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

Friday, October 9th, 2026
	Local youth band 7 Ark sweeps major awards at statewide music contest The QC Rock Academy youth band 7 Ark won the Band Division title and multiple individual awards at last month’s Iowa Rocks Youth Talent Competition in Okoboji.
	Where a legend began: Davenport to officially dedicate Roger Craig Stadium on Oct. 15 Davenport Community Schools will officially dedicate Roger Craig Stadium on Oct. 15, honoring the NFL legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
	Davenport man sentenced 5 years to federal prison on firearm charges Terry Lee Chance Jr., 33, of Davenport was sentenced to 5 years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon.
	Buffalo Elementary rolls out red carpet for Iowa football kid captain A red carpet, Hawkeye cheers and a gym full of support. Buffalo Elementary School gave first grader JJ Ward a celebration his family won't soon forget.
	4 Your Money \| Trick or Treat While markets can fluctuate at any time, the month of October has earned a scary reputation for the stock market. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, is here to share October's volatile history and why it is known as an unpredictable month on Wall Street.
	Stay Covered Stay Healthy QC launches new resource to help residents navigate Medicaid changes The coalition brings together more than two dozen health care agencies across the Quad Cities to coordinate resources.
	Death Notice: Viola Spinsby A funeral service for Viola Faye Spinsby, 92, of Davenport, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home, Bettendorf. Burial will follow in Glendale Cemetery, LeClaire. Visitation will be Monday, Oct. 12, from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Mrs. Spinsby died Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, at Harmony Utica Ridge, Davenport. Online condolences may be made at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com. A full obituary will appear in the Oct. 14 edition of The NSP.
	Moline breaks ground on new diverging diamond intersection Prep work for the new traffic pattern has already begun, with the project expected to officially begin next year and take an estimated two years.
	The U.S. last held a public execution in the 1930s. The Pentagon wants to change that The Pentagon says it will livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan at Fort Hood, the site of his 2009 mass shooting. That would be the first public execution in the U.S. since the 1930s.
	Davenport couple arrested after alleged abuse of two children; mother instructed them not to tell A Davenport couple was arrested after two children were allegedly abused by their mother’s boyfriend and their mother advised them not to tell anyone.
	Wake Brewing to close its doors Sunday Wake Brewing announced it will permanently close this Sunday after serving the Quad Cities craft beer community since 2017.
	KWQC TV6 hosts annual coats and blankets drive Channel 6 will be hosting its annual coat and blanket drive on Friday, October 23 in partnerships with The Salvation Army and the Bettendorf Rotary Club.
	Davenport man charged with sex abuse of 5-year-old Cody Stallings faces felony second-degree sexual abuse charges in Davenport after investigators say he abused a 5-year-old child.
	Rock Island man who jumped into Mississippi River in attempt to evade police gets 17-year prison sentence Darryl Benard Shears III was sentenced Thursday to 204 months in federal prison for his role in a drug-trafficking operation.
	Muscatine breaks ground on first utility-scale solar farm Construction is underway on Muscatine’s first utility-scale solar farm.
	U.S. working to reverse an Egyptian man's third-country deportation to Africa The Trump administration's effort to return Ahmed Soliman to the U.S. come after an Arizona judge said his deportation violated due process.
	Bettendorf man charged with stalking after GPS tracker found on woman’s car Police arrested Ramses Moreno Medina of Bettendorf overnight Friday, and charged him with felony stalking using an electronic device.
	'Stay Covered, Stay Healthy' helps Medicaid recipients manage changes United Way Quad Cities is launching a new effort to protect access to Medicaid for QCA recipients. Ryan Sempf, Chief Impact Officer at United Way Quad Cities, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to talk about the new program and how it will help Medicaid recipients. “Stay Covered, Stay Healthy is an initiative [...]
	Did Russia play by the rules in reporting lab worker's death? A global treaty signed by 197 countries — including Russia — requires reporting any death that could be a sign of an outbreak to come.
	Three things to know: Oct. 9, 2026 Groundbreaking for I-74 interchange, Bettendorf Middle School Color Run and a look at your forecast.
	Five children are taken from their parents in 'Fjord,' which won top prize at Cannes Cristian Mungiu's latest film takes place in a small Norwegian town, where a recently arrived couple stands accused of abusing their children — but in Fjord, the truth is never quite clear.
	How the oil industry is preparing for Hurricane Isaias Hurricane Isaias is this season's first Atlantic hurricane, and is on a path to hit the northern Gulf Coast. How is the oil industry preparing?
	Steel and Sears Dams on Rock River won't be removed The Illinois DNR studied safety modifications after a 5-year-old girl drowned in 2018. But it recommended to remove both dams.
	Speaker Johnson and Rep. Miller-Meeks to rally in Scott Co. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks are holding a rally in Davenport on Friday.
	Legionnaires’-causing bacteria found at Trinity Rock Island hospital; surgery center shut down UnityPoint Health – Trinity Rock Island has shut down its surgery center after the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease was detected in the air conditioning system.
	Concourse d’Quad Cities Car Show raises funds so kids can participate in Bettendorf Parks & Rec programs Car enthusiasts will gather at Palmer Hills Golf Course, 2999 Middle Road in Bettendorf, for the fourth annual Concourse d’Quad Cities Car Show on Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Click here to register. The entry fee for the show is $25 in person or online. The event is free for spectators, [...]
	Officials break ground on I-74 interchange Officials are breaking ground on Friday on the I-74 interchange at John Deere Road reconstruction project.
	Tiffin man charged for posting threat to Clear Creek Amana School District Jameson Cummings, 18, is charged with Threat of Terrorism.
	Kalshi leads prediction markets’ $3 million effort to fight off state regulations As prediction markets have exploded in popularity over the past two years, they have also become increasingly controversial, setting off a lobbying-fueled power struggle for regulation of the platforms. Amid allegations of insider trading, bets on military operations, and deceptive marketing practices, some states are seeking to sue or ban prediction markets. But the federal government has taken an unusual role in the legal battle, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission suing states that seek to enforce their gambling laws against prediction-market platforms.Prediction market companies contend they are offering financial transactions known as swaps — which are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency — while many states argue they are gambling operations, akin to sportsbooks and casinos. Gambling is regulated by the states. Several lawsuits addressing whether state law applies to prediction markets have advanced to federal courts, but because judges have split on their rulings, the question is still unsettled and moving towards the Supreme Court. Although market leader Kalshi argues it should be regulated at the federal level, the company’s lobbying and spending demonstrates a push to gain state-level influence, especially in the states spearheading regulation, as OpenSecrets reports below. So far in 2026, Kalshi, its competitor Polymarket and the Coalition for Prediction Markets have spent at least $3 million on lobbying and campaign contributions across the federal and state levels. Kalshi directs political spending to governors and state AGsState attorneys general are leading the regulatory fight against prediction markets — and the majority are united in the opinion that CFTC regulation should not preempt state gambling laws. In July, a coalition of 44 state AGs signed onto a letter to the CFTC arguing that prediction markets are a “new form of casino.” But just as attorneys general and prediction markets appear to be battling each other, Kalshi is pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the two major political organizations dedicated to electing and supporting AGs. According to IRS filings reviewed by OpenSecrets, in the first half of 2026, Kalshi gave $147,500 to the Republican Attorneys General Association and $170,000 to the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Kalshi has also donated directly to some attorneys general, including the super PAC supporting Ken Paxton’s run for Senate in Texas and the campaigns of Vermont’s Charity Clark, Oregon’s Dan Rayfield and Florida’s James Utheimer. In response to the contributions, Rayfield and Clark told local news outlets they are not influenced by political donations. A spokesperson for Paxton’s super PAC told Politico that Paxton “has fought at every turn to hold big corporations accountable.”The New York Times reported in August that Donald Trump Jr., who serves as a strategic advisor to Kalshi and Polymarket, told Republican state AGs not to fight prediction markets. Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm is invested in Polymarket and he has an equity stake in Kalshi.The head of Kalshi’s state relations, Blake Bee, was previously director of the National Association of Attorneys General’s Center for Leadership Development, where he worked directly with state attorneys general. Kalshi also donated $100,000 to the Republican Governors Association and $150,000 to the Democratic Governors Association in the first half of 2026. “Like many U.S. regulated companies, we support candidates on both sides of the aisle,” Dani Lever, a spokesperson for Kalshi, wrote in a statement to OpenSecrets.Kalshi hires dozens of new lobbyists, focusing on California and New YorkKalshi has ramped up state-level lobbying in the past several months. As of September, the company has at least one registered lobbyist in 41 states, nearly all of them brought on board since April. OpenSecrets Kalshi appears to be spending the most on lobbying in California and New York, though many states do not require financial disclosure by lobbyists. In California, Kalshi spent $62,000 on lobbying in the first half of 2026. Disclosure reports reviewed by OpenSecrets show that Kalshi is lobbying on three assembly bills and the “Attorney General’s and Governor’s offices re: prediction markets.” Kalshi’s California lobbying has so far been handled by Redwood Public Affairs. Redwood’s co-founder and principal was formerly the legislative director and chief of staff for state Attorney General Rob Bonta. On Aug. 12, Kalshi registered another California-based firm, the Weideman Group, to begin lobbying. In New York, Kalshi recently reported that it would increase its payment to lobbyists at Brown & Weinraub Advisors from $10,000 monthly to $25,000 monthly to work on legislation relating to prediction markets. Kalshi is spreading its Empire State work around, also committing to pay $25,000 monthly to the Mirram Group in a contract running until July 2027. Additionally, Kalshi has registered Blake Bee as its in-house lobbyist in New York. Bee will lobby the office of the governor and the state assembly through December 2026, according to the registration. Between its payments to both lobbying groups and Bee, Kalshi is currently projected to spend over $400,000 on lobbying in New York through July 2027. Through its state-level lobbying efforts, Kalshi may be positioned to deal with a flood of new laws if the Supreme Court rules that prediction markets should be regulated by the states as gambling. “Most state gambling laws are designed for sporting events, poker, casino games, but they mostly clearly cover gambling in whatever form or packaging,” said Benjamin Schriffin, director of securities policy at Better Markets, a nonprofit that advocates for financial reform. “I don’t think anybody ever conceived of having to pass a law that’s going to prevent people who are watching ‘Survivor’ at home on a Wednesday night from betting on who’s going to win. So you could see states thinking, ‘We need to clarify our gambling laws for all these new ways that people have now found to gamble on prediction markets.’”Polymarket has not yet registered any lobbyists at the state level. Kalshi continues federal lobbying, spending nearly $1 million in the first half of 2026As it expands its state presence, Kalshi is also continuing its federal lobbying by spending nearly $1 million through June 30. In January, Kalshi opened a Washington, D.C., office headed by John Bivona, who served on Joe Biden’s presidential campaign and as the Department of Homeland Security’s White House liaison during the Biden administration. In addition to its in-house federal lobbying team, Kalshi has hired six outside firms. Kalshi relies most on Miller Strategies, which it has paid $240,000 during the first half of 2026. Miller Strategies is headed by Jeff Miller, who served as finance chair on President Donald Trump’s second inaugural committee and has grown his shop into the fifth-highest-grossing lobbying firm in the first half of 2026.Kalshi has also reported $120,000 in lobbying expenses to Lincoln Policy Group, founded by former Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). While in the Senate, Lincoln chaired the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the CFTC’s authorizing committee.As a lobbyist for Kalshi, Lincoln is now arguing directly against stances she took as chair. In 2010, Lincoln said the CFTC should be empowered to “prevent derivatives contracts that are contrary to the public interest because they exist predominantly to enable gambling through supposed ‘event contracts.’” In 2025, Lincoln submitted a public letter to the CFTC arguing that Kalshi should be permitted to offer sports bets in all states.Kalshi has disclosed lobbying on three Senate bills: the Prediction Market Act, which would create stronger federal regulations on events contracts, the Protect College Sports Act and the National Defense Authorization Act. The Protect College Sports Act would create federal rules around athlete payment, transfers and conference alignment. Although lobbying disclosures do not specify Kalshi’s stance in its lobbying, the NCAA, which supports the bill, has previously stated its “vehement opposition” to prediction market contracts related to college sports. The Senate passed the bill on Monday and it now awaits action in the House of Representatives.Kalshi’s lobbying on the NDAA is likely related to sections 1081, 1082, and 1083, which would ban “covered transactions” involving prediction market contracts, prevent Department of Defense personnel from trading on prediction markets, and ban all bets regarding military operations.In addition to those three bills, Kalshi’s lobbying disclosures also reveal its focus on the CFTC, the Executive Office of the President, the Securities and Exchange Commission and both chambers of Congress.The director of the CFTC has been explicitly pro-prediction market, both through public statements and the commission’s legal action against states attempting to regulate the platforms.Brad Lipton, director of the Roosevelt Institute’s corporate power and financial regulation program, said the CFTC suing states is “unprecedented.”