Dan Yorke

Latest Articles

Uncertainty at WPRO

On the Air
Could Rhode Island's talk radio firmament be poised for a shakeup?
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | December 07, 2011

Rejoice! Race to the bottom soon over

The scramble for the undecided vote; quotes of note; the Life of Keith
There are only a few more days left in this particularly ridiculous election cycle and, if there is one group of people who worked tirelessly and with true creative elan it would be the opposition research teams. Give these folks a bonus! That much of their handiwork is utter bullshit is undoubtedly true but, still, they worked overtime on this one.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | October 27, 2010

WPRO swaps two big personalities

Spring Forward
Talk-radio listeners could be forgiven for wondering if WPRO sprung a bit too far forward this week when Buddy Cianci's show begun airing at 2 pm instead of the usual 10 am.
By DAVID SCHARFENBERG | March 17, 2010

Gubernatorial agonistes

Caprio makes a big move. Plus, reasons to block the LNG terminal
On Tuesday, WRNI political reporter and former Phoenix news editor and master of the Casa Diablo elbow bend, Ian Donnis, broke the news that veteran political communications specialist, Bill Fischer, head ramrod at True North Communications, had signed on as spokesman for the State Treasurer Frank Caprio's gubernatorial campaign committee.
By PHILLIPE & JORGE | August 05, 2009

Giles is one tough cookie

Plus economic outrage, the clueless Pope, and listening to 'The Angry Man'
Phillipe and Jorge could not be more pleased to hear that President Barack Obama has nominated Cynthia Giles, the director of Rhode Island's branch of the Conservation Law Founda-tion.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | March 25, 2009

Losing a Brown basketball legend

Plus a mad money man, off-color comics, and a Laffey-Chafee gaffe
On the sadness front, while P+J missed our chance to say the sporting old boys hereabouts were grieved to learn of the passing of former Brown basketball star Eddie Morris on March 5.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | March 11, 2009

MacKay’s fill-in column comes to a sudden end

As The ProJo Turns
Providence Journal political reporter Scott MacKay’s temporary assignment as a political columnist came to an abrupt end.
By IAN DONNIS | July 16, 2008

Cicilline: A go or no for governor?

His rough patch shows how the mayor’s office remains a tricky launching pad
Call it a case of art imitating life.
By IAN DONNIS | July 09, 2008

Media rebels in the Internet age

The debate-defining posts of Rhode Island activists wield influence beyond their readership
Bloggers have “used a new and powerful medium and ‘crashed the gates’ to ensure that information — the most important ingredient in a democracy — would be available to anyone who wanted to write, read, or debate.”
By IAN DONNIS | May 01, 2008

Chafee for governor?

Running as an independent, he could thumb his nose at the worst of both parties
For now, Lincoln Chafee has the luxury of discussing his political future as a riddle wrapped up in an enigma.
By IAN DONNIS | April 10, 2008

Memory Lane time for Leo’s

Old-line Providence hipsters to regroup over hard stuff
There is certain to be a run on Botox injections, Grecian Formula, and William Shatner rubber corsets.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | November 19, 2007

Linc sets himself free

Disaffiliation puts the independent where he belongs
We offer our kudos and congrats to former senator Linc Chafee.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | September 19, 2007

Buddymania!

A Rhode Island icon sails back into the limelight
Buddy Cianci was already making the media wait.
By IAN DONNIS | August 02, 2007

Chafee offers something rare: a memorable graduation address

Go waste
Is there a more unnerving task than being asked to be a graduation speaker?
By IAN DONNIS | May 23, 2007

Divide grows between State House and regional coverage

As the ProJo turns
The Providence Journal’s State House bureau is a fortress, an outpost singular in its ability to dig out and report important political stories of statewide interest.
By IAN DONNIS | February 28, 2007

Talk show titan

WPRO’S Dan Yorke is making waves in Rhode Island — and Cianci may be his new buddy
The topic of the day is President George W. Bush’s nationally televised speech about increasing the number of troops in Iraq — and Dan Yorke isn’t particularly pleased.
By IAN DONNIS | January 17, 2007

Violet’s rude ouster is a loss for RI

Media
Considering Arlene Violet’s 16-year run on talk-radio in Rhode Island, not to mention her unmistakable local accent, the way in which WHJJ (920 AM) abruptly jettisoned her last week came as an unpleasant surprise.
By IAN DONNIS | December 13, 2006

Campaign winners and sinners

A pre-election dissection of the tasty, the terrible, and the in-between
It’s almost all over but the counting.
By IAN DONNIS | November 01, 2006

A curious editorial switch on the Harrah’s casino

As the ProJo turns
Reporters at the Providence Journal were among those taken by surprise when the paper, in an abrupt and unacknowledged reversal of its long-held position, editorialized on Sunday, October 22, in favor of the proposed Harrah’s Entertainment-Narragansett Indian casino.
By IAN DONNIS | November 01, 2006

Going creative for Steve

Not negative? Don’t make us Laffey
Your superior correspondents generally have no use for Steve “Laugh at Me” Laffey, Republican candidate for the US Senate.
By PHILLIPE & JORGE | June 28, 2006

Scott MacKay, superstar

The Providence Newspaper Guild Follies hits the high notes
You can take it from these longtime observers of the Providence Newspaper Guild’s annual Follies: Scott MacKay’s performance as co-emcee stole the show this year.
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | April 18, 2006