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

Friday, April 24th, 2026
	Illinois treasurer's auction features collectibles for bidders Collectible baseball cards of Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Nolan Ryan and Ken Griffey Jr., a gold ingot, and an 1868 French coin bearing the image of Napoleon III are just a few of the notable items available at the online ICash auction now through May 3. The auction catalog is available here. “Our online auction [...]
	Davenport police officer seen comforting woman In a video shared with KWQC, Officer Doug Scroggins was seen comforting a woman Friday.
	“2026 DART SeniorThesis Show,” through August 30 With its venue transformed into a space to honor and celebrate the creativity of four graduating digital art and design majors before they step into the world as professional designers, the 2026 DART Senior Thesis Show will be on display at the University of Dubuque's Bisignano Art Gallery throughout the summer, this annual exhibit an energetic mix of illustration, motion design, and digital painting.
	Emergency room visits for tick bites rise this year Weekly ER visits for tick bites are on the rise. Last April, there were 68 reported bites. This year, that number has climbed to 96.
	Iowa City Police arrest man taking a shower in a stranger’s home An Iowa City man was arrested Thursday night after police found him using a stranger’s shower.
	Davenport man facing kidnapping, human trafficking charges A Davenport man is facing kidnapping and human trafficking charges after he allegedly forced a woman into a prostitution, according to Scott County District Court documents.
	House approves redistricting amendment, fearing federal Voting Rights Act will be eliminated Illinois House passes an amendment to protect minority representation in maps as fears grow over the Supreme Court striking down federal voting rights.
	Vera French celebrates opening new $10-million affordable housing complex in central Davenport Dozens of people gathered in central Davenport on Friday, April 24, to celebrate the ribbon-cutting and opening of Carol’s Village Gardens, a four-story, $10-million affordable rental housing complex.
	Vera French holds ribbon cutting for Carol's Village Gardens housing completion 30 units of the housing development are fully leased with six units set aside for people coming out of homelessness.
	Local developer to buy the Quad-City Times building The Geifman Group will split the office and warehouse space between multiple tenants and partner with the Quad-City Times Bix 7.
	Kranovich named to board of Sports Events & Tourism Association Visit Quad Cities has announced that Joan Kranovich, vice president of business growth and director, Sports QC, has been named to the board of directors of the Sports Events & Tourism Association, a news release says. The association is the leading trade association supporting sports events and tourism industry professionals. This recognition reflects her leadership [...]
	Great Friday night weather to kick off the weekend After some stormy days at times over the last week and a half - this weekend looks pretty good in the Quad Cities! That includes our Friday night! It should be a great night at Modern woodmen Park for the River Bandits. Saturday and Sunday also look good, with sunshine and highs in the 70s. [...]
	Rivermont Collegiate to hold annual Derby Day Rivermont Collegiate will hold its second annual Derby Day fundraiser.
	Jury finds East Moline man guilty of first-degree murder in downtown Davenport shooting A 21-year-old East Moline man is facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison after a jury found him guilty in the shooting death of Mayson Payne in downtown Davenport.
	Quad Cities Civic Conversations hosting talk about AI Quad Cities Civic Conversations will hold a free talk titled "Is AI coming for your job?"
	IDOT to host public meeting on IL 84/IL 92 corridor improvements in Silvis The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting a public open house meeting for proposed reconstruction and improvements to the IL 84/IL 92 corridor.
	9 breweries collaborate for 'Brew Together' 'Brew Together,' brings together 9 breweries for a months-long collaborative event featuring new beer recipes.
	Appeals court rules that Trump's asylum ban at the border is illegal A U.S. appeals court ruled Friday that immigration laws allow people to apply for asylum at the border, and the president cannot bypass this. The decision stems from Trump declaring the border situation an invasion and suspending asylum.
	American Water Charitable Foundation helps six QCA non-profits The American Water Charitable Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit organization established by American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., and Iowa American water, has announced that six organizations were awarded a Foundation 2026 Water and Environment grant, supporting communities served throughout Iowa. “Living along the Mississippi River, this grant is [...]
	Carol’s Village Gardens opens in Davenport to provide affordable housing and support Carol’s Village Gardens in Davenport offers thirty affordable apartments with essential support services, embodying the philosophy that stable, secure housing is fundamental to quality healthcare.
	Illinois Department of Transportation to host open house public meeting The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting a public open house meeting for proposed reconstruction and improvements to the IL 84/IL 92 corridor.
	Our chance of another severe outbreak on Monday After this week has, for the most part, been very nice with warm weather and sunshine, this weekend is also looking very nice. However, Monday is showing an enhanced risk for severe weather across the entirety of our Quad Cities area. Where we could see strong winds, large hail, and tornados, heavy rain is also [...]
	Lee Enterprises names Nathan Bekke president and CEO Nathan Bekke, a longtime company leader, is now Lee’s president and CEO. Josh Rinehults will serve as CFO.
	Crash involving scooter, vehicle in Rock Island Our Quad Cities News is on the scene of an incident between vehicle and a scooter on 24th Street at 20 ½ Avenue, Rock Island. One person was apparently transported from the scene but there is no word on any injuries.
	First Geneseo Wine Walk to feature wine tasting, shopping and live music The first Geneseo Wine Walk will bring wine tasting, shopping and music to downtown May 30.
	Bolivian man fights deportation to Congo as U.S. attorney pursues Muscatine Co. case Federal prosecutors in Iowa are continuing their push to deport to the Democratic Republic of Congo a Bolivian asylum seeker who was unlawfully jailed in Muscatine County.
	U.S. attorney in Muscatine Co. pursues effort to deport Bolivian man to Congo Federal prosecutors in Iowa are continuing their push to deport to the Democratic Republic of Congo a Bolivian asylum seeker who was unlawfully jailed in Muscatine County.
	A real-life Kraken stalked the seas of the late Cretaceous Researchers discovered evidence of enormous Kraken-like creatures who hunted in the seas some 100 million years ago, competing with large apex predators.
	1 dead after Jo Daviess County crash An 81-year-old is dead after a crash in Jo Daviess County. The crash remains under investigation.
	2 injured after Henry County crash Both drivers were taken to a hospital after a crash in Henry County. One driver was airlifted and their conditions are unknown.
	Full press conference \| Georgia Gov. and Officials speak on the wildfire emergency Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other Officials speak on the wildfire emergency throughout Georgia and Florida
	Road work underway at John Deere Rd. and 16th St. in Moline It's an Our Quad Cities News traffic alert. Work is underway on the intersection of Illinois 5 (John Deere Rd.) and 16th St. in Moline. According to a release from the Illinois Department of Transportation, work will include patching pavement at the intersection and resurfacing portions of it. A bulk of the work will be [...]
	Director of GEMA/HS speaks on wildfire emergency Josh Lamb, Director of Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency speaks on wildfire emergency
	Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission speaks on wildfire emergency Johnny Sabo, Director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, speaks on wildfire emergency
	Henry County Sheriff’s Office seeks owners of unclaimed bicycles The Henry County Sheriff’s Office is asking people to claim bicycles found in rural Mount Pleasant in July 2025.
	Carol’s Village Gardens brings 30 new affordable units to Davenport After five years of planning, a new affordable housing project is open in Davenport. Here’s who qualifies and what it offers.
	Vera French dedicates Carol`s Village Gardens housing development in Davenport Vera French dedicated a new supportive and affordable housing development in Davenport. Carol`s Village Gardens provides 30 fully-leased apartment homes to community members. Six units offer permanent supportive Housing for those who have experienced homelessness. Vera French works to advance mental health for all and deliver accessible living solutions. Carol`s Village Gardens is located at [...]
	Davenport man accused of kidnapping, human trafficking Police said Phillip J. Williams, 39, human trafficked a woman in Davenport and attempted to do the same to her in Missouri.
	Gog Dynasty Buffet shutters for staff training, deep cleaning after health inspector citations Health inspectors found zero health code violations one week after finding 16.
	Lost season for some winter sports leads to adaptation in Black Hills visitor industry Terry Peak Ski Area's snowmaking system in South Dakota's northern Black Hills operates during the 2025-2026 winter season, while surrounded by dry conditions. (Courtesy of Terry Peak)Dry, dormant grass surrounded Terry Peak this winter. The ski area was a patch of artificial white amid miles of brown. The Black Hills experienced one of its driest, warmest winters on record, according to state climatologist Laura Edwards. “You see a lot of top 10s across South Dakota, essentially,” Edwards said. “I think that’s the story of the winter.” In the Black Hills, winter weather is an economic lifeline during tourism’s offseason. The visitor industry of the northern Black Hills, in particular, is built around snowy winters. From October through early April, snowfall in the northern Black Hills was about 8 feet less than average. Other parts of the Black Hills saw deficits of 2-3 feet. The departure from average snowfall amounts statewide from October through early April. (Courtesy of SDSU Extension) That lack of snow impacted businesses that depend on winter recreation, such as downhill skiing, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Owners and industry workers expect warmer winters to continue, forcing them to adapt. Winter precipitation amounts are trending downward and average winter temperatures are trending upward in Lawrence County, which encompasses the northern Black Hills, according to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information. The county is trending an inch less in precipitation between December and March compared to the late 1800s, and it’s trending 4 degrees Fahrenheit higher. $6.5 million investment keeps ski area open This winter was among the “most challenging” in Linda Derosier’s 38 years at Terry Peak. “It’s tough to remind people or get them to understand that there was snow at Terry Peak when they’re looking at brown grass in their backyard,” said Derosier, the ski area’s marketing director. Winters have become warmer in the last few decades, Derosier said, and snowfall in the northern Black Hills varies widely year to year. Visitors ski down Terry Peak near Lead during the 2025-2026 season. (Courtesy of Terry Peak) The resort spent $6.5 million over the past two years to update its snowmaking system, replacing water lines, adding snowmaking locations and installing permanent snow guns. The investment more than tripled snowmaking capacity and helped sustain operations this season. Ski resorts across the United States closed early — or didn’t open at all — because temperatures were too warm to make snow. Derosier said employees often made snow overnight when temperatures were cool enough on the mountain, which is one of South Dakota’s highest with a summit above 7,000 feet. She added that the visitors who came this year are more likely to return and buy season passes because they saw the resort was able to maintain reliable conditions. Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling nearly nonexistent No snow means no business for Recreational Springs Resort, said owner Brent Eslinger. In addition to lodging, the resort offers a restaurant, bar and snowmobile rentals. Snowmobiling relies entirely on natural snowfall, and riders were largely unable to get out in the Black Hills this winter. window.addEventListener("message", function(event) { var message = JSON.parse(event.data); if (message.sender == "Flourish" && message.context == "iframe.resize") { src = message.src.replace(/#.+$/, ""); vizFrame = document.querySelector('iframe[src="' + src + '"]'); vizFrame.setAttribute('height', message.height); } }); The annual Deadwood Snocross National was canceled in January because of lack of snow. Eslinger still hosted an annual vintage snowmobile club gathering, though members couldn’t take their usual ride. Cross-country skiing was nearly nonexistent, said Eric Anderson, volunteer grooming coordinator for the Black Hills Nordic Ski Club. The nonprofit maintains cross-country skiing and snowshoe trails in the northern Black Hills. The club typically grooms trails 30 to 40 times a year. This winter, Anderson said the club groomed three times. “When skiing isn’t available, people pivot to other things to do,” Anderson said. “It makes it tough to maintain your user group, community and interest level when you don’t have snow every year and it isn’t as predictable.” Without winter recreation, Eslinger has to work harder to bring locals and visitors into his business. Recreational Springs Resort also rents all-terrain vehicles and hosts events and private parties, such as weddings and reunions. “You need to have that winter traffic to help make it through the rest of the year,” Eslinger said. “It’s either that or become a seasonal operation. Which, even then, I have fixed costs I have to pay for and that winter income helps offset a lot of that.” Economic, visitor impact Other Black Hills winter events were canceled due to warm, dry conditions. Chinook Days in Spearfish and the Burning of the Beetle in Custer were canceled, the former due to lack of snow and the latter due to high fire danger. Visitor spending varied across the region this winter. Meade County, which includes Sturgis, experienced declines in winter visitor spending, according to the South Dakota Tourism dashboard, while Pennington County, which includes Rapid City, posted gains. Custer County visitor spending fluctuated — down 23.8% in December compared with the previous year, up 22.6% in January and down 25.5% in February. Lawrence County, which includes Spearfish and Deadwood, had modest gains in December and January before a 7% drop in February. Michelle Thompson, president of the Black Hills and Badlands Tourism Association, said snow-dependent businesses struggled, but other businesses benefited from the milder weather. Visitors had easier access to hiking trails, parks and museums. The Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo in Rapid City, an annual indoor winter event, “had a great year,” Thompson said, with record crowds and sold-out performances. Thompson said visitor numbers throughout the Black Hills and Badlands region remained comparable to years past — total visitor trips were down 0.8% compared with last winter, while visitor spending increased 1.7%. The winter season accounts for just under a quarter of annual visitation. “We feel for the businesses that rely on winter sports, and we know it wasn’t great for them,” Thompson said. “When the weather is good, we draw in visitors for other experiences we have.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Programming note: Happy’s Place finale to air overnight on KWQC Happy’s Place will run at 2:30 and 3 a.m. Saturday morning.
	Gog Dynasty Buffet shutters for staff training and sanitation after health inspector citations Health inspectors found zero health code violations one week after finding 16.
	Death Notice: Michael Meek A celebration of life for Michael A. Meek, 70, of Princeton, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at Three 33 Bar and Grill in Princeton. Per his wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. The McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home, Bettendorf, is assisting the family with arrangements. Mr. Meek died Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at his residence. Online condolences may be made at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com. A full obituary will appear in the April 29 edition of The NSP.
