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

Friday, May 1st, 2026
	Moline selects international artist for Leading Light Project, community workshops The Moline Public Art Commission has selected international artist Nick Athanasiou of Skunk Control, an Australia-based creative studio, to lead the Leading Light public art project. As part of the project, Athanasiou will visit Moline Tuesday, May 5 through Friday, May 8 ,to lead workshops and community engagement sessions, offering residents an opportunity to connect directly with the artist and contribute to [...]
	Former Agriculture Secretary Vilsack visits Davenport to mark World Food Prize milestone Vilsack is the CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation.
	Iowa Agriculture Secretary Vilsack visits Davenport to mark World Food Prize milestone Vilsack is the CEO of the World Food Prize Foundation.
	Clinton teen killed in Jackson County crash Emergency crews responded to a fatal crash Friday near Miles involving a single vehicle and an 18-year-old driver.
	Driver killed in single-car crash near Miles, Iowa An 18-year-old Clinton driver was killed in a single-car crash Friday afternoon, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report. The report says the crash happened about 3 p.m. near the intersection of 17th Street and 484th Avenue in Miles, Iowa. A 2008 Toyota Corolla was headed east on 18th Street west of Miles when [...]
	Vice President JD Vance to visit Iowa manufacturing facility Tuesday The vice president will visit Ex-Guard Industries with Republican Rep. Zach Nunn and deliver remarks.
	Trump DOJ investigating ‘gender ideology’ in 36 Illinois school districts The Trump administration is investigating three dozen Illinois school districts to assess if their curriculums include “gender ideology” — and parental opt-outs — and whether trans students can participate in competitive sports.
	Affordable homes nearing completion in Muscatine after project shifts construction plans Six new affordable homes are nearing completion in Muscatine after local partners pivoted from a 3D-printing concept to a modular wood-building system.
	18-year-old killed after crash near Miles, Iowa According to the Iowa State Patrol, the driver lost control and left the road. They struck a piece of agricultural equipment before crashing into a building.
	Police: 18-year-old killed after crashing vehicle into building An 18-year-old was killed after crashing a vehicle into a building, according to Iowa State Patrol.
	RIA Federal Credit Union merges with Redbrand Credit Union R.I.A. Federal Credit Union on Friday announced that it has received regulatory approval from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and the National CreditUnion Administration (NCUA) to merge with Redbrand Credit Union, according to a news release. Members of Redbrand Credit Union approved the merger during a vote held at the Redbrand [...]
	Iowa Rep. discusses governor campaign priorities at Quad-Cities stop Republican gubernatorial hopeful Randy Feenstra visits the Quad Cities to discuss his 2026 campaign platform, focusing on business, ag, and taxes.
	Bickelhaupt Arboretum, Clinton, reopens after year of renovations Flowers bloom in early May in Clinton and, this year, so does the newly renovated Bickelhaupt arboretum, bringing a mix of education and art to the area. The Bickelhaupt re-opened Friday after a year of renovations. Shawn Hill-Lamb recalls her time at the Bickelhaupt when it was still owned by her grandparents. "I remember in [...]
	Davenport elementary school students take part in John Deere Manufacturing Day Students got to construct paper dump trucks on their own, then repeat it in an assembly line.
	Your guide to the 2026 Iowa primary election The Iowa primary is set for Tuesday, June 2. News 8 has everything you need to know about who's running and how to cast your vote.
	Body found in Rock River nearly 2 weeks after bridge incident The body of the man who police said jumped into the Rock River during a chase was found near Sterling, Illinois.
	Davenport brothers qualify for Team USA BMX trip to Australia 12-year-old Knox Reaves and his 8-year-old brother Deacon want you to join them at The Rock in Coal Valley on Saturday, May 2, to fundraise for their trip.
	Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is May 9 The annual nationwide hunger drive is set for May 9. United Way of the Quad Cities is also looking for volunteers to help postal carriers and River Bend Food Bank during the effort.
	Record-leaning April rainfall helps refill rivers, soils across Quad Cities The Quad City region got about six inches of rain in April, which is the same amount we saw from September to March. Here's what that means for summer forecasts.
	Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone.
	New mural in Savanna will honor hometown NASA astronauts Explore Savanna says a new town mural will feature an astronaut in honor of the late Dale Allan Gardner and current NASA astronaut in training, Maj. Cameron Jones.
