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

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026
	QC teen caddie could win $100,000 scholarship A QC teen could win the prestigious Chick Evans scholarship worth over $100,000.
	2 Bettendorf Catholic parishes unite Members of the parish shared their excitement for the change and said the collaboration will bring opportunities in Catholic education as well as bringing people closer together as they more forward in faith.
	QC teen caddy could win $100,000 scholarship A QC teen could win the prestigious Chick Evans scholarship worth over $100,000.
	Davenport crews respond to water main break Crews in Davenport responded to a water main break.
	Quad City Arts interim executive director resigns amid police investigation Quad City Arts sought the resignation of its interim executive director after a video circulated online. Police say the investigation remains ongoing.
	Muscatine announces July 4 road closures It's an Our Quad Cities News traffic alert. The City of Muscatine announced parking and traffic restrictions in Downtown Muscatine to ensure the safety of participants, spectators and visitors during Independence Day activities. According to a release: The annual Fourth of July Parade begins at 4:00 p.m. Traffic restrictions take effect at 2:00 p.m. Residents [...]
	Colona church to open pantry for baby supplies A church in the QCA is operating a baby pantry to help anyone in need of baby supplies. Grace Community Church of The Nazarene will open the pantry Saturday, July 18 from 10:00 a.m. until noon. The pantry will give away baby-related items like diapers, toys, car seats and clothes. The church is accepting baby [...]
	University of Illinois men’s basketball head coach tees off in John Deere Classic Pro-Am Some famous faces made it to the course including Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood.
	Spring Forward QCA keeps kids learning and cool during summer heat The summer program helps elementary students stay engaged while school is out, with free enrichment programs and activities. Here's how they're beating the heat.
	Youth Day at the John Deere Classic brings families together Read what parents and kids at the John Deere Classic’s Youth Day had to say about the event, golf and family.
	Crews respond to house fire in Hampton, Illinois A News 8 photojournalist arrived on the scene of a fire on the 600 block of Second Avenue in Hampton around 5 p.m.
	Kids take over the John Deere Classic The main events of the 55th John Deere Classic get underway on Thursday, and on Wednesday kids and the Savannah Bananas stole the show before Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and more hit the stage this weekend. "I've been coming here since I was a little kid, like his age, even my newborn son's age," said [...]
	Iowa raises speed limit on some state highways, but DOT warns of safety concerns Iowa’s speed limit on some state highways is increasing from 55 to 60 miles per hour starting in July, but the Iowa Department of Transportation said not all roads are ready for the change.
	Health experts urge hydration and heat‑safety precautions as summer temperatures rise University of Iowa Health Care Health urges residents to stay hydrated, limit peak‑hour sun exposure and watch for early symptoms of heat illness as temperatures climb this summer.
	Fire destroys house in Hampton A fire destroyed a house in Hampton. Firefighters were called to the home on 2nd Ave. July 1 around 5:00 p.m. There's no word of any injuries or how it started.
	A look inside the plans for Raphael’s Emporium The City of Davenport has received a state grant to help redevelop a long-vacant historic building in the Hilltop Campus Village, with plans to create new commercial space and future housing.
	Bettendorf's school superintendent leaves district Bettendorf's superintendent has left her role and the district. According to a release from the Bettendorf Community School District, Michelle Morse's departure is effective July 1: We are grateful for Dr. Morse's six years of dedicated service to our students, staff, families and community. Her leadership and commitment to the district have made a lasting [...]
	Davenport's Veterans Memorial Park adds statues, memorial wall, brick display The additions include a veterans’ brick display, a Vietnam War veterans remembrance wall and three new statues.
	Iowa City braces for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend Law enforcement asks public to be patient as Savannah Bananas, Jazz Fest and Big and Rich concert converge on Johnson County
	Youth Day at John Deere Classic brings plenty of fun to kids and families As for at the golf course, Thursday morning tees off four days of tournament play.
	Crews respond to house fire in Hampton The house appeared to suffer extensive charring to its exterior.
	Ronald Reagan's QCA first home tells his story The QCA has plenty of historic landmarks, including two presidential birth homes. Fortieth president Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911. That first home is now a museum, dedicated to teaching the public about Reagan. "It was a very difficult birth" said Joan Johnson, a volunteer at the birthplace. "He weighed [...]
	MercyOne Genesis Foundation delivers $132,645 grant to help care for moms and babies The grant was used to purchase life-saving technology for the MercyOne Genesis NICU, Davenport Birth Center and Silvis Birth Center.
	Enjoy the fun of camping with GLAMP at Camp Liberty You're never too old for the fun of camping, and you can enjoy an event for women of all outdoor interest levels! Andrea Gaskin joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about GLAMP. For more information, click here.
	Lock 14 Dam Good Salsa opens new QCA home The folks behind the popular Lock 14 Dam Good Salsa are expanding to help other local businesses succeed through Lock 14 Kitchen. Lock 14's salsa has made waves over the past eight years, and they cut the ribbon on a new space on River Dr. in Moline. Staff plan to offer space to other local [...]
	Eldridge Fire Department, city debate future of fire services in Eldridge The two organizations' negotiations have broken down and spilled onto social media and in the mailboxes of Eldridge residents as the officials debate how to address burnout and volunteer shortages.
	Youth Day, Pro-Am kickstart John Deere Classic week The John Deere Classic is in full swing with the first day of events teeing off Wednesday morning from TPC Deere Run.
	Coal Valley balloon artist inflates the decor at the John Deere Classic The display includes a golf bag and a golf ball made of balloons, as well as other pieces.
	Trump's crypto earnings far outpace the businesses he spent decades building NPR's Scott Detrow talks with Bernard Condon of the AP about how President Trump and his family raked in more than a billion dollars last year through crypto ventures.
	Extreme Heat Warning until THU 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning: Dangerously High Temperatures Through Thursday Evening
	What Iowa law says about saving children, pets from hot cars While Iowa has no specific laws about breaking into vehicles to save kids or animals from the heat, the state's "Good Samaritan Law" might apply in some cases.
	Have you seen these suspects? Crime Stoppers wants to know! Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities wants your help catching two fugitives. It’s an Our Quad Cities News exclusive. You can get an elevated reward for information on this week’s cases: JOSHUA AVILA, 33, 5'9", 220 pounds. Wanted by Rock Island County Sheriff's Office for violation of murder and violent offender against youth registration. ZACHARY [...]
	Untold casualties and humanitarian needs: What to know a week from Venezuela's quakes Here's a look at some of the major developments since major back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela on June 24, devastating parts of a country already reeling from crisis after crisis.
	Kids line up to get autographs from the Savannah Bananas at the John Deere Classic In the words of Gwen Stefani: Bananas.
	Bettendorf Superintendent Michelle Morse announces departure Superintendent Michelle Morse has announced her departure from the Bettendorf Community School District in an email sent to families, effective Wednesday.
	Black Hawk College extends president's contract to 2030 The Black Hawk College Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a contract extension for President Dr. Jeremy Thomas through June 30, 2030, recognizing the college’s continued momentum under his leadership and reaffirming its confidence in its future. Dr. Thomas became the college’s president on June 1, 2023 and has successfully completed the original term of [...]
	Davenport opens DREAM applications for homeowners and businesses Davenport is accepting applications through July 31 for new rounds of its DREAM and Commercial DREAM grant programs for homes and businesses.
	Understanding heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke can be lifesaving, doctor says Prompt action in a heat stroke situation can save a life. Here's how you can tell the difference.
	Beating the heat as hundreds gather at TPC Deere Run Various cooling stations will be available throughout the concourse for spectators and athletes alike to get out of the heat.
	Eldridge officials respond to volunteer fire department Eldridge officials are responding to claims made by the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department on social media.
	Bix 7 leaders honored by industry groups Two leaders with the Bix 7 have been honored by industry groups for their work putting the event on every year. Laura Torgerud, Operations Director for the Quad-City Times Bix 7, was named an Emerging Industry Leader by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) on June 24. She earned the distinction [...]
	Extreme Heat Warning until THU 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning: Dangerously High Temperatures and Humidity Until Thursday Evening
	Ottumwa physician agrees to surrender his medical license (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Board of Medicine)An Ottumwa physician accused by state regulators of failing to comply with an order to submit to a clinical competency evaluation has agreed to surrender his license. Iowa Board of Medicine records indicate Akhtar Ashraf was issued an Iowa medical license in July 1990, and that the board launched an investigation into his practice, which includes diagnostic radiology, in 2023. The board alleges that in June 2025, it issued a confidential order requiring Ashraf to undergo a clinical competency evaluation within 30 days. The board has not publicly disclosed the rationale for issuing that order. Recently, the board said it had determined Ashraf had failed to comply with the order or schedule the competency evaluation. Ashraf, 80, has now indicated that he has chosen to retire from the practice of medicine in Iowa and would like to surrender his license, the board alleges. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Ashraf for comment Monday. Des Moines physician sanctioned The Iowa Board of Medicine has sanctioned Dr. Matthew R. Brown of Des Moines, an Iowa-licensed physician who practices otolaryngology. The board reported that it received a complaint alleging that in March 2024, Brown “exhibited unprofessional and rude behavior” toward coworkers. The board charged Brown with unprofessional conduct and recently issued Brown a citation and warning for the violation as part of a settlement agreement. The board also ordered that Brown pay a $1,00 civil penalty and comply with the December 2025 recommendations of the Professional Resource Center as a result of its evaluation of the matter. Those recommendations include completion of a continuing medical education course that focuses on improving communication in highly emotionally challenging healthcare settings, and that he engage, for at least one year, a professional coach who works with physicians who have “difficulties with elements of emotional competency and communicating effectively when frustrated.” Broadlawns Medical Center’s website indicates Brown is the section chief of the hospital’s Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Brown for comment Monday. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Abortion medication, HPV vaccine laws take effect today in three states A University of Miami pediatrician chats with a 13-year-old patient while administering the HPV vaccine, which research has shown is highly effective against cervical cancer. An Iowa law taking effect July 1 prohibits Iowans under age 18 from consenting to vaccinations related to sexually transmitted diseases and infections such as HPV. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)Several laws restricting access to medications that can be used to terminate a pregnancy and others placing limits on minors’ access to sexual and reproductive healthcare — including the HPV vaccine — take effect today in Iowa, Mississippi and Tennessee. Many bills were considered in state legislatures earlier this year that would have added legal restrictions to mifepristone and misoprostol, but only a few made it into law. The 13 states that have near-total abortion bans already have restrictions in place, but some have proposed more in the wake of new methods of obtaining the medications online or by telehealth. A federal lawsuit is also ongoing that will determine whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rules allowing mifepristone to be dispensed via telehealth will remain in place. That ruling will apply nationwide. Gov. Kim Reynolds signs laws restricting access to abortion pills, HPV vaccine Kimya Forouzan, principal state policy adviser at the Guttmacher Institute, said the increased efforts to restrict access underscore the importance of shield laws in states that protect abortion access. In Hawaii, provisions strengthening the state’s existing shield laws also take effect today. Those provisions include prohibiting the use or disclosure of patient health information to investigate someone who received reproductive or gender-affirming care and adding malpractice insurance and healthcare contract protections for providers in the state to prevent exorbitant rate increases, Forouzan said. Iowa Iowa’s new law requires medications including mifepristone and misoprostol to be dispensed in person, restricting access by telehealth. Mifepristone and misoprostol are typically used in combination to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester or to treat miscarriages. Iowa has a six-week abortion ban, which is before many people know they are pregnant. The law also made changes to abortion and pregnancy loss reporting, requiring a provider to report to the state whether a patient took mifepristone or misoprostol within 14 days of a pregnancy loss. It does not require the patient to tell the provider that information, nor does it compel the provider to ask, said Forouzan, but it might come up when a patient is asking questions or raising concerns. “The reporting requirement is something that really has raised alarm bells for us because we know that mandatory state reporting of abortion has a potential to cause a lot of harm and increase the feelings of surveillance that patients experience,” Forouzan said. Lawmakers also adopted a law prohibiting Iowans under age 18 from consenting to vaccinations related to sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that Republican lawmakers said the bill aligned with other state laws on vaccines — the HPV and hepatitis B vaccines were previously exempt. Science has shown the HPV vaccine prevents several strains of human papillomavirus that can be transmitted through sexual activity and potentially cause cervical and other cancers. Mississippi Mississippi passed a law in April adding mifepristone and misoprostol to the state’s drug trafficking law, making it a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison to distribute or intend to distribute the drugs. It takes effect today. Republican lawmakers in Mississippi have said the intent of the bill is to keep mifepristone and misoprostol from being sent to residents and undermining the state’s abortion ban, but providers say it creates more harm, especially for patients experiencing miscarriages. Dr. Bhavik Kumar, a family medicine physician in Texas, told Stateline in March that the law causes confusion and prevents patients from seeking timely care and providers from administering care out of fear. “Healthcare providers are suddenly having to think about laws and rules that have nothing to do with patient safety,” Kumar said. Tennessee Tennessee added new restrictions to medication abortion that allow the state attorney general to bring civil lawsuits and impose fines for violations of the state’s in-person dispensing requirements for medication abortion. Tennessee has a near-total abortion ban, but some states have tried to enforce these laws against providers for prescribing medications to their residents, such as Louisiana, where the attorney general tried unsuccessfully to extradite a provider on charges. The law allows for $10,000 fines per violation, up to $1 million. Stateline reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris can be reached at kmoseley@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Labor unions, Gray Matters Collective call for I-74 bridge barriers Labor unions from Iowa and Illinois are joining The Gray Matters Collective to call for real, evidence-based suicide prevention on the I-74 Bridge, including physical barriers, prominent crisis hotline signage and emergency phones that connect directly to the 988 Lifeline or local crisis lines. The Barriers to Suicide Act of 2025 (H.R. 3505), a bipartisan [...]