	New Mexico Primary 2026: NM House of Representatives, District 30 Golfers take a swing April 23, 2026, at Arroyo del Oso Golf Course in the heart of New Mexico House of Representatives District 30. (Patrick Lohmann/Source NM) A medical malpractice defense attorney who testified on behalf of a recent legislative overhaul of New Mexico’s medical malpractice framework is challenging incumbent state Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velásquez (D-Albuquerque) for the District 30 Democratic primary. Having survived a legal challenge to her candidacy, Veronica Mireles is hoping to continue her work on behalf of medical providers as a lawmaker, she told Source NM. She wants to introduce legislation she said would build on House Bill 99, including one that would allow doctors to apologize to patients without that being deemed an admission of guilt in legal proceedings. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX She faces Torres-Velásquez, a retired university professor who has held the seat since 2025. The incumbent told Source NM she hopes to return to the Roundhouse with a renewed focus on the state’s water challenges and has convened a task force with people within District 30 aimed at replicating the district’s success preserving water, including through the use of recycled water at Arroyo del Oso Golf Course in the heart of the district. District 30 covers a swath of Northeast Albuquerque. A little more than 40% of its 20,000 registered voters are Democrats; 31% are Republicans. The winner of the June 2 primary will face Republican Jerry Trujillo in the general election. Source NM asked questions to both Democratic primary candidates. Their answers below are edited for length and clarity. Veronica Mireles Albuquerque attorney Albuquerque medical malpractice defense Veronica Mireles is seeking to unseat incumbent state Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velásquez. (Photo Courtesy Veronica Mireles) Veronica Mireles grew up in northern New Mexico near Española and, after four years of being homeless as a child and becoming a teen mom, said she never imagined that attending college or becoming a lawyer was an option. But having her first child compelled her to “do something and figure out what to do and over time, life happened.” She went to law school and became a medical malpractice defense attorney after suffering what she said was an episode of medical negligence that still affects her today. “I was angry for a long time,” she said. “What it led me to was a lot of realizations about who the providers are, what they’re going through, and partnering with them was really the best way to improve access to care.” What is the biggest issue facing House District 30? “There’s really kind of three components that all boil down to these systemic issues, these root causes, infrastructure issues, and that’s public safety, that’s healthcare access, and really our kids, our schools and our child welfare. There’s a lot of elderly people in my district. It’s a neighborhood district, it’s working families, and no matter how hard you work, it feels like our people can’t catch up.” What’s the most important issue facing New Mexico? I think, again, it’s that systemic infrastructure issue. I think all of it’s related to health care, whether it’s water, well-paying jobs where people can afford to feed and house their families; it’s access to care. So again, it’s our infrastructure. Our systems are the biggest issue. If elected, what bill would you first introduce? I think the very first thing that I would like to introduce is focusing on a suite of policies related to access to care, because HB 99 [the medical malpractice overhaul] was step one. There’s a lot of providers who are not protected by the Medical Malpractice Act. There’s still a lot of issues that are outside of the liability environment that need to be addressed. We’ve got a crisis. What is your top choice for committee if you are elected? I testified before the House, Health and Human Services and the Judiciary Committee, and because I’m an attorney and I think health care is one of the top priority issues in the state right now, I think either one of those committees I can add some value. What is your strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for the race? Listening, being able to listen to truly understand an issue, being able to distill complex issues into practicable, solvable solutions is a value that I bring to this race. That’s something I do day to day: take complex issues, turn them into easy to understand issues and create a path towards resolution. Do you support paying state lawmakers, and would you accept a salary? I certainly approve measures that improve access to the Roundhouse, but because right now, with the unpaid Legislature, there’s only a certain type of person who’s able to take off work without pay to be able to do that. I think it takes away a lot of voices that matter in the state. Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velásquez New Mexico state Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velásquez has held the District 30 seat since 2025. (Photo courtesy NM Legislature) Incumbent Rep. E. Diane Torres-Velásquez has lived in District 30 for most of her life and spent the last three decades at her home in the Northeast Heights. She attended Del Norte High School and spent her career as an education professor at the University of New Mexico. She first became inspired to run for office in eighth grade, she said, after an essay she wrote in a civics class about the state’s water issues earned her a visit to the Roundhouse. “That’s when I decided, way back at some point, that I wanted to be a rep,” she said. What is the biggest issue facing House District 30? Interestingly, it changes by the season. So last summer, it was [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], and people did not like what was happening with the detention of immigrants, and were very upset about that. Before that, it was school gun safety. So I worked with some constituents, and we created a memorial that passed [a] committee, but didn’t get to the floor. For the American Medical Association, gun safety was the No. 1 issue, because it was what was taking the most lives. And if you look at New Mexico, it is taking the most children’s lives. That’s a health issue. We need to look at the data around gun safety through the lens of health. What’s the most important issue facing New Mexico? Our natural resources. How do we use our water? How do we make sure that in creating some of the centers that are coming or being requested, that we protect the water for the future, that we protect our land? We do a great job in Bernalillo County in terms of taking care of our water, using recycled water at the golf course and parks. But we need to see what other counties need. Right now, I’m in the process of creating a task force with a professor who teaches on water and law conservation in the UNM School of Law. We’re starting to invite people to our task force so that we can identify some of the issues statewide. If elected, what bill would you first introduce? One that really interests me — that’s very pressing and it’s the right time —has to do with developing curriculum, programs and legislative support for education around land grants and acequias. It’s very important that we look at our history in New Mexico in terms of cultural groups, in terms of prior practices and in terms of how that can lead us into the future. What is your top choice for committee if you are elected? Always education. I love education. We educate each other all the time, whether it’s formally or informally. So education is very important. What is your strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for the race? I’m a fighter. I’m strategic. I’m a real champion for my community and for my families, and for those families across the state that aren’t in my community, too. Do you support paying state lawmakers, and would you accept a salary? I will vote for it. I will support it. One example: I couldn’t leave my job and become a legislator at a younger age. I had to wait until I retired. There are a lot of people who would make excellent legislators who are younger, who are not retired or who don’t have huge income that could represent some real diversity. So much diversity could happen with that change. Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	Scott County rural property tax rate to see 15-cent increase in $136M budget The 15-cent increase would generate about $198,000 new dollars to bring the county's rural service fund, which pays for library services and secondary roads, into the black.
	Tuition to increase at Iowa's public universities Tuition will increase at Iowa's three public universities. The Iowa Board of Regents approved a tuition hike of 3% at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The increases will be in effect for the 2026-27 academic year, starting on August 24. Varying tuition rates for nonresident, graduate and [...]
	Iowa City Police arrest man taking a shower in a stranger’s home An Iowa City man was arrested Thursday night after police found him using a stranger’s shower.
	Iowa Board of Regents approves tuition increases for upcoming year The Iowa Board of Regents approved tuition increases Thursday for students attending Iowa’s public universities in the upcoming academic year.
	Driver killed in rollover crash in Jo Daviess County A driver was killed in a single-vehicle rollover crash Thursday afternoon in Jo Daviess County after striking a garage and a utility pole.
	Learn about IL 84/IL 92 improvement project at East Moline meeting The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) invites the public to learn more about the proposed reconstruction and improvements to the Illinois 84/Illinois 92 corridor at an open house in East Moline. IDOT is hosting an open house public meeting on Tuesday, May 12 from 1 – 6 p.m. at The Bend Event Center, 910 Bend [...]
	Alaska Senate advances bill intended to increase access to retirement programs Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, speaks Tuesday, April 15, 2025, on the floor of the Alaska Senate. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)The Alaska Senate advanced a bill Wednesday to establish a savings program for employees whose workplaces do not offer a retirement program. The Alaska Work and Save Program is what Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage and the bill’s sponsor, called a solution to a retirement savings problem in Alaska. According to a survey by the AARP, nearly half of private-sector employees in Alaska lack a retirement plan. “This program will help Alaskan businesses offer a competitive benefit at no cost,” he said. Wielechowski told legislators that social security payments do not cover the high cost of living for seniors in Alaska, increasing their reliance on SNAP and Medicaid, and small businesses cannot always afford to sponsor a retirement program for their employees. Wielechowski proposed establishing the Alaska Work and Save Program for tax advantaged and portable retirement accounts. The bill passed with 15 yes votes. Sens. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, Robert Myers, R-North Pole, George Rauscher, R-Sutton, and Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla, voted against it. Sen. Robert Myers, R-North Pole, said that he was conflicted about the bill because it was unclear to him how businesses would help administer the program. Senate Bill 21 would develop a retirement program called the Alaska Work and Save Program for employees who are not offered a retirement plan by their employer. Applicants would be able to contribute some or all of their Permanent Fund Dividend and additional contributions through payroll deduction to the individual retirement account. Eligible employees would be automatically enrolled and would be able to opt out of the program. “It fixes a problem in a way that doesn’t overreach, that helps the business community, that helps workers and is good for our state,” Wielechowski said. “Passing this bill is an important step forward towards genuinely improving the lives of Alaskans by helping them save for a rewarding retirement.” If the bill becomes law, Alaska would join 15 other states that have automatic savings programs, according to Pew, a nonprofit that oversees the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Small businesses owners across Alaska wrote in letters of support that a lack of retirement benefits makes it difficult for small businesses to compete with larger companies, and the proposed retirement system would be beneficial for small businesses. Forbidden Peak Brewery Co-Owner Skye Stekoll supported the bill and wrote that “easy access to a public retirement program would make both starting the process of investing and making continued regular investments far more attainable for our employees, and also make it conceivable for employers to contribute in prorated ways based on hours worked, longevity, etc., regardless of the industry.” Rachael Miller, chief advocacy officer for the Food Bank of Alaska, wrote to legislators that the bill could increase food security for Alaskan seniors. “By creating a pathway for workers to save for retirement through automatic payroll deductions, the Alaska Work and Save Program will help workers, particularly in fishing, tourism, and gig-based jobs, prepare for retirement and reduce future reliance on emergency food assistance,” she stated in a letter. The Department of Revenue would administer the Alaska Work and Save Program. According to a fiscal note, the program will cost $808,000 in 2027 and approximately $524,000-$589,000 annually. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	Power restored to more than 1,100 in Iowa Quad Cities The outage started at 6:21 a.m.
	More than 1 in 3 American workers are delaying or canceling major purchases due to job security concerns More than 1 in 3 American workers are delaying or canceling major purchases due to job security concernsAs global socioeconomic stress continues to rattle markets, American consumers are facing a difficult period. Inflation is rising, investors are uneasy, mortgage rates are elevated, and many people are uncertain about the future. But beyond spending concerns, fears around AI’s impact on jobs and the economy are further spooking workers.That uncertainty is shaping financial decisions. According to a Redfin survey conducted by Ipsos between March 9-10, 2026, more than 1 in 3 (36%) American workers are delaying or canceling a major purchase like a home or car due to their feelings about job security. On the flip side, 31% have either already made a major purchase sooner than expected or plan to due to their feelings about job security. Redfin Real Estate More than 1 in 3 (36%) of respondents say their feelings about job security have no impact on their timeline for any major purchase decisions.When Redfin asked the same question in August 2025, 42% said they were delaying or canceling plans to make a major purchase due to feelings about job security, six percentage points higher than today. However, the shares who said in August that they had already made (or planned to make) a major purchase sooner than expected (29%) are largely unchanged from today, as is the share who said they had made no changes to their plans (32%).Most American workers are confident about their job securityMore than two-thirds (69%) of workers say they are either somewhat confident or very confident about their job security—a similar share (66%) said the same last August.In comparison, 27% now say they are either somewhat concerned or very concerned about their job security. Redfin Real Estate Nearly 1 in 3 workers are more concerned about job security now than 6 months agoRoughly one-third (32%) of workers are more concerned about their job security than six months ago. In comparison, 18% are more confident about their job security. Redfin Real Estate Of the workers who indicated they are concerned about their job security, 74% said they were more concerned now than they were six months ago, while only 7% felt more confident.Company performance and AI are the top reasons for job insecurityRoughly 3 in 10 (29%) workers who are concerned about their job security cited their company’s performance as the primary reason; a near-equal share (32%) said the same in August 2025. Redfin Real Estate The next most-cited reason for job security concerns was the impact of artificial intelligence (18%), followed by government restructuring efforts (14%) and personal performance (12%).Nearly 20% of workers have recently missed rent or mortgage payments, or paid lateSeven percent of workers say they have missed a rent or mortgage payment entirely in the last three months, and another 10% say they have been late on a housing payment.These shares were notably higher among those who are concerned about their job security. Nearly 3 in 10 members of this group (28%) have missed or been late on a recent housing payment. An overwhelming majority (70%) of workers who are confident in their job security have made all recent housing payments on time. Redfin Real Estate Fifteen percent of full-time workers said they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to be late on their mortgage or rent in the next three months. Thirteen percent said they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to miss a housing payment entirely in the next three months.A slim majority of American workers have an emergency fund for housing paymentsMost (55%) workers say they have an emergency fund to cover their monthly rent or mortgage payments if they face a financial crisis, while approximately one-third (34%) do not have such a fund.These figures vary slightly among workers who expressed concern about their job security and those who are confident; the former are slightly less likely to have a housing emergency fund (50%), while the latter are slightly more (59%). Redfin Real Estate When asked how many months of housing payments their emergency funds cover, 1 in 5 workers with one say six months. Three months (16%) was the next most-selected time frame.MethodologyThis is according to a Redfin survey conducted in partnership with Ipsos between March 9-10, 2026. The nationally representative survey was fielded to 1,005 U.S. residents, including 452 who are employed full-time and 112 who are employed part-time. The results for the combined group of workers have a credibility interval of +/- 5.1 percentage points.This story was produced by Redfin Real Estate and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Learn about criminal record expungement at free clinic from Prairie State Legal Services Rock Island County residents who have criminal records can get a fresh start at a free criminal records relief clinic from Prairie State Legal Services (PSLS). The clinic will be on Wednesday, July 15 from 1:30 - 4 p.m. at the Rock Island Public Library’s Downtown Branch, 401 19th Street, Rock Island. A fresh start [...]
	2 men injured after 2-pickup trucks crash One man was airlifted and another taken by ambulance to a local hospital after two pickup trucks crashed.
	4 Your Money \| Breaking Even There are many events in the world today that are impacting the markets- the Iran conflict, trade tensions, and even questions about Fed independence. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, shares the Treasury breakeven inflation curve to show how the bond market is processing it all and what it means for investors
	Justice Department drops inquiry into Fed Chair Jerome Powell The move paves the way for the Senate to confirm Kevin Warsh, the president's nominee to head the central bank.
