Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - December 31, 2021
Analysis
Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - December 31, 2021
This week's list includes COVID winning, Biden's jobs numbers, Friars flying, and Morgan's missive.
Now, we are expanding the list, the political perspectives, and we are going to a GoLocal team approach while encouraging readers to suggest nominees for who is "HOT" and who is "NOT."
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Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - December 31, 2021
HOT
A Safe Return
Much of Rhode Island was concerned when an 11-year-old Providence boy went missing this week.
Too often, these tales end in tragedy and heartache.
But, this boy was found and returned to his family.
A morsel of good news.
HOT
Providence College Friars Keep Streaking
For New England sports fans, the PC team is a high point.
The Celtics are dreadful.
The Bruins are blah.
The Patriots were on a roll, but are now on a two-game losing streak.
Providence College is now 12-1 on the season.
Friars fever is here.
HOT
"Doers" That Make RI Better
This year's list of "21 Who Made a Difference in 2021" is dominated by people that impacted Rhode Islander for the better.
Dr. Amy Nunn's nutrition advocacy, the super talent of Andrew Burnap, and the passion of Tomas Avila all helped improve Rhode Island.
HOT
Ed Iannuccilli
The former top-flight physician and former head of the board of Rhode Island Hospital today writes a weekly column for GoLocal.
In "normal times" the column would be a delight, but in these trying times, the Monday column is a much-needed time-travel machine to what we remember as simpler days.
Maybe they were or maybe they were not, but Iannuccilli's well-read and much beloved writing is a wonderful break.
HOT
Joe Biden
The President owns the inflation numbers, but he also owns the job numbers.
CNN reports:
America's latest report on unemployment benefits is proof that the US jobs recovery is still in full swing.
The average number of weekly jobless benefits claims over the past four weeks fell to 199,250. That's the lowest four-week moving average since October 1969, the Labor Department reported Thursday.
Last week alone, claims stood at 198,000, adjusted for seasonal swings. That was slightly less than economists had predicted but above the pandemic-era low.
The number of continued claims, counting workers who have applied for benefits for at least two consecutive weeks, stood at 1.7 million in the week ended December 18, the lowest level since March 2020.
NOT
COVID Continues to Kill
It has been another terrible week in the fight against the virus.
The transmission rate is spiking and cases are new all-time records nearly daily.
41 Rhode Islanders have died in the past seven days.
NOT
RIPTA Has Some Explaining to Do
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is under fire for failing to disclose a major data breach of both employees and non-employees.
The ACLU of RI announced Tuesday that it has sent a letter to the agency demanding answers regarding an August 2021 data breach that compromised the Social Security numbers and private health care information of thousands of individuals -- some portion of the records who have no apparent connection to the agency.
Specifically, the letter demands to know why the agency had this information in the first place, why it took the agency more than two months to notify affected individuals, and why it provided misleading information to the public about the hack.
NOT
Rep. Patricia Morgan
The Black Lives Matter Rhode Island Political Action Committee (BLM RI PAC) is calling for the removal of Republican State Representative Patricia Morgan from key committees — after a Tweet she made regarding critical race theory.
On Tuesday, Morgan Tweeted the following:
I had a black friend. I liked her and I think she liked me, too. But now she is hostile and unpleasant. I am sure I didn't do anything to her, except be white. Is that what teachers and our political leaders really want for our society? Divide us because of our skin color? #CRT
BLM RI PAC called the Tweet “racist” — and called on House Speaker Joseph Shekarchi to take action to remove Morgan from the committees.
“If Representative Patricia Morgan truly believed we shouldn’t be divided by our skin color, she wouldn’t have made this divisive of a comment, along with the many other similar comments she has made in the past,” said BLM RI PAC in a statement, adding that the comment was “offensive and deeply insulting to the Black and Brown community.”
