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

Tuesday, October 6th, 2026
	What to know about nationwide protests in India over voter list changes The campaign is led in part by India's "Cockroach" youth movement, which previously forced the education minister to resign.
	Vietnamese police arrest 12 suspected of prowling city streets at night, snatching cats for meat State media cited investigators who said the network recruited people to ride motorcycles through neighborhoods at night, trapping up to 10 cats a night.
	Growing young musicians: Quad City Symphony Orchestra expands educational programs, and with it, youth artistry For decades, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra has dedicated money and resources to growing youth musicianship in the Quad-Cities through robust education programs.
	Colona family raising money for adaptive van for 4-year-old Grey Senteras, a Colona 4-year-old, was born with a severe form of spina bifida, and a slew of other health problems that make travel difficult.
	Launch Lab Baseball & Softball to open 24/7 facility in Davenport The nearly 4,000-square-feet space will offer 24/7 self-serving batting cage rentals, one-on-one lessons, team practice spaces, camps and clinics and more elite instructors.
	Quad-Cities colleges set the stage for careers across the theater world Augustana and St. Ambrose connect students with performing arts careers, practical experience and versatile skills extending far beyond the stage.
	What voters in 6 key states could tell us about the 2026 midterms Morning Edition is heading to Maine, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio and Michigan to hear what voters say is shaping their choices ahead of the midterm elections.
	A history of presidents naming things after themselves (It's short. They rarely do) While Trump pushes to get his name on the Kennedy Center and other public sites, history shows that sitting presidents have almost always avoided putting their brands on government assets.
	Warm couple of days ahead Highs will be well above average the next few days. Rain chances are very slim over the next week. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in physics for work on high-energy neutrinos from space The 82-year-old scientist, originally from Belgium, is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research into capturing neutrinos at the South Pole dates back to the 1980s.
	Deck vs. Cabin This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Even the most democratic of passengers who boarded a Mississippi steamboat during the golden age of river travel just…
	Disney, ABC battle Trump's FCC in court over free speech protections President Trump has repeatedly called for Disney's ABC to fire late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel, for mocking him. Trump has also routinely denounced ABC's The View, accusing it of being unfair.
	FBI's spy hunting squads hit with deep cuts even as foreign espionage threats soar The cuts come as a consequence of President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel's focus on violent crime and immigration, leaving other priorities understaffed.
	New Hollywood era begins with an epic mega merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. The Paramount and Warner Bros. merger has survived court challenges, public protests and regulatory scrutiny. Now, the Hollywood heavyweight, named Skydance, begins operating.
	Wildfire smoke affects animals in unique ways. Scientists are trying to understand it The new field of "smoke ecology" examines how wildfire smoke perturbs wild places and animals — and what might be done to prevent its worst mayhem.
	Democrats' advantage is clear with less than a month to go in the midterm elections President Trump is facing low approval ratings, and voters are blaming him for rising costs. Republicans are likely to pay the price at the ballot box next month.
	Pennsylvania’s public defense crisis is a constitutional crisis A judge's gavel in a courtroom. ((Stock photo by Greenleaf123/Getty Images)The constitutional right to counsel is one of the cornerstones of American democracy. But a constitutional right without adequate funding is merely a promise on paper. After years of chronic underfunding, the Defender Association of Philadelphia has been forced to make painful staffing reductions and reduce services that thousands of Pennsylvanians rely upon every year. The recent service reductions in Philadelphia should serve as a warning to the commonwealth: if the largest public defender office in Pennsylvania is reducing staffing to critical court programs — despite years of operational improvements, grant funding, and careful financial stewardship — the problem is structural underinvestment. These cuts are the predictable consequence of a system that has failed to invest in one of its most basic constitutional obligations. This is not simply Philadelphia’s problem. It is Pennsylvania’s. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. While public attention mainly focuses on police, prosecutors, and prisons, public defenders are equally essential to a functioning justice system. An effective public defense system strengthens public safety. Defenders help identify people who need treatment rather than incarceration, reduce unnecessary pretrial detention, negotiate resolutions that hold people accountable while promoting rehabilitation, and ensure court proceedings move efficiently. Every part of the justice system functions better when public defenders have the resources to do their jobs well. Pennsylvania remains an outlier nationally when it comes to funding public defense. For decades, it was one of the only states that did not provide recurring indigent defense funding, forcing counties to shoulder nearly the entire cost of this constitutional mandate. Although the commonwealth has finally begun investing in public defense, the current statewide appropriation of just $7.5 million is nowhere near enough to meet the need. While local governments in New York and New Jersey still carry significant fiscal responsibilities for public defense, they still invest more than Pennsylvania. Neighboring states like Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts assume primary responsibility for funding statewide public defense systems. These states invest tens or hundreds of millions of dollars annually to ensure constitutional representation, regardless of where someone lives. Pennsylvania’s fractional investment creates a patchwork system, where justice depends largely on local resources instead of constitutional guarantees. In our Commonwealth, the quality of representation — and ultimately, access to justice — can vary dramatically depending on zip code. A hallway in the Schuylkill County Courthouse in Pottsville on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Jessica Kourkounis/Pennsylvania Capital-Star) That is not what the Constitution promises. Pennsylvania has already acknowledged that indigent defense is a statewide responsibility by appropriating state funds for the first time. Gov. Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly should move the state toward a funding model that reflects making an investment in public defense a priority. The commonwealth should move toward a funding model that reflects the true cost of providing effective representation in all 67 counties — not one that leaves local governments to shoulder nearly the entire burden. Public defense is not a discretionary government program. It is a constitutional mandate. We would never expect police departments, prosecutors’ offices, or the courts to fulfill their responsibilities without adequate funding. We should not expect public defenders to do so either. The Defender Association of Philadelphia’s decision to reduce some services is more than a local budget story. It is a warning that Pennsylvania’s constitutional promise is becoming increasingly difficult to keep. The question is not whether we can afford to invest in public defense. The question is whether we can afford not to. A justice system is measured not only by how it prosecutes crime, but by how faithfully it protects the rights guaranteed to every person. Pennsylvania has an opportunity to demonstrate that those rights are more than words on paper. Keisha Hudson is the Chief Defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, which represents about 75% of the youth and adults charged with crimes in the city. She has more than 20 years of experience providing legal counsel to Pennsylvania’s most economically vulnerable citizens. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Capital-Star
	Jim Bakker, who built 'PTL Club' televangelism empire, has died at 86 Jim Bakker, along with his first wife Tammy Faye built an evangelical empire around the hugely successful "The PTL Club" TV show, only to lose it all over a sex scandal and financial crimes.
Monday, October 5th, 2026
	Iowa has 60 days to exclusively negotiate contract for Lee County steel plant The state of Iowa has 60 days to negotiate a contract with Mesabi Metallics to bring a proposed $15 billion steel plant to Lee County.
	A self-defense instructor’s thoughts on the Cornell sexual assault case I’ve been teaching self-defense for 25 years. I teach people to strike, to escape, to fight when they have to. I teach sexual assault prevention. And I’m going to tell you something most instructors won’t say out loud. There is no technique for this. Look at what is unfolding at Cornell right now. A former Cornell student says that in 2024 she was pressured to drink and take ketamine at the Chi Phi fraternity house until she could no longer function. Then, according to her lawsuit, seven men raped her over a period of hours. One of them allegedly advertised her in a fraternity group chat and invited his brothers to join in. No one was arrested. No one was charged. The only reason this story is in front of you now is that she filed a civil lawsuit this month. The public saw it. The public got angry. And only then did the district attorney reopen the case and announce he would take it to a grand jury. Read that again. The system moved because of public outrage. Not because of what happened to her. Cornell says it ran a months-long Title IX process. Her attorney says two of the seven were expelled. The rest got suspensions, workshops, and written assignments. The lawsuit alleges they were allowed to write essays to soften their punishment. Cornell denies that. But even by Cornell’s own account, most of the seven men accused of a gang rape were not expelled. And the men in that group chat? The ones who watched the invitation come in and did nothing? I haven’t heard a word about consequences for them. Online, the pile-on has already started. Not on the men. On her. She wanted it. She put herself there. She should have known better. That’s rape culture. Not a slogan. A pattern. Now let me speak as an instructor. Here’s the hard truth from the mat. I can teach a woman to fight off an attacker. I cannot teach a woman to fight off an attacker when her brain has been chemically switched off. Alcohol and ketamine don’t just slow your reflexes. They take away your judgment. Your awareness. Your ability to recognize you’re in danger at all. Every defense starts in the mind. When the mind is compromised, the defense is gone. The only tool left is the one that works before you lose it: presence of mind. The ability to notice that something is wrong with you and leave while you still can. I know how close this can come to home. Two stories stay with me. My daughter was a student at NYU. She was in a friend’s dorm room. Two male students were there. She took a drink. Within minutes she felt herself changing. Something had been slipped into it. She recognized what was happening. She said she was going to the bathroom. She walked out quietly, called an Uber, and went back to her own dorm. She did everything right. And I think about that night all the time. If she had waited ten more minutes, if the drug had hit harder or faster, she wouldn’t have had a choice to make. It could have ended very differently. And the people asking questions afterward would have been asking about her drinking. I know that because of the second story. One of my students has a daughter at a well-known university in the Southeast. Her daughter’s roommate was raped. When the university investigated, they interviewed my student’s daughter. Every question pointed in one direction. Was her roommate promiscuous? Was she the kind of girl who invited attention? They weren’t investigating a rape. They were building a case against the victim. Why would a university do that? Because institutions protect themselves first. Universities live and die by reputation. Sexual assault numbers hurt enrollment. Headlines hurt donations. So, there is pressure, spoken or not, to shrink the story. Reframe it. Find a reason it wasn’t really what it looked like. Essays. Workshops. Quiet suspensions. A victim who leaves school while the accused move on. That isn’t justice. That’s damage control. The law isn’t much better. New York has what’s become known as the “voluntary intoxication loophole.” Rape charges generally require force or a clear refusal, unless the victim was unconscious or drugged without her consent. If she drank on her own, even to the point where she could no longer say yes or no, prosecutors face a steep climb. The Tompkins County DA pointed to that very law when he explained why no charges were filed the first time. Think about what that means. The moment a woman takes a drink, the law hands her a share of the blame for whatever is done to her after she can no longer resist. The man who chooses to exploit her incapacity is protected by her choice to have a beer. That thinking runs deep, and it doesn’t stop at the dorm room door. It reaches into marriage. In 2015, a lawyer for Donald Trump insisted that you cannot rape your spouse. Years earlier, a Virginia lawmaker argued that a husband-wife rape conviction was nearly impossible when a couple shared a bed. These weren’t fringe voices. They were people with power, saying out loud that a woman’s consent can be assumed. And the imbalance doesn’t stop there. In a number of states, a woman who becomes pregnant from rape has no legal way to end that pregnancy, because the abortion ban makes no exception for rape. In some of those states, the doctor who helps her faces a harsher maximum sentence than many convicted rapists. She carries the consequences. He may never be charged at all. So where does that leave someone like me? I’m frustrated. I’ll say it plainly. I’ve spent my career building women’s confidence and capability. I believe in that work, and I’ll keep doing it. But if we measure sexual assault prevention by whether a woman can physically fight off her attacker, we are measuring the wrong thing. The defense has to start earlier. Before the drink gets spiked. Before the group chat lights up. Before anyone decides a woman’s body is there for the taking. It starts with men. “Boys will be boys” is not an excuse. “Locker room talk” is not harmless. Words become thoughts. Thoughts become actions. A culture that shrugs at the words will eventually shrug at the actions. We just watched it happen in a group chat, where one message offered a woman up and nobody stopped it. So, here’s what I’m asking for. From the law: close the loophole. Incapacity is incapacity, no matter how it happened. From universities: stop managing your reputation and start delivering consequences. Expulsion, not essays. From men: speak up. In the chat. In the locker room. At the party. The bystander who stays silent is part of the system that lets this happen. I’ll keep teaching women to protect themselves. But I’m done pretending that’s where the defense begins. It begins with the people who choose to cause harm, and the people who let them. Gus Bottazzi is Chief Instructor at Krav Maga Personal Safety and author of The Krav Maga Essentials Handbook: A Practical Safety System for College Students; How to Avoid, De-escalate, and Escape Real-World Threats Courtesy of CT Mirror
	How Rob Sand answered voter’s question about Iowa steel plant deal Iowa candidate for governor, Rob Sand, questioned the timing of a proposed $15 billion steel mill.
