Scenes of guests dining at the palace of the Duke of Buckingham were filmed in Ochre Court’s state dining room at Salve Regina University. Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

Good morning, Newport!

🗓️ Today is Monday, July 21, the 202nd day of 2025. There are 163 days left in the year.

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9am and noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 79. South wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
  • Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 67. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
  • Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 79. Northwest wind 13 to 15 mph.

🚨 You need to know

Salve Regina University announced Monday that its historic Ochre Court mansion is prominently featured in the latest episode of HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” which began streaming July 20.

According to a press release from the university, the mansion’s ballroom, great hall, state dining room and exteriors appear in Episode 5 of the Emmy Award-winning series’ third season. The scenes depict the palace of the Duke of Buckingham and show character Gladys Russell, played by Taissa Farmiga, adjusting to life as an English duchess.

The university said the series’ production teams modified aspects of the historic mansion to align with storylines, including replacing ocean views from the rear of Ochre Court with rolling green fields in some scenes to create an English countryside setting.

Four members of the Salve Regina community appear as background actors in Season 3, the university reported. Students Cassidy Bashada (’28) and Michael Becker (’26), both cultural and historical preservation majors, along with creative writing and publishing major Olivia Mahler (’25) and professor Dr. Dean de la Motte, were cast in various scenes wearing period costumes with authentic hair and makeup.

The series, created by Julian Fellowes of “Downton Abbey,” has also filmed at multiple properties operated by The Preservation Society of Newport County, including The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms, Rosecliff, Chateau-sur-Mer, Kingscote and Hunter House.

The third season of “The Gilded Age” began airing on HBO and streaming on Max on June 22. According to Variety, the show’s third season reportedly accounted for $27 million in production spending in Rhode Island.

The series features an ensemble cast including Christine Baranski, Carrie Coon, Cynthia Nixon and Phylicia Rashad. HBO describes the show as following “the American Gilded Age,” a period of economic and social change in the late 1800s when “empires were built, but no victory came without sacrifice.”

Scenes of guests dining at the palace of the Duke of Buckingham were filmed in Ochre Court’s state dining room at Salve Regina University. Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Scenes of guests dining at the palace of the Duke of Buckingham were filmed in Ochre Court’s state dining room at Salve Regina University. Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) adjusts to life as an English duchess in scenes shot at Salve Regina University’s Ochre Court. Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO
Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) adjusts to life as an English duchess in scenes shot at Salve Regina University’s Ochre Court. Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/HBO

What else you should know

🪕 Folk Festival week is here. The fun and festivities kick off with a Newport Folk All-Star Game at Cardines Field on Thursday night (tickets still available). The sold-out festival will take place at Fort Adams State Park Friday through Sunday.

🚲 Newport is preparing for another record-breaking year of bicycle traffic to the Newport Folk Festival, with organizers implementing an enhanced safety plan to accommodate the estimated 1,600 cyclists expected daily.

🎶 The near sold-out crowd at Jane Pickens Theater hung on every word as husband-and-wife duo Drew and Ellie Holcomb delivered two sets of largely original material on Friday, July 18th. WUN’s Jack Casey has the story and photo gallery.

🍻 More than 1,300 runners laced up their shoes Saturday for the ninth annual Newport Beer Run at Fort Adams State Park, combining a scenic 5K race with craft beer sampling in one of Newport’s most popular summer events. WUN’s Justin Walker has the story and photo gallery.

🤷 Tariffs, economic uncertainty, AI, and rising housing prices have all had a significant impact on the region, and Rhode Island’s economy, according to the Boston Fed reports. WUN’s Frank Prosnitz has the story.

👉 Helen Hames latest column for WUN is here – Unseen and Unsheltered: The rising crisis of homelessness among Rhode Island’s older adults.

✍️ Newport City Councilor Stephanie Smyth writes in with a Letter to the Editor – Birthing Center closure could trigger community decline.

👏 Governor McKee will deliver remarks this morning at a ceremony at the Department of Administration recognizing the State’s Rose Island Lighthouse charity license plate as the “Best Plate” of 2024, as named by members of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA).

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Unseen and Unsheltered: The rising crisis of homelessness among Rhode Island’s older adults
  2. Over 1,300 runners celebrate craft beer and fitness at ninth annual Newport Beer Run
  3. Obituary: Daniel Nevils
  4. Obituary: Diane Addison
  5. Morning Notes: 281 swimmers tackle two-mile Save The Bay Swim
  6. Letter to the Editor: Birthing Center closure could trigger community decline
  7. Obituary: Donald Michael Tymosko
  8. Morning Notes: Summer Saturday delivers full slate of activities across Newport County
  9. The scoop on Rhode Island’s ice cream preferences, according to Instacart
  10. Regional economy stagnant, but some optimism for the future

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind 9 to 15 mph.
  • Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. North wind 7 to 9 mph.
  • Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 75. North wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:30 am. Sunset at 8:12 pm. 14 hours & 42 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 5:11 am & 5:47 pm. Low tide at 10:30 am.
  • The lunar phase is a Waning Crescent.
  • The coastal water temperature is 68 degrees.

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Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...