	New WIU podcast explores challenges, solutions in rural transportation "Rolling Rural" dropped its second episode on May 1. It looks at the issues facing rural residents and the people and programs that are creatively solving them.
	Rock Island man charged in Scott County with sexual abuse of a 6-year-old On Feb. 26, Davenport police received a report from the Aledo Police Department regarding a sexual assault that had occurred in Davenport between 2022 and 2023.
	Former Iowa governor visits Davenport Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack visited Davenport in his role as CEO of the World Prize Foundation.
	Mississippi bridge washings to take place There will be day-time and night-time lane closures controlled by flaggers. All work is expected to be completed by the end of July.
	Davenport brothers qualify to compete with USA BMX team The brothers are fundraising for their trip to Australia to compete with the USA BMX team.
	New humane society, police agreement allows for continued animal services in Clinton The agreement comes after contract negotiations between the city and shelter stalled last fall.
	City of Savanna honors local astronauts The City of Savanna is honoring two local astronauts with a new mural.
	Dixon inviting community members to suggest names for new pedestrian bridge Currently under construction, the completed pedestrian bridge will cross over the Rock River. It will also include a new bike path.
	Bettendorf selects interim principal after North Scott hire There will be some shuffling of principals between North Scott and Bettendorf elementary schools, starting next year.
	Bison return to Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead Four bison will be roaming the prairie at the Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead again this summer and fall.
	Autistic & Loved Sensory Gym will unveil greenhouse mural Autistic & Loved Sensory Gym, 3811 Harrison St,, Suite 200, Davenport invites the public to celebrate the unveiling of the Autistic & Loved Greenhouse Mural from 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 7, a news release says. The celebration will showcase a collaborative artwork created by mural artist Nana alongside more than 30 children who are autistic [...]
	Rock Island Arsenal to hold Full Scale Exercise The Rock Island Arsenal will conduct a Full Scale Exercise on Wednesday, May 6, simulating a tornado strike on the island.
	Man killed by train in Galesburg identified The victim has been identified as 41-year-old David Lynn Edwardson.
	Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announces $25 million investment to improve Iowa water quality Central Iowa Water Works plans to use the money to double its ability to remove nitrates from agricultural runoff.
	Twin Rivers Little League concession stand broken into in Colona Police and the league said almost all of the candy was stolen, which had just been fully stocked for the season.
	World Food Prize celebrating 40th year with statewide campaign through Iowa The CEO of the World Food Prize, Tom Vilsack, visited Davenport Friday to talk with city and school officials and reporters about the organization's work.
	Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging holding inaugural trivia fundraiser The agency serves older adults and caregivers across a ten-county region. WIAAA tells News 8 there's a growing demand for its services.
	Blue Grass drive-in opens for the season today! The drive-in has four different screens, and they're opening with some popular favorites like Project Hail Mary and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
	Niabi Zoo hosting "May the Zoo Be With You" event The event is included with Niabi Zoo admission.
	Black Hawk College honors five area first responders and community heroes Students, community members and practitioners were invited to nominate individuals and agencies for first responder appreciation awards.
	Take the challenge of the Quad Cities Summer Games Step up to show your skills at athletic and arts events in the QCA! Rhonda Elsbury joined Our Quad Cities News with details on the Quad Cities Summer Games. For more information, click here.
	Trivia night fundraiser aims to support aging services in western Illinois The Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging says the demand for its services has shot up recently, but so has inflation. To help, you're invited to trivia on May 15.
	Traffic alert: Construction at 4th Street intersections to impact commuters, semis Work to expand 4th Street intersections at Gaines and Brown streets will reduce traffic to one line beginning Monday, the city says.
	Illinois State Board of Education wants to revamp how it counts low-income students The state Board of Education says it needs a more accurate count of low-income students as participation in federal assistance programs declines.
	New humane society, police agreement allows for continued animal services in Clinton The agreement comes after contract negotiations between the city and shelter stalled last fall.
	Moline to replace water service lines along 15th Street between 19th, 25th Avenues The City of Moline will replace its service lines starting in the middle of May.
	RIA Credit Union merging with Redbrand Credit Union, expands reach into Peoria area Redbrand Credit Union is based in Bartonville, a small town near Peoria with branches in Bartonville and Pekin.
	Bush Construction names Michael Johnson president Johnson steps into the role following a period of steady leadership and operational continuity.
	Officials name victim in fatal pedestrian-train crash in Galesburg The victim was identified as 41-year-old David Lynn Edwardson of Galesburg. His autopsy is being conducted on Friday.