	Rock Island, Bettendorf holding Banned Books Week events in the Quad Cities Banned Books Week began in 1982 in response to a sudden surge of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores and schools.
	Rock Island announces new interim fire chief Battalion Chief Brandon Baker will serve as interim fire chief while Rock Island searches for a new full-time chief and deputy chief for the department.
	Eldridge finalizes new city-run fire department The previously volunteer fire company will officially become a city department in January.
	City council approves purchase agreement for Eldridge Community Center KGRD Green Bay LLC will have 60 days to inspect the building and decide if they want to pursue a purchase of the building.
	Monmouth City Council discusses whether to renew Flock camera contract The Monday night meeting was only to hear public comment. No decisions have been made.
	Bettendorf discussing traffic issues surrounding 7 Brew Coffee Officials are concerned that traffic around the chain can bottleneck very quickly, especially when the locations have certain promotions.
	The Grinders & Spaghetti House in Moline burglarized Security footage shows a pair of suspects stealing parts and copper from the restaurant's HVAC units.
	Eldridge approves fire department merger with city After more than a year of heated debate, on Monday the Eldridge City Council approved a merger of its volunteer fire department and the city. "For the fire department, for the council, for the community, it's been a tough road," said Eldridge Mayor Scott Campbell. That's a road that has people split on whether they [...]
	Monmouth won’t renew Flock Safety contract, police chief says Chief Joe Switzer told city leaders he doesn’t plan to renew the contract during a meeting Monday evening.
	Newsweek recognizes QCA nursing home as one of the best in the country A Davenport nursing home is being recognized as one of the best in the country. Good Samaritan made Newsweek's list of "America's Best Nursing Homes" for 2027. The facility was recognized in the 100 to 149-bed category. Newsweek's rankings consider performance data, peer recommendations, accreditation and patient satisfaction.
	Scott County Health Dept: Now is the time to get your flu vaccine Flu season is about ready to ramp up, so the Scott County Health Department is getting the word out: Now is the time to get vaccinated. Health officials say anyone ages six months and older, and people 65 and older, should get their flu shots. There's a higher dose for that age group, offering extra [...]
	Whiteside County sergeant resigns after Flock camera data misuse A Whiteside County Sheriff's internal investigation found an employee used Flock camera data for personal purposes. Sheriff John Booker says he moved to terminate the sergeant, but the resignation came before the disciplinary process was complete. The case has been referred to Illinois State Police for further review. Booker says the employee's actions do not [...]
	INTERVIEW: Illinois residents can dispose of household waste at RICO Fairgrounds event Illinois residents can dispose of household waste safely this weekend at a collection event at the Rock Island County Fairgrounds. Sarah Bambas from the Rock Island County Waste Management Agency joins Our Quad Cities Hami Arain to discuss the event. What is the Rock Island County Waste Management Agency? Rock Island County Waste Management Agency, [...]
	Roger Marshall’s attack ad against Adam Hamilton contains unauthorized image of children U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall's latest reelection campaign ad critical of Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton makes unauthorized use of an image of children sitting in a chapel at a Linwood camp. The camp's leaders insist Marshall remove the photo from the ad that opens with a picture of Marshall leaning on a fence. (Kansas Reflector screen capture of Marshall's campaign commercial)TOPEKA — The Tall Oaks Camp and Conference Center demanded Monday that U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall suspend a campaign commercial attacking Democrat Adam Hamilton that made unauthorized use of a photograph of children at Tall Oaks’ chapel in Linwood. A senior advisor to the Marshall campaign said the ad was “corrected,” but hours after that statement was issued, a version of the commercial available on social media still included an image of the Tall Oaks’ distinctive chapel and about two dozen people sitting on pews. Lea Ann Combs, president of the board of directors at Tall Oaks, a nonprofit summer camp and retreat center, said Tall Oaks wasn’t consulted by the Marshall campaign and didn’t approve inclusion of the photograph in the commercial. The ad denounced Hamilton in relation to allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by a volunteer at Church of the Resurrection, the prominent Johnson County-based church founded and led by Hamilton. “Our concern is straightforward,” Combs said. “This advertisement creates a misleading association between Tall Oaks, the young people pictured and events that did not happen here. Protecting the dignity of these young people and accurately representing our organization should be a shared priority.” She said Marshall’s campaign should stop broadcasting the 30-second commercial until confirming the Tall Oaks photograph had been deleted. The commercial began airing in conjunction with reports on a decision by the Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, to pull $8 million from a North Carolina campaign and redirect it to help Marshall’s reelection bid in Kansas. The latest New York Times/Siena College Poll shows Hamilton and Marshall tied at 45% support each, based on a survey of likely voters. In the ad paid for by Marshall’s campaign, a photograph of the senator appeared in the opening sequence while a recording of his voice said he approved content of the commercial. The senator’s ad claimed Hamilton didn’t respond promptly to a report suggesting a church volunteer may have touched or attempted to touch boys attending a 2005 program hosted by Church of the Resurrection. “Parents were ignored and Hamilton never called police,” Marshall’s attack ad says. “He should never be our senator.” The commercial included still photos of Marshall and Hamilton, cottages, dormitory-style rooms, hiking trail, rural property and a group of people sitting in rows, most with their back turned, in the chapel at Tall Oaks. Combs said permission had been granted to photograph young people at Tall Oaks for the purpose of promoting the camp and its programs. She said that approval didn’t extend to inclusion of photographs in political campaign advertising, particularly commercials delving into claims of sexual abuse. Tall Oaks works to provide a safe environment for children, families, faith communities and other organizations using its facilities, the statement said. The statement said Tall Oaks encouraged Marshall to remove the photograph from all platforms tied to the campaign. The objective was to make certain no one viewing the ad would mistakenly believe Tall Oaks or the children appearing in the ad were connected to allegations of abuse, the statement said. The request shouldn’t be interpreted as an endorsement or rejection of any candidate or a comment on the merit of allegations raised in the commercial, the statement said. Brent Robertson, Marshall’s chief of staff, said the photograph from Tall Oaks was thought to have been a “stock image” available for general use. The Tall Oaks picture wasn’t taken at the site of Hamilton’s “child molestation cover-up,” Robertson said. “The image has already been corrected and, luckily, Kansas families care far more about Hamilton’s failure to protect kids from a child sex predator than what cabin picture was used,” Robertson said. Tyson Brody, a campaign spokesperson for Hamilton, said the ad wasn’t in line with Marshall’s vote in September 2025 to block a U.S. Senate measure directing the U.S. Department of Justice to release unclassified records about Jeffrey Epstein. The wealthy financier, child sex offender and acquaintance of President Donald Trump committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking of minors. “Marshall lies and uses children as political pawns to distract from the fact he had pregnant mothers arrested and jailed over small medical debts, and voted to protect the predators named in the Epstein files. Roger Marshall is desperate to hide from his record of protecting predators, and preying on low-income families in Kansas,” Brody said. In a Kansas Reflector report published in July on abuse allegations involving Church of the Resurrection, Hamilton said two church employees conducted an internal investigation into claims that surfaced in 2005. The inquiry was inconclusive, Hamilton said, because the children couldn’t identify the perpetrator. Hamilton said he should have forwarded information to law enforcement rather than depend on church staff. When new allegations surfaced against volunteer Scott Moore in 2006, the church informed police of allegations associated with camp retreats in 2005 and 2006. Moore was accused of sex crimes in the Kansas City area and Massachusetts. He was convicted in 2013 in Kansas of a misdemeanor count of sexual battery. In 2015, Moore was found unconscious after he fled police when caught half-naked in a car with a teenage boy. He died at a hospital. Tall Oaks is a nonprofit camp, retreat and conference facility on 236 acres near Linwood. Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	Feds approve $150 million for second power link between Interior and Southcentral Alaska A high-voltage power line is seen on Sept. 4, 2018, in Alaska. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday that it has approved $150 million to partially fund a second electrical intertie between Southcentral Alaska and the Interior. When built, the Beluga-Healy Transmission Project would result in a redundant power link between Fairbanks and Anchorage, increasing the ability of power companies to use the cheapest electricity possible, even if it’s coming from the opposite end of the railbelt. Construction isn’t expected until after 2030. The project is expected to cost $418 million altogether, with the new federal money likely going toward engineering, planning and permitting, said Curtis Thayer, executive director of the Alaska Energy Authority. The remaining $268 million could come from other federal grants, the state, or even AEA itself, through loans. AEA has been planning the second intertie for almost five years as part of a broader campaign of electrical upgrades across the state but didn’t intend to go ahead until other parts of that campaign — including high-voltage links to support a newly renovated Bradley Lake hydroelectric project — came online. On Monday, Thayer said the announcement came as a surprise. He had heard last week that the state was in the running for a large grant through a Department of Energy program intended to benefit defense readiness, but he didn’t know until Monday that AEA had won. Alaska’s existing intertie was built in the 1980s and is used primarily for shipping lower-cost hydropower and natural gas power north to Fairbanks. In recent years, it has also been used to ship coal-fired power south to Anchorage amid natural gas shortages. Adding a second intertie increases the amount of power that can flow north or south, something that could encourage the development of wind or solar power plants that could provide cheaper power, albeit intermittently. A second link also means that when the first intertie is upgraded and replaced — something intended in a separate project — power will continue to flow across the railbelt. Monday’s grant comes from the Defense Production Act and $1 billion approved by Congress and President Donald Trump for energy-related projects deemed critical to national security. Most of Alaska’s military bases use energy that flows through the intertie, and the state’s Congressional delegation emphasized that fact as it lobbied for federal funding. On Monday, the three members of the delegation — Rep. Nick Begich III and Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, all Republicans — issued statements in support of the new grant. Sullivan and Begich are running for re-election this year, and on Monday, Vice President J.D. Vance was scheduled to travel to Fairbanks in order to campaign for both men, as well as other Republicans seeking office in November’s general election. According to Reuters, Vance was expected to speak about the grant during a rally at Fairbanks International Airport. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	Former Wonder Bread building in Davenport will be demolished The former Wonder Bread building in Davenport will be demolished, according to Alderman John Blunk on a Facebook post. The building on East River Drive dates back to 1929. DeCarlo Demolition of Des Moines will begin interior abatement and site preparation next week. That work is expected to take up to three weeks before the [...]
