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

Thursday, June 18th, 2026
	Free admission to Figge Art Museum this July Beat the heat in July by visiting the Figge Art Museum for free, thanks to support from Cal and Jill Werner. Visitors can enjoy free admission while exploring exhibitions, discovering new favorites and participating in fun programs for all ages. Guests can take free guided tours every Sunday at 2 p.m., and the free drop-in [...]
	Federal regulators speed up power grid connections for massive AI data centers Federal regulators on Thursday agreed to let large energy users connect more quickly to the nation’s inefficient and electric transmission system.
	Allegiant Airlines temporarily suspends popular Quad Cities to Phoenix-Mesa route for winter weeks Allegiant Airlines is temporarily pausing its popular route from the Quad Cities to Phoenix-Mesa for six weeks this winter due to fuel costs.
	Read the full text of Trump's preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement to end the war Here is the text of the memorandum of understanding that was signed Wednesday by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as Pakistan's prime minister.
	Ukraine hits a Moscow oil refinery and other sites in a large-scale drone attack Ukraine launched a new wave of drone attacks on Russia early Thursday, amounting to one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since the Kremlin ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
	You're probably using too many skin care products. Here are the 3 essentials We asked half a dozen skin care experts: Which products do you really need to keep your skin healthy and attractive? Here's what they said.
	Sandburg Community Band hosting free concert July 2 Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at a free outdoor patriotic concert by the Sandburg Community Band on July 2 at 7 p.m. on the college’s Galesburg campus, 2400 Tom L. Wilson Boulevard. In case of inclement weather, the concert will take place in the theater (room F118). Residents can bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy [...]
	Auditor: School choice cost Iowans $258 million Auditor Rob Sand's report says taxpayers spent $258.7M on tuition for students already expected to go private, drawing heat from state officials.
	The flesh-eating pest that once cost ranchers millions is back The flesh-eating pest that once cost ranchers millions is backIt’s back: For the first time since 1982, the New World screwworm has been found in U.S. cattle. The flesh-eating parasitic fly, which was eradicated from American cattle herds almost 50 years ago, has been detected in three cows, one dog and a goat, prompting Canada to restrict cattle imports from the United States and raising the specter of a wider outbreak.The New World screwworm was a massive problem in U.S. cattle herds for much of the 20th century, killing countless cows and costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars. One screwworm outbreak in Texas in 1935 is estimated to have killed 180,000 cattle. It was mostly eradicated from the United States by 1966 via releasing sterile insects that could not reproduce.Sentient broke down the details of the New World screwworm’s return, the impacts it has on the livestock industry, and what authorities are doing to prevent a widespread outbreak.The screwworm’s long-dreaded arrival in the United States comes at a particularly fraught time for the country’s beef industry. Beef prices are at a record high: ground beef was a whopping $6.90 per pound in April, up 24% since Trump began his second term in January 2025. This is partly because the number of cattle in the U.S. is at a 75-year low, and screwworm could push those numbers still lower. Efforts to contain the fly could be costly for producers and further drive up beef prices — and if a screwworm outbreak becomes widespread, it could be catastrophic for the industry. An outbreak could kill calves and make adult cattle unhealthier, leaving less meat that is fit for sale.Elon Musk and the Trump Administration cut funding for a national screwworm monitoring program in March of 2025, according to Agri-Pulse.“The parasite’s capacity to devastate the cattle industry cannot be overstated,” Dr. Tyler Evans, epidemiologist and former chief medical officer for New York City, told Sentient in an email last September.Five New Cases In Calves, Goat and DogThe Department of Agriculture confirmed on June 3 that the screwworm had been found in a 3-week-old baby calf in Texas. Two days later, the agency confirmed that a second case had been detected in a 1-month-old calf in the same Texas county. By June 8, screwworm infections had been confirmed in a third calf, a goat and a dog, bringing the total number of cases to five.The first two cases were detected less than 6 miles away from one another in Zavala County. But the third was found around 80 miles north in La Salle County, and the goat with screwworm was located 170 miles away from the first two cases. Perhaps most concerningly, the dog who contracted screwworm lives a state away in Lea County, New Mexico.Authorities haven’t disclosed where the dog, described as a “small-breed male,” contracted screwworm. He lives in New Mexico, but the veterinarian who reported the case did so from Andrews County, Texas, which is more than 400 miles away from the first two cases. According to the USDA, the dog’s travel history is currently being investigated.When female screwworms find a mammal with a scratch or other open wound, they lay hundreds of eggs in the wound. This typically leads to a secondary infection known as myiasis, which can kill the animal in seven to 14 days. Myiasis is treatable with larvicides, insecticides and daily cleaning of the wounds, but only if it’s detected in time, which can be difficult in large herds of livestock. Screwworm infections in humans are very rare.The sterile insect technique involves sterilizing large amounts of male screwworms and releasing them into screwworm hot spots. Because female screwworms only mate once in their lives, flooding a population with sterile males gradually reduces its numbers over time.The United States and Panama together maintain a sterile screwworm facility in Panama, which releases around 100 million sterile flies per week. Currently, this is the only operational sterile fly production facility in the world; two others are under construction in Mexico and Texas.The sterile fly technique was effective at ending the screwworm’s decades-long reign of terror in the United States, although there were some short-lived outbreaks in the following decades. The last time the fly was detected in a U.S. cow was 1982; there was a brief outbreak in the Florida Keys in 2016-2017, but it only infected deer.In 2023, however, there was a major screwworm outbreak in Panama, and for reasons that are still unclear, the fly was able to break through the buffer zone and move north. Two years later, when the fly was detected in a Mexican cow, the USDA announced a complete moratorium on all cattle imports through the southern border in attempts to prevent it from reaching the United States.Now, the tables have turned: On June 5, Canada banned all livestock that was in Texas at any point over the previous 21 days from entering its borders.Canada’s climate is cold enough that screwworms can’t gain a foothold there in the long term, but “they can survive shorter periods of time in the summer months,” the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said in a press release.Efforts to fight the screwworm could be complicated by the Farm Bill, which has passed the House but not yet the Senate. The House version of the bill contained a provision called the Save Our Bacon Act that, if passed into law, could invalidate hundreds of state laws and regulations regarding livestock.After news broke that the screwworm had reached Texas, the Animal Law & Policy Program at Harvard Law warned in a press release that the provision could significantly hinder state efforts to fight screwworm. The Save Our Bacon Act “could nullify over 600 existing state laws, including biosecurity provisions that create state-based protections against various diseases and parasites,” the press release stated.Early reports indicate that the Senate is likely to strip the Save Our Bacon Act from the final version of the Farm Bill, but even if this happens, it could be added back in as an amendment. The Senate isn’t expected to consider the bill in full until July.In a press conference on June 8, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Trump administration is increasing surveillance on the U.S.-Mexican border and working to increase sterile fly production in an attempt to prevent the fly from spreading further. In the meantime, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a press release, “Every day we delay gives this pest another opportunity to spread.”This story was produced by Sentient and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How can businesses handle seasonal inventory overflow without expanding warehouse space? How can businesses handle seasonal inventory overflow without expanding warehouse space?Maybe you’re preparing for the holiday rush, and you’ve got some stocks that don’t fit your primary warehouse. Perhaps you’ve over-ordered to avoid stockouts, but now you’ve got excess inventory sitting idle for a few months. Some businesses struggle with inaccurate forecasts, which also results in surplus stock. Whatever the cause, seasonal inventory overflow can be tricky to handle, especially if your warehouse is already at capacity.Paying for extra warehouse space can be costly and unnecessary, especially if you don’t expect to hold the stocks all year long. That’s where temporary, portable storage options come in handy. Pro Box Portable Storage shares what these options mean for you and how they can help your business.Key TakeawaysManaging seasonal inventory doesn’t have to be costly. Here are key points to remember:You can use temporary, portable storage solutions — a process called overflow warehousing — to store inventory right at your facility.Overflow warehousing solutions are flexible and benefit many industries, including retail, e-commerce, manufacturing and third-party logistics services.Creating an accurate estimate of your storage needs helps you prevent paying for extra space.You can plan ahead for storage, especially for predictable seasonal activities, such as promotional events and holidays.Finding the right storage solution requires carefully evaluating options, from storage capacity to design and security features.How Businesses Can Manage Excess InventoryBusinesses can manage inventory overflow through temporary or permanent storage solutions. However, permanent solutions, such as warehouses with long-term contracts, come with unnecessary overhead costs. You might end up with empty warehouses once you lose all excess inventory through discounts or other reselling strategies. Portable storage enables you to rent storage space as needed and have it wherever you need it, suitable for seasonal fluctuations.What Is Overflow Warehousing?Overflow warehousing pertains to the use of temporary, semipermanent or flexible storage space to supplement your primary warehouse facilities. It’s ideal for businesses that experience seasonal peaks, changes in market conditions and unexpected surges. You can handle demand shifts without committing to long-term storage. It also helps you avoid operational bottlenecks and better meet customer expectations.For instance, if you’re an online business, your customers expect fast turnaround times for their orders. Delivery time is one factor that influences customer satisfaction, particularly for e-commerce platforms. With a portable, temporary storage space closer to your customer’s region, you can deliver goods more quickly and easily. You can also expand or contract as needed, without requiring the effort of purchasing or leasing a permanent warehouse.Benefits of Overflow WarehousingDemand for temporary storage solutions is increasing across multiple industries. Retail businesses, farmers, construction firms and event organizers are some of the few that enjoy these benefits:Flexible terms: Temporary storage solutions come with short- and long-term options, which cater to varying business needs.Customizable features: These solutions can include add-ons or design customizations that cater to your preferences — for instance, you might want some shelving to optimize storage space or ramps to make inventory movement easier.Streamlined operations: Temporary solutions prevent back orders and stockouts, which lets you continue your business operations smoothly during high-demand periods.Sustainable practice: Temporary storage facilities don’t have the same environmental impact as traditional warehouses. Portable containers don’t require construction and are repurposable. For instance, used shipping containers contribute to the circular economy — you’re extending the lifespan of these durable steel structures, keeping them in circulation for as long as possible.Retailers, in particular, can maintain optimal stock levels without overcrowding primary warehouse facilities. Manufacturers can store excess parts, which are often valuable during supplier delays or new product launches, when inventory needs can be unpredictable. Third-party logistics providers can also navigate storage constraints more easily, meeting clients’ complex inventory requirements without disrupting daily operations.How to Manage Inventory OverflowUsing onsite portable storage containers is an effective way to manage seasonal inventory. But before you compare storage solutions, you need to do three things. Pro Box Portable Storage 1. Estimate the Storage Space You NeedThe whole point of avoiding additional warehouse leases is to avoid paying for unnecessary storage space during periods that they’re empty. In the same way, you need to calculate how much storage you realistically need to avoid overpaying for temporary storage. Here’s how:Make an accurate list of inventory: List all excess inventory you have, including other materials you plan to store. For instance, you may list your products, packaging supplies, seasonal decor, retail displays, extra signage, power tools and cleaning items.Estimate volume size requirements: Calculate the volume size for each item — estimate the length, width and height in feet and multiply to get the cubic feet. Add everything together.Identify the storage unit size through your calculated volume: You typically choose storage units based on square footage, but consider the floor space and vertical stacking height. You likely won’t use 100% of the storage container’s cubic volume since you’ll need to account for access, safe stacking and oddly shaped packages.Consider how much access you need: If you don’t intend to access the inventory regularly, then you may pack the materials tightly. This approach might result in needing a smaller storage container. However, if the storage acts as a warehouse extension where you’ll access the inventory daily or weekly, you need to account for small walkways, shelving and labeled zones.Incorporate a growth buffer: Even if you’re using the storage for seasonal inventory, it helps to account for future needs. You might accumulate more equipment or seasonal products. This buffer can save you the potential cost of having to switch to or add a larger storage container later on.2. Identify the Applicable Local RequirementsConsider whether your business needs permits based on your local regulations. You might need zoning or building permits for temporary structures. In San Diego, you can place sea cargo containers in commercial and industrial zones if you have a legally established primary use onsite, and if you maintain all parking requirements. In Howard County, Maryland, you don’t need a zoning permit if the storage container is an accessory structure to a principal farming use within the Rural Conservation, Rural Residential and Rural: Environmental Development districts.Following these regulations protects you from potential fines, while noncompliance risks operational disruptions.3. Prepare Your Site for Drop-OffPortable storage containers have different sizes and weight limits, which impact site requirements. For instance, your site must be able to support the container’s weight, especially when it’s loaded with your inventory and equipment. Soft and uneven ground can cause containers to settle or shift, impacting your ability to open and close doors smoothly. A stable base also prevents moisture buildup and ensures the container remains level.The following bases can work great as a storage site:Concrete slab: Acts as a solid, level baseGravel: Offers stability with excellent drainageAsphalt: Provides a smooth, level surfaceSteel skids: Protect containers from uneven or soft terrainWhen to Plan for Seasonal InventoryPlanning for seasonal inventory is possible if you understand which business situations to expect. For instance, you may plan for:Holiday seasons: Businesses typically expect condensed shopping periods during holiday seasons, such as Christmas. Looking for temporary storage leases during these periods can help you navigate inventory overflow.Promotional periods: Your business may set early ordering periods or major promotional events that require bulk buying of stocks. Large stock quantities can temporarily overwhelm your primary warehouse, necessitating a separate storage solution.Business growth opportunities: You might plan to enter new markets, launch new products or merge with another company. These business growth opportunities often come with unpredictable inventory needs. Using onsite storage containers can offer breathing room before you move toward a larger, more permanent warehouse purchase.Infrastructure changes: Maybe your business will undergo expansion or renovation, or move entirely to a new facility. These events require temporary storage for your affected inventory.Some instances can be hard to plan for, but can still benefit from temporary storage. For instance, when inventory arrives earlier or later than you expect, you might not have the necessary space in your warehouse. Natural disasters and other emergencies also put inventory at risk, requiring temporary storage elsewhere.How to Choose the Right Seasonal Storage SolutionThe right storage solution accommodates your excess inventory and handling equipment, making daily operations and trucking activities easier. You can process goods in a minimal turnaround time, protecting customer trust. Consider the following criteria when selecting an option. Pro Box Portable Storage 1. Storage Size and ConditionYou can purchase a used or new portable storage container, or rent a refurbished one for a set period. Both options protect your inventory from the weather and external factors. You can also save more with used containers, even if they may need repairs or repainting. However, new, one-trip and refurbished containers are more pleasing to the eye for your personnel and passersby.Storage containers come in different capacities, typically ranging from 20 to 40 feet, each with its own height clearance. Choose a size based on your inventory calculations. If you’re uncertain whether the container will fit your site, providers can check out your site and confirm for you.2. Design and Add-OnsTemporary storage containers come with different designs — for instance, you may be looking for side-open containers or double-door options. If you’re buying instead of renting, you can choose customization, adding doors, windows, skylights, and framing. You can also opt for containers with ventilation and electrical systems.Rental container add-ons can improve your storage efficiency. For instance, shelves enable you to organize your boxes and make the most out of the storage space. Pipe racks keep the piping and other long materials off the floor and out of the way. Ramps make loading and unloading inventory quick and easy.3. Security FeaturesIdeally, you’ll want easy-to-open doors without sacrificing security. Look for robust security features that can protect your inventory effectively. For instance, some storage containers come with heavy-duty corrugated steel, solid interior locking bars and multiple security plates that prevent any break-in attempts, even with drills and pry bars. These features can give you peace of mind, especially if you plan to position these storage containers in remote areas.4. Contract TermsRenting portable storage containers is often the ideal solution for seasonal inventory overflow. But before you sign any contract, carefully review the terms to see that they’re adequate for your specific needs. Will you be loading the inventory yourself, or will the provider manage the packaging and handling for you? Consider if the contract comes with flexible storage durations. Providers typically transport the containers to your site.Frequently Asked QuestionsBusinesses with seasonal inventory often ask the following questions.What Is the 80/20 Rule in Inventory?The 80/20 rule is based on the Pareto principle, stating that about 80% of the effects in any system originate from 20% of the causes. When applied to inventory, you can estimate that 20% of your inventory items comprise 80% of the total inventory value, such as sales volume or consumption value. Understanding which of your stocks contributes the most to your business lets you set priorities when negotiating prices with suppliers.This estimate can also affect your priorities when reordering and arranging inventory in your storage spaces. For instance, you may position your top 20% in easily accessible areas.What Are the 7S Rules in Warehouse Management?The 7S framework offers a structured approach to how you optimize your workflow. It consists of:Sort: Sorting eliminates unnecessary items, requiring you to determine which ones add value to your operations. For instance, you may want to get rid of obsolete inventory or unused equipment.Set in order: Setting the place in order requires organizing your essential items to increase operational efficiency. This organization