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Newsmakers | WPRI 12 News

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Rhode Island politics, pressed for answers.

The gist

Newsmakers tracks Rhode Island politics through direct studio interviews and reporter roundtables. It favors specific questions, fresh polling, campaign pressure points, and institutional disputes over personality-driven commentary.

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About Newsmakers | WPRI 12 News

Newsmakers is a Rhode Island public-affairs program with a newsroom spine. It is built around interviews, roundtables, and pointed local questions. The show’s pace is brisk. A guest is introduced through the week’s live political problem, then asked to make a case before the conversation turns to consequences. Recent episodes have followed the early shape of Rhode Island’s 2026 races, including Sabina Mato’s reelection argument, Helena Folks’ polling position, Dan McKee’s vulnerabilities, and Ken Block’s attempt to run again under a new political label. The program does not treat those campaigns as abstract theater. It asks what the numbers mean, which voters are still movable, and whether a candidate has actually closed the argument. National issues appear when they touch Rhode Island officials, as in Gabe Amo’s response to military spending, conflict overseas, cost-of-living pressure, and congressional process. Legal and institutional questions are just as central. Greg Amore is pressed on voter records, privacy, and election trust. William Smith discusses the judiciary, constitutional strain, criminal sentencing, and the limits of court authority. Peter Nerona’s appearance moves from a church sex abuse report to hospitals, consumer protection, energy, and the environment. The show can be grave, especially when discussing abuse, public records, or threats to the courts. It can also loosen into local memory, as with the reporter roundtable on polling, snow, and the Blizzard of 78. The throughline is accountability. Newsmakers wants public figures to define their claims, defend their records, and explain what changes for Rhode Islanders. It is not a national politics recap with a local accent. It is a practical civic check-in for a small state where the names are familiar and the follow-ups matter.

Made for: For listeners who follow Rhode Island campaigns, state government, courts, and local accountability. It is especially useful for people who want the practical stakes behind polls, lawsuits, budgets, and public officials’ talking points.

What sets it apart: Newsmakers stands out by keeping statewide politics concrete and interview-driven. It puts recognizable Rhode Island figures under direct questioning, then connects campaign positioning to institutions, policy, and voter trust.

In their own words

Tim White and Ted Nesi host in-depth interviews each week with top politicians and others in the news from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Brought to you by WPRI 12, Fox Providence and myRITV.

As heard by us

Based on 5 episodes we listened to · August 2026

Newsmakers tracks Rhode Island politics through direct interviews, reporter roundtables, and sharp local-policy detail.

Newsmakers | WPRI 12 News is local News & Politics in the plainest sense: interviews and reporter roundtables about Rhode Island public life. Its lane is narrow, but that narrowness is the point.

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Rhode Island's power players meet the follow-up question you were already muttering at the screen.

Press play if you want

  • to understand the campaign math hiding behind a poll's topline
  • to hear Tim White and Ted Nesi press public officials past their prepared answers
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Rhode Island governor raceslieutenant governor campaignpolling and primary voterselection records and privacyfederal courts and judicial independencechurch abuse reportinghospital policy and consumer protectionreporter roundtables

