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IAN DONNIS

Latest Articles

Avant-oompah!

Mixing old and new, Providence’s What Cheer? Brigade takes a stand against pre-fabricated culture
Unexpected and improbable spontaneity is a trademark for What Cheer?, one of a number of groups that blend punk rock ethos with the mobility of marching bands

By: IAN DONNIS | October 09, 2008

Barbarisi assigned to the Sox; more changes coming

As The ProJo Turns
In a locally unorthodox move, the Providence Journal is reassigning Dan Barbarisi, its well-regarded Providence City Hall reporter, to cover the Red Sox.

By: IAN DONNIS | October 09, 2008

Why Rhode Island is hurting

Bad days are here, and there is little in the past to make the future seem hopeful
If the nation’s fiscal crisis confirms that Rhode Island isn’t alone in facing serious economic woes, the state doesn’t suffer from a lack of other challenges.

By: IAN DONNIS | October 02, 2008

Journal job cuts: Practical or self-destructive?

As The ProJo Turns
When John Hill sought his first mortgage as a young reporter, his banker told him, “Oh, you’ll be fine — you work at the Journal .”

By: IAN DONNIS | October 02, 2008

Man and machine

John Maeda talks about technology — and his quest to understand RISD
Leave it to John Maeda, the Rhode Island School of Design’s new president, to invoke the long-term value of art at a time when global financial markets are gripped by uncertainty.

By: IAN DONNIS | September 24, 2008

Activists pitch green jobs as a win-win for Rhode Island

Clean Energy
With global warming looming and the US economy in a mess, environmentalists have a simple answer for promoting environmental protection and economic development.

By: IAN DONNIS | September 25, 2008

McCain’s crooked talk on torture

Critics, including a local former army interrogator, say he’s trying to play both sides of the issue
It might surprise some that McCain’s record in opposing torture and the Bush administration’s terror-war approach is more complicated than his comments suggest.

By: IAN DONNIS | September 18, 2008

Buyout implemented, life continues on Fountain Street

As The ProJo Turns
Whether by accident or by design, there was little evident fallout of the latest Providence Journal buyout in the days after 22 employees ended their time at the ProJo.

By: IAN DONNIS | September 17, 2008

Voter apathy remains a primary staple

Talking Politics
The big story from Tuesday’s primary election, understandably enough, was the seeming upset by Michael J. Pinga of state Senator Stephen D. Alves.

By: IAN DONNIS | September 11, 2008

Buyout falls short of goal; questions remain

As The ProJo Turns
Twenty-two Providence Journal employees, 12 in news and 10 in advertising, have taken the company up on its latest buyout.

By: IAN DONNIS | August 27, 2008

Grocer coming to Downcity; Arthouse talked up anew

City watch
After years of effort, Buff Chace’s Cornish Associates has succeeding in attracting a grocery store — one of the top-two needs regularly cited by residents — to downtown Providence.

By: IAN DONNIS | August 20, 2008

The Quiet Power of Jack Reed

Without seeking the spotlight, the senator and his star continue to rise
As he closes out his second six-year term in the Senate, perhaps the most elite club in politics, Reed is the subject of ongoing speculation about his future.

By: IAN DONNIS | August 13, 2008

Hummel splits from ABC6; Planned Parenthood CEO resigns

Politics + media
When Jim Hummel decided to depart last week because of the approach being pursued by new management, it seemed to encapsulate the take-this-paycheck-and-shove-it fantasy of many people.

By: IAN DONNIS | August 06, 2008

R.I.P. Richard Egbert, super-tough defense lawyer

In Memoriam
In the time before Buddy Cianci’s Plunder Dome trial in 2002, I met with Richard Egbert, the quintessential take-no-prisoners defense lawyer, and gleaned a telling detail about him.

By: IAN DONNIS | July 30, 2008

Who’ll stop the pain?

Another round of cuts looms at the ProJo
Will the last reporter to leave the Providence Journal please turn out the lights?

By: IAN DONNIS | July 30, 2008

Is RI making the most from its tourism appeal?

Critics call a variety of agencies a wasteful approach in this small state
If you were going to promote Rhode Island's plate of idiosyncratic attractions to potential visitors in other states, what would be the best way to do it?

By: IAN DONNIS | July 24, 2008

Let’s embrace satire, not boycott it

Get a grip
When the New Yorker last week ran a cover illustration spoofing the right-wing critique of Barack Obama, it was another instance in which the storied magazine put a provocative point on its front page.

By: IAN DONNIS | July 23, 2008

Looking out for the public interest

Christine Lopes leads the charge at Common Cause of RI
Lopes has steadily ramped up her efforts in the time since, focusing on such perennial Common Cause topics as open records, voting integrity, campaign-finance-reform and separation of powers.

By: IAN DONNIS | July 21, 2008