	Augustana College and the city of Rock Island updating public on Milan Bottoms partnership; biologist shares final data on 8-week survey of night roosting bald eagles The city of Rock Island and Augustana College are holding a public informational meeting on Tuesday, May 5th, at Hanson Hall in room 234, starting at 5:30. The meeting is to update residents on the research partnership and the city’s work to preserve the 550 acres of wetlands. WVIK also interviewed biologist Kelly McKay on his final data set for this past winter’s bald eagle night roosting usage within the Milan Bottoms.
	U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra holds round table in Davenport as he campaigns for governor Feenstra is one of five vying for the Republican nomination to be the next governor of Iowa. He spoke with Quad-Cities business owners at a round table on Friday.
	4 Your Money \| Raising The Bar We are amid earnings season with companies sharing quarterly figures and updating projections. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, joins us to show that the numbers are more optimistic than expected given everything going on in the world.
	Rock Island alderman withdraws family business’ bid for preschool catering contract amid conflict of interest concerns Seventh Ward Alderman Bill Healy said the removal is to allow the city to move forward, and there is no basis to claims of impropriety.
	Humane society, police come to limited agreement in Clinton The shelter board of directors and the city police chief have what they are calling a “partnership in progress” after failing to reach a contract in September 2025.
	Twin Rivers Little League concession stand broken into in Colona Police and the league said almost all of the candy was stolen, which had just been fully stocked for the season.
	AAA: Gas prices up $1 in Iowa since last year Gas prices continue to fluctuate daily, even hourly. According to AAA, the national average is $4.39 per gallon. The average price in Illinois is $4.85 and the average in Rock Island County is $4.41. In Iowa, the average price is $4.39 and the average in Scott County is $3.91. Brian Ortner, public affairs representative for [...]
	MetroLINK seeks public vote for first Channel Cat live music series After 30 years of ferry service on the Mississippi River, MetroLINK is bringing live music to the river with Channel Cat Sessions, a series of performances aboard the Channel Cat Water Taxi.
	Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead welcomes 4 new buffalo The home and the buffalo are available for viewing on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the month of October.
	New animal services agreement for Clinton Police, Humane Society The Clinton Police Department and the Clinton Humane Society have a new agreement that allows continued animal services in the community. Under the new agreement, animals can only be brought to the Humane Society shelter by law enforcement officers. Services are limited to dogs only; no cats will be accepted. Dogs may be accepted in [...]
	Iowa leaders announce plan to address water quality across state \| FULL PRESS CONFERENCE The state announced a legislative package that will reallocate funds already invested in Iowa programs to better reflect the current needs.
	No clear favorite and plenty of contenders: The 152nd Kentucky Derby is a 20-horse puzzle There is no clear favorite in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby that has at least a half-dozen legitimate contenders and maybe more horses that can win it.
	New Mexico Primary 2026: NM House of Representatives, District 14 A political newcomer is challenging a longtime state representative in New Mexico’s House District 14, where Route 66 and the Rio Grande meet in Albuquerque. (Rainer Grosskopf/Getty Images)In southwest Albuquerque, where Route 66 and the Rio Grande intersect, a political newcomer is challenging a Democratic incumbent who won his first election 30 years ago to represent District 14 in the New Mexico House of Representatives.SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Attorney and military veteran Joseph Romero has lived in District 14 since 2005. He’s running in the June 2 primary against incumbent Rep. Miguel García (D-Albuquerque) who assumed office in 1997. Whoever wins is set to face write-in Republican Richard Zubia in the Nov. 3 general election. Source NM posed several questions to both candidates about the district and their races. Their answers have been edited for clarity and concision. Miguel García Rep. Miguel García is seeking reelection to District 14, a seat he first won 30 years ago, in the New Mexico House of Representatives. (Courtesy photo) Incumbent Rep. Miguel García first won his seat in 1996, the year flip cellphones hit the mainstream market, and took office the following year. He’s won every reelection bid since. García, a retired Spanish language arts teacher, told Source NM he’s running for reelection to “continue fighting” for the needy children, Spanish land-grant communities and tribes in his area. He said he has been running on the same platform “ever since I started in 1997,” namely: “standing tall amid discrimination against people of color, race, religion, sexual orientation and to uplift our middle class and to continue fighting for worker rights.” What is the most important issue facing your district? The biggest issue is infrastructure improvements. My district is comprised of historic communities and neighborhoods that date back to the 1640s…the majority of roads in the county portion of my district have no drainage or curbing and are prone to flooding. In our older neighborhoods — Barelas, South Broadway, Alamosa, some of my west-Central precincts — they lack amenities like parks, beautification, landscaped medians, streetlights, measures that all improve the quality of life for these communities. What is the most important issue facing New Mexico? The most important issue that I see is the water crisis affecting our irrigators and farmers and the exacerbation of that crisis by existing or proposed data centers. Non-Pueblo irrigators and farmers in the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which stretches from Peña Blanca to Socorro, have experienced 80% decreases in water deliveries for the past four years. Yet, the MRGCD has made uninterrupted deliveries to two federal entities — the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Rio