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

Thursday, May 28th, 2026
	Three events over eight days will keep Davenport Speedway running hot Three events over eight days will keep the Davenport Speedway busy and fans on the edge of their seats. The eight-day stretch starts Friday, May 29, with a weekly racing program. All six weekly classes: IMCA Late Model, IMCA Modified, Street Stock, IMCA SportMod, IMCA Stock Car, and IMCA Hobby Stock, will be in action. [...]
	Quad Cities International Airport awarded $3.3 million grant by Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Terminal Program has awarded a $3.3 million grant to the Quad Cities International Airport.
	Aktinson man arrested; charged with dissemination of child porn A Henry County man has been arrested after Illinois State Police (ISP) said he was a suspect in a child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) investigation. A news release from ISP said the Illinois Crimes Against Children Task Force and ISP executed a search warrant at a residence in the 18000 block of North 1700th Avenue [...]
	River Bend Food Bank, Davenport,will receive semi-truck of food, other supplies As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, River Bend Food Bank will welcome a fully loaded semi-truck carrying up to40,000 pounds of donated food and cleaning supplies on June 3, a news release says. The donation is part of a collaboration between america250.org and The Church [...]
	Rock Falls Tourism announces completion of flag mural at Veterans Memorial Park Rock Falls Tourism has announced the completion of a new flag mural at Veterans Memorial Park Stage, 500 5th Ave, in Rock Falls, a news release says. A dedication ceremony for the mural was held on Memorial Day, May 25, as part of the community’s observance honoring the men and women who have served the [...]
	Cops N’ Bobbers youth fishing event returns Saturday at Lost Grove Lake Cops and Bobbers returns for its fourth year this Saturday at Lost Grove Lake in Eldridge.
	Weekend Rundown with WLLR \| May 28, 2026 There are many family-friendly events going on this weekend, and we've brought in Dani Howe from WLLR to break it down.
	Geneseo council adds Class D liquor license for Local Motive At a special city council meeting on Tuesday, the Geneseo council voted 6-1 to increase the number of Class D liquor license availabilities from four to five.
	Bettendorf becomes first Iowa district to reject school funding resolution Debate over school funding, vouchers and public education split the Bettendorf School Board and community members. Read the details here.
	Pay It Forward \| Muscatine professor persevering through adversity Through her work at Muscatine Community College, Lori Sheppard is proving that kindness is a state of mind, earning her the Pay It Forward award.
	Iowa Democrats push to reclaim first-in-the-nation caucus status after 2020 debacle Iowa Democrats are lobbying the national committee to reclaim their first-in-the-nation caucus status, proposing reforms after a controversial 2020 caucus fallout.
	Denis Glynn turned a cafeteria job into nearly 50 years of connection at Bettendorf High Denis Glynn knows every cupboard in the cafeteria kitchen and after nearly 50 years, everyone knows him too.
	Bowlyou's Ice Cream reopens in Aledo on Friday After closing in December, popular Bowlyou's in Aledo is opening back up for ice cream only on Friday.
	A new report shows how close American households are to the financial edge In 2024, nearly half of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities.
	Americans aren't just on the financial edge because of inflation. Wages are falling behind too In 2024, nearly half of U.S. households did not earn enough to cover their necessities.
	Nonprofit Army of the Kind Thrift Store to open in Geneseo The shop supports Army of the Kind, a global nonprofit providing nutrition, clean water, shelter and education to children in developing countries.
	Kewanee man sentenced after pleading to child sex abuse materials charges A Kewanee man, Andre J. Gerts, 24, entered a negotiated plea to two Class X counts on Tuesday.
	A federal judge in D.C. declines to block Trump's executive order on voting by mail A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has declined to temporarily block President Trump's executive order that calls for restricting mail-in voting. Another judge may rule on the order soon.
	Motorcycle crash under investigation in Davenport Davenport police are on the scene of a motorcycle crash at 3rd and Marquette Streets. Our crews saw a motorcycle on its side with visible damage. Third Street is closed from Myrtle to Marquette. No other information is available.
	Where are the 324 Main St. lawsuits at now? Three years after the partial collapse of a Davenport apartment building, lawsuits are still working their way through the court system.
	Questions remain on impact of new Iowa vape tax Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law on Tuesday authorizing the tax in an effort to fund pediatric cancer research.
	Dry, very warm weather leading us back to drought conditions After a very wet April, May rainfall is running a couple of inches below average. And, very little, if any, rain is in the forecast. It's going to stay very warm, too. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	The Front Porch This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Everywhere along our valley, the front porch is an endangered species. The new suburban homes in the better…
	An Ohio pastor-turned-lawmaker backs a Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act for schools The bill says it would permit the teaching of the positive impact of Judeo-Christian values in U.S. history. Opponents say it offers a skewed view of history.
	National Hamburger Day: Free burgers and more With Memorial Day squarely in our rearview and America 250 barreling towards us, you’d think we’d be burgered out by now, but you’d be sorely mistaken.
	Trick or spice? How the 'nutmeg' came to dominate the soccer world Nutmeg commonly spices up a holiday season eggnog. It's also one of the most sought-after trick moves in soccer.
	Trump wants a gas tax holiday. There's a much bigger problem looming Suspending the federal gasoline tax could save drivers up to 18.4 cents per gallon. But it would drain the fund meant to cover roadbuilding and repairs — a fund that's already in trouble.
	Trump pledged to house 6,000 homeless vets. His budget funds zero Veteran groups hoped a Trump executive order would supercharge housing for homeless vets. That hasn't happened, and veterans' advocates want to know why.
	Iranians are back online after a monthslong shutdown but face heavy restrictions Iranians began to regain internet access after authorities ended a monthslong shutdown. Users said service was slow and spotty in some areas, with apps like YouTube and Instagram heavily restricted.
	Happy, who taught researchers that elephants can recognize themselves, is euthanized Happy, a Bronx Zoo elephant who gave researchers new insight into the animal's behavior and became the crux of a closely watched animal rights case, has been euthanized at age 55.
	Ex-CIA official charged with stealing millions of dollars in gold bars A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government and stashing them in his home.
Wednesday, May 27th, 2026
	1 year later, no arrest, family of motorcycle crash victim to host pool tournament to raise money for Crime Stoppers reward A candlelight vigil will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
	Celebrate fathers and founders with Ride the Island River Action will host Ride The Island bicycle ride, according to a media release.
	Here’s the request Iowa Democrats had for D.C. leaders Iowa Democratic Party leaders ask Democratic National Committee leaders to once again allow the state's caucuses to begin the 2028 presidential nominating process.
	Western Illinois farmers discuss fear, financial losses after livestock attacks Farmers near Kirkwood say livestock attacks killed multiple sheep and show cattle, leaving communities concerned as search efforts for the wild dogs continue.
	Arconic union workers approve new 3-year contract The three-year deal includes a 5% wage increase for the first year, followed by a 4% increase in the two years after that.
	Arconic union workers approve new 3-year contract The three-year deal includes a 5% wage increase for the first year, followed by a 4% increase in the two years after that.
	Skeletal remains located at Kewanee's Northeast Park The remains were discovered while a restroom waste holding tank was being emptied. They are being treated as if they are human pending further examination.
	Bettendorf Police Department supports QC Honor Flight with patriot patch program For the second year in a row, Bettendorf Police Department will partner with the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities to raise awareness and money for this local chapter of the Honor Flight Network, which flies America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring their sacrifices. To help them do that, [...]
	United Steelworkers ratify new three-year contract with Arconic According to USW Local 105, United Steelworkers (USW) members ratified a new three-year contract with Arconic. The contract covers nearly 3,400 workers at facilities in Davenport, Tennessee, Indiana and New York. About 1,800 members of the steelworkers union are in the QCA. According to a release from USW: The agreement includes compounded wage increases of [...]
	Arconic union workers ratify new contract Officials with United Steelworkers Local 105 announced that the contract had been ratified in a Facebook post.
	Henry County man charged with disseminating child pornography Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in a child pornography investigation that led to an arrest in Henry County.
	Miller-Meeks seeking fourth term, Iowa's MAHA bill becomes law: News 8 This Week - May 24, 2026 News 8's Jon Diaz speaks with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who is seeking reelection in Iowa's First Congressional District. Plus, Iowa's MAHA bill becomes law.
	Traffic Alert: 2nd Street and Gaines Street intersection closed The intersection of 2nd Street and Gaines Street is closed for utility work.