	Illinois sheriff moves to fire sergeant over misusing Flock data Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker said the employee resigned before the disciplinary process concluded.
	Two teens arrested in connection with Grand Mound shooting incident Two teens have been arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Grand Mound during which shots were fired into an occupied home.
	Free Iowa hotline connects farmers, families with mental health resources "Iowa Concern" is a free, confidential and 24/7 hotline for any Iowa resident. But with recent harvest delays, program leaders are highlighting its help for farmers.
	Davenport City Council will approve appointment to fill 2nd Ward vacancy According to the agenda, the Davenport City Council will approve an appointment to fill the vacancy in the Second Ward City Council seat at its Wednesday, Oct. 7, special meeting. A vacancy exists for the Second Ward on the Davenport City Council after the resignation ofTim Dunn effective Sept. 17. The appointed individual will serve [...]
	Bishop Louis Tylka presents relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen to Pope Leo XIV Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria presented a relic of Blessed Fulton Sheen to Pope Leo XIV on Monday, Oct. 5, at the Vatican. Monsignor Jason Gray, executive director of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, was also present. “It was a profound joy and privilege to meet with our Holy Father, Pope [...]
	Moline restaurant faces $40K in damages after burglars strip HVAC unit for copper Phill Khairallah, owner of Grinders and Spaghetti House Moline experienced more than $40,000 in damages to their HVAC unit after burglars stole less than $100 worth of copper.
	Bright blue skies highlight the QC forecast this week Enjoying the weather lately? things look good for the rest of the week also! We'll see more sunshine this week with cool overnight lows near 50° and highs in the 70s. After all the heavy rain last week, things are drying out in a hurry this week. That's good news for area farmers as the [...]
	Tapestry Farms plans Harvest Moon Celebration in Davenport Tapestry Farms invites the community to gather under the autumn sky for the second annual Harvest Moon Celebration, an evening of music and traditional Arabic sweets in support of refugees rebuilding their lives in the Quad Cities, a news release says. The event will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Trinity Episcopal [...]
	Tim Gleason resigns as Davenport city administrator Gleason officially became city administrator in February after serving in the interim role since November 2025.
	Open house scheduled to explore future of Centennial bridge The open house is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the Holiday Inn on 17th Street in Rock Island.
	Brandon Baker named Rock Island interim fire chief Rock Island City Manager Todd Thompson has appointed Deputy Fire Chief Brandon Baker as Interim Fire Chief, a news release says. He replaces Fire Chief Bob Graff, who retired Friday, Oct. 2 after 29 years of service. Baker was hired by the Rock Island Fire Department in September of 2007 and quickly established himself as [...]
	Davenport City Administrator Tim Gleason resigns Gleason officially became city administrator in February after serving in the interim role since November 2025.
	IMEG, Rock Island, expands presence in Florida, Southeast, with acquisition IMEG, Rock Island, will is expanding its presence in Florida and the Southeast through the acquisition of Construction Engineering Group (CEG), a multidisciplinary engineering firm based in Melbourne, Florida, providing civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering services. Located on Florida’s Space Coast, CEG brings nearly 30 years of client-focused engineering experience and established relationships across the [...]
	Davenport city administrator Tim Gleason resigns Davenport city administrator Tim Gleason has resigned to pursue other professional opportunities, the city announced Monday.
	Free mental health hotline provides support for Iowans, farmers in crisis Run through Iowa State University, Iowa Concern provides free, 24/7 confidential support. You can dial or text 800-447-1985.
	Davenport City Administrator Tim Gleason resigns The City of Davenport has accepted City Administrator Tim Gleason’s resignation "to pursue other professional opportunities," according to a news release from the city. "The city appreciates Mr. Gleason’s work for the citizens of Davenport over the term of hisservice," the release says. Nicole Gleason will fill the role of acting city administrator while the [...]
	Davenport City administrator resigns City leaders accepted his resignation to pursue other professional opportunities, according to a media release.
	Rock Island names interim fire chief City Manager Todd Thompson appointed Battalion Chief Brandon Baker as interim fire chief.
	Iowa’s $15B steel mill: What happens next Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill Friday raising the cap on state tax incentives, clearing the way for a $15 billion steel plant planned by Mesabi Metallics in Lee County.
	2 teens arrested after shots fired in Grand Mound Clinton County deputies were called to the 400 block of Fulton Street around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4, after receiving reports of shots being fired.
	Truck strikes bridge in Davenport on Monday morning Our reporter saw extensive damage to the truck and said two streetlights were also taken out.
	Peoria bishop offers blessed relic of Fulton Sheen to Pope Leo Monsignor Jason Gray said the Pope remembered watching Sheen's TV show growing up and remembers him fondly.
	Rock Island names interim fire chief Battalion Chief Brandon Baker will serve as interim fire chief while Rock Island searches for a new full-time chief and deputy chief for the department.
	2 teens arrested after home with 7 inside shot at in Grand Mound Two teens were arrested on Sunday after a home that had seven people inside was shot at in the 400 block of Fulton Street in Grand Mound, Iowa.
	Iowa DCI identifies man killed in Iowa City officer-involved shooting The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) have identified the man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Iowa City on September 15.
	New York's laws on consent and alcohol use could complicate Cornell case prosecution NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Erin Murphy, a professor at NYU School of Law and an expert on sexual assault law, about how New York state considers alcohol use when determining the presence of consent.
	DNR fines companies for littering, fish kill, excessive air and wastewater emissions The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is levying thousands of dollars in fines against companies that violated various environmental regulations.
	How to watch the debate between U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek DES MOINES, Iowa -- The race to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Joni Ernst is hotly contested, with Republican nominee U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson and Democratic nominee Iowa State Representative Josh Turek battling in a contest that could play a big role in which party controls the Senate. The candidates have agreed [...]
	From Loss to Learning: Understanding the Risks of Flu and Why You Should Prioritize Your Flu Vaccination This Year (BPT) - At 16 years old, Terese "Reese" Termulo was a healthy, active honors student and dancer with a bright future ahead of her, when she suddenly became ill with the flu.On Jan. 9, 2020, her father, Dr. Cesar Termulo, a pediatrician in Dallas, Texas, received a call from her school that she was feeling sick. Termulo — who suspected she could have contracted the flu — quickly brought her to his office, where she tested positive for influenza B, was given antivirals, and went home to rest and recover."Reese wasn't as sick as many of my other patients who had influenza B," said Termulo. "She seemed to be improving — no fever, and she didn't show signs of pneumonia or other serious flu complications."The next morning, Reese felt ready to go to school, but her father insisted she stay home. Before he left for work, Termulo used his stethoscope to listen to his daughter's heart and lungs so that he could check for serious complications and concluded she was on the mend."The last thing I ever said to Reese was that I thought she would get better," said Termulo.No one could have suspected that Reese's symptoms would rapidly progress, and her condition would take a turn for the worse. Later that morning, Reese's mother found her upstairs, passed out, and she had stopped breathing. The flu virus had quickly attacked her lungs, and she eventually became septic. Reese passed away less than 24 hours after her diagnosis. Serious flu complicationsInfluenza (or flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs.1 People can begin spreading the flu to others one day before symptoms start and up to a week after symptoms appear — and some, especially young children, might be contagious to others for even longer.1The flu can impact every person differently. Symptoms can appear suddenly and can include fever (or feeling feverish/chills), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue.2While most people who get the flu will recover within a few days to less than two weeks, some may develop complications like pneumonia and even death.2The 2025-2026 flu season followed one of the most severe flu seasons in recent U.S. history, with record-breaking pediatric deaths and overwhelming levels of illness and hospitalization.3 In fact, from Oct. 1, 2025, through May 9, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were at least 32 million illnesses, 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths from the flu in the U.S.4"The harsh reality is that anyone can get sick from the flu — even people who are or feel healthy — and serious problems related to flu can happen at any age," said Dr. Luis Romano, GSK's US Medical and Clinical Affairs Lead for Flu Vaccines. "That said, some people are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications if they get sick."Groups at higher risk of serious flu-related symptoms include1:People 65 years and olderPeople with certain chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease)Pregnant womenYoung childrenThe flu does not affect all communities equally, and the 2025-2026 season once again exposed deep and persistent disparities in flu-related outcomes among racial and ethnic minority groups.5 According to the CDC, Black and Hispanic communities consistently experienced higher rates of flu-related complications and death, often due to lower vaccination rates and delayed access to care.6Why you should speak to your provider about annual flu vaccinationThe flu is a serious illness and should be taken seriously. The best way to help protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu every season is to vaccinate everyone 6 months of age and older annually.3"Decades of data confirm that flu vaccines have an excellent safety record," said Romano. "In fact, hundreds of millions of Americans have received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and ongoing monitoring consistently reinforces their strong safety profile."7Since Reese's passing, Termulo and his family have made it their mission to educate families on the potential dangers of the flu and urge people to get vaccinated against the flu every year.Now is a good time to think about flu vaccinationFall can be a busy season for many people, but it's vital to make time to get your flu shot. The CDC recommends that most people receive their flu vaccine in September or October, ideally by the end of October.8 The good news is that getting a flu shot is typically quick and convenient.If you already have a yearly wellness visit scheduled, ask your primary care provider about receiving your flu shot during your visit. You can also get a flu shot in pharmacies, urgent care clinics, college health centers and even some schools or workplaces.9 Some locations like your local pharmacy may accept walk-ins, so you can help protect yourself and your loved ones from the flu with minimal time commitment.To learn more about the flu and flu prevention, visit CDC.gov/Flu."The flu can disrupt your life and your family's lives," said Termulo. "Losing my daughter is a heartbreaking reminder that the flu can have devastating consequences. As both a father and a physician, I hope our family's experience encourages others to recognize the seriousness of the flu and the profound impact it can have on families." Sources1. About Influenza (Flu). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed Feb. 26, 2026. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/index.html2. Symptoms and Signs of Flu. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed Aug. 26, 2024. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/signs-symptoms/index.html3. Influenza Activity in the United States During the 2024-25 Season and Composition of the 2025-26 Influenza Vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed Sept. 26, 2025. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/whats-new/2025-2026-influenza-activity.html4. Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 18, Ending May 9, 2026. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published May 15, 2026. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/fluview/surveillance/2026-week-18.html5. Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 25, Ending June 27, 2026. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published July 6, 2026. Accessed July 17, 2026. CDC FluView Week 256. Flu and Healthy Lives for All. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published Jan. 17, 2025. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/healthy-living/index.html7. Influenza (Flu) Vaccine Safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed October 2023. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/flu.html8. Interim Estimates of 2025-26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness—United States, September 2025-February 2026. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2026;75(9):116-123. Published March 6, 2026. Accessed August 6, 2026.9. Where to Find Vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published July 10, 2024. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/vaccine-planning.html
	Learn about winter home safety at East Moline Public Library The East Moline Public Library wants to make sure residents are ready to face the upcoming cold weather season safely. The library, 745 16th Avenue, is hosting a session on winter home safety tips on Oct. 10 from 10 – 11 a.m. The East Moline Fire Department will discuss topics like carbon monoxide detectors, heating [...]
