Philip Eil

@phileil.bsky.social

4719 Followers 4151 Following

Journalist. Cat dad. Rhode Islander. Author of "Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.'" https://philipeil.com/

An IG comment that reads: "Thank god Providence spent all that money on a pedestrian bridge." The comment -- as of Wednesday morning, July 22 -- has 22 "likes."
A photo of Philip Eil during his April 2024 book event at Belmont Books for "Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the 'Pill Mill Killer.'"
A screenshot of an AI-generated Google search summary that mis-identifies me -- Philip Eil -- as a Boston Globe reporter who worked on a piece with Evan Allen about Dr. Phil. It reads, in part: "The Boston Globe reporter who previously investigated Dr. Phil's Show is Philip Eil (along with co-reporter Evan Allen and the team at STAT). For direct updates from the reporter, you can follow his Philip Eil Instagram profile. If you are thinking of the recent Dr. Phil documentary, you may be referring to Eil's award winning investigative journalism (which also involves his book Prescription for Pain) or the Dirty Rotten Scandals: the Dr. Phil Show docuseries.
Winnie the Pooh wearing a black tie and looking slightly smug.
A Maynard, MA public library display called “Punk Rock Favorites,” with an album available to borrow by the Dropkick Murphys.
A red metal bike rack that reads "BOOKS" with metal shapes of books on either side of the letters.
A portable digital sign that reads "FIFA" with the Providence skyline in the background.
An adorable calico kitty — Jill — covers her eyes while she sleeps.
A screenshot from an Instagram ad for Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio.
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder. My t shirt reads “authors against book bans.”
A post from the Party for Socialism and Liberation indicating that tonight’s rally in downtown Providence has been cancelled due to the air quality. The post reads “Due to the ongoing severity of the air pollution, which has reached higher levels than earlier this week, we have made the difficult decision to cancel el this evenings rally. We will not allow these conditions to stop us from organizing. Our struggle continues!”
An air quality alert from AccuWeather for Providence on July 18: Air Quality Alert Current Air Quality Today 7/18 116 AQI Unhealthy Health effects can be immediately felt by sensitive groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Limit outdoor activity.
Providence Joins More Than 70 Cities Nationwide to Demand an End to ICE Terror Following Deaths of Three Immigrant Workers PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Community members, immigrant rights advocates, labor organizers, and supporters will gather in Providence on Saturday, July 18, as part of a coordinated National Day of Action taking place in more than 70 cities across the country to demand an end to escalating ICE raids, deportations, and deadly violence against immigrant communities. The demonstration comes after three immigrant workers were killed during ICE operations in just eight days: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine, and another man who died while fleeing ICE agents in St. Augustine, Florida. These deaths are the direct result of escalating immigration enforcement and the continued expansion of ICE's powers and funding. Participants will call for an end to ICE terror, justice for those killed, and full rights for immigrant communities. Organizers will also emphasize the need for solidarity between immigrant and U.S.-born workers in the face of policies they say divide working people while protecting corporate interests. WHAT: National Day of Action to End ICE Terror WHEN: Saturday, July 18 @ 5 PM WHERE: Providence City Hall WHO: Local immigrant rights organizations, including the Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance (AMOR), Refugee Dream Center, The Party for Socialism and Liberation, New Bridges 4 Haitian Success, the Deportation Defense Network of RI, and more. Community organizers Members of impacted communities Supporters of immigrant justice
Smiley for Mayor 1 Park Row Suite 5 Providence RI 02903 PAID FOR BY SMILEY FOR MAYOR.
A portion of a Smiley for Mayor mailer that reads: David Morales Supports Defunding the Police. Would Take Us Backwards. Apoya Desfinanciar a la Policía. Nos Haría Retroceder. DAVID MORALES WON'T KEEP OUR CITY SAFE: • Called for eliminating police funding and was deeply involved in the defund the police movement' • Opposes the policies that have kept us safe? • Said that Providence Police "do not care for our communities"3 WE JUST CAN'T TRUST DEFUNDING DAVID TO KEEP US SAFE. SIMPLEMENTE NO PODEMOS DEJAR NUESTRA SEGURIDAD EN MANOS DE DAVID. CHECK THE FACTS: 1. Uprise RI, 7.4.21; 2. Ibid.; 3. Ibid.
A stone facade of a public library in Fall River, Mass. that reads: "THE PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY PUBLIC LIBRARY."