	Feenstra touts support from Branstad, GOP officials ahead of primary U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, left, spoke with supporters of his gubernatorial campaign gathered for an event in West Des Moines May 27, 2026 ahead of the June 2 primary. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)In the final days ahead of the June 2 primary, gubernatorial candidate Randy Feenstra rallied Wednesday with former Gov. Terry Branstad and other GOP officials, telling the crowd his victory in the primary will ensure current Republicans’ work continues at the state Capitol. West Des Moines Mayor Russ Trimble, who hosted the event at his home, recognized more than a dozen local leaders from around central Iowa, as well as state officials including Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer and Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, who are supporting Feenstra. Feenstra is the U.S. representative from Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. He is running for the Republican nomination against Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer; former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen; former state Rep. Brad Sherman of Williamsburg, and state Rep. Eddie Andrews of Johnston. They are hoping to succeed Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is not seeking reelection. In his remarks, Feenstra thanked Branstad — who served as Iowa governor until 2017, when he became U.S. ambassador to China during President Donald Trump’s first term in office — for his leadership in Iowa. Feenstra said he planned to build on the longtime GOP governor’s legacy if elected. “I want to build off what you created, the foundations of you and Kim Reynolds and the next generation, of taking this state to new heights,” Feenstra said. U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, left, was joined by former Gov. Terry Branstad, who spoke in support of his campaign for Iowa governor at an event in West Des Moines May 27, 2026. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Branstad told the crowd he did not give his support to Feenstra lightly, but said he believed he was Republicans’ best shot for defeating Democrat Rob Sand. The state auditor is running unopposed to be Iowa’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the general election. “It’s critically important that we keep the governorship,” Branstad said. “We have five candidates for governor. I want to make sure that we have a Republican governor. And I gave a lot of thought to this before I made the decision to endorse Randy Feenstra — I have seen the job that he did in the Iowa Senate, I’ve seen the job he’s doing in the Congress for us, and I know he’s a humble, hardworking Iowan who really cares about everybody in this state.” Branstad criticized Sand for presenting himself as a “moderate” candidate, saying this was a tactic used by other Democratic candidates who won recent gubernatorial races. “That is exactly what the Democrats are doing all over — look at what happened in New Jersey, look what happened in Virginia,” Branstad said. “They ran as moderates, and they’ve governed as socialists. … I’m concerned that we don’t win the governorship in Iowa, we’ll see all these people that have socialist tendencies appointed as judges as department heads. …We’ve gone from big deficit under the Democrats to a surplus of over $2 billion with Republicans. We need to keep that going, and we need your help to get the message out. Randy Feenstra is the one that I can absolutely am convinced can do it. He’s got the record and the experience to represent all of Iowa, and to do it very well.” Feenstra echoed these comments. Speaking with reporters, he said he was looking forward to debating Sand, because he wants to “show everyone who the real Rob Sand is in this state, because he hasn’t done that himself.” “I’ll do it anywhere, any place, wherever he wants to do it. I’ll debate,” Feenstra said. In the lead-up to the GOP primary, Feenstra has declined to participate in the two debates hosted by Iowa Press and KCCI. His opponents and some other Republicans in the state have criticized him for skipping the events. Feenstra said his campaign has focused on meeting people through campaign events rather than debates, which he said were not productive. “For me, it was all about talking one-on-one to talk to each Iowan,” Feenstra said. “I want them to ask me questions and say, ‘hey, you know, how can I help? How can we take this thing to new heights, collectively?’ On a debate stage, it’s just people throwing arrows at each other. That gains nobody anything, right? But when you’re out working it … It’s so important that you hear from them and understand what they see as important, like lowering property taxes.” Winning the most votes in the June 2 primary is not necessarily enough for a candidate to become their party’s nominee in the primary. In order to become the nominee, a candidate must win at least 35% of the vote on June 2 — a potentially difficult goal with five candidates in the race. If no candidate meets this threshold, delegates sent to the Iowa Republican state convention June 13 will choose the party nominee. Feenstra said, “I’m looking to earn every vote in Iowa. I’m working every day to do that. I believe I’ll win, we’ll pass with over 35%.” Early voting is underway for the June 2 primary election. Find more information on how to vote here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Ex-Davenport Central security guard pleads guilty to federal child exploitation charges A former Davenport Central security guard has pleaded guilty to federal charges accusing him of trying to meet a minor for sex and coerced others to send him nude images.
	Pay It Forward: Muscatine professor advocates for mental health awareness amid cancer fight Muscatine Community College professor Lori Sheppard is turning a personal cancer battle into a message of hope.
	Skeletal remains found in Kewanee's Northeast Park The remains were discovered by a company working in the park Wednesday afternoon.
	Opioid settlement funds help expand women’s recovery housing at RICCA The funding comes from nationwide opioid settlements paid by major companies in the pharmaceutical supply chain for their role in the opioid crisis.
	Quad-Cities leaders discuss homelessness solutions at Moline panel Leaders from Quad City social service agencies joined with business and government leaders from across the QCA for a homeless roundtable Wednesday morning in Moline.
	River Bend Food Bank in Davenport to receive donation through America 250 initiative The donation is part of a partnership between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and america250.org.
	Nebraska, Indiana, Louisiana AGs sue to stop Trump admin marijuana reclassification Signs in the bowels of the Nebraska State Capitol advocate for legalization of marijuana. Aug. 2, 2024. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — The Republican attorneys general of Nebraska, Indiana and Louisiana filed a lawsuit headed into Memorial Day weekend to stop the Trump Justice Department’s order reclassifying marijuana as a less harmful drug. The lawsuit, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit combined with a similar lawsuit by marijuana opponent Smart Approaches to Marijuana, argues the Trump administration circumvented its regular rulemaking process. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers. Oct. 9, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The AGs argue the push to skip typical public notice and comment periods put the validity of the change at risk and write that the move to reclassify marijuana also might violate a 1967 international treaty on handling narcotics. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers had no immediate comment through a spokeswoman Wednesday, but he has said many in Nebraska law enforcement disagree with the president’s push to change how the feds classify marijuana. The lawsuit questions the federal government’s workaround, which essentially makes it the middle man, purchasing the medicine from growers, adding a nominal fee and selling it back to satisfy treaty requirements. Hilgers has argued that loosening federal restrictions on marijuana as a Schedule I drug like LSD and heroin to a Schedule III drug alongside Tylenol with codeine could make it easier to push for recreational legalization. Hilgers and U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, a former two-term governor, have argued against the legality of two medical cannabis laws Nebraska voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024. Nearly all states have approved some form of the drug. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Part of their objection: President Donald Trump’s move could make legal arguments against medical marijuana more difficult as Nebraska’s Medical Cannabis Commission inches toward getting growers going for the medicine. Buds of marijuana on display inside Mother Earth Wellness in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. (Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) Another issue mentioned in the filing: Taxes land differently on more loosely regulated Schedule III drugs, which could make growing the medicine cheaper in states that have legalized medical cannabis. Advocates for medical marijuana have criticized Hilgers and Ricketts for resisting what more than two-thirds of Nebraskans approved and have argued publicly that their continued resistance could lead to broader legalization efforts. Crista Eggers of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the organization that led the successful 2024 ballot issue, said Wednesday that she and other advocates of the medicine figured this was coming. Hilgers faces Democrat Jocelyn Brasher, a former assistant attorney general, in the Nov. 3 general election. “Nebraskans should be outraged that taxpayer resources are being spent to challenge the Trump administration’s medical cannabis reform on an issue voters overwhelmingly approved at the ballot box,” Brasher said in a statement. “Mike Hilgers is … interfering with decisions that families, patients and doctors have already made clear they support.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. US_APP_CADC_26_1130_d22589517e609_PETITION_FOR_REVIEW_2175155_of_a_decision_by_feder Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Skeletal remains found in Kewanee park restroom Northeast Park in Kewanee will remain closed Wednesday night after police found skeletal remains in a restroom waste-holding tank at the north end of the park. Police say an employee contacted the department Wednesday afternoon after discovering the remains, including what appeared to be a human skull, while emptying the tank. The Kewanee Police Department [...]
	DOJ charges Google staffer over Polymarket trades netting $1.2 million It's the second known case of the federal government filing criminal charges against someone who allegedly used insider information to make a large profit on a prediction market site.
	Summer festivals navigate rising costs ahead of fair season Festival leaders said inflation is creating challenges behind the scenes, from transporting carnival rides to operating generators and booking entertainment acts.
	Possible human skull found in Kewanee park, police say Kewanee police said what could be a human skull was found in a waste holding tank at Northeast Park.
	Iowa budget bill could change college graduation requirements University of Iowa students could have new requirements to graduate under a provision in the state’s budget bill. Iowa Democrats are calling for Gov. Kim Reynolds to line-item veto it.
	Iowa switches to federal SUN Bucks summer EBT program DES MOINES, Iowa -- As the school year comes to an end, many Iowa families are preparing for how they will keep children fed during the summer months when school meals are no longer available. This year, Iowa is once again participating in the federal Summer EBT program, also known as SUN Bucks, which provides [...]
	Potential gameplan developed against QCA housing insecurity With rising prices across most facets of life, Illinois representative Eric Sorensen (D) hosted a roundtable discussion with local affordable housing leaders in the Quad Cities to figure out root problems causing housing insecurity and homelessness. Over the past few years, the housing market in the Quad Cities has become strained. Fewer people want to [...]
	Eldridge looks to pass referendum to build new city facilities Eldridge is looking at building a new city hall, police department and public works building because the current facilities are not keeping up.