	How to design an outdoor entertainment space that adds value to your home How to design an outdoor entertainment space that adds value to your homeWhen you’ve decided to build an outdoor living space, you make the decision to invest equity into your home. Outdoor living spaces can yield an ROI (return on investment) from 60% to 600%, depending on the features you equip it with, according to Extra Space Storage. Whether you decide to install a patio or outdoor kitchen or both, Wildfire Outdoor Living is here to guide you every step of the way to create the ideal outdoor living space.The first step in creating your outdoor living space is establishing areas, or “zones,” that serve a specific function, and including backyard amenities that ensure an increase in home value and higher return on investment.The Cooking Zone: This is where you take on the role of outdoor chef with a luxurious outdoor grill to cook your favorite meals while hosting. The outdoor kitchen can be expanded to include a sink, storage, an outdoor refrigerator, and a griddle — all dependent on your budget. According to Halligans Hearth and Home, an outdoor kitchen typically adds 5% to 20% to a home’s value. Make sure to design your outdoor kitchen around your outdoor grill and include plenty of counter space to get the best return on your investment.The Dining Zone: Play host and entertain at this designated zone that includes a dining table, chairs, and possibly a pergola for shade during those hot summer months. Apollo Opening Roof reports that a well-installed and well-designed pergola can increase home value by 10%-20%. Before installing your pergola, measure the covering height and width and ensure that it can accommodate a good number of guests and that everyone can comfortably move around.The Lounge Zone: Imagine a big comfy outdoor sofa set with fluffy pillows where you and your loved ones can converse and relax with glasses of wine around a fire pit. Firepits Direct estimates that fire pits can increase home value from 67% to 78% of their installation cost. Location is important for fire pits, as you want to make sure it’s out in the open to maximize safety.The Entertainment Zone: The pool is usually the focal point, with lounge chairs set up nearby for lazing about, while lawn games and a TV may also be included in this area. Redfin reports that, depending on the location and climate, in-ground pools typically increase home value by 5% to 10%, especially in warmer climates. Adding underwater lights is a small detail that goes a long way in ensuring you have a higher return on your in-ground pool investment.Keeping the blueprint above in mind when you design your dream backyard living space is key to increasing your home value and return on investment. This is your home, customize it the way that you want to, but be mindful of the elements that will capture the next homeowner’s eyes.By taking a more comprehensive approach to due diligence, buyers can identify potential issues before they become costly problems. Even a small amount of additional research upfront can make a significant difference in protecting a long-term investment.This story was produced by Wildfire Outdoor Living and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Decades-old, newly restored Smithsonian carousel reopens -- to children's delight The carousel was first desegregated when part of Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore in 1963. It was moved to the National Mall after the park closed.
	Davenport man arrested, charged with human trafficking, kidnapping A man from Davenport is being held in the Scott County Jail on no bond after police say he posted a woman he met on an online marketplace for adult services and took her to Missouri against her will. The criminal complaint filed in the case in Scott County Court said Davenport Police learned about [...]
	Top 8 revealed, head-to-head matchups begin in Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest has announced its Top 8, with the competition now moving to a head-to-head matchup voting round. The Coolest Thing Made in Iowa Contest is a newer competition, hosted by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry and MidwestOne Bank, which highlights items that are [...]
	Why do I wake up at 3 a.m.? Why do I wake up at 3 a.m.?If you’re one of the 35.5% of people who wake up in the middle of the night at least three times per week, you know how frustrating it can be.Not only does it impact your mood, energy levels, and concentration, but it can also have adverse effects on your overall well-being. Below, Oura explains what you can do if you’re lying awake at 3 a.m. and some of the underlying lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your nighttime awakenings.What Should I Do When I Wake Up at 3 a.m.?Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep can be stressful and frustrating—and the more you stress about it, the worse it gets. Research has even found that “clock watching” can make it harder for people with insomnia to go back to sleep.First of all, keep in mind that it’s relatively common to wake up in the middle of the night. As Oura advisor and sleep researcher Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D., says:“Realize that it can be common, but when you struggle, the important thing to keep in mind is that staying in bed, tossing and turning, will make the problem worse. When you toss and turn, get out of bed, keep the lights low, and do something relaxing, like a couple gentle yoga poses or meditation exercises.”Getting out of bed and doing something relaxing will help your brain maintain an association between your bed and sleeping, rather than being awake. When you start to feel tired, you can go back to bed.Recommended activities to fall asleep quickly include:Listening to a guided meditation, relaxing music, or sleep soundsReading a bookDeep breathing exercisesProgressive muscle relaxation techniquesOne thing you should avoid doing when you wake up at 3 a.m.? Do not look at your phone or other electronic devices. The blue light can interrupt melatonin production, preventing you from going back to sleep.Why Do I Always Wake Up at 3 a.m.?Below are some lifestyle habits that could be the culprit behind your middle-of-the-night wake-ups, plus potential solutions to sleep more soundly in the future.1. Elevated Cortisol LevelsCortisol, the stress hormone, is involved in a number of key processes, including regulating your sleep-wake cycle. Alongside other hormones like melatonin, cortisol is produced cyclically in tune with your circadian rhythm. Your cortisol levels start to rise in the early morning, usually at around 3 a.m. and peak in the first hour after waking. This is the cortisol awakening response, and it helps you feel awake and energized in the morning.However, elevated cortisol levels—either from a medical condition or excess stress—can disrupt this diurnal rhythm. So, as your cortisol levels naturally rise at 3 a.m., they might spike excessively, waking you up.Additionally, stress can impact your sleep architecture, preventing you from moving seamlessly through each sleep stage. This can also be responsible for those middle-of-the-night wakeups.Solution: If you notice your stress levels are often elevated, try to incorporate more stress management techniques, like breathwork, exercise, and time in nature.2. Your Dietary ChoicesConsuming the wrong foods and drinks can significantly disrupt your sleep patterns. For instance, eating too close to bedtime can keep your digestive system working even as the rest of your body winds down for sleep.Large meals in the evening can cause indigestion, heartburn, or acid reflux, especially if you lie down soon after eating. This is because when you’re in a horizontal position, it’s easier for stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus, leading to discomfort and potential sleep problems.Additionally, eating can rev up your metabolism, which can raise your body temperature. An increased body temperature can interfere with your body’s ability to fall asleep, as a cooler body temperature is more conducive to sleep.Blood sugar may also be playing a role in your sleep issues. For instance, a meal that’s rich in sugars or simple carbohydrates can cause a spike in blood sugar. Research indicates that in healthy individuals, blood sugar rises during sleep. However, a sugar spike before bed can cause your blood sugar to crash during the night, causing early morning awakenings.If you have diabetes or insulin insufficiency, your body doesn’t release enough insulin to regulate this natural blood sugar rise—known as the “dawn phenomenon.”Consuming large amounts of caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine, especially later in the day, can also disrupt sleep. Finally, if you find yourself taking regular bathroom breaks during the night, it could be from drinking too much water before going to bed.Solution: Eat your last meal at least two to three hours before bedtime, and stay away from carbohydrate-rich foods right before you go to sleep. If you’re hungry before bed, eat a light snack that balances protein, fats, and carbs.3. A Less-Than-Ideal Sleep EnvironmentYour sleep environment includes everything that surrounds you when you sleep, and making a few adjustments can improve your sleep quality and prevent frequent sleep disruptions.Here are a few factors to consider to help you get a good night’s sleep.Light ExposureLight, especially blue light from electronic devices, can suppress melatonin production, which can make you have trouble falling asleep. Even ambient light from streetlights or a full moon can disturb some people.Solution: Use blackout curtains or wear a sleep mask and limit screen time before bed.NoiseSudden or loud noises, such as from traffic, neighbors, or alarms, can jolt you awake, interrupting important restorative sleep phases like deep sleep and REM sleep. This can increase your stress hormones—such as adrenaline and cortisol—and elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, further fragmenting your sleep.Solution: Fill your room with soft materials like cushions, rugs, and curtains to absorb unwanted noise. Additionally, try using earplugs, white noise machines, or apps that play calming sounds.Ambient TemperatureA room that’s too hot or too cold can disrupt the sleep cycle, although research indicates that high temperatures are more detrimental to sleep quality than low temperatures.Optimal sleep typically occurs in a slightly cool environment, typically between 60 and 68 degrees F (15.6 to 20 C), since your core body temperature lowers during sleep. Additionally, new research indicates a link between body temperature and REM sleep cycle length.Solution: Adjust the thermostat, use appropriate bedding, or employ fans or heaters as needed.Uncomfortable BeddingAn old mattress, lumpy pillows, or scratchy sheets can cause physical discomfort, leading to frequent awakenings.Solution: Invest in a good-quality mattress, comfortable pillows, and soft bedding.AllergensDust mites, pet dander, and pollen can trigger allergies, causing symptoms like sneezing, itching, or difficulty breathing, which can disrupt your sleep.Solution: Regularly clean and vacuum the bedroom, use hypoallergenic bedding, and consider using air purifiers.PetsYou may love sleeping with your furry friend, but animals can move, make noise, or even take up too much space, leading to sleep disturbances.Solution: Train pets to sleep in their own beds or designate a specific area for them.Unpleasant OdorsStrong or unpleasant smells can be distracting and make it difficult to relax and fall asleep.Solution: Ensure good ventilation, consider using calming essential oils or scents, and avoid strong-smelling foods or products in the bedroom.InterruptionsBeing woken up by family members, roommates, or unexpected phone calls can disrupt your sleep cycle in the middle of the night.Solution: Communicate your sleep schedule to those you live with and consider turning off your phone or using “Do Not Disturb” mode.3. Your Sleep ScheduleGoing to bed and waking up at different times can confuse your body’s internal clock, which can make it hard to fall and stay asleep. Your circadian rhythm is genetically hardwired and influences when your energy levels, hunger, and alertness. You may not realize it, but you often feel best when your lifestyle aligns with your body’s natural rhythm.Solution: Aim to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends.4. Daytime StressStress is the body’s mental and physiological response to a perceived threat, which can rear up when you feel anxious, worried, under pressure, overwhelmed, or in danger.Unfortunately, your body can’t tell the difference between the stress of being chased by a lion and the stress of work deadlines, family obligations, or financial worries. Stressing over these problems can impact sleep quality and create a feedback loop of stress and poor sleep.Solution: Create a bedtime routine that helps you wind down and tells your brain and body it’s time to get some rest. Experiment with yoga, guided meditations, or breathing exercises to see how they affect your sleep.5. Hormonal ChangesMenopause—and its accompanying symptoms, like hot flashes and night sweats—can lead to sleep changes and cause poor sleep. Roughly half of all people going through menopause experience insomnia and other sleep problems.Solution: Practice good sleep hygiene, avoid caffeine and large meals late in the day, and consider incorporating light exercise into your routine—research shows that regular exercise can improve sleep quality. Additionally, try some deep breathing exercises or relaxation techniques before bed to help you relax and unwind, or consider speaking to your healthcare provider about hormone replacement therapy (HRT).Why Do I Wake Up After Only 2 Hours of Sleep?Maybe your issue isn’t that you wake up at 3 a.m. Maybe it’s that you wake up soon after falling asleep—perhaps just an hour or two. Why does this happen? It can often be linked to specific triggers that disrupt the transition into deeper sleep stages, which usually happens in the first hour or so after falling asleep. Noise, temperature fluctuations, or light pollution can be the culprit.Eating a heavy meal or spicy foods may trigger indigestion or acid reflux, which also may wake you up, as this reaction tends to worsen in the hours following eating. While staying hydrated throughout the day is vital for good sleep, you don’t want to drink too much in the hour before bed. Otherwise, you might be waking up after just a couple of hours to use the bathroom.When Should I Be Concerned About Waking Up at 3 a.m.?While adjusting lifestyle factors will be enough to help many people sleep better, some may find that the problem persists. Consult your healthcare provider if you experience any of the following symptoms.Waking up frequently in the middle of the night consistently for several weeks or long.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Breathing difficulties, such as waking up gasping for air, choking, or coughing.Mood changes, such as irritability, depression, or anxiety.Restless legs, especially the urge to move them as you’re trying to fall asleep.Frequent nightmares or night terrors.A change in your sleep quality after starting a new medication.Finally, be aware of other concerning sleep behaviors: If you experience unusual behaviors during sleep, such as sleepwalking, talking, or other unusual movements, it’s worth talking to your doctor.FAQs About Waking Up at 3 a.m.Why do I wake up at 3 a.m.?There are many reasons why you wake up at 3 a.m., from stress and anxiety to environmental disruptions like noise or light. A cortisol spike at 3 a.m.—the natural rise of the stress hormone that helps prepare your body to wake—can also play a role. If your stress levels are already elevated, this spike may wake you up more abruptly.Why do I always wake up at 3 a.m.?If you’re wondering why you always wake up at 3 a.m., it may be tied to recurring lifestyle factors. Eating too close to bedtime, drinking alcohol or caffeine late in the day, or having an inconsistent sleep schedule can all increase the likelihood of middle-of-the-night awakenings.Why do I keep waking up at 3 a.m.?Stress, hormonal changes, and even temperature fluctuations in your bedroom can cause people to keep waking up at 3 a.m. every night. In some cases, conditions like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome may also be contributing.Is waking up at 3 a.m. every night normal?Occasionally waking up during the night is normal. But if you say, “I keep waking up at 3 a.m. every night,” and it’s been happening for weeks, it may be worth investigating. Persistent awakenings can signal issues like poor sleep hygiene, elevated stress, or underlying health conditions.How can I get back to sleep after waking up at 3 a.m.?If you find yourself waking up at 3 a.m., the best approach is to avoid clock-watching and get out of bed to do something calming—like reading, meditating, or deep breathing—until you feel sleepy again. Keeping lights low and avoiding screens will help your brain re-associate your bed with sleep.When should I be concerned about waking up at 3 a.m.?If you keep waking up at 3 a.m. and experience daytime fatigue, mood changes, or symptoms like gasping for air, frequent nightmares, or restless legs, it’s important to speak with a healthcare provider. These can be signs of a sleep disorder or another underlying condition.This story was produced by Oura Ring and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Stocks and funds to watch as SpaceX prepares for an IPO Stocks and funds to watch as SpaceX prepares for an IPOThe company planning to launch humanity onto other planets is gearing up for one of its biggest launches yet. SpaceX, founded and primarily owned by billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, is expected to go public on the stock market this year, possibly as early as this summer.The initial public offering (IPO) could be the largest one ever, with SpaceX potentially seeking a valuation of more than $1.75 trillion.If the offering takes place, individuals with access to stock trading accounts would be able to buy into Musk’s corporate empire, which, until now, has only been open to large-scale accredited investors.The event represents a crucial milestone in SpaceX’s aggressive expansion plans. It may also signal a near-future upswing for its existing suppliers and investment partners.Finder dives into the stock offering, SpaceX’s plans for growth, and related investments that may rise with the tide when SpaceX goes public.About the SpaceX IPODespite the enormous buzz surrounding the IPO, much remains yet to be confirmed.According to a report published on April 1, 2026, sources close to the matter revealed to Bloomberg News that SpaceX confidentially filed for an IPO with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other major media outlets confirmed the news, including CNBC and The New York Times.The sources indicated that SpaceX is targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation and hopes to raise between $50 billion and $75 billion from the IPO. The exact date has not been announced but it is expected to take place in June.Rumors of a public offering began swirling in December 2025 when Musk tweeted his response to an article suggesting SpaceX would soon go public, calling the author’s conclusion “accurate.”About the same time, it was reported that SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen had sent a letter to shareholders saying that the company was preparing for “a possible IPO in 2026.”