	SNAP is how millions of Americans afford food. Cuts to the program have thrown it into chaos. SNAP is how millions of Americans afford food. Cuts to the program have thrown it into chaos.A missing zero put Sarah’s grocery money in jeopardy. Every month, Sarah receives $219 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for her and her 9-year-old. Sarah works two jobs in food service, one at a senior center and one at a banquet hall, and has relied on SNAP for support ever since her husband died unexpectedly about six years ago. But last year during her annual benefits renewal, one of her employers messed up a number on the required paperwork.It was around Christmas, and Sarah and her daughter were about to take a long-awaited trip from Michigan to Texas to see Sarah’s mother for the holiday. That’s when the letter came. (This article refers to SNAP recipients by their first names only to protect their privacy.) It stated that Sarah would lose her benefits if she didn’t re-complete the paperwork. Before, she had been able to call a caseworker assigned to her who could answer questions. Now, paperwork simply disappeared into a portal. She debated canceling their trip—would it be better to save the travel money to put toward food just in case? She crossed her fingers and headed to Texas anyway, and while there, contacted her job to have them correct the error. She resubmitted with a week to spare. But it was tough to get into the spirit of holiday fun when she was hiding how stressed she was from both her daughter and her mother.It makes you on edge, she told The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Slate, not knowing if you can protect your kid, if you can feed her, all because of something outside your control. She called it a low-grade terror: “You know how that feels, right? Where you’re worried all the time, and it’s like a low burn in your chest, queasiness in the belly.”She was right to worry: After she returned home, a second letter arrived, telling Sarah she’d lost her benefits.SNAP helps over 41 million people in the United States afford food, and under Donald Trump, it’s been thrown into chaos. It’s “completely unprecedented as to what we’re dealing with,” said Gina Plata-Nino, director of SNAP policy and advocacy at the Food Research & Action Center. In July 2025, when the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R. 1, was signed into law, it included the largest cuts to SNAP in history. With that came new work requirements, costs of the program shifting to states, and other sweeping changes that could lead to more than 3 million people losing access within the next few years. Then, in November, the program paused for the first time ever, when the Trump administration refused to fund benefits during the government shutdown, which left many without food assistance for nearly two weeks, a decision that had lasting detrimental effects. People were forced to go hungry, choosing between paying for bills or for food, or not eating to ensure children were fed. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved waivers that allow 18 states to restrict some foods from being purchased with SNAP, creating confusion for retailers and recipients, according to CivilEats. All this is unfolding amid an affordability crisis with continued high costs for medical care, housing, and, of course, food.“The government has shown us what they think is important in terms of keeping people fed and healthy and able to participate in our economy, and they don’t care,” said Lindsay Allen, health economist and policy researcher at Northwestern University, adding that health care and food have been used as political pawns.Even when benefits do end up coming through, the endless chaos, changes to the program, and fear around access to food are taking a toll. After receiving the second notice, Sarah fought to get her benefits back. It turns out that a communal caseworker never got to the resubmitted paperwork. After over an hour on the phone, her SNAP benefits were reinstated—but somehow she got less by about a fourth. “If you want to talk about mental health strain, that kind of thing can happen at any time, and does,” she said. She’s still figuring out how to make up for the fact that her monthly benefits are lower.Food insecurity, defined by the USDA as the economic and social condition of having limited or uncertain access to adequate food, affects some 50 million Americans. Changes to SNAP could deepen existing food insecurity—and food insecurity itself is linked to anxiety, depression, and psychiatric disorders. There is nothing that being hungry does not worsen. Hunger and mental health issues feed off each other, said Mariana Chilton, a professor in the department of nutrition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She’s done extensive research showing that food insecurity is strongly associated with major maternal depressive symptoms; she points to research focused on the association between food insecurity and suicidal ideation and attempts in teenagers. Children are profoundly impacted by hunger, with consequences for mental health and development, among other things, extending far past childhood.Some experts have long called for benefit amounts to be increased, or for other changes to make the program more accessible and responsive to needs. A 2023 analysis from the Urban Institute found that SNAP benefits weren’t keeping up with rising food costs in 99 percent of counties. Current cuts are making everything worse.SNAP participation has historically reduced the likelihood that a given household will be food insecure by 30 percent. Research led by Anna Austin, an associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of North Carolina, found that policies that increase the number of households eligible to receive SNAP benefits contributes to reductions in poor mental health and suicidality. She noted that when people gain access to SNAP, they show improvements in symptoms of depression and anxiety. Removing the cognitive strain of where food will come from also can reduce stigma and feelings of shame.There’s also a general sense of unease around changes to SNAP. Some described it as fear: fear around where a next meal will come from. Fear over how someone will pay for a child’s birthday cake. Fear that the program—without warning or reason—may become impossible to access.What’s more, changes to SNAP are happening alongside cuts to Medicaid. It leads to what Allen calls a “terrible synergistic effect” of people’s food being taken away and people getting sick because of it while health care is stripped away.People who are considered “able-bodied adults without dependents” have to work for at least 80 hours a month to receive SNAP benefits, according to KFF, a health policy organization focused on research, policy analysis, polling, and journalism, which broke down Medicaid and SNAP work requirements. H.R. 1 expanded work requirements to include adults ages 55 to 64 and adults with dependents over 14 years old. It also removed exemptions for veterans, young adults who aged out of foster care, and people experiencing homelessness. Lack of access to SNAP disproportionately harms children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, immigrant households, and rural communities, and can exacerbate racial and ethnic health inequities, Austin said. Meanwhile, studies show that most people receiving SNAP who can work already do so, and research shows work requirements aren’t effective at improving employment outcomes, since they don’t address economic conditions, scheduling practices, or other barriers to work. Getting a job, even if you really want one, can be difficult.A March 2026 report from the Center for American Progress detailed the deadly consequences of these cuts, estimating that work requirement expansions could lead to almost 70,000 deaths by 2040. In the meantime, they are tormenting people. In 2022, Allen published research that found that SNAP work requirements worsened anxiety and depression, with visits to health care providers for depression and anxiety increasing faster for women than they did for men. SNAP and Medicaid are safety-net programs, she said, “and there’s nothing below the safety net but concrete.”The first time Nieves Aragon testified at a Colorado Board of Human Services meeting about the restriction on using SNAP benefits to purchase sweetened drinks, she held up a juice box. The second time, in early March, she held up a can of Coca-Cola. She wanted to show that what they are attempting to take away from SNAP recipients are lifesavers to her as a Type 1 diabetic. If she’s with her 5-year-old son and her sugar goes low, the first thing she thinks of is a Gatorade or soda, which wouldn’t be covered. Now, she worries about whether she can afford the $3 out of pocket to grab a Coke, or if she’ll have to compromise on what her child needs in order to grab what she needs for her sugar. Aragon has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and said that maintaining a specific diet is crucial to both her diabetes and ensuring her ADHD medication is working properly. “I try not to think about it too much, because I feel like then you spiral down to that depressive ‘What are we going to do?’ kind of state,” explained Aragon of the restrictions. In March 2026, SNAP recipients in multiple states, including Colorado, sued the USDA over food-restriction waivers, stating in the complaint that they “destabilize food access.” The restrictions are stalled. But they could come back.Over in Tennessee, where restrictions on “processed foods and beverages” will take effect in July, Brittany, a single mom, says the cost of food is so high, she struggles even with the support of SNAP. Restrictions on what can be purchased will only make it harder, because out-of-pocket costs take away from other necessities, like gas. There are going to be parents who can’t afford a birthday cake for their kid thanks to restrictions, which isn’t fair to that child, she pointed out. “I feel like you can never get ahead,” she said. She already works full-time as a medical assistant. She can’t get a second job; if she did, she would then make too much to live in government housing—but still wouldn’t be able to afford to live elsewhere. She’s always worried about the next thing. “I try not to cry in front of my kids or let them know that I’m worried at all about anything, because that just puts more stress on them,” she said.The strain of uncertainty sits at an intersection of turmoil in the United States, all overlapping, all exhausting. There’s the cost of food, and the cost of health care. Jobs feel impossible to find, and wages don’t meet the cost of living. Even attempting to keep track of changes is like “drinking from the firehose,” said Austin, the researcher who found that expanded SNAP access improved mental health. “I think the constant uncertainty, particularly when it’s something as important as ‘How am I going to feed my family? Where am I going to get my next meal?’ is just so much strain and stress and really negatively impacting mental health,” she said.Recently, Krysten, who lives in Pennsylvania, was dropped from SNAP because she technically makes too much money. Krysten makes $13 an hour as a home health aide, but doesn’t have paid leave or benefits, so when she’s sick, she makes nothing. Because she lives in the same household as her mother, what her mom receives in Social Security counts as income. That’s left her household receiving only $72 a month in SNAP benefits. She thinks elected officials who are making decisions to cut or restrict SNAP should visit food pantries to see how many people are coming in—last time Krysten went, the food pantry was so low on items that they weren’t able to really help. Krysten does meet the requirements to stay on Medicaid, which she’s thankful for.Recently, when she went to the doctor, she said they asked if she wanted medication for depression. But she didn’t feel like there was anything amiss that could be solved with medicine. She is depressed because she doesn’t have enough food in the house, she explained to the doctor. “That does make you stressed. It does make you depressed.”For many, SNAP is a direct mental health support. That’s the case for Annika Verma, a college student who moved out of her family’s home shortly before she turned 18. Verma was struggling with depression and an eating disorder, and working as a barista while enrolled in community college. She didn’t know she could access resources like SNAP. “Starving, to me, started to feel like an economic choice that just became congruent with those aesthetic and obsessive choices around food,” she explained. By summer 2024, SNAP benefits made it possible for her to work with her nutritionist and clinical team to eat consistently, and to build new, nutritious foods, as well as fun foods, back into her diet.But the threat of that support going away was constant. While she recently has become financially stable and stopped using SNAP, she recalled worrying that one mistake on a form would mean not eating. The fear would keep her up at night catastrophizing; the calculator on her phone was always being used for either calorie counting or counting SNAP dollars. It stays with you, she said. Now, she added, it feels like the Trump administration is telling people “that they are not allowed to be a human in need.”Co-published by The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Slate.This story was produced by The Economic Hardship Reporting Project and Slate, and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Medical providers say NM policy of taking custody of substance-exposed newborns hurts families Doula Melissa Marie Lopez-Sullivan, practicing body balancing techniques on Nicara Rodriguez Hardin to help baby move into the optimal position for birth, says New Mexico's approach to mothers who have used alcohol and drugs is eroding the relationship between expectant mothers and providers. (Courtesy photo) When Dr. Francheska Gurule sees pregnant patients who use drugs or alcohol at the clinic where she works in Albuquerque, she says their “fear has always been very palpable.” As a family doctor board-certified in addiction medicine and working in the field for the last decade, Gurule says she knows patients worry about the stigma they’ll face when they disclose their drug use. But “the number one reason” they withhold their drug or alcohol use “is because they don’t want their baby to be taken from them.”SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “That fear has always existed,” Gurule told Source NM, but has become more marked in the year since New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered the Children, Youth and Families Department to seek immediate custody of newborns diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome or substance exposure. No exceptions. Gurule and dozens of providers signed a December 2025 letter objecting to the directive. Dr. Francheska Gurule, a family doctor board-certified in addiction medicine, says fear among pregnant patients with substance-use issues has increased since New Mexico’s governor created a “no exceptions” policy for the state to take custody of newborns exposed to some substances. (Courtesy photo) “I am a family doctor, those babies are my patients too,” Gurule said. But she believes she and others who oppose the directive, “also want to keep the moms healthy and safe.” On June 8, the New Mexico Supreme Court rejected a petition from the ACLU and two state lawmakers asking the state to immediately halt Lujan Grisham’s directive. But opposition to the order persists, particularly on the front lines among health care providers who treat women with histories of substance abuse. “Child protective services involvement is a risk factor for maternal depression,” said Dr. Jocelyn Wu, an OB/GYN who’s worked in northern New Mexico and Albuquerque. She pointed to data that shows mental health conditions, including substance use, as the leading cause of death during pregnancy and postpartum in New Mexico. “We have a postpartum mental health crisis on our hands,” she said, noting it was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Gurule echoes those concerns. She worries pregnant patients will avoid doctors’ offices in an effort to keep custody of their kids, and says when moms avoid prenatal care, “they don’t get diagnosed with syphilis so then their babies are born with congenital syphilis, which can be a lifelong debilitating disease. They don’t get Narcan, so they overdose and they die. They don’t get on methadone. They don’t get on buprenorphine. And those are real, real scary outcomes.” National data supports Gurule and Wu’s fears, showing that patients avoid prenatal care and report higher rates of congenital syphilis on average in states with punitive substance use policies. New Mexico reports the third highest rate of moms who do not receive adequate prenatal care, according to the March of Dimes. In 2022, New Mexico reported the highest rate of congenital syphilis among all US states. Although the CDC has not released updated congenital syphilis data since 2023, when New Mexico still ranked second nationwide, the state Department of Health in April reported that rates fell more than 30% last year. The governor’s office stands behind the directive, and Communications Director Michael Coleman responded in a written statement to the questions Source NM posed about the providers’ concerns. “The governor believes safety is the top priority — and that means giving parents the space they need to recover, while making sure no baby is left in a home where exposure puts them at risk,” he said. New Mexico’s “substance-exposed newborn strategy exists,” he continued, “because substance-exposed infants and parents alike deserve a rigorous evaluation of whether their home environment is safe before a newborn is discharged into it. In each of the cases where a child was placed in safe care, the determination to temporarily remove them from their parents was made by a judge, based on the state’s risk assessment. The important decision to remove substance exposed newborns from their families is never a unilateral one by the state.” Awaiting new rules Meanwhile, the state Health Care Authority is slated to release new rules on Wednesday governing the state’s implementation of the federal Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, as mandated by a separate law passed by the New Mexico Legislature. That law shifted the authority over cases involving substance-exposed newborns from the Children, Youth and Families Department to the HCA. Lujan Grisham signed the law in April 2025, before issuing her separate directive in July 2025. Responding to draft rules published by the Health Care Authority in April, 40 healthcare providers, social workers, attorneys, former CYFD employees, tribal governments and national and local non-profits shared concerns. “I have seen first hand how well children do with their own parents. I have also seen how well families do when kept with their kids,” wrote pediatrician Mateo McBatra. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s July 2025 directive ordering the state’s child welfare agency to take custody of newborns exposed to substance use has already survived a legal challenge. Licensed psychotherapist Bryce Pittenger also wrote about the impact the proposed rules could have on newborns. “For infants, time is not neutral. Prolonged separation during the early attachment window is associated with long-term impacts that are difficult—and costly—to remediate.” Troy Clark, president and CEO of the New Mexico Hospital Association, wrote that Lujan Grisham’s mandatory directive contradicted the Legislature’s law guiding voluntary plans of safe care, and added that hospitals “need clear and definitive direction about what will be in effect July 1, 2026.” In response to Clark’s concern, Coleman noted in his statement that the CARA directive “was written to operate within the framework SB42 established, and we have trained and supported on implementation questions as the CARA administration transitions to the Health Care Authority on July 1.” Providers and others who submitted comments to the Health Care Authority, also voiced concern with the proposed definition of substance-exposed newborns, which included newborns exposed to legal prescribed medications like buprenorphine and methadone and legal drugs like alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. “That is potentially a lot of people who are super stable in their recovery,” said Gurule, speaking of patients who use opioid agonists to treat their opioid use disorder. It also might include people who “don’t have a substance use disorder,” such as occasional smokers. Hannah Gillum is one such mother who’s spoken up about her experience grappling with the state’s policy. After receiving a diagnosis of infertility, Gillum had given up on having a child. “When I found out I was pregnant it was jarring, I wanted it for so many years,” she told Source NM. Gillum said she sought medical care immediately and learned she was pregnant at five weeks gestation. “And I made the huge mistake that I know now of telling them the truth,” which was that she had consumed alcohol and legal cannabis a few days earlier. The Monday after she gave birth, a CARA case worker reached out and scheduled a home-visit. “And that is when I hear that I am a part of the CARA program,” she said “And I am being forced to be a part of this. And if I don’t comply, they’re gonna refer me to” CYFD. Gillum said the punitive approach made her reluctant to opt into state programs. “I was already interested in some of those resources [offered through the CARA program] and willing to engage until it became by threat,” she said. In her decade working as a doula, Melissa Marie Lopez-Sullivan says she’s supported many parents like Gillum who use cannabis, particularly as it’s become medicinally and recreationally legal. Prior to Lujan Grisham’s order, she said, doing so “was almost a non-issue for most families.” Since the order, “People go out of their way to not test positive or to not disclose.” Coleman from Lujan Grisham’s office, however, says, any claims that the governor’s directive “would flag alcohol or marijuana use before they are pregnant is inaccurate. Her directive only applies to cases in which one of those substances is being used concurrently with meth or fentanyl.” Lopez-Sullivan, who serves as director of the New Mexico Doula Association, said the bottom line is that the CARA program “and the way it’s being implemented is eroding the relationship between patient and the provider, and the patient and the healthcare system.” Moreover, “There isn’t any more support or resources available than there were the day before [Lujan Grisham] issued” the directive. Gurule wishes that instead of seeking immediate custody of substance-exposed newborns, the state would invest in evidence-based practices recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “We don’t have housing. We don’t have substance use treatment in rural New Mexico. We don’t have family-centered rehab,” she said. “This is a chronic medical condition that is treatable.” And there are people who have come out the other side, “safely parenting and thriving as families.” Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	Americans are showing up for the World Cup in record-breaking numbers While the U.S. isn't a bona fide soccer nation yet, the past three weeks have perhaps shown what it would feel like if it were.