	SC solicitor running for attorney general calls for stricter oversight of Medicaid applications Solicitor David Stumbo, who is running for the GOP nomination for attorney general, said he would push for more tools to combat Medicaid fraud during a news conference at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C., on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)COLUMBIA — A solicitor running for attorney general said Wednesday he would use the office to push for legislation giving the state’s top prosecutor more power to go after Medicaid fraudsters. The calls from David Stumbo, who’s competing in a three-way race June 9 for the GOP nomination, come amid increased scrutiny nationwide on allegations of fraud in government-funded assistance programs. It’s a uniting issue for Republicans, including his primary opponents. After claims of Medicaid fraud in Minnesota, which led to charges against 15 people accused of stealing more than $90 million, the Trump administration in March created a task force focused on eliminating improper payments of government assistance. On Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance, the group’s chairman, hosted an anti-fraud meeting at the White House attended by Republican state attorneys general. Feds announce charges in ‘unprecedented’ Medicaid fraud scheme in Minnesota South Carolina isn’t among the states the administration has pointed to as examples of rampant fraud. But “South Carolina is not immune from this,” Stumbo told reporters at a Statehouse news conference hours before a televised debate in the attorney general’s race. “We don’t want to be the next national scandal when it comes to abuse of Medicaid dollars,” he continued. The state participated in a national investigation billed as the largest in history, which resulted in charges last year against 11 people accused of defrauding taxpayer-provided health care programs in South Carolina by more than $23 million. Stumbo, the chief prosecutor for Abbeville, Greenwood, Newberry and Laurens counties, pointed to numbers from data analysis company LexisNexis that he claimed shows thousands more South Carolinians could be receiving Medicaid payments who shouldn’t. The state’s Medicaid agency, however, said the data he used was inaccurate. Stumbo complimented Attorney General Alan Wilson’s work prosecuting people receiving improper payments. The attorney general’s office has two offices dedicated to investigating Medicaid fraud, one for recipients and one for providers. The unit that looks into Medicaid recipients, which has five investigators and two attorneys, works with the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the Medicaid program, to uncover and prosecute fraud cases, said attorney general’s office spokesman Robert Kittle. During 2025, the office’s work resulted in more than $535,000 paid back to the state Medicaid agency from improper payments. The office had 254 investigations pending at the end of 2025, Kittle said. Stumbo says the office needs more tools to further investigate fraud and send people found guilty to jail for longer periods of time. Both of his GOP opponents agree. 11 charged with defrauding taxpayer-funded health care in SC as part of nationwide takedown That would require change from the Legislature. A bill the Senate passed unanimously April 15 — which Stumbo said he would advocate for as attorney general — would have given the office more power to request information. It also sought to increase penalties based on how much a person received in illegitimate payments. Advocacy from Wilson’s office for the bill included helping craft its tiered penalties, Kittle said. The House never took up that bill, so it died with the end of the legislative session. But Sen. Billy Garrett, the bill’s main sponsor, said he intends to re-introduce the legislation ahead of the 2027 session starting in January. Garrett, a Greenwood Republican, has endorsed Stumbo’s bid to be attorney general. Stumbo, of Greenwood, also said he would ask legislators for money to expand the number of attorneys working on Medicaid fraud cases and buy technology, potentially using artificial intelligence, to evaluate whether everyone on the rolls should be getting the government assistance. What Stumbo’s opponents said Stumbo’s opponents in the GOP primary, Sen. Stephen Goldfinch and Solicitor David Pascoe, said they also intend to prosecute Medicaid fraud to the fullest extent if they win. Goldfinch, of Murrells Inlet, is a co-sponsor of the bill, which he called a good piece of legislation. He hadn’t seen the exact numbers Stumbo was referencing Wednesday, he said, but he was in favor of any effort to reduce taxpayer dollars going to people who shouldn’t get it. “Any fraud we ought to seek out, pursue and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” Goldfinch said, adding that he hoped to crack down on other types of insurance fraud as well. “My office would do that with not just Medicaid fraud but any fraud.” Pascoe, chief prosecutor for Calhoun, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties, said he felt the existing attorney general’s office should be investigating and prosecuting more cases, since fraud appears to continue happening. “Any time we get additional tools to combat corruption, I am for it,” said Pascoe, who lives in St. Matthews. “I also worry Medicaid fraud is rampant in South Carolina because of the lack of prosecution that we have in Medicaid fraud.” Incomplete data The amount of fraud Stumbo pointed to Wednesday to prove his point, however, was overblown, the state’s Medicaid agency said. The data came from LexisNexis, which helps determine whether Medicaid applicants are eligible. Garrett asked for information on people enrolled in May 2025 in a Medicaid program specifically for people with a disability or older than 65 who had more money than they should to qualify. Single applicants to the program are allowed to have no more than $9,950 in their bank accounts to receive payments under the program, while married couples can’t have more than $14,910, according to the agency. “Medicaid is for sick kids. It’s for grandmothers. It’s for those that are poor and need the services, not for millionaires, not for fraudsters,” Stumbo said. LexisNexis reported that at least 9,316 people had more than the amount of money allowed under the Medicaid program, according to a report provided to reporters. Of those, 1,056 had between $100,000 and $1 million, according to the report. Two had more than $1 million. Because of health care privacy laws, the report did not include names. Stumbo estimated that means at least $147 million was improperly paid. “This is not accurate,” Eunice Medina, director of the state’s Medicaid agency, wrote in a letter to Garrett last June. Garrett and Stumbo acknowledged their estimate relied on incomplete numbers. Most of the people in the LexisNexis report aren’t in the health care program because the agency determined they don’t qualify, Jackson Wilkens Burnaugh, spokeswoman for the Medicaid agency, told the SC Daily Gazette on Wednesday. Of the nearly 10,000 applications flagged as possessing more than $10,000, most were denied entry. Nearly 1,700 were later found eligible and admitted, and close to 600 were removed from the rolls for not meeting the criteria, Medina wrote in her letter to the senator. “I want to be clear that information submitted to you by LexisNexis positing an annual cost avoidance of $147.2 million in our state’s Medicaid program incorrectly assumes SCDHHS wrongly enrolled each individual LexisNexis flagged,” Medina wrote in the letter, provided Wednesday to the Daily Gazette. In the report, LexisNexis noted it does not receive additional information about the applications, including whether they are new applications or regular checks of verification. The company also does not know whether a person is filing as an individual or part of a couple, meaning some might have been within their limits depending on their type of application. Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
	East Moline Christian's rare presidential portrait collection puts American history on display Lined along the school's hallways are portraits of the first 43 presidents and first ladies, all painted by renowned artist Lawrence Williams.
	NJ defends record on uncovering Medicaid fraud in response to White House criticism New Jersey is on track to recover $200 million in potentially fraudulent Medicaid payments this year, state officials said in response to White House criticism around oversight. (iStock / Getty Images Plus)Investigators in New Jersey recovered more than $160 million in excess or potentially fraudulent Medicaid payments to healthcare providers last year and are on track to claw back even more taxpayer dollars this year, according to state officials. New Jersey Attorney General Jen Davenport joined attorneys general from a handful of other Democratic-led states Tuesday to highlight the work their offices are doing to combat fraudulent activity in Medicaid in the wake of what they said are partisan attacks on their oversight of the healthcare program from the Trump administration. In New Jersey, fraud investigations are also done by the state comptroller, an independent government watchdog that has recovered close to $200 million so far this year, a spokesperson said. “Millions of hard-working New Jerseyans depend on the critical services provided through programs like Medicaid and we’re committed to protecting those programs, even while Congress and the federal administration have taken a sledgehammer to key parts of the safety net,” Davenport said. The Trump administration has slashed federal funding for Medicaid, which covers 1.8 million New Jerseyans and pays for nearly two-thirds of all nursing home residents here. It has also moved to blocked Medicaid payments to some Democratic states, claiming regulators were not doing enough to root out fraud. Comments from the attorneys general were sparked by a meeting Vice President J.D. Vance held Tuesday to discuss anti-fraud efforts with a select group of state fraud investigators, most of them from states run by Republicans. Davenport and several other Democratic attorneys general said representatives from their teams were not allowed to participate. At the start of the meeting, Vance said addressing fraud should be a non-partisan goal. “Everyone should care about saving the American taxpayers money. And everyone should care about protecting the programs that only work and are only properly funded if the money funding those programs isn’t being stollen by fraudsters,” he said. President Trump signed an executive order in March to create a task force to address various government forms of government fraud, problems Trump said were exacerbated by states embracing “loopholes” and expanding eligibility in taxpayer-funded programs like Medicaid. In New Jersey, insurance fraud investigators in Davenport’s office recovered some $30.8 million in Medicaid payments during fiscal year 2025, according to the most recent federal data available. The team clawed back $9.8 million through this work in fiscal year 2024 and $7.8 million the year before. The Attorney General’s Office also indicted and convicted more than two dozen individuals as part of these cases over those three years, according to the data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which runs Medicaid and monitors state-level fraud prosecutions. The state comptroller can’t pursue legal action on their own, but the office employs a team of several dozen fraud investigators that have helped New Jersey recover more than $1.2 billion over the past decade, past reports show, and it refers likely bad actors to the attorney general. The comptroller’s office has frequently found itself investigating low-performing for-profit nursing homes. The comptroller’s Medicaid division got back some $132.5 million in overpayments or potential fraud in fiscal year 2025, according to its annual report. Recoveries reached $119.2 million in fiscal year 2024 and $114.5 million in fiscal year 2023, other reports show. Recoveries for fiscal year 2026, which began last July, approached $193.2 million through April, comptroller spokesperson Laura Fredrick told the New Jersey Monitor. “The New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller’s Medicaid Fraud Division’s priority is safeguarding taxpayer dollars through strong oversight, accountability, and recovery efforts. Recovery figures may reflect a range of enforcement and review activities, and we remain committed to identifying improper payments and ensuring public funds are protected,” Fredrick said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Western Illinois farmers discuss fear, financial losses after livestock attacks Farmers near Kirkwood say livestock attacks killed multiple sheep and show cattle, leaving communities concerned as search efforts for the wild dogs continue.
	1 rescued in casino sign fire A person working on a casino sign was rescued after it caught fire Wednesday morning.
	Davenport's Levee Inn to undergo feasibility study Potential options for the site include fully restoring it as a food service building, turning it into a concession stand or making the site a landmark.
	Davenport's Levee Inn to undergo feasibility study Potential options for the site include fully restoring it as a food service building, turning it into a concession stand or making the site a landmark.
	Body of missing Burlington woman found The body of a missing Burlington woman was found Wednesday. According to a release, on May 26 at approximately 7:15 p.m., the Burlington Police Department took a report of a missing person identified as Karen Aller, 69, of Burlington. Aller was last seen around noon on May 25. On May 27 at approximately 1:02 p.m., [...]
	More people charged in Iowa City Pedestrian Mall fight, shooting on April 19 Five people were shot and hospitalized, including three University of Iowa students. Police previously said none of the victims were targets of the shooting.
	Kewanee police asking community to avoid Northeast Park Police said there is no threat to public safety. News 8 will update this story when we learn more.
	Quad City Sparks looking to expand lacrosse's presence for girls in the region There's been a club lacrosse team locally for about a decade. But new this year, parents, coaches and athletes of the female players broke off and formed the Sparks.
	1 rescued in Catfish Bend Casino sign fire A person working on a casino sign was rescued after it caught fire Wednesday morning.
	Geneseo officers find missing elderly woman with dementia thanks to tracker bracelet program The woman had just picked up the dementia bracelet on Sunday, before going missing on Wednesday. Thanks to the bracelet, officers found her within 30 minutes.
	IPR's 2026 summer book guide for kids and teens Summer's here and it’s a great time to share a book with a child or find some books that will light up the imagination of the kids in your life.
	Missing Burlington woman found dead Police said Karen Aller was found dead on Wednesday afternoon in a ravine off Cascade Terrace. She was last seen on Monday.
