2025: A Year on the “Age Beat” in Rhode Island – Herb Weiss

herb weiss on aging

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, issues on aging Throughout 2025, this “Age Beat†columnist published a weekly commentary covering an extensive list of aging, healthcare, and medical issues. During this year, this columnist followed Congressional debates inside the Beltway involving Medicare, Medicaid, reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, and Social Security, reporting on how these…

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It is what it is – Dec. 24, 2025 – Commentary with Jen Brien

Jen Brien - Christmas

by Jennifer Brien, contributing writer, commentary THE HISTORY OF “NORAD SANTA TRACKING” The history of NORAD Tracks Santa started in 1955 with a typo in a SEARS ad that mistakingly directed kids to the Continental Air Defense Command also known as  “CONAD”.  Colonel Harry Shoup played along when he took a child’s call who asked to…

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It is what it is: Dec. 10, 2025 – Commentary with Jen Brien

Jennifer Brien

by Jennifer Brien, contributing writer, commentary FROM A TEACHER IN PUBLIC EDUCATION “I think that you guys don’t know what’s going on in public education right now. That’s fine. How could you know unless you’re working in it, but I think you need to know. So here is exactly what it’s like right now working…

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GriefSPEAK: The Emperor’s New Clothes – Mari Nardolillo Dias

Inspirational graffiti urging to speak the truth despite fear.

by Mari Nardolillo, Dias, EdD, contributing writer The grief associated with the loss of freedom in free speech causes a great deal of anxiety and uncertainty, analogous to a death. At this time of agitation and lack of respect for differences of opinion it seemed time for a reprint of this popular article. We are…

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It is what it is: December 3, 2025 – Commentary with Jen Brien

Jen Brien

by Jennifer Brien, Commentary, contributing writer PEOPLE RAGE OVER EVERYTHING “We’re living in a time where people break over things that previous generations pushed through without a second thought. Discomfort is NOW trauma. Accountability is an attack and anyone who disagrees becomes the villain in someone’s story. Respect and discipline barely exist. Entitlement has become…

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It is what it is: Nov. 26, 2025 Commentary with Jen Brien

A man in sunglasses and a cap pointing at a Rhode Island sign.

by Jennifer Brien, Commentary, contributing writer THE TRUTH WILL OFFEND SOME PEOPLE: ON OZEMPIC…… “We had to invent a drug to prevent people from eating the food around them because the food around is so toxic it’s making them fat and sick. It’s as if we found out TAP WATER was toxic and killing us…

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It is what it is – Commentary with Jen Brien

Jen Brien Commentary

by Jennifer Brien, Commentary, contributing writer Pointing out the consequences of MASS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION & MULTICULTURALISM IS NOT RACISM “SWEDEN OPENED ITS BORDERS TO OVER A MILLION AND A HALF immigrants since 2010 and now 20% of its citizens are foreign born, its education system is tanking, and it has Europe’s highest rate of gangland…

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It is what it is: Commentary on Nov. 12, 2025 – Jen Brien

Jen Brien Commentary

by Jennifer Brien, commentary, contributing writer MY FRIEND IS DYING Hey gang I have so much to say this week about everything IN THIS WORLD,  but I’ve decided to spend my time here writing about a few things that have been making me THINK and breaking my heart. This is not meant to be depressing,…

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