	Adrift after loss, he built a life — and a blueprint — around purpose (BPT) - After his life shifted into retirement at 68, John (not his actual name) expected to feel relief.Instead, after the first few months of feeling open and flexible, his days became harder to navigate. He still exercised, ran errands and kept up with friends. Yet mornings stretched longer, and evenings arrived without much to distinguish one day from the next.There was no single shift that caused concern. He felt a gradual drifting, and the questions that followed were practical: How do I organize my days now? What is this next chapter for?'I could keep going, or I could turn back'Victor Strecher, PhD and professor at University of Michigan School of Public Health, had grappled with those same questions too, but for entirely different reasons.In 1990, Vic's newborn daughter Julia became seriously ill from a heart condition. Doctors told him she might have only a month or two to live. There was a slim chance for a heart transplant, but the odds were daunting. Even if Julia lived only a few years, Vic and his wife asked themselves whether they could still give her a life worth living.They decided they could. Vic shifted his focus from career milestones to what would make her days full.Julia survived into young adulthood, but at 19, she died unexpectedly. Vic lost his footing. Grief showed up as a numb routine: hours of television, drinking, a sense of dissolving.One early morning, he climbed into a kayak on Lake Michigan and paddled out alone in the dark. As the sun rose and the water turned glassy, he sensed a choice. "I could keep going, or I could turn back," he said. "But if I turned back, I would have to live differently."He turned back. "I went home, pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote, 'Vic, you have to help yourself.' Then I asked: 'What are you going to do?'"He listed what mattered most — family, friends — then asked what mattered at work. His answer came quickly: his students. Vic called his university and asked to return to teaching. He committed to teaching every student as if they were his daughter.Victor Strecher teaching at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.Rebuilding a relationship with purposeWithout realizing it, Vic had begun rebuilding his relationship with purpose. He found having purpose changed not just the course of his life, but also the quality. He found greater clarity, a deeper connection, and more meaningful intentions."Purpose helps you organize what matters most. It directs your attention and energy toward that," Vic said.When he researched the impact of purpose in other people's lives, he found the science backed him up.In one study, participants wore identical 25-pound backpacks and estimated how steep a ramp appeared. One group was told the backpack was "dead weight." The other was told it carried important scientific equipment. Although both packs weighed the same, those who believed the load had meaning perceived the slope as less steep.Other research linked a stronger sense of purpose with healthier coping strategies. People with greater purpose were more likely to walk, spend time in nature, engage in meaningful rituals and step back during stress. They were less likely to rely on habits that dulled stress in the moment. Studies following people after large-scale trauma found that those who rebuilt purpose showed greater resilience over time."When you have a sense of purpose, you're more likely to step back, see the bigger picture and remember this won't last forever."An app for positive, lasting changeSurprisingly, Vic found purpose isn't a heroic vision or single-minded vocation a person is born with. It's a skill that can be clarified and strengthened, shaping daily behavior.Always a teacher, Vic began looking for ways to share what he had learned. He wrote the book, "Life On Purpose", gave TED Talks and lectures including at Harvard School of Public Health, structured two online courses rated 4th best in the world by Inc. Magazine, and conducted pioneering research on life purpose, cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Victor Strecher.In 2015, together with a team of psychologists, behavior designers and data scientists, he launched Kumanu (meaning "nourish" in Maori), a company designed to help people and organizations thrive by connecting deeply to what matters most through its app, Purposeful.The app is based on decades of research across behavioral science, neuroscience, public health and organizational psychology and more than 1,400 scientific studies. It prompts users to address the aspects of their lives they'd like help with, and guides users through the same steps he took to create positive, lasting change: identifying values, writing a purpose statement and building habits that align with it.Identifying values, such as family, health, faith, creativity, learning or service, creates direction. Putting those values into words shapes daily choices. From there, small practices create rhythm: a morning intention, a brief reflection, a consistent commitment. The consistency matters more than the scale."Users of Purposeful tend to be people who are going through transitions in their lives," Vic says. "I like to say you usually need to rethink your purpose when you need a Hallmark card."What matters most now?For users like John, it was exactly what they needed."Getting on Purposeful is part of my morning routine," a user said in a recent survey. "I have only missed a couple of days in the last year … it has really helped me stay in the present and be more focused and mindful about my days, relationships and my life."For others navigating loss, like Vic, the structure has been equally meaningful. The app "gave me a place to share my grief and trauma of loss and channel it toward a meaningful experience … a helpful reminder to keep me connected and do basic self-care tasks," another respondent said.For both, the shift began with the question "what matters most now?", choosing a direction and returning to it, one day at a time.To learn more, listen to Vic's podcast, PurposeCast, where he explores the science and stories behind living with purpose. You can also try the Purposeful app with a free account — no credit card required. For those who choose to upgrade, a limited-time discount is available on Purposeful Premium: 29% off ($4.16 per month, billed annually at $49.99). Cancel anytime.Photo above: Victor Strecher (R), with his daughter Julia Strecher (L) and wife Jeri Rosenberg.
	The Trump administration’s multiple investigations of the 2020 election may have more to do with 2026 The Trump administration’s multiple investigations of the 2020 election may have more to do with 2026The FBI agents arrived at David Bolter’s Milwaukee home on a cool, cloudy Wednesday morning in late May. They were armed with a list of questions for the 2020 poll worker, who had raised concerns about the way local officials handled the 2020 election, Bolter told Votebeat.President Donald Trump relied on Bolter’s claims in an unsuccessful 2020 lawsuit that sought to throw out more than 220,000 votes. That would have been more than enough to move Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes from Democrat Joe Biden, who won the state, to Trump. Though courts, several election reviews, and many audits rejected Trump’s claims, the Republican never stopped believing that he was cheated out of the presidency in 2020.That appears to be why, last month, the FBI sent agents back to Milwaukee to question Bolter as part of an expanding national effort by the second Trump administration to investigate long-debunked claims of fraud in the 2020 election.Votebeat dug into the Trump administration’s various investigations of the 2020 election and explained how those efforts could impact the midterms in 2026.The investigation into the 2020 election appears to be relying on already disproven allegations from people like Bolter. Bolter declined to divulge more about his conversation with the FBI, which has not been previously reported, but allegations from Bolter’s 2020 affidavit were central to some conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. For example, he alleged that somebody in Milwaukee’s absentee ballot counting facility announced around midnight on Election Day that a “huge truckload of ballots” was going to be delivered — an accusation for which there has so far appeared to be no additional evidence.Around the same time Bolter says he talked to the FBI, two plainclothes agents with FBI badges showed up at the apartment of a former Milwaukee resident and 2020 poll worker about an affidavit she submitted, according to the former poll worker, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Christine, to give her the freedom to discuss an ongoing investigation.Christine had also submitted an affidavit about the 2020 election, saying election workers had been told that all votes were counted, but she then saw workers continuing to count ballots around midnight. That affidavit was the focus of the agents’ questions, Christine told Votebeat.“I suspected wrongdoing, but I’m not saying that it actually happened,” she said. “I’m just one lowly person that was working there.”During the interview, she added, an agent showed her a photograph of Claire Woodall, the former Milwaukee election chief, asking her if she recognized the former election official who has been central to false allegations about the 2020 election. She identified her by name. Woodall didn’t respond to a request for comment.Caroline Clancy, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Milwaukee office, declined to comment.While investigators seem mainly focused on the 2020 vote, some elections experts believe the Trump administration’s wide-ranging probe is actually designed to create more doubts among Americans about future elections, as Republicans face strong political headwinds that could cost them control of Congress later this year.“This isn’t about the 2020 election, this is about the 2026 and 2028 elections,” said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research. “This is about intimidating election officials. This is about creating a stream of disinformation designed to delegitimize an election the president may believe he’s going to lose. This is designed by the president’s underlings to satisfy the unrealistic expectations of a president that still cannot comprehend that he lost an election that he definitely lost, and it’s incredibly destabilizing.”Wisconsin is the latest known target of the Trump administration’s 2020 investigation. The FBI is looking to interview elections officials and Milwaukee police officers in what some worry could be a precursor to an effort to seize ballots from the 2020 presidential race, as it already has in Georgia.The Trump administration is revisiting allegations of election fraud that have been repeatedly scrutinizedIn January, federal investigators seized 600 boxes of ballots from the 2020 election in Fulton County, Georgia. The heavily Democratic county, home to Atlanta, was key to Biden’s narrow 2020 victory in the state.As in Wisconsin, the FBI in Georgia has built its investigation on allegations that have already been repeatedly scrutinized by audits, investigations, and courts without unearthing any evidence of fraud or tampering that could have overturned the results.The Georgia search represented an unprecedented intervention by the federal government into local administration. Even more unusually, Tulsi Gabbard, who will step down at the end of this month as director of national intelligence, personally oversaw the seizure and arranged for Trump to speak directly to the FBI agents via cell phone after they carried out the operation.The Trump administration investigations stretch from Arizona, where federal officials subpoenaed computerized records of a partisan review state lawmakers conducted of Maricopa County’s 2020 election, to Puerto Rico, where the Office of the Director of National Intelligence procured voting machines to examine for potential security risks.The administration’s investigations aren’t entirely limited to 2020. The U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter in April to Wayne County, Michigan — home to Detroit — demanding all ballots cast in the 2024 election, which Trump won. But even in that case, to support the request, the Justice Department cited accusations of fraud made after the 2020 election, including a lawsuit that was quickly dismissed after a judge wrote that “plaintiffs’ interpretation of events is incorrect and not credible.” Wayne County never handed over the ballots, because it doesn’t have possession of them.What do the 2020 elections mean for 2026?The FBI faces challenges in pursuing cases tied to the 2020 election since the five-year statute of limitations that applies to most of the likely charges expired last year. Law enforcement veterans said it is possible that the Justice Department could pursue broader conspiracy charges in the case, but the prospect remains unclear.FBI Director Kash Patel suggested in April that the Justice Department would soon announce arrests related to the 2020 election, but that has not yet occurred. Officials with the FBI and Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.John Keller, a former acting head of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section who resigned in 2025 after refusing the Trump administration’s demands to drop corruption charges against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, said the administration appeared to be trying to normalize federal investigations of state elections to pave the way for future intervention.“They are using enforcement directed at the 2020 election as a test run for what they can get away with on Election Day this year, or after, to try and delay certification or invalidate an election” if the results don’t go their way, he said.Injecting federal law enforcement officials into an ongoing election is a more extreme and serious action than investigating a past one, and it could face stiffer opposition. But it’s clear, at least, that the administration is scrutinizing current elections closely.Trump last week blasted California’s long vote counting process in its primary election and asserted that Democrats were trying to steal the election and federal authorities were investigating. Last month, Trump also said he was ordering the Justice Department to investigate an error that led to some voters in Maryland receiving ballots for the wrong party in the state’s upcoming primary. State officials in both cases have explained the true causes of the issues and that nothing nefarious was behind them.Any effort to seize ballots in an ongoing election would create unprecedented new issues, such as a breach in the chain of custody over cast ballots, that could prevent election officials from declaring a winner and throw results into uncertainty.Catherine Engelbrecht, co-founder of the Texas-based conservative group True the Vote, which has promoted debunked theories about the 2020 election, said she understands Trump’s intentions but believes the 2020 election questions should have been resolved “in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election.”“This is not necessarily the way I would have recommended that it would be handled,” she said. “The fact that it wasn’t addressed has left this lingering void.”In most cases, however, Trump’s claims of voter fraud were addressed in the wake of the 2020 election. Time and again, courts, state investigations, and even the Justice Department concluded that there was no evidence of problems or fraud that would have changed the results.Engelbrecht said she views the Trump administration’s ongoing investigations as an effort to dig into long-standing concerns about the voting process it wants to address for future elections.“The past is prologue,” she said. “If we don’t understand what happened, we are doomed to repeat it.”This story was produced by Votebeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Funerals held for 14 Pakistani children killed in tutoring center collapse Police are investigating whether negligence during construction work caused the collapse in the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday.
	Applications open for Davenport DREAM projects Applications are now open for new rounds of funding through the Davenport DREAM Project and Commercial DREAM Project. The program offers grants to new and existing homeowners in the city’s heritage neighborhoods by offering grants to make exterior property improvements. Commercial DREAM provides grants to eligible property owners to improve blight conditions on commercial, industrial [...]