reduces wasted time and space.Shine: Shine pertains to the warehouse’s cleanliness — apart from simply polishing the surfaces, you clean the space thoroughly to prevent risks that can arise from neglect and disorder.Standardize: Standardizing processes and workflows creates an orderly and efficient environment. These processes also lead to less confusion and fewer errors.Sustain: To sustain the operations is to continuously improve business practices. You must foster an environment that constantly iterates, instead of encouraging personnel to unthinkingly follow procedures.Safety: You must ensure that all employees enjoy a safe environment and mitigate risks for accidents and injuries.Security: For a secure warehouse, ensure that only authorized personnel can access the area.How to Reduce Inventory SurplusWhile it can be tricky to prevent inventory surplus entirely, you can reduce it through different marketing strategies. For instance, you can:Offer sales or discounts regularly or after holiday seasons.Bundle products and services, such as slower-moving products with a popular one.Repackage products as rewards or incentives to build customer relationships, especially for products with shorter shelf lives.Eliminate Unnecessary Warehousing CostsExpanding warehouse space just to accommodate seasonal inventory can lead to unnecessary overhead costs. Opting for temporary, portable storage solutions can help you manage and store the surplus. This method pertains to the concept of overflow warehousing, which is often beneficial for many industries, such as retail, e-commerce, manufacturers and third-party logistics providers. Providers often offer flexible terms and customizable solutions, so you can easily find an option that fits your seasonal needs.To get started, you need to calculate the required storage space, review relevant local regulations and determine if your site is suitable for portable containers. Then, carefully consider providers based on their container conditions and sizes, customization options, security features and contract terms.This story was produced by Pro Box Portable Storage and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How a thrilling NBA Finals game affected fans' sleep and recovery metrics How a thrilling NBA Finals game affected fans' sleep and recovery metricsIf you walked through the streets of New York City late on the night the team made its historic Game 4 comeback in the NBA Finals, you could practically feel the electricity in the air. But as it turns out, the excitement of this Knicks playoff run isn’t just palpable—it’s measurable.Anonymized, de-identified data from New York-area Oura members reveals that the city experienced both a live physiological spike during the nail-biting game and a measurable slump in recovery the next morning.From the 8:30 p.m. tip-off to the final moments when the Knicks staged the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, New Yorkers were riding an emotional rollercoaster. Here’s a look at how the drama on the court translated into the data.The Game-Time Heart Rate SpikeFrom the moment the ball was tipped at 8:30pm on June 10, Oura members’ average heart rates jumped to +2 BPM above their personal baselines and stayed elevated for nearly the entire game.But the real kicker happened as the clock ticked down toward the 11:37 p.m. finish. With the wild ending to the game, the city’s collective heart rate rose sharply, peaking at an average of +3.7 BPM above baseline right before the final buzzer.Sleep and Recovery LossUnsurprisingly, a thrilling, late-night game doesn’t exactly prime the body for a peaceful night of deep rest. Whether it was the post-game adrenaline or staying up to watch the highlights, New Yorkers paid the price.On the night of June 10, Oura members in New York averaged just 6.63 hours of sleep—down roughly 10 minutes from the week prior.A closer look at the de-identified data shows exactly how that loss of sleep impacted the city’s overall recovery metrics: Oura While a 1% to 3% drop might look small on paper, seeing an entire metropolitan area shift simultaneously is incredibly rare. Every single stage of sleep—from the mentally restorative REM sleep to the physically healing deep sleep—took a hit.This story was produced by Oura and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Carriers hold firm on fuel surcharges despite emerging US-Iran peace plans Carriers hold firm on fuel surcharges despite emerging US-Iran peace plansThe midpoint of June 2026 demonstrated that the world is moving away from broad, sweeping border surcharges toward highly targeted, regulatory trade walls. The United States actively advanced its strategy to replace expiring emergency surcharges with permanent Section 301 labor tariffs, while successfully utilizing massive Section 232 pharmaceutical duties to force international drug manufacturers into onshoring commitments. Simultaneously, the European Union acted to protect its internal market on two fronts: by closing the de minimis loophole with a new 3-euro flat fee on low-value online imports and by advancing the Turnberry trade deal to secure lasting tariff peace with Washington. Ultimately, the week proved that the global economy is functioning within a highly legalistic centralized trade architecture in the West, where access to prime consumer markets requires meeting strict labor, safety, and supply-chain origin mandates.Freight Right broke down the state of the ocean and air freight markets this week.This Week’s Ocean and Air Freight MarketsChina-U.S. Ocean Freight Market: According to Freight Right’s TrueFreight Index, the transpacific ocean freight market has officially entered a higher pricing bracket. Over the past week, ocean freight rates from China to both North American coasts experienced a steep climb, driven by heavy volume increases in the first half of June and continued limits on available shipping space. The transpacific ocean freight market has officially entered a higher pricing bracket, confirming the expiration of $6,000 spot rates. Over the past week, ocean freight rates from China to both North American coasts experienced a steep climb, driven by heavy volume increases in the first half of June.China/East Asia to U.S. West Coast: Spot rates have broken past previous thresholds and are now officially confirmed in the low $6,000s per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU).China/East Asia to U.S. East Coast: Rates to the East Coast have pushed even higher, settling firmly into the mid-$7000s per FEU.For comparison, Gulf Coast rates are mirroring the East Coast in the mid-$7,000s, while inland moves to the Midwest (e.g., Chicago) have reached $8,000 to $8,400.Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators are finding that importers can find spot rates as low as $5,750 from China to the U.S. West Coast and $6,400 from China to the U.S. East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you. Freight Right Freight Right Freight Right What Happened This Past WeekPeak Season Front-Loading: Carriers reported a significant spike in cargo volumes during the first half of June. This surge is largely attributed to shippers front-loading their inventory early to avoid peak-season bottlenecks, which directly triggered carrier general rate increase (GRI) implementations for the second half of the month.Port Congestion and Rolled Cargo: Ongoing backlog from previous weeks continues to choke the network. This legacy congestion has triggered heavy rolling of bookings, severely degrading schedule reliability.Strict Dynamic Quoting: Due to the daily volatility in space availability, standard quotes are no longer guaranteed. Logistics providers are forcing a subject to roll and availability clause, as space secured one day is often entirely gone by the next.Looking AheadThe immediate outlook points to sustained upward pressure and prolonged volatility. Shippers should abandon expectations for a quick rate correction; carriers have just successfully pushed rates into the $6,000–$7,000+ range and will be highly resistant to lowering them, likely citing ongoing market uncertainty to justify keeping current fuel surcharges and base rates intact.Furthermore, because booking backlogs are already stretching lead times out significantly, with some agents quoting the beginning of July as the earliest available space, shippers must plan and book several weeks in advance to secure equipment and vessel space. Even if the geopolitical situation in the Middle East stabilizes and a formal peace deal is signed by the end of the week, the lag in carrier operational adjustments means the earliest the market would see any tangible impact or relief on fuel surcharges would be late next week or early July.This story was produced by Freight Right and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	AI's expanding role in cybersecurity: Opportunity, risk and the new reality for businesses AI's expanding role in cybersecurity: Opportunity, risk and the new reality for businessesArtificial intelligence has taken over many conversations about the future of business, but none has grown more urgent than the one now centered on cybersecurity.When Anthropic unveiled Claude Mythos Preview earlier this year, the rollout did not follow the usual path of other public product releases. The model's ability to find and exploit software vulnerabilities was powerful enough to warrant restricted access through Project Glasswing, limiting early use to a vetted group of organizations focused on defensive security.That kind of restraint points to how fast AI capabilities have moved past the systems many companies have relied on to protect themselves. InCorp, a business services firm working with companies across all 50 states, has watched that tension move from IT departments to the center of how businesses think about risk.For organizations of every size, cybersecurity has become a business priority with little room for delay, especially as AI begins to change how risk moves through the systems companies depend on."What businesses are realizing very quickly is that AI has changed the speed of cyber risk. Companies no longer have days or weeks to respond to vulnerabilities. In many cases, they have minutes. That changes cybersecurity from an IT discussion into an operational business priority," notes Clay Plowman, executive vice president at InCorp Services Inc.How AI Is Changing the Cyber Threat LandscapeSecurity experts have spent years pressing executives to understand that the same technology strengthening defenses is also being turned against them.Defenders use AI to monitor systems and flag unusual behavior in real time, responding to threats at a speed that human teams alone cannot sustain. However, cybercriminals have adopted those same tools, running operations that once required entire teams, now with a far smaller setup.That smaller setup changes the economics of cybercrime, because attackers no longer need the same level of time, staffing, or skill to test a company's defenses. And with less effort required, automated attacks and AI-generated phishing campaigns move faster than traditional security cycles were built to handle."AI has lowered the barrier to entry for cybercrime. Activities that once required specialized teams can now be executed with smaller operations using automation and AI-assisted tooling. Businesses should assume attackers are becoming faster, cheaper, and more scalable," says Plowman.That speed helps explain why the World Economic Forum's Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 found that 94% of cybersecurity professionals view AI as the most significant driver of change in their work. It also points to the next concern facing security leaders, as more capable AI models begin to shorten the path between finding a weakness and using it.Why Advanced AI Models Raise New Red FlagsAdvanced AI models have moved well past automated phishing and into more serious territory, where they analyze software systems on their own and write code that turns weaknesses into cyberattacks.Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview made those stakes concrete during testing, when the model found a flaw that had gone undetected for 27 years in OpenBSD, an operating system known for its strong security record.Mythos also found a separate vulnerability in FFmpeg, a widely used video software that had survived 5 million automated test runs before the model caught it.Anthropic chose not to release the model publicly, and the concern soon reached the Financial Stability Board and the IMF. Capabilities this powerful are forcing security leaders to think less about isolated threats and more about how quickly their organizations can spot and repair risk.The Growing Importance of Proactive CybersecurityBusinesses used to have more time to spot a cyber threat before it caused serious damage, but AI is making that old margin feel much harder to trust. Harvard cybersecurity instructor David Cass described working with companies that lost more than $25 million in under 30 minutes.Speed like that leaves little room for guesswork, which is why proactive security now starts with continuous monitoring that catches unusual activity early. Those early warnings only help if companies also know where their weak spots are, making regular system audits part of the same discipline."Reactive security models are becoming harder to sustain in an AI-driven threat environment. Continuous monitoring, employee education, and regular system audits are no longer optional safeguards. They are part of maintaining operational resilience," adds Plowman. Employees need that discipline too, especially as AI makes scams harder to recognize at a glance. Jennifer Gold, chief information security officer at Risk Aperture, said organizations cannot roll out new technology and assume people know how to use it safely.Cybersecurity has to be built before the breach, while there is still time to prevent panic from becoming the operating plan.What Recent Attack Attempts Reveal About PreparednessOrganizations with strong defenses still face attack attempts, and what those attempts reveal is often more valuable than the block itself. The Hartford's 2026 Risk Monitor found cyberattacks tied with inflation as the most widely cited concern among business leaders.Both were flagged by 77% of those surveyed, and cyber risk has claimed a permanent seat beside the financial pressures executives already track.Building a Security-First Business CultureTechnology sets the ceiling on what a company can defend, but the decisions people make every day determine whether that ceiling ever gets reached. Those decisions usually take their cue from leadership, especially when executives follow the same security rules they expect from everyone else.Once that practice is visible from the top, internal rules become part of the workday instead of another document employees skim once and forget. But that same discipline has to extend outside the company, because vendors now sit inside many of the systems businesses rely on to operate.Naveen Balakrishnan, managing director at TD Securities, has observed that roughly 70% of attacks enter organizations through their vendors. Vendor exposure turns cybersecurity into a trust issue long before customers ever hear about a breach. And when a breach does happen, 65% of consumers say they stop trusting a brand immediately, and rebuilding that confidence takes far longer than the incident itself.Cybersecurity culture starts with leadership behavior. Employees are far more likely to follow security protocols when executives visibly treat security as part of everyday operations rather than a technical checkbox.What Businesses Should Expect Moving ForwardAI is not slowing down, and neither are the demands it places on companies that rely on it. K. Krithivasan, CEO of Tata Consultancy Services, has noted that AI compute doubles roughly every three months, and every business faces a higher breach risk when technology moves at that pace.In fact, research from ISC2 found that 52% of cybersecurity professionals say AI will have the greatest negative impact on security, while 41% say it will have the greatest positive impact. Both are right, and most companies will spend the next several years trying to manage the space between them.However, regulatory pressure is also becoming harder to ignore. Legal analysts at JD Supra have noted that AI compliance has moved past policy discussion into real enforcement, with states expanding rules around automated decisions and consumer data.For companies operating across multiple jurisdictions, keeping up with what is required has become a serious operational challenge on its own.Navigating Innovation With CautionAcross businesses of every size, AI has changed how cyberattacks happen and how companies have to defend against them. The tools attackers use are moving faster, and the tools defenders rely on have to keep up without creating new risk.Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM, has observed that criminals will use any available tool to reach what is valuable, so defenders have to respond with the strongest tools they can use responsibly, including agentic AI.The balance between progress and protection is now part of running a modern company. And organizations that build security into daily operations are better prepared before a breach puts their trust to the test.This story was produced by InCorp and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Lost touch? Here are 5 ways Americans are successfully reconnecting with old friends, classmates, and co-workers Lost touch? Here are 5 ways Americans are successfully reconnecting with old friends, classmates, and co-workersMany people at one point or another have lost touch with once-close friends, a phenomenon only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 2021 data from the Survey Center on American Life indicates that the share of adults with no close friends at all has quadrupled since 1990.The good news is that it’s never too late to rekindle an old friendship. Spokeo put together five unique ways Americans can get back in contact with cherished friends, lost classmates, co-workers, and more.1. Alumni associations and LinkedInDedicated alumni platforms remain one of the most targeted tools for finding classmates. Many universities maintain their own alumni directories, which can be an excellent resource for those searching for old connections. To find old classmates or school friends who may not have opted in, LinkedIn can be another useful tool. They boast an alumni search function that allows you to filter by school, graduation year, and current location.2. Mutual friends and family members (the Six Degrees method)Before trying out any search tool, there’s a social networking component to consider. When trying to find someone, start by thinking about who you both knew, whether a mutual college roommate, a former co-worker, or a sibling. A single well-placed ask can move the needle on tracking someone down far faster than any database.This isn’t just theory. Brown University published an analysis in 2024 outlining how human brains navigate social networks in such a manner that you’re typically only six social connections away from anyone on the planet. Put it to the test next time you’re trying to track an old connection down.3. Social media searches using known detailsFacebook remains one of the most useful platforms for people searches, partly due to how many active monthly users frequent it, but also because of how much detail is available on public profiles. Names, hometowns, and life milestones are all searchable. By filtering based on these data points, there’s a strong chance a person can be surfaced if they’re active on the platform. Instagram and TikTok are harder to search without a username but are more prominent social media platforms in 2026, if you know enough data on the person to find a profile.For professional connections, LinkedIn is still the best option. The alumni search feature, in addition to its people search function, can allow you to filter by employer, school, and location all at once. For someone who has changed their career or moved, this can produce results that a single name search might not.4. People search and reverse phone lookup servicesPeople search platforms work by aggregating public records, including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and sometimes social profiles. These tools are typically most valuable when other methods have stalled. A reverse phone lookup can also confirm whether an old number still belongs to the person you’re looking for. Combining a name with a city search can return the current contact details of an individual, even if they have been offline for years.5. Niche online communities tied to shared experiencesFinally, some of the most active reconnections happen in spaces that are organized by specific events or experiences. A Reddit thread for alumni of employers, a Facebook group for veterans, or a Discord server for fans of a niche band are all examples. These communities self-select for people who happen to care enough about a shared experience to actively seek others who share the same interest.The key with this strategy isn’t to think about what specific shared experiences you and the person you’re searching for had, but rather if there’s an existing community around that experience.Sometimes, the hardest part is hitting sendFinding someone is often the easiest part of the equation. For some people, knowing what to say when someone is found is actually the harder part. Before reaching out to someone you lost touch with, think about sending a few warm messages to current friends first as a sort of trial run. The simple act of practicing can lower the psychological barrier enough that following through with your goal of reconnection may be easier.This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Why finding the right bra still feels like a mystery for millions of women Why finding the right bra still feels like a mystery for millions of women Most women know their bra size by heart, yet still walk out of a fitting room completely