Grande Compact, which is water deliveries to Texas. These curtailments are causing economic hardship for these families who are having to limit production for their crops. What’s the first bill you’d introduce in the 2027 legislative session? For the third year trying, I will reintroduce legislation to create a Spanish Land Grant and Acequia Infrastructure Fund to meet the overwhelming infrastructure needs of these centuries-old, traditional land-based communities. What we’ve done in the last two sessions is put a limit of $20 million on each of those funds. What’s your top choice for legislative committee service? I’ve settled into the two committees that serve my district and the state quite well. These are the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the House Labor, Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee. We’ve done some really milestone legislation regarding the labor issues, in terms of passing nationally leading legislation on wage theft. I did the first bargaining unit in 15 years in our state back in 2015 where we established under AFSCME the home childcare workers’ collective bargaining unit. And I was instrumental back in 2019 with the increase of state minimum wage from $7.50 to $12 an hour. I’m very concerned about our environment and the role that oil and gas are playing in terms of the deterioration on our health and our environment, and that’s why I see Energy and Natural Resources being pivotal in terms of leading the state in addressing those issues and concerns. What’s the strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for this race? It has to be that I’m a team player and that I espouse that philosophy when it comes to all matters in dealing with the issues, the needs and the problems in my district. Do you support paying state lawmakers? Yeah, it’s part of a step forward and New Mexico kind of catching up with the rest of the states. You know, [I’d] accept the salary and be the last of the lone rangers in terms of catching up with the rest of the country. Joseph Romero Attorney Joseph Romero is running to represent District 14 in the New Mexico House of Representatives. (Courtesy of Joseph Romero) Joseph Romero was born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and moved to District 14 in Albuquerque in 2005. Romero has raised three children in the area and earned degrees at the University of New Mexico before opening his own law practice in 2014. He has served in the New Mexico Air National Guard and the New Mexico Army National Guard. “I think that the Legislature has a lot of people who are comfortable casting a vote and going home. I think my district needs someone who’s going to draft a bill, carry a bill, take tough votes, stand up to power, stand up to corporate lobbyists and stand up to federal overreach,” he told Source NM. “I know I’m facing an uphill challenge with an incumbent who’s been there since 1997 and fought off every challenger since then.” What is the most important issue facing your district? Affordability and healthcare would be my two top issues. There’s working families across the state and my district, in particular, in what seems to be a low-income district. We’re paying more for groceries, utilities, childcare, rent, everything. More than ever before. Wages have just been stagnant. At the same time, healthcare in New Mexico is in crisis. Long waits, provider shortages, medical debt. There’s federal attacks on Medicaid that make all of it worse. They’re not really separate issues. A family that can’t afford a doctor’s visit ends up in the emergency room with an ever bigger bill. What is the most important issue facing New Mexico? Affordability and healthcare, as I said before. I think there are other issues that deserve attention. First, protecting our communities from federal overreach. There’s masked, unidentified ICE agents pulling people out of the grocery store, parking lots, bus stops, away from their kids’ schools. I don’t think that’s law enforcement. That looks more like intimidation, to me, by people who refuse to identify themselves. You can address that in the Legislature through anti-masking legislation that requires all law enforcement officers, but specifically federal immigration agents operating in our state, to identify themselves. Another issue I feel strongly about is education funding. I’m a father of three and have three kids in school. We have this Yazzie/Martinez decision — it’s been, I think, seven years since that came down and we’re still failing our kids. What’s the first bill you’d introduce in the 2027 legislative session? I think the first one would be anti-masking legislation. Federal immigration agents in New Mexico should be required to identify themselves, show a badge and operate without masks and without intimidation. Another one is a safe staffing requirement bill. I know there’s federal legislation that’s been proposed on this issue for nurses…I think New Mexico can lead and do it with doctors, too. Safe staffing increases access to doctors. New Mexico’s losing physicians to other states because doctors are required to carry an absurd patient load. New Mexicans wait months for appointments or end up in the ER. Setting minimum provider-to-patient ratios brings doctors back and retains the ones we have. What’s your top choice for legislative committee service? The House Judiciary Committee. It shapes the most consequential legislation in the Legislature, in my opinion. What’s the strongest skill that makes you the best candidate for this race? I’m going to show up and I’m going to fight for working families. It’s a commitment that runs through every job I’ve had. I served in the military, where I learned discipline and accountability. I went to law school and built a law practice fighting for injured workers and fighting for regular, everyday families. Do you support paying state lawmakers? I’m sort of neutral on the issue. I think it’s an issue that should go to voters to decide and I’ll respect their call on that. I’m not running to collect a paycheck. Courtesy of Source New Mexico
	Iowa animal torture bill heads to governor's desk DES MOINES, Iowa -- The animal torture bill is now heading to the governor's desk after a unanimous vote in the House. House File 2348 would make animal torture a Class D felony, meaning it could carry up to five years in prison and a fine of up to roughly $10,200. A second offense would [...]
