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

Friday, May 15th, 2026
	Rivermont Collegiate pursuing appeal after accreditation body revokes membership A member of Rivermont's Board of Trustees says its ISACS accreditation was abruptly revoked without notice, while the school still maintains Cognia accreditation.
	4 Your Money \| The Real Deal Interest rates and inflation are always a hot topic in the financial world. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, shares his perspective on “real” interest rates and why it is positive news for investors and savers.
	Rock Island PD enforcing 'Click It or Ticket' campaign during Memorial Day travel The Rock Island Police Department is joining the "Click It or Ticket" campaign with Illinois law enforcement agencies from May 15-26.
	Third Thursday Live Music Series at The Plex, Bettendorf Live music is coming to The Plex in Bettendorf this summer with a new Third Thursday live music series. The first event will be on Thursday, May 21st outside of Oscar’s Pub, 5027 Competition Drive, featuring live music from Luke Fox from 6 - 8:30 p.m. The evening includes a free yoga/Pilates session hosted by [...]
	Hantavirus countdown: U.S. cruise passengers settle in for 42 days of waiting The hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has potentially exposed passengers to a deadly disease. Most returning Americans are now housed in Nebraska. Some may be cleared to quarantine at home.
	Shakira returns to official World Cup song duty, this time with Burna Boy FIFA's official 2026 World Cup song is "Dai Dai" from Shakira and Burna Boy. There are a number of factors that shape which songs define a tournament — and endure beyond it.
	Amazon cuts the ribbon on its last mile facility in Davenport The Amazon distribution center employs about 400 people and opened in October.
	Amazon marks milestone at Davenport delivery station Amazon celebrates a milestone at its Davenport delivery station, processing over 3 million packages since last fall with a team of 675 employees.
	4 KWQC personalities win Locals Love Us awards Four TV6 personalities were honored with Locals Love Us awards, including Morgan Ottier, Erik Maitland, Sharon DeRycke, and Theresa Bryant.
	The Trump administration is planning a prayer event on the National Mall. All but one of the speakers is Christian The event comes as a new survey finds that many Americans aren't comfortable mixing religion and politics.
	I-280 ramp at US 61 blocked after crash A KWQC TV6 crew said cars are able to turn right not left at the I-280 exit.
	Harvey Weinstein's third sex crimes trial in New York ends in mistrial It was the second time in a year a jury was unable to reach a verdict on a rape charge brought by Jessica Mann.
	Sterling arrest made for drug, firearm charges Sterling Police arrested a suspect for firearm and drug charges. According to a release, the Sterling Police Department conducted an investigative field identification in the 1100 block between W. 4th St. and W. 5th St. May 14th, 2026, at approximately 7:23 p.m. Upon further investigation, Alexander Delgado, 30, was arrested for armed violence, possession of [...]
	Rivermont Collegiate loses accreditation after single complaint A private school faces accreditation loss after a single complaint. The board confirms it is fully operational and pursuing appeals for its students.
	Alternating Currents announces first music lineup for 2026 The multi-city Quad Cities festival is free, with performances taking place Aug. 13 through Aug. 16.
	4 transported in U.S. 61 crash at Interstate 280 interchange Four people were transported to hospitals after a multiple-vehicle crash at the U.S. 61 and Interstate 280 interchange in Davenport on Friday. One was in serious condition and sent directly to Iowa City, while three others went to local hospitals, according to officials at the scene. One person was extricated from a vehicle. Preliminary reports [...]
	Illinois bill would cut back store credit on returns A bill in Illinois would require businesses to provide cash or credit refunds for eligible returns. The Consumer Product Return Act (House Bill 4044) would stop retailers from requiring customers to accept store credit on returns to stores. Eligible products include any machine, appliance, clothing or similar product bought for personal, family or household purposes. [...]
	Multi-vehicle crash prompts road closures near Highway 61, 280 interchange west of Davenport This is a developing story. News 8 will update this article as more information is made available.
	Field of Dreams receiving $10M donation Dyersville Event Incorporated announced three Iowa families and business leaders are committing $10 million to the Field of Dreams.
	Habitat for Humanity Quad Cities dedicating its 147th house The nonprofit said the $200,000 build was covered by the John Deere Foundation, whose employees provided 195 hours of volunteer labor since July 2025. The home will benefit a single mother and her son. There are currently seven other home construction projects underway in Davenport, Moline, and East Moline.
	Crews respond to commercial vehicle fire in Coal Valley The Coal Valley Fire Protection District responded to a commercial vehicle fire on I-74 Thursday, May 14.
	Annie Wittenmyer housing project awarded $4.7M in state tax credits The project is on track to be completed by the end of the year, with apartments slated to be available for rent in the early part of 2027.
	Sandburg honors Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Staff of the Year Sandburg College recognized its 2026 winners for Faculty of the Year, Adjunct Faculty of the Year and Staff Member of the Year during its 58th annual commencement on May 14 on the Galesburg campus. James Sanders was named Faculty of the Year, Becky Echelberger was chosen as Adjunct Faculty of the Year and Mike Kratz [...]
	Davenport high schools recognized for student voter registration Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate recognized two Davenport schools for getting their eligible students registered to vote.
	'The Wizard of the Kremlin' captures the rise of Putin — and 'anything goes' Russia Set in Russia in the years following the fall of communism, The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn't always work dramatically. But you leave with a better understanding of how Vladimir Putin came to power.
	Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosts open house People had the chance to meet the resident inspectors of the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station Thursday.
	Bill for year-round E15 gasoline advances A bill that would allow sales of E15 gasoline all year passed the U.S. House of Representatives, but some farmers have concerns. Gasoline blended with 15% ethanol is typically banned during the summer because of air pollution concerns. The federal government issued waivers allowing it in recent years.The Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act [...]
	Can the NFL's Rooney Rule survive the DEI backlash? Florida's attorney general says the NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for top jobs, is discriminatory. Trump's EEOC has challenged such policies elsewhere.
	11th annual Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser supports Special Olympics Police departments and Dunkin’ are teaming up Friday for “Cop on a Rooftop,” an annual fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics Illinois.
	Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, launches 'Zoo Nights' program with extended visitor hours Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, will launch a new program this summer. Zoo Nights. will give visitors the chance to explore the zoo during extended evening hours once a month. Guests can enjoy the zoo from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with last entry at 7 p.m., Zoo Nights will be on May 21, June 18 [...]
	Turning hot, humid, and stormy in the Quad Cities Our weather will become more summer-like this weekend into early next week. There is a severe weather threat in the Quad Cities each day through Tuesday. We've only picked up less than one-half of an inch of rain in the first half of May, but much-needed rain is on the way. Here's your complete 7-day [...]
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for May 15, 2026 City leaders in Muscatine are launching a new system to track buses in real time, and Amazon is opening its "last mile facility" in Davenport.
	Bettendorf snowplow names will be unveiled at Public Works Day The votes are in. Will the City of Bettendorf's snowplows be named Sleetwood Mac, Sled Hot Chili Pepper, The WingMan, Salty Dawg, Plowasaurus Rex, Snowmer Simpson, Clearopathra, Blade Runner, ctrl-salt-delete, or Scoop Dogg? At 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16, during the city's annual Public Works Day, Mayor Pro Tem Scott Naumann will reveal the results [...]
	Celebrate our U.S. Armed Forces at free family celebration at Rock Island Arsenal this weekend Residents are invited to the annual Armed Forces Day Celebration at Rock Island Arsenal on May 15-16 featuring fun activities for all ages.
	Bettendorf Rotary to host 20th annual Lobsterfest The 20th annual Bettendorf Rotary Lobsterfest will be held on June 12 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Waterfront Convention Center. The party for a great cause menu features succulent lobster tails, juicy steaks, and a variety of delightful sides, beers and wines.
	Crossroads, Muscatine, provides Secure Shred Day for Quad Cities Crossroads invites community members to its fourth annual Residential Secure Shred Day on Wednesday, May 20, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., a news release says. This convenient drive-through event at 1424 Houser St. allows individuals to securely dispose of up to 50 pounds of personal documents—all without leaving their car. As a local nonprofit [...]
	KWQC partnering to host US Senate Democratic Primary debate The debate aired live at 7 p.m. May 14 on KWQC Cozi 6.3 and was livestreamed on the KWQC apps.
	KWQC to air several Indiana Fever games on ION 6.2 and NBC this season You can watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever play in several games throughout the WNBA season on COZI 6.2 and NBC/Peacock beginning on Friday, May 15th.
	Memorial Day service planned at Summit Church, Davenport The public is invited to one of the oldest continuous observances of Memorial Day West of the Mississippi River, at the 107th Annual Memorial Day Service at Historic Summit Church on Utica Ridge Road, 21980 210th Ave., Davenport, according to a news release. The service will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, May 25. The [...]
	Registration open for Tour of Mississippi River Valley bicycle ride Registration remains open for the Tour of the Mississippi River Valley, a popular and iconic two-day ride sponsored by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club. TOMRV (pronounced “TOM-Rahv”) will take place the weekend of June 6-7. The TOMRV route will take cyclists along the Mississippi River Valley, with an overnight stop in Dubuque. This year’s TOMRV [...]
	I-280 reopened after semi-trailer fire Officials said the trailer was loaded with cardboard and HVAC materials which made extinguishing the fire challenging.
	Quad Cities law enforcement going toe-to-toe for our local Special Olympics About 12 locations throughout the Quad Cities metro area will be handing out coupons and other prizes to encourage people to donate to the Special Olympics.
