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

Friday, May 15th, 2026
	CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raul Castro's grandson in Havana, US and Cuban officials say CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro's grandson during a high-level visit to the island Thursday, Cuban and U.S. officials said.
	Pope decries rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation Pope Leo XIV denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a "spiral of annihilation," as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine.
	Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as a ship is seized and another is sunk Tensions are escalating again near the Strait of Hormuz after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another was attacked and sank near the coast of Oman.
Thursday, May 14th, 2026
	Galva man arrested on child sexual abuse material charge A Galva man is facing charges after a joint investigation between Galva Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
	Rock Island uses TIF grants to drive development, revitalization of West End Rock Island will be using funds from the North Port and North 11th Street TIF Districts to help revitalize some of the neighborhoods in those districts. It' i's a major step toward the city's goal to drive economic growth and development to the West End. "Typically, this type of funding can only go towards commercial [...]
	Iowa Democratic Senate candidates clash over bipartisan approach to abortion policy Iowa State Representative Josh Turek and State Senator Zach Wahls faced off Thursday in one of their final debates before the June primary. Both are competing for the Democratic nomination to fill the seat left by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst.
	NCR discusses Quad Cities Generating Station safety at public meeting Federal regulators met with residents in Port Byron on Thursday to discuss safety oversight and 2025 performance at the Quad Cities plant.
	Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office investigating irrigator wire thefts Sheriff John Booker said the thefts are disrupting the farming community and causing them significant financial damage, according to a media release.
	Niabi Zoo offering extended hours on select dates The new program, called Zoo Nights, allows visitors to explore the zoo during extended evening hours once a month.
	Clinton County officials: No security breach after incidents in April Clinton County officials have announced that the forensic investigation of the cybersecurity incident that occurred on April 13 and 14 has concluded, according to a news release. This investigation was led by external forensic cybersecurity experts who worked closely with Clinton County employees to investigate this incident. After a thorough investigation, these external experts concluded [...]
	KWQC to air several Indiana Fever games on COZI 6.2 and NBC this season You can watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever play in several games throughout the WNBA season on COZI 6.2 and NBC/Peacock beginning on Friday, May 15th.
	Cook review: 'Sheep Detectives' leads the herd for best movie of the year so far You can baaaa-nk on "The Sheep Detectives" as a contender for best picture - even if 2026 isn't half over. Funny, clever and full of plot twists and turns, "The Sheep Detectives" is an endearing movie that is just plain enjoyable. Fans of authors such as Agatha Christie will get a special kick out of [...]
	MuscaBus debuts real-time bus tracking The new MuscaBus Transit Tracker provides users with live location updates, along with whether a bus is inbound, running behind or already passed a stop.
	Crews battling semi trailer fire on I-280, one lane shut down Crews are battling a semi trailer fire off of Interstate 280 causing one lane to shut down.
	Mercado on Fifth marks 10 years of culture, food and entrepreneurship in Quad Cities It all kicks off with an opening celebration featuring live music, food vendors and local collaborations on Friday, May 22 at 5:15 p.m.
	The Heart of the Story: A pursuit of history 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. A real-life Indiana Jones in the QCA researches [...]
	Third slate of Whiteside County jurors thrown out in 3 months The 14th Circuit and Whiteside County are working to untangle systematic issues in their jury selection process.
	Montgomery medical cannabis producer says product is ‘days away’ Vince Schilleci, owner of Callie's Apothecary, gestures to a display case that has mock medical cannabis products during a media tour on May 16, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. Schilleci said the dispensary is "days away" from opening to patients. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)Patients in Alabama with qualifying medical conditions are “days away” from being able to purchase medical cannabis with a physician’s recommendation, according to Vince Schilleci, owner of a dispensary. Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery will be the first medical cannabis dispensary to open in Alabama. When the program is fully up and running, there will be 12 dispensaries across the state between four companies. “Our goal is to get any questions answered, but get our patients in and out of here quickly, efficiently, do it in a professional manner, but most importantly, be compassionate,” said Vince Schilleci, owner of dispensary Callie’s Apothecary, Thursday morning during a tour. “These patients are dealing with issues, pain, and dealing with them for a while.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Mock medical cannabis tinctures in a display case at Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery, Alabama, on May 14, 2026. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Schilleci would not give a specific date for the Montgomery location’s opening because it depends on the testing of the products and delivery. He said the order for the first round of product has been placed from the processor, but when it will be delivered cannot be certain. “We have to remember this product is not like potato chips or something that’s easy to ship, and we have testing that it has to go through. We have to get it into the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system,” Schilleci said. “There’s a lot of moving parts, but we’re close.” Three of the companies, CCS of Alabama, LLC, GP6 Wellness, LLC, and RJK Holdings, LLC, have licenses and are expected to open their storefronts this summer, according to Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Director John McMillan. A fourth license is pending litigation, but is likely to go to Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, LLC. Dispensary Locations: CCS of Alabama, LLC Montgomery, Bessemer and Talladega GP6 Wellness, LLC Birmingham, Athens and Attalla RJK Holdings, LLC Oxford, Daphne and Mobile Yellowhammer Medical Dispensary, LLC *pending license approval Birmingham, Owens Cross Roads and Demopolis “We’re very anxious to move forward so we can become what the Legislature envisioned, and the public and patients need,” McMillan said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. The Alabama medical cannabis law, enacted in 2021, allows registered physicians to recommend cannabis for about 15 medical conditions, including cancer, depression, Parkinson’s Disease, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, chronic pain, and terminal diseases. The approved product forms are restricted to tablets, tinctures, patches, oils, and gummies (only peach flavor), with raw plant material and smokable forms remaining prohibited. People who suffer from the qualifying conditions must get approval from their physician and enter the patient registry in order to buy products at a dispensary. Litigation has also held up access to medical cannabis. Some firms sued the commission for not being awarded a license, citing a discriminatory process. Another case involved five parents that sued the commission over delays in access to cannabis, which was dismissed in August. McMillan said that there were 181 patients registered with the commission as of Monday. As of Thursday, there are 43 physicians certified to recommend medical cannabis to patients in Alabama, according to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. Schilleci said that Callie’s is just waiting on products to be delivered before it can open. Once it does, patients will present their “cannabis card” that their recommending physician will give them in order to enter the storefront. They will then sign in and enter a pharmacy-like room where they can receive consultation from dispensary staff and select a cannabis product. “This is a healthcare program. This is for the health of our patients in Alabama, and it says we are not a recreational program,” Schilleci said. “You just can’t come in here and buy something. You’ve got to go through the process of getting the card and going and making sure you have a qualifying condition.” Alora Frank, area manager at Callie’s Apothecary, speaks to reporters during a tour of the medical cannabis dispensary for media on May 14, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Schilleci said he is unsure of the total price of each product, but their estimates are lower than their original estimates when they applied. In 2023, Schilleci said CCS estimated that patients would pay $65 for a supply of cuboids, or gummies. “As time moves on and we have more as the processors get comfortable with the program, I think you’ll start seeing the more advanced, gel caps, or maybe transdermal patches, perhaps inhalers and nebulizers and things like that,” Schilleci said. Alora Frank, the area manager at Callie’s, worked in the medical cannabis industry in Florida before moving to Alabama, her home state, to work at the Montgomery dispensary. “On your first visit, there’s a lot of nerves, a lot of fear, there’s a lot of stigma around using this as an alternative medical product. But after their first visit, that second, that third visit, when you start to see people come in and they tell you, ‘Wow, I was able to stop this medication, stop that medication.’ Or you have a patient that had to come in with a wheelchair, and then can come in on their own power. It’s very, very fulfilling,” Frank said. “We are dosing cannabis, but we get doses of humanity back.” Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Clinton County IT systems back online after security incident A third-party forensics team confirmed threat was caught in early stages.
	Sensitive data not impacted by Clinton County cybersecurity incident A third-party forensics team confirmed threat was caught in early stages.
	Whiteside County sheriff investigates irrigator-wire thefts The Whiteside County Sheriff's Office is investigating irrigator wire thefts throughout the county, according to a news release from Sheriff John F. Booker. "These thefts are causing significant financial damage and disruption of our farming community," Booker said in the release, which says the sheriff's office is increasing patrols in rural areas and utilizing additional [...]
	Davenport North and West High Schools receive Carrie Chapman Catt Capitol Award for registering student voters Davenport North High School and Davenport West High School earned an award for registering more than 100 student voters. In Iowa, 122 high schools signed up to qualify for the Carrie Chapman Catt Award during the school year, and only seven received it. With primaries coming up it could show an interest in younger voters [...]
	Dead people are showing up on jury lists. Whiteside County judge dismisses whole panel A judge dismissed a Whiteside County jury panel after discovering illegal exclusions based on age and status, sparking fears of systemic judicial errors.
	Third slate of Whiteside County jurors thrown out in 3 months The 14th Circuit and Whiteside County are working to untangle systematic issues in their jury selection process.
	Davenport swears in six new officers During Wednesday's city council meeting, Davenport Mayor Jason Gordon swore in six new police officers who will now begin their field training on the city's streets.
	Galva man arrested for child sexual abuse material A Galva man was arrested for child sexual abuse material. According to a release from the Galva Police Department, Dalton Leverette, 26, was arrested, following a joint investigation conducted with Homeland Security Investigations. On May 14, officers with the Galva Police Department and federal and local law enforcement partners executed a search warrant at a [...]
	Mock crash, real training: Nursing students participate in disaster response before graduation Nearly 90 nursing students at St. Ambrose University stepped into a large-scale disaster simulation Thursday morning.
	Western Illinois 11-year-old is the world's youngest museum curator At just nine years old, Anderson Taylor opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in the fall of 2024, turning his childhood passion into a community institution.
	Several Mississippi River lock and dams are celebrating birthdays Lock and Dam 12 in Bellevue, Iowa, and Lock and Dam 17 in New Boston, Illinois, are both turning 87 years old. Lock 19 down in Keokuk, Iowa, is 69.
	Person pulled from car before fire, flown to hospital after Highway 61 crash A person was flown to the hospital with life threatening injuries after a crash Thursday.
	Field of Dreams fundraising for 'Bring it Home' campaign The campaign is focused on preserving and expanding the movie site to make it a year-round destination for baseball and tourism.
	Mercado on Fifth prepares to open its 10th season You can enjoy the cultural market and festival when it returns to downtown Moline on Friday, May 22.
	Davenport man who gave marijuana, inappropriately touched girl sentenced to prison He pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of marijuana and two counts of indecent contact with a child.
	John Deere announces $250,000 commitment to Red Cross John Deere’s $250,000 investment is part of an ongoing commitment to disaster readiness.
	Inspiring young minds at Black Hawk College summer youth programs Young minds in the QCA can be inspired to learn more about the arts, languages, science, math and technology during the summer. Kole Shuda joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about Black Hawk College's summer youth programs. For more information, click here.
	Whiteside County Sheriff's Office investigating string of irrigator wire thefts According to a press release from the office, the thefts have caused significant financial damage and disruption to local farmers.
	No Clinton County system data compromised following April incident, officials say The incident occurred on April 13 and 14 when monitoring systems detected unusual network activity consistent with the early stages of an internet intrusion attempt.
	Whiteside County Sheriff's Office investigating string of irrigator wire thefts According to a press release from the office, the thefts have caused significant financial damage and disruption to local farmers.
	'She was a beautiful soul': Mother shot, killed in front of her baby outside Stonecrest Publix Shyla Cummings' parents say she was killed during an act of domestic violence outside the Publix on Panola Road last week.
	Driver airlifted in crash on Highway 61 near Muscatine Airport The northbound lanes of Highway 61 were closed while crews responded.
	Morning Sun Fire Department completes transition to Morning Sun Fire & Rescue Officials with Morning Sun Fire and Rescue said the change will allow for faster response times, improved care and greater reliability.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted for probation violation Robert Tedrick, 39, is wanted by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for a probation violation on burglary and felon in possession of a firearm convictions.
	Crime Stoppers: Woman wanted by 3 Iowa agencies Renita Clay, 25, is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections High Risk Unit and the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for parole violations on theft and eluding convictions.
	Catalytic converter cut from parked car, police search for suspect Do you recognize this person?
	Native kids with disabilities were held in wooden boxes. Sweeping reforms are coming State officials in New York say the Salmon River district's special education program confined young children with disabilities in wooden boxes. Parents weren't notified.
	Moline High School History Club earns national honor for third time The club was founded in the 2017-18 school year. Here's some of what they accomplished this year to earn the National History Club of the Year award once again.
	Quad City Symphony Orchestra to perform at new WIU performing arts center The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will perform at the opening of a new performing arts center on the Western Illinois University campus.
	The Supreme Court keeps abortion pill mifepristone available by telehealth The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the abortion pill mifepristone can continue to be prescribed online or over the phone and sent through the mail.
	Coya's Café Mexican Grill to open Saturday with a special ribbon cutting celebration Coya's Café Mexican Grill will officially open their door on the Avenue of the Cities with special ribbon cutting celebration on Saturday, May 16.
	Linda McMahon defends dismantling the Education Department, shifting its work The education secretary faced questions about the shrinking of her agency, limits on federal student loan borrowing and oversight of the education of students with disabilities.
	Cuba's power grid collapses and plunges eastern provinces into a major blackout Cuba's aging power grid has eroded in recent years as it faces a prolonged economic crisis, made worse by a U.S. energy blockade of the island.
	May is Stroke Awareness Month; signs and symptoms you need to know You should follow the acronym, B.E.F.A.S.T.
	Michael Jackson's biopic has pushed his music up the Billboard charts The commercial impact of the Michael Jackson biopic Michael is reaching well beyond the global box office.
	Davenport teen charged with robbery, burglary after assault Police say a Davenport teen on probation threatened a victim with a firearm, stole property and caused a head injury during a March robbery.
	Lanes closed on Highway 61 in Muscatine for crash investigation The northbound lanes at 49th Street on Highway 61 are closed as police investigate a crash, police said.
	Adventureland opens for season this weekend Gates open Saturday at 10 a.m.
	Great-grandma called, and she wants her name back: 10 vintage baby names making a major comeback in 2026 Great-grandma called, and she wants her name back: 10 vintage baby names making a major comeback in 2026A society’s most popular baby names at any moment in time say a lot about the cultural landscape. More than just a reflection of personal taste, they’re often influenced by media, popular culture, and other shared influences. In 2026, we’re seeing a nostalgia for the past, with names from generations past now the norm for newborns.Using data from the Social Security Administration’s popular baby name index, Spokeo broke down 10 baby names that are undergoing a “retro revival.” Below, you’ll learn the historical peak of each name, why it’s been repopularized, and where trends are expected to head.Category 1: Elegant vintage1. EloiseEloise was last popular in the 1920s. At its previous peak, it reached #164 for girls. Over the next 80 years, it was largely forgotten. In the 2000s, however, it gained newfound traction and has skyrocketed since 2020. Most people today are familiar with the name Eloise from Kay Thompson’s classic children's books. Knowingly or not, it has influenced parents' decisions. In 2022, it crossed into the top 100 names according to SSA data.2. MaeveAlthough Maeve has never been a top name in the United States, it has a vintage feel that can be traced to Irish lineages. Today, it’s become popular due to a character in the “The Witcher” series with a similar name, Meve.Over the past decade, it has risen from #452 in 2015 to #75 in 2024.3. JosephineJosephine was a very popular girl's name in the early 1900s. It peaked at #21 in 1916, according to the SSA. It had a steady trend in popularity until the 1950s, when it began a sharp decline, reaching #498 in 1987. Today, it is in the top 100 and is expected to rise to the top 50 within the next few years.Category 2: Quirky retro4. MarjorieMarjorie is as vintage as it gets. It was a very popular name in 1922, peaking at #16 on the SSA’s list. Marjorie recently saw a spike in popularity, possibly due to Taylor Swift’s song “Marjorie,” released on her 2020 album “Evermore.”5. MabelMabel was most popular in 1902, ranking 24th among the most popular names, according to the SSA. It lost popularity over the rest of the 20th century, reaching #960 by 1963. It has since gained popularity and even broken into the top 300 in 2024. It’s predicted to rise into the top 200 in the coming years.Mabel's ascent can be attributed to the vintage revival. The name has a cozy feel to it that is more popular now. It was also popularized by the animated series “Gravity Falls.”6. RockyFor obvious reasons, Rocky became a popular boys' name shortly after the “Rocky” films of the mid to late 1970s. However, it had previously peaked in the 1950s. It continued to decline after the 1980s, reaching a low of #998 in 2013.However, in 2024, Rocky’s popularity jumped from #888 to #657. Today, it’s associated with a rugged, retro aesthetic that aligns with current baby naming trends.Category 3: Timeless classics7. TheodoreTheodore has always been a popular name, but its usage has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2024, it ranked fourth among popular boys' names. This is a dramatic rise from a low of #314 in 1999. It’s always been a classic name, but the shortened version, Theo, has captured the hearts of many new parents.8. HazelHazel has quickly risen to the top of the female baby name charts. In 2024, it took #19, suggesting that it’s here to stay. Nameberry noted that this name has been widely popularized due to cultural influences. Julia Roberts named one of her twins Hazel in 2004, and the 2012 John Green bestselling novel “The Fault in Our Stars” featured a protagonist named Hazel.9. SilasThe SSA only started tracking Silas recently. It was the 100th most popular name in 2020 and has continued to rise over the past few years, peaking at #81 in 2024. It may not have a strict “grandpa” feeling to it, but it definitely falls under a vintage revival theme — perhaps even a gothic revival.10. ArthurArthur has a very similar feeling to Theodore's. It is vintage, historic, and charming. It was extremely popular in the early 1900s and ranked 15th among popular boys' names for many years. It dropped off in popularity in the late 20th century, but has recently experienced a resurgence. It’s grown from #388 in 2010 to #105 in 2024.Parents continue to return to classic, vintage namesIn modern times, parents have turned to vintage naming trends of the past century. As Yahoo Life noted, this may be because people are seeking nostalgia and turning to ancestry for inspiration.Want to explore these trends further? Search any name to see how many people have it, how its popularity spans generations, and where it shows up most today.While pop culture-inspired names like Marjorie may fall in popularity rather quickly, others like Theodore have proven that they are here to stay. What will the most popular baby names be in another 50 years? Only time will tell.This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Alternating Currents drops first round of music lineup for 2026 festival Alternating Currents has announced the first music lineup drop for the 2026 festival.
	Matthew Dosland inducted into NPTC Driver Hall of Fame CPC Logistics truck driver Matthew Dosland has been inducted into the National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Driver Hall of Fame. NPTC is the only national trade association in the United States that exclusively represents private fleets. Dosland, who is assigned to drive for John Deere in Davenport, was inducted into the Hall of Fame at [...]
