Happy Wednesday! I'm Dan McGowan, and yesterday's thunderstorms were some of the strangest I've ever seen in Rhode Island. Follow me on X (Twitter) @DanMcGowan, on Bluesky @danmcgowan, or send tips to
dan.mcgowan@globe.com.
✔️ North Providence Councilman Stefano Famiglietti easilywon last night's Democratic primary in Senate District 4. He'll face Republican Alexander Asermely in the Aug. 5 general election.
A new poll released Wednesday by Salve Regina University offers some alarming approval ratings for Rhode Island’s top politicians, with only US Senator Jack Reed cracking 50 percent and none of the five state officeholders reaching 40 percent.
My column today explores whether Governor Dan McKee is the most vulnerable incumbent governor in the country, but only Reed and US Representative Gabe Amo are comfortably above water compared to their disapproval ratings.
The online and text message survey of 804 voters was conducted June 16 to June 22 by Embold Research. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
You can read the full survey by clicking here, but below is breakdown of the approval and disapproval ratings of the congressional delegation, statewide officeholders, and President Donald Trump. It’s ranked from highest approval to lowest.
Note: With the exception of Trump, every politician had at least 10 percent "not sure" when voters were asked about their approval.
US Senator Jack Reed
Approve: 50 percent
Disapprove: 39 percent
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Approve: 45 percent
Disapprove: 44 percent
US Representative Gabe Amo
Approve: 44 percent
Disapprove: 33 percent
President Donald Trump
Approve: 40 percent
Disapprove: 58 percent
US Representative Seth Magaziner
Approve: 40 percent
Disapprove: 44 percent
Attorney General Peter Neronha
Approve: 38 percent
Disapprove: 37 percent
State Treasurer James Diossa
Approve: 29 percent
Disapprove: 28 percent
Secretary of State Gregg Amore
Approve: 29 percent
Disapprove: 30 percent
Governor Dan McKee
Approve: 25 percent
Disapprove: 64 percent
Today's question comes from Andy Cutler: Can you name the MacArthur Genius Award winner who graduated from Cumberland High School?
(The answer is below.)
Do you have the perfect question for Rhode Map readers? Don't forget to send the answer, too. Shoot me an email today.
The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ My latest column: With 14 months before the Democratic primary, Governor McKeeappears to be the most vulnerable incumbent governor in America. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Island stands to lose $29 million in education funding currently being withheld by the Trump administration, the state’s education commissioner said, setting up the potential for layoffs, delayed services for thousands of students learning English, cuts to after-school programs and more. Read here.
⚓ The votes are in, and Travel + Leisure magazine readers have named Rhode Island’s T.F. Green airport as the best in the country for the glossy’s 30th annual World’s Best Awards. Read more.
⚓ Officials in Rhode Island are praising an off-duty Warwick police captain for jumping into action and saving the lives of a Cranston family after their home caught fire last weekend. Read more.
⚓ Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence is mourning the loss of Samantha, a “cherished” 24-year-old Plains zebra, after she suffered a fatal injury during an intense storm on July 3, zoo officials announced Monday. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
Also in the Globe
⚓ The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for President Trump’s plans to downsize the federal workforce despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs. Read more.
⚓ In the wake of the deadly flooding in Texas over the holiday weekend, emergency managers, first responders, and public officials in New England said the current warning systems are either hamstrung or have limited reach because these types of storms are hard to predict and flash floods happen so quickly. Read more.
⚓ It's still unclear if Lionel Messi will play when Inter Miami visits Gillette Stadium tonight. Read more.
⚓ Rhode Map readers, if you want the birthday of a friend or family member to be recognized Friday, send me an email with their first and last name, and their age.
⚓ US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will deliver his 300th "Time to Wake Up" speech on the climate change on the Senate floor around 7 p.m. You can watch it here.
⚓ US Representative Seth Magaziner, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, and Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green are holding an 11 a.m. press conference at the Providence Career & Technical Academy to discuss the Trump administration withholding nearly $30 million in federal funding for education for Rhode Island.
⚓ If you're looking for something fun to do, the Ocean State Waves NECBL baseball team plays at 6:30 p.m. at Old Mountain Field in South Kingstown.
🏆 Pop quiz answer
David Macaulay, an illustrator and writer, graduated from Cumberland High and RISD. He won a Genius Award in 2006.
RHODE ISLAND REPORT PODCAST Ed Fitzpatrick talks to URI President Marc Parlange about how the Trump administration’s cuts are affecting public research universities. Listen to all of our podcasts here.
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