“They’re being super aggressive, and it’s sort of a head scratcher as to why they’re being so aggressive,” Lipton said. “It’s because they’re so committed to helping out prediction markets, is really the only explanation.”Beyond its corporate spending, Kalshi’s co-founders Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara have donated to federal political campaigns and political action committees. Mansour and Lopes Lara have collectively given about $1 million to both Democratic and Republican recipients this cycle, according to FEC filings. Polymarket has spent $180,000 on federal lobbying in 2026, hiring Advocus Partners. Advocus is a collaborative advocacy group whose members include BGR Group, one of the leading lobbying firms. Polymarket’s lobbyists include Keaghan Ames, a former senior policy advisor at the CFTC.Coalition for Prediction Markets brings in other playersIn December 2025, Kalshi joined Robinhood, Coinbase, Crypto.com and Underdog — which all offer exchange betting in their apps — to launch the Coalition for Prediction Markets. Polymarket is not a member.The coalition’s bipartisan leadership includes a pair of former House members. President Sean Patrick Maloney represented New York as a Democrat before serving in the Biden administration, and senior adviser Patrick McHenry was briefly the acting speaker of the House while he represented North Carolina as a Republican.In July, the coalition named former CFTC Commissioner Brian Quintenz as a senior advisor and has brought on a pair of lobbying firms to work at the federal level. As of June 30, the coalition had paid $100,000 to four Invariant lobbyists and registered two Determinant lobbyists. The coalition has also spent $50,000 lobbying in California through Redwood Public Affairs, the same lobbying firm used by Kalshi. The coalition’s crypto members are some of the biggest political spenders in the current election cycle. Crypto.com’s parent company, Foris Dax, is the largest donor to MAGA Inc., the main super PAC supporting President Donald Trump. Coinbase is the 10th largest political donor in this election cycle. The coalition follows a pattern of unified advocacy seen in other lines of business, much like that of the sports betting and gambling industry, which has spent millions on lobbying and industry-specific super PACs this year. Lipton said the current battle for regulatory control of prediction markets is an “existential question” for the platforms, likely motivating their attempts to increase their political influence.“It’s not at all clear to me that their business model can compete if they are going to comply with state law,” Lipton said. “They’re really trying to create a situation, I think, where they have enough political power to overcome the legal deficiencies in their arguments.”This story was produced by OpenSecrets and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	What landlord-friendly states have in common, and why investors are paying attention In rental real estate, “landlord-friendly” is not an official legal category. It is a shorthand investors often use for states where rental housing rules are predictable, rent setting is less restricted, and property owners have clearer pathways to handle lease violations, nonpayment, and turnover.That does not mean these states are free of regulation. Landlords are still bound by federal fair housing laws, state landlord-tenant statutes, local codes, lease requirements, and court procedures. But for investors comparing markets, state policy can influence how quickly a property can be leased, how easily rent can adjust to market conditions, and how much uncertainty surrounds long-term returns.To better understand the traits investors often consider when comparing rental markets, Faranesh Real Estate and Property Management, a Nevada property management company, reviewed U.S. housing and population trends alongside publicly available state rental policy information.Population growth is often the first signMany states considered favorable to landlords are also places where more people are moving in than leaving. Rental demand depends not only on legal rules but on whether households are forming, jobs are growing, and newcomers need places to live before they buy. Press Release Number: CB24-213 // United States Census Bureau Texas and Florida posted the largest numeric population gains in the country from 2023 to 2024, adding 562,941 and 467,347 residents, respectively, according to the Census Bureau. North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and South Carolina also ranked among the top 10 states for numeric growth during that period. Press Release Number: CB24-213 // United States Census Bureau The fastest-growing states by percentage also included many markets that frequently appear on investor watchlists. Florida grew 2.0%, Texas 1.8%, South Carolina 1.7%, Nevada 1.7%, Idaho 1.5%, North Carolina 1.5%, and Arizona 1.5% from 2023 to 2024.For rental owners, that growth can create a larger pool of potential tenants. It can also increase competition for available housing when construction does not keep pace with new demand.Fewer rent-setting restrictions can create predictabilityAnother common feature in landlord-friendly states is limited local authority to impose rent controls.Rent control generally refers to state or local government actions that restrict rent increases or service fees charged to tenants. In markets where rent controls are restricted or preempted, investors may have more confidence that rental income can adjust with taxes, insurance, repairs, and financing costs.Florida is one example. State law says municipalities, counties, or other local government entities may not adopt or maintain measures that impose controls on rents.Arizona law also gives landlords and tenants broad latitude to set rental-agreement terms, including rent and lease length, so long as those terms are not prohibited by law.That does not mean owners can ignore habitability standards, fair housing rules, lease terms, or court procedures. It does mean rent-setting authority is more likely to remain part of the private rental agreement than a city-level price-control system in some of these states.Lease-enforcement timelines are another investor concernInvestors also pay attention to how states handle rent nonpayment and lease violations. The question is not only whether an owner can remove a tenant for nonpayment, but also how clearly the process is defined.In Florida, if a tenant fails to pay rent when due and the default continues for three days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after written demand for payment or possession, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement.Arizona law gives tenants five days after written notice to pay unpaid rent before a landlord may terminate the agreement by filing a special detainer action.Those timelines are not the whole eviction process. Court schedules, local practices, service rules, tenant defenses, and emergency protections can all affect how long a case takes. But from an investor’s perspective, statutes that specify notice periods can make operating risk easier to evaluate.Investors are watching the Sun Belt for more than one reasonThe connection between investor activity and landlord-friendly markets is especially visible in single-family rentals.After the 2007-2009 financial crisis, institutional investors bought many foreclosed homes and converted them into rentals, especially in southern states, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. GAO found that by June 2022, institutional investors accounted for a large share of the single-family rental market in many cities, particularly in Sun Belt states.The same report noted that studies have found mixed effects. Institutional investors may have contributed to rising home prices and rents in some markets, but data limitations make it difficult to measure their effects on homeownership opportunities, tenant outcomes, or eviction rates.Investor attention does not automatically mean a market is healthy for renters, and a state’s legal environment is only one piece of the decision. Investors also evaluate insurance costs, property taxes, construction pipelines, wage growth, vacancy rates, and whether renters can afford the rents being charged.The Census Bureau’s Housing Vacancies and Homeownership program tracks rental and homeowner vacancy rates, which are widely used to evaluate the need for housing programs and to gauge the current economic climate. Low vacancies can point to a tight housing supply, while rising vacancies may weaken rent growth or increase concessions.Affordability pressures are part of the same storyThe same conditions that attract investors can create pressure for renters. Fast population growth can increase demand for apartments and single-family rentals. Limited rent regulation can allow prices to move more quickly with the market. Faster enforcement timelines can reduce owner risk but also make housing instability more urgent for tenants who fall behind.HUD generally defines affordable housing as housing that costs no more than 30% of gross income, including utilities. By that measure, nearly half of renter households with calculable rent burdens were cost-burdened in 2023, according to census data reported by Reuters.That creates a tension in many fast-growing states. Investors may see strong fundamentals: rising population, growing rental demand, and legal systems that are easier to model. Renters may experience the same trends as higher competition, fewer low-cost options, and greater difficulty saving for homeownership. What these states have in commonThe most landlord-friendly states tend to share several traits rather than a single defining law. They often have growing populations, especially from domestic migration. They tend to leave more rent-setting power to rental agreements. They spell out notice periods and lease-enforcement procedures in state law. They often sit in regions where institutional and smaller investors have already shown interest in single-family rentals, build-to-rent communities, and small multifamily properties.But the strongest markets are not simply the ones with the fewest tenant protections. A state can be landlord-friendly on paper and still be difficult for owners if insurance premiums rise, property taxes increase, job growth slows, or too many new units hit the market at once. The most durable investor interest tends to appear where legal predictability overlaps with population growth, employment opportunity, and enough housing demand to keep units occupied.For renters and communities, the policy question is different: whether those markets can add enough housing to accommodate growth without forcing everyday households to spend more of their income on rent. That balance between owner certainty and renter affordability is becoming one of the central housing debates in the states that investors are watching most closely.This story was produced by Faranesh Real Estate and Property Management and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The hidden costs of cheap security solutions As a business owner, you’re constantly under pressure to cut costs, and when it comes to security, the allure of a low up-front price can be powerful. The choice between a budget-friendly option and a premium integrated system may seem simple on the surface, especially if you’ve experienced little to no crime. However, this decision is about more than the one-time cost. It needs to take into account your company’s stability, safety, and future.Opting for a cheaper security solution may seem smart at first, but it often introduces a flood of hidden costs, operational disruptions, and vulnerabilities that can far outweigh any initial savings. To make a sound financial decision, you must look beyond the sticker price to understand the total cost of ownership and the long-term value of any security strategy. This guide to business security costs from AMAROK explores the true price of cheap security and offers a framework for making a smarter, value-based investment to protect your property and profitability.Why Does Cheap Security Seem Like a Smart Choice?Budget constraints, competing priorities, and the absence of immediate threats may push you toward decisions that favor short-term savings over long-term protection.1. The Allure of Short-Term SavingsFinancial pressures drive many security decisions. When you’re reviewing quarterly expenses or annual budgets, the tangible cost of a security system stands out clearly. The immediate savings of a cheap option are concrete and measurable, while the potential losses from theft, vandalism, or security failures remain abstract and uncertain.Normalcy bias will pull you toward the cheap option. If your facility hasn’t experienced a major incident yet, it’s easy to assume you’re not truly at risk. You might convince yourself that your business isn’t a target or that your location is safe enough without needing to make a significant investment. 