Central American & Caribbean Games Payoffs: Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced incentives for Santo Domingo 2026 medals—RD$300,000 for gold, RD$150,000 for silver, RD$100,000 for bronze in individual events; team gold RD$3.2M, silver RD$2.8M, bronze RD$1.6M; coaches and federations also get scaled bonuses. Anti-Corruption Spotlight: President Luis Abinader said the Dominican Republic will host the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) Dec. 1–4, 2026, drawing 2,000+ participants from about 140 countries. Local Infrastructure Fight: Santo Domingo’s Los Próceres Avenue expansion has sparked resident backlash over fears it will create a “bottleneck” and damage green spaces without fixing congestion on República de Colombia Avenue. Governance & Courts: A National District court authorized enforcement of a U.S. judgment ordering the JCE to pay Latin Events over US$906,000 for unpaid contracted logistics. Energy & Research: UT geologists, with Dominican Energy and Mines officials, visited Azua to assess hydrocarbon potential and study formations and old wells. Tourism Business Push: Asonahores set its 2026 Trade Exhibition for Sept. 2–4 at BlueMall Punta Cana, with 300+ stands. Public Safety Upgrade: Santo Domingo Este received a new 1,500-gallon firefighting unit to strengthen emergency and rescue response. Haiti Mission Line: Abinader reiterated the DR won’t deploy troops to Haiti’s UN-backed gang suppression force, limiting support to logistics, medical and humanitarian aid. Sports Logistics: Authorities are preparing for thousands of arrivals starting July 17 for Santo Domingo 2026, with coordinated airport, migration, customs, and security operations.