A digital flier from International House of Rhode Island advertising a World Cup Final watch party on Sunday, July 19th at 3 p.m. at 8 Stimson Ave, in Providence. Other text on the flyer reads: "FREE EVENT! THEMED TEAM DRINKS WILL BE AVAILABLE. If you can, a suggested donation of $10 helps us cover event costs and keep similar events open to the public!"
A miniature Diet Coke can with the name and initials of the state of Rhode Island on the side.
Anthony Toti of Providence walked his dog, Cianci, along the bridge Wednesday morning.
"Widespread Cases of Diarrhea" in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles typeface.
A yellow and white van marked "New England Soft Frozen Lemonade" parked on Blackstone Boulevard, next to Lippitt Memorial Park, on July 13, 2024.
Waters consistently drew the most polarized reactions from the audience. In response to a question about the city’s relationship with Brown, Waters stated that “Brown University is one of the most anti-American institutions in the United States,” to which attendees responded with laughter. The University could not immediately be reached for comment.
A Facebook post from Waters for Mayor of Providence that reads: "Socialists want to destroy the Jew. The Democrats, especially among the most radical, are abandoning the Jews ✡️. Providence Jews should vote in their long term interests as Dems pull away from you. As a black, independent candidate for Mayor of Providence, the increasing Jewish Derangement Syndrome, especially among the Democratic Socialists, is a public safety concern. Only a fool votes for people who hate you, lie about it, displaying a pleasant smile. Visit: www.WatersForMayor.com"
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
The Providence skyline, with a statue of Roger Williams in the foreground. Taken at Prospect Terrace Park on July 1, 2026.
The view inside Centreville Bank Stadium on a beautiful summer night -- July 12, 2026.
Two people wearing mascot-style suits depicting two of the Cardi’s (furniture) brothers.
The view from Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket before tonight’s RIFC game.
A subpoena issued in the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio in March 2011 for Philip Eil to testify. It reads, in part: UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the Southern District of Ohio United States ofAmerica V. Case NO. SSB PAUL VOLKMAN Defendant SUBPOENA TO TESTIFY AT A HEARING 0R TRIAL IN A CRIMINAL CASE To: Phillip YOU ARE COMMANDED to appear in the United States district court at the time, date, and place shown below to testify in this criminal case. When you arrive, you must remain at the court until the judge or a court officer allows you to leave.
The Origin of Subpoena If you think you recognize the sub- in subpoena as the prefix meaning "under, beneath, below," you're on target. Subpoena arrived in Modern English (via the Middle English suppena) from the Latin sub poena, a combination of sub and poena, meaning "penalty." Other poena descendants in English include impunity ("freedom from penalty"), penal ("of or relating to punishment"), and even punish. There is also the verb subpoena, as in "Defense lawyers have subpoenaed several witnesses to the crime."
An instagram graphic that reads "Paolino Properties Acquires Four Downtown Providence Parking Facilities." Below, in a rundown of the numbers -- 832 parking spaces, 4 properties, $16.5 million -- reads "1 MISSION: SUPPORTING DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE." A caption reads, in part: We’re proud to announce another significant investment in the future of downtown Providence. Paolino Properties has acquired four strategically located downtown parking facilities, adding 832 parking spaces to our portfolio and reinforcing our long-term commitment to the city’s continued growth and revitalization. While parking may not always make headlines, it is essential infrastructure. Accessible, well-managed parking supports local businesses, residents, hotels, restaurants, employers—both current and future—and the thousands of people who visit downtown every day. This investment reflects more than an acquisition. It reflects a belief in Providence’s future.
The front page of the Providence Eye on July 10, 2026. One article is headlined "FRINGE PVD is Back with a Week of Creative Risk-Taking." Another reads: "Which of Providence's General Assembly Seats Are Being Challenged This Year."
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
A sign for The Villager Cafe, above a flag that says "Open."
“It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism,” she wrote to Alito. “I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say except that I am so, so sorry.”
Totenberg was reporting on the final day of the Supreme Court session on Tuesday. As she was leaving the court, Chief Justice John Roberts was announcing upcoming retirements. Totenberg wondered why everyone else wasn't leaving and asked someone outside the court. According to her interview that same day on All Things Considered, Totenberg asked a bystander what was going on, and the person replied "retirement announcements." But Totenberg heard the reply in the singular, "announcement, " and assumed it was the notice that Alito was retiring.
A restaurant with a huge inflatable lobster on the roof. The sign reads “Taste of Maine.”
A rainbow crosswalk leads into the Weaver Memorial Branch of the East Providence, RI Public Library. An American flag is visible next to the entrance. The sky is bright blue.
Two text messages, received three minutes apart, that read: "Your order has been placed. We’ll send you an update when it is accepted by The Sandwich Hut." "The Sandwich Hut has accepted your order."
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
Eric Halvarson, Amy Goodman, Carl Deal, and Tia Lesson on stage at the Avon Cinema in Providence on Saturday, June 27.
A cartoon raccoon.
PRESS RELEASE: RIDOH is alerting the public that a raccoon found in the area of Amy Street in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence tested positive for rabies on June 24. A second raccoon that was collected near Hope Street in this area is also being tested because of indications that it may also be rabid. An Instagram post from the RI Dept. of Health that reads: There were no human exposures to either of these animals. RIDOH is alerting the public out of an abundance of caution as the rabid animal was found in a densely populated area. Check out today's press release to learn more. #LinkInBio Attached is a cartoon image of a cute non-rabid-looking raccoon with three bats inexplicably flying above it.
Woodley said as a city councilor, he wants to help give high school seniors more options after graduation, create higher-quality homeless shelters, and provide more resources to residents living on welfare.
Phil Eil and Amy Goodman in 2016 at Democracy Now's offices in New York.
A calico kitty (Jill) and tuxedo kitty (Jack) tolerate each other grudgingly on a navy blue couch.
The Providence, RI skyline as seen from Prospect Terrace Park. The Roger Williams Statue stands in the foreground.
An email from the Providence Journal with the subject "A new Spicer-Man issue just dropped [web emoji]"
Headline: 'I always knew I was a boy': a small-town coach becomes a big time pioneer. There was something triumphant about outsports.com’s lengthy November 2013 profile of Glocester sports coach Stephen Alexander. Not only did the article identify Alexander as the “first high school coach to come out publicly as transgender,” it also described how various members of Alexander’s family and, even his hometown, itself – “the last place on earth most would expect to find a thriving transgender coach” – have rallied around high school-sports-star-turned-coach. “The little village of Glocester, it seems, has had a transition of its own,” author Cyd Zeigler wrote. But Alexander’s previous sports stardom (he won a combined six state championships as a tennis/basketball/soccer/volleyball/softball player, and scored over 1,000 points in basketball) was also one of the story’s sore points. At the time of the outsports.com story’s publication, Alexander had been snubbed from an induction into the Ponaganset High School Athletic Hall of Fame – a blatant slight in what should have been an “open-and-shut case,” in Zeigler’s words. Nine months later, we at the Phoenix are happy to report that Alexander recently received word of his induction into the Hall of Fame’s 2014 Class (the official ceremony will take place this fall). We’re also happy to report that the 35- year-old multi-sport coach has also been named Honorary Marshal of this weekend’s RI Pridefest in Providence. We caught up with Alexander to hear what life is like as one of the folks pushing America toward what a recent TIME magazine cover story called “The Transgender Tipping Point.” Our conversation has been edited and condensed.
The cover of the Providence Phoenix, featuring a photo of five men -- including Brett Smiley and Jorge Elorza -- standing in front of the Providence skyline. a headlinE reads: "WHO ARE THESE GUYS? One of them may be the next mayor of Providence."
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.
A snapshot from the RHORI reunion.
A snapshot from the RHORI reunion.
A selfie in front of Providence's cathedral, taken on June 22, 2026.
Trump unveils new Air Force One, a converted Qatari 747 New craft, called VC-25B Bridge, had provoked protest since $400m jet wildly exceeds limit on unsolicited gifts
The gift of a luxury jet from a foreign government has little precedent in U.S. history. The nation’s founders were concerned about a president’s decisions being swayed by gifts “from any King, Prince, or foreign State,” and drafted the Constitution to ban taking presents without permission from Congress.
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday showed off the new Air Force One, a formerly Qatari-owned jumbo jet that has been converted into the official U.S. presidential aircraft. The new aircraft eschews the Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue exterior of the old plane for a bolder look, with the underbelly of the plane painted navy blue with a red stripe above it. The plane’s left side, where the president boards, features the presidential seal, while the tail of the aircraft has a massive American flag on it.
A selfie with an adorable calico kitty — Jill — on my shoulder.