	Annual 'Taste on the River' fundraiser benefitting Red Cross on June 17 Folks are invited to taste and judge creations from local chefs at the annual event, happening June 17 at the Bend XPO Center. Proceeds benefit our local Red Cross.
	Arkansas’ most populous county approves data center moratorium, but with exemption Pulaski County residents, including many opponents of data centers, attend the county quorum court's meeting in Little Rock on May 26, 2026. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)Arkansas’ most populous county approved a yearlong pause on new data centers, but critics expressed frustration that the moratorium carves out one of the projects that’s prompted public backlash. The Pulaski County Quorum Court narrowly voted Tuesday to exempt Connecticut-based AVAIO Digital’s planned data center near Wrightsville from the temporary moratorium. The center is one of two in the county that’s prompted a backlash in the Little Rock area, with the city taking up new regulations next week. Local elected officials and business leaders support the two data center projects as job creators and tax revenue generators. County residents said data centers are not worth the loss of farmland, excessive use of drinking water and increase in electricity costs. Teri Drennan said she supported the moratorium but found the AVAIO exemption disappointing. “Arkansas is the Natural State, and tonight I heard, ‘Natural State be damned. Money, money, money,’” Drennan said late in the four-hour meeting. Supporters say moratorium leaves questions unanswered Construction on data centers has grown exponentially nationwide due to the rise in artificial intelligence in the past few years. Members of the public have increasingly called for more limits on where data centers can be built and how they use local resources. Arkansas Explained: Understanding the data center boom and debate Earlier this month, the quorum court voted to send proposed regulations to the county planning department for further study instead of placing the item on Tuesday’s agenda. Another data center is in the works at the Port of Little Rock, where the city sold land to Google last year for a planned $1 billion, 300,000-square foot data center. State and federal approval is still pending related to wetlands on the property. The AVAIO data center is likely to be one of the most power-intensive nationwide. Its initial 150 megawatts of power, already planned via a contract with Entergy Arkansas, could expand into 1 gigawatt. Republican Justice of the Peace Phil Stowers said he supported exempting AVAIO from the permit moratorium because it has “spent a heck of a lot of money to invest in this community.” “All I’m asking is that we don’t cut their knees out from underneath them,” Stowers said. At the court’s meeting earlier this month, Stowers drew the ire of the public for interrupting Wendell Griffen, the Democratic nominee for county judge, while he expressed opposition to data centers. Griffen posted on Facebook Wednesday morning that the county’s moratorium left several questions unanswered, including the legality of giving AVAIO an exemption. “Pulaski County should be open for new business development projects that are regulated in fair, transparent, and effective ways,” Griffen wrote. Democratic Justice of the Peace Natalie Capps questioned if AVAIO had a plan to decommission the project “if the world changes and we no longer need these data centers.” AVAIO project manager Thomas Nessel replied that decommissioning “has not been a focus, but it’s something we’re certainly willing to entertain.” Nesel said the center’s average daily demand for water would be about 200,000 gallons during warmer months, while in the colder months “it basically doesn’t run.” Central Arkansas Water CEO Tad Bohannon (right) gives a presentation about data centers’ water use to the Pulaski County Quorum Court on May 26, 2026. At left are Justices of the Peace Aaron Robinson, Luke McCoy and Phil Stowers. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Central Arkansas Water CEO Tad Bohannon said the companies behind the data center projects have promised to recirculate the water they use to cool their servers, which he said is the most effective use of water for data centers. “Our water is an economic driver,” Bohannon said. “Our water is so good that people want to use it.” Democratic Justice of the Peace Julie Blackwood said she was concerned about water pollution, citing a Georgia center run by Meta that turned drinking water brown. “When you’re dealing with big business, when you’re dealing with corporate power, when you’re dealing with huge billion-dollar companies, things happen, and they happen all the time, and they seem to happen not in the benefit of the public,” Blackwood said, receiving a positive response from the audience in the packed meeting room. The AVAIO exemption to the moratorium narrowly passed with eight votes, the minimum for a majority on the 15-member court. The moratorium itself passed with 10 votes. County Attorney Hamilton Kemp told the court he questioned the moratorium’s legality, saying a 2023 Arkansas law prohibits local governments from banning data center permits. Supporters of the moratorium said it wasn’t a ban since it’ll end after a year. Legislative efforts to curb the 2023 law that opened the door for data center growth in Arkansas have not advanced in the past few years, including during April’s fiscal session. Little Rock limits coming up next week The Little Rock Board of Directors plans to take up data center regulations at its June 2 meeting. The regulations proposed by Mayor Frank Scott would require applicants to submit water use reports to the city and set noise limits for data centers, among other things. During an agenda-setting meeting Tuesday, Director Lance Hines said he believes the planned Google center already meets the proposed requirements. Hines accused data center opponents of having an explicit left-wing agenda. A recent Gallup poll showed that a majority of Democrats and Republicans have said they would be opposed to having a data center built where they live, though Democrats were more likely to be strongly opposed. “It’s socialism and communism trying to stop this country from advancing, and [AI] is probably going to be the biggest frontier we’ll see in our lifetimes,” Hines said. Courtesy of Arkansas Advocate
	Gov. Sherrill seeks limits on data center construction Gov. Mikie Sherrill said the boom in data center construction has led to “real concerns” about their impact on electric rates, water quality, and more. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Wednesday that she backs legislation that would regulate data centers and seeks to implement new policies aimed at limiting the industry, which has faced opposition here in New Jersey and nationwide. Sherrill, a Democrat, said during a press conference at the Trenton Statehouse that her administration’s plan would hold the booming industry accountable while still positioning the Garden State to lead in artificial intelligence innovation. “AI is driving an explosion in the construction of even bigger centers nationwide. There are real concerns about their impact on our energy bills, our water supply, our quality of life. And there are worries that growth is happening without transparency or concern for our communities,” Sherrill said. NJ car insurance rates soar, driving some to dump coverage New Jersey is home to more than 80 data centers currently operating or under construction. Critics have fought, sometimes successfully, to halt local approval of the centers, driven by concerns over noise, water usage, and potential impacts on property values. The governor said the Sherrill administration’s data center plan has four parts: requiring data centers to contract with power generators and pay for grid upgrades that are needed to handle their energy consumption rather than passing those costs to residential ratepayers; passing a measure that would require data centers to report energy and water usage to the state every six months; implementing a statewide standard for agreements between municipalities and data centers; and requiring that data centers hire local trade workers and pay prevailing wages. “Instead of asking New Jerseyans to subsidize big tech, we’re asking big tech to improve our grid, making it more efficient and reliable and improving costs for everyone,” she said. She added that she wants to get “strong bills on my desk as soon as possible.” Sherrill said the state would help towns negotiate community investments with developers, saying new recreational facilities, community centers, and computing resources in schools to incorporate AI into curriculum are among the possibilities. Agreements may also require data centers to address issues like noise and pollution. “For a long time in America, it was understood that if a business wants to thrive in a community, it has to give back to that community. So, we’re developing strong, statewide guidelines for community benefit agreements for this industry,” she said. Lawmakers across the country are grappling with how to address data center power demands and prevent them from hiking utility bills for residential homes. Fourteen state legislatures have introduced moratoriums or bans on data centers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Tensions have spilled over in New Jersey, where residents in towns like Andover, Monroe, Cherry Hill, and Kenilworth have urged their municipal leaders to reject data center plans. Earlier this month, a coalition of 60 groups asked Sherrill to temporarily halt the approval of large-scale data centers over concerns they could cause “irreversible harm” to communities. Business associations and some environmental groups applauded Sherrill’s move. “Like all development, opportunities and challenges are presented, and getting the right balance to move projects forward is significant,” Michele Siekerka, president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said in a statement. “The Governor’s parameters and expectancy of transparency are some first steps in establishing a process to get the ball rolling.” Food and Water Watch state director Matt Smith, however, called the administration’s plan a “half-hearted attempt to rein in the increasingly out-of-control data center industry.” He repeated calls for a full moratorium on any new AI data centers. “It is ultimately a question of if — not how — the data center industry can ever operate in a sustainable, responsible manner in New Jersey,” he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Juvenile injured in Moline crash Police said the crash took place after several children entered the road on 19th Avenue. A driver attempted to stop, but one child was hit, suffering minor injuries.
	OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute launches website that lists clinical trials OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute has launched a new website listing open clinical trials. The page is here, according to a news release. The site offers search capability that allows people to learn what type of cancer the clinical trial focuses on, and what phase the trial is in. With a commitment to top-tier research and cancer clinical [...]
	Juvenile hit by vehicle in Moline crash A juvenile was hit by a vehicle in Moline Wednesday afternoon.
	Candidates for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District talk affordability for Iowans Two GOP incumbents rallied the troops Tuesday ahead of the June 2 primary.
	Child injured in Moline crash A child was injured shortly before 2:15 p.m.Wednesday in the area of 11th Street and 19th Avenue, Moline, in a crash involving a vehicle and a pedestrian, according to a news release from Moline Police. Preliminary investigation indicates a vehicle was traveling westbound on 19th Avenue when several children entered the roadway. The driver attempted [...]
