Happy Tuesday and welcome to Rhode Map, your daily guide to everything happening in the Ocean State. I’m Dan McGowan and I’m really hoping Gronk’s big announcement will involve a steel cage and the WWE. Follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan or send tips to Dan.McGowan@globe.com .

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Lincoln Chafee isn’t quite ready to announce a longshot bid for the White House as a Libertarian candidate next year, but the former Rhode Island governor and US senator appears to be taking steps to prepare for the race.


Chafee was in Miami over the weekend for the quarterly meeting of the Libertarian National Committee, where he became a “life membership level” donor and met with party activists, according to Christopher Thrasher of Ballot Access Marketing, a consulting firm that helped get Gary Johnson and Bill Weld on the ballot in all 50 states in 2016.

In September, Thrasher’s company registered LincolnforLiberty.com, and Chafee now goes by @LincolnforLiberty on Facebook. A separate Facebook page called “Virginia for Lincoln Chafee 2020” was created last week.

Reached Monday, Chafee declined to confirm that he intends to run for president, but he acknowledged that if he does run for office again, it will likely be for commander in chief.

“It’s early, I’m just getting to know them,” Chafee said, referring to the Libertarian Party.

Chafee was a Republican mayor of Warwick and remained with the party during his time in the Senate, but he later won the governor’s office as an independent. He joined the Democratic Party while he was still in the governor’s office, and then ran for president in 2016. He has since taken up residence in Wyoming, where he registered as a Libertarian.


There are 43 Libertarian candidates who have filed paperwork to open a presidential campaign account for 2020, but none of them have reported significant fund-raising totals, according to the Federal Election Commission.

NEED TO KNOW

Rhode Map wants to hear from you. If you’ve got a scoop or a link to an interesting news story in Rhode Island, e-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

• As if you needed one more reason for why it’s better to live and work in Rhode Island, you must check out the Globe’s Spotlight series highlighting who’s to blame and what can be done to address Boston’s traffic crisis. (Note to Boston readers: We have so many parking spots in Providence.).

• With week two of the public hearings for the impeachment inquiry beginning today, I wanted to know what our congressional delegation is hearing from constituents in Rhode Island. (Spoiler: Not much.)

• Ed Fitzpatrick reports North Providence Police Chief Col. David Tikoian is set to retire on Jan. 1 after helping to turn around the troubled department.

• Fun story from Max Jungreis: Former Patriots star Ty Law has found a second career by building an empire on trampoline parks around the country. And the first one opened in Warwick seven years ago.

• Ben & Jerry’s is being sued for claiming the milk used in its ice cream comes exclusively from “happy cows” and so-called humane “Caring Dairy” farms. Seriously.


WHAT’S ON TAP TODAY

Each day, Rhode Map offers a cheat sheet breaking down what’s happening in Rhode Island. Have an idea? E-mail us at RInews@globe.com.

• Lieutenant Governor Daniel McKee will launch the International Economic Ambassadors Initiative this morning to invite community leaders to use their international networks to attract investment to Rhode Island.

• The special legislative task force on Rhode Island’s education funding formula meets at the State House this afternoon. Here’s the agenda.

• The state is supporting Roger Williams University’s effort to open a charter school in Providence that would focus on serving English learners. The Council on Elementary and Secondary Education will discuss the school at a meeting tonight.

• This afternoon at Rhode Island College: There’s a forum designed for youth and the community to discuss the Providence schools takeover.

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Thanks for reading. Send comments and suggestions to dan.mcgowan@globe.com, or follow me on Twitter @DanMcGowan. See you tomorrow.

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