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

Friday, July 10th, 2026
	Leveling up: The past and future of video games in the US After Sony announced it will discontinue selling physical game discs, we dug deeper into the evolution of video gaming.
	National French Fry Day 2026: How to get free fries and other food deals We've rounded up the promo codes that unlock free fries on National French Fry Day.
	Federal Trade Commission and five states file motion to accept settlement in right-to-repair lawsuit against Deere & Company A years-long lawsuit alleges that Deere & Company has been withholding vital repair and diagnostic services behind costly software subscriptions, which are sometimes only available at John Deere-certified dealers. The FTC and attorneys general of Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin filed a joint motion to resolve their lawsuit with a settlement agreement totaling nearly $100 million. WVIK spoke to a farmer and a right-to-repair advocate who caution claimants to read the fine print.
	Snapchat messages preceded deadly shooting by a former police officer: court records Caitlynn J. Girkin, a former Creve Coeur police officer, faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly shooting her roommate Adolfo Cazares in March.
	Thousands of grills sold at Walmart and Lowe's recalled nationwide Thousands of grills sold online and at Walmart and Lowe's stores nationwide are being recalled, according to a notice posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 1:45 PM CDT Slow-Moving Thunderstorm with Potential Funnel Clouds in Western Scott and Southeastern Cedar Counties
	Iowa National Guard deploys 120 soldiers to Washington for America’s 250th anniversary A sendoff ceremony was held in Des Moines for 120 Iowa National Guard soldiers deploying to Washington, D.C., to provide anniversary security.
	Special Weather Statement until FRI 6:00 PM CDT Funnel Clouds Possible This Afternoon and Evening
	Monmouth officials warn of deadly generator mistake delaying storm power restoration Monmouth officials are warning residents against a dangerous generator mistake called backfeeding that can electrocute workers and cause fires.
	Quad-Cities Hy-Vees celebrate Birdies for Charity donations to local nonprofits Ten Quad-Cities nonprofits are receiving $1,000 each from the donation.
	Walk to End Alzheimer’s Oct. 24 in Muscatine The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Muscatine Area takes place on Saturday, October 24 at Discovery Park's Environmental Learning Center, 3300 Cedar Street in Muscatine. Participants honor those affected by Alzheimer’s on Walk Day with the Promise Garden ceremony. Walkers will carry flowers of various colors during the ceremony and each color represents [...]
	Eligible Illinois seniors to get help buying farmers' market produce Farmers market season is underway across Illinois, and low-income seniors may be able to get help buying fresh, local produce. According to a release from the State of Illinois, the Illinois Department on Aging and Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) are administering the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program to give income-eligible older adults benefits [...]
	Traffic alert: Country star Luke Bryan at Vibrant in downtown Moline Friday night Drivers should expect traffic delays on River Drive in Moline this Friday night.
	Vehicle strikes GECU building, Rock Island Police in Rock Island responded to GECU, 2300 4th Avenue, for a report of a vehicle striking a building and leaving the scene. A pillar in the credit union's drive-through was heavily damaged, with chunks of brick scattered around the drive-through. A large chunk of brick went into a parking lot next to the credit [...]
	QC Arts unveils new mural at EveryChild Quad City Arts unveiled its latest mural this morning in Rock Island. The new mural at EveryChild, 420 23rd Street, was created by apprentices from Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts Apprenticeship Program, under the direction of lead artist Sarah Robb. The mural features paper cranes flowing from a starburst surrounding a parent and child, reflecting [...]
	Gen Z’s political gender divide is now showing up in schools Gen Z’s political gender divide is now showing up in schoolsOn Nov. 5, 2024, men and women around the U.S. headed to the polls to decide a race hyped as a battle of the sexes.By evening’s end, Kamala Harris’ quest to punch through the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” and become America’s first female president lay in shambles. Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s undisputed alpha male since 2015, would return to the White House. And voters, especially the youngest ones, were themselves divided starkly on lines of gender.As in each of the three previous federal elections, women’s support for the Democratic ticket considerably exceeded men’s. But the gulf separating Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 was historically wide: According to an analysis by Catalist, a data and analytics company that contracts with progressive organizations, Harris won the backing of 63% of women and just 46% of men.The 17-point gap cleaving through Generation Z was not only bigger than that of every other age group; it was comfortably the largest Catalist had measured across four presidential cycles. Surveys of Trump’s approval conducted by NBC News corroborated the same trend the following year, showing disparities between the men and women of Gen Z that eclipsed smaller splits among Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. Catalist Jennifer Benz, a political scientist who leads the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, said findings like that were consistent across surveys she administered prior to the Trump-Harris contest, as well as exit polling conducted at the end of the campaign. Men and women have generally favored different political parties for roughly a half-century, but it was unusual for newly minted voters to lead the way, she added.“What’s been notable about this younger generation is that the gender divide is already shaping up now, as opposed to when they age into the more typical partisan patterns we’ve seen over recent years,” Benz said.While Gen Z’s gender gap is a relatively new phenomenon, its features can already be seen in K-12 schools. They spring from the rancorous gender politics of the 2020s, which have left girls repelled by Trump’s policies and boys disaffected by Democrats’ seeming indifference to their concerns. Spencer Platt // Getty Images As the youngest “Zoomers” enter high school this year, they appear to be accelerating toward the political — and often social — estrangement already evident among their older brothers and sisters. Their stories, based on interviews with The 74 and supported by the insights of educators and public opinion researchers, offer a rare snapshot of that polarization as it takes shape. In America’s college dorms and high school homerooms, young adults are seeing the world differently, occupying separate online spaces and even demonstrating an aversion to dating.Sarah Campbell, a high school teacher in Brunswick, Maine, said she’d noticed a pronounced change in her social studies classroom. Earlier in her career, students broadly approached discussions of politics and public policy with open minds. But over the past 10 years, a growing number have entered those conversations “already aligned with certain ideas.” Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency // Getty Images “I’ve had girls talk about things like safety, rights or future opportunities in very real, personal ways, and in the same conversation, boys are questioning whether those issues are still relevant,” Campbell wrote in an email. “They’re not just disagreeing, they’re experiencing these issues from completely different realities.”‘Feminism rooted in me’Those distinct worldviews may have origins stretching long before adolescence. Celeste Lay, a professor at Tulane University who studies how young people acquire political beliefs, noted that their beginnings overlap with children’s early attempts to fashion adult identities for themselves.“At the same time young people are going through political socialization, they’re also going through gender socialization,” she said. “So as they’re developing their politics, they’re learning what it means to be a boy or a girl and what society says those concepts mean.”In a 2022 paper, Lay and several co-authors used survey data from more than 1,500 children to determine when they start to examine the world through the lens of partisanship. They discovered that kids as young as 6 are already tottering down the path to the ballot box, and nearly half the study’s participants affiliated with a party by the age of 12.A high school senior named Lily was once such a novice partisan. Raised in South Lyon, Michigan, along the outskirts of Metro Detroit, she was encouraged by liberal-minded parents to take an interest in U.S. history and current events. When she was 8, the Democrats nominated the first woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket. After that, her course was set.“This sense of feminism rooted in me because my parents were letting me educate myself,” Lily recalled. “When Hillary Clinton was up against Trump, I was like, ‘There’s never been a female president! I have to support her.’” Justin Sullivan // Getty Images A decade after that formative electoral heartbreak, she spoke to The 74 while taking part in the National Student Leadership Council, a for-profit summer program offering learning experiences in a range of fields. Alongside a few dozen others with similarly arcane interests in bicameralism and campaign finance, Lily — whose last name has been withheld to allow her and her peers to speak freely about political matters — spent nine days last July at the Georgetown University campus. In between sessions, role-playing as U.S. congressmen, the group made field trips to walk the halls of the Capitol in person.Lily and her fellow government enthusiasts might reasonably be called some of the most civically engaged high schoolers in the nation. But countless girls her age followed a similar trajectory to both political consciousness and the political left.In the years spanning the Clinton and Biden administrations, the youngest female voters steadily warmed to the label of “liberal” (historically the least-popular ideological category). By 2023, Gallup research shows, the proportion of women aged 18-29 who described themselves as liberal had leapt from 28% to 40%, while liberal men of the same age stalled at 25% over the same period.The evolution was not merely rhetorical. Teenage and 20-something women adopted more progressive stances on the environment, abortion, gun rights, marijuana access, the Israel-Palestine conflict and an array of other cultural issues. Today, the women of Gen Z are commonly regarded as the single most liberal voter demographic.Marie Sarnacki, an English and history instructor in South Lyon, contrasted recent waves of female students with those in her own graduating class of 2009. While stipulating that she spoke only for herself, Sarnacki added that girls in 2026 had far fewer reservations about voicing feminist beliefs on some of the most pressing questions of the day.“I don’t know if they would give themselves the label, but it’s safe to say they’re more open about their concern for reproductive rights or supporting classmates who are gay,” she said.The elephant in the roomSarnacki believes that the ideological shift she has witnessed throughout 11 years in the classroom can be substantially explained by a corresponding development unfolding on the right.Trump’s presidencies, each achieved through the defeat of historic female candidacies, have repeatedly pushed debates around sexism and women’s rights to the center of the national agenda, she argued. From the Women’s March to the #MeToo-inflected Brett Kavanaugh hearings, the stunning demise of Roe v. Wade, and the president’s demeaning comments about various female antagonists, the Trump era may have hastened a leftward drift that was already in progress. Mario Tama // Getty Images Daniel Cox, director of the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI)’s Survey Center on American Life, agreed with Sarnacki. While women have lately gained ground against or even pulled ahead of men in some professional and educational spheres, he continued, many of the most “momentous cultural events” of the last 10 years led them to the conclusion that their rights were imperiled.“They were doing really well in higher education and high schools in terms of AP courses and graduation rates, and tons of statistics suggest that young women were comparatively doing better than men,” Cox said. “But when they looked around politics and the culture, they were upset about a lot of things and became politically active.”Public opinion research provides clear signs that their dissatisfaction remains high during the second Trump presidency — and is equally vivid among those too young to participate in elections. An AP-NORC survey from last summer revealed that, within a representative panel of children aged 13-17, girls were vastly more negative than boys in their assessments of Trump (-38 from females versus -7 favorability from male respondents) and the GOP (-16 from girls and +2 from boys), while also much warmer toward the Democratic Party (+13 from girls and -5 from boys). Andrew Lichtenstein // Corbis via Getty Images Trump’s macho stylings and media omnipresence play a crucial role in expanding the rift. Lily remarked that he has become an inescapable figure, whether in school or on social media. If anything, the president’s ubiquity was actually heightened by his reelection defeat in 2020, which lengthened his time in the spotlight.