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

Friday, September 25th, 2026
	Showery couple of days Scattered showers are likely across the Quad Cities into the weekend. Temperatures will continue to run below average for late September. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Netanyahu rages against critics, including Mamdani, at UNGA Middle East crises in focus as UN General Assembly hears from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Yemen.
	Netanyahu rages against critics, including Mamdani, at the U.N. General Assembly Middle East crises in focus as UN General Assembly hears from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Yemen.
	Fill in the blank in the quiz: Trump's says his triumphal arch will include _____ Plus: It's a very special week! But which one?
	Mom! Mom! MOM! 3 ways to stay calm in stressful parenting moments Parenthood can be overwhelming. A therapist and mom of three shares techniques to help calibrate your emotions — so you can show up better for yourself and your family.
	Trump's state dinner for Xi features sea bass and a long list of tech titans A tech-heavy guest list, the fashion choices of those on it, who sat where and what was on the menu marked the softer — often and glitzier — details of diplomacy as Donald Trump threw a Thursday night state dinner honoring China's leader Xi Jinping.
	Man shot during 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died James Copenhaver, one of three campaign rally attendees shot in 2024 during an assassination attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump, has died in Pittsburgh, his lawyer said Thursday. He was 76.
Thursday, September 24th, 2026
	Ed Lamp This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Ed Lamp is 97 years old. He still lives by himself in one of a cluster of small homes and cottages along the Rock…
	Fundraiser set up for victim of fatal LeClaire crash Moriah Rosa was killed in the crash, and her three children were critically injured.
	Iowa City schools devastated after loss of student and teacher on Lake Macbride The school community will wear black and yellow on Friday in honor of the victims.
	Popular Astronomy Club celebrates 90 years of exploring the skies The Quad Cities club invites you out to its next public observation night on Oct. 3 in Rock Island's Longview Park.
	High diesel prices pressuring school bus budgets in the Quad Cities Rising diesel prices are putting pressure on school districts that operate their own buses, while one district says another fuel source is helping control costs.
	MetroLINK celebrates addition of electric vehicle charging stations in the QCA Because of increased need in the Quad Cities, MetroLINK has opened new electric car charging stations in Moline and East Moline in 2026. MetroLINK has more similar projects planned for 2027, all part of an effort to embrace new technology. "Just to utilize all the new technology that is coming out," said Jennifer Hirsch, chief [...]
	Cook review: 'Resident Evil' is enjoyable horror regardless of whether you're a gamer This is the most fun you'll ever have at a movie inspired by a video game. This is far from the original "Resident Evil" franchise. I had a great time, and although I noticed a couple of obvious nods to video games I had no way of knowing what Easter Eggs I missed that players [...]
	‘Tone deaf’: Rep. Moore backs Sen. Curtis’ call to investigate Trump Jr. gift from Russian oligarch Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, speaks during a forum hosted by the Sutherland Institute at the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics in Salt Lake City on Sept. 24, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)Utah Rep. Blake Moore said on Thursday that he “absolutely agrees” with Sen. John Curtis’ call to investigate Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish, private-island wedding after-party that was bankrolled by a Russian oligarch with ties to President Vladimir Putin. “Maybe one of the most tone-deaf things I’ve ever seen,” Moore said, “to take money from a Russian oligarch for a wedding.” Moore’s comment about Curtis’ calls came in response to a question near the end of a speaking event in front of students at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, hosted by the Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank based in Utah. Moore is currently running to stay in Congress. In the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, he’s slated to compete for Utah’s new 2nd Congressional District against four other candidates — Democrat Peter Crosby, Libertarian Daniel Cottam, Independent American Carlton Bowen and unaffiliated candidate Robert Moesinger. Students listen as Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, speaks during a forum hosted by the Sutherland Institute at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics in Salt Lake City on Sept. 24, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) Curtis earlier this week issued a letter to leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, asking them to “launch an investigation into the use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit, preferential treatment, or access by domestic and foreign interests.” A toaster is a wedding gift. A private-island party paid for by a Putin-connected oligarch is something else. Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now. ‘Trust us’ was not enough then, and it is not enough now. — Senator John Curtis (@SenJohnCurtis) September 22, 2026 In the letter, Curtis urged the committee to subpoena both Trump Jr., and Hunter Biden “to testify regarding their past business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts, or other benefits they have received, and any instances in which their relationship to the President was invoked or understood to provide value.” Curtis noted that Hunter Biden “conducted substantial business with foreign entities, including interests in China and Ukraine,” while his father, former President Joe Biden, was in the White House. Hunter Biden has previously been investigated, but Curtis said “congressional testimony has produced conflicting accounts about the extent to which his father’s name, presence, or political stature played a role in those relationships.” While Hunter Biden has denied involving his father in his business dealings, Curtis wrote “there is little question that President Biden’s decades in public office gave his son a degree of access, name recognition, and influence that materially enhanced his value in business dealings and opened doors that otherwise may have remained closed.” In a social media post that included a copy of the letter, Curtis wrote that “Republicans nearly wore out the subpoena machine investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign relationships. We should not unplug it now.” Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, speaks during a forum hosted by the Sutherland Institute at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics in Salt Lake City on Sept. 24, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) Curtis’ calls to also investigate Trump Jr. came after ProPublica reported earlier this month that Umar Kremlev, the Russian oligarch close to Putin, attended the wedding and “footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding expenses.” Last week, President Trump said his son would pay back Kremlev while also defending the payments as “very common” and “totally allowed,” The New York Times reported. Moore said Thursday he was “really involved in the Hunter Biden stuff” as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has oversight of the IRS, while Hunter Biden was investigated for tax evasion. In 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to federal tax charges. Later that year, President Biden pardoned his son. Moore, however, made a distinction between Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden. “So there’s a difference between evading taxes, that’s a criminal penalty, versus taking a gift that’s going to be an ethical decision at some point,” Moore said. “But I absolutely agree to look into anything.” Moore reiterated that “it’s just tone deaf, and it’s just not the type of stuff that we need to, you know, be dealing with right now.” “I appreciate that they gave the money back, but why in the world is there not somebody advising them?” Moore said. “Like … this is going to be a bad look, if nothing else, other than highly, highly unethical.” It’s unclear what will come of Curtis’ calls to investigate, if anything. Congressional Republicans are split on whether to back his subpoena requests, and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee haven’t committed to opening an investigation, the Deseret News reported Wednesday. Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, mingles after a forum hosted by the Sutherland Institute at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics in Salt Lake City on Sept. 24, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Utah News Dispatch
	Judge accepts plea deal of woman who operated Davenport massage parlor A Scott County judge has accepted the plea deal of a woman who operated a Davenport massage parlor where police said illicit activity in the form of prostitution took place.
	Gov. Sherrill seeks Lt. Gov. Caldwell’s resignation over alleged ethics violations A new report alleges that Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell violated ethics rules by making crass remarks to women who worked for him and by seeking a promotion for a state worker he was dating. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Gov. Mikie Sherrill called for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign Thursday evening after an outside investigation found he had committed sexual harassment, sought promotions for a state employee he was dating, and brought uninvited guests to ticketed events without payment or reimbursement. The 61-page report says the 66-year-old former Centenary University president made sexual comments to a staffer after being rebuffed by her friend and continued to violate ethics rules despite repeated trainings on workplace conduct. It also says he continued to seek a promotion for his romantic partner even after having been admonished for doing so. “The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office. I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so,” Sherrill said in a statement Thursday evening. It’s not clear what force lies behind her ultimatum. Caldwell, who is also secretary of state, was elected and can only be removed from the lieutenant governorship if he resigns or is impeached with a two-thirds supermajority in the state Senate. Caldwell denied many of the allegations and his attorneys disputed the report’s findings in a statement Thursday. “We firmly disagree with the three findings,” Thomas Calcagni, one of his attorneys, said in a statement. “Dr. Caldwell believes that a fair review of the complete record will show that the conclusions reached in the report go far beyond what the evidence establishes.” Caldwell was elected in November along with Sherrill. Both are Democrats. New Jersey Republicans have been calling for Sherrill to be more transparent about the investigation into Caldwell. Assemblyman John DiMaio, the Republican leader of the Assembly, criticized the governor for “dropping a report after business hours on a Thursday night.” “Now that the investigation is complete, she owes the public answers in real time. What did she know about the warnings to Caldwell, when did she know it, and why was he allowed to remain in office while this dragged on?” DiMaio said in a statement. “The governor should have stood before the press tonight and answered every question. Instead, she released a statement and left everyone else to sort through the wreckage. That is unacceptable. She needs to hold a full press conference tomorrow.” Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell speaks during his inauguration at New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Jan. 20, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor) Inappropriate comments The investigation into Caldwell by former New Jersey Attorney General Chris Porrino was prompted by an anonymous ethics complaint that alleged Caldwell brought uninvited female guests who were granted free entry to ticketed events because of his position and that he was “hitting on women at functions while traveling using taxpayer money.” It found the lieutenant governor flirted with a much younger friend of a female staffer, who shared an account of the incident with an official at a state agency. Later, Caldwell asked the staffer about the woman’s relationship status. After she told him her friend was uninterested, Caldwell said ambitious women needed a man to help them, “but you young women are looking for young sperm.” The staffer memorialized the statement with a timestamped photo of a nearby statue, the report says. A state trooper present in the vehicle where the exchange took place said he did not recall the remark but added he did not typically pay attention to conversations in the back seat, it says. Caldwell told investigators he asked for the woman’s phone number but denied making the remark about sperm. He said he did not recall bringing up the staffer’s friend in the car. Calcagni said there is no proof the comment was ever made. “The question is not simply whether investigators believed one person over another,” Calcagni said. “The question is whether the evidence actually proves that a violation occurred. In our view, the evidence does not support these findings.” Some staffers recounted other inappropriate comments, including one where the lieutenant governor, walking with a female staffer on either side, said having one on each arm made him look good. Caldwell denied that comment was about physical appearances and said he made similar comments to men. Numerous witnesses told investigators Caldwell was overheard saying he was looking for a “first lady,” and a senior staffer in the lieutenant governor’s office said he asked her to find him one. Caldwell was “pushy” when she refused, the senior staffer told investigators. “These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration. The ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings,” Sherrill said. Caldwell told investigators the remark was not serious, the report says. A portion of an investigative report that alleges Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell made a crass remark to a female subordinate. Ethics violations The investigation found Caldwell in an email sought a promotion for a state worker he was dating who worked within a different executive department. Officials told him the woman would not be promoted and warned him of how his request could be perceived. He made a verbal request for her promotion to a separate official in the department. Caldwell did not initially disclose their relationship on either occasion, the report says, though one of his staffers informed other officials of their relationship. Caldwell told investigators he regularly forwarded resumes people sent to him and did not direct anyone to hire them. The conduct would only rise to the level of an ethics violation if he insisted on their hiring, Caldwell said, according to the report. “There is a difference between failing to disclose a personal relationship when forwarding the resume of a qualified job applicant and actually using the power of public office to secure a job or financial benefit for someone,” Calcagni said. Investigators said the behavior violated ethics rules that bar state officers from being involved, in their official capacity, with any matter relating to a person they are dating. “These rules do not turn on whether the LG’s request was framed as a demand, as they prohibit any attempt to use one’s official position to benefit a romantic partner,” the report says. The woman was not promoted and no longer works in state government. Investigators also identified seven ticketed events to which Caldwell brought at least one uninvited guest. Those included, among others, a show at the State Opera of New Jersey in Trenton, a Crossroads Theater Company event in New Brunswick, and a Rowan University Rosa Parks Scholarship Luncheon in Glassboro. Ticket prices for the events ranged between $65 and $300, the report says. Caldwell provided one $175 reimbursement for a friend who attended a 250th Anniversary event at Morven Museum & Garden in Princeton. He told investigators he did not fully understand the rules and denied that bringing guests constituted wrongdoing. Caldwell received ethics training upon taking office and again in February, according to the report. “We firmly disagree with the three findings,” Mr. Calcagni said. “Dr. Caldwell believes that a fair review of the complete record will show that the conclusions reached in the report go far beyond what the evidence establishes,” Calcagni said. Witnesses said he continued to bring uninvited guests despite a senior staffer’s urging he give advance warning so his team could provide reimbursement where necessary. What’s next Sherrill cannot unilaterally remove Caldwell from the lieutenant governorship, but his position as secretary of state may be less secure. Though New Jersey secretaries of state typically serve terms concurrent with the governor’s, a 2003 Office of Legislative Services legal opinion opined that the governor could remove a secretary of state or attorney general for cause. Those cabinet posts enjoy enhanced job protections, and some legal scholars have disputed that legal opinion, which predates the amendments to the New Jersey Constitution that created the lieutenant governorship. “In my Administration, we are committed to doing what is right, not what is politically expedient. The Lieutenant Governor’s resignation is necessary and in the best interest of New Jersey residents,” Sherrill said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Iowa Medicaid fraud unit reports 37 convictions, calls for more use of False Claims Act The head of Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit said his team secured 37 fraud convictions and recovered $3.9 million during the previous fiscal year, but said more could be done.
	Celebrate 4 years of The Eclectic Market! Help celebrate fours years of The Eclectic Market! The Eclectic Market features offerings from curated vendors from all over the region as they offer vintage/upcycled clothing and accessories, handmade jewelry, art, plants, apothecary, whimsy and delight, all while shopping local. Check out DJ Ramiro the Haj laying down the soundtrack for the market and so [...]
	Questions raised over possible misuse of Flock camera data by Whiteside County sheriff's deputy After an inquiry from the Washington Post, the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office is holding an internal investigation, and the deputy involved is on leave.
	Botanical Center, Rock Island, will present first Market in the Gardens The Quad City Botanical Center will have its first Market in the Gardens from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, a news release says. A collaboration with Made Market, the event will feature a curated mix of local makers, art, clothing, candles, pantry staples and more. This event is free for Botanical Center and FunBundle [...]
	Area high schools honored for outstanding financial aid application rates Dozens of Central Illinois high schools went above and beyond when it comes to financial support for students who want college to be their next stop after graduation.
	Beatification Mass for Blessed Fulton J. Sheen Thursday, Sept. 24 marks the Beatification Mass for Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Join 25News starting at noon for special coverage celebrating the life and legacy of Fulton Sheen.
	ISP highlights safety checks across Illinois The Illinois State Police is urging parents and caregivers to check their children's car seats during Child Passenger Safety Week.
	Henry Co., Illinois, Coroner identifies woman who died after crash near Galva The crash was reported near Illinois Route 34 and 1850 East in rural Galva.
	TV6 Investigates: Metro Flock cameras logging millions of vehicles a month In a recent 30-day period, Bettendorf’s cameras logged more than 10.3 million vehicle detections, according to data obtained by TV6 Investigates.
	The Heart of the Story: Historic hunting dogs Our Quad Cities News is partnering with award-winning journalist Gary Metivier for The Heart of the Story. Each week, Gary showcases inspiring stories of everyday people doing cool stuff, enjoying their hobbies, and living life to the fullest. Stories that feature the best of the human condition. Come along as friends and family gather to [...]
	East Moline Public Library debuts Electric vehicle chargers MetroLINK said the level three chargers can add between 100 and 250 miles of range to an electric vehicle in about 30 to 45 minutes.
	Quad Cities nonprofit Lead(h)er celebrates 10 years of empowering women Lead(h)er pairs local mentors and mentees for professional development and community. You can celebrate with them at this year's Fuel the Fire Gala on Oct. 8.
	Whiteside County Animal Control director files defamation suit over social media comments The animal control's attorney said social media comments over the decision to euthanize a dog went too far.
	Bettendorf YMCA honors Dolly Parton Bettendorf YMCA hosted a Dolly Parton party, honoring the musician's life.
	Whiteside County sheriff expects more Flock audits after possible misuse The Whiteside County sheriff says an investigation into a deputy’s possible misuse of the Flock camera system could lead to increased auditing of the technology by his department and other law enforcement agencies.
	Popular Astronomy Club of the Quad Cities celebrating 90 years of space exploration The group hosts several events each month to share the world of astronomy with its members and the public. It even has a mobile observatory.
	Davenport City Council will appoint new council member The city of Davenport says it will appoint a new Ward 2 council member.
	Lawsuit filed against 2 women who allegedly made false claims against Whiteside Co. Animal Control director A defamation lawsuit have been filed against two Whiteside County women who allegedly made false claims about the county’s Animal Control director.
	Suspect involved in Cedar Rapids officer-involved shooting has died, DCI says Video shared with KCRG captured the gunshots Tuesday afternoon.
	Veteran carries golf clubs across Iowa to start conversations about mental health For the retired U.S. Army Ranger, the clubs are a way to connect with fellow veterans along the route.
	Restore hope for QCA families in need at Habitat for Humanity's Build a Dream Fundraiser You can help Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities' mission to build and renovate homes, revitalize our community and restore hope for families in need. Cassandra Erwin joined Our Quad Cities News with all the details on the Build a Dream Fundraiser. For more information, click here.
	Quad Cities nonprofit Lead(h)er to host annual gala, Girl on Fire Awards The 2026 Fuel the Fire Gala will take place on Thursday, Oct. 8, at Old Oaks Winery. Lead(h)er provides professional guidance, connection and more for local women.
	Henry Dinkins, man who killed Breasia Terrell, seeking jury trial in 2003 case The man who murdered Breasia Terrell has waived his right to a speedy trial and demanded a jury trial at a hearing Thursday.
	Colona Fire Department awarded $30,000 FEMA grant Fire officials said the funding will be used to purchase gear for each firefighter, as well as funding tuition for the Chief Fire Official Program Certification.