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News & Politics

Podcasts like Newsmakers | WPRI 12 News

Episodes

  1. 1

    8/22/2025: RIPEC's DiBiase; Caprio remembered

    ·23m
  2. 2

    5/2/2025: Lt. Gov. Matos; new RI Senate leadership

    ·23m
  3. 3

    4/25/2025: Congressman Auchincloss

    ·23m
  4. 4

    4/18/2025: Primary care in RI; Speaker Shekarchi

    ·23m
  5. 5

    4/11/2025: Reporters' roundtable

    ·23m
  6. 6

    4/4/2025: URI President Marc Parlange

    ·23m
  7. 7

    4/3/2026: Congressman Amo

    ·23m
  8. 8

    3/27/2026: Helena Foulkes

    ·23m
  9. 9

    3/20/2026: Secretary Amore

    ·23m
  10. 10

    3/12/2026: Judge William Smith

    ·23m
  11. 11

    3/6/2026: AG Neronha

    ·23m
  12. 12

    2/27/2026: Roundtable; Blizzard of '78 remembered

    ·23m
  13. 13

    2/20/2026: Mental health; chronic absenteeism

    ·23m
  14. 14

    2/13/2026: Adam Greenman; Rep. Brien

    ·23m
  15. 15

    2/6/2026: Gov. Dan McKee

    ·23m
  16. 16

    1/23/2026: Congressman Keating

    ·23m
  17. 17

    1/16/2026: State of the State roundtable

    ·23m
  18. 18

    1/9/2026: David Cicilline; RI hospitals

    ·23m
  19. 19

    1/2/2026: New Year's roundtable

    ·23m
  20. 20

    12/26/2025: Covering the Brown University shooting

    ·23m
  21. 21

    12/19/2025: Bishop Lewandowski

    ·23m
  22. 22

    12/12/2025: Kim Ahern; David Levesque

    ·23m
  23. 23

    12/5/2025: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  24. 24

    11/28/2025: Sens. Pastore, Pell and Brooke

    ·23m
  25. 25

    11/21/2025: RI Food Bank; week in review

    ·23m
  26. 26

    11/14/2025: Commissioner Infante-Green

    ·23m
  27. 27

    11/07/2025: Rep. Knight; Congressman Moulton

    ·23m
  28. 28

    10/31/2025: Justice Gibney

    ·23m
  29. 29

    10/24/2025: AG Campbell; RI housing crisis

    ·23m
  30. 30

    10/10/2025: AG Neronha; Sen. Pastore remembered

    ·23m
  31. 31

    Newsmakers 10/3/2025: Keith Hoffmann; roundtable

    ·23m
  32. 32

    9/26/2025: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  33. 33

    9/19/2025: Rep. Morales; GOP leaders

    ·23m
  34. 34

    9/12/2025: Helena Foulkes

    ·23m
  35. 35

    9/5/2025: Magaziner; McKee; offshore wind

    ·23m
  36. 36

    8/28/2025: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  37. 37

    4/10/2026: Ken Block

    ·23m
  38. 38

    8/15/2025: Secretary Amore; Bonded Vault at 50

    ·23m
  39. 39

    8/8/2025: Mayor Mitchell

    ·23m
  40. 40

    8/1/2025: Peter Alviti; Gov. McKee

    ·23m
  41. 41

    7/25/2025: U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner (ret.)

    ·23m
  42. 42

    7/18/2025: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  43. 43

    7/11/2025: RI Energy's Greg Cornett

    ·23m
  44. 44

    7/2/2025: United Way's Nicolato; Bishop Lewandowski

    ·23m
  45. 45

    6/27/2025: Speaker Shekarchi

    ·23m
  46. 46

    6/20/2025: State House reporters' roundtable

    ·23m
  47. 47

    6/13/2025: Cindy Coyne; political roundtable

    ·23m
  48. 48

    6/5/2025: David Enrich, author of 'Murder the Truth'