“He’s so loud, with all the scandalous things he’s done,” she said. “You can avoid the news, but you can’t avoid him.”Another participant in the NSLC’s Georgetown session was Cate, a junior enrolled at a small private school in Louisville, Kentucky. Like Lily, she said she was motivated by societal injustice to become involved in politics. Her father is gay, and his experiences were part of what spurred her to activism.But whether engaged in private discussions with friends or public outreach through her school’s Human Rights Club, Cate felt frustrated by her male classmates’ lack of interest in the politics of Kentucky or the wider world.She expressed particular disappointment with boys in her school who, she suspected, held views similar to hers but would not voice them out of fear of losing face with friends who “idolize” Trump’s brash manner. The gush of short-form entertainment glorifying the president on platforms like TikTok helped foster a hero worship that was difficult to puncture.It was understandable that young men would seek to emulate a powerful personality, Cate said, specifically citing the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The moment after that attack, when the then-candidate rose to his feet and exhorted his audience to “fight,” has become a centerpiece of video edits aimed at teenage boys, she said. Yet his influence heightened a dynamic in which “empathy is seen by this generation of men as weak, feminine.”“It gets into all this misogyny,” she lamented. “But women, who don’t care about that and can be empathetic loudly, are more able to share their political opinions.”‘Where am I in this equation?’Girls were not alone in observing the stridency of gender conflict. Nor were self-described progressives the only ones to complain about its occasionally personal nature.Nathan, a junior from the prosperous suburban enclave of Westfield, New Jersey, struck a note of bemusement when describing an oft-abused target of the online right: left-leaning white women, a category encompassing many of the students he’d met that week at Georgetown.“There’s a stereotype that liberal white women are self-hating,” he said. “And supposedly it’s not feminine, and it’s not attractive, and it’s not manly if you support it.”Voluble and direct, Nathan described himself as a “right-winger,” one of the few participating in the program. But he professed no admiration for political harangues mingled with sexism, and he objected to the treatment suffered by some of his gay classmates at home, who he said were frequently mocked in private.Instead, along with several other male students, he spent much of an hour-long conversation with The 74 lampooning the fixation of social authorities — including his school’s leaders — with identity politics. A multitude of perceived sins drew their attention, including the proliferation of various “heritage months” across the school calendar and the alleged maligning of the Founding Fathers in history curricula. The most annoying of these were dismissed as “virtue signaling.” The 74, Source: apnorc.org Many politically engaged young men share Nathan’s perspective on the newfound prominence of equity-focused language and policies.This is, in fact, a key distinction between male and female Zoomers. According to an AP-NORC poll released in 2022, Gen Z men and their Millennial counterparts were only about half as likely as women to “closely follow” news coverage of social issues. And while the rising salience of such causes, including LGBT rights and abortion, has clearly played a role in politically activating many American women, they do not appear to have galvanized men to support Democratic candidates.Catalist’s overview of the election results shows that both men and women became more likely to vote Republican between 2020 and 2024, but the gender gap across all ages was principally driven by men abandoning the Democratic Party.Monty, a junior from deep-blue San Diego, said that students attending his private high school were “extremely left,” and typically surrounded by friends and family members of the same mindset. A strong impulse to activism also pervaded the halls, he added, attracting a number of his peers to Pride marches and No Kings rallies over the past year.As Monty described it, the somewhat airless ideology of his school mirrored that of the larger progressive movement: Just as he’d periodically felt isolated during a long stretch of school assemblies commemorating the historic contributions of women and minority groups, a groundswell of “stranded people” was successfully targeted by the Trump campaign with identity-focused appeals.“You have all these other groups represented, and then you have a generation of these young white males saying, ‘Okay, where am I in this equation? Because I’m not Black, I’m not a woman, I’m not LGBTQ, and I don’t know where I’m going to fit into this,’” Monty said.Rachel Janfaza is an independent researcher who writes the newsletter The Up and Up, which aims to surface the attitudes of Gen Z for a national audience by convening focus groups and listening sessions around the United States. In an interview, she said Democrats had “fumbled” in 2024 with a critical group of potential male supporters.“I don’t think the Republican Party necessarily set out to attract young men from the start, but the Democratic Party being so coded as being friendly to women made it hard for young men to see themselves in that party,” Janfaza said. “A lot of the men I spoke to who voted for Trump in 2024 felt like they were still not being messaged to by the Democratic Party.”‘This system doesn’t benefit us’Part of the difficulty in communicating to Gen Z is the fact that, beneath the level of partisan affiliation, perceptions of society and gender often differ significantly.Nowhere is this clearer than in the respective views of men and women toward feminism, a cause that has continually gained public support since the 1960s. Women have always been more keen than men to accept the label of “feminist,” but a 2023 poll from AEI showed that over half of male Millennials said the term fit them personally; that figure was actually higher than the proportion of women from preceding generations who agreed with the description. The 74, Source: American Adolescence Survey, 2023 Yet far fewer of the youngest male respondents agreed. Zoomer men were only as likely as those in Gen X — a group more than twice their age — to call themselves feminists. Between that striking reversion and the leap in self-described feminism among younger women, Gen Z saw the widest gender gap on the issue of any age cohort.In the same survey, 23% of Gen Z men said they had experienced gender-based discrimination, a nearly fourfold increase over the oldest men included in the sample. Women are also increasingly likely to express this belief, with half of all Gen Z females saying they’d been discriminated against (compared with just 38% of Boomer women).Some fear that such sharp departures on fundamental questions will foment mutual resentment. Nathan, the New Jersey high schooler, said that boys his age were becoming embittered by a lack of recognition from the political left. In particular, he said that white males could be alienated from the Democratic Party in the same way that African Americans tossed aside their Republican allegiances in the 20th century.“I think a similar situation is happening with young white men,” Nathan said. “They’re like, ‘This system, this establishment, doesn’t benefit us in any way. We have no stake in maintaining it.â€˜”Meanwhile, dramatic developments in the political realm can leave residue in the social one. The interpersonal relations of men and women are under greater strain than at any time in the past few decades, epitomized by a plummeting number of teenagers exploring romantic relationships. While almost 90% of high school seniors reported that they’d gone out on at least one date in 1987, according to a recent poll by the Institute for Family Studies, only about half said the same in 2024.Competing partisanship seems to be at least partially responsible for the decline. In a poll conducted last year by NPR and PBS News, 60% of Zoomers agreed that it was “important to date or marry someone who shared your political views”; by contrast, 62% of respondents aged 60 or older said that politics didn’t carry much weight in matters of the heart. A broader report published last year on the American dating scene found that fully three-quarters of single women with a college degree said they would think twice before dating a Trump supporter.Campbell, the Maine social studies teacher, said she had seen both sides of the dichotomy in her high school class. Girls are increasingly hesitant to pair off, or even socialize, with male classmates. Boys jokingly attack one another as “simps” — a slang term for men desperate for the attention of women — and have become “much more likely to push back” in class discussions of gender differences.“There is almost a defensiveness in their attitude, as if I am trying to tell them they aren’t important and girls are,” Campbell wrote. “It is genuinely a shift that is concerning to me.”Lily, who now attends high school in State College, Pennsylvania, didn’t address her dating life. But she opined that the apparently right-wing outlook expressed by some boys may simply reflect their wish to fit in — an instinct with which she sympathized.“The same way we find ourselves in social situations where we’re pressured to join some clique, that’s present in our political positions too,” she said. “And guys experience that too. I just think they’re better at hiding it.”What comes next?Neither students, teachers, nor researchers could guess whether the gender gap would reverse with time or continue to grow.In his sixth year in office, young women haven’t relented in their loathing for Donald Trump. In fact, it might be said that American women and the Democratic Party have become increasingly synonymous, both measurably more feminist, more liberal, and more credentialed than they were a generation ago. According to Gallup data, 1 in 3 Democrats is now a college-educated woman.On the other hand, it is far from clear whether a sufficiently large number of today’s high school boys will reverse course and embrace the Democratic candidate in 2028. A recently released edition of the semiannual Yale Youth Poll showed that 68% of voters aged 18-22 disapprove of Trump’s performance in office, a four-point increase since the previous fall; still, men in that age range actually became less favorable toward the Democrats during that same five-month span.If national Republicans hope that disenchantment brings them an army of converts, they may find themselves disappointed. AEI’s Cox said the evidence from most polling and election results shows only that young men have become hostile toward Democrats — not that they have become doctrinaire conservatives.“I’m not even sure they like the Republicans that much, honestly,” Cox said. “It’s not so much that they’re attracted to the whole GOP agenda — it’s that, between the two parties, they’re looking at which one seems more receptive to the concerns they have.”Asher, visiting NLSC’s summer program from Pennsylvania’s solid-blue Delaware County, said he would have voted for the Democratic ticket in 2024 had he been old enough. The measured junior particularly came to admire Tim Walz after he was selected as Harris’ vice-presidential pick.Yet he critiqued the way in which the party sought to woo men as “pandering,” including an affinity group launched to rally “White Dudes for Harris,” and Walz’s misuse of football lingo. (The Minnesota governor later disclosed that he saw his ability to “code talk to white guys” as one of his major contributions to the campaign.)Nathan recalled an episode that saw Walz join Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a gaming session streamed on the popular service Twitch. “They had the most artificial attempts to win over men,” he marveled. “Tim Walz and AOC playing video games, and you could tell they weren’t actually playing. No one related to that!”Asher — happy to number himself among the relatively scarce white dudes for Harris, albeit one without a vote — said he hadn’t personally felt excluded from political debates with left-leaning classmates, but acknowledged that such conversations sometimes hinged on participants’ personal “credibility” to speak on specific issues.“I have seen that happen with people: ‘You don’t have female genitals, so you don’t get to have an opinion about abortion,’” he said.The Up and Up’s Janfaza said that similar complaints are a hallmark of her listening sessions with college undergraduates. Many feel as though their sentiments, goals, and desires are so diffuse that they are “talking past each other.”“When I ask young men and women, ‘Do you see a gender divide in your community?’ they are so quick to tell me that they feel men and women are on different playing fields,” she said. “This isn’t fun for anyone.”This piece was copublished with The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom covering gender, politics, policy, and power.This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	More than 550,000 power tools sold at Lowe's recalled Approximately 554,780 Kobalt 24V and 48V Trimmers, Blowers, Mowers, Chainsaws, and Pruning Saws with USB-C Batteries are included in the recall.