“Whether it actually happens, when it happens, and at what valuation are still highly uncertain,” he said at the time.The move comes as a surprise to many, given Musk’s resistance to taking SpaceX public in the past. One apparent motivator is the need to raise capital for the company’s larger-than-life expansion plans (more on that later).However, the change may also lure investment dollars away from other tech juggernauts that are exploring plans to go public later this year, such as Anthropic and OpenAI.“SpaceX is going to soak up a lot of liquidity,” said Glen Anderson, president and CEO of the investment bank Rainmaker Securities, in an interview with TechCrunch. “There’s only so much money out there allocated to IPOs.”8 investments to watch as SpaceX goes publicThe largest IPO ever to hit the stock market will doubtless impact other businesses and investments tied to SpaceX.Investors looking to ride the wave should keep an eye on SpaceX’s suppliers as well as companies and funds that privately hold its shares.Alphabet Inc. (GOOG), a SpaceX investorAlphabet, Google’s parent company and one of the “Magnificent 7,” invested around $900 million in SpaceX in 2015 for less than 10% of the company. Today, its private shares are worth just over 6%, which would translate to over $105 billion if SpaceX debuts at a $1.75 trillion valuation.Nvidia (NVDA), a SpaceX supplierAI infrastructure and computer graphics giant Nvidia is the largest company in the world by market capitalization, with a valuation of over $4.8 trillion. It’s also a major chip supplier to SpaceX, one of its biggest customers.Despite SpaceX’s plan to move chip production in-house through the Terafab project, Musk has confirmed as recently as mid-March that the company is still ordering Nvidia chips at scale.Investors may see Nvidia’s stock benefiting from SpaceX’s growth, although time will tell how the relationship between both companies will evolve as SpaceX becomes more self-reliant.Intel Corporation (INTC), a SpaceX supplierWhile Nvidia focuses on chip design rather than manufacturing, Intel is positioning itself to become a leading chip manufacturer for AI systems with its Intel Foundry business, launched in 2024.On April 7, 2026, Intel announced on Twitter that it would be partnering with SpaceX on the Terafab project. Its precise role is not yet clear, but the move signals the company’s relevance in the AI era, in which demand for chips is skyrocketing.STMicroelectronics (STM), a SpaceX supplierSTMicroelectronics has been a key chip supplier for Starlink satellites for over 10 years. The company both designs and manufactures semiconductors and is valued at over $39 billion.Given the sizeable contribution Starlink makes to SpaceX’s current revenue and the role investors expect it to play in compounding that revenue, STMicroelectronics stock may very well see a bump in value following SpaceX’s debut on the public market.Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX), a mutual fundLike Google, Fidelity Investments privately invested in SpaceX in 2015. While Fidelity isn’t a publicly traded company, it manages publicly traded funds that hold SpaceX shares.An annual report revealed that the Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX) paid around $43 million in 2015 for over 550,000 shares. As of December 2024, those shares were valued at $1.03 billion. As of April 7, 2025, about 5% of the Contrafund’s holdings are in SpaceX.Baron Partners Retail (BPTRX), a mutual fundOver 50% of the Baron Partners Retail fund is tied up in SpaceX and Tesla shares, with the former accounting for 33% of the fund’s holdings (as of the end of March 2026).Investors who want to bet more heavily on SpaceX may be drawn to this investment, although its less diversified holdings make it riskier than the Fidelity Contrafund.ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX), an interval fundThe ARK Venture Fund has allocated the greatest proportion of its holdings—just over 17%—to SpaceX stock. OpenAI and Anthropic are also among its top holdings.This closed-end interval fund only allows investors to redeem quarterly, unlike many open-end mutual funds, which allow daily redemption.ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF (XOVR), an ETFThis exchange-traded fund does not directly invest in SpaceX shares but rather invests in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that holds SpaceX shares. An SPV is a subsidiary created to isolate securities from a company’s balance sheet, usually to reduce financial risk.Over one-third of its holdings are indirectly allocated to SpaceX through the SPV; other holdings include Meta (Facebook) and Nvidia.Easier to trade than interval funds, ETFs often come with low fees. As of the time of writing, this fund’s management fee sits at 0.75%.Is SpaceX a good investment?SpaceX’s value to the average investor’s portfolio depends on how the company grows following the influx of capital from its IPO and whether it can sustain an upward revenue trajectory.How does SpaceX make money, and how does it plan to compound revenue? Currently, its operations are spread across four key areas:Spaceflight (for humans and cargo)Satellite internet services (for individual and government clients)Artificial intelligence servicesComputer chip-building (a newly announced venture)Sources familiar with the company’s financial results told Reuters that SpaceX’s 2025 revenue was $15 billion–$16 billion, of which around $8 billion was profit.As much as 50%–80% of this is believed to be from Starlink satellite services, while launch services also account for a chunk of the company’s earnings.However, these undertakings only scratch the surface of what Musk wants to achieve. The long-term vision is to launch humanity into the stars by developing reusable spacecraft that can carry people to Mars and other destinations throughout the solar system.Of course, financial experts eyeing SpaceX stock and other space stocks are far more interested in business activities with a clear path to profitability and measurable time frames.Expansion post IPOOne such initiative is expanding Starlink’s satellite internet business to include “direct-to-cell” services, or smartphone connectivity via low-Earth-orbit satellites instead of traditional cell towers.Investors are also keen to see SpaceX continue to capitalize on its position as a go-to space transportation service for commercial, civil, and government clients. Notably, the company was behind 52% of all global orbital launches in 2025. Its clients include NASA, Amazon, OneWeb, and the U.S. Department of Defense.Investors may have another reason to expect SpaceX stock to move up and to the right if Musk’s newly announced initiative, Terafab, is successful.The project—a joint effort between SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI—aims to bring computer chip design and manufacturing entirely in-house to meet SpaceX’s extensive needs.Doing so could enhance the performance of SpaceX technology and cut costs. It could also help position the company as a leader in AI technology and infrastructure, given the critical role chips play in achieving Musk’s ambition to produce more than 1 trillion watts of AI computing power per year.Much of SpaceX’s value hinges on the company successfully executing incredibly ambitious plans. But its talented workforce is hardly sitting around, and real revenue streams are arising amidst capital-guzzling initiatives.Ultimately, investors considering buying SpaceX stock may need patience to withstand the turbulence that comes with reimagining the world according to Musk’s vision.This story was produced by Finder and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	One dead following rollover accident in Jo Daviess County One person is dead following a rollover accident in Jo Daviess County. According to a release from the Jo Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and medical personnel responded to N. Elizabeth Scales Mound Rd. near County Rd. O on April 23 at 4:44 p.m. for a single-vehicle rollover accident. EMS personnel initiated advanced life-saving measures [...]
	81-year-old killed in rollover crash An 81-year-old woman was killed in a rollover crash Thursday afternoon.
	Illinois' I-Cash program sets $2.5 billion record for returning money The Illinois State Treasurer's Office set a new record for returning unclaimed money. Treasurer Michael Frerichs reports the state returned $2.5 billion to residents, businesses and nonprofits through the I-Cash missing money program. Frerichs said work with lawmakers, insurance companies and new technology helped make it happen. More than 90% of claims were paid out [...]
	How does laser hair removal work for different skin types? How does laser hair removal work for different skin types?As a convenient alternative to waxing or shaving, laser hair removal continues to rise in popularity. The global market value for 2025 was approximately $1.44 billion, and the industry is projected to reach $4.72 billion by 2032. Impressive results are enticing more people to schedule appointments and switch to laser hair removal from traditional methods, such as plucking or waxing.However, the results may differ depending on your skin type. This guide by SkinSpirit examines the effectiveness of laser hair removal, skin type considerations, what to expect during the procedure and aftercare instructions.How Does Laser Hair Removal Actually Work?Using a concentrated laser beam, the laser hair removal procedure removes hair in areas including the bikini line, upper lip, legs and armpits. The hair pigment (melanin) absorbs the light and converts it into heat. Heat from light energy damages the sacs within hair follicles that generate hair, preventing hair growth for several weeks.Despite the effectiveness of laser hair removal in almost all areas, it is advisable not to treat skin with tattoos and the eyelid areas. You may require multiple treatments and additional maintenance treatments in the future. Results also depend on where you fall on the Fitzpatrick scale.What Is the Fitzpatrick Scale?Developed by dermatologist Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick in 1975, the Fitzpatrick scale determines how skin responds to ultraviolet (UV) light. The reactions fall into categories on the Fitzpatrick scale, which ranges from Type 1 to Type 6.Other factors impact your rating on the scale, including hair color, skin tone, eye color and how your skin reacts to the sun. Here is an overview of the different skin types:Type 1: Your skin type easily burns in the sun and is unable to tan. Some individuals within this group may have red or blonde hair, accompanied by green or blue eyes.Type 2: Your skin is sensitive to sunlight and likely to burn. Caucasians with blue eyes and blonde hair usually fall into the Type 2 category.Type 3: After sunburn, your skin may gradually develop a tan. People of various ethnicities, including Caucasian, may fall into this category, along with varying hair and eye colors.Type 4: Individuals who tan naturally and have an olive skin tone sit within the Type 4 category. They usually have darker hair as well. People of Asian descent always have Type 4 skin or above.Type 5: If you have a brown skin tone that always tans and rarely burns, you sit within the Type 5 category. Your features, such as hair and eye color, are also dark.Type 6: You fall within the Type 6 category if you have very dark skin and dark brown eyes. Your skin has a high melanin content and absorbs sunlight easily.All skin types achieve some degree of success with treatment. However, laser hair removal is traditionally most effective for patients with darker hair and lighter skin tones. Courtesy of SkinSpirit Safety Considerations of Laser Hair RemovalLaser hair removal results can be life-changing. However, following safety precautions is vital to avoid damaging side effects. Avoid the procedure in the following circumstances.Skin conditions: Laser hair removal is not recommended for patients with conditions such as severe eczema or psoriasis, active skin infections such as herpes or cold sores, or skin cancer. If you experience skin conditions, you may be prone to pigmentation changes and even burns.Pregnancy: It's recommended that you wait until after your pregnancy to undergo laser hair removal. At-home laser hair removal treatments should also be avoided while pregnant.History of keloid scarring: If you have active keloid scars or a history of scarring, laser hair removal can trigger inflammation and irritate the scar tissue. The light and heat may cause new scars to appear.Certain medications: Patients taking certain antibiotics, including isotretinoin (a retinoid medication used to treat acne), may be advised to avoid laser hair removal. Isotretinoin and other medications may cause skin sensitivity to sunlight.Laser Hair Removal Effectiveness by Skin TypeBased on the Fitzpatrick scale, the effectiveness of laser hair removal varies by skin type. Below are the essential factors to consider before booking your first treatment:Fair Skin Laser Hair RemovalFor individuals with lighter skin types — Type 1-3 on the Fitzpatrick scale — laser hair removal is typically effective. The practitioner will likely use shorter-wavelength lasers to achieve greater focus on the hair follicle, given the contrast between dark hair and lighter skin.There's a reduced risk of unwanted absorption because the epidermis has low melanin content. Potential side effects, including redness and slight irritation, are also mild and tend to resolve quickly.Fair-skinned patients typically have low skin pigmentation, indicating a lower risk of skin pigmentation problems. However, it's still advisable to follow aftercare instructions and avoid direct sunlight.Medium and Olive Skin Laser Hair RemovalPatients with skin types between 3 and 4 can achieve optimal results from the procedure. The practitioner will adjust the laser settings using technology such as a 755-nanometer diode laser. These lasers further penetrate the skin and limit the possibility of damage to the treatment area.For medium and olive skin tones, the results are still positive. However, you may require additional treatments as your melanin levels are marginally higher than those of fairer-skinned patients. Your practitioner should avoid using strong and aggressive lasers, as they may cause hyperpigmentation.Additionally, there's a risk that the treatment area may appear lighter or darker if you do not follow the aftercare instructions.Dark Skin Laser Hair RemovalThe relationship between dark skin and laser hair removal can prove more complex. Darker skin contains higher melanin levels. Patients with dark skin may be at a higher risk of developing pigmentation changes or burns.Practitioners may choose to use an Nd:YAG laser for its deep penetration and longer wavelength. A stronger laser enables the technology to target the pigment on your skin’s surface. Overall, results can still be successful. However, they may take more time to appear than in other skin types.Sensitive Skin Laser Hair RemovalRegardless of skin tone, your practitioner will take extra care during the procedure if you have sensitive skin and are prone to irritation. Before proceeding, your practitioner should offer patch tests to assess how well your skin responds to the laser.Alongside using longer pulse durations and conservative settings, cooling technology is also beneficial for patients with sensitive skin. Through methods such as cooling gel or cooling air systems, there is a limited risk of side effects, including irritation, swelling, and heat sensation.A combination of proper procedure techniques and quality aftercare helps reduce the likelihood of side effects.What to Expect During Laser Hair RemovalThe laser hair removal procedure requires various stages.Before starting the procedure, your practitioner provides a topical anesthetic cream for the treatment area. The cream is especially beneficial for sensitive areas, such as your underarms or bikini line.Your practitioner instructs you to wear eye protection throughout the procedure.The practitioner sets up the equipment and laser technology based on the treatment area.You may experience slight discomfort from the light pulses during the procedure. The sensation is similar to a rubber band springing on your skin.The first treatment is likely to be the most sensitive of the eight to 10 recommended treatments. Courtesy of SkinSpirit What's the Recovery Time for Laser Hair Removal?The recovery time for laser hair removal is typically between 24 and 48 hours, regardless of the individual's skin type. The side effects are minimal, including a warm sensation that usually dissipates within a few hours. Despite the general recovery time, there may be some additional aftercare instructions.Use a cool compress: Applying a cool compress, such as an ice pack or a cold washcloth, can help cool down the treatment areas and minimize mild swelling.Avoid fragrant products: Using skin moisturizers and other fragrant products may irritate your skin and increase the risk of redness.Protect treatment areas from sunlight: Tanning after treatment can potentially cause hypopigmentation, as your skin becomes particularly sensitive.How Permanent Is Laser Hair Removal?Many assume that laser hair removal is a permanent solution. However, despite the growing technology, the procedure only reduces hair growth for a limited time, and results may vary. When you choose an experienced practitioner who follows correct practices, you'll likely see optimal results.Regarding the level of permanency across skin types, there is little evidence to suggest significant differences. The interval between treatments will vary depending on the treatment area. For example, with areas such as your back, the duration may be between 12 and 16 weeks. With the upper lip, treatments may be every four to eight weeks.For a solution with more permanent results, electrolysis is the only FDA-approved treatment available.Electrolysis vs Laser Hair RemovalAlthough electrolysis and laser hair removal have the same purpose, there are key differences between them.Electrolysis: Using an epilator device and short radio-frequency waves, electrolysis aims to prevent new hair growth and destroy the hair follicles. The procedure causes existing hairs to fall out and is suitable for all parts of the body. Electrolysis is more permanent than laser hair removal, but the procedure tends to be more time-consuming and causes more discomfort.Laser hair removal: This procedure also damages hair follicles by using high-heat lasers to slow hair growth. Like electrolysis, laser hair removal usually requires multiple treatments to achieve and maintain your results. However, electrolysis generally requires more sessions because it treats individual hairs one by one, while laser hair removal targets multiple hairs at once. While electrolysis is ideal for light hair, laser hair removal typically works best for dark hair.In a nutshell, laser hair removal is faster and covers larger areas. Electrolysis is slower and more meticulous to target smaller areas, and is considered the only truly permanent method.Other Factors Influencing Laser Hair Removal EffectivenessThe effectiveness of laser hair removal treatments differs from person to person. From a lack of preparation to underlying conditions, the results of laser hair removal depend on several factors.Hormonal ImbalancesEspecially if you are a female experiencing unwanted hair growth, you may have a hormonal imbalance, which can affect the hair growth cycle. A few common conditions can affect hormonal balance.Cushing’s disease: Also known as Cushing’s syndrome, Cushing’s disease may lead to hirsutism — excessive hair growth — due to the activation of androgen receptors and elevated cortisol levels.Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): A relatively common condition in women, PCOS may also cause hirsutism due to a rise in testosterone levels.Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Adrenal glands that produce increased levels of male hormones can lead to congenital adrenal hyperplasia, resulting in excessive hair growth.Your Hair Growth CycleThe three hair growth cycle phases — anagen for active growth, catagen for transitional growth, and telogen for resting — contribute to laser hair removal results. Effectiveness is only present for the first anagen phase because the hair follicle has a connection to your blood supply.Hair growth in the other phases is not suitable for treatment. Due to their unresponsiveness, you may require multiple treatments.Lack of PreparationInadequate preparation for laser hair removal treatments significantly affects the results. A few key practices to avoid before treatment are:Tanning: It is advisable to stay out of the sun for a minimum of four to six weeks. Staying in the shade allows your skin to return to its natural pigment and helps the laser perform with better precision.Shaving: Thoroughly shave the treatment area at least a day or two before your appointment. This ensures the laser can properly penetrate the hair follicles.Waxing and plucking: Avoid waxing or plucking the area for at least six weeks before treatment. Waxing or plucking hair follicles can affect the laser's target performance.Practitioner KnowledgeDensity, growth cycles, and hair thickness differ depending on the treatment area. Your practitioner must possess the necessary knowledge and experience to adjust the treatment settings, including beam size and wavelength, as needed.To achieve lasting results, do your homework and book treatments with a qualified and experienced practitioner. Treatments from an unlicensed practitioner can lead to serious consequences, such as burns and scarring.Medicines Promoting Hair GrowthSome medications can counteract the effects of the laser hair removal procedure by promoting hair growth. For example, hair loss treatments such as minoxidil may stimulate hair growth in areas beyond the scalp. Anabolic steroids, corticosteroids and birth control containing drospirenone are other medications that affect laser hair removal results.Laser Hair Removal for Effective ResultsLaser hair removal is a proven method for reducing hair growth. The key to achieving decent results is to approach a practitioner with relevant experience and the best technology suitable for your skin.By following pretreatment and aftercare instructions, you can achieve results with minimal side effects and discomfort.This story was produced by SkinSpirit and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Prescription drug take back event set for Saturday in Rock Island County Residents with unused or expired medications can dispose of them Saturday during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
	Two injured in crash on Highway 34 near Rome in Henry County Two people were injured in a two-vehicle crash near Rome in Henry County just before 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report.
	What's a condensate drain line, and why should you care? What's a condensate drain line, and why should you care?As warming spring weather gives way to summer swelter, your air conditioner becomes your home’s unsung MVP. Not only does it turn your house into a comfortably cool respite from the heat outside, but it also pulls double duty to fight humidity. As your cooling system pulls humidity from the air, the resulting liquid it collects in your indoor AC unit needs to go somewhere — and that’s where the condensate drain line comes in.When enough condensate accumulates during the hot, humid months, it could begin backing up. Even a minor drainage issue could result in overflowing around the unit, causing pricey water damage, mold growth and other issues that’ll put a damper on your summer fun fast.For those reasons, HomeServe put together a go-to explainer about the importance of your home’s condensate drain line.What Is a Condensate Drain Line?As your air conditioner removes humidity from the air, moisture forms on the evaporator coil, drips into the condensate pan or drain pan, and then moves through the condensate drain line so it can leave the system safely.Most commonly, the condensate line is a small PVC pipe connected to the indoor AC unit. Your systems may also include a condensate trap, which helps the line drain properly as water moves through the HVAC system. It’s a simple mechanism, but it does a disproportionately important job every time the air conditioner runs.Where Is the Condensate Drain Line Located?The condensate drain line typically is located near the indoor AC unit rather than the outdoor condenser. Yours could be in a basement, attic, closet, garage or utility room.If you’re trying to spot it, look for a white or light-colored air conditioner drain pipe connected to the indoor portion of the system. The line may run to a floor drain, a condensate pump or an approved drain point outside the house. Some AC units also have a secondary line that handles overflow if the main line gets blocked.Should an AC Drain Line Have Water in It?Yes, some water in the AC condensate drain is completely normal during air conditioning season. Your AC creates condensation as it removes humidity, so moisture should move through the line while the system runs. A healthy system channels that water out steadily. Standing water in the drain pan, damp spots near the indoor AC unit, stains around the line or dripping in the wrong place usually point to a drainage issue.What Happens If the AC Condensate Drain Is Clogged?Over time, dirt, dust, algae and other debris — in addition to a sickening, snotty sludge called zooglea — can collect inside the line. Once that buildup narrows the opening, the flow of water is impeded. As the clog worsens, the line may stop draining entirely, and the condensate pan can fill up.That resulting backup can have consequences for your air conditioner and your house, including:Seepage around the indoor unit. A clogged AC drain line can push water out of the drain pan and onto the floor, especially during periods of heavy AC use.Water damage. Drywall, flooring, insulation and wood framing can all suffer as moisture collects.Musty smells. Damp conditions around the condensate line and drain pan create conditions conducive to mildew and mold growth.System shutdowns. Some systems have a safety switch that turns the AC off when water rises too high in the pan — leaving you sweating amid the stoppage.Drain line clogs often start small, which makes early signs easy to overlook. A faint odor, a little extra moisture or a pan that keeps filling up can all signal that the AC drain needs to be cleared.Where Can I Drain My Condensate Line?In many homes, the condensate drain line runs to a floor drain, utility sink, condensate pump or spot outside where water can drain away safely. When that path is unobstructed, moisture leaves the indoor unit instead of collecting in the drain pan or around the system.Every home setup is a little different, as the drain location depends on the system design and local code. Before making any changes to where the line drains, check the manufacturer’s guidance and local requirements so the system can keep moving water out properly.How to Clean a Condensate Drain LineStart by checking the drain pan and the visible opening of the drain pipe for sludge, debris or standing water. To remove a simple clog, a wet/dry vac connected to the outside end of the PVC pipe — wrapped with duct tape to create a seal — can help pull out the blockage. To keep it clear, every two weeks to a month pour a cup of distilled white vinegar, bleach or manufacturer-approved AC line cleaner into the access point, followed by a cup of water, to flush out remaining residue.Follow these steps:Turn off the power. Safety comes first anytime you’re working near the indoor unit.Check the condensate pan. Water sitting in the pan can signal a slow drain or a full clog.Use a wet/dry vac. Strong suction may remove the clog from the outside drain opening.Flush the line. To help clean the drain, pour a cup of cleaning agent into the access point, then flush it with water.Watch for steady drainage. A smooth flow to the drainage point usually means the line is open again.Some clogs need more than a quick flush. Repeated backups, hidden pipe runs, heavy buildup or water damage around the unit often call for a closer inspection. In those cases, consulting a trusted HVAC technician can help identify the source of the blockage and make sure the rest of the system is draining the way it should.Why the Condensate Drain Line MattersMost homeowners spend very little time thinking about the condensate drain line, and that makes sense. It usually works quietly in the background. However, if it gets blocked, a small drainage issue can turn into a massive mess and a major repair.A clear condensate line helps your air conditioner manage moisture the way it’s designed to. Keep an eye on the drain pan, pay attention to puddles or musty smells and act immediately when drainage slows down. A little maintenance goes a long way with this vital moisture-mitigating component of your cooling system.This story was produced by HomeServe and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	2026 My Favorite Teacher \| Stephen LaCroix at Geneseo High School Stephen LaCroix has been conducting students in Geneseo's choir for 31 years, and with this year being his last year as a conductor, his students are honoring him.
	5 ways to eliminate credit card debt in 30 days 5 ways to eliminate credit card debt in 30 daysCredit card debt can feel overwhelming, especially when high interest makes it harder to make progress. For that reason, CreditNinja shared five tested ways to get rid of your credit card debt in 30 days, all without needing to earn another dollar.Key TakeawaysSome ways to eliminate credit card debt include using a balance transfer card to cut interest, consolidating balances with a personal loan, borrowing strategically from a 401(k), leveraging home equity, or enrolling in a debt management plan to lower rates and simplify payments.Balance transfer cards and personal loans work best for fast relief because they immediately reduce high interest, freeing more of your payment to attack the principal.Borrowing against assets like a 401(k) or home equity can drastically lower interest costs, but only makes sense with stable income due to serious repayment and collateral risks.Debt management plans don’t require new loans and can improve credit over time, but they take longer to set up and are better for long-term stability than quick payoff. Courtesy of CreditNinja Using Balance Transfer CardsThe first way is by getting a balance transfer credit card, which is similar to a balance transfer loan. Say you’ve got a bunch of credit card debt on your current credit card at 25% interest every month, which eats away at your finances. You don’t know what to do. Well, if your FICO score is high enough, you could apply for a balance transfer credit card that transfers your debt from the previous card with 25% interest to a new credit card with 0% interest for the first 12 to 18 months. It usually takes just a few days to set up.A balance transfer card may be worth it because it’s going to give you a lot of breathing room to tackle credit card debt without being bogged down by interest fees. So, what’s the catch? Firstly, if you don’t have a credit score above 690, it’ll be hard to get approved for a credit card with 0%. If you’re in that 580-669 range, you might be able to qualify for a balanced transfer card, but your rate might be closer to 10%, which is better than your current APR. However, keep in mind, these low rates are temporary, just like the 0% interest, and after six months to a year, they will shoot back up to the mid-20s.The second catch is that 0% interest may come with a one-time transfer fee of 3% to 5% of the total amount you transfer. So, if you’re transferring $10,000 worth of credit card debt, you could be looking at a transfer fee between $3 and $500. But this is still a great option if the transfer fee is less than the interest you would pay over time, which it usually is.Using Personal LoansThe next way to get rid of credit card debt is to get a personal loan to pay off high credit card balances. This option is a favorite amongst people who are looking to combine a bunch of different debts into just one loan, aka debt consolidation, or if they’re looking to take a high-interest credit card debt and trade it for a personal loan with a lower interest rate. Personal loans can be a good option because, with debt consolidation, instead of dealing with a bunch of different credit card companies all sending you different letters and written warnings, you can just deal with one company. And that also means you only have to keep track of one bill instead of 10.Even if your credit score isn’t the best, there are different personal loans out there for all credit score ranges. Regardless of what personal loan you end up going with, remember to pay down the debt aggressively. The goal is to eliminate debt, not just transfer it to another account.Using a 401(k) LoanThe next method for eliminating credit card debt is borrowing against your 401(k) employer plan. Now, this can be risky, but it might make sense for you if you have an employer-sponsored retirement plan but also have a low credit score.If your employer’s retirement plan allows it, you can typically borrow up to $50,000 or 50% of your 401(k) balance, whichever is less. There’s no credit check because you’re technically borrowing your own money. That means the interest rate is usually in the single digits instead of 20% or more. Not to mention, instead of paying interest to the loan provider, the interest paid on your 401(k) loan goes right back to your retirement account. And once you request the loan, it usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks to get the money. You can then use it to pay off your high-interest debt in one shot. From there, you start paying the loan back through payroll deductions. And because it comes out of your paycheck automatically, it’s pretty easy to stay on track with repayments.But that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not without a lot of risk. If you leave your job or get laid off, most 401(k) plans require you to pay back the full balance quickly, sometimes within 60 to 90 days. And if you can’t do that, the IRS may charge income taxes on it and probably a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you’re under 60. So, it’s vital that you have a super stable job if you want to use this method.Using a Home Equity LoanA home equity loan gives you a lump sum payment, and a HELOC gives you a flexible line of credit. Both offer lower interest rates than credit cards because, like the 401(k) plan, you’re offering something valuable as collateral. In this case, your home. So, once again, only consider this option if you’re confident you can handle the payments and you’ve got a stable income.Using a Debt Management PlanA debt management plan (DMP) could help you get your credit card debt under control without borrowing more money. Here’s how it generally works:You talk to a credit counselor. They take a look at everything you owe, and then you go to your credit card companies to negotiate lower interest rates for you.If the creditors agree, your interest rates drop, and your payments get rolled into one monthly payment that you send to the agency.The credit counselor handles the rest, making sure your credit card companies get paid on time every month.Enrolling in a DMP doesn’t hurt your credit score. And in many cases, your score starts to go up as your balances go down and your payment history gets back on track. So, it’s a solid option for people who are overwhelmed with minimum payments, need lower interest, but don’t want or can’t qualify for a debt consolidation loan, but it’s probably not the best option if you’re looking for fast results. Because if you contact a nonprofit credit counselor now, it will probably take a few weeks to set up your DMP.This story was produced by CreditNinja and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How Pittsburgh — host of this year's NFL draft — became a sports mecca The Pennsylvania city is hosting the draft for the first time in almost 80 years. Pittsburghers say the city's passionate fanbases and winning teams make the selection a natural fit.
