Written

A journalist who can't feel pain at a protest

A teen suicide attempt in RI is a symptom of our broken social nervous system.

By Justin Katz | March 31, 2025 |

The Law Centre of the RI Center for Freedom and Prosperity has filed a complaint on behalf of a Rhode Island mother against a school district that guided her daughter toward “social transitioning,” hiding it from the mother along the way: According to the complaint, “Unknown to Plaintiff, her daughter (as an 8th-grader) began to…

A water drop and ripples

I’d like to apologize to Representative Chippendale.

By Justin Katz | March 24, 2025 |

I just finished the latest Politics This Week segment with John DePetro, and in the course of the live conversation, I made a point that came out not as I intended, and I owe House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale an apology. I was pointing out how advisors seem to keep Governor McKee away from negative…

A water drop and ripples

Education mandates are among the games we have to learn not to play.

By Justin Katz | March 12, 2025 |

This effort from Republican State Representative Mike Chippendale is worthwhile: Drawing attention to the mandates state and federal law impose on local school districts has the healthy effect of encouraging people to learn about education funding, generally, and rationalizing the budgets in this way should have broad electoral support. BUT this entirely misses the fundamental…

A water drop and ripples

A reminder not to rely too heavily on a single platform.

By Justin Katz | March 10, 2025 |

Maybe it’s just me, but X doesn’t appear to be working on my computer or phone.  I was only looking for a moment of distraction, but the experience is a helpful reminder not to rely too heavily on a single platform for communication and information access.

A water drop and ripples

Alzate is too dangerous to be a legislator.

By Justin Katz | March 3, 2025 |

Rhode Islanders should take legislation like this much more seriously than they do, because it exposes how little Democrat legislators respect our rights, understand the workings of those rights, and/or are willing to place our rights above their political ideology and interest groups: State Rep. Karen Alzate isn’t waiting for federal immigration raids in Rhode…

A water drop and ripples

The hatred is coming from inside the house.

By Justin Katz | March 3, 2025 |

Something about this tweet from Bill Bartholomew is more striking than it should be: I’m not sure whether it’s better or worse if Bartholomew actually believes what he says or is just playing a role.  The absolutely most negative interpretation that actually makes sense about the people Bartholomew dislikes is that they don’t care about you,…

A water drop and ripples

“Education is an investment” is mostly a useless, misused statement.

By Justin Katz | February 28, 2025 |

One could pick apart on its own terms Nicholas Ferroni’s commentary suggesting that most states can’t be trusted to run their own education systems and “education is not an expense; it’s an investment”: For context, Ferroni is a teacher in New Jersey who calls himself an “activist” (apparently for left-wing social causes) and moonlights as…

A water drop and ripples

On DOGE’s authority.

By Justin Katz | February 28, 2025 |

The great DOGE Authority Panic of 2025 appears to have passed, but in case you’re still interested (and to have it searchable on this site for future reference), lawyer Tom Renz’s review of the legal basis for the Department of Government Efficiency is worth a read.

A young family approaches a school with foreboding

Why a petition is needed to make RI state government acknowledge rights, law, and reality.

By Justin Katz | February 27, 2025 |

The state Department of Education’s “guidance” on transgender students exposes more than its radical beliefs.

A water drop and ripples

Why would an “objective” newspaper downplay its own findings?

By Justin Katz | February 25, 2025 |

Here’s the Providence Journal headline:  “Numbers show RI undocumented immigrants a small slice of those getting benefits. What we know.” Here’s one of the shocking facts that journalist Katherine Gregg did the work to uncover: Medicaid payments on behalf of those without Social Security numbers totaled $55.4 million last year, including the $16,106,050 paid for…