empty-handed. It is a frustrating issue, especially given how much fashion has advanced over the past two decades.Technology is now capable of recommending clothes based on precise body measurements and fabrics engineered to move exactly as the body does. And yet, the garment women wear closest to their skin remains one of the most frustrating to shop for.Women's intimates brand Felina has spent decades studying how bras fit and function across a wide range of women's bodies, and has seen firsthand what retail data and health research have long confirmed: Bra fit is one of the most common comfort problems in women's clothing, and the reasons behind it go far beyond anything a size chart can explain.Why Bra Sizes Aren’t Actually UniversalNo two brands make the same bra, even when the tag says the same size. Each company uses its own fit model, so one brand may build around a wider ribcage while another builds around a fuller cup. And every bra made from those models carries those choices into the fitting room.Research published in the International Open Access Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons confirms how much those choices affect fit, showing that cup volume can vary significantly between manufacturers even when the size label is identical.Bra designer Stephanie Muhlenfeld, who has designed for major labels including Nike, told HuffPost this makes it “almost impossible” for women to find the right fit based on size alone. When a bra digs, gaps, or refuses to sit right, many women assume their body is the problem, even though the bra was never made for one universal body in the first place.The Rise of Online Shopping Complicated the ProblemOnline shopping was supposed to make buying clothes easier, but bra shopping only got more complicated.Lingerie e-commerce has grown considerably, with Market Growth Reports noting that digitally native brands now accounting for 36% of global lingerie sales, and yet buying a bra on a screen means making a fit decision without ever touching the fabric or testing the band. Without that, most women end up guessing their size and ordering multiple options just to find one that works.Online return rates hover between 30% and 35% across lingerie, and fit issues remain one of the biggest drivers of apparel returns, according to Drapers research. The problem is that a bra is one of the most structurally complex garments a person wears, and no size chart has yet to replace the experience of trying one on and immediately knowing whether it fits.How Poor Fit Affects More Than ComfortA bra that doesn’t fit correctly places a daily physical load on the body it was never meant to carry. Without proper weight distribution, the neck and shoulders absorb pressure that should be supported elsewhere, and over time, that imbalance can affect posture.Breast surgeon Dr. Paul Banwell told HuffPost that wearing the wrong bra may lead to hunching, along with persistent back and shoulder pain. And the emotional toll can be just as hard to ignore. Women who spend their day adjusting and rearranging a bra that does not fit often internalize that frustration as a problem with their own body.Research also links ongoing bra discomfort with higher anxiety and lower self-esteem, pointing to bra fit as a daily wellness issue rather than a minor wardrobe frustration.Why Retailers Are Investing in Fit SolutionsRetailers have finally taken notice of a problem that has been costing the industry for years. The cost of getting fit wrong has become too high to ignore. This pressure has pushed brands toward fit quizzes and AI sizing tools that give shoppers more guidance before checkout.Many brands are also expanding size ranges, giving shoppers access to options that better reflect the realities of how women’s bodies vary. And those efforts are beginning to reshape the economics of online fit, with Market Growth Reports data showing that AI-powered fit tools are now used by 32% of leading e-commerce platforms and contributing to a 25% decline in returns.Better fit creates a better shopping experience, and retailers have learned that helping women find the right bra the first time is far less expensive than managing the returns that follow.The Consumer Shift Toward Comfort and FunctionalityHybrid and remote work gave millions of women long stretches at home, where a rigid, wired bra felt harder to justify, and many discovered they felt better in styles that placed less pressure on the body throughout the day. But once offices reopened and daily routines returned, that preference stayed with them.Market research reflects the same change in buying behavior, with Market Growth Reports research finding that more than 58% of women globally naming comfort as their primary reason for buying lingerie. Fit still has to support the body, but softness now plays a larger role in whether a bra feels wearable through an entire day.Why the Industry Still Has Work to DoBra sizing education remains one of the biggest obstacles left for the industry to solve, with Drapers research noting that only 10% of lingerie sites offering accurate size charts.The measuring methods many women still rely on were developed decades ago, before modern bra construction began relying more heavily on fabrics and structure rather than wires. Even expanded size ranges do not always solve the problem, since some brands add sizes by scaling existing patterns instead of rebuilding fit around different body types.Jené Luciani Sena, author of “The Bra Book,” told HuffPost that 9 out of 10 women she has personally fitted were wearing the wrong size. The industry is moving, but the everyday experience of buying a bra has not kept pace.The Future of Bra Shopping May Depend on Fit TransparencyBras have come a long way from the rigid styles women were once expected to tolerate. Softer fabrics have made them easier to wear, and online tools have made fit guidance more available before checkout.But bra sizing confusion still affects millions of women, especially when the same size feels different from one brand to the next. And that inconsistency is where better transparency becomes essential, because shoppers need to understand how a bra is built and who it was designed to support.Clearer sizing systems and better fit education would build on that transparency by giving women more certainty before they buy. If the industry gets that right, bra shopping can finally work the way women have always needed it to.This story was produced by Felina and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ reveals what most people get wrong about addiction and grief, according to a psychologist HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ reveals what most people get wrong about addiction and grief, according to a psychologistHBO’s “Euphoria” ended with a fictional overdose, but it was carrying the weight of a real one. For those unfamiliar with the series, “Euphoria” follows a group of teenagers navigating addiction, trauma and identity. It centers on Rue Bennett, a 17-year-old recovering from a near-fatal overdose following the death of her father.In 2023, Angus Cloud, the actor who played the show’s warm-hearted drug dealer Fezco, died at 25 years old from an accidental drug overdose involving fentanyl. He had just returned home after attending his father's funeral.After his death, “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson went back to the script and rethought Rue's ending. His reasoning was simple. Telling an honest story about addiction means showing what it actually costs: Not everyone gets a second chance. In the series finale, Rue’s character dies after taking a fentanyl-laced pill.LifeStance Health explores what the show gets right about addiction and grief, and what the path to recovery can look like.The role grief plays in addictionIn the days before Angus Cloud died, he had just buried his father. It is the same loss at the heart of Rue's story, and it points to one of the most significant relapse triggers there is: grief.People with a history of substance use can be particularly vulnerable during periods of loss, even if they have been stable for a long time. When we lose someone central to our lives, the pain can be profound enough to bypass every coping skill a person has built.“Euphoria” understood the weight of that grief long before the finale. Rue's father, who died of cancer when she was young, is a presence that haunts the entire series. In a Season 1 flashback, a 14-year-old Rue walks into his room and picks up his maroon hoodie from the bed, breathing in what's left of him. She never stops wearing it. In the series finale, when her sponsor Ali finds her gone, she’s still wrapped in that hoodie.That image is powerful storytelling, and it reflects what grief can do to people. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. The more ACEs a person experiences, the more likely they are to struggle with addiction, mental illness and chronic disease. For many people, addiction isn't where the story begins, but where unaddressed pain eventually lands.What most people get wrong about addictionUnderstanding why addiction takes root is one thing. Understanding how it behaves over time is another. For those who followed Rue across three seasons, her arc captures something most mainstream portrayals get wrong: Addiction is not a straight line.In Season 1, Rue is in a fresh, desperate crisis. By Season 3 she's five years older, working as a drug mule, and her relationship with substances has shifted. She isn't using hard drugs the way she once was. She's found a kind of uneasy equilibrium that looks, to the outside world, like getting by.Addiction can quiet down for stretches, but vulnerability rarely disappears entirely. In the finale, Rue doesn't relapse in the way most people might imagine. She hurts her hand and takes what she believes is a pain pill. She doesn't know it was deliberately laced with fentanyl by someone who knew exactly how to use her vulnerability against her. That moment, one injury, one pill, one unguarded instant, is all it takes. It illustrates how the delicate circumstances addiction creates between life or death leave very little margin for error.What recovery-focused care looks likeRue's story raises an important question: What does the right kind of support look like? Understanding what recovery-focused care involves can help people make more informed decisions about treatment. This commonly includes:Reestablishing safety. Many people living with addiction have spent years being judged or dismissed. The therapeutic relationship itself is often part of the healing process.Treating both the addiction and what's driving it. Treatment should address not only the substance use, but the underlying pain fueling it. Evidence-based approaches like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and trauma-informed care are designed to help people safely process the pain they've been carrying.Understanding that recovery can be nonlinear. A damaging myth about recovery is that relapse means failure. In reality, addiction is a chronic condition with a nonlinear recovery path. A relapse can reveal important information about triggers, unmet needs and what support may be missing. Reframing relapse from a source of shame to a source of information is an important part of recovery.Community and connection. Addiction often isolates people. Recovery focuses on peer support, group therapy, and family involvement when healthy and appropriate. Peer support, group therapy, family involvement where healthy and appropriate and community connection are an integral component of recovery.A message of hopeSometimes the most powerful thing a story can do is refuse to look away. What “Euphoria” understood, and what clinicians often see, is that addiction is rarely about the substance itself. For many people, something deeper and more complex is driving it.Stories like Rue's are a reminder to seek help for addiction. With support and mental health treatment, a different ending is possible.References to “Euphoria” are for educational discussion only and do not imply endorsement.This story was published by LifeStance Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The rise of organic makeup: Consumers making the switch The rise of organic makeup: Consumers making the switchAs consumers become more mindful of what they put on their skin, organic makeup is gaining traction, driven by a growing demand for transparency, simplicity, and ingredient-conscious beauty routines.Ask any beauty consumer what they look for in a makeup product right now, and the answer has gotten considerably more complex. Color and coverage still matter, but formula transparency and skin compatibility have earned a permanent place in how people evaluate what belongs in their routine.A 2025 Talker Research survey conducted on behalf of Revance found that 9 in 10 U.S. adults ages 30 to 54 say they are more ingredient-conscious than ever before. And beauty communities across social platforms have made that awareness harder to ignore, with consumers comparing formulas, questioning ingredients, and expecting brands to be far more transparent about what goes into every product.That kind of attention has created more room for organic makeup, especially among shoppers who bring the same care to beauty that they already bring to food, wellness, and the small daily choices that shape how they feel.With organic makeup becoming more visible across beauty culture, the conversation is moving beyond the label itself and toward what shoppers believe it should represent. Below, Ogee, a Vermont-based certified organic beauty brand, explores how organic makeup has moved from niche to mainstream.What ‘Organic Makeup’ Means to Consumers"Organic" carries real weight in makeup, but for most shoppers, understanding what it actually covers starts with what goes into the formula.Organic makeup is typically formulated with plant-based ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and products that carry a certified organic designation are also held to standards around what gets left out. Synthetic preservatives, artificial dyes, and added fragrances are among the most common ingredients that organic formulations are built without.A formula rooted in botanical ingredients and free from those common additives has given organic makeup a reputation for feeling more compatible with skin for shoppers who are looking for a simpler ingredient profile.For consumers paying closer attention to what goes into their beauty routines, formulation has become one of the most influential factors in how they decide what to buy.Why Consumers Are Making the SwitchMuch like reading a nutrition label before buying something at the grocery store, beauty consumers have started bringing that same mindset to their makeup routines.Because makeup sits on the skin for hours at a time, many shoppers are becoming more careful about what they put on their faces every day. For consumers with sensitive or easily reactive skin, the appeal often starts with control. A shorter ingredient list can make it easier to understand what they are using and what may not belong in their routine.Lifestyle has also become part of the equation. A 2023 McKinsey & Company report found that 60% of Gen Z and Millennial consumers say a brand’s environmental and social values directly influence their beauty purchases, pointing to how closely personal care has become tied to the way people choose to live. Products meeting that demand are being asked to reflect more than beauty alone.The Rise of Skin-First MakeupCoverage used to be the main measure of a good makeup product, but the standard consumers hold makeup to has grown considerably more personal. This is where skin-first makeup has become such a useful way to describe the moment.It reflects a preference for products that enhance the skin people already have, with hydration, nourishment, and a finish that looks more natural than covered up. That interest in products that do both has had a real impact on the market.Skincare sales continue to outpace makeup, particularly among Gen Z, with hybrid products like tinted serums becoming a go-to choice for people who want skin benefits and color in a single step.Organic makeup has found a natural home within this expectation, and the growing demand has opened a larger conversation around whether organic formulations can truly deliver on performance.Performance Meets Clean FormulationOrganic makeup has come a long way from its early reputation for sheer coverage and short wear times. Formulation science has advanced considerably, and those advances are showing up in how these products actually perform throughout a full day.Textures that once felt heavy or unpredictable have given way to lightweight formulas that blend easily and hold up well, without depending on the synthetic ingredients that conventional makeup has long relied on.Research on the organic skincare market suggests that advances in cosmetic science have helped organic formulations improve how well they perform, while also making them easier and more pleasant to wear.Consumers who once felt they had to weigh clean ingredients against real results are finding far less reason to choose between the two, and that growing confidence has raised expectations not just for what organic makeup can do, but for how openly brands communicate what goes into making it.Transparency and Trust in BeautyKnowing what goes into a beauty product now matters almost as much as what the product claims to do.A 2024 U.S. study cited by Forbes and attributed to Yuka found that 55% of respondents actively research ingredients online or through apps before making a purchase, showing how seriously shoppers are looking at what they put on their skin. Brands responding to that level of attention have grown far more open about where their ingredients come from and how their products are actually made.What This Means for the Future of BeautyBeauty routines have always reflected what people value most at any given moment, and right now, those values are pulling strongly toward simplicity, honesty, and products that feel worth buying for more reasons than one.According to a 2026 Future Market Insights projection, the global natural cosmetics market, currently valued at $55.4 billion, is projected to reach $96.4 billion by 2036. That kind of growth does not happen unless a very large number of everyday shoppers are actively changing how they buy.Organic makeup sits at the heart of that change, carried by people who have decided that what goes into a product matters just as much as what it does on their skin. Routines are becoming more deliberate and more personal, and the standards that brands are being held to have risen right along with them.This story was produced by Ogee and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The head of the family is 17. Money is tight. The roof leaks. How did this happen? Three brothers say their mother and father died after losing access to their HIV medications. Now the boys are figuring out how to navigate life.
	These 3 brothers lost their parents to AIDS. Now they struggle to make it on their own Three brothers say their mother and father died after losing access to their HIV medications. Now the boys are figuring out how to navigate life.
	MercyOne Clinton unveils new surgical robot MercyOne Medical Center in Clinton unveiled its new surgical system. The clinic introduced a surgical robot on Wednesday, but the first robotic assisted surgery at the medical center was in early May. Patients have smaller incisions, less pain and recover faster from procedures using surgical robots. "One of our biggest, important factors is keeping patients local when we can,” said Dr. [...]