	250 Years of Service, Reimagined: Meet the Soldiers Who Make Up Today’s Army (BPT) - Key TakeawaysThe U.S. Army — an institution one year older than the nation itself — continues to evolve to fit the needs of the modern world.With more than 250 jobs to choose from, the Army is a body of possibilities that helps Soldiers explore a variety of careers and interest areas, from infantry and aviation to engineering and music.Whether competing at the highest levels of athletic competition, performing for audiences around the world, or transforming the health and well-being of the force, today's Soldiers are redefining what service looks like, blending tradition with innovation and proving that Army service is more than meets the eye.As America celebrates its 250th birthday, there's a remarkable story that often goes untold: The U.S. Army has been defending the nation for its entire history, and then some. Founded in 1775, one year before the nation itself, the Army stands as the country's oldest institution with a proud history of service. But the Army isn't just preserving history — it's making it.Today's Soldiers are redefining what service looks like in the modern world, blending tradition with innovation and proving that Army service is more than meets the eye. With more than 250 jobs to choose from, the Army is a body of possibilities that helps Soldiers explore a variety of careers and interest areas, from infantry and aviation to engineering and music.What unites the Soldiers of today's Army is not the similarity of their paths, but their dedication to excellence and service. Whether competing at the highest levels of athletic competition, performing for audiences around the world, transforming the health and well-being of the force, or inspiring and motivating the next generation of Soldiers, each one has chosen to channel their talents through the Army.On this milestone birthday, read on to learn more about the Soldiers who serve today, who are proof that Army service is not just a career, but a powerful platform to pursue their passions, serve their country, and inspire their communities:U.S. Army Hip-Hop Artist Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick When Staff Sgt. Lamar Riddick joined the Army, he made history as part of the force's inaugural hip-hop program, becoming the Army's first rapper. Growing up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Riddick was immersed in the performing arts and attended Bethune-Cookman University, where he was in the Marching Band and earned a bachelor's degree in music recording engineering. He went on to work at the West Virginia University School of Music, where he continued to hone his craft and, in 2020, won an Eddy Award for Best Christian Rap Artist. Wanting to make a greater impact while still pursuing music, Riddick joined the Army in 2021, and after a long audition process, earned a spot in the U.S. Army Field Band. Since its inception, the Army Field Band has evolved to a collection of professional Soldier ensembles that perform more than 400 concerts per year for local and international crowds, highlighting genres including hip-hop, rock, and country.As the Army's only rapper, Riddick uses his talents to connect the public with both the Army and hip-hop culture, and has performed on countless stages, including The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, NFL halftime shows, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Riddick also shares his experience and original work with an even greater audience at @armyrappers.Team USA Bobsledder and Flag Bearer Sgt. Frank Del DucaOriginally from Sunrise, Florida, then growing up in Bethel, Maine, Sgt. Frank Del Duca always had an interest in extreme sports, originally competing in downhill slalom skiing in high school. After graduating from the University of Maine and recovering from a reconstruction of the ACL and meniscus, he wanted to continue his pursuit of winter sports, and participated in a USA Bobsled combine where he quickly excelled. Del Duca's path as a bobsled athlete continued when he joined the Army in 2019 as an Infantryman (11B) and Soldier-athlete in the Army's World Class Athlete Program — an elite group that allows Soldiers to serve in the Army while receiving the support and training to participate at the highest levels of competition. His decision paid off when he was named to Team USA for the 2022 Beijing Games, competing in the two-man and four-man bobsled events.By tapping into the teamwork, discipline, and resilience learned in the Army, Del Duca made another Olympic run at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina in both the two-man and four-man bobsled events — this time not only being named to Team USA, but also earning the coveted, peer-voted role as Opening Ceremony flag bearer. He carried this momentum to the Games, where he secured a historic 4th-place finish in the two-man bobsled event.U.S. Army Golden Knight Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Evans Originally from Bangor, Maine, Sgt. 1st Class Evans aspired to join the Army before graduating high school, and he has since experienced many different careers over his 15 years of Army service, from an Infantryman (11B) to a Career Counselor (79S). While serving at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Evans went tandem skydiving with his father and immediately fell in love with the sport. He soon got his license and tried out for the U.S. Army's Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, in 2022. Though he didn't make the cut his first time, he stayed determined and was officially assigned to the Golden Knights in 2024, where he now represents the Army at the highest levels of aerial performance.Since learning to skydive, Evans has logged more than 850 free-fall parachute jumps and 17 military static line jumps. He notes his most memorable performance as parachuting into the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., in celebration of the Army's 250th birthday in 2025 — a "twice-in-a-lifetime" opportunity he experienced again during America's 250th birthday celebrations in 2026.Holistic Health Leader Lt. Col. Jason BarberLt. Col. Jason Barber has dedicated his Army career to transforming how the force understands and pursues wellness. Currently activated to lead the U.S. Army Reserve's Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system — a program that supports the physical, nutritional, mental, sleep, and spiritual health of Soldiers — at the 81st Readiness Division at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Barber has become an influential voice in redefining what it means to be holistically fit, as well as a key architect in how H2F is being implemented across the Army Reserve. After joining the Army in 1991 as a Cavalry Scout (19D), he made the decision to pursue higher education using the GI Bill, earning a degree in exercise science and an advanced degree in physician assistant studies. But it was a transformative experience working alongside a strength coach that made him realize his passion for helping others achieve their goals through evidence-based training.He went on to become the high-performance coordinator for the Army's World Class Athlete Program, where he helped train Soldier-athletes for the highest levels of international competition, and he was one of the first strength and conditioning coaches embedded in the Special Operations community — a pioneering role that laid the groundwork for the Army-wide H2F system. He operates under a growth mindset and believes that success is built through small, consistent effort that eventually compounds to true readiness and resilience.U.S. Army Six-String Soldiers Vocalist Staff Sgt. Megan Haskell Staff Sgt. Megan Haskell is the lead vocalist for the Army's Six-String Soldiers, a country music group performing Americana and patriotic music to inspire national pride. Originally from Hampton, Virginia, Haskell graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and began her professional music career as a country artist. She later realized that her talent could serve something larger than a stage and joined the Marine Corps as the first enlisted vocalist in its history. After basic training, she attended the Naval School of Music, where she learned about the Army Field Band's special bands program and pursued an inter-service transfer to the Army, which led her to the Six-String Soldiers.Throughout her career, Haskell has continued to serve as an inspiration for others, performing at professional sporting events and the Grand Ole Opry, and appearing on NBC's The Voice in 2023, representing the Army. She also curates the Six-String Soldiers' social media presence, helping the group gain further national attention. Haskell notes that the Army gave her music a mission, and as a mentor to incoming military musicians, she pays it forward by helping them navigate the unique world of military musical service.Leadership Mentor and Influencer Maj. John Howell Throughout his 13-year Army career, Maj. John Howell learned that the most challenging leaders often become the greatest teachers. Serving under commanders who demanded perfection — even down to font sizes — originally frustrated him, but as he advanced in rank and eventually commanded his own unit, he realized those harsh lessons had shaped his attention to detail, standards for excellence, and understanding of effective leadership.Originally from Tullahoma, Tennessee, Howell grew up in a military family and pursued an ROTC scholarship to Carson-Newman University as a way to pay for college. He went on to serve as an Infantry Officer (11A) and Military Intelligence Officer (35A), commanded a unit in rural Washington, and spent time as an Army recruiter — an experience that shaped his leadership and passion for mentoring young Soldiers.Now, as the Scholarship Program Manager at the United States Army Cadet Command (USACC) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Howell is channeling his life lessons into advice for the next generation of Soldiers, sharing valuable perspective and career guidance, through his Instagram account, @servantofleaders, which has built a community of 70K+ followers.These Soldiers represent the vast opportunities available in the Army today. To learn more about the possibilities of service, visit GoArmy.com.
	A simple yet expensive way to climate-proof the grid: Bury the power lines A simple yet expensive way to climate-proof the grid: Bury the power linesPower lines across the country weren’t designed for a changing climate, with much of the nation’s grid built more than half a century ago. Today, stronger storms and heavier precipitation contribute to hundreds of outages each year, many because of trees falling on above-ground power lines.In northern Michigan, some utilities want to change that.In March 2025, a devastating ice storm hit the region, knocking down trees and snapping utility poles. Thousands of people lost power, and some remained without electricity for weeks..During the blackout, Lewiston, Michigan, resident Wanda Whiting suddenly had to get her husband, Dave, to the hospital. He was having heart trouble. The side of the highway was littered with downed wires and broken poles. The streets were so dark, she said, that she got lost on familiar roads.“I still can’t get over how astonished I was, how much we rely on street lights,” Whiting told Grist.At one point, she had to drive over thick cables that had fallen across the road. Downed wires are dangerous; they can still be live even if the power is out. The couple made it to the hospital, and Dave Whiting recovered. But the power in the area didn’t come back on for another two weeks. Vivian La // IPR News For Michiganders, the ice storm was a reminder of the power grid’s vulnerabilities during severe weather. The state already sees some of the longest power outages in the country.Climate change could make that worse. Research suggests northern Michigan will see more freezing rain instead of snow and possibly more destructive ice storms. Communities need to plan for a different future, said Richard B. Rood, a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan who studies climate change adaptation.“You can’t think of what we’re experiencing as, ‘This is how it used to be, and this is where it will be,â€˜” Rood said. “You are right in the middle of the change here.”The biggest challenge to undergrounding power lines is cost. Consumers Energy, one of the largest utilities in Michigan, says it hears from customers “consistently” about burying more lines. The company estimates that undergrounding 1 mile of line in the state can cost $400,000. In some urban areas that cost can swell, with estimates ranging from $2 million to $3 million per mile, according to a report from the Michigan Public Service Commission.In contrast, installing overhead lines is typically a fraction of that cost.Instead of undergrounding existing wires, burying new lines during construction is generally easier and cheaper, because crews can install power lines alongside other utilities like water or gas.Tony Chartrand, pictured below, is director of electrical engineering and operations for Traverse City Light & Power, which serves roughly 42,000 people. He said utilities face a balancing act. “Part of that solution is undergrounding lines,” he said. “But it’s not necessarily undergrounding everything.” Vivian La // IPR News Great Lakes Energy, the state’s largest electric co-op serving 26 counties across northern Michigan, has announced plans to bury all new power lines. The new policy came in response to last year’s ice storm, which caused more than 66,000 power outages across the electric co-op’s system and cost about $150 million in damages.Even so, burying new lines will be expensive, said Shari Culver, chief operating officer for Great Lakes Energy. It can cost three to five times more than putting up an overhead line, and costs will be passed onto ratepayers. But, she said, “I think there’s reliability benefits for our membership, because it’s going to help prevent outages over the long term.”The utility isn’t planning on burying all its existing overhead lines. That’s when expenses for construction, labor, and materials can add up quickly.Besides the cost, there are other challenges with burying power lines. Any problem often requires digging up sidewalks to reach wires, Chartrand said. For utilities, that can be a balancing act.“Part of that solution is undergrounding lines. But it’s not necessarily undergrounding everything,” he said. “It’s trying to balance that cost with the benefit.”Michigan utilities aren’t alone in addressing the problem of downed lines during intense storms. Across the country, Americans are experiencing longer and more frequent power outages due to severe weather.Utilities nationwide are looking to bury more lines, said Andrew Phillips, vice president of transmission and distribution infrastructure at the Electric Power Research Institute.But expensive electricity bills are another concern, as utilities balance upgrades to an aging grid and increasing demand.“If the utility wants to make any investment, this money doesn’t come from nowhere,” said Tao Sun, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University who studies the impact of extreme weather on power systems. “They have to pass on those costs to their customers.”That can be a hard sell.Sun said utilities need to plan ahead, identify the areas that would see the most benefit from undergrounding, and get buy-in from local communities for rate increases — ideally before any major disaster.Right now, he said, those changes typically happen after disaster strikes. Vivian La // IPR News “We will only take actions after local customers feel or experience those events that are really severe or disrupt their lives,” Sun said.For instance, California’s largest utility, PG&E, is in the middle of one of the country’s largest undergrounding projects — in response to destructive wildfires.A year after the devastating ice storm in northern Michigan, residents like Wanda Whiting are still recovering. There are now new poles and wires near her home. But Whiting can’t help wondering how these power lines will hold up in the next storm — and whether there’s a better solution.“If it means going underground,” she says, “Then by God, go underground!”This coverage is made possible through a partnership between Grist and Interlochen Public Radio in northern Michigan.This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Two Bettendorf parishes unite to form St. Joan of Arc Parish A new chapter in Catholic life in Bettendorf starts today as Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and St. John Vianney Parish officially unite to form St. Joan of Arc Parish. The merger was approved by the Diocese of Davenport and Bishop Dennis Walsh and brings together two vibrant parish communities into one parish family, serving [...]
	City of Eldridge statement addresses public comments, fire department, public safety In a Facebook post, the City of Eldridge has released a statement about public comments and a shortage of firefighters. City staff and elected officials have been working for over a year with members of the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department to solve the department’s "dire shortage of manpower and burnout. We all agree that the [...]
	Why ventilation may be the most important feature in your home (BPT) - When you're building a new home or remodeling your existing one, there's no shortage of choices you have to make. Most homeowners focus on visible features like kitchens, flooring and smart technology. But there's one system that matters just as much, and it's hidden behind your walls. That system is your home's ventilation.Why does ventilation matter?Think of your home's ventilation system as its lungs. It brings in fresh outdoor air and removes stale indoor air. Good ventilation means fresher air throughout your home, better moisture control, and fewer odors and indoor pollutants.Every home needs proper ventilation. Whether you live in a cold northern region, a hot and humid southern state or anywhere in between, proper ventilation keeps your home comfortable, healthy and structurally sound. Here's where traditional ventilation systems often fall shortModern homes are designed to be super energy-efficient, which means they're sealed more carefully than ever before. The downside? That same seal that saves on your electric bill also traps stale air, humidity and cooking odors inside. Traditional ventilation systems work with a one-way approach. Some pull air out of your home and hope fresh air seeps in through cracks and gaps. Others push air in and hope stale air escapes the same way. Neither approach works well in today's airtight homes.The result? Uneven comfort, excess moisture, condensation on windows, lingering cooking odors, and a buildup of indoor pollutants from everyday activities like showering and cleaning. It gets worse. Exhaust-only systems can create negative pressure, allowing moisture and contaminants to seep into your walls. Supply-only systems trap moisture inside, increasing the risk of mold and long-term damage to your roof, walls, foundation and insulation.Why balanced ventilation with an ERV is the solutionEnergy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) continuously bring fresh outdoor air into the home while exhausting stale indoor air. And it does something traditional systems can't. It transfers heat and moisture between the incoming and outgoing air streams. As energy codes continue to evolve and builders construct tighter, more efficient homes, balanced ventilation is becoming an increasingly important part of residential design. So, how can you ensure your new home provides the ventilation you need for good indoor air quality, long-term home performance and year-round comfort in any climate? The key is balanced ventilation powered by an energy recovery ventilation (ERV).One example of a balanced ventilation solution is the Panasonic BalancedHome® Elite+ 210, an energy recovery ventilator designed for modern single-family homes. The system delivers what modern single-family homes need by:Helping maintain indoor comfort while reducing energy lossFiltering incoming air to support healthier indoor environmentsAllowing homeowners to monitor system performanceOffering installation flexibility for different home designsOperating quietly in living spaces A modern home deserves modern ventilationAs homes become more energy-efficient and airtight, ventilation is no longer optional. It is essential for your family's comfort and long-term home performance. Homeowners who prioritize balanced ventilation can enjoy fresher indoor air, improved comfort and greater confidence that their home is performing as intended.To learn more about the benefits of balanced ventilation, ERVs and why a new home isn't complete without it, visit BalancedHome® ERV - Elite Plus Models - 210 \| Panasonic North America - United States.*BalancedHome® 210 performance may vary based on installation, operating conditions and climate.