	Crime Stoppers: Tools worth $6,500 stolen from trailer at elementary school A white man with a green bike was seen walking behind Ridgewood Elementary School around 4 a.m. on Aug. 26, police said.
	Crime Stoppers: Woman wanted by Scott Co. Sheriff for sex offender registration violations Sherry Y. Gray is wanted by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for sex offender registration violations.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Scott Co. Sheriff for sex offender registration violations Michael A. Nelson is wanted by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for sex offender registration violations.
	Electric vehicle chargers installed at East Moline Public Library MetroLINK said the level three chargers can add between 100 and 250 miles of range to an electric vehicle in about 30 to 45 minutes.
	Davenport accepting applications for Council vacancy Davenport is looking for someone to fill a vacancy on the City Council. The Council is proceeding to fill the Ward 2 vacancy by appointment, pursuant to Iowa Code § 372.13(2)(a). Anyone who is interested in being appointed to the vacant Ward 2 seat must submit a letter of interest and résumé, together with any [...]
	Henry Dinkins, man who killed Breasia Terrell, demands jury trial in 2003 sexual abuse case The man who murdered Breasia Terrell has waived his right to a speedy trial and demanded a jury trial at a hearing Thursday.
	Ice cream, baked potatoes and hot rods: Here's Dani's Weekend Rundown for Sept. 24-27 If you like beautiful cars, ice cream and baked potatoes, these fundraising events are definitely for you.
	Colona Fire Department awarded $30,000 from FEMA Fire officials said the funding will be used to purchase gear for each firefighter, as well as funding tuition for the Chief Fire Official Program Certification.
	Could you survive The Oregon Trail? An emergency medicine doctor offers tips on how to not die in the great outdoors If you grew up in the United States in the 1980s or ’90s, chances are you remember The Oregon Trail. For many like me, it was our first computer game and our first introduction to wilderness survival. We hunted buffalo, forded rivers, broke wagon wheels and, of course, learned about dysentery years before Google even existed, all while hoping our group would make it to Oregon City alive. Lately, the game has found a second life. Nostalgic social media posts, memes and updated versions of the game have introduced The Oregon Trail to a new generation while reminding millennials just how unforgiving that grainy computer screen journey could be. As a physician who specializes in emergency and wilderness medicine, I started thinking about how much of what the game taught me about surviving in the wilderness still applies today. After all, modern hikers and campers have access to tools the pioneers could never have imagined. Surprisingly, I’d argue that more lessons from The Oregon Trail hold up than you might think. Clean water is crucial The Oregon Trail game made dysentery famous for an entire generation. Fortunately, advances in sanitation, hand hygiene and antibiotics have made large outbreaks like those that wagon trains and military camps experienced much less common, at least in the United States. That doesn’t mean gastrointestinal illnesses have disappeared. Traveler’s diarrhea and cholera are still an important cause of illness around the world. Untreated water, poor hand hygiene and contaminated food can still derail any trip. Simple habits such as purifying drinking water, washing hands before meals and after using the bathroom, and practicing good camp hygiene remain some of the easiest ways to stay healthy outdoors. Boiling is the most reliable way to purify your water. Veronika Lunina/iStock via Getty Images via The Conversation Water purification is important with wilderness travel in the United States and in many areas of the world. There are many easy and cost-effective ways to purify water, such as boiling, filtration and treating with chemical disinfectants. Each method has its benefits and downsides. Boiling is often the most accessible method. While it can kill bacteria, viruses and parasites, it will not remove water contaminants such as heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, or industrial contamination such as pesticides. Consider boiling your water for at least one to three minutes, depending on your altitude, to purify it. Water filtration is an easy option for backpackers but is less effective at removing viruses. If you’re unable to boil your water, another way to ensure water safety is to filter it, then use another method to disinfect it. Respect all waterways You may no longer have to ford the river with oxen, but rivers, lakes and other bodies of water present unique hazards that outdoor adventure enthusiasts can overlook. Moving water can be more dangerous than people realize. Even the best swimmers can drown in rip currents. Cross bodies of water only when absolutely necessary. Avoid any water crossings after recent rainfall, as the water level often rises and the current can be faster and stronger. Submerged objects – rocks, fallen trees and other debris – as well as changing weather, flash flooding and strong currents can make crossing more dangerous. If possible, use a Coast Guard-approved life jacket when you’re crossing water or on a boat. Be ready to go the distance It’s not just a broken wagon axle that can send a trip sideways. One thing The Oregon Trail captured well is how distance changes everything. A sprained ankle in a city usually means an inconvenient trip home or to the doctor, but a sprained ankle 5 miles from the trailhead may mean that someone will need to carry you. The same is true for other common wilderness concerns, such as dehydration, heat illness, infections or even blisters. Preparation is about packing a first aid kit and thinking ahead. Ask yourself what you would do if your hike took twice as long as expected or if you unexpectedly had to spend the night outside. Research your route and carry more food and water than you think you’ll need. Check the weather and be prepared for it to change, with extra clothing and options for rain. It’s dangerous to go alone. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images via The Conversation No one tackled the Oregon Trail alone because it meant you would not survive. There is a lesson here in solo travel and solo mountaineering. Traveling alone means that a minor injury such as a sprained ankle could mean crawling to the trailhead to call for help or waiting until you are identified as missing. If you cannot find someone to travel with you, provide an itinerary and travel location to a trusted person. Make sure they know when you should be returning and plan to check in. If you do not return as expected, they can call for help. Respect the wildlife Large animals still pose a threat across the country. While there may be fewer bison than previously seen on the Oregon Trail, animals in nature deserve respect. No selfie is worth being attacked by a brown bear. If you see a dangerous wild animal, avoid approaching and immediately leave the area. Venomous snakes are present throughout much of the United States and continue to cause significant injury and death around the world. If someone is bitten, please don’t try to cut the wound or suck out the venom. Instead, keep the person calm, minimize unnecessary movement, and focus on getting them to professional medical care. Antivenom is available in many major hospitals in the United States. Even smaller and more docile animals such as deer and squirrels should not be fed. It is dangerous for an animal to get used to receiving food from humans. Additionally, animals carry diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis, that can be fatal to people. Don’t attempt to get close to any animals, no matter how calm or asleep the animal appears to be. Technology is a backup, not a plan One of the biggest differences between today’s outdoor adventures and those of the Oregon Trail is the ability to communicate. Cellphones, GPS apps and emergency beacons have made it possible to call for help from places that were once completely isolated. However, while those devices are incredibly valuable, they shouldn’t encourage you to take bigger risks, as help may be far away, slow to arrive, and injuries in the wilderness can be fatal. Travelers can use a smartphone with GPS capacity to avoid getting lost, but downloading any needed maps for offline use can help prevent lack of service from derailing your trip. Additionally, an unlocked smartphone that isn’t restricted to one carrier is a great way to store and communicate critical data, such as travel plans and copies of your medical history. Having an offline map is critical when going somewhere remote. Grant Ordelheide/Aurora Photos/Cavan via Getty Images via The Conversation Every environment has its own hazards The Oregon Trail travelers worried about river crossings, disease and harsh weather. Today’s hikers face different challenges depending on where they are. Desert hikers may struggle with extreme heat and dehydration. Mountain travelers face rapidly changing weather, lightning and high altitude. And coastal explorers can face problems such as riptides, waves, cliffs and unexpected rocky surfaces. Altitude illness is often unpredictable and can sneak up on you. Most people experience acute mountain sickness within 24 hours of ascent, developing symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea or problems with sleep. Any confusion, difficulty walking, shortness of breath or coughing up significant phlegm should prompt an immediate descent. There are commonly used prescription medications to help prevent and treat altitude illness. The mountain will always be waiting for your next attempt. Some lessons survive every software update Part of what made The Oregon Trail game memorable is that every decision mattered. Success often depended less on luck than on planning ahead, and that lesson still applies. When people ask me what one emergency medicine skill everyone should know before heading outdoors, my answer is usually preparation. Thoughtful planning prevents far more emergencies than any single piece of equipment. For people who spend a lot of time outdoors, I also recommend taking a wilderness first aid course. These courses teach practical skills to provide medical care in a wilderness environment. Nature is no less powerful or unforgiving than it was on the Oregon Trail, and treating it with respect is essential. Combining advances in modern medicine with thoughtful preparation helps stack the odds in your favor so that, just as every Oregon Trail player hoped, everyone in the party makes it to the end. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Elaine Reno, University of Colorado Anschutz Read more: Summertime can be germy: A microbiologist explains how to avoid getting sick at the barbecue, in the pool or on the trail Cyclosporiasis sickens some people worse – why your diarrhea could be more explosive than others Hiking canyons can be dangerous when storms hit – what you need to know to stay safe Elaine Reno receives funding from the National Science Foundation through Battelle for consultant work. She provides medical oversight for a remote research outpost in the Arctic circle called Summit Station.
	New faster electric vehicle charging stations debut in East Moline Many people gathered Thursday morning, Sept. 24, to celebrate a ribbon-cutting for two new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at East Moline Public Library, 745 16th Ave., East Moline.
	Illinois announces LIHEAP application for utility bill assistance Applications for the program will open Oct. 1 and will remain open through Aug. 13, 2027, or until funds are exhausted.
	In one of their last votes before November, Senate GOP blocks effort to end Iran war The vote on a war powers resolution introduced by Democrats came at a moment when some Republicans have begun to distance themselves from President Trump over the ongoing conflict.
	CDC’s latest youth behavior report offers a narrower look at teen health Students leave William H. Wells Community High School at the end of the school day in Chicago. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest national survey of high school students focuses on diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior and mental health. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)For more than 35 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has surveyed American high school students every two years about their health and behavior. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, established in 1991, draws a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 at public and private schools. Over the years, it has tracked a broad range of issues affecting teenagers, from substance use and sexual behavior to violence, mental health and other health risks. But the CDC’s latest national report, a full-color publication with photos, graphics and high school success stories, offers a markedly different portrait of adolescent health than the one it published two years ago. The 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey report focuses on five areas — diet, physical activity, sleep, digital behavior, and mental health and suicide risk — while largely leaving out national findings on substance use, sexual behavior, violence and disparities among student groups that were prominent in previous reports. Meta to pay 47 states up to $17.1B in landmark child safety settlement The underlying survey data on the CDC’s website still contains many of those measures, including trends in alcohol and drug use, and sexual activity, but they are not part of the national report’s key findings. The shift comes as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration have made preventing childhood chronic disease and promoting nutrition, physical activity and other health behaviors central to their “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, agenda. Kennedy also chairs the presidential MAHA Commission, which has focused on the root causes of childhood chronic disease. The 2025 report is also substantially shorter than the CDC’s previous national Youth Risk Behavior Survey report. It runs 36 pages, including the title page, table of contents and references, compared with 88 pages for the 2023 report, which also included some technical notes, references and appendices. Dr. Jennifer Shuford, CDC’s deputy director and chief medical officer, touted changes in student attitudes toward nutrition, physical activity and mental health. “These are meaningful improvements, and they show that progress is possible when schools, families, and communities work together to support young people,” she said in a news release. “At the same time, too many students are still struggling with daily health behaviors that can negatively affect their long-term health,” Shuford said. A focus on health and wellness The 2025 report provides a snapshot of high school students’ health in 2025 and compares changes over the previous two and 10 years. Its five focus areas reflect behaviors and experiences the CDC says affect adolescent health now and into adulthood. Some of the findings are encouraging. Thirty-nine percent of high school students said they ate fruit daily in 2025, up from 33% in 2023 and 34% in 2015. Sixty-three percent ate vegetables daily, compared with 58% in 2023 and 61% in 2015. The share who said they drank plain water at least three times a day rose to 58% in 2025, up from 56% in 2021 and 49% in 2015, while daily soda consumption fell to 17% from 20% in 2015. State lawmakers embrace RFK Jr.’s health policies The share of students who played on a sports team also increased, reaching 58% in 2025 compared with 52% in 2023 and 49% in 2021. Several measures of mental health and suicide risk improved as well. The share of students who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness fell to 33% in 2025, from 40% in 2023 and 42% in 2021. It was 30% in 2015. The share who seriously considered attempting suicide fell from 22% in 2021 to 14% in 2025, while the share who made a suicide plan fell from a high of 18% in 2021 to 12% in 2025. Female students continued to report higher rates of mental health and suicide risk than male students. In 2025, 43% of female students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, compared with 24% of male students. But the report also shows that several measures of youth health have worsened over the longer term. Just 25% of high school students were physically active for at least 60 minutes a day in 2025, unchanged from 2023 and down from 27% in 2015. Twenty-four percent got at least eight hours of sleep on an average school night, compared with 27% in 2015. Daily breakfast consumption fell from 36% in 2015 to 27% in 2025. The report also found long-term declines in daily physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and daily physical education. About 36% of students said they used social media every hour or more in 2025, little changed from 37% in 2023. A different look at adolescent health The latest report’s focus marks a significant change from the CDC’s 2023 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey report. That report, published during the Biden administration and as the country was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, was organized around sexual behavior, substance use, experiences of violence, mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It also examined emerging issues including parental monitoring, social media use, racism in schools, unfair school discipline, school connectedness and unstable housing. Cities, towns nationwide revive teen curfews amid summer crowds The 2023 report included more student demographic data broken down by sex, race and ethnicity, and sexual and gender identity. For the first time, the national survey asked students whether they identified as transgender, and the report highlighted disparities affecting LGBTQ+ students and marginalized racial and ethnic groups. The 2025 report does not mention LGBTQ+ students or sexual and gender identity. It also provides fewer detailed demographic comparisons. The CDC says the new report includes only selected statistically significant demographic differences, while the underlying survey data remain available through the agency’s data system. The new public-facing report does not mean the CDC stopped collecting underlying information about many of the issues featured in previous youth risk behavior reports. The agency continues to make the national dataset available publicly, including demographic information, through its online data tools. Instead, the change is in how the CDC presents the findings nationally. That produces a different portrait of the nation’s high school students — one that captures some notable improvements while giving considerably less attention to several categories of health and risk that have been prominent in the CDC’s national youth surveillance reports for years. Declines in substance use For example, the decline in teen substance use that has unfolded over decades is absent from this year’s report, despite the 2025 data showing alcohol and marijuana use at or near historic lows. About 20% of high school students reported current alcohol use in 2025, down from 22% in 2023 and nearly 52% in 1995. Current marijuana use also fell to about 13% in 2025, from 17% in 2023, while the share who had ever used marijuana dropped to about 25% in 2025 from 42% in 1995. The share of students who had ever used other illicit drugs, including cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, ecstasy or hallucinogens, was 9.7% in 2025, essentially unchanged from 9.9% in 2023 and about 13% in 2015. Vaping also continued its long-term decline. Current e-cigarette or vape use fell to 16% in 2025 from a high of nearly 33% in 2019. The share of students who had ever used these products also fell to 30% in 2025 from about 34% in 2023 and about 45% in 2015. Sexual activity and school violence The new report also gives little attention to several measures that have long been part of the CDC’s youth survey, including sexual activity and violence at school. The share of high school students who reported being currently sexually active fell to about 19% in 2025, down from nearly 21% in 2023 and nearly 40% in 1995. Other measures show longer-term declines but less consistent changes. The share of students who reported carrying a weapon on school property fell to about 3% in 2025, from more than 4% in 2023 and almost 10% in 1995. The share who said they had been threatened or injured with a weapon, such as a gun or knife, at school was about 8% in 2025, compared with 9% in 2023 and about 8% in 1995. Bullying on school property was reported by 19.7% of students in 2025, roughly unchanged from 19.2% in 2023 and about 20% in 2015. Reported bullying hit a low of 15% in 2021. Stateline reporter Amanda Watford can be reached at awatford@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
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	1 in 5 people may have this hidden genetic stroke risk Most American adults get their cholesterol tested regularly. But a lesser-known marker called lipoprotein(a) can expose the cardiovascular risk hiding behind an otherwise normal cholesterol panel — and most doctors don’t test for it.A landmark 2026 analysis of data from three National Institutes of Health trials shows the value of taking an lp(a) test:1 in 5 people have elevated lipoprotein(a) levelsPeople with high Lp(a) levels have a 64% higher risk of strokePeople with high Lp(a) levels have a 49% higher risk of cardiovascular deathDespite these risks, fewer than 1% of people in the U.S. have ever been tested for high lipoprotein(a). Standard cholesterol panels don’t include it, and because your genes largely determine your level, even the healthiest, fittest, cleanest eaters may be affected and not know it.“This gives us a real opportunity to intervene early,” says Abid Husain, M.D., a cardiologist and integrative medicine physician at the Boulder Longevity Institute and Hone Health’s head of heart health. “A patient who knows that their Lp(a) is dangerously high can work with their physician to aggressively manage every other risk factor — and that could be the difference between a stroke at 55 and never having one at all."What is Lp(a)?Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), is a particle that carries cholesterol through your bloodstream. It resembles LDL (“bad” cholesterol) but has an additional protein called apolipoprotein(a), or apo(a), attached to its surface that’s especially “sticky,” making the particle more prone to latching onto artery linings and contributing to plaque buildup. It may also interfere with the body’s ability to dissolve blood clots, which raises stroke risk, says Husain.What does it mean if your lipoprotein(a) is high?Lp(a), levels of which are largely determined by variants in the LPA gene, can trigger inflammation inside the arteries, creating a vicious cycle: Lp(a) contributes to plaque buildup and inflammation, which further damages artery walls and makes it easier for Lp(a) to stick to them. Over time, this cycle may raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, aortic stenosis (narrowing of the heart's main valve) and peripheral artery disease (reduced blood flow to the limbs).Husain compares cholesterol to wood and inflammation to the fire that heightens heart risk. “If cholesterol is the wood and inflammation is the fire, Lp(a) is the gasoline poured over top,” he says. “It can make an already troublesome situation worse.” Hone Health What is a dangerously high lipoprotein(a) Level?While the American College of Cardiology considers Lp(a) to be elevated around ≥125 nmol/L, the 2026 NIH analysis shows increased stroke and cardiac death risk in those with levels of ≥175 nmol/L.Getting an Lp(a) test might help you understand heart risk earlier in life and can inform how aggressively you need to manage the lifestyle factors you can control.“Lp(a) tends to be a risk amplifier,” Husain says. “If someone has metabolic syndrome, obesity, high triglycerides, or insulin resistance, for example, Lp(a) can have a much more profound effect on their health outcomes.”What Does a Lipoprotein(a) Test Measure?Standard lipid panels measure LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides, providing a snapshot of how much fat is circulating in your bloodstream. An Lp(a) test can help you understand your odds of developing cardiovascular disease. A higher Lp(a) score means the LPA gene has programmed your body to produce more of the Lp(a) particle — and the more you have, the greater your risk.Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke, which is why you can have otherwise healthy-looking cholesterol levels and still be at risk.Leading medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, now recommend that every adult get an Lp(a) test at least once. But that guidance is relatively new: The National Lipid Association didn’t start recommending universal testing till 2024, and Lp(a) still isn’t routinely included in standard cholesterol screening.Why don't doctors test for lipoprotein(a)?Part of the reason doctors don’t test Lp(a), Husain says, is that there’s no FDA-approved treatment that directly lowers your levels, so many physicians see limited value in testing for it. "Practitioners and patients are left thinking there’s nothing that can be done," he says. "That couldn't be further from the truth." Husain views any Lp(a) level above 125 nmol/L as a signal to set more aggressive targets for LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Hone Health What is the Best Way to Treat High Lipoprotein(a)?If a patient scores high on an Lp(a) test and already shows signs of plaque buildup in the arteries, Husain says most physicians turn to statins. "By dropping the overall LDL number, fewer Lp(a) particles get exposed to the circulatory system," he explains.PCSK9 inhibitorsDoctors may also consider PCSK9 inhibitors, medications that lower LDL more sharply by slowing activity of PCSK9, a protein in the liver. These drugs may also modestly reduce Lp(a); one analysis found an average reduction of just under 18%.Hormone therapyHormone therapy may offer some benefit for certain patients with high Lp(a). Research shows that estrogen-based hormone therapy can reduce Lp(a) levels in women — one study found a 25% reduction in women with diabetes — though evidence in men remains limited. For patients with low hormone levels, it’s worth discussing cardiovascular risk with a physician who understands both hormonal and metabolic health.New treatmentsResearchers are working to develop more targeted treatments. Lepodisiran, currently in Phase 3 trials, reduced Lp(a) levels by as much as 94% in early testing. Whether that translates into fewer cardiovascular events is still an open question, however. That’s a cautionary note from a separate drug, pelacarsen, which substantially lowered Lp(a) but failed to reduce cardiovascular events in its own Phase 3 trial. Both results illustrate that lowering Lp(a) on paper and reducing real-world risk are not yet the same thing.How do I reduce lipoprotein(a) naturally?Unfortunately, it’s impossible to reduce Lp(a) naturally. However, lifestyle measures — regular exercise, a heart-healthy diet, sufficient sleep, weight management, and avoiding tobacco — can reduce the overall cardiovascular burden surrounding it.Until the standard cholesterol panel is amended to include Lp(a), Husain recommends asking your physician to order an Lp(a) test and discussing whether a broader cardiovascular panel makes sense given your medical history, family history, and existing risk factors.This story was produced by Hone Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	RFK Jr.'s ethics filing reveals book deals worth millions of dollars Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s annual financial disclosure revealed he has received two lucrative book advances and free flights from a friend while in office.
