Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - November 6, 2020

HOT

Question 1 and Senator Harold Metts

After losing a decade ago 80% to 20%, the effort to remove "Providence Plantations" from Rhode Island's official state name proved successful in 2020.

Senator Harold Metts led the effort for more than a decade and was resolute in the cause.

HOT

Joe Shekarchi

With Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello's failed reelection bid, Shekarchi quickly galvanized support, before Mattiello conceded.

Now, we find out if he is a continuation of the Mattiello machine or a reformer. Everyone will be watching.

HOT

Mayor-Elect Frank Picozzi

No one is hotter than Picozzi.

The former school committee member and master of Christmas lights pulled the biggest upset in Rhode Island by blowing out incumbent Mayor Joe Solomon.

HOT

Mayor-Elect Ken Hopkins 

The new Mayor of Cranston is not new to Cranston residents - he is extremely well-liked and that went a long way to drive his victory.

HOT

Progressives Move Forward

The Rhode Island Working Families Party (WFP) said that "progressive values win general elections" after notching victories in the 2020 election cycle. 

WFP a grassroots political group whose mission since 2016 has been to build a base of progressive lawmakers in the General Assembly. 

According to WFP, candidates Brandon Potter (HD 16), Michelle McGaw (HD 71), Kendra Anderson (SD 31), Alana DiMario (SD 36), and incumbent Sen. Bridget Valvedere (SD 35) are on track to win their races. 

“This election cycle, Rhode Island took one step closer to taxing the wealthiest Rhode Islanders so medicaid and schools don’t face even more devastating cuts, to protecting renters, immigrants and communities of color, to pass Medicare for All and a Green New Deal, and to end homelessness and racist policing,” said WFP State Director Georgia Hollister Isman.

HOT

Baby Shark - Now #1

Move over, Despacito — Baby Shark is now king of the YouTube jungle. 

"Baby Shark Dance," the iconic music video from the kids and family entertainment brand Pinkfong, has officially become the most-viewed YouTube video in history, surpassing "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, Smart Study announced on Monday. 

Along with this news, the "Baby Shark" single has reached another unprecedented record, receiving RIAA Diamond certification (11x Platinum). This means the song has sold over 11 million records. This recognition makes "Baby Shark" one of the only 41 Diamond singles in history alongside best-selling artists such as Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga. The song also has been recognized as BRIT certified 2x Platinum in September.

HOT

Voters

Record turnout in Rhode Island.

Record turnout in the U.S.A. 

While we have a ways to go, we have come a long way from only white, male landowners.

NOT

Raimondo's Coronavirus Policies

Rhode Island is on a pace to have 1,000 new cases a day by mid-December.

The policies that Raimondo announced on Thursday are inconsistent, unenforceable, and simply not coherent.

Rhode Island has more virus than it did in the spring.

NOT

Plummeting Newspaper Giant

Gannett, the parent company of the Providence Journal, Newport Daily News and hundreds of other newspapers across the country reported massive losses in year-over-year revenue in nearly every category when compared to those “same stores” last year.

PRINT REVENUE: Same store pro forma print advertising revenues decreased 30.9% compared to the prior year.

CIRCULATION: Same store pro forma circulation revenues decreased 13.2% in the third quarter, partially stemming from a reduction in volume of single copy and home delivery sales

DIGITAL REVENUE: Same store pro forma digital advertising and marketing services revenues decreased 13.5% versus the prior year period

“Same store pro forma revenues decreased 19.6%, due to unfavorable impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and general trends adversely impacting the publishing industry,” said the company.

The only bright spot was digital subscribers which was up 31% -- no same store data was provided.

Michael Reed, Gannett Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said  “Our same store revenue trend, though down 19.6% year over year, improved meaningfully over our second quarter trend of down 28.% year over year. Third quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $88 million, up from $78 million in the second quarter. These results are particularly encouraging given the seasonal drag that we usually experience in the third quarter."

“We also reached a major milestone in our digital subscription growth, surpassing 1 million digital subscriptions during the quarter, thanks to continued strong growth of more than 31% year over year. As we continue to focus on transitioning to a subscription-led business model, we expect to leverage this important milestone to accelerate growth in 2021 and beyond,” said Reed.

NOT

Too Much Money

Progressive columnist David Sirota -- Bernie Sanders' speechwriter and advisor in 2020 -- reports in The Daily Poster:

Senate Democratic candidates in competitive races this year and the party committees that backed them raised more than $1.1 billion dollars this election cycle, according to data reviewed by The Daily Poster. 

Despite all that spending, Democrats have only netted one seat so far, and they would need a miracle to pick up two more seats to win control of the Senate. The race in North Carolina is still too close to call, with Cal Cunningham down 97,000 votes against incumbent Republican Sen. Thom with 94 percent of the estimated vote total in. Democrat Raphael Warnock is headed to a January runoff with incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler in Georgia, in what will likely be another ultra expensive race in a typically red state.

Many of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s candidates lost big, and trailed the national Democratic presidential ticket. 

Incumbent Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama and challengers like Jaime Harrison in South Carolina, Amy McGrath in Kentucky, and MJ Hegar in Texas combined to raise $250 million this cycle — and they all appear to have lost by double digits. 

Well-funded challengers like Sara Gideon in Maine and outgoing Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock in Montana took in nearly $110 million and lost, too. 

NOT

ESPN

ESPN announced the layoff of 300 and that two hundred vacant jobs will not be filled.

NOT

Friendly's 

FIC Restaurants, the parent company of Friendly’s, said it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the coronavirus pandemic caused sales to plummet.

By 1974 the chain had grown to 500 restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwest and today they have just 130.

Friendly's was founded in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, by brothers Prestley and Curtis Blake in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The company will sell substantially all of its assets to Amici Partners Group for nearly $2 million, according to a Monday court filing. FIC estimated in its Sunday bankruptcy filing that its assets were worth $1 million to $10 million. Friendly’s is asking for the bankruptcy court to approve of the sale in mid-December.

Friendly's joins a growing number of restaurants that have filed for bankruptcy as a result of the pandemic, including Chuck E. Cheese’s parent company and Ruby Tuesday. More are expected to follow as Covid-19 cases surge and cold weather hits demand for outdoor dining.