	Colin Farrell plays a P.I. with the strangest of secrets in 'Sugar' Season 2 The Apple TV series wraps noir inside science fiction. With subtlety and charm, Farrell plays an earnest alien just doing his best as a private eye in Los Angeles.
	New 'Little House' remake will inspire you to rewatch the '70s TV series Netflix's new Little House series features the same characters and setting as the original, but its reliance on hand-held cameras, in extreme close-up, calls too much attention to itself.
	Among the millions of Americans affected after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 100,000 Tennesseans lost SNAP food aid Among the millions of Americans affected after the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 100,000 Tennesseans lost SNAP food aidAs she neared her 60th birthday, the stable pieces of Cassandra Doyle’s life began to fall away: first, she was laid off from her job. Then, her newly purchased used car died in the middle of the freeway.She depleted her savings and retirement to pay rent, while unsuccessfully trying to find a job with limited transportation. Ultimately, Doyle said, she decided to make a fresh start in Nashville, arriving in December from her hometown of Minneapolis-St. Paul.Weeks after she moved to Tennessee, Doyle was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.Living in a woman’s shelter while undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Doyle, in January, qualified for a $300 Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, to supplement the food provided at the shelter with the healthy and fresh foods her healthcare providers urged her to consume. She lost that benefit in April.“The notice said I was denied because I am able-bodied,” Doyle told Tennessee Lookout. Notice came from the Department of Human Services, which administers the federal program in Tennessee.Doyle joins about 100,000 people in Tennessee who have lost the federal food aid since July 2025, according to state enrollment data. In May of this year, 597,890 Tennesseans received some level of SNAP benefits, down from 696,000 people in July 2025, the data shows. One in 7 individuals who relied on the benefit last year no longer have it.The drop in enrollment coincides with a new law from the Trump administration that overhauled many of the program's rules. Beginning last July, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut $186 billion from the SNAP program, an 80-year-old federal program that provides individuals and families with low income a monthly cash benefit, loaded onto debit cards, to spend at the grocery store.The law also added and expanded the requirement to hold down a job or attend school as a condition of receiving the benefit: previously, the rules made exceptions for individuals over the age of 55, veterans, children aging out of foster care and individuals experiencing homelessness. Now, these individuals must work or attend training or school to get the food assistance.Doyle falls into two of the new categories: she is unhoused and over 55. She has applied for federal disability benefits, but these can take months, or even years, to obtain. In the meantime, she said that even if she felt physically well enough to work, her frequent cancer treatments and doctor’s appointments make it nearly impossible to find a job. John Partipilo // Tennessee Lookout “I’m just so close to saying, ‘forget it,’ and figuring out a way to get any job,” she said. A job would allow her to rent an apartment and move on with her life. “But the reason I haven’t done it is simply, with my medical stuff going on, who’s to say I wouldn’t end up homeless again in a few months?”“It’s frustrating, because I’m trying to do the right thing all the way through. That’s what it feels like, ‘You are doing what you are supposed to do, and you get penalized for it,” she said.A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Human Services said last week the agency does not track how many individuals lost benefits due to new work or other federal requirements imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Individuals may roll on and off for a variety of reasons, including changes in their economic circumstances, job loss and job gains.“We do not have data available at this time specifically tracking the information you have requested,” the spokesperson said. “As previously mentioned, there are many factors that affect an individual’s SNAP eligibility.”Advocates with the Tennessee Justice Center, a Nashville-based nonprofit legal advocacy organization, said the steep drop in enrollment since the legislation’s adoption makes the correlation clear.“Tennesseans did not suddenly stop needing help putting food on the table,” said Signe Anderson, senior director of nutrition advocacy at the Tennessee Justice Center.“What changed was the law. New barriers and paperwork requirements have made it harder for working families, older adults, veterans, and children to access the nutrition assistance that they are qualified to receive.”Even as enrollment drops, the Department of Human Services has taken alternative steps to expand eligibility for certain individuals, the department spokesperson said.The state last month adopted a new category, referred to as “broad-based categorical eligibility,” that raises the income and asset limits for individuals and families to qualify for SNAP benefits.Previously, families’ gross income limit was 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. Under the newly adopted rules, the gross income limit was raised to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Under the former guidelines, families could not qualify if they had more than $3,000 in savings. The new Tennessee guidelines eliminate this asset test.The federal government has long permitted states to adopt the broad-based categorical eligibility rules. Tennessee was the 47th state to adopt them, according to the Tennessee Justice Center.This story was produced by Tennessee Lookout and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Crime Stoppers Solved: Man wanted by Rock Island police on charges of sexual abuse and assault arrested Christian Beard is wanted by the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear for armed violence.
	Visit Quad Cities announces new board chair, board members Visit Quad Cities has announced its FY2026-2027 board of directors. Neil Dahlstrom will serve as board chair, succeeding Jennifer Sautter, a news release says. Dahlstrom has served on the board since 2022. He currently leads Heritage Marketing for John Deere and is Deere’s official archivist, serving the company for more than 25 years. “I am [...]
	A major housing bill is set to become law at midnight — even though Trump says he won't sign President Trump says he is refusing to sign the bill without Congress first passing his sweeping voter ID bill.
	Milan Harvest Festival returns this Labor Day weekend Enjoy four days of family fun at the 2026 Milan Harvest Festival in Camden Park, 1247 32nd Ave E, this Labor Day Weekend. This year's festival offers more excitement with a larger layout, more attractions and activities for all ages. The festival grounds will have carnival rides, food vendors, live entertainment, a fireworks display, a [...]
	Taking a summer vacation thanks to AI Taking a summer vacation thanks to AIBefore AI took hold of the financial advisory landscape, it was more challenging for advisors to take a day off or go on a summer vacation. That involved a lot of trust in their teammates and technology’s capabilities, let alone whatever efforts it took to go on the trip.But now with the adoption of AI assistants, many more advisors are looking forward to leveraging some more newfound freedom this summer thanks to AI assistants. Advisors utilizing AI can save time thanks to the efficiencies it allows them and their team to achieve. That could be a long lunch or stacked up to create regular three-day weekends.Catching Everything Even When You’re Not at Your DeskFor Danielle Darling, CDFA, founder of Darling Wealth Management, she’s often traveling either with clients or having interactions with them while away from her desk.“We’ll have a conversation, and then I’ll plug it in my CRM,” Darling tells Jump. “And then when it comes time to schedule the initial call, the notes or the pre-meeting prep already pops up.”Enabling Delegation of Responsibility“I no longer feel like my brain is the only place where the essence of client conversations live, allowing me to step away from my desk with confidence,” said Emily Rassam, CFP, partner at Archer Investment Management. “As a result, I also save time during the workday and experience far fewer interruptions, since my team can access the context they need to follow through on post-meetings tasks without coming to me for clarification.”And since AI assistants have become that centralized repository where all team members get their information and tasks to complete, Sarah Cicero, CFP, financial advisor at StoneBridge Advisors, has saved time and energy from having to delegate tasks to her teammates while she’s away. Since her AI assistant is enabled on all her meetings, when Cicero was recently out of town performing eight annual review meetings, her team reviewed the notes from each interaction and began performing their associated tasks shortly thereafter, without any prompting from Cicero.What would this situation have been like before AI assistants?“In the past, that would have meant balancing meaningful client conversations with the constant task of taking detailed notes, documenting action items, and making sure my team had everything they needed once I returned,” Cicero said. “It’s a great example of how AI can strengthen continuity and collaboration while allowing advisors to focus on what matters most: the client relationship.”Furthering TrustFor Matthew Koppelman, CFP, cofounder of Precision Wealth Planners, a self-proclaimed “control freak,” his AI assistant enables him to review how client interactions and tasks are being completed while he’s away from the office without letting the team know what he’s doing. Given that the boss calling while on vacation tends to make everyone’s stomach drop, this saves his employees anxiety and fear while also “scratching the itch” as he termed it to see how everything’s going while he’s away.Bringing in Pinch Hitters Without Much DisturbanceDrew Boyer, CFP, founder of Boyer Financial Group, recently had his long-time office assistant away on her honeymoon at the same time as his new junior planner was on his first vacation as part of the Boyer Financial Group. While this could have meant that Boyer had to split himself into three to cover all the different duties, instead, his wife assisted by answering phones. Boyer’s wife is not a financial advisor and was not familiar with these clients.Being in Two Places at OnceAmanda Dunlap, RFC, chief executive officer of Absolute Financial Planning, is both the owner of a financial planning business in Texas and a campground company in central New York. Given the rather large distance between those two destinations, her firm has always leaned on creativity, ingenuity, and technological advances to make everything work as seamlessly as possible. Her AI assistant has allowed her to feel as if she’s in Texas with her team and clients who are being well served by others while she can be at the fireside, literally, managing her other business.“Being physically separated from the office can sometimes create challenges around communication and continuity, leaving team members feeling disconnected from client conversations and ongoing account activity,” Dunlap noted. “With AI-powered meeting notes and workflows, any member of our team can quickly access the context they need, understand next steps, and provide seamless support to clients without waiting for my involvement.”Will Hoffman, AIF, president at Hoffman Wealth Management, sympathizes as he’s had his AI assistant on during meetings, as he’s been on a long drive or other trip with his young sons.When does Hoffman feel grateful for his AI assistant?“When I’m in the middle of North Carolina driving to Florida or in the middle of an airport chasing a 7-year-old the wrong way down a people mover and in the middle of a phone conversation, and nothing gets missed, even though I know I’m missing something in that moment,” he says. “Our clients don’t even realize that we are unfortunately missing part of this conversation, but everything’s still getting done as effectively as possible.”This story was produced by Jump and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Officials monitor potential exposures after Iowa's first measles case of 2026 DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa has confirmed its first measles case of 2026, and Polk County health officials are working to prevent additional spread. The Polk County Health Department says the infected adult had been traveling internationally and was vaccinated. Officials have identified locations the individual visited where potential exposures may have occurred. You can [...]