2. The “Good Enough” FallacyThe belief that any security is better than none can drive you toward cheap options. On the surface, this reasoning seems logical. A visible security measure, even a low-quality one, should deter at least some criminals. However, this perspective overlooks a critical reality. Below a certain quality point, security systems stop preventing threats altogether. Criminals can often identify cheap equipment by its appearance, mounting quality, or visible brand. They know which systems are easy to disable or avoid, which means a cheap security option will not deter them.3. The Information GapYou understand your industry, your operations, and your customers, but you’re not a security expert. Security is a specialized field with its own terminology, technologies, and best practices. Without this knowledge, it’s difficult to assess what level of protection your business actually needs.This information gap extends to the hidden costs of inadequate security. You might focus solely on the purchase price, overlooking maintenance contracts, monitoring fees, replacement costs, and the operational impact of system failures. By the time these expenses become obvious, the cheap system is already installed and failing. AMAROK What Are the Hidden Costs of Cheap Security?The initial price tag of a security system is just the tip of the iceberg. The real financial impact reveals itself over time through numerous, often unexpected, expenses like replacement costs, losses from crime, system failures, and a loss of customer trust. These hidden costs can accumulate quickly, turning what appeared to be a smart budget decision into a significant drain on resources. The potential risks of choosing cheap security options include: 1. A Vicious Cycle of Repair and ReplacementLow-quality hardware fails frequently. Cheap cameras develop image problems, weather seals deteriorate, and sensors malfunction. Plastic housings crack in temperature extremes. Each failure creates a security gap that leaves your property vulnerable until repairs are complete.The recurring costs add up quickly. Service calls can be costly, even for minor issues. Replacement parts for budget systems are often hard to find, forcing you to replace entire units rather than fix them. Some manufacturers discontinue support for older models within just a few years, leaving you with equipment that you can’t repair.2. Unrecoverable Losses Many cheap security systems act as passive witnesses rather than preventive measures. Professional thieves can identify vulnerable systems by their appearance, positioning, or lack of visible monitoring, then devise a plan to defeat them easily. The costs of theft can be staggering. Supply chain crime incidents alone resulted in nearly $725 million in losses in 2025, a 60% increase from 2024, according to Verisk. For businesses with high-value assets such as vehicles, heavy equipment, copper wiring, and bulk inventory, losses from theft can be difficult to recover from. 3. Insurance ComplicationsInsurance providers assess risk carefully. When they review your security measures, they’re determining how likely you are to file a claim. A non-certified or unreliable security system signals a higher risk, which can translate into higher premiums. The impact extends beyond premiums. When a theft or vandalism incident occurs, insurers scrutinize your security measures during the claims process. If your system is found inadequate or improperly maintained, they may dispute the payout or reduce the settlement amount. The process of filing an insurance claim after a theft can be complex and time-consuming, requiring detailed documentation that many low-cost systems lack.4. Business InterruptionBeyond stolen items, a security breach costs you time. Following an incident, operations grind to a halt while you file a police report, deal with insurance adjusters, handle cleanup, and manage repairs. Key personnel spend hours or days away from their core responsibilities.The downtime managing the direct aftermath of a crime is a small portion of the business interruption cost. Additional expenses include:The costs of overtime pay for cleanupRush fees for replacement equipmentThe loss of revenue due to project delays5. Poor Integration and ScalabilityBudget security systems typically operate as stand-alone units. They don’t integrate with your access control, inventory management, or building automation systems. They exist in isolation, generating information that never reaches the people who need it.This lack of integration creates operational problems:Your team can’t correlate security footage with transaction data to investigate internal theft.You can’t automate responses based on security triggers.Your system can’t expand when your business grows.You face costly rip-and-replace scenarios when upgrading.6. Erosion of Customer Trust and Brand ReputationA security incident affects how customers and partners perceive your business. When news spreads that your facility was robbed or vandalized, stakeholders begin to question your competence and the safety of their assets within your premises.Reputation damage is difficult to quantify but easy to observe. Potential customers choose competitors they perceive as more stable, while existing ones start asking questions about your business continuity plans. In industries where trust is vital, a single incident can cost you relationships that took years to build. 7. A Decline in Employee Morale and SafetyYour employees notice when security is inadequate. They see the cheap cameras with blurry footage. They notice when intrusion alarms fail or trigger false alerts so frequently that everyone ignores them. These inadequate security measures can make them feel unsafe and undervalued.The consequences extend beyond morale. Employees who feel unsafe can be less productive, less engaged, and more likely to seek employment elsewhere. High turnover incurs additional costs for recruitment, hiring, and training, as well as the loss of institutional knowledge.8. Compliance Failures and CostsIf your business operates in industries like healthcare or finance, you face strict regulations for securing data, assets, or facilities. A cheap security system may fail to meet these standards. When regulators audit your facility, insufficient security can result in fines, mandatory upgrades, legal fees, and potential liability if a breach occurs. The costs of noncompliance often exceed the amount you would have spent on proper security in the first place.How Do You Calculate the True Return on a Security Investment?Moving beyond the sticker price requires you to analyze security spending through the lens of a long-term investment rather than viewing it as a necessary evil or a pure expense. 1. Shifting from an Expense to an Investment MindsetThe language you use shapes how you think about security. When you call it an expense, you naturally look for ways to minimize it. When you recognize it as an investment, you begin asking different questions:What returns will this generate?How does it protect revenue?What risks does it eliminate? This shift helps you see that your security has measurable benefits, including:Protecting revenue by preventing theft lossesReducing the number of insurance claims made annuallyMinimizing downtime by deterring incidents before they occurEach outcome has financial value that can be compared directly against the system’s cost.2. Understanding Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)TCO includes every expense associated with a security system throughout its useful life. When calculating TCO, include: The up-front purchase priceInstallation feesOngoing monitoring chargesAnnual maintenance contractsStaff training costsSoftware license renewals Hardware replacement cyclesTechnical support costsFor cheap systems, TCO often exceeds that of premium solutions. Over the system’s typical lifespan, multiple replacements and installation labor can exceed the cost of a commercial-grade security solution that lasts significantly longer and delivers better performance.3. Calculating the Cost of InactionRisk analysis provides another framework for security decisions. Annualized loss expectancy (ALE) quantifies your potential monetary loss from security incidents in a single year. To calculate it, multiply the estimated loss per incident by the probability of that incident occurring annually.For example, if a theft incident would cost your business a significant amount in stolen inventory and lost operations, and you estimate a moderate probability of such an incident occurring annually, you can calculate your baseline ALE. A professional security system that substantially reduces your incident probability creates measurable risk reduction value that you can compare against the system’s cost to determine the payback period.What Steps Should You Take to Choose the Right Security Solution?To make an informed security decision, you must schedule a risk assessment, know your primary security goals, and assess your options strategically. Rather than shopping by price or relying on vendor marketing claims, follow this structured process to align your security investment with your actual business needs. AMAROK 1. Conduct a Professional Risk AssessmentStart with a professional risk assessment of your property. Security professionals can identify vulnerabilities you might overlook. They consider factors like your facility’s location, the nature of your business, local crime patterns, and the specific assets you need to protect. This assessment provides a foundation for every other decision. Without understanding your specific risks, you can’t determine what level of protection you need or allocate resources effectively.2. Define Your Primary Security ObjectivesSecurity systems serve different purposes. For example, medically safe electric fencing is designed to provide a visible deterrent and help prevent unauthorized access. Other solutions focus on detecting intrusions and triggering rapid responses. Some systems delay intruders long enough for law enforcement to arrive. Your business needs to prioritize the right security measures. If you operate in a high-theft area with valuable portable inventory, deterrence and detection are critical. If you handle sensitive data or proprietary information, access controls and audit trails are priorities. An integrated security solution detects, deters, and delays intrusions, offering complete protection against external threats. 3. Evaluate the Technology’s Effectiveness and ReliabilityLook beyond marketing claims to assess the actual performance of security system options. Camera resolution matters, but only if the video surveillance system also has proper lighting, correct positioning, and sufficient storage for usable footage. Sensor accuracy is meaningless if false alarms are so common that everyone ignores them.Evaluate solutions thoroughly by:Asking for references or reviews from businesses similar to yours.Requesting data on system uptime, mean time between failures, and response times.Reviewing independent testing results rather than vendor specifications.4. Scrutinize Service, Support, and WarrantyThe relationship with your security provider goes beyond the initial sale. It’s important to evaluate their services beyond purchase and installation. Key questions to ask include:What’s the response time when equipment fails?Are software updates included, or are they charged annually?Does technical support offer 24/7 availability?What are your warranty terms, and what do they cover?5. Prioritize Scalability and IntegrationYour business will change. You may open new locations, expand existing facilities, or add new capabilities. Choose security systems that can grow with you, such as the ability to monitor multiple locations on a single platform or support for emerging technologies like AI-powered analytics.Integration capabilities extend your security system’s value. When security data flows into your business intelligence platform, you can identify patterns that inform operational decisions and automate employee access management to reduce the chance of internal theft. Look Beyond Sticker Price to Protect Your ProfitabilityYour security solution is more than a one-time purchase. It’s an investment in your business’s stability and future. When you understand the total cost of ownership, calculate what inaction could cost you, and choose integrated solutions that match your real needs, you’re better positioned to avoid many of the expensive problems that can come with cutting corners on security. This story was produced by AMAROK and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Nerdtober Con brings celebrities, collectibles, and cosplay to RiverCenter this weekend Nerdtober Con will bring more than 100 pop culture vendors, celebrity guests, and wrestling legends to the RiverCenter in downtown Davenport on Oct. 10-11.