	Teacher who sued Iowa school district for students’ ‘racist’ acts wins $425,000 A school teacher who alleged the Ottumwa public schools encouraged students’ racist behavior by failing to impose sufficient discipline has won a $425,000 judgment against the district.
	2 hurt in Rock Island motorcycle crash The motorcycle’s driver and passenger were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
	US House Dems’ campaign chief predicts they'll gain majority control in midterms WASHINGTON — Democrats expect they’ll gain a majority of seats in the U.S. House following November’s midterm elections, giving the party a platform to serve as a check on the president’s power. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said during an interview Monday that curbing the war in Iran and working on legislation to address the costs of healthcare would be at the top of the party’s agenda if it is able to flip that chamber. “And of course, act as an independent branch and do our job to hold the administration accountable,” she said. The Washington state Democrat said she views Republican super PACs spending millions of dollars in safe GOP districts as a sign that voters are moving toward Democratic candidates.“We've seen MAGA Inc. pour millions into House races and spending deep in red territory. Of the 38 districts that MAGA Inc. is spending in so far, 26 are on defense,” DelBene said, referring to the president’s super PAC. “And the speaker and the majority leader were campaigning recently in districts Trump won by double digits in 2024.”Additions to list of targeted racesThe DCCC announced earlier in the day that it had added six candidates to its “Red to Blue” program — Chris Jones in Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District, Dwayne Romero in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, Eliott Rodriguez in Florida's 27th Congressional District, Teresa Benitez-Thompson in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District, Blake Gendebien in New York's 21st Congressional District and Justin J. Pearson in Tennessee's 9th Congressional District. The additions bring the DCCC’s targeted House races to a total of 46.DelBene said during the interview with States Newsroom and other journalists in the Regional Reporters Association that “while Republicans seem to have infinite amounts of money to throw at us, our momentum is simply too strong to stop.” “Republicans may have more money, but they have zero substance,” she said. “We know we don't need to spend more, but we do need to spend enough.”National Republican Congressional Campaign Chairman Richard Hudson, of North Carolina, wrote in a statement released Sunday that with less than a month to go until voting ends on Nov. 3, GOP candidates “are on offense.”“We’re competing in districts Democrats swore were safe. We’ve recruited candidates who served in uniform, built businesses, and put criminals behind bars,” he said. “And we’re running on results: lower taxes, a secure border, and an economy that works for working families.”Where analysts see the House races The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter categorizes 197 House districts as solid or likely Democratic and another 195 as solid or likely Republican. That leaves voters in 43 districts throughout the entire country to determine whether the House remains in Republican hands for another two years or shifts to Democratic control. Of those, 11 are rated as leaning Democratic, 10 are leaning toward a Republican candidate winning and 22 are true toss-up seats.The magic number for House control is 218, though every additional seat beyond that threshold makes governing much easier for party leadership. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has had to consistently balance the demands of moderate and far-right members to move legislation across the floor. The House majority currently sits at 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent who used to be a Republican and two vacancies. Erin Covey, editor for the House of Representatives at Cook, said on the “Stories from the States” podcast that during the last month or so “the overall political environment has really solidified to favor Democrats."“At this point, our estimation is that Democrats will likely end up with around 220 to 230 seats at the end of the day,” she said. “Of course, that would be a majority in all of those cases. But on the lower end that would be a pretty slim majority. Some of that is because the battleground of competitive districts is relatively small compared to previous cycles. And so the number of truly vulnerable seats that Democrats can pick up is capped in a way it wasn’t in 2018, for example. But the national political example is just as good as it was for Democrats in 2018.” Courtesy of D.C. Bureau
	Iowa researcher warns higher vape tax could drive people back to cigarettes As states increasingly implement taxes on alternative smoking products, research from a Des Moines University professor showed the policies could lead people to reach for cigarettes instead — impacting more than just themselves.
	Tiverton abutters ask a Superior Court judge to intervene in Sapowet Cove oyster farm dispute Sapowet Cove is shown on the western shore of Tiverton in the Sakonnet River. (Google Earth image)One month after the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) failed to decide the fate of a proposed oyster farm in Tiverton, project opponents are asking a judge to step in. The Sept. 24 complaint filed in Providence County Superior Court against both the CRMC and applicants John and Patrick Bowen argues the council’s failure to take action amounts to an illegal abuse of its authority. The application for the 1-acre oyster farm was submitted in late 2019, yet the seven-member council has yet to decide whether objections over its impact on boating, fishing and recreation can stop it from happening. On Aug. 25, the council met to accept its hearing officer’s determination that a 2024 state law limiting development along the Sakonnet River did not stop the project review from advancing because the law was not retroactive. In accepting the determination, however, the seven-member council made clear it was not issuing a final decision on the project, allowing the quasi-judicial hearing process to continue. Because it was not a final decision, there was not yet an opportunity for objectors to appeal under the state’s Administrative Procedures Act. A group of neighbors who own properties near the proposed oyster farm site argue they should not have to wait any longer before taking their case to a judge. “Requiring Appellants to proceed through a full evidentiary hearing before obtaining judicial review of that threshold legal determination would therefore be futile and would not provide an adequate remedy within the meaning of [state law],” the complaint states. Laura Dwyer, a spokesperson for the CRMC, acknowledged requests for comment on the appeal, but did not immediately provide a response Monday. The proposed oyster farm has become the poster child for what critics say is an inefficient and unfairly drawn-out coastal review process. John and Patrick Bowen, brothers who live in Little Compton, filed the application to set up 200 bottom cages a few hundred feet from the shoreline in December 2019. Nearby property owners, fishermen and the state aquaculture association joined together in opposition to what they allege would interfere with fishing, boating and public recreation. The dispute made its way to Mark Krieger, CRMC hearing officer, in 2023, soon after Gov. Dan McKee appointed him to the position. An initial hearing was held in 2024, but the schedule was scratched in July 2025 after three groups of nearby property owners filed a motion, asking Krieger to dismiss the case based on the 2024 law limiting area waterfront development. The complaint notes that almost two years have passed since initial arguments, well past the 60-day deadline required by state law. And the CRMC’s acceptance of Krieger’s determination, without a final decision or even a clear timeline for when that decision will come, amounts to an “abuse of discretion” of its authority, the complaint states. John Bowen expressed frustration with the nearly seven-year wait for a decision, but blamed the delay on opposition groups rather than the CRMC. “I’d rather have them get it right than rush to a decision or be pressured,” he said of the coastal regulatory review. Yet John Bowen said he and his brother are still committed to the project, which they envision as a side gig to their respective jobs as an aquaculture coordinator and carpentry teacher, both in Massachusetts. The pair plan to sell oysters direct-to-consumer and to local restaurants, in addition to offering educational visits for students. John Bowen said he was “dismayed” that he and his brother were named as defendants in the complaint, which centers on the state’s coastal review process — something applicants do not control. “If the state is trying to encourage aquaculture, a process that allows applicants to be sued strictly for following the process is disheartening,” John Bowen said. Marisa Desautel, the attorney representing three sets of property owners in the complaint, declined to comment. The appeal asks a judge to toss Krieger’s determination that the 2024 law does not apply to the project, while affirming the property owners’ right to appeal even without a final decision by the CRMC. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	Still time to get flu shot before holidays: Scott County Health Department The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were 51 million influenza (flu) related illnesses in the 2024-25 season, with 23 million visits to a healthcare provider, 710,000 hospitalizations and 45,000 deaths. It estimates that flu vaccinations during that season prevented 10 million flu illnesses, 5 million medical visits, 180,000 hospitalizations and [...]
	WIU Quad-Cities campus to host museum microcredential workshop Participants will be able to take a day course on tour-guide apps and AI literacy.