	Clearing the water: Iowa’s search for answers on cancer Local 5 interviewed cancer experts and survivors, environmental advocates and farmers to explore one of Iowans' pervasive questions: Does our water cause cancer?
	St. Ambrose changes PA program title St. Ambrose is changing its Physician Assistant program title to Physician Associate.
	‘Trump Barn’ regains its sign, thanks to anonymous donor and installation help The "Trump Barn," as many Nebraskans experience it, driving westbound on Interstate 80 from the Omaha area. This image, from Thursday, shows the new replacement sign in place. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)ASHLAND, Nebraska — Online trolls had a field day in March when Nebraskans got wind that a stiff breeze had taken a political sign that named a red barn along Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska. Much of the social media discourse centered on a combination of higher gas prices, tariffs, war, political fatigue and polling headwinds during the second term for President Donald Trump. The barn’s owner, farmer Alan Volger, told the Nebraska Examiner at the time he probably couldn’t afford another red-letter “TRUMP” sign, nor could he physically put a new sign up. The “Trump barn” is a fixture along Interstate 80 in eastern Nebraska. This shows it after the sign blew away. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner) “I gotta have somebody else put signs up,” he said. “I don’t care how high it goes, I gotta keep one foot on the ground.” Volger said the timing seemed OK since the president is term-limited and cannot run again. He still had his signs up supporting property tax reform and opposing abortion. But this week, Dr. Pat Castle of LIFE Runners, an anti-abortion group from Lincoln, and a friend of Castle’s who owns a lift, posted a new “TRUMP” sign on the “Trump Barn.” They had funding help from a supporter of Nebraska Secretary of State candidate Scott Petersen, who paid for the sign and let his preferred candidate for Nebraska’s top election official take the credit. Petersen and fellow Republican Secretary of State Bob Evnen have been in a pitched primary race over the future of counting votes in Nebraska elections. Both have expressed support for Trump. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE So this week a different set of online trolls had a good day, punching back against the Nebraskans who had said they were ready to see something else driving from Omaha to Lincoln. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference while flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin in the White House on April 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) One said, “He made his barn great again.” Critics also clapped back. One said, “Surprised they could afford to drive it there with the price of diesel.” Volger, on Friday, said he had heard from a number of people who wanted the sign back up, and he said a bunch of people driving on I-80 when it went back up on Wednesday honked at them. He said even the Nebraska State Patrol has used his barn as a landmark, recalling a lost man he saw wandering on his property that troopers said the barn helped them locate. His goal for this year is to get the barn repainted so it looks a little nicer in the pictures people share online. He said his painter agreed to take the signs down and put them back up. “I’m sure not doing it,” Volger said, laughing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Emergency trash collection to take place in Aledo Aledo will have an emergency trash collection after outgoing vendor fails to to provide final week of collection services.
	Build-A-Bear recalls 36K Heartwarming Hugs Bears stuffed animals due to choking hazard The recall applies to Heartwarming Hugs Bears sold between Jan 2026 and March 2026 for $48, following one report of a zipper detaching.