	Nuclear Regulatory Commission discusses Quad Cities Generating Station safety at public meeting Federal regulators met with residents in Port Byron on Thursday to discuss safety oversight and 2025 performance at the Quad Cities plant.
	Davenport to study temporary traffic changes near River Drive, McClellan Here’s more on Davenport’s plan to test temporary traffic changes at River Drive, River Street and McClellan Boulevard after drivers were clocked at more than 70 mph on River Street.
	Davenport Central High School holds fine arts signing for graduating seniors Davenport Central High School seniors, dedicated to the fine arts, gathered at the high school's Performance Arts Center on Thursday to sign letters of intent with their respective colleges.
	MuscaBus riders can track buses in real time MuscaBus riders can now see exactly where their bus is — right from their phone, tablet, or computer, a news release says. The City of Muscatine has launched a new real-time tracking webpage that shows the live locations of MuscaBus vehicles across all routes, helping riders better plan their trips and reduce wait times. The [...]
	Moline and state removing trees for I-74 interchange reconstruction, city bike path and restaurant Several projects involving tree removal have or will take place in Moline in 2026 related to Interstate 74 interchange reconstruction, a city bicycle path and a new restaurant, according to officials with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the city…
	Key takeaways from Trump's China trip President Trump returns to the U.S. after wrapping up his whirlwind trip to China.
	'Is God Is' is a ferocious, timely tale of misogyny — and revenge In Aleshea Harris' fiery feature debut, men are men, and women pay the consequences.
	How to vote early in the Iowa primary Early voting began Wednesday for Iowa’s primary election. Election Day is June 2.
	Rock Island Lines This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.How could you and I have let America's railroads die?We Rock Islanders have more reason to ask that than most. The Rock…
	Death toll in attack on Kyiv apartment building now stands at 24 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that a Russian missile attack on a Kyiv apartment building the previous day killed 24 people, including three children.
	Which Trump cabinet member has a new reality show? The quiz knows This week, in Warshington, D.C., the Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve and we wrote a quiz question about his name. Enjoy that, and the other nine, too.
	Why are US flags at half-staff? The proper way to lower yours There's a specific way flags are to be lowered to the half-staff position.
	After redistricting, what does representation mean to Tennessee voters? What does representation look like for Tennessee voters who were split into three new congressional districts last week? NPR traveled from Memphis into the Nashville suburbs to ask.
	CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Raul Castro's grandson in Havana, US and Cuban officials say CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Cuban officials including Raúl Castro's grandson during a high-level visit to the island Thursday, Cuban and U.S. officials said.
	Pope decries rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation Pope Leo XIV denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a "spiral of annihilation," as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine.
	Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as a ship is seized and another is sunk Tensions are escalating again near the Strait of Hormuz after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another was attacked and sank near the coast of Oman.
Thursday, May 14th, 2026
	Galva man arrested on child sexual abuse material charge A Galva man is facing charges after a joint investigation between Galva Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
	How would a Democratic governor work with a GOP-led Legislature in Florida? Florida state HD 58 Democratic candidate Bryan Beckman and David Jolly speaking at the Artz for Life Academy in Clearwater on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix)CLEARWATER — David Jolly and Jerry Demings are vying to become the first Democratic governor to lead Florida in nearly three decades. If elected, they’ll face an additional challenge — working with an opposition Republican Party that enjoys a supermajority in the Legislature. Speaking during a campaign event in Clearwater Wednesday night, Jolly mentioned a couple of specific ways he believes he could overcome that problem to deliver his policy goals, beginning with the power to name agency heads. “Think about a state that come January [or] February we have a new surgeon general in charge of the state,” he said, referring to how he would jettison controversial Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo from his position on his first day in office. “Think about an education commissioner who actually is going to have the backs of teacher and kids and books and academia and science and, yes diversity,” he continued. “Think about an environmental policy that is set by people who believe in environmental science. Think about an ethics and transparency office that actually begins to reveal the corrupt campaign finance system we have in the state of Florida, and yes, there’s a lot we can do.” One lever of power that Democrats certainly should have learned from Gov. Ron DeSantis is executive authority, something that the Republican Legislature has rarely objected to during the past seven years. Among the decisions that DeSantis has made over the heads of the House and Senate was using taxpayer funds to send undocumented immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in 2022, and working with the federal government over the past year to create the detention facility for migrants dubbed Alligator Alcatraz (now on the verge of being closed down). If elected, Jolly said, he would “trust” the state’s attorney general to litigate the interests of Florida. “The attorney general exercises that authority. I don’t think the governor is precluded from using that authority, so I intend to litigate a few things,” he said, specifically saying that allowing more access to reproductive care would be one issue he would be willing to spend political capital on. Florida law prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions. More than 57% of Floridians voted to overturn that law in a constitutional amendment in 2024 — a clear majority but short of the 60% required for passage. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in Tampa on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) The Florida Democratic Party’s other major gubernatorial candidate, Jerry Demings, has also been thinking about how he could govern successfully with Republican-controlled Legislature. “As mayor of Orange County, I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans alike to get things done,” he said in a written statement to the Phoenix. “As governor, I will be the bulwark against radical right-wing policies and force the Legislature to work on issues that matter to Floridians, such as affordability. And I will continue to work with local governments, the Florida Association of Counties, and the Florida League of Cities on issues of mutual interest. “I will also not be afraid to wield the veto pen to stop the out-of-control tax-funded giveaways to special interests,” he added. “I will do everything I can to help end the supermajority and bring sane governance back to Tallahassee.” Jolly also believes that if Floridians vote a Democrat into office as governor in November, they likely will also elect enough Democrats in legislative races to overcome the Republicans supermajority. Trifectas Florida’s is one of 23 Republican trifectas in the United States, where the state governor and legislature are of the same party. There are 16 Democratic trifectas and 11 divided governments in which neither party holds complete control. Of those states, a handful feature a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature: Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Vermont has a Republican governor and Democratic-led Legislature. In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is finishing her eighth and final year in office working with a Republican-led Legislature. Sherman Smith, editor of the Phoenix-affiliated Kansas Reflector, said Kelly was “totally underestimated” by Republicans during her first couple of years in office “and she got a lot of wins because of that.” However, after the Kansas GOP expanded its supermajority in 2020, it’s been a much harder path for her to govern, Smith added. And, since the 2024 election, that Republicans have “just entirely written her out of the process because they have strong enough members now, they just say, ‘We don’t even have to talk to the Democrats or tell them what we’re doing, or care what the governor thinks about it.’ They took the budget process away from her and a whole bunch of other stuff — what that means now it that they own it all.” Kelly isn’t completely helpless: Following Kansas’ most recent legislative session earlier this year, she vetoed 24 bills and 31 budget line items. In North Carolina, Democrat Josh Stein took office in January and is now working with a GOP-controlled General Assembly in Raleigh. Five months into his tenure, the results have been “mixed so far,” according to the Associated Press. “The General Assembly passed storm-relief packages but gave Stein roughly a little over half the money he requested,” the AP reports. “It overrode several of his vetoes on bills that build up immigration enforcement, weaken transgender rights and assert other GOP priorities — results that Stein laments.” It should be noted at this point that even with Republicans dominating state government, there have been plenty of clashes between the governor and the Florida House, in particular, since Gov. DeSantis won reelection but lost his presidential campaign in 2024. For example, Gov. DeSantis a year ago vetoed more than half-a-billion dollars in projects from Republicans and Democrats alike in the 2025-26 fiscal year budget. That followed the Legislature overriding DeSantis’ veto of nearly $57 million for the Legislature’s operations in January 2025. Evan Power speaks to reporters in the Capitol on Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Liv Caputo/Florida Phoenix) Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power says the whole discussion is academic. “We now live in a ruby red state with 1.5 million more voters than Democrats,” he said in a text message. “Neither stands a chance to lead the free state of Florida.” Another wrinkle is that Florida governor’s share executive power with the independently elected Florida Cabinet — the attorney general, chief financial officer, and agriculture commissioner, each office held by a Republican. ‘Let’s not waste time’ Jolly says that, if elected, he’ll immediately reach out to Florida’s Republican legislative leaders (who will be Jacksonville’s Sam Garrison in the House and Manatee County’s Jim Boyd in the Senate) and say, “Let’s not waste the next four years on behalf of the state. Let’s figure out how to work together.” As a former Republican turned political independent who tried to build up a third political party before becoming a Democrat last year, Jolly says he’s in “a very post-partisan, post-ideological” phase in his life. But that approach might be simpler said than done. “We’re seeing a couple of Democrats running for governor this election year and talking about how he or they can reach across the aisle and work with the Republicans if they’re elected,” Smith said of what’s happening in Kansas this year. “But the reality is, the Republicans don’t want to work with them. And they don’t have to.” Would the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature take a similar attitude following the shock of losing the governor’s mansion for the first time since 1994? We won’t know until November. Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Rock Island uses TIF grants to drive development, revitalization of West End Rock Island will be using funds from the North Port and North 11th Street TIF Districts to help revitalize some of the neighborhoods in those districts. It' i's a major step toward the city's goal to drive economic growth and development to the West End. "Typically, this type of funding can only go towards commercial [...]
	Iowa Democratic Senate candidates clash over bipartisan approach to abortion policy Iowa State Representative Josh Turek and State Senator Zach Wahls faced off Thursday in one of their final debates before the June primary. Both are competing for the Democratic nomination to fill the seat left by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst.
	NCR discusses Quad Cities Generating Station safety at public meeting Federal regulators met with residents in Port Byron on Thursday to discuss safety oversight and 2025 performance at the Quad Cities plant.