	How to watch KWQC’s debate between Zach Lahn & Rob Sand KWQC is hosting and broadcasting a live debate between Rob Sand and Zach Lahn on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
	Eldridge to vote on establishing a fire department The department would include a full-time Fire Chief, appointed by the Mayor, and volunteer members according to city documents.
	Whiteside County sheriff moves to fire sergeant over misuse of Flock data Sheriff John Booker said the sergeant resigned before the disciplinary process ended.
	Two hospitalized in Rock Island motorcycle, car collision The driver and passenger of a motorcycle were both taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries after a crash involving a vehicle in Rock Island on Sunday evening.
	Quad-Cities gas prices drop 15.9 cents, averaging $4.25 per gallon Prices in the Quad-Cities are 21.1 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.31 per gallon higher than a year ago.
	If Congress starts reviewing licensing deals, diligence gets a documentation problem Historically, national security reviews were not a topic of conversation in biotech licensing deals. Things are changing.The bipartisan Biotech Investment National Security Act of 2026 would amend the COINS Act by adding biotechnology as a covered sector, expand reviewable transactions to include licensing deals, and give the U.S. Treasury a year to write rules for implementation. This change follows two recent multi-billion-dollar licensing deals between the U.S. and China. Kivo has taken a deep dive into the imminent BINSA, leveraging data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Treasury, Congress, and more, to cover what documentation and review changes will be needed.The framework todayThe process today works differently from how it will look after BINSA is implemented. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS for short, reviews capital inflow to U.S. companies, not outflows. They are housed in the U.S. Treasury and were expanded by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018. CFIUS can require mitigation agreements among firms or recommend that the President take apart a deal.Every year, they review thousands of filings. With biotech increasing globally, regulators have begun to point to the outflow of funds as a gap that needs to be addressed.There is already a playbook for the outflow of funds, but it’s limited. Executive Order 14105 created the Outbound Investment Security Program (OISP), which has been operating since early 2025. Their mandate is to prevent U.S. individuals from engaging in transactions with entities in China, Hong Kong, or Macau in the semiconductor, quantum information technology, or artificial intelligence industries.The COINS Act serves as a statutory layer. It was enacted in December 2025 and codified the framework from the OISP into statute. It preserves the same prohibited structure, expands knowingly directing provisions, and gives the Treasury until early 2027 to issue new regulations. Currently, biotechnology is not included within any of that. That’s precisely what BINSA would change.The effect of BINSABINSA defines covered biotechnology as pharmaceutical and biological product development. This includes drug discovery platforms, clinical R&D, biologics manufacturing, and more. It is worth noting that agricultural biotechnology is excluded, as is industrial fermentation and academic research. It’s a broad amendment that would cover the multi-billion-dollar licensing deals that have made headlines in years past.Outbound review today is mostly built around equity. Licensing deals being pulled into the fold for the first time is what makes BINSA so consequential. Historically, it is the industry’s least regulated path because it avoids a CFIUS inbound review and narrowly falls outside the scope of OISP.BINSA, when implemented, will direct the Treasury to implement regulation changes within one year. Separately, the Secretary of Defense will need to assess within 60 days whether current capital flowing into Chinese biotechnology has an impact on military readiness.Neither of those deadlines tells an active deal team what the rules will ultimately be. However, they do create legal uncertainty, because deals signed off today could be judged against future rules.Anatomy of the fileWith the new rules on the horizon, knowing how to prepare and adhere to existing best practices will reduce potential future bumps in the road. There are six main areas to address:1. Scope and decision record: All files that stand to be reviewed need to establish a scope, including what the deal is and why it was structured as it was. This encompasses written records of the transaction’s purpose, all parties involved, those rejected, and the ultimate decision path that led to the deal’s final structure.2. Parties and ownership: Every party involved in a transaction, particularly those with meaningful stakes, needs to be researched thoroughly, all the way up the ownership chains. Indirect and direct ownership, any state investment, and any ties to sanctioned entities need to be made clear.3. Transaction mechanics: Your review files need to show the flow of any money. Upfront payments, milestone payments, royalties, extended terms, and anything else are all in scope.4. Technology and data map: This is the only gray area of the requirements. Part 850’s semiconductor and AI rules already require identifying specific covered activities that a target company engages in, but applying them to biotechnology is more challenging. It typically would mean documenting whether a licensed asset involves a drug discovery platform, manufacturing process, and whether technical information flow was mainly going to a U.S. partner or away from them.5. Diligence evidence: Any diligence needs to be attributable. It also needs to follow a timeline. Rather than assembling a diligence file only after a regulator asks, aim to draft one well in advance.6. Filing and monitoring: If a transaction is notifiable, Part 850 requires submission through the Treasury’s Outbound Notification System within a set window. They can also request supplemental information after the fact, meaning you need to be able to produce it. Any submission is not a one-time event.Why FDA teams careAny well-run regulatory affairs team won’t be surprised by the process. FDA’s data integrity guidance for drug CGMP (current good manufacturing practice) compliance builds on the ALCOA framework. This framework mandates that records need to be attributable, easy to read, original, and accurate. A later expansion to ALCOA+ mandated that they also be complete, consistent, enduring, and readily available.However, this overlap isn’t absolute. FDA cares about the integrity of the manufacturing and clinical data. Regulatory review files will also be looking at ownership, sanctions, and technology transfer directions. But the discipline of adhering to FDA guidelines will get your company most of the way there.The substantive disputeThere is a precedent for the new screenings. The sponsors of BINSA note that cross-border licensing deals between U.S. and Chinese companies, specific to the biopharma sector, grew by $131 billion from 2020 to 2025. The bill’s House sponsor, Rep. John Moolenaar, has also argued that a large share of U.S. pharmaceutical licensing-in deals are now originating in China. He cited Bristol Myers Squibb’s collaboration with Hengrui Pharmaceuticals as a key example. The main point of concern was the level of know-how and capital moving to external parties without any national security checks.The Michigan Biosciences Industry Association argues for a more targeted approach. It says licensing a Chinese drug candidate usually moves development rights, responsibilities, and commercialization towards the U.S. partner, even as payments flow to China. The group argues that this distinction matters when assessing national security risk.The Michigan Biosciences Industry Association also warns that broad restrictions could redirect transactions through European or Asian companies, disadvantaging U.S. firms without eliminating the underlying activity.Both sides have a point, and the stakes are high. One side of the fight sees an unregulated capital channel going to a strategic competitor, and the other sees a functional pipeline threatened by a broad label that will disrupt deals the bill isn’t even aimed at. Where BINSA will actually land will depend on just how narrowly the U.S. Treasury defines covered biotechnology.Build now, regardlessPredicting exactly where and what BINSA will look like is impossible. Fortunately, companies don’t need to wait for the final rules to be published to prepare. A near-term checklist should include the following:1. Develop a standing ownership list and entity-list screening process for any China-linked counterparty.2. Establish a documented decision record for deals already in your pipeline.3. Set up both a technology and data map for licensed assets, regardless of whether your biotechnology deals get covered.4. Name a single owner inside your organization who is responsible for keeping all data current so you’re not playing catch-up.By exercising the discipline already established, you can better prepare your organization for inquiries in the future. You may even find issues that previously were swept under the rug. You’d rather find a red flag that wasn’t escalated now through a data review rather than when regulators come knocking at your door.Preparing your organization for regulationThe biopharma and biotech space is in a state of flux right now. BINSA may not become law. The U.S. Treasury may end up covering biotechnology through its existing COINS Act authority.Either way, the direction of the industry is undeniable. Cross-border biotech licensing has grown into a large and visible channel of capital. That visibility alone warrants an extra look from regulators and an expanded mandate regarding the scope of a deal review. In any case, what BINSA seeks to address from a documentation standpoint may be something that more life science companies could benefit from.This story was produced by Kivo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Man to remain in jail for allegedly striking two, killing one with vehicle A Rock Island man will stay in jail for allegedly striking two and killing one with a vehicle in Milan on Sept. 26.
	Davenport boy picked as Iowa Kid Captain for Washington game This week’s Iowa Kid Captain is 6-year-old JJ Ward, from Davenport. His family credits University of Iowa Health Care with saving his life.
	Screenings crucial for early cancer detection: UnityPoint Health October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Iowa’s second-highest cancer rate in the nation shows that regular screenings are one of the most important tools for early detection. UnityPoint Health – Trinity encourages women to make annual mammograms a priority during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer in Scott County, [...]
	“A tragic accident,” Wisconsin 3-year-old dies after being struck by mother’s car Boscobel EMS was dispatched to the home address Saturday afternoon.