	Davenport man sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm as a felon A Davenport man was sentenced on October 8, 2026, to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing show that Terry Lee Chance, Jr., 33, was in possession of a .40 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number as he drove through Davenport. [...]
	Why sleep changes with age Sleep at 50 or 70 may look different from sleep at 25. Bedtime may creep earlier, morning may arrive sooner, and stretches of uninterrupted sleep may become shorter. The National Institute on Aging notes that factors, including insomnia, menopause and sleep apnea, can affect older adults' ability to get the sleep they need.That does not mean poor sleep is an inevitable part of getting older. Sleep is increasingly part of the broader conversation about healthy aging, and resources such as BetterSleep provide information about sleep and overall well-being. Aging can bring predictable shifts in when and how people sleep, but persistent insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness or other disruptive symptoms may have causes beyond age itself.How Sleep Changes Throughout AdulthoodSleep does not suddenly change at a particular birthday. According to a 2018 study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Clinics on sleep and aging, sleep timing and structure change progressively across adulthood, with considerable variation among individuals.Older adults tend to experience lighter and more fragmented sleep. Research on normal aging shows changes including less deep slow-wave sleep and more time awake during the night.Falling asleep and returning to sleep after an awakening can change, too, although not always dramatically. Research suggests that increases in sleep latency are modest, and healthy older adults may retain much of their ability to fall back asleep even as nighttime awakenings become more frequent.Circadian rhythms — the roughly 24-hour biological processes that help regulate sleep and wakefulness — also change with age. Research suggests that earlier sleep timing is a common feature of aging and that changes in the circadian system can contribute to differences in sleep timing and structure.These patterns are averages, not rules. Health, environment, daily routines and individual biology can all influence how sleep changes over a lifetime.Do Older Adults Actually Need Less Sleep? One of the most persistent misconceptions about aging is that older people simply need less sleep. Difficulty obtaining continuous sleep, however, is not the same thing as needing less of it.The National Institute on Aging says older adults generally need about seven to nine hours each night, similar to other adults. What may change is the ability to get that sleep in one uninterrupted stretch.A person could spend eight hours in bed but wake repeatedly, struggle to return to sleep or wake earlier than intended. In that case, sleep opportunity and actual sleep may differ significantly. Sleep needs also vary among individuals, making daytime functioning and sleep quality important parts of the picture rather than relying on a single number.Why Sleep Becomes More Complicated With AgeBiology is only part of the story. As people get older, more factors may compete with a full night of continuous sleep.Changes to the circadian system can lead to earlier sleepiness and waking, while aging is also associated with less robust circadian rhythms. These biological changes can interact with health, routines and environment rather than operating in isolation.Medical conditions and medications can affect sleep, while chronic pain or discomfort may make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. The National Institute on Aging identifies medications and health conditions among factors that can prevent older adults from getting the sleep they need.Daily life changes matter, too. Retirement, for example, can alter schedules that previously helped determine sleep and wake times. A longitudinal study published in Sleep found that the transition to retirement was associated with changes in sleep duration, bedtimes and wake times. Changes in physical activity, stress and major life transitions may further affect sleep by altering routines and the circumstances surrounding rest.Nighttime bathroom trips can be another source of interrupted sleep. A 2024 review published in BMC Geriatrics found that nocturia is associated with poorer sleep quality and duration among older adults.Sleep disorders also become an important consideration in later life. The National Institute on Aging provides guidance on conditions including insomnia and sleep apnea, highlighting that a problem that appears to be “just aging” may instead deserve evaluation.The Connection Between Sleep and Healthy Aging Sleep supports processes important throughout adulthood, from cognition and emotional regulation to physical recovery and immune function. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute explains that sleep helps support healthy brain and physical function, while insufficient sleep can interfere with attention, decision-making and emotional control.Sleep also interacts with cardiovascular, immune and metabolic function. Ongoing sleep deficiency can affect how the body reacts to insulin, alter the body's defenses against infection and interfere with processes that help maintain cardiovascular health.Those effects can matter to everyday functioning as people age. Getting enough quality sleep helps people function well throughout the day, while sleep deficiency can slow reaction time, reduce productivity and increase mistakes.None of this means that improving sleep guarantees disease prevention or longevity. Sleep is one part of healthy aging alongside medical care, physical activity, nutrition, social connection and other factors.When Is a Change in Sleep Worth Discussing?An earlier bedtime or occasional restless night does not necessarily signal a problem. Persistent symptoms that interfere with daily life deserve more attention.That includes ongoing difficulty falling or staying asleep, significant daytime sleepiness, frequent unexplained awakenings or regularly waking unrefreshed despite having adequate opportunity to sleep. The National Institute on Aging advises people who feel tired and unable to function for more than a few weeks to speak with a healthcare professional.Loud, disruptive snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing during sleep can be signs of sleep apnea. The National Institute on Aging identifies sleep apnea as one of the sleep disorders that can prevent older adults from getting sufficient sleep.A sustained change in sleep that affects mood, concentration, energy or normal activities is also worth discussing. Rather than assuming a new sleep problem is an unavoidable consequence of getting older, a healthcare professional can help determine whether lifestyle, medication, another health condition or a sleep disorder may be contributing.Aging Doesn't Have to Mean Giving Up on Good SleepSleep naturally evolves across adulthood. People may become earlier sleepers, spend less time in deep sleep or wake more often than they once did. Those changes can be part of normal aging without making chronically poor or unrefreshing sleep inevitable.Understanding the difference can make changes in sleep patterns far less mysterious. Healthy aging is not about recreating exactly how someone slept decades earlier. It is about recognizing what the body needs now — and knowing when persistent changes are worth a closer look.This story was produced by BetterSleep and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Delayed voter applications highlight the difficulties of registering in Texas, experts say Texas’ backlog of at least 200,000 voter registration applications and updates, which election officials must now process in the weeks before the critical midterm elections due to state error, is highlighting just how difficult it can be to register to vote in Texas, voting rights experts said.Texas is one of just eight states that don’t have universal online voter registration, and it severely restricts voter registration efforts. Texans with driver’s licenses can use the state Department of Public Safety’s web portal to register to vote or update their voter registration. But that’s the only online option for registration — and it was ordered by a judge after a six-year-long legal battle. More than 6 million voters have used the portal since it launched in 2020.But in September, Votebeat and the Texas Tribune reported an untimely flaw in that system: DPS failed to send counties thousands of voter registration applications and updates submitted through that web portal, dating back to October 2025. The agency blamed the error on a software update. The problem has sparked bipartisan calls for an investigation into what went wrong, and state officials so far have provided few details.“We live in a system that has been designed to make things harder for voters,” Sarah Chen, the senior supervising attorney at Texas Civil Rights Project, told Votebeat for this article. “We don’t have online voter registration, except for this teeny little carveout, and because of the teeny little carveout, now we have these technical glitches resulting in this backlog.”On top of the backlog of unprocessed applications, county election officials had to process hundreds of applications submitted in person and mailed in by Oct. 5, the voter registration deadline. Officials have promised every record will be processed, but advocates such as Chen are worried some voters could be disenfranchised if they aren’t added to the rolls in time.On Sept. 25, the Texas Secretary of State’s Office told counties it would offer grants to reimburse “costs incurred above your routine operational expenses related specifically to the increased number of DPS voter registration applications,” though it isn’t clear how much money is available or where the funds come from.Some local election officials say they had noticed a slowdown in the flow of applications from DPS and flagged it to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office over the summer, but weren’t sure of the cause. Trudy Hancock, the elections administrator in Brazos County, said her staff noticed they’d receive a handful of applications through the state system one day, none for a couple of days, and then several the next.It didn’t make sense, Hancock said, “especially those days when we wouldn’t get any applications. Our local DPS office has a line of people out the door every day, so how come there were days where we weren’t getting any applications from DPS?”The Texas Secretary of State’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.Affected voters ‘did everything right’When asked whether he was concerned about the error or whether he had offered DPS specific direction on how to handle it, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office referred questions to the agency and the Texas Secretary of State’s Office. At a press conference on Sept. 24, he said DPS had told his office the issue was “fully resolved.” He also said county election officials were already working to process the applications.In an emailed statement in late September, DPS said it proactively noticed the problem, investigated and found that the issue was connected to an October 2025 software update by “a third-party vendor, whose software handles these batch transactions.”Emily French, Texas Policy Director at Common Cause, said the state should find a way to reach out to all impacted voters, especially since several statewide races on the Nov. 3 ballot are expected to be close.“That should be step one,” French said. “Tell every affected voter you’re eligible, you did everything right. You will be registered to vote — tell every affected voter they can vote a provisional ballot.”State officials said voters who don’t appear on the rolls because of this error can still ask to cast a provisional ballot, and election officials will count it once they confirm the voter had registered via DPS by the appropriate deadline.But there are concerns that having to fill out a provisional ballot unexpectedly will cause confusion at polls, which members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus highlighted in a Sept. 25 letter to Abbott.State senators sent the governor a list of questions, including “What safeguards failed?” and “What support will the state provide to counties?” They also want to know how many of the applications and updates that languished were submitted before the March primary.State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, a Democrat who sits on the House Elections Committee, said that she’s going to push for tighter protocols in the upcoming legislative session to ensure that future errors are caught earlier.“I’m going to be looking at ways to require fast alerts and repairs,” Plesa said. “Notify the secretary of state of any affected county, notify applicants about what’s going on, and definitely protect the voters’ original submission.”Members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson of Texas and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California, both Democrats, have also called for investigations. So have key Texas Republicans, including state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, who has championed legislation on election administration and voter list maintenance for years, and state Rep. Matt Shaheen, the chair of the Texas House Elections Committee. Shaheen said he has spoken with DPS officials and is investigating what exactly went wrong to ensure it does not happen again.