	Galesburg hosts 46th annual Knox Rootabaga Jazz Festival The 46th annual Knox-Rootabaga Jazz Festival runs from Tuesday, May 5 through Saturday, May 9. Faculty, alumni, students and guest artists perform daily at various community venues. The main event is Saturday, May 9, at the Orpheum Theatre, 57 S. Kellogg Street in Galesburg. This year’s festival features The Baga Big Band, directed by Justin [...]
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for May 1, 2026 Morrison residents will be temporarily without water as the city performs maintenance, and work will begin on multiple Illinois bridges, including the Centennial.
	KY judge strikes definition of human life, paving way for Jewish women’s IVF pursuit Lisa Sobel, right, Sarah Baron, center, and Jessica Kalb, left, filed a challenge to Kentucky's abortion law in 2022. An appeals court allowed Kalb to proceed with the challenge. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd)A Jefferson County judge has struck down part of Kentucky law that defined human life as beginning at conception, clarifying women who sued the state over the issue can pursue in vitro fertilization without fear of prosecution. Five months after he heard arguments in a more than three-year old court case seeking to strike down Kentucky’s abortion ban and clarify the legality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the state, Jefferson Circuit Judge Brian Edwards said part of Kentucky law dealing with the definition of life is “void for vagueness.” That part defined a human being as “an individual living member of the species homo sapiens throughout the entire embryonic and fetal stages of the unborn child from fertilization to full gestation and childbirth.” Back in court, Kentucky Jewish woman fights to clarify abortion, IVF laws This is the latest in a long court case from women who want to have children via IVF but have said state law restricted their ability to pursue that freely. Three women sued in 2022. An appeals court let only one of them move forward, saying the other two did not have standing. Lawyers for Jessica Kalb have argued that Kentucky has a patchwork of laws that could complicate their client’s ability to safely continue with the IVF process, including discarding unneeded embryos and having access to a medically-necessary abortion. They’ve also argued that Kentucky’s laws around abortion have imposed and codified a religious viewpoint that conflicts with the Jewish belief that birth, not conception, is the beginning of life. Edwards did not agree with the religion argument. In his Friday ruling he said the Human Life Protection Act is “religiously neutral” and that it doesn’t burden the Jewish community “any more than it burdens followers of Christianity, Islam or Hindu from exercising their religious beliefs.” Kalb, the plaintiff, has nine frozen embryos that she’s paying to preserve; she and sued because she did not know how to proceed with the IVF process under the state’s restrictions on abortion and definition of life. The attorney general’s office argued that IVF is protected in state law and embryos that are not implanted in a person don’t fall under relevant homicide or abortion laws. Attorneys Aaron Kemper, left, and Ben Potash, speak with media after oral arguments in their case. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) The Lantern has asked the attorney general’s office for comment on the ruling. Kalb also has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can cause cysts to form in the ovaries and lead to infertility. This condition also means her pregnancies are more likely to end in miscarriage and that she might need an abortion or other complicated interventions. Abortion is outlawed in most cases in Kentucky. Attorneys Aaron Kemper and Ben Potash, who represent Kalb, said that while the ruling did not overturn the abortion ban, it could potentially open the door to more legal challenges. “In significant part, those laws do rely on these definitions” of human life, Potash said. Meanwhile, Kalb and the other women who initially brought the case should be in the clear to pursue IVF. “I think this clears up all issues of IVF and reproductive access. I don’t think there could be any prosecution of IVF under this decision,” Kemper said. “Because if you strike down the definition that a human being is a fetus, then IVF should be completely clear.” Eyes to legislature Edwards’ ruling criticizes several parts of Kentucky’s law around abortion saying he “has other concerns regarding the general unintelligibility and vagueness concerns presented” but that clarification lies with the state legislature. Jefferson Circuit Judge Brian Edwards (jeffersoncircuitcourt.com) Edwards specifically cited a bill filed in the General Assembly this year that would have paved the way for homicide charges against women who get abortions. It never received a hearing. The judge also referenced a January case in which a Wolfe County woman was initially charged with fetal homicide after taking abortion medication. That charge was dropped. Still: “This Court can no longer dismiss the concerns raised by (Kalb) regarding how she and others should interpret what they can and cannot lawfully do in order to avoid possible incarceration and criminal prosecution,” Edwards wrote. “This conundrum can and should be resolved; however, the power to resolve rests not with this Court but with the Kentucky State Legislature.” This story is developing and will be updated. Read the ruling 846ede05-8975-4798-9a3c-4fc062c675e1 SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
	Contagious swine disease, eradicated decades ago, found in Iowa Pseudorabies, a highly contagious disease affecting swine, has been found in Iowa after being eradicated from the U.S. over 20 years ago, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is taking decisive action to eliminate the disease.
