Beauty & Youth Leadership: Floralba Caba, a psychologist and founder of FC Modeling Academy, is representing Monseñor Nouel in Miss Dominican Republic Universe 2026, pushing youth empowerment through fashion, communication training, and anti-teen-pregnancy work. Music Spotlight: U2 has released “Street of Dreams,” the first new single in nine years, with a Mexico City video shot near Plaza Santo Domingo—thunder and rain forced a generator failure and led the band to film from a local family’s balcony. Local Housing Pressure: A survey in Santo Domingo’s National District finds rents climbing fast, with many residents pushed toward nearby municipalities as one- and multi-bedroom apartments increasingly exceed typical salaries. Tech for Citizens: Indotel is moving ahead with a procurement process for a Cybersecurity Assistance Center to help people deal with scams, hacked accounts, sextortion, and online shopping fraud. Tourism Growth in Punta Cana: Lopesan Hotel Group inaugurated three new resorts in Punta Cana (including an adults-only and a family-focused property) plus a convention center, backed by a 300M+ euro investment. Arts & Community Storytelling: Upstairs Artspace’s July 12 Art Talk will spotlight Haitian refugee experiences through textile “story flags,” created with children near Santo Domingo’s landfill area. Sports & Regional Games: Netball Bermuda named its 2026 CAC Games squad in Santo Domingo, led by Debré Evans, as the team prepares for the July 24–Aug 8 event. Sustainability in Everyday Life: Banco Popular’s gnial credit/debit cards will use plastic recovered from Sánchez, Samaná coasts, with Popular Miles donations supporting ocean conservation.