Steve Ahlquist

Bill to increase Rhode Island's minimum wage celebrated at State House "...the federal government has given up on minimum wage in recent years. It’s still $7.25 per hour at the federal level, the same as in 2009. Thankfully, we haven’t given up on it in Rhode Island..."

Bill to increase Rhode Island's minimum wage celebrated at State House

"...the federal government has given up on minimum wage in recent years. It’s still $7.25 per hour at the federal level, the same as in 2009. Thankfully, we haven’t given up on it in Rhode Island..."

From Providence Mayor Brett Smiley’s press secretary Anthony Vega:

Attorney General Neronha and AG coalition sue to block unlawful attacks on health care for transgender youth “The Rhode Island Medical Society supports Attorney General Neronha in taking action to safeguard the provider-patient relationship,” said Kara Stavros, MD, President of the RI Medical Society.

Attorney General Neronha and coalition sue to block unlawful attacks on health care for transgender youth

“The Rhode Island Medical Society supports Attorney General Neronha in taking action to safeguard the provider-patient relationship,” said Kara Stavros, MD, President of the RI Medical Society.

Rally calls for an end to Providence Police working with ICE and attacks on the unhoused "There’s one thing that unites us as poor people: We are at the mercy of the police," said Mike Araujo. "We’re at the mercy of landlords. We’re at the mercy of our bosses..."

Rally calls for an end to Providence Police working with ICE and attacks on the unhoused

"There’s one thing that unites us as poor people: We are at the mercy of the police," said Mike Araujo. "We’re at the mercy of landlords. We’re at the mercy of our bosses..."

CNN reports that Brown University has reached a deal with the Trump Administration that includes adopting the President’s executive orders on trans people as policy.

Money is more important than human rights.

www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/p...

You win.

I believe I may have encountered that medal-wearing duck at Pride.

He put a medal on a duck and brought him to the mall.

"Please know that my Office and others are working every day to move the needle on health care investment and reform in Rhode Island. We value your support, and we thank you for showing up for your fellow community members.”

“I also want to thank the community members who made their voices heard on this issue by contacting me directly, hosting community meetings, making calls, and sending letters – your advocacy absolutely affected the outcome of this situation...

" Until we truly prioritize investment in our health care system, we can and should expect more difficult decisions about closures, decisions which may not turn out as favorably as this one...

"Providers across Rhode Island have long sounded the alarm about low Medicaid reimbursement rates and other financial stressors, and up until very recently, those calls for change went unanswered...

"My office is keenly aware of the financial pressures experienced by Brown Health and other hospitals and providers; pressures that arise from our failure to fix the financial fundamentals of our broken health care system...

“I want to thank Brown Health for prioritizing the health care needs of Newport County by deciding to keep Newport Hospital’s birthing center open, and for engaging with my Office regarding this issue," said RI AG Peter Neronha.

Moms Over Margins rallies to save the birthing center at Newport Hospital "...there’s a non-zero chance that mothers and infants may die in transit if we do not have adequate birthing services here."

RI Governor Daniel McKee reports "...that the Birthing Center will not be cut from the organization’s FY26 budget, and that a task force including community members will be convened to inform future improvements to operations."

See: steveahlquist.substack.com/p/moms-over-...

RI ACLU sends letter to Providence city officials about police collaboration with ICE "Regardless of the initial intent of Providence police in not collaborating with ICE... officers inescapably found themselves inextricably aiding ICE by maintaining a presence on the scene..."

RI ACLU sends letter to Providence city officials about police collaboration with ICE

"Regardless of the initial intent of Providence police in not collaborating with ICE... officers inescapably found themselves inextricably aiding ICE by maintaining a presence on the scene..."

Susan Storm is a super mom, Huntrix sings the world into a better place.

We can be stronger than their violence. We can love each other more than they hate us. We can make them pay for hurting our children.

We can beat this.

Our job is to find our inner superhero and resist. It is our duty to win.

You don’t need superpowers. Superman would be a good guy if he had no powers. Ben Grimm would put himself in harms way for someone in need even if he wasn’t a big rock monster.

Superman and Fantastic Four and K-Pop Demon Hunters point the way towards art, compassion, reason, and optimism.

The villains represent infinite consumption and death. One offers the dream of love and freedom. Fascism only offers suffering and death.

Yes!

Now, superheroes are back, as Trump consolidates fascist power.

From a literary perspective, I think superheroes lack power and relevance when the world isn’t under threat.

Superman, Fantastic Four, K-Pop Demon Hunters, that animated Predator film, Thunderbolts… these movies kill fascists.

The 60s were a turbulent time. Cold War, Vietnam, presidential and civil rights leaders assassinations, and economic theories that were intended to strip away from us - everything.

In other words, rising fascism.

Two decades later, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee reinvigorated the genre at Marvel Comics. Now, joining Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and more - all explicitly anti-fascist - were Spider-Man and the X-Men.

In 1938, as fascism rose in Europe (and the U.S.) two Jewish kids invented Superman, and superheroes as a genre, in answer to economic woes, corporate power, organized crime, and inadequacy of the institutions meant to protect the working class.

Save RIPTA Coalition addresses devastating bus service cuts; Proposes alternatives "...you’re raising taxes on working-class Rhode Islanders by asking them to shoulder the burden through job cuts and reduced services," said RI AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley.

Save RIPTA Coalition addresses devastating bus service cuts; Proposes alternatives

"...you’re raising taxes on working-class Rhode Islanders by asking them to shoulder the burden through job cuts and reduced services," said RI AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley.

“The Providence School Board is hosting a series of community listening sessions to better understand your vision for youth in Providence. Your input will assist the board in creating Student Centered Goals that will guide the district's strategic plan.”

Lots of opportunities to show up:

As RIPTA crumbles due to State House inaction, we need to take advantage of every opportunity to save it. Here are the upcoming meetings, starting today:

I think we could add “critical” to our lexicon

Meanwhile, my rent just unexpectedly went up 25%. I'm sure these things are completely unrelated though!

This problem isn’t going away with reactive, punitive measures. We need a humane housing-first policy. We all benefit when everybody is housed.