Steve Klamkin & The Saturday Am News

Jennifer Wood, Executive Director of the R.I. Center for Justice. #WPRO The Providence-based nonprofit has teamed with the Center for Education Equity at Teachers College at Columbia University to sue Rhode Island political and education leaders on behalf of 14 students, claiming that they are not receiving an adequate education to make them informed voters, jurors or citizens. http://www.630wpro.com/2018/11/29/public-school-students-sue-over-right-to-a-civic-education/

Emergency physician Dr. Megan Ranney has started a group to research ways to curb gun violence: https://affirmresearch.org/ #WPRO When the NRA admonished emergency physicians to "stay in your lane" for publishing so many studies on gun violence, docs responded with the hashtag: #thisismylane - some posted graphic pictures to social media of blood soaked emergency rooms.

Filming since this summer entirely in Rhode Island is NOS4A2, a supernatural horror thriller based on the novel of the same name, coming to AMC in Summer 2019. #WPRO Showrunner and writer Jami O'Brien and co-star Zachary Quinto and the director of the Rhode Island Film and TV office Steve Feinberg talk about the production.

Christopher Warren-Green is the guest conductor this weekend for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. #WPRO A special program along with the Providence Singers marks the centennial of the Armistice that ended WWI, with works by Beethoven, Elgar and Vaughn Williams. http://ri-philharmonic.org/ He has also conducted numerous concerts for the British royal family.

Julia Wyman, director of the Marine Affairs Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law. She talks about the upcoming Marine Law Symposium at the school November 16. #WPRO

Nathan Stein, PhD, Staff Psychologist at the Providence VA Medical Center. #WPRO Just before Veteran’s Day, there is a forum for war veterans on Saturday, November 10 in Middletown

Brenda Clement, Executive Director of HousingWorks RI, which issued its annual Fact Book. #WPRO It finds a critical shortage of affordable and multi-family housing in Rhode Island. https://www.housingworksri.org/

Author Raina Smith talks about her latest novel - "The Vampire" #WPRO https://www.rainasmith.com/

Kathleen Pletcher, Executive Artistic Director of FirstWorks - season opens October 26 at The Vets with dance troupe Pilobolus #WPRO http://first-works.org/ Photo of Pilobolus by Joseph Mehling

Legendary local bluesman James Montgomery performs at the Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston on October 27 for a Halloween show #WPRO https://www.jamesmontgomery.com/

Michelle Johnson; a third-grade teacher at Mary E. Fogarty Elementary School in Providence won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award as the 2018-10 Educator of the Year. #WPRO Photo courtesy Milken Family Foundation https://www.milkeneducatorawards.org/

Pianist Aaron Diehl performs with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19 and 20. #WPRO Aaron Diehl will perform George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". This marks the debut of new RI Philharmonic Artistic Director Bramwell Tovey. Photo courtesy @BramwellTovey via Twitter

Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the stand-alone psychological thriller "Trust Me" #WPRO

Reproductive rights campaigner MaryAnn Sorrentino talks about The Women Project's "Speak Up - Speak Out" on Sunday, October 21st at First Unitarian Church in Providence. #WPRO Advocates want Rhode Island to preserve the abortion protections in the event the Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision is overturned.

Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre is performing at Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River on October 18 #WPRO He spent 43 years as Jethro Tull's guitarist, and Martin Barre and his band are celebrating 50 years of Tull with his new album "Roads Less Traveled" http://martinbarre.com/ https://bit.ly/2OSsZqZ Photo of Martin Barre by Martin Webb

Presidents David Dooley of the University of Rhode Island & Frank Sanchez of Rhode Island College urge support of the "Yes on 2 Campaign" #WPRO The ballot referendum would raise $70 million in a higher education bond issue to fund improvements at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography and the RIC School of Education https://voteyeson2ri.com/

John Friedman, Brown University Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs has devised a way to track economic mobility by neighborhood. #WPRO He says the "Opportunity Atlas" traces social and economic outcomes to the neighborhood level. https://www.opportunityatlas.org/

Dr. Jody Rich an epidemiologist at The Miriam Hospital & Brown University Professor of Medicine #WPRO He talks about other countries' experiences in curbing crime by decriminalizing drugs

Larry Chretien, Executive Director of the newly renamed Green Energy Consumers Alliance, Inc. - #WPRO Recently celebrated its new brand at “Plug-in: Drive Electric and Enjoy Music at the Park!” https://www.greenenergyconsumers.org/

Veteran Providence firefighter Dan Rinaldi competes on Sept. 25 at the “America’s Best Firehouse Chili Recipe” cookoff. #WPRO He'll put his " Blazin' Blue Crab Chili" up against recipes from four other fire departments around the country in the contest, sponsored by Hormel Chili, to benefit the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation