Federal Policy Shift: The Trump administration is backing away from addressing civil rights for Black students, with civil rights lawyers calling it a reversal of how federal law has historically been used to tackle systemic discrimination. Local Governance & AI: Westerly’s Town Council is weighing a potential moratorium on AI data centers after concerns about water and power strain, with a solicitor drafting options for review. State Economy & Retail Jobs: Rhode Island’s new Self-Service Checkout Stations Act requires grocery stores to keep manually staffed lanes open—one per three self-checkouts—to protect accessibility and jobs. Water & Business Risk: Gov. Dan McKee issued Rhode Island’s first statewide drought watch since 2002, urging conservation by residents and businesses as groundwater and streamflows remain historically low. Healthcare Workforce: URI trustees authorized the next phase of a public medical school development, backed by $5 million in state startup funding, aiming to address physician shortages. Education Politics: Rhode Island Senate President Valarie Lawson faces an ethics complaint tied to votes on charter-school and public-sector union measures. Labor & Food Supply: Rhode Island’s Community Food Bank is preparing for summer demand as families lose school meal support.