	Shapiro pitches sustainability, transparency requirements for data center developers Construction continues on a data center being built at the former Homer City Generating Station in Center Township, Indiana County May 14, 2026. Previously, the largest coal-burning power plant in Pennsylvania, the plant is being transformed into a natural gas-powered data center campus. (Photo by John Beale for the Pennsylvania Capital-Star)After broadly sketching a plan to manage data center growth during his February budget address, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered details of his Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards that developers would be required to satisfy to claim tax benefits from the commonwealth. Acknowledging Pennsylvanians’ concerns about energy affordability, air and water pollution, noise and the overall impact on the quality of life near data centers, Shapiro said the state needs to be selective about the projects built here. “As Pennsylvania continues to compete for major economic development projects and lead on innovation, we have a responsibility to set strict accountability standards and ensure these projects create real opportunity for our communities,” Shapiro said in a statement. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. While some environmentalists applauded the standards as strong guide rails for the data center industry, others were critical that they would be voluntary and not prevent a developer from building an ill-conceived project. “Shapiro’s GRID plan reads like a Big Tech wish list,” Megan McDonough, state director for Food and Water Watch Pennsylvania, said. “This plan is an admittance that Pennsylvania has a data center problem — but this is no solution.” The tech industry group Data Center Coalition, which lists Amazon, Google and Microsoft among its top tier members, said it’s concerned the plan would create a complicated framework challenging development in the commonwealth. Dan Diorio, state policy director for the coalition, said data center owners recognize the importance of responsible development. “At the same time, it is fair to ask why this industry — which is central to modern life, economic growth, national security, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and our broader digital culture — would be held to a set of standards and requirements that are not similarly applied to other major energy users, large-scale industries, or economic development projects,” Diorio said. Two GOP state lawmakers, meanwhile, said they were introducing a package of bills to repeal a sales tax break on computer equipment for data centers. It would redirect sales tax revenue on the equipment to reduce the state gas tax. The legislation by Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh) and Rep. Jamie Walsh (R-Luzerne) would also give municipalities the option to impose an 18-month moratorium on new data center applications to allow them time to update zoning ordinances and other policies on power supplies, water consumption, noise and setbacks. An outpouring of frustration over Pennsylvania’s rapid data center growth In a policy statement Wednesday, Shapiro’s office detailed the proposal to require data center developers to prove that they are entitled to tax benefits available from the state. Those would include an exemption from sales tax on certain computer equipment and tax incentives for building in designated economic development zones. With AI gaining a foothold in everyday life, developers have proposed and built hyperscale data centers to continue developing AI models and house the computing resources needed for their commercial deployment. Large modern data centers resemble distribution warehouses, but house thousands or millions of servers. Data centers that support internet streaming services, e-commerce and other online resources have been around for decades. But hyperscale facilities can consume as much electricity as a small city, require water for cooling and are equipped with natural gas or diesel generators to allow operations to continue uninterrupted in the event of a power cut. Many of those living near proposed data centers across the state have strongly voiced opposition and pressured local officials to block them. But developers get the benefit of land use regulations that are in effect at the time a plan is filed, so some municipalities are scrambling to pass zoning amendments before new proposals are filed. The GRID Standards would require developers to apply for certification, outlining how they would satisfy mandates for protecting energy affordability, promoting transparency and community engagement, supporting workforce and economic development and protecting the environment. If an application satisfies the requirements, the state Office of Transformation and Opportunity and Department of Revenue would certify the project. It would then be eligible to participate in the PA Permit Fast Track Program, which streamlines permitting for major infrastructure and economic development projects that require permits from multiple state agencies. QTS, a company with more than 90 data centers across the country, is constructing a $1 billion center off Hands Mill Highway in unincorporated York County near Lake Wylie, South Carolina, as seen on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Terry Roueche/South Carolina Daily Gazette) Data center developers can currently be certified by the Revenue Department to qualify for a sales tax exemption on computer equipment. Shapiro called on the legislature to amend the Computer Data Center Equipment Exemption Program to make it part of the GRID standards. The current sales tax exemption would cost the commonwealth $517 million annually by 2030. Under the GRID Standards, applicants would be required to spend their tax savings on key public priorities including investment in education, infrastructure, public safety, workforce development and environmental protection. The Office of Transformation and Opportunity would post detailed information about projects granted GRID certification on its website. Once operational, data center developers would be required to maintain certification and tax breaks by providing audited documentation of compliance with the standards or face revocation of benefits. Among the requirements, a developer must submit a plan detailing how it would provide for its energy needs by building, bringing or buying power capacity without affecting other utility customers. Projects over 100,000 square feet would be required to have provisions for rooftop solar panels and clean energy requirements would increase over time. To foster transparency and community engagement, a GRID application would be required to reveal the name of the company that will manage the facility or use at least half of its capacity; notify local governments of its plans, hold public meetings to allow meaningful public input; and provide a detailed timeline and number of public meetings the developer will hold in addition to meetings for zoning applications or other local permitting. Developers would also be required to meet benchmarks for workforce and economic development that include a commitment of $250 million in new investment. They would also be required to create at least 200 jobs during construction that pay the minimum prevailing wage, at least 50 permanent jobs paying at least 125% of the statewide average wage, have a payroll at the data center of at least $1.5 million annually by the fourth year of operation and have a hiring plan for recruiting and training local workers. Community members protest ahead of a special Box Elder County Commission meeting to discuss the Stratos project, a massive data center proposed for an unincorporated area in Box Elder County, Utah, on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch) It would also be mandatory for them to work with local government to develop a community benefits agreement covering the phases of development; noise, vibration and lighting studies; a traffic study; air quality protection consistent with state and federal standards; a plan to address aesthetic concerns; emergency management training, coordination and resources for first responders; and financial contributions to local priorities. Finally, developers would have to submit a sustainability plan detailing technologies to minimize power and water consumption by obtaining certification under a recognized efficiency standard such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program. They also must minimize local air pollution by using emission free backup energy sources such as battery storage or using generators that meet the strictest standards for diesel engine emissions. Some environmentalists applauded the proposal, saying it would bring long-overdue accountability to the rapidly expanding data center industry. “These standards recognize that we cannot allow Big Tech to threaten our environment or our financial stability,” Molly Parzen, executive director of Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, said. Clean Power PA Chair Katie Blume said the group is particularly encouraged by the provision that participating data centers would be required to use progressively more clean energy over time to maintain their certification. It would count solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, geothermal in conjunction with storage as qualifying sources. Clean energy requirements would ramp up from 10% in 2027 to 14.5% in 2030 and 32% by 2035. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE “Pennsylvanians are right to expect that massive new electricity users won’t drive up everyone else’s bills or strain a grid that’s already under pressure,” Blume said, adding they set clear expectations for projects seeking state support. “Data centers should cover the full costs associated with their interconnection and load, and they should build, bring, or buy new electric capacity to match their growth — not shift costs onto ratepayers.” Parzen said it’s now up to the state legislature and Shapiro administration to follow through on the mandates, putting the onus on Senate Republicans to act. She noted the House has already passed legislation that would require data centers to pay their fair share for grid upgrades and fuel their growth with new clean energy resources to minimize the impact on energy prices. Other bills are focused on providing municipalities with tools to respond to data center proposals. “The ball is now squarely in the court of the Senate, particularly Republican leadership,” Parzen said. “They must decide whether they will stand with multi-billion-dollar tech corporations or Pennsylvania families struggling under skyrocketing electricity costs.” Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana), who has been a champion of large-scale data center development, said data centers have become an intensely debated national issue and lawmakers have seen “an evolving view” of their development. “The broad construct of the Governor’s current proposal aligns in many ways with shared concerns expressed by many Pennsylvanians,” he said. “I fully expect legislative discussions on this matter to continue throughout the coming months, as the topic requires thoughtful consideration to contemplate all consequences intended, or unintended.” Courtesy of Pennsylvania Capital-Star
	Construction at Second and Gaines, Davenport, snarls traffic Drivers taking the Centennial Bridge from Illinois to Iowa may encounter significant traffic at the end of the bridge for the forseeable future. A spokesperson for the City of Davenport said the construction taking place at Second and Gaines Streets is utility work ahead of a larger project that will raise the road, using a [...]
	Cy-Hawk football game will air on NBC in primetime NBC will broadcast the annual Iowa vs Iowa State football game at 6:30 p.m. on September 12th at Kinnick Stadium.