	Hashimoto's and GLP-1 medications: Why losing weight can change the thyroid medication dose you need Some people taking a GLP-1 medication who also take thyroid medication describe symptoms such as fatigue, constipation, feeling cold, hair thinning and stalled weight loss. This can result in self-questioning that is difficult to answer without looking further: Is it the GLP-1 medication or is it my thyroid?Many of these patients have Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. It is the most common cause of an underactive thyroid in the United States, and is treated with daily hormone replacement, usually levothyroxine. Because dosage is based on a patient's body weight, significant weight loss can impact the effect the hormones have on the patient's body and health. Below, Ivologist explains why losing weight can change the thyroid medication dose you need.As GLP-1 prescribing increases, with 11% of U.S. adults currently taking them for weight loss purposes according to a recent Gallup poll, understanding the effects it can have on you and your current medications is only a starting point for a patient's education. The overlap is substantial. Epic Research analyzed 21,538 patients with a history of hypothyroidism who were prescribed a GLP-1 medication. Those who lost more than five pounds saw a measurable drop in their TSH, the blood marker clinicians use to judge whether a thyroid dose is still right. Those who gained weight showed no significant change. Ivologist Know the risksWhen hormone levels are ignored, the body may begin to receive an excessive dosage of hormone replacement. As documented in a case study from Cureus, this may create the risk of taking in more thyroid hormones than your body needs, resulting in hyperthyroidism, an overactive thyroid. The side effects of this can include palpitations and increased heart rate, anxiety or irritability, sweating and heat intolerance, tiredness and muscle weakness, and shaking.According to a 2025 review in Thyroid, health risks rise with age. Bone loss becomes a concern around age 50, and cardiac risk increases considerably after age 60. In older patients, this can lead to bone loss or atrial fibrillation, an uneven heart rate that could result in clots, strokes, and heart failure.Significant weight loss may reduce levothyroxine requirements in some patients, which is why periodic reassessment is important. Published guidance recommends rechecking thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) when weight drops by more than 4.5 kilograms (just under 10 pounds), or if symptoms of an underactive or overactive thyroid appear. Once a level has stabilized, it is generally checked every six to 12 months. The American Thyroid Association specifically recommends reassessing the dose after large changes in body weight.Why nobody catches itEvidence on the relationship between GLP-1 medications and thyroid medications is still limited. This is not thought to be a direct drug interaction. Weight loss and changes in gastric emptying and absorption are the likely contributors.The communication gap between healthcare providers focused only on their own area of specialization may also be to blame for these risks going unnoticed. A 2025 review in Cureus found that no dedicated clinical trials have yet examined GLP-1 medications in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. As noted in a 2024 case report in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, patients may experience rapid weight loss, necessitating a readjustment of their thyroid medication dosage. Both that report and the Cureus case study involve patients whose thyroid had been surgically removed, and who are more sensitive to dose changes than most people with Hashimoto's. They illustrate the mechanism rather than predicting the typical experience.Patients with Hashimoto's may already be familiar with the process of handling multiple healthcare providers, but may still be unaware of the impact that GLP-1-related weight loss can have on their thyroid. Patients should ensure they're having honest conversations with all of their healthcare providers regarding their current medication regimen, weight loss experience, and whether their thyroid dose is still suitable.What steps to takeCandidates for a GLP-1 should not avoid them out of fear of potential side effects. Instead, it's recommended that they take the following steps before and during treatment:1. Ask for a full thyroid panel before you begin a GLP-1, including TSH, free T4 and free T3, to have base numbers for comparison during treatment.2. Ask the clinician who manages your thyroid how often your TSH should be rechecked while you are losing weight. Published guidance suggests rechecking after a weight loss of more than 4.5 kg, or sooner if symptoms appear.3. Communicate your weight loss journey openly with the clinician who manages your thyroid treatment. This is the single most important thing you can do to ensure minimal complications.4. Take your thyroid medication at a consistent time, on an empty stomach, and separate from your other medications and supplements.5. Tell your health care provider about any side effects, including anxiety, heat intolerance, tremors, or palpitations, and don't make assumptions about their cause.6. Protect your muscles while you lose weight. Resistance training two to three times a week, alongside adequate protein intake, helps preserve lean mass during rapid weight loss.Did you know?Researchers are beginning to look at whether GLP-1 medications affect thyroid autoimmunity itself, not just weight. A 2025 review in Cureus found that while these medications reduce inflammation linked to excess weight, dedicated trials in autoimmune thyroid disease have not yet been done and the connections remain unproven. Separately, a large real-world analysis reported a higher rate of autoimmune thyroiditis among GLP-1 users. The science is early and points in more than one direction, which is why it is worth discussing with your own clinician.Patients often arrive asking whether it is the GLP-1 or the thyroid. Frequently the answer is both, and the two are being managed separately by different clinicians. Knowing that the two are connected is often the piece that was missing.This story was produced by Ivologist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Whiteside County Sergeant resigns following Flock misuse investigation A Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant resigned after being found to have used automated license plate reader data for personal purposes in an internal investigation.
	Considerations for Davenport’s 2nd Ward alderman announced Five people are being considered to fill the 2nd Ward alderman spot following Tim Dunn’s resignation last month.
	Tapestry Farms hosts 2nd-annual Harvest Moon Celebration Tapestry Farms invites the community this week to the second-annual Harvest Moon Celebration, music and traditional Arabic sweets in support of refugees rebuilding their lives in the Quad Cities.
	Shoppers are growing skeptical about AI: Where it still earns confidence When an order is delayed, or a card has been charged twice, do shoppers prefer typing their question to the AI agent on the website, or do they go looking for a phone number to ask a human?For most shoppers, it depends on the question. Ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year, Sinch asked 2,501 consumers across eight countries what kind of digital communication they want from brands, and respondents shared their opinions on AI use. The findings show shoppers are cautious about AI in general, yet confident it can handle specific tasks.As shopping moves online, deciding between an AI agent and a person for customer support is becoming part of the retail experience. Online sales made up 17.1% of all U.S. retail sales in the second quarter of 2026, and grew 12.2% over the past year, almost twice as fast as retail overall, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many online shoppers will meet an AI assistant at some point between browsing and delivery. Below, Sinch examines where they're ready for one.AI optimism is down, and privacy is shoppers’ biggest reason for cautionMost shoppers aren’t sold on AI yet, and overall optimism has slipped since last year. According to the Sinch survey, just 43% think AI will make their shopping easier this year, down from 48% in 2025. Another 31% say it won't, and 26% aren't sure.Data privacy is what worries them most. For the second year running, privacy or data use tops shoppers’ list of AI concerns, named by 43%. Just 7% have no concerns at all, down from 9% in 2025. Sinch Many shoppers also still trust people more than AI. For product advice, 53% would rather take a recommendation from a real person than from AI, up from 51% in 2025.For phone support specifically, nearly half (48%) would rather speak to a human agent than an AI voice agent, while 52% are open to using one as long as they can be transferred to a person if needed.But age changes the picture a lot. Over half of Millennials (55%) and Gen Z (51%) trust AI recommendations as much as or more than a human's, dropping to 47% of Gen X and 30% of Baby Boomers. Younger shoppers are also far more optimistic that AI will make shopping easier. Fifty-five percent of Gen Z say it will, compared with just 18% of Baby Boomers. The older the shopper, the more AI has to prove itself.US shoppers are the most skeptical of AIAn AI agent can also get a very different welcome depending on the shopper’s country. AI skepticism is highest in the U.S.: Just 26% of North American consumers think AI will make their shopping easier, 17 percentage points below the global average.Latin America sits at the other end, with the strongest AI confidence anywhere: 72% of shoppers in this region think AI will make shopping easier, and 61% trust AI recommendations as much as or more than a person's. This means a shopper in São Paulo may be happy to start with the AI agent, while one in Chicago may go straight to the "talk to a person" button.Practical value is how AI wins over shoppersDespite rising skepticism about AI overall, only one of the 2,501 people surveyed ruled out ever using an AI agent.Checking on an order's status is the most popular use, chosen by 48%, closely followed by learning more about a product before buying (47%) and accessing customer service after normal business hours (36%).The survey also asked how confident shoppers are that a brand's AI assistant can handle specific tasks, from tracking an order to changing payment details. Over 60% are confident AI can handle every task. Sinch Shoppers are most confident in AI for quick, informational tasks like tracking a parcel, and less so once their money or account details are involved. But even for payment or billing changes, the lowest-scoring task, 62% are confident AI can handle it.This suggests that while shoppers aren't sold on using AI for its own sake, they still welcome it when it handles a task they want done.What actually makes an AI assistant usefulThe findings point to what good AI customer service looks like in practice, starting with the basics: quick, accurate answers to order and product questions, at any hour.For payment or account changes, where confidence is lower, shoppers want an easy way to reach a person, without having to explain the problem again. Older shoppers are likely to need this most: 23% of Baby Boomers say they're "not confident at all" that AI can handle payment and billing tasks for them, against 11% of Gen Z shoppers.Finally, transparency truly matters: Nearly 6 in 10 shoppers say their biggest worry about AI is either privacy (43%) or not knowing whether they're talking to a person or a machine (15%). They want to know when they're talking to AI, and what happens to their data. Sinch Confidence in AI comes down to the job it's givenShoppers' wariness of AI is real, but it eases once they see the value AI brings to their experience, provided retailers use it openly, for the tasks that help them most, and with a real person close at hand.MethodologySinch’s 2026 BFCM consumer survey polled 2,501 consumers across eight countries in July 2026. Respondents were aged 18 and over. Country samples: the United States (698), Australia (351), Brazil (350), the United Kingdom (252), France (225), Germany (225), Mexico (200) and Spain (200). Regional groupings in this report are North America (United States), Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain), LATAM (Brazil, Mexico) and APAC (Australia). Year-over-year comparisons are against Sinch’s 2025 BFCM consumer survey, which also included India and Canada; those two markets were not surveyed in 2026.This story was produced by Sinch and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Is our fate pre-destined? A new 'East of Eden' adaptation asks again John Steinbeck's 1952 epic was first adapted to film in 1955 by director Elia Kazan. Now, Kazan's granddaughter Zoe has directed a new Netflix miniseries, starring Florence Pugh.
	Moline’s Kasen Ponder wins Spotlight Athlete of the Week Moline football junior quarterback Kasen Ponder wins Spotlight Athlete of the week.
	Whiteside County sergeant resigns amid investigation into misuse of license plate reader data The Whiteside County Sheriff’s sergeant involved in a Flock misuse investigation resigned prior to the sheriff plan to fire him.