	No Clinton County system data compromised following April incident, officials say The incident occurred on April 13 and 14 when monitoring systems detected unusual network activity consistent with the early stages of an internet intrusion attempt.
	Guinness recognizes Cambridge 11-year-old as world's youngest museum curator At just nine years old, Anderson Taylor opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in the fall of 2024.
	Rebuilding St. Louis \| Historic May 16 Tornado Anniversary Special It's been a year since the historic May 16 tornado killed numerous people and caused over $1 billion in damage to St. Louis. Community members are still recovering.
	Help Special Olympics Iowa at Cop on a Rooftop event The 11th annual Cop on a Rooftop fundraising event will be on Friday, May 15, from 6 a.m. – 12 p.m. Law enforcement officials will be at participating Dunkin’ locations across Iowa to raise money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics Iowa. Athletes with Special Olympics, their families and special guests [...]
	Jury orders Boeing to pay $49.5 million to family of 737 MAX crash victim A federal jury in Chicago awarded $49.5 million to the family of Samya Stumo, a young woman who was killed in the second of two Boeing 737 MAX crashes within months of each other in 2018 and 2019.
	Judge hears arguments jury pool should be dismissed in Whiteside County case A hearing in a Whiteside County courtroom could have a ripple effect across Illinois as a lawyer challenges the jury pool in the case of Michael Cover. He's accused of felony aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer. Two jury pools have already been dismissed in this case. Attorney James Mertes is arguing the most [...]
	Understanding the types of damages involved in truck accident claims Understanding the types of damages involved in truck accident claimsTruck accidents often cause severe injuries and extensive property damage. Commercial trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds, dwarfing passenger vehicles in both size and weight, and drastically increasing the risk of catastrophic harm in a collision. Truck accident injuries come in the form of not only physical injuries, but also emotional trauma and financial strain.When someone else’s careless actions cause a truck accident, the law allows victims to seek compensation, also known as damages, for the financial losses and personal harm the at-fault party caused.Craig, Kelley & Faultless explains how securing a fair recovery begins with understanding the available damages for truck accidents, how settlements are calculated, and how truck accident attorneys prove liability.How Truck Accident Claim Values Are Commonly EvaluatedInsurance companies, attorneys, and, in some cases, courts play a significant role in determining the value of a truck accident claim. Each of them follows a slightly different process when assessing damages.Insurance CompaniesInsurance adjusters typically handle the first evaluation of truck accident damages. They review police reports, medical records, accident scene photos, and witness statements to assess the impact of the collision on the claimant. These companies look for ways to limit payouts and protect their profits, even when injuries appear severe.AttorneysTruck accident attorneys take a notably different approach to evaluating claims. A lawyer looks beyond the initial financial harm, like medical bills and car repairs, to the real personal harm the victim suffered. They examine future treatment needs, long-term income losses, emotional trauma, and the effect the injuries have on the victim’s daily life.CourtsIf the insurance company and the claimant’s legal representation cannot come to terms on a fair truck accident settlement, the claimant’s lawyers will likely file a lawsuit and take the claim to court. In these cases, judges and juries ultimately decide the claim’s value. To do that, they consider evidence, expert testimony, and legal arguments from both sides.Common Categories of Damages in Truck Accident ClaimsTruck accident damages typically fall into one of two categories: economic and noneconomic. The two broad categories represent the financial and personal harm caused by the at-fault party, respectively.Economic DamagesEconomic damages cover the measurable financial cost of the accident and the victim’s injuries, including:Current and future medical expensesLost wages and diminished earning capacityProperty damageOut-of-pocket expensesCalculating this form of truck accident compensation typically involves gathering medical records, bills, receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and other relevant financial documents.Noneconomic DamagesNoneconomic damages cover the personal harm caused by the accident, which receipts and invoices cannot measure. These truck accident lawsuit damages can include:Pain and sufferingEmotional distressLoss of enjoyment of lifePermanent scarring or disfigurementDetermining the value of noneconomic damages requires an attorney to assess the real impact of the accident on their client’s daily life, mental health, and relationships. They often do this with the help of medical evidence, pain journals, personal testimony from the victim, and statements from friends and family.Punitive DamagesWhile economic and noneconomic damages comprise the entirety of most truck accident damages, rare cases can also include punitive damages. Courts award punitive damages in cases of extreme misconduct as a way to punish the at-fault party and deter further dangerous behavior.Some examples of cases where punitive damages might apply include:Drunk or drug-impaired drivingIntentional violations of safety laws or regulationsHit-and-run collisionsExtreme speeding or reckless drivingCompanies pressuring drivers to exceed hours-of-service limitsPrior similar violations or accidentsHow Truck Accident Settlements Are Typically CalculatedCalculating truck accident settlements does not follow a fixed formula. Instead, insurers and attorneys rely on a combination of hard numbers (for example, medical bills and lost wages) and values based on investigation and evidence.Settlement calculations usually begin with economic damages, which are supported by clear documentation and concrete numbers. Once attorneys establish that figure, they assess noneconomic damages by gathering evidence of personal harm and then applying one of two common formulas to translate that harm into a monetary value. The two formulas are:Multiplier method – The attorney assesses non-economic damages, assigns a numerical value to it, then multiplies economic damages by that number.Per diem method – The attorney assigns a specific dollar amount to each day a victim experiences pain and suffering.Key factors that influence semi-truck accident compensation include:Severity of injuriesLength of medical treatmentPermanent impairmentsDegree of faultStrength of evidenceAvailable insurance coverageTruck accident cases often involve higher settlement values than car accident claims due to the seriousness of injuries and the presence of commercial insurance policies with higher limits.Medical Expenses and Long-Term Care ConsiderationsMedical bills from truck accidents can cause significant financial distress. Emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, and rehabilitation can add up quickly, and the bills can continue to pile up long after the collision.Compensation for truck accident medical bills can cover:Ambulance transportEmergency room treatmentSurgical proceduresHospitalizationPrescription medicationsOccupational therapyLong-term care can significantly increase costs, as can assistive devices and home modifications. Attorneys work with medical experts to assess the full extent of their client’s injuries and estimate both current and future costs accurately.Lost Income and Economic Disruption After a Truck AccidentTruck accident injuries frequently prevent victims from earning paychecks for extended periods, and some permanently alter or end careers altogether. Victims may seek compensation for lost wages from a truck accident, as well as the lasting impact on their ability to earn a living.Lost income damages may include:Wages missed during recoveryLost bonuses or commissionsMissed raises or promotionsUsed vacation or sick timeReduced future earning capacityEconomic disruption often extends beyond paychecks. Victims may lose job opportunities or retirement benefits and fall behind in their career trajectory. Self-employed individuals face unique challenges, as they may lose contracts or damage professional relationships while unable to perform their regular work.Truck accident attorneys must understand the many moving parts related to lost income, not just the simple math of adding up missed paychecks. Thorough claims connect all of these aspects of income loss directly to the injuries caused by the accident.Assessing Pain and Suffering in Truck Accident CasesPain and suffering from a truck crash can be immense. Pain and suffering compensation often represents the most significant piece of the compensation pie. These damages recognize the human cost of the collision: physical pain, mental anguish, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life.Unlike medical expenses, attorneys cannot trace pain and suffering by collecting bills and invoices. Instead, they must gather substantial evidence showing how the accident has impacted their client’s daily life and mental health.Pain and suffering considerations may include:Chronic painPhysical limitationsAnxiety or depressionSleep disturbancesLoss of enjoyment of lifeEmotional traumaInsurance companies often downplay pain and suffering damages when attempting to reduce payouts. Recovering fair compensation requires strong documentation, consistent medical treatment, personal testimony, and skilled negotiation.Establishing Truck Accident Damages in Negotiations or in CourtSuccessful truck accident claims require substantial evidence that the at-fault party caused the victim preventable harm. To gather that evidence, truck accident attorneys often seek out:Medical records and physician opinionsEmployment and wage documentationPhotos and videos of the accident sceneSurveillance or dashcam footageWitness testimonyAccident reconstruction reportsNegotiations usually begin with a demand package. The demand package outlines liability, injuries, damages, and settlement expectations. Insurance companies then respond with counteroffers based on their investigation of the accident and analysis of the attorney’s demand package.Most successful truck accident claims settle out of court, but in some cases, insurance companies refuse to offer a fair settlement, and a lawsuit must be filed.When a truck accident case goes to court, both sides have an opportunity to present evidence, question witnesses, provide testimony, and argue damages before a judge or jury. The judge or jury then makes a final decision on what the victim will receive.Some cases settle out of court even after the victim files a lawsuit. The insurance company may determine that the risk of going to trial outweighs the cost of providing a fair settlement.Who May Be Financially Responsible for Truck Accident Damages?Unlike a standard car accident case, a truck accident case rarely involves only one responsible party. Commercial trucking operations involve various companies, contractors, and individuals who may have contributed to the collision, and therefore bear some responsibility.Potentially responsible parties may include:Truck driversTrucking companiesCargo loadersMaintenance providersParts or vehicle manufacturersOther driversWhile a truck driver who violated traffic laws may bear some responsibility for the accident, the trucking company may also face liability if an attorney uncovers inadequate hiring or training practices, for example. The trucking company would also be vicariously liable for the truck driver’s negligence if the driver were an employee. Maintenance providers or cargo loaders may also face liability if their work failed to meet established safety standards.While identifying all responsible parties and gathering the evidence needed to hold them accountable can be challenging and complex, it can also be beneficial to the victim. Holding multiple parties responsible increases the likelihood of recovering full compensation.This story was produced by Craig, Kelley & Faultless and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Building bridges: Rock Island women bring family of doctors to speak Five successful African-American doctors from one family who have overcome adversity to pursue their lifelong dreams will speak in the Quad Cities May 21-23.
	WATCH LIVE: Iowa families, business leaders donate millions of dollars to development of Field of Dreams The movie site has received a $10 million commitment from three Iowa families and business leaders.
	What is DeepSeek? Everything a marketer needs to know What is DeepSeek? Everything a marketer needs to knowJust over a year after being launched, DeepSeek has claimed its place as a key player in the AI Large Language Model (LLM) landscape. And while it is still relatively new in the field, it can refine your marketing tasks.The following article from WebFX explores everything a digital marketer needs to know about DeepSeek:What is DeepSeek?DeepSeek is an artificial intelligence company that develops various large language models trained for specific tasks such as software development, general reasoning, and real-time problem-solving.The history of DeepSeekLiang Wenfeng built DeepSeek out of his hedge fund-owned AI lab. Liang Wenfeng comes from a background in quantitative finance merged with AI.Here is the timeline for how DeepSeek came to be: WebFX Since its inception, DeepSeek has released multiple models and variants, including Base and Chat. Licensing may vary by release, so users should verify each model individually. For image-related use cases, DeepSeek has also released Janus-Pro-7B.If you’re using DeepSeek V3.0 for web development or game development, the new version will deliver better web page design and front-end design for games. Function calls are also more accurate. Courtesy of WebFX DeepSeek V3-0324 has also shown a marked improvement in benchmark performance. Its best performance jump is on AIME for math with a 19.8 increase, followed by a 10-point increase in LiveCode Bench all against Qwen, GPT-4.5, and Claude-Sonnet-3.7.DeepSeek recommends users consider V3-0324 for non-complex reasoning tasks.Technology behind DeepSeekWhen DeepSeek was first released in the U.S. market, it impacted the AI industry with its development in AI technology. DeepSeek R1-0 was trained solely on reinforcement learning with no supervised fine-tuning (SFT).On top of reinforcement learning, DeepSeek was trained on older generation GPUs after the US sale ban of the latest GPUs to China. Based on their release paper, DeepSeek outlines the key learning techniques it used to train its models.The key training techniques were:Reinforcement learningBefore DeepSeek came into the picture, most prominent LLMs were trained using supervised fine-tuning. This training meant the models were fed labeled datasets to learn from.DeepSeek was incentivized to learn on its own and improve its reasoning skills through rewards. As training went on, the instinct to learn was more intrinsic than trainer- or dataset-defined.Reward modelingThis feature incentivizes the model to learn which is the better output. Whichever output is given more rewards, that’s the one that wins — unreadable, incomprehensible, or confusing outputs receive penalties. The reasoning process used in the winning solution grows stronger through the testing.Training templateFor prompting, the model is instructed to solve prompt problems in a two-step process: think and answer. The model encloses their reasoning process in the think element before releasing their output in an answer element.DistillationTo show DeepSeek’s capabilities, the researchers trained by using other open-source models such as Llama by Meta and Qewn by Alibaba, smaller families of open-sourced models. This process is where the DeepSeek researchers use SFT to show distillation of an LLM model to smaller models does work.DeepSeek usage statisticsSince its release last January, users and companies have been curious about DeepSeek capabilities. Here are a few statistics that show its adoption and usage:There were 1.52 million app downloads in the first 10 days of release in January 2025.18-34 year olds make up the majority of total downloads.There are 69.37 million App Monthly Average Users (MAU) as of January 2026.There are 50-plus million app downloads on the Google Play Store.DeepSeek vs. other AI modelsThere are many benchmarks by which to judge DeepSeek against other LLMs in the market. For this section, we’re going to look at:DeepSeek R1 vs. OpenAI GPT-4o: Training Cost WebFX Comparing DeepSeek against other AI models, you can start with its training factors.While DeepSeek engineers were able to train their model for much less than its competitor, OpenAI, the training cost remained low due to its parent company’s prior hardware investments. The training cost also doesn’t include data acquisition, data cleaning, and processing fees, as well as staff salaries.Meanwhile, their novel use of reinforcement learning instead of supervised fine-tuning makes it an LLM capable of improving on its own. It also demonstrated significant numbers in terms of hardware spending.Its input and output usage costs also make it cost-effective for enterprise customers.Due to this, the premium model’s pricing is lower than GPT-4o.DeepSeek-R1 test and resultsWhen DeepSeek released its Base and Chat models along with their research results, the AI industry observed when they saw R1 performing better by a margin, if not outperformed, other models such as Claude-3.5, GPT-4o, OpenAI o1-mini, and o1-1217 on various knowledge benchmarks. Courtesy of WebFX They specifically beat the other models in terms of education-oriented and other intelligence benchmarks with the model’s ability to answer STEM questions.Based on its FRAMES result which tests for document analysis ability, DeepSeek R1 has beaten Claude-3.5, GPT-4o, DeepSeek V3, and OpenAI o1-models.While it still performs decently for fact-based queries for the SimpleQA benchmark, the information it provides can be limited.Chatbot Arena resultsUC Berkeley Skylab and LMArena developed Chatbot Arena, an open platform for AI benchmarking. They rank LLM and AI chatbots using the Bradley-Terry model.Below are DeepSeek’s results with the Chatbot Arena ranking criteria.Overall rankingDeepSeek continues to stand out on the overall leaderboard with multiple models in the rankings. This demonstrates its versatility and continued role in the broader AI model landscape.Below, you will find how DeepSeek ranks against other LLMs based on how it performs in terms of:Language (by tasks)Language fluencyWeb developmentThese tasks are some of the most frequent use cases digital marketers have for LLMs like DeepSeek V3 and DeepSeek R1.Language (by tasks) Courtesy of WebFX Chatbot Arena has grouped task prompts into categories. The pie chart above shows the main categories users tested LLMs in—most tested them in terms of tech programming, puzzles and math, creative writing, and AI innovations. Courtesy of WebFX DeepSeek-V3 ranks first for coding and multi-turn. DeepSeek-V3 also ranks second, along with R1, for hard prompts with style control and math.DeepSeek V3 has beaten R1 in producing creative writing outputs, longer query, hard prompts, and overall ranking.Language (by language fluency) Courtesy of WebFX In terms of language fluency, DeepSeek-V3 ranks first in two languages—German and French.Meanwhile, R1 only shares the top spot for French, but ranks second for Spanish and Korean.However, both models need work in English. Overall, V3 is more fluent in languages than R1.Web development Courtesy of WebFX Chatbot Arena’s topic clustering shows in which web development areas users tested LLMs. Most of the prompts tested LLMs in website design, game development, and clone development. Courtesy of WebFX DeepSeek R1 beats most LLMs, even OpenAI’s o3, when it comes to web development. This means the model can produce good-quality code against fellow LLMs.Humanity’s Last ExamIf the Turing test had a computer make humans believe they were talking to another human instead of a computer, Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE) is a test of whether the best LLMs out there are capable of solving humanity’s hardest academic problems.HLE is a set of advanced problems that the advanced academic levels can expect on a doctorate level. The questions have been fed first to leading LLM models.If the question was unanswerable, it was then vetted, refined, and answered by human reviewers — meaning it’s answerable by human beings. Courtesy of WebFX However, that’s not the present case with major LLMs. Based on the latest HLE results, while R1 has managed a high accuracy (on a text-only subset), its calibration error, or confidence level, about the correctness of its answer is the lowest among the other models.Should you use DeepSeek?Yes, DeepSeek can be a helpful tool for marketing and research that anyone can use. However, remember that any prompt and output may be used as part of its training data.To learn more, let’s look at these usage factors:AccuracyBased on the benchmarks DeepSeek has passed, it is capable of aiding your marketing projects. If it will be used for hard prompts with style control, then DeepSeek can help with content ideation, brainstorming, chatting, and answering questions.Ease of accessThrough DeepSeek’s API, marketing developers can easily integrate it into the applications and platforms they handle. After integration, a marketer can use DeepSeek capabilities to create chatbots and recommendation engines.Its Janus Pro 7 can also be used to generate images for marketing campaign assets.Cloud services providers NxtGen and Microsoft Azure already offer DeepSeek R1.Cost vs. valueBeing an open-source tool released under MIT license, DeepSeek is competitive when it comes to cost.Input Cost Courtesy of WebFX In terms of cost, DeepSeek is currently positioned in the middle of the market, with input costs as low as $0.55 and $0.27 for DeepSeek R1 and V3, respectively.Output Cost Courtesy of WebFX The same goes for their output cost, with $2.19 for DeepSeek R1 and $1.10 for V3.DeepSeek real-world applications: Who uses DeepSeek?Since its launch, DeepSeek has shown its effectiveness in a wide range of real-world applications. Who uses DeepSeek today? And for what purpose? Here are some high-profile users and where the technology has been applied to:GovernmentThough largely local Chinese governments in Shenzhen and Kunshan, DeepSeek, being fluent in Mandarin, has helped government workers draft and proofread their documents, sometimes as many as 1,000 characters, in just a few seconds. It has also helped authorities locate missing people.Industry partnershipMicrosoft, despite being a major investor in OpenAI, quickly embraced the arrival of DeepSeek and offered it on Azure. This allows software developers, especially marketing developers, to easily integrate and develop AI apps for their marketing tasks.DeepSeek is also available for installation on NxtGen, AWS, and Nvidia AI platforms.Car manufacturersChinese car manufacturers such as BYD, Geely, and Great Wall have announced they have installed DeepSeek. BYD has reported it will use DeepSeek’s “God’s eye” capabilities to boost its cars’ self-driving technology.Meanwhile, SAIC-GM will also integrate it into its Buick and Cadillac cars.TelecommunicationsTelco companies such as China Mobile and China Telecom are also eager to onboard DeepSeek.Search engineLike its Western counterparts Google and Bing, Baidu has integrated and harnessed DeepSeek’s AI technology to help with search and cloud services. DeepSeek now helps refine search result relevance and improve understanding of users’ natural language. This makes search results address the search intent better and aids chatbots in providing more accurate replies.Gaming industryNetEase has integrated DeepSeek to provide better-crafted non-player characters (NPCs). AI also helps in updating storylines in real time to give a player a personalized playing experience. This makes gaming a personalized experience for players.ChatbotsDeepSeek AI will be available for integration into Meta’s WhatsApp worldwide.You can also forward WhatsApp messages to DeepSeek via a third-party automation platform for analysis and response automation. It can also be integrated with Telegram through its GPTBots agent.DeepSeek use cases for marketingHere are some DeepSeek use cases for marketing:1. Content creationUsing its Mixture of Experts training dataset and passing multiple academic benchmarks, DeepSeek can provide industry-specific insights. R1 can generate marketing content like blog posts, social media content, or email copy in seconds.Case in point, Chinese government workers let DeepSeek draft and proofread their work with over a thousand characters in under a minute.2. Customer support via chatbotsR1 and V3-0324 rank 2nd in hard prompts with style control which shows their capability to provide accurate answers. The DeepSeek Chat model is purposefully built to provide any business with a chatbot whose reasoning capabilities just get better with every customer it serves. Its natural language processing also helps it adapt its tone and voice to sound more like a human.3. Personalized marketingAI-driven personalization allows businesses to personalize content and offers in real time. DeepSeek builds on this capability with its R1 model, which uses reinforcement learning to continuously improve how it interprets data and generates responses.4. SEO and keyword researchBaidu utilizes DeepSeek to help address user intent. DeepSeek’s ability to understand the nuances of every search helps it faster categorize which results resonate with the searcher’s goal. It can also detect patterns in how search engines are ranking their results and help marketers refine their pages to gain better search rankings through AI SEO.5. Market research and sentiment analysisSimilar to LLMs such as Grok and o1 models, DeepSeek can generate synthetic respondents, helping marketers do deeper market research testing faster.If it is trained on your historical data, it can also perform predictive analysis to provide future scenarios.Real-time monitoring of customer sentiments can also help your business be more agile in responding to market trends and customer issues.6. Web developmentDeepSeek has shown capabilities in web development. This can be cost-effective in terms of time and effort when developing landing pages, microsites, or other temporary web assets.7. Product launchesBased on your historical marketing data, DeepSeek can identify product strategies and timings for product launches. DeepSeek can notice gaps in the market and help marketers on how to address the gap with their product. It can also provide insights on when and how to launch your product.DeepSeek LimitationsPowerful as it may be, DeepSeek R-1 and V3-0324 have computing limitations just like any other LLM out there. These include, but are not limited to:Language mixingCurrently, DeepSeek R-1 remains one of the few LLMs out there trained in different languages. And while it ranks first in foreign languages like French, it still needs work on its English output.There have also been instances where R1 mixes languages—reasoning, and answering in English even when queried using a different language.Prompt structurePrompting is key to maximizing an LLM’s reasoning capabilities. And for R1 and V3.0324, researchers found that short prompts tend to make DeepSeek deliver low-quality outputs in the long run. They recommend users employ a clear statement of the problem and specify the output result format when prompting for better results.AI biasesJust like other LLMs, DeepSeek is also prone to AI biases. Any LLM output will always depend on the quality of its training dataset. And even with DeepSeek’s powerful reasoning capabilities, it still has things it cannot answer because it is beyond its scope.CensorshipSince its release, DeepSeek has been criticized for censorship or answering some questions critical of the Chinese government, and its actions are beyond its scope.Aside from strong censorship, governments have also raised concerns about its threat to data privacy. In response, the U.S. Congress has filed a bipartisan bill to ban its use on government-issued devices. States like New York, Texas, and Virginia have also banned it.Idiot-savant: DeepSeek and other LLMsIf there’s one thing that can relieve human anxiety about DeepSeek and most major LLMs, it is that these models can still be considered idiot-savants.They may show computing prowess in answering high-level questions in STEM, software engineering, language, and philosophical queries, but they still stumble upon basic arithmetic and obvious questions that a human with average intelligence can answer.The dataset largely limits their world knowledge. Sometimes, when prompted with a difficult question, they lack guardrails of knowing when to confess they don’t know the answer and hallucinate instead. It may sound correct, but it can turn out completely wrong.This story was produced by WebFX and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Maquoketa high school students create "Shark Tank" pitches through a class Students in a business concept class at Maquoketa High School gave presentations of their business ideas, much like the show "Shark Tank." Those ideas started from scratch in January and forced students to answer tough questions. "Who am I going to sell this to? How much will this cost, how much will it cost to [...]