	More than 1100 without power in the Iowa Quad Cities The outage started at 6:21 a.m.
	Pleasant Valley High School robotics team travel for world championship PV's 'Deviation from the Norm' is the first team from the high school to qualify for the international competition, which starts April 29.
	Get your hands dirty with Rock Island and Davenport's seed libraries Both public libraries offer five packets of seeds a month to take home and grow yourself.
	Federal budget changes to SNAP could cost Alabama up to $261 million Brandon Hardin, Alabama SNAP director, speaking at the April DHR meeting in the Gordon Persons Building on April 23, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. If DHR does not lower its error rate by October, the state will have to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits under changes implemented by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)Federal changes to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) will cost Alabama between $174 and $261 million, state officials said Thursday. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced a penalty for states that have a high error rate in the SNAP program. Currently, Alabama’s error rate is around 10%, SNAP Director Brandon Hardin said at a quarterly meeting of the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), which administers the program in the state. “We won’t get that final number until June of this year to even know what our FY25 rate is officially. That’s what makes a lot of this so difficult, is because when you’re dealing with quality control data, it’s always six months behind,” Hardin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The penalty will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2027, and will be based on the error rate the state had at the end of fiscal year 2026. Errors are mostly from clients overpaying or underpaying for their benefits by not reporting a need within their household. In FY28, the state will be responsible for 10% or 15% of benefits for SNAP, which it has never had to pay for. Alabama is currently between penalty tiers. The state will be responsible for 10% of benefits if the error rate is between 8 and 9.99%, and 15% of benefits if the error rate is 10% or more. Hardin said there were 678,278 Alabamians enrolled in the SNAP program, about 44,200 less than October when a federal government shutdown left enrollees without benefits. Hardin said the disenrollments are due to federal eligibility changes, including requiring that able-bodied adults without dependents on SNAP must report 80 hours per month of work or volunteering. “We work closely with the food banks, and they do a tremendous job at filling that aid,” Hardin said in an interview after the meeting. “For every meal they provide, SNAP provides nine. Maintaining the SNAP program is very important.” Commissioner Nancy Buckner said that the agency submitted a waiver to the federal government to only count client errors and not county agency errors in an effort to lower the rate, but it was denied. “For instance, in October of this year, we had x amount of dollars, 75% of those were client errors. That doesn’t mean it was client fraud, just client errors,” Hardin said. Hardin said that other states have reached out to Alabama to ask questions about the error rate, and Alabama has done the same. “We’re going to continue to move forward,” Hardin said. “We’ve made over 15 changes already, significant changes, to our policy.” The Legislature appropriated $148.4 million, but it will only be released if the department lowers the error rate to 6%, which would prevent the state from paying for part of the program, by Oct. 1, or develops a plan to cover the cost of federal funding cuts. For fiscal year 2024, Alabama’s error rate was 8.32%, under the national average of 10.93%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund budget chair Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that the state does not have the $174 to $261 million additional funds to cover SNAP benefits if the error rate is not reduced. “We don’t have the extra funds to fund it, that’s part of the law also. DHR’s gotta figure out a route to meet the benefits of the needy that are on these programs if the error rate does not come down,” Albritton said. Lawmakers have been preparing for smaller budgets since pandemic-era relief funds have gone away. Kirk Fulford, legislative fiscal officer, told lawmakers in January to be “conservative” with budgets and that 2028 will be a “rock fight.” Albritton said Thursday that the Legislature’s priority remains getting services to Alabamians and funding agencies, but it may look different due to a reduction in revenue. “I remain optimistic that we’re gonna be OK. We’re not the only state facing this brick wall. Most states are,” Albritton said. “We’re going to do everything we can to meet the needs that are there.” This story was updated Friday at 8:58 a.m. to correct that the cost-sharing penalty will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2027, not 2028, which marks the beginning of FY28. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is extended by 3 weeks as tensions rise in Strait of Hormuz Hezbollah and Israel traded fire just hours after the ceasefire extension was announced, underscoring its fragility.
	Iowa lawmaker to host Q&A with author who detailed journey as transgender woman in memoir State Rep. Ken Croken will host an Illinois author for a Q&A Saturday who detailed her journey as a transgender woman in a recent memoir.
	65th QC Honor Flight scheduled for May 6 On May 6, the 65th Honor Flight will leave the Quad Cities International Airport with more than 80 veterans on their way to Washington D. C. to see the memorials built in their honor, a news release says. Among those veterans will be a World War 2 veteran who is 102. Although the first Quad [...]
	Eldridge eyes new city hall and police station, could put referendum on November ballot The city is considering going to the voters in November to ask for permission to bond and build a new combination city hall-police station and move its public works facility.
	Alabama Department of Corrections abruptly cancels $1 billion health care contract A prison cell in Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, as seen on Oct. 22, 2019. The Alabama Department of Corrections abruptly canceled a $1 billion health care contract for what it said was the contractor's "failure to adequately fulfill its contractual duties." (File)The Alabama Department of Corrections has terminated a $1 billion health care contract with a troubled Tennessee company for what it called a “failure to adequately fulfill its contractual duties.” ADOC said it terminated the 5-year contract that it awarded in 2023 had with Tennessee-based YesCare after it was reported that the company could not meet payroll to pay its employees. “To ensure uninterrupted medical service, ADOC is working to execute an emergency agreement with NaphCare to provide inmate healthcare services,” Corrections said in a statement on Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ADOC also said it would officially change the vendor to NaphCare on May 3. A message was sent to the company on Thursday seeking comment. Charles Williams, deputy commissioner for ADOC, told lawmakers at a meeting of the Joint Prison Oversight Committee on Wednesday that ADOC had switched to NaphCare, based in Birmingham, “over the weekend.” “We are on an emergency contract right now,” he said. “It is an emergency contract with NaphCare because we wanted to make sure that the population gets the care that they should receive.” Williams did not disclose the terms of the new contract that was approved, but it will eventually be before the Legislature at the Contract Review Committee that meets monthly. “Our immediate focus is making sure this transition is smooth—for both patients and staff,” NaphCare said in a statement that was included in the ADOC news release. “Continuity of care is critical, and we’re committed to maintaining it from day one.” The leadership that will oversee the health care in the prisons will be comprised of people from both companies, according to Williams, but the staff that provides health care to people in ADOC custody will remain the same. The change happened several days after reports that several YesCare employees did not report to work because they had not been paid. Their paychecks were eventually deposited after a few days. “The ADOC continues to work with YesCare to ensure health care services are uninterrupted for the inmate population,” ADOC said in a statement provided on April 14. “The ADOC is also in discussions with YesCare to prevent any future payroll delays.” Members were surprised when they learned that ADOC had terminated the contract. “We just found out today,” Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said in an interview following the meeting. “We literally just found out that we have a new health care provider in our health care system today.” He added, “Did we break news today?” The Wall Street Journal reported in March that YesCare forfeited its protection from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after it failed to make its required payment installments to a creditor last month. “Who knew that a company that started off bankrupt, who took this deal so it can pay creditors, ended up bankrupt?” England said. “Who couldn’t see that coming? What is going to be the collateral damage to our budget? Because it is going to grow the health care budget from now until next year exponentially by terminating one contract and hiring another company midstream.” England and other members of the Contract Review Committee raised questions about the YesCare contract when it came up for review in February 2023. During the meeting, Mary Coleman-Roberts, then the acting general counsel for ADOC, said the company did not submit the lowest bid but that it was within 10% the lowest bid and offered competitive salaries to allow Corrections to reach the federally-mandated staffing requirements. England also raised questions at the 2023 meeting about the presence of Bill Lunsford, a private attorney who has made millions of dollars representing DOC in lawsuits, on an advisory board for YesCare during bidding. Coleman-Roberts said at the time that Lunsford was not involved in the first round of bidding on the contract and had left the company by the time a second round began. Lawmakers said they warned Corrections about the company’s financial situation even prior to the Committee learning of the $1 billion contract that was awarded at the February 2023 meeting. “Rep. England was talking about this before the contract was signed with YesCare,” said Rep. Matt Simpson, R-Daphne, in an interview following the meeting on Wednesday. “He was bringing up this specific issue; he was bringing up the history of this company. We had these conversations years ago. Before the contract was signed, he was bringing this up.” Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Cook review: 'Normal' is extraordinary thriller with action, laughs There's nothing "Normal" about this clever little thriller. And that's a good thing. This is full of action, dark humor, and quirky characters in a great small-town setting (yes, it's named for the town in Illinois, but it takes place in the non-existent town of Normal, Minnesota.) Bob Odernkirk, who now is a bonafide action-movie [...]
	Josh Hawley calls on RFK Jr. to end Title X family planning funds to Missouri’s sole grantee U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2025 (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom).Months after having its federal family planning funding restored, the only Title X grantee program in Missouri is facing new threats from U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. During a congressional hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services Budget on Wednesday, Hawley asked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop providing Title X funding to Beacon Reproductive Health Network, a nonprofit based in Jefferson City. He called the nonprofit, which received $8 million in federal funding, an “abortion provider.” “Can you tell me, when are we going to stop funding people like this?” Hawley asked Kennedy. “I don’t think that this kind of entity ought to be getting federal tax money.” Michelle Trupiano, executive director of the organization in Hawley’s crosshairs, called the senator’s comments inaccurate and misleading. Federal law prohibits Title X funds from being used for abortions. Formerly the Missouri Family Health Council, Beacon leads the state’s Title X program, and has been doing so for nearly 45 years. It distributes Title X grants across 65 Missouri health centers, including city and county health departments, community action agencies, federally-qualified health centers and hospital-based clinics. It also works with family planning clinics, including seven Planned Parenthood locations, to fund health care services such as contraception. “Senator Hawley is out of touch and doesn’t understand how we need a robust network of every provider type, including health departments, hospital clinics, [Federally Qualified Health Centers] and Planned Parenthood to meet the needs,” Trupiano told The Independent on Thursday. “He is determined to decimate the network and reproductive health care for Missourians.” A spokesperson for Hawley did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Missouri bill would require hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape survivors The Title X rules and regulations require pregnant patients to be counseled on all options, including “pregnancy termination.” Trupiano said while Beacon does offer “all options counseling,” as mandated by federal rules, they do not help set up abortion appointments or transportation to abortion clinics. Hawley accused Beacon of providing abortion referrals and gender-affirming care. “They do more than just refer for abortions, they also proclaim their support for all bodies,” Hawley told Kennedy. “They provide gender-affirming care including to young people.” Gender-affirming care for minors is currently banned in Missouri. Kennedy said while he agrees with Hawley’s arguments, he determined that the litigation risk of freezing these funds was too high. The funding is currently in the final year of a five-year grant cycle. Hawley then asked Kennedy about the possibility of writing regulations that would prevent tax dollars from going toward any groups that make abortion referrals. Kennedy, who supported abortion rights during his 2024 presidential bid, said he was happy to work with Hawley on ideas. “I’d rather take the risk in litigation than subject children in my states to transgender care funded by federal taxpayer dollars,” Hawley told Kennedy. Without Title X funding, Trupiano said, clinics across Missouri would close, a consequence that would put a huge amount of strain on the public health safety network. The conversation that unfolded Wednesday, she said, made it clear to her that “the future of care is precarious.” Through Title X funding, Missouri clinics served 35,000 patients in 2024. Of those, 81% were female, 73% were under the age of 34 and almost 50% uninsured. “In so many areas, especially rural areas, the Title X clinic is the only place for people to access reproductive and sexual healthcare,” Trupiano said. The Title X program was created more than half a century ago as a funding stream to support access to family planning options, including contraceptives, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and cancer screenings related to reproductive health. This isn’t the first time Beacon has been targeted under the second Trump administration. In April 2025, the Trump administration froze about $27.5 million in Title X funding to a number of states, including several million dollars earmarked for Missouri that were distributed by Beacon. The administration cited compliance concerns around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in its decision. This left a number of Missouri clinics scrambling to figure out how to continue providing family planning options like contraceptives at little to no cost for uninsured or underinsured patients. That funding was restored in July. Courtesy of Missouri Independent
	Quiet weekend followed by more severe storms While severe weather was widespread across the Plains and the Midwest Thursday, a few strong storms moved across the Quad Cities area. Now that the rain is moving away, quiet weather is expected this weekend. Heavy rain and the threat of severe weather return by Monday. Here's your complete 7-day forecast.
	Moline High School junior to join University of Illinois cancer research lab for summer Anjali Kumar, a junior at Moline High, will be taking her interests in STEM to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's cancer research lab this summer.
