QCA.news - Quad Cities news and view from both sides of the river

Sunday, July 26th, 2026
	Iowa Dems lose first-caucus status after 54 years; South Carolina to take lead in 2028 The Iowa Democrats lost their first-in-the-nation caucus status after 54 years, sparking frustration and debate over political motives and state law.
	Illinois GOP ticket talks taxes, crime and election strategy \| News 8 This Week - July 26, 2026 Republican lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar joins This Week to discuss the Bailey campaign's priorities ahead of the Illinois election.
	Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia wins the 2026 Tour de France, his fifth victory in the race The route for the iconic cycling race's final stage was shortened because security and police were reassigned to assist with wildfires in southwest France.
	Galesburg Waste Management to run early July 27 due to heat Galesburg's Waste Management routes will start early Monday, art Early on Monday, July 27 due to forecasted heat. According to a release from the Galesburg Community Development Department, all collection routes will begin 30 minutes early due to forecasted high heat and humidity. Residents are reminded to ensure all refuse is placed at the curb [...]
	Extreme Heat Warning until MON 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning in Effect Until 10 PM CDT Monday
	U.S. pauses attacks on Iran for a second straight day and Tehran does too The United States paused attacks on Iran for a second straight day Sunday and Tehran said it had done so too, as efforts continued to bring the countries back to negotiations on an interim ceasefire.
	Great Balloon Race returns to Galesburg Colorful hot air balloons filled the sky as the annual Great Balloon Race returned to Galesburg.
	4 the Record WEB EXTRA: Independent Gov candidate Corbett takes aim at Illinois regulations Thanks for checking out this web extra. We ran out of time to bring you all of my conversation with Illinois gubernatorial candidate Collin Corbett on 4 The Record. We pick it up with one issue we didn't get to that's part of his economic platform. Collin Corbett talks about expanding the Illinois economy by [...]
	Breakfast Bankroll for week ending 7/24/26 Here's this week's update on retail prices for the breakfast staples of bacon, eggs and milk. This is the USDA's average price for a dozen of large Grade A eggs, a pound of bacon and a gallon of milk on January 20, 2025, compared to where the prices are now. To see the price, click [...]
	United States could be in too deep in war with Iran to get out quickly We're five months into the war with Iran. The brief respite we saw in June escalated this month with now daily attacks carried out by both countries on high-profile targets. The memorandum of understanding intended to lead to peace talks seems meaningless now. Wars are not popular in general. This one is especially unpopular with [...]
	Illinois delays rules to limit AI use in employment decisions Illinois' move to protect job applicants from being discriminated against by artificial intelligence might not be enough. Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law that makes it illegal for businesses to use AI as a way to weed out applicants based on race, gender, age, religion and more. Businesses are also required to notify applicants and [...]
	Corbett playing long game in Illinois governor's race as longshot independent We're now 100 days away from the midterm election on November 3. The race for Illinois governor is on the ballot. This is actually a three-way race. You know about incumbent governor JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren bailey, but there's also Collin Corbett running as an independent. Collin Corbett was born in Batavia, Illinois. [...]
	Alternating Currents, Davenport, announces 2026 comedy lineup Alternating Currents will bring a mix of stand-up, improv and one-of-a-kind comedy experiences to the Quad Cities with its 2026 comedy programming for the festival Aug. 13-16 in Downtown Davenport, Bettendorf and Rock Island, a news release says. With a lineup of comedians from across the Midwest and beyond, this year's festival also features nationally [...]
	MARK-TO-MARKET: 6 years after the pandemic, the state of remote work Global Workplace Analytics estimates there are 75 million remote-capable employees in the U.S.
	BBB Tip: Why you should use BBB's Get a Quote tool You hear from experts who adhere to BBB Standards and can respond in a timely manner.
	Son gifting dad's scrapbook of WWII memories to QC Veteran Outreach Center The scrapbook is being donated on behalf of the family and in honor of America's 250th anniversary.
	‘The worst possible catch-22’: Fish and Wildlife struggles to combat bear rumors A bear enjoying a dumpster feast earlier this year in Eden, Vermont. Photo by S. Chambers, courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife. As bear-human incidents continue at record rates, the state Fish and Wildlife Department is encountering public misperception that is leading Vermonters to avoid reporting minor bear activity because they fear the bear will be killed. This often leads to “the worst possible catch-22 for the bears,” said Joshua Morse, public information officer for the department: the situation not being properly addressed until it has escalated much further — so much so that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to de-escalate things without considering killing the bear. “I wish people knew that what happens when you call us, 99% of the time, is that we give you advice on how to coexist with the bear,” Morse said. “That’s what we want to be doing and that is what mostly happens.” Vermont has a large population of around 7,000 black bears, about one for every 100 residents, that reside in all areas of the state except the Champlain Islands. The mammal’s sense of smell is 2,100 times better than a human’s and they have an excellent long-term memory, able to remember the location of food sources years after an initial visit. Black bears are “opportunistic omnivores” and will eat just about anything they find, especially during the spring and early summer when their highest-fat natural food sources (beechnuts and acorns) are not yet available and they continue to draw upon last year’s remaining fat reserves. These biological factors mean the long-lived animals can locate human-created food sources like birdseed or unsecured trash from far away and, once they get a taste, will return for years in hopes the feast has replenished itself. According to Jaclyn Comeau, the state’s black bear project leader and a wildlife biologist with the department, there have been a heightened number of bear-human incident reports for the past eight years, most of them minor. The department is on track to likely exceed 1,200 reports before the year is over, potentially hitting a new record, she said this month. Not only are there more bear-human incidents being reported, but Comeau said the department is seeing an increase in more intense types of interactions: around 50 reports of home entries and around 40 reports of vehicle entries per year, often the same bear entering multiple homes or vehicles. “If the department was able to intervene earlier, we believe it would help to reduce the number of more serious cases,” said David Sausville, wildlife management program manager with the department, in an email. “We would be able to help people before the issue elevated in concern.” In situations where a bear is habituated to enter residences or vehicles, killing the bear does become a safety consideration, though Comeau notes that not every bear that enters a home needs to be killed. An average of about 35 bears per year are put down by the department, she said. Comeau’s impression is that there are more severe bear reports happening and more bears needing to be killed: Six years ago, there were just a handful of home entry reports. “As best we can tell, it’s a learned, escalated behavior where they’ve had enough positive food rewards from communities,” she said. “For some bears, this switch happens where