	Omaha’s weekend Cinco de Mayo event marks more than century of fiestas Omaha's Cinco de Mayo celebration in 2021. (Courtesy of Jim O'Keefe)OMAHA — Nebraska’s largest Cinco de Mayo festivities take place this weekend in South Omaha, including a Saturday morning parade with more than 100 entries from political candidates to charros on dancing horses. A past Cinco de Mayo event in Omaha. (Courtesy of Jim O’Keefe) Organizers say the celebration marks 106 years of Mexican fiestas in South Omaha, an area that was once its own city and is known historically as a landing place for immigrants of varied ethnicities. Presented by La Casa de la Cultura and multiple sponsors, the weekend events highlight the culture, community and heritage of a Latino community that began settling in the area in the early 1900s. Marcos Mora of La Casa de la Cultura called the festivities a vital piece of the Omaha-area economy and a Nebraska tourist attraction. He expects roughly 100,000 visitors over the three-day event, some from surrounding states. “It’s a win-win for our families in South Omaha as well as for businesses in bringing in tourism dollars,” he said. “People get hotels, go to the zoo, museums. This culturally and significantly contributes to the fabric of the Omaha area.” La Casa de la Cultura’s dedication to inclusion, cultural awareness and tourism innovation such as the annual Cinco celebrations earned it the Henry Fonda Award in 2023, an honor for tourism excellence from the Nebraska Tourism Commission. Cinco de Mayo marks 105 years of fiestas in South Omaha and stirs old memories Historically, Cinco de Mayo, or May 5th, observes the date in 1862 when a small Mexican army triumphed over invading French troops in the Battle of Puebla. France later would occupy Mexico but that victory stirred feelings of Mexican pride and resilience. This year’s Omaha Cinco de Mayo event is being observed later than May 5th to avoid overburdening police security needed for two big events the past two weekends, the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting and a downtown music festival. This year’s Cinco de Mayo live music and performances are free and open to the public, organizers said. Activities are centered at the Plaza de la Raza at 24th and N Streets but the festival spills onto the historic South 24th corridor from L to O Streets. Festivities start Friday with food and information booths and various entertainment from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday’s parade starts at 9:30 a.m. and will stretch along 24th Street from D to L Streets. Longtime and deep-rooted Omaha families will be featured as Grand Marshals, including the de Loa, Barrientos, Valadez, Lara and Aguilera families. A host of activities and entertainment will unfold through 8 p.m. Sunday events start with a mariachi Mass at 10:30 a.m. in the plaza. Live music and performers will be featured throughout the day, including La Energía Norteña, as the festival continues through 9 p.m. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office investigating irrigator wire thefts Sheriff John Booker said the thefts are disrupting the farming community and causing them significant financial damage, according to a media release.
	Niabi Zoo offering extended hours on select dates The new program, called Zoo Nights, allows visitors to explore the zoo during extended evening hours once a month.
	Clinton County officials: No security breach after incidents in April Clinton County officials have announced that the forensic investigation of the cybersecurity incident that occurred on April 13 and 14 has concluded, according to a news release. This investigation was led by external forensic cybersecurity experts who worked closely with Clinton County employees to investigate this incident. After a thorough investigation, these external experts concluded [...]
	KWQC to air several Indiana Fever games on COZI 6.2 and NBC this season You can watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever play in several games throughout the WNBA season on COZI 6.2 and NBC/Peacock beginning on Friday, May 15th.
	Wahls, Turek spar on reproductive healthcare records at Senate primary debate Democratic U.S. Senate candidates state Sen. Zach Wahls, left, and state Rep. Josh Turek participate May 14, 2026 in a debate sponsored by KCCI TV and Gray Media. (Screenshot from KTIV livestream)Candidates Josh Turek and Zach Wahls sparred Thursday during the second U.S. Senate Democratic primary debate on issues like reproductive healthcare and how to best achieve their policy goals if elected. One of the notable disputes during the KCCI and Gray Media debate centered on reproductive healthcare. Wahls, a state senator from Coralville, said “reproductive rights, in addition to maternal health, is a place of real difference” between him and Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, when comparing their votes at the Iowa Legislature. “During his time in the Legislature, Rep. Turek has missed votes on the six-week abortion ban, on the fetal personhood bill that threatened IVF, and also the mandatory anti-abortion indoctrination that (Gov.) Kim Reynolds was pushing for,” Wahls said. “I’m very proud to have a record that I would put second to none, and in the United States Senate, I will fight to protect maternal health and reproductive rights for every Iowa woman.” Turek called Wahls’ characterization of his missed vote on the state’s six-week abortion ban in 2023 “disgraceful.” “He knows exactly where I was, and honestly, it’s disgraceful,” Turek said. “I was sick with a condition for my disability and I had put out a statement about that. I have always been proudly pro-choice. I will fight for women’s reproductive freedom, and in the United States Senate, I will do all that I can to codify Roe v. Wade.” Roe v. Wade was the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to abortion before the point of fetal viability. It was overturned in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling. Turek, the first member of the Iowa Legislature with a permanent disability, made a statement in a newsletter in 2023 saying he was unable to attend the vote on the bill because of a serious medical issue related to his disability. “I want to apologize to all of my constituents for not being able to cast my vote against this bill on your behalf,” he wrote. “Because of my absence I felt the obligation to make my feelings on this issue known and clear” and he provided a link to further comments. Wahls said this was one of several instances of the Council Bluffs Democrat missing votes on measures related to reproductive rights. He also pointed to Turek missing a vote on a 2024 bill that proposed increasing penalties on the nonconsensual ending of a pregnancy and changing language when referring to these crimes from the termination of a “human pregnancy” to the “death of an unborn person.” Turek’s campaign noted he missed this vote because he was at the Christopher Reeves Foundation’s Legislative Summit advocating for research funding for individuals with disabilities in Washington D.C., an event scheduled before the legislative vote calendar was released. Wahls also cited a 2025 bill which was signed into law requiring students in grades 5 through 12 be shown ultrasound video and computer-generated rendering or animations depicting “the humanity of the unborn child by showing prenatal human development, starting at fertilization” in human growth and development classes. During this vote, Turek was speaking to The Disabled Law Student Association at Syracuse University College of Law. Additionally, Wahls criticized Turek for voting with Republicans during a House Health and Human Services Committee meeting to advance a bill proposed by the governor in 2023. That bill included a variety of policy proposals — it would have allowed over-the-counter access to hormonal birth control medication and created four state-funded obstetrics and gynecology fellowships a year to address the state’s shortage of OB-GYN practitioners. But it was heavily opposed by reproductive healthcare advocates, as it included $2 million for the “More Options for Maternal Support” or MOMS program that funds “crisis pregnancy centers.” Advocates say these entities misrepresent themselves as legitimate medical providers and provide pregnant women misinformation about abortion. “Rep. Turek voted with Republicans on a bill that Kim Reynolds was pushing to quadruple state taxpayer funding for crisis pregnancy centers,” Wahls said. “These are the fake healthcare clinics that lie to Iowa women when they are vulnerable and seeking help. In the United States Senate, I will push to defund these clinics, to make sure that they are not receiving taxpayer support — because Iowa women deserve to have access to real maternal healthcare and reproductive right services, not whatever that is.” Turek said he supported this measure during the committee process, as it contained “incentives for fellowships” related to maternal healthcare. When lawmakers voted on increasing funding for the MOMS program from $500,000 to $1 million as part of the Health and Human Services budget bill in 2023, Turek voted against the measure. The discussion on reproductive healthcare also sparked candidates sharing different opinions on how best to move forward policy if elected. Both Turek and Wahls said they would support codifying Roe v. Wade, but moderators asked how to advance this goal when facing potential gridlock in Congress. Turek said his experience in the Republican-controlled state Legislature has taught him how to work across the aisle to advance meaningful legislation. “When I first joined the Iowa Legislature, I was told that I wouldn’t get a subcommittee, I wouldn’t get a committee, and I would never get anything signed by the governor. Too much tribalism. And I said, ‘I refuse,'” Turek said. “I did not drag my wheelchair up these stairs every single day, just to come up here and hit the red button. And so I had been someone that has been willing to work across the aisle, to build relationships, to be able to actually get policy across the finish line. I’ve been able to get more policy across the finish line, in my four years in the Legislature, than any other Democrat in the state. … And so I believe, going to D.C., that I actually, we can work to codify Roe v. Wade to ensure that every woman has the reproductive freedom that she deserves.” Wahls said he disagreed with this assessment, saying that reproductive healthcare and access to abortion was not an area of compromise with Republicans. “There are some places where we are not going to be able to work across the aisle, because we have a serious disagreement about the future of reproductive rights in this country,” Wahls said. “I will be a champion for Iowa womens’ reproductive freedom in the U.S. Senate the same way that I have been in the Legislature.” Wahls and Turek are competing in the June 2 primary to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat. There is also a Republican primary taking place for the nomination between U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Republican Jim Carlin. Early voting began Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE This story has been updated with additional information on Rep. Josh Turek’s commitments during missed votes at the Iowa Legislature. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Cook review: 'Sheep Detectives' leads the herd for best movie of the year so far You can baaaa-nk on "The Sheep Detectives" as a contender for best picture - even if 2026 isn't half over. Funny, clever and full of plot twists and turns, "The Sheep Detectives" is an endearing movie that is just plain enjoyable. Fans of authors such as Agatha Christie will get a special kick out of [...]
	MuscaBus debuts real-time bus tracking The new MuscaBus Transit Tracker provides users with live location updates, along with whether a bus is inbound, running behind or already passed a stop.
