Valerie Endress

@RayBaccari @iowasnewsnow Best wishes, Ray, on the journey ahead!

My next chapter: Starting on April 20 I’ll be a MMJ for KGAN (@iowasnewsnow) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My last day with WPRI-TV is Sunday, April 5. These last two years have been a blast, and I’m excited to tell the stories of Eastern Iowa. “The dream continues.”

If you have to delay mass firings at FEMA in order to fulfill its disaster relief mission, maybe you shouldn't be firing these people at all? cnn.com/2026/01/23/pol…

Whether you’re a student, a parent, an educator, a business professional, or a policymaker, we invite you to be part of a timely and important conversation. This is a ticketed event so please register at the following link: eventbrite.com/e/liberal-arts…

Even if you are leader of the free world, you don’t just get an MRI without a clear reason to do so. There’s no such thing as a “screening” MRI.

FACT: The biggest weapon against a dictator is an education. 📚

Yesterday, 5,000+ illegally fired USDA workers got their jobs back. The head of the Office of Special Counsel, which referred this case to the panel that made this decision, hailed the decision. Today, the Office of Special Counsel head is out of a job. huffpost.com/entry/usda-emp…

Understanding and addressing the threats that AI poses to elections requires considering both its immediate effects the long-term implications. bit.ly/41HQGH4

'People will starve' because of US aid cut to Sudan bbc.in/43cloct

BRAVO to Maine Governor Janet Mills for slapping petty tyrant trump in the face with her calmly defiant "see you in court." THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE. 🔥🔥🔥

The flying public needs answers. How many FAA personnel were just fired? What positions? And why?

Just got off the phone with Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), who said Elon Musk's DOGE team is "actively dismantling" federal Department of Education programs today. "They are in the building, on the 6th floor, canceling grants and contracts."

Move to cut indirect cost rate to 15% could cost universities billions of dollars search.app/?link=https%3A…

President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man. barackobama.medium.com/our-statement-…

Biggest swings towards Trump, by state (corrected from an earlier post): 1. New York 11.5% 2. New Jersey 10.1% 3. Florida 9.8% 4. Massachusetts 8.7% 5. California 8.4% 6. Texas 8.3% 7. Mississippi 7.7% 8. Rhode Island 7.0% 9. Tennessee 6.5% 10. Illinois 6.4%

X won’t let me post this AND the link in the same post. I’ve been trying for the last hour. nytimes.com/2024/11/02/mag…

Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from making your voice heard in this election. If you have any questions or concerns, call a voter protection hotline. These folks are standing by to make sure your vote is counted. So make sure you vote! votesaveamerica.com

From @GlobeOpinion | Democracy dies in broad daylight, thanks to Jeff Bezos trib.al/fkD6xNH

This is the text of the Post columnists' statement, for those hitting the paywall: The Washington Post’s decision not to make an endorsement in the presidential campaign is a terrible mistake. It represents an abandonment of the fundamental editorial convictions of the newspaper that we love. This is a moment for the institution to be making clear its commitment to democratic values, the rule of law and international alliances, and the threat that Donald Trump poses to them — the precise points The Post made in endorsing Trump’s opponents in 2016 and 2020. There is no contradiction between The Post’s important role as an independent newspaper and its practice of making political endorsements, both as a matter of guidance to readers and as a statement of core beliefs. That has never been more true than in the current campaign. An independent newspaper might someday choose to back away from making presidential endorsements. But this isn’t the right moment, when one candidate is advocating positions that directly threaten freedom of the press and the values of the Constitution. Signed by: Perry Bacon Jr., Matt Bai, E.J. Dionne Jr., Lee Hockstader, David Ignatius, Heather Long, Ruth Marcus, Dana Millbank, Alexandra Petri, Catherine Rampell, Eugene Robinson, Jennifer Rubin, Karen Tumulty.

Join us for a crucial discussion on achieving religious tolerance and understanding on Tuesday, Oct. 29th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Gaige 200 on the Rhode Island College Campus. Members of the greater Rhode Island Community are invited to the discussion. eventbrite.com/e/104645052067…

Members of the greater Rhode Island community and our alumni are always welcome at our American Democracy Project events at RIC. Check out the great programming for next week!