	Kneecap is used to controversy. On new album 'Fenian,' they're leaning further in NPR's Juana Summers talks with Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap of the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap about their new album Fenian.
	Can we bring back the butterflies? Can we bring back the butterflies?The Butterfly Grove at Pismo Beach used to sound alive before you even saw it. On a winter morning over a decade ago, visitors to the grove stood beneath the towering eucalyptus and heard a faint rustle, like distant rain, as thousands of monarch butterflies shifted their wings along the branches overhead. Through a docent’s telescope, tight clusters the size of pine cones resolved into overlapping black and orange wings, each butterfly hanging in suspended animation as it waited out the cold months on California’s Central Coast.But when visitors returned this January, the trees looked strangely bare. The informative signs were still there, but the air that once seemed to shimmer with butterflies was mostly still. They spotted only a few monarchs drifting in the native plant garden at the grove’s edge.This observation, as Reasons to be Cheerful explores, reflects a much larger story. This past winter, volunteers counted just a little over 12,000 western monarch butterflies along the California coast, the third-lowest tally in nearly three decades of monitoring. According to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, which coordinates the counting, western monarchs numbered around 4.5 million in the 1980s. Today, the population has declined by more than 99%, driven by habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. Our window to reverse the trend is narrowing fast.The question hangs over the empty grove: Can the butterflies come back?Monarchs survive winter through a remarkable strategy: epic, cross-continental, multigenerational migration. In North America, there are two main populations. The western monarchs breed west of the Rocky Mountains and overwinter along California’s coast. Eastern monarchs travel thousands of miles to mountain forests in Mexico. During summer, monarchs spread across vast breeding areas wherever milkweed grows. Females lay eggs on milkweed plants because monarch caterpillars can eat nothing else.The migration is a relay race across generations. “In the spring, each generation lives about a month,” explained Xerces pollinator conservation specialist Angela Laws. Butterflies move gradually north and inland, laying eggs that become the next generation. By fall, a special long-lived generation emerges. “These individuals can live nine months,” Laws said. They are the ones that fly back to the overwintering groves like Pismo Beach.There, monarchs cluster together in trees and enter a resting state. “They’re not hibernating,” Laws explained. “They’re just kind of hunkering down for the winter.” The same butterflies will leave the grove in spring and lay the first eggs of the new migration cycle.Why has this migration collapsed so dramatically?“There doesn’t appear to be just one smoking gun,” Laws said. “It seems to be a bunch of factors together.”Habitat loss is a major driver. Coastal development has removed or altered many overwintering groves. Trees have been cut, surrounding vegetation cleared, and wind patterns changed. Because monarchs depend on precise microclimates, even small alterations can make a grove unsuitable.The loss of breeding habitat inland is equally serious. Monarch caterpillars can only eat milkweed (Asclepias species), while adults need nectar from flowering plants throughout the season. Across California’s Central Valley and other regions, those plants have largely disappeared as land has been converted to agriculture or development.The widespread adoption of herbicide-tolerant crops has exacerbated this problem. Studies in monarchs’ eastern range show that increased use of glyphosate herbicides dramatically reduced milkweed on farmland, destroying breeding habitat. In the West, the same 2019 study that linked declines to coastal development also found that monarchs declined significantly with glyphosate and neonicotinoid use in breeding areas.Xerces researchers recently collected milkweed leaves from roadsides, wildlife refuges, farm edges, and even backyards across the Central Valley. “What we found was that every single milkweed was contaminated,” Laws said. On average, each plant contained residues from about 11 different pesticides.Some of those chemicals were insecticides known to be highly toxic to butterflies and other pollinators. Others were herbicides or fungicides that may cause subtler, sublethal effects.Researchers have discovered insecticide residues in milkweed far from farms, suggesting chemicals travel widely through the landscape. “That was shocking to see,” said Corey Shake, senior restoration ecologist at the nonprofit River Partners. Systemic pesticides that accumulate in plant tissues, he said, “correspond with the decline of butterfly species in California.”Climate change further complicates the picture. Warmer winters can disrupt monarch dormancy, while drought reduces milkweed growth. Increasingly severe weather may also kill overwintering butterflies. “It’s this perfect storm,” Laws summed it up.With populations now so small, the risks grow larger. “Anytime a species’ population size gets very low, it makes them more vulnerable to extinction,” she explained. “You could have a bad winter, a bad storm, that knocks out the population to numbers so low that it can’t recover.”Models suggest western monarchs face a high risk of extinction within decades if the decline