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	Find healthcare jobs at MercyOne Walk In Wednesday event MercyOne is hosting a ‘Walk-In Wednesday’ in-person hiring event on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 2 to 4 p.m. at MercyOne Genesis Silvis Medical Center, 801 Illini Drive in Silvis. Click here for more information. The walk-in hiring event makes it easier for job seekers and MercyOne to find the right fit. Applicants may have the [...]
	Undetected A-fib can lead to strokes, expert warns amid growing health concern Atrial fibrillation often goes unnoticed, risking stroke if untreated, but doctors emphasize regular checkups for early detection of this common heart condition.
	Emergency fund vs. paying off debt: Which comes first? After paying your bill and making your minimum debt payments every month, you’ve got a limited amount of money left and two things competing for it. Save that money in an emergency fund, and you’re building protection while your balances keep accruing interest. Put it toward extra payments on your debt, and you’re making real progress — right up until the car needs a repair and you’re back putting expenses on the card.It’s a genuinely difficult question, and there are strong arguments for both approaches. Beyond Finance walks through how to work out which approach will be most helpful to your situation.The case for paying off debt firstThe argument here is purely mathematical, and on its own terms it’s hard to beat.Money in a savings account (with a good APY rate) can potentially earn you something. Money owed on a credit card costs you considerably more. If your savings account pays 4% and your card charges 22%, then every dollar you park in savings instead of putting toward the balance costs you the difference. Over a large balance and a long time, that gap is substantial.Some people take this a step further and treat available room on a credit card as their emergency backstop — the reasoning being that if the money’s there when they need it, they can put everything toward the balance in the meantime.It’s worth being clear about the limits of that. It only works if the room is actually there, and for anyone carrying balances close to their limit, it isn’t. That’s easy to lose track of when you’ve been using the card regularly — the available credit has always been there, until the month it isn’t. Limits also get reduced, sometimes without much warning, and usually at the moment your balances are highest.And even when the room exists, it’s an expensive way to handle a crisis: you’d be borrowing at a high rate precisely when you can least afford it, which is how a manageable emergency turns into a larger balance. It isn’t a substitute for having something set aside.The case for saving firstThe problem with the math argument is that it assumes nothing goes wrong while you execute it. In practice, something can and sometimes does.If you have no savings and you’re putting every spare dollar toward your balance, then the first unexpected expense — the tire, the deductible, the appliance — goes onto the card. You’ve now borrowed to cover it, at the same high rate you were trying to escape. Your balance is back up, and the progress you made is gone. Do that a few times and the debt never really moves, which is exactly the experience that makes people conclude payoff plans don’t work for them.A cushion breaks that cycle. It doesn’t have to be large — it has to be enough that ordinary surprises don’t require borrowing.There’s also the part the math can’t price. Carrying high-interest debt with nothing set aside is a genuinely stressful way to live, and financial stress makes decisions worse. If having a few hundred dollars in reserve is what lets you stop bracing for the next thing, that has real value even if a spreadsheet says the money would work harder against your balance.The answer most approaches land onGiven both arguments, the widely-used sequence is a compromise:1. Build a small starter fund first. Roughly $500 to $1,000, depending on what your typical surprise expenses look like. This is the amount that keeps ordinary problems off your credit card, and it’s small enough that you’re not delaying your debt payoff by long.2. Then attack the debt with everything extra. Once the cushion exists, high-interest debt is the best use of your money — better than growing the fund further, because the rate you’re paying almost certainly exceeds what savings would earn.3. Then build the full fund. After the expensive debt is cleared, redirect what you were paying toward the three-to-six-month target.This sequence works because it front-loads the protection you need to make a payoff plan survivable, without spending years building a full fund while an expensive balance grows.When to adjust the sequenceThe standard order fits most situations. Three things would push you off it.Your interest rate is low. The whole case for prioritizing debt rests on the rate being high. If you’re carrying something at 5% or 6% — some student loans, some auto loans, a mortgage — the math argument mostly evaporates, and building savings alongside steady debt payments is reasonable. The rate is the variable that matters most here.Your income is unstable. If your work is seasonal, commission-based, or otherwise unpredictable, a bigger cushion earns its keep, because your risk isn’t only a surprise expense — it’s a thin month. That shifts the calculation enough that it deserves separate handling.Your job feels precarious. If an upcoming layoff is a real possibility, savings become more valuable than optimized interest, because a larger cushion is what keeps a job loss from becoming a debt spiral. Cash you’re holding is flexible; a paid-down balance isn’t something you can spend on rent.If neither one is possible right nowThere’s a version of this question that no sequencing framework answers, and it’s worth addressing directly: What if there isn’t any money above your minimums to allocate in the first place?That’s a common place to be, and it isn’t a discipline problem. When required payments consume everything, deciding how to split the surplus is a moot exercise — there is no surplus. What that usually signals is a debt load bigger than monthly budgeting can resolve — a different problem, and one with its own set of answers.Those answers work differently from anything on this page. Instead of changing how you divide what’s left over each month, they address the debt itself — what you owe, and how long you’re carrying it. The sequence that works for most people is to build a small fund, then tackle debt, then build a full fund — because a cushion is what makes a payoff plan survive contact with real life, and after that the interest rate makes debt the better use of every extra dollar. Adjust it if your rate is low, your income is unpredictable, or your job feels shaky. And if you can’t find money for either one, that’s information about the size of the debt rather than a verdict on your effort.Frequently Asked QuestionsShould I pay off debt or save money first?Most approaches favor a small starter fund of roughly $500 to $1,000 first, then directing everything extra at high-interest debt, then building the full three-to-six-month fund once the expensive debt is gone. The reason for that order is that with no cushion at all, the next surprise expense goes onto a credit card anyway — so you’d be borrowing at a high rate to cover it while trying to pay the same debt down.Is it better to save or pay off debt with high interest rates?Once you have a small cushion in place, high-interest debt is almost always the better use of extra money, because the rate you’re paying exceeds what a savings account earns. The gap between a 22% card and a 4% savings account is money lost every month you delay. The exception is the starter fund itself, which is worth building first even at that cost.How much should I save before paying off debt?Enough to keep ordinary surprises off your credit card — commonly in the $500 to $1,000 range, depending on your circumstances. A useful test is to think about the most likely unexpected expense you’d face and whether you could cover it without borrowing. Beyond that starter amount, extra money generally does more against high-interest debt.Should I use my emergency fund to pay off debt?Usually not, if it would leave you with nothing set aside. Draining your cushion to reduce a balance often ends with the balance rebuilt after the next unexpected expense, and you’d have lost the protection in the meantime. If your fund is well beyond what your situation calls for, using some of the excess against expensive debt can make sense — but keeping a working cushion generally matters more.This story was produced by Beyond Finance and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Americans are relocating less than ever, but still frustrated by packing The state of the nation's moving trucks tell two stories these days: First, there are fewer of them in use, and second, most are headed in the same direction.Americans are moving their place of residence at the lowest rate since recordkeeping began in 1948. But the folks still on the go pour into Texas, Florida, and the Southeast. Counties in five Southern states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas — have increasingly topped domestic migration rankings since 2021, according to the Census Bureau.Closets by Design, a custom storage company with locations across the U.S. and Canada, examined how U.S. residents are moving less frequently and how Americans find packing all their belongings to be the most frustrating part of relocating.Only about 11% of U.S. residents changed homes in 2024, the lowest share on record, according to a Point2Homes analysis of census data. A decade ago it was around 14%, while in the 1960s it was closer to 20%.Housing costs explain much of the drop. Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies found the 2024 decline was driven by 320,000 fewer homeowners moving, "disincentivized by high interest rates and home prices," wrote senior research analyst Riordan Frost. Without fundamental changes in the housing market, he added, "lower household mobility will become entrenched.""The sharp decline in geographical mobility is the single most important social change of the past half century," wrote Yoni Appelbaum, deputy executive editor of The Atlantic and author of “Stuck,” a book about why Americans have stopped moving.Still, a smaller share of a very large country is an enormous number of moving trucks. Tens of millions of Americans relocated last year, and the destinations are concentrated. U-Haul's Growth Index, compiled from more than 2.5 million one-way rental transactions, ranked Texas the top growth state of 2025, followed by Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee."We continue to find that life circumstances — marriage, children, a death in the family, college, jobs and other events — dictate the need for most moves," John "J.T." Taylor, president of U-Haul International, said in a released statement.For those households, the drive may be the easy part. In Duck Brand's 2025 State of Moving survey, more than two-thirds of Americans said they would rather do almost anything else than pack, including jury duty or a root canal. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported damage from poor-quality moving supplies along the way."While the financial strain is a large piece of the moving puzzle, what's interesting is that 1 in 4 people still say packing everything up is the most frustrating part of moving," Heather Hammond, a senior manager at Duck Brand, said in a statement.Expert organizers say the solution to unpacking is to do it by daily function instead of box by box."I always recommend tackling the kitchen first," said Olivia Parks, owner of Professional Organizer New Orleans, in a guide to unpacking after a move. "It's usually the toughest, but it makes the whole space feel more like home once it's done."Bedrooms and bathrooms come next, and the home office has climbed higher on the list as hybrid work schedules have settled in for good. “The Pandora's box of working from home has been opened,” Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom told Fortune. “Many firms are now permanently adopting hybrid for professionals and managers." Once the necessities are set, the garage is last. Not much that lives there is needed every day, with the possible exception of your car (if it actually fits).Decisions made in those first weeks tend to stick, and putting them off can get pricey, from renting a unit for the overflow to making duplicate purchases of things you own but cannot find. Storage is a cost most households have started to weigh against everything else."When affordability becomes the most-selected feature, it suggests many consumers are now treating storage as a discretionary expense that must compete with other household costs," Doug Ressler, business intelligence manager at Yardi Matrix, told StorageCafe. An analysis of survey data about storage renters from StorageCafe found 30% of renters and 20% of homeowners cite relocation as the reason they rent extra space for their stuff.So save some money and get unpacked as soon as possible by following what unpacking guides call the touch-it-once rule: Put any item where it’s going to live the first time you pick it up, instead of setting it down to deal with later. Setting it down only makes the work drag on, because eventually, you’ll have to pick it up again.For the millions headed to states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee this year, the rule is simple: The move doesn’t end when the truck is empty, but when the boxes are.This story was produced by Closets by Design and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	One dead in Henry County two-car crash One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash in rural Galva, according to a news release from the Henry County Sheriff’s Office. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a two-vehicle crash near Illinois Route 34 and 1850 East in rural Galva on Sept. 22 at about 5:48 p.m. Deputies and emergency [...]