	Shakira, Madonna and BTS will headline World Cup final halftime show For the first time ever, the final match will feature a halftime performance of three acts capturing this year's global spotlight.
	Costs tied to Iran war add to WA farm woes Winter wheat planting near Palouse, Washington. (Photo by Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images) It’s going to be another tough year for Washington farmers, who were already facing record-low worldwide commodity prices. While consumers benefit from lower prices on things like wheat (resulting in cheaper bread) and pork, wheat growers and pig farmers are footing the bill for these savings. Many farmers are experiencing a triple hit on their finances from the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran, with higher costs for fuel, shipping and fertilizer. “Unless you have perfect insight” and bought your fertilizer and stocked up on diesel fuel before the war in Iran began, explained T. Randall Fortenbery, professor and Thomas B. Mick Endowed Chair of the Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences. Even before the war, Washington had steep fuel prices, with one of the highest gas taxes in the country. Agricultural fuel buyers are eligible for an exemption from surcharges tied to the state’s cap-and-trade program. Farmers in Washington export most of their crops. So their prices are set in the global marketplace and do not necessarily reflect their costs. If they try to pass along an increase in fuel costs to transport their crops, for example, buyers will just choose to do business with someone else, Fortenbery said. “Washington grows almost 300 different commodities; most of them have an export market,” Fortenbery said. The prices for their goods are set by that global market, so increases in their costs to grow and transport wheat, alfalfa or hops cannot be passed along to the consumer. Ed Chvatal, a major wheat and alfalfa hay and seed grower in Walla Walla, says increased fertilizer and fuel prices are a big concern for him and his neighbors. “I’m not going to get into the politics … all I know is it’s causing some grief,” he said. Because farming 6,000 acres requires careful planning, Chvatal isn’t experiencing war-related pain yet. He bought fertilizer for his current wheat crop last fall and he purchased a tanker of diesel in January. The farm can hold about 15,000 gallons on site, which will last them into the first part of the harvest, maybe until July. And they won’t need more fertilizer until the fall. “I lucked out there. It wasn’t because I was brilliant,” Chvatal said, explaining that timing and planning force most of his purchasing decisions. And sometimes the results are not as good. Even if the war ends tomorrow, most economists believe fuel and fertilizer prices will not drop before 2027, because it will take a while for production to ramp back up after the Strait of Hormuz reopens. So Chvatal will experience cost increases by late summer and he will be paying more to ship his grains to customers this year. The shippers will add a fuel surcharge, but he doesn’t have that freedom. The market sets the price he will receive for his wheat. Prices won’t change unless there’s a production interruption elsewhere, Chvatal explained – a drought in the Midwest, for example. “The world can produce enough food for everybody. It’s a matter of what people will pay for it. Then there’s weather and political issues,” he said. The price of wheat has been below the cost of production for the past three years, Chvatal said. This spring’s crop was looking good and the price had been bouncing up a bit. “I took off my pessimistic hat and put it on the rack,” he said. Then Iran happened. Chvatal has farmed on his family acreage for the past 40 years and has seen a lot of ups and downs, but things have been different since the pandemic. Input costs went up and never came back down. Labor costs have also gone up because of new state regulations around overtime and because seasonal workers are harder to recruit. “There’s a point where it’s frustrating. I don’t have the time and effort to go protest and bitch about things. I’m just trying to put food on the table for my family. I have six full-time employees who also want the farm to succeed,” Chvatal said. “I’ve seen it before,” he added, “but this one has a different flavor. It’s kind of like the perfect storm.” So why do farmers stay in the business if it’s so difficult to make a profit? Professor Fortenbery points out that they experience good years and bad. For example, wheat prices were more than double what they are now six or seven years ago. Adding high fuel and fertilizer costs to already low prices is going to make things particularly tough for farmers this year. One of the oddities of the current situation is that most of America’s fertilizer comes from Canada, not the Middle East, but worldwide shortages will drive up prices everywhere, Fortenbery said. Chvatal wishes the state government would help farmers out by giving them a break on new overtime regulations — an unrelated issue that also affects his input costs. He’s also concerned about the ways data centers are pushing up electricity rates. And says the debate over water rights is a constant pressure. But Chvatal has no plans to give up on farming or dramatically change how he runs his operation. “I love it and have done it all my life. Hopefully, my children will want to take it on,” he said, but adds back a hint of the dark cloud he is sitting under right now. “Things are tough around here. You wonder why young people aren’t coming back to farming. It’s very capital-intensive. It’s hard work.” Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Courtesy of Oregon Capital Chronicle
	Bootheel groups say Canadian gold mining threatens lizard haven, dark skies From left, Regal horned lizard, reticulated Gila monster and Gray-checkered whiptail lizards can be found in the Antelope Pass area of the New Mexico bootheel, an area conservation advocates say needs to be protected from Canadian gold mine prospecting. (Photos by Joshua Emms/Brain Blais courtesy of the New Mexico Herpetological Society) More than a dozen conservation groups in the New Mexico Bootheel have asked federal officials to slow a Canadian company’s efforts to mine gold on public lands known for its abundance of lizards and dark skies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The area at risk is an obscure corner of western Hidalgo County, where craggy Peloncillo mountain range rises up out of the scrub at the nexus of the Chihuahua and Sonora deserts. In recent years, a subsidiary of the Canadian mining company Almadex Minerals, has filed at least 132 claims for gold and silver in what the company is calling the “Big Sky Project.” The majority of those claims lie within Antelope Pass, an area set aside by the Bureau of Land Management as a Research Natural Area, a designation that bans mineral and oil extraction and limits vehicle access in order to protect “biological and research values of the land.” In an April 1 news release, Almadex said that it had received rock-chip samples for the area and would be conducting further tests to define “drill targets” later this year. Source NM emails and calls requesting comment from Almadex went unreturned. Members from several conservation groups told Source NM that the testing by the company could disrupt fragile species, such as Night-blooming cereus cactus, or the genetically distinct population of the Dixon’s whiptail lizard, one of 17 species in the area. “It’s an existential issue for the area, in terms of preserving its ecological value, a full-on mining development, or say an open-pit gold mining operation, the disturbance to the area would be catastrophic,” said Dirk Sigler, the president of Chiricahua Regional Council, a conservation group which has opposed mining for the past 30 years. Sigler noted that exploration and mining may also threaten the area’s dark skies, which are crucial for stargazing and astrophotography, as well as disrupt hunters, hikers and campers using the area. The outline of Antelope Pass Research Natural Area is shown in blue, with claims for gold and silver from a subsidiary of Canadian mining company Almadex Minerals designated in pink. (Courtesy of NM Wild) In a May 6 letter to New Mexico BLM officials, area environmental groups, businesses and individuals registered their concerns. “Antelope Pass is not an ordinary landscape. It is one of the most biologically significant places in the Southwest, a critical wildlife corridor of continental importance, and a landscape the BLM itself has already recognized as deserving special protection through the designation of the Antelope Pass Research Natural Area,” the letter stated. “This is precisely the kind of place where precaution, transparency, and long-term stewardship must prevail over short-term profits from mineral development by an international mining company.” Allison Sandoval, a public affairs specialist at the Bureau of Land Management, told Source NM in an email on Wednesday the agency would need additional time to respond to Source NM’s questions and had not done so prior to publication on Thursday. Luke Koenig, the grassroots Gila organizer for New Mexico Wild, said the area already has protections in place — the federal agency needs to enforce them. “This is an area that has already been recognized and designated with a protective layer, so basically, we’re just calling for the BLM to honor that,” Koenig said. “We’re calling for the BLM to have as robust of a public engagement process as humanly possible, and to make sure that they hold the company to the highest level of scrutiny.” Allyson Siwik, the executive director of Gila Resources Information Project, said the Trump administration’s efforts to accelerate mining and “dramatically reduce public input” mean that conservation groups need to put up a fight in the early stages. “The public is losing its voice in these decision-making processes. Federal agencies are streamlining the process, so people might not even hear about them before they are approved,” Siwik said. Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	6 ways to prevent employee burnout 6 ways to prevent employee burnoutEmployee burnout affects entire organizations, with consequences for performance, workplace culture, and the bottom line.At many organizations, employees are emotionally drained, managers are stretched to their limits, and HR teams are overwhelmed by the growing volume of mental health concerns. The old ways of addressing burnout, such as by offering a wellness stipend, a few mental health days, or a traditional EAP, aren’t cutting it anymore.Workplace burnout is a business risk that contributes to absenteeism, lost productivity, increased healthcare costs, and high turnover. And for organizations that aren’t paying attention, it could quietly drive major disruptions.But burnout is also preventable if you know what to look for and are willing to treat it as the systemic issue it truly is. With that in mind, Spring Health compiled a list of ways to help curb employee burnout for a healthy workplace.What is employee burnout?Employee burnout is a state of chronic stress that results in emotional exhaustion, detachment from work, and reduced performance. It often builds over time, which makes it difficult to identify early. Burnout can also show up in ways that look like disengagement or low motivation.You may notice employees becoming unusually irritable or withdrawn. They might seem less confident in their work, struggle to concentrate, or begin questioning the value of their role. Some may stop speaking up in meetings, miss deadlines, or start calling in sick more often.How prevalent is employee burnout?Research conducted by Spring Health in early 2026 revealed some interesting findings. Among over 500 HR professionals across five countries:61% said employee burnout had increased in the past year.48% said employee burnout was the top challenge their employees faced (#1 answer).They estimated that 30% of all employees are experiencing silent burnout, which is defined as a “slow, undetected state of exhaustion while maintaining the appearance that everything is fine.”Burnout often hits the most committed and hardest-working employees first.The high cost of employee burnoutWhen burnout goes unaddressed, it can reduce organizational performance and increase operational costs. HR professionals are feeling the effects too. In one 2023-24 Society for Human Resource Management report, over 50% of HR teams reported working beyond their capacity, with many citing understaffing as a major factor contributing to their own burnout.How to prevent employee burnoutBurnout is a reflection of organizational systems. Preventing burnout requires thoughtful, proactive strategies that go beyond perks and check-the-box programs. Here’s what that looks like in practice.Provide mental health support that meets the momentWithin Spring Health's research, one of the biggest drivers of employee burnout was whether or not the employees had access to an enhanced mental health solution.Spring Health asked over 1,500 employees across five countries what their biggest mental health challenges in the past year were. Employees who said they lacked access to adequate mental health benefits from their employer were 69% more likely to say they had experienced employee burnout in the past year than those employees who did have access to adequate care.This data shows that preventing burnout starts with giving employees access to effective, easy-to-use mental health care. Traditional employee assistance programs often fall short, with limited provider networks, long wait times, and confusing processes that discourage use, especially when someone is already overwhelmed.Prioritize manager support and trainingManagers are your first line of defense against burnout, but they’re also some of the most impacted. They're balancing their own workloads while trying to support employees, navigate change, and maintain team morale.Equipping managers with the right tools and specialized mental health training to recognize burnout signs, create safe team dynamics, and have supportive mental health conversations can make a huge difference. When managers feel supported themselves, they’re far better positioned to support others.Reassess workloads and expectationsIn many organizations, high performers are rewarded with more responsibilities but not necessarily more time or resources. This imbalance risks burning out your best people and reinforces a culture where overwork is normalized.Instead, take time to evaluate role expectations, adjust workloads, and ensure priorities are realistic. Encourage teams to focus on outcomes instead of output. And make sure high performers aren’t silently paying the price for their success.Go beyond surface-level mental health supportTraditional EAPs often involve long wait times, confusing access processes, and limited session availability. For someone already burned out, these barriers can feel insurmountable.A more effective approach includes fast access to high-quality care, personalized support plans, and seamless coordination between HR, managers, and providers. Employees shouldn’t have to work harder just to feel better.Create space to rest and rechargeCreating a culture where people actually feel safe taking PTO is an important method for preventing burnout.This might mean modeling time off at the leadership level, encouraging boundaries between work and personal life, and giving people the flexibility to manage their energy in ways that work for them. For some, that might be a mental health day. For others, it might be shifting hours or working from home when needed.The point is that time to rest should feel like part of how work gets done.Build a culture of fairness and connectionBurnout often stems from feeling undervalued, invisible, or stuck. It’s intensified by favoritism, lack of transparency, or inequities in pay and promotion.Creating a culture that actively supports human connection, along with fairness and inclusion, is essential. This means listening to employee feedback, addressing systemic gaps, and giving people meaningful ways to grow.Burnout prevention is a business strategyOrganizations that invest in preventing employee burnout are also making a smart business decision.Burnout directly impacts your most critical organizational and HR metrics: retention, productivity, engagement, and healthcare costs. When employees are mentally depleted, they’re more likely to miss work, disengage, or leave altogether. Replacing them is disruptive and expensive.That’s why forward-thinking companies treat mental health as a pillar of operational success. They’re embedding it into their leadership practices and culture because they know that preventing burnout strengthens every part of the business.When employees feel supported, they show up with more energy and focus. Teams communicate better, turnover slows, and leaders can focus on growth instead of damage control.Burnout prevention is a people strategy and a performance strategy. And in today’s climate, it's one of the most important investments your organization can make.This story was produced by Spring Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Clinton County says no data compromised in April cybersecurity incident The incident occurred on April 13 and 14, according to Clinton County officials.
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for May 14, 2026 Burlington officials are unveiling the fire station's newly renovated gym, and the public is invited to the Quad Cities Nuclear Plant for an open house.
	Researchers unearth Southeast Asia's largest dinosaur They're calling it the "last titan" of Thailand. The sauropod — an herbivore with a long neck and tail — comes from the late Early Cretaceous period, some 100 to 120 million years ago.
