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coaster of Trump’ s tariff threats. Most of her Halloween and Christmas stock is produced abroad, and even her small product designers rely on raw materials produced overseas. In March, the wholesale vendors were pushing her to beat potential tariffs by ordering her stocking stuffers early.

“ That’ s very difficult when you have to put all your money out for the summer season in a seasonal town. I’ m in a flux,” she says.“ I don’ t know which way to go. Should I bring all the product in, rack up my credit cards and pay crazy interest now until January 1 and hope that was the right thing to do?” she asks.“ Right now, the decisions are very stressful.”

Rhode Island PBS, which recently merged with The Public’ s Radio, was facing a potential $ 1 million loss and running multiple disaster scenarios in late spring.

“ That’ s a big blow. Nearly 70 percent of our budget is people. We’ re trying to figure out how to preserve the core and continue our mission while rethinking what we do and how we do it,” says Rhode Island PBS CEO Pam Johnston.“ It makes me sad and scared. There’ s a lot at stake— this national system is the last locally owned and operated media outlet in many parts of our country. And it is still free educational, arts and culture content that connects all of America.”

Farm Fresh Rhode Island lost $ 2.8 million in funding from the USDA Local Food Purchase Agreement and the Local Food for Schools program, says Executive Director Jesse Rye. These initiatives to strengthen the local food system, address food insecurity and create markets for farmers served tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders and supported nearly ninety small businesses supplying community food programs and school districts. The organization lost eight members of its staff, and all of its Ameri- Corps volunteers, with the termination of that national service program.

“ There are moments where there’ s something from the day that I can’ t let go of— talking to people about the uncertainty of their careers,” Rye says.“ But the thing that keeps me up at night the most is knowing that almost 40 percent of Rhode Islanders are food insecure and

58 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I AUGUST 2025