	Lawmakers press New Jersey health officials on hospital closure oversight Lawmakers raised concerns about New Jersey's hospital closure process following the shutdown of Hudson University Hospital in Jersey City last month. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)New Jersey lawmakers are concerned about the strength and sharpness of the state’s toolset to regulate hospital operations following the closure of a Jersey City hospital that has landed in court. Democratic and Republican members of the Assembly Budget Committee pressed state Health Commissioner Raynard Washington Wednesday on the state’s capacity to regulate and manage New Jersey’s 71 acute care facilities. They also said they worry about the impact of hospital closures on the communities they represent. “If someone is having a heart attack in West New York, there is no way that Englewood [hospital] or Holy Name Hospital in Bergen County can be the closest hospital that they get to,” said Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez (D-Hudson), who represents the district just north of Jersey City that includes West New York. New Jersey reports first measles case of 2026 involving Hudson County resident Residents of the area’s densely populated communities already struggle to access care, Rodriguez said, and are worried about the lack of options after Heights University Hospital in Jersey City closed its emergency room in mid-March. “The concern is growing rapidly,” he said. Washington said his department continues to examine the health needs of Jersey City and the region as part of the hospital closure process with Heights University, which suspended inpatient admissions last fall without full state approval. Long known as Christ Hospital, the 150-year-old building was one of two acute-care facilities in a city that is home to nearly 300,000 residents. Heights University’s closure “is a real concern because you’re talking about cities that, yes, we want them to grow and we want them to be successful,” said Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Essex), who chairs the budget committee. She said she’s seen the impact of hospital closures on Newark, which she represents. “Closure of a hospital to a community that is growing deteriorates the area,” she said. Executives with Heights University, one of four operated by the Hudson Regional Health system, announced in mid-April that they now want to re-open the facility and got a judge to temporarily halt the state’s closure process. They declined to say what changed since March, when they claimed that financial losses at Heights University — expected to top $30 million this year — endangered operations at other hospitals in the system. The state has fined the system $128,000 for violating procedures. Closure of a hospital to a community that is growing deteriorates the area. – Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin (D-Essex) Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Morris) asked Washington for a progress update during the budget hearing Wednesday, noting that the state provided more than $38 million to try and keep the Jersey City hospital open. “Four weeks after the closure, what specific tools are we talking about?” Inganamort asked. Washington offered no specifics but said he looked forward to talking about the options “as the legislative process moves forward.” When asked by the New Jersey Monitor, Maggie Garbarino, a spokesperson for Gov. Mikie Sherrill, said: “The Sherrill Administration is actively pursuing solutions to strengthen the State’s ability to intervene and avoid chaotic reductions in health care services, along with creating enhanced accountability measures to ensure facilities do not walk away from their obligations to their patients and staff. We look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature to introduce legislation.” Vijay Chaudhuri, a spokesman for Hudson Regional Health, urged state officials to beef up financial support, not regulatory oversight. “The State would be far better served focusing its efforts on allocating and providing long-term healthcare funding to hospitals that serve underserved populations — funding that HRH had been requesting for many months but that never materialized,” he told the New Jersey Monitor in an email. During the hearing, Assemblyman Michael Venezia (D-Essex) asked about the state’s existing hospital closure protocol and whether it was sufficient. Hospitals must file a certificate of need application with the State Health Planning Board, undergo a detailed review, and host public hearings if they want to add, subtract, or move clinical services. “Last year it was CareWell Health [Medical Center] in my district, this year it’s Heights Hospital. How many more hospitals are in this situation and does the Department of Health have the proper fiscal oversight to make sure we don’t see more of these,” Venezia asked. CareWell Health in East Orange, which came close to closure last year, is one of several hospitals being closely watched by a Health Department financial monitor, Washington said. The Department of Health was unable to say exactly how many hospitals are under watch Thursday. “There are a number of areas, that have already been mentioned in this hearing, that have hospitals that are struggling financially. We continue to work alongside them. We have to re-imagine in some ways how we deliver health care, not just in Jersey but across this country,” Washington said. “Of course we can’t also solve for bad actors,” he added. The Health Department’s proposed budget — a total of $2.79 billion in state and federal funding — includes more than $655 million in formula aid for hospitals, among other supports. Lawmakers are in the process of reviewing Sherrill’s $60.7 billion spending plan and crafting a final version they must adopt before the new fiscal year begins July 1. Assemblyman Avi Schnall (D-Ocean) urged Washington to consider investing more in other providers, like low-cost government health clinics and urgent care centers, which might be less costly. He said financial pressures will likely force other hospitals out of business. “I shudder to think, if we wouldn’t have that hospital, to transport patients to the next closest hospital would be the difference between life and death,” Schnall said of RWJ Barnabas’ Monmouth Medical Center’s Southern Ocean Campus, in his hometown of Lakewood. “You are hitting on a hard reality for all of us. Our health care system needs transformation as a whole. For far too long we have focused on a piece of a complex puzzle, without focus on the overall picture,” Washington said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Next round of federal rural health grants to promote fitness, community gardens Interim Health and Human Services Director Pat Traynor, from left, Gov. Kelly Armstrong and first lady Kjersti Armstrong lead state employees on a walk at the Capitol on April 1, 2026. Federal rural health grant dollars are available to support walking programs and other wellness initiatives. (Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor)North Dakota schools, local governments and organizations can apply for a combined $3.6 million in grant money now available through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. The money, meant to help rural and tribal communities, will go toward three different grants: $2.6 million for walking programs, $700,000 for before-school physical education classes and $300,000 for community gardens. The $2.6 million will support up to 20 walking programs in communities across the state to improve residents’ physical and mental wellbeing, according to the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. Interim Health and Human Services Commissioner Pat Traynor said the agency wants community leaders to head up eight-week walking challenges. The agency will provide training for successful applicants to help them design their programs, he said. “Walking is one of the best exercises,” Traynor said. “We hope it becomes commonplace.” The grant is open to organizations including local government groups — like cities, towns, park districts and public health entities — as well as health care facilities and nonprofits. Awards will be between $25,000 and $125,000, according to the agency. Another $700,000 is available for middle schools and high schools to hold 30-45 minute aerobic exercise classes in the morning before school starts. Example activities listed by the agency include jogging, kickboxing and pilates. The Department of Health and Human Services said in documents announcing the grant that before-school exercise programs make students healthier and improve their focus for the rest of the day. Awards will be between $10,000 to $70,000. The last $300,000 is earmarked to support public gardens, with the goal of giving rural and tribal communities better access to healthy, local produce. For example, a school could create a garden as an avenue to teach students science and healthy eating, the agency wrote in an information packet about the grant. Other groups, like local government entities, faith communities and nonprofits can also apply. The state expects to give 10 awards each totaling about $30,000. For each grant, money can go toward expenses including staffing, training, purchasing equipment, marketing the program and more. Proposals will be scored on factors including the long-term sustainability of the project, how much it will help rural communities and whether the programs’ success can be adequately measured. All applications have to be approved by both the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The window to apply for the three grants ends May 22. First federal rural health grants available in North Dakota aim to boost hospital workforce The agency will host conference calls for those with questions about the grants in early May. For more information, visit the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program website. The $3.6 million comes from the $17.1 million the state has set aside to promote healthy lifestyles for its first year of Rural Health Transformation Program funding. More grants — including in the areas of behavioral health, funding for housing for students pursuing health care degrees and medical equipment for essential health care services — are expected to become available before May, Traynor said. North Dakota’s first grant opportunity under the Rural Health Transformation Program, which made $10 million available to help critical access hospitals retain workers, opened in March. That came out of a larger pot of about $32.2 million in Rural Health Transformation Program money the state plans to dedicate to workforce issues this year. As of Tuesday, one facility had applied for the first grant, Traynor said. Another 63 applications had been opened, he said. After April 30, the grant will be open to not just critical access hospitals, but other organizations, too. North Dakota has been authorized for $199 million for the first year of the Rural Health Transformation Program. The state plans to give out most of that money in the form of grants. The state has just a handful of months to process and approve applications for the 2026 round of funding. North Dakota is required by federal law to commit the money by the end of October and spend it within the following year. North Dakota lawmakers in January convened for a three-day special session to create a budget for the program, which then was submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for final review. Courtesy of North Dakota Monitor
	Trains and Planes This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Several times a day, airplanes descend over Rock Island, riding the wind down toward the airport, one or two hundred…
	'Self-aware' robots can learn complex tasks by watching humans. Is that a good thing? Scientists say they've made a key breakthrough that would allow robots to figure out complex tasks on their own — but experts say it raises questions about how much risk comes with letting robots be in charge of their own learning.
	Local governments race to attract data centers, often in spite of concerns from their constituents Marvell data center is one of eight newly approved data center campuses in Culpeper County. (Photo by Evan Visconti/Virginia Mercury).Data centers — proposed beside town centers, on generational farmlands, in view of cemeteries and next to Civil War battlegrounds across Virginia — are testing local governments’ ability to regulate industrial land use. Concurrently, the digital facilities are tripling energy demands in Dominion Energy’s portion of the grid, resulting in the transformation of large swaths of land not only for the construction of data centers, but also for the massive infrastructure overhaul that is required to supply them with enough power and water to operate. Localities have tools at their disposal to control some of the harms associated with data centers, like noise and pollution coming from air conditioners and backup generators at their facilities, the strain on power and water resources, and proper zoning challenges. When enacted, those regulations can make data centers an investment that actually benefits communities, said economist João Ferreira, acting director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center. But research has shown local governments can be tempted to give up some of those regulations in order to attract the huge increase in local tax revenues the industry can provide. This “race to the bottom” is a problem because “data centers will locate in the places that are more financially convenient for them,” Ferreira said. As more information about the operation of data centers becomes publicly available, communities are sounding the alarm on an industry that stands to have a far greater impact beyond the walls of its warehouses. Some environmental advocates and land preservationists in Virginia, including the Piedmont Environmental Council, are now pushing for a pause or a moratorium on new data center proposals. Virginia has “three to one more data centers than any place in the world,” said Christopher Miller, president of the Piedmont Environmental Council, and if we want to move forward with the ones already approved, “we have a lot of work to do.” But Ferreira warned that “pushing data centers to places where regulations are less relevant or strict doesn’t seem like a good outcome of all this.” As the backbone to modern artificial intelligence and technology, data centers will not stop building if Virginia or the United States forces them out, experts say. “It will continue,” Ferreira said, adding that local communities in Virginia can still benefit from data centers with the proper regulations and oversight in place. No data center developers who were contacted for this story responded to requests for comment. A vast footprint When you take into account the infrastructure needed to supply data centers with enough electricity and water to operate, the total land required can be 100 times the size of the footprints of the buildings themselves, “which are already pretty big,” said Miller. The Piedmont Environmental Council created a map of data centers in Virginia in the absence of any such overview from the state, showing an estimated 370 million square feet of existing and proposed data centers. Dominion Energy is processing applications to add 70 gigawatts of electricity to the grid, largely to supply new data centers at a level of growth they called “unprecedented” in an application submitted to the Virginia State Corporation Commission earlier this year. The proposals would nearly triple Dominion’s all-time peak energy load, which experts say will require enormous additions to the energy infrastructure, “at costs that will be in the billions of dollars,” said Mark Christie, director of the Center for Energy Law and Policy at William & Mary Law School. “Ultimately the General Assembly must decide such major policy issues as whether to continue tax subsidies for data centers and whether to allow or incent more generation to be built in Virginia,” Christie said. State budget negotiations are stalled over the Senate’s pitch to end data centers’ controversial exemption from the sales and use tax, which provided $928 million in tax savings to data centers in 2023. House lawmakers and Gov. Abigail Spanberger are working to preserve the exemption but also make data centers pay their fair share in terms of energy consumption. Without a comprehensive statewide plan for the growth of data centers, land preservationists and community advocates are scrambling to make sure they are sited properly, a battle often played out in courtrooms and at highly contentious local rezoning hearings. Historic battlefields The American Battlefield Trust has joined local landowners in suing two counties in Virginia over rezoning land for data centers beside preserved Civil War battlefields, claiming the localities did not follow proper zoning procedures. A view of the Confederate trenches dug during the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness. (Photo by Evan Visconti/Virginia Mercury) The Virginia Court of Appeals struck down a rezoning in Prince William County in March that would have permitted the development of the largest proposed data center campus in the world, the Prince William Digital Gateway. Va. Court of Appeals stops major data center development in Prince William County The rezoned land was adjacent to the Manassas National Battlefield Park, which commemorates the battles of First and Second Manassas, or Bull Run. The Prince William County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on April 7 directing the county attorney and outside legal counsel not to file a petition for appeal for the two Digital Gateway rezoning lawsuits, said Nicole Brown, the director of communications for the county, marking a major win for local landowners and the American Battlefield Trust. A map of the proposed Digital Gateway data center complex in Prince William County. (Photo courtesy of the American Battlefield Trust) Developers for the Digital Gateway project had plans to construct 37 data center buildings, about the size of 144 Walmart Supercenters, with a power demand roughly equivalent to over two million homes and no plans for generating it, according to the American Battlefield Trust. “You had a local government rushing to make a final decision without knowing answers to these questions,” said Miller, who warned against “catastrophic” impacts to the land, the watershed and the power grid if data centers are not sited properly. Ashley Studholme, executive director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance, said she recognizes that data centers are part of our modern reality. “We have YouTube, we have websites, we have cell phones,” she said, but there is still a need for “accountability and transparency.” “We have this wealth of National Parks and protected land,” said Studholme, “and they were being targeted by this industry, and our elected officials were seemingly allowing them to do that.” In a similar case, the American Battlefield Trust and local landowners sued to stop the Wilderness Crossing development in Orange County, a plan to build residential housing and commercial developments bordered by a large data center complex, over a “lack of transparency and adherence to proper legal process during Orange County’s zoning vote,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust. A map of the proposed Wilderness Crossing development in Orange County beside the Wilderness Battlefield. (Photo courtesy of the American Battlefield Trust) Being the site of 28,000 casualties and the first battle where Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee squared off, Duncan said, “we would hope these types of developments could be moved to a place where they are not so visually intrusive on these key parts of our national history.” An aerial view of the preserved Wilderness Battlefield in Orange County. (Photo by Evan Visconti/Virginia Mercury) An Orange County Circuit Court judge is currently considering a motion by the county to advance the case to the higher court of appeals before it reaches a circuit