	New Hampshire House again puts off wraparound mental health bill Senate Bill 498 would’ve required insurance companies to cover FAST Forward, a state-run program that offers wraparound mental health services for New Hampshire children. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin)New Hampshire House lawmakers on Thursday balked at requiring insurers to cover wraparound mental health services. The vote to send the bill to interim study was a blow to Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who has been a vocal supporter of the legislation and blasted insurance companies for their opposition. Wraparound services seek to connect disparate and complicated care systems, such as mental healthcare, child protective services, and special education to work together seamlessly for people in a mental health crisis. Senate Bill 498 would’ve required insurance companies to cover FAST Forward, a state-run program that offers wraparound care for New Hampshire children. It also would’ve created a board tasked with assessing fees on companies in order to fund the care. The bill was approved by the Senate in March, and Ayotte has been pressuring House lawmakers to send it to her desk. However, lawmakers bucked that pressure Thursday and voted, 188-164, to send the bill to interim study, a move that sidelines the effort for at least another year. Advocates of the legislation argued it’s necessary both because it’s beneficial for children with mental health challenges and because it saves the state money. They said the wraparound services help children deal with mental illness before the challenges escalate into a more severe crisis that requires expensive state intervention, such as psychiatric hospitalization. “Imagine being a parent with a serious mental health crisis,” Rep. Jared Sullivan, a Bethlehem Democrat, said on the House floor. “You would naturally contact your doctor or your insurance company to see what your options are. You would never hear about the FAST Forward program. … Too often families do not gain access to those services until their child deteriorates until hospitalization becomes necessary, often at a cost of six figures.” Opponents argue that insurers already offer mental healthcare, just not FAST Forward or another wraparound service. They also take issue with the board assessing fees, a measure some have likened to a tax on insurance customers. “This is a cost-shifting bill that basically says, ‘Rate payers: you’re not taxpayers,” Rep. John Hunt, a Rindge Republican who chairs the Commerce Committee, said. “‘So therefore, we’re gonna save taxpayer money by making you pay for the FAST Forward program for all kids.” Hunt encouraged his colleagues to vote for interim study “if we would like to go home at a reasonable hour and not sit here and debate over and over all these other amendments.” He said the Legislature needs another year to “sort this out.” However, the issue has been a perennial debate in the State House, including last year, when Senate Bill 128 failed to advance. This year, when the House Commerce Committee voted to recommend sending SB 498 to interim study, Ayotte weighed in on the debate, saying she was “incredibly flabbergasted and disappointed.” The first-term Republican governor launched into a pressure campaign to keep the bill alive. She argued insurance companies, which have strongly opposed the measure on grounds that it will force them to increase premiums, were negotiating in bad faith and “stalling because they don’t want to cover mental health coverage for children, and it’s wrong.” Courtesy of New Hampshire Bulletin
	Life after cancer treatment is different. So are the health needs. Life after cancer treatment is different. So are the health needs.Nearly 10 years after Kara Kenan of North Carolina finished treatment for advanced breast cancer, her routine bloodwork revealed an increased level of an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase. Kenan’s primary care doctor didn’t think that was important, so he ordered no further tests.But Kenan, who directs marketing for the advocacy group Cancer Nation, knew better: That anomalous blood test could have been a sign that her cancer had spread to other tissues. She contacted her oncologist, who immediately ordered a computerized tomography (CT) scan. “And the CT revealed I had lesions on my liver,” she tells Knowable Magazine.Kenan is one of about 18.6 million cancer survivors in the United States — that’s more than 5% of the population. Almost all those patients need ongoing care, known as survivorship care, from clinicians who know the details of their cancer, their treatment, and potential problems that can show up decades later. But most do not receive this care, in part because of a longstanding communication gap between the oncologists who treat cancer and other clinicians who take care of the patient.Instead, many must fend for themselves, often unaware of the cancer-related health risks that should be monitored. “We support patients really well during treatment and provide lots of resources,” says Michelle Mollica, director of survivorship care delivery at Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston, South Carolina. “And then we sort of graduate them, they ring a bell, and we expect them to go on after their cancer treatment is over, like their life is back to normal, but it’s not.”Advocates are not giving up on their conviction that survivorship care plans — an idea proposed 20 years ago — can solve the problem. Knowable Magazine Long-term risksTreatment for cancer leaves long-lasting marks on the body, accelerating signs of aging and exacerbating existing health problems. Chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatments can damage a patient’s immune, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and neurological systems, and are associated with pain and fatigue, sleep problems, money worries, sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, obesity, and more.Cancer survivors have a 47% higher rate of developing cardiovascular disease than people who never had cancer, for example, and they have higher rates of pain, insomnia, and psychosocial distress. Survivorship care includes identifying and managing these side effects, which can be long-lasting and difficult to treat.The risk that a cancer might recur years after apparently successful treatment is, obviously, a concern for many patients, but survivors also have an increased risk of developing new cancers, even decades later. “If we look at the 2 million people diagnosed with cancer each year, about 20% are people who are having second or third cancers,” says Patricia Ganz, associate director for population science research at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Knowable Magazine The need for comprehensive survivorship care to address these ongoing issues has been recognized for decades: The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (now Cancer Nation) was started in 1986, and the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship followed a decade later. A 2006 report from the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine), From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition, also flagged the problem. Nonetheless, a systematic way to provide that care to those who need it has never been developed.The need for such a solution is growing because the number of survivors is increasing rapidly as improvements in detection and treatments mean more cancer patients are living long lives after diagnosis. In 1971, an estimated 3 million Americans were cancer survivors; by 2035, that number is expected to surpass 22 million.Yet only about a third of people who completed treatment five years earlier or longer are receiving survivorship care, according to a 2025 survey of patients undergoing cancer treatment and survivors. Of all patients no longer receiving post-treatment care, 58% reported that their doctor said it was no longer needed.That may reflect the fact that, in general, neither oncologists nor other clinicians are well trained to provide long-term survivorship care, Ganz says. She served on the Institute of Medicine committee that produced the Lost in Transition report. “It was really championed by people who were cancer survivors who said, ‘Look, when I go to my family doctor, they say, ‘Oh, I don’t know anything about that. Go back to your oncologist,’” she says.But this isn’t ideal, says Alex Adjei, chief of Cleveland Clinic’s Cancer Institute and coauthor of an article on survivorship care in the 2025 Annual Review of Medicine: After a patient’s cancer is successfully treated, the patient should be handed off to other clinicians who are trained to address their hypertension, diabetes, and other health problems. “If you don’t do that,” he says, “it’s a disservice.” Knowable Magazine Shared responsibilityThe National Cancer Institute says the best approach is for primary care providers and oncologists to share responsibility for survivorship care. Primary care providers should manage a patient’s chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, screen for other cancers, and encourage healthy habits such as weight management, while oncologists focus on cancer recurrence, says Mollica, who was deputy director of the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship until 2025. But though patients may indeed see more than one doctor, that type of collaboration is not common. “There’s often issues with coordination and communication, so lots of fragmented care,” she says.The Institute of Medicine’s report sought to overcome that problem two decades ago. Its recommendation: When cancer treatment ends, the patient and their primary care physician should receive from the cancer doctor a survivorship care plan that details what to expect during recovery, what ongoing care is needed (mental health services to treat depression or physical therapy to help with mobility, for example), and the schedule for recommended cancer screening and other tests. For a few years, the Commission on Cancer, the accreditation body for cancer programs, even required survivorship care plans.But the idea never got traction, for several reasons. By the time a patient’s treatment ends, their medical record contains months and even years of test results, tumor characteristics, surgeries, and other therapies, and other information that might inform their health for the rest of their lives. That’s a lot of information to convey, without an easy way to convey it.Oncologists balked at the unpaid work involved in compiling all that information and didn’t fully commit to the effort. “It was like, here’s a piece of paper, this is going to change your care, and it just didn’t,” Mollica says. “It became a checkbox, and not a conversation and ongoing process for survivorship care.” Possibly because few patients actually received plans — and, in some cases, neither patient nor primary care physician knew what to do with them — evidence that patients benefit from the plans has never been established.Some large cancer centers have successfully applied the care-plan model, though. At the Cleveland Clinic, Adjei is working to create a system in which all survivors get the care appropriate for their specific situations.For example, adolescents and young adults are treated at the Integrated Program for Young People with Cancer, which can address their special needs, such as strategies to balance cancer treatment with fertility preservation. Another clinic identifies survivors with genetic damage from cancer therapy that affects bone marrow and, over many years, increases an individual’s risk of heart disease and blood cancers. And survivors who received relatively novel therapies, for which long-term effects are still uncertain, are treated at the Cleveland Clinic’s Oncology Pharmacovigilance Clinic, where rheumatologists, dermatologists, psychiatrists, pulmonologists, and other specialists monitor side effects.But most patients who go to the Cleveland Clinic for cancer treatment get their survivorship care from the oncologist who treated their cancer. And many of them want to continue seeing their oncologist. “This is like a psychological crutch for them, and there’s separation anxiety,” Adjei says. But Adjei thinks closer collaboration with primary care would benefit everyone. Men who have had prostate removal after a cancer diagnosis do not necessarily need a cancer specialist to monitor for markers of recurrence. “They could easily go to their primary care so that their urologists can have time to deal with the surgeries they need to do,” he says.And so Adjei and colleagues are currently working to assemble a range of services — mental health, social work, financial counseling, and others — that survivors frequently need. “And my end goal is to integrate our primary care group into it,” he says.Despite these promising efforts at the Cleveland Clinic and other major centers, the nationwide story on survivorship care plans is not good. Only 36% of cancer patients who complete treatment receive such a plan, according to the 2025 survey of survivors. To improve that record, Cancer Nation, the advocacy organization, is pushing Congress to pass the Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act and the Cancer Care Planning and Communications Act, which would require Medicare to pay health care providers for creating survivorship plans and coordinating with other clinicians to make sure survivors get the care they need.Until that happens, many cancer survivors will be left on their own. In Kenan’s case, the lesions on her liver turned out to be benign. But the fact that her primary care physician did not know the significance of rising levels of alkaline phosphatase in her blood reflects inadequate communication and coordination that risks a survivor’s health. “That’s a real problem,” she says.Survivorship plans could solve many issues, providing detailed information to facilitate conversations, easing the burden on primary care providers, and relieving survivors of stress and worry. The result, she says, is that “we all get better care.”This story was produced by Knowable Magazine and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Spring is the busiest season for financial planning. Here's what advisors are talking about now. Spring is the busiest season for financial planning. Here's what advisors are talking about now.Tax season filings are winding down, midyear reviews are beginning, and for many advisors, the calendar is filling up fast.According to data in the 2026 Financial Advisor Insights Report, all four major planning topics peak sharply in the spring. Retirement, tax, estate, and insurance planning start to spike early in the year and remain elevated through spring. Clients who have just been through a concrete financial event — tax season — are more open to planning conversations than at other points in the year. But experienced advisors know that receptivity won't last forever, Jump reports.Tax planning is still the most common conversation in the roomFor the first time, tax planning has surpassed retirement planning in frequency, appearing in nearly 76% of all advisor-client meetings. When discussed, meetings are 16% more likely to end with positive client sentiment compared to meetings where it isn't discussed at all.The post-filing window is one of the most productive moments in the advisor-client relationship. Clients have just seen the bill. They want to understand it, and they want to do something differently."Tax planning is a year-round exercise,” explains Matthew Koppelman, CFP and co-founder of Precision Wealth Planners, “but nothing drives client motivation more than tax season."That spring debrief is a key planning conversation. "Clients also want to walk through what actually created their tax bill,” says Koppelman. “They’re reviewing planning opportunities for the current year, and what adjustments they can make around withholding, contributions to retirement accounts, Roth conversion strategies, or charitable giving so next year's outcome looks different."For clients with equity compensation in particular, this conversation has real urgency. "Some of the companies I work with have RSUs vesting in March so proper withholding for those clients is important. I see high-earners get tripped up with that all the time. Their employer withholds a flat 22% on their vested shares, but their income tax bracket may be closer to 35% or 37%."The conversations that get deferred tend to stay deferredThe Insights Report surfaces a structural problem with how planning conversations unfold: Estate and insurance planning consistently appear at the end of meetings, but that timing is actually linked to client deferral. Nearly half of all client conversations include some discussion of estate planning, but when advisors recommend creating or updating a plan, 72% of clients express interest and then defer action.The biggest driver of that deferral isn't cost or complexity, but wanting to consult an attorney first, or feeling they need more information. Moving estate planning earlier in the meeting, before attention wanes, gives it the oxygen it needs. When these conversations happen with real attention, clients respond well: Estate planning discussions are positively correlated with client sentiment, even though the subject matter is inherently difficult.The window is shortThe spring surge in planning conversations is predictable year over year. Clients are primed for these conversations right now. The advisors who act on that tend to get better outcomes than those who wait for clients to ask.This story was produced by Jump and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Kids and Cops Trap Shooting event in Morrison May 16 The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department is hosting its second annual Kids and Cops Trap Shooting event on May 16. The rain date will be May 17. Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to talk about the free event. “This Saturday, we're going to have our second annual Kids [...]
	6 inflation‑proof health tips: Stay healthy without spending more 6 inflation‑proof health tips: Stay healthy without spending moreInflation has made nearly everything more expensive, from groceries to healthcare costs. And when money feels tight, healthy habits are often one of the first things people cut back on. Gym memberships get canceled, fresh foods are harder to afford, and proactive healthcare gets put off. Even basic products seem more expensive than they used to be. For many, this creates stress that forces tough choices about where to spend their money.However, what many people don't consider is that being proactive about health is almost always less expensive than dealing with health problems later. Investing time and energy in healthy habits today can save you money tomorrow.If you're feeling the effects of inflation, the good news is that many of the most effective wellness habits cost little to nothing, such as taking a multivitamin and prioritizing sleep, and can support you long term.Here, Life Extension dives into inflation-proof health tips that help you maintain healthy routines, reduce future medical costs, and build habits that actually pay off, even during inflation price surges.At a GlanceThe most important health habits are free and include regular movement, better sleep quality, improved stress coping skills, and daily hydration.Smart grocery and supplement choices can help stretch your budget while still supporting balanced nutrition and overall health.Being proactive about your health saves you money in the long run, given the rising costs of healthcare.1. Daily walking or movementResearch shows regular walking supports heart health, blood sugar control, mental health, and longevity. Even short daily walks can help maintain health and improve energy levels, without the monthly spend on a gym membership. These are important, though, even if you do work out at a gym: Prolonged sitting is linked to increased likelihood of health problems, even in people who exercise.In addition to walking, strength training twice a week improves metabolism, protects joints, and reduces injury risk. Studies consistently show that maintaining muscle mass supports healthy aging and overall function.2. Spend time outdoorsBeing outside supports both your physical and mental health. Research shows that exposure to nature is linked to lower stress, improved mood, and better sleep quality. Plus, natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm and supports vitamin D production.3. Prioritize sleep hygieneA regular sleep schedule via good sleep hygiene practices supports hormone balance, immune function, metabolism, and mental health. Research shows sleep quality impacts weight, heart health, and immune function. Going to bed and waking up at consistent times is one of the most powerful free health upgrades.Relatedly, constant screen use at night before bed can disrupt sleep and increase mental fatigue. Reducing your screen time before bed and limiting notifications improves sleep quality and stress levels, all for free.4. Practice stress managementChronic stress may negatively affect your heart health, digestion, and mental health long term. Simple practices like deep breathing, journaling, or short mindfulness sessions have been shown to reduce cortisol levels and improve feelings of emotional resilience, without spending extra money.One of the best ways to cope with stress is to develop strong social relationships. A thriving social circle has been linked to lower stress levels, better mental health, and longer life expectancy. And you don't need expensive outings for social gatherings. Organize a walk with a friend, potlucks, board games, or just quick check-in visits to foster meaningful connections without high costs.5. Cook simple meals at homePreparing easy, healthy meals at home gives you more control over ingredients and portion sizes, all of which can be useful on a budget. Plus, research shows home cooking is associated with better diet quality and lower intake of ultra-processed foods.Cooking healthy meals at home doesn't mean you have to shop for fresh or more expensive ingredients either. Instead, rely on frozen fruits and vegetables, canned items, dried beans, and bulk pantry items like brown rice and whole grain pasta for budget-savvy meals that still pack a balance of nutrients.Don't forget about drinking water. Drinking enough water supports healthy digestion, circulation, temperature regulation, and energy levels. Plus, swapping water for sugary drinks or other store-bought beverages also helps reduce unnecessary calorie intake and food spending.6. Limit smoking and alcohol intakeNot smoking is one of the most powerful ways to protect both your health and your wallet. Long-term financial costs of smoking on health add up quickly. Quitting now reduces your healthcare expenses and improves long-term outcomes.Similarly, reducing your alcohol consumption supports liver health, sleep quality, heart health, and mental clarity. It also saves you money.Which low‑cost health habits deliver the biggest payoff?When money is tight, these are the smartest actions that protect your health now and reduce expensive medical problems later.At-home or outdoor movement and strength training: Exercise can be completely free. Walking, jogging, dancing, hiking, and body weight exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, and planks can all be done without a gym space.Meal planning to reduce food waste and overspending: Food is one of the biggest monthly expenses, so planning meals ahead of time helps stretch your grocery budget. Simple meal planning reduces impulse purchases, saves food from spoiling, and makes leftovers easier to use. Just planning a few meals per week can lead to noticeable savings.Choosing store brands and bulk staples: Store-brand products often offer the same nutrition at a lower cost. Buying store-brand pantry staples like rice, oats, beans, frozen vegetables, and canned goods in bulk can also lower your cost per serving.Protein-forward, whole-food meals: Build your meals around affordable protein sources like eggs, beans, lentils, chicken, tinned fish, tofu, and Greek yogurt.Fiber-rich staples for digestive and metabolic health: Beans, oats, lentils, frozen vegetables, and canned vegetables are all inexpensive, shelf-stable, and rich in fiber.Supplementation to fill nutrient gaps: A quality multivitamin can be a simple way to cover common nutrition holes in your diet without buying multiple products.Pro tip: While all of this may cost you less money, that doesn't mean it's always easy. This is where education comes in. Learn how to build balanced meals, manage stress, and create sustainable routines that keep you healthy long term.How can proactive health care save you money long term?At the end of the day, maintaining your health today is usually far less expensive than dealing with problems later. A daily walk, home-cooked meals, and consistent sleep cost very little, but they can help you avoid much bigger health expenses