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David Wright

@rhodeislandreports

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Live, local and late-breaking in America’s smallest state

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As @davidmoralespvd claimed victory in the Providence mayoral primary, his mom was watching on a video call from California. The first thing Morales did, after getting off stage, was to share a moment with her, holding the phone up so she could see the crowd behind him.

It was a lovely, human moment to witness, and I thought I should share it before the week is through. by @rhodeislandreports

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The morning of 9/11, I woke up to hear Peter Jennings voice on my clock radio. Not the normal fare on KCRW, the Santa Monica NPR station. But, given the news, the station was rolling in clips of ABC’s live coverage.

I was a fairly new correspondent at ABC News. Even at the LA bureau, it was all hands on deck. No one was quite sure what was behind this or where it all might end. It came out of the blue.

We spent a frantic few hours racing around downtown LA. Tall buildings emptied out. People were afraid there might be more attacks. We talked about heading to Disneyland. Another possible target? Nobody knew.

Then we got news that all of the planes nationwide had been accounted for. Only then did we turn our attention to victim stories. Three of the four hijacked planes were bound for LA.

One story that stays with me from that week is a young mom we met at a local hospital. Her husband, a roadie for the Backstreet Boys, had hopped off the tour in Boston to fly home for the birth of their child. He was on AA Flight 11, the first plane to hit the towers.

The new mom was a widow before their baby was born. Astonishing to realize that newborn must now be turning 25.

September 11th was a lifetime ago. Life goes on after catastrophe. Monstrous events like that change our lives in big ways and small. But human beings find a way to get on with things. Sadly I’ve witnessed it time and again in all four corners of the world.

“The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong at the broken places.” One of my favorite quotes from A Farewell to Arms.

It goes on: “But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.”

This first photo is from Bagram Air Base outside Kabul on the first anniversary of 9/11. On the 15th anniversary, my eldest Deanna came along to lower Manhattan for the live shot. by @rhodeislandreports

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a month ago

The Democratic nominee for Providence mayor is a fighter. Did you know he's also a wrestler?

We sat down with @davidmoralespvd last year to talk about what it means to get in the ring. Catch our interview at the link in bio.

#RhodeIsland #Providence #localpolitics #primaryelection by @rhodeislandreports

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A rough night for incumbents in Rhode Island. Not only did @helenabfoulkes unseat @govdanmckee in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, @davidmoralespvd also clobbered @pvdmayor Brett Smiley.

A 27 year old democratic socialist, Morales has embraced comparisons with @nycmayor Zohran Mamdami — a young progressive taking on the city’s establishment, proposing bold initiatives rather than incremental improvements.

Among other things, Morales vows to reintroduce the rent stabilization ordinance Smiley vetoed last spring. He also wants free bus service for PVD public school kids. taken in Providence, Rhode Island by @rhodeislandreports

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When I got the chance to sit down with Dolly Parton for @nightline, it’s one of the few times my wife wanted to tag along too. Victoria did, and Dolly didn’t disappoint.

It was 2018, Trump’s first term, and there was talk of a possible sequel to “9 to 5.” So I pushed hard on the idea of what it means nowadays to take on the “sexist, egotistical, lying hypocritical bigot.” (Remember the Dabney Coleman character?) She wouldn’t go there, standing firm on the idea she was an entertainer, not a political figure.

Fair dues to her. And fare thee well. I’m so happy Vic and I got to meet her. by @rhodeislandreports

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2 months ago

What happens when you can’t pay your electric bill? For one Rhode Island mother, struggling to support her four children, losing power means keeping food in coolers and prioritizing rent over electricity.

As @rhodeislandenergy ramps up its collection efforts, the company is asking for a 15% rate increase. The @georgewileycenter does what it can to help people who have fallen behind.

#affordability #energyprices #rhodeisland by @rhodeislandreports

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3 months ago

Loving the new Monday morning commute taken in Orient Point, New York by @rhodeislandreports

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3 months ago

Stars, stripes… and spuds! taken in Bristol, Rhode Island by @rhodeislandreports

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4 months ago

Red, white and… Bristol. Here, the #FourthofJuly isn't just a holiday — it's a season.

America's oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration is old-fashioned fun, flying the flag for community as well as for country. 🇺🇸

A hundred volunteers on the town's Fourth of July committee make this iconic tradition happen. by @rhodeislandreports

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First beach day this summer. Like riding a bike, right? (Photography courtesy the pitiless @deannamkwright) taken in 4th Street Beach by @rhodeislandreports

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When I interviewed Elon Musk at @spacex back in 2012, he had just made it onto the Forbes list of billionaires. Today, as SpaceX goes public, he is poised to become the world’s first trillionaire.

Astonishingly, in a little more than a decade, Musk’s wealth (at least on paper) has grown 1,000-fold. Make of that what you will.

Musk was not so controversial back then. He was even charming. The factory floor featured an actual Iron Man costume from Marvel, the idea being that Musk was a real life version Tony Stark.

He struck me at the time as the most confident person I had ever met. And I’ve met some fairly confident folks, including presidents, popes and princes. Now Musk could buy and sell them all.

(Apologies for the bootleg video. @Nightline has since taken down the proper version. This is from a recording my dad made.) taken in Hawthorne, California by @rhodeislandreports

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4 months ago