	Major takeaways from the Democratic gubernatorial candidates’ final debate The Democratic gubernatorial candidates, clockwise from top left, Shenna Bellows, Nirav Shah, Troy Jackson, Hannah Pingree, Angus King III. (Photos by Maine Morning Star; Official campaign photos)With early voting for the June 9 primaries already underway, the five Democrats hoping to continue almost a decade of one-party control in Augusta are committing to largely the same agenda: taxing out-of-staters and millionaires, investing in housing and education, and standing up to President Donald Trump. While some tout their decades of state government experience, like former House of Representatives Speaker and Mills administration employee Hannah Pingree, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is emphasizing her record opposing the Trump administration. There’s not many policy areas the candidates differ on. Energy entrepreneur Angus King III often skews more moderate than his competitors, hesitant to commit to the big swings such as universal healthcare and childcare that they support. Former Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Nirav Shah also sometimes takes a more cautious approach to certain policies, but is currently leading in the polls. And former Senate President Troy Jackson often holds the most progressive stances, openly critiquing the Mills administration for vetoing several significant bills he sponsored while in the Legislature that he says would have made the state more affordable. The race remains very tight, though recent internal polls have shown that Shah maintains a lead. However, that has not changed the tenor of the Democratic debates. This contrasts with the Republican primary, in which the candidates haven’t held back from taking swipes at each other, especially perceived frontrunner Bobby Charles. A statewide poll from Schoen Cooperman Research on behalf of 314 Action Victory Fund, which is backing the public health leader, found Shah with 28% support, nine points ahead of the others on the first ballot. The survey, which spoke to 522 Democratic primary voters from April 30 to May 4, found King following with 21%, Bellows at 16%, Pingree with 15% and Jackson at 13%. When the ranked-choice ballot is taken into account, Shah’s lead grows to 16 points on the final ballot. The November general election for governor will not be ranked, though the primary will be. Shah also captured the lead in another poll, conducted May 6-9 by the firm GQR for the Pingree campaign, with 32% support among likely primary voters before they were provided with each candidates’ biography. That lead fell to 29% when voters were informed. During their final televised debate, sponsored by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and News Center Maine, which was recorded Wednesday and aired Thursday evening, the candidates were asked to be more specific about how they would expand housing stock and help Maine’s struggling schools as well as whether they’d support a minimum wage increase (most would). Here are some key takeaways from the latest debate: Prioritizing childcare For the first time, candidates explained their positions on childcare policy. Everyone except King supported free childcare for Maine families. “We need universal childcare and universal pre-K for three and four year olds,” Bellows said.“I think this is hugely important for economic development in our state, and also from a moral perspective, our children, quite literally, are, in fact, our future.” Universal childcare is estimated to cost $400 million, Bellows said. Earlier this year, more than 150 workers from the Maine AFL-CIO (one of the labor unions that has endorsed Jackson) showed up to the State House to support his proposal for universal childcare, which would provide a free year of care to families earning up to 125% of the state median income and provide living wages to childcare workers. For families earning more, they would pay no more than 7% of their household income toward the cost of childcare. “It’s important for the state to step up and invest in this because it is a priority, and we’re losing so many people because they don’t have childcare,” he said. Pingree called Jackson “a real pioneer and leader” in pushing for a universal policy, saying she would also support reducing the waiting list for families and making care more affordable. Shah highlighted the economic importance of childcare, saying, “what we fundamentally need are businesses in Maine that have more skin in the childcare game.” “Childcare is not only just a human and social need,” he continued, “it’s also an economic need, and right now it’s putting a handicap on our economy, because one spouse, usually the woman, unfortunately, is staying out of the workforce.” King also highlighted the importance of helping businesses invest in childcare for their employees, but cautioned against universal promises. “I’m trying to be as careful as I can to not be making financial promises during this campaign,” he said. “Because I think we’re all going to have to have to tighten our belts in the future, given the cuts that are coming from the feds.” He said he would instead help businesses establish their own childcare, pointing to Bath Iron Works as an example. He also said the state should lower the regulatory burden on childcare centers. Raising taxes on the wealthy To address looming budget challenges, most of the candidates said the state should be imposing more taxes on the wealthiest in the state, arguing that they aren’t currently paying their fair share. Several voiced support for the recently passed millionaires tax, which will add a 2% tax on income above $1 million. Beyond that, Bellows and Pingree both said they’d support an amendment to the state constitution to be able to increase property taxes on people with second homes in Maine. Shah and Jackson, however, argued such a move would likely get bogged down in court. “I say we try it. Worst case scenario, an out-of-stater sues us,” Bellows said. “We need the courage and boldness to try.” The candidates also all said they’d at least consider raising meals and lodging taxes from Memorial Day to fall. “Communities need more services, and they can’t really rely on property taxes anymore,” Jackson said. To offer some relief to fulltime Maine residents, most candidates also supported at least doubling the homestead exemption, which currently provides a reduction of up to $25,000 from the value of your home for tax purposes. Shah and Jackson said they would look at quadrupling the reduction, to $100,000 off the value of one’s permanent residence. Electability beyond the Democratic Party The debate’s final question focused on electability, with the moderators asking the candidates what they would say to independents and Republicans heading to the polls. Pingree noted she’s “never lost” an election. She was elected House speaker “unanimously,” including among independents and Republicans. “They trusted me, knew I’d show up and listen,” she said. Shah touted his experience as the state’s former public health chief during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve shown up and had your back before, in some of the darkest times the state has gone through” he said. Bellows recalled a time that someone told her that she and Trump were their favorite politicians. “What he said was, ‘I don’t always agree with you, but you always say what you mean.’” Jackson pointed out that he was elected Maine Senate president with bipartisan support, something he said he’s very proud of. He also represented a region, Allagash in Aroostook County, “that used to be Democratic, and now is rock red.” King highlighted his outsider status. “This moment calls for different,” he said. The former energy executive said the state needs a leader who has “harnessed the power of shared work and a clear vision, put public and private sector together … clean energy and climate know-how together, and heck, Republican and Democratic ideas together to make a difference in people’s lives.” Courtesy of Maine Morning Star
	Crews battling semi trailer fire on I-280, one lane shut down Crews are battling a semi trailer fire off of Interstate 280 causing one lane to shut down.
	Drought causes federal disaster designation in four South Dakota counties The U.S. Drought Monitor Map for May 14, 2026, shows South Dakota ranging from normal, in white, to abnormally dry, in yellow, and drought conditions including moderate, severe and, in red, extreme. (Image courtesy of National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln)The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated a natural disaster area Thursday in four South Dakota counties due to drought, making farmers and ranchers eligible to apply for emergency loans. The counties are Brule, Gregory, Lyman and Tripp, in the south-central part of the state. A news release from the USDA said eligibility extends to the contiguous counties of Aurora, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Hughes, Hyde, Jerauld, Jones, Mellette, Stanley and Todd. The designation allows the USDA’s Farm Service Agency to offer emergency loans for needs including the replacement of equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. The FSA will review the loan applications based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. The four primary counties have suffered from a growing-season drought classified as severe by the U.S. Drought Monitor for eight or more consecutive weeks, or suffered from extreme or exceptional drought. Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Mercado on Fifth marks 10 years of culture, food and entrepreneurship in Quad Cities It all kicks off with an opening celebration featuring live music, food vendors and local collaborations on Friday, May 22 at 5:15 p.m.
	The healthcare budget: HMOs cut, nursing homes rates swell, and hospitals in limbo After Friday, legislative negotiations over unresolved budget items will be decided by the House and Senate budget chairs as opposed to conference committees. (Getty Images) House and Senate budget negotiators swapped multiple offers Thursday as they rushed to resolve differences in the roughly $115 billion spending plan they are working on. Legislators have been at it for three straight days tackling items ranging from affordable housing, money for schools and health care, Everglades restoration, and more. The budget special session — which is scheduled to run until May 29 — will become less frenzied and more secretive in the coming days. That’s because after Friday, negotiations over unresolved items will be decided by the House and Senate budget chairs as opposed to conference committees. There’s an agreement to spend $19.2 billion in general revenue (GR) for programs that provide health care to the poor, elderly, and disabled as well as people in foster care programs. And House and Senate health care budget conferees — chosen to negotiate health care spending differences — were busy at work Thursday, meeting twice. The chambers have agreed to increase nursing homes reimbursements and reduce how much to pay contracted managed care companies for caring for the poor elderly and disabled. Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals, meanwhile, remain in limbo with the Senate pushing for reductions in payments for inpatient stays as well as outpatient care. The sides haven’t exchanged offers on anything besides funding statewide programs and special projects. Offers to come together on more detailed budget nuances and changing statutes haven’t emerged. For the first time since the inception of the mandatory Medicaid managed care program more than a decade ago, the Legislature will reduce reimbursement rates for contracted health plans. The chambers have agreed to a 1.3%, or $206 million, recurring reduction. Pensacola Republican Rep. Alex Andrade, chair of the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee, said the DeSantis administration believes the new Medicaid managed care contracts resulted in a 1% savings to taxpayers but that the governor didn’t include those savings in his legislative budget request. So, Andrade said, the House built in the 1% savings and slightly inflated it. Meanwhile, the Senate continues to push rate reductions for inpatient and outpatient hospital stays, recommending slashing rates by $37 million and $52.5 million, respectively. The House has not agreed to the reductions. Keep an eye on APD House Speaker Daniel Perez, whose brother has autism, has been candid about his interest in the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) and the care the state helps provide for people with disabilities. To that, the House has increased funding for an APD “maintenance and repair trust fund” from $3 million in the initial House budget to $19.3 million in the latest House offer. The Senate, which initially had no funding for the account, offered earlier Thursday to spend $18 million on the fund. The $19.3 million appropriation matches the amount that the House has included in a second APD trust fund for capital improvement projects. The Senate has put just $633,000 into the second fund. While the amount the House wants to spend in the trust funds grows, the chamber has pared back from $23 million to $11 million the amount of money intended to eliminate a lengthy waitlist for a waiver program called the iBudget. The Medicaid waiver program provides home- and community-based services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Senate hasn’t directed any money toward eliminating the waitlist. And after not requesting any increases for iBudget support coordinators, the House on Thursday night requested $22.7 million in funding. The Senate’s budget provides $10 million for increases for the people who help iBudget clients get the services they require to stay living in the community instead of institutions. Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	The Heart of the Story: A pursuit of history 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 real-life Indiana Jones in the QCA researches [...]