	Roth IRA vs. traditional IRA: Which is right for you? Roth IRA vs. traditional IRA: Which is right for you?Individual retirement accounts, or IRAs, can be an important part of your financial strategy when preparing for retirement. The most common types of IRAs are traditional and Roth.How do they differ, and which one is right for you? Below, Ally Financial walks through both choices, so you can make the best decision for your financial future.What is a traditional IRA?A traditional IRA is an investment account in which your taxes are deferred until withdrawal.Key features of traditional IRAsTax-deductible contributions: The amount of your contributions that can be deducted from your taxes depends on your income, tax filing status, and age.Tax-deferred growth: Once money is in a traditional IRA, you won’t pay taxes on dividends or capital gains until you withdraw the money.Required minimum distributions (RMDs): You must take the RMDs by April 1 of the year after you turn 73. If you don’t take the RMD, you’ll pay the original taxes owed, plus a 25% excise tax (or 10%, if you correct the error within two years).Benefits of traditional IRAsImmediate tax benefits: You’ll receive a perk on your taxes every year when paying into a traditional IRA because your contributions are tax deductible.Potentially lower taxable income: Contributions to a traditional IRA during your working years reduce your taxable income, and could even move you into a lower tax bracket.What is a Roth IRA?With a Roth IRA, your contributions are taxed immediately, and no tax is owed when eligible money is withdrawn.Key features of Roth IRAsContributions made with after-tax dollars: You pay taxes upfront when contributing to a Roth IRA.Tax-free growth and withdrawals: You don’t pay taxes when you withdraw the money, as long as you are 59 1/2 and have held your Roth IRA for at least five years.No RMDs during the account holder's lifetime: Withdrawals from Roth IRAs are not required until after the death of the account owner. (Beneficiaries are subject to separate RMD rules.)Benefits of Roth IRAsTax-free income in retirement: Once you’re of retirement age, your eligible withdrawals will be tax-free.No mandatory withdrawals: Roth IRAs offer more flexibility because there are no rules determining when and how much you must withdraw.Comparing traditional and Roth IRAs Ally Financial Making the right choice for you Ally Financial Consider these factors when choosing which retirement account works best for you:Tax rate: If your current tax rate is higher than your expected tax rate in retirement, you may save more in taxes over time with a traditional IRA. But if you expect your tax rate to increase in retirement, a Roth IRA allows any potential earnings on your contributions to grow tax free.Retirement timeline and income needs: A traditional IRA might align better with a shorter timeline because you get a tax deduction on your contributions right away, but pay taxes later on your withdrawals. With a Roth IRA, you could potentially benefit from years of tax-free growth if your timeline to retirement is longer.Estate planning goals: When beneficiaries inherit a traditional IRA, they must pay income taxes on the distributions they take. On the other hand, Roth IRAs can be passed on tax free to beneficiaries as long as certain requirements are met (like the five-year rule).Income: If your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) goes over a certain level, you might not be able to invest in a Roth IRA.Invest in your futureOnce you have an understanding of the differences between a Roth and traditional IRA, consider speaking with a financial advisor to explore which IRA solution aligns best with your long-term financial strategy. Your advisor can help you find the path toward retirement depending on your situation, life expenses and future goals.This story was produced by Ally Financial and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Using AI in place of a financial advisor? 5 common mistakes to avoid Using AI in place of a financial advisor? 5 common mistakes to avoidYou might have found yourself there: Asking ChatGPT whether you should max out your 401(k) or put some extra cash flow toward your mortgage. Its answer was incredibly thorough, easy to understand, and maybe even felt catered to your personal context. It could even be the correct answer for you.Some questions are well-suited for using AI as a financial tool, but there are serious limitations to the current tools, and one of the biggest limitations? These tools will never tell you when their limitations come up. ChatGPT could sound just as confident answering a question that is entirely within its knowledge base and domain as it would answering a question that is beyond its limits.The solution is to use it carefully, like the powerful tool that it is—you are responsible for having the discrimination that the tool itself lacks.Not sure what that looks like? Domain Money broke down exactly how to use AI as a financial tool and when it’s time to call in a human professional.AI can be a surprisingly good financial advisorOne of the primary functions of a financial advisor used to be breaking down complex financial topics in plain English. What’s the difference between a Roth and a traditional 401(k)? How does tax-loss harvesting work? What are the different types of stock options?These are the types of questions that financial advisors used to field one-on-one all the time, but now with the dual advents of first, the internet, and now, AI, it’s easy to find detailed answers on your own, whether you prefer to learn from essays, videos, or interactive chatbots.Here are the times when AI can be helpful (although it is still recommended to always check your sources):Explaining financial concepts in plain English: Struggling to understand something like a mega backdoor Roth, tax-loss harvesting, or how stock options work? If you find the way AI breaks things down engaging, any major LLM should be able to accurately explain these concepts.Summarizing complex and large documents: Financial decisions can come with documents that were built by lawyers, for lawyers—due diligence documentation before making an investment decision, or personal documents such as estate materials or contracts. While in an ideal world, everyone would read these documents word for word, AI can be helpful to explain and summarize these complex legal documents.In-the-moment behavioral prompts: Worried that you might be buying into a scam, or selling due to panic? Especially if you don’t have a dedicated certified financial planner on your team, a modern LLM should be able to gut-check an impulsive decision. However, be warned that if you push most LLMs, they could agree with you even on a bad decision.That more people are able to access detailed financial information is a tremendous advantage of AI. For many communities, it was the exclusion from knowledge about investing tools and strategies that derailed the building of generational wealth.Think of using an LLM for financial questions like going to WebMD or Healthline for medical advice. It can be incredibly useful, immediate, and reassuring, a great way to deal with the minor problems and questions that pepper everyday life. However, if a problem reaches the point of serious concern—financial or medical—it might be time to call in an expert.The 5 Mistakes People Make Using AI for Financial DecisionsHere are the five things to watch out for to use AI for your financial questions like a professional.Mistake #1: Relying on outdated informationAll AI models are trained on old data, although this is a problem developers are constantly attempting to solve. Most models are now able to access current information by browsing the web, but that doesn’t mean that they’re pulling the latest or most accurate numbers every time.A model may default to its training data rather than looking to the web, or cite an older page over a newer one. FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, released a 2026 Regulatory Oversight Report on the subject of AI and Machine Learning that specifically flagged “outdated training data leading to concept drift” as one of the biggest risks of working with AI.Mistake #2: Trusting confident answers that are straight up wrongLLMs are incentivized to answer you, and they tend to agree with your framing. JurisTech's 2026 Hallucination Benchmark tested six leading models on financial documents with deliberately missing data. Four of six models fabricated figures, and two did so confidently, without disclosing any uncertainty. That means you would have no idea, unless you were fastidiously checking your sources, that the numbers being given to you were wrong.The boring solution? Check the sources your AI tool gives you as well as the numbers it uses for any important calculations, particularly around taxes and retirement.Mistake #3: Missing the full tax pictureOne of the biggest advantages of working with a real certified public accountant or financial advisor rather than online tax-filing software and spreadsheets is that they can find strategies and advantages that you simply don’t know you don’t know.One area where many LLMs are currently weak is “digging” for answers, or asking relevant follow-up questions. If you don’t know how to ask your LLM about a particular tax strategy or tax-advantaged account, it’s highly likely you won’t see it mentioned.If there are documents or information you forget to surface to your AI—such as noting your 529 contributions or including your high-yield savings account income—it most likely will not ask for them.Another example of real complexity that an AI could overlook: Recommending a backdoor Roth conversion due to your income without knowing that you have a large RSU vest coming up this year, because you forgot to tell it. Most LLMs won’t flag that for you, leaving you with potential material tax consequences.Mistake #4: Treating AI recommendations as fiduciary adviceYou may assume that because you’ve trained your LLM, and because it’s obviously not earning any commission or AUM—it’s not earning anything at all, it’s not even a person—your AI tool is the same as a fiduciary.Your AI tool is not likely to tell you to invest in products against your best interest, such as a sub-optimal whole life insurance plan or actively managed funds with high fees. After all, it has no incentive to do so. So in this way, you would be correct.However, the other element of fiduciary duty is responsibility, which AI cannot assume. FINRA has been explicit about this in their statement on AI: AI recommendations and generations are not a legal defense for bad financial practice.A financial firm that you employ with a fiduciary financial advisor is legally responsible for giving financially sound recommendations. AI holds no such responsibility.Mistake #5: Overestimating AI-generated investment picksAccording to an NBER 2026 working paper, LLM-generated portfolios tend to be heavily concentrated in “trendworthy” stocks. Recently, that has meant large-cap tech, with an emphasis on AI and semiconductors.Their picks appear to be driven by pure media buzz rather than any analysis of financial fundamentals, which makes sense based on how LLMs operate, gather sources, and build trust.The short answer is, you may not realize the level of risk you’re taking on if you trust AI with your portfolio, particularly to pick individual stocks. Think of it this way: Would you draw your portfolio directly from the most buzzworthy stocks on Reddit? Because that may be fairly similar to how your AI is selecting them.On the other hand, if AI is telling you to invest in broad-market ETFs with a low cost basis, and you have a long time horizon, that is a very safe and well-tested strategy to execute. Of course, we would still recommend doing your own due diligence, as any investment has risk.The biggest risk of an AI financial advisor: Behavioral financeThe biggest risk of using an AI as your financial advisor isn’t simply that you need to check its sources or that you should do your own due diligence before investing in any individual stocks. Instead, it’s that AI is well-known for its persistent problem of being a “yes man,” even when people need closer guidance.Most of the basic concepts of personal finance are easy to understand and adopt. Investing in broad-market ETFs, understanding tax-advantaged accounts, and setting a budget are all easy to start. Where most people truly need support is in execution.If you’re burnt out and you’ve already decided to retire even though you’re a million dollars short of your target retirement number, AI might encourage and validate you, rather than talk in practical terms.If you create a budget with no built-in wiggle room for vacations, entertainment, or late-night Ubers, ChatGPT might say you’ve nailed it—while a professional financial advisor that can review your last year of expenses knows that isn’t practical for your life.If you and your spouse can’t decide on the line between healthy cash flow and overspending, ChatGPT is unlikely to come up with a healthy compromise and more likely to agree with your side enthusiastically.Research is already demonstrating that LLMs are financially conservative in bull markets and aggressive in bear markets, showing that they are liable to fall into the exact behavioral patterns that professional financial advisors set out to counter.The behavioral coaching advantage of a human advisor is approximately half of the 3% net annual returns that Vanguard’s research attributes to working with a financial advisor. That’s as much as a 1.5% return per year that a highly agreeable AI with a limited context window can’t offer in the same way.How to use AI as a financial tool, not a financial advisorNeed an easy way to differentiate between when a task can be easily solved with current LLMs, and when it’s time to call in a pro? Here are our guidelines:Is this a “learning” question?Some examples of “learning” questions would include:"What's the difference between a traditional and Roth IRA?""How does tax-loss harvesting work?""What's an expense ratio?"“How do RSUs get taxed?”Is this a decision-making question?Some examples of decision-making questions, with potential long-term and/or irreversible consequences, would include:"Should I do a Roth conversion this year?""When should I exercise my ISOs?""How should I sequence my account withdrawals in retirement?""Does it make more sense to pay off my mortgage or invest the extra cash?"The key question to ask yourself: Would a mistake here cost me money I can't get back?Why the best financial strategy uses both AI and human expertiseFINRA, as well as the World Economic Forum, are pointing toward a hybrid model for the use of AI in the financial advisory industry, both now and in the future: AI supporting research, summarizing complex documentation, and financial education, while humans handle judgment, accountability, and behavioral coaching.However, while more than 80% of investors surveyed by the London Stock Exchange Group and ThoughtLab in 2024 were open to AI-supported advisors in portfolio management, it’s important to stay aware of the risks that exist when striking out on your own with AI—especially when making decisions that will have long-term implications for your wealth.This story was produced by Domain Money and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Why humanoid robots are taking off at airports Why humanoid robots are taking off at airportsPassengers arriving at San José Mineta International Airport’s Terminal B are greeted by a humanoid robot named José. Mounted to a fixed base behind an information desk, José greets travelers and switches to the language they speak, answering questions about flights, baggage and directions.Users approach hesitantly at first, then start testing it. They switch between languages mid-conversation about where to find baggage claim or about delayed flights. Some simply want to know whether José is a real autonomous robot and not operated by a human behind the scenes.Airports are heavily automated environments. Conveyor systems route baggage, software coordinates gates and departures, and automated ramp systems manage aircraft turnaround. The Infinite Loop by Nebiuss broke down how the growing use of AI-powered humanoid robots operating directly alongside people is changing airport services.San José Mineta (SJC) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) are among the busy hubs trialing robots in crowded terminals, runway aprons and passenger service areas. Some robots guide travelers in dozens of languages. Others are being tested for baggage and ramp tasks.The humanoid form factor is not simply for novelty or branding. Human-shaped robots can operate inside existing infrastructure with fewer modifications than many purpose-built automation systems would require. IntBot José, the friendly face of Silicon ValleyBut fitting in physically is the easier part. Passenger interactions are exactly what make airports difficult environments for public-facing AI systems. Information changes constantly, interactions happen under time pressure, and systems must operate reliably despite noise and connectivity constraints.This is why the deployment is deliberately constrained. Although José can stand and walk, IntBot, the company behind José, chose to tether the system during the pilot. According to the company, the decision was practical; in a crowded airport environment, a loss of power or battery failure could create obvious safety problems.While San José is hosting matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the airport’s four-month pilot is also becoming an early test of how AI systems perform during periods of intense international passenger traffic.The airport says José supports travelers in more than 50 languages, a capability that matters in a region as linguistically diverse as Silicon Valley. “What was really surprising to me is that I expected probably 90% of conversations to be in English,” IntBot product manager Hannah Wu said in an interview. “It actually turns out that 25% of interactions are in a language other than English.” The system combines conversational AI with live flight and airport information, allowing passengers to ask follow-up questions naturally rather than navigating static menus or kiosks.“Physical agents” orchestrating models across edge and cloudAccording to IntBot Chief Technology Officer Sharon Yang, José distributes AI workloads across both edge and cloud infrastructure depending on the task being performed. Rather than relying on a single monolithic model, the system acts as what Yang described as a “physical agent” orchestrating multiple models and tools in real time.While José can access live flight and airport information in conversations with passengers, the system remains relatively loosely integrated into airport infrastructure. IntBot said the system currently pulls flight status information and floor-plan data through APIs rather than operating as a deeply embedded backend system.The distinction reflects a broader challenge facing physical AI deployments. Airports are complex environments built around legacy systems, rapidly changing information, and human workflows that were never originally designed around autonomous machines.Mookie Patel, director of aviation at San José Mineta, said the goal was not simply to replace static information systems, but to test whether conversational AI could operate effectively in a live terminal environment.“Unlike a static kiosk or an app with preprogrammed responses, José can answer follow-up questions, switch languages instantly and personalize the interaction,” Patel said in an interview. “For first-time users, the interaction feels very similar to speaking with a customer service agent.”According to Hannah Wu, around three-quarters of interactions are socially driven rather than task-based, with passengers often approaching José out of curiosity before asking practical questions.The company previously deployed robots in hotels before moving into airports, partly because multilingual wayfinding and information services offered a practical early use case for public-facing robotics.“In a lab, there’s just so many edge cases that you can’t prepare for,” Wu said. “In the real world, that’s how we make our products better.”Japan Airlines Haneda trialOther airport robotics projects are focusing on labor-intensive work behind the scenes.Passengers glancing out of the departure lounge windows at Tokyo Haneda Airport may see the familiar choreography of airport ground crews hauling unit load devices (ULDs), the wedge-shaped containers used to move luggage, freight and mail onto aircraft. But among the workers shifting containers onto rolling ramps, one figure may appear a little more metallic than the others.Japan Airlines (JAL) and GMO AI & Robotics Corp. are beginning what the companies describe as Japan’s first airport demonstration trial involving humanoid robots in ground handling operations.Unlike the public-facing concierge role taken by José in San José, the Haneda trial focuses on repetitive manual work already shaped around human crews. Initial deployments are concentrating on ULD transfer tasks on the airport ramp, with future phases potentially expanding into baggage loading, cargo handling, cabin cleaning and even operation of ground support equipment.The distinction matters. While humanoid robots are often framed as futuristic consumer technology, the strongest near-term case for deployment may be in exactly the kind of routine work airports are increasingly struggling to staff.“While airports appear highly automated and standardized, their back-end operations still rely heavily on human labor and face serious labor shortages,” said Tomohiro Uchida, president of GMO AI & Robotics.Japan’s aviation sector, like much of the country’s economy, faces growing labor shortages driven by demographic change and increasing tourism demand. Ground handling work combines strenuous conditions with strict safety requirements and operational time pressure, making automation attractive but difficult to implement using conventional industrial robotics.According to JAL, the goal is not full automation, but gradual workload reduction and productivity gains through systems designed to work alongside human crews. Using robots for physically demanding tasks would “inevitably reduce workers’ burden” and provide “significant benefits to employees,” Yoshiteru Suzuki, president of JAL Ground Service Co., told Kyodo News. He added that some responsibilities, including safety management, would still require human oversight.A JAL spokesperson said the integration of humanoid robots and automated vehicles could eventually reduce personnel requirements by roughly half in some container loading tasks, contributing to a broader goal of improving productivity by 10% by 2030.But scaling those systems beyond pilot projects will depend on proving they can operate reliably in highly constrained airport environments.The airport doesn't adapt to the robotThe projects at San José and Haneda reflect two very different visions of airport robotics. What they share is the challenge of deploying AI systems inside environments built around human behavior and day-to-day workflows.That complexity is driving renewed interest in humanoid systems rather than purpose-built industrial machines.The attraction of humanoid systems is not necessarily that they outperform conventional automation, but that they may be able to operate inside infrastructure already designed around human movement, tools and procedures. In many cases, adapting robots to human environments may prove easier than redesigning airports around robots.For now, most deployments remain tightly constrained. José is tethered behind an information desk. The Haneda trial is focused on limited operational tasks under controlled evaluation. The robot in the terminal is easy to photograph and easy to misread. It looks like the future arriving. It is actually an experiment in plugging the future into a building never designed for it.This story was produced by The Infinite Loop by Nebius and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Vandalism at newly built Princeton park prompts plea to community Princeton officials are asking for help after vandals dug holes and dismantled equipment at the newly built Zearing Park playground, causing hazards.
	Supreme Court sides with marijuana user who was barred from owning guns The court ruled that the law used to prosecute a marijuana user violated his Second Amendment right to bear arms and is unconstitutionally vague.