	What's a personal loan, and how does it work? A personal loan allows you to borrow the money you need to handle a wide range of costs, such as a home renovation, unexpected trip to the veterinarian or a major car repair. But before you sign on the dotted line, review this explainer from OneMain Financial detailing what personal loans are and how they work so you can make the best choice for your financial situation. What is a personal loan?A personal loan is a lump sum of money that you repay in monthly installments with interest (the cost of borrowing). You may get a personal loan from a lender, bank or credit union. A personal loan can be used for almost anything, from handling a large one-time expense to managing ongoing household bills. Personal loans usually come with fixed interest rates, which means you can pay off your loan in predictable monthly payment amounts with a clear payoff date, as long as you pay on time, every time.Secured and unsecured personal loansSome lenders offer secured and unsecured personal loans to fit your goals and financial situation.A secured loan is backed by collateral, which is something valuable you possess, like a car or truck. With a secured loan, you might boost your borrowing power by qualifying for a lower interest rate or a higher loan amount than you would with an unsecured loan. Keep in mind that if you don’t pay back your loan, the lender can take possession of your collateral to recover the remaining amount owed.An unsecured loan doesn’t require collateral. Instead, lenders look more closely at factors like your credit history and income to decide if you qualify.How much can you borrow with a personal loan?The amount you can borrow with a personal loan can vary by lender, with some offering loan amounts from $1,500 to $30,000. Repayment terms vary, but they often range from two to five years.What can you use a personal loan for?You can use a personal loan for a wide variety of purposes, including:Emergency expensesDebt consolidationMoving costsCar repairsWeddings and major life eventsBooking vacationsHome repairs, renovations and maintenanceHousehold expenses and bills.Most lenders have some rules on how a personal loan can be used. For example, many lenders don’t offer personal loans for postsecondary educational expenses or business use. If you’re not sure whether you can use a personal loan for the expense you have in mind, ask your lender about its policies.How does a personal loan application work?As a first step, some lenders may allow you to check for prequalified offers to get an idea of the kind of loan you might be offered once you officially apply. Prequalification involves a soft credit check that doesn’t affect your credit score.You can usually apply for a personal loan online, by phone or in person. During the application process, you’ll provide certain details, such as your contact information and income information. The lender will perform a hard credit check, which may lower your credit score by a few points and could stay on your credit report for up to two years.If your application is approved, you’ll receive your funds, often via a debit card, direct deposit or a paper check. Depending on the method and lender, the time it takes to get your money may vary. In most cases, you can receive funds quickly, usually within a week.What fees are associated with personal loans?How much a lender charges in fees for a personal loan can vary, but these are some common types you might see:Origination fee: A one-time fee for processing an application and setting up the loan. This fee could either be a flat amount or a percentage of the loan amount.Late payment fee: A fee applied when a payment is made after it’s due. Some lenders won’t charge it until after a specified number of days after the due date. This fee can either be a flat amount, a percentage of your entire monthly payment amount or a percentage of the delinquent portion of your monthly payment amount.Nonsufficient funds (NSF) fee: A fee applied when a payment made by check or electronic Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit is returned due to insufficient funds. The amount varies depending on state law.Prepayment penalty: A fee some lenders charge if you pay off your full loan balance early. Each lender has their own way of calculating this type of fee — if they charge it at all.Lenders are required to be up front about their fees and terms so that you understand exactly when and why you might be charged a fee. Make sure you’re comfortable with these conditions before signing your loan agreement, and contact the lender directly if you have any questions.How do you repay a personal loan?Personal loans are typically repaid in monthly installments over a set term, often 2 to 5 years. Each payment is calculated based on the principal (the amount you borrowed) and interest for the agreed-upon term.Most personal loans have a fixed interest rate, meaning your interest rate will stay the same over the term of your loan — and so will your monthly payment, as long as you make your payments on time.Some lenders also offer personal loans with variable interest rates, meaning the interest rate fluctuates with the market, but fixed-rate loans are more common.Is a personal loan right for you?Everyone’s finances, goals and responsibilities look a little different, so it’s important to take a close look at your full financial picture. Before deciding whether to apply, think about how a monthly loan payment would fit into your budget and how deciding to borrow may impact your current financial goals.When it might make sense to apply for a personal loanIn some cases, a personal loan could offer a practical path forward. You might be ready to apply for a personal loan when:You’ve compared other borrowing options: You’ve determined that a personal loan is the best fit for your needs based on how you’re planning to use the funds and the amount of money you need.You have a repayment plan: You understand a personal loan’s repayment timeline and have a strategy to stay on track with monthly payments.You understand the total cost of borrowing: You’re clear on how interest and fees factor into personal loan payments.The loan fits your budget: You’ve estimated monthly payments and believe you can afford them.Get the funds you need with a personal loanNow that you know what a personal loan is and how they work, you can make a smart borrowing decision for your budget. If you’re still not certain whether a personal loan is the right fit for you, a personal loan calculator can help you estimate your monthly payments.This story was produced by OneMain Financial and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Performance management has a compensation problem The performance rating has to travel across the gap and become a pay decision — and that crossing is the most important moment in the entire cycle, yet the least engineered. Employees expect to carry out their job duties, meet the goals and objectives set for them, and demonstrate positive contributions to the organization. There is an expectation that employees will receive compensation for good performance.Only 14% of employees polled by Gallup agreed that performance reviews motivate them to improve. CEB (now part of Gartner) found that 95% of managers were not in support of the performance review processes at their firms, while 90% of HR professionals in the sampled firms thought that the performance review processes did not yield pertinent data. Betterworks' 2024 survey stated that 44% of the employees sampled rated their firms' performance management systems as failing, while only 12% of senior executives and HR professionals sampled responded the same way.Information derived from performance management will be utilized at some point in compensation management. Performance management may have a compensation issue, and compensation management may have a performance issue. Below, Decusoft examines the connection between the two processes and how the failure to manage performance and compensation may impact an organization.What is at riskTrustEmployees will evaluate the process based on their goals, their progress, the feedback they’ve received, and their accomplishments. If the compensation decision is unrelated to these elements, employees will assume the final performance rating is meaningless. Even if other factors come into play, if an employee's performance is depicted as an important factor in the merit process, then there should be some sort of relationship that is communicated to the employee.Budget accuracyIn many cases, ratings are clustered within a narrow range, providing compensation planners with little to no information to differentiate employees. This is a well-documented tendency known as central tendency and leniency bias, where research by Scullen, Mount, and Goff (2000) has found that an employee's actual performance can account for as little as 20% to 25% of the variance in their rating. Managers may also avoid giving low ratings due to the potential consequences, and calibration may also cluster employees at similar rating levels. If this is how ratings are communicated to compensation, the merit budget likely will be doled out more evenly than intended.CredibilityEmployees should not be expected to understand the intricacies of the compensation system, but they should be able to understand the relationship between the organization's goals, the employee's performance, the performance assessment, and the compensation decision. Other systems and processes may be involved in the rationale, and employees should be made aware of their existence and their influence on the compensation decision.Why fixing each side doesn’t fix the problemThis gap is an opportunity to improve the merit process. This may be done without the need for a large-scale performance management or compensation project. It may be helpful to focus on the interconnectivity of the two processes. While performance management and compensation may continue to have separate owners, systems and responsibilities, employees will continue to see them as connected.Managers are integral in this scenario, as they explain performance and compensation decisions to employees. A manager may be well prepared to discuss employee performance but have little information about the compensation decision. In this case, the separation between the two processes becomes evident to the employee during the discussion.What “one promise” looks like in practiceHaving separate owners for performance management and compensation is acceptable because the functions have different systems and a clear delineation of duties. Performance management and compensation should, in the employee's eyes, be integrated.The rating keeps its meaning in transitThe performance rating should reach the compensation process without losing the information and context attached to it. How many times is the performance rating manipulated (exported, imported, copied, or re-entered) before it is entered into the compensation system? Can the compensation planner see the information used to generate the performance rating, or only the final rating? Ventana Research found that only 38% of organizations are satisfied that their software meets their needs, with the firm’s CEO noting that spreadsheets still fill the gap in over half of organizations.Planners see the basis, not just the numberA final rating, in and of itself, is not very informative. Two employees may receive the same rating for different reasons. One may have performed consistently at a high level throughout the year, whereas the other may have performed poorly earlier in the year but improved significantly towards the end. It is vital that planners can see the detail behind the ratings.The manager can explain the whole processManagers don't need to be compensation specialists, but they should be able to explain the compensation decision to the extent that they can demonstrate their understanding of how the organization's different constraints (e.g., market position, salary range, internal equity, budget) influenced the outcome.The employee can trace the line themselvesEmployees need clear answers to several questions: How do the company's specific goals relate to my performance, to how that performance was assessed, and to the compensation decision that was made? When that connection is not obvious, employees will fill in the gaps with their own assumptions.The gap closesOrganizations have begun adopting continuous performance management because they recognize that performance occurs throughout the year and cannot be captured accurately by a single annual review. Yet the value of continuous performance management is lost when the information it gathers is not connected to compensation. Goals, feedback, and check-ins should not be reduced to a single rating; if they are, a great deal of information is lost when compensation decisions are made. This does not require a major change in an organization's performance management philosophy. The real difficulty lies in determining where performance information is expected to merge with compensation.How wide is the seam?There are a number of practical questions to ask about the connection between performance and compensation.How long after an employee performance rating is completed do you typically wait before using it to make compensation decisions?How many times is the performance rating manually exported, imported, copied, or re-entered before it is entered into the compensation system?Can the compensation planner see the information used to generate the performance rating, or only the final rating?Are managers given sufficient training to discuss compensation decisions, or is most of their training focused on performance evaluation?Would the employee be able to describe the compensation decision they received and how it was derived? Could the organization describe it?Uncomfortable answers to these questions may indicate the size of the gap between performance and compensation. For most organizations, this gap is an opportunity to improve the merit process. This may be done without the need for a large-scale performance management or compensation project. The owner of the improvement effort just has to be able to explain the interconnectivity to employees who rely on the process.This story was produced by Decusoft and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	'To me, it's still an honor' \| Group of female veterans reunites on Honor Flight Lisa Olson served in the United States Army from 1979 through 1996 in multiple roles before retiring from active service.
	How longevity is moving from a demographic trend to a financial priority Life expectancy in the U.S. reached a new record length in the most recently published data, with the overall average age of 79, six months longer than the previous peak. Increased longevity brings practical challenges, and people must plan more thoroughly for the costs of living beyond the average.There is also an element of uncertainty. While average life expectancies are useful for top-level calculations, they cannot account for the variables involved for individual people plotting out their retirement. Extended lifespans require personalized and thoughtful financial planning. Abacus Global Management The Reality of Early Exits and Financial ShocksRetirement planning can become more complicated when actual career timelines differ from expectations. Many workers intend to stay employed well into their late sixties to maximize their Social Security benefits and employer matching contributions. The reality forces a different schedule entirely.Recent data from the Society of Actuaries (SOA) reveals that 59% of retirees leave the workforce earlier than anticipated due to sudden caregiving obligations, health crises, or company downsizing. A premature exit halts the accumulation phase abruptly while simultaneously pulling forward the start of portfolio decumulation. When a person lives to be 95 but stops working at 61, the mathematical strain on their nest egg becomes severe.Financial Shocks Before Retirement: A Hidden ThreatPre-retirees are also facing unexpected hurdles before they even reach the finish line. The aforementioned SOA research found 29% of workers experience financial shocks that drain 10% or more of their accumulated savings right before they plan to retire. Recovering from a double-digit portfolio loss in a compressed timeframe requires careful structural planning.According to Abacus Global Management, a life settlement company, establishing a personalized lifespan estimate turns longevity from a vague guess into a definitive input for a comprehensive wealth plan. Planners must build buffers that absorb early shocks without jeopardizing the fundamental structure of the income strategy.Modern retirement models can address several core variables to prevent portfolio depletion. Specifically, they calculate the precise impact of inflation on purchasing power over three decades, segment assets into designated buckets for immediate income and long-term growth, and establish dynamic withdrawal rules that adjust to prevailing market conditions.Why Average Lifespans Don't Protect Your RetirementThe broader demographic trend of aging populations is forcing a collective rethink of what constitutes a safe withdrawal rate. The historical rule of 4% was designed for a 30-year retirement, but a healthy couple today will often see one partner survive well past the 35-year mark. Planning for an extended horizon requires more than just scaling up the initial savings target.Longevity risk acts as a threat multiplier for every other financial hazard in retirement. If a portfolio suffers poor returns in the early years of withdrawal, the longer lifespan virtually guarantees that the principal will be exhausted prematurely. Investors who underestimate these longevity trends, which a Retirement Income Institute report analyzing data from the TIAA Institute and GFLEC suggests make up 53% of the population, are significantly less likely to save adequately, directly risking their financial independence.Mitigating Sequence of Returns RiskSequence of returns risk means the order of investment returns matters as much as the average annualized return. A market downturn occurring in the first three years of retirement can heavily impact a portfolio, even if the subsequent decade produces massive gains.Advisors can combat this by implementing a cash reserve or short-term bond ladder to cover immediate living expenses. This prevents clients from being forced to sell equities at a loss during a recession. By giving the portfolio's growth engine time to recover, the total lifespan of the asset base is dramatically extended.How Dynamic Withdrawal Strategies WorkThe rigid nature of static withdrawal rates fails to accommodate the fluid reality of a long life. Taking a fixed percentage adjusted only for inflation ignores the underlying investments' actual performance. In years where the market drops significantly, a static withdrawal forces the investor to sell an outsized portion of their shares to generate the same dollar amount.Dynamic spending rules provide a mathematical solution to this problem. These strategies establish guardrails, stipulating that retirees should reduce their spending by a specific percentage if their portfolio drops below a certain threshold. Conversely, they allow for increased discretionary spending during periods of robust market growth.Implementing a dynamic withdrawal strategy requires discipline and a willingness to adjust lifestyle expectations on the fly. However, the trade-off is a mathematically sound approach that drastically reduces the risk of portfolio ruin over a 40-year horizon.Annuities as Longevity InsuranceFinancial institutions are recognizing that longevity literacy is a glaring gap for the average consumer. Gallup research indicates that 55% of non-retirees worry about outliving their savings, making the fear of outlasting money greater than the fear of death for many still in employment. The industry is responding by developing new products designed specifically to provide guaranteed lifetime income.Annuities are experiencing a renaissance as a tool for transferring longevity risk from the individual to an insurance company, with the category up 7% in 2025. Fixed indexed annuities and deferred income annuities offer a floor of guaranteed cash flow, which covers essential living expenses. The remainder of the portfolio can then be invested to outpace inflation and provide discretionary funds.The Role of Long-Term Care PlanningAnother critical component of an extended lifespan is the statistical probability of needing assisted living or in-home care. Many families discover too late that Medicare does not cover custodial care, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, or eating. Paying out of pocket for a private room in a nursing facility or hiring around-the-clock home health aides can drain hundreds of thousands of dollars in just a few short years.Integrating long-term care insurance or hybrid life policies into the overarching financial plan protects the core portfolio from these steep medical expenses. While premiums require budget adjustments, these policies provide leverage that helps ensure an unexpected health crisis does not derail the surviving spouse's future.Adapting Portfolios for Extended TimelinesAddressing the realities of an aging society requires moving beyond outdated formulas and static averages. A robust financial strategy treats longevity not as an anomaly, but as the baseline expectation.This story was produced by Abacus Global Management and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The family finance trend shifting attention from 'what it costs' to 'what it protects' Insurance protects household finances against worst-case scenarios. It's a backstop. Yet people shopping for quotes focus only on price.This approach has a major flaw. The policies families choose often don't deliver the protection they actually need. The coverage gap only becomes apparent when a claim arrives.How do you close it? Consumers need to reframe insurance priorities. Focus on what a policy protects, not its monthly cost. Data shows this shift is already happening—younger families are prioritizing protection over price. AccuQuote Considering Price Alone Will Not Protect Your FamilyLIMRA’s latest Insurance Barometer Study provides a comprehensive overview of the state of play and reveals the statistics and insights that underpin not only the coverage gap but also the trend of families looking at insurance in a new way. While 48% of adults in the U.S. still do not own life insurance, the bigger question hangs over whether those who do are adequately covered, and analysts conclude that in many cases, there’s a shortfall. In fact, 22 million people say their current coverage is lacking, meaning they need to rethink their policy choices.The coverage gap also operates along gender lines, with 41% of women saying they require life insurance, compared with 36% of men. In terms of what’s preventing people from closing the coverage gap themselves, 33% cite uncertainty over what type of insurance package to pick, and the same proportion says they’ve not yet had the chance to sign up for cover, even if they intend to.Cost is another bottleneck, although a common misconception among people without insurance, or with coverage they see as inadequate, is that the right policy for their family will be prohibitive. This is particularly common among under-30s, who often estimate cover to be five times more expensive than it is in reality. The coverage gap for Gen Z sits at 45%, reflecting this very issue.According to AccuQuote, a life insurance broker, families affected by the coverage gap benefit from specialist guidance to understand potential costs and how they align with coverage needs. Dispelling the misunderstandings around pricing is easier when the policy put together for a household is tailored as opposed to generic, as it closes the gap while still delivering value as a family moves through various stages, from homeownership and childcare to eventual elder care provision.What to Look For Beyond PriceThe signs that families are changing their focus from insurance cost to the level of protection provided also appear in the LIMRA report. The organization itself makes top-level assertions about consumer demand for policies that are more feature-rich while also being simpler for ordinary people to understand, which is something of a dichotomy that providers must overcome.Again, Gen Z appears to be driving the change here, with clear signs that members of this generation who are just starting families and getting on the property ladder care less about insurance cost and more about what features a policy includes. 78% of people in this demographic have an interest in coverage that includes protection for critical illness, which impacts income, while 75% cite the availability of support in the case of long-term care needs arising as being attractive.Adaptability is an important facet that younger insurance customers want to see in the policies they pick, with 49% stating that they want to be able to alter the type of coverage available to them as their life circumstances shift over the years. A similar proportion said they’d prefer to be able to bolt on new coverage and benefits down the line.Compare Quotes By Protection, Not Just PriceOne reason more families are looking into what life insurance protects, rather than just the policy price, is that social media has become a place for extensive financial research and a place where millions consume this type of content. 66% of social media users surveyed by LIMRA said they watched finance content on YouTube, while 62% did the same via Facebook.Even so, 37% of consumers are less than confident in their level of knowledge and understanding of insurance products. Providers need to address both a knowledge gap and a coverage gap going forward. The demand for financial security is strong, and younger families in particular have a strong sense of what insurance can offer in this context. When comparing quotes, shoppers should focus on gaps in coverage instead of only looking at the price.This story was produced by AccuQuote and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Illinois Secretary of State fights ‘unlawful use’ of license plate data Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says his office has been working to hold technology companies, such as Flock Safety, accountable for their unlawful use and sharing of license plate data.
	National conference highlights Illinois’ clean energy accomplishments Illinois clean energy laws were celebrated Tuesday by a large gathering of climate action leaders in New York City.
	$40M project restores disappearing Mississippi River islands, habitats A $40 million project is restoring vanishing islands and backwaters in the Mississippi River, protecting habitats from erosion.
	Political yard signs still play a role in a digital campaign era Political yard signs remain part of local and statewide elections even as campaigns increasingly use social media to spread their messages quickly and cheaply.
	Health experts share car seat safety tips for parents Health experts say a few extra steps can help make sure your child is riding safely.
	Mortgage rates have just surpassed 7% for the first time in well over a year Rates have climbed more than a full percentage point since the U.S. war against Iran started.