	Third slate of Whiteside County jurors thrown out in 3 months The 14th Circuit and Whiteside County are working to untangle systematic issues in their jury selection process.
	Montgomery medical cannabis producer says product is ‘days away’ Vince Schilleci, owner of Callie's Apothecary, gestures to a display case that has mock medical cannabis products during a media tour on May 16, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. Schilleci said the dispensary is "days away" from opening to patients. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)Patients in Alabama with qualifying medical conditions are “days away” from being able to purchase medical cannabis with a physician’s recommendation, according to Vince Schilleci, owner of a dispensary. Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery will be the first medical cannabis dispensary to open in Alabama. When the program is fully up and running, there will be 12 dispensaries across the state between four companies. “Our goal is to get any questions answered, but get our patients in and out of here quickly, efficiently, do it in a professional manner, but most importantly, be compassionate,” said Vince Schilleci, owner of dispensary Callie’s Apothecary, Thursday morning during a tour. “These patients are dealing with issues, pain, and dealing with them for a while.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Mock medical cannabis tinctures in a display case at Callie’s Apothecary in Montgomery, Alabama, on May 14, 2026. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Schilleci would not give a specific date for the Montgomery location’s opening because it depends on the testing of the products and delivery. He said the order for the first round of product has been placed from the processor, but when it will be delivered cannot be certain. “We have to remember this product is not like potato chips or something that’s easy to ship, and we have testing that it has to go through. We have to get it into the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system,” Schilleci said. “There’s a lot of moving parts, but we’re close.” Three of the companies, CCS of Alabama, LLC, GP6 Wellness, LLC, and RJK Holdings, LLC, have licenses and are expected to open their storefronts this summer, according to Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Director John McMillan. A fourth license is pending litigation, but is likely to go to Yellowhammer Medical Dispensaries, LLC. Dispensary Locations: CCS of Alabama, LLC Montgomery, Bessemer and Talladega GP6 Wellness, LLC Birmingham, Athens and Attalla RJK Holdings, LLC Oxford, Daphne and Mobile Yellowhammer Medical Dispensary, LLC *pending license approval Birmingham, Owens Cross Roads and Demopolis “We’re very anxious to move forward so we can become what the Legislature envisioned, and the public and patients need,” McMillan said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. The Alabama medical cannabis law, enacted in 2021, allows registered physicians to recommend cannabis for about 15 medical conditions, including cancer, depression, Parkinson’s Disease, PTSD, sickle-cell anemia, chronic pain, and terminal diseases. The approved product forms are restricted to tablets, tinctures, patches, oils, and gummies (only peach flavor), with raw plant material and smokable forms remaining prohibited. People who suffer from the qualifying conditions must get approval from their physician and enter the patient registry in order to buy products at a dispensary. Litigation has also held up access to medical cannabis. Some firms sued the commission for not being awarded a license, citing a discriminatory process. Another case involved five parents that sued the commission over delays in access to cannabis, which was dismissed in August. McMillan said that there were 181 patients registered with the commission as of Monday. As of Thursday, there are 43 physicians certified to recommend medical cannabis to patients in Alabama, according to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. Schilleci said that Callie’s is just waiting on products to be delivered before it can open. Once it does, patients will present their “cannabis card” that their recommending physician will give them in order to enter the storefront. They will then sign in and enter a pharmacy-like room where they can receive consultation from dispensary staff and select a cannabis product. “This is a healthcare program. This is for the health of our patients in Alabama, and it says we are not a recreational program,” Schilleci said. “You just can’t come in here and buy something. You’ve got to go through the process of getting the card and going and making sure you have a qualifying condition.” Alora Frank, area manager at Callie’s Apothecary, speaks to reporters during a tour of the medical cannabis dispensary for media on May 14, 2026, in Montgomery, Alabama. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) Schilleci said he is unsure of the total price of each product, but their estimates are lower than their original estimates when they applied. In 2023, Schilleci said CCS estimated that patients would pay $65 for a supply of cuboids, or gummies. “As time moves on and we have more as the processors get comfortable with the program, I think you’ll start seeing the more advanced, gel caps, or maybe transdermal patches, perhaps inhalers and nebulizers and things like that,” Schilleci said. Alora Frank, the area manager at Callie’s, worked in the medical cannabis industry in Florida before moving to Alabama, her home state, to work at the Montgomery dispensary. “On your first visit, there’s a lot of nerves, a lot of fear, there’s a lot of stigma around using this as an alternative medical product. But after their first visit, that second, that third visit, when you start to see people come in and they tell you, ‘Wow, I was able to stop this medication, stop that medication.’ Or you have a patient that had to come in with a wheelchair, and then can come in on their own power. It’s very, very fulfilling,” Frank said. “We are dosing cannabis, but we get doses of humanity back.” Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Clinton County IT systems back online after security incident A third-party forensics team confirmed threat was caught in early stages.
	Sensitive data not impacted by Clinton County cybersecurity incident A third-party forensics team confirmed threat was caught in early stages.
	Whiteside County sheriff investigates irrigator-wire thefts The Whiteside County Sheriff's Office is investigating irrigator wire thefts throughout the county, according to a news release from Sheriff John F. Booker. "These thefts are causing significant financial damage and disruption of our farming community," Booker said in the release, which says the sheriff's office is increasing patrols in rural areas and utilizing additional [...]
	Davenport North and West High Schools receive Carrie Chapman Catt Capitol Award for registering student voters Davenport North High School and Davenport West High School earned an award for registering more than 100 student voters. In Iowa, 122 high schools signed up to qualify for the Carrie Chapman Catt Award during the school year, and only seven received it. With primaries coming up it could show an interest in younger voters [...]
	Georgia woman works through injuries as health insurance costs soar Carry Smith at her office in Savannah on May 13, 2026. After a car accident left Smith severely injured, she now works three jobs to afford the health coverage she needs to stay alive. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America)This story is available through The Current GA. Carry Smith yawned as she fastened the driver’s side seat belt in her 2002 Toyota Sequoia. On a Sunday in early May, Smith headed to one of her four part-time jobs in Chatham County, part of her seven-day work week. Two years earlier, Smith suffered life-threatening injuries when a deer crashed into her car. None of her jobs offer health benefits, and so she works every day to afford the insurance that keeps her necessary follow-up medical care accessible. “What it means to me is my lifeline,” Smith said. Like hundreds of thousands of Georgia gig workers, small business owners and their employees, Smith’s only option for robust health care coverage is through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, known here as Georgia Access. Last year approximately 24 million Americans enrolled, including 1.3 million Georgians. But those record levels have fallen sharply in 2026 — and Smith’s struggles illustrate the reasons why. President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress decided to let enhanced subsidies that started during the Covid pandemic and made plans much cheaper for many more Americans expire on Dec. 31. Premiums soared, and approximately 350,000 Georgians gave up their ACA plans. That approximately 950,000 Georgians remain insured through Georgia Access is a point of pride for state Republican leaders like Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp drove the effort to create the state-run exchange and initiate a reinsurance market that made Georgia, which has some of the worst health care metrics in the nation, more attractive to large health insurance companies. That initiative also lowered premiums for some policyholders, though not nearly as much as the enhanced federal subsidies. “More people are covered today in Georgia than what was promised by the one-size-fits-none, bloated government approach Democrats have promoted in every election cycle,” said Kemp spokesman Carter Chapman. Smith is one of thousands of Georgians caught in the undertow of these policy decisions. Given her preexisting conditions, Obamacare insurance is the only worthwhile option available to her. She is grateful for it, though since the start of the year, her premiums have jumped from $45.67 to $330.62 — the cost of a car payment. A day in the life of Smith illustrates the financial and emotional costs of keeping that coverage. Finally able to afford insurance Always healthy, a runner and a doer, Smith went years as an adult without health insurance. She barely spent a dime on medical costs, either. But in 2023, after turning 40, she thought differently. During the pandemic, prices on the ACA marketplace had become affordable for her. She bought coverage that began on January 1, 2024, at a premium price of $136.90 a month. Within a year it fell to $45.67 a month. Five days after starting that policy, an adult buck ran in front of her car on the night drive home from a work event near Ellabell. Her car careened into a culvert and hit a tree. Flown by helicopter to Memorial Health in Savannah, she spent four hours in surgery to fuse broken vertebrae. The collision broke her neck, ribs and her nose. Her car was totaled. Carry Smith in recovery after she was involved in a car accident. (Credit: Carry Smith) Her mother, Jan Smith, drove frantically from Tennessee to her daughter’s hospital bed. Smith spent 17 days in the hospital. Then there were complications, and more time in the hospital. Her mother remembered how worried Carry was about the cost of her deductible. “I said, Honey, that deductible ain’t going to be but a drop in the bucket of what this is going to cost,” her mother recalled. Just when she thought she was healing at home, a dangerous bacterial infection brought her back to the hospital. The healing took almost six months. “Probably one of the most difficult times was learning to lay straight,” Smith said. “Because if I didn’t lay flat, then my neck didn’t heal right.” Smith needed a care team, including an infectious disease doctor who keeps her on antibiotics and a neurologist to monitor her spine. Her ACA insurance plan was the only sure way for her to access these specialists. Smith went back to work after her accident as soon as she could, determined to live independently and support herself. But to keep her jobs — she was juggling two at the time — she needed another car to replace the one she totaled. What she could afford was a 20-year-old Toyota, which cost $6500. Community donations helped with a down payment and she financed a $300 per month car loan for the rest. That cost meant she needed more work. Searching Craigslist, she found opportunities restocking energy drinks in Savannah-area convenience and grocery stores on weekends, a schedule that leaves her no day off. Smith’s traditional work week jobs are less mundane. One of her employers is Georgians for a Healthy Future, which advocates for health care assistance. Another is a voter advocacy organization. Carry Smith stocks shelves with energy drinks at a grocery store in Savannah on May 10, 2026. After a car accident left Smith severely injured, she now works three jobs to afford the health coverage she needs to stay alive. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Steeped in the world of political policy, Smith was following the debates in Washington last fall when U.S. lawmakers, mostly Democrats, shut down the government to protest the looming end to enhanced ACA subsidies. Her life got substantially more complicated when the protest failed. When the Obamacare reenrollment period started, her jaw dropped. The premium for a new plan offering similar amounts of coverage multiplied seven times: from $47 to $330 per month. Smith had a small stroke of luck. Her car loan payments ended in January, freeing up extra cash to pay for insurance. As long as she kept working 7 days a week. Her endless grind has emotional and family consequences. Before the car accident, Smith would travel from Savannah to her parents’ home in Tennessee about once a month. There, she’d visit family, bond with her nieces and nephews. Eat her mom’s home cooked ham, fried potatoes, pinto beans and cornbread; and her grandmother’s potato salad. Her entire family and community are there in Sequatchie County. Her father has a muscular atrophy condition, making it difficult for her mom to come to Savannah. Over Mother’s Day weekend, the distance was much more painful. “Of course I miss seeing her,” said her mom, Jan. “And her little niece, she’s absolutely crazy about her. Sometimes somebody’ll pull up and it’s, ‘Carry’s here!’” Smith is saving for a trip later this year, keeping her fingers crossed that rising costs of life won’t eat up what little she can put away. Downgrading to stay covered On paper, many ACA policy holders like Smith still have options for cheaper coverage. The affordability crisis is so difficult for so many, that significant numbers of Georgians have downgraded their insurance plans to less robust options. Georgia Access, like all ACA marketplaces, ranks insurance plans into tiers. Silver plans, the mid-tier coverage option, used to dominate the state marketplace. In 2025, 70% of policyholders had such plans, while 24% chose a bronze plan. In 2026, only 57% of plans were silver, and 39% were bronze. The jump in the number of bronze plans nationwide is the largest since Obamacare launched in 2014, according to data compiled by the health research organization KFF. The downgrading of plans — as well as the huge losses of insured Georgians — worry health insurance companies as well as public health advocates. In a sort of Catch-22, the higher insurance premiums on the ACA can drive prices higher for all Americans, according to Matt McGough, a health policy analyst on the ACA at KFF. When prices rise, healthy people start to forego insurance, and those who need more care stay insured, making the ACA marketplace a less attractive place for insurance companies to do business. At the same time, when more people are uninsured, they don’t see a doctor for routine health exams or care, and when they finally seek medical assistance they often can’t pay. Hospital costs that aren’t reimbursed through insurance payments get passed on, normally to other customers in the form of higher prices. Republican lawmakers cited what they called a broken Obamacare system as a reason to let the enhanced subsidies expire. But in addition, Trump was trying to cut health spending by $1 trillion, not raise it. And extending the subsidies for 10 years would have cost $350 billion. In reaction, at least one state, New Mexico, absorbed the costs of lost federal subsidies to keep their residents insured. ACA enrollment there soared this year. In Georgia, such a decision could have an annual cost of $658 million, according to 2024 data from KFF. Kemp and state Republican leaders in the House and Senate did not discuss such an option during the legislative session that ended in April. Working more for less Carry Smith helps a man register to vote as one of her three jobs. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Meanwhile, Smith works seven days a week to keep herself healthy. One recent Sunday morning, she set off for her first stores in the dappled sunlight. She looked at the positives in her life and what she was fortunate to have. Like the fresh morning air. “I’ve got a little sunroof, that sometimes I probably shouldn’t open the whole thing, but I open a little of the top part, a little bit,” Smith said. Before getting to her first job, she stopped at a McDonalds drive-through for a treat, ordering a Raspberry Refresher, what she called “a strong confection.” “I think on a Sunday I deserve it,” she said. Driving over the causeway towards the job at a convenience store on Wilmington Island, Smith spoke of the tidal river as “majestic.” “I like the fact that this little island, none of these islands, have been too commercialized,” she said. She pulled up to her first store and took a photo on the company’s app. Each visit is intricately documented from the time of her arrival, to details of the stock she replenishes and the display when she finishes. As she works, Smith listens to podcasts, BBC World News or a public radio politics podcast. She likes learning. And it takes her mind to a different place, away from her tender spine as she loads heavy pallets of drinks. Carry Smith climbs into her car as she leaves one of her jobs. (Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America) Smith describes her own home as organized, and that’s how she leaves the drink displays – “pretty,” in her word. “People tell me it’s because I’m a Virgo,” she said. “For me, it’s, I just like doing.” Smith worked until 7 p.m. that Sunday, restocking five stores and, separately, putting in time as a voting rights advocate. On the way home, Smith stopped for dinner: Two tacos, sides and a half-sweet iced tea at the Mexican restaurant Cancun. She savored the food and the last hour of sunlight from a window table. Smith then took a two-hour nap, waking up to work on homework until 1 a.m. In addition to her work, Smith is enrolled in a Ph.D. program in political science at Clark Atlanta University and trying to complete her dissertation. Pressed for her thoughts on how she makes it all work – the two jobs during the week, the two jobs during the weekend, the advanced degree work stretching in bits and pieces over half her adult life – she concedes. “It’s hard,” Smith says lightly. “It’s a constant struggle.” This article first appeared on The Current and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Courtesy of Georgia Recorder
	Dead people are showing up on jury lists. Whiteside County judge dismisses whole panel A judge dismissed a Whiteside County jury panel after discovering illegal exclusions based on age and status, sparking fears of systemic judicial errors.
	Third slate of Whiteside County jurors thrown out in 3 months The 14th Circuit and Whiteside County are working to untangle systematic issues in their jury selection process.
	Davenport swears in six new officers During Wednesday's city council meeting, Davenport Mayor Jason Gordon swore in six new police officers who will now begin their field training on the city's streets.
	US Supreme Court rules telehealth abortion can resume while lawsuit continues The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that telehealth access to abortion medication can continue according to current rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)The U.S. Supreme Court decided Thursday to preserve telehealth access to the abortion drug mifepristone until after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the merits of the high-stakes federal lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas issued dissenting opinions. In his dissent, Thomas said the rule violates the Comstock Act, a long unenforced 1873 law that bans the mailing of “obscene” material. During the 2024 presidential campaign, President Donald Trump said he didn’t support using the Comstock Act to stop mail delivery of abortion pills, saying he thought the federal government should have nothing to do with the issue. Mifepristone’s manufacturer “makes a passing reference to the possibility of lost sales,” Alito wrote in his dissent. “But lost sales in states where abortifacients are generally illegal are not ‘irreparable injuries’ that can justify granting a stay.” Supreme Court extends stay allowing telehealth abortion Abortion-rights advocates around the country called the decision a relief after two weeks of uncertainty. On May 1, the appellate court sided with Louisiana, where state officials sued the FDA in October, arguing that a rule allowing telehealth access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester or to treat miscarriage, undermines the state’s abortion ban. Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, two manufacturers of mifepristone, filed emergency appeals, leading the Supreme Court to issue a 10-day stay on May 4, extended until today. “Though today’s decision means that mifepristone remains available through telehealth for now, this fight is not over,” said Dr. Camille A. Clare, president of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, in an emailed statement. “The chaos and confusion wrought by competing decisions and the revocation and restoration of access on an almost daily basis do real harm to patients and to the clinicians who care for them.” Abortion opponents decried Thursday’s decision. “Women deserve better than dangerous abortion drugs sent through the mail without physician oversight or in-person support,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, a major network of anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers. “A state like Louisiana that values life in its laws should be able to protect its smallest residents as well as their moms.” The FDA’s approved two-drug regimen via telemedicine is an increasingly common abortion method, especially for people living in parts of the country where abortion is banned or difficult to access. Last month, a federal district court paused the lawsuit at the request of the FDA until after the completion of a safety review on mifepristone. That review was prompted by non-peer reviewed, anti-abortion research and in spite of the drug’s record of safety and efficacy since 2000. The state appealed to the 5th Circuit. Due to multiple ongoing efforts to restrict or block mifepristone, abortion providers have told Stateline they are ready to eventually switch to a misoprostol-only method, which researchers have found to be as safe as the two-drug regimen but typically involves more symptoms and is slightly less effective. Unpacking the fight over telehealth access to abortion medication National groups have tried to pressure the Trump administration to drop the Biden-era rule allowing telehealth abortion and called for the head of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary for reportedly slow-walking a safety review of the drug until after the midterm elections. Makary resigned on Tuesday, and anti-abortion groups wasted no time in getting Acting Commissioner Kyle Diamantas on the phone. Live Action founder and president Lila Rose, in a written statement, said she talked to the acting commissioner on Wednesday and that he said he was morally opposed to abortion. “Diamantas told me that reviewing the abortion pill is a top priority for him and the administration,” Rose posted on X. Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins wrote a similar message to supporters in an email on Thursday, saying Diamantas will be the “most pro-life FDA commissioner in American history.” But many doctors around the country say curbing access to telehealth abortion is likely to cause harm to people in states with bans who may face more barriers to obtaining an abortion without that option. “Women will be forced to travel long distances — at times hundreds of miles — to access safe, essential health care at a doctor’s office, no longer having the option to receive mifepristone via telemedicine,” wrote Rob Davidson, an emergency physician in Michigan and executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, in a letter asking the Supreme Court to maintain access to telehealth abortion. The letter was cosigned by more than 2,200 physicians. Stateline reporter Sofia Resnick can be reached at sresnick@stateline.org. Stateline reporter Kelcie Moseley-Morris can be reached at kmoseley@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Galva man arrested for child sexual abuse material A Galva man was arrested for child sexual abuse material. According to a release from the Galva Police Department, Dalton Leverette, 26, was arrested, following a joint investigation conducted with Homeland Security Investigations. On May 14, officers with the Galva Police Department and federal and local law enforcement partners executed a search warrant at a [...]