they just become so bold that they are willing to take that risk of going right into someone’s house to get more food.” While bears do need to be put down on a fairly regular basis, most of those cases do not make the news. Every so often, however, a highly visible case will occur, like last month in Stowe when a town police officer was authorized to shoot a bear after it repeatedly broke into a restaurant’s walk-in cooler. Each time a bear killing does make the news, the rumor about reporting minor bear incidents leading directly to a bear being put down “bubbles up,” Morse said. “It’s extremely frustrating. It’s this rumor with this really long life that pops up when you least need it,” he added. “It sounds really extreme, but it has real spreading power.” Morse himself fields the department’s general inquiry phone and email lines a few days a week, and on occasion gets calls from people who say, “I was really anxious to call you. Please don’t kill the bear.” “And I’ll say, ‘We’re so glad you called us. We’re not going to kill the bear,’” he recounted. “‘Our goal is to help you and the bear coexist, that’s what we want.’” When should you report a bear sighting? Vermonters should let the department know when they see bears in “places they probably shouldn’t be, or doing things they probably shouldn’t be doing,” Comeau said. The main way to do so is via Fish and Wildlife’s bear reporting form, though those needing immediate assistance for unsafe bear situations can call their local game warden. When a report is submitted, the department follows up with an email full of detailed information relevant to the specific situation or, in medium-intensity situations, with a phone call. In either situation, Comeau said, they will offer a site visit to help people locate and secure bear attractants. “Getting rid of bird feeders, putting up electric fences around chickens and finding a really good place to store your garbage can go a really long way,” the biologist said. “That’s the bulk of what we’re doing, and it proves to be most effective.” In a new partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, electric fences and electrified mats can be loaned out to Vermonters to help with bear situations for a few weeks until residents have a chance to purchase their own. Support staff help set up the equipment and get people comfortable with using it. In more severe cases, the department has tactics to make the bear have a negative experience at a site to outweigh the positive food experiences. They catch the bear and release it on site with loud noises and use a paintball gun or rubber ammunition. Those efforts are very time-intensive, Comeau said, and are saved for situations where people have made all the right changes to secure food sources. A bear exits a fenced but unsecured dumpster in Stowe on September 5, 2021. Photo by K. Fiegenbaum/VTDigger. Despite their great sense of smell, memory and drive to locate calories, bears can definitely unlearn the association between a locale and a feast, the biologist said. “It takes us being really diligent about it,” Comeau said. “We really have to make some of our own changes if we really want to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this situation.” In some cases, though, when bears are consistently entering homes, businesses or vehicles, or acting aggressively and not responding to changed human behavior, they do need to be put down. Relocation is not an effective option, she said. Bears have an “amazing ability to navigate” and will eventually return to their original location, as well as likely causing problems for the humans or other bears living where they are relocated to. “The public really likes that idea and I understand why they do, because it seems like the nicest thing to do,” Comeau said. “But I honestly feel like it is the most selfish way to handle this.” ‘We need people to step it up’ As the frequency and intensity of bear incident reports have increased, the department has amped up their bear coexistence outreach, Morse said, from workshops to social media and television ads to poster campaigns in conflict towns. Ten years ago, Morse said, the department wasn’t spending any marketing funds on bear coexistence. Despite their best efforts, he said, the department seems to have “hit a wall” with the number of people they can reach and educate about bear coexistence, especially in places with chronic issues such as Stowe, Killington, the Mad River Valley and the Wilmington and Dover area. “We are using every tool and every channel to try to give people the means to coexist with bears, and we need people to step it up,” Morse said. “We need whole communities to be doing the information sharing and making the changes in lockstep,” he added. “Otherwise, it will just be whack-a-mole, and that’s not the scale of change that we need for the bears.” To that end, the department is supporting a peer-to-peer nonprofit, Vermont Coverts, that helps residents educate their neighbors on what to do with bears using their own social networks or word of mouth. They also support grassroots community groups like the Mad River Valley Bear Initiative, as well as encourage towns to think about adopting ordinances to keep garbage contained. Working to help Vermonters coexist with bears is a significant and overwhelming drain on the department, Morse said, even with the new partnership with the USDA. While all the outreach and education they do is to help make living with bears easier, the department is also discussing concerns that there are too many bears in the state. “We are trying to help people expand their comfort level a bit, but we are also talking about making some changes to bring the population down a little bit lower to see if that will also help alleviate some of the pressure we’re all feeling,” Comeau said. The best and really only way to do that is by increasing the number of bears killed in hunting season, a policy conversation the Fish and Wildlife commissioner’s office is currently having, she said. To that end, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board announced Wednesday that it will be holding public hearings at the end of August on proposed changes to the state’s bear hunting regulations. Currently, hunters can take one bear per year. The proposed changes would allow a second bear permit to be purchased for specific areas of the state, as well as slightly extend the bear hunting season. Read the story on VTDigger here: ‘The worst possible catch-22’: Fish and Wildlife struggles to combat bear rumors. Courtesy of VT Digger
	Dangerous Heat Index Near 110 Degrees Sweeping Quad Cities Storms Possible Tonight
	Arkansas’ smoking ban just turned 20. Can the state find common ground on public health again? A no-smoking sign on a doorway in Little Rock, Arkansas on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 (Photo by Andrew DeMillo/Arkansas Advocate)Just 20 years ago, trying to avoid smoke in Arkansas was an onerous task. Going out to restaurants and bars often meant coming home reeking of cigarettes, even if you or your companions weren’t the ones smoking. Many employers had a smoke break room. At my first newspaper job in Arkansas, that meant walking through a thick, noxious cloud to buy a can of Diet Coke from the vending machine. It wasn’t just a hassle navigating this environment. It was a serious risk, especially for a state that has regularly placed at the bottom or near-bottom of most major health indicators. Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the state’s indoor smoking ban taking effect. The law is a testament to bipartisanship and the work of Arkansas public health leaders. It’s also a model for how Arkansas policymakers can address the state’s public health concerns today. Let us know what you think... Banning indoor smoking wasn’t the primary reason lawmakers were summoned to the Capitol in 2006. Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee, our current governor’s father, called the predominantly Democratic Legislature back into session to address a court ruling that Arkansas still hadn’t funded its schools adequately. But the session gave Huckabee, who was term-limited and already laying the groundwork for a presidential bid, a chance to add policy wins to his resume. Trying to position himself as someone especially focused on health, reducing smoking became one of his signature causes. To do so, he reversed course on his previous opposition to such a ban. The nonsmoking governor, who had received campaign contributions from tobacco companies, rejected a similar ban on smoking in restaurants in 2001. But five years later, Huckabee argued forcefully for such a restriction and painted it as a matter of protecting workers’ health. “I think people are going to find out that there is an overwhelming number of people who really prefer a nonsmoking environment,” Huckabee said in 2006. “There may be some businesses who think they can thrive that way, but I think more often than not, I think they not only limit their customer base but they also do encourage additional hazards.” The wide vote margins in the House and the Senate for the ban don’t reflect just how much resistance there initially was to a ban that’s now a part of everyday life in the state. The idea faced opposition from some restaurant owners who said it would hurt their business and from some conservatives who portrayed it as a form of government overreach. The ban even cleared the way for the passage of another measure banning smoking in cars with small children inside. Health advocates embraced that restriction, even though many suspected it was introduced as a joke or protest to the indoor ban. The smoke-filled restaurants and other workplaces aren’t the only things that feel bizarre 20 years later. The idea of bipartisan support on public health issues, in an increasingly polarized environment, also feels like a different world. The smoking ban passed during a weeklong session where a Republican governor and Democrats passed a raft of progressive measures. The agenda included a major boost in school funding and an increase in the state’s minimum wage. But the smoking ban still provides a model. It showed what happens when people of different political backgrounds trust health experts and work together to make a pragmatic argument for change. It required leaders to be willing to change their minds and to accept compromises. It’s a model that may be more difficult to replicate in an environment where so many policy discussions turn into fierce partisan battles. And it’s complicated further by the demonization public health officials have faced and the easy spread of medical disinformation. But obstacles like that can be overcome, and environments can change. Every smoke-free workplace and restaurant in Arkansas is proof that consensus can be found. Courtesy of Arkansas Advocate
	Prairie Towns This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.The Mississippi River Valley in which Rock Island nestles is lovely, but there is a lonely beauty, too, above the…
	Lebanese displaced by war turn to satellites to check their homes Unable to return home, some Lebanese displaced by Israel's invasion of southern Lebanon are buying satellite images to see whether their houses survived.
	Rage-giving, innovation and cuts: How public media has survived without federal funds A year after President Trump signed a law ending six decades of federal funding of public media, it's a time of reinvention, innovation and clear anxiety at public tv and radio stations nationwide.
	Meet the robots programmed by kids to speak their Indigenous languages Many Native American languages are endangered. With the help of his mentor, a 12-year-old in Michigan hopes to help preserve his language through robotics.
	ADHD looks different in women and poses unique health risks For decades, ADHD was viewed as a childhood condition that mostly affected boys. Researchers now know ADHD manifests differently in girls, but many still go undiagnosed until adulthood.
	Climate change is now threatening a pillar of childhood: summer break When summer rolls around, many parents scramble to sign up their young kids for outdoor activities. But what do you do when extreme heat and wildfire smoke increasingly make the outdoors dangerous?
	Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents Rick Estrin & The Nightcats Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents award-winning, modern blues legends Rick Estrin & The Nightcats! According to a release from Mississippi Valley Blues Society, three-time winners of the Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year Rick Estrin & The Nightcats perform live at The Gypsy Highway August 30. Vocalist, harmonica master and songwriter Estrin, along [...]
Saturday, July 25th, 2026
	Cases of cyclosporiasis rise: What to know Cases of cyclosporiasis are rising in the U.S. while health officials look to contain it. That's all in addition to a salmonella outbreak that has started in several brands of eggs. Our Quad Cities News correspondent Lia Lando has the latest on the spread of cyclosporiasis.
	Pam's Place hosts back-to-school giveaway, carnival in Davenport Pam's Place gave away free school supplies, clothes and shoes while hosting a back-to-school carnival with food, music and performances.
	Democratic candidates focus on ag future at Iowa Farmers Union forum Nearly 100 Iowa Farmers Union members from across the state attended the annual barn party on July 25, 2026 at the Big Oak Barn in Elkhart, Iowa. (Photo by Joanna Schroeder for Iowa Capital Dispatch)ELKHART — Nearly 100 Iowa Farmers Union members from across the state came out Saturday to learn how several Iowa Democratic candidates plan on leading change — especially for the ag industry and the struggling farm economy. The event at Big Oak Barn in Elkhart kicked off with Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat who is running for U.S. House District 3 against incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. She focused on how the farm bill is a viable way to address declining farm income. “In the farm bill, we have tremendous opportunity to really incentivize the practices that we know make a difference, cover crops, no till. But in order to do those things, farmers have to invest in some new technology and they have to be prepared for a decrease in their productivity for a period of time,” Trone Garriott said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 3, speaks July 25, 2026 at the Iowa Farmer Union’s annual barn party. (Photo by Joanna Schroeder for Iowa Capital Dispatch) “We have to help them through it,” she continued. “We’re (farmers) under a lot of pressure right now and it’s really hard to make changes when you’re so stressed.” She explained that during the Nixon administration, there was a huge investment in water quality and that priority cleaned up the country’s water. “We can do that again,” Trone Garriott said. “I believe that we have the resources, we have the answers. We just need to direct that support and make it the priority. And we can make a huge positive impact for our state.” Muhlbauer cites farm bankruptices, high input costs Dave Muhlbauer, a fifth-generation farmer from Manila, Iowa, running for lieutenant governor on Democrat Rob Sand’s ticket, said he has prioritized agriculture and rural communities as part of his campaign. Dave Muhlbauer, running for Iowa lieutenant governor on Rob Sand’s ticket, speaks during the Iowa Farmers Union annual barn party July 25, 2026 in Elkhart. (Photo by Joanna Schroeder for Iowa Capital Dispatch) “If it’s a good idea, it doesn’t matter where it comes from,” Muhlbauer said. “It’s not right versus left but right versus wrong and we’re going in the wrong direction. I gotta say, people are very frustrated and upset with the direction of our state.” Muhlbauer said many farmers are facing a fourth consecutive year of losses and last April farm bankruptcies hit a six-year high. He cited a recent report that found farm incomes have dropped 53% in the last three years. He said causes include the tariffs and high input prices like fuel and fertilizer as a result of the ongoing Iran conflict. “This isn’t sustainable to our family farms and it’s further