	GDPR, NIS 2, and DORA converge on one problem: Third-party risk GDPR, NIS 2, and DORA converge on one problem: Third-party riskRegulators no longer ask whether you manage vendor risk—they assume you do. And if you don’t, you pay for it.Three independent EU regulations—the GDPR, NIS 2 directive, and Digital Operations Resilience Act (DORA)—stress that it’s your responsibility to manage third-party risk. These regulations offer security frameworks that support different industries and risk profiles, but they all lead with strict fines and pressure to enforce third-party risk management.Under the GDPR, gaps in core security and operational controls drove 25% of the fines in 2025, up 40% year over year. DORA emphasizes third-party oversight, too, with 34% of financial firms calling its requirements the hardest to meet. NIS 2 has also explicitly expanded its requirements to introduce mandatory cybersecurity obligations across the supply chain.When three separate regulations align on a shared expectation, it signals a structural business risk and makes vendor management an “always on” activity. This is reflected in Vanta’s 2025 State of Trust Report, with more than two-thirds of organizations spending significant time on security reviews and worrying about vendor breaches.Third-party risk is more regulated nowAbout five years ago, third-party risk management (TPRM) was mostly treated as a best practice, but repeated large-scale vendor security incidents have since turned it into an enforced obligation.In 2023, MOVEit experienced an exploited, undetected zero-day vulnerability, resulting in breaches affecting more than 2,700 organizations. Because the software was used in workflows involving sensitive data, the impact didn’t stop with the vendor: It created downstream liability for many organizations, triggering regulatory scrutiny and over $10 billion in remediation costs across sectors.MOVEit is only one of several vendor-related breaches in recent years. Regulators have responded accordingly by formalizing TPRM requirements across frameworks across the EU regulatory space, where vendor risk accountability is enforced:GDPR: Under Article 28, controllers are responsible for ensuring their processors implement appropriate security measures, and remain liable if they don’t.NIS 2: Article 21 requires organizations to assess and manage cybersecurity risks across their vendor ecosystem.DORA: ICT third-party risk management is a standalone pillar with thorough oversight requirements.‍Vendor risk management is a visibility problemFor many teams, vendor risk is still mostly invisible. This is concerning because you cannot manage what you can’t see.Vanta’s State of Trust Report (2025) found that organizations spend nine working weeks a year on vendor risk assessments and security reviews. Yet 56% still experienced a vendor breach in the past year. In the EU, a PwC Luxembourg survey found that 58% of firms believe that their third-party providers still have major compliance gaps between effort and outcomes.Plainly, most organizations don't have enough continuous visibility into third-party threats, which shows up in several ways:No centralized inventory of third parties and their access.Compliance is assessed at onboarding, then rarely revisited.Reliance on static questionnaires and self-reported attestations.No real-time overview of vendor security posture.Outdated, manual-heavy vendor risk management practices can create issues. While third-party risk changes continuously, many teams still rely on point-in-time, fragmented reviews, which limit their ability to make time-sensitive risk decisions. EU regulations updated requirements around ongoing monitoring, incident reporting, and more to address these gaps in existing TPRM models.TPRM obligations: How GDPR, NIS 2, and DORA overlapWhile the three regulations differ in scope and terminology, their third-party risk obligations align:GDPR. Data processing agreements, processor due diligence, and breach notification obligations (the 72-hour window applies to the controller even if the processor is breached)NIS 2. Supply chain risk assessments, security criteria in vendor contracts, and incident reporting across downstream dependenciesDORA. ICT third-party risk registers, ongoing monitoring for critical service providers, vendor offboarding procedures, and concentration risk management (e.g., avoiding over-reliance of key vendors)All three require continuous vendor assessments, security obligations built into contracts, and incident reporting across the entire vendor ecosystem.Third-party risk management work shouldn’t be siloed across frameworks. Managing controls for each in isolation can effectively triple the effort for the same results. Streamlining the efforts also reduces the oversight risk that can trigger compounding violations. The leading compliance solutions for European organizations address this by mapping controls across frameworks, eliminating redundant work while maintaining full regulatory coverage.How much a GDPR, NIS 2, or DORA violation can costThird-party breaches under EU regulations can result in significant penalties:GDPR. Up to €20M or 4% of global turnover for the previous fiscal year. Since 2018, cumulative fines have exceeded €7.1BNIS 2. Up to €10M or 2% of global turnover for essential entities, with potential personal liability for senior management.DORA. Up to 2% of global annual turnover for organizations, or up to €1M for individuals. Critical ICT providers may face fines of up to €5M, plus an additional daily penalty of 1% of average daily turnover.The actual impact on your organization balloons when a single violation results in compounded liability with serious financial and operational consequences. That financial liability can scale rapidly if you face DORA penalties, as the regulation’s daily accrued penalties of up to 5 million euros create a “burn rate” that few balance sheets can sustain. Beyond the fines, organizations face a contractual indemnity gap. Vendors typically cap their liability at a fixed amount, which rarely reflects the true cost of a failure, leaving your organization to absorb most of the regulatory and financial impact.Furthermore, the reputational damage is permanent. Customers don’t always know the difference between your breach and a vendor’s. Meanwhile, B2B buyers now view a lack of vendor visibility as a disqualifying security failure.When regulators—and customers—hold you accountable for your vendors’ security, trust just has to be continuously verified, not annually.Three regulators, one common direction for third-party risksGDPR, NIS 2, and DORA all reinforce the same expectation: 24/7 vendor risk accountability. Traditional TPRM approaches can’t offer this level of assurance. Static evidence and point-in-time reviews from a month ago have no value if you have to answer for real-time risks in your supply chain.That brings us to the most obvious question: If regulators by default think your vendors are a problem, do you have the visibility to prove otherwise?Organizations navigating Europe’s regulatory landscape must be able to adapt to this shift quickly and treat vendor risk as a continuous discipline instead of a procurement checkbox.This story was produced by Vanta and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Have you seen these suspects? Crime Stoppers wants to know! Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities wants your help catching two fugitives. It’s an Our Quad Cities News exclusive. You can get an elevated reward for information on this week’s cases: JAMES DENNISON, 31, 6’, 193 pounds, blonde hair, blue eyes. Wanted by Iowa DOC High Risk Unit for escape on convictions for theft and [...]
	Iowa “Pie Lady” brings her tasty, feel-good film to Bettendorf Library on Saturday “PIEOWA: A Piece of America,” a 2025 feature documentary, will be shown at the Bettendorf Public Library at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 30, followed by a Q & A with Beth Howard (and free pie, of course).
	NC GOP lawmaker removes name from anti-abortion bill after social media outcry (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)A North Carolina Republican lawmaker has taken the unusual step of publicly retracting his sponsorship of an anti-abortion bill. That’s after critics on social media said it would sanction the killing of doctors and nurses who perform abortions, women who have abortions, and even women who use some kinds of contraception. House Bill 1232, if passed, would allow voters this November to decide whether to amend the state’s constitution to define human life as beginning at the moment of conception. Under the measure, individuals seeking abortions “shall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first degree murder.” The bill also says that “any person has the right to defend his or her own life or the life of another person, even by the use of deadly force if necessary, from willful destruction by another person.” It does not allow exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. Jen Hamilton, a labor and delivery nurse, posted a video to Instagram claiming H1232 allows people to kill individuals using contraceptives that prevent the implantation of a fertilized embryo, like IUDs. “We can’t feed kids in school, and we won’t give healthcare to people, but we will make it legal to murder women who use birth control,” Hamilton said in the video. The video earned 193,000 likes and more than 45,000 shares in a single day. Rep. Ben Moss (R-Richmond) removed himself as a primary sponsor of the bill, he shared on social media Tuesday night. The move leaves Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) as the measure’s sole sponsor. Moss said he remains “firmly pro-life,” but raised concerns about wording in the bill, saying it needs more work. “Unfortunately, portions of the bill’s current language have led to significant misunderstandings and differing misinterpretations,” Moss said. It’s not the first time Rep. Kidwell has proposed legislation on fetal personhood, or the concept that a fetus, embryo or fertilized egg has the same rights and legal status as a person after birth. His previous efforts haven’t advanced through the General Assembly. Kidwell did not respond to NC Newsline’s request for comment. Kidwell lost the Republican primary election for his seat in March, winning about 650 votes fewer than his challenger, Darren Armstrong. Without a Democratic opponent, Armstrong is set to secure the seat in November. Lynne Walter, advocacy and organizing manager at Pro-Choice North Carolina, said there are better ways to help families in the state. “While out-of-touch Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly are busy filing extremist anti-abortion bills, we North Carolinians are struggling to pay for our healthcare costs, put food on the table, and fill up our gas tanks,” Walter wrote in an email. The bill calls for North Carolina to recognize an embryo as an “individual person, entitled to the protection of the laws of this State” beginning at fertilization, which also calls into question the future of in vitro fertilization in the state. Embryos that are not used are generally destroyed, which would become illegal under Kidwell’s amendment. Israel Cook, state legislative counsel at the Center of Reproductive Rights, said there was mass chaos and confusion after the Alabama Supreme Court recognized personhood for embryos. IVF clinics temporarily shut down, leaving patients unable to receive care. “We could see the same chaos in North Carolina under a bill like this,” Cook told NC Newsline in a statement. “North Carolinians who want to expand their families would suffer.” David McLennan, a political science professor at Meredith College, said he doubts the legislature will pass the bill. North Carolina law currently allows abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Members of leadership have said they’re comfortable with that gestational limit. “It’s definitely several people in the General Assembly who would like to eliminate access to abortion, but it’s not where the majority of the legislators are,” McLennan said. A spokesperson for Rep. Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) told NC Newsline the Speaker is “proud of the landmark pro-life legislation passed in 2023.” NC Democratic lawmakers take aim at ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ over alleged deceptive practices In this midterm election year, Democrats are expected to outperform their counterparts across the aisle. Polls nationally and within the state have shown low enthusiasm among GOP voters and a waning approval rating for President Donald Trump. If the measure were put on the ballot in November, it could aid Republicans in driving turnout. GOP lawmakers are pushing iother constitutional amendments in droves, hoping to draw their supporters to the polls. But H1232 could be a double-edged sword, McLennan said. “It could drive Democratic turnout, and people who normally don’t vote in midterm elections, because this is such a hot-button issue,” he said. “I’ve done polling on it. Very few North Carolinians favor a complete ban on abortion.” Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Sparks aim to expand girls lacrosse presence in Quad Cities region There's been a club lacrosse team locally for about a decade. But new this year, parents, coaches and athletes of the female players broke off and formed the Sparks.
	Dr. Oz visits Iowa to highlight state’s rural health initiative Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz is in Iowa City Wednesday to talk about his department’s federal initiative to fund rural healthcare.
	Burlington police find missing woman’s body The body of a missing woman was found in Burlington Wednesday afternoon.
	Senior serves as Page for a Day with Rep. Dan Swanson A senior at Quad Cities Christian School in Moline joined the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield as a Page for a Day on Tuesday, May 26. Megan Hewitt was the guest of State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha). “It was very nice to have Megan at the Capitol for the beginning of what promises to [...]
	NPR's newsroom shrinks through buyouts and layoffs At least 18 NPR journalists have accepted buyouts and another 10 have been laid off as the public media network attempts to save money and reorganize the newsroom.