	Mock crash, real training: Nursing students participate in disaster response before graduation Nearly 90 nursing students at St. Ambrose University stepped into a large-scale disaster simulation Thursday morning.
	WA gets $538M in delayed COVID-era payments from FEMA (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)The federal government announced Wednesday it’s reimbursing the Washington state health department $263 million for costs responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money is part of $538 million that Washington’s state and local health departments and hospital systems are receiving, according to U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen’s office. The state Military Department is getting $2 million. There’s also nearly $73 million for King County, $10 million for Pierce County, and $120 million for the Franciscan Health system. The money for the state Department of Health is meant to cover past expenses like personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and patients, lab equipment to expand COVID testing and added staff at hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Nationwide, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced $5.4 billion in reimbursements across the country, after years of delays. “FEMA finally releasing these reimbursements helps replenish coffers and strengthen health care systems, which protects affordable health care options for local families,” said Larsen, a Democrat from Everett. Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said in a statement that it’s “good to see that this money is finally getting out to Washington state entities that are owed it.” “But these resources should have gone out the door a long time ago,” Murray continued. She accused former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of holding up the payments “for no good reason, and we need to keep speaking out about this administration treating disaster relief as a political cudgel.” FEMA officials said the costs the federal government is covering are in line with an executive order from President Donald Trump aiming to audit expenses and stave off fraud. Republican members of Congress, including the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, had also expressed frustration over delays in getting the funding out. The reimbursements remained “severely delinquent and subject to a lack of transparency and communication with recipients and subrecipients,” Rep. Andrew Garbarino, a Republican from New York, wrote in a letter in January to then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Withholding these funds from the nation’s hospitals and public health systems cripples readiness and inhibits ongoing operations ahead of emerging challenges,” Garbarino continued. In Washington, between 2020 and March 2023, nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 were confirmed and 16,000 people died, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The first confirmed case of the virus in the nation was here in January 2020. The pandemic squeezed hospitals, leading to yearslong financial fragility. They sustained upward of $4 billion in losses between 2021 and 2024, according to a Washington State Hospital Association survey. Meanwhile, they’re also bracing for steep cuts to Medicaid that congressional Republicans approved last year. Trump has eyed putting more of the onus on states to prepare for and recover from disasters, instead of relying on federal assistance from FEMA. Courtesy of Washington State Standard
	Western Illinois 11-year-old is the world's youngest museum curator At just nine years old, Anderson Taylor opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum in the fall of 2024, turning his childhood passion into a community institution.
	Several Mississippi River lock and dams are celebrating birthdays Lock and Dam 12 in Bellevue, Iowa, and Lock and Dam 17 in New Boston, Illinois, are both turning 87 years old. Lock 19 down in Keokuk, Iowa, is 69.
	Supreme Court rules abortion pills can continue to be mailed The U.S. Supreme Court, pictured on April 9, 2026. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)This article was originally published by The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom covering gender, politics, and policy. After briefly letting a national ban take effect, the Supreme Court blocked a lower court’s ruling that would have prevented mailing a key abortion drug. The decision, issued Thursday, allows telehealth dispensation of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in most abortions, to continue while the state of Louisiana challenges its legality. Research shows the two-drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol is safe to take from home and highly effective in ending a pregnancy. The drug’s safety profile led the Food and Drug Administration to approve mifepristone for distribution without an in-person doctors’ visit in 2023, after the agency allowed medical professionals to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Mailed prescriptions have allowed people living in states with bans to continue getting abortions, contributing to an increase in abortions since the fall of Roe v. Wade. Now, about a quarter of all abortions are done through telehealth, and about half are for people living in states with bans. Data released Monday by the Society for Family Planning, which tracks abortions, noted that even in states without abortion bans, about 40 percent of people getting abortions use telehealth. Medical providers hailed the court’s decision, but argued that the legal back-and-forth could confuse patients seeking abortions and clinicians who provide them. “Though today’s decision means that mifepristone remains available through telehealth for now, this fight is not over,” Dr. Camille A. Clare, the head of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement. “The chaos and confusion wrought by competing decisions and the revocation and restoration of access on an almost daily basis do real harm to patients and to the clinicians who care for them.” Telehealth’s popularity has put abortion opponents on a quest to block the option through a variety of legal challenges and state laws. The court’s decision comes in response to a case filed by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill who argued that the FDA had insufficiently considered mifepristone’s safety when approving it for telehealth. The state also alleged that the drug’s availability by telehealth had enabled a woman in Louisiana to be forced into an abortion against her will. Abortion opponents have argued often that telehealth has made it easier to force people to get abortions, though research suggests that more often, reproductive coercion involves people being denied the option to terminate a pregnancy. On May 1, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocked mifepristone’s approval for telehealth while the case continued, arguing that Louisiana was likely to succeed. Drug manufacturers appealed to the Supreme Court, which on May 4 temporarily blocked the lower court’s ruling while it considered the case. The court’s decision blocking the ruling briefly expired at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14. The court ruled almost half an hour later to enable telehealth to continue. The Louisiana case will continue to make its way through the courts, and could ultimately end up argued before the Supreme Court. Abortion opponents have also launched other legal challenges to mifepristone’s availability, as well as to the state laws that protect health care providers in states with abortion protections when they prescribe and mail the pills to people living in states with bans. In separate dissents, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — the court’s two staunchest conservatives — criticized the Supreme Court’s decision to allow telehealth to continue. Thomas argued that the court should block telehealth, saying the mailing of abortion medications violates the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law that has not been enforced in decades. Abortion opponents argue the law should be resurrected to ban mailing any drugs that can be used for abortions. Alito, the author of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court’s decision overturning Roe, wrote that mailing mifepristone undercut Dobbs by allowing people to circumvent their states’ abortion bans. “Some States responded to Dobbs by making it even easier to obtain an abortion than it was before, and that is their prerogative. Other States, including Louisiana, made abortion illegal except in narrow circumstances,” Alito wrote. “But Louisiana’s efforts have been thwarted by certain medical providers, private organizations, and States that abhor laws like Louisiana’s and seek to undermine their enforcement.” Abortion opponents swiftly criticized the ruling. Kristan Hawkins, who heads the anti-abortion activist group Students for Life, posted “ENFORCE THE COMSTOCK ACT” seven times in a single post on the social media platform X. In a subsequent post, she argued that the White House should step in to block the mailing of abortion pills. In a statement, John Seago, who heads the Texas-based anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life, said the Trump administration could intervene, directing the FDA to reverse its decision approving telehealth distribution of mifepristone. “We shouldn’t have to depend on the court to force the FDA to do the right thing,” Seago said. “The administration could choose to restore the in-person requirement themselves right now.” Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	Healthcare bill expanding maternal care, contraception access heads to Missouri governor State Rep. Tara Peters, R-Rolla, speaks during Missouri House floor debate on May 5, 2025. (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications)The Missouri House gave final approval Thursday to a wide-ranging healthcare bill expanding women’s and maternal health coverage, increasing access to telehealth and requiring licensed childcare facilities to maintain allergy treatment policies. The House voted 116-21 to send the legislation to Gov. Mike Kehoe in one of its final actions before the end of the legislative session. The Senate passed the bill 26-5 on Wednesday. Republicans were the only members to cast votes against the bill. Republican state Rep. Tara Peters of Rolla, who sponsored the legislation, is among a handful of lawmakers who for the past four years have been trying, without success, to pass provisions included in the bill. On Thursday, she won her battle. “There’s a lot of things in the state of Missouri that we focus on,” Peters told The Independent. “And healthcare is something that literally affects every single person.” One measure proposed by Peters for years would allow women with private insurance to pick up an annual supply of contraceptives rather than going to the pharmacy every few months. This policy is already the law in a majority of states. Studies show this increase in access and continuity can help prevent unintended pregnancy. The bill also requires insurance to cover blood pressure monitoring equipment for pregnant and postpartum mothers. Another provision would prohibit discriminatory drug reimbursement practices against hospitals participating in the federal 340B program. The program requires drug manufacturers participating in Medicaid to sell drugs at a discount to nonprofit hospitals serving uninsured and low-income patients. The bill would also require the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to report and track cases of alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergy to mammal products that can be life-threatening. A Senate amendment seeking to address privacy concerns would limit disclosure of blood test results to patients and their doctors. An earlier version of the bill would have required the Missouri Department of Social Services to request federal permission to set up a “Food is Medicine” program to help Medicaid recipients access nutrition services and healthy food prescribed by a medical professional. The legislation that passed Thursday would make that program optional. The Senate removed several provisions after a handful of lawmakers argued at length this week that measures added to the 177-page bill would increase health insurance costs and cause government overreach. One measure removed from the bill would have barred insurance companies from denying coverage of a prescribed