	A beautiful, sunny weekend After some cloudy skies and a bit of some rain from yesterday and today, things are clearing up for the weekend. Temperatures will range in the upper 80s for Saturday and Sunday with lots of clear skies and sunshine to help you get outside. That is before we get back to some hotter temperatures in [...]
	These three artists are poised to invade the top of the pop charts We're in that phase of summer pop doldrums when the same songs seem to be on repeat week after week. Can Stella Lefty, Yung Miami or Malcolm Todd make a run to crack the top 10?
	May cause joy: The full-spectrum health benefits of dance May cause joy: The full-spectrum health benefits of dance When musician David Byrne, the founder of Reasons to be Cheerful, performed at the sold-out Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles last fall, the entire crowd was on its feet for almost the entire show. They danced enthusiastically for nearly two hours straight, feeling a kind of unfiltered joy that’s rare to access in everyday life. The experience was a reminder of a long-dormant love of dance. The following month brought a sign-up for “Groove Therapy” with local dance teacher Leah Lynn. The youngest in our group is 16, the oldest over 70. Every Saturday, the class plays out a verb each participant brings to class — release, gather, resist, invite — translating abstract intentions into motion. It sounds faintly ridiculous. It is also disarmingly effective. Within minutes, something shifts. Stress loosens. Then for the next hour, the group learns hip-hop shuffles and swings their hips to Kool & the Gang or Beyoncé. The class ends with the same feeling each time: exhausted and exhilarated.The dance classes provoked such a profound shift in mood as well as in the body that it was worth finding out if there was more to it. Eddie Marritz // Dance for PD Modern research is now increasingly suggesting that dance is medicine, a deeply effective intervention for physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Behind the feel-good performance lies hard science. On a purely physical level, dance improves cardiovascular fitness, strength, and coordination. In a longitudinal study, seniors who took part in regular dance training fell less often and were described as “physically better off and mentally fitter” than those in the control group. Though the body benefits are impressive, the neurological ones are what make scientists lean forward. Dancing activates a wide network: auditory pathways, visual and motor cortex, the amygdala, and, above all, the somatosensory cortex and networks that keep track of where your body is in space. Each change in rhythm or melody is processed in milliseconds and translated into new steps, adjustments, and expressions, a form of real-time “multitasking” that pushes the brain harder than many other sports.Nobody understands this better than the dozen people who gather for David Leventhal’s class at a dance studio in Brooklyn. Though it’s cold outside, Leventhal is conjuring a beach. “Visualize what that warmth feels like,” he says, brushing his hands over his arms as if applying sunscreen. “Can we take those waves in different directions, just like they do in the ocean?” Around him, a dozen bodies begin to ripple to the tune of the pianist in the room. Arms slice, float and curl through the air. For a moment, the bare white room is less clinic than coastline. Eddie Marritz // Dance for PD Leventhal, who danced for 13 years with the Mark Morris Dance Group, has spent the last quarter century leading a different kind of choreography: Dance for PD, a program for people living with Parkinson’s disease. What began in Brooklyn in 2001 now reaches more than 30 countries and roughly 500 communities. Across the room, people who arrived with their shoulders slightly caved inward now stand taller. They trace arcs through space, step through a tango phrase, and turn what might otherwise register as tremor into jazz hands. Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD Participants in the program, which was created by the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group, routinely report better balance, more confidence walking, and a renewed sense of self. But just as often, they mention something less clinical and more essential: joy.“I sometimes cannot walk, but I can dance,” participant Cyndy Gilbertson said in the documentary Capturing Grace. “The music leads, in other words; it’s not my brain telling me to take a step.” You don’t need a severe diagnosis to benefit from dance. “Dance has been part of our human culture for millennia,” Leventhal points out. “It’s how we communicate, how we express emotion, how we find each other, how we build community.” Across cultures, from Indigenous North American traditions to Māori and Pacific Islander practices, dance has also long been intertwined with healing. Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD Over time, this seems to change the brain’s structure. A German study that followed older adults in a dance program for more than a year reported increases in gray matter volume and synaptic density in regions important for memory and executive function, along with preserved cognitive performance over five years of follow-up. The researchers found that dancing appeared to build “cognitive reserve” and was “the best prevention” against age-related cognitive decline in their cohort, with dancers showing a statistically lower risk of dementia than nondancers.Those findings dovetail with a widely cited observational study: People who danced more than once a week had a 76% lower risk of developing dementia than those who danced less often, an association reported as stronger than that seen with many popular “brain games.”“It’s a full-spectrum activity,” Leventhal explains. “It engages the body, cognition, emotion, and social connection — all supported by music.” Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD The real power, he argues, lies in the overlap. “The benefits come from the synergy among those domains.” Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD That synergy matters especially for Parkinson’s, which affects motor control, cognition, emotional expression and social engagement. Many people withdraw from public life as symptoms progress. “The beauty of this art form,” Leventhal says, “is that it’s a full-spectrum intervention for a full-spectrum condition.”In a large meta-analysis of 55 randomized controlled trials in Parkinson’s disease, dance emerged as the most effective of nine exercise interventions for improving balance in that analysis, outperforming even advanced rehabilitation technologies. Styles like tango, waltz and foxtrot have been shown to improve gait speed and reduce falls. While there is no cure for Parkinson’s, some early research suggests that dance can slow down the progression significantly for some people. “It’s early evidence,” Leventhal says carefully. “But exercise may be one of the only disease-modifying approaches we have.”“Our auditory cortex synchronizes with the motor cortex,” Leventhal explains — a mechanism particularly relevant in Parkinson’s, where internal rhythm is disrupted by dopamine loss. External rhythm can step in as a kind of substitute metronome. “It creates a roadmap,” Leventhal says. “Someone described it as a red carpet rolling out in front of them.” For people who struggle to initiate movement, that cue can be transformative, enhancing neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new connections. “Novelty is huge,” Leventhal says. “New patterns, new music, new movement.” But novelty alone isn’t enough. “When something is also meaningful to you — when it connects emotionally, that’s when the brain is really activated.” Eddie Marritz // Dance for PD Another, more practical advantage: People keep coming back. Some participants have been dancing with Leventhal for over 16 years. People are welcome at all stages of Parkinson’s. Some arrive in a wheelchair, others have recently been diagnosed. “If people can get to class, they stay,” Leventhal says. That kind of adherence is rare in exercise programs, especially for chronic conditions. The reason, again, circles back to neuroscience. Motivation is tied to dopamine, the very neurotransmitter depleted in Parkinson’s. Apathy is common. Getting on a treadmill can feel like scaling a wall. Dance, by contrast, lowers the barrier.“The combination of music, social interaction, and movement is highly motivating,” Leventhal says. “Some people come to see their friends and stay for the movement. Some come for the music.” Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD And one more factor he considers crucial: “We don’t treat people as patients,” he says. “You’re a dancer. You’re learning a craft.” Eddie Marritz // Dance for PD When we move rhythmically, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol decline while the brain’s own reward chemicals — endorphins, dopamine, serotonin — surge, a set of “pleasure cycles” documented by researchers at Aarhus University who studied how music and synchronized movement generate feelings of social bonding and euphoria. For people living with depression, anxiety or trauma, dance offers something more subtle: a way back into the body. According to a 2024 review, dance can be more effective in alleviating depressive symptoms than any other form of exercise. Where distress constricts expression, dance expands it. Amber Star Merkens // Dance for PD Plenty of workouts happen with headphones and in isolation. Dance, by contrast, almost always involves connecting with others. Social neuroscientists have shown that moving in synchrony with others increases liking, trust, and willingness to help. “We entrain to each other,” Leventhal says. “And that raises empathy, connection.” For people with Parkinson’s, the stakes are higher than mood or fitness. The disease is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition in the world. By the time it is diagnosed, estimates suggest that roughly 70% of dopamine-producing cells are already lost. Which makes timing critical. “We want people to start earlier,” Leventhal says — not just to maintain function, but to build skills and resilience before symptoms advance.At the end of Leventhal’s class, the participants play an imaginary volleyball game, batting an invisible ball through the air. “We won, you won, we all won!“ Leventhal cheers, and all arms lift in victory.This story was produced by Reasons to be Cheerful and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Hy-Vee and Birdies for Charity donate thousands to 10 local organizations Hy-Vee and Birdies for Charity have partnered to award $1,000 each to ten Quad Cities nonprofits to support their community work.