	14 science-backed tips to recover after a bad night’s sleep 14 science-backed tips to recover after a bad night’s sleepMost of us are familiar with the frustration of a restless night spent watching the clock. First, don’t stress—it’s perfectly normal to have some not-so-restful nights.While you may not be able to make up for lost sleep instantly, you can manage your physiology the next day to stay productive and alert. Below, Oura explains how to boost your energy after a poor night’s sleep and how to set yourself up for high-quality rest the next night.1. Don’t Hit the Snooze ButtonIt’s tempting, but those extra nine minutes of fragmented sleep can actually make you feel worse. This phenomenon, known as sleep inertia, leaves you feeling groggy for longer. Instead, get up as soon as the alarm goes off to help your body start its natural wake-up process.2. Seek Natural Sunlight ImmediatelyExposure to bright light—ideally sunlight—within 30 minutes of waking helps reset your circadian rhythm. Light suppresses the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and boosts cortisol to help you feel alert. If it’s dark outside, consider using a high-intensity light therapy box.3. Hydrate with ElectrolytesWhen you’re tired after a bad night’s sleep, you’re more vulnerable to dehydration—and in turn, dehydration exacerbates fatigue and brain fog.To halt this vicious cycle, make sure to start your day with a large glass of water. Current guidelines recommend about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) for women. Plus, adding a pinch of sea salt or electrolytes to your water can help with cellular hydration, ensuring your brain has the fluids it needs to function despite the lack of rest.4. Time Your Caffeine StrategicallyCaffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant for a reason: It works. Caffeine blocks adenosine—the chemical that builds up and makes you sleepy—and increases activity in your brain and central nervous system to kick tiredness to the curb. Aim for 75 to 150mg of caffeine, which has been supported in research to increase alertness.Don’t reach for coffee the second you wake up. Instead, wait about 90 minutes, which allows your body to naturally clear out adenosine. And avoid grabbing it late in the day, as afternoon caffeine can stay in your system and negatively impact your sleep the next night, too.5. Try a Cold ShowerIt may not be the most pleasant way to wake up, but research suggests that cold water immersion can raise your levels of norepinephrine and dopamine—two neurotransmitters that play an important role in energy and alertness. To get the benefits, aim for a 2- to 3-minute cold shower, but feel free to switch between warm and cold water.6. Eat a High-Protein BreakfastAvoid heavy carbs and sugars in the morning, which can lead to a spike in your glucose levels and subsequent crash. Opt for protein-rich foods like eggs, Greek yogurt, or a protein shake to provide steady energy levels throughout the morning.7. Take a Strategic Power NapIf your schedule allows, a 10-20 minute power nap can provide a significant cognitive boost. Keep it under 30 minutes to avoid entering deep sleep, which would leave you feeling more tired upon waking.8. Prioritize Your Hardest Tasks EarlyThe cortisol awakening response refers to a surge in the stress hormone, cortisol, that typically occurs 20 to 45 minutes after awakening. You can take advantage of this response by tackling your hardest tasks earlier in the day, before cortisol levels tend to dip significantly in the afternoon.9. Silence Your NotificationsThe average smartphone user gets 46 notifications a day—constant dings tempting to pick up your phone. However, this information overload contributes to mental fatigue, and it can make it harder to concentrate on your day’s tasks.In fact, research has shown that each time we’re distracted, it can take up to 23 minutes to regain focus. To help you get through the day after a bad night, turn off your notifications to give yourself the best chance of concentrating.10. Get Moving with Light ExerciseWhile an intense gym session might exacerbate your exhaustion, light movement—like a 10- or 15-minute walk outside—increases blood flow to the brain and releases endorphins. The combination of movement and fresh air is a natural fatigue fighter. In fact, one study found that stair walking boosts energy levels more so than a low dose of caffeine!11. Practice Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR)If you can’t nap, try 10 minutes of non-sleep deep rest (also known as NSDR or yoga nidra). These types of guided practice can put you in a hypnagogic state that mimics deep sleep, and studies show it can increase dopamine levels and cerebral blood flow, which can help you feel more energized and awake.12. Take Some Deep BreathsBreathing exercises can not only help calm your nervous system, but they can also help increase alertness.Alternate nostril breathing, in particular, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, delivering a calming yet clarifying effect. One study found that it lowers blood pressure and increases alertness.Here’s how to do it:Sit in a comfortable upright position.Use your right thumb or forefinger to close your right nostril.Inhale through your left nostril, then close your left nostril.Exhale through your right nostril.Alternate sides for up to 5 minutes. 13. Avoid Late Sugar and Heavy MealsWhen you’re tired, your body craves high-calorie junk food due to a spike in the hunger hormone ghrelin. Resist the urge to reach for sugary snacks and empty carbs late in the day, and stick to balanced meals to avoid a metabolic slump. 14. Set the Stage for Tonight’s SleepDon’t go to bed too early, as this can further disrupt your circadian rhythm. Stick to your normal bedtime, but dim the lights two hours prior and avoid screens. Your goal is to build up enough sleep pressure to ensure deep, restorative sleep tonight.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow do I get through a workday on no sleep?Focus on getting natural light exposure, strategic caffeine timing, and tackling complex tasks early in the morning when alertness is highest.Is it better to snooze or get up immediately after a bad night?You should avoid the snooze button. While those extra nine minutes feel like a gift, they result in fragmented sleep. This triggers sleep inertia, a state of grogginess that lasts much longer than if you had simply gotten up with your first alarm.Does coffee help with sleep deprivation?Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors, which temporarily masks fatigue, but it does not replace the biological necessity of sleep.What should I eat for breakfast if I’m feeling exhausted?Skip the sugary cereals and heavy carbs, as these lead to a glucose spike followed by an energy-draining crash. Instead, opt for a high-protein breakfast like eggs or Greek yogurt. This provides a steady stream of energy to keep you functional through the morning.Is a 20-minute nap better than no nap?Yes, a 20-minute power nap can improve alertness and motor skills without the grogginess associated with longer sleep periods.If I’m exhausted, should I go to bed earlier than usual to catch up?Surprisingly, no. You should stick to your normal bedtime to keep your circadian rhythm consistent. To prepare for a better night, focus on dimming the lights two hours before bed and avoiding screens, allowing sleep pressure to build up naturally.This story was produced by Oura and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Vermont is first state to ban toxic herbicide paraquat, as others may follow A Utah farmer harvests crops on his family’s farm in Weber County in September 2025. Vermont became the first state to ban the use of a toxic herbicide used on crops across the country. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)Vermont became the first state to ban the use of the highly toxic herbicide paraquat after Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed Democratic-sponsored legislation this week. Vermont’s new law bans the sale or use of paraquat without explicit approval from the secretary of agriculture. Widely used to control weeds in major crops across the country, that chemical is linked to Parkinson’s disease. More than a dozen states have recently introduced legislation to ban or limit the use of paraquat, according to The Council of State Governments. “With Vermont leading the way, states across the country now have a clear path to end the use of one of the most toxic herbicides still on the market,” Geoff Horsfield, legislative director for the Environmental Working Group, said in a news release. “This is a turning point in the effort to protect public health from a chemical that has been tied to devastating neurological harm.” Nitrate contaminates the drinking water of millions of Americans, study finds The nonprofit research and advocacy organization has been pushing for an end of paraquat use, which is banned in more than 70 countries. Lawmakers in nearby New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania are also considering paraquat bans. And bills to ban or limit its use have been proposed in Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says paraquat is one of the nation’s most widely used herbicides. But because of its inherent risks, only certified individuals may apply the herbicide and the agency warns against using it near home gardens, schools, parks, golf courses or playgrounds. “Paraquat is highly toxic,” EPA’s website says. “One small sip can be fatal and there is no antidote.” Contact to the skin, swallowing or breathing the herbicide can cause lung damage, heart failure, kidney failure and has been linked to certain cancers. Agricultural giant Syngenta has faced thousands of lawsuits from people claiming the company did not warn consumers of the dangers of its weedkiller Gramoxone, whose key ingredient is paraquat. In March, Syngenta announced it would end global production of paraquat by the end of June. Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@stateline.org. Courtesy of Stateline
	A Taste on the River returns for 31st annual Red Cross fundraiser You're invited to taste and judge creations from local chefs at the annual event, happening June 17 at the Bend XPO Center. All proceeds benefit our local Red Cross.