	Taking Rybelsus? Here’s what you need to know about switching to the Ozempic pill Taking Rybelsus? Here’s what you need to know about switching to the Ozempic pillIf you’re currently taking Rybelsus (semaglutide), you may have heard that it’s being phased out. The manufacturer is transitioning to a newer oral formulation of semaglutide, referred to as the Ozempic pill.Both medications contain the same active ingredient, but there are some important things to keep in mind when switching. Below, GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, explains what you need to know to make the transition as smooth as possible.Key takeaways:Rybelsus (semaglutide) is being phased out and replaced by a reformulated version, often called the Ozempic pill.Both medications contain semaglutide. But the newer Ozempic pill is formulated to improve absorption, so it contains lower amounts of semaglutide than Rybelsus.If you’ve been prescribed Rybelsus, talk to your prescriber about switching to the Ozempic pill, as appropriate. They can make sure you’re taking the right dose.Why is Rybelsus being phased out?Rybelsus is an oral glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication for Type 2 diabetes. It’s being phased out as the manufacturer introduces a newer oral semaglutide formulation under the Ozempic brand name. This updated version had previously been referred to as the R2 formulation of Rybelsus.As part of this transition, the Ozempic brand is now available in two formulations — the original injectable version and the newer oral tablet. The manufacturer is shifting focus to this updated formulation rather than continuing Rybelsus.What is the Ozempic pill?The Ozempic pill is a newer oral version of semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in Rybelsus tablets and Ozempic injections. The main difference is how it’s formulated. The Ozempic pill is designed to improve absorption, which means it can provide a similar effect at a lower dose than Rybelsus.It’s also smaller in size than Rybelsus tablets, which may make it easier for some people to swallow.What to know when switching from Rybelsus to the Ozempic pillIf you’re currently taking Rybelsus, it’s recommended to talk to your prescriber about switching to the Ozempic pill, as appropriate. Switching from one to the other is usually straightforward, but there are a few key things to keep in mind.You’ll need a new prescriptionYou won’t be able to automatically switch from Rybelsus to the Ozempic pill. Your prescriber will need to write a new prescription for the updated medication. They’ll also guide you on when to start the new medication and how to transition safely.Your dose will changeEven though both medications contain semaglutide, the amount of active ingredient isn’t the same. Because the newer formulation is absorbed differently, it uses lower amounts of the medication.You generally won’t switch to the Ozempic pill if you’re within the first 30 days of starting Rybelsus (the 3 mg starting dose). But after that — or if you’re already taking the 7 mg or 14 mg dose — your prescriber may switch you to a comparable Ozempic pill dose.Here’s how the doses typically compare: GoodRx Your prescriber will confirm the right dose for you and may adjust it over time based on how you respond.Rybelsus and Ozempic pills are taken the same wayRybelsus and Ozempic pills have the same dosage instructions, which are important for the medication to work properly.Take your dose first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.Take it with no more than 4 ounces of plain water.Wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything else or taking other medications.Following these instructions closely helps ensure your body absorbs the medication as intended. Taking it with food, beverages other than water, or other medications can make it not work as well.Side effects are usually similarBecause both medications contain semaglutide, they tend to have similar side effects. The most common include:NauseaVomitingDiarrheaConstipationStomach upsetThese side effects are usually more noticeable when starting treatment or increasing your dose and often improve over time. But in the meantime, the following tips can help make them more manageable:Eat smaller, more frequent meals.Avoid high-fat or greasy foods.Drink enough fluids throughout the day.Eat slowly and stop when you feel full.If any side effects become difficult to tolerate, your prescriber may adjust your dose or recommend ways to help you stay on treatment.How to save on the Ozempic pillIf you’re switching to the Ozempic pill, you may be concerned about cost. There may be several ways to lower your out-of-pocket cost.Save with a copay card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be able to pay as little as $25 for up to a three-month supply with the card.Save with home delivery. Access the Ozempic pill starting at $149 per month and get it delivered to your home through NovoCare Pharmacy.The bottom lineRybelsus (oral semaglutide) is being phased out as the manufacturer transitions to a newer formulation, often referred to as the Ozempic pill. Both medications contain the same active ingredient, but differences in the formulation mean your dose will change — even though the way you take the medication stays the same.Switching is usually straightforward. But it’s best to work with your prescriber to make sure you’re starting the right dose and following proper instructions. If you have questions about side effects, cost, or how to take your medication, your healthcare team can help guide you through the transition.This story was produced by GoodRx and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	ADHD’s name has changed before. What could be next? ADHD’s name has changed before. What could be next?Today, we know ADHD, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, as the official name for the condition that causes symptoms like difficulty focusing, impulsivity, and paying attention. But before there was ADHD, there was attention-deficit disorder, or ADD. This was used from 1980 up until 1987, when it was renamed ADHD.And now, a new term is popping up: EDHD, or energy deficit hyperactivity disorder. EDHD isn’t an official medical diagnosis. Instead, it’s a theory that researchers are investigating to understand how exactly ADHD affects the brain and why symptoms may vary from one day to the next.So will ADHD’s name change again? And why does it even matter that we all use the same terminology? Understood explores the many names of ADHD, why consistency is important, and how new research could change the way we think about ADHD.Quick takeThe term ADD was introduced in 1980 to describe a condition that caused trouble focusing and forgetfulness.In 1987, ADD was renamed ADHD. That’s still the correct term and official medical diagnosis today for people experiencing inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.New research published in 2026 proposed EDHD as a theory to investigate whether less energy in the brain can cause ADHD and affect how symptoms show up daily.How ADD became ADHDRecognition of the symptoms of ADHD may go back to the fifth century B.C. The ancient Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates was one of the first to document a condition marked by restlessness and trouble focusing.In modern times, symptoms of ADHD were first explained in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Second Edition (DSM-II) in 1968. These symptoms were described as “hyperkinetic reaction of childhood.” Researchers believed it caused short attention spans and difficulty sitting still in kids, but that the symptoms would eventually go away when children became adults.History of ADDIn 1980, researchers renamed the condition ADD. This was a breakthrough. For the first time, researchers acknowledged that there were people who had trouble focusing but didn’t experience any issues with activity levels.Health care providers could choose from two subtypes of ADD when making a diagnosis:ADD with hyperactivity: This meant that you had trouble focusing and difficulty sitting still.ADD without hyperactivity: This meant that you had trouble focusing but didn’t experience any issues with excessive motor activity, like fidgeting or restlessness.History of ADHDIn 1987, researchers realized that inattention and hyperactivity weren’t two separate categories, but symptoms of the same condition. “The name changed from ADD to ADHD after years of research that found hyperactivity and impulsivity were key symptoms that people with attention difficulties also experience,” says Kristin Carothers, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist.The original term “ADD” left out hyperactivity as a primary symptom. To be more inclusive of all symptoms, researchers changed ADD to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, which is the official medical diagnosis and correct terminology we use today.Subtypes of ADHDIn 1994, three subtypes or presentations of ADHD were introduced under the ADHD umbrella. These appear in the DSM-IV:Inattentive: People with this subtype experience symptoms like trouble paying attention, difficulty concentrating on tasks, or getting distracted easily.Hyperactive/impulsive: People with this subtype often feel the urge to move around, get fidgety, or make decisions without thinking first.Combined: The most common ADHD subtype, and a combination of inattentive ADHD and hyperactive/impulsive ADHD. People with this subtype experience a mix of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity symptoms.The three subtypes of ADHD make diagnoses more accurate and inclusive. They help health care providers recognize symptoms in people whose ADHD is often overlooked, like girls, adults, and people of color. Knowing what subtype of ADHD you have can help you and your health care provider figure out which treatments and strategies may be the best fit.What’s the difference between ADHD and ADD?ADD is no longer considered a medical diagnosis. But that hasn’t stopped many people from using ADHD and ADD interchangeably, especially since the terms are so similar.It’s important to remember that the hallmark symptom of ADD — getting distracted or having trouble focusing — is still part of the diagnosis. It’s just now categorized under the umbrella term of ADHD. Using the correct terms, especially when replacing an outdated term, is important for many reasons, Carothers explains.“The use of the term ADD is no longer appropriate because the DSM requires that we all use the same language to discuss disorders and presentations,” she says. “Using similar terminology, descriptions, and understanding of a disorder helps us ensure that we are finding and treating specific symptoms.”Even though the term has changed, you might still hear people use “ADD” in conversation, like, “I’m so ADD” or “That’s so ADD.” Using “ADD” to describe having a forgetful moment can downplay the challenges that people with ADHD actually experience. Using the correct term — and only in the context of a health condition — helps reduce myths and stigma around the disorder and shows respect to the people living with ADHD.What is EDHD?As more studies on ADHD are conducted, researchers are trying to better understand how ADHD affects the brain and what science can do to support people living with the condition. A 2026 study published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews introduced the term EDHD, which stands for energy deficit hyperactivity disorder.It’s important to note that EDHD is not a medical diagnosis or a new name for ADHD. EDHD is a new theory that may help us understand how exactly ADHD may be linked to changes in brain functioning and why these symptoms can look different from one day to the next.For decades, researchers have believed that ADHD is a wiring issue in the brain that makes it difficult to focus. But the research on EDHD says otherwise. It proposes that people with ADHD experience a shortage in how much energy they have to do cognitive tasks — like paying attention, making decisions, or controlling impulses.Your brain needs a large amount of chemical energy to stay focused and complete tasks. People with ADHD may experience an imbalance of energy. When this happens, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that’s responsible for things like decision-making, memory, and emotional regulation) may run out of energy faster when doing hard tasks.EDHD research is important because it highlights a common experience among people with ADHD, explains Keona J. Wynne, Ph.D., MBE, senior research manager at Understood. “It gives us a structured way to think about why certain tasks can be more taxing than others for people with ADHD,” she says.Further study into EDHD could change how we as a society view ADHD. Many people misjudge the condition, seeing it as a behavioral issue or a lack of discipline. But EDHD research shifts the focus from an individual behavioral problem to a chemical energy issue in the body.While the research on EDHD is still new, “the next step is to move from theory to practice,” Wynne says. That means investigating the brain’s capacity further, and working with researchers in other fields, like neurobiology or workplace psychology, to study how the brain processes energy.“It’s exciting because EDHD gives researchers further questions to look into, like which tasks are best to help ADHD brains stabilize?” Wynne says. “And how can schools and work be better structured to help reduce the load on the brain?”Will the name ADHD change… again?The last change to ADHD was in 1994 when three ADHD subtypes, or presentations, were added to the DSM-IV. There are no plans to make any more changes or add EDHD to the mix. “The lead researcher was clear that EDHD is solely a research framework,” Wynne explains, adding that it is not a “diagnostic” criterion.That said, new subtypes of ADHD could be added. But only if research backs up the need to do so. “I don’t believe that ADHD will be renamed unless the field of clinical child psychology overwhelmingly finds research to support the necessity for a name change,” says Carothers. “However, new subtypes of ADHD could be generated if there are independent research groups who find the presence of a new set of symptoms based on data.”So, as of now, ADHD will keep its name. But new research and data may expand our understanding of ADHD to better support people living with it.This story was produced by Understood and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How much is watch insurance, and what does it cover? How much is watch insurance, and what does it cover?Watch insurance cost will ultimately depend on a few factors, including which insurance company you choose, the company’s coverage options, and the underwriting review. But at the end of the day, watch insurance rates will mostly depend on one thing: the value of your timepiece.For example, some specialty insurance policies are priced based on a percentage of the value of your watch or watch collections. Most premium costs will range from 1% to 5% of your watch’s total value, per year.So, if you have a watch worth $10,000, you’ll pay between $100 and $500 annually for your insurance policy. If you have a watch collection worth $100,000, you’d pay between $1,000 and $5,000 in premiums yearly, depending on which insurance provider you choose.Below, BriteCo explains the basics of watch insurance, what it covers, and how to determine whether it’s worth your investment.Is Watch Insurance Worth It?Whether watch insurance is worth it depends on the watch's value, the coverage offered, and your tolerance for risk.When you purchase high-value timepieces, you can expect to pay potentially tens of thousands of dollars for every watch. So, insuring a high-value luxury watch can help reduce financial loss if it’s stolen, damaged, or lost, meaning you won’t suffer major financial loss just because you never invested in the right protection.What Does Specialized Coverage for Watches Include?What your insurance covers will differ from policy to policy and provider to provider, but the most reputable companies will protect against:Accidental damageWatch theftMysterious disappearanceMany insurance policies will not cover normal wear and tear, and accidental damage coverage varies by provider and policy terms.Why Luxury Watch Insurance Is Better Than Homeowners or Renters InsuranceSome luxury watch owners may go about insuring watches through a standard homeowners policy or renters policy. These policies typically include a small amount of coverage to protect high-value personal items in case of a burglary or a covered disaster.However, strict coverage limits dictate that the provider likely won’t cover the full replacement or repair cost. Most policies pay only a few thousand dollars after the deductible. Even if you invest in a separate homeowners insurance rider, the coverage is tacked onto your existing homeowners policy, meaning it’s not as comprehensive as a specialized policy. It also won’t usually cover damage or loss that occurs outside of your home. Anytime you make a claim on your homeowners insurance, you’re subject to rate increases and possible non-renewal as well.Check your existing renters or homeowners policy contract to see what coverage you may have and its limitations to make the best decision for you.What About Watch Warranties?You may wonder if you can rely on a watch warranty to protect your investments. Just know that a warranty serves a different purpose from insurance.It’s worth noting that watch warranties aren’t comprehensive and typically only cover repairs or replacements due to a manufacturer’s defect. A warranty won’t cover repairs or replacements due to accidental damage or misuse. (For example, if your watch isn’t waterproof and you damage it by exposing it to water, the warranty won’t help you out.)Furthermore, warranties typically end after a limited time and can be voided if you make a few bad decisions. For example, if you take the watch to be serviced by a third party rather than the brand’s own authorized partners, your warranty could be voided. Likewise, some watch brands require you to regularly bring the watch in for inspection for the warranty to remain valid.How Watch Collectors Can Get CoverageIf you decide that a specialized watch insurance policy is the best way to protect your valuable timepieces and have peace of mind, how do you go about it?The first step is deciding which specialty provider will offer you the best protection by shopping around and getting quotes. In order to get a quote, you may need to have your watch appraised since your watch’s appraised value will inform your rate.Once you’ve decided on a policy that’s right for you, simply accept your preferred quote, make your initial payment, and you’re covered. From there, if you ever need to make a claim, you’ll need to submit the claim details, typically online.How to Insure a Watch FAQsHow Much Does Insurance on a Watch Cost?It will depend on a few factors, but most companies charge 1% to 5% of the value of your piece per year. So, estimating your watch or jewelry insurance cost requires getting an appraisal to dictate the current market value of your pieces.What Does Watch Insurance Cover?Some watch insurance policies are comprehensive and cover loss, mysterious disappearance, theft, and accidental damage worldwide. This means that if you accidentally scratch your metal watch band or the watch face, the cost of repairing it is covered. Likewise, you’re covered if you mysteriously lose your watch and have no idea where it went.What Does Luxury Watch Insurance Not Cover?Watch insurance won’t cover damage that was intentional, and most policies also won’t cover damage that occurs under extreme circumstances, such as an “act of God.”This story was produced by BriteCo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	How to develop an effective disaster recovery plan How to develop an effective disaster recovery planModern IT environments are fast-moving and complex, making organizations efficient and better connected but also increasing potential failure points. As a result, infrastructure incidents are both more likely and potentially even more damaging.‍Per the 2025 State of Resilience report, organizations disclose per-outage losses ranging from at least $10,000 to more than $1,000,000. Beyond financial impact, prolonged downtime erodes customer trust and can cause lasting reputational damage.‍Organizations use a disaster recovery plan (DRP) to mitigate the impact of these disruptions, but it has to be carefully designed so it holds up in real-world scenarios. This guide from Vanta outlines the step-by-step process for developing a DRP that is realistic, tested, and aligned with your organization’s needs and business priorities.What is a disaster recovery plan?A disaster recovery plan is a structured document that explains the procedures, roles and responsibilities, and recovery objectives required to restore IT systems, data, and operations after a disruption. The goal is to minimize downtime and ensure critical services become available quickly following the incident.‍While disasters are often associated with large-scale natural events, many business disruptions also stem from operational risks, such as:Cyber incidentsHuman errorInfrastructure failures‍A DRP sits within an organization's broader resilience strategy, working alongside business continuity plans (BCPs) and incident response plans (IRPs)—each with a distinct role:Incident response plan — responding to incidents as they occurDisaster recovery plan — restoring systems and mitigating damageBusiness continuity plan — sustaining operations during disruption and recovery‍Do all organizations need a disaster recovery plan?Most organizations benefit from having a DRP, regardless of size or industry. It’s particularly important in modern IT environments that rely on tightly integrated systems, where even an isolated failure can cascade across operations.In interconnected environments, it’s common for routine events, such as misconfigurations, infrastructure failures, or third-party service disruptions, to escalate and lead to widespread downtime if not contained quickly.‍“While regulatory requirements vary by industry, virtually all organizations benefit from having a documented and tested DRP. Beyond compliance requirements (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA), customers and partners increasingly expect proof of resilience. Even early-stage startups should have at least a lightweight DRP aligned to their risk profile,” says Niya Raina, governance, risk, and compliance subject-matter expert at Vanta.‍In highly regulated sectors, such as healthcare, finance, and critical infrastructure, a DRP is often mandatory. Most frameworks emphasize the same core elements: risk assessments, defined recovery objectives, documented procedures, and regular testing. However, the level of prescriptiveness varies—examples:HIPAA outlines specific contingency planning requirementsISO 27001 focuses on control objectivesFedRAMP emphasizes rigorous testing and evidence‍Of these, HIPAA's contingency planning mandate is among the most prescriptive, covering data backup, disaster recovery procedures, and emergency mode operations. The best HIPAA compliance software can help healthcare organizations automate control tracking across these requirements.