	Managing money as a couple: What to know about joint bank accounts Managing money as a couple: What to know about joint bank accounts In any relationship, these questions may inevitably come up: Should we keep our own separate bank accounts? Should we open a joint account? Should we have both?How you and your spouse (or future spouse) or partner manage your money can mean much more than you might think. Your daily-use bank accounts can influence how you two approach money, make financial decisions, and even plan for your future.“The decision reflects how you’re thinking about earning, saving, and giving. It reflects a philosophy of life: ‘What does it mean to earn? Whose earnings are those? Who am I spending for? Is it a personal or shared project?’” said Mariana Martinez, a senior family dynamics consultant with Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management. These are important questions for every couple to answer as they plan for a financially happy and healthy life together. What that answer is will inevitably be different for everyone. In this article, Wells Fargo outlines the potential advantages and disadvantages you and your partner should consider.Key takeawaysUnderstand your options: Couples may opt to use joint, individual, or a mix of both joint and individual bank accounts, depending on their needs and approaches to money.Using joint accounts may offer both spouses visibility over those funds, shared fiscal responsibility, and an easier path forward if one of you dies. However, some couples may conflict over how the account is used or even abused.Using individual accounts may offer spouses more individual freedom in managing money, which can be important for those with separate expenses. But it’s possible you and your partner might lack opportunities to make a more cohesive financial strategy.What is best for your relationship? You and your partner should discuss your preferences and come to an answer together. Joint vs. individual accounts: What’s the difference?A joint account is a checking or savings account with two accountholders with the same primary authority. Even though there are two people responsible for the account, one person can make transactions or changes to the account without the other’s permission.An individual account is the same checking or savings bank account, but there’s only one primary account holder who’s able to make transactions and access the account.Typically, primary account holders of either joint or individual accounts can give another person view-only access, such as a parent who’s able to monitor their child’s account activity. Pros: Joint bank accounts Shared responsibilityWhen two people decide to live their lives together, they explicitly or tacitly agree to take on expenses together. Paying for these costs using a joint account may naturally follow logically or philosophically for many couples.“A joint account represents the desire to have a combined journey,” Martinez said.Simply put, this joint account creates a shared place for you and your spouse to put money and use it. When covering fixed expenses like rent or a mortgage, utilities, or insurance, you both can have peace of mind knowing these shared bills are covered because you’re working on them together, in addition to the visibility to see transactions are made. The advantage of a joint account is that both of you may be actively engaged or at least familiar with managing the account.Joint visibilityThe clearest benefit of a couple managing their money with a joint account is that both people can see that money and how it’s being spent. This could lead to both members of the relationship having a more holistic view of their finances. That way, you can check if you’re on track with your budget or if you’re both working toward your goals.Joint visibility into you and your partner’s accounts may make it easier to create a more cohesive financial plan. The opposite may be true if you and your partner don’t know how much money the other has in their accounts or how they’re being managed, said Travis Taylor, a financial advisor and certified financial planner professional with Wells Fargo Advisors. This visibility also means there could be two sets of eyes monitoring recent account activity for unexpected or dubious transactions, fraud, or scams.It could be easier to pass on moneyA joint account makes it easier for a spouse to access that money if the other spouse dies, compared with individual accounts.When the worst happens, anything in that account will pass to the surviving accountholder. If it were an individual account, that spouse may need to enter a probate process to get those funds.“That’s a pro if you know that money needs to go to your spouse if something were to happen to you,” Taylor said. “It could be considered a con, though, if one spouse has a different opinion of where that money should go after death.” If you and your spouse feel differently about where those joint account funds should go when you pass on, opening a trust is one option to ensure your wishes are followed.Cons: Joint bank accountsAssumed roles can ariseNaturally, people may carry assumptions or expectations of all sorts when it comes to money, including who carries the most responsibility of managing the couple’s joint bank account. Left unspoken, these attitudes can lead couples to not fulfilling both members’ financial needs. “Pay attention to how those inherited views are handled and how they’re informing what the couple is doing,” Martinez said.For example, if one spouse is the household’s primary earner, makes all major financial transactions using a joint account, and dies unexpectedly, that may leave the other spouse less prepared to manage money alone, because they haven’t had to handle the account. However, this is only a disadvantage if you or your partner aren’t familiar with how to manage the account.Trust can be brokenSharing a financial account relies on trust between partners to earn, save, and spend money together with some level of shared expectations. However, that bond can be broken if a spouse breaks those rules or expectations, such as by overspending, withdrawing funds inappropriately, or failing to cover bills.“If there is ever a breach of trust in the relationship, that joint authority can be problematic,” Taylor said.If conflict arises, you and your spouse may be able to rebuild that bond by talking honestly about what happened, how it overstepped a boundary or made you feel, and what can be done to regain trust moving forward.Trickier to decouple if your relationship endsWhile joint accounts can help couples manage their money over the course of their relationship, they will likely need to be closed if you and your spouse decide to end your relationship or marriage.If you and your spouse get divorced, your joint account will most likely be considered marital property and be split according to your state’s laws or what’s dictated in your divorce proceedings, assuming both you and your partner contributed to it. If you’re in this position, work with your attorney and your bank to manage the account accordingly throughout the divorce process. A prenuptial agreement can help you and a future spouse make your accounts known to the other partner and discuss how you’d like them handled in the event your marriage ends. For married couples, a postnuptial agreement can establish your joint plan of how to handle your accounts in the case of death or divorce, removing the uncertainty from a difficult time.“The account type, in my mind, does not dictate a happy retirement for a married couple,” Taylor said. “What more likely dictates a happy retirement are two people who set a plan early in life and follow up on that plan until they retire.”Pros: Individual bank accounts Both you and your partner must manage moneyIf you and your partner decide to keep the individual bank accounts you entered your relationship or marriage with, you’ll likely manage them as you did.By maintaining some individual responsibility with money, you may both preserve or improve your financial literacy skills and ultimately will serve your relationship better if each of you has an individual account.“Individual accounts help keep both people financially responsible,” Martinez said. “You want both people to be competent in financial management.”Allows for different money habits or approachesIf you and your spouse keep separate bank accounts, you may more easily move, spend, and save your money how you’d like because you won’t need to factor in another person.“That gives people room and, in my experience, it’s one less thing where friction can come up,” Martinez said. For example, if you’re more frugal and your partner is less so, you could agree to use your money as you want, beyond meeting any shared financial goals or budget. For another couple, one spouse may have a stable income and opt to cover fixed expenses while the other person could use their varied income to pay down debt or cover rainy day purchases.Spouses may have separate expensesBoth people in a marriage may prefer to handle expenses that only pertain to them. In some relationships, it might not be appropriate for these payments to come from a joint account. This may be particularly important for spouses who must pay alimony, child support, or other payments stipulated in a divorce, for example. If you or your spouse have been married and divorced previously, the idea of combining your finances into a joint account might be tough, especially if decoupling your finances with a previous partner was emotionally, financially, or logistically difficult. If that’s the case, having separate individual accounts may be a good alternative.This question comes up pretty often if you have two people who’ve had difficult divorces and they’re bringing their money together, Taylor said.Cons: Individual bank accountsPotential lack of cohesion with your financesWithout a joint account, couples may not have organic opportunities to discuss and agree on financial goals and how to budget their money. These are two building blocks to a cohesive strategy for a financially healthy marriage and successful long-term planning.“Going from happily married to happily retired is hard. To me, it all starts with setting a goal for what you want your retirement to look like together and how you accomplish that,” Taylor said. For some, however, that may be easier with a joint account that allows spouses to see each other’s spending and savings habits with those funds, Taylor said.Power dynamics can emergeWhen spouses have separate accounts, their financial differences could be exacerbated, Martinez said.For example, if one spouse earns more and has more funds to spend on hobbies, clothes, or other discretionary purchases, it might lead the other person to develop negative feelings. For another couple, uneven incomes or access to money might lead to feelings of inequality in the relationship.“Separate accounts can reduce resentment, but they can also invite competition. That might not be the best approach to building a life together,” Martinez said. Your account structure activates the power dynamics that more often than not money brings to the table, she added.There’s no default transparencyThe same freedom that can empower couples to manage money how they want may also lead to confusion, a lack of accountability, or even financial dishonesty.Financial secrets aren’t uncommon. In fact, 56% of Americans surveyed in the 2025 Wells Fargo Money Study kept secret how much money they have.“Having an individual account means that only spouse A can see spouse A’s account. Spouse B? Not so much,” Taylor said. “How can you hold each other accountable to have a happy retirement if you’re not working together?”When to decide if you should have joint or separate accounts There’s no wrong or right time for couples to make a change when it comes to their bank accounts. The best decision is one made jointly and with intention.You and your spouse shouldn’t feel pressure to create a joint account right when you live together or get married if it doesn’t come up organically. Suddenly changing how you manage money without prior planning, especially as you navigate big life changes, can be a “recipe for disaster,” said Sylvia Guinan, a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors. Instead, try “baby steps,” like paying a bill through a joint account and adding other expenses over time, Guinan added. A potential entry point for newer couples might be opening a joint account to cover some wedding expenses, Martinez said.“What often makes sense is to have a joint account for joint bills — the house, electric — and maybe for your vacations, but I think it’s nice for everybody to keep a bit of their independence,” Guinan said.Don’t let the timing of your decision keep you and your spouse from making it at all. Being intentional with money is an aspiration for many: Nearly everyone (94%) surveyed in the 2025 Wells Fargo Money Study said they want to make money choices that align with their values. What are other couples doing with their bank accounts? Wells Fargo Source: YouGov Plc survey of 2,217 American adults conducted Dec. 9–11, 2024, on behalf of BankrateCurious how other people use joint or separate bank accounts? One survey suggests relying on joint accounts is the most popular approach, but a mix of both joint and separate bank accounts was also popular. Wells Fargo Source: YouGov Plc survey of 2,217 American adults conducted Dec. 9–11, 2024 on behalf of BankrateMost Americans (62%) polled in a 2024 Bankrate survey said they keep at least some money separated in individual accounts, but joint accounts are quite common, too. Nearly 3 in 4 people (73%) in the survey reported using a joint account for all or part of how they manage their money.FAQHow do I open a bank account with my spouse?Financial institutions may have different account opening processes and requirements. With some institutions, you can start the process of opening a checking or savings account with a spouse or partner online or at a branch.Can I add my spouse to an existing bank account?While not all accounts will have the same terms and conditions, yes, you can typically add a spouse or partner to an existing checking or savings account. Do you need to be married to open a joint bank account together?No, you do not need to be married to open a joint bank account with a spouse, partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend.This story was produced by Wells Fargo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Why values and early conversations matter when talking about wealth Why values and early conversations matter when talking about wealthWealth without values is a fragile inheritance—starting early, honest conversations with kids about money and meaning is the true legacy that lasts across generations.When it comes to wealth, especially at the ultrahigh-net-worth (UHNW) level, the conversation often starts and ends with portfolios, asset allocation, and tax strategies. But if you ask families who have successfully navigated wealth across generations, they’ll tell you the most critical work happens long before any financial decisions are made. It begins with understanding your relationship with money and, more importantly, the values that guide it.Insights from dozens of in-depth, confidential interviews with multigenerational families and family office leaders point to a clear conclusion: Wealth without a foundation of self-awareness and shared values is fragile. On the other hand, as Bernstein Private Wealth Management explains, wealth grounded in purpose and intentionality stays resilient.Why Values Come First as Wealth GrowsOne self-made entrepreneur who eventually exited put it succinctly: “If my motivations were a Ferrari and a bigger house, I would have given up early and failed miserably. The only reason I kept fighting was for my family. That’s the only motivation that matters.” Clarity of purpose—not financial reward—sustained them through years of uncertainty and eventual success. Without that clarity, wealth can amplify stress, fear, or misalignment. But when your financial journey is anchored in what truly matters, wealth becomes a servant to life, not the driver of it.For many wealth creators, there is no inherited playbook. As one family office leader explained, “When wealth is liquid and there’s no legacy business, you don’t automatically have a story or something bonding family members. You have to be intentional about creating a sense of connection and legacy.” Values such as humility, responsibility, generosity, and stewardship become the compass when there is no road map.And this compass is essential not just for the current generation but for the next. One first-generation wealth creator shared a common concern: “I just don’t want my kids to think that money makes them better than anyone else. It doesn’t. They still have to show up, they still have to work, and they still have to be good people.” Families who are most confident about their long-term success emphasize communication, education, and deliberately conveying values to the next generation.Put Values First, Numbers LaterOne of the most important lessons to be learned from working with UHNW families is that values must come before numbers. One entrepreneur with five children described their approach: “We created our family values together: love, gratitude, respect, discipline. I ask my kids ‘What are the values you guys lived today at school, or in the sports arena?’” This philosophy—tying money conversations back to values and separating values education from financial disclosure—is a hallmark of families who feel confident about the next generation’s outcomes.Without a values framework, wealth discussions can feel abstract, or worse, transactional. But when values come first, money becomes a tool in service of something bigger, not an identity. This mindset transforms wealth from a potential source of division or anxiety into a source of clarity, connection, and opportunity.When and How Should We Talk to Our Kids About Our Wealth?One of the most emotionally charged questions for UHNW families is: When should we talk to our children about our wealth? And what should we say? The short answer is that there is no single “right age.” Instead, it’s a gradual process of age-appropriate conversations that deepens understanding over time. One parent who experienced a significant liquidity event shared that they didn’t sit their kids down and say, “Here’s the number.” Rather, what mattered was helping them understand “that this isn’t normal—but they’re not special,” emphasizing that money doesn’t buy effort, character, or belonging.Start Earlier Than You ThinkChildren start forming beliefs about money as early as elementary school. And silence doesn’t protect them. Instead, it leaves them to fill in the gaps themselves. One multigenerational family leader explained, “We didn’t grow up with financial education, but we certainly did have conversations. Not about money—about expectations. To encourage us to do something meaningful with the freedom we were given.”Long before wealth is named explicitly, early conversations focus on work ethic, gratitude, and choice. These conversations lay the foundation that makes later disclosures feel logical instead of destabilizing. They don’t need all the information, but they do need context. Shielding children from wealth often increases anxiety later. You can involve them in age-appropriate advisor conversations and financial decisions without handing over full control. This approach fosters trust and prepares them for future responsibilities. Bernstein Private Wealth Management Three Ways to Build a Values-Driven Wealth Legacy1. Start with Honest Self-ReflectionBefore diving into structures or strategies, take time to reflect on your own relationship with money and values. Ask yourself:What does money represent to us? Security, freedom, impact, perhaps something else?What beliefs about money did we inherit, and which ones still serve us?What life experiences inform how we make decisions about wealth?In what ways does wealth simplify our lives, and where does it complicate things?Action: Set aside dedicated time, alone or with your partner, to write down your answers. This exchange can become the foundation for future financial decisions and family conversations.2. Make Values Explicit—and Share ThemMany families assume their values are “understood.” In practice, the strongest families name them clearly and revisit them often. Create a short family values list or mission statement. Use family meetings to discuss why decisions are made, not just what decisions are made. Share personal stories that illustrate values in action—especially moments of failure or challenge. Living those values day-to-day is just as critical, if not more. Put simply, as the family grows, it’s not enough to hope everyone stays close. As one multigenerational entrepreneurial family member reflected, “When you have so many people involved, communication and preserving the [family values] are the most important things to keep the family together for the next generations to come.”Action: Draft a family values or mission statement and review it together at least once a year.3. Connect Money Decisions to MeaningFinancial literacy deepens when wealth is connected to purpose. Involve the next generation in age-appropriate financial decisions. Use philanthropy as a teaching tool, not just a giving vehicle. Encourage exploration of passions alongside an understanding of responsibility. As one family business leader with college-age children noted, “I’m going to set up a charity, and I want to use that to get [our kids] to start thinking about how you manage money, how you give money away, how people will be looking at you and treating you. I think it’ll be a good experience for us to learn together, and hopefully use that as a stepping stone for more education on wealth management.”Action: Home in on one financial decision—investing, giving, or spending—and explicitly discuss how it aligns with your family’s values.Final ThoughtsFor UHNW families, financial literacy is not just about knowing how to manage money—it’s about knowing why you have it, what role it plays in your life, and what you want it to stand for. When values come first, wealth becomes a source of clarity, connection, and opportunity across generations. But when they don’t, even the most sophisticated strategies can fall short. As one interviewee summarized, “Stay humble. Stay true to your values, regardless of your financial situation. I think that’s the most important.”This story was produced by Bernstein Private Wealth Management and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Davenport's Party in the Park program will return in July The City of Davenport has announced the return of Party in the Park for summer 2026, a news release says. Community members are invited to join city staff, local organizations, elected officials, and neighbors for a series of free community gatherings in parks across Davenport. Party in the Park offers an opportunity for people of [...]
	Firecracker Run, Freedom Run and QC Marathon highlight busy Quad Cities race season The Quad Cities’ summer race season begins July 4 with the Firecracker Run, followed by the Freedom Run on Aug. 13 and the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon on Sept. 27, with organizers highlighting tradition, community impact and support for local military families.