	Once dismissed as weeds, native plants are now flying off the shelves Once dismissed as weeds, native plants are now flying off the shelvesRenee Costanzo cranked on the rusty pulley with both hands, watching the greenhouse roof creak open in sections. A breeze of spring air swept over 12,000 seedlings lined up in plastic trays in the Kilbourn Park greenhouse.Costanzo, the Chicago Park District’s only full-time employee at the north-side greenhouse, spearheads a months-long effort to grow more than 15,000 plants, including vegetables, greens, and flowers, to get them ready in time for the Kilbourn Park’s annual plant sale.The massively popular sale, which took place in May, typically draws upwards of 1,100 people every year, with local gardeners lining up around the park waiting to snatch up plants at $4 a piece. But this year, Grist reports, attendance broke records — more than 2,300 shoppers turned out.“We generally start these annuals at the end of February,” said Costanzo, pointing to rows of popular annual flowers like zinnias, marigolds, and geraniums, which provide bright blooms all summer long before dying at the end of the season. “So we’ve been coddling and loving these babies for months now, and we just want to get them into happy homes.” Manuel Martinez // WBEZ For decades, Chicago gardeners flocked to the Kilbourn Park sale to pick up tomatoes, cucumbers, and some annuals — the standard starter kit for backyard gardeners. But this year, the park responded to a relatively new demand: Nearly 1 in 5 plants for sale are native plant species that have adapted to the local climate and wildlife and are generally low maintenance.“Just in the last five years, people have asked for more natives, which is why we’ve been increasing our production,” said Costanzo, who experimented with 30 different native species in November ahead of the plant sale this year.For a long time, native plants were seen as little more than weeds, but their value has grown significantly in recent years. Other local plant sales across Chicago and the country are incorporating native species at a pace surprising to even veteran horticulturalists who remember a time when they couldn’t give them away.“I’ve watched this for 44 years, from almost zero to now,” said Neil Diboll, the president of Prairie Nursery, a Wisconsin-based nursery dedicated to growing and shipping native plants across the country.“It’s not a fad,” Diboll said. “This is a long, steady climb.”Last year, Diboll said his nursery experienced a 7% increase in native plant sales. This year, they’re shipping out about 500,000 plants and even more seeds. Back in 1982, when Diboll first started selling plants, business was tougher: The company grossed just over $13,000. These days, he said, “you can add a few zeros on there.”That relatively new mainstream demand has been driven, in part, by concerns about dramatic declines in insect species and climate change-powered extreme heat, drought, and flooding. The caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly, for example, depend on native milkweed as a food source. But as land use patterns have changed, local milkweed species have disappeared, leading to recent declines in Monarch populations. Manuel Martinez // WBEZ “Native plants have been adapting to change for thousands of years,” said Tiffany Jones, who leads habitat education throughout the Great Lakes region for the National Wildlife Federation. “They need less water, less maintenance, and they’re incredibly resilient — not to mention they help flood prevention with their deep root systems and provide habitat for all kinds of crucial species and pollinators. They’re practical and beautiful.”In Minnesota, Becky Klukas-Brewer, co-owner and head of marketing and sales at Prairie Moon Nursery, a popular native plant nursery, said the Midwest greenhouse is shipping more plants and seeds than ever before. “In the last seven years, we have seen a 350% increase in sales, which is pretty awesome,” said Klukas-Brewer. At the same time, the 44-year-old nursery has seen its orders triple. She credits that success, in part, to the growing number of local plant sales across the country, drumming up interest in ecologically minded gardening.For nearly 50 years, Wild Ones, a national nonprofit, has been educating the public about the benefits of reintroducing native plants back into their habitat. What started as a gardening club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has ballooned into a nationwide organization with over 14,000 gardening enthusiasts putting on plant sales, seed giveaways, and exchanges. The group has also been noticing an uptick in native plant sales.Over 110,000 native plants were sold last year through the organization’s 107 plant sales, according to Josh Nelson, development director with the Wild Ones. He added that another 40,000 native plants were distributed as part of the group’s various programs. Manuel Martinez // WBEZ As the native plant business continues to grow, the annual Kilbourn Park plant sale is helping meet some of that demand. To make it happen, a team of local volunteers came out on a weekly basis over several months to help sort, pot, and move seedlings.“It’s completely worth it,” said Lourdes Valenzuela, a retired schoolteacher who has volunteered at the north side plant sale for 12 years. Valenzuela is part of the Friends of Kilbourn Park Greenhouse, a dedicated group of local volunteers who fundraise to help expand the resources at the nursery. With help from funds collected at previous plant sales, they’ve been able to buy benches, a shed, and even a patio — increasing the footprint of the educational center. The goal this year was to raise $25,000, about half of the total projected cost, for a new outdoor learning center. But Valenzuela said the plant sale was a huge hit, and they easily surpassed the goal. The Chicago Park District confirmed the sale generated approximately $48,000.“We literally sold every possible plant, all the compost, lots of baked goods,” she said. “We’re not fighting against the climate here. We’re working with it because it’s what’s native to this area, and they’re beautiful.”This story is a partnership between Grist and Chicago Public Media, a public media company serving the Chicago metropolitan region.This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Extra patrols deploying across RI Co. to target speeding, seat belts, and impaired drivers Rock Island County deputies are launching extra patrols this July to crack down on speeding, seat belt violations, and driving under the influence.
	The quest to build a better AI tutor The quest to build a better AI tutorIt’s easy to get swept up in the hype about artificial intelligence tutors. But the evidence so far suggests caution.Some studies have found that chatbot tutors can backfire because students lean on them too heavily, get spoonfed solutions, and fail to absorb the material. Even when AI tutors are designed not to give away answers, they haven’t consistently produced better results than learning the old-fashioned way without AI.Still, researchers who have produced these skeptical studies haven’t given up hope. Some are still experimenting, trying to build better AI tutors. One promising idea has less to do with how an AI tutor explains concepts and more with what it asks students to practice next. In this story, The Hechinger Report examines how researchers are experimenting with new approaches to AI tutoring and personalized learning.A team at the University of Pennsylvania, which included some AI skeptics, recently tested one new approach to AI tutoring in a study of close to 800 Taiwanese high school students learning Python programming. All the students used the same AI tutor, which was designed not to give away answers.But there was one key difference. Half the students were randomly assigned to a fixed sequence of practice problems, progressing from easy to hard. The other half received a personalized sequence with the AI tutor continuously adjusting the difficulty of each problem based on how the student was performing and interacting with the chatbot.The idea is based on what educators call the “zone of proximal development.” When problems are too easy, students get bored. When they’re too hard, students get frustrated. The goal is to keep students in a sweet spot: challenged but not overwhelmed.The researchers found that students in the personalized group did better on a final exam than students in the fixed problem group. The difference was characterized as the equivalent of six to nine months of additional schooling, an eye-catching claim for an after-school online course that lasted only five months. The AI tutor’s inventor, Angel Chung, a doctoral student at the Wharton School, acknowledged that her conversion of statistical units was “not a perfect estimate.” (A draft paper about the experiment was posted online in March 2026 but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.)Still, this is early evidence that small tweaks — in this case, calibrating the difficulty of the practice problems to the student — can make a difference.Chung said that ChatGPT’s responses may already feel very personal because they are directly responding to a student’s unique questions. But that level of personalization isn’t enough. “Students usually don’t know what they don’t know,” said Chung. “The student doesn’t have the ability to ask the right questions to get the best tutoring.”To address this, Chung’s team combined a large language model with a separate machine-learning algorithm that analyzes how students interact with the online course platform — how they answer the practice questions, how many times they revise or edit their coding, and the quality of their conversations with the chatbot — and uses that information to decide which problem to serve up next.In other words, personalization isn’t just about tailoring explanations. It’s about tailoring the learning path itself.That idea isn’t new.Long before generative AI tools like ChatGPT were invented, education researchers developed “intelligent tutoring systems” that tried to do something similar: estimate what a student knew and deliver the right next problem. These earlier systems couldn’t produce natural conversations, but they could provide hints and instant feedback. Rigorous studies found that well-designed versions helped students learn significantly more.Their Achilles’ heel was engagement. Many students simply didn’t want to use them.Today’s AI tools could help address that problem. Students might feel more interested in a chatbot that converses with them in an almost human way.In the University of Pennsylvania study, students in the personalized group spent more time practicing, about three additional minutes per problem, adding up to about an hour per module in the Python course, compared with half as much time (a half hour or less) for the comparison students. The researchers think these students did better because they were more engaged in their practice work.Students’ previous knowledge of a subject affected how well the personalized sequencing worked. Students who were new to Python gained more than those who already had Python experience, who did just as well with the fixed sequence of practice problems. Students from less elite high schools also appeared to benefit more.All the Taiwanese students in this study volunteered for an optional computer programming course that could strengthen their college applications. Many were highly motivated, with highly educated parents, and many already had prior coding experience.It’s not clear whether the chatbot would work as well with less motivated students who are behind at school and most in need of extra help.One possible solution: fusing new and old.Ken Koedinger, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and a pioneer of intelligent tutoring systems, is experimenting with using new AI models to alert remote human tutors who can motivate struggling students who are drifting off. “We are having more success,” said Koedinger.Humans aren’t obsolete — yet.This story also appeared in Mind/ShiftThis story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers education, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Davenport residents invited to meet new police chief, assistant chief Meet Davenport's new Police Chief Greg Behning and Assistant Chief Jason Smith at a community meet and greet on July 27
	Food Lee in Bettendorf announces temporary closure Chinese restaurant to reopen after temporary closure.
