New Hotel Construction: Work begins June 1 on The Bellevue Newport Hotel, a planned 90-room luxury boutique property at 181 Bellevue Ave., with phased infrastructure work (water lines and stormwater systems) and public access maintained during construction. Healthcare Funding: Newport Hospital’s Noreen Stonor Drexel Birthing Center received a $1.6 million state investment to keep the only Aquidneck Island birthing facility operating through the longer term. Workforce & Life Sciences: The R.I. Life Science Hub is partnering with the Pawtucket Foundation on a Life Sciences Career Awareness Program aimed at expanding healthcare career pathways for underrepresented communities in Pawtucket, Central Falls and Woonsocket. Manufacturing & Industry: ANDRITZ won an order for Kruger Nonwovens’ first Canadian nonwovens line for sustainable wipes, targeting production in 2028. Policy Push on Leave: Democrats renewed pressure for federal paid leave for severe menstrual pain, framing it as “economic violence” and backing a bill that would provide up to 12 days annually. Local Business & Community: Mom N Pop Antiques in Park View, beloved for 39 years, has shut its doors—another reminder of how hard it is for small retailers to survive. Sports & Community: Woonsocket High advanced to Division III baseball finals after a no-hitter by Patrick Munger, while Providence launched a “House of Portugal” pavilion for World Cup programming. Tech & Computing: NVIDIA and Microsoft unveiled a new class of Windows PCs built to run AI tools directly on-device, pitching the PC as a “teammate,” not just a tool.