driving our state economy into the ditch,” Muhlbauer said. “You know, I’m a farmer. I’m a real farmer. That’s my livelihood and what I’ve done all my life, so I think it’s fitting for me to say it’s time to rotate crops.” Jones calls for diversifying crops Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for Iowa secretary of agriculture, speaks to Iowa Farmers Union members July 25, 2026 in Elkhart. (Photo by Joanna Schroeder for Iowa Capital Dispatch) Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for secretary of agriculture, who spent his career monitoring water quality and high nitrate levels, agrees. He noted that Iowa is a two-crop state (corn and soybeans) and it’s time to diversify crops with a focus on crops that would thrive in Iowa. Diversifying crops, he said, would help reduce nitrate levels in Iowa’s water. “It’s time to stop making incremental change and focus on structural change. It came to me that if we want to improve agriculture, if we want to create a resilient and a humane and a sustainable system that delivers good environmental outcomes, we need structural change,” Jones said. To do this, Iowa needs diverse farming systems where farmers are growing oats, forage crops, vegetables and fruits, Jones said. He is advocating for locally grown food to be served in local schools and his campaign is releasing a local food policy that will position Iowa to be the number one state in the country for access to local food. “We can’t be saying we feed the world when we can’t feed Polk County,” Jones said. He is running against incumbent Republican Mike Naig. Turek emphasizes need for change Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks July 25, 2026 to Iowa Farmers Union members in Elkhart. (Photo by Joanna Schroeder for Iowa Capital Dispatch) Josh Turek, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, said Iowa needs candidates who are going to fight for Iowa and Iowans. “Fighting for social and economic justice, not just fighting for the billionaires and the large corporations. That’s the opportunity all of us have this year – working together.” Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs who is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, stressed that Iowa should not be leading the country in farm foreclosures. He made the promise if he is elected, he will fight to pass policies that support farmers, including enabling farmers to repair their equipment. He also promised to pass a farm bill that works for farmers. “I will not let Congress leave D.C. with a passive farm bill.” He ended the evening highlighting what Iowans have been saying to him as he travels across the state speaking with Iowans: “This is not the state I know. This is not the state I love. We need change. I voted for Ernst. I voted for Trump. Enough is enough.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Extreme Heat Warning tomorrow After things have cooled down in the Quad Cities, with some 70s over the past few days, the heat is making a return to end July. Temperatures back in the 80s for this Saturday but tomorrow and Monday is going to see temperatures back in the mid 90s on your thermometers. But with a very [...]
	One dead, several injured after vehicle plows through crowd at Berlin Pride event Berlin police said they have identified a suspect who "is known to police" and has links to "Islamist circles."
	France and Spain fires force more than 200,000 to flee homes At least one person has died in a fire in Spain, according to officials.
	More Iowans traveling out of state for reproductive healthcare: What to know More women in Iowa are traveling out of state for reproductive healthcare after a ban on telehealth prescriptions for abortion pills in the state. Our Quad Cities News correspondent Adrianna Torres takes a look at what those increasing numbers could mean for Iowans.
	Crowd support keeps runners returning to annual Bix 7 Thousands of runners thrived in Davenport's vibrant streets for the 52nd annual Bix 7 race.
	Bix 7 runners praise Davenport crowd support Thousands lined Davenport streets for the 52nd annual Bix 7 as runners praised the race's electric atmosphere and strong community support.
	43 treated at MercyOne Genesis Quad-City Times Bix 7 medical tent MercyOne Genesis announced its team treated 43 patients at its Quad-City Times Bix 7 medical tent.
	Second man faces charges after vandalism at new Bettendorf park Another Bettendorf man faces charges after vandalism in a new Bettendorf park, according to Scott County arrest affidavits. Michael Taylor, 19, of Bettendorf, faces a felony charge of explosive material or destructive devices with intent and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of third-degree arson, arrest affidavits show. In court documents, police say that Taylor and co-defendant [...]
	Death Notice: Robert Westphal A funeral service for Robert Gene "Rollo" Westphal, 89, of Davenport, will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 29, at the Bentley Funeral Home, Durant. Visitation will be from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Private burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park Cemetery. Mr. Westphal died Friday, July 24, 2026, at his home. Memorials may be made to the Walcott Community Club. Online condolences may be made at www.bentleyfuneralhome.com. A full obituary will appear in the July 29 edition of The NSP.
	Iowa DOT to use traffic counters to collect data in Muscatine The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) will begin its annual summer traffic collection program in Muscatine starting Sunday, July 26, with work continuing through Thursday, July 30. Iowa DOT crews will install traffic counters at multiple locations throughout the city during this period, a news release says. The Iowa DOT will return later in [...]
	Habaneros to stay in Moline after moving out of SouthPark Mall Owner Josue Sanchez expects to open his new location on Avenue of the Cities in the first few weeks of September.
	Biden ghostwriter tapes to be released Former President Joe Biden is declining to appeal a court ruling that allows the Justice Department to publicize recordings of conversations between him and a writer collaborating on his memoir.
	Survey: Do you know how much gas prices have risen? (The Hill) -- As ongoing fighting in the Middle East continues to influence prices at the pump, a new survey signals many Americans overestimate gas price increases. The Politico poll, released on Friday, found roughly 3 in 5 adults in the U.S. believe the cost of gas in their area rose more than the data [...]
	Why campaign appearance was emotional for Iowa candidate Iowa lt. governor candidate Dave Muhlbauer describes emotional return to center that helped his son in crisis.
	India's 'cockroach' movement ousts minister, but can Modi calm youth? Led by Gen-Z youth across India, the movement has become perhaps the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 12 years in office
	Mohammed El Youssfi wins 2026 Bix 7 Mohammed El Youssfi won the Bix 7 with a time of 32:07 on Saturday. Everlyn Kemboi won the women's race at 35:29, just seconds off the all-time record, according to race organizers. Kelsey Allbaugh, who got a head start for a chance at prize money if she crosses the finish line before the winners, was [...]
	Book talk 'Becoming Utopia' scheduled for Bishop Hill On Saturday August 1, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at the Steeple Building Museum in historic Bishop Hill IL, will host a free presentation and book signing by Adam Kaul and Margaret Farrar. The new book about Bishop Hill was written by a political scientist and an anthropologist over the course of 15 years, a news [...]
	Bettendorf Library's main entrance to change so sidewalks can be replaced Beginning Tuesday, July 28, work will begin outside the Bettendorf Public Library, 2950 Learning Campus Drive, as crews remove and replace the sidewalks and ADA curb ramps that surround the building, a news release says. This is Phase 1 of the Learning Campus Sidewalk Replacement Project, which is being completed in two stages – the [...]
