HOT

Michael Araujo

The Rhode Island Executive Director of Jobs with Justice deserves credit for calling on U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse to walk away from Bailey’s Beach Club, the highly exclusive Newport hangout for the highly connected that doesn’t have any black members. It’s not easy for someone like Araujo, who would normally be a staunch ally of Whitehouse given the fact that the senator is largely a friend to organized labor, to make such a statement, so it shows courage on his part. Good for him. 

HOT

Umberto Crenca

The founder of AS220 is working on the second installation of the revolving art project titled INFLUX on the facade of the former bank building on Weybosset Street. This artwork is being done on a site that was previously inhabited by squatters. This will help beautify an important area of downtown Providence and Crenca, and an unbelievably talented artist is the perfect person to take on this project. 

HOT

Saul Kaplan

The Business Innovation Factory Chief Executive Officer makes some astute points in a GoLocal Guest MINDSETTER™ this week.

Kaplan calls on Rhode Islanders, and everyone else, to start taking a more altruistic approach and put “the growth opportunities of others ahead of your own." That type of altruism is what makes societies great. It’s sage advice. 

HOT

Providence College

The school will host “a symposium on the political, social and gender politics of black women and girls effect on black women and the media" starting today, and continuing on Sunday. The symposium is a good stop in the right direction for the school to embrace diversity since it’s been criticized for a lack thereof recently.

HOT

American Women Tennis Players

The American women absolutely killed it at this year’s US Open, even with the absence of Serena Williams, who, by the way, had her first baby this week (congratulations to Serena). All four semifinalists--Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Coco Vandeweghe, and Madison Keys--were American women. That’s an amazing feat. Go USA!  

NOT

Donald Trump

The President has decided to phase out the DACA, the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy” created by former President Barack Obama. The policy created protections for children of immigrants who came to this country illegally. Showing a lack of leadership, the President has called on Congress to act in order to fix the problem so that so many Americans, and in our case, Rhode Islanders aren’t forced to live in fear of deportation. Here’s hoping Congress can show the leadership that our President couldn’t. But I’m not optimistic.

NOT

Allan Fung

The Republican Mayor of Cranston who is, in all likelihood, running for Governor next year, failed to take a position on President Donald Trump’s decision to end protections for children of illegal immigrants, when other potential Republican contenders all voiced their opinions. This was a good chance for the Mayor to take a humane position in defense of Rhode Island children who were brought here by undocumented parents. It seems like a squandered opportunity by Fung and will allow current Governor Gina Raimondo to paint him in an unsympathetic light. 

NOT

Gas Prices

Hurricane Harvey not only wrought serious devastation on the residents of Texas and Louisiana, it also wiped out a significant portion of oil refineries, leading to higher gas prices across the nation--including here in Rhode Island. The increased cost of gas pales in comparison to the harm done by the storm, but it certainly doesn’t help the economy, as people have less money in their pockets to spend on tourism.  

NOT

The Newspaper Industry

This is one of those situations where, if you don’t laugh, you'll cry. Tronc, the mega newspaper publisher, has bought the New York Daily News...for the grand total of $1. To be fair, the company has to also accept the newspaper’s pension and operational liabilities as well. Hey, at least the Daily News didn’t have to pay Tronc to take them over...I guess? But seriously, how much worse can things get for the battered industry?

NOT

Robots

Labor Day has passed, and most of us enjoyed a nice day off last Monday. But perhaps many of us will be in for many more days off going forward, but in a bad way. Robots might be taking our jobs thanks to widescale innovation. That might make us more efficient, but will also concentrate wealth at the top, furthering inequality. That’s not so hot.

NOT

Hurricane Irma

All signs point to serious destruction resulting from what may be the biggest hurricane ever recorded. Here’s hoping, perhaps against hope, that the storm somehow weakens and doesn’t inflict the major havoc that is currently expected.