court trial. Farmland to town centers In Brandy Station, a small farming town in Culpeper County, two data center proposals met resistance from a community that said they threatened one of Virginia’s newest state parks, the Culpeper Battlefields State Park, established in 2024 to protect several battlefield sites, including one where North America’s largest cavalry battle played out. “Why would we want to see that industrialized when we just made this huge investment?” said Sarah Parmelee, the Piedmont Environmental Council’s land use field representative for Culpeper County. The Battle of Brandy Station took place on June 9, 1863 and was the largest cavalry battle ever to occur in North America. (Photo by Evan Visconti/Virginia Mercury) After the county planning commission unanimously recommended denying the proposal, the data center applicant withdrew the plan. The “crowd swell of resistance” led to most new data center proposals being approved in the Culpeper Tech Zone, which was limited to an area beside the town of Culpeper, said Parmelee. But concerned Culpeper town residents quickly created the Coalition to Save Culpeper to advocate for mitigating impacts like noise, air pollution, a lack of energy and water as well visible changes to their town’s landscape. A map of built, approved and pending data centers around the town of Culpeper and a proposed transmission line to fuel them. (Map courtesy of the Piedmont Environmental Council) The town of Culpeper also has its own Civil War history that local residents have fought to protect, representing a “very personal issue” to those who question “putting big, noisy warehouse buildings so closeby” to a national cemetery, said Andrew Dowdy, a member of the Coalition to Save Culpeper. Those concerns have been largely ignored by town officials, said Dowdy, who has resorted to submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to find more details about the developments. The Copper Ridge data center development site is located on the hill in view just behind the Culpeper National Cemetery. (Photo by Evan Visconti/Virginia Mercury) Dowdy said emails between town planners uncovered private coordination with data center developers outside of usual public forums. The chairman of the town planning commission even questioned this “unprecedented access” in an email obtained by FOIA requests. Research by University of Mary Washington professor Eric Bonds and his students found evidence that non-disclosure agreements are commonly signed between localities in Virginia and data center developers, allowing projects to move forward with little to no public participation. As the public learns more about data centers, some politicians are beginning to feel “backlash” from voters who disapprove of signing non-disclosure agreements or approving data centers without involving the community, said Ferreira. Data centers take 18 to 24 months to be built on average, according to Ferreira, but enacting policies that mitigate their impacts on local communities and the environment is a much longer process. “Unfortunately in the current framework at the local or the state level, (it) can take years,” Ferreira said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	Stopping overdoses is only the first step: Virginia must build what comes next Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems offers office-based addiction treatment, which pairs counseling with medication used to treat substance use disorders.(Courtesy of SVCHS)Southwest Virginia has become euphemistic for America’s opioid crisis, the backdrop of Netflix documentaries and the setting of stories like “Demon Copperhead.” For more than a decade, the region has carried some of the highest overdose rates in the commonwealth, with the fewest treatment resources to meet that need — roughly 19 treatment beds per 100,000 residents in Virginia, compared to nearly 100 in neighboring West Virginia. That imbalance is starting to shift. Dickenson County’s new Wildwood Recovery Center will soon add 112 treatment beds in a region that has long faced severe shortages. At the same time, Virginia is set to receive more than $1 billion in opioid settlement funding over the coming years, with more than $100 million already awarded through the Opioid Abatement Authority to localities and state agencies. This is a rare alignment of urgency, resources and political will. It is also a test: whether Virginia will stop at saving lives in the short term, or build a system that makes recovery last. Nearly seven years ago, I was the person others might have counted out. Addiction nearly claimed my life, and recovery did not happen because of a single intervention. It happened because I found something much harder to build and far easier to overlook: an access to a continuum of support comprising treatment, community, accountability, housing and, eventually, purpose. In other words, recovery is not a single turning point after someone “hits bottom.” It is a long process made possible by what researchers call recovery capital – the personal, social and community resources that allow someone to rebuild and sustain their life. And that is where Virginia’s approach is still falling short. Even as overdose deaths begin to decline in the commonwealth, too many Virginians leave treatment without the supports necessary to sustain recovery. In Southwest Virginia, workforce participation hovers roughly 30 percentage points below the statewide average, while geography, workforce shortages and limited infrastructure compound the challenge. Individuals stabilize in treatment, often across state lines, only to return to the same conditions that made recovery difficult in the first place. Too often, the consequences are fatal. For context, more than 2,400 individuals died of overdoses – an average of seven Virginians each day – in 2023, according to the most recent data from the VDH. That is not just a service gap. It is a systems design problem, and at the center of it is a surprisingly technical, but deeply consequential issue: licensure. Virginia’s current behavioral health licensing structure generally requires providers to obtain separate licenses for each level of care. For organizations trying to build a full continuum – from residential treatment to outpatient services and recovery housing – that means navigating multiple applications, duplicative requirements and sequential delays. In some cases, those delays are not about safety or quality, but process. Providers describe waiting weeks for approval over minor errors that could be resolved in minutes, only to restart the process and wait again. Meanwhile, facilities sit idle, staff remain on payroll and communities wait for services to open. For large systems, that is inefficient. For small, rural and nonprofit providers, it is often a barrier to entry altogether. The result is a system organized around administrative categories instead of the lived reality of recovery, where timing can mean the difference between life and death. There is a better way. Virginia should move toward bundled, entity-level licensure with standardized service endorsements, allowing qualified providers to operate multiple levels of care under one regulatory framework rather than starting from scratch each time they expand. Importantly, this reform is within reach. Because licensure is governed by regulation, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services can modernize the framework through rulemaking, with direction and support from the General Assembly and coordination with the Department of Medical Assistance Services. Opioid settlement funds can support implementation, including technical assistance for providers and equitable rollout in high-need regions. Other states offer a clear proof point. Kentucky has spent decades building integrated recovery-to-work systems that connect treatment, housing, employment and long-term support. The results are striking: completion rates approaching 80%, sustained recovery rates near 75% at 18 months and more than $2 in public savings for every dollar invested. Virginia already has elements of this model at the community level, including The Healing Place in Richmond, which pairs no-cost residential treatment with peer support, transitional housing and workforce pathways. And yet, at the national level, policymakers are increasingly looking overseas for solutions. NPR recently highlighted interest from federal leadership in an Italian recovery model built around free treatment and integrated, step-down services. The irony is that similar models already exist here – in Richmond, across Appalachia and in communities nationwide that have built recovery ecosystems from the ground up. Licensure reform is the most immediate lever to make that possible at scale. It should be paired with practical supports, such as a state-backed licensure navigator to help providers move through the system, much like economic development projects are guided from concept to completion. Done right, these changes would do more than streamline bureaucracy. They would make it possible for more providers to enter the market, for more services to be delivered locally and for more Virginians to move from treatment into stable, productive lives. In communities that have borne both economic decline and the highest burden of addiction, that matters far beyond health outcomes. Expanding recovery infrastructure means expanding workforce participation, stabilizing families and strengthening local economies. Virginia has made real progress in reducing overdose deaths and expanding access to treatment. But stopping overdoses is only the first step. Without structural reform, we risk building a system that saves lives in the moment without giving people a real chance to rebuild them. Policy cannot create recovery on its own. But it can create the conditions in which recovery is far more likely to endure — and far more widely accessible, regardless of geography. Virginia has already invested in responding to addiction. Now it can become a national model for what sustained recovery can look like when policy, funding and community are aligned to build what comes next. This commentary is based on a year-long policy analysis conducted in partnership with the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	Will Virginia be the final mid-decade redistricting battle and more state headlines The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • “Will Virginia be the final mid-decade redistricting battle?” — Brookings • “Republicans pressure Ron DeSantis to redistrict in Florida after Virginia Democrats’ win.” — CNN • “Virginia Beach judge sides with businesses, stops all-ages Oceanfront curfew.” — WAVY • “Gas prices continue dropping in Virginia, but still remain on high end.” — WRIC • “Member One-Virginia Credit Union merger creates bank account issues.” — WDBJ7 SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	Court ruling limiting adult gender-affirming Medicaid coverage could have national impacts Transgender rights supporters and opponents rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court as the high court hears arguments in a case on transgender health rights in December 2024 in Washington, D.C. An appeals court ruling in light of that case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, upheld West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for adult gender-affirming surgery. Experts say it could have broad implications. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)A U.S. appeals court ruling last month that upheld West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for adult gender-affirming surgeries could embolden other states seeking to impose similar restrictions. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in March overturned a lower court decision in Anderson v. Crouch that had reversed West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for adult gender-affirming surgeries. The lower court ruled that the ban was discriminatory. The decision came after the Supreme Court last year upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth in U.S. v. Skrmetti. The court then vacated several lower courts’ rulings and handed back cases — including West Virginia’s — for reconsideration in light of the high court’s opinion in the Tennessee case. In response, the new West Virginia ruling extends the Supreme Court’s reasoning to the state’s ban on Medicaid coverage for adult gender-affirming surgery. The judges wrote West Virginia’s policy applies only to certain procedures, contending that it doesn’t target certain people or a protected status such as sex. In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge appeals panel wrote, “(I)t is not irrational for a legislature to encourage citizens ‘to appreciate their sex’ and not ‘become disdainful of their sex’ by refusing to fund experimental procedures that may have the opposite effect.” The panel added, “The Supreme Court’s decision in Skrmetti forecloses any argument to the contrary.” The plaintiffs have filed a request for a rehearing by a full panel. Providing care to people that aligns with their gender identity has been associated with overall better well-being and mental health, some research shows. Gender-affirming care includes a range of services, including hormone replacement, chest and genital removal or augmentation, and facial surgeries. Experts say that while the West Virginia ruling technically sets a precedent only for 4th Circuit states, it could embolden and influence other states that are aiming to impose similar restrictions on public funds for gender-affirming treatments for adults. It also aligns with the slew of federal directives issued by President Donald Trump, including his order that federal agencies only recognize a biological, binary definition of sex. Many medical treatments could be affected by Supreme Court transgender ruling “This gives states leeway to enact laws that would potentially restrict access to gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults,” said Elana Redfield, federal policy director at the Williams Institute, a think tank at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. “It could encourage states to adopt more, broader bans, including Medicaid bans, even for adults.” An estimated 152,000 transgender adults are enrolled in Medicaid, but less than half live in states that guarantee coverage for gender-affirming care, according to the Williams Institute. About 29% of LGBTQ+ people live in states that exclude coverage, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank that also tracks legislation. Carmel Shachar, assistant clinical professor of law and faculty director of Harvard Law School’s Health Law and Policy Clinic, called Anderson v. Crouch “a significant early case in the post-Skrmetti landscape.” “(The ruling) is definitely influential,” she added, saying it’s “a sign of which way the wind is blowing right now when it comes to state policies.” At least seven other states have faced lawsuits over banning or limiting insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, Reuters reported. According to the Movement Advancement Project, a think tank that supports LGBTQ+ rights, 27 states explicitly include gender-affirming care in Medicaid coverage policies, and 11 states explicitly ban Medicaid funds from use for gender-affirming care for people of all ages. Oklahoma is aiming to join that list. Republicans there are advancing legislation that would prohibit Medicaid funds from covering adult gender-affirming care. The bill would also bar public money from being used by any organization or individual to pay for gender transition. It passed the Senate last month and a House oversight committee 11-2 last week. During a floor debate this month, Oklahoma state Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, a Democrat, asked the bill’s sponsor directly whether privately covered adults who get care in public hospitals would lose access to care. “That’s a grave concern,” said Pogemiller, who added that she’s received that question from constituents. “Fair point. I don’t have an answer for you,” replied Republican state Rep. Erick Harris, a cosponsor of the bill. Pogemiller also cited a 2022 national survey by The Trevor Project, which provides suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth, that found 55% of Oklahoma transgender and nonbinary youth had seriously considered suicide in the previous year. The research on whether gender-affirming care prevents suicides in children or adults is inconclusive. “Are you concerned with legislation like this leading to an increase in youth and adult suicide?” she asked. “I am concerned about public funds being used for things that they shouldn’t be used for,” Harris said. “That’s what I’m concerned about.” ‘Medical conscience’ bills would let providers refuse more health care Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, said the ruling in the West Virginia case could lead to more discrimination. “It invites states to come up with creative ways to discriminate against other groups of people and disguise it as just regulation of medical care,” Minter said. “It’s dangerous when the law and the courts refuse to recognize that type of blatant discrimination.” Hailey Briggs is the executive director of Oklahomans For Equality, which serves LGBTQ+ communities in the state, running support groups and an LGBTQ+-affirming clinic that offers hormone replacement therapy. She said the bill is triggering more fear in the community. Since the start of this year’s legislative session, the clinic has seen between four and six new patients each week, some driving from hours away, as well as an uptick in mental health care service calls. “This entire legislative session in particular has been just absolutely brutal for folks,” she said. The bill is “not a narrow policy change,” Briggs continued. “We do see this as really a sweeping attempt to push essential health care out of reach for a lot of folks.” The organization anticipates a surge in patients and insurance denials should the bill be signed into law, since the clinic isn’t federally or state funded and offers low-cost care. “We work to supplement for folks who don’t have insurance or are underinsured,” Briggs said. “They are going to be turned away from their trusted providers in state-funded institutions.” Texas is one of the states that bans Medicaid coverage for such care for people of all ages. Andrea Segovia, senior field and policy director at the Transgender Education Network of Texas, said there’s an ongoing “chilling effect” as a result of such policies. Her team is increasingly hearing of insurance denials, she said. Landmark cases on transgender athletes at the US Supreme Court put trans rights on the line “They’re seen as cosmetics. They’re seen as not necessary,” Segovia said of some medical procedures. “Somebody will email us and say, ‘I lost my coverage,’ or ‘I got this letter from my insurance.’” Shachar, of Harvard Law School, said the 4th Circuit ruling may make denying coverage easier. “Private insurers would still be free to cover these services, even if Medicaid doesn’t cover them. But I think an insurer who doesn’t want to cover these services might feel a little more comfortable after this case,” Shachar said. “It definitely opens the doors there for insurers to (say), ‘Medicaid’s not covering it, we don’t want to cover it.’” An opinion by Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton last month barred mental health care providers from assisting in transitioning youth’s care, and he said anyone helping with such care is “committing child abuse.” But now, even adults have told Segovia’s team that their mental health therapists are dropping them as patients. “There have been multiple people — adults — who have lost their mental health care provider because (the providers are) concerned that the attorney general would come after them and their license,” Segovia said. “It’s just created a lot of confusion for our professionals.” Stateline reporter Nada Hassanein can be reached at nhassanein@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
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Friday, April 24th, 2026