	COMIC: Temps are predicted to hit 106 in Egypt this week. How do people stay cool? Back in the '90s, I learned the art of staying cool in Egypt. At that time, air conditioning was not common. In the extremely hot summer of 2026, how are people managing?
	Sextortion: That's the threat for women who are simply trying to buy clean water Water is often a scarce commodity in Nairobi's largest slum. The only source may be a local cartel — and with that comes the risk of sexual threats and attacks.
	Illinois Lt. Gov. candidate Aaron Del Mar wants to talk affordability, not abortion Aaron Del Mar, Republican candidate for Illinois lieutenant governor, emphasized taxes, education, public safety and political balance between parties.
	School board recap: Budgets, bonds and operation project items approved Budgets, bonds, and other agenda items were approved by school boards across the Quad-Cities this past week.
	Ford recalls over half a million Broncos. Here's why Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than half a million Broncos because a wiring harness in the engine compartment can short-circuit and increase the risk of fire.
	Sandburg plans open house for prospective students, families A Take Charge Summer Open House will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, on Sandburg's Galesburg campus, a news release says. Prospective Sandburg students and their families are invited to explore opportunities available at the college and complete next steps before the fall semester begins. Meet faculty and staff, register for classes [...]
	Recap: Eldridge wants to absorb fire department, Muscatine denies appeals, and Moline adds translation tech Here's a recap of local city government news in the Quad-Cities you may have missed this week.
	Love's travel stop opens in Rock Falls Love’s Travel Stops has opened a new travel stop in Rock Falls at 2801 Hoover Road (Interstate 88 and State Route 40,) a news release says. The new location offers fresh food items, Godfather’s Pizza, and Naf-Naf Grill, as well as a dog park. The location adds 90 jobs to Rock Falls. "As part of [...]
	Memories of Muscatine: A lithograph by Adolf Arthur Dehn This week for Memories of Muscatine: "Rodeo" by Adolf Arthur Dehn.
	Seven winners, seven races - action continues at Davenport Speedway The last Davenport Speedway stock car race before the Mississippi Valley Fair usually delivers a great show. The 2026 version lived up to expectations. The streak continues in The Outhouse/Storage to Go - Late Models. Seven races, seven different winners. Tommy Elston on his first trip to Davenport this season put his ride into victory [...]
	Runners hit the streets Saturday for 52nd Bix 7 The seven-mile course starts at the base of Brady Street Hill and is lined with live bands and cheering crowds.
	Extreme Heat Returns to Quad Cities This Weekend Pleasant weather settles in, cooler through end of work week
	Steamboats Acoming This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Imagine what the view from Rock Island must have been like just before the Civil War, when some 1,500 steamboats a…
	Trump is hellbent on tariffs. Here are 5 implications Trump's determination to find new legal justifications for his tariffs threatens to prolong the uncertainty facing the U.S. and global economies.
	Democrats in Maine gather to replace Graham Platner in the race against Susan Collins Democrats are hoping to move past Platner's scandal-plagued campaign as they look to unseat Republican incumbent Susan Collins. The apparent front-runner is former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson.
	Extreme Heat Warning from SUN 11:00 AM CDT until SUN 9:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning and Watch in Effect: Dangerously High Temperatures Expected
	Trump returns to correspondents' dinner 3 months after shooting President Donald Trump returned to the rescheduled White House Correspondents' Association dinner Friday night, delivering a rambling, hour-long speech.
Friday, July 24th, 2026
	Assumption wins 3A State Baseball Championship game against Wahlert Assumption beat Wahlert 5-3 in the 3A State Championship game. The Knights ended the season on an 11 game winning streak.
	Habaneros moving out of SouthPark Mall, will stay in Moline in new location Owner Josue Sanchez expects to open his new location on Avenue of the Cities in the first few weeks of September.
	Bix Family Jam honors Beiderbecke's 'Davenport Blues' There was plenty of food and music to be had for the second year of the event, held on the eve of the Bix 7.
	Orion 250 event to bring music, history and community together Aug. 1 Free hot dogs, apple pie and ice cream await at the family-friendly event. There will be several hours of patriotic performers, ending with a movie in the park.
	Man involved in fentanyl, cocaine trafficking case sentenced to 5 years in federal prison A man who pleaded guilty to trafficking in cocaine and fentanyl in Henry and Rock Island counties was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison.
	Oregon initiative that would have banned most killing of animals won’t be on November ballots Members of the Yakama Nation harvest Pacific lamprey at Wilumpt, or Willamette Falls, near Oregon City on June 24, 2026. The lamprey are an ancient and culturally significant species for many Northwest tribes. Fishing would have been banned under an initiative that failed to gather sufficient signatures to make the November ballot. (Photo by Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)Oregonians won’t vote in November on whether to ban hunting, fishing, livestock farming and animal research after backers of a widely criticized initiative failed to gather enough valid signatures to make the ballot. The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office announced late Friday afternoon that it had determined Initiative Petition 28, an effort led by Portland-based vegan advocates to dramatically expand the state’s animal cruelty laws, had less than 75% of the valid signatures it needed from Oregon voters to make it onto the November ballot. Oregonians trying to pass laws through a statewide vote need to collect signatures from 6% of voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election. This year, that’s 117,173 signatures. Backers of the animal cruelty initiative, who did not immediately return a call for comment Friday, reported handing in 142,784 signatures. But through two statistical samples, state election officials determined that just 104,262 of those signatures matched individual Oregon voters’ signature records. Election officials compare signatures submitted to voter records and exclude duplicates. Initiative Petition 28 would have banned nearly all harming or killing animals, with exceptions for self-defense and veterinary care. It would not have applied to insects, which aren’t considered animals under Oregon law, but would cover all other non-human creatures. The initiative had widespread opposition from Democratic and Republican political leaders, the farming, ranching and fishing industries and Oregon’s federally recognized tribes, whose treaty-protected rights to hunt and fish in their traditional land would not have been exempted from the ban. A coalition opposing the initiative welcomed the news. Lauren Kuenzi, government affairs director at the Oregon Farm Bureau and a coalition spokesperson, thanked Oregonians who raised alarms about the potential consequences of the proposed law. “Today’s announcement means Oregonians will not be faced with a ballot measure that would have made criminals out of law-abiding citizens, threatened family farms and ranches, increased food costs and undermined the science-based wildlife management that protects our state’s natural resources,” Kuenzi said. This was the third election cycle that animal rights advocates have introduced a version of the initiative, and the closest they’ve come to making the ballot. The campaign raised more than $300,000 for its efforts this time around, state campaign finance records show, allowing it to pay petition circulators. None of the other 88 initiatives Oregonians proposed this year submitted enough signatures, so this will be the first general election in decades without a citizen-led initiative on the ballot. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Oregon Capital Chronicle
	Bubba's 33 restaurant opening in Davenport on Monday This is the chain's first location in Iowa. It's owned by the same company as Texas Roadhouse.