	El Sarape Taco & Burritos opens in Silvis Family restaurant serving handmade Mexican food with fresh ingredients opens in Silvis
	Taliban declares war on smartphones A newly announced ban on smartphones for government workers, police and military personnel is spilling over into healthcare and educational facilities. Ordinary citizens worry they'll be next.
	Alabama state representative accuses former Corrections healthcare provider of fraud Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, speaking to media after the Joint Legislative Contract Review Committee meeting on July 9, 2026, in the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. England accused the previous healthcare provider of Alabama prisons of fraud at the meeting. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)A state representative Thursday accused the former healthcare provider of Alabama prisons of fraud and sharply criticized the Alabama Department of Corrections’ relationship with a Montgomery-based law firm. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said the events leading up to Tennessee-based company YesCare’s bankruptcy filing in May, after the state abruptly canceled a $1 billion contract in April with the firm, appeared to be fraud. “Sounds like to me that you were deceived. The state of Alabama was deceived,” England said to Mary-Coleman Roberts, general counsel for the Alabama Department of Corrections. “Not only did they defraud the state, they defrauded each and every employee that they did not pay, so they should be prosecuted.” Messages seeking comment from YesCare was left Thursday afternoon. According to Alabama law, aggravated theft by deception, when a person or entity “commits a theft of public funds or revenue of any state, county, or municipal government agency or department,” of more than $100,000 is a felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison or up to $60,000 per violation. Corrections canceled the contract for what it called YesCare’s failure to “adequately fulfill its contractual duties.” England raised questions about the contract in 2023 over the presence of Bill Lunsford, an attorney who has received millions of dollars in legal contracts from Corrections, on a YesCare advisory board. Roberts said at the time Lunsford was on the board for the first round of contract awards but not a subsequent one. Roberts said the DOC is evaluating all options with YesCare, but did not want to comment publicly on the department’s legal strategy. “I don’t disagree with you,” she said to England. “Conversations have been had, though there has not been a formal request yet from our office because we felt like we are still in the investigative stages of what we need to do next.” The company told employees early last month that it could not pay wages for hours worked before the company filed for bankruptcy in May. “They did make payroll on April 24. They received the payment earlier that week,” Roberts said. “They did not make the May 8 payroll. When I asked David Goldwasser, who was their chief restructuring officer, what our money was used for, he said other things.” The Department of Corrections on Thursday requested a $200,000 contract with Butler Snow, LLP attorney Jack Crawford to help the department with the contract termination, which is connected to a bankruptcy case in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. “I am not a bankruptcy expert, nor am I a bond expert, nor do we have anyone on staff at the DOC who are experts in this matter,” said Andi Spears, an attorney for the DOC. “We are pursuing what legal avenues that may be available to the department under the breach of contract of YesCare to recoup any money that the department may have for that breach of contract.” England was also critical of the contract with Butler Snow, which employs Lunsford. Lunsford and two other Butler Snow attorneys were removed from a lawsuit against the department in 2025 after an attorney used an artificial intelligence program in a filing, leading to fabricated citations. “Lord have mercy, what do we do to vet these folks, and how do we choose lawyers if the firm we just hired got caught using AI on other cases with prisoner litigation?” England said. The committee held the law firm contract, which it can do for up to 45 days. England said he does not know how many employees went without a paycheck from YesCare, but that a new healthcare provider NaphCare hired many of the YesCare employees when it was awarded an emergency contract in May. “At the end of the day, the state of Alabama is just as much responsible for even entering into business with a company like YesCare,” England said after the meeting. “Ultimately, YesCare is responsible, because as the evidence has shown, they’re nothing short of a bunch of criminals.” NaphCare has faced controversies and has been banned from operating in other states, but has not been reported to fail to meet a payroll. Roberts said former YesCare employees have not received the last missed paycheck yet, although they expected to by June. England said after the meeting that in order for them to get paid, they will have to join the bankruptcy lawsuit. But, he said employees will be last in line to receive compensation. “Can you imagine somebody who’s owed a paycheck versus a big major corporation that’s owed hundreds of thousands, or maybe millions of dollars? The likelihood that if they ever recover from this company in bankruptcy is – just like YesCare designed it – very little, because they’re trying to get out as much of their financial responsibilities as possible,” England said. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Volunteer Capitol This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Fourteen miles upstream from Rock Island at the head of the Rock Island Rapids, sits the small town of LeClaire, Iowa,…
	Waymo called the cops on teen riders, raising privacy concerns Two 15-year-olds were allegedly drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns from a driverless taxi when the company disabled it and alerted police.
	Shelling at night, gunfire by day in Israel's expanding zone of control in Gaza When the U.S. brokered a ceasefire last year, Israel controlled half of Gaza. Now Israeli forces have pushed deeper, and Palestinians are paying a deadly price.
	No internet, no screen time? FCC weighs cutting subsidy that lowers school internet bills Many schools rely on consumer fees funneled through the federal government to cut internet costs. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr called for ending this program before Donald Trump tapped him for the job.
	Count Binface: The intergalactic warrior who could upend Britain's strangest election Meet Count Binface: the challenger from another planet taking on Nigel Farage as questions over the Reform UK leader's finances overshadow his election comeback.
	U.S. and Iran exchange intensifying fire across Mideast, threatening ceasefire deal Back-and-forth attacks have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire, but Thursday's appeared bigger all around.
Thursday, July 9th, 2026
	New hope for evacuated Muscatine business in a temporary location Energy 108 YOGA is moving into a space in the Muscatine Mall after holding classes outdoors for almost a month.
	Fresh Films gives students hands-on experience as studio plans move forward Fresh Films hopes to bring a $12 million film studio to downtown Rock Island.
	Bettendorf woman located after going missing on Thursday 86-year-old Barbara Rhode was found after being reported missing on Thursday.
	North Liberty teen among 2 victims in fatal crash in Iowa County Investigators believe a 2014 Ford failed to stop at a stop sign, causing it to be struck by an oncoming dump truck.
	New hope for evacuated Muscatine business after finding a temporary location Energy 108 YOGA is moving into a space in the Muscatine Mall after holding classes outdoors for almost a month.
	Fresh Films gives students hands-on experience as plans for a new studio move forward Fresh Films hopes to bring a $12 million film studio to downtown Rock Island.
	988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline signs added to I-74 Bridge Local mental health advocates have been pushing for more suicide prevention measures at the bridge.
	Quad City Tennis Club's new grass courts bring Wimbledon to the QCA It takes a lot to surprise reigning state champion Connor Feehan out on the tennis court, but it happened Thursday. The Quad City Tennis Club unveiled its new grass courts. "I mean this one of a kind," Feehan said. "It's the most amazing place that I've ever played tennis and I feel like everyone from [...]
	President Trump cleans house at the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission With just months until the midterms, President Trump relieved the remaining members of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, a move condemned by Democrats and voting rights advocates.
	Illinois' ban on assault weapons upheld An appeals court upheld Illinois' ban on assault weapons. The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision to uphold the statewide ban passed in the months after the deadly July 4, 2022 parade shooting in Highland Park. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul called the move "a win that enhances public safety in Illinois." [...]
	QCA veterans reunite through Honor Flight of the Quad Cities More than 6,000 veterans across the QCA have taken the adventure of a lifetime through the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities programs, and many reunited to reconnect at the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center. Our Quad Cities News photojournalist Mike Colón was there as friends old and new shared their experiences serving their country and [...]
	Muscatine moves forward with stabilization of 200 block of East 2nd Street Muscatine city council members are moving forward with plans to stabilize the 200 block of E. 2nd Street. The decision came at Tuesday night's city council meeting. City council members decided stabilizing the buildings is the safest and quickest way to get residents back in their homes and businesses back open. “The safety of our [...]
	Hy-Vee, Rock Island, announces donation of $10,000 to QC nonprofit groups On Thursday, Hy-Vee - in coordination with Birdies for Charity - announced a $10,000 donation to local charities, which had representatives on hand to say thanks and accept the money at the Rock Island Hy-Vee. Hy-Vee partners with the John Deere Classic fundraiser Birdies for Charity to coordinate yearly donations like these. The store's director [...]
	‘Funnel of death,’ expert reviews the dangers officers faced in Bureau County hostage call Body camera video of a Bureau County hostage crisis sparks questions. TV6 Investigates tracked down an expert to give context to the dangers officers faced that night
	North Liberty teen among 2 victims in fatal Iowa County crash Investigators believe a 2014 Ford failed to stop at a stop sign, causing it to be struck by an oncoming dump truck.
	Police seek help finding missing Bettendorf woman The Bettendorf Police Department is asking for the community’s help locating a missing woman. According to a release, Barbara Rhode, 86, is 5’3” tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds. Rhode lives near Bettendorf High School and was last seen on Thursday, July 9 around noon, wearing a cream-colored top and tan pants. The Bettendorf Police [...]
	Bettendorf police looking for missing woman Police said the 86-year-old was last seen in the area of Bettendorf High School Thursday afternoon.
	988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline signs added to I-74 Bridge Local mental health advocates have been pushing for more suicide prevention measures at the bridge.