non-opioid drug in favor of an opioid. Republican state Sen. Travis Fitzwater of Holts Summit said the provision could save costs by preventing opioid addiction. “You may be able to make the case in a silo that it may or may not increase costs,” Fitzwater said. “But on the back end, [the benefit] shifts towards us when people aren’t going into addiction programs or aren’t going into prisons and moms aren’t dying as a result of not being able to track their blood pressure.” Maternal health On average, around 70 women die each year in Missouri during childbirth or in the first year postpartum. Of those deaths, 80% were deemed preventable by the state. In Missouri, the health department’s Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board tracks maternal health outcomes. An amendment to the bill, filed by state Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, expands the board’s duties to include studying the state’s maternal healthcare deserts, tracking the level of prenatal and postnatal care given to women who die in childbirth or postpartum and making recommendations to combat racial inequities in maternal deaths. In Missouri, babies and mothers continue to die at higher rates than the national average, according to the March of Dimes. The bill requires insurance to cover home blood pressure monitoring devices for women who are pregnant or in the 12-month postpartum period. “It’s a great day for private insurance to have to pay for those and help some of our pregnant women with hypertension,” Peters said. Cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, is among the leading causes of pregnancy-related underlying causes of deaths in Missouri, according to the Missouri Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board. Doulas have increasingly been cited as part of the solution to Missouri’s poor maternal and infant birth outcomes. The legislation expands doula services for low-income families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program from six to 16 visits covering pregnancy, birth, postpartum and lactation support. Doulas do not deliver babies, but rather advocate for the emotional and physical wellbeing of families and can help connect them with other resources. The bill also expands insurance coverage through Show-Me Healthy Babies, the state’s Medicaid program for pregnancy and postpartum, to include childbirth education classes. PBM restrictions removed from bill The Senate removed a series of proposed restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, which administer prescription drug plans for insurers. Critics of PBMs argue they have become too closely integrated with insurance companies and national pharmacy chains, giving preferential pricing to certain pharmacies while reimbursing independent and family-owned pharmacies below the prices they pay drug companies for medication. The measures removed from the bill, part of legislation sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jill Carter of Granby, would have limited when and how PBMs can audit pharmacies and required PBMs to reimburse pharmacies according to the prevailing market value of medications. Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat, accused those in support of the amendment of backtracking on negotiated language and threatened to block discussion of any proposed changes in future years. “There was a deal that was made, as you know, and there’s language that was acceptable [to] everybody, and then that language got pulled,” Beck said. “So what I’m going to say is…for the next two years, there’s going to be no PBM stuff going through this chamber. I’m tired of talking about the subject.” Moving the needle Republican state Rep. Melanie Stinnett of Springfield, who chairs the House Health and Mental Health Committee and sponsored some of the measures in the bill, told The Independent that the legislation is an example of what bipartisan collaboration can accomplish. “This session, we really showed up and offered some exciting wins for Missouri in the space of health care that in prior sessions seemed to be really challenging,” Stinnett said. “So I think that when we all sit down and get together and figure out what that looks like, what we need to really move forward, then that can be accomplished.” While lawmakers made some compromises, Stinnett said they also scored a lot of wins. “We didn’t get everything we wanted,” Stinnett said, “but we moved the needle.” Courtesy of Missouri Independent
	Person pulled from car before fire, flown to hospital after Highway 61 crash A person was flown to the hospital with life threatening injuries after a crash Thursday.
	Field of Dreams fundraising for 'Bring it Home' campaign The campaign is focused on preserving and expanding the movie site to make it a year-round destination for baseball and tourism.
	Bill to shield transgender patients, medical providers moves closer to final OK Advocates embrace after a transgender healthcare protection bill was advanced by the Assembly Health Committee on May 14, 2026 in Trenton. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Lawmakers advanced a bill Thursday intended to protect abortion patients and people being treated for gender dysphoria, along with their medical providers, from civil and criminal liabilities. The Assembly Health Committee voted 8-3 along party lines to approve the Democratic-sponsored measure following hours of testimony largely in favor of the measure, much of it from parents who described how access to gender identity-related care saved the lives of their children. “No one should live in fear. No one should be persecuted for what they decide to do medically,” said Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington), the committee chair. NJ transgender healthcare bill amended to avoid mention of ‘gender-affirming’ care Assemblywoman Margie Donlon (D-Monmouth), a physician, said now is the time to take steps to protect patients and providers “who should not have to fear retaliation for providing legally protected medicine.” “We cannot afford to risk waiting any longer to pass it,” Donlon said. The bill, which passed the Senate health committee Monday, creates a new crime of interfering with reproductive health activities, which the bill defines to include treatments used by transgender patients. The measure spells out that interfering can be harassing, harming, or blocking patients or providers from access to a healthcare facility. Violators could face as many as ten years in prison and a fine of $150,000 if someone is injured during the interference. Elizabeth Volz, the mother of a transgender child, listens to testimony regarding a transgender healthcare protection bill at an Assembly Health Committee hearing in Trenton on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Petra Simone Kraus testifies before the Assembly’s health committee as Paige Leuing listens in Trenton on May 14, 2026, about a transgender healthcare protections bill. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Teagan Livingston of Somerville and Melissa Firstenberg of Marlton hug as the Assembly health committee hears testimony on a transgender healthcare protection bill in Trenton on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Advocates embrace after a transgender healthcare protection bill was advanced by the Assembly Health Committee on May 14, 2026 in Trenton. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Sen. Teresa Ruiz testifies before the Assembly’s health committee in Trenton on May 14, 2026, about a transgender healthcare protections bill. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)Vidhi Goel, the mother of a transgender son, listens to testimony about a transgender healthcare protection bill before the Assembly health committee in Trenton on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor) Advocates said the measure is needed given the Trump administration’s push to curtail healthcare services for transgender minors, and given limitations in other states on access to reproductive health services. The bill was first introduced in 2024. “I trust you will do what is right to protect this marginalized community that has already endured so much,” Tom Richards, the parent of a trans child, urged the committee. Jennifer Williams, a Trenton councilwoman who is transgender, said the legislation does nothing to expand available services but would protect access to those services for tens of thousands of New Jerseyans. Williams said some people who are trans have begun to ration medication in case it should become unavailable. “This medical care is only protected by an executive order, and it needs to be protected by a law,” Williams said, referencing a 2023 order signed by former Gov. Phil Murphy. A handful of people spoke out against the bill, with some claiming that treatments related to gender identity, particularly for minors, are unsafe. This type of care for young people usually involves treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and mental health services. Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor) Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life, said the legislation raised multiple concerns and could weaken parental rights. Tasy said it could also restrict free speech by prohibiting what she called “sidewalk counseling” at reproductive healthcare facilities, where she said abortion opponents work to engage patients with “quiet prayer” and help to convince women to continue with their pregnancies. Tasy said she and her group oppose violence and threats of any kind and said there are already laws that criminalize those behaviors. “Those laws are appropriate and already in place,” she said. The whole country is watching, and New Jersey again has a chance to lead by example. – Rosaria Matos, clinical social worker. Republican members of the committee raised similar issues. Assemblyman John Azzariti Jr (R-Bergen), a medical doctor, said he had “an entire binder here full of concerns.” Azzariti noted that language in the bill would bar state officials from collaborating with other states’ investigations into reproductive care providers or patients here. “This makes New Jersey potentially a sanctuary for assaults on parental rights and for criminals,” he said. Assemblyman Brian Rumpf (R-Ocean) suggested the bill could be unconstitutional by limiting free speech. “I think there are a lot of unintended consequences to this bill. I think there is a lot of ambiguity. A lot of phraseology,” he said. Azzariti, Rumpf, and Assemblyman Erik Peterson (R-Hunterdon) voted against the bill. Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex), a chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate, told the committee Thursday that the legislation merely seeks to protect healthcare. “But something dramatically shifts when we use the word abortion or transgender care. As if those are not under the banner of health equity and a personal decision that should be had within the confines of the patients and their medical provider and their families. No one else,” Ruiz said. Trans advocates said the measure does what is needed to protect services families have come to rely on. Amy Richards said after her daughter underwent treatment for gender dysphoria, “the transformation was phenomenal.” Richards said her daughter now has a successful career and a rich life. “She’s able to do all of this because she has access to healthcare in her home state of New Jersey,” Richards said. At times over the last year, families in New Jersey have been warned by several hospital systems that care for their trans children could end, something that providers nationwide said is a concern for three-quarters of their transgender patients, according to a 2025 survey by UCLA School of Law. The committee also heard from healthcare providers like Rosaria Matos, a clinical social worker who is trans and treats many patients who are transgender. “Providers, including myself, fear for our lives and are leaving the state,” Matos said, adding, “The whole country is watching, and New Jersey again has a chance to lead by example.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Mercado on Fifth prepares to open its 10th season You can enjoy the cultural market and festival when it returns to downtown Moline on Friday, May 22.
	Davenport man who gave marijuana, inappropriately touched girl sentenced to prison He pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of marijuana and two counts of indecent contact with a child.

Friday, May 15th, 2026

Thursday, May 14th, 2026