The business sales outlook for Rhode Island in 2025 remains strong, particularly for lower middle-market deals valued between $1 million and $50 million. Steady buyer demand persists in construction, healthcare, distribution, and manufacturing, bolstered by population growth, infrastructure upgrades, and small-business incentives. Pawtucket benefits from its strategic location, skilled labor, and affordable commercial space, attracting interest in scalable firms.

Rhode Island has implemented a new legal change barring workplace discrimination, addressing civil liberties and rights-based protections in employment as noted in a legal review published in 2025.

Neal & the Vipers, a Rhode Island-based band blending blues, rock & roll, rockabilly, and surf, performs their 10th Annual New Year's Eve Party on December 31, 2025, at 9:00pm at Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston, RI. This dynamic show features original songs and unique takes on classics, keeping audiences dancing, with tickets at $25.

The city of Providence is using a $3.75 million sale-leaseback deal to provide financial support to WaterFire Providence, securing a 20-year lease that benefits both the city and the popular attraction.

A U.S. district judge in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday, pausing a new Trump administration policy that would cut off soup kitchens, homeless shelters, preschools, and other services to immigrants without legal status. Judge Mary McElroy expressed skepticism over the Justice Department's sudden reinterpretation of a 1996 federal law after nearly 30 years, noting it would deter vulnerable people from seeking critical antipoverty resources and harm public health.

A community art event where participants can paint their pets at Paint & Vino studio in Rhode Island on December 28, 2025, as part of local arts and cultural happenings.

Seasonal holiday tours and exhibits at Rough Point in Newport, open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through December 28, 2025; includes historic house decorations and special programming for visitors.

Roger Williams Park Zoo celebrates National Visit the Zoo Day on December 27, 2025, offering free daytime admission to all visitors who bring non-perishable food items to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. This community event encourages sharing holiday spirit, getting outside, and making memories with family and friends while supporting local food insecurity efforts.

Citizens Financial Group has extended a $50 million line of credit to Brown Health, supporting healthcare sector business development in Rhode Island as part of the week's key economic announcements.

Search results from December 26-27, 2025, contain no news events directly related to Rhode Island on the specified topics; general U.S. items like DHS biometric rules and immigration enforcement in other states appear, but none mention Rhode Island.

On Friday, December 26, enjoy live music starting at 8 p.m. at Busker’s Irish Pub in Newport as part of the weekend's entertainment lineup in Newport County.

Residential Properties Ltd. announced the sale of 273-275 Wickenden Street in Providence for $1.45 million. RPL Sales Associate Stephen Gaskin represented the seller in this transaction, highlighting ongoing real estate business activity in Rhode Island's Fox Point neighborhood.

Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly published an article discussing civil rights limitations and equitable tolling relevant to Rhode Island legal practice and rights-based debates on December 17, 2025.

A featured holiday cultural event in Providence, Rhode Island, running from December 6, 2024, through January 3, 2026, at 400 Benefit St., offering festive celebrations on December 24, 2025.

The Rhode Island Division of Taxation issued emergency corporation business tax regulations reflecting the state’s decoupling from federal provisions of the Owner‑by‑Board‑Based Adjustment (OBBBA), updating how corporate income tax will be calculated under state law.

Rhode Island regulators filed proposed changes to the state’s marijuana rules following federal rescheduling actions and ongoing national debate about cannabis policy and civil liberties.

The Zoning Board of Review meeting is scheduled for December 23, 2025, from 6:00 PM onward at the Middletown Fire Community Room, addressing local zoning matters as part of the town's community governance.

Funda Fest is a day-long celebration presented by Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) featuring oral storytelling rooted in African and African-diaspora traditions, highlighting community narratives and cultural heritage through performances and related activities on December 22, 2025.

Following the December 13, 2025, shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island, where a gunman killed two students and injured nine others, the Rhode Island Department of Education on December 16 urged local elementary and secondary schools to review their safety protocols. The incident highlights ongoing debates on school safety measures, including non-tech options like ID checks to prevent unauthorized access and improve threat reporting.

Residential Properties Ltd. announced the sale of 2 Cherry Lane in Bristol for $1.28 million. RPL Sales Associate… This real estate transaction represents a significant business development in Rhode Island's housing market.

Local journalists at WPRI-TV in Rhode Island continue their work under challenging conditions, as highlighted in a Columbia Journalism Review report on a year of intense pressures on press freedom, including assaults on reporters by law enforcement and policy shifts affecting media access.

Mystic Aquarium hosts a Winter Weekend celebration on December 21, 2025, featuring ice sculpture demonstrations, photos with Santa, holiday character visits, live music, and more; admission is free with general aquarium admission and the event runs 10:30 AM–3:30 PM EST.

The Festival of Trees at Kinney Azalea Gardens is a seasonal holiday display running through January 11, 2026, with showings on December 20, 2025; the event features decorated trees and festive displays for visitors to enjoy.

Hope & Main, which has helped over 575 independent food makers in Rhode Island launch and grow successful businesses over the past decade, has broken ground on a new West End Kitchens location to support further food business development.

A U.S. District Judge in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction blocking new HUD restrictions that would have changed Continuum of Care funding and threatened evidence‑based homelessness programs serving veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, and families; the order temporarily prevents implementation of the November 13, 2025 HUD notice and provides relief to local governments and nonprofits that argued the changes would upend services and increase homelessness, affecting more than 170,000 people, while litigation continues.[1]