“I’m going to personally make sure whoever is responsible for the mistake is held accountable,” he said. But Shaheen said the problem is dissuading him from supporting online voter registration.Election officials cite ongoing technical challengesTexans who submitted voter registration applications or updates via the DPS portal had no way of knowing something was wrong unless they checked their voter registration status.County election officials who flagged an issue, including Hancock, told Votebeat they initially assumed the problem was related to issues with the state’s voter registration and election management system, which is known as TEAM.The state in July 2025 overhauled its voter registration system using Louisiana-based election technology vendor, Civix. Election officials have since raised ongoing concerns about how the system works.Kristin Miles, the Bastrop County elections administrator and current president of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, told Votebeat that the way TEAM works is making it harder for officials to get through the backlog of voter registration records.For instance, TEAM only allows county officials to see 30 records at a time on their screen, and they have to be sorted through one by one, before officials can see additional records. Miles and her staff of four are working through more than 2,200 records.In late September, the secretary of state’s office told election officials they’re trying to prioritize a fix for that issue.This story was produced by Votebeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Fear, not money: Survey shows why 1 in 4 noninvestors avoid the stock market Nearly 45% of U.S. adults, and two-thirds of active investors, say financial stress or anxiety directly shapes how they invest, according to the Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey. The effects include avoiding the stock market entirely, panic-selling during downturns, and obsessively checking portfolio balances.Financial stress is widespread. Conducted on April 21, 2026, and included 2,000 American adults ages 18 and older, the survey found that 45% of respondents rate their current stress level a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale, and 38% said they feel financially stressed often or every day. As The Motley Fool explains below, that persistent anxiety can affect investing decisions and can work against long-term financial interests.Key Points67% of investors admit stress influences harmful behaviors like panic-selling.25% of non-investors are deterred by psychological barriers, not just financial ones.Automating contributions and scheduling check-ins can mitigate investment stress.Investing Anxiety Is Widespread and Keeping Some Americans Out of the MarketAmong respondents who currently invest, 41% said they feel stressed or anxious specifically about their investments sometimes, often, or every day. Among non-investors, more than a quarter cited reasons for staying out of stocks that connect to the emotional and mental burden of investing, although not having enough money to invest remains the primary barrier. The Motley Fool 41% of investors feel anxious about their investments at least some of the time. That includes 10% who feel that way 5-6 days a week and 5% who feel it every day.Younger investors are more frequently anxious about investments. Among millennial investors, 51% report investment-specific stress three or more days a week, and among Gen Z investors, 49%. Gen X (32.6%) and boomers (23.6%) report it at substantially lower rates.For roughly 1 in 4 non-investors, the barrier to investing is psychological rather than financial. Affordability is the top obstacle at 57%, but 14% don't trust the markets, 11% find investing too confusing or intimidating, and 3% cite the emotional stress of monitoring investments directly. Those three responses share a common thread, even if the specific reason for not investing differs.Emotional stress about investing specifically isn't the main reason people stay out of the market. Only 3% cite it directly. But it's part of a bigger pattern: Combined with distrust in the markets and simple confusion about how to start, psychological barriers keep more than a quarter of non-investors on the sidelines.For those who can afford to invest but feel too intimidated to start, Tim Beyers, senior investment analyst and lead advisor at The Motley Fool, says the fix is smaller than people expect: "My favorite advice is to buy one share. That's it. Just one. The stock doesn't matter at that point. Just get used to creating the muscle memory of buying." From there, he recommends setting up a monthly dollar amount to invest, whether in index funds or a short list of five to ten stocks added to in equal amounts. "At the beginning," he says, "simplicity and repeatability are your best friends."Two-Thirds of Investors Say Stress Negatively Impacts Their Investing BehaviorAmong respondents who do invest, the data on stress is more pronounced. The survey asked investors directly whether financial stress or anxiety affects how they invest. Just 26% said it has no effect, 67% said it caused a behavior that can work against long-term investing goals, and the remaining 8% said it motivated them to invest more. The Motley Fool 34% of investors say stress causes them to check their portfolio more than they'd like. Frequent portfolio-checking can cause emotional reactions to short-term volatility, which can lead to worse investing outcomes over time.29% say stress causes them to delay making investing decisions. Holding purely cash, putting off contributions, and avoiding rebalancing all compound over time, especially for investors with long horizons.23% say stress causes them to avoid investing altogether. Unlike not being able to afford to put more money into the market, for nearly a quarter of active investors, anxiety alone is enough to keep cash on the sidelines.Younger investors, the group most likely to report frequent investment anxiety, are also the most likely to report stress-driven behavioral changes across every category the survey measured.Nearly 1 in 5 Investors Has Sold Out of FearThirty-eight percent of respondents reported making an investment decision driven primarily by emotion rather than by research or a plan. The Motley Fool 19% said they have sold investments out of fear of losing more money. Selling into a downturn locks in losses and prevents benefiting from any future recovery.17% said they have bought into a stock due to excitement or fear of missing out. FOMO-driven purchases risk being made at or near price peaks, when hype is the strongest and prices are most disconnected from fundamentals, and can push investors towards speculative assets.11% said they have held on to a losing investment, hoping it would recover. Loss aversion is well documented in investment research and is associated with holding underperforming assets for far longer than rational analysis would suggest.Emotion-driven decisions are significantly more common among younger respondents. Nearly half of Gen Z respondents (48%) and millennials (45%) reported at least one emotion-driven decision, compared to 32% of Gen X and 21% of boomers.Beyers has felt that cost firsthand. "Too often, the cost of panic is selling a winner before it has a chance to become a winner," he says. "I've sold at least one stock that went on to return hundreds of times its original value and held others that, despite selling off by more than 75% at one point, have grown to occupy close to 20% of my total investable assets." Staying put isn't easy, he adds, but the edge individual investors have over algorithms and hedge funds is time: "When you recognize that time is the most important factor in compounding wealth, you'll become far less likely to interrupt it with a panic sale."Beyers sees the survey's FOMO-buying and fear-selling figures, 17% and 19%, as two sides of the same coin. "Fear drives us away from the uncertain, i.e., volatile stocks that may not be popular yet, to the certainty of cash (in the case of selling) or a 'sure thing,' a winner you must own because everyone else does," he says. He makes a distinction between fear that protects you and fear that doesn't: "Some fear is healthy and keeps us safe from physical threats. Here we're talking about unjustified fear that leads us to portfolio-immolating action when holding fast would almost certainly be the better move."Market Volatility Rattles Most Investors EmotionallyEven investors who haven't made an emotion-driven decision feel the pull of market swings. Among respondents who follow the markets, 55% said market volatility has a major or some emotional impact on them. The Motley Fool 17% said market volatility has a major impact. They feel significant stress or anxiety when markets move. Millennials are most likely to fall in this category at 19%, compared to 13% of baby boomers.39% said market volatility has some impact. They notice it but can manage it. Gen Z leads at 45%, followed by millennials (40%), baby boomers (36%), and Gen X (35%).45% said volatility has little or no impact on their emotional well-being. That group is the largest among Gen X (49%) and baby boomers (51%), and smallest among millennials (40%), consistent with the broader pattern of younger investors carrying more emotional exposure to markets.Market volatility is, by definition, temporary, but its emotional effects are not. Investors who respond to short-term swings with stress-driven behavior risk making permanent decisions in response to temporary conditions.For 1 in 3 Americans, Retirement Savings Is a Source of Psychological StressHow Americans feel about their retirement savings tracks closely with where they actually stand. Among those who feel on track or ahead, 65% said their retirement situation affects their mental health positively. Among those who feel significantly behind, 51% said it negatively affects them. Among those who haven't started saving at all, 46% said the same. The Motley Fool 32% of all respondents said their retirement savings situation affects their mental health negatively. That figure rises to more than half among those who describe themselves as significantly behind, making retirement savings one of the clearest stress triggers in the survey.24% said their retirement savings affect them positively. That group is heavily concentrated among respondents who are on track or ahead, where nearly two-thirds report a positive mental health effect.Among those experiencing retirement-related stress, 48% say it causes them to save less or stop saving altogether. Only 30% say the stress motivates them to save more. For most, the anxiety causes avoidance.Avoidance is most prevalent among millennials. Among millennial respondents who said retirement savings negatively affect their mental health, 53% reported saving less or stopping entirely as a result, the highest rate of any generation in the survey. That can create a self-reinforcing cycle, where anxiety about a retirement savings shortfall makes the shortfall more likely to grow.How to Deal With Financial Stress Around InvestingThe Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey shows financial stress around investing can impact every stage of the investing process: keeping some people out of markets, pushing others to panic-sell or over-monitor, and causing nearly half of retirement-stressed Americans to save less rather than more.There are ways to limit the emotional side of investing, although feeling the rush of a portfolio achieving big returns, or the fear and anxiety when the market plunges, is natural.Automating contributions to a diversified portfolio can eliminate hand-wringing over timing investments. Scheduling portfolio check-ins reduces emotional exposure to short-term market swings. Remembering that the stock market has a correction every one to two years, but has returned around 10% annually over nearly the last century, can provide important perspective on a downturn or choppy sessions.Financial anxiety around investing is not just a mental health issue. It can act as a drag on long-term wealth growth by reinforcing patterns that make it harder to build wealth in the first place, compounding over time in the same way returns do. Recognizing that stress-driven responses to investing anxiety are common and that structural routines can reduce their impact is a first step toward investing with more consistency and less anxiety.FAQsDoes financial stress affect investing behavior?According to the Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey, 67% of active investors said financial stress or anxiety causes at least one behavior that can work against long-term investing goals, including avoiding investing, panic-selling, compulsive portfolio-checking, and delaying decisions.Why do people make emotional investing decisions?Fear and excitement are the two primary drivers: The Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey found that 19% of respondents have sold investments out of fear of losing more money, and 17% have bought into something due to excitement or fear of missing out.How does financial stress affect retirement savings?Among Americans who said their retirement savings situation negatively affects their mental health, 48% reported that the resulting stress causes them to save less or stop saving altogether, according to the Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey.Methodology The Motley Fool's 2026 Financial Stress and Investing Survey was designed to measure how financial stress and anxiety affect investing behavior, including whether it keeps people out of the stock market, drives panic-selling or portfolio over-monitoring, and shapes retirement savings decisions.The survey was conducted via Pollfish on April 21, 2026, and included 2,000 American adults ages 18 and older. To ensure results reflect the broader U.S. adult population rather than just people who seek out surveys, Pollfish reaches respondents through apps and websites they already use, rather than through opt-in survey panels, helping reduce self-selection bias. Results were weighted by age and gender to reflect the U.S. adult population, using U.S. Census Bureau benchmarks. The margin of error for the full sample is approximately plus-or-minus 2.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.Generational definitions used: Gen Z (born 1997-2012, ages 18-29 at time of fielding), millennials (born 1981-1996, ages 30-45), Gen X (born 1965-980, ages 46-61), baby boomers (born 1946-1964, ages 62 and older).This story was produced by The Motley Fool and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Can you still trust a 4.7-star online rating? How AI is skewing how we choose providers When you want to find a new local business, who do you ask? Today, 45% of Americans are turning to an AI assistant to get recommendations for local businesses — up from 6% a year ago, according to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey. It’s a dramatic change in user behavior and shows that many people are quickly adopting this new habit. However, the data that AI assistants use relies on star ratings, among other sources. And as Nextdoor reports below, researchers and experts say star ratings should not be fully trusted.Federal Trade Commission (FTC) economist Devesh Raval has studied ratings across major review platforms. According to his 2024 research published with the FTC, most businesses average four stars or better, including those that have real complaints on file and poor ratings. Almost a third of reviews were found to be just a number, with no additional text to bolster the review and ground it in context. Almost no rating falls below two stars. In other words, the difference between a great plumber and one who could inadvertently flood your kitchen could be a tenth of a point that doesn’t measure much at all.Regulators have noticed how easily reviews can be faked. In 2024, the FTC finalized a new rule banning fake and bought reviews, as well as reviews written by people who have a material connection to a company but don’t disclose that connection. Then, in December 2025, the agency started sending warning letters to companies over fake and pay-for-play reviews. Each violation carries a penalty of $53,000 or more. It’s too early to tell whether these attempts are working.Last December's letters were the first act of enforcement from the FTC. That leaves a gap at an awkward moment. More people are asking AI assistants for help finding a pediatrician or a dog walker, and those assistants can be steered. In May, a BBC reporter published a made-up claim about himself on his personal website, and within a day, several major AI tools, including ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews, were repeating it as fact. Google has since updated its spam policies to address the problem. An assistant that leans on the same lopsided ratings the FTC economist found will hand back an unreliable answer.Shoppers don’t trust AI summaries by themselvesPeople may be discovering businesses with AI assistants, but a single AI summary still gives them pause.Among people who are using AI-generated review summaries to make purchase decisions, 82% go beyond ChatGPT or Claude, according to the BrightLocal survey. Most are visiting websites, social media feeds and other review platforms