Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission’s Annual Celebration to be Broadcast on Capitol TV Monday Night at 7 PM

 

STATE HOUSE – The Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission’s annual celebration of the life, and death, of the great civil rights leader will be broadcast on Capitol Television on Monday, January 18 at 7 p.m. featuring pre-taped segments from Rhode Island dignitaries explaining what the legacy of Dr. King means to them.

The commission and celebration are chaired by Rep. Raymond A. Hull (D-Dist. 6, Providence, North Providence).

Normally, the celebration would be held in person, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s celebration will be held virtually.

House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick) and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, North Providence, Providence) will be joined by other legislative leaders, the state’s general officers, members of Rhode Island’s federal delegation and other dignitaries in offering video messages of how the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has touched their lives.

There will also be a musical performance by RPM Voices Choir and the annual presentation of awards to members of the community and for the event’s annual essay contest open to middle and high school students in the state.

The celebration will be televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox on Channels 15 and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers. It will also be live-streamed at www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV.

The Biden administration says it's up to state governors to decide if the National Guard is needed to disperse anti-Israel protests on college campuses. House Speaker Mike Johnson called on President Biden to bring in the National Guard after seeing the protests at Columbia University this week.        The U.S. Supreme Court is considering arguments about presidential immunity. The case before the high court on Thursday centered around Donald Trump's claims of immunity in his federal election interference case. The justices are expected to rule in June.        Drivers can expect lots of gridlock in New York City today with President Biden in town. Biden will be in Manhattan today as he campaigns around New York. Meantime, former President Trump is teasing a possible rally at Madison Square Garden.        Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction is being overturned. The New York Court of Appeals says it tossed the conviction because of issues with testimony allowed at trial. Actress Ashley Judd, who accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, vowed, however, that the fight would continue.        Tornado sightings are being reported this morning in parts of eastern Oklahoma. Local forecasters say conditions capable of producing tornadoes were reported this morning between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Tornado-producing weather is expected today from northeast Texas to southern Iowa.        "The Onion" has been sold. G-O Media announced on Thursday that the satirical news outlet has been purchased by a new firm called Global Tetrahedron, who got their name from The Onion. The CEO of G-O Media says the new firm has agreed to keep the entire staff intact in Chicago, where the publication has been based since 2012.