	A proactive fall home maintenance checklist for 2026 Fall is the ideal time to prepare your home for colder temperatures, heavy rain, high winds, and other seasonal weather. Fall provides an opportunity to get ahead of seasonal problems instead of waiting for wintry conditions that force you to complete urgent maintenance and repairs. Your fall home maintenance checklist should cover your heating system, gutters, roof, plumbing, and outdoor spaces. However, your exact checklist ultimately depends on your climate and home's condition.A 2026 Nextdoor survey conducted with Groundworks found that 56% of homeowners completed their most recent maintenance task only after noticing something might be wrong. Proactive maintenance can help you identify issues before they become urgent. And for homeowners thinking about ways to put your home equity to use, keeping track of home's maintenance needs and potential improvements can be part of planning for the future.In this guide, Splitero breaks down the fall maintenance tasks worth prioritizing and how proactive home care can support your long-term plans.Key takeawaysService your heating system, clean your gutters, and inspect your roof before severe seasonal weather arrives.Protect exterior plumbing before freezing temperatures reach your area.Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and inspect fireplaces and chimneys before frequent seasonal use.Prioritize maintenance based on your climate, your home's condition, and the potential safety or repair consequences of waiting.Fall home maintenance checklistFall is a good time to take care of the maintenance that keeps your home safe, comfortable, and ready for seasonal weather. A little planning now can help you spot issues before they become more urgent or expensive to address.That can matter when unexpected repairs are difficult to fit into the budget. Thumbtack estimates that homeowners spent an average of $11,196 maintaining a single-family home in 2026, while a ConsumerAffairs survey found that only 41% could afford a $500 repair out of pocket. Taking care of seasonal maintenance can help you identify which repairs need attention first.Here's a fall maintenance checklist to help you get started: Splitero Check your heating system before the first cold snapSchedule an HVAC inspection or tune-up before you begin relying on your heating system regularly. A professional can check the thermostat, furnace, electrical components, and other equipment before colder weather arrives. Angi's 2026 winterization data puts a professional HVAC inspection at about $200-$400.On your own, you can replace or inspect your HVAC filter according to the manufacturer's recommendations, test the thermostat, and make sure vents and registers aren't blocked.Just be sure to leave gas, combustion, and electrical issues to qualified professionals and get them checked before the first major cold snap.Clean your gutters and inspect your roofGutters and roofs work together to protect your home from rain and water damage. Roof repairs are a common summer home renovation, but fall is still a good time to address any damage or leaks before winter weather arrives.Clean gutters and downspoutsRemove leaves, twigs, and other debris from your gutters and downspouts. Check for sagging sections, separation, leaks, or other visible damage, and make sure downspouts direct water away from your foundation.Professional gutter cleaning costs an average of $168, with most homeowners paying about $119-$234 per visit, according to Angi's 2026 cost data.Homes surrounded by trees may need more frequent gutter cleaning. If you're uncomfortable working from a ladder or your gutters are difficult to access, consider hiring a professional.Inspect the roofLook for missing, cracked, curling, or damaged shingles, and inspect flashing (the thin material that seals gaps around roof features) around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Inside the home, check ceilings and attic areas for water stains, dampness, or other signs of leaks.Angi reports that roof repairs average about $1,173, with costs ranging from approximately $150 to $8,000 depending on the type and extent of the repair.Don't climb onto a roof if you aren't comfortable doing so. A professional inspection can be a safer option, particularly for steep, damaged, or difficult-to-access roofs.Protect your plumbing from colder weatherBefore the first hard freeze, disconnect and drain outdoor hoses and exterior faucets. Where needed, winterize irrigation systems by draining them and removing as much water as possible to prevent freezing damage.You should also insulate exposed pipes in garages, crawl spaces, attics, and other unheated areas. For an affordable DIY option, foam pipe insulation sleeves can be fitted around exposed pipes to help protect them from freezing temperatures.It's also worth knowing where your home's main water shutoff valve is located so you can respond quickly to a leak or burst pipe.Angi's 2026 winterization data puts professional house winterization at approximately $50-$1,500. Pipe insulation costs about $1.10-$11 per linear foot, while sprinkler-system winterization is in the $56-$131 range.Seal drafts around windows and doorsCheck windows and exterior doors for gaps, worn weatherstripping, and other areas where outside air can enter. Replace damaged weatherstripping and use caulk to seal appropriate gaps. Angi's 2026 winterization data estimates window insulation and weatherproofing at about $3-$20 per square foot.The U.S. Department of Energy identifies weatherstripping and caulking as important air-sealing measures that can reduce unwanted air leakage and improve home comfort and energy performance. Improved energy performance can also mean lower energy bills over time.Check your fireplace, chimney, and home safety equipmentFall is also a good time to review the systems and precautions that help keep your home safe during the heating season.Fireplace and chimneyIf you use a fireplace or wood-burning appliance, have the chimney inspected and cleaned as appropriate before frequent seasonal use. Check for visible damage or blockages, but leave detailed inspections and cleaning to qualified professionals when needed.Angi's 2026 winterization data puts the average chimney inspection cost at about $450, although actual costs vary significantly depending on the scope of the work.Smoke and carbon monoxide detectorsTest every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm in your home. Replace batteries where applicable, check the age of each unit, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for replacement and installation.The U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing smoke alarms at least monthly and replacing smoke alarms every 10 years.Make sure carbon monoxide detectors are installed in the locations recommended by the manufacturer and in accordance with local requirements. If you aren't sure whether your home's alarms are appropriately placed or functioning, consult a qualified professional.Get your yard and outdoor spaces ready for fall and winterClear leaves from lawns, walkways, drainage areas, and other places where debris could interfere with water flow. Inspect trees near the home and address dead or damaged branches when appropriate. Angi's 2026 winterization data estimates professional branch trimming at about $460 on average.Be sure to also check decks, patios, stairs, and railings for visible damage. Inspect outdoor furniture and seasonal equipment for damage, and protect or cover items as appropriate for your local weather.A quick walk around your property can help you spot small issues before they become bigger ones.Which fall home maintenance tasks should you prioritize?Prioritize maintenance that addresses immediate safety concerns or protects your home from water, freezing temperatures, or severe weather. For most homeowners, that means starting with the heating system, roof and drainage, exterior plumbing, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.Your climate should determine the rest of your checklist. A homeowner in a region with frequent freezes may need to prioritize plumbing, while someone in an area with heavy fall and winter rain may need to focus more attention on gutters, downspouts, drainage, and roof maintenance.Prepare your home for increasingly unpredictable weatherSince your fall maintenance needs can depend on the weather patterns your area is likely to experience, it's worth checking what conditions may be ahead.Per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), El Niño is strengthening, with a greater than 90% chance of a very strong event during the Northern Hemisphere's fall and winter of 2026–27. NOAA also notes that stronger El Niño conditions can increase the likelihood of certain impacts, but they don't guarantee specific weather outcomes for every location.Check your local forecast and emergency-management guidance as the season approaches, then adjust your maintenance checklist accordingly. For example:Heavy rainfall: Clean gutters and downspouts, inspect drainage, and check sump pumps where applicable.High winds: Inspect the roof, trees, fences, and other exterior structures.Wildfire-prone areas: Clear vegetation and combustible debris around the home and follow local preparedness guidance.Freezing temperatures: Protect exposed plumbing and prepare heating systems.Snow and ice: Prepare snow-removal equipment and address vulnerable walkways, steps, and exterior areas.If you only have time for fiveIf your fall maintenance list feels overwhelming, start with these five:Check your heating system.Clean your gutters and check drainage.Inspect your roof.Protect exterior plumbing before freezing weather.Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.These tasks cover some of the home systems most important to safety and protection from seasonal weather. In a ConsumerAffairs survey, 45% of homeowners said an outstanding repair made their home feel less safe. You don't need to tackle every maintenance task at once, but addressing the issues that could leave your home more vulnerable to water, wind, freezing temperatures, or other weather conditions can help you feel more prepared for the season.This story was produced by Splitero and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Why eye-friendly screens make a difference for students The tech industry is finally acknowledging what parents and educators have known for years: Screen fatigue is real, and it directly impacts educational outcomes. For families shopping for tablets, laptops and monitors this back-to-school season, the landscape looks fundamentally different.In this article, consumer electronics company TCL covers why the focus on digital screens is picking up steam, and the new types of tech parents can choose from to help students get the most out of their school days and their devices.The Problem: Screen Time Is UnavoidableThe numbers are staggering. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reports that teenagers now spend seven to nine hours daily on screens for school and leisure combined. Add homework, video classes and research assignments, and many students are pushing over 10 hours.This extended exposure to digital displays has created a diagnosable issue: digital eye strain, clinically known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). The symptoms are familiar to anyone who's stared at a screen too long: dry eyes, blurred vision and headaches.Too much screen use has more than short-term effects. Parents are well-positioned to notice the symptoms: their kid, stuck in front of their laptop or tablet all night. The irritability. The lack of focus. The rush to finish rather than engage deeply with the material. The anxiety in the morning when they can't remember what they read the night before.Parents buying back-to-school tech face a real dilemma. Screens are essential to modern education, but extended use comes with a cost. Until recently, there wasn't much of a solution beyond "take breaks" and "wear blue-light glasses."Two Approaches, One GoalThe solutions coming to market take different forms. Some manufacturers engineer the displays themselves, adjusting refresh rates, reducing flicker, and limiting harmful blue light wavelengths at the hardware level. Others emphasize software solutions: operating systems with adaptive brightness, automatic screen dimming and built-in break reminders.Both approaches have merit. Hardware solutions provide consistent protection regardless of which app a student uses. Software solutions offer flexibility and can improve over time through updates. The best devices combine thoughtfully engineered displays with intelligent software optimization.“Multiple companies are now marketing eye protection as a primary feature, not an afterthought,” said Chris Saunders, director of product planning at TCL. “As a parent, I think this shift indicates that consumers, especially those buying back-to-school devices, are prioritizing health alongside performance.”Features to Look for to Reduce Eye StrainThe growth in competition and choices means eye protection is no longer exclusive to premium devices. Students and parents can find affordable options with built-in eye-comfort features across multiple brands and price points.When comparing devices, shoppers may encounter terms such as “matte screen,” “nano-etching,” and “circularly polarized OLED.” These terms describe display approaches, but consumers should review the manufacturer’s specific specifications rather than assume that any one technology eliminates eye strain.The hardware features consumers should look for to reduce eye strain include:Low and limited blue-light emissionsDisplays designed to reduce flicker and limit blue-light output, including some OLED screens designed to reduce flicker and limit blue-light exposureMatte-screen finishes that reduce glare and reflectionsNano-etched or textured surfaces designed to diffuse reflectionsWhen it comes to software optimizations, look for devices with dynamic display features, such as:Color temperature controls for different environmentsBrightness adjustments and dark modes for low-light settingsIntegrated break reminders and other responsive features designed to support healthy device engagementAnd much like the EnergyStar label for appliances, consumers can also look for products labeled with Eyesafe, SGS Paper-Display, and TÜV Eye Comfort Eyesafe certifications.The good news: Major manufacturers are now highlighting these features prominently because they understand parents care about them. What began as a specialized feature has become an expectation. The tech industry has accepted that screens are central to modern education, and that responsibility includes making that experience comfortable and healthy.This story was produced by TCL and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Whiteside County Sheriff's Office sergeant resigns after investigation into ALPR misuse A Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office sergeant has resigned after an internal investigation into possible misuse of automated license plate reader (ALPR) data, according to a news release from Sheriff John Booker. The Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office has completed an internal investigation concerning the misuse of automated license plate reader (ALPR) data by an employee, according [...]
	Three things to know: Oct. 5, 2026 Smile like Zoey Blood Drive, Davenport begins road seal coating and First Gateway Credit Union to hold shoe drop in Clinton.
	Former Wonder Bread building to be demolished The former Wonder Bread building is going to be demolished soon according to a Davenport aldermen.