before they book a service. In fact, just 23% of consumers make decisions solely from reading an AI summary, suggesting that AI is just the first step in the shopping process, not a decision-maker.Alternatively, trust in reviews remains high. The BrightLocal survey found that 49% of people say they place as much trust in an online review as they do a recommendation they’d get from a friend. However, word of mouth continues to outweigh reviews from an unverifiable source. If someone you know has had a bad experience with a business, say an auto mechanic that messed up and kept them from picking up their kid from soccer practice, that anecdote is very likely to shift your opinion of said business. The FTC's research suggests that the numbers making up many online reviews haven’t earned that trust.Local information is still relevant, research saysGetting a recommendation from someone who can be identified and lives near you can carry a cost for that person if it turns out to be wrong. An anonymous five-star rating costs its author nothing, whether the writer is a genuine customer or a paid employee of the business. That difference can push people toward their local circles. An AI summary flattens it. It reports an average and leaves out who wrote each review and whether that person lives down the street or across the country.Neighborhood-level sources matter to the people in those communities. In 2024, the Pew Research Center’s research found that 52% of U.S. adults at least sometimes get information about the places they live from community-centric online platforms like Facebook groups.Maintain skepticism for reviews fetched by AIThe written context of a review says more about it than the number of stars associated with it. Specific information, like the cost of a particular service or details about the problem an electrician solved, can give consumers more to go on. What a star leaves out, neighbors, friends, and coworkers can fill in.Today, regulators are treating fake reviews as a legitimate legal issue. As AI assistants become a first stop for local recommendations, the ratings they draw on deserve the same scrutiny. Research shows most people are still thinking twice about what an algorithm shows them about a business. For now, the recommendations that are still worth the most come from someone who’s willing to put their name on them.This story was produced by Nextdoor and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	This city's school enrollment system is infamously complicated. Could a universal application help? Parents and students have complained for years that Philadelphia’s selective school enrollment process is notoriously difficult to navigate and favors those with time, energy, and a familiarity with spreadsheets.The current setup allows families of students in prekindergarten through 11th grade to choose a school outside their designated neighborhood school. The district uses a mixture of a ranking system, matching algorithm, lottery, and ZIP code preference in an effort to assign students to the school that best fits their needs.But that’s just for district schools. Most charter schools in the city enroll through a separate application, Apply Philly Charter, with different deadlines than the district’s process and a separate lottery system altogether. About a dozen charter schools don’t participate in either system and instead run their own application process.So is there an alternative to a system that skeptics fear is making students miss out on opportunities? As Chalkbeat reports below, some advocates say a universal enrollment system with a single application for Philly’s traditional district, magnet, and charter schools could be a step in the right direction and contribute to a school ecosystem that is less opaque, more attractive to families, and more equitable.After years of listening to parents’ and students’ pleas for a simpler application process, Stacy Holland of the Philly-based advocacy group Elevate 215 said she’s come around to the idea that universal enrollment is worth exploring for charters and the district. Elevate 215 manages the platform for Apply Philly Charter. “We have too much data and too many requests from parents stating this is too confusing,” said Holland, the group’s executive director. “At some point, we need to just respond to that as a city.”Holland said she’s talked with Philadelphia district officials about switching to a universal enrollment system, and she’s “optimistic” her calls might be gaining traction. But Monique Braxton, a district spokesperson, told Chalkbeat on Wednesday the district is not “actively exploring universal enrollment at this time.”Supporters point to Denver as a model for what a unified system can look like. Those who helped shape and run Denver’s system say it can remove complexity that ultimately privileges some students over others, and is well regarded by families of all backgrounds for how easy it is to use.But Philly has considered — and rejected — a similar idea before. And experts who’ve studied universal enrollment systems across the country say they’re not a cure-all, even when they work well. Maintaining those systems can also be difficult, as cities like Indianapolis and Newark have demonstrated in recent years.Tensions between school districts, charter schools can fracture universal enrollmentThe details of unified enrollment systems can vary. But generally, they allow families to apply to multiple schools with a single application and then use an algorithm or formula to assign students to the schools that those students have ranked highest.Universal or unified enrollment systems have been in place in many districts since the early 2010s. Research has shown that unified enrollment systems present information more clearly, they’re more accessible, and some studies have shown they can help integrate schools over time, although those effects are small.Such systems are designed to be good at solving certain problems such as matching students with schools they want to attend and giving schools a better idea of which students will actually enroll when the school year begins, said Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, who has studied universal enrollment.“It can make life easier for both parents or families and for schools too,” Valant said.But they’re not designed to deal with other logistical issues, like facilitating transportation. They also don’t solve what Valant said is the biggest challenge for districts and families: scarcity. A centralized system can change the distribution of who gets seats at coveted, high-performing schools, Valant said, but it can’t add seats or guarantee families will get their top choice.More broadly, districts that use a universal system must work to ensure “that a community trusts this thing and it understands what it’s there for and how to work with it,” he said.In the 2014-15 school year, the Newark school district adopted a universal enrollment system. A 2018 report found the system was “remarkably successful at improving special education students’ access to high-demand schools,” and that charters started enrolling more of those students.Jesse Margolis, a coauthor of that 2018 report from MarGrady Research, said he observed the same for district magnet schools. He said from an equity perspective, the unified enrollment system “seems to have been helpful.”Brian Eschbacher, who helped run the universal enrollment system in the Denver school district and now heads an education consulting firm, said the system’s added language support has helped more families who speak languages other than English participate in the process. Margolis identified other benefits in Newark. Student rosters at district schools became more stable and reliable, and students were less likely to switch schools during the year, he said.But recent history shows tensions between charters and traditional public schools have fractured these systems.When Philadelphia officials and advocates discussed whether to adopt a similar system in 2014, one debate was whether all charters in the city would have to participate.A fundamental concern for districts can be whether unified enrollment systems disproportionately benefit charters by raising their profile for prospective students. There are also questions about who manages these systems, collects data from them, and enforces their rules.A few years after Margolis’ report highlighted positive results in Newark, Superintendent Roger León started instituting tighter restrictions for families applying to charters through the Newark Enrolls unified system.By 2022, seven of Newark’s largest charter school networks pulled out of Newark Enrolls and started their own system: the Newark Common App.District officials did not respond to Chalkbeat’s requests for an interview about Newark Enrolls.Meanwhile, Indianapolis Public Schools is considering dropping Enroll Indy due to what it called cost concerns and other issues. But critics, including some charter representatives, say the move will create “confusion and instability” and runs afoul of state law.What’s been key to Denver’s system, Eschbacher said, is its mandate that charter schools participate. Because it’s so well-liked and all of the other schools are participating, he said, “it’s got this positive halo effect” where everyone wants to be involved.Contrary to worries that charter schools benefit most, Eschbacher said in cities where enrollment is declining like Philadelphia, a universal enrollment system “gives you a fighting shot” at keeping more families in district schools.“You should be trying to roll out the red carpet to keep as many of those families as possible by making their experience better,” he said. This story was produced by Chalkbeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence. Here’s why most won't report it Nearly one in four women in the United States will experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yet the majority of domestic violence incidents are never reported to police, a gap researchers have been documenting for decades. Below, WSM Law, a family law firm that represents women in divorce and custody cases across several states, examines why domestic violence victims often don’t report the incidents.The Scope of the ProblemThe CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, the primary tool researchers use to track this issue nationally, found that nearly 1 in 4 women experience physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime. When the definition expands to include sexual violence and stalking, more than 1 in 3 women, nearly 43.5 million, report experiencing at least one of these forms of abuse from a partner at some point in their lives.The violence often starts young. The CDC's data shows that about 16 million women first experienced intimate partner violence before age 18, and most female victims had their first experience with an abusive partner before age 25.Reporting Rates Fall Far Short of PrevalenceDespite how common intimate partner violence is, most incidents never reach a police report. Bureau of Justice Statistics data drawn from the National Crime Victimization Survey found that between 2006 and 2015, police were notified in just over half, 56%, of the estimated 1.3 million nonfatal domestic violence victimizations occurring each year. That figure includes violence from intimate partners, immediate family members, and other relatives, meaning the reporting rate for intimate partner violence specifically is likely close to or below that average.In other words, for every two domestic violence incidents that happen, roughly one goes entirely unreported to law enforcement.Why Victims Don't Come ForwardThe Bureau of Justice Statistics has also tracked the reasons victims give for not reporting. In its analysis covering the early 2000s, the most frequently cited reason among female victims, at 22%, was viewing the incident as a private or personal matter rather than a criminal one. Other significant reasons included protecting the offender, cited by 14% of female victims, and fear of reprisal, cited by 12%. A smaller share, 8%, said they believed police would not do anything to help.Across multiple studies, the research suggests that the decision not to report rarely reflects doubt that the abuse happened. Instead, it reflects a complex set of calculations involving safety, relationships, and trust in the systems meant to help.The Safety CalculationFear of retaliation is one of the most consistently cited barriers to reporting, and it reflects a real risk. Leaving an abusive relationship, or taking steps that could be seen as escalating the situation, such as involving police, is a period that researchers and advocates widely recognize as one of the most dangerous points in an abusive relationship. A victim weighing whether to report is often weighing that immediate risk against an uncertain outcome from the legal system.Financial and Family Ties Complicate the DecisionBeyond safety, many victims face practical barriers tied to shared finances, housing, or children. A victim who is financially dependent on an abusive partner may have few immediate options if reporting leads to the partner's arrest or loss of income. Shared children add another layer of complexity, particularly when a victim is uncertain how a report might affect future custody arrangements or when she fears the abuser retaliating through the family court system rather than directly.Distrust in the System ItselfThe belief that police "would not do anything" reflects another documented barrier: distrust that reporting will lead to meaningful protection. This distrust is often shaped by prior experience, either personal or within a victim's community, with the way law enforcement or courts have handled similar cases. For some victims, particularly those from communities with a history of strained relationships with law enforcement, this distrust is an additional and significant deterrent.Closing the Gap Between Prevalence and ProtectionAdvocates and researchers generally agree that closing the gap between how common intimate partner violence is and how often it gets reported requires addressing more than awareness. It requires practical resources, such as safe housing options, financial support, and legal protections that do not depend entirely on a police report to take effect. Protective orders, for example, can often be pursued through civil courts independent of a criminal complaint, giving victims a legal option that does not require the same level of police involvement.WSM Law notes that many of the women it works with are facing family court and safety concerns simultaneously, and that legal protections exist specifically for situations where reporting to police does not feel like a safe or viable first step.The data shows intimate partner violence affects a significant share of women in the United States. The reporting gap suggests that for many of them, the barriers to coming forward are not about disbelief in their own experience, but about a difficult and often rational calculation of safety, resources, and trust.If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 or through thehotline.org.This story was produced by WSM Law and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Community shares priorities for North Scott's next superintendent What makes a good superintendent? North Scott parents, students and staff shared their priorities on Thursday as the district prepares to replace Joe Stutting.