    ·23m
  49. 49

    5/30/2025: AG Neronha

    ·23m
  50. 50

    5/23/2025: Reporters' roundtable

    ·23m
  51. 51

    5/16/2025: Sens. Lawson & Ciccone

    ·23m
  52. 52

    5/9/2025: 'Naked fat-test' trial roundtable

    ·23m
  53. 53

    3/28/2025: Congressman Magaziner

    ·23m
  54. 54

    3/21/2025: Reporters' roundtable; WPRI 70th

    ·23m
  55. 55

    3/14/2025: Hospital CEOs

    ·23m
  56. 56

    3/7/2025: 'Why Nothing Works'; political roundtable

    ·23m
  57. 57

    2/28/2025: Leaders de la Cruz, Chippendale

    ·23m
  58. 58

    2/21/2025: Congressman Amo

    ·23m
  59. 59

    2/14/2025: Secretary Goddard; Gov. McKee

    ·23m
  60. 60

    2/7/2025: Gen. Callahan; reporters' roundtable

    ·23m
  61. 61

    Newsmakers 1/31/2025: AG Neronha

    ·23m
  62. 62

    Newsmakers 1/24/2025: Sheriff Heroux; Sean Spicer

    ·23m
  63. 63

    1/17/2025: State of the State roundtable

    ·23m
  64. 64

    1/10/2025: Reps. Shekarchi & Blazejewski

    ·23m
  65. 65

    1/3/2025: Mayor Picozzi; roundtable

    ·23m
  66. 66

    12/27/2024: New Year's roundtable

    ·23m
  67. 67

    12/20/2024: RI US Attorney Zachary Cunha

    ·23m
  68. 68

    12/13/2024: David Cicilline; AG Neronha

    ·23m
  69. 69

    12/6/2024: Thomas Hodgson; reporters' roundtable

    ·23m
  70. 70

    11/27/2024: Discriminatory housing practices, food insecurity in RI

    ·23m
  71. 71

    11/22/2024: Mayor Smiley

    ·23m
  72. 72

    11/15/2024: US Sen. Jack Reed

    ·23m
  73. 73

    11/8/2024: Post-election roundtable

    ·23m
  74. 74

    10/31/2024: Senator Ruggerio; political roundtable

    ·23m
  75. 75

    Campaign 2024 Debate: Cranston Mayor

    ·28m
  76. 76

    Campaign 2024 Debate: Rhode Island US Senate

    ·28m
  77. 77

    Campaign 2024 Debate: Woonsocket Mayor

    ·28m
  78. 78

    10/4/2024: Mayor Grebien; Jonathan Martin

    ·23m
  79. 79

    9/27/2024: RI union leaders; McKee

    ·23m
  80. 80

    9/20/2024: Mayor DaSilva; new poll

    ·23m
  81. 81

    9/13/2024: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  82. 82

    9/6/2024: RI Education Commissioner Infante-Green

    ·23m
  83. 83

    Campaign 2024 Debate: Cranston Mayor GOP Primary

    ·28m
  84. 84

    8/23/2024: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  85. 85

    Campaign 2024 Debate: RI US Senate GOP Primary

    ·28m
  86. 86

    8/9/2024: AG Neronha

    ·23m
  87. 87

    8/2/2024: Congressman Amo

    ·23m
  88. 88

    7/26/2024: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  89. 89

    7/21/2024: Instant Analysis - Why Biden quit and what happens next

    ·10m
  90. 90

    7/19/2024: Newberry, Frias on the GOP

    ·23m
  91. 91

    7/12/2024: Rep. Knight, Sen. Rogers; roundtable

    ·24m
  92. 92

    6/28/2024: Political roundtable

    ·23m
  93. 93

    6/21/2024: Speaker Shekarchi

    ·23m
  94. 94

    6/14/2024: Sen. DiPalma; reporters roundtable

    ·23m
  95. 95

    6/7/2024: Reporters roundtable; D-Day

    ·23m
  96. 96

    5/31/2024: Mayor Smiley

    ·23m
  97. 97

    10/17/2025: Trump legal battles; week in review

    This episode examines the outsized role of New England federal courts in legal challenges to Trump administration policies, featuring an interview with Reuters reporter Nate Raymond.

    ·23m
  98. 98

    10/10/2025: AG Neronha; Sen. Pastore remembered [audio fixed]

    Attorney General Peter Norona discusses his decision not to run for governor in 2026 and reflects on his career and priorities.

    ·23m
  99. 99

    7/3/2024: Newport's Mayor Xay; RIDOT Director Alviti

    Newport Mayor Zai Komsivorovong discusses the city's housing crisis, with one in four homes vacant most of the year and only one net housing unit added annually for two decades.

    ·23m·2 clips
  100. 100

    1/30/2026: John Loughlin; week in review

    Former State Representative John Laughlin discusses his Republican campaign for Lieutenant Governor, focusing on energy affordability and immigration enforcement.

    ·23m·2 clips
  101. 101

    4/17/2026: Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos

    Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos discusses her campaign for re-election and her focus on addressing food insecurity in Rhode Island.

    Apr 17, 2026·23m
  102. 102

    4/10/2026: Ken Block

    Independent candidate Ken Block discusses his gubernatorial campaign and the political landscape in Rhode Island.

    Apr 10, 2026·23m
  103. 103

    4/3/2026: Congressman Amo

    Hidden gem

    On Newsmakers, Tim White and Ted Nisi interview Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo about a proposed $1.5 trillion fiscal-year 2027 military budget, the Iran war, and health-care cuts.

    Apr 3, 2026·23m·1 clip
  104. 104

    3/27/2026: Helena Foulkes

    Hidden gem

    Newsmakers interviews Democratic Rhode Island gubernatorial candidate Helena Folks about her 2026 challenge to incumbent Dan McKee.

    Mar 27, 2026·23m·1 clip
  105. 105

    3/20/2026: Secretary Amore

    Rhode Island Secretary of State Greg Amore discusses a lawsuit from the Trump administration over his refusal to release detailed voter records, citing federal privacy laws.

    Mar 20, 2026·23m
  106. 106

    3/12/2026: Judge William Smith

    Hidden gem

    Judge William Smith says constitutional crisis means the administration could defy court orders.

    Mar 12, 2026·23m·1 clip
  107. 107

    3/6/2026: AG Neronha

    Hidden gem

    Peter Neronha says the diocese still takes a blind eye to grooming and polygraphs victims.

    Mar 6, 2026·23m·1 clip
  108. 108

    2/27/2026: Roundtable; Blizzard of '78 remembered

    A UNH Survey Center poll shows Democratic primary challenger Helena Fowkes leading incumbent Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee 34 percent to 18 percent, with 40 percent of voters still undecided six months before the primary.