	In private call, Education Dept. tried, but failed, to reassure disability advocates The disability community has long worried about what would happen if special education oversight moved from the Education Department to another agency. Now, those moves are becoming more real.
	UPDATE: Kewanee woman arrested for first-degree murder in Creve Coeur shooting Caitlynn Girkin, 27, was arrested and booked on the single charge of first-degree murder in connection with the March 10 shooting death of Adolfo Cazares in Creve Coeur, Illinois.
	Do height limits apply to Trump's arch? A debate looms as it clears another vote The Interior Department is arguing D.C. height limits don't apply to federal projects, bucking a century of precedent. If the panel reviewing Trump's arch agrees, experts say it could change the city.
	Trump's arch clears another hurdle, setting up a big debate: Do height limits apply? The Interior Department is arguing D.C. height limits don't apply to federal projects, bucking a century of precedent. If the panel reviewing Trump's arch agrees, experts say it could change the city.
	Prosecutors file charges in July 4 shooting outside Rock Island bar Rock Island County prosecutors have charged a Davenport man in the July 4 shooting outside DeAnna's Place as the tavern awaits a liquor license decision.
	TV6 Investigates analyzes video of deadly Princeton police shooting Police released body cam video showing what led up to the shooting. TV6 Investigates reviewed the video in depth to unpack what led up to the shooting.
	Iowa farm seeks grocery store connections through Choose Iowa program A Conesville farm is using a Choose Iowa matching grant to expand produce deliveries.
	Quad Cities Tennis Club opens rare grass courts modeled after Wimbledon The Quad Cities Tennis Club has unveiled three new grass courts, becoming one of the few facilities in the Midwest to offer the playing surface used at Wimbledon.
	Findings from the Iowa Economic Development Authority assessment on Clinton's downtown Clinton's downtown district was the center of attention for the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) this week. Specialists spent time Monday through Wednesday researching the downtown area of Clinton through surveys, tours and interviews. This is a statewide voluntary service that Grow Clinton, the Downtown Clinton Alliance and the City of Clinton worked to bring [...]
	Study: Iowa has short-term cushion for $1 billion annual deficits Iowa’s new budget year is underway, marking the third consecutive year Republicans have used cash reserves to cover a deficit in which the state spends more than it takes in.
	Muscatine businesses find fresh start after downtown evacuations Weeks after structural concerns forced the evacuation of several downtown Muscatine buildings, some displaced business owners are rebuilding in new locations and looking toward the future.
	The Heart of the Story: Life lessons are the goal 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. With the FIFA World Cup taking center stage [...]
	Davenport man finishes visiting all 228 Pizza Ranch locations Jason Halkias' last stop was in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
	Quad Cities Tennis Club opens grass courts modeled after Wimbledon The Quad Cities Tennis Club has unveiled 3 new grass courts, becoming one of the few facilities in the Midwest to offer the same playing surface used at Wimbledon
	Davenport Skybridge closes for extreme heat According to the City of Davenport, the Davenport Skybridge will be temporarily closed due to the extreme heat. With all that glass and no shade, the inside gets much hotter than we can safely cool right now. New cooling equipment is on the way, but it won’t arrive until the fall. We’ll reopen the Skybridge [...]
	Why Gov. Kim Reynolds turned down previous request to send National Guard to D.C. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said that she rejected a previous request to send National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C., but she now feels is the appropriate time to agree to the request.
	More highs in the 90s coming to the Quad Cities So far we've had 7 days with highs in the 90s this year...and we're going to add to that tally next week. The hottest we've been (temperature, not het index) is 92°. We'll be close to that a few times next week. The normal high for most of July is 86° in the Quad Cities.
	Half of North Carolina is now in extreme or exceptional drought Even with extreme drought, some North Carolinians have continued to regularly water their lawns rather than conserve. (Photo; Getty Images/VanderWolf-Images)Recent scattered showers were a welcome relief for central North Carolina this week, but a newly released report from the U.S. Drought Monitor finds much of the state remains mired in a seemingly endless drought. According to Thursday’s report, 43.6% of the state is in extreme drought, an 8% increase since last week. Six percent of the state is gripped by exceptional drought, the most extreme classification. Source: North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler told Gov. Josh Stein and members of the Council of State Tuesday that North Carolina farmers are bracing for low yields and an economic hit. “Quite frankly, it’s hard to find a farmer that will tell you that he has excellent crops this year,” said Troxler. “We probably would rate our crop loads below average.” Tobacco farmers in eastern North Carolina have reported yellow leaves and slow growth. Troxler said it has been so abnormally warm this summer that farmers are also experiencing water shortages in the agricultural ponds used for irrigation. “This is the time of year you either make it, or you don’t,” said Troxler. A city thirsty for green lawns Localized rainfall helped raise Falls Lake, Wake County’s primary source of drinking water, six inches in the past week. But on Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council approved an ordinance allowing the city manager to move quickly into Stage 2 water restrictions if necessary. The city has been urging residents to conserve since restrictions were implemented in April. But Ed Buchan of Raleigh Water said the message seems to have been forgotten during June’s very hot and dry weather. “We’ve unfortunately gone in the wrong direction since mid-May,” said Buchan. Buchan told the council that 46% of the irrigation meters that his team read were not in compliance during the first week of July. “This is largely residential. There are some commercial irrigation meters, but a lot of this was residential usage,” said Buchan. In a best-case scenario, Buchan said the city would not exceed 60 million gallons of water a day. But on one very hot day in June when people were irrigating heavily, the city saw daily usage top 76 million gallons. Amid North Carolina’s business boom, new report highlights water infrastructure worries Falls Lake’s water supply pool sits at 62% of capacity and is declining 2% to 3% each week. Council member Megan Patton said it would be helpful to give people better guidance on how long they can water their yards on their designated day. “On the website, it asks people to only water half an inch. I’m not totally certain that a regular resident knows what that equates to in terms of time, or how long they should put their sprinkle out or run their sprinkler system,” said Patton. Buchan recommended using a simple tuna can as a makeshift gauge to determine when a resident has watered their yard enough. “Let’s distribute tuna cans to everybody,” quipped Mayor Janet Cowell. City council member Mitchell Silver said Raleigh residents need to heed the call to conserve water now, before the situation grows more dire. “I was here in 2008. If I remember correctly, Raleigh was down to 60 days of water supply. I’m not sure the public understands the sense of urgency,” said Silver. During the 2008 drought, car washes closed and golf courses had to stop watering, Silver recalled. “Water is a very precious supply. And I don’t want to get into a situation of what happened in 2008. It was a crisis,” said Silver. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Reynolds expresses hope for federal appeal of SNAP ‘unhealthy’ food restrictions Iowa will no longer restrict use of the SNAP federal nutrition program for sugary snacks, but Gov. Kim Reynolds said she would like to see the federal government appeal a court ruling that struck down the state's restriction. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Though Iowa will not be the one to file court action, Gov. Kim Reynolds said she hoped the federal government will appeal a federal judge’s June decision to stop Iowa and other states from implementing restrictions on “unhealthy” purchases through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted Iowa a waiver allowing the state to exclude certain food and drinks, like soda and candy, from being purchased using SNAP, which took effect at the beginning of 2026. This waiver, and others granted to states allowing restrictions on SNAP, was overturned by a decision by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in June — a decision Reynolds called “short-sighted” in an earlier statement. On Wednesday, Reynolds said the state would not be challenging this court decision, but said she would be in support of the federal government appealing it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “If we can play a role in that, that would be the attorney general that would really participate on our behalf,” Reynolds said. “I hope they do at some point, to be quite honest, because I think it’s so important. You know, this is about the health of our kids, and our data is horrible. And it’s not a mandate that they can’t have those items … it just says if taxpayer dollars are going to be used through this program, that was designated to provide nutritional food for our kids, then that’s the intent of the program, and we should adhere to that.” But John Boller, board chair of the Iowa Hunger Coalition, said in a statement restrictions are not the best way to improve Iowans’ health. “If the goal is healthier eating, we know that support works better than restriction,” Boller said in a statement. “Programs like Summer EBT have already shown they boost healthy food consumption for kids and incentives like Double Up Food Bucks do the same for families year-round. Vulnerable Iowans deserve the same dignity of choice as anyone else at the grocery store. We’re grateful the judge’s ruling protects choice for SNAP participants in Iowa.” Boller also said he would not support appealing the decision, because “an appeal would mean more uncertainty for SNAP participants who are just starting to regain some clarity and stability after the ruling, forcing them back into limbo about what they can and can’t buy.” “It also creates real costs and confusion for retailers, who would have to re-implement restrictions only to possibly unwind them again, all for a fight that doesn’t need to continue,” he said. Reynolds had emphasized Wednesday the court decision will not block SNAP and summer feeding program funds from being allocated. She said the rules restricting certain foods from being purchased will “no longer apply, but we still will follow through with allocating the funds that we already said that we would.” Iowa celebrates low SNAP error rate Iowa is also not set to see changes to its required contributions to the SNAP program in the next year. On Thursday, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services officials praised the state’s work to keep the state’s SNAP payment error rate below the the 6% threshold set to implement federal penalties in 2027. Under the 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” states will begin to face federal penalties based on their SNAP payment error rates beginning in federal fiscal year 2028 — beginning October 2027. If a state has a payment error rate above 6%, calculated by the federal government while looking at SNAP overpayments and underpayments, the state will be required to fund between 5% and 15% of benefit payments previously provided through federal aid. The national average payment error rate is at 10.62%, according to federal data, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture found states made a collective $10.1 billion in improper payments in FY 2025. But according to newly released USDA data, Iowa’s error rate fell below the national trend for FY 2025 at 5.34% — a rate that would mean the state would not have to take on additional funding for SNAP benefits under the 2025 law. An Iowa HHS news release said the department attributed the state’s low error rate to efforts made in the state to clarify eligibility policies, better train staff and other “organizational alignment” processes taken on. “This improvement reflects our continued focus on getting benefits right the first time and the hard work of our staff to strengthen accuracy and consistency across the system,” HHS Principal Deputy Director Larry Johnson said in a statement. “Accurate SNAP administration supports Iowa families, protects taxpayer dollars, and ensures Iowans receive timely and correct support.” Iowa is one of just nine states nationwide with an error rate below 6%. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Over 30 young artists leaving their mark in this year’s Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts Apprenticeship Program The program is in its 26th year of providing paid creative outlets for area youth, ages 15-21, and business relations experience. Three murals, as well as a poetry apprenticeship, are underway this summer.
