Written

A water drop and ripples

Moses Brown wokeness shows what high-end private schools are really for.

By Justin Katz | January 25, 2022 |

In fairness, I don’t think Nicole Solas has it quite right when she calls Moses Brown School “the most expensive private school in Rhode Island.  Even without boarding, it looks like St. George’s, St. Andrew’s, Portsmouth Abbey, and the Lincoln School all have Moses Brown beat.  But who’s going to quibble over a few thousand…

Cash, cuffs, and the American flag

Americans seem to have lost awareness of our system of government with national blood-alcohol-content mandates in cars.

By Justin Katz | January 25, 2022 |

Remember that massive infrastructure bill that even Republicans supported?  Here’s a little tidbit that slipped through unnoticed: In President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure law there is a mandate that will require all new vehicles to come equipped with advanced impaired driving technology, to curb the amount of people who get behind the wheel after…

A water drop and ripples

Alexander-Scott’s big buyout shows how your money is always the solution.

By Justin Katz | January 25, 2022 |

As John DePetro says, paying outgoing Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott $46,000 per month for three months as a “consultant” by way of ushering her out the door “is absolutely outrageous.” On a first pass, it makes one wonder what was really going on behind the scenes.  How did she have the negotiation leverage…

A water drop and ripples

Are people really living like this?

By Justin Katz | January 25, 2022 |

Here’s state senator and progressive candidate for lieutenant governor Cynthia Mendes: It’s Monday in #RI. Our hospitals are packed. Our teachers are afraid to go to work today because of raging COVID cases in our schools. Our students are terrified of putting their families in danger by going to school. Teaching & learning shouldn’t be…

A shadowy man on the phone

Beware the Biden administration’s enemies list.

By Justin Katz | January 25, 2022 |

U.S. Senator from Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse gets a call out in Lora Ries and GianCarlo Canaparo’s Heritage essay about a turn of the Biden administration and Congressional Democrats toward suppressing their domestic opposition: Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Richard Durbin of Illinois described parents’ participation in school board…

A water drop and ripples

Something subcutaneous is going on in the education establishment.

By Justin Katz | January 24, 2022 |

Anybody else getting the feeling that there’s some deliberate initiative going on under the skin of public education that we only see here and there when it bursts out into a blemish?  Here’s one such pimple, from Timothy Duffy, who is the head of the state association for school committees: Most teachers are white. Most…

National School Choice Week 2022 logo

What if nobody in RI knew about McKee’s one saving grace (school choice)?

By Justin Katz | January 24, 2022 |

Because Democrat Governor Dan McKee has been so broadly disappointing from a moderate-to-conservative perspective, this is encouraging news: For the first time in the state’s history, a Rhode Island governor has officially recognized the last week of January as “Rhode Island School Choice Week.” Gov. Daniel McKee recently signed a proclamation recognizing School Choice Week…

A water drop and ripples

Why is the head of a labor union such a thorough partisan?

By Justin Katz | January 24, 2022 |

Here’s a line worth teasing out from Ted Nesi’s latest roundup column: NEARI union leader Bob Walsh said he is considering a run, adding, “I am also weighing what is best for the Democratic Party to keep this seat in Democratic hands.” Yes, the answer is obvious, but it’s worth pausing to ask:  Why is…

A water drop and ripples

Why is RI consistently one of the worst states for driving?

By Justin Katz | January 24, 2022 |

It doesn’t make much sense to me.  We’ve got a small state that isn’t terrible for traffic, despite being densely populated.  You’d think local authorities could keep the roads in order. But there it is:  According to WalletHub, the Ocean State is the second-worst state for drivers in the country, after Hawaii. Cost of Ownership &…

Veterans Memorial Auditorium

That little-known, world-famous personality selling out the Vets is Jordan Peterson.

By Justin Katz | January 24, 2022 |

Looking for something to do at The Vets in Providence one of these weeks? Tickets are widely available for the Rhode Island Philharmonic’s performance of Scheherezade on Saturday, February 12.  Angelique Kidjo the next evening?  Pick your section.  The next weekend, the multiple shows of Trolls Live! have plenty of seats available.  If you’re in the…