	Wisconsin Laborers union breaks new ground with peer support for troubled members Walter Keller, a Laborers union member, works at a job site. The Wisconsin Laborers District Council is launching a peer support program for workers facing challenges with mental health, stress or substance abuse. (Photo courtesy Wisconsin Laborers District Council)A Wisconsin construction union is launching an organized peer support program for its members who need help with addiction, substance abuse or mental health challenges — only the third program of its kind in the U.S. The program was announced Wednesday by the Wisconsin Laborers District Council and dubbed LEAN — short for Laborers Escaping Adversity Now. People in construction say the nature of their jobs can make it hard to face up to serious problems. Kent Miller, Wisconsin Laborers District Council president and business manager. (WLDC photo) “There’s this stigma that’s out there,” said Kent Miller, president and business manager of the union’s Wisconsin council. “It’s this physically challenging job, and you think that you’ve got to be tough with everything else, right?” With LEAN, “we’re trying to break those barriers,” he said, “and make sure our members know that it’s OK to ask for help.” Three union members have been selected and undergone training to work as the Wisconsin union’s first full-time peer support specialists. “[They] are card-carrying Laborers that have first-hand experiences with recovery and working in the construction industry and with some of the challenges and stresses that working in the industry poses,” Miller said. LEAN has established a round-the-clock hotline members can call if they need help, Miller said. The peer support specialists will be making the rounds of job sites and Laborers union halls to introduce themselves and distribute flyers explaining what they can offer. The Wisconsin council represents 10,000 members of the Laborers International Union of North America — LIUNA. LEAN was started at a LIUNA chapter in Massachusetts, then replicated at the union’s St. Louis branch. Laborers work in a variety of jobs alongside many other trades — building highways, working on pipelines, in landscaping and in asbestos removal, to name just some. Some jobs are seasonal, with long layoffs during the offseason that can create financial uncertainty, giving workers the incentive “to get as much hours in as they can during the bulk of the construction season,” Miller said. Those long hours can take workers away from their families. “Mental health and substance use challenges can affect anyone,” he said. He counts a half-dozen or more suicides among Wisconsin Laborers members in 2025 alone. Wisconsin union members learned about LEAN at a union conference a couple of years ago. “When we heard about this program, we were just like, we’ve got to move forward with this,” Miller said In 2024 the union arranged for people involved in the St. Louis program to give a presentation to the union and management trustees who jointly oversee Wisconsin Laborers Health Fund, which manages union members’ medical benefits. “We as a fund really felt we needed this,” said Matt Marcellis, a management trustee for the Laborers Health Fund. Marcellis is executive director of the Allied Construction Employers Association, which represents the construction employers who contract with building trades unions, including the Laborers. “Construction workers — they’re kind of a unique breed,” Marcellis said. “They’re a group of people used to working hard and not accepting a lot of help.” Since deciding to launch the program in Wisconsin, the union has spent more than a year laying the groundwork. The logo for the Laborers union new peer support program. (Courtesy Wisconsin Laborers District Council) LEAN is supported through the union’s health fund. Its costs are covered by a 5-cent-per-hour contribution from each member’s pay that is part of the negotiated pay and benefits in the Laborers contracts. The Laborers have an Employee Assistance Plan that provides counseling and other help for members. LEAN doesn’t replace those services, Miller said, but offers members a pathway to EAP services or an alternative for help. Peer support specialists “can help point people in the right direction of the resources that we already have,” Miller said. “But if they’re not comfortable in going that direction yet, just talking with somebody, talking with our peer support specialist, will be a good first step.” The first three peer specialists live in different parts of Wisconsin, giving the program coverage throughout the state. “Depending on how utilization is, and how the program takes off, if we need to put on another specialist, we will,” Miller said. Conversations with the peer supporter are confidential and can go at the pace that the member is most comfortable with. “They’re going to give you the information, so people can feel more comfortable about making that informed decision on what that next step looks like,” Miller said. LEAN has a webpage for union members with a map of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that members can use to find resources available in each, from hospitals and clinics to local 12-step group meetings, Miller said. The peer support specialists have been visiting the state’s hospitals and clinics and assessing what they offer, so they can more easily refer people to the right providers based on the specific needs a member has when seeking help. “To get into some of these programs there’s a waiting list, there’s a bunch of challenges, and there’s also concerns about the quality of outcomes,” Miller said. “We want to make sure that, if we’re steering our members to certain hospitals and clinics, that they’re the ones that are providing the best outcomes for our members and their families.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Wisconsin Examiner
	Does sunscreen expire? How to tell if your SPF still works Does sunscreen expire? How to tell if your SPF still worksThat half-used bottle of sunscreen sitting in a beach bag since last summer might seem fine, but appearances can deceive. A surprising 52% of people surveyed in 2022 did not check their sunscreen for an expiration date before applying it.This oversight matters because expired SPF products lose their protective abilities, leaving skin vulnerable to harmful UV rays. Understanding whether sunscreen still works requires knowing what to look for and when to replace sun care products. Unprotected sun exposure contributes to premature aging and increases skin cancer risk.Below, Doctronic shares what to look for to determine whether your sunscreen is still safe and effective for use.Key TakeawaysSunscreen typically remains effective for about three years from its manufacturing date, but proper storage plays a critical role in maintaining SPF protection.Visual and sensory changes like separation, clumping, unusual smells, or discoloration indicate sunscreen has degraded and should be discarded.Using expired sunscreen puts skin at risk for sunburn, reduced UV protection, and potential irritation or allergic reactions.Heat, direct sunlight, and contamination can accelerate sunscreen breakdown well before the printed expiration date.When in doubt, replace the bottle: A new sunscreen costs far less than treating sun damage.Sunscreen Shelf Life and FDA RegulationsSunscreen falls under Food and Drug Administration regulation as an over-the-counter drug, which means manufacturers must meet specific stability requirements before products reach store shelves.The Standard 3-Year RuleThe FDA has established clear guidelines for sunscreen longevity. Products must remain stable for at least three years from the manufacturing date, or manufacturers are required to print an expiration date on the packaging.Most sunscreens generally last up to three years from their manufacturing date when stored properly. Opened products may begin to lose effectiveness sooner due to air and contaminant exposure.How to Find Expiration Dates on Different BrandsExpiration dates appear in different locations depending on the brand:Spray sunscreens often display dates on the bottom of the can.Tube products typically print expiration information near the crimp or on the box.Stick sunscreens may have dates stamped on the base.If no date appears, the FDA recommends assuming the product is effective for up to three years from the manufacturing date. Writing the purchase date on the bottle with a permanent marker eliminates guesswork.Visual and Sensory Signs Your SPF Has Gone BadPhysical changes in sunscreen provide the clearest indicators that a product has expired, regardless of what the date stamp says.Changes in Consistency and TextureFresh sunscreen has a smooth, uniform consistency that spreads easily across skin. Expired products often separate into watery and thick layers that do not remix properly even after shaking.Clumping, graininess, or a gritty texture signals that active sunscreen ingredients have broken down. Lotions may become either too thick to spread or too runny to provide adequate coverage.Identifying Off-Putting Smells and DiscolorationSunscreen should smell neutral or have a mild, pleasant fragrance if scented. A sour, rancid, or chemical odor indicates bacterial growth or ingredient breakdown.Color changes also matter: white or clear sunscreens that turn yellow or brown have oxidized. Any product that looks or smells different from when it was purchased should go in the trash immediately.The Risks of Using Expired SunscreenApplying degraded sunscreen creates a false sense of security while providing inadequate protection against sun damage.Reduced UV Protection and Sunburn RiskThe active ingredients in sunscreen, whether chemical filters like avobenzone or physical blockers like zinc oxide, lose their ability to absorb or reflect UV rays as they degrade. A product labeled SPF 50 might provide significantly reduced protection once expired.This reduction means skin burns faster and more severely than expected. Someone who normally tolerates two hours of sun exposure with fresh SPF 50 might burn in under an hour with degraded product. Understanding broad-spectrum protection helps explain why both UVA and UVB filters need to remain stable for effective defense.Potential Skin Irritation and Allergic ReactionsExpired sunscreen can cause more than just sunburn. Degraded preservatives allow bacteria and fungi to grow, potentially causing skin infections. Broken-down chemical ingredients may irritate skin or trigger allergic reactions, including redness, itching, rashes, and swelling.People with sensitive skin face higher risks from using expired products.Factors That Accelerate Sunscreen BreakdownStorage conditions dramatically affect how quickly sunscreen loses effectiveness, sometimes long before the printed expiration date.Heat Exposure and Direct SunlightLeaving sunscreen in a hot car, on a sunny windowsill, or exposed at the beach accelerates ingredient breakdown. Temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit can destabilize both chemical and physical UV filters.The irony is real: The very sun that sunscreen protects against also destroys it. Products stored in consistently hot environments may lose significant effectiveness within months rather than years.Contamination from Bacteria and MoistureEvery time fingers touch sunscreen or water enters the container, bacteria have an opportunity to colonize the product:Pump bottles and squeeze tubes minimize contamination compared to jars that require dipping fingers inside.Beach sand, pool water, and wet hands introduce microorganisms that multiply in the product.Once contaminated, sunscreen can cause breakouts and infections even if the active ingredients remain stable. Best Practices for Storing and Maintaining SPFProper storage extends the life of sunscreen and ensures protection when it matters most.Ideal Storage Locations and TemperaturesStore sunscreen in a cool, dark place, such as a medicine cabinet, closet, or drawer. Room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Keep bottles tightly closed when not in use. Avoid bathrooms where heat and humidity from showers accelerate degradation.Tips for Beach and Poolside HandlingAt the beach or pool, keep sunscreen in a cooler bag or wrapped in a towel in the shade. Never leave it sitting in direct sunlight.Use a dedicated beach sunscreen and replace it each season rather than trying to stretch one bottle across multiple summers. Consider travel-size bottles that get used up quickly rather than large containers that sit half-empty for months.When to Replace: A Final ChecklistDiscard sunscreen immediately if any of these conditions apply:The expiration date has passed.More than three years have elapsed since manufacture, with no printed date.The texture has changed: separation, clumping, or graininess.An unusual smell has developed.Color has shifted from the original.The product was stored in heat or direct sunlight for extended periods.Water or sand contaminated the container.When in doubt, throw it out. A new bottle costs far less than treating sun damage. Patients concerned about vitamin D levels from consistent sunscreen use can discuss supplementation with a healthcare provider to maintain healthy levels while staying protected.Frequently Asked QuestionsCan expired sunscreen cause skin cancer?Expired sunscreen itself does not cause cancer, but using it provides inadequate UV protection. This false security leads to longer unprotected sun exposure, which increases skin cancer risk over time.Does sunscreen expire faster once opened?Yes. Opening sunscreen exposes it to air, bacteria, and contaminants that accelerate degradation. Opened products should be used within one to two years for optimal effectiveness, even if the expiration date is further out.Is expired sunscreen better than no sunscreen?Some protection is generally better than none, but relying on expired sunscreen is risky. The actual SPF level is unknown, making it impossible to judge safe sun exposure time. Fresh sunscreen is always the safer choice.How should sunscreen be disposed of properly?Sunscreen should be thrown away with regular household trash. Do not pour it down drains, as the chemicals can contaminate water supplies. Empty containers can be recycled in accordance with local guidelines.The Bottom LineChecking sunscreen expiration dates and watching for physical changes protects skin from UV damage and irritation. The three-year rule provides a baseline, but storage conditions, contamination, and visible signs of degradation matter just as much as the printed date.This story was produced by Doctronic and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	July is here and expect more of the same June temperatures, overall, were slightly below average. However, temperatures since Sunday have been above average and that will continue. Here's are some stats for July. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	"Extreme Heat Warning" remains in effect Hot and humid weather is still in the forecast through the Fourth of July weekend. An "Extreme Heat Warning" remains in place through tonight north and Thursday night for the rest of us. Shower and storm chances go up starting Thursday and we'll see a daily chance into early next week. Here's your full 7-day [...]
	From Budget to Bucket List: 4 Simple Ways to Save on Dream Vacays (BPT) - From personal milestones to global destinations, bucket lists capture our highest aspirations. For passionate travelers, that means a collection of dream vacations just waiting to be explored. Yet, facing today's soaring prices, some may feel that crossing these experiences off their list is shifting from a reality to an impossibility."Although we're seeing rising costs across the board at airports, gas stations and hotels, many people are still planning on taking that trip they have had on their bucket list for some time," said Steven Guilday, Director of Travel for AARP Services. "AARP member benefits can help you every step of the way, from planning through booking. Whether it's a road trip of the American West or a once-in-a-lifetime cruise, there are many ways to lower your total trip cost."Below are some easy ways an AARP membership can help you save money and cross that long-awaited trip off of your bucket list.Cut Costs, Not CornersIf you're planning a bucket list trip with a tight budget in mind, AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia can help put a few dollars back in your wallet. Expedia vacation packages can make the booking process easier, and you get a $50 gift card of your choice when you book any flight package. For car rentals, members save up to 30% on car rentals from Avis, Budget and Payless.And for a limited time, save +30% off select stays AND enjoy a $50 gift card when you spend $500 or more on eligible hotel stays or car rentals when you book through AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia. Book by July 13, 2026.Steals on WheelsA recent survey from Gas Station TV shows that 72% of Americans plan to road trip this summer."With the rising costs and long security lines that airport travel has brought this year, driving to destinations is popular among domestic travelers," said Guilday. "Considering this road trip renaissance, taking advantage of loyalty programs to save on costs such as fuel and car rentals is a great way to help you stay on budget while you travel."Regardless of what model of car you choose to rent, Budget has your back and can help you save in more ways than one. Not only do you save on wear and tear on your personal vehicle, but AARP members get exclusive savings of up to 35% off base rates when choosing the Pay Now option at reservation or up to 30% off when you choose to Pay Later at the pickup counter. Plus, for a limited time if you lock in your reservation by Sept. 30, 2026, you save up to 35% off base rates regardless of which payment path you choose — giving you a worthwhile combination of savings and flexibility. Use BCD #Y508539 to claim your discount today.And with gas prices still soaring, AARP members can save at the pump with Shell and Exxon Mobile. When you link your Shell Fuel Rewards® account to your AARP membership, you can enjoy ongoing savings with Complimentary Gold Status — including at least 5¢ off per gallon on your fill-ups at participating Shell stations. AARP members who are new to the Fuel Rewards® program can also receive a one-time savings of 50¢/gallon* on their first fill-up (up to 20 gallons).When you link your Exxon Mobil Rewards+™ account with your AARP membership, you earn extra points on everyday purchases like fuel, car washes and convenience store items, plus double the points on fuel on member days. AARP members who are new to the Exxon Mobil Rewards+ program also get a 500-point welcome bonus after their first fill-up.Check In, Cash InWhere you lay your head down to rest and recover while vacationing is just as important as the sites you're exploring during the day. Whether you're looking for a luxurious lodging upgrade or prefer an economically friendly option so you can go big in other ways, AARP membership can help make your travel plans possible. Check out these options before you book:With Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, and for a limited time, AARP members get 15% off two or more consecutive nights at thousands of hotels in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Latin America when you book by June 30 and complete your stay by Sept. 30, 2026.For a limited time, Choice Hotels is offering AARP members 15% off* 2+ night stays on select nights if they book a trip by Dec. 31, 2026.Cruising in StyleCruises are a popular way for travelers to experience several coveted spots in one trip. Not only can bucket lists be fulfilled with a cruise, but it comes with built-in entertainment, planned excursion options and experiential dining. When cruising with Holland America Line, AARP members can enjoy even more vacation perks. Holland's fleet of 11 ships offers more than 500 sailings a year visiting all seven continents, including destinations in Alaska, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. AARP members receive up to $400 Onboard Credit per stateroom when booking your next Holland America Line cruise. Use your onboard credit for products or services while onboard, including Shore Excursions, Beverages and Spa services. Plus, book a Grand Voyage or Grand Voyage Segment and receive a FREE Surf Wi-Fi Package, a value of $30.99 per person per day. Offer applies to select cruises.From now until July 23, 2026, and through the Travel by Sea Sale, AARP members receive up to $400 Onboard Credit per stateroom when booking your next Holland America Line cruise. Use your onboard credit for products or services while onboard, including Shore Excursions, Beverages and Spa services. Plus, book a Grand Voyage or Grand Voyage Segment and receive a FREE Surf Wi-Fi Package, a value of $30.99 per person per day. Offer applies to select cruises.Whether your dream is to lounge on a 30A beach, camp and hike in Denali or sail around Europe, taking advantage of an AARP membership can help you save along the way and cross out that long-awaited adventure.To learn more about the benefits and discounts for AARP members, please visit aarp.org/save.AARP and its affiliates are not insurers, agents, brokers or producers. AARP member benefits are provided by third parties, not by AARP or its affiliates. Providers pay a royalty fee to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. Some provider offers are subject to change and may have restrictions. Please contact the provider directly for details.