	Why better sleep isn't always about better habits Sleep has become something to optimize. Consistent bedtimes, blue-light glasses, white noise machines, supplements, and wearable trackers all promise to improve rest. The interest makes sense: In 2024, 30.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than seven hours a night.But a better nighttime routine cannot address every reason someone sleeps poorly. Sleep apnea, insomnia disorder, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disorders are medical conditions that changing bedtime routines may do little to address, as Sleeping.com examines here.Sleep Hygiene Is Important, but It Has LimitsSleep hygiene refers to behaviors and environmental factors that support healthy sleep. Common recommendations include maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, keeping the bedroom cool and quiet, limiting bright light before bed, exercising regularly, and avoiding large meals, alcohol, or caffeine too close to bedtime.The body's internal clock responds to cues, including light, darkness, and sleep schedules, helping regulate when a person feels awake or ready to sleep. Because these habits address common behavioral and environmental barriers, they are a practical first step. For those whose difficulties stem from irregular schedules or other lifestyle factors, changing those patterns may improve sleep.Insufficient sleep is associated with an increased risk of conditions including obesity, diabetes and hypertension, as well as heart disease, stroke, anxiety and depression.But sleep hygiene is a starting point, not a universal treatment. Someone can follow recommended habits and still struggle because the underlying problem is physiological, neurological, psychological, or related to another medical condition.When Poor Sleep May Signal Something More SeriousThe distinction between occasional poor sleep and a sleep disorder is not always obvious.Obstructive sleep apnea causes the upper airway to become repeatedly blocked during sleep, reducing or stopping airflow. Warning signs include loud snoring, breathing that starts and stops, gasping for air, and significant daytime sleepiness. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that an estimated 54 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea.Insomnia disorder involves persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or obtaining restorative sleep despite adequate opportunity to sleep. Restless legs syndrome can create an uncomfortable urge to move the legs, particularly during rest. Circadian rhythm disorders occur when a person's internal sleep-wake timing becomes misaligned with daily life.Narcolepsy is less common but can cause extreme daytime sleepiness and, in some people, sudden muscle weakness.Repeated gasping, loud snoring, chronic fatigue despite sufficient time in bed, excessive daytime sleepiness, or persistent difficulty staying asleep can justify a conversation with a healthcare professional. Diagnosis requires clinical evaluation rather than self-assessment.Why Sleep Gadgets Can't Diagnose Medical ConditionsWearable sleep trackers, smart mattresses, and sleep-scoring apps can estimate sleep duration, movement, heart rate, and other measurements, often translating them into a nightly score.That information can help identify patterns. Someone may notice that their sleep schedule changes dramatically on weekends or that certain behaviors coincide with poorer rest. The data can also provide context for conversations with healthcare professionals.But wellness tracking and medical diagnosis are different things.The American Academy of Sleep Medicine notes that while FDA-cleared apps and devices can help assess the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, they have certain limitations and may not provide the same level of information as a clinical sleep evaluation. The FDA similarly specifies that over-the-counter devices assessing sleep apnea risk are not intended to replace traditional diagnostic methods such as polysomnography.Sleep scores can become counterproductive when users begin chasing an ideal number rather than considering how they feel. A mediocre score does not necessarily mean something is medically wrong, just as a reassuring score cannot rule out a disorder.Better Sleep Starts With Identifying the Root CauseSleep problems can have many overlapping causes. Stress, anxiety, and depression can affect the ability to fall or remain asleep. Chronic pain may cause repeated awakenings. Hormonal changes, medications, and medical conditions can alter sleep quality or timing. Breathing disorders can interrupt sleep even when someone spends adequate time in bed.Lifestyle factors remain part of the equation. Work schedules, caffeine, alcohol, nighttime light exposure, and inconsistent sleep times can all contribute.That complexity is one reason individualized evaluation matters. A person whose sleep is disrupted by obstructive sleep apnea needs a different approach from someone experiencing insomnia, restless legs syndrome, or a circadian rhythm disorder.Healthcare professionals may review sleep patterns, medical history, medications, and other symptoms before determining whether additional testing is appropriate. Depending on the suspected cause, evaluation can include a sleep study, actigraphy, or blood testing for conditions that can affect sleep.When to Talk to a Healthcare ProfessionalA few restless nights generally do not indicate a sleep disorder. Persistent problems are different.Medical evaluation may be appropriate when sleep difficulties continue for several weeks, interfere with work or daily functioning, or cause substantial daytime sleepiness. Loud snoring accompanied by gasping or pauses in breathing also warrants attention. So does sleepiness that creates a safety concern while driving, working, or caring for others.Untreated sleep apnea, for example, increases the risk of cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. More broadly, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute estimates that 50 million to 70 million Americans have sleep or wakefulness disorders.The goal is not to interpret every difficult night as evidence of disease. It is to recognize when attempts at self-optimization are failing to solve a persistent problem. At that point, another device or nighttime routine may be less useful than discussing the pattern with a qualified healthcare professional.When Better Sleep Habits Aren’t EnoughHealthy sleep habits still matter. Consistent schedules, appropriate light exposure, a comfortable sleep environment, and thoughtful choices around caffeine and alcohol can make restorative sleep easier.But habits are only one component of sleep health. Persistent exhaustion, disrupted sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness can sometimes point to an underlying condition that no amount of bedtime optimization can fix.For people who have tried the usual strategies without meaningful improvement, the next step may not be a better routine but finding out what is interfering with sleep in the first place.This story was produced by Sleeping.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The convenience economy is coming for nutrition Staying healthy takes time, and most people have to fit that effort around work and family responsibilities. But with only so many hours available, people have grown used to saving time wherever they can, including how they shop for and prepare food.Circana reports that half of all meals now take less than five minutes to prepare, making speed a normal part of everyday eating. And as meals get faster, people still expect them to support the way they want to eat.David Portalatin, Circana’s senior vice president and food and foodservice industry advisor, says Americans are balancing nutrition and convenience as their eating habits evolve.Protein Now looks at how food companies have to account for both priorities by developing options that fit busy days without reducing the nutritional quality people expect.Healthy Eating Is No Longer Defined by Home Cooking AloneDespite years of social media posts tying healthy eating to strict “clean eating,” nutrition experts have pushed back on the idea that every good meal has to start with raw ingredients and a full kitchen.In a University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports post, registered dietitian Jessie Furman warns that rigid approaches are difficult to maintain and can lead people to cut out foods they do not need to avoid.Dietitians instead leave room for foods that have already been prepared, especially when those options help people put together a balanced meal without cooking every part themselves. A blog from the University of Virginia Health offers a few of those options, pointing to rotisserie chicken and precooked grains as ingredients people can use to build a full meal with less preparation.And as those choices become more common, people are paying more attention to whether a prepared meal still gives them the nutrition they expect from something made at home.Protein, Fiber, and Nutrient Density Are Becoming Everyday PrioritiesProtein and fiber have become two of the nutrients people look for most when they want something quick that still provides real nutritional value. And part of protein’s appeal comes from how useful people expect it to be, with a 2025 International Food Information Council survey finding that Americans commonly connect protein with muscle health and energy.Fiber serves a different need, especially for people trying to support digestion and get more from the foods they already eat.In an interview with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Daphne Altema-Johnson, a registered dietitian at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, points out that many fiber-rich foods also provide vitamins and minerals, giving people more reason to think about nutrient density instead of calories alone. And as people start looking for more out of each food, they also pay closer attention to the label before it goes into the cart.IFIC found that 79% of Americans check nutrition or ingredient information at least sometimes while shopping, with many looking for nutrients they want to get more of while also checking things like sugar or sodium.And as shoppers expect more from the foods they buy, companies have had to find ways to make those nutritional priorities easier to meet without adding more work to the meal.Food Innovation Is Making Convenience More NutritiousCombining better nutrition science with greater public awareness shows that people can influence what food companies make, and those expectations are already changing how convenient food is developed. And making better options easier to use starts with keeping them fresh and safe for longer, which has pushed more attention toward packaging and preservation.Stella Nordhagen of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition notes in a post that food packaging helps nutritious foods stay and available for longer periods, giving stores and households more time to use them before they spoil.Refrigeration and freezing buy even more time, allowing perishable foods to move through longer supply chains while preserving much of their nutritional value. And those improvements also give manufacturers more room to work with ingredients that add nutrition without adding preparation at home. Convenience Supports Consistency More Than PerfectionMost people already know what they should be eating, though a long workday or a sudden family obligation makes following through much harder.Deciding what to eat several times a day wears people down. In a Banner Health post, Alyssa Post, a registered dietitian nutritionist, says the repetition alone can "create mental strain and contribute to decision fatigue."By the end of a tiring day, that fatigue shapes the choice itself, with Emma Beckett, a nutrition and food science lecturer at Australian Catholic University, explaining in an article for The Conversation that people choose whatever takes the least effort when their mental energy is low.Beckett also recommends keeping better options close at hand so there is less to plan when another food decision feels like too much. And nutrition researchers have looked at the same problem, with a review published in Nutrients pointing to convenience foods as one way to cut the time and mental effort a meal requires.The Future of Nutrition Will Be Designed Around Everyday LifeInstead of forcing people to adapt their busy schedules to strict, complicated food rules, modern health tools are changing to meet shoppers exactly where they are.In press communications, Floor van de Horst, global marketing director of performance and active nutrition at FrieslandCampina, said AI is making personalized nutrition easier for people to find and shop for, bringing more tailored guidance into decisions people already make about food. However, useful guidance only goes so far if shoppers still have to sort through complicated food labels on their own.Julie Chapon, co-founder of Yuka, helped build an app that lets shoppers scan a barcode to see how a food is rated and find better-rated alternatives. And with less to figure out on their own, people have an easier way to use nutrition information while they shop.This story was produced by Protein Now and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The whistleblowers vs. the shadow prosecutors Illinois special prosecutors faced secret files, dropped charges, and severe misconduct claims after two acquitted citizens exposed state unit abuses.
	Registered sex offender arrested after alleged inappropriate conversations with minor A Galesburg man was arrested on Wednesday after an investigation into inappropriate conversations with a minor.
	Inside Disasterville: The Army National Guard brings hometown disaster relief missions to high school gyms this fall (BPT) - Key takeaways: Disasterville, a mixed-reality experience, shows students how Army National Guard Soldiers respond to natural disasters in their home states.Students spend time inside three of the missions Guard Soldiers train for: containing a wildfire, rescuing flood survivors by boat and racing to free people from a collapsing train after an earthquake.Disasterville draws on the experiences of Soldiers like Capt. Carter Phung, who helped lead disaster response efforts after storms and flooding in his home state of South Carolina, to show students that the Soldiers who show up in a crisis may be their own neighbors, teachers or coaches.When Capt. Carter Phung was handed the keys to a 50-vehicle convoy during Hurricane Florence in 2018, he had been an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard for only a few weeks. Despite being new to this level of responsibility, he understood the stakes: The storm bearing down on the South Carolina coast was headed straight for his hometown of Conway — where his own family still lived."You don't get to choose when disaster hits, and you don't get to wait until you feel ready," Phung said. Over the next month, he helped coordinate the movement of equipment that would become the "Great Wall of Conway," a barrier made up of sandbags and plastic sheeting built to hold back rising floodwaters and protect critical local infrastructure and vital traffic access across the county.Throughout this experience, he saw how communities can come together during times of crisis and uplift one another in need. Neighbors he'd grown up with brought coffee and home-cooked meals to Soldiers pulling 24-hour shifts, and a mother introduced her two young kids to the unit, telling them, "These are our Army people. They're the reason we're still here."Experience the Guard's most common missionsPhung's story is one of thousands playing out across the Army National Guard every year. Soldiers serve part-time — often in the towns they live in — and are called upon when disaster strikes to provide resources and support during a community's most vulnerable time. Over the past several months, Army National Guard Soldiers have waded into flooded counties in Texas, flown rescue helicopters over rising water in West Virginia, and helped communities in Indiana and Wisconsin dig out after tornadoes. In Washington state, more than 200 Soldiers spent weeks fighting wildfires that eventually burned through over 200,000 acres.Disasterville transforms high school gyms into virtual disaster zones where students work together to tackle each mission the same way as the Guard.Many young Americans are unaware of the Guard's critical role in disaster response, which is why Disasterville, the Guard's mixed-reality experience, is back for a second nationwide tour. Disasterville gives students the opportunity to experience this same impact by transforming high school gymnasiums into full-scale, mission-oriented disaster zones, showing them firsthand how National Guard Soldiers respond to natural disasters and emergencies. Students are guided through virtual missions, working together in teams to tackle three disaster zones — wildfire, flood zone and earthquake — the same way as the Guard, by combining communication, physical endurance and ingenuity to save lives, landscape and their communities."Natural disasters are not slowing down, and Army National Guard Soldiers are playing a critical role in response efforts across the country," said Lt. Col. Sabrina Zowada, Chief of the National Guard Bureau's Marketing and Advertising Branch. "Disasterville is a one-of-a-kind perspective for students to see how and when the Guard is showing up in their communities and experience the real skills and impact of these important missions."Lessons of disaster response for a new generationReflecting on his disaster response experience, Phung credits it with teaching him resilience, adaptability and confident leadership under pressure — qualities he hopes to convey to students through the program. "What I want kids walking through Disasterville to understand is that the person showing up to help isn't some far-off Soldier — it's their neighbor, their teacher, their coach," he said. "That's who the Guard actually is." As natural disasters are sweeping across the country, Disasterville gives students a firsthand look at how the Guard is showing up their communities when they need it most. Following a spring debut that reached more than 2,000 students, Disasterville is expanding to more high schools this fall, with tour stops running from late September through early November in Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Hagerstown, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Long Island, New York; Richmond, Virginia; and Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on Disasterville and the opportunities available in the Army National Guard, visit NationalGuard.com.
	9 reasons your prescription may not be filled, and what to do about it Have you ever taken a prescription to the pharmacy only to find out that your pharmacist can’t fill it? The chances of this happening are low. But when it does, it’s usually for a good reason, like protecting you from potentially dangerous health risks.The good news is that there are steps you can take to help prevent issues from coming up in the first place. Below, GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, shares nine reasons why your pharmacy may not have your prescription ready, and what you can do about it.Key takeawaysThere are several reasons why your pharmacist may not be able to fill your prescription.If your prescription is missing key information or is hard to read, a pharmacy can refuse to fill it until they speak with the prescriber. Other reasons include insurance rejections and drug shortages.If your pharmacist can’t fill your prescription, there are steps you can take to get your medication in a reasonable timeframe.Can a pharmacist refuse to fill a prescription?Yes. In general, a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for the following reasons:The prescription isn’t considered standard care or therapy.The prescription is likely to cause harm because its risks clearly outweigh the benefits.The pharmacist is having trouble verifying the prescription’s validity.The pharmacist has moral or religious reasons that prevent them from filling the prescription.Let’s take a closer look at these and other possible reasons a prescription may not be filled.1. The prescription is missing informationPharmacies receive prescriptions in a few different ways. They can be physically dropped off, called in over the phone, faxed, or sent electronically.In order to fill your prescription, the pharmacy must have all of the necessary information. But keep in mind, the exact requirements may vary by state:Your full name, date of birth, and addressThe name and dose of the medicationThe medication form (like a tablet or a capsule)The amount of medication (quantity)Directions for useThe number of refills (or lack thereof)The date the prescription was writtenInformation about the prescriber, like their office address and phone numberYour prescriber’s signature or verbal approvalIf your prescription is for a controlled substance (a potentially habit-forming medication), the pharmacy may need more information. If something is missing, your pharmacist will need to contact your prescriber’s office before filling the medication for you.What you can doIf you get a hard copy of your prescription, give it a quick look before leaving your appointment. If you notice that something may be missing, let your healthcare team know right away. This can help avoid running into issues and delays at your pharmacy.2. The prescription is hard to readSometimes the hard copy of a prescription is difficult to interpret. If the pharmacist is unable to read a prescription, they must contact the prescriber’s office and confirm the information.What you can doBe sure the pharmacy has your updated contact information. Request that your pharmacy call you if there are any problems. This can save you a trip to the pharmacy before your prescription is ready.3. The medication needs to be ordered or is on backorderMost people expect a pharmacy to have their specific medication in stock. But pharmacies don’t keep every medication in stock, especially ones that are rarely used or expensive. If a medication is out of stock, pharmacies can generally order it for the next business day. In some cases, they may give you a few doses if they have it in stock. This way you have some to take while they order the rest.Another possible reason why your pharmacy may not have something in stock is a medication shortage or backorder. In these cases, the pharmacy may not know when the next shipment will arrive. They may still try to order the medication for you, but it could still be weeks or months. With backorders or shortages, your pharmacist may need to ask your prescriber for an alternative.What you can doIf you want to make sure the pharmacy has your medication on hand, call them ahead of time to check. Many pharmacies can order an out-of-stock medication and have it ready for you the following business day. If you can’t wait a full day, check with other pharmacies in your area to see if they have your prescription in stock.You can also keep track of drug shortages by visiting the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) websites.4. The prescription appears to be altered or forgedPharmacists must make sure your prescription is valid. They may question prescriptions that seem to be damaged or altered in some way. For example, a prescription may not be valid if it was taped back together, if information was scratched out, or if security features are missing. And if any information on the prescription appears to be altered — especially the date, dose, or quantity — your pharmacist may not fill your medication.What you can doIf you receive a hard copy of your prescription, give it a quick look. If you notice your healthcare professional scratched something out, ask if they can write you a new prescription. Doing this will prevent the pharmacy from questioning the prescription and save you time at the pharmacy.5. The pharmacy computer system is downMaybe you have gone to the pharmacy counter and learned that their computer system is down. This is rare. But when it happens, your prescription can’t be processed.You may think they could just give you a few doses (like with out-of-stock situations), but this isn’t the case here. Pharmacy computer systems check for medication interactions and help make sure the prescribed dosage is appropriate for you. When pharmacy computers are down, pharmacists can’t perform these necessary safety checks. And if your prescription was sent electronically or by fax, the pharmacy may not be able to access the prescription at all.What you can doYou can either wait for the system to come back online or request the pharmacy give you a call or text when your prescription is ready. Sometimes, outages resolve quickly. But it’s possible for the system to be down all day.If you have a paper prescription, you can ask your pharmacy to return the original prescription for you to take to a different pharmacy.If your prescription was called in, faxed, or sent electronically — and already in the computer system before it shut down — then transferring it to another pharmacy might be possible. This could be difficult or not legally allowed if the medication is a controlled substance.Another option is to ask your healthcare team to call or send the prescription again, to another pharmacy of your choice.6. The insurance billing system is downA similar situation would be when insurance companies have outages. Although this also isn’t common, you can’t solve this problem by going to a different pharmacy.When an insurance billing system is down, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get your prescription. But it might mean that you can’t count on your insurance to pay your bill right away.What you can doIf you need your prescription right away, you can pay the pharmacy’s cash price (the cost of medication without insurance). Once the insurance system is working again, talk with your pharmacist about billing your insurance again. The pharmacy might be able to refund you the difference between the cash price and your insurance copay.You can also leave your prescription at the pharmacy and wait for the insurance billing system to work again. Ask the pharmacy to call you when your prescription has been billed and is ready for pickup.7. The insurance company rejected the prescriptionHave you ever been told that your insurance rejected your prescription? This is common, like when a medication needs prior authorization (PA). Because medications can be expensive, you may not be willing to pay out of pocket. As a result, pharmacists can’t fill the medication. PAs need to be completed by your prescriber or their office staff. Pharmacists can’t resolve these types of insurance rejections on their own.What you can doYour pharmacy will alert your prescriber if a PA is needed. But it’s also helpful to reach out to your prescriber’s office directly. This can help speed up PA requests by making your prescriber’s office aware of the situation sooner.Some insurance issues can be resolved by the pharmacy with a phone call to you or your healthcare team. For example, your insurance may prefer a different, usually cheaper, medication to treat the same medical condition. In this case, the pharmacy will need to get a new prescription from your prescriber.When a PA does get approved, call your pharmacy. Often, insurance plans don’t alert the pharmacy when a PA is approved. It’s more common for them to tell you and your prescriber about it first. If the pharmacy doesn’t know about an approval, they won’t know that it’s OK to fill your prescription. Calling your pharmacy as soon as you find out a PA is approved can help reduce delays in filling your prescription.Keep in mind that PA approvals usually only last for a certain amount of time. So, it’s best to ask your healthcare professional to start the PA paperwork early for when you need a refill later on.8. The new medication could cause a dangerous interactionYou can usually rely on your pharmacist or healthcare team to let you know if your medications could have any unsafe interactions. Prescription medications can interact with one another, but they can also interact with:Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)Vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin DDietary supplements, such as St. John’s WortCertain foodsWhat you can doMake sure you keep an up-to-date