Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not - April 3, 2026

HOT

Ken Block - Enters the Race

Rhode Island's political landscape is getting a reset.

Rhode Island businessman Ken Block is launching an exploratory committee to run for governor of Rhode Island as an independent. GoLocal broke the story.

He tells GoLocal that he simply cannot sit on the sidelines and see what is happening to Rhode Island anymore.

A run by Block transforms the governor's race —  creating a highly competitive general election. In recent years, Block has made national news for his research and standing up to election deniers about the results of the 2020 Presidential election. He had been hired by the Trump campaign to analyze election data, and he found no election fraud (read more below).

Both announced Democratic candidates — incumbent Dan McKee and former CVS President Helena Foulkes — have polled poorly, with both recording high negatives. A poll by the University of New Hampshire released in February shows that 40% of Democratic likely primary voters are undecided. A number that unveils the lack of enthusiasm about McKee and Foulkes, who faced each other in 2022.

Since his election in 2022, McKee’s administration has faced a series of blunders — the failure and management of the Washington Bridge, repeated tech failures, and numerous other controversies. 

A series of stories has unveiled ties between Foulkes and the Sackler family and has exposed that claims she made in the 2022 primary about her role in the opioid crisis during her time as president of CVS were false.

More recently, Foulkes alienated pro-business Democrats by calling for a billion-dollar tax increase.

HOT

Two Finalists

The James Beard Foundation announced Tuesday its 2026 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as this year’s Achievement Award honorees (Impact, Humanitarian of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement).

Two from Rhode Island were selected as finalists:

Best New Bar: Loma, Providence, RI

Best Chef/Northeast: Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway, Providence, RI
 

HOT

Track 15 Welcomes Grump Pies

GoLocalProv caught up this week with one of the newest additions to Track 15 - Grumpy Pies.

News Editor Kate Nagle spoke with Chef Ian Cappelano as he opens his new pizzeria this month at the downtown Providence food-and-event destination, as it enters its second year.

Think Roman-style “pizza alla pala” by the slice, half, or whole, stacked with rotating charcuterie, European cheeses, seasonal vibes, 

Cappelano said to expect the unexpected - maybe not a margarita pie right away, but there will definitely be a few deliciously “trashy” favorites for folks. 

HOT

PPAC

Once again, PPAC has another wonderful season planned for 2026/2027.

“Our upcoming season is filled with extraordinary stories that will inspire audiences,” said Chille. “Whether you love Tony Award-winning productions like Maybe Happy Ending and Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen, visually spectacular productions like The Great Gatsby and Death Becomes Her, a deeply moving love story like The Notebook or uplifting musical memoirs like A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Muscical and Jersey Boys.”

HOT

Kevin Stacom's Column on Dan Hurley Is a Masterpiece

Stacom writes about the most interesting college basketball coach:

“I don’t have any words...” a justifiably shaken Duke Basketball Coach Jon Scheyer said in the opening of his post-UConn/Duke post-game press conference last Sunday night.

Longtime college TV game color analyst, Billy Raftery, never one lost for words, in this instance, was.

He was literally stunned into momentary silence with a shocked look on his face, looking side to side, searching for verification that what he just saw was real and had what looked to be the inevitable result of a go-ahead game-winning basket. READ MORE

NOT

Rhode Island GOP's Obsession With a Mural on the Wall of an LGBTQ+ Club in Providence

The most active Rhode Island Republicans have been in recent months ( or maybe years) is over a mural in Providence.

They have launched petitions, issued press releases, and blasted everyone involved on social media.

If the RIGOP put this effort into recruiting and funding candidates, they might have more than a handful of legislators at the State House.

NOT

Trump Begins to Eat His Own

First it was Kristi Noem, and then it was Pam Bondi. 

President Donald Trump is killing off his cabinet members.

NOT

RI Zero, MA Received $76M in Federal Funds for Security for World Cup

The Healey-Driscoll Administration on Wednesday detailed Massachusetts’ public safety and public health preparations underway ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including coordination across more than 70 agencies and the securing of nearly $76 million in federal funding to support safety, security, emergency, and transportation planning efforts.

Providence may be closer to the games at Gillette Stadium than Boston, but to date, Rhode Island has received zero federal funding for security and is now scrambling.

Governor Dan McKee’s office, for three days, promised to respond to questions about how much was sought from the federal government and how much has been secured.

After multiple emails, the McKee administration claims that it was not eligible for funding and that it is now asking Massachusetts for some of its funds.

“Because the State of Rhode Island is not a designated host-city jurisdiction, it was not eligible to directly request federal safety and security funding. However, due to Rhode Island’s close proximity to Foxborough and Boston’s role as a host city, Director [Marc] Pappas coordinated directly with Director Brantley of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency to pursue funding through Massachusetts’ request to FEMA. At this time, there are no confirmed figures regarding what, if any, funding Rhode Island may receive,” said Courtney Marciano of RIEMA. READ MORE