as you age.Better metabolic and immune health often means fewer doctor's visits. Plus, when you're sleeping better, staying active, and fueling your body well, it's easier to get through the workday without crashing in the afternoon, relying on caffeine, or feeling constantly run down. Having more energy now keeps you feeling productive at work and home.If you're not sure what to prioritize, the chart below will help you figure out how to get the biggest wellness bang for your buck: Courtesy of Life Extension What health expenses are worth paying for, even during inflation?When budgets are tight, it's important to focus on health expenses that truly protect yourself long-term and help you avoid much bigger costs later.These are expert-recommended areas where your money usually delivers the biggest return for your health.Routine doctor and dental visits: Regular cleanings, physicals, and screenings often cost far less than advanced dental work or specialist visits.Biannual lab testing: Basic blood work can reveal early trends in rising cholesterol levels, blood sugar, or nutrient deficiencies before symptoms appear.Targeted supplements instead of trendy wellness products: Avoid buying multiple niche products you won't use consistently. Instead, a high-quality daily multivitamin goes a long way toward filling in any nutritional gaps and keeping you healthy.Simple fitness equipment: Affordable items like resistance bands, dumbbells, or a jump rope can make at-home exercise more efficient and convenient.Frequently asked questions about wellness budgetingWhat does "inflation proofing" your health mean?It means focusing on simple, low-cost habits that protect your health now and help you avoid larger medical expenses later. Ultimately, inflation proofing your health is about taking back a sense of control.Are supplements worth it when money is tight?Supplements are meant to fill a gap in your diet, which means focusing on healthy nutrition and exercise habits first is key. With that said, a multivitamin is an excellent "safety net" to rely on if you're budget-conscious and trying to cover your bases.What health habits give the biggest return on investment?Exercise, smart eating, good sleep, and avoiding smoking deliver the highest payoff for your health, even if you're on a budget.How can I afford to eat healthy food, which is more expensive than convenience meals?Smart food and grocery strategies help stretch your dollars at the supermarket. Consider planning, buying frozen fruits and vegetables, choosing store-brand items over name brands, and building balanced meals with affordable protein- and fiber-rich foods.Key TakeawaysInflation proofing your health means focusing on low-cost, high-impact habits that protect your health without significantly increasing spending.Many of the best wellness habits are free, like walking, strength training, quality sleep, stress management, drinking water, and limiting screen time.Proactive healthcare can save you money long term on avoidable medical expenses.This story was produced by Life Extension and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How loyalty programs are powering garden retail stores How loyalty programs are powering garden retail storesWalk into a big-box store, and you’re just another transaction. But walk into a local garden center, and you’re more likely to be remembered by name. While larger retailers compete on volume, independent garden centers are focusing on something more personal: loyalty.Rapid Garden POS analyzed data from 148 garden centers across the U.S. to see how loyalty programs influence small retail. With only 30% of stores currently using them, the findings show a clear advantage for those that do, from ticket size to year-over-year growth.The following are findings from Rapid Garden POS’s original data analysis.Key Findings:Loyalty programs now drive the majority of sales in participating stores, contributing 56.64% of total revenue across just 30% of garden centers.Loyalty customers spend more. Their median basket size is $106.75, a 5.24% increase over nonloyalty shoppers.Loyalty program sales are growing fast, with an average year-over-year increase of 36% across participating stores.Even early-stage programs show strong potential, with low-penetration stores seeing average year-over-year growth of 55.22%.Top-performing stores generate more than 75% of their total sales from loyalty members.The Landscape of Loyalty ProgramsOut of 148 independent garden centers analyzed, only 45 (30.41%) currently use a loyalty program.While that may be a smaller portion, the impact loyalty programs had on those stores is anything but.In the 45 stores that have these loyalty programs, their loyalty members were responsible for 56.64% of all sales this year, contributing $47.5 million of the $83.9 million in total revenue.That total is up from 53.58% the year before, highlighting how these programs remain active and continue growing. For the stores using them, loyalty is becoming a cornerstone of revenue.Planting Loyalty: How Much Do Loyalty Programs Pay Off?In stores with active loyalty programs, the payoff is clear; nearly half of these loyalty-using stores generate more than 50% of their total sales from loyalty members.These high performers average 77.56% of revenue from loyalty programs. That level of engagement shows what is possible when loyalty programs are well integrated into daily operations.Even beyond the top tier, loyalty programs drove meaningful results. Across all participating stores, the average share of revenue from loyalty members is 44.49%.And those shoppers also tended to spend more per transaction; the median basket size for a loyalty customer is $106.75 compared to $101.43 for nonmembers, a 5.24% increase.Defying Seasons: Are Profits From Loyalty Programs Seasonal or Steady?The data tells a steady story: Loyalty sales grew year-round instead of just during peak planting months.Across all stores with loyalty programs, loyalty revenue increased by an average of 36% compared to the previous year. Even more striking, stores with low loyalty penetration (less than 10% of sales coming from members) saw an average year-over-year increase of 55.22%.That kind of growth suggests these programs are more than a seasonal tactic. Loyalty programs appear to be shifting customer behavior in ways that continue to pay off, long after the busiest weekends of spring.‘Loyalty’ As the New Subscription ModelIt may be that you don’t need a monthly shipment to build customer habits.What garden centers are seeing with loyalty programs mirrors the kind of engagement brands get through paid subscriptions. Research from the Journal of Marketing Research showed that subscribed customers typically show higher engagement, more consistent spending patterns, and increased predictability over time.Similarly, loyalty shoppers returned more consistently, spent more, and seemed to view the store as a part of their routine, not just a place to browse once a season.This shift toward habit-driven shopping gives garden centers a major advantage. Rather than competing on discounts or convenience, they can build relationships rooted in trust, familiarity, and ongoing value.Don’t Become Wilted: The Cost of InactionLoyalty programs once were just a nice-to-have, but they are becoming a competitive advantage.With loyalty members driving more than half of total sales in participating stores, the gap between adopters and nonadopters is widening. And with only 30% of garden centers currently running loyalty programs, there is a clear opportunity for others to catch up or fall behind.For independent garden centers navigating economic uncertainty, big-box competition, and shifting customer habits, loyalty programs offer something rare: a reliable, relationship-driven path to growth.Methodology:Rapid Garden POS analyzed sales data from 148 independent garden centers across the U.S., identifying 45 stores with at least one recorded loyalty sale as having an active loyalty program. Researchers compared these stores against nonloyalty stores on total sales, percentage of revenue from loyalty members, basket size, and year-over-year growth. Loyalty stores were also grouped into three tiers based on program penetration (over 50%, 10%–49.99%, and under 10% of sales from members) to highlight performance differences across program maturity levels.This story was produced by Rapid Garden POS and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	NJ transgender healthcare bill amended to avoid mention of ‘gender-affirming’ care Advocates rallied at in Trenton in January to urge lawmakers to act on a bill to protect trans patients and healthcare providers. An amended version of that bill is advancing, without the words “gender-affirming" care. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)State legislation intended to shield transgender patients and their healthcare providers from prosecution is moving forward in Trenton, but the two-year old bill was amended in recent days to delete all references to the phrase “gender-affirming” care. Instead, the amended version of the bill, which is also intended to protect abortion patients and providers, redefines reproductive services to include treatments used by transgender patients. The legislation is scheduled to be heard by the Assembly’s health committee on Thursday. NJ lawmakers advance bill aimed at curbing deadly sepsis cases The original version of the bill included dozens of references to gender-affirming care, which refers to medication, mental health treatment, and in rare cases surgical interventions used to treat gender dysphoria. The amended version approved by the Senate’s health committee on Monday includes zero reference to the phrase. Louise Walpin, an LGBTQ advocate who has lobbied for lawmakers to advance the bill, appeared unfazed by the change. “It’s not the word — gender-affirming care — that we need to protect. It’s the healthcare,” Walpin told the New Jersey Monitor. Khadijah Silver, an attorney working with the Trans Equity Coalition who contributed to the bill’s drafting, said there are no “magic words” for protecting access to care. The initial bill sought to codify protections outlined in a 2023 executive order from former Gov. Phil Murphy, which focuses on gender-affirming care, but Silver said the revision builds on a 2017 law that requires health insurance companies to cover services related to gender identity. “What’s important here is that we get the work done, not that we get the words,” Silver told the New Jersey Monitor. The bill’s sponsors include Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) and Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), the body’s majority leader. Khadijah Silver speaks with Sen. Andrew Zwicker at the Trenton Statehouse on May 11, 2026, as the Senate health committee considers a transgender healthcare protections bill. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor) Dan Cassino, a professor of government and politics at Fairleigh Dickinson University, said the language change may provide a level of political protection for supporters in the Legislature, even though there’s little evidence that supporting the concept of gender-affirming care would harm Democrats. The way the bill has been amended also allows supporters to frame their vote for the bill as support for reproductive rights, he said. “Protecting access to abortion is broadly popular in the state, and within the Democratic Party. Protecting access to gender-affirming care is believed to be a wedge issue, so it makes sense that they might want to get some plausible deniability,” Cassino told the New Jersey Monitor. The bill’s supporters say the protections it would provide are necessary given the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail access to care for gender dysphoria and to abortions. It would create a crime of “interference” with those services, which under the bill would include accepted treatments “to support a person’s alignment with their gender identity or expression.” Violators could face as many as ten years in prison and a fine of $150,000 if someone is injured through their interference. Interference would include harming or seeking to harm a patient, provider, or volunteer; obstructing someone from trying to access a healthcare facility; damaging the facility or property; or seeking to intimidate or otherwise cause suffering to a patient, provider, or volunteer. Someone who is harmed under the law would be able to sue their attacker for civil damages, and the state Office of the Attorney General could also impose civil fines of up to $25,000. Since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade case that protected abortion access federally, reproductive healthcare providers in New Jersey have seen an influx of care-seekers from states that restrict the procedure, with some Planned Parenthood locations treating more than 100 out-of-state patients a month. The Trump administration has also pushed to punish doctors and hospitals that treat gender dysphoria in minors. Nationwide, these clinicians have also seen a rise in patients from states that ban this type of care, according to an April 2025 report from the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute. Three-quarters of the providers surveyed said patients were increasingly worried about their access to care and 1 in 4 had been threatened online, by phone, or at their workplace, it found. The New Jersey measure would also enhance privacy of patient records and prohibit government officials here from assisting other states in obtaining information about abortion providers or patients and about transgender people receiving certain health care and their providers. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Here’s what’s really going on at the University of Kentucky W.T. Young Library at the University of Kentucky. (Photo courtesy UK)What’s really going on at the University of Kentucky? It’s a fair question — one we’ve heard in media coverage, online and directly from our campus community during a period of real and visible changes. As Kentucky’s university and the state’s largest employer with more than 35,000 employees, we owe clear answers grounded in facts and focused on our enduring mission, particularly amid the questions and understandable concerns. Periods of change invite scrutiny. That scrutiny is appropriate. Our responsibility is to respond with clarity and accountability. Here are the facts behind the changes. And, importantly, here’s why they matter for the Commonwealth we serve. Are we honoring our mission to advance this state? The surest way to evaluate any public institution is not by rumor or rhetoric, but by what it delivers over time. The record matters. In the 15 years that Eli Capilouto has been president, overall enrollment has increased by more than 10,000 students, our six-year graduation rate is up nearly 15 percentage points, research has increased by almost 50% with an economic impact to Kentucky of more than $1 billion, and we are treating and discharging nearly double the number of patients from our largest hospital, the UK Chandler Hospital. Perhaps most importantly, the number of degrees and certificates awarded increased from 5,835 in 2010-11 to 9,772 in 2024-25, an increase of about 67%. These are not abstract statistics. Every number is a life changed and a story to be told about more Kentuckians being educated by outstanding faculty and more lives touched through healthcare, research and discovery. By every meaningful metric, UK has momentum in its mission to advance Kentucky — and it is vital for the Commonwealth that we continue to grow, serve and deliver more. What is all this talk around centralizing departments? This is not a sudden or new direction. For more than a decade, the university has centralized administrative functions that were once spread unevenly across colleges — philanthropy, academic advising and research support among them. For example, as students take more classes across colleges and specialties, academic advising has become a full-time, professional function that benefits from consistency and scale. And as potential cybersecurity threats have intensified, centralizing processes and protocols from over 25 different departments into one Information Technology Services unit is not just efficient — it strengthens security. Importantly, these changes do not involve layoffs or reductions in pay or university benefits. For most, the change is primarily a shift in reporting lines, not day-to-day work. Of course, growth brings complexity; complexity brings questions. But while avoiding growth might seem easier, it would fail the mission we were created to uphold. Why are you outsourcing jobs and laying off people in dining, facilities, custodial work and other support services across our enterprise? To be clear, no one is being laid off or having pay or university benefits cut. The university is finalizing an agreement with a specialized provider to manage dining, facilities, maintenance and custodial services under one contract — a public-private model UK has used successfully for more than two decades in areas such as hospital dining, concessions, parking, housing and campus dining. Specialized providers can deliver more consistent service, scale efficiently and expand locally sourced purchasing, reducing costs through purchasing power and allowing savings to be shared with students and employees. What matters is not the label placed on a partnership, but whether the people who do the work are treated fairly and whether the institution delivers greater value to the public it serves. As the partnership is finalized, the university will lay out in detail how our people are being protected and how this initiative will significantly assist our efforts to advance Kentucky while continuing to elevate service to our campus. Why is UK suddenly doing so much work through Limited Liability Companies or LLCs? This is a longstanding practice at universities, and UK has used LLCs for more than a decade. But let’s be clear about what an LLC at UK does — and does not — do: It does not remove public accountability. LLCs remain subject to open records and open meetings laws, their meetings are publicly noticed and each structure has been approved by the Board of Trustees. They are part of — not separate from — UK. For example, when two community hospitals joined the university — King’s Daughters in Ashland and St. Claire in Morehead — LLCs were used as holding companies with boards that include community members and university officials. That public structure helped preserve existing pay and benefits while enabling faster investment in facilities and expanded access to care. The university uses a similar structure for an insurance company that ensures our doctors have medical malpractice coverage. These models are transparent and designed to support UK’s public mission to improve health across Kentucky, not obscure it. Across these changes, the track record is clear: jobs, pay and benefits remain protected, as they have in prior partnerships. What’s up with athletics? We have seen time and again that athletics is an important connector to UK and to Kentucky. Today, college athletics is changing rapidly in the era of revenue sharing, transfer portals and name, image and likeness (NIL) payments. To adapt, and with Board of Trustees approval and public review, UK extended athletics an internal line of credit — designed to be repaid through new revenue — to invest in facilities and opportunities that sustain the program. Some believe athletics should play a smaller role. That debate matters. The institution believes athletics should stand on its own financially, as it has for decades, while helping advance the broader mission, including, for example, contributing millions recently for a major science classroom building. To do this, the institution is exploring whether existing facilities could support development that generates revenue to sustain athletics without drawing on academic resources so we can continue pursuing championships. What’s the bottom line? UK is growing and changing because Kentucky is growing and changing. We face real challenges and legitimate concerns — an institution should never be so rigid that it dismisses criticism. In fact, debate is not only expected at a public university, it is essential. But those debates must be anchored in facts so we can learn from them and move forward, together. Ask questions, expect clear answers and judge the university by the outcomes we continue to deliver for Kentucky and her people — now and over time. The bottom line: UK is an asset to the state, and our mission is to make Kentucky better through what we do here. We intend to keep delivering on that promise. Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
	One in four NC teens experience depression. Can peer-to-peer support improve their mental health? H1159 teaches teens who are in grades nine through 12 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use among their friends. Experts say teens are often more likely to open up to their friends than an adult. (Photo: Getty Images) Danielle South says from all appearances, her son Parker had it all. At 17 years old, she said, he was a hardworking student, excelled in sports at Myers Park High School, and had a vibrant personality. But on November 11, 2025, Parker died by suicide. South told lawmakers Wednesday that her son had “a growing faith” and was the last person she would have thought would be in crisis. Danielle and Bo South advocate for House Bill 1159, titled “Investing in Teen Mental Health,” during a May 13, 2026 press conference. (Photo: NCGA livestream) “We truly believe that because of the lack of conversation, and because of the stigma surrounding mental health, that Parker did not know what was happening to him was a health issue — that it was temporary and that it could be fixed,” said South. South and her husband, Bo, made the trek from Charlotte to Raleigh to advocate for House Bill 1159, titled “Investing in Teen Mental Health.” The legislation would appropriate $1.3 million to the Department of Health and Human Services to expand access to Teen Mental Health First Aid training in North Carolina. The evidence-based program, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, teaches teens in grades nine through 12 how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use among their friends. It has trained more than 7,500 youth and teens in 44 counties since 2023. Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-Mecklenburg) said the additional funding would bring mental health training to 75 additional high schools in North Carolina, reaching over 15,000 students. Alicia Freeman with the UNC School of Social Work said the course teaches teens how to recognize possible warning signs and how to connect someone in distress with a trusted adult or someone trained in youth mental health first aid. The course is offered in-person or online. “We know the earlier we can intervene, the better the outcomes. So it’s prevention upstream rather than crisis intervention, because when a suicide has occurred, crisis intervention is too late,” said Freeman. About 50% of mental illness shows up by the age of 14, according to Freeman. Rep. Donna White (R-Johnston), a former registered nurse, said the program holds promise because teenagers often connect with teenagers, not adults. Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake) agreed with that assessment. Crawford said she has two teenage daughters. One is open about her emotions, and the other is less forthcoming. “Yes. No. Fine. That’s about it,” said Crawford. “I deeply recognize the need for these types of support services for our young people.” Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), a senior budget chair in the N.C. House, said he signed onto H1159 because he sees it as another tool to address North Carolina’s youth mental health crisis. High school athletic association backs NC bill requiring mental health training for coaches In the last budget cycle, Lambeth said DHHS requested $835 million for mental health care reforms. “We invested and we’re in various stages of trying to implement that plan,” he said. Lambeth said this session, budget writers are continuing to work on raising pay needed to retain school psychologists and school nurses. “It won’t happen overnight, but if we get a little bit added each year, we can get there at some point.” Lambeth said his own daughter is a guidance counselor, and he’s well aware the state must do better than it has done in the past. “Twenty-five percent of teens report depression and anxiety. Suicide is the leading cause of death among youth 10 to 14,” said Lambeth, looking at his notes. “That ought to scare us to death.” If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Women caught on video stealing from church donation box 30 times Two women have been caught on security video climbing into a church donation box and stealing bags of donated clothing 30 times over more than six months.