list of all of your current prescription medications, OTC medications, and supplements. Be sure to share this list with all healthcare professionals you see, including your pharmacist.If you need your medication right away and your pharmacy is waiting on a call from your healthcare team to verify the safety of your medication, you can reach out directly to their office. But keep in mind this might take a while. Your healthcare team may not return calls until the end of the day or later.9. The pharmacist doesn’t feel comfortable filling the prescriptionIn some states, there’s a conscience clause that allows pharmacists to refuse a prescription for moral or religious reasons. For example, there have been reports of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control or medications used to end a pregnancy or for miscarriage.What you can doIn some states, a pharmacist who refuses to fill a prescription for moral or religious reasons must still provide help. For example, they should refer you to another pharmacist who can fill the prescription. If that’s not the case, you can also try transferring your prescription to another pharmacy to be filled, but this can add some inconvenience.What should I do if the pharmacy doesn’t have my prescription?If the pharmacy doesn’t have your new prescription on file, ask the pharmacy staff to check their voicemail, faxes, and new electronic prescriptions (e-scripts). Keep in mind that faxes and e-scripts might take longer to come in. Otherwise, you can ask the pharmacy to reach out to your prescriber.Frequently asked questionsWhat are red flags for pharmacists?Common red flags include a paper prescription that appears altered or forged, someone picking up a controlled substance prescription for another person without verification, or an expired prescriber license or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number. Pharmacists are often more careful with controlled substances compared with other medications. They also consider whether your prescriber usually treats the condition being treated. For example, a pharmacist may question a prescription if a dentist prescribes birth control pills or flu medication.Can you sue a pharmacy for refusing to fill a prescription?Whether a pharmacy can refuse to fill a prescription depends on the laws in your state and the circumstances. A pharmacy can refuse to fill a prescription if they have a legal reason to do so — like if a prescription is invalid or would cause harm. According to laws in some states, pharmacists who refuse to fill a prescription because of the conscience clause may be protected from disciplinary action.Can a pharmacist overrule a doctor’s prescription?Yes, a pharmacist can overrule a prescription for the reasons mentioned above. But a pharmacist can’t change the prescription without a prescriber’s OK.The bottom lineIf your prescription isn’t ready for pickup, it can be frustrating. Medication shortages, insurance rejections, and computer system issues are some reasons this can happen. A pharmacist might also refuse to fill a prescription if it interacts with your existing medications. They can also refuse to fill a prescription for moral or religious reasons in states that allow it.Thankfully, simple steps — like checking your prescription, keeping your contact information updated with the pharmacy, and contacting your healthcare team — can help prevent further delays in getting your medication.This story was produced by GoodRx and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Where renters have the most negotiating power right now The national vacancy rate for multifamily properties currently sits at 7.9%, while asking rents have increased by 1.3% over the past year. As renters continue to search for affordable apartments across the country, understanding where they have the most negotiating power is more important than ever. After analyzing vacancy rates, absorption rates, rent concessions, and rent growth data, Apartments.com has identified some areas of the country that can offer renters more leverage than others.States With the Highest Vacancy Rates in 2026According to the U.S. Census Bureau, these states had the highest vacancy rates in the second quarter of 2026: Apartments.com Vacancy rates can fluctuate because of several factors, including supply and demand, seasonality, and rising costs. As a renter, being aware of vacancy rates in the city or state where you want to live can help you better prepare for the rental market you’re entering. Although vacancies are usually viewed negatively by landlords and property managers, higher rates can signal increased leverage for renters searching for discounts or more affordable rent.Why higher vacancies can help rentersHigher vacancy rates benefit renters because more units are available, rent concessions are more common, and landlords may lower rents to attract renters to their properties. When vacancies are low, there is more competition for units from the other renters in the market.Periods of high vacancy present an opportunity for renters to negotiate with landlords on the monthly rent payment, move-in specials, or discounts. Because landlords want to fill vacant units, they will be more receptive to negotiation when vacancies are high.How Absorption Rates Can Affect an Apartment SearchAbsorption is the number of units sold compared to units available. Absorption rate is important to consider because the rate signals whether a market is absorbing units faster or slower. For renters, a market with a high absorption rate means you have less negotiation power, so a lower absorption rate is more favorable.Below are the 10 markets with the highest levels of absorption so far in 2026. The absorption rate was calculated by dividing units absorbed by total inventory. This provides a more comprehensive view of which markets are absorbing units more quickly relative to their size. Apartments.com A number of these markets are located in the Sun Belt region of the United States. The Sun Belt experienced a surge in construction after the pandemic, leaving many units vacant and prompting landlords to decrease rent and offer concessions.It’s important to note that all these cities have vacancy rates that are higher than the current national multifamily average. As renter demand catches up to supply in this region, this data suggests that renters are taking advantage of lower prices and moving to these areas, causing supply to tighten.Why lower absorption can benefit rentersA lower absorption rate is better for renters because it means that units are not being absorbed as fast. When units remain available longer, landlords can be more open to negotiating rent or other incentives.Absorption rate can be an important metric to consider when looking at a market, but it shouldn’t be the only factor guiding your negotiation strategy. Because smaller markets have less inventory overall, they can appear to have higher absorption even though more units absorbed can be attributed to seasonality or demand fluctuations. While it’s difficult to determine which markets are primed for renter negotiations solely based on absorption rate, looking at state vacancy rates and rent concessions data can offer a clearer picture.Look for Rent ConcessionsRent concessions are discounts or financial incentives offered by a landlord to attract renters and encourage them to sign a lease. Rent concessions can come in all shapes and sizes, such as one month of free rent, waived fees, or a reduced security deposit. Renters searching for a new apartment often prioritize properties offering rent concessions, as these incentives can make the moving process more affordable.Rent concessions are common in high-vacancy marketsNot only do landlords use rent concessions to attract new renters, but they also use these discounts to lower a property’s vacancy rate. Landlords use these financial incentives when demand is low to reduce vacancies and maintain rental income. In fact, Apartments.com found that in 2026 alone, 41.2% of multifamily properties nationwide are offering a rent concession, suggesting these incentives are popular among landlords and property managers.Rent concessions can be helpful for renters searching for apartments in more expensive areas, as these discounts can reduce upfront costs and allow renters to save money for other expenses.Top 10 markets offering the most rent concessionsBecause some markets have a higher vacancy rate than others, rent concessions can be more common in certain areas of the country. According to CoStar Group, these are the 10 markets with the highest percentages of properties offering rent concessions right now: Apartments.com Several of the markets offering the most rent concessions right now align with those with the highest absorption rate. While a high absorption rate does not usually benefit renters, this correlation suggests that, because these markets are offering a higher percentage of rent concessions, some units are being absorbed because of the rent discounts and move-in incentives.Where Rent Growth Is Rising and FallingRent growth data can give renters insight into whether rents in a certain area have increased or decreased over time. Typically, markets that experience higher year-over-year rent growth have higher monthly rents and stronger renter demand. Renters looking for more rent concessions and lower average rents may want to look in markets with declining year-over-year rent growth.Five states where rent growth is decreasingAccording to Apartments.com, these five states have seen the lowest levels of rent growth over the past year: Apartments.com States with lower year-over-year rent growth can be more favorable for renters to negotiate. As growth decreases, landlords want to fill vacant units, so they are more open to negotiation. These five states have seen a high wave of oversupply coupled with lower demand, causing rents to drop and concessions to increase.Several of these states lie in the Sun Belt, which could be contributing to slower rent growth. Because units have remained available, property managers may have lowered monthly rents to attract tenants.Five states where rent growth is increasingAccording to Apartments.com, these five states have seen the highest rent growth over the past year: Apartments.com The states with the highest year-over-year rent growth are markets that didn’t experience the same construction boom as markets in the Sun Belt and may have a tighter rental supply with high demand. Because renter demand is high in these markets and the national average rent continues to increase, these markets must respond accordingly.Being aware of these trends is important to understand where renters might find the best deals or concessions across the country.Where Do Renters Have the Most Negotiating Power?After analyzing vacancy, absorption, concession, and rent growth data, where do renters have the most negotiating power right now? These five states offer the strongest opportunities for renters to find concessions and negotiate rent with landlords.1. TexasVacancy rate: 13.3%Rent growth: -1.6%Average monthly rent in Texas: $1,245/monthTexas is one of the states where renters may have more negotiation power. With the highest vacancy rate in 2026 so far and a decreased year-over-year rent growth, renter demand is soft, and concessions can be more common. The average monthly rent in Texas is well below the national average, and cities like Austin and San Antonio report high levels of rent concessions, making Texas one of the most affordable states for renters.2. ArizonaVacancy rate: 9.4%Rent growth: -2.1%Average monthly rent in Arizona: $1,326/monthArizona has a high vacancy rate and reports the largest decrease in year-over-year rent growth, suggesting that renters will have an easier time negotiating in this rental market. Phoenix ranked third among markets offering the most rent concessions right now. The average rent in Arizona is lower than the national average, offering an affordable alternative to other sunny areas in the country.3. FloridaVacancy rate: 8.8%Rent growth: -0.8%Average monthly rent in Florida: $1,698/monthFlorida ranks third, with a vacancy rate of 8.8% in 2026, while rent growth has decreased by 0.8% year over year. Even though the average monthly rent is higher in Florida, Sarasota ranks first among the markets offering the most rent concessions, with 10.9% of properties offering a discount. Renters looking for move-in specials and a smooth apartment search should consider Florida.4. ColoradoVacancy rate: 7.4%Rent growth: -2%Average monthly rent in Colorado: $1,577/monthAlthough Colorado doesn’t appear in the top 10 states with the highest vacancy rates in 2026, the state has seen one of the largest declines in rent growth in the past year. In addition to an average monthly rent below the national average, Denver ranks sixth among the markets offering the most rent concessions.5. North CarolinaVacancy rate: 8.2%Rent growth: -0.8%Average monthly rent in North Carolina: $1,363/monthFinally, North Carolina combines a high vacancy rate with low monthly rents to give renters more negotiating flexibility. While rent growth has only slightly decreased in the past year, Charlotte and Durham both appear on the list of markets with the most rent concessions, suggesting that living in North Carolina can be more affordable than other parts of the country.FAQsWhat gives renters more negotiating power in a rental market?High vacancy rates, low or negative rent growth, low absorption rates, and rent concessions can give renters more negotiating power. Landlords want to fill vacancies, so they may offer financial incentives or rent concessions to stay competitive and may be more open to negotiating with renters in these market conditions.What states offer the most negotiating power for renters in 2026?The states that offer renters the most negotiating power in 2026 are Texas, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, and North Carolina, according to Apartments.com research. These states combine factors such as higher vacancy rates, slower or negative rent growth, and rent concessions, which may give renters more leverage when negotiating.Can you negotiate apartment rent when vacancy rates are high?Yes, you can negotiate rent when vacancy rates are high. Landlords want to fill vacant units, so when vacancy rates are high, they may be more open to negotiating monthly rent or offering rent concessions to renters.What can renters negotiate besides monthly rent?Depending on the property and lease terms, renters may also be able to negotiate:Application or administrative feesSecurity depositsParkingLease lengthAmenitiesPet depositsPet rentMethodologyAbsorption rate data was sourced from CoStar Group’s September National Multifamily Market Report and calculated by dividing the number of units absorbed by total inventory. The final five states were chosen based on a combination of vacancy rates, rent growth, and average monthly rents. All rent data was sourced from Apartments.com Rent Trends pages. This story was produced by Apartments.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	9 reasons your prescription may not be filled, and what to do about it Have you ever taken a prescription to the pharmacy only to find out that your pharmacist can’t fill it? The chances of this happening are low. But when it does, it’s usually for a good reason, like protecting you from potentially dangerous health risks.The good news is that there are steps you can take to help prevent issues from coming up in the first place. Below, GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, shares nine reasons why your pharmacy may not have your prescription ready, and what you can do about it.Key takeawaysThere are several reasons why your pharmacist may not be able to fill your prescription.If your prescription is missing key information or is hard to read, a pharmacy can refuse to fill it until they speak with the prescriber. Other reasons include insurance rejections and drug shortages.If your pharmacist can’t fill your prescription, there are steps you can take to get your medication in a reasonable timeframe.Can a pharmacist refuse to fill a prescription?Yes. In general, a pharmacist can refuse to fill a prescription for the following reasons:The prescription isn’t considered standard care or therapy.The prescription is likely to cause harm because its risks clearly outweigh the benefits.The pharmacist is having trouble verifying the prescription’s validity.The pharmacist has moral or religious reasons that prevent them from filling the prescription.Let’s take a closer look at these and other possible reasons a prescription may not be filled.1. The prescription is missing informationPharmacies receive prescriptions in a few different ways. They can be physically dropped off, called in over the phone, faxed, or sent electronically.In order to fill your prescription, the pharmacy must have all of the necessary information. But keep in mind, the exact requirements may vary by state:Your full name, date of birth, and addressThe name and dose of the medicationThe medication form (like a tablet or a capsule)The amount of medication (quantity)Directions for useThe number of refills (or lack thereof)The date the prescription was writtenInformation about the prescriber, like their office address and phone numberYour prescriber’s signature or verbal approvalIf your prescription is for a controlled substance (a potentially habit-forming medication), the pharmacy may need more information. If something is missing, your pharmacist will need to contact your prescriber’s office before filling the medication for you.What you can doIf you get a hard copy of your prescription, give it a quick look before leaving your appointment. If you notice that something may be missing, let your healthcare team know right away. This can help avoid running into issues and delays at your pharmacy.2. The prescription is hard to readSometimes the hard copy of a prescription is difficult to interpret. If the pharmacist is unable to read a prescription, they must contact the prescriber’s office and confirm the information.What you can doBe sure the pharmacy has your updated contact information. Request that your pharmacy call you if there are any problems. This can save you a trip to the pharmacy before your prescription is ready.3. The medication needs to be ordered or is on backorderMost people expect a pharmacy to have their specific medication in stock. But pharmacies don’t keep every medication in stock, especially ones that are rarely used or expensive. If a medication is out of stock, pharmacies can generally order it for the next business day. In some cases, they may give you a few doses if they have it in stock. This way you have some to take while they order the rest.Another possible reason why your pharmacy may not have something in stock is a medication shortage or backorder. In these cases, the pharmacy may not know when the next shipment will arrive. They may still try to order the medication for you, but it could still be weeks or months. With backorders or shortages, your pharmacist may need to ask your prescriber for an alternative.What you can doIf you want to make sure the pharmacy has your medication on hand, call them ahead of time to check. Many pharmacies can order an out-of-stock medication and have it ready for you the following business day. If you can’t wait a full day, check with other pharmacies in your area to see if they have your prescription in stock.You can also keep track of drug shortages by visiting the FDA and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) websites.4. The prescription appears to be altered or forgedPharmacists must make sure your prescription is valid. They may question prescriptions that seem to be damaged or altered in some way. For example, a prescription may not be valid if it was taped back together, if information was scratched out, or if security features are missing. And if any information on the prescription appears to be altered — especially the date, dose, or quantity — your pharmacist may not fill your medication.What you can doIf you receive a hard copy of your prescription, give it a quick look. If you notice your healthcare professional scratched something out, ask if they can write you a new prescription. Doing this will prevent the pharmacy from questioning the prescription and save you time at the pharmacy.5. The pharmacy computer system is downMaybe you have gone to the pharmacy counter and learned that their computer system is down. This is rare. But when it happens, your prescription can’t be processed.You may think they could just give you a few doses (like with out-of-stock situations), but this isn’t the case here. Pharmacy computer systems check for medication interactions and help make sure the prescribed dosage is appropriate for you. When pharmacy computers are down, pharmacists can’t perform these necessary safety checks. And if your prescription was sent electronically or by fax, the pharmacy may not be able to access the prescription at all.What you can doYou can either wait for the system to come back online or request the pharmacy give you a call or text when your prescription is ready. Sometimes, outages resolve quickly. But it’s possible for the system to be down all day.If you have a paper prescription, you can ask your pharmacy to return the original prescription for you to take to a different pharmacy.If your prescription was called in, faxed, or sent electronically — and already in the computer system before it shut down — then transferring it to another pharmacy might be possible. This could be difficult or not legally allowed if the medication is a controlled substance.Another option is to ask your healthcare team to call or send the prescription again, to another pharmacy of your choice.6. The insurance billing system is downA similar situation would be when insurance companies have outages. Although this also isn’t common, you can’t solve this problem by going to a different pharmacy.When an insurance billing system is down, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get your prescription. But it might mean that you can’t count on your insurance to pay your bill right away.What you can doIf you need your prescription right away, you can pay the pharmacy’s cash price (the cost of medication without insurance). Once the insurance system is working again, talk with your pharmacist about billing your insurance again. The pharmacy might be able to refund you the difference between the cash price and your insurance copay.You can also leave your prescription at the pharmacy and wait for the insurance billing system to work again. Ask the pharmacy to call you when your prescription has been billed and is ready for pickup.7. The insurance company rejected the prescriptionHave you ever been told that your insurance rejected your prescription? This is common, like when a medication needs prior authorization (PA). Because medications can be expensive, you may not be willing to pay out of pocket. As a result, pharmacists can’t fill the medication. PAs need to be completed by your prescriber or their office staff. Pharmacists can’t resolve these types of insurance rejections on their own.What you can doYour pharmacy will alert your prescriber if a PA is needed. But it’s also helpful to reach out to your prescriber’s office directly. This can help speed up PA requests by making your prescriber’s office aware of the situation sooner.Some insurance issues can be resolved by the pharmacy with a phone call to you or your healthcare team. For example, your insurance may prefer a different, usually cheaper, medication to treat the same medical condition. In this case, the pharmacy will need to get a new prescription from your prescriber.When a PA does get approved, call your pharmacy. Often, insurance plans don’t alert the pharmacy when a PA is approved. It’s more common for them to tell you and your prescriber about it first. If the pharmacy doesn’t know about an approval, they won’t know that it’s OK to fill your prescription. Calling your pharmacy as soon as you find out a PA is approved can help reduce delays in filling your prescription.Keep in mind that PA approvals usually only last for a certain amount of time. So, it’s best to ask your healthcare professional to start the PA paperwork early for when you need a refill later on.8. The new medication could cause a dangerous interactionYou can usually rely on your pharmacist or healthcare team to let you know if your medications could have any unsafe interactions. Prescription medications can interact with one another, but they can also interact with:Over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol)Vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin DDietary supplements, such as St. John’s WortCertain foodsWhat you can doMake sure you keep an up-to-date list of all of your current prescription medications, OTC medications, and supplements. Be sure to share this list with all healthcare professionals you see, including your pharmacist.If you need your medication right away and your pharmacy is waiting on a call from your healthcare team to verify the safety of your medication, you can reach out directly to their office. But keep in mind this might take a while. Your healthcare team may not return calls until the end of the day or later.9. The pharmacist doesn’t feel comfortable filling the prescriptionIn some states, there’s a conscience clause that allows pharmacists to refuse a prescription for moral or religious reasons. For example, there have been reports of pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control or medications used to end a pregnancy or for miscarriage.What you can doIn some states, a pharmacist who refuses to fill a prescription for moral or religious reasons must still provide help. For example, they should refer you to another pharmacist who can fill the prescription. If that’s not the case, you can also try transferring your prescription to another pharmacy to be filled, but this can add some inconvenience.What should I do if the pharmacy doesn’t have my prescription?If the pharmacy doesn’t have your new prescription on file, ask the pharmacy staff to check their voicemail, faxes, and new electronic prescriptions (e-scripts). Keep in mind that faxes and e-scripts might take longer to come in. Otherwise, you can ask the pharmacy to reach out to your prescriber.Frequently asked questionsWhat are red flags for pharmacists?Common red flags include a paper prescription that appears altered or forged, someone picking up a controlled substance prescription for another person without verification, or an expired prescriber license or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) number. Pharmacists are often more careful with controlled substances compared with other medications. They also consider whether your prescriber usually treats the condition being treated. For example, a pharmacist may question a prescription if a dentist prescribes birth control pills or flu medication.Can you sue a pharmacy for refusing to fill a prescription?Whether a pharmacy can refuse to fill a prescription depends on the laws in your state and the circumstances. A pharmacy can refuse to fill a prescription if they have a legal reason to do so — like if a prescription is invalid or would cause harm. According to laws in some states, pharmacists who refuse to fill a prescription because of the conscience clause may be protected from disciplinary action.Can a pharmacist overrule a doctor’s prescription?Yes, a pharmacist can overrule a prescription for the reasons mentioned above. But a pharmacist can’t change the prescription without a prescriber’s OK.The bottom lineIf your prescription isn’t ready for pickup, it can be frustrating. Medication shortages, insurance rejections, and computer system issues are some reasons this can happen. A pharmacist might also refuse to fill a prescription if it interacts with your existing medications. They can also refuse to fill a prescription for moral or religious reasons in states that allow it.Thankfully, simple steps — like checking your prescription, keeping your contact information updated with the pharmacy, and contacting your healthcare team — can help prevent further delays in getting your medication.This story was produced by GoodRx and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Iowa City woman pleads guilty in animal torture, neglect case An Iowa City woman charged with 30 counts of animal torture and neglect has entered a guilty plea.