continues.Conservationists across the West are working to rebuild the butterflies’ habitat. One major effort focuses on restoring milkweed and nectar plants. A large initiative by the nonprofit River Partners aims to plant 15 million milkweed plants to expand monarch habitat along their migration routes. Native plant nurseries such as Heritage Growers are scaling up seed production to support these projects.Large restoration projects are essential, but individuals can also make a difference.At Xerces, Laws helps run a program that distributes free native plants and seeds to people willing to create pollinator habitat. “We realized we could do a lot more by working with other people who also wanted to create habitat,” she said. “Native plants can be expensive, and many people aren’t sure what to plant.”Through the program, Xerces has provided nearly 300,000 plants to more than 840 projects across California — from farms and tribal lands to schools, parks, and backyard gardens.Roadsides are another opportunity. In some parts of the country, they are among the last remaining strips of habitat. Xerces staff now work with departments of transportation to restore native plants along highway corridors.While many people spray their lawns out of habit or convenience, there are alternative approaches that do not rely on routine pesticide use. In parts of Europe, routine pest control is less commonly used in residential settings. In the U.S., routine pesticide spraying in residential areas is common in many regions. In Orange County, thousands of residents just organized a protest against the local government spraying creeks with pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate and succeeded in convincing the authorities to end the practice.There is hope.The story of western monarchs is not just about loss; the species can respond dramatically when conditions improve. The eastern monarch population in Mexico increased 64% this winter. “It is great news when the populations tick up from one year to the next, and we should celebrate that because it shows that this species has the ability to recover,” Laws said. “But the long-term trends that we’re seeing with both populations tell us that this species is in trouble. Monarchs won’t be out of the woods until we see overwintering numbers that stay high from year to year for an extended period. There is still a lot of work to be done to protect both populations.”Conservation scientists and agencies have laid out a suite of strategies that, taken together, can help stabilize and rebuild populations. Courtesy of River Partners According to Xerces, anyone can help by following a few simple steps: “growing pollinator-friendly flowers, providing nest sites and shelter, avoiding pesticides, and spreading the word.”More specifically:Plant native milkweed appropriate to your region and a variety of pesticide-free nectar plants that bloom across the seasons.Avoid using insecticides and herbicides in your yard; tolerate some “weeds” that may be valuable host or nectar plants.Support local and regional efforts to protect and restore overwintering sites and breeding habitat, through volunteer work, community science projects like monarch counts, or advocacy for pollinator-friendly land-use policies. Sacramento, for instance, implemented a city ordinance prohibiting the use of neonicotinoids on city property.Stay informed through reputable organizations such as the Xerces Society and Monarch Joint Venture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which publish updated guidance as science and conditions evolve.Participate in community science projects like the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper on the popular app iNaturalist.At a larger scale, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains critical for the long-term stability of all pollinators, including monarchs’ multigenerational journeys.Online communities, such as monarch butterfly Facebook groups with tens of thousands of members, offer a source of optimism. There, users with names like “Butterfly Babe” detail how to plant native milkweed and share small victories. They gently usher monarch larvae into specially built enclosures to nourish them in safety and show off the glorious offspring emerging from their chrysalis. They crochet monarch sweaters for themselves and ask for advice on gluing a monarch’s broken wing back together using a toothpick and a tiny drop of adhesive. One user shared how she shelters injured butterflies indoors during cold snaps, feeding them watermelon juice and mashed fruit until they recover.Citizen science, gardening, and passion fuel the efforts. Laws believes that this enthusiasm may be one of the monarch’s greatest strengths. “This is a species that inspires people,” she said. “People love monarchs and feel very strongly about them.”Back at Pismo Grove, a single monarch glides across the clearing and settles on a yellow flower. Its wings flash briefly in the morning sun.It is only one butterfly. But it is also a reminder that the migration is not gone yet — and that thousands of people are working to bring it back.This story was produced by Reasons to be Cheerful and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Eastern Iowa Community Colleges reveals a new fuzzy and local mascot Eddy the River Otter will be the new mascot for Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.
	Putnam Palooza, May 9 Taking place on May 9 from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., the Putnam Museum & Science Center's second-annual Putnam Palooza will treat guests to a full-day celebration of spring, creativity, and Quