World Cup in Providence: With Boston’s FIFA fan festival shutting down after the group stage, Providence’s PVD Fan Zone at Station Park has become New England’s main World Cup hub, drawing more than 70,000 visitors and keeping the FIFA-sanctioned party going. State Law & Retail Theft: Rhode Island became the first state to require staffing at supermarket self-checkout lanes, mandating at least one employee per three kiosks starting Jan. 1, 2027, with limits on other duties during peak hours. Housing & Homeownership: Gov. Dan McKee and housing officials announced $7.5 million for entry-level homeownership through the Housing 2030 program, including Westerly’s Habitat for Humanity project and homes priced under $400,000. Legal Fight Over Immigration Benefits: USCIS faced backlash in a Rhode Island federal court filing after it described Nigeria’s civil documentation system as unreliable, prompting an “adjudicative hold” on certain immigration applications. DOJ Action Hits Online Marketplace: The DOJ said it reached a $600 million resolution with Alibaba over alleged illegal pharmaceutical sales and imports via its platform, with the investigation led in part by Rhode Island prosecutors. Local Politics: Former state senator James Sheehan says he’s running for District 31 after Rep. Julie Casimiro announced retirement, centering his campaign on opposition to a proposed pyrolysis facility tied to the Quonset Development Corporation.