	How bot traffic is wasting your ad budget and training Google to spend more Bot traffic is wasting your ad budget in two ways: The money it burns on fake clicks and fake leads, and the damage it does to the data your campaigns learn from. More than half of all web traffic is now automated, and a meaningful share of paid media spend can be exposed to traffic that will never buy.Understanding how bot traffic is wasting your ad budget starts with a shift in focus to what the problem actually is, WebFX reports. Bot traffic used to be a tracking problem, something you cleaned up in your analytics after the fact. In automated PPC (pay-per-click), it has become a bidding problem. When a fake lead counts as a conversion, it does not just waste budget once, it also teaches Google what to buy next.That shift is why an estimated $37 billion in U.S. programmatic ad spend is associated with invalid traffic every year. The advertisers who protect their budgets can fix what their campaigns learn from, instead of just what they block.More than half the web is now botsMore than half of all web traffic is now automated, with bots accounting for 53% in 2025, the first sustained stretch where machines outnumber humans online, per Imperva’s Bad Bot Report 2026. That number reflects all automated traffic, so it is worth being precise about what it means for your budget.To be fair, not every bot is malicious. Search crawlers, monitoring tools, and other “good bots” make up part of that 53%. The problem is the bad bots, the ones built to click ads, fill out forms, and drain budgets, and they account for roughly 40% of web traffic on their own.Generative AI has made sophisticated bots cheaper to create and harder to spot. Modern bots now mimic human scrolling, typing cadence, and form-filling well enough to slip past basic filters, which means the fake click on your ad looks almost identical to a real one. This is the traffic environment your paid campaigns run in right now.How bot traffic wastes your ad budgetHow bot traffic wastes your ad budget comes down to two things: The spend it burns directly on fake activity, and the damage it does to the conversion data your campaigns optimize against. The first cost is obvious on your invoice. The second is the one that quietly compounds. WebFX The direct waste is real money. According to a 2026 report by Fraudlogix, roughly 1 in 5 ad impressions shows signs of invalid traffic, and in high-CPC industries, a single fake click can cost you real money before anyone notices.Fake leads waste your team’s time and eat into your budget. Anura suggests that about 1 in 4 leads is fraudulent, which means your sales team burns hours chasing people who were never real. Every one of those calls is payroll spent on a bot.The compounding damage is the part most advertisers miss. When bots convert on your ads, your bidding algorithm counts them as wins and learns to find more traffic like them. Volume-based strategies chase the number of conversions, and value-based bidding chases the ones worth the most, but both learn from whatever signal you feed them, so spam counted as a win shapes tomorrow’s targeting.This is why bot traffic costs more than the clicks it steals: It corrupts the signal your budget optimizes against.Signs that bot traffic is draining your campaignsBot traffic usually shows up as a gap between your campaign metrics and your revenue reality. Your dashboard looks healthy while your pipeline does not, and that disconnect is the clearest tell.Watch for these signals in your paid accounts:Conversion volume climbs, but qualified leads and revenue do not follow.Cost per lead improves on the dashboard, while your sales acceptance rate drops.Form fills arrive with fake names, junk emails, or mismatched geography.Traffic spikes from unexpected locations, devices, or outdated browsers and operating systems, which Fraudlogix flags as heavy invalid-traffic sources.Campaigns look strong inside Google Ads, but never create a real pipeline.Sales reports that paid lead quality keeps getting worse over time.No single sign proves bot traffic on its own. Together, they are a strong signal that your account needs a lead-quality and conversion-signal audit before more budget goes to waste.Why high-cost industries feel the damage firstIn high-CPC (cost-per-click) industries, bot traffic does not need to be the majority of your traffic to do serious damage. A small volume of fake clicks or fake leads can consume an outsized share of budget and distort your bidding faster than in low-cost verticals.The math here is simple: More expensive clicks make every fake interaction costlier. Lead generation accounts that optimize around form fills and phone calls are especially exposed, because a fake lead looks like success inside Google Ads until sales tries to close it.Why the real fix is signal quality rather than just blocking botsBlocking bots reduces waste, but it does not solve the full problem, because some fake leads always slip through and the real question is what your ad platform learns after they convert. The durable fix is signal quality: Teaching Google which conversions are real so it optimizes toward them.Think of it in three layers:Detection and prevention filter out the obvious bad actors.CRM lead quality tells you which conversions turned into real opportunities.Conversion-value correction feeds that truth back to Google, so spam that reached the platform gets retracted or restated depending on your setup.This is where value-based bidding comes in. Instead of chasing raw lead volume that bots can inflate, it optimizes for the conversions worth the most, so your best leads carry the most weight and spam stops getting rewarded. None of that is a toggle you flip once, though: It takes coordination across paid media, sales, data, and web teams, plus a system to route real outcomes back to Google, which is where most in-house teams run out of time or infrastructure.This story was produced by WebFX and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	American Red Cross asks for blood donors In October, the American Red Cross asks people to book a time to give blood or platelets to help keep the blood supply as strong as possible this fall. The seasons may change, but the need for blood is constant, a news release says. Donors of all blood types are being called on to roll [...]
	Dylan Doyle will perform in Cambridge Guitarist, singer and songwriter Dylan Doyle will perform at Ca d’Zan House Concerts in Cambridge on Tuesday, Oct. 13, closing out the venue’s 2026 outdoor concert season with a genre-blending mix of Americana, R&B, funk, blues and soul. Presented by Crossroads Cultural Connections, the all-ages evening will begin with an optional potluck dinner at 6 [...]
	Rain ending, then a dry weekend Showers and storms are likely this morning with sunshine returning this afternoon. It'll be warm today and the above average temperatures will be sticking around. Here's your complete 7-day forecast.
	Pete's Pour and More: UT special education program delivers life skills, delicious drinks United Township students deliver coffee, energy drinks, tea and hot cocoa to teachers and staff every Friday morning in a program designed to prepare students for life after school.
	Red-dyed diesel: What to know President Trump on Monday signed an order to extend the use of red-dyed diesel, but what is it?
	Baby product recalled over alcohol content: FDA A product promoted to help soothe babies and offer gas relief is being recalled over an undeclared alcohol content.
	Pre-workout powder recalled nationwide for illegal substance: FDA Leader Formulas' Rapture pre-workout was distributed nationwide to retail stores and sold online from Jan. 2025 through May 2026.
	Iowa 2026 Poll: Toss-up in U.S. Senate race; Sand maintains edge for governor A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll finds 47% of Iowa voters support Republican Ashley Hinson, while 45% support Democrat Josh Turek for U.S. Senate. Libertarian Thomas Laehn has 2% support, while 7% are undecided. Since September, Hinson’s support decreased three points, from 50% to 47%, while Turek’s support held at 45%. In the race [...]
	River Gambler This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Gambling was present on most passenger boats on the Upper Mississippi River, but it never reached the Hollywood…
	Fill in the blank in the quiz: A plague research employee in Russia died from ____ Plus: Nobels! Protests! Ambiguous quotes! A mysterious death in Russia!
	ChatGPT for Teens has special safeguards. A watchdog group finds most don't work A study from Common Sense Media says most safeguards in ChatGPT for Teens failed. The chatbot talks to teens like a friend and doesn't alert parents when users talk about self-harm and suicide.
	Why mailing a ballot close to Election Day may get it rejected for a late postmark If you're using the U.S. Postal Service to return a ballot close to Election Day, officials recommend getting it postmarked at a post office to avoid getting caught up in mail processing changes.
	South African Human Rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for advancing human rights and international law.
	Christa Pike is walking with help and eating after failed execution attempt Pike has begun walking and eating again at a hospital a week after surviving Tennessee's attempt to execute her with lethal drugs, her attorneys said Thursday.
	Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed The Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be "public.
	Isaias strengthens into Category 2 hurricane on collision course with the Gulf Coast The first hurricane of the Atlantic season was forecast to intensify rapidly and cause dangerous conditions in the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi when it makes landfall late Friday or early Saturday.
Thursday, October 8th, 2026
	Davenport boy honored as kid captain for Iowa’s game against Washington JJ Ward may seem like a typical 6-year-old, but from the moment he was born, his life has been anything but typical.
	Meet JJ, Iowa's next Kid Captain JJ Ward, a 6-year-old from Davenport, has dreams of playing football for Iowa one day. "I like how they score a bunch of touchdowns in weird ways," Ward said. "Sometimes they dive headfirst and then sometimes they do a somersault in the end." It's a dream that was nearly altered a day after JJ was [...]
	Iowa postal workers rally in support of mail-in voting A recent executive order from Trump seeking to curtail the use of mail-in voting was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court.
	Iowa City school district facing $13.8 million spending reduction The district's superintendent said some schools are likely to close while they work to balance the budget.
	Tapestry Farms holds second annual Harvest Moon celebration All proceeds from the event go towards Tapestry Farms' work supporting refugees in the Quad Cities.