‍A DRP also serves as a trust signal, demonstrating to regulators and other stakeholders that the organization prioritizes operational resilience. During industry-wide incidents, a DRP can offer a competitive advantage if it can restore services faster and more reliably than competitors.What should a disaster recovery plan includeEach effective DRP template should include these eight key components:Defined roles and responsibilities: Clear ownership for activating the DRP, coordinating recovery efforts, and executing recovery tasksRecovery objectives: Documented time to recover and the acceptable data loss during incidentsRisk assessment results: A prioritized overview of threats your DRP should addressDisaster scenarios and response steps: Key scenarios and predefined actions for eachTesting and reporting procedures: Tabletop exercises, data recovery tests, and documented outcomes that validate how the DRP works in practiceCommunication plan: Communication channels, escalation paths, and notification procedures during incidentsData backup strategies: Backup schedules, restoration procedures, and storage locationsPeriodic review and update schedules: A process and cadence for reviewing and updating the DRP so it remains current and effective‍A well-structured disaster recovery plan template can serve as a starting point for organizing these components into a single, maintainable document6 steps to building a disaster recovery planWhile specifics can vary by the organization’s size, industry, and risk environment, developing a DRP involves six general steps:‍Perform risk assessment and business impact analysis (BIA)Establish recovery objectives (RTO/RPO)Create a dedicated teamDevelop a data backup and storage strategyEstablish communication proceduresDocument and test the planStep 1: Perform risk assessment and business impact analysisStart with understanding your organization’s risk profile. Conduct a risk assessment to identify internal and external factors, such as cyberattacks and natural disasters, that your plan should address.For a more actionable process, use dependency mapping to link systems to business functions. The goal is to map high-risk systems that also impact other business functions. Pair this with an impact scoring matrix to quantify the financial and operational consequences.Next, conduct a business impact analysis (BIA) to determine the impact of each disruption. Use your findings to create a framework for classifying risks based on severity, response urgency, regulatory reporting required, and the communication needed for remediation.A three-tiered threat model can help prioritize responses:Tier 1: Critical incidents that threaten the integrity of the organization and disrupt core operations. Activating the DRP is essential in this scenario.Tier 2: Significant incident that impacts a limited number of users, a specific department, or a critical application or system. While it doesn’t fully disrupt operations, it still requires DRP activation.Tier 3: A localized incident with minimal impact on business operations. Doesn’t require the DRP trigger if handled through incident management procedures and IT support.‍Tip: A leading GRC solution supports DRP not only via regulation-aligned DRP templates—it also helps with risk management and threat modeling through risk registers, real-time alerts, and continuous monitoring, making it easier to track and respond.Step 2: Establish recovery objectives (RTO/RPO)Next, you should determine recovery objectives to guide your disruption response mechanisms. The metrics determine how quickly systems must be restored during an incident and how much data loss is acceptable.Two key metrics are central to this step:Recovery time objective (RTO): The maximum allowable downtime for a function or systemRecovery point objective (RPO): The maximum acceptable data loss, measured from the last backupYour BIA directly informs these targets by quantifying data such as revenue loss per hour of downtime, customer impact thresholds, regulatory reporting timelines, and contractual SLAs. Systems with higher business impact require tighter recovery objectives.For example, a payment processing system may require a one-hour RTO with near-zero RPO, while an internal knowledge base might tolerate a 24-hour RTO with several hours of data loss.‍“Realistic RTO and RPO targets should be driven by business impact, not technical preference. Systems can be tiered by business impact and criticality, so that high-impact services have tighter RTO/RPO targets. In complex cloud environments, dependency mapping is critical to avoid setting unrealistic recovery expectations,” says Raina.Besides RTO and RPO, you can also rank systems/functions using criteria such as regulatory, operational, and financial impact. This keeps your recovery efforts focused on the areas most critical to the business, supporting faster risk-informed decision-making during incidents.Step 3: Create a dedicated teamWhen assigning clear roles and responsibilities to stakeholders, ensure each step of the recovery process has a designated owner for executing the underlying procedures.Assign alternate stakeholders to specific roles so there’s a better chance that at least one owner will be available for response tasks. Some key roles to cover include:‍DRP director responsibilities: Activating the DRP, overseeing the recovery process, directing the recovery team, and tracking RTO and RPO objectivesDRP coordinator responsibilities: Monitoring the recovery team, logging recovery actions, and managing the DRP microtasks.Recovery team responsibilities: Executing recovery steps, validating the functionality of the DRP, and investigating the cause of the incident.To strengthen your plan, consider cross-training team members to reduce the DRP’s dependency on select individuals.A clean way to maintain a tight overview of accountability and recovery tasks is through a centralized dashboard.Step 4: Develop a data backup and storage strategyThe next step is to establish clear data backup and storage procedures to restore critical information in the event of a data loss. Define how data is copied, stored, and restored following a disruption, aligned with your organization’s RPO.‍You need to determine:‍Backup locations: Where you store backed-up data (physical locations or cloud)Backup schedule: How often you’ll conduct incremental and full backupsBackup procedures: What steps to take for a full system backup following recovery from an incidentYour backup data should also be encrypted and protected from unauthorized access, especially if you handle sensitive information. Regularly test data integrity to check if stored data can be restored when necessary.Another effective way to approach backups is the 3–2–1 strategy. Create three copies of your data, store them on two different storage devices, and keep one copy off-site. That way, you minimize the risk of data loss even during a local disaster or a site-specific adverse event.Step 5: Establish communication proceduresEffective communication is key to timely disaster recovery and avoiding confusion and inconsistent reporting during critical moments.Create clear communication protocols led by your assigned communications lead, covering:‍Timelines and channels to be used for internal notificationsSteps for informing internal teamsExternal communications procedures and channelsTo speed up your responses, create pre-drafted, clear communication templates for specific incident scenarios. Your DRP should also include support for post-incident communication. Determine how you’ll update the relevant stakeholders, summarize the incident’s impact, and outline the remediation steps you’ve taken after the incident has been resolved.‍Step 6: Document and test the planTreat your DRP as a living document and test it regularly. The DRP director or an equivalent stakeholder must conduct tabletop exercises at least annually to confirm that teams are aware of their responsibilities following disruptions and that operational procedures remain relevant.DRP testing should include activities such as:‍Validation testing for data recoveryTesting if business operations return to normal after recoveryConfirming RTOs and RPOsIf necessary for regulatory compliance, document the testing and its results so that you maintain a clear audit trail. Your findings can feed into post-incident reviews, highlighting what worked well and what can be optimized.The best compliance audit software offers version-controlled policies with built-in approval mechanisms that can help you iterate and maintain live documents with better visibility.DRP blind spots to watch out forEven with a structured approach, DRP design and maintenance can leave gaps you should look out for, including:Missed interdependencies: Modern IT environments rely on coupled systems. Recovering a single application may not restore your systems due to other upstream or downstream dependencies.Weak or outdated assumptions: The assumptions you’ve based your DRP on can become weak or dated as your risk environment changes. Regularly rest and validate your risk landscape to keep your DRP up to date.No prior drills: Documenting your plan isn’t enough. Without regular tabletop exercises and validation of backup procedures, you risk discovering gaps in your DRP when a real incident happens, increasing its impact.Human gaps: Incidents can occur outside working hours or when designated owners aren’t available, which can delay responses. Defining roles, designating alternates, and cross-training reduce this risk.Regulation-specific alignments: Depending on your size, industry, and relevant regulation, you may have to align your plans to specific compliance requirements. While you may meet the core criteria, each standard can vary in how prescriptive it is about testing, documentation, and objectives, which requires careful adjustments.This story was produced by Vanta and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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	EU Customs reform 2026: The new rules reshaping international e-commerce EU Customs reform 2026: The new rules reshaping international e-commerceEurope remains among the world’s most valuable e-commerce markets, but its regulatory landscape is evolving. Sweeping reforms to the EU Customs Union are reshaping how international brands approach cross-border sales and market access across its member nations.Systematic digitalization, stricter enforcement, and shifting import requirements are reinforcing an economy where compliance is crucial for products in every price range.Given its status as an e-commerce hub, Europe continues to offer real opportunities for international entrepreneurs, but the realities of serving the region are changing fast. Merchants can expect more accountability as they navigate a stricter customs environment.In this article, Passport breaks down the regulations taking effect and what they mean for e-commerce businesses with an interest or stake in the market.Why and How the EU Customs Union Is ChangingThe European Union (EU) includes more than half of the continent's nations, which share a common set of trade practices. Cross-border trade is governed by its customs union, where widespread reforms are now rolling out.The EU's executive body, the European Commission (EC), proposed these changes for several reasons:Modernizing a dated, paper-heavy customs systemImproving risk management and compliance measuresAdapting to the rise of low-value (less than 150 euros) e-commerce transactionsSome of these initiatives are already live, while others will take effect over the coming months and years.Here's a timeline of the most notable updates happening in 2026 and beyond.June 1, 2026 – The Import Control System 2 (ICS2) completes its rollout and applies to all modes of transport (road, rail, maritime, and air freight).ICS2 shifts customs declarations from importation to pre-arrival, requiring detailed data before goods enter the EU.July 1, 2026 – The 150-euro de minimis duty exemption for low-value imports is scheduled to end.A temporary 3-euro flat-rate duty applies to each customs declaration line item for eligible low-value (less than 150 euros) imports.The Council of the EU clarifies: "The rate will be applied to all goods entering the EU for which non-EU sellers are registered in the EU’s import one-stop shop (IOSS) for value-added tax purposes. This encompasses 93% of all e-commerce flows to the EU."Some countries (including France, Italy, and Romania) are also implementing customs handling fees ranging from 2 to 5 euros, with varying rules.Nov. 1, 2026 – The EU is expected to introduce an additional 2-euro customs handling fee for cross-border e-commerce imports. For eligible low-value imports already subject to the temporary 3-euro duty, the combined charge would total 5 euros per customs declaration line item.2028 – Target launch of EU Customs Data Hub and finalization of reformed duties, including the end of the temporary 3-euro flat-rate duty.The Commission adds: "For the first time, online platforms that sell goods into the EU will become so-called ‘importer for distance salesâ€™. Platforms and sellers will therefore be responsible for ensuring that customs duties and VAT are paid at purchase, and for passing this revenue on to their Member State of registration."Upcoming timeframes are always subject to unexpected delay or change. For the latest developments, refer to this ongoing guide to EU customs developments for e-commerce imports.Collectively, these updates are reshaping the operational realities of selling into Europe, prompting many e-commerce businesses to reassess their international strategies.What the EU Customs Reform Means for International E-commerceIn the Commission's words:“The reform will digitalise, simplify and reduce the costs of customs processes, while making better use of new data systems to enhance the efficiency of customs controls. It will reinforce the Customs Union through a common approach at the external border, cut costs for businesses through simpler procedures and less red tape, make e-commerce platforms more accountable under a regime designed for online trade, and better protect the Single Market through common EU risk management and stronger enforcement of prohibitions and restrictions by customs.”Let's talk about what this means in practice.Compliance Takes Center StageIn response to an influx of low-value e-commerce shipments, the EU is ramping up efforts to keep small parcels compliant. The widespread digitization of its customs union gives Member States the tools to monitor imports more efficiently—especially for merchants, products, or regions deemed risky.Accurate documentation, product classification, and tax handling are more essential than ever. On the upside, the switch to ICS2 as an advance cargo information system should enable faster error detection and decrease surprise holds down the line.The EC claims the reforms "will significantly reduce the time and costs for traders to perform their customs operations," provided they're compliant.All this equates to some heavy lifting for the initial seller and less duplicative documentation for EU-internal distributors.The most significant change is yet to come, with the Customs Data Hub expected to go live in 2028. This system is promised to be a widespread standardization of import customs across EU Member States.At that time, responsibilities from VAT handling to duty calculation are expected to fall more heavily on sellers and marketplaces. However, the platform also promises to simplify declarations and limit repetitive procedures for compliant traders.The broader move toward a centralized customs model could be a double-edged sword for sellers taking on more import responsibilities.Compliance as a Competitive AdvantageWith the EU's compliance crackdown, international brands are investing more heavily in:Product classification accuracyBetter documentation proceduresClean shipment-level recordkeepingDelivered duty paid (DDP) shippingAccurate landed cost calculationsCoordination between sales, logistics, and compliance can prepare teams for stricter trade rules.Reporting accuracy and operational execution will increasingly affect profitability under the reformed customs union, requiring more diligence and transparency.With digitized screening, customs processing could become faster for compliant businesses. Conversely, errors (such as misclassifications and undervaluations) and outright fraud are less likely to go unnoticed, raising the baseline accuracy and authenticity required to scale successfully.Brands with strong compliance processes are positioned to prevent disruption, minimize losses, and maintain smooth cross-border operations.Maintaining Margins and Meeting Expectations in a More Demanding MarketThough the EU's customs reforms promise a decrease in overall business costs by the time they're complete, the higher cost of selling low-value items will have an immediate impact on a range of industries—including food, cosmetics, apparel, and supplements.Shipments valued at more than 150 euros are not affected by the removal of the EU's de minimis duty exemption or the temporary 3-euro flat-rate duty on low-value imports. However, the planned 2-euro customs handling fee is expected to apply more broadly, meaning higher-value shipments may still face additional import costs.These measures are a one-two punch for e-commerce brands selling lower-priced goods. The added costs have led many brands to reevaluate their shipping and pricing strategies, especially those selling small-ticket items.When the EU Customs Data Hub rolls out, tax-inclusive pricing will become another baseline requirement, spurring sellers to re-optimize their checkouts.E-commerce Brands Are Reevaluating Fulfillment StrategiesFulfillment and import strategy are playing a larger role in profitability. As a result, more brands are exploring ways to improve:Duty and tax visibilityReturns managementCheckout transparencyStorefront localizationAs EU Member States take different approaches to customs processing fees, routing decisions may become more strategically important as well. While customs processing should eventually achieve more standardization, differences in fee structures will impact overall profitability.With more costs associated with cross-border shipping, in-country fulfillment has become an attractive model. By distributing inventory into EU storage, you can control where your products enter the union and clear customs in advance for streamlined order deliveries.While in-country fulfillment comes with a higher business overhead, it's the more cost-effective option at scale and often reduces overall import costs when shipping in bulk.As customs requirements become more demanding, fulfillment strategy may evolve from a primarily financial decision into a key driver of the customer experience.European Policy Change and the Future of TradeEurope’s e-commerce changes reflect a broader shift toward modernization, transparent supply chains, eco-consciousness, and digitized trade.The EU is setting a higher standard for e-commerce imports, with customs security and efficiency taking even higher precedence. These changes are prompting teams to rethink where they expand and what infrastructure they use.Small inefficiencies that were once manageable may be met with increasingly narrow margins, for both profit and error.Different member nations are introducing varying fees and implementation timelines, creating an extra layer of complexity until the EU Customs Data Hub goes live.As a result, businesses are reevaluating:Routing decisionsFulfillment strategyLocalization effortsCheckout transparencyCompliance infrastructureCustomer experience operationsDDP shipping and localized fulfillment strategies may become particularly valuable tools for managing compliance across Europe.More broadly, Europe may signal where global e-commerce regulation is headed next. The region’s reforms could be indicative of a growing global demand for stricter oversight, transaction visibility, and business accountability.This story was produced by Passport and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Top 5 diseases affecting men, and the clinical trials racing to treat them Top 5 diseases affecting men, and the clinical trials racing to treat themEvery year on Father's Day, we celebrate the dads in our lives. But American men are, statistically, working against the odds. According to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, women in the U.S. now outlive men by 4.9 years on average: 81.4 years for women versus 76.5 years for men as of 2024. And research from Harvard Chan School and UC San Francisco suggests the gap had widened to nearly six years at its recent peak.Part of the problem is biological. But part of it is behavioral. According to the CDC, women are 33% more likely to visit the doctor than men, and twice as likely to seek preventive care. In 13 of the 14 leading causes of death common to both sexes, men have a higher age-adjusted mortality rate than women, per a Georgetown University study cited by reinsurance firm RGA.The good news: Research is catching up. Below, Kivo, a GxP-compliant document and process management platform for life sciences teams, looks at five diseases that disproportionately affect men and the clinical trials working to change their prognosis.1. Prostate CancerProstate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer death, behind only lung cancer. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2024, an estimated 299,010 new cases were diagnosed and 35,250 men died from the disease.Racial disparities make the picture bleaker for some men than others. Black men carry a disproportionate burden of both diagnoses and deaths, a fact that prompted the American Cancer Society to launch a dedicated National Prostate Cancer Roundtable in 2024.On the trial front, a notable Phase 3 result emerged in late 2024. Candel Therapeutics announced that its viral immunotherapy CAN-2409 met its primary endpoint in a 745-patient trial of intermediate-to-high risk localized prostate cancer. Patients receiving CAN-2409 alongside standard radiation therapy saw a 30% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer recurrence or death. There has been no new treatment or significant change in the standard of care for localized, non-metastatic prostate cancer for over 20 years.2. Cardiovascular DiseaseHeart disease is the leading cause of death in men in the United States, accounting for roughly 1 in 4 male deaths. And a landmark 2026 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association confirms that men do not simply get heart disease more often than women: They get it significantly earlier. Following more than 5,000 adults for over 30 years, researchers found that men developed cardiovascular disease on average seven years earlier than women, with risk beginning to diverge as early as age 35. Coronary heart disease drove the gap most dramatically: Men reached a 2% risk level a full 10 years ahead of women.Yet young men are the demographic least likely to have regular preventive care visits, creating a window of missed opportunity precisely when early intervention could matter most.Clinical research is working to close that gap earlier in the disease timeline. The VESALIUS-CV trial, presented at the 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, demonstrated that evolocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor, significantly lowered first major cardiovascular events in high-risk adults who had not yet experienced a heart attack or stroke. Meanwhile, Mount Sinai's PRECAD trial, launched in fall 2024, is targeting young adults with subclinical atherosclerosis to test whether aggressive early risk factor control can prevent cardiovascular events later in life.3. ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)ALS is 20% more common in men than women, according to the ALS Association, with men typically developing the disease at a younger age. Men get ALS at an average onset age of around 60, compared with 68 for women, per Duke Neurology. Men are more likely to present with limb-onset ALS, while women more commonly present with bulbar onset.ALS remains one of medicine's most stubborn challenges. Median survival after diagnosis is two to five years. Only six FDA-approved medications exist. But the trial landscape in 2024 and 2025 showed signs of acceleration.ALS Research News reported that after ALS R&D notched 28 new trial starts in 2023, the rate more than doubled to 60 in 2024. One standout development: In April 2024, a patient received the first-ever antisense oligonucleotide treatment targeting CHCHD10 mutations in ALS, under the Silence ALS initiative, with disease progression reportedly slowing by more than 50%. Meanwhile, MediciNova closed enrollment in a Phase 2b/3 study of its dual-action small molecule MN-166, which targets neuroinflammation through a broader mechanism than most ALS candidates. The Sean M. Healey ALS Platform Trial at Mass General Brigham, which has enrolled more than 1,300 participants and evaluated seven drugs, has moved two promising candidates to the next phase of testing.4. Type 2 DiabetesType 2 diabetes is not exclusively a disease of men, but men carry a specific and underappreciated disadvantage: They develop it earlier, and at lower body weights, than women. Research published in Diabetologia confirms that worldwide, an estimated 17.7 million more men than women have diabetes, and men are typically diagnosed at a younger age and lower body fat mass. A large study from the Scottish Diabetes Research Network found that the mean BMI at diabetes diagnosis in men was 31.83, compared to 33.69 in women, with the difference most marked at younger ages. Men, in other words, need to gain less weight than women to tip into a diabetic state.The treatment landscape for Type 2 diabetes is one of the most active in medicine. GLP-1 receptor agonists have dominated recent years, and the pipeline beyond them is deep. The CORE-TIMI 72a and CORE2-TIMI 72b trials, presented at the 2025 AHA Scientific Sessions, showed that olezarsen markedly lowered triglycerides in patients with cardiometabolic disease, an important complication pathway in men with diabetes. With earlier onset and a longer cumulative exposure to elevated blood sugar, men with Type 2 diabetes face a longer runway of cardiovascular and organ complications: more reason, researchers argue, for earlier screening and earlier treatment initiation.5. Testicular CancerTesticular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 35, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. It is, in relative terms, one of medicine's success stories: The five-year survival rate is approximately 95%, and some estimates put cure rates as high as 99% for localized disease, making it among the most treatable of all cancers.But the success of treatment comes with long shadows. Research published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians documented elevated risks of second malignancies, including bladder, leukemia, and lung cancers, in survivors treated with platinum-based chemotherapy or radiation. Fertility is also a major concern: The 15-year fatherhood rate for a man aged 30 at diagnosis was significantly lower for testicular cancer patients than age-matched controls. Active clinical trials are focused on reducing the long-term toxicity of treatment, identifying surveillance strategies that can spare lower-risk patients from unnecessary chemotherapy, and understanding why incidence rates have been steadily climbing over the past century. Survivorship, not just survival, is the frontier.The Research Is MovingAcross all five of these conditions, the story is the same: Men are at elevated risk, arrive late to care, and have historically been underserved by research that either excluded them from trials or simply did not prioritize male-specific disease mechanisms. That is changing. The volume of trials, the sophistication of the science, and the growing clinical recognition of sex-based differences in disease onset and progression all point toward a more targeted future for men's health research.This Father's Day, the best gift for a father might be the simplest one: a conversation about getting checked.This story was produced by Kivo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Small businesses using AI are 20 times more likely to report revenue gains, new report finds Small businesses using AI are 20 times more likely to report revenue gains, new report findsIn the U.S., 43% of AI-using small and midsize businesses said their revenue increased as a result of AI, compared to just 2% who said it declined. That 20-to-1 ratio held steady across every quarter tracked since April 2025, according to the 2026 AI Impact Report from QuickBooks.These findings stand out against a backdrop of declining small business employment in 2025, documented in the Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Index Annual Report. Small business employment fell in each market tracked, down 49,100 jobs among U.S. businesses with 1 to 9 employees, 73,100 jobs among Canadian businesses with 1 to 19 employees, and 5,400 jobs among U.K. businesses with 1 to 9 employees.The report is based on surveys of more than 34,000 small and midsize-business owners across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Australia, combined with anonymized payment records from more than 5.3 million businesses on the Intuit platform.Most small businesses are adopting AI. Far fewer are paying for itDaily-to-monthly AI use has climbed sharply since mid-2024. In the U.S., the share of small and midsize businesses using AI regularly rose from 48% in July 2024 to 77% by January 2026. The shift was similarly pronounced elsewhere: Canada moved from 52% to 69%, the U.K. from 42% to 70%, and Australia from 40% to 69%.Daily AI use increased faster than overall adoption in each market. In Australia and the U.K., the share of businesses using AI every day more than tripled over the same period.Payment records from the sample show that a smaller group has paid for dedicated AI tools: 12% of U.S. businesses, 11% in Canada, and 7% in the U.K. paid for a standalone AI subscription at least once between 2021 and 2025.Businesses that pay for AI tools tend to keep their subscriptions. Among U.S. businesses that paid for AI in 2024, 86% were still paying in 2025. In Canada, 78%. In the U.K., 79%.Businesses using AI see gains in productivity, hiring and revenueAI users are more likely to report improvements than setbacks across all five metrics the report tracks, in every market.Productivity gains are the most widely reported benefit. Nearly three-quarters of businesses in every country say AI has made them more productive, up by nearly 25 or more percentage points from July 2024 in every market. In the U.S., 78% say AI improved productivity (up from 46%, per an earlier QuickBooks survey). The U.K. reached 77%, Australia 79%, Canada 73%.On workdays, 27% of U.S. businesses using AI say it has shortened their workday, versus 8% who say it has made it longer, a ratio of more than 3 to 1. Similar trends appear in Canada (26% shorter vs. 8% longer), the U.K. (26% vs. 12%), and Australia (28% vs. 14%).One result stands out: hiring. AI-using businesses in the U.S. are four times more likely to say AI has led to more hiring than to staff cuts (17% vs. 4%), a significant result given that small business employment broadly declined in 2025.On costs, U.S. businesses are nearly twice as likely to say AI reduced their costs as to say it raised them: 29% versus 17%.Younger owners and digital-first industries are leading paid adoptionBusinesses paying for AI share similar characteristics across all three countries with payment data available. Newer businesses (under 10 years old), growth-focused leaders, and digital-first industries account for a disproportionate share.AI adoption varies significantly by age group. In the U.S., 28% of businesses led by owners aged 18 to 34 paid for AI, compared to 13% of those led by owners aged 55 to 64. Canada and the U.K. show a similar pattern.Businesses focused on growth are also more likely to pay for AI. In the U.S., businesses targeting fast growth are more than twice as likely to pay for AI as those focused on stability (38% vs. 16%).By industry, the information sector tops the list in each market: 32% of U.S. information sector businesses paid for AI between 2021 and 2025, followed by professional services at 26% and education at 20%.Concerns about trust outweigh cost for many businesses considering AIFor businesses that haven't adopted AI yet, the primary obstacles are about trust, not price.The top three barriers are nearly identical across all four countries: privacy and security concerns (36% in the U.S.), lack of knowledge about AI's capabilities (28% U.S.), and concerns about accuracy or potential bias (26% in each market).For most businesses holding back on AI, price is not the primary issue. Trust is.Between 16% and 18% of businesses in each market report no concerns about AI at all, representing a segment that has moved past the trust question and continues to expand its AI use over time.AI shows up first in marketing and admin workflows. Legal ranks last, everywhere.AI is used most for tasks that are easier to standardize and automate. Marketing leads in the U.S. (45%) and Australia (45%). Admin leads in the U.K. (37%) and Canada (42%). Customer service, data processing, and bookkeeping round out the top tasks across markets.Adoption in legal workflows ranked last across every country and survey wave since tracking began. AI usage in employee and product management rank consistently low as well. Both involve context, relationships, and accountability that are harder to delegate.The consistency across countries shows that small business owners broadly agree on where AI is useful, and where it isn't.The gap between adopters and nonadopters is widening as AI users continue to build on early gainsThe report tracks more than adoption rates. It maps what businesses are actually experiencing once AI becomes part of how they work.Since July 2024, the share of U.S. businesses using AI regularly has grown by nearly 30 percentage points. Over that same period, the share saying AI improved their productivity rose from 46% to 78%. Businesses that have committed to AI tools—measured by paid subscriptions—show retention rates at 78% or above in every country, suggesting the results are holding up over time.At a time when small businesses broadly faced employment headwinds, AI-using businesses were four times more likely to report hiring gains than cuts. On revenue, productivity, workdays, and costs, AI users outperform nonusers across every market.The barriers keeping some businesses from adopting AI—privacy concerns, unfamiliarity with its capabilities, doubts about accuracy—are significant. But the data suggests that businesses finding ways to address those concerns are seeing consistent returns.As AI capabilities continue to evolve, including the rise of agentic AI that can handle multistep tasks autonomously, the returns available to early adopters are only likely to grow.This story was produced by QuickBooks and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Thinking about buying a home? Here's what debt consolidation could do to your mortgage chances Thinking about buying a home? Here's what debt consolidation could do to your mortgage chancesHomeownership is a big goal, and it feels great to walk away from the closing table with keys in hand. If you have credit card balances or other debts, it's natural to wonder how that might affect your odds of getting a mortgage.You might wonder whether debt consolidation will help or hurt your chances.Debt consolidation has advantages and disadvantages, which could influence your decision to combine debts. Achieve explores them below.Key takeaways:Debt consolidation could improve your chances of getting a mortgage, but it could hurt them, too.The biggest risks of debt consolidation before a mortgage are negative impacts on your credit scores.Compare debt consolidation loan offers to figure out how much you could potentially save on interest and monthly payments.Is it a good idea to consolidate debt before you apply for a mortgage?Debt consolidation could help you get a home loan if it reduces your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and lowers your monthly payments. On the other hand, consolidation could also cause a temporary drop in your credit scores, which might hurt your application.It's common to think about debt consolidation before you apply for a mortgage. After all, you want to make yourself look as attractive as possible to a lender, and reducing your debt load is one way to do it. If you lack the cash to pay your debts in full, then consolidation may be the next best solution.When you consolidate debt, you combine multiple debts into one, usually through a loan. For example, you might get a personal loan and use it to pay off your credit card balances. That would leave you with only the loan to pay off.Debt consolidation won't reduce what you owe, but it could make it easier to manage. And that's a good thing if you want to persuade a lender to give you a sizable mortgage.Debt consolidation could help you qualify for a mortgageLenders care about how much of your money is available to pay a mortgage each month. Here is what the DTI ratio means.Debt-to-income measures how much of your gross income goes to debt and housing payments each month. To calculate your DTI, you add up all your minimum debt payments and your rent or mortgage payment, and divide the total by your gross pay (your pay before taxes). Here's an example:Before-tax monthly income: $5,000Rent: $900Credit card minimum payment: $200Car loan: $250Student loan: $150Your debts and housing come to $1,500. In this scenario, your DTI works out to 30%. You can use a debt-to-income ratio calculator to do the math.Mortgage lenders typically prefer a DTI up to 36%, and that's with your estimated mortgage payments included. Some lenders may accept borrowers with a DTI up to 50%, but it depends on the type of mortgage you're applying for and other factors.Debt consolidation could reduce your DTI if your new monthly payment is less than what you paid to your existing debts. How does it work?Let’s say you owe $25,000 in credit card debt. Your monthly mortgage payment is $1,600, and the minimum payment on your credit card is $800. You earn $5,000 a month. That's a DTI of 48%.If you were to consolidate your credit card debt into a lower-interest loan at 18% with a five-year payoff, your monthly payments would drop—and so would your DTI ratio. Let's crunch the numbers: Achieve That $165 difference in your monthly debt payment would drop your DTI from 48% to 45%. That could be enough of a decrease to help you qualify for certain types of mortgage loans.Debt consolidation could help with the right loan termsDebt consolidation, whether it's before you apply for a mortgage or any other time, could help you streamline payments, but the numbers need to make sense. Your loan terms determine:How much you pay monthlyWhat consolidation will cost in interestHow quickly you clear the debtYour interest rate and repayment term both affect your payment amount. A lower interest rate is a positive, but if you choose a longer term, you could still pay more interest overall.A shorter term, meanwhile, could reduce the amount of interest you pay even if you don't lock in the lowest rate. However, it could push your monthly payments higher, which can affect your DTI ratio.Prequalify with trusted lenders to get a sense of what you might pay for a debt consolidation loan. You can crunch the numbers with different interest rates and terms to understand how the monthly payments add up, and what you might save, if anything.Risks of consolidating before applyingApplying for a debt consolidation loan right before you apply for a mortgage could hurt you in a couple of ways. Many of the impacts can be seen through your credit scores.When you apply for loans, lenders pull your credit reports and scores. That pull shows up as a hard inquiry on your credit report—inquiries count toward 10% of your FICO credit score calculation.A new inquiry could trim a few points off your credit scores, which doesn't sound like much, but every point could count for a large mortgage loan. If your score puts you right on the border between fair and good credit, for instance, then even a few points could make a difference.Besides that, new accounts can reduce your overall credit age, which measures how long you've been using credit. Account age counts toward 15% of your FICO Score, so you risk losing points by opening a new loan before getting a mortgage.How to decide if debt consolidation is the right moveShould you consolidate debt before buying a home? It's a personal decision, and there are a few factors to weigh before you make a move.Check your DTI. Calculate your DTI if you haven't yet to understand how much of your income goes to debt payments. You can do this by adding up all of your monthly debt payments and divide that amount by your gross income for the month. You'll need your DTI for the next step.Get rate quotes. Rate quotes from prequalification aren't guaranteed offers for a loan, but they can give you an idea of what your interest rate and payments might be. You can compare the estimated payment with the payments you're making now to calculate if consolidation would reduce your DTI.Talk to a mortgage specialist. A mortgage advisor can walk you through the pros and cons of debt consolidation before you apply for a home loan and what impact, if any, the timing might have. If you already know where you want to get your mortgage, you can reach out to them. Otherwise, your current bank could be a good place to start.Your main choices for personal loans for debt consolidation are banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Online personal loans could offer faster approval times, quicker funding, and more generous loan terms, so don't be afraid to check them out.What's nextReview your debts and monthly budget to understand what you pay now, and what that means for your DTI.Check your credit reports and scores to find out what factors are working in your favor, or against you.Plan your timeline for consolidation and applying for a mortgage. You want to reach both goals with as little negative impact on your credit as possible.This story was produced by Achieve and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Whitey's Cones for Kids supports Bethany for for Children & Families Enjoy a scoop of Quad Cities’ tradition and help local kids and families in need, a news release says. Whitey’s Ice Cream will donate half the sales of all cones sold on Monday, June 22, during Cones for Kids. “Bethany is a fantastic cause and the support shown by the Quad City community has been [...]
	Come meet the finalists for Clinton's city administrator The community is invited to a meet-and-greet event to get to know the finalists for the City of Clinton City Administrator position. The event will be held from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, June 22, in the City Hall Council Chambers. All residents are encouraged to attend and take this opportunity to meet the candidates, ask questions, [...]
	Cook review: 'Masters of the Universe' brings wacky humor to the big screen I admit it: I wasn't looking forward to "Masters of the Universe." I'm far too old to be in the demographic that played with/collected the toys that sprang from the animated series that began in 1980. In 1985, the first "Masters of the Universe" animated film - "The Secret of the Sword" - hit the [...]
	Storm damage 'pretty significant, pretty dramatic' in Monmouth Some cities are dealing with a lot of damage from Wednesday’s storms. Monmouth is one of them. Crews and residents spent all day recovering from downed trees, broken windows, displaced bricks and even a train derailment just outside town – all developing during an early morning storm. "Looking out our front door and it came [...]
	Star Spangled Sing Off contest winner to be announced tonight The Quad Cities winner of the Star Spangled Sing Off is set to be announced during a live stream Thursday night on KWQC Plus as the search heads to Nashville.
	Embedded: "We Keep Us Safe" from NPR, KUOW and The Seattle Times In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation. He arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved.
	Report: Russia's nuclear-powered 'Skyfall' missile is dirty and dangerous MIT researchers think they've worked out exactly how Russia's Burevestnik nuclear-powered missile flies. "It's almost certainly a terrible idea," one analyst said. "But it's not an impossible idea."
	Eldridge police officer honored for saving life Eldridge Police Officer Erik Johnson receives the department's lifesaving award for his swift response to a critical medical emergency this January.
	Caitlin Clark unveils new signature Nike sneaker Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark announced her long-awaited signature Nike sneaker on Wednesday.
	Muscatine man pleads guilty to federal child sex abuse material charges Federal prosecutors say a Muscatine man admitted guilt to two counts tied to uploads on the Kik messaging app.
	Burlington Civic Music Association honors board member for 20 years of service This month, the Burlington Civic Music Association is recognizing Barb “Babs” McRoberts for her extraordinary contributions to the organization after 20 years of dedicated service on its board of directors, including 15 years as program director and 12 years as board president, a news release says. McRoberts joined the Burlington Civic Music Association board in [...]
	Wednesday storm update and a look ahead Our severe weather was mostly wind and heavy rain Wednesday morning, but many tornadoes broke out yesterday afternoon just hours to our south. Here's what we can expect over the next seven days.
	Quiter day ahead for the Quad Cities The average highs this time of the year are in the mid-80s. The Quad Cities will enjoy a long stretch of below average temperatures. A few isolated showers are possible later today and we'll see a few more tomorrow, but a heavier rain event comes late in the weekend. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Polyrhythms 3rd Sunday Jazz to feature Yogev Shetrit Trio in Davenport performance Polyrhythms Third Sunday jazz, in partnership with Common Chord,,will be featured at 5 p.m. June 21 with the Yogez Shetrit Trio in the Redstone Room, 129 Main St., Davenport, a news release says. Admission is $20 general admission, and $30 for reserved seating. Yogev Shetrit is an international composer and drummer who was born in [...]
	‘A legend’: Max Grigsby remembered as a mentor, father and friend Family and friends remember former Alleman High School band director Max Grigsby, who led the high school’s band from 1961 to 1987.
	The King of Rock Island This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Most cities in the United States feel slightly un-American if they can't boast at least one outlaw or crook of some…
	The Obama Presidential Center will be dedicated Thursday. Here's what to expect The Obama Presidential Center's grand opening ceremony will be a star-studded event. The center's museum highlights the legacy of the former president, but it is not a traditional presidential library.
	Poll: Most Americans have the summer blues about Trump and the economy A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds a record low share of Americans approve of President Trump's job performance and his handling of the economy heading into the summer before a key midterm election.
	What — and who — will be at the Great American State Fair? Here's a primer Several state governments have declined to participate in the 16-day event, though organizers say all U.S. states and territories will be represented by booths on the National Mall.
	As America turns 250, one museum makes history possible to touch Federal law requires most museums and other buildings to be accessible to people with disabilities. But access to what's actually inside is often still limited.
	All detainees from immigration facility 'Alligator Alcatraz' have been transferred All detainees at the detention center in the Florida Everglades, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," have been transferred to other facilities, the Department of Homeland Security said, citing concerns related to the hurricane season.
	Fans sold at TJ Maxx, Marshalls stores nationwide recalled over fire risk "The fan can overheat, posing a risk of serious injury or death from a fire hazard," the CPSC warned.
	New Yorkers are set to fete the Knicks with a ticker-tape parade New York is celebrating the Knicks in classic style Thursday, throwing a ticker-tape parade for the team that brought home the NBA championship longed for by generations of fans.
	FIFA hydration breaks have sparked criticism. But what do they actually do? For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA is mandating all soccer players take hydration breaks to protect them from the threats of extreme heat. But the new rule has sparked criticism.
	Over 1,000 people killed during Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian authorities say Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed 1,005 Palestinians since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and the militant group Hamas last October, according to Gaza Health Ministry.
Wednesday, June 17th, 2026
	Clinton plays on new Field of Dreams field Clinton faced Western Dubuque Wednesday night at the new Field of Dreams field.
	River Bandits win game 2 against Timber Rattlers 3-2 Watch all the highlights from River Bandits game 2 win in the series against the Timber Rattlers 3-2.
	Red Cross' A Taste on the River fundraiser canceled due to weather issues The annual event was set to take place on Wednesday, June 17.
	Greg Behning sworn in as Davenport Police Chief Behning has served as interim chief since March, when former chief Jeff Bladel retired.
	Victim identified in East Moline homicide Early Tuesday morning, officers found 27-year-old Freddie Bass with multiple gunshot wounds at an East Moline apartment complex.
	Victim identified in East Moline homicide Early Tuesday morning, officers found 27-year-old Freddie Bass with multiple gunshot wounds at an East Moline apartment complex.
	DeWitt School Board approves master-plan updates with no property-tax increase The Central DeWitt Community School District Board of Education has unanimously approved an updated $54 million facility improvement master plan, according to a news release from the school district. The proposal, which aims to modernize aging infrastructure and consolidate all PreK–12 students onto a single connected campus, will be funded with no increase to the [...]
	Ollie’s Bargain Outlet to open Davenport store Ollie’s Bargain Outlet will open its new Davenport location Thursday.
	Juneteenth events in the Quad Cities area Communities in the Quad Cities area are holding events to celebrate Juneteenth.