	The 10 most expensive states for e-commerce sales tax in 2026 and how to plan your Q2 and Q3 strategy around them The 10 most expensive states for e-commerce sales tax in 2026 and how to plan your Q2 and Q3 strategy around themAs finance leaders across the country close the books on Q1 and look ahead to the rest of the year, the landscape for tax-efficient growth is shifting beneath them.While many teams focus on customer acquisition costs or churn, sales and use tax can bite into margins by driving all-in pricing up for purchasers and turning them away. In states where combined rates now exceed 10%, this effect is more impactful.By noting these high-burden jurisdictions, your business can better implement pricing and procurement strategies, inventory placement, and expansion plans. To identify the most expensive states for e-commerce sales in 2026, Anrok drew on data from the Tax Foundation, the Sales Tax Institute, and Bloomberg Tax — and translated those findings into actionable guidance for cross-state tax planning.How the e-commerce sales tax burden is measuredEvaluating sales tax impact in U.S. states requires looking beyond the headline state sales tax rate. The true impact to businesses can be appreciated by looking into local rates, which can substantially impact the combined average rate. The combined rate includes both state-level and local district taxes. E-commerce businesses making remote sales must also be wary of economic nexus rules, as covered by the Sales Tax Institute, a sales tax training organization.Not all sales tax obligations are created equally and the rules governing what is taxable can vary significantly from state-to-state. For instance, some states exempt things like groceries, clothing, or digital goods entirely, whereas others tax them at full or reduced rates. For e-commerce sellers, these product-based distinctions can meaningfully shape tax mitigation strategies. A business selling a mix of taxable and exempt goods might find that its effective tax burden differs from the headline combined rate, depending on which states it has nexus in. Sellers operating across multiple states should match their product catalog against each state’s taxability rules, not just their rates, to accurately forecast tax liability.Further, economic nexus thresholds determine when your sales volume, measured by either dollar amount or number of transactions, requires you to collect and remit tax in a state where you don’t have physical presence. In high-rate states, hitting these thresholds earlier in Q2, and failing to timely register to collect, report, and remit sales tax, can have a major impact on your ability to do business in a state, and cause you to incur penalties and interest.The ranking: 10 most expensive states for e-commerce sales taxBased on 2026 combined state and local tax rates in the U.S., using Tax Foundation data, the following 10 states topped the list for tax expense. For businesses aiming to scale quickly, these regions are where tax automation services and strategic pricing will be most critical. Anrok When combining both the sales tax rate and the average local sales tax rate for these top 10 states, the total figure shakes out as follows:Louisiana — 10.11%Tennessee — 9.61%Washington — 9.51%Arkansas — 9.46%Alabama — 9.46%Oklahoma — 9.06%California — 8.99%Illinois — 8.96%Kansas — 8.69%New York — 8.54%The true tax situation is more complex than these percentages indicate. Take Louisiana, for example. Louisiana is particularly notorious for its numerous parish-level taxes, which can make determining which local rates are applicable a manual nightmare for any SaaS or remote e-commerce company. Reporting requires breaking out sales in each Parish individually, which can be time consuming and result in a drain on resources.Washington and Tennessee, which don’t have state income taxes, rely heavily on sales tax to fund state operations. Given this reliance, they tend to be more aggressive in auditing and leveraging broader definitions for the taxability of goods of services, specifically SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.Other states, like Utah, have complex shifts between origin-based and destination-based sourcing. For intrastate sellers this could result in different sourcing rules between sales of physical goods and digital services.High-volume states like California and New York may rank lower than others in average combined rates, but their massive market sizes concentrated in their major cities with high local rates, often result in some of the highest combined rates in the country. The high population and resulting volume in sales in these cities often mean e-commerce sellers hit economic nexus thresholds rather quickly, making economic nexus exposure tracking important. Remote sellers engaging in multistate sales may be exposed to all of these factors, which is why developing a framework for operating in a multistate sales model is crucial.Cross-state planning frameworkQ2 and Q3 make for excellent implementation months after reviewing Q1 data. If your organization is nearing nexus thresholds in any of the top 10 states, your midyear planning strategy should be centered around four pillars:Nexus threshold monitoring: Most states trigger their nexus at $100,000 in sales and/or 200 transactions, as outlined by Bloomberg Tax. Please note, some states are moving toward eliminating transaction-count thresholds in favor of revenue only.Filing frequency adjustments: As sales volumes grow in Q2, states may move you from annual to monthly filing, which increases administrative and compliance overhead. If this applies, automating the process before the holiday rush or year-end peaks is critical.Adhering to marketplace facilitator rules: Be aware that if you sell through platforms like Amazon, Etsy, and more, the facilitator is often responsible for collecting tax. However, those sales will still count toward your economic nexus threshold calculation in some states. Additionally, in states like Washington, marketplace sales may count toward your Business & Occupation (B&O) tax obligations.Watching for digital goods and SaaS tax exemptions: Finally, not all high-tax states treat digital products and services as equal. While prewritten software is typically taxable wherever software is taxable, custom software is often exempt, so audit your product catalog for mitigation opportunities based on your product tax classifications..All of these tips can help you ensure adherence to all tax calculations and avoid underreporting.The tax cost of growthAs 2026 continues, the complexity of e-commerce sales tax compliance will only increase as states seek to capture revenue from a growing industry. For finance leaders at high-growth companies, your goal shouldn’t just be to be compliant but also to ensure that tax risk and exposure are factored into every expansion decision. Whether you’re looking at territory planning, product pricing, or something else, addressing your position in these high-tax jurisdiction states in the midyear planning cycle can protect your business from unexpected payments.This story was produced by Anrok and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How to write effective sales copy How to write effective sales copyYour sales copy is costing you deals. Every day, SDRs and AEs send messages that get ignored, deleted, or worse — marked as spam. Not because your product isn't valuable, but because your words aren't connecting.Good sales copy is at the heart of every sales outreach, whether it's a landing page, a sales prospecting email, a sales video or a cold calling script.This article from Apollo details how to write sales copy that gets responses, books meetings, and drives revenue — with practical frameworks, real examples, and common mistakes to avoid.What is sales copy?Sales copy or copywriting is putting together words in such a way that they will persuade your target audience to buy from you.Sales copywriting uses psychological triggers to communicate the benefits of a product in a compelling way. That’s why there are many copywriting formulas out there.For example, copywriter Ray Edwards says that your sales copy starts with writing your big idea or thesis statement. And this is the formula he offers:Any [YOUR AUDIENCE] can [SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM] by using [YOUR PRODUCT], because [HOW IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM].However, this is just one piece of your sales copy. Depending on the medium you are using or the type of copy you are writing, there are many different elements that you have to include.Common copywriting elements are:Person – identify your target audience in your messageProblem – describe their current situationPain – relate to the pain their problem is causingConsequences – mention what will happen if they don't solve the problemFuture – show them what their life could be like if they solved the problem (with your solution, of course)Solution – tell them a story that illustrates how their problem can be solvedTestimonials – share a real transformation case study or testimonialOffer – tell them what you are selling, focusing on benefits more than featuresCall to action – ask the reader to buyKey principles of effective sales copyGreat sales copy requires a solid foundation. While formulas and templates are helpful, the best copy follows a few core principles that work every time. Internalize these, and you'll be miles ahead of the competition.Focus on benefits, not features. No one buys a drill because they want a drill. They buy it because they want a hole. Your prospects don't care about your “synergistic platform”; they care about how it saves them time, makes them more money, or eliminates a headache. Always translate your features into your customer's results.Write like a human. Ditch the corporate jargon and stiff, formal language. Write like you're talking to a smart colleague over coffee. Use contractions, ask questions, and let your personality show. People buy from people they know, like, and trust.Clarity is king. If your reader has to stop and think about what you mean, you've already lost. Use simple words, short sentences, and clear logic. Your goal isn't to sound smart; it's to be understood instantly.Provide proof. In a world of empty promises, proof is your most valuable currency. Use customer testimonials, case studies, data points, and social proof to back up your claims. Show, don't just tell.How to write sales copy for emailsSecond only to writing powerful email subject lines, knowing the one action you want readers to take is the most important element in creating email copy.Before you write anything, decide what is the purpose of your email: click on a calendar link, download a resource, reply back, buy something? Effective email copy has only one call to action, otherwise it would be confusing for the readers.And confused readers won't buy anything.Here are two copywriting techniques you can use to write compelling sales copy.The PVC MethodThe PVC methodology is a Stevie Award winning sales methodology developed by Vengreso. PVC stands for Personalization, Value, and Call-to-action.Personalization: go beyond the name, title and company and include relevant details that show you did your research, like mentioning recent things they shared on social media or important news from their company. It's all about customer-centric writing.Value: Always include value in your email copy. It can be a video, a blog post, podcast episode, or guide that will help solve one of the pain points of your potential customer.Call-to-action: This doesn't necessarily mean a sales pitch asking them to buy something. It all depends on what stage you are with your prospect in the sales process. Early on you can have low commitment CTAs like:Ask them to download a giftAsk a simple question so they can reply and initiate a conversationInvite them to an eventAsk a question that validates their problemThe PAS FormulaThis copywriting formula is a great way to persuade prospects to give your product a try.PAS stands for Problem, Agitate, Solution. Basically, you start by describing a problem, agitate that problem pointing to the emotions it causes, and then offer your solution.Sales copy examples that convertTheory is great, but seeing copy in action is better. Here are the PVC and PAS methods applied to real-world scenarios.PVC Example:Hey, Susan!I recently saw your LinkedIn post where your company won an innovation award! It must feel great to be part of the team that has received such recognition.I'm reaching out because as a Sales Manager, I know you are trying to generate more leads, improve the quality of those leads, and decrease the time it takes to create SQLs.That’s exactly how we helped ACME Inc. In fact, they were able to increase SQL’s by over 300% and create a 200% increase in revenue within a 6-month period.In this video, the VP of Sales at ACME Inc. tells you how they did it – INSERT LINK.PAS Example:Hi, John!The majority of sales managers we speak to have a common problem they are trying to solve: their reps spend too much time jumping from one tool to another and manually inputting data in the CRM, instead of actually selling.I know how frustrating this is, as reps should be focusing on what they do best: selling and hitting quota.I believe we have the solution you need.We offer an all-in-one sales technology tool that includes intelligence data, engagement features, and as well as analytics and sales metrics that seamlessly integrates with your CRM.I'd like to invite you to attend a live demo to see how we can help you increase your team's productivity. Click here for more information.Tips for writing better sales copyWrite as if you were having a conversation with a friend.Avoid jargon and technical language. Write with clarity and use simple words.Don't be boring trying to sound smart – just be yourself.Write in short sentences.Break up paragraphs to have more white space.Tell a story when appropriate (but keep it short).Use analogies to explain what you offer.Address objections when necessary.Provide proof with testimonials or product reviews.Common sales copy mistakes to avoidSometimes, the fastest way to improve is to stop doing what's not working. Are you guilty of any of these common copy killers?The "we we we" monologue. Your copy should be about your customer, their problems, and their goals. If your message is full of "we do this" and "our product has that," you're talking to yourself. Flip the script and make them the hero of the story.A vague call-to-action. Don't leave your reader guessing. "Let me know what you think" is not a CTA. Be specific and direct. "Can you check the calendar and book a 15-minute slot?" is much better.Trying to be too clever. A witty pun is great if it lands, but it's a disaster if it causes confusion. Prioritize clarity above all else. A simple, direct message will always outperform a clever but confusing one.Start writing copy that converts with the right toolsEffective copy will help you close the sale. So, work on your copywriting skills to become a better salesperson.Frequently asked questions about sales copyWhat's the difference between sales copy and marketing copy?Think of it this way: marketing copy attracts, and sales copy converts. Marketing copy (like a blog post or social media update) builds brand awareness and educates a broad audience. Sales copy (like a cold email or a demo landing page) is designed to persuade a specific prospect to take a specific action, like booking a meeting or making a purchase.How long should sales copy be for different channels?It depends on the context. For a cold email, shorter is almost always better — aim for under 150 words. For a landing page, it can be longer if you're explaining a complex product, but it must be scannable with clear headlines and bullet points. The rule is: Be as long as you need to be to make your point, but not a single word longer.What's the biggest mistake in B2B sales copy?The biggest mistake is focusing on your product's features instead of the customer's problems and desired outcomes. No one cares that your software uses “advanced algorithms.” They care that it can cut their team's manual data entry by 10 hours a week. Always lead with the benefit.How do I personalize sales copy at scale?This is the million-dollar question. The key is using a tool that combines data and automation.Can AI help me write better sales copy?Absolutely, but think of AI as your co-pilot, not the pilot. AI is fantastic for generating first drafts, summarizing research, and personalizing messages based on data. However, the best results always come from a human reviewing, refining, and adding that final touch of strategy and personality.This story was produced by Apollo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Thursday, May 28th, 2026

Wednesday, May 27th, 2026