our interview earlier this month, he agreed the appointed board had to be away with, but said nothing about merging with DEM:

RIP Tom Skerritt, a reliable and enduring actor who you probably remember from...everything, basically. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...

I do not cover the courts, but if these videos were submitted to a judge for sentencing, would they not be considered public documents and accessible via FOIA or open records requests?

The wait for $4.99 rotisserie chickens in RI may soon be over Costco to open a store in Smithfield in 2028 www.providencejournal.com/story/money/...

The Pascoag resident who fought the synthetic turf field at Burrillville High School is asking a Rhode Island Superior Court judge to order the town to pay her more than $555,000, after the town’s lawsuit against her was thrown out under Rhode Island’s anti-SLAPP law. bit.ly/4z1TmgR

"The document you requested is 121 pages. You will only be billed for 30 pages."

A system to filter PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” from North Smithfield’s high school and middle school water is planned for February 2027. Questions remain about the source and effects on nearby wells. Read more: https://bit.ly/4s9vbe7

I think its funny the democrats polled in the Salve survey go down when respondents were asked what party they ID with v. registration

Ran into the same problem. Campaign told me last week he was available for an interview on his environmental stances and told me to send some times.... sent the times and never heard back

actually it's extremely funny to see john loughlin on OSM explain the hegalian dialectic in one answer and then accuse Matos of Marxism in the very next answer

Two neighbors live less than 2,000 feet apart. One pays up to $500/month for electricity. The other averages $130. One has investor-owned National Grid. The other by a municipal utility. @popovichn.bsky.social and I dug into America’s widening power bill divide: www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

"RIC installed three Flock cameras at the primary entrances to campus in 2023. Despite school policy that the data is not shared externally, there were 372,840 external searches to the college’s Flock database from 2024 to 2025." I went to RIC, it's a very safe school! why so many external searches

Some great news from New England: Last Monday, October 5, we hit a new wind output record of 2.28 GW. Note that this is 270 MW higher than the previous record. This was inevitably the Revolution Wind #offshorewind plant coming online, and Vineyard Wind coming (back) online. /1

Youth filmmakers in Warren, RI made a documentary short on flooding & climate impacts w/support from my students at Brown & local arts org The Collaborative. It's screening this Thurs, 10/15, at 7pm, & I hope you'll come @ecorinews.bsky.social @brown-ibes.bsky.social english.brown.edu/events

Take our reader survey and let us know what you think about our news coverage. Your responses help shape what ecoRI News covers, who we reach, and how we grow, and you’ll be entered to win a $100 cash card: bit.ly/4hQGCm4

they've been on a terrific run of picks for it the last 10 or 15 years, honestly

When Bonnie Phillips reported this story to find out what it takes to get an oyster on your plate, she spent hours on the boat with oyster farmers, and she had to set her alarm for 5 a.m. more than once. bit.ly/4z6Rgfj

Hear from some of Rhode Island's oyster farmers about challenges and opportunities they face, then taste some of their oysters fresh from the Bay. Get tickets before they sell out! bit.ly/4zeRscL

🦪 A new @ecorinews.bsky.social story featuring insight from two GSO-connected experts, Jacque Rosa & Robbie Hudson, takes a closer look at RI’s oyster farming industry, from the gear farmers use to the push-and-pull between aquaculture and other coastal uses. 🌊 🦑 ➡️ buff.ly/nVOgqXc

Covered a lot of issues with @kenblockri.bsky.social & @helenabfoulkes.bsky.social during our forum at RWU Law yesterday evening (Aaron Guckian had agreed to participate, but said he had a scheduling conflict) via @jeremybernfeld.bsky.social www.oceanstatemedia.org/elections/20...

My colleagues and I at @heatmap.news spent all day putting together a full explainer of the new bipartisan Senate permitting deal. Read and get up to speed! #energysky #greensky

I'm looking forward to moderating this panel at LitArts RI on October 24 about demystifying freelancing (building networks, securing bylines, pitching stories) and overcoming access barriers in the media industry.

Big news out of the RI delegation in DC today: @whitehouse.senate.gov and his 3 negotiating partners (Capito, Lee, Heinrich) have announced a bipartisan Senate deal on energy-permitting reform after months of negotiations that also involved the Trump White House thehill.com/policy/energ...

Trump’s reckless war of choice with Iran is driving up the price of diesel. RI’s public transit now faces millions in unexpected fuel costs to keep buses running. We need to stop the price hikes of Trump’s chaos and end the war.

it should be illegal that I had to find out today I'm very nearly as old as Mr. Belding was when the show started, I would like to speak to the manager please

Can @ripta.com get back on track? My full wide-ranging One on One interview with CEO Christopher Durand www.youtube.com/watch?v=caQg...

So, Banksy bought a used yacht, repaired it and retrofitted it to serve as a rescue boat to save migrants in the central Mediterranean. The whole project cost the artist $860,000. Since 2020, the boat has saved more than 3,800 people. londondaily.com/banksy-funds...

For RI, one reason I've heard for why 38 seats is because 75/2 = 37.5. The old legislature was 100 House, 50 Senate; so to preserve the ratio they rounded up. For something that happened in living memory (less than 25 years ago), it's kind of amazing how much rationale is not readily available.

At Heatmap’s Climate Week event today, Energy Secretary Chris Wright explicitly said there will not be a full-scale diesel export ban. “We will not cease exports of U.S. diesel,” Wright told attendees. Full story at the link below.

well well well turns out APRA reform just isn't to make journos lives a lot easier, isn't it: rhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/09/23/h...

One of the agency’s longest-tenured drivers, John Tancredi, started driving for RIPTA 33 years ago and has watched children grow up on his routes. “Keep going. That’s our job,” said Tancredi. “Pick up people, drop people off. That’s it. It’s simple.”

R.I.P. Bruce, aka Rudy. You were a spirit in the night of the old pre-Renaissance Providence & its grittier nightlife — Leo’s, the Met Cafe, Lupo’s, the Living Room, late nights at Ming Garden & Joann’s Silver Top Diner.

Some have been critical that Rhode Island's 'Big Three' environmental organizations haven't fought harder against unchecked development in the state's natural areas. Our reporter spoke with the heads of the three organizations who say their role is more nuanced. bit.ly/4h26Hzl

In this weekend's newsletter: 😋 One botanist wants you to be eating the forest for the trees 🚛 What repealing the roadless rule means for the White Mountains Plus Stuff to do this weekend and a close encounter with a tiny snail inside a green pepper 🐌 bit.ly/4xvButq

Join The Providence Eye for our second annual fundraiser event featuring live storytelling about Providence. Get your tickets today! Storied Providence: Wednesday, September 23 at 6pm. Hosted at Roger Williams Park Casino.

Sure you can bid on gift cards to Dave's Marketplace, a private mobile sauna session, or tickets to PPAC at our online auction, but did you know you could also bid on fueling columnist @frankcarini.bsky.social? Surely he needs more than $250 to fuel his benevolent rage. buff.ly/Os4Avkx

Terrible year for some of our very best nature writers

Welcome to Point Source. We’re a new outlet that aims to unearth stories about the fossil fuel industry’s power and influence. pointsourcenews.org