State Senator Jonathon Acosta (D-Central Falls & Pawtucket) is co-sponsoring bills aimed at prison reforms. #WPRO Among the bills are measures that would end the use of private prisons in Rhode Island like the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, prohibit the state from sending prisoners to out of state facilities, and bar the state from contracting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house immigration detainees. http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/senators/acosta/default.aspx

Steve Klamkin & The Saturday AM News

Senator Jonathon Acosta - Wyatt jail and prison reforms

Tess Curran, City of Fall River Health and Human Services Director #WPRO Fall River holds a COVID vaccination clinic for people age 75 and older, after several earlier clinics for first responders. https://www.fallriverma.org/department/corona-virus-information/

Tess Curran - Fall River COVID Clinic

Jay O'Grady of the Yes on 5 bond referendum. #WPRO On March 2, Rhode Island voters will be asked to consider seven bond referenda, including Question 5, which would provide $15 million for high quality, affordable child care. yeson5ri.org

Jay O'Grady - Yes on 5 - Early childhood bond question

Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council President and Chief Executive Officer Michael DiBiase. #WPRO After starting a rebound from the coronavirus pandemic in the 3rd quarter of 2020, RIPEC looked at the RI economic downturn in the 4th quarter, and predicts a protracted recovery. Michael DiBiase looks at ways the state can make structural improvements. ripec.org

Michael DiBiase - RIPEC looks at the RI economic downturn

Lori Urso is Executive Director of the Slater Mill Association. #WPRO The National Park Service acquired the mill, and transformed it into the Old Slater Mill National Historic Landmark. https://www.nps.gov/blrv/learn/historyculture/slatermill.htm Photo courtesy National Park Service

Lori Urso - Old Slater Mill is acquired by the National Park Service

Former RI Health Director Dr. Michael Fine talks about the scarce availability of the COVID vaccine in RI. #WPRO Dr. Fine is an author, family physician and the Chief Health Strategist for the City of Central Falls. www.centralfallsri.us/coronavirus www.michaelfinemd.com

Dr. Michael Fine - COVID vaccine distribution in RI

Jocelyn Foye, Executive Director of The Womxn Project. #WPRO On Inauguration Day, she talks about the 'call to action' in President Joe Biden's inaugural address, and the social justice group's own call to action and upcoming online community gatherings. thewomxnproject.org

Jocelyn Foye - The Womxn Project on Inauguration Day 2021

Bradley Campbell, President of the Conservation Law Foundation. #WPRO Campbell applauds President Joe Biden's Inauguration Day signal that the United States will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement www.clf.org

Bradley Campbell of CLF - on President Biden's climate goals

Maryann Matthews is Executive Director of the Multicultural Innovation Center #WPRO The Providence-based Center helps minority-owned businesses and others with a range of services, including navigating grants and other assistance programs in the #coronavirus pandemic. micat570.com

Maryann Matthews - Multicultural Innovation Center

Dr. Magnus Thorsson is developing a Cannabis Entrepreneurship degree program at Johnson & Wales University. #WPRO The program, offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Cannabis Entrepreneurship will begin in fall, 2021. https://www.jwu.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/cannabis-entrepreneurship-bs.html Photo courtesy US Drug Enforcement Administration

Magnus Thorsson - Cannabis degree program at Johnson & Wales University

Dr. Alan Rothman leads the University of Rhode Island’s Laboratory of Viral Immunity and Pathogenesis. #WPRO He looks at what is required to bring a coronavirus vaccine to the public. https://web.uri.edu/lvip/

Dr. Alan Rothman - URI research professor on distributing the COVID vaccine

Koray Özpolat is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Rhode Island. #WPRO An expert in humanitarian logistics and disaster relief, formerly an analyst with the United Nations, he looks at the challenges in distributing hundreds of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. and worldwide. https://web.uri.edu/business/meet/koray-ozpolat/

Koray Özpolat - Distributing the COVID vaccine

Brown University's Jeff Colgan comments on President-elect Joe Biden's choice of former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator and Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry to spearhead climate initiatives. #WPRO Jeff Colgan is the Richard Holbrooke Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Watson Institute for Public and International Affairs at Brown University watson.brown.edu/people/faculty/colgan

Jeff Colgan - President-elect Joe Biden selects John Kerry to spearhead climate initiatives

Reporters tour the COVID field hospital at Cranston, poised to open as coronavirus cases soar in #RI. #WPRO Speaking are Dr. Laura Forman - Chief Medical Officer at Kent Hospital who is medical director of the field hospital, Shannon Sullivan, President & Chief Operating Officer of Women & Infants Hospital and Brett Smiley, the Rhode Island Director of Administration.

Dr Laura Forman, Shannon Sullivan & Brett Smiley - RI COVID field hospital

Economist Leonard Lardaro from the University of Rhode Island. #WPRO On a day that the stock markets soared following the announcement of a coronavirus vaccine, URI Economist Leonard Lardaro issued his eagerly anticipated Current Conditions Index, which tracks the progress of the Rhode Island economy. www.llardaro.com

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Steve Klamkin & The Saturday AM News

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