	Back to School Is a Season of Learning. For Adults, Too By Lacoadia Burkes, Acting Bureau Chief, Tobacco Free Florida (NAPSI)—For kids across Florida, back-to-school is a time of change—new teachers, new schedules, new friends. For the adults in these students’ lives, this can be a season of learning and growth, too. Parents and caregivers, teachers and staff, coaches and school nurses—you all play a huge role in their health and wellness. This back-to-school season, you can get smart on how to help the next generation grow up free from tobacco and nicotine’s harmful effects. The first lesson is that if you use tobacco or nicotine products, make back-to-school season when you commit to quit. Whether it’s after the stress of getting classroom supplies or the moments after carline drop-off, there’s probably one cue in your life that’s become connected with nicotine. Plan for those moments. If you have a slip-up, learn from it and be even smarter for your next try! Free support is available when you’re ready. You have heard quitting is smart. You may even have tried several times. Quitting isn’t just for you, though. Secondhand smoke causes tens of thousands of deaths each year, and parents who smoke are up to four times more likely to have children who smoke. If you are committed to quitting for your health and theirs, Tobacco Free Florida’s How to Quit initiative can help. TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/HTQ covers setting a quit date, using free quit aids, talking to a doctor, and building a support system. A second lesson is to learn how kids will encounter tobacco and nicotine today. It’s different from a generation ago. Did you know fewer than 1 in 100 Florida youth currently smoke cigarettes? That’s because of dedicated adults like you. But there are concerning numbers, too: Last year, e-cigarette use among Florida youth ticked up again after several years of decline. This may be because kids are less likely to say the adults in their lives are talking to them about tobacco and nicotine’s harmful effects. At Tobacco Free Florida, we urge you to find opportunities to have those conversations in a caring, constructive, and open way. To get ready for that chat, learn about the new nicotine devices they may encounter in their new friend group, around campus, or on social media. These include things like: Oral nicotine products—marketed as an alternative to smokeless tobacco. Goes between gums and lip. “Smart” vapes—feature digital screens, built-in games. Kid-friendly flavors like “merry berry” and “cherry pop.” Digital prizes and Bluetooth connectivity strengthen addiction. Disposable e-cigarettes—designed for one use only. Addictive, harmful to the environment, easier to conceal than regular cigarettes. Flavored e-cigarettes—the most common type of e-cigarettes used by youth across Florida and nationwide. Kid-friendly packaging, flavors. “Heat-not-burn” devices—electronically heat a tobacco stick or capsule. Popular overseas, on the horizon here. TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/NewNicotineGeneration has more information including sample images of each type of product. School nurses, who often serve as a first line of student health support, can find resources at TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/ChampionsAgainstNicotine. Once you’ve “done your homework” about what Florida students will see, the last lesson can be on how to have the conversation that can save a life. The ride to and from school can be a chance to start the conversation. A billboard you pass or a convenience store ad is a moment to ask what they already know and what they are hearing. A chat after practice can be a time to discuss how tobacco and nicotine harm the heart and lungs. Be patient and remember listening matters as much as talking. Honest information lands harder than scare tactics. One conversation is rarely enough; ongoing is how a message takes hold. Back to school season is filled with memories, changes, and decisions that can shape a child’s future. Caring adults can use this as a time to save lives. Visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com or call 1-877-U-CAN-NOW to get started. Word Count: 630
	The 10 US cities where timing a trip saves the most on hotels Boston is heading into its most expensive month. October hotel rates there hit $458 a night, up from $166 in January, the widest swing of any major U.S. market. New York is doing the same thing, $458 in September and $541 by December.In cities like these, the month on the calendar changes the hotel bill more than the choice of hotel does. In other cities, it barely matters. The first thing to figure out is which kind of city you are booking.Engine, a platform companies use to book work travel, analyzed 128.5 million hotel searches across 50 U.S. markets over two years, from May 2024 to April 2026, to find where timing matters most, and where it does not matter at all.The 10 biggest swings Engine Boston and New York: The two widest swingsBoth cities spread 64% between their cheapest and most expensive months. Boston has two peaks. May hits $390 when commencement weekends stack up across dozens of colleges, and October reaches $458 when leaf season and conference season overlap. January is $166.New York never gets cheap. Its cheapest month, January at $196, is higher than the most expensive month in 30 of the other 49 markets. December is $541, nearly double November's $352 and the single priciest city-month in the data. The peaks track the corporate and holiday calendars more than the weather.“In Boston and New York, the event calendar stacks on top of the weather," said Jack Swiatoschik, a data analyst at Engine. "Boston peaks in October when the Head of the Charles falls in the same weeks as conference season, and New York's December is holiday tourism, with September already crowded by UN General Assembly week and Fashion Week." Engine Phoenix and Chicago swing the same amount in opposite directionsPhoenix peaks at $246 in February and March, when Cactus League spring training fills ten area ballparks, and the weather is at its best. By August, it is 110 degrees, and the rate is $96, a 61% drop: the cheapest big-market month in the data.Chicago runs the other way. January is $127. June is $319, when good weather and convention season at McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America, overlap. Anyone booking a trip that has to happen in one of these two cities should first check which half of the year it is in.Weather cities and event citiesMost of the rest of the top 10 track the weather. Palm Springs spreads 57%, from $369 in March to $158 in August, and prices follow the weather almost exactly, since there is little year-round business demand to flatten it out. Seattle spreads 53%, from $139 in January to $297 in July, with no specific event behind any of it. Norfolk, Virginia's summer doubles its winter, $96 to $216. Miami runs the opposite way, peaking with the snowbirds in February at $267 and bottoming out in September at $128.Omaha, Nebraska, and Milwaukee are the event cities. Omaha sits between $95 and $126 for eleven months, then June jumps to $182 for the College World Series, which has been played there every June since 1950. Milwaukee's June and July, $163 and $194, line up with Summerfest. Both are flat and affordable the rest of the year, so a trip that can move two weeks clears the spike.Where the month does not matterEl Paso moves 10% across the whole year. Los Angeles moves 13%, Dallas 19%. Steady business demand keeps those markets level.Unlike in Boston and New York, where there are big weather swings and concentrated demand in a small core, Los Angeles has steady weather and demand spread across the whole county, so the curve stays flat.Honolulu swings only 23%, but its cheapest month is $169, the third-highest low in the data. With no drive-in market and no fast way to add rooms, rates hold a narrow, high band, and timing buys less there than anywhere else.How to use timing to your advantageForty of the 50 markets are cheapest between November and February. The other ten, almost all in the Sun Belt, are cheapest in summer. If the city is on the top-10 list, the month is worth negotiating over. If it is one of the flat ones, it is not.In the seasonal cities, choosing the right month can save 40% to 64% compared to the wrong one, with no promo code or negotiation involved.Methodology: Figures are the median nightly rate for searches made 10 to 180 days before check-in, on business accounts, from May 2024 through April 2026. Rates are public shelf prices shown in a live search, not negotiated company rates, which typically run lower. Event explanations describe what is on the calendar in a given month and are Engine's reading of why a rate moves, not a separate measurement.This story was produced by Engine and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	A 1-percentage-point mortgage rate rise can outrun 4 years of rent growth The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Sept. 16 for the first time since 2023. For rental property investors, the bigger issue is how long borrowing costs stay elevated while rents grow slowly.A Griffin Funding scenario analysis shows how small changes in mortgage pricing can outpace years of rent growth. On a $300,000 loan, increasing the mortgage rate from 6.75% to 7.75% raises the rent needed to maintain the same debt coverage by 8.3%. That is equivalent to about 4.5 years of growth at July's 1.8% annual single-family rent pace, holding other assumptions constant.Key findingsIn the modeled purchase, raising the mortgage rate from 6.75% to 7% requires about 2% more rent to maintain the same debt coverage, equal to roughly 14 months of growth at a constant 1.8% annual pace.Raising the rate from 6.75% to 7.75% requires 8.3% more rent, equal to about 4.5 years of growth at that pace.The Federal Reserve raised rates on Sept. 16, and now projects rates will stay higher through 2027 than it expected in June.For debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) borrowers, a lower coverage ratio can change the available loan amount, down payment or financing terms.The Fed's outlook may matter more than the hikeThe Fed's policy committee voted 12-0 to lift the federal funds target range to 3.75% to 4%, citing elevated inflation. Nobody dissented.For investors, the committee's new projections matter more than the hike. The median official now sees the federal funds rate at 4.1% at the end of both 2026 and 2027, up from 3.8% and 3.6% in the June projections. The same projections don't show inflation returning to the Fed's 2% goal until 2029. Policymakers now expect higher rates for longer than they did three months ago. Investors hoping to wait out today's borrowing costs may be waiting a while.The Fed doesn't set mortgage rates, but the bond market listensA Fed hike doesn't change anyone's mortgage rate overnight. Mortgage rates track the bond market, and traders had priced in better than a 90% chance of this increase before it happened.That anticipation has been lifting borrowing costs for weeks. The 10-year Treasury yield hit its highest level since 2007 the day before the decision. Mortgage News Daily's 30-year fixed rate climbed to 7.19%, more than a percentage point above a year earlier. Freddie Mac's weekly survey, which tracks owner-occupied buyers with 20% down and strong credit, reached 6.95% on Sept. 17, up from 6.76% a week earlier and 6.26% a year ago. Investment property loans generally price above that benchmark.Rents are moving far more slowlySingle-family rents, the main income for small landlords, rose 1.8% over the year through July, below the 2.3% pace a year earlier, according to Cotality. Growth has now picked up for five straight months, though it remains below historical averages, and it is uneven: Chicago led major metros at 5%, while Houston managed 0.2%. Across all rental types, Apartment List found the national median rent was still 0.8% below its level a year before in August, although it has now risen seven months in a row.A mortgage quote can change in a day. Rent growth takes time.How DSCR math turns rates into rentResidential DSCR financing evaluates qualifying rental income relative to principal, interest, property taxes, insurance and association dues, alongside other borrower and property requirements. A ratio of 1.0 means rent equals that payment. This analysis uses 1.25, meaning rent is 25% higher, as an illustrative target rather than a universal lending requirement. Because the ratio compares rent with the payment, keeping it steady means rent has to rise by the same percentage the payment does.Griffin Funding modeled a $300,000, 30-year fixed loan, roughly a $400,000 purchase with 25% down, plus $500 a month for property taxes, insurance and association dues. Griffin Funding Going from 6.75% to 7% raises the payment by about 2%. At 1.8% annual rent growth, rents need about 14 months to close that gap. Going from 6.75% to 7.75% raises the payment by about 8.3%. Closing that gap takes about 4.5 years.The dollar amounts scale with loan size. A quarter point adds roughly $43 per month to principal and interest on a $250,000 loan and about $172 on a $1 million loan.How it plays out on one purchaseConsider a hypothetical purchase. An investor is under contract on a $400,000 single-family rental expected to lease for $3,000 a month, with 25% down. At 6.75%, her coverage ratio is about 1.23. At 7%, it slips to 1.20. At 7.25%, it's 1.18. At 7.75%, it falls to about 1.13. The house and the rent never change. At 7.25%, reaching the illustrative 1.25 target would require about $3,183 in qualifying monthly rent, $183 above her expected $3,000. Alternatively, keeping rent unchanged, she could reduce the loan to roughly $278,500 by adding about $21,500 to her down payment.That additional cash becomes equity in the property, not a fee. But it is cash she can no longer keep on hand for repairs, vacancies or another purchase. Rent growth might narrow the gap over time. The additional down payment would have to be available at closing.This is an illustrative example, not an actual borrower.The same rent can support a smaller loanThe Fed's projections are individual participants' views, not a set policy path. The property-level math is more immediate. In this model, higher mortgage pricing reduces the loan amount that $3,000 in monthly rent can support at the selected coverage target. The buyer can contribute more equity or negotiate a lower purchase price, and different financing terms may also change the calculation.That is the gap between rent growth and borrowing costs. Rent may rise over years, while the buyer has to meet the financing terms at closing. The house doesn't have to get more expensive for the cash needed to buy it to go up. Griffin Funding MethodologyPayment figures are Griffin Funding calculations for a $300,000, 30-year, fully amortizing loan at each rate shown, plus a flat $500 per month for taxes, insurance and association dues. Rent needed equals the monthly payment multiplied by 1.25, an illustrative assumption rather than a lending standard. Because required rent rises in proportion to the payment, years of rent growth were calculated by comparing the percentage payment increase with Cotality's 1.8% annual single-family rent growth (July 2026), compounded annually. The rent-growth comparison is not a forecast and does not measure the recovery of cumulative cash flow or investment returns. Loan-size figures compare principal and interest at 7.50% and 7.75% for each loan amount shown. All figures are illustrative and don't represent any lender's rates, pricing or qualification terms, which vary by credit, leverage, property type and loan structure. Changes in the federal funds rate don't translate one-for-one into mortgage or DSCR loan rates.This story was produced by Griffin Funding and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The economic squeeze is pushing up poverty rates for older adults Despite lower poverty overall, the rate for seniors has been steadily rising in recent years. A new AARP survey sheds light on how those over 50 are struggling in the crucial time before retirement.