	5 odd wellness trends people have sworn by Fitness, nutrition, sleep, mental health, longevity — the wellness industry is vast and lucrative. The market reached $6.8 trillion in 2024, with the Global Wellness Institute projecting that figure will hit $9.8 trillion by 2029.Much of it serves ordinary needs. But wherever people are willing to spend heavily on feeling better, you can bet there will be entrepreneurs, gurus, and opportunists ready to sell them a faster way there. Bodog found five examples of odd wellness trends people once bought into.5. The Tapeworm DietThe Tapeworm Diet is one of those wellness trends where the legend is better documented than either its clientele or, for that matter, whoever was supposedly behind it.In the early 1900s, stories circulated about slimming pills said to contain tapeworm larvae. You swallow one, let the parasite take up residence in your intestine and, in theory, it would consume enough food to help with weight loss.The famous “Eat! Eat! Eat!” ad, so often wheeled out as proof, is almost certainly a later fake. It names a mysterious “W. T. Bridge, chemist” as the man behind the product, except there is no evidence that he existed as a seller at all. And even the contemporary stories about tapeworm pills were being challenged at the time. What is not mythical is the parasite. The CDC says a beef tapeworm can grow to 10 meters, and infections may cause abdominal pain, alongside symptoms such as loss of appetite and an upset stomach, which then contribute to weight loss. In rare cases, segments can migrate and block the appendix or bile ducts.4. Vibrating BeltsVibrating belts were pitched as a way to exercise without doing much of a workout. You can still buy the things. The language is more careful these days, which makes sense given the Financial Trade Commission’s position that a body-worn device cannot, by itself, produce substantial weight loss.Older machines typically came as freestanding units, with a wide belt attached to a motorized stand. The strap wrapped around the waist or thighs and shook the flesh back and forth, supposedly trimming inches while the wearer stood in place. By the 1950s, ads were presenting 15 minutes of this as enough to reshape the body.Giving the old idea a faint scientific afterlife, modern whole-body vibration has produced limited results under controlled conditions. A 2019 review found a small drop in fat mass, but no significant change in body-fat percentage. Anyone looking for ways to stay active without a gym must still get creative and do the moving themselves.3. Detox CleansesThe modern version goes back at least to Stanley Burroughs and his Master Cleanse, devised in 1941. For 10 days, followers replaced food with lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water, alongside laxative tea or salt-water flushes. Then Beyoncé tried it for “Dreamgirls,” despite later saying she would never again. Then came the commercial juice-cleanse boom. BluePrint Cleanse launched in 2007, while Salma Hayek teamed up with Juice Generation founder Eric Helms on Cooler Cleanse a year later.The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says detox research is sparse and generally weak. Any early weight loss often comes down to severe calorie restriction, while some regimens can cause dehydration or electrolyte problems. No sensible fitness and nutrition advice is going to promise that one punishing weekend can undo months of ordinary habits.2. Radium WellnessAfter radium was discovered in 1898, its novelty and the fact that doctors were using radiation in cancer treatment helped create an aura of scientific legitimacy. By the 1920s, companies had taken that reputation and started selling radioactive water, tablets, bath products, cosmetics, and even devices meant to “charge” drinking water with radon.Among the strangest examples was the Revigator, a ceramic crock lined with uranium ore. Owners filled it with ordinary water overnight, then, the next day, drank the resulting radioactive water. Hundreds of thousands were reportedly sold between 1924 and 1930.Eben Byers, the industrialist and former golf champion, reportedly drank around three bottles of Radithor a day for two years. Each one contained radium-226 and radium-228, yet the manufacturer sold the tonic as harmless and claimed it could treat more than 150 ailments. Byers even recommended it to friends before his teeth began falling out. He died in 1932.1. Cigarettes for Weight ControlUnder a very different regulatory system from today’s, Lucky Strike told women in 1928 to reach for a cigarette instead of something sweet. The campaign went straight at a huge anxiety around weight and appearance, at a time when thinness had become tangled up with modern fashion and glamour.Some ads went as far as putting doctors in the frame to reassure smokers. A historical review in the American Journal of Public Health found that tobacco companies had dropped that imagery by 1954, once it stopped looking credible.The weight-control angle, at least, had something real to latch onto. Nicotine suppresses appetite, and a cigarette could replace the habit of reaching for food. To many, that may genuinely have felt like it was helping with cravings, of course, without much sense of the bigger health damage attached.What These Wellness Trends CostThe following puts a price tag on each of these five wellness crazes, both in dollars and what buying into them could cost the body.Tapeworm DietRepresentative buy-in at the time: $25 for two pills in a disputed 1912 reportCost in 2026 dollars: $850Health cost: Abdominal pain, malnutrition, intestinal complicationsVibrating BeltsRepresentative buy-in at the time: $10 a month to rent a belt vibratorCost in 2026 dollars: $45 to $115 per monthHealth cost: Little proven harm, but little proven fat lossDetox CleansesRepresentative buy-in at the time: About $195 for a three-day cleanseCost in 2026 dollars: $280Health cost: Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, colon-cleansing complicationsRadium WellnessRepresentative buy-in at the time: $1 per bottle of RadithorCost in 2026 dollars: $19 per bottleHealth cost: Radiation poisoning, bone destruction, cancer, deathCigarettes for Weight ControlRepresentative buy-in at the time: About 11.5 cents per pack in 1928Cost in 2026 dollars: $2.25 per packHealth cost: Addiction, cancer, heart disease, COPD, premature deathThis story was produced by Bodog and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	What’s causing retail employee burnout, and how can your POS help? Visit any retail store on a Saturday in November. Between the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, you’ll see employees ringing up customers, heading to the backroom to grab requested items, and keeping everyday essentials stocked — all while they’re trying to keep the checkout line moving.On top of that, they’re answering the same retail question staples over and over:“Why is this price different from what’s listed on the shelf?”“Do you have any more of that in the back?”“Why do my online rewards not show on my app?”“Where’s the manager?”None of these are big issues by themselves; that’s what makes them easy to ignore. But when you’re in a retail employee’s shoes, you deal with them every day, and too many of those “little things” add up to big burnout.When retailers talk about employee burnout and turnover, the conversation usually centers on pay, scheduling, managers, and customers. A factor that often gets missed is outdated technology. Employees may struggle with a POS that isn’t equipped to handle the workload on a normal day, much less a seasonal rush.Retail is tough enough without those hurdles.The job itself is demanding. Employees are on their feet all day, covering a 100,000-square-foot building for hours to help customers, and working through an ever-changing list of daily duties.The physical toll plays a role too. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that in 2024, injury rates for 2024 per 100 full-time workers were 4.2 in General Merchandise, 3.5 for Food & Beverage, and 3.2 for Garden & Building Material. Private industry as a whole came in at 2.3.Working the register can be just as mentally taxing, whether it’s processing a split tender payment or helping another customer with a specific question at the same time. That’s why making the user experience simple and intuitive is paramount to combating employee burnout, as Rapid POS examines here. Rapid POS Many burnout triggers are smaller than you may thinkIt doesn’t take a POS system crash for someone to have a bad day.It can be a simple price discrepancy or needing to know if there’s more stock in the back. Maybe your new hire can’t locate an item on their own and has to ask a co-worker. Every time your employees have to search for information or request approval from other staff, it adds to the struggles retail employees already face.None of these things by themselves would make someone quit. But when they happen multiple times in the same day, they weigh much more heavily.After working in the retail industry for a long time, most people know that the answer isn’t always adding more to your POS. Sometimes you need to remove the friction points that are causing your employees to struggle, and the best place to start is the screen they look at all day.The register screen should help your employees, not wear them downYour checkout screen should be built around what your employees need. Items that sell often should be easy to reach, and common functions should sit in logical places. Buttons with product images help new employees find items more quickly, while more experienced cashiers may prefer shortcuts and item codes.The truth is that there’s no “one” screen that will work for everyone.Someone who has been with you for three years is going to use your screen differently than someone who just started. This is why customization is key when choosing a retail POS.Give your employees information where they need itA well-built screen only helps while your employees are standing at it. The moment they have to walk away from the register to find information, checkout stalls. Without easily accessible information, the customer waits longer and may get even more frustrated when the employee comes back without the item they need in hand.This may not seem like a tech problem at first glance, but it is; you have the information, your employees just don’t have access to it.Technology such as handheld devices can help. When your employees can look up information on the go, they can help customers whether they’re on the sales floor or at the register.Price discrepancies can cause frustrationMissing information isn’t the only way a POS can trip up your employees; it can also cause problems when your prices are off.A customer will notice when the price on the shelf doesn’t match what’s on your register. Your employee now has to figure out why it’s different — and maybe even get a manager involved.Digital shelf labels can help prevent this from happening. They add a step to your setup, but your shelf prices stay up to date with your POS, which helps your employees avoid uncomfortable conversations with your store’s guests.Your scanner will impact your employeesSoftware is only half of it; the equipment your employees handle all day matters just as much. You want your POS to scan items correctly the first time, not spend time with scanners that are fussy or don’t connect seamlessly. If a scanner has trouble reading at hard angles or can’t pick up a barcode on a crinkled bag, it becomes a bigger deal over the course of a busy work day.The same goes for the keyboard, touchscreen, or receipt printer; any equipment your employees have to deal with can impact their experience.Test your POS on someone newOnce you’ve looked at your screens, your information access, and your hardware, there’s a simple way to see how it all holds up: Give it to someone new. Employees who have used your POS for a long time know all the workarounds. A new hire doesn’t.If your POS is user friendly, they will learn the system more quickly and become more productive. If not, you’ll find yourself spending more time teaching your employees how to use your POS than tending to your business.You want your employees to learn your process, not be stumped by your POS. Rapid POS Rapid POS Employee burnout and turnover can start with your POS systemYour POS won’t stop employee burnout or turnover in your business on its own, but a good system reduces friction and can make your employees’ experience a lot smoother. Pay, scheduling issues, manager conflicts, and more affect overall satisfaction too, but if your POS is causing them to struggle, you’re adding stressors where you could be removing them.When your employees are struggling to find information, can’t trust the prices, or keep hitting hurdles with your equipment, resentment builds. They start to notice all the other things they’d forgive when everything is running smoothly.By freeing up resources for you and your employees, you can invest more time where it matters: your customers.This story was produced by Rapid POS and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Former Davenport Wonder Bread factory to be demolished Changes are coming to River Drive in Davenport as a long-time landmark will soon be demolished. A post on Davenport Alderman John Blunk’s Facebook page says the former Wonder Bread factory at 1034 E. River Drive in Davenport will be demolished. The post said the building’s owner has hired DeCarlo Demolition from Des Moines to [...]

Tuesday, October 6th, 2026

Monday, October 5th, 2026