	Illinois establishes Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 862 into law June 17, creating the Illinois Department of Disability Advocacy and Guardianship (IDAG). According to a release: Through its three primary divisions, the department will continue to provide critical support to thousands of individuals with disabilities across Illinois. The Division of State Guardian will serve as guardian [...]
	Inside Iowa Politics: How Zach Lahn responds to being called ‘part-time Iowan’ by opponent Zach Lahn responds to criticism about whether he will be in Iowa enough to serve as its next governor.
	Rock Island appoints interim public works director A longtime city employee is stepping into a new leadership role. Luke VanLandegen will serve as interim public works director.
	VanLandegen named interim Rock Island public works director Rock Island City Manager Todd Thompson has named Municipal Services Superintendent Luke VanLandegen as interim public works director, a news release says. VanLandegen replaces Mike Bartels, who resigned his position this month after 13 years with the city. “Luke VanLandegen has the leadership, experience and knowledge necessary to lead the largest department in the City,” [...]
	MercyOne Clinton Medical Center unveils new surgical robot MercyOne Clinton Medical Center unveiled its new piece of cutting-edge technology on Wednesday.
	Iowa racers sweep top 3 positions at DIRTcar Summer Nationals, West Liberty Iowa racers swept the top three positions at the DIRTcar Summer Nationals event held Tuesday, at the half-mile West Liberty Raceway. All night long the Summer National Late model drivers were chasing Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa. Chris set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 18.165 seconds. He won his heat race and [...]
	MercyOne Clinton Medical Center acquires new surgery robot The DaVinci Surgical System has a lifespan of about 20 years.
	Sand: Iowa school voucher program to cost $330 million as private school enrollment surges Iowa’s school voucher program is expected to cost the state nearly $330 million this year as enrollment in private schools has surged past state expectations, according to a new report released today.
	Davenport swears in new police chief The City of Davenport has a new chief of police.
	No signs of emerging New World screwworm threat in WA (Photo by Dusty Pixel photography via Getty Images)A parasitic fly that poses a deadly threat to livestock and pets has re-invaded the United States for the first time since 1968. Washington state agriculture officials say it’s unlikely that the New World screwworm will spread here. It doesn’t thrive in colder climates, and the state recently implemented new inspection requirements to help keep the flies out. The screwworm feeds on the tissue of warm-blooded animals and “screws” open a wound in flesh to lay its eggs. If left untreated, its larvae can be fatal. The pest has infected at least 12 animals in Texas and New Mexico, including cattle, goats, a sheep and a dog, in the span of two weeks. On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was funding $105 million of projects aimed at controlling and eradicating the pest. New World screwworm maggots can cause “painful, foul-smelling wounds” in people as well as animals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the CDC said earlier this month that the risk to people in the U.S. remains low. Livestock entering Washington state now must undergo a veterinary inspection within five days prior to travel, aligned with federal requirements. Before the detection of screwworms in the United States, that timeline was longer. No cases of the New World screwworm have been reported in Washington, according to the state’s Department of Agriculture. While the flies develop best in warm tropical regions, changing weather patterns could increase the likelihood of them surviving seasonally further north. Eastern Washington, in particular, may be more susceptible to temporary establishment due to the warm temperatures there during part of the year, according to a state Department of Agriculture spokesperson. The department’s greatest concern is the importation of infested animals into Washington, but there are several protocols in place to limit the risk. In addition to veterinary inspections before entering the state, livestock are also inspected by the Washington Department of Agriculture’s brand inspectors before leaving the state, during any change in ownership, before going to sale, and when entering a feedlot. At slaughterhouses, livestock are inspected by both state officials and federal officials with the Food Safety and Inspection Service. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that the presence of the fly is not a food safety issue. States with infected animals have implemented “stop-movement controls, and no livestock has left an infested zone without oversight,” according to a Washington State Department of Agriculture spokesperson. The agency encourages owners to monitor their animals for unusual wounds and report concerns promptly. The parasite is not an infectious disease and doesn’t spread animal-to-animal, the agency said. There are preventative measures and treatments that can be used to keep animals safe from the screwworm. “At this time, Washington has strong animal health monitoring and response systems in place, and state officials continue coordinating closely with federal and industry partners to support preparedness and response efforts,” a state Department of Agriculture spokesperson said. Courtesy of Washington State Standard
	Wednesday storm damage widespread around Our Quad Cities area Wednesday got off to a loud start in the Quad Cities ...and surrounding areas. Severe t'storms packed winds up to 80 miles per hour across parts of Iowa and Illinois. Damage was widespread from the Quad Cities to Monmouth, Illinois.
	YOUR COVERAGE: Central Illinois hit by violent storms Wednesday Severe weather rolled through the Heart of Illinois on Wednesday. Here’s a compilation of the photos we’ve received.
	Online auction company hosting charity auction for Foster’s Voice The auctions run through June 22 on the MAC-BID website.
	Iowan among 8 killed in B-52 bomber crash at California Air Force base Maj. Brad Hovey was a pilot with the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base.
	1 year in, Macomb's glass recycling program is proving wildly successful Over the last year, the community program has saved 41 tons of glass from Macomb's landfill. That's the weight equivalent of about 6 large elephants.
	Bureau County man wins 2026 Golden Tee World Championship From small-town bar to world champion, it's been a nearly 20-year journey for Ladd, IL's Jeff Lannen. But he's now the best in the world at the popular arcade game.
	Traffic Alert: Construction to begin on Gateway Bridge in Whiteside County Construction on the U.S. 30 Mississippi River Bridge, also known as the Gateway Bridge, is set to begin Thursday.
	Board mistakenly issues massage parlor a license, then imposes a $1,000 fine Asian Massage Therapy on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines. (Photo via Google Earth)After mistakenly issuing a license to a Des Moines massage parlor, state regulators have imposed a $1,000 fine against the company for doing business without a license. A woman who answered the phone at the business on Wednesday indicated she could not comment on the state’s actions but said the massage parlor was still open for business, was still accepting clients and was open until 9 p.m. that evening as it normally is. She said she’s unsure as to the current ownership of the business. According to the Iowa Board of Massage Therapy, Juan Xu of Flushing, New York, the owner of Asian Massage Therapy on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, applied for an Iowa massage license on March 23, 2023, listing the Academy of Oriental Therapy as the school where she received her massage therapy education in 2014. The board issued the license four days later, on March 27, 2023. In either September 2023 or December 2023 — board records give two conflicting dates — the board rescinded the license, stating that it should not have been issued because the Academy of Oriental Therapy was not a board-approved educational institution. The board stated the school had its certification revoked in 2015 by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. The Iowa license was issued due to what the board now calls “a clerical error.” In November 2024, Xu reapplied for licensure, noting she was licensed to practice in the states of Connecticut, Texas and Virginia. The board says that as part of her application, Xu also provided a transcript from Ranier Massage Academy, which stated that in June 2024 she had graduated from Ranier Massage Academy in Seattle, Washington. According to both the National Certification Board and the Washington State Department of Health, Ranier does not have an approved massage therapy program, the Iowa board alleges, which is why, in February 2025, it denied Xu’s application for licensure in Iowa. There is no internet presence for a “Ranier” Massage Academy in Seattle. There are businesses with similar names, none of which appear on the Washington State Department of Health’s list of approved schools for massage therapy. Several weeks later, in May 2025, Xu reapplied for an Iowa massage therapist license, this time providing a transcript from American Massage Academy in Plano, Texas. Two months later, in July 2025, the board denied Xu’s application, noting that “in less than one year she completed two complete massage curriculums in two different states, which would be difficult to accomplish, if not impossible.” Recently, the board completed an investigation of Xu’s Asian Massage Therapy and issued a report of its findings. According to the board, investigators visited the business on Nov. 5, 2025, at a time when the board knew the business to be unlicensed. The board alleged Xu “held herself out to be a licensed massage therapist, and produced the Iowa massage therapy license” that was issued in error in 2023. “Xu was actively servicing a customer at the time investigators visited the establishment,” the board alleges. “Xu indicated that she currently worked alone, but that ‘more girls are coming after Thanksgiving,’ and that the girls were coming from New York … An internet search of the establishment conducted by investigators revealed advertisements of the business on multiple web platforms containing suggestive language and photos of Asian women in minimal clothing.” The board recently elected to impose a civil penalty of $1,000 against Xu and the business for practicing massage therapy without a license. Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Xu for comment Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Litter of Pallas's cat kittens born at Niabi Zoo Niabi's litter is just one of two Pallas's cat litters born through the species' survival plan this year.
	Bureau County man wins Golden Tee World Championship Jeff Lannen has been playing Golden Tee for 25 years. What started as an after-hours hobby at work has now taken him to the world stage.
	Henry County Health Dept. finds first West Nile Virus of 2026 in specimen bath The Henry and Stark County Health Department reports that its first mosquito pool of the year to test positive for West Nile virus (WNV) was a specimen batch collected and tested on June 5, according to a report from the Henry and Stark County Health Department. “The news of the first batch of mosquitos carrying [...]
	Pa. bills would tie data center tax break to transparency, sustainability Data centers in Umatilla and Morrow Counties dot the landscape along the Columbia River Gorge on May 18, 2026. (Phot by Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)Data center developers would be required to pledge transparency in Pennsylvania communities where they want to build in order to get a sales tax break on computer equipment, under legislation aiming to prevent secrecy around the massive computing hubs. Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) said the builders of one such project in his district approached local officials with a request to sign a non-disclosure agreement earlier this year. Limerick Township leaders ultimately declined to sign, but the fact that developers sought it in the first place doesn’t sit well, Ciresi said. They also refused to name the company that would ultimately occupy the 1.5 million square foot facility planned for vacant land near the nuclear power plant in Limerick, Montgomery County.. “You should know who’s developing it, as a good neighbor, and I should have a right to come out and speak for or against that same company,” Ciresi said. “And we’re seeing this all over the commonwealth.” Data centers are on the ballot — this Pa. candidate won her primary keeping them top of mind Ciresi’s House Bill 2359 passed Wednesday in the House Energy Committee with a 23-3 vote and now heads to the full chamber for consideration. It was one of three data center bills that headed to the House as officials across the commonwealth try to balance the promise of jobs and tax revenue against impacts many fear will change their communities for the worse. Simultaneously, lawmakers in the House Local Government Committee unanimously voted to allow municipalities to “pause” all data center considerations for 180 days, giving local officials time to draft rules while still allowing companies to submit proposals. “We are told that these facilities can bring economic opportunities and investment. However, they can also present unique challenges related to land use, energy consumption, water resources, infrastructure, emergency services and communities,” said sponsoring Rep. Paul Friel, (D-Chester). “The reality is that many local governments are being asked to evaluate these proposals before they’ve had sufficient time to understand their impacts or develop zoning ordinances tailored to this rapidly evolving industry.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE And in the Finance Committee, lawmakers voted 15-11 to advance legislation that would codify Gov. Josh Shapiro’s framework for sustainable data center development called the Governor’s Responsible Infrastructure Development (GRID) Standards. House Bill 2650, introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery), would establish benchmarks for energy affordability, community engagement, supporting workforce and economic development and protecting the environment. They would replace the current sales tax exemption, requiring data center developers to obtain certification from the state to claim it and other tax incentives, the Shapiro administration said. Ciresi’s bill, originally dealing exclusively with NDAs, was amended to include language that ties the transparency requirement to the state’s sales tax exemption on computer equipment for data centers. The five-year-old tax exception is projected to cost the commonwealth $517 million annually by 2030. Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester) introduces legislation to allow municipalities to “pause” data center considerations for 180 days. (Photo by Whitney Downard/Pennsylvania Capital-Star) While some lawmakers have proposed repealing the exception, calling it a handout to big tech, Rep. Craig Williams (R-Delaware) said he expects that companies building hyperscale data centers such as Google and Meta will simply pass on the tax break. “I believe they’ll say, ‘Take your tax break, we’re good, we’re just not going to comply with any of your requirements,’” Williams said, noting that some in the industry didn’t bother to comment on the bill. Rep. Eric Nelson (R-Westmoreland) said he opposes placing conditions on the tax exception, calling it a “bait-and-switch” that could cost jobs and opportunities. He noted the reclamation of former mine sites in western Pennsylvania for data centers has remediated environmental catastrophes and returned tax revenue to municipalities and schools. “These data centers are doing in our communities things that we were never able to achieve at all, and now we want to tug at the rug underneath them and tell them, ‘If you don’t comply with these additional requirements that aren’t placed upon them from other states, we are going to cost you millions of dollars,’” Nelson said. Township supervisors across Pa. urge colleagues to adopt zoning for data centers Local Government Committee considers applicability to existing data centers Friel emphasized that municipalities would have a choice to pause data center applications under House Bill 2496 and weren’t required to do so. Amendments specified that the pause would apply to hyperscale projects and take effect immediately. Some lawmakers questioned how it might affect projects already in progress. “If someone has already submitted an application for a land development process, can the General Assembly — after the fact — come in and say we’re changing the timeframe?” Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster), the ranking Republican member of the Local Government Committee, said. “I’m in favor of this, but I don’t want it to run afoul of the Constitution,” Miller continued. “I do believe municipalities would be very wise to be working on this right now, but the other thing is applicants have lawyers. And they will sue … I just don’t want to see that crushing burden on a municipality.” Friel said he’d drafted the language to start the 120-pause once a meeting agenda was posted in order to capture any developers trying to submit in the short window before a vote. But future amendments could be added to clarify whether it applied to existing applications. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Rep. Tarah Probst (D-Monroe) said she thought any new zoning standards should apply retroactively. “There are some really good actors and there’re some really bad actors when it comes to data centers. And the real bad actors are the ones that are going into these little municipalities and just steamrolling over them,” said Monroe. “(Companies) have gone everywhere and put applications in everywhere to catch people with their pants down — sorry about the reference, but they did. They absolutely will have to follow whatever the new zoning will be in that district,” she continued. Municipalities can regulate the locations and aesthetics of data centers, but can’t ban them outright. Chester and Montgomery county planning commissioners jointly developed a guide to drafting data center regulations that’s a resource available to municipalities across the commonwealth. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Capital-Star
	Las Culturistas Culture Awards take the elitism out of awards shows NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang of the Las Culturistas podcast about their tongue-in-cheek "Culture Awards" broadcast.
	License renewal processes to change for senior drivers in Illinois July 1 Drivers license renewal processes will change for seniors in Illinois. Under the Illinois Road Safety and Fairness Act, drivers 79 through 86 will no longer be required to take a behind-the-wheel test because of their age, but they will still have to renew the license in person and pass a vision screening test. Drivers 79 [...]
	Macomb celebrates 1 year of glass recycling program Residents have kept more than 41 tons of glass out of landfills. That's the weight of almost six large elephants!
	Severe weather update for the rest of the night After a very active morning with lots of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the Quad Cities, things have began to calm down for the evening. Heavy rain dropped on the Quad Cities leading to flash flood warnings and severe thunderstorms producing 70-80 mph winds, causing damage like downed trees, and even a toppled train car [...]
	NC lawmakers seek tighter rules for autism therapy in push to eliminate Medicaid fraud The grand staircase at the NC Legislative Building (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline) North Carolina legislators over the past few months have sought to lower healthcare costs, especially those caused by fraud and abuse within the Medicaid system. Now they’re taking on the skyrocketing costs of an increasingly popular therapy for autism. State and federal Medicaid spending on applied behavioral analysis therapy, known as ABA, surpassed $505 million in 2025, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, an exponential increase from $1.9 million just five years prior. The steep jump in cost has happened at the same time as ABA providers in other states started offering telehealth services in North Carolina and billing them to Medicaid, although some local providers and advocates say the remote services may not be as effective for all patients. A rewritten version of House Bill 34 aims to rein in the growth of spending on ABA by adding new requirements for providers. It passed the Senate Health Care Committee without debate Wednesday. NC legislators, alarmed over increasing cost of autism therapy, search for ways to control it Sen. Benton Sawrey (R-Johnston) said the measure incorporated suggestions from DHHS and law enforcement to strengthen compliance with Medicaid. “The other big piece of this bill that we’ve had some conversations about is closing the network for peer support, community support, and our ABA services,” Sawrey said while presenting the bill. “Closing networks in the best interest of making sure that our local providers get those services to the patients is needed.” Under a closed network, providers would need to provide credentials and meet certain requirements to be eligible for reimbursement. “There’s a threshold they have to meet in order to gain enrollment,” Sawrey told NC Newsline. David Laxton, communications director at the Autism Society of North Carolina, thinks the bill will improve the quality of ABA therapy in the state. He said he sees the measure as a necessary step to “ensure quality and sustainability” for the treatment. “If we address some of the long-term sustainability issues, then that means access to the service is going to continue to be there for the folks that need it,” Laxton told NC Newsline. “It doesn’t mean that some people may have fewer options, but it means that the quality and the ability to continue offering the service would be there.” However, Autism Speaks Vice President David Sitcovsky expressed concern about adding barriers to treatment. He said Medicaid serves as a “lifeline” for many autistic people and their families, since it provides access to ABA and other essential services. “As states consider changes to strengthen accountability, they should take a careful, targeted approach that addresses these concerns while protecting access to medically necessary, high-quality care,” Sitcovsky said in a statement. “Efforts to prevent fraud or improper billing should not create new barriers or disrupt services for autistic power and families who rely on qualified providers.” Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Central DeWitt school board approves updated master plan for improvements, includes no property tax increases District officials hope to put a $33.7 million bond referendum on the November ballot to help fund the plan, but it would only extend current levy payments.
	Here's how much the the Iran war cost -- and how its effects will linger More than three months after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, the costs and aftereffects are felt around the world.
	Here's how much the Iran war cost -- and how its effects will linger More than three months after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran, the costs and aftereffects are felt around the world.

Thursday, June 18th, 2026

Wednesday, June 17th, 2026