	Muscatine coalition helping displaced residents move out of evacuated apartments Coalition leaders say they are still looking for volunteers to assist on Wednesday afternoon, July 1.
	Lawmakers must put women’s health, dignity and lives ahead of politics State lawmakers listen as Gov. Jeff Landry addresses a joint session of the Louisiana Legislature on the opening day of their lawmaking session at the State Capitol on Monday, March 9, 2026. (Photo by John Ballance/The Advocate-Pool)Like millions of Americans, I remember exactly where I was when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade four years ago. I was at a baseball game in Philadelphia with colleagues, trying to enjoy a summer evening while anxiously awaiting the decision. We had spent the entire day discussing what life might look like if Roe were overturned and what the consequences would be for states like Louisiana, where lawmakers had enacted a trigger law that would drastically restrict reproductive healthcare. What no one at that game knew was I wanted to expand my family. At that moment, the reality of becoming pregnant felt overshadowed by a growing sense of fear. Louisiana was already facing significant gaps in maternal healthcare access, and I knew those challenges would only worsen under an abortion ban. Looking back, that day foreshadowed much of what would follow. A little over a month later, I attempted to schedule my first prenatal appointment. To my surprise, I struggled to find a provider willing to schedule me before the 12-week mark — a policy I had never encountered before. Eventually, I secured an appointment, but I never made it to that first visit. Less than a week later, I began experiencing symptoms of a miscarriage. I sought care at several hospitals in my area and was repeatedly turned away. Only one facility offered any meaningful assistance. After nearly a week of physical pain and emotional distress, a compassionate midwife confirmed that I was miscarrying. She also explained that I would not be able to receive the care I needed to manage the miscarriage. It took nearly two months for me to pass that pregnancy, and I endured the process with little more than Tylenol for pain relief. Since sharing my story, I have had opportunities I never could have imagined. I visited President Joe Biden at the White House on multiple occasions and spent seven months traveling across the country with Vice President Kamala Harris, advocating for reproductive freedom and healthcare access in all 50 states. I spoke at the Democratic National Convention, helped launch a nonprofit organization alongside the late Cecile Richards and have shared hundreds of stories from women who have been denied essential and sometimes life-saving healthcare because of the laws in their states. Yet despite those accomplishments, I often find myself feeling profoundly disappointed because I still live in a state that does not fully recognize my humanity or respect my autonomy. Louisiana laws have not improved since 2022. In many respects, they have become even more restrictive. Each year since the fall of Roe, the Louisiana Legislature has advanced increasingly aggressive versions of the state’s abortion ban, often under the guise of targeting bad actors. In reality, these policies continue to make it harder for women to access essential healthcare. Whether someone needs miscarriage management, is carrying a pregnancy with a fatal fetal diagnosis or is experiencing a medical emergency, these laws have created confusion, fear and barriers to care. It should never be acceptable for women to bleed in parking lots, travel hundreds of miles to find treatment or be forced to navigate a healthcare system that treats them as political talking points rather than patients. The consequences are evident. Louisiana’s Black maternal health outcomes remain among the worst in the nation. Black women represent for roughly 37% of births in Louisiana, yet they account for nearly 60% of the state’s pregnancy-associated deaths, according to a review of state vital records data from 2020-22. This illustrates how disparities in access and quality of care translate into disproportionate outcomes. Yet instead of confronting this crisis, some lawmakers have dismissed it outright. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, infamously remarked in a 2022 interview with Politico that if Black women were excluded from Louisiana’s maternal mortality statistics, “we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.” State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle introduced legislation this year that would have addressed Louisiana’s alarming Black maternal health disparities through a formal study and comprehensive review of the crisis. Even that modest step was blocked by opposition. And yet, there are still reasons for hope. On the anniversary of the Dobbs decision last week, news broke that Planned Parenthood would reopen in New Orleans. Following the closure of Planned Parenthood health centers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans last September — which left approximately 10,000 patients without access to care — this reopening represents an important step forward. The health center will provide preventive services such as cancer screenings, Pap tests and other routine healthcare that communities across Louisiana desperately need. It is a positive step, but it is not enough. We need lawmakers who will clarify Louisiana’s healthcare laws so that patients and providers are no longer forced to operate in fear and uncertainty. We need leaders willing to study and address the Black maternal health crisis with the urgency it deserves. We need policies that support and incentivize doulas, midwives, nurse practitioners, physicians and other healthcare professionals to establish practices in underserved communities across Louisiana. Four years after the Dobbs, the question is no longer whether these laws have consequences — the evidence is all around us. The question is whether our leaders will finally have the courage to put the health, dignity and lives of Louisiana women ahead of politics. Courtesy of Louisiana Illuminator
	OSF Healthcare Foundation names new president Jacque Schweighart, M.Ed., has accepted the position of chief development officer and president of OSF HealthCare Foundation. Schweighart will be accountable for defining and driving a unified philanthropic strategy that aligns donor priorities with the Mission of OSF HealthCare and strategic focus areas. She will lead an integrated fundraising enterprise across all giving channels, [...]
	Everyday People: In Davenport, sisters offer lemonade, beaded animals and a euphonium Ahrianna and Jayla Fuller have a lemonade stand on West Third Street in Davenport and they are learning the in and outs of business.
	Meet the new Pleasant Valley School District superintendent Coming from the Ankeny School District, new Pleasant Valley Superintendent Darin Haack began his tenure on Wednesday morning.
	Top bathroom design trends homeowners are embracing right now (BPT) - Homeowners seeking transformative bathroom renovations may be surprised to learn just how accessible it is to realize their vision. Current trends topping the list in bathroom design this year include greater design personalization, handcrafted home materials and a more cohesive overall design. All of these are possible to achieve with the help of Kohler® bathroom solutions.Explore these options to help you shape a vision for a bathroom that feels as elevated as it is functional, creating a look and ambience that expresses your sense of style.Personalization through designOne huge trend shift in 2026 bathroom design is away from a minimalist approach and toward a more personalized aesthetic. Consider this space as an opportunity to explore a look uniquely your own, instead of making your bathroom look just like everyone else's.To help you create the look you want, Kohler® makes customization easy by offering Mix & Match faucets. You can select your own combination of spout, handle and finish from these three distinct collections with different style expressions — traditional, transitional and modern — for over 50 possible combinations:Components® lets you elevate your bathroom space with bold sophistication, where strong lines meet smooth forms to create faucets with a distinctly modern aesthetic. New York-based designer Cara Woodhouse selected Components® faucets as a feature in a recent home renovation.Occasion® is a sculptural collection where pentagonal accents and mod shapes come together to create faucets fashioned to be the center of attention.Artifacts® captures the charm of turn-of-the-century homes, using vintage silhouettes and elegant details for a look that never goes out of style.To create your unique look, simply:1. Choose your spout: Select from a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as deck- or wall-mount options for a design to anchor your space.2. Choose your handles: Pair your faucet with a range of handle options including lever, cross and industrial styles.3. Choose your finish: Select your desired tone (polished, brushed or matte), that you can elegantly coordinate or unapologetically contrast with accessories, lighting and showering components.Sustainability and craftsmanship Another trend that's continuing to gather steam is prioritizing sustainable materials and methods. Combined with concern for the environment, this trend also favors design elements that are well-crafted rather than cookie-cutter or seemingly mass produced.If this trend speaks to you, consider a WasteLAB® DemiLav® rectangular vessel sink when you're planning your next bathroom upgrade. Each sink is made with at least 70% recycled materials sourced from manufacturing waste streams. Handcrafted by artisans and American made, these sinks are made in small batches, creating natural variation and individuality.WasteLAB® DemiLav® sinks are designed to balance sustainability with high design, offering a unique, expressive focal point. Each sink brings craftsmanship to your bathroom, with a refined, elegant design featuring a deep, symmetrical basin with rounded edges. These sinks meticulously transform repurposed industrial materials into sophisticated and luxurious centerpieces, without compromising sustainability.Cohesive bathroom design Another way to elevate your bathroom's look is by creating an overall cohesive design, a trend that can be achieved using repeated colors through color drenching — even using the same color for walls, trim and ceiling — to unify the look of any space.For a truly cohesive bathroom design, the Kohler x Studio McGee Claude collection offers an authentically timeless full-suite collection including toilets, sinks, vanities, mirrors and baths that are all designed in a modern classic style, though inspired by historic details. Designed to create a coordinated aesthetic across the entire space, this collection blends timeless design elements with modern performance. The Kohler x Studio McGee Claude collection uses architectural detailing and classic forms for a modern yet enduring look.Within this collection, you can choose from three different bathroom sink options (console, pedestal and undermount) to tie powder rooms, guest bathrooms and primary bathrooms together in a home without over-repeating.Customizing your home so it's uniquely your own, with sustainable options and cohesive spaces, is a goal you can make happen, with the right approach and products meant to inspire.For whatever direction you want to go with your next bathroom transformation, explore all the possibilities at Kohler.com.
	Muscatine residents and small businesses adapt amid Second Street demolition project Candy Fuegen owns several businesses in the 200 block of East Second Street in downtown Muscatine. She’s adapting after multiple buildings in the block were found to be unsafe.
	Bix This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Thoreau was only one of many Americans who favored experience as the best teacher. "Who would know knives better," he…
	Greetings from London, where Banksy's flag man is a warning cry As he marches on, his flag blows back into his face, leaving him unaware he is only a step away from a perilous fall. As usual with Banksy's art, the statue presents a sharp critique of society.
	New oil spill money is a welcome boost for coastal Alabama The sun sets over Mobile Bay in this undated photo. Gov. Kay Ivey recently announced Alabama will receive $87 million in RESTORE Act funding, intended to assist ongoing recovery efforts from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (Mindy Flanigen/Getty Images)Sometimes, the news is good. Not long ago, I found myself trudging through a gloomy collection of headlines when a piece of good news indeed made me light up like a firefly: Gov. Kay Ivey had just announced that Alabama will receive a healthy infusion of $87 million in new RESTORE Act funding. The money will go toward a concise but ambitious set of coastal restoration projects, including the creation of 100 acres of wetland in upper Mobile Bay; replenishment of both Dauphin Island’s West End and Grand Batture Island; and the continuation of a water quality program that has brought better infrastructure to waterfront municipalities. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. This is Deepwater Horizon money, Alabama’s piece of a larger 2026 funding package totaling $403 million that will benefit all five Gulf Coast states. The money’s overseeing body, the RESTORE Council, earlier this month unanimously approved the funding package, which is itself just one slice of the mammoth $20.8 billion environmental damage settlement that emerged from the catastrophic oil spill. Quite a silver lining to a smoky, oil-soaked cloud. I still remember the sharp tang that laced the air in the spring of 2010. The acrid scent blew ashore on the Gulf breeze as more than 130 million gallons of oil gushed from the shattered rig off the coast of Louisiana. Even after the heavy slicks had all been scraped off the water’s surface or sprayed with chemical dispersants, the sparkling sands of Gulf Shores remained dotted with squishy little tar balls — a reminder that although the spill had finally been capped after 87 long days, its remnants would linger indefinitely. Scientists estimate that up to 167,600 turtles, 105,400 seabirds, and 8.3 billion oysters died because of the spill. Deep-water coral beds were smothered. Dolphins experienced the biggest die-off in the recorded history of the northern Gulf. No amount of money can make them whole again. But it can help in other ways. After the spill, the federal and state-level Powers That Be made the smart decision to give themselves latitude in how they funded coastal restoration. Since the spill’s effects were so widespread, they decided not to be overly prescriptive about how they distributed recovery money. Instead, they identified a set of general parameters, ranging from restoring and conserving habitat to creating recreational opportunities, and gave themselves the flexibility to allocate funds toward a variety of projects that support those goals. As a result, they’ve been able to use the BP money to respond to the coast’s most pressing ecological challenges, even if the oil spill didn’t directly cause them. Thank goodness for that. While the Deepwater Horizon spill was an epic disaster that played out in wall-to-wall TV news coverage across the country, many of the problems that plague Alabama’s waterways today come from less dramatic sources: development, industrial pollution and agriculture. The challenges that sprout from this unexciting collection of factors play out in smaller, localized snapshots. Snapshots like: The soggy remains of Tropical Storm Arthur scraped along the Gulf in mid-June and dumped a ton of rain, causing about two dozen sewage overflows across Mobile and Baldwin counties. The Alabama Department of Public Health’s latest Fish Consumption Advisory Guidelines warn against eating several species found in the state’s rivers and creeks because of high levels of mercury and other pollutants. An Alabama Department of Environmental Management swim advisory in early June reported the highest levels of enterococcus, a fecal indicator bacterium, in more than 20 years of testing at sites in Fairhope and Gulf Shores. This new $87 million installment from the RESTORE Council, and other funds that come to coastal Alabama from the BP settlement, should help to reverse troubling data points like these. But the money isn’t going to last forever. Nor is it a cure-all. While coastal Alabama will gladly take the cash, the only way we’ll succeed at maintaining healthy waterways long-term is by building a culture of conservation that extends far inland, branching out across Mobile Bay’s enormous watershed. I’m optimistic about our chances, partly because optimism feels more productive than pessimism and partly because several nonprofit and scientific groups have been doing this work for decades — but mostly because conservation is emerging as a bipartisan issue. The broadest of strokes would paint environmentalists on the left and business interests on the right, but that is, of course, not reflective of the complexities of real people. The truth is, conservation fits neatly within the conservative world, too. Ivey herself articulated that argument in her announcement of the new RESTORE Act funding: “These $87 million in restoration projects will strengthen our coastal communities, improve our waterways and preserve the natural beauty and resources that support Alabama jobs, tourism and outdoor recreation,” she said. I would love it if we didn’t have to couch environmental restoration within the confines of “jobs, tourism, and outdoor recreation.” The preservation of an estuary as marvelously complex as Mobile Bay is a valuable end unto itself. But for now, I’ll grab onto these strands of agreement and keep them close, hoping that they continue to take root in the thick soil of the bay. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	West Virginia’s youngest children are losing health care coverage Physician's Assistant Kim Gracey checks the throat of sick child Joselyn Mejia, age 4, at a low-cost clinic run by the Rocky Mountain Youth Clinics on July 28, 2009 in Aurora, Colorado. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)West Virginians understand that raising healthy children takes a village. Parents, grandparents, teachers, doctors, childcare providers and entire communities work together to give children the strongest possible start in life. But a troubling new report suggests that one of the most important building blocks for healthy childhood development — health insurance coverage — is slipping away from too many of our youngest children. According to new data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, the number of uninsured children under age 6 increased by 23% nationwide between 2022 and 2024, reaching the highest level in nearly a decade. While the national uninsured rate for young children rose from 4.3% to 5.3%, West Virginia’s story reveals a different but equally concerning warning sign. At first glance, West Virginia appears to be faring better than much of the country. In 2024, 3.7% of children under age six in West Virginia were uninsured, well below the national average. But looking only at that number misses the bigger story. The Georgetown report found that West Virginia was one of just nine states where the increase in uninsured young children outpaced growth among older children. Even more alarming, West Virginia was one of only three states in the nation where children under age six were significantly more likely to be uninsured than school-aged children. In 2024, 3.7% of West Virginia’s infants, toddlers, and preschoolers lacked health coverage, compared with just 2.5% of children ages 6 to 18. That gap may appear small on paper, but it actually represents hundreds of West Virginia children missing access to regular checkups, developmental screenings, immunizations and early intervention services during the most critical years of brain development. The first five years of life are a period of extraordinary growth. During this time, children develop the cognitive, emotional and physical foundations that shape their future health, educational achievement and economic success. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends frequent well-child visits during infancy and early childhood because these appointments help identify developmental delays, hearing and vision concerns, behavioral health needs and other issues when they are most treatable. For a state already struggling with some of the nation’s poorest health outcomes, rising rates of uninsurance among our youngest children should concern all of us. The most likely explanation for these trends is the Medicaid “unwinding” process that followed the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency. During the pandemic, families were able to remain continuously enrolled in Medicaid without repeated eligibility reviews. Once those protections ended, millions of Americans lost coverage. Many were no longer eligible, but many others lost insurance because of paperwork problems, missed notices, administrative errors, or confusing renewal requirements. That reality carries particular consequences in West Virginia where Medicaid serves as the backbone of children’s health coverage. In many rural communities, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program cover a substantial share of children and help sustain pediatric care providers. Employer-sponsored insurance is increasingly out of reach for many working families, and low-wage jobs often offer limited or unaffordable coverage options. When health insurance disappears, parents are often forced into impossible choices. Do they pay the electric bill or schedule the doctor’s appointment? Fill a prescription or buy groceries? Seek preventive care today or risk a costly medical crisis tomorrow? No parent should have to make those decisions. West Virginia leaders frequently speak about strengthening families, improving educational outcomes, growing the workforce and reversing population decline. Those are worthy goals. But none of them can be achieved if children are falling behind before they even reach kindergarten. Research consistently shows that children with continuous health coverage are healthier, perform better academically, and experience stronger economic outcomes as adults. The Congressional Budget Office has found that childhood Medicaid coverage increases future earnings, workforce participation and productivity. In other words, providing health coverage to children is not merely a health policy — it is workforce policy, education policy, and economic development policy. If West Virginia is serious about building a stronger future, protecting children’s health coverage must be part of that conversation. The solutions are not complicated. We can strengthen automatic Medicaid renewals for eligible children, simplify enrollment processes, improve outreach to families, and invest in community-based navigators who help parents maintain coverage. Policymakers should also explore continuous eligibility protections that prevent children from losing insurance because of temporary income fluctuations or administrative mistakes. These are practical, bipartisan steps that would help ensure children receive the care they need when they need it. West Virginia’s uninsured rate for young children may still be lower than the national average. But the direction of the trend matters. When more babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are losing coverage while older children maintain it, we are receiving an early warning signal that something is wrong. In a state working hard to secure its future, we cannot afford to leave our youngest children behind before their lives have truly begun. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	Virginia to fund cancer screening program for firefighters Firefighters battle a blaze in Chesterfield in 2017. (Photo courtesy WWBT/NBC 12) Virginia’s new two-year budget earmarks millions to help offset current and forthcoming federal funding changes to healthcare and social services. It also accomplished a bipartisan multi-year effort to fund cancer screenings for firefighters. Studies show that firefighters are at higher risk for the disease in their line of work due to their heightened exposure to fumes and chemicals. Gov. Abigail Spanberger introduced the “lifesaving” measure as a budget amendment in late June and lawmakers approved it when they finalized the budget June 29. The $2 million per year investment will create grants that localities can use to help firemen detect cancer, slated for up to $350 per screening. The goal, Virginia Professional Firefighters communications director Wiliam Boger said, is to catch cancer early. “If you find Stage 1 cancer, it’s a lot better than finding Stage 4,” Boger said. “It’s treatable.” He explained that despite proper decontamination efforts after quelling fires, some exposed materials still remain on gear or have already been inhaled into workers’ lungs. Burning buildings aren’t just made of wood and metals, he noted, but the plastics and batteries from materials inside burn too, with workers breathing in smoke and chemicals. “We call it a carcinogenic soup,” Boger said. Firefighters’ gear itself contains chemicals to enhance the material’s waterproof or fireproof capabilities. Factor in the heat of their jobs, Boger said, and it becomes even more likely that firefighters’ bodies are absorbing carcinogenic “forever chemicals.” Late last year, Richmond firefighter Jonathan Clarke sued several manufacturers alleging that the exposure to polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly called PFAS — within protective equipment contributed to his leukemia diagnosis in 2022. The International Association of Fire Fighters has also filed a related lawsuit on behalf of workers. Rather than target manufacturers for using PFAS and not initially disclosing it, the association’s lawsuit targets testing standards that have all but required use of PFAS for equipment approval. “I think it’s great, we need to be doing this,” Clarke said of the state budget’s allotment for cancer screenings. Clarke said battling leukemia in recent years has become “something that’s just there,” and an issue he never thought he would have to contend with. After initially becoming a firefighter because he “needed a job,” Clarke said he has stuck around for 22 years because he loves the work. Boger noted that for himself and many firefighters, the public service component is an inspiration and driving force to continue facing danger. Although it’s not as important as the lifesaving opportunities the funding provides, Boger said, investing in cancer screenings can also save public dollars down the line. “That’s a lot better than a firefighter passing away and then having to provide the line of duty death benefits or having to provide workers compensation,” he said. Earlier this year, Del. Alex Askew, D-Virginia Beach, carried the legislative effort but it didn’t initially survive months of debate as lawmakers advanced the budget. Spanberger’s budget amendment revived it. In prior years, lawmakers including Sen. Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, Del. Israel O’Quinn, R-Washington, Del. Dolores McQuinn, D-Richmond, and Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, carried the proposal. Boger said his organization is very happy to see the grants dollars come to fruition. While some localities already provide screenings, the grants will expand the possibility to others whose local budgets couldn’t otherwise afford the preventative practice. Virginia General Assembly approves Spanberger’s budget amendments, ending monthslong impasse Ahead of the Senate approving the budget item on Monday, O’Quinn reiterated his support for the idea he’d championed in the past and urged lawmakers to extend the measure to volunteer firefighters, which are more common in rural areas that lack government-run fire departments. “The volunteer firefighters are also exposed to the same chemicals, the same toxins,” O’Quinn said. “I would hope that going forward, that we could figure out a way to possibly expand this to volunteer firefighters as well.” Askew is celebrating the adoption of the grants and excited to see them implemented. “With this funding, we can catch illnesses earlier, protect the health of those who protect us, and honor the risks they take every day to keep Virginia communities safe,” he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	JD Vance to visit NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach on Wednesday and more headlines The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • “JD Vance to visit NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach on Wednesday.” — The Virginian-Pilot • “Digital Realty to pay Blackstone $3.5 billion for stake in Virginia data centers.” — Reuters • “Virginia Railway Express buys former freight yard in Alexandria.” — ALXnow • “Virginia has gotten millions to address PFAS water contamination. Actually tackling the problem could cost hundreds of millions.” — WHRO • “VDH’s Crater Health District shares heat safety tips ahead of intense heat in Central Virginia.” — WRIC SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	Months after he sent a harsh email to ICE, agents tracked him to his home and a hotel Federal agents went to a Rochester man's home to warn him that an email he sent five months ago could be an illegal threat. He was on vacation but another agent found his hotel hundreds of miles away.
	World Cup's knockout rounds collide with a massive heat wave A major heat wave is affecting much of the eastern half of the United States this week, bringing dangerous conditions to multiple World Cup matches.
	The majority of Americans are proud but worry about direction of the country As the U.S. approaches its 250th birthday, Americans reflect on the state of the nation in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
	5 safety tips to keep you out of the emergency room this summer Experts share guidance on how to prevent common summertime health risks, such as drowning, fire accidents and heat exhaustion.
	A federal law bans late voter roll purges. Republicans are pushing to reinterpret it There's a ban on most states systematically purging voter rolls within 90 days before Election Day. Republicans are pushing courts to reinterpret that longstanding protection for eligible voters.
	Extreme Heat Warning until THU 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning: High Heat Index Values Through Thursday Night
	Serena Williams 'enjoyed the moment' despite 3-set loss at Wimbledon Serena Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6) 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in her first professional singles match in nearly four years in the opening round of Wimbledon.
	Ford recalls over 741,000 vehicles over park system issue: NHTSA Ford is recalling more than 741,000 vehicles because of a park system issue that could cause unintended movement and rolling away, federal regulators announced.
	Mexico ends a 40-year knockout drought, beats Ecuador to advance in World Cup Mexico lost seven consecutive times at that same stage from 1994 to 2018 and didn't advance past the group stage in 2022. Now, the 40-year wait is over.
	Win or go home: The U.S. to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in World Cup knockout game The U.S. men's team is favored in Wednesday's must-win Round of 32 match — but they haven't beaten a European team since 2021, nor won a World Cup knockout game since 2002.
Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
	From the JDC to stardom; a look back at biggest names to get started in QC Some of golf's biggest stars have gotten their careers started at the John Deere Classic as sponsor's exemptions.
	Sherrard Education Association hosts meal donation days The Sherrard Education Association is helping feed the community, one Chick-fil-A sandwich at a time.
	NJ lawmakers approve new protections for transgender and reproductive healthcare Candor Plum hugs Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul as Bill S2260 / A2218 passes the Aseemlby in Trenton on June 30, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Legislation to strengthen protections for reproductive and transgender healthcare providers and patients is poised for Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s approval following party-line votes by New Jersey lawmakers Tuesday. The state Assembly approved the Democratic-sponsored measure to create a new crime of interfering with reproductive healthcare, which under the bill includes care for people who are transgender, by a vote of 55 to 23. The Senate also approved minor changes made by the Assembly by 25 to 15. Jennifer Williams, a city council member in Trenton who is transgender, said she “could not be happier” with the outcome, given the years of advocacy by LGBTQ+ supporters. “New Jersey is a great, liberty-loving state that will remain a safe haven for those who only want to live happy, productive lives while accessing medically necessary and proven medical care,” Williams told the New Jersey Monitor after the vote. Supporters have said the protections are necessary as the Trump administration seeks to reduce access to abortion and care for gender dysphoria diagnoses, particularly among children. The administration has supported rollbacks to abortion access and has sought to withhold healthcare funding from hospitals that provide treatments to trans kids. The measure first passed the Senate in late May — also along party lines — following multiple hearings that featured passionate testimony from parents whose transgender children have struggled to get care. Many said they have been told by doctors that treatment their kids were receiving would be terminated because of political pressure on their hospital systems. “Healthcare decisions belong to patients and their providers,” bill sponsor Assemblywoman Shanique Speight (D-Essex) said in a statement. Speight said every patient should have access to care without “fear, delay, or intimidation.” Opponents of the bill said it could curb free speech and limit what anti-abortion advocates call “sidewalk counseling” of patients visiting reproductive healthcare facilities (a provision of the bill that some critics said could lead to criminal charges against journalists was removed in recent weeks). Republicans echoed those concerns and withheld their support. Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R-Ocean) claimed New Jersey was “turning the Constitution on its head” to address what he called the “highly inflammatory” issue of healthcare for people who are transgender. Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia (R-Sussex) said she supports access to healthcare for adults who are transgender, but worries the legislation does not do enough to protect children from getting treatments they may regret later in life. “The bill does not differentiate between children and adults. That’s highly problematic. Adults can make adult decisions. Children — that’s different,” Fantasia said. Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul (D) speaks outside the Statehouse in support of A2218, a bill meant to protect reproductive and transgender healthcare, on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor) Lauren Albrecht, senior advocacy director at Garden State Equality, an LGBTQ+ organization that advocated for the bill, said the legislation protects access to evidence-based care. Kaitlyn Wojtowicz, executive director of Planned Parenthood’s New Jersey political arm, said the measure will strengthen New Jersey’s existing protections around abortion, a critical step in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end national protections for the procedure in 2022. “This is a truly momentous day in New Jersey,” Wojtowicz said. If signed into law, it would be a fourth-degree crime to harass or harm patients and healthcare providers, staff, or volunteers or block them from entering a facility that provides reproductive care, including services for trans people. If someone is hurt during the interference, violators face ten years in prison and a fine of $150,000. It would also protect providers from extradition to other states that have chosen to criminalize their practice. “This bill isn’t about trans individuals. This bill is about human rights,” said bill sponsor Assemblywoman Luanne Peterpaul (D-Monmouth), “and about women getting reproductive care.” The votes in New Jersey came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court upheld bans Idaho and West Virginia created to prevent trans athletes from participating in women’s sports, a measure supporters say is needed to ensure fair competition for females. LGBTQ+ advocates said the ban is discriminatory. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	July 1 is last day to donate to Birdies for Charity July 1 is the last day to donate to the John Deere Classic's Birdies for Charity. Donors can pledge a few cents for every birdie players make during the tournament. All pledges go to a local charity of the donors' choice. Charities don't pay an administrative fee and get all of the donations designated to [...]
	Parts of Spruce Hills Dr., Bettendorf, to close for holiday It's an Our Quad Cities News traffic alert. Spruce Hills Dr. between 18th St. and Middle Rd. will close Friday, July 3 at 6:00 a.m. so the city can set up for the 4th of July festival. The closure will continue through Sunday, July 4 at noon. Access to Cumberland Square businesses will be on [...]
	Disaster proclamation for Warren County: Gov. Pritzker Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for 11 Illinois counties in response to recent storm damage, and one of them is in the QCA. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed an EF1 tornado hit Monmouth in Warren County two weeks ago. The tornado packed 100 mile-per-hour wind while being 100 yards wide. The NWS [...]
	What birthright citizenship decision means for kids of immigrants The ruling strikes down Trump's efforts to limit the 14th Amendment rights of some U.S.-born children.
	Bettendorf discusses annexing over 400 acres of land The city and its developers have eyed the land east of Criswell Street for months now hoping to bring in more residential infrastructure.
	Freedom 250 next up for Davenport Speedway Fast cars, close finishes, and fireworks are on tap this Friday at Davenport Speedway, a news release says. The racetrack at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds will hold the Freedom 250 on Friday, July 3. The featured class will be the Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model Tour. This will be the first time the Karl Chevrolet [...]
	John Deere Classic volunteer has been on the course for more than five decades It takes an army of volunteers to make sure the John Deere Classic “Runs like a Deere.”
	Search continues along Rock River for missing woman Authorities responded to the bridge on I-80 just after midnight on Tuesday, June 30.

Wednesday, July 1st, 2026

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026