    Feb 27, 2026·23m·1 clip
  109. 109

    2/20/2026: Mental health; chronic absenteeism

    Feb 20, 2026·23m
  110. 110

    2/13/2026: Adam Greenman; Rep. Brien

    Feb 13, 2026·23m
  111. 111

    2/6/2026: Gov. Dan McKee

    Feb 6, 2026·23m
  112. 112

    1/30/2026: John Loughlin; week in review

    Republican candidate John Loughlin discusses his campaign for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, focusing on breaking the Democratic streak and promoting affordable energy.

    Jan 30, 2026·23m
  113. 113

    1/23/2026: Congressman Keating

    Jan 23, 2026·23m
  114. 114

    1/16/2026: State of the State roundtable

    Jan 16, 2026·23m
  115. 115

    1/9/2026: David Cicilline; RI hospitals

    Jan 9, 2026·23m
  116. 116

    1/2/2026: New Year's roundtable

    Jan 2, 2026·23m
  117. 117

    12/26/2025: Covering the Brown University shooting

    Dec 26, 2025·23m
  118. 118

    12/19/2025: Bishop Lewandowski

    Dec 19, 2025·23m
  119. 119

    12/12/2025: Kim Ahern; David Levesque

    Dec 12, 2025·23m
  120. 120

    12/5/2025: Political roundtable

    Dec 5, 2025·23m
  121. 121

    11/28/2025: Sens. Pastore, Pell and Brooke

    Nov 28, 2025·23m
  122. 122

    11/21/2025: RI Food Bank; week in review

    Rhode Island Community Food Bank CEO discusses record food assistance demand and SNAP program disruption ahead of Thanksgiving.

    Nov 21, 2025·23m
  123. 123

    11/14/2025: Commissioner Infante-Green

    Nov 14, 2025·23m
  124. 124

    11/07/2025: Rep. Knight; Congressman Moulton

    Nov 7, 2025·23m
  125. 125

    10/31/2025: Justice Gibney

    Oct 31, 2025·23m
  126. 126

    10/24/2025: AG Campbell; RI housing crisis

    Oct 24, 2025·23m
  127. 127

    10/17/2025: Trump legal battles; week in review

    A news show examines the outsized role of New England federal courts in legal challenges to Trump administration policies, featuring an interview with Reuters reporter Nate Raymond.

    Oct 17, 2025·23m
  128. 128

    10/10/2025: AG Neronha; Sen. Pastore remembered

    Oct 10, 2025·23m
  129. 129

    10/10/2025: AG Neronha; Sen. Pastore remembered [audio fixed]

    Oct 10, 2025·23m
  130. 130

    Newsmakers 10/3/2025: Keith Hoffmann; roundtable

    Oct 3, 2025·23m
  131. 131

    9/26/2025: Political roundtable

    Sep 26, 2025·23m
  132. 132

    9/19/2025: Rep. Morales; GOP leaders

    Sep 19, 2025·23m
  133. 133

    9/12/2025: Helena Foulkes

    Sep 12, 2025·23m
  134. 134

    9/5/2025: Magaziner; McKee; offshore wind

    Sep 6, 2025·23m
  135. 135

    8/28/2025: Political roundtable

    Aug 28, 2025·23m
  136. 136

    8/22/2025: RIPEC's DiBiase; Caprio remembered

    Aug 22, 2025·23m
  137. 137

    8/15/2025: Secretary Amore; Bonded Vault at 50

    Aug 15, 2025·23m
  138. 138

    8/8/2025: Mayor Mitchell

    Aug 8, 2025·23m
  139. 139

    8/1/2025: Peter Alviti; Gov. McKee

    Aug 1, 2025·23m
  140. 140

    7/25/2025: U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner (ret.)

    Jul 25, 2025·23m
  141. 141

    7/18/2025: Political roundtable

    Jul 18, 2025·23m
  142. 142

    7/11/2025: RI Energy's Greg Cornett

    Jul 11, 2025·23m
  143. 143

    7/2/2025: United Way's Nicolato; Bishop Lewandowski

    Jul 2, 2025·23m
  144. 144

    6/27/2025: Speaker Shekarchi

    Jun 27, 2025·23m
  145. 145

    6/20/2025: State House reporters' roundtable

    Jun 20, 2025·23m
  146. 146

    6/13/2025: Cindy Coyne; political roundtable

    Jun 13, 2025·23m
  147. 147

    6/5/2025: David Enrich, author of 'Murder the Truth'

    Jun 5, 2025·23m
  148. 148

    5/30/2025: AG Neronha

    May 30, 2025·23m
  149. 149

    5/23/2025: Reporters' roundtable

    May 23, 2025·23m
  150. 150

    5/16/2025: Sens. Lawson & Ciccone

    May 16, 2025·23m