	AI is transforming your workplace. Is it also making it more vulnerable? AI is transforming your workplace. Is it also making it more vulnerable?AI has arrived in the American workplace faster than anyone predicted, and for small and midsize businesses, the early results are genuinely impressive. Salesforce found that 91% of SMBs using AI report revenue increases.But as AI raises productivity and expectations, the humans in the equation are dealing with pressures that don't always show up on an owner's radar: the need to move faster, the everyday technology that still breaks down and slows them, and a distraction level that is creating a new kind of vulnerability most businesses haven't reckoned with yet.In this article, Idea Grove, a B2B public relations and AI visibility agency, examines how AI adoption is creating new cybersecurity vulnerabilities for small and midsize businesses.A Workforce Under PressureStandley Systems, an Oklahoma-based provider of business technology solutions, surveyed 500 desk workers earlier this year and found that 85% run into a tech-related slowdown at least once every workday, and 29% face three or more. When something goes wrong, 76% avoid contacting IT because it feels like more effort than it's worth. Only 16% believe their employer's decision-makers truly understand the daily tech issues they face.That last number is the important one. A workforce that has learned to push through problems on its own — heads down, moving fast, not stopping to ask for help — is a workforce primed to make fast decisions in exactly the moments when a slower, more careful response would serve them better.A Threat Landscape That Has ChangedCybercriminals know this. And AI has given them a new set of tools to take advantage of it.According to Sagiss, a Dallas-based provider of managed security services, 72% of workers say phishing attempts are more convincing than they were a year ago because AI-generated messages now sound like colleagues, reference real workplace details, and carry none of the tells that awareness training was built around.Among employees who are already stretched thin, the results are predictable: 41% say they've ignored a suspicion about a message because it seemed urgent. It gets worse after hours. Most workers check email or work chat outside normal business hours just to stay ahead of tomorrow's workload, and more than a third say they've acted on an after-hours message and later realized they should have verified it first.A Trust Problem in the MakingWhen those judgment calls go wrong, the cost isn't just operational. It shows up in customer trust, the kind that takes years to build and can disappear overnight.Integris, a national provider of managed AI and IT services for community banks and other financial institutions, found that security is now the defining factor in how customers choose a bank — ranking above convenience, digital features, and loyalty programs. It's a high bar to meet. Fifty-one percent of banking executives report an email-based breach in the past year, and 50% report a mobile-related breach, reflecting how relentless and sophisticated the threat environment has become.Most customers remain unaware of how common these incidents are. But 67% say they would consider switching banks after a serious breach, with nearly a quarter saying they'd be very likely to leave. And trust, once lost, is nearly impossible to rebuild.The businesses that come out ahead in the AI era won't necessarily be the ones that adopted fastest. They will be the ones whose leaders understand that AI changes what their business can do and what their people face every day. That's the part of the equation that's easiest to overlook. And right now, it's the part that matters most.This story was produced by Idea Grove and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How 2026 AMA Artist of the Year nominees rank by platform data How 2026 AMA Artist of the Year nominees rank by platform dataThe American Music Awards arrive each year with the scale of a pop spectacle: arena lights, red-carpet moments, televised performances, and some of the largest fanbases in music watching closely. But behind the public excitement is a simple question that follows every major awards show: Which artist had the strongest year?For the AMAs, the official answer comes from fans. The awards are built around public voting, and the 2026 Artist of the Year race brings together 10 acts with major global audiences: Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, BTS, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.Music data offers a different way to look at the field. It cannot measure every factor that drives fan voting, including loyalty, campaign timing, and organized voting. But it can show which nominees are strongest across measurable audience activity, including streaming, video consumption, playlist reach, radio airplay, and social audience growth.Using artist-level music analytics data exported from Viberate, the analysis compared the 10 Artist of the Year nominees across four areas: current demand, momentum, cross-platform reach, and industry support. Based on that model, Justin Bieber would rank first if the category were decided only by measurable platform data.Bieber did not rank first in every individual category. Bad Bunny had the strongest recent consumption profile across Spotify streams and YouTube views. Bruno Mars had the largest current Spotify monthly-listener base. Taylor Swift posted the strongest radio result. BTS had the highest top-10 Spotify track demand.Bieber’s advantage came from balance. He ranked near the top in recent Spotify and YouTube activity, while also showing the strongest audience growth signals across Spotify monthly listeners, YouTube subscribers, and Instagram followers. He also had the highest Spotify playlist reach among the nominees.Data-only ranking of 2026 Artist of the Year nominees Courtesy of Viberate The final score combines four weighted pillars. Current demand accounted for 40% of the total, momentum for 25%, cross-platform reach for 20%, and industry support for 15%.The ranking shows a clear difference between scale and all-around performance. Bad Bunny finished second largely because of his strength in current demand. His recent Spotify and YouTube activity placed him at the top of the field in consumption, but the broader model also considered whether audience activity was rising or slowing during the analysis window.Taylor Swift finished third, less than a point behind Bad Bunny. Her strongest areas were reach and industry support, helped by large audience totals, strong playlist positioning, and the top radio score among the nominees. Her lower YouTube demand and weaker recent listener movement kept her behind Bieber and Bad Bunny in the combined ranking.Bruno Mars ranked fourth. His strongest signal was audience scale, especially on Spotify, where he had the largest current monthly-listener base among the nominees. He also performed strongly in playlisting, but lower momentum kept him outside the top three.BTS ranked fifth despite having the strongest top-10 Spotify track total in the model. That distinction matters: track-level strength can be high even when the broader artist profile is weaker across reach, radio, playlisting, or momentum.Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, and Morgan Wallen filled out the second half of the ranking. Several of those artists had strong individual signals, especially in momentum or industry support, but none matched Bieber’s cross-category consistency.The main takeaway is not that one artist controlled every platform. The data shows a more mixed field. Bad Bunny had the strongest consumption case. Taylor Swift had the strongest radio case. Bruno Mars had the strongest current Spotify listener case. BTS had the strongest top-10 Spotify track case. Bieber ranked first because he combined high current activity with the strongest growth and playlist-reach signals in the overall model.That makes the Artist of the Year field less one-sided than a simple ranking might suggest. Different nominees led different parts of the music economy, from streaming consumption to radio activity to playlist exposure. In a fan-voted award, those differences may play out in ways data alone cannot capture. But as a measurement of recent, cross-platform performance, the model points to Bieber as the strongest all-around candidate in the field.MethodologyThe analysis used artist-level data exported from Viberate, a music analytics service, for the 10 American Music Awards 2026 Artist of the Year nominees. The exports included metrics related to Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify playlisting, and radio airplay.The artists analyzed were Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars, BTS, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift.The available daily data covered Jan. 27-April 28, 2026. The main comparison window was the 30-day period ending April 28, 2026, using March 29 as the baseline date for 30-day change calculations. Short-term momentum compared the last seven days ending April 28 with the prior seven-day period.The final score used four weighted pillars: Courtesy of Viberate Scale metrics were normalized against the top-performing nominee, with the leader in each metric receiving 100 points. Growth and acceleration metrics were min-max normalized, so the strongest growth result received 100 points and the weakest received 0 points. This approach reduced distortion from artists whose audience counts declined during the period.All growth metrics were calculated from total values rather than exported daily change fields. TikTok was excluded from the main score because not every nominee had comparable TikTok data. Instagram was used only for followers and follower growth because engagement fields were not consistently available. YouTube official-channel view changes and YouTube like changes were excluded because those fields were not suitable for consistent daily momentum scoring.Collaborations were included when the nominated artist appeared in the exported artist field. The same rule was applied to all artists for Spotify tracks and YouTube videos.No tie-breaker was needed because there were no tied final scores.This story was produced by Viberate and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	All-terrain trackchairs stolen from Indiana state park; investigators offering reward Jeremy Warriner, the founder of disability advocacy group Walking Spirit, takes the ceremonial first ride in a new all-terrain trackchair on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)Two all-terrain trackchairs — intended to help disabled Hoosiers enjoy public lands — have been stolen from Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis, the Department of Natural Resources said Thursday. The battery-powered trackchairs, worth about $25,000 apiece, were purchased with a grant from the Lilly Endowment. DNR spent about $1 million to buy 45 trackchairs and portable generators for use at every Indiana state park and state park inn — free of charge. The trackchairs were delivered in March to fanfare from agency officials and advocates. Indiana state parks add 45 all-terrain trackchairs for disabled hikers The break-ins occurred between 9 p.m. on April 30 and 6 a.m. on May 1, according to DNR. Capt. Jet Quillen, a DNR spokesman, said Fort Harrison staff close the gates for vehicle access at 9 p.m. There isn’t a fence around the entire property, however. Investigators with DNR’s Law Enforcement Division are looking into how the thieves gained access to the property, he said. Fort Harrison didn’t have cameras installed in that area. Six agency buildings were forcibly entered — windows shoved open, doors kicked in — and vandalized. The agency now must replace the door frames damaged in the break-in. “Obviously, we secure all of our stuff in locked buildings … before employees go home for the night,” Quillen said. “So … we really don’t ever usually have this type of issue.” Asked if DNR will bulk up its security, Quillen said, “We’re in discussions, looking into what we can do to make sure this never happens again.” The agency is “not ruling out the possibility that someone could try it again” and steal trackchairs from other state parks or inns, so staff are also considering getting trackers for the others. The theft also included two Vietnam War-era helmets. Investigators are actively following up on leads and request assistance from anyone who may have information related to the thefts, officials said. The agency is offering a $5,500 reward for information that leads to the recovery of the trackchairs and the arrest of those responsible. A private donor contributed $5,000 to the award amount and the Indiana Parks Alliance put up the remaining $500. “These chairs are pretty distinguishable,” Quillen said. They’re not the common mobility device. So, if someone sees something or you hear someone talking about it — that goes with the helmets as well — … you know, any information can be helpful. … No information is too small.” Tips can be directed to the Indiana Conservation Officers Dispatch Center at 812-837-9536 or emailed to ICODispatch@dnr.IN.gov. This story has been updated with comments from Department of Natural Resources Capt. Jet Quillen. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Indiana Capital Chronicle
	NM congressional delegation urges renewed public opposition to looming ‘Roadless Rule’ repeal Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation on May 13, 2026, urged members of the public to weigh in against the looming repeal of the federal ‘Roadless Rule,’ which will open up millions of acres, including in the Gila National Forest, to logging and road construction. (Patrick Lohmann/Source NM)The United State Forest Service is expected to soon release a draft version of a policy that would rescind or greatly alter the 2001 “Roadless Rule,” which protects roughly 60 million acres of federal forestland from road construction and timber harvesting. Environmentalist organization Earthjustice held a news conference Wednesday opposing the change outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Most of New Mexico’s congressional delegation spoke about what the rule’s potential rescission will mean for hunters, conservationists, firefighters and others. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “Any day now, the administration is expected to take the next step to repeal this rule and open some of America’s wildest public lands to road building and industrial development,” said U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez, whose 2nd Congressional District contains the Gila Wilderness. “Repealing the ‘Roadless Rule’ would be a massive giveaway to special interests at the expense of the American people.” United States Agriculture Department Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the cancellation of the rule last June. She said repealing the protections would prevent wildfires — though some recent studies suggest otherwise — and would mean more “logs on trucks” as the Trump administration seeks to rekindle a nationwide logging industry in federal forests. “The heavy hand of Washington will no longer inhibit the management of our nation’s forests,” she said. Since her announcement, which she made in Santa Fe during the Western Governors’ Association meeting, the agency has steadily made progress and met requirements to fully rescind the rule. The next step is a draft version of the rule as well as a draft environment impact statement. Once issued, members of the public will have an opportunity to weigh in, which Vasquez and other ‘Roadless Rule’ supporters encouraged Wednesday. In a news release, Earthjustice said the announced repeal last June prompted immense public pushback, including eliciting more than 600,000 public comments, the vast majority of which in opposition. The release of the draft environmental impact statement “any day now” will be the public’s last meaningful chance to have input on the proposal, organizers said Wednesday. USDA says repealing ‘roadless’ protections will prevent wildfires. A new study disagrees U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), encouraged hunters, in particular, to weigh in to oppose the repeal. He said the best places to hunt are in “roadless” areas, which provide swathes of uninterrupted wilderness. “I’m giving up all my secrets here,” he said. “Your success goes up inversely proportional to how far you are from a road. It means you have to pack that animal out. But that is the reality. If you’re an elk hunter in New Mexico, you care about these ‘roadless’ areas.” U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), the third New Mexico member of Congress to speak, said areas now protected under the “Roadless Rule” are sacred. “These forests and these lands are woven into our very identity. They are where we hike, where we hunt, fish, pray, work, gather and reconnect with the land and with each other,” she said. “These are not places for the administration to put up for sale.” In addition to the majority of New Mexico’s delegation, Earthjustice also featured speakers from Alaska, Montana and North Carolina, including wildland firefighters, grizzly bear enthusiasts and others who oppose the rule’s repeal. “This will be our last opportunity for official public input on this absurd repeal effort,” said Carson States, a wildland firefighter. “Our voices matter now more than ever.” Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	5 key considerations for maintaining consistent water quality in regulated environments 5 key considerations for maintaining consistent water quality in regulated environmentsConsistency in critical utility water systems is essential for industries operating in regulated environments. Biopharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences research, semiconductor fabrication, laboratories, healthcare facilities, and advanced manufacturing all rely on tightly controlled, high-purity water to protect product integrity, meet regulatory requirements, and maintain uninterrupted operations.In pharmaceutical production, this includes systems designed to generate purified water (PW) and water for injection (WFI) — utilities that must meet strict pharmacopeial standards and operate with exceptional reliability.Achieving consistent water quality requires more than treatment alone. It depends on robust system design, properly selected purification technologies, and proactive operational control across the entire water system life cycle.While many variables influence water system performance, several core factors consistently play an outsized role in maintaining stable water quality. Based on decades of experience supporting high-purity water systems in regulated industries, MECO highlights five key considerations that significantly influence water quality consistency. MECO 1. Variability in Source Water QualityAll water purification systems begin with source water, and no source remains chemically stable year-round. Municipal supplies, surface water, and groundwater all experience natural variations in:Total dissolved solids (TDS)HardnessSilicaOrganic matterMicrobial loadSeasonal contaminantsSeasonal weather patterns, storms, droughts, and environmental conditions can significantly alter incoming water chemistry. These fluctuations directly affect treatment performance, membrane loading, scaling potential, and microbial control strategies.For high-purity water systems, variability in source water can create instability downstream if treatment systems are not designed to accommodate these fluctuations.Consistent water quality depends on anticipating change rather than assuming constant inlet conditions. Well-engineered pretreatment and purification systems help stabilize feedwater and protect downstream technologies.2. Microbial Contamination and Biofilm FormationMicrobial contamination is one of the most persistent risks in high-purity water systems.When microorganisms enter a water system, they can attach to internal surfaces and form biofilms — structured microbial communities protected by a self-produced matrix. Once established, biofilms are difficult to remove and can continuously release contaminants into the water stream.Biofilms can lead to:Inconsistent microbial countsEndotoxin contaminationReduced system efficiencyAccelerated corrosionIncreased sanitization frequencyEffective microbial control requires both hygienic system design and disciplined operational practices, including:Proper material selectionHygienic piping design and drainabilityControlled flow velocitiesRoutine sanitization strategiesTemperature managementAutomation and real-time monitoringMaintaining microbial control is foundational for pharmaceutical purified water systems, WFI generation systems, laboratory water systems, and semiconductor process water applications.3. Scaling, Corrosion, and Equipment FoulingScaling and corrosion are driven by water chemistry imbalances and can significantly impact system reliability and efficiency.Scaling occurs when sparingly soluble salts, such as calcium carbonate or silica, precipitate onto equipment surfaces. Corrosion results from chemical or electrochemical reactions that degrade metals and protective coatings.These mechanisms are often interconnected:Corrosion creates rough surfaces that accelerate fouling.Scale restricts heat transfer and flow.Fouling increases pressure loss and energy consumption.Common impacts include:Reduced heat exchanger efficiencyRestricted piping and membrane flowIncreased chemical usageShortened equipment lifeIn high-purity water systems utilizing technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO), electrodeionization (EDI), and distillation, maintaining stable water chemistry is critical to protecting system performance and long-term reliability.4. Evolving Regulatory and Quality StandardsWater systems operating in regulated environments must comply with multiple layers of regulatory and industry standards. Requirements vary depending on the application and geographic location.Environmental regulationsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Pharmaceutical water standardsUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP)European Pharmacopoeia (EP)Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP)Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP)Laboratory water classificationsASTM Types I, II, III, and IVHygienic engineering guidelinesASME BPEThese standards govern parameters including conductivity, microbial limits, endotoxin levels, organic content, materials of construction, surface finishes, cleanability, and drainability.As regulatory expectations evolve, water systems must remain adaptable. Systems designed without flexibility may require costly retrofits to maintain compliance, increasing operational risk and total cost of ownership.5. Operational Cost and Energy EfficiencyMaintaining consistent water quality requires continuous energy, monitoring, and maintenance. Balancing performance with operational efficiency is one of the largest challenges facing operators of high-purity water systems.Globally, water treatment processes account for approximately 2%–5% of total electricity consumption, driven by energy-intensive processes such as:Pumping systemsHigh-pressure membrane processesThermal distillation systemsAdditional operational costs include:Membrane replacementResin regenerationFilter replacementSanitization chemicalsPredictive maintenanceModern high-purity water system designs increasingly emphasize:Energy-efficient equipmentWater recovery optimizationAdvanced automation and monitoringPredictive maintenance strategiesThese innovations help reduce life cycle costs while maintaining consistent system performance.Water Treatment Technologies Supporting Critical Utility SystemsSeveral advanced purification technologies work together to maintain consistent water quality in regulated environments. MECO Reverse Osmosis (RO)Reverse osmosis uses pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane, removing dissolved salts, organics, bacteria, and particulates.RO forms the backbone of many pharmaceutical purified water (PW) systems and high-purity water systems used in regulated industries, significantly reducing contaminant loading on downstream purification processes.Common applications include:Pharmaceutical purified water systemsLaboratory water systemsSemiconductor process waterIndustrial pretreatment systemsUltrafiltration (UF)Ultrafiltration removes suspended solids, bacteria, and viruses through low-pressure membranes. It is commonly used as pretreatment for reverse osmosis to stabilize performance and reduce membrane fouling.Electrodeionization (EDI)Electrodeionization removes dissolved ions using electrical current and ion-exchange membranes without chemical regeneration.EDI is widely used to polish reverse osmosis permeate and produce consistently high-purity water for pharmaceutical manufacturing, laboratories, and electronics manufacturing.Vapor Compression DistillationVapor compression (VC) distillation produces high-purity water by evaporating and condensing water while recovering latent heat through mechanical compression. This technology is widely used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing for the production of water for injection (WFI) and other critical utility water streams requiring exceptional purity and reliability.VC distillation systems deliver extremely stable water quality while achieving high thermodynamic efficiency, making them well-suited for mission-critical applications.A Proactive Approach to Water Quality ConsistencyConsistency in water quality within regulated environments is achieved through engineered system design, real-time monitoring, and lifecycle-focused operational strategy.By combining advanced purification technologies, automation, and predictive maintenance, organizations can:Improve water quality stability.Reduce energy consumption.Lower total cost of ownership.Increase system reliability.Strengthen regulatory compliance.Long-term system performance also depends on experienced technical support and operational insight. Organizations that maintain stable water quality typically combine strong system design with disciplined maintenance practices, ongoing monitoring, and access to experienced engineers and service professionals.From source water variability and microbial control to evolving regulatory requirements and energy efficiency, multiple factors influence the long-term stability of high-purity water systems operating in regulated environments.Organizations that approach water system management holistically by considering system design, purification technologies, monitoring, and long-term operational performance are better positioned to maintain compliance, protect product quality, and support reliable operations.This story was produced by MECO and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	AI insurance: The $7 trillion rebuild AI insurance: The $7 trillion rebuildIn 2024, insurance giant Allianz received a photo of a damaged van from a customer, along with a £1,000 repair invoice. In days gone by, the company would have quickly paid out but, in the age of AI, seeing is no longer believing. The fraud team set about investigating the vehicle owner’s social media, only to find an identical image that had later been edited to show fake damage.This is one of the problems that Eliron Ekstein, founder and CEO of Austin-based startup Ravin, is setting out to solve, with AI-powered tools that can verify real damage and stop fraudsters like these in their tracks.