	Steel and Sears Dams on Rock River will not be removed The Illinois DNR studied safety modifications after a 5-year-old girl drowned in 2018. But it recommended to remove both dams.
	Facade of Muscatine Masonic Temple partially collapses Fire officials aren't concerned about public safety, but the alley surrounding the facade is blocked off as a precautionary measure.
	Facade of Muscatine Masonic Temple suffers partial collapse Fire officials aren't concerned about public safety, but the alley surrounding the facade is blocked off as a precautionary measure.
	Wake Brewing in Rock Island to close The brewery's last day will be Oct. 11.
	Illinois expands restaurant meals program to give eligible SNAP customers more options Illinois is expanding its restaurant meals program statewide, giving eligible SNAP customers more options for prepared meals. The program now includes 50 restaurants in 16 counties. This includes Pizza Hut locations in Colona, Geneseo, Milan, Princeton, Kewanee and Monmouth. The program is for SNAP households where everyone is 60 or older, has a disability, is [...]
	Great Pumpkin Fest will be in downtown Clinton Downtown Clinton will be filled with fall fun on Sunday, Oct. 11, during the annual Great Pumpkin Fest, a family-friendly celebration hosted by downtown Clinton businesses and the Clinton County Sheriff's Office. Families are invited to free and low-cost activities throughout the afternoon, including balloon twisting, face painting, yard games, chalk art, caricature drawings and [...]
	Building partially collapses in Muscatine KWQC is working to learn more information.
	Davenport Fire Marshal investigates blaze at unoccupied home The Davenport Fire Marshal is investigating a fire that occurred Wednesday night at an unoccupied home.
	Behind the lens: QC photographer celebrates Hispanic heritage, family connection Varela uses photography to celebrate Hispanic heritage and capture the moments that bring families and communities together.
	Iowa murder suspect accused of harassing couple before deadly shooting, records show Court records describe alleged harassment, a deadly shooting and an encounter that left an Iowa state trooper fighting to recover.
	Muscatine's $48 million solar farm takes shape as coal unit faces retirement Coal has long powered Muscatine. Now, a $48 million project will bring utility-scale solar into the city's energy mix for the first time.
	Civil War reenactment to be held in Princeton, Illinois Shadows of the Blue and Gray will be held in City County Park in Princeton Saturday and Sunday.
	OpenAI caught Russians and Iranians using ChatGPT for influence campaigns The company says Russian operatives used its AI chatbot to update their bosses, shedding light on influence campaigns previously not attributed to Russia.
	Davenport firefighters give students fire safety tips for National Fire Prevention Month October is National Fire Prevention Month and Davenport firefighters visited students at Jefferson Elementary School Thursday to give students fire safety tips.
	Muscatine residents invited to give feedback on Isett Avenue Corridor The City of Muscatine is inviting residents to attend a public open house and share their thoughts on the preliminary design for the Connect Isett Project, a reconstruction project of Isett Avenue and Cypress Street, a news release says. The open house will take place from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Musser Public [...]
	The long-deployed USS Lincoln returns home to San Diego Bay The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has returned home after a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war. The extended deployment drew attention following reports of crew stress and supply shortages.
	From Iowa fugitive to San Diego head chef: How a 2012 Davenport shooting suspect hid in plain sight for a decade U.S. Marshals arrested Brian Anthony Williams in San Diego, where he lived as a head chef under an alias after fleeing a 2012 Davenport kidnapping case.
	The Heart of the Story: A fawn named Peaches Our Quad Cities News is partnering with award-winning journalist Gary Metivier for The Heart of the Story. Each week, Gary showcases inspiring stories of everyday people doing cool stuff, enjoying their hobbies, and living life to the fullest. Stories that feature the best of the human condition. A discovery on the side of the road [...]
	Wellness center serving union members opens in Rock Island Premise Health, the largest direct healthcare company serving unions and large employers, in partnership with the National Coalition of Labor (NCL), Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council (MACRC), International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 and the Midwest Operating Engineers Fringe Benefit Funds (MOE), and Teamsters Local 301 Health and Welfare Fund, has opened the MCL [...]
	Trump administration denies Illinois’ request for disaster relief — again President Donald Trump’s administration denied Illinois’ request on Thursday for federal disaster relief in eight counties after days of severe weather hit the state in August.
	Man involved in Davenport shooting sentenced to 10 years in prison A man involved in a Davenport shooting of two houses was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
	Rob Sand backs Medicaid pay changes for disabled Iowans, proposes ending privatization Sand spoke with caregivers and Iowans with disabilities during a roundtable discussion hosted by the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council.
	2 people, infant hurt in Henry County, Iowa, crash Henry County dispatchers got a report about a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Old Highway 34 around 9:45 p.m., according to a media release.
	Davenport launching 'Strong Minds' program to help local teens work through emotions The Davenport Parks and Recreating Department is launching Strong Minds, a program to help young people, ages 12 to 15, work through emotions.
	3 injured in 2-car crash near Mount Pleasant on Tuesday A 21-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman and her infant child were all treated by ambulance for their injuries. Both vehicles involved in the crash were totaled.
	Traffic Alert: Crash slows traffic on I-74 East north of John Deere Road A KWQC said the crash was in the construction zone on the interstate around 4:40 p.m.
	Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate visits Davenport to test Scott County voting machines Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate visited Scott County Thursday as election officials conducted a public test of voting equipment ahead of Election Day.
	Crime Stoppers: Scott County Sheriff wants man for sex offender registration violations Christopher Huntley is wanted by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office for sex offender registration violations.
	Crime Stoppers: Around $5K in fiber cable wire stolen off utility poles Officials said the estimated cost of the stolen wire is around $5,000.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Iowa Department of Corrections for escape Devonte D. McGee is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections, 7th District High Risk Unit for escape.
	New Davenport program gives teens tools to navigate emotions and mental health "STRONG Minds" is accepting applications for its fall session. The goal is to help local teens better understand and work through their emotions.
	Wednesday night Davenport house fire under investigation No injuries were reported in the fire, officials said.
	Help your business grow with the Level Up: Small Business Summit Running a business can be a real challenge, but you can join fellow entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals for real-world strategies to help your business grow! Ramon Ray joined Our Quad Cities News with details on the Quad Cities Chamber's Level Up: Small Business Summit. For more information, click here.
	Scott County election officials test voting machines ahead of midterm elections Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate was present for the testing, in which election workers processed multiple ballot styles through tabulation machines.
	Getting to Know the CEO of Habitat for Humanity QC, Tom Fisher-King Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray talks with familiar faces around the Quad Cities in the Getting to Know Podcast. Learn more about important people around our area and have a good time doing it. Each week will feature a new guest from restaurant owners, to area leaders, to Our Quad Cities News Staff. In this episode [...]
	Scott County tests voting machines in Eldridge for 2026 elections Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate joined Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins Thursday morning, Oct. 8, as they did tests on election equipment in Eldridge ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
	Treatment for mental health illness combined with addiction Treatment is more effective addressing the two issues together, rather than separately.
	Small businesses and mental health: How to prepare for a crisis at work Oct. 10 marks World Mental Health Day, a great opportunity to review your business's emergency plan. For small businesses, that plan can slip through the cracks because it doesn't feel important enough, but preparing before an incident is key to staying in good legal standing.Mental health crises can present in many different ways. An employee may say something that suggests they are thinking about harming themselves or someone else. They may express feeling unable to cope or stay safe. They may experience severe distress that prevents them from continuing to work or communicating normally. Most business owners want to help but don’t know how. They may not know what's appropriate to ask, what to document, or where their legal responsibility begins and ends.The right response depends on the circumstances, especially whether there appears to be an immediate safety concern. Below, Rocket Lawyer explains what small business owners need to know to prepare for a mental health crisis.Mental Health Might Catch Small Business Owners Off GuardMost small businesses have a plan for a workplace injury or a fire drill. They will know what to do when the time comes and aren’t worried about the process of handling these situations. Far fewer businesses have thought through what to do when the "emergency" is a mental health crisis. Without a plan, you or your managers can unintentionally make a difficult moment worse for the employee. You might also mishandle the situation (asking the wrong questions, documenting incorrectly, or treating every situation the same way), which can, in turn, create legal exposure.Owners often assume they'd know what to do in these critical moments, but employees don't always share that confidence in how their workplace would actually respond. That gap between how prepared owners think they are and how prepared employees feel their workplace is worth paying attention to. By preparing documentation, you make your business a safer place to work.What Preparing For a Mental Health Crisis Looks LikeA crisis at work can take different forms, and each calls for a slightly different response:A visible emotional moment (crying, panic/overwhelm, completely shutting down) usually calls for patience and a simple check-in. Move the conversation somewhere private and ask whether they need help or some time away from the immediate situation. As an employer or manager, you can simply ask, “Would it help to step outside for a few minutes?”A concerning comment about hopelessness or not wanting to be here needs to be taken seriously and escalated. Follow your workplace response plan and focus on the employee's immediate safety rather than assessing or diagnosing their mental health. If you or your employee needs help, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the U.S.).A safety concern (if the employee's words or actions suggest immediate danger to themselves or others) shifts this from an HR moment to a safety response. Call 911 and don’t leave the person alone if it's safe to stay with them.The right response isn't one-size-fits-all. Depending on the situation, your actions should change. That's why having a basic response plan in place before a difficult situation arises matters.Questions to Ask About Mental Health and the WorkplaceBefore a mental health crisis might occur, learn if your business is prepared by asking yourself a few key questions:Do we have any kind of plan for this, or would we be improvising? Who on our team would take the lead if this happened tomorrow? Is this documented somewhere?What can we ask the employee, and what should we avoid asking? Are we clear on the difference between checking in and prying into a medical diagnosis?Are we documenting these situations appropriately? What belongs in a file, and what should stay a private, human conversation?When does a crisis shift from a personal matter to a safety issue? Would our team know the signs that mean it's time to involve emergency services? Do we have the numbers for these services readily available?What to Do NextTalk to your team now, before something happens. A short conversation about responding calmly and privately goes a long way.Develop a basic response framework you can adapt, something simple your managers can actually follow under pressure.Review how you document sensitive situations. Make sure notes are factual and appropriate, not speculative about someone's mental health.Talk to an attorney about where documentation, accommodation, and privacy obligations intersect for a business of your size.A simple plan means that when something happens, you can focus on the person in front of you, not on figuring out what to do.World Mental Health Day is a good moment to think about mental health. If you or someone you work with is struggling, consider reaching out to a mental health professional or a trusted resource.This story was produced by Rocket Lawyer and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Friday, October 9th, 2026

Thursday, October 8th, 2026