	98 workers to be laid off in Moline pharmacy closure 98 workers will be laid off due to the closure of a Moline pharmacy.
	Nebraska abortions rose nearly 8% in 2025, mostly due to influx of Iowa patients Mifepristone, a common abortion-inducing medication, sits on a counter in Planned Parenthood's Omaha Health Center. (Erin Bamer, Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — The number of abortions performed in Nebraska rose 7.8% in 2025 as the dust begins to settle on some of the state’s — and neighboring states’ — newer abortion restrictions. According to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), at least 2,698 abortions were performed in Nebraska in 2025. That’s 197 more than 2024’s total of 2,501 abortions in one year. Nebraska’s abortion rate has remained relatively consistent over the last two decades, between 1,900 and 2,800 procedures performed each year. However, 2,698 is the highest the state has reached since 2008, and is the third year in a row that the number of abortions performed has increased from the previous year. Nebraska abortions by year 2008: 2,813 2009: 2,551 2010: 2,464 Abortion ban past 20 weeks of pregnancy takes effect in Nebraska 2011: 2,372 2012: 2,299 2013: 2,177 2014: 2,270 2015: 2,004 2016: 1,907 2017: 1,958 2018: 2,078 2019: 2,068 2020: 2,378 2021: 2,360 2022: 2,547 Roe v. Wade overturned by U.S. Supreme Court 2023: 2,325 Nebraska Legislature approves abortion ban at 12 weeks post-gestation 2024: 2,501 Nebraska voters approve constitutional amendment Initiative 434, banning most abortions past the first trimester 2025: 2,698 Source: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services The steady increase coincides with increased abortion restrictions being implemented in Nebraska and throughout the nation in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed legislation restricting access to abortion from the previous 20 weeks, to 12 weeks gestation. The following year, voters approved language added to the state Constitution that bans most abortions after the first trimester. Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), said this tracks with what Planned Parenthood officials have been seeing throughout the Midwest. Though she didn’t have exact numbers for the first half of 2026, she said the pace seems to be consistent with what she saw in 2025. Notably, the number of abortions performed on Nebraska residents actually dropped from 2,054 in 2024 to 1,968 in 2025. The overall increase comes from an influx of out-of-state patients traveling to Nebraska for abortions, most of them from Iowa. In 2023, the Iowa Legislature approved legislation banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks gestation. The law went into effect in June 2024. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Giselle Barajas, senior communications specialist for PPNCS, said Planned Parenthood has seen a 220% increase in Iowa patients coming to Nebraska between 2023 and 2025. The number nearly doubled between the last year of data, growing from 358 Iowans reported in 2024 to 635 in 2025. Nate Grasz, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance — a lobbying group that has supported increased abortion restrictions — said the increase in Iowa patients correlates to the state’s stricter abortion laws. “We haven’t made as much progress,” Grasz said of Nebraska’s abortion policies. Grasz noted there are fewer places in Iowa for people to seek abortions, saying that Planned Parenthood had closed some of its clinics. Barajas said Planned Parenthood does plan to close its Iowa City Health Center at the end of the month, but noted they still have a facility in Des Moines in operation. Grasz said there are still serious gaps in Nebraska’s laws regarding abortion. He described the DHHS statistics as a “tragic report,” saying that every one of the 2,698 abortions reported represents a baby that went unprotected and a woman who went unaided. Grasz highlighted that medication-induced abortions also are on the rise in Nebraska, according to the report. Medication abortions made up 83% of all abortions performed in 2025, compared to about 80% in 2024. Grasz said Legislative Bill 512, proposed by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would have been an important piece of ensuring the safety of medication abortions. The bill would have imposed additional steps before a patient could be prescribed an abortion pill, but the bill did not make it past the first round of floor debate. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Celtic Night Out returns to Rock Island The Scottish-American Society of the Quad Cities is preparing for its annual Celtic Night Out.
	France downs Morocco 2-0 to advance to the World Cup semifinal Morocco was no match for France, which lost 2-0. The French, one of the pre-tournament favorites, move on to the World Cup semifinals against either Spain or Belgium.
	Illinois to receive settlement against Cash App Illinois will receive $1.1 million multi-state settlement against Cash App. Block, Inc., the parent company of Cash App, reached a $45 million settlement with 47 states regarding deceptive safety claims, insufficient fraud protections and inadequate customer service. The lawsuit accuses the company of making it too easy to create fake or multiple accounts. The company [...]
	Honor Flight holds reunion for America 250 The event was open to all veterans who've been on an Honor Flight out of the Quad Cities.
	Muscatine to pursue six-month demolition, stabilization plan on Second Street The city is undecided on a cost estimate but intends to stabilize the remaining buildings on the 200 block of Second Street within six months.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Rock Island police on charges of sexual abuse and assault Christian Beard is wanted by the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Office for failure to appear for armed violence.
	Crime Stoppers: Silvis police search for masked suspect who broke into tobacco shop Silvis police and Crime Stoppers are asking for help identifying a masked man who broke into Greenleaf Tobacco using a pry bar on June 16.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Bettendorf Police and Scott County Sheriff Diondre L. Wakefield is wanted by the Bettendorf Police Department and Scott County Sheriff's Office.
	East Moline reschedules Fourth of July fireworks for fair night East Moline has rescheduled its fireworks show to July 14 at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds, serving as a kickoff for fair week.
	Getting to Know John Byrnes Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray talks with familiar faces around the Quad Cities in the Getting to Know Podcast. Learn more about important people around our area and have a good time doing it. Each week will feature a new guest from restaurant owners, to area leaders, to Our Quad Cities News Staff. In this episode [...]
	Rhode Island’s T.F. Green remains America’s best airport in national ranking Flowers are shown in the women's restroom at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport on June 2, 2026. (Photo by Janine L. Weisman/Rhode Island Current) For the second consecutive year, Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport has landed Travel + Leisure magazine’s top honor as the nation’s best airport — scoring higher than its first stop at No. 1 spot. T.F. Green earned a score of 85.16 in the annual rankings, based on reader surveys evaluating airport access, check-in and security, dining, shopping, and design. The New York-based publication’s website highlighted the Warwick airport’s small footprint and easy navigation among its reasons for making the top spot. Last year, the Warwick airport received a score of 84.9 in its top ranking — before the terminal started to undergo massive renovations that led to the relocation of the replica sailboat near the baggage claim and the decommissioning of public sculpture that had been inside since 2002. “It may not be the biggest, but perhaps that’s precisely why T. F. Green continues to win praise from voters, beating out big-city rivals with its two well-appointed concourses,” Travel + Leisure’s website states. The airport has also undergone major modernization updates in recent years funded by federal grants, passenger fees and airport funds. That includes the installation of automated coffee machines, new restaurants, colossal welcome signs off Interstate 95, and $10 million toward marble bathrooms with vases of flowers. In second place for 2026 is Portland International Airport in Oregon, which achieved a score of 83.09. Manchester-Boston Regional in New Hampshire was the only other New England airport to capture one of the 10 spots on the list, landing at the No. 8 spot with a score of 79.38. Iftikhar Ahmad, president and CEO of Rhode Island Airport Corporation, called the latest Travel + Leisure ranking an incredible honor for the state. “To be named the No. 1 Domestic Airport in back-to-back years is a testament to the dedicated work of all employees at PVD, the countless vendors we rely upon, and our airline partners,” Ahmad said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	Toiletries 4 Teens provides hygiene essentials for Quad Cities teenagers A Quad Cities nonprofit continues to provide hygiene products and everyday essentials for local teenagers while working to fill a gap for youth.
	‘Portrait of America’ honors U.S. milestones and Iowa’s Jim Leach at the Figge The Figge Art Museum’s new exhibition, Connie and Michael Roberts: Portrait of America, uses collaborative portrait panels and hidden storytelling elements to highlight influential figures in U.S. history during the nation’s 250th anniversary.
	UnityPoint Health – Trinity celebrates pulmonary rehabilitation patients of the year UnityPoint Health – Trinity celebrated its pulmonary rehabilitation patients of the year during a special ceremony July 9. According to a release, the event honored those with chronic lung conditions who have demonstrated a strong commitment to improving their health through the pulmonary rehab program. Steve Delf and Lucille Mumma were honored for their perseverance [...]
	Toiletries 4 Teens provides hygiene essentials for Quad Cities area teenagers A Quad Cities nonprofit continues to provide hygiene products and everyday essentials for local teenagers while working to fill a gap for youth.
	Quad Cities ‘Back the Blue Flight’ launches new honor program for local law enforcement Quad Cities Back the Blue Flight is launching one‑day honor trips to Washington, D.C., providing active and retired local law enforcement officers a no‑cost opportunity to visit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and other historic sites while honoring fallen colleagues

Friday, July 10th, 2026

Thursday, July 9th, 2026