	Davenport man charged after allegedly filming child in the bathroom A Davenport man was arrested on Wednesday after a video was found of a child in the bathroom.
	Sequoia Grove Winery’s playbook for elevating game day entertaining (BPT) - For decades, hosting a football game meant the same thing: buffalo wings, a bowl of dip and a cooler of canned beer. But as the sport has evolved over the past 30 years, your Sunday spreads can evolve, too.This season, Sequoia Grove Winery is bringing a fresh Napa Valley perspective to game day entertaining with "Game Day, Elevated," a collection of chef-crafted recipes and wine pairings designed to make hosting feel special without making it complicated. Developed by Sequoia Grove Executive Chef Bryce Palmer, the program brings together four elevated yet approachable dishes and three nationally distributed Sequoia Grove wines: the newly available 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Designed with game day hosting in mind, the recipes can be prepared in advance, giving hosts the freedom to enjoy the food, wine and company from kickoff through the final whistle."Our goal was to create appetizers that feel special without requiring a professional kitchen. This is the kind of food that can largely be made ahead of time, so the host actually gets to watch the game," said Palmer. "Each dish is paired with one of our wines, though they're versatile enough to work with either a red or a white, depending on how you want to entertain.""Game Day, Elevated" coincides with a milestone for the winery, as Sequoia Grove recently made its 2025 Sauvignon Blanc available nationally for the first time in the brand's almost 50-year history, joining the winery's Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon as the three wines featured for game day pairings.Instead of defaulting to expected game day menu items, elevate your spread with these chef-created appetizers, each paired with a Sequoia Grove wine:Rockfish Ceviche Tostadas with Mango, Avocado & Leche de Tigre; Paired with 2025 Sequoia Grove Sauvignon Blanc, Napa ValleyShrimp Rolls with Homemade Brioche Slider Buns, Garlic-Lemon Aioli & Fresh Herbs; Paired with Sequoia Grove Chardonnay, Napa ValleyDuck Confit Tacos with House-Made Crème Fraîche, Pickled Shallots, Cilantro & Cotija; Paired with Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa ValleyBrioche Burger Buns with Chuck–Short Rib Patties, Pimento Cheese, Pickle Coins & Arugula; Paired with Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley Click HERE to view the recipes, pairings and images anchoring "Game Day, Elevated" this season.Please drink responsibly. Learn more at Responsibility.org.
	Survey: 64% of US adults are sitting on a business idea they never launched Nearly two-thirds of American adults have had an idea for a business they never launched. More than 60% have seen someone else succeed with the idea they had first, and for nearly 1 in 4, that experience hurt.Those are some of the eye-opening results from Founder Reports’ survey of 1,014 U.S. adults about the business ideas they've had throughout their lives. The September 2026 study shed new light on Americans’ entrepreneurial aspirations, including feelings of regret and missed opportunities. Based on the data, most business ideas die early, but the real sting comes when people are left to wonder “What if?”Almost everyone has a business idea, but most don’t act on itIn the Founder Reports business ideas survey, 92.8% of respondents said they’ve had at least one business idea, but only 28.8% have actually launched a business. Almost two-thirds (64%) are carrying at least one business idea that never came to fruition. Nearly three-quarters (73.3%) of respondents said they’ve had more than one business idea, including 21.3% with five or more. Founder Reports A 2026 LendingTree survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that 27% have seriously considered starting a business within the past year, confirming that entrepreneurial aspirations are alive and well among today’s Americans.Despite the abundance of ideas and interest in starting a business, most ideas never turn into an enterprise. The LendingTree study found that among those with an idea, just 21% have registered a business name, echoing the Founder Reports conclusion that most ideas die before launching a business.Why most business ideas dieStarting a business requires many steps after the initial idea, and several reasons prevent ideas from culminating in a business launch. The Founder Reports survey asked those who hadn’t launched to identify the primary reason their idea died. Money was the most common answer, as 39.3% identified business funding as their number one obstacle. The second leading answer was that they didn’t know what to do next (18%).A 2024 Justworks survey of 2,000+ U.S. adults reached the same conclusion. Among those interested in starting a business, money (39%) and knowledge of where to start (29%) were the two biggest barriers.Although money is the barrier most commonly blamed for killing a business idea, internal challenges also prevent many people from pushing forward with their ideas. Starting a business involves publicly putting yourself out there. And with roughly 50% of businesses failing in the first five years, fear of failure is an obstacle that must be overcome.Will Mitchell, founder of StartupBros, a community for entrepreneurs, has observed that many would-be entrepreneurs stop short before their idea becomes known to others. “Once the idea is public, quitting starts to look like failing,” he said. “So it stays an idea, where it’s safe and where it cannot embarrass anyone.” Founder Reports Watching someone else build the business (the part that hurts)While many would-be entrepreneurs hesitate or decide not to act, others may be actively building businesses rooted in similar ideas.In the Founder Reports survey, 60.8% of respondents said they’ve seen someone else succeed with a business similar to an idea they didn’t pursue. Nearly 1 in 4 (22.9%) American adults said it bothered them to watch someone else build a business on an idea they had first.The study also found that watching someone else succeed with a similar idea drastically increased regret. Among respondents who had an idea but never launched, only 8.8% of those who haven’t seen someone else succeed with a similar idea expressed regret. Among those who witnessed someone else succeed with their idea, 24% admitted to having regrets.It’s easier to be at peace with a missed opportunity when everything is hypothetical, but regret is more likely once someone else proves the idea could have worked.The science of the “what if”Psychology plays a part here. Research from Cornell University psychologist Tom Gilovich revealed that in the long term, people are more likely to regret inaction than action. Gilovich concluded that waiting for inspiration is a common excuse.Research from Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of “The Power of Regret,” found that regrets from not doing something outnumber those from taking action by roughly 3-to-1.According to the Founder Reports survey, regret was more common among respondents who didn’t pursue their idea because they didn’t know what to do or just never took action (23.5%) compared to those who never launched for other reasons (15.7%). This indicates that regret is also more likely when it feels like action could have been taken.Michael Nadhir, founder of KindMind Behavioral Health, emphasized that “what if” regrets aren’t really about the idea or missed opportunity. He said the regret is “about what the inaction says to them about themselves.”What to do with the idea you’re holding ontoFor some people, watching someone else build the business they had envisioned is what finally pushes them to step out and take their own leap of faith.In 2017, Andrew Gazdecki had an idea to create a marketplace for small acquisitions of online businesses. Other marketplaces and brokers existed, but all focused on larger transactions, and most ignored small businesses and startups. Despite his interest, Gazdecki hesitated. “I convinced myself the market was too small,” he said.But after seeing others bring the same concept to fruition, Gazdecki took action and launched MicroAquire, which later became Acquire. “Watching others do it, it sort of hurts, but it taught me not to hesitate too much on things that feel like good opportunities,” he commented. Since launching in 2020, Acquire has facilitated the sale of more than 5,000 businesses totaling more than $1 billion, showing that success is still possible even after initial hesitation.For those still holding onto an idea and hesitant to move forward, the data suggests lasting regret doesn’t usually come from trying and failing, but rather from never trying and wondering “what if?”Survey methodologyFounder Reports surveyed 1,014 U.S. adults in September 2026. Respondents answered five questions about how many business ideas they've had, how far the furthest one traveled, whether they've seen someone else succeed with a similar idea, why they stopped, and how they feel about that idea today. The data is based on self-reported responses.This story was produced by Founder Reports and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Airlines bet big on sports travel boom On Oct. 10, the reigning national champion Indiana University Hoosiers head to Lincoln, Nebraska, for a college football showdown against the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, and United Airlines is planning to help with the fan frenzy.United plans to offer a rare flight between Indianapolis and Lincoln on the game weekend. Normally, it wouldn't connect those two cities with nonstop service.There are more flights like that one, too.That same week, United will also offer unusual nonstop service between Eugene, Oregon, and Columbus, Ohio, catering to a high-stakes University of Oregon-Ohio State University matchup.Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines has added a full slate of flights this fall, specifically to carry fans to away games.Plus, American Airlines will go bigger and farther when the Dallas Cowboys head to Brazil for an NFL game. American will offer a special flight from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro on one of its large Boeing 787 Dreamliners.As The Points Guy examines here, airlines are leaning into sports, and for good reason, too."The local market in sports is so popular right now, and so much money is being spent," Joe Esposito, chief commercial officer at Delta Air Lines, said when speaking on a panel in Texas in August."No matter where you look in this country — whether it's college, pro, WNBA — everything is packed," he added. "It's an insatiable business."Sports travel is boomingIn 2025, fans spent $51.1 billion traveling to spectator sporting events, according to the Sports Events and Tourism Association.Keep in mind that was before fans flooded major U.S. cities this summer for the FIFA World Cup.In Austin, one out of every six hotel room nights is now owed to sports-related travel, tourism leaders say."It drives summer. It drives weekend[s]," Tom Noonan, CEO of Visit Austin, said at a panel in August. "It's a big part of Austin's future."It's about how fans are travelingOf course, fans following their teams around the country is nothing new.Rose Gray, a Wisconsin-based travel adviser, has helped Green Bay Packers fans book trips to away games for more than 40 years.What has changed, she said, is how fans are choosing to travel.Gone are the days of scoring cheap tickets, staying in budget motels and tailgating to beat traffic.Now, fans are asking Gray to send them to Formula One races in Monaco with prime seats and meet and greets with their favorite drivers."They may say, 'I don't want to just stay in some Motel Six an hour away from the Masters," Gray, of Fox World Travel, told TPG. "They're looking for an experience. It's not just a game. It's talking to the locals. Learning about the local cuisine. Being as close as possible."It's a cultural phenomenon cut from the same cloth as the all-in approach Taylor Swift fans took while booking trips to the Eras tour in 2023 and 2024: expensive hotels, luxe dinners and high-end experiences.In the face of stubborn inflation and higher borrowing costs, it might be the latest sign that consumers are refusing to sacrifice travel even as they face difficult spending decisions."I don't think the splurge is necessarily people that are all really wealthy," Wendy Zajack, adjunct professor who studies consumer behavior at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, explained to TPG."I think people are willing to save for a big trip or a big moment," Zajack added. "And when they do it, they're going to do it all in."Airlines bet big on the big gameSouthwest is planning unique nonstop service between Oklahoma City and Jacksonville when Oklahoma plays the University of Florida in November.The weekend before Thanksgiving, there's a flight between Columbus and Omaha when Ohio State plays Nebraska.To be fair, these football-focused flights aren't actually new.United has been strategically adding unique routes to college football games for nearly a decade.In recent years, the Chicago-based carrier has doubled down on finding opportunities to add one-off routes, even ones that don't touch its major hubs.A prime example is the flight between Birmingham, Alabama, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which it added for the Nov. 7 Alabama versus LSU matchup."We've developed a much deeper understanding of where fans want to go and how they prefer to travel," Michael Weeks, United's managing director of domestic schedule development, told TPG."That experience," he said, "has helped us become more strategic in identifying the right games, matching capacity to demand, and creating schedules that work well for customers."More than a gameThe deep link between sports and travel goes well beyond Saturday college football games, too — especially as leagues launch games to more alluring destinations.The NFL is planning its biggest international tour in 2026, following the first-ever game in Australia.Next summer, the MLB plans to host another game on the Iowa farm that was once the set of the film "Field of Dreams."Meanwhile, ticket sales are already underway for one of the biggest draws of all: the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.At a time when so much in life now happens on a screen, traveling to these "in-real-life" games increasingly feels like a splurge worth planning a larger trip around, according to Zajack."I think in our world right now we are really craving unique time-bound events," she said. "I don't see an end to it right now."Tips for bookingIf you're planning to book a trip to see your favorite team, it helps to be an eagle-eyed schedule-watcher.Begin searching flights and hotels as soon as your team's schedule drops. If you're hoping to use points, the best award deals are sometimes available 11 months or more in advance.Just be sure to book reservations you can change if the price later drops or if your plans change.Consider protecting your trip with a travel insurance plan that covers major events like sports games or concerts. When possible, add another layer of protection by purchasing your travel with a credit card that has built-in travel insurance.Flight prices typically surge around major events, so plan to land a few days early and leave a couple of days after the final whistle. This can add peace of mind if you get delayed and help you avoid high-demand ticket prices.Finally, be strategic when using points and miles. While award bookings can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses on flights and hotels, research current valuations to ensure you're not handing too many hard-earned points over at once.This story was produced by The Points Guy and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Cat dies in Clinton fire A cat is dead after a fire in Clinton yesterday morning, according to a news release from the Clinton Fire Department. Firefighters were dispatched to the 500 block of 1st Avenue on Sept. 23 at about 9 a.m. for a report of a structure fire. They responded with a ladder truck, two engines, two ambulances [...]
	Police: Man set fires in Davenport apartment building Police say the fire happened Tuesday afternoon.
	Expert debunks 8 of the most common power shutoff myths (BPT) - Most households underestimate two things about a public safety power shutoff: how long it typically lasts and how fast it can cost them a full refrigerator and freezer. When a utility company shuts off electricity to reduce wildfire risks, the interruption can stretch well beyond an afternoon. In California specifically, the average public safety power shutoff (PSPS) lasts almost two days, with some outages extending longer than six days.If you've just gone grocery shopping, a single average-length shutoff is long enough to force you to throw out everything perishable in your fridge. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises discarding refrigerated perishables such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers after just 4 hours without power. A full freezer is at risk of spoiling, too. According to the agency, a full freezer can only maintain a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours.A potential shutoff doesn't have to mean hundreds of dollars lost or days without power. The key is to know the facts and stay prepared. To make preparedness feel more manageable, Beau, Jackery's in-house former licensed electrician, debunks the eight most common myths about energy shutoffs and offers practical advice on how to keep your fridge cool and your home running with home battery backup when the rest of the block goes dark.Myth: I'll find out I'm having a shutoff when the lights go out.Reality: If conditions allow, the utility company actually notifies you in advance when your circuit's being considered, usually a day or two out. That window is when you want to make sure your home battery backup is topped off so you'll have power before a shutoff begins.Myth: My phone and laptop batteries will get me through a shutoff.Reality: Your phone and laptop batteries will only last a few hours, not a few days. Since shutoffs can run 24-48 hours (or longer), you'll have to do without these important electronics. You'll also have bigger things to worry about, like keeping your fridge, Wi-Fi router or anything else that needs to stay connected powered on.Myth: If the power is shut off, I'll just wait it out. It's usually only a few hours.Reality: This is sometimes true, but shutoffs are called based on wind and fire risk, not a fixed schedule, so they can run longer than expected. Just last October, due to fire weather concerns, Southern California Edison de-energized 1,215 customers across seven counties, leaving them without power for over a week. Having a home battery backup means you're not gambling on a timeline you can't control.Myth: Backup batteries are only for people trying to go off-grid.Reality: Most people adding home backup batteries are staying on the grid full time. By adding a home backup solution, they're giving themselves peace of mind for days when the power's out. It's not a lifestyle change, it's a spare tire. And once you have a portable power station to safeguard your necessities, you realize how many practical applications portable power at your fingertips can unlock: from outdoor entertaining, to road trips, to projects around the house.Myth: If the power's out, my only real option is a gas generator.Reality: That may have been true at one point, but not anymore. Home battery backup solutions like Jackery's portable power stations and solar generators can power the same essentials as a generator without the noise, fumes or trips to the gas station. All you have to do is charge them in advance. And there's always the option to replenish them with solar power through Jackery's portable solar panels.Myth: A home backup battery can't handle anything more than charging my phone.Reality: People are often surprised by what a portable power station can handle. The right-sized unit can run a fridge, a Wi-Fi router, some lighting and charge devices all at once for a full day or more.Myth: Setting this up is a big electrical project.Reality: Portable solar power generators like Jackery's are plug-and-play units that don't require you to rewire your home but are ready right out of the box. You do have the option to connect a unit to specific circuits so they can switch over automatically or at the flip of a switch, and that's a quick job for an electrician. For example, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus and Explorer 5000 Plus can connect to home circuits via a Manual Transfer Switch and Smart Transfer Switch, respectively, for multiroom essential home backup. That said, plenty of people just plug in the electronics and appliances they need directly into the power station, so a solution like the HomePower 1000 Plus V2 is a lighter, more affordable option for smaller households or apartments to weather a shutoff.Myth: If I have solar, my power never really goes out.Reality: This is an incredibly common misconception. Federal interconnection safety standards require a standard grid-tied residential solar system to shut down when the grid does to protect utility line workers. That means if you have rooftop solar panels but no battery, the shutoff will hit your solar home exactly like every other home on the block without that energy stored somewhere.A simple solution to this problem is to use portable solar panels. These panels aren't tied to the grid, giving households with solar an independent way to actually use that power during a shutoff. Jackery's portable solar panels work with all of our brand's backup power solutions so that you can capture, store and use solar power during a shutoff or any time you want to create free, renewable energy.When the power shuts off, you don't need to shut downWhen it comes to power shutoffs, it's important to separate fact from fiction. To learn more about how to prepare for a potential shutoff and explore backup power solutions for your home, visit Jackery.com.

Friday, September 25th, 2026

Thursday, September 24th, 2026