“You look at both images and they look completely credible,” he said. “It's becoming a lot easier for people to trick the system.”“Insurance is famously old-school when it comes to tech adoption, but I think it also offers tremendous opportunity, because of the sheer scale and financial risk that they operate under,” said Ekstein.And Ekstein’s not the only one using AI to try to transform the $7 trillion insurance market, as this article from The Infinite Loop by Nebius explores. The insurance industry suffers from lower public trust than every major consumer industry except social media, and still relies on highly manual workflows.“Some insurance companies underwrite in the tens of billions of dollars, so every little improvement can really help and you can make money out of that. It’s just, do you have the patience?” Ekstein said.Advances in frontier models appear to be making the venture capital industry increasingly comfortable to show that patience. Global investments in insurtech rose by 19.5% in 2025, with 78% of funding going toward AI-centered investments in the final quarter, up from 42% in Q4 of 2024.But while the size of the prize, and the appetite to win it, might be big, so are the costs. Tight regulations in insurance mean low tolerance for bias and hallucination, forcing AI insurtechs to develop complex checks and balances that translate into hefty compute bills for these companies, as they try to revamp one of finance’s most stubborn legacy industries.“Humans aren’t instant”Insurance carriers — the companies that create, underwrite and issue insurance policies to individuals or businesses — have traditionally been highly labor-intensive operations to run. They are responsible for drafting lengthy contracts, assessing buyers and assigning them to risk categories, and managing claims and payouts.San Francisco-based Corgi Insurance became the first AI-native insurance carrier to win regulatory approval in the US in July 2025, and since then has scaled to more than $40 million in annual recurring revenue. Co-founder and CEO Nico Laqua said that this rapid product-market fit is partly down to the text-heavy nature of the work, making it a perfect fit for GenAI.“There are quite a lot of workflows that relate to interpreting contracts, generating regulatory reporting for each policy and, in the end, interpreting the claims that are coming in. All of those are language-based,” he said. “Most of our competitors employ north of 40,000 people that do all of these very repetitive workflows. In our case, we automate as much of that as possible.”“If you're using humans and a call center to do these very repetitive tasks, the customer experience is inevitably worse, because humans aren't instant. Humans stop working at five o'clock and they don't work weekends,” Laqua said. “Let’s say someone’s house burns down in the middle of the night; they deserve the money instantly. That's not something that humans are able to do.”AI versus AIAI is also being put directly in the hands of the people making insurance claims. Ravin’s Ekstein explained how the company’s tool allows people to video scan damage to vehicles with their phones, with a vision model assessing the severity of the issue, leading to faster payouts.“Previously, the vehicle would get towed into a body shop, get assessed, and then you find out it’s not repairable. So the vehicle is sitting there for five days,” he said. “What you can do with Ravin is the insurer can actually settle the claim immediately and tell the customer: ‘You know what, your vehicle is not repairable. Here's a check in the post.’”Beyond faster payouts, Ekstein said Ravin also protects insurers from the growing threat of fraudsters using AI deepfakes to edit photos to add fake damage to vehicles.“Insurance companies increasingly accept images as evidence,” he said. “With our technology, you can't just upload a set of images of your vehicle. You need to perform a scan that will take the images for you. We will collect metadata about your location, the time it was taken. It's very hard to cheat.”Checks and balancesEkstein said that insurance’s growing appetite for AI will create huge demand for compute resources, with Ravin alone processing 2,000 videos every day, and that the sensitive data its scans capture makes regionally compliant cloud infrastructure essential.For Corgi and others trying to crack the tightly regulated carrier section of the market, the compute demands are even more complex, due to the need for extra caution around GenAI hallucination and bias.“We work very hard to make sure that there's fewer biases than a human would have with any of that sort of information,” said Laqua. “Hallucinations are a problem too, but supervisory models have gotten quite good so you can use models to oversee other models with anything that is super, super sensitive.”Running these side-by-side models to counter mistakes and biases can multiply the compute cost of every inference call by a factor of four in an industry that is already very data-heavy by nature.“We're generating a lot of reports. We're dealing with a lot of forms, a lot of paperwork. So there's a lot of text that needs to be generated,” Laqua said. “We use a lot of tokens, and then we need to double and triple and quadruple-check all of the work that we do because we're selling a financial product, and it needs to be correct. So that's just expensive.”So, while a company replacing tens of thousands of employees with 100 engineers might sound like a cost-saving, it’s not how Corgi is trying to create value in the industry.“The reason we use AI is not to save money. It’s because right now, pretty much every single business and person in the United States spends about twice as much on insurance per year as they do on software, and the experience is just terrible across the board,” said Laqua. “We’ve gone in and really focused on using technology to make the customer experience better. That's the reason why we have a lot of traction.”This story was produced by The Infinite Loop by Nebius and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Great River Road named Best Scenic Drive in America The Great River Road has been named the Best Scenic Drive in America in the 2026 USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards. This is the second year in a row that Great River Road has taken the top honor in the category. Travel experts nominated 20 routes for the Best Scenic Drive distinction, including [...]
	Court documents detail shooting that killed child in Princeton Newly filed court documents allege police first tried to shock a man with a Tazer in a hostage situation before entering a room and opening fire.
	Portugal’s new citizenship law has been approved. Here’s what expats need to know Portugal’s new citizenship law has been approved. Here’s what expats need to knowPresident Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has approved changes to Portugal’s Nationality Law, but the law is not yet in force. The decisive next step is publication in the Diário da República.This article is based on Movingto’s published analysis of Portugal’s approved citizenship-law changes and what they mean for foreign residents, investors and families.Portugal is one step closer to changing how long many foreign residents must wait before applying for citizenship.On May 3, 2026, Portugal’s President promulgated the decree amending Law No. 37/81, the country’s Nationality Law. The approved text would increase the residence period for naturalization to seven years for European Union citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, and 10 years for most other foreign nationals.But there is an important caveat: presidential approval does not mean the law is already in force. As of May 5, 2026, the law had not yet been published in the Diário da República, Portugal’s official gazette. Under the approved text, the changes enter into force on the day after publication.That short gap matters for residents, investors and families who are already eligible, close to filing or waiting on a Portuguese nationality application.What changes under the approved lawThe main change is the naturalization timeline. Portugal has long been known for allowing many legal residents to apply for citizenship after five years. Under the newly approved framework, that timeline would become longer for most applicants.EU citizens and nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, including Brazil and other CPLP countries, would face a seven-year residence requirement. Most other foreign nationals would face a 10-year requirement.The law also adds or clarifies integration requirements, including knowledge of the Portuguese language, culture, history and national symbols, as well as basic knowledge of rights and duties. Applicants would also be expected to declare adherence to democratic rule-of-law principles.A separate and particularly important change concerns how residence time is counted. The approved text revokes Article 15(4), a 2024 rule that allowed time to count from when a temporary residence permit was requested, provided the permit was later approved. That provision was important for people affected by long processing delays at the Portuguese authorities.The President’s statement noted the importance of ensuring that legal timelines for nationality are not harmed by state delays. The practical effect of that point will depend on the final published law, updated regulations and administrative guidance.Pending applications appear protectedFor people who already have a nationality application pending, the decree includes a transition rule.The approved text says administrative procedures pending when the law enters into force continue under the previous version of the Nationality Law. In practical terms, that means a person who has already filed a citizenship application before the law starts applying should not automatically be moved into the new seven- or 10-year timeline.That protection is not the same as a broad grandfathering rule for everyone living in Portugal. The wording is focused on pending administrative procedures, not simply on residents who expected to apply under the old five-year framework.For people who are already eligible but have not yet filed, timing may now be critical. The law is approved, but it is not yet in force until its official publication.What it means for Golden Visa, D7 and digital nomad residentsThe change does not end Portugal’s Golden Visa program, D7 visa, digital nomad visa or other residence routes. It is a nationality-law change, not a cancellation of Portugal’s residency pathways.For Golden Visa investors, the practical shift is in citizenship planning. Portugal may remain attractive as a residence option with relatively low physical presence requirements, but the citizenship timeline may become longer once the new law takes effect.Readers assessing the residency route itself can review this Portugal Golden Visa guide, while investors comparing qualifying fund options can use a fund comparison tool to understand available strategies and next steps.For D7, D8, work, study and family visa residents, the same planning issue applies. People who expected to apply for citizenship after five years of legal residence may need to reassess their timeline under a seven- or 10-year framework.Permanent residence after five years may also become a more important milestone for some residents, especially if citizenship is no longer available as quickly as expected.What still has to happenThe next legal milestone is publication in the Diário da República. Until that happens, the law is approved but not yet in force.After publication, the Government must update Portugal’s nationality regulation within 90 days. Those regulations and later administrative guidance will be important for practical questions, including how authorities handle pending cases, residence counting and applicants affected by state processing delays.The President also referred to a separate decree that would amend the Penal Code and create an accessory penalty involving loss of nationality. That is not the same as the Nationality Law decree approved on May 3. According to the Presidency, that separate decree is still awaiting a Constitutional Court decision following a request for preventive constitutional review.What residents should do nowResidents who already filed a citizenship application should keep proof of submission, payment and any official confirmation showing when their procedure became pending.Residents who are already eligible but have not filed should urgently seek case-specific advice before the law is published.People with close to five years of residence should review their dates, documents and whether they can realistically file before the law enters into force.People who are not yet eligible should update their long-term plan around the likely seven- or 10-year citizenship timeline, while continuing to manage residence renewals and permanent residence eligibility.The key point is that Portugal’s new citizenship law has passed a major political milestone, but the operative legal trigger is still publication in the Diário da República.This story was produced by Movingto and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Trend watch: Wilderness, Puerto Rico, and second cities Trend watch: Wilderness, Puerto Rico, and second citiesIf it feels like everyone you know is suddenly planning a trip to a national park, remote mountain lodge, or city you’d never have pegged as a travel destination two years ago—you’re not imagining it.With so much of the world feeling uncertain, Americans are betting on their own backyard. In the first few months of 2026, according to Fora Travel booking data, travelers have shown increased interest in adventure and nature travel, with Alaska up 170% year over year and the Mountain West and National Parks corridor (Utah, Wyoming, Montana) up more than 100% each. Puerto Rico has emerged as a popular Caribbean escape, and a number of second cities—namely Bentonville, Tulsa, Omaha, and Baltimore—have become established leisure destinations.Here's a closer look at what the data is telling us.Inside the wilderness boomAlaska is up more than 170% year over year, while Montana and Wyoming are both more than doubling. Idaho and South Dakota are right there too. The Mountain West and national park corridor isn't just a vibe. It’s where a huge portion of bookings are landing, and it’s growing at nearly twice the pace of the overall travel market.It’s also worth noting that travelers aren’t necessarily roughing it. Instead, they’re gravitating toward safarilike hotels and dude ranches that deliver both comfort and stunning scenery, and they don’t mind paying a bit more to find that balance.The Canadian Rockies: Beloved resorts as gateways to rugged natureIf you’ve been eyeing Alberta, trust the pull. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is the most-booked property across every region we track, perhaps owing to its enviable location. (It sits inside a national park with a glacier-fed turquoise lake practically at its front door.) Its sister property, Fairmont Banff Springs, isn't far behind in booking volume. These properties sell out early, especially in the summer and fall, and for good reason.From there, Jasper National Park offers a quieter, more expansive version of the same Rocky Mountain magic, with Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge as the go-to lodging. On British Columbia’s Pacific coast, you’ll find the beloved Wickaninnish Inn in remote, rainforest-flanked Tofino. A seaplane ride away, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge feels even more removed amid the old-growth forest of Clayoquot Sound.Montana: The US wilderness leaderMontana is outpacing nearly every other U.S. state right now, and at the city level, Big Sky is up more than 215% year over year. That’s not a fluke. One&Only Moonlight Basin and Montage Big Sky have quietly become two of the most in-demand mountain properties in the country on the strength of their food, service, and spas—not to mention their majestic setting in the shadow of Lone Mountain.But the allure goes beyond one specific destination or resort. Sage Lodge sits on the Yellowstone River near the park’s northern entrance, while Ranch at Rock Creek, The Resort at Paws Up, and Triple Creek Ranch offer the kind of all-inclusive experiences where you show up, put your phone down, and don’t check your email for the entire week. Glacier National Park is increasingly in the mix, too, with Under Canvas Glacier and the historic Glacier Park Lodge drawing more bookings each season.Wyoming and Alaska: 2 different flavors of remoteImage courtesy of Caldera HouseWyoming’s story centers on Jackson Hole. The Four Seasons Resort and Caldera House in Teton Village are consistently among the most in-demand properties in the region, and the broader collection of hotels in town (Hotel Terra, The Cloudveil) gives travelers solid options at different price points. The deeper gems are inside the parks themselves—Jenny Lake Lodge in Grand Teton is one of the most intimate properties in the American West, and the in-park lodges at Yellowstone (Canyon Lodge, Lake Yellowstone Hotel) give you an experience no day trip can replicate.Alaska is the most dramatic growth story in the data, up more than 170% year over year. The Denali area is the gravitational center, and the Alaska Railroad is genuinely one of the world’s great scenic rail journeys. If the Last Frontier has been on your list, the data suggests you’re not alone, which means booking windows are getting shorter.Puerto Rico’s luxury momentPuerto Rico’s overall numbers are strong, but the real story is what’s happening beyond San Juan. The Río Grande corridor—a stretch of coastline near El Yunque rainforest, about an hour east of the capital—is up more than 300% in bookings.Two properties are anchoring the growth: the Four Seasons Resort Puerto Rico and Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. The former puts guests at the doorstep of the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest system—think waterfall hikes, zip-lining, and serious beach access all-in-one trip—while the latter is set on a former Rockefeller estate on the island’s north coast, with highly regarded spas in the Caribbean and a level of unhurried luxury that's especially appealing when life feels extra demanding.The second-city surgeThe other story hiding in the data: travelers seeking urban destinations with walkable neighborhoods, great independent restaurants, boutique hotels, and real cultural depth are increasingly choosing domestic cities you might not have on your radar yet.Bentonville has long been drawing movie buffs for its Geena Davis-founded film festival, but it’s also one of the best art and mountain biking destinations in the country, thanks to Crystal Bridges Museum and 300-plus miles of trails, respectively. Tulsa’s art deco architecture, Blue Dome District, and thriving music scene are starting to resonate in a real way.Omaha’s Old Market neighborhood and food scene have earned it a following among travelers who prioritize culinary experiences.And Baltimore—up 179% year over year, making it the fastest-growing city in this group by a wide margin—is having a full moment, with broad-based growth across the Inner Harbor corridor that doesn’t appear tied to any single event or property.Traveler’s takeawayThe common thread across all of these trends is that the most-in-demand destinations are also the ones that require the most lead time. Wilderness lodges, in-park hotels, and remote properties have limited inventory and tend to fill up months ahead of when you’d expect.And whether you’re craving an off-the-grid adventure, luxe beach escape, or under-the-radar city break, your travel advisor can match you to the right destination and property based on your travel style—and make sure you’re not locked out of the places that fit you best. Reach out and tell them what’s calling you. The wilderness will still be there. The rooms are another story.Methodology: Findings are based on Fora internal booking data covering non-canceled, transient hotel bookings from Jan. 1–April 15, 2025 vs. the same period in 2026.This story was produced by Fora Travel and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Public aid or public worry? Americans back license plate readers, but only with strict oversight Public aid or public worry? Americans back license plate readers, but only with strict oversightAutomated license plate readers have quietly become one of the most widespread pieces of public infrastructure in the country. They sit on light poles, traffic signals, and patrol cars in thousands of American cities. Most drivers pass them every day without noticing.Across the country, counties and cities are shutting systems down, writing new laws, and fielding uncomfortable questions from commuters about who sees the data and for how long. Spokane County deactivated nearly 100 cameras in April after Washington’s governor signed a privacy law restricting use, with Pierce County, Renton, Redmond, and Lynnwood following suit. Lawmakers in at least 16 states introduced bills to regulate the technology this year. Only three states passed them. The cameras work as designed, but the rules governing them have not kept pace.A new national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults by Hanwha Vision America puts a number on that tension. About 4 in 5 (77.9%) Americans support license plate readers, but nearly half of those supporters will only sign off with strict rules and oversight attached. Approval is high. Unconditional approval is not.Key Findings77.9% of Americans support license plate reader use, but 34.8% condition their support on strict oversight and rules.80.8% approve of using license plate readers to find missing or abducted children, the highest-approved use case in the study.27.1% say their top concern is government agencies using the data beyond its stated public safety purpose, ranking higher than hacking fears.17.2% would grant access to immigration enforcement, a figure exposing the sharpest political divide in the data.90.6% are at least somewhat worried that license plate reader data could be hacked or leaked.73.9% want cities to publish usage reports at least quarterly. Only 6.7% say the information should stay confidential.28.7% say public reports on how data was actually used would be the single biggest trust-builder, topping security upgrades and written policies.Americans Want LPRs, but the Support Is Conditional Hanwha Vision For years, the debate over license plate readers has been framed as a binary: prosurveillance or proprivacy. The survey data dismantles that framing. At least 2 in 5 (43.1%) Americans support the technology outright. Another 34.8% say yes, but only with strict rules. Taken together, that's a clear majority open to deployment.Women are the most condition-heavy group, with 41.5% requiring strict oversight compared to 28.8% of men. A majority of Americans accept the cameras in principle. The survey shows they want a published rulebook to go with them.Citizens Want LPRs to Save Abducted Children, but Not for Parking Tickets Hanwha Vision Support collapses the moment the use case drifts from serious crime. Four in 5 (80.8%) Americans approve of license plate readers for finding missing or abducted children. That number drops to 63.4% for property crime suspects and falls to 31.5% for parking enforcement.The 80.8% figure reflects what the technology looks like at its best. Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White described a case in which an adult had groomed a 14-year-old girl and brought her across state lines into North Idaho. Stationary license plate readers picked up the driver's plates within city limits, and officers located the vehicle. "We got that girl back to her family," White said.Commuters across generations support the technology for emergencies, though Gen Z draws the line earliest. Baby Boomers are the most permissive generation across every category. The public is telling cities something specific: Deploy the technology for what they consider emergencies, and explain clearly when you stop. The Washington law that deactivated Spokane County's 100-camera network allows use for stolen vehicles, missing persons, and felony investigations, which aligns well with public sentiment.Government Misuse Outranks Hacking as the Top ConcernMore than 1 in 4 (27.1%) Americans say their top concern about license plate readers is government agencies using the data beyond their stated public safety purpose. That ranks higher than hacking, higher than private company access, higher than every other worry measured.What makes this finding durable is its uniformity. Concern about government misuse holds steady across income brackets, from households earning under $25,000 (23.6%) to those earning between $100,000 and $249,000 (31.4%). Distrust of institutional intent is not a partisan, racial, or economic dividing line here.Immigration Enforcement Is the Flashpoint Cities Can't IgnoreNearly 1 in 5 (17.2%) Americans would grant immigration enforcement agencies access to license plate reader data. That is a minority position, but it is the single most politically charged data point in the survey, and it tracks closely with what is already unfolding in policy.Washington's new privacy law was introduced after a University of Washington report documented federal agents accessing camera data to pull over immigrants. Investigations by The Guardian have raised similar questions about Flock camera networks nationwide. Men support immigration enforcement access at 19.5%. Women support it at 14.6%. For cities deploying new systems, this is the question most likely to drive local editorial coverage and council debate.Data Breach Anxiety Is Nearly Universal, and Cities Aren't Addressing ItNine in 10 (90.6%) Americans express at least some worry that license plate reader data could be hacked or leaked, 32% are extremely concerned, and only 2.4% say they are not concerned at all.Postgraduate-educated Americans are the most alarmed, with 37.2% extremely concerned.A 2025 security investigation into one major camera vendor reported stolen account passwords, missing multifactor authentication, and live streams exposed on the open internet. The architecture behind a license plate reader program, including who built it, how it authenticates users, and how it logs access, has become a public safety question in its own right.Transparency Beats Security as the Top Trust-Builder Hanwha Vision The most actionable finding for any city operating this technology is the simplest. When asked what would most restore public trust in license plate reader programs, 28.7% chose public reports on how the data was actually used. Written policies came in at 23.2%. Automatic deletion rules at 19.6%. Independent audits at 16.4%.Gen Z leads the demand for public reporting at 36.7%. Americans are asking for visibility into how the data moves and who touches it, and they rate that visibility higher than any technical safeguard. Cities chasing trust by tightening security are solving the wrong problem.What Responsible Deployment Looks Like in Practice Hanwha Vision Elk Grove, California, offers a working example of the tradeoffs. The city's police department reported 1,548 investigative alerts, 866 arrests, 536 stolen vehicle recoveries, and 93 missing persons cases connected to its license plate reader program in 2025. When the city council approved a $1.6 million contract expansion in April 2026, residents still packed the chamber with objections.The department's response tracked closely with what the survey says the public wants: automatic 30-day data deletion unless flagged for a specific case, an explicit policy prohibition on immigration enforcement use, and disabled out-of-state data sharing. About 3 in 4 (73.9%) Americans want cities to report publicly on license plate reader use at least quarterly, and 39.9% want monthly. Only 6.7% say usage should stay confidential. Publishing a standardized report on the kind of performance data Elk Grove disclosed answers the public's loudest question without changing a single camera on a single pole.License plate readers are not going away. Neither is the public's insistence on knowing how they are being used. The survey paints a portrait of a country that understands the tradeoff between safety and privacy and wants a seat at the table where the rules get written. Americans approve of the technology for the reasons cities deploy it, such as finding missing children, recovering stolen cars, and solving serious crimes. They grow skeptical the moment the use case drifts toward routine enforcement.The findings point toward a clear operational playbook. Local governments that publish clear policies, report regularly, and define the limits of access have a better chance at keeping public support.MethodologyTo understand how Americans approach license plate reader technology and public trust, Hanwha Vision America, a video surveillance and intelligent transportation technology provider, surveyed 1,000 adults across the country via Pollfish on April 9, 2026. Participants answered a series of questions about support for license plate readers, approved use cases, data retention, access rights, breach concerns, and the measures most likely to rebuild public confidence in surveillance programs. Responses were analyzed across age, gender, household income, and education level to identify trends and disparities.This story was produced by Hanwha Vision and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Alternatives to a reverse mortgage Alternatives to a reverse mortgageIf you’ve explored a reverse mortgage and decided it’s not the right fit, you’re not alone. Some homeowners want more flexibility and some do not meet the eligibility requirements.The good news is that there are several different ways to access your home equity, so reverse mortgages are hardly the only route forward. Each alternative works differently, with its own requirements, payment structure, and tradeoffs.This guide from Splitero walks through the most common alternatives, how they work, and what it takes to qualify. It also helps you compare options so you can decide which approach may be the best fit for your financial situation and long-term goals.Key TakeawaysA reverse mortgage is only one way to access home equity. Homeowners also have other options such as HELOCs, home equity loans, cash-out refinancing, and home equity investments (HEIs) depending on their situation.Most traditional home equity options, such as HELOCs and home equity loans, require monthly payments and strong credit, while other structures, like home equity investments, are designed differently and do not require monthly payments.The biggest differences between options come down to how you access your home equity, such as through lump sum funding, flexible credit access, refinancing your mortgage, or sharing future home value.Qualification requirements vary widely: Credit score, income, and available equity play a major role for most loan-based options, while some alternatives are designed to be more flexible.The right option depends on your goals, including whether you want ongoing access to funds, a one-time lump sum, or a way to access home equity without monthly payments.How does a reverse mortgage work?A reverse mortgage is a type of home equity financing for homeowners 62 and older that lets you convert part of your home equity into cash. Instead of you making monthly mortgage payments, the lender actually provides funds to you. As a result, the loan balance increases over time as interest and fees accrue.If you have an existing mortgage, it is typically paid off first. If not, the funds are available for other needs depending on the program.This structure is often used by retirees who want to supplement income, cover major expenses, or access liquidity while continuing to live in their home. Although you do not make monthly mortgage payments in a reverse mortgage, you are still responsible for property taxes, insurance, and home maintenance. The loan is generally repaid when you sell the home, move out permanently, or pass away. Splitero Reverse mortgage alternatives explainedBelow is an overview of the most common alternatives to a reverse mortgage and how each one works.Home equity line of credit (HELOC)A HELOC is a revolving line of credit secured by your home that lets you access your home equity up to a set limit during a draw period, then repay it over time.In practice, it works similarly to a credit card backed by your home. You’re approved for a credit limit, but you only use what you need, when you need it. As you repay the balance, you may be able to borrow again during the draw period depending on the lender’s terms.That flexibility can be useful for ongoing or unpredictable expenses, but because most HELOCs have variable interest rates, your payments can change over time, which can make long-term budgeting less predictable.Home equity loanA home equity loan provides a one-time lump sum that is repaid over a fixed term with predictable monthly payments. This option is often used when the full amount needed is known in advance, such as for a renovation project or debt consolidation. Once the funds are issued, repayment begins immediately, and the structure does not change over time.Approval for a home equity loan typically depends on factors like your credit score, income, debt-to-income ratio, and available home equity, which can make the qualification process more involved for some homeowners. Its fixed rate and consistent payment structure can make planning easier, but it also means you’re committing to monthly payments regardless of how your financial situation changes.Cash-out refinanceA cash-out refinance replaces your existing mortgage with a new, larger mortgage and allows you to access part of your home equity as cash at closing. Instead of adding a second loan on top of your existing mortgage, this option restructures the entire mortgage. That means your interest rate, loan term, and monthly payment may all change depending on the new loan terms.For some homeowners, combining everything into a single mortgage simplifies their finances. At the same time, replacing your existing mortgage can significantly change your long-term borrowing costs, especially if current rates are higher than what you have today.Home equity investment (HEI)A home equity investment (HEI), sometimes referred to as a home equity agreement, lets you access cash from your home’s equity without taking on a traditional loan or making monthly payments. You receive a lump sum in exchange for a share of your home’s future value, which is settled when you sell, refinance, or choose to repurchase the investment.HEIs can be used for a range of needs, such as home improvements, debt consolidation, or unexpected expenses, and eligibility is often more flexible than traditional lending, depending on the provider.Because there are no monthly payments, this structure can provide flexibility for homeowners who want to avoid adding ongoing financial obligations. Instead, the amount you repurchase is tied to how your home’s value changes over time, which makes the outcome dependent on future market conditions.Sell and downsizeSelling and downsizing involve selling your current home and purchasing a less expensive one in order to access your home equity. This approach does not involve a financing product. Instead, it converts home equity into cash through the sale process itself. The remaining funds after purchasing a new home can then be used for other financial needs.This can provide full access to your equity and potentially reduce ongoing housing costs, but it also requires moving and adjusting to a new living situation, which may not be practical or desirable for every homeowner.Rent out spaceRenting out part of your home or adding a rental unit allows you to generate income from your property instead of accessing equity directly. This could include renting a room, a basement unit, or building an accessory dwelling unit, depending on local rules and property type. The goal is to create ongoing income that can help offset expenses or improve monthly cash flow.Unlike other options, this does not convert equity into a lump sum, but instead turns the home into a source of recurring income. However, rental income is not guaranteed and often comes with added responsibilities, including managing tenants, maintaining the space, and navigating local regulations.Which reverse mortgage alternative is right for you?Choosing the right way to access home equity depends on your financial situation, credit profile, income stability, and long-term goals.Before comparing options, it helps to understand how much home equity you actually have. If you need to calculate your home equity, there are guides that can help you work out the equations and estimate what may be available based on your current home value and mortgage balance. Splitero Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat are the alternatives to a reverse mortgage?Alternatives include HELOCs, home equity loans, cash-out refinancing, home equity investments, selling and downsizing, and renting out part of the home to a tenant or guest.What happens to a reverse mortgage when you die?A reverse mortgage is typically settled when the homeowner passes away, usually through sale of the home or estate settlement.What is the biggest problem with a reverse mortgage?A common concern is that as the loan balance grows over time, it can reduce the amount of home equity left.Is it better to sell your home than do a reverse mortgage?It depends on the homeowner’s goals. Selling converts equity into cash, while a reverse mortgage allows the homeowner to remain in the home.Can you get a reverse mortgage if you’re under 62?No, most reverse mortgages require homeowners to be at least 62 years old.Is a HELOC a good alternative to a reverse mortgage?A HELOC can be a strong option depending on credit, income, and whether the homeowner can manage monthly payments.This story was produced by Splitero and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How does cashback work on credit cards? How does cashback work on credit cards?Cashback credit cards give you a percentage of your purchases back as rewards. Every time you use the card, you earn cash back that you can redeem as a statement credit, bank deposit, or other options, depending on the issuer. Understanding how cashback works helps you choose the right card and avoid rewards structures that limit how much you actually earn.Note: The cashback percentages, limits, fees, and other figures mentioned in this article are for illustrative purposes only. They do not represent guaranteed or expected rates. Actual terms, credit limits, rewards, and approval criteria vary by card issuer and may change at any time. Readers should verify current details directly with each issuer before applying.Ramp breaks down how cashback credit cards work, the different reward structures available, and how to maximize what you earn.What is cashback on a credit card?Cashback is a credit card rewards program that returns a percentage of your spending back to you as cash rewards. When you make a qualifying purchase, the card issuer gives you a small portion of that amount back.Unlike travel credit cards, which earn points or miles with variable redemption value, cashback rewards have a fixed cash value. That makes them easier to understand and use.How it works: You make a purchase, and the issuer returns a small percentage of the amount as cashback.Where rewards go: Cashback accumulates in a rewards account tied to your card until you redeem it.Why issuers offer it: Card issuers earn interchange fees from merchants on every transaction and share a portion of that revenue with you as an incentive to use their card.Over time, consistent cashback earnings can help offset expenses, especially if you use the card for recurring or high-volume purchases.How do cashback credit cards work?Cashback credit cards follow a simple earn-and-redeem model tied to your spending:You use the card to make a qualifying purchase.The issuer credits a percentage of that purchase as cashback rewards.Rewards accumulate in your account over time.You redeem the cashback through available options like statement credits or deposits.Your cashback rate determines how much you earn. For example, a card offering 1.5% cashback earns $0.015 for every $1 spent on eligible purchases.Earning cashback on purchasesYou earn cashback only on eligible, net purchases, meaning completed transactions after returns or credits are applied. Eligible categories often include subscriptions, travel, dining, or office supplies, depending on the card.Most issuers exclude certain transactions from earning rewards, including:Cash advancesBalance transfersFees and interest chargesSome gift card purchasesCashback isn’t free money. You earn it only by spending, and you’re still paying the majority of each purchase out of pocket.When cashback posts to your accountCashback usually posts after a transaction fully clears, not when it’s pending. In most cases, issuers credit rewards at the end of each billing cycle, though some cards post rewards sooner.Expect a short delay between making a purchase and seeing the cashback reflected in your rewards balance.Types of cashback credit cardsCredit cards offer different cashback structures based on how and where you spend. Understanding these structures helps you choose a card that matches your spending patterns and earning goals. Courtesy of Ramp Flat-rate cashback cardsFlat-rate cashback cards earn the same rewards percentage on every qualifying purchase. You don’t need to track categories or activate bonuses, which makes these cards easy to use and predictable. They’re a good fit if your spending is spread evenly across categories or if you want consistent rewards without extra effort.Tiered or bonus category cardsTiered cashback cards offer higher rewards in specific spending categories and a lower rate on everything else. For example, a card might earn 3% cashback on travel or dining and 1% on other purchases. These cards work well if a large share of your spending falls into a few fixed categories that earn higher rewards.Rotating category cardsRotating category cards offer elevated cashback rates, often up to 5%, in categories that change each quarter. Common categories include gas, groceries, dining, or rideshares. You usually need to activate the categories and stay within quarterly spending caps to earn the higher rate. The payoff can be high, but it requires more tracking.Choose-your-own-category cardsSome cards let you select which categories earn bonus cashback. These work like tiered cards, but you choose the category that best fits your spending. If most of your budget goes toward a specific expense, such as internet services or software subscriptions, choosing that category can help you earn more rewards over time.How to redeem your cashback rewardsOnce you’ve earned cashback, you can redeem it through your card issuer’s website or mobile app. Some cards require you to meet a minimum rewards balance before you can redeem.The most common redemption options include:Statement credit: Applies your cashback directly to your card balance, reducing what you owe.Direct deposit: Transfers cashback to a linked bank account or issues a check.Gift cards: Let you redeem rewards for retailer gift cards, sometimes at a higher face value.Travel: Uses cashback toward flights, hotels, or other bookings through the issuer’s travel portal.Merchandise: Applies rewards to online shopping portals or checkout tools, though these redemptions often offer lower value.In most cases, you redeem rewards by logging in to your account, navigating to the rewards section, and selecting a redemption method.Tip: Watch how rewards are issuedSome cards advertise “cashback” but actually issue rewards as points. Those points may still be redeemed for cash, but redemption options and value can vary by program.Cashback vs points vs milesWhen choosing a rewards credit card, the biggest difference comes down to how rewards are earned, redeemed, and valued. Cashback, points, and miles each work well for different spending habits and priorities. Courtesy of Ramp Cashback is usually the easiest option if you want predictable value without managing points systems or transfer partners. Points and miles can deliver higher value, but only if you’re willing to track redemptions and optimize how you use them.What credit score do you need for a cashback credit card?Most cashback credit cards with competitive rewards require good to excellent credit. In practice, that usually means a FICO score of 670 or higher, with the best rewards and sign-up bonuses often reserved for scores of 740+.If you’re building or repairing credit, you may still qualify for entry-level or secured cashback cards. These cards typically offer lower rewards rates or require a security deposit, but they can help you establish a credit history before moving to higher-earning cards.Before applying, check your credit score and review each issuer’s requirements. Multiple hard inquiries from denied applications can temporarily lower your score.Are cashback credit cards worth it?Cashback credit cards are worth it if you pay your balance in full each month. If you carry a balance, interest charges will almost always outweigh the rewards you earn. With most cashback cards charging APRs between 15% and 25%, even a small carried balance can erase the value of 1%-2% rewards.ProsSimple, predictable savings: You earn a clear percentage of your spending back without tracking points or conversion rates.Flexible redemption: Most cards let you redeem cashback as statement credits, bank deposits, gift cards, or travel.Lower everyday costs: When used responsibly, cashback can offset regular expenses and help improve cash flow.Consistent value: Cashback rewards don’t fluctuate in value the way points or miles can.ConsInterest negates rewards: Carrying a balance typically costs far more in interest than you earn in cashback.Overspending risk: Chasing rewards can encourage unnecessary purchases.Annual fees: If your spending is low, fees can cancel out rewards.Lower upside than travel cards: If you frequently travel for business, points or miles may deliver more value.Redemption limits: Some issuers impose minimum thresholds or restrictions on how rewards can be redeemed.How to maximize your cashback rewardsMaximizing cashback takes more than just using a rewards card. You earn the most when your card choice and spending habits work together.Match your card to your spending habitsStart by reviewing the categories where you spend the most, such as travel, software, or office supplies. Choosing a card that rewards your highest-spend categories helps you earn more without changing behavior.If your spending is evenly distributed, a flat-rate card may be the best option. If it’s concentrated, tiered, or category-based cards can deliver higher returns.Use multiple cards strategicallySome cardholders use different cards for different categories to earn the highest rate on each purchase. For example, one card might earn 3% on dining while another earns 2% on everything else. This approach requires more tracking, but it can materially increase total rewards over time.Pay your balance in full each monthThis is the most important rule. Any interest you pay will almost certainly exceed the value of your cashback. A 20% APR quickly wipes out the benefit of earning 1.5% or 2% back. If you can’t pay in full, the card is costing you more than it’s returning.Track bonus categories and promotionsIf you use a rotating category card, set reminders to activate bonus categories each quarter. Many people miss higher rewards simply because they forget to opt in.Also watch for limited-time offers that provide extra cashback with specific merchants or spending thresholds.Avoid annual fees unless the math worksA card with an annual fee only makes sense if the extra rewards exceed the cost. For example, a $95 annual fee requires at least $95 more in rewards than a no-fee card just to break even.This story was produced by Ramp and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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