	Hughes Taylor, August 2 Performing blues-rock that, according to Blues Blast Magazine, delivers a sound "loaded with explosive, steady-driving fretwork" and "a heavy beat and a voice to match," genre great Hughes Taylor performs an August 2 concert sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, his Pour Bros. Craft Taproom set treating fans to what Creative Loafing called "a fiery brand of blues-rock whose power trio lineage stretches back to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cream and Jimi Hendrix."
	Half a century of Bix: Davenport runner celebrates 50 consecutive races Mark McMullen ran in his first Bix at just 18 years old. Here's why he keeps coming back, year after year, and his advice for any first time Bix 7 runners.
	Crash slows traffic in Downtown Davenport A crash has slowed traffic on River Drive in Davenport
	Iowa left out of early 2028 Democratic presidential calendar Iowa will not be among the states holding an early Democratic presidential contest in 2028.
	Idaho’s strict Medicaid work requirements to start next year. Most meet the rules, official says. Hundreds of Idahoans gathered in the rotunda of the Idaho Capitol on Jan. 12, 2026, to protest budget cuts to the state's Medicaid program. The protest, organized by Idaho Voices for Children, took place before the governor's State of the State Address. (Photo by Christina Lords/Idaho Capital Sun)Idaho state health officials plan to start implementing work requirements for people on Medicaid expansion starting next year. Idaho Republican lawmakers and Gov. Brad Little in April adopted the work requirements from President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the state’s largest agency that runs Medicaid and other public assistance programs, plans to implement the work requirements on Jan. 1, 2027, agency officials announced in a news release this week. Under the federal law, work requirements, also called community engagement requirements, require people enrolled in Medicaid expansion to prove that they are working, doing community service or educational or training activities for at least 80 hours each month. About 85,000 Idahoans are enrolled in Medicaid expansion, the state says. Medicaid work requirements and other changes in the “Big Beautiful Bill” could kick 20,000 to 34,000 Idahoans off Medicaid expansion by 2028, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That’s lower than what some other researchers estimate. Idaho Medicaid Deputy Director Sasha O’Connell presents to the Legislature’s Medicaid Review Panel in Rexburg on Dec. 15, 2025. (Photo by Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) In a statement last week, Idaho Medicaid Administrator Sasha O’Connell said in an initial review, the Department of Health and Welfare found that “the vast majority” of people on Medicaid expansion were already “meeting the new requirements.” The agency found that 68,400 Idahoans on Medicaid expansion met the new work requirements, out of the roughly 83,000 on the program at the time of the review, she said. She said the agency found that many Idahoans on Medicaid expansion already met the work requirements for several reasons, such as meeting work requirements for other programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, or state officials could see they were working through sources such as the Department of Labor. “The remaining population will have the opportunity to provide documentation showing that they met the requirements if it wasn’t in our systems,” O’Connell said. How far back do you need to prove work history under Idaho Medicaid’s work requirements? Idaho lawmakers decided to require Medicaid expansion enrollees to prove work history for three months before their application for Medicaid. That time period, called a lookback period, is the longest allowed under the federal law. Only three states — Idaho, Indiana and North Carolina — plan to use lookback periods that long, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization. “If you can show that you have been working, going to school, participating in a work program, volunteering, or earning at least $580 in the three consecutive months before applying for Medicaid, you will meet the new requirements,” a state website explaining the new work requirements says. People on Medicaid will also be required to re-apply to the program every six months, another change under the new federal law that increases the eligibility verification frequency from once a year. Medicaid expansion is a program, approved by Idaho voters through a 2018 ballot initiative, that offers health insurance coverage to a group of people commonly called the working poor. Idahoans can qualify for Medicaid expansion if their household earns up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $29,863 for a family of two each year. What exemptions are there to Idaho’s Medicaid work requirements? There are several exemptions to the work requirements, including for: People who have been pregnant within the past year People who are primary caregivers of children age 13 or younger, or who are caregivers of a person with a disability People who are blind, or who have “a serious or complex health condition that requires regular medical care,” along with people who have “a substance use disorder, or are in a drug or alcohol treatment program,” or people who have “a disabling mental health condition,” or people who “have a serious or complex health condition that requires regular medical care.” People who are Native American or Alaska Natives, veterans with a 100% disability rating, people who are aged 18-25 and aged out of foster care, people incarcerated or released from incarceration in the last 90 days. People who receive food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program, or cash assistance through the Temporary Aid for Needy Families program, and “are already required to meet work requirements for those programs.” How will patients find out about work requirements? The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says it is sending letters to all households affected by the policy. Based on Idaho’s plan to require work proof for three months, Idaho must start sending outreach notices this month, KFF says. If you’re on Medicaid expansion and want to make sure you receive updates on the program, state health officials encourage you to visit Idalink to make sure your mailing address, phone and email are up to date, and that you are signed up for email and text alerts. Verify your enrollment status in Idaho Medicaid by calling 1-877-456-1233. The Department of Health and Welfare plans to host virtual town halls in the coming months. Find more information online at the agency’s Medicaid website or its website about Medicaid expansion. Courtesy of Idaho Capital Sun
	Runners prepare to run the Bix 7 Throughout the day on Friday, runners bustled in and out of the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport. Most were picking up the necessities at the Running Wild Expo for the Bix 7 on Saturday morning. It's where runners can grab their poster, this year's shirt, and the most essential, the racing bib. Race leaders and signs [...]
	Cloud cover and 69 degrees expected for Bix 7 start time Saturday No rain delays for this year's running of the Quad-City Times Bix 7. Instead, race time temperatures should be around 70 degrees with some cloud cover.
	Paramount says it will pause its Warner acquisition while legal challenges play out A dozen states and the Writers Guild of America had challenged the merger.
	IMPACT Conference brings agencies together to improve crisis response Agencies from across the region gathered Friday for the IMPACT Conference, a multi-year initiative focused on equipping first responders with tools to better support people experiencing mental health or substance use crises.
	Extreme Heat Watch Sunday and Monday Pleasant weather settles in, cooler through end of work week
	Bird's-eye views from across the Quad Cities region during the week of July 24, 2026 Sit back, relax and enjoy these scenes captured by the News 8 drone from across the Quad Cities region this week.
	Davenport native to run his 50th Bix 7 race A Davenport native will run his 50th Bix after first running it at the age of 18.
	With ‘The Odyssey,’ Christopher Nolan embarks on his own cinematic homecoming After conquering the Oscars with Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan turned his attention to the foundation of all modern epics, finding inspiration in the ancient Greek poet Homer. His resulting adaptation of The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and many more A-list stars, is a towering cinematic achievement and yet another filmmaking leap forward for Nolan.
	Bix weekend begins in Downtown Davenport The 52nd running of the Bix 7 begins on Saturday morning.
	Democrats approve new primary election calendar, putting South Carolina first Democrats chose South Carolina for the first 2028 presidential primary, then Nevada, prioritizing Black and Latino voters. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia also hold early contests.
	Orion to hold America 250 event Orion will hold its America 250 celebration on Aug 1.
	Scott County Sheriff's Office celebrates four big promotions It was a busy day for the Scott County Sheriff's Office. In addition to their usual tasks, they held a ceremony to celebrate the promotion of four officers. Lt. Thomas Leonard was promoted to captain. Sgt. Eric Roloff will take over as lieutenant. Deputies Brad Rubino and Ethan Rolling will be promoted to sergeant. The [...]
	Josh Turek, Iowa Democrat running for Senate, visit Maquoketa phrarmacy Turek discussed how Medicaid cuts are impacting rural pharmacies.
	QCA cooling centers to open as extreme heat expected High heat and humidity readings between 105 and 110 degrees are in the National Weather Service forecast starting at noon Sunday, July 26t, and continuing through Monday, July 27, according to a news release. As a result, the Knox County Emergency Management Agency will monitor local weather conditions, and these locations will be available as cooling [...]
	Kewanee man wins $1 million from Illinois Lottery Instant Ticket A Kewanee man is $1 million richer after scratching his way to a top prize on a $5 Onyx Instant Ticket. According to a release from the Illinois Lottery, Steve purchased the winning ticket at Beck’s North in Kewanee. For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus, equal to one percent [...]
	Federal judge says certain abortion drug restrictions are unlawful A lawsuit filed in 2023 by abortion providers in Kansas, Montana and Virginia challenges the FDA’s restrictions on mifepristone as excessive, unwarranted and inconsistent with other legal requirements. A federal judge ruled Thursday that the federal agency didn’t sufficiently justify the Biden-era rules. (Photo by Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)A federal judge in Virginia ruled Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not sufficiently justify restrictions imposed in 2023 on a drug used to terminate early pregnancies, adding another layer of complexity to a string of legal cases with opposing goals that could affect future abortion access. The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by abortion providers in Kansas, Montana and Virginia to challenge the restrictions as excessive, unwarranted and inconsistent with other legal requirements. A similar case in Hawaii was already decided in October, with a federal judge also finding that the restrictions were arbitrary. In Virginia, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Ballou, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, said the FDA failed to conduct an appropriate review of the 2023 restrictions on mifepristone, which include rules that prescribing pharmacies and clinicians must be specially certified and prescribers and patients must sign a form acknowledging the medication’s risks. Unpacking the fight over telehealth access to abortion medication “The 2023 REMS modification is unlawful and must be remanded to the FDA for review,” Ballou wrote, using the acronym for the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies protocols. Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of lead plaintiff Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, based in Virginia, said in a statement Friday that eliminating those three restrictions would help clinic staff focus on patient needs instead of “excessive paperwork.” “I have worked in abortion care for over 30 years, and I can attest that these regulations serve no medical purpose, nor do they add value to our patients’ experience of abortion,” Hagstrom Miller said in the statement. The FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Stateline on Friday. Ballou did not give a timeline for a review of the restrictions, but the FDA has said it is conducting a broader safety review and has sought to dismiss cases related to mifepristone regulation until it completes that review. Trump administration officials told the Wall Street Journal in June that the review was expected to take about six months, meaning it would conclude after the national midterm elections. Katie Keith, founding director of the Center for Health Policy and the Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, said the Virginia and Hawaii decisions mean the FDA has been ordered by two courts to reconsider its restrictions and more thoroughly explain why they are necessary. “They’re going to have to look at everything these various courts are telling them to look at,” Keith said. But the two rulings come at the same time the administration is receiving pressure from anti-abortion groups to further restrict access to mifepristone, even in states where abortion is legal. The 2023 rules, which were decided under the Biden administration, also eased restrictions to allow mifepristone to be dispensed without an in-person provider for the first time. That helped expand national access to the medication, which is one of two drugs typically used to end a pregnancy before 10 weeks and to treat miscarriages, and allowed people who live in one of the 13 states with near-total abortion bans to continue to receive it by mail. That expanded access prompted three other lawsuits from attorneys general in states with abortion bans that are still pending in federal courts. In Louisiana, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether to strike down the provision allowing telehealth prescriptions, and will hear oral arguments in the case in September. The 5th Circuit initially granted an emergency request from Louisiana to block telehealth access to the medication, but after drug manufacturers appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices reversed the circuit court ruling. That stay from the high court will remain in place as the case continues. Two other cases with different implications for the future of mifepristone are ongoing. One is in Missouri, joined by attorneys general from Idaho and Kansas, where they have asked the court to return all of the restrictions to what they were in 2016. The other is in Texas, joined by Florida’s attorney general, asking the federal court to revoke the drug’s approval entirely. Stateline reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris can be reached at kmoseley@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Sterling police arrest felon on weapons and drug charges following retail theft investigation Sterling police arrested Jordan L. Kaye on multiple weapons and drug felonies after investigating a retail theft and vehicle trespassing on Thursday.
	Humane Society of Scott County waives some adoption fees through July 26 due to space issues Due to space issues, the Humane Society of Scott County announced some adoption fees are being waived through July 26. According to a Facebook post from the Humane Society: According to the post, all adult dog and cat adoption fees are waived through the end of day Sunday, July 26. The Humane Society of Scott [...]
	Love's adds 90 jobs in Whiteside County with new Rock Falls stop The new location off of Interstate 88 and State Route 40 offers convenient access to food including Godfather's Pizza and Naf-Naf Grill.
	New Vibrant Arena executive director already having the time of his life Rik Edgar is in heaven right now, as just the third executive director in the 33-year history of Vibrant Arena at The MARK, Moline.
	How to get a handle on NC healthcare costs? Affordability experts agree it’s no easy feat Gov. Josh Stein announced the formation of the North Carolina Health Care Affordability Commission earlier this summer to develop practical recommendations to reduce healthcare costs and make care more affordable. (Photo: Getty Images)North Carolinians pay more than many Americans for healthcare. The state ranks 38th nationally in healthcare access and affordability, according to a 2025 scorecard by the Commonwealth Fund. A separate study by RAND found North Carolina had the 15th highest overall hospital prices in the country. Gov. Josh Stein announced the formation of the North Carolina Health Care Affordability Commission earlier this summer to develop practical recommendations to reduce healthcare costs and make care more affordable. When the bipartisan commission held its first meeting this week, they learned just how daunting their mission would be. Professor Barak Richman (Photo: GWU Law) Professor Barak Richman, co-director of the Health Law Program at the George Washington University Law School, told the commission that affordability is a national problem. He said America spends substantially more on healthcare than other wealthy countries – $5.3 trillion in 2024. “It’s important to say that we are no healthier. In fact, we are actually less healthy than those [other] industrial nations,” Richman said. About 1 in 6 U.S. adults go without healthcare due to the cost, according to an analysis by KFF. Richman said businesses increasingly cannot afford to offer health insurance benefits. And for people who do obtain health insurance through work, premiums have been rising faster than inflation since 2013. The result is a state of constant worry about whether a person can afford to see a doctor when they are sick. One in five North Carolinians struggling to pay their medical bills will be contacted by a collection agency. “In 2023, 8% of North Carolinians had medical debt in collections. It’s not just that they had medical debt, but that they were contacted by a court saying that they were being sued for a collection,” Richman said. “And that was the fourth highest in the nation.” What’s driving costs higher: lessons from the Hoosier state If you look at what is driving health care costs higher, Richman said, hospital care and physicians account for 65 cents of every health care dollar spent. And costs tend to rise when there is a lack of price transparency. “You don’t have price competition if patients can’t compare prices,” said Richman. Others on the commission pointed to private equity firms buying health care physician practices and facilities. Private-equity ownership can result in higher prices for patients and a consolidation of practices as the focus turns to profit over patient care. Members of the commission are taking a closer look at efforts in Indiana, which has moved quickly over the past three years to rein in costs. Last year, Indiana’s legislature passed bills that would codify into state law the federal hospital price transparency rule and require third party administrators and pharmacy benefit managers to act as fiduciaries. To further control costs, lawmakers in the Hoosier state passed bills to ban excess hospital fees and prohibit non-compete clauses for primary care. Mergers must now be reported to the state attorney general. A controversial bill to rein in AI use in medical billing advances in NC Senate An executive order signed by Governor Mike Braun denies tax exemptions to hospitals that provide less charity care than the amount they receive in state tax breaks. The promise and pitfalls of technology Beyond passing more legislation, Mark McClellan, the director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, said controlling costs may also require becoming more comfortable with technology and telehealth. “It’s going to be hard to get to where we want to go, given trends in the population and workforce, without new kinds of digital supports,” said McClellan. “It really enables primary care planning and primary care practices to not just survive, but maybe thrive more effectively in the future when delivering care.” Sen. Gale Adcock (Photo: NCGA) Panel member Sen. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, a family nurse practitioner, told her colleagues that while consumers want lower healthcare costs, a huge percentage of the population doesn’t use technology or doesn’t want to when faced with a personal health problem. “My mom is just an example of a whole section of people who don’t want to talk to a machine. They don’t want to talk to AI,” said Adcock. “They want to call their provider that they know and trust.” Adcock says in many cases, a costly trip to the emergency department can be avoided if the patient can simply talk to a reassuring person at their primary care provider’s practice. “What they really need to do is talk to their physician, their nurse practitioner, their P.A. and say, “Can this wait until tomorrow? I’m scared,'” Adcock said. The Health Care Affordability Commission holds its next meeting in October when it decides which specific areas and unique ideas will have the greatest impact in reducing healthcare costs. The group is slated to deliver its recommendations to Gov. Stein in January 2027. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	How The Illharmonic's mix of hip-hop and classical builds community, one show at a time The Illharmonic Orchestra's performances blend hip-hop lyricism with classical instrumentation, and feature all-Black musical ensembles. The group's leaders speak with NPR's Juana Summers about how they build community around their high-energy performances and represent musicians and audiences in spaces where they may have not traditionally felt welcomed.
	Cyclosporiasis cases continue to rise, as Michigan remains hardest hit state Vegetables and lettuces at a grocery store in Michigan. Michigan health officials say lettuces and salad greens are emerging as a likely source in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened thousands of people across the country. (Photo by Jon King/Michigan Advance)Michigan has documented 8,176 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, marking a significant increase from the 5,002 cases it reported last Friday. The department is issuing daily updates on the number of documented cases with weekly updates on Thursdays on the number of cases resulting in hospitalization, as well as the number of cases recorded in each of Michigan’s 83 counties. A total of 160 individuals have been hospitalized due to cyclosporiasis, up from 102 reported last Thursday. Cyclosporiasis has been detected in 71 counties, though 16 reported cases do not have a known county of residence. Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Ingham and Shiawassee counties have the highest number of reported cases. The state health department announced on July 1 that it was investigating an outbreak into the illness, which is caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, spread through consuming contaminated food or water. Symptoms can emerge between two days and two weeks, and include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue. As of Friday, the state’s investigation pointed to lettuce and salad greens as a potential source of this outbreak, though it could not completely rule out other types of produce, or identify a specific grower or supplier as a source of the outbreak.SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. On July 17, Taylor Farms De Mexico issued a voluntary recall on iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is continuing its investigation into infections linked to iceberg lettuce from the region alongside with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local health departments. As of Friday, the outbreak includes nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The CDC is issuing weekly updates on cyclosporiasis cases, documenting 4,173 cases as of June 20, with 7,400 cases – mostly stemming from Michigan and Ohio – yet to be confirmed through laboratory testing. The federal agency notes its reports do not include probable cases, which may result in lower case counts than those reported by state health departments. Michigan remains the hardest hit state, with the CDC recording between 901 and 2,100 cases. Courtesy of Michigan Advance
	What Bix-7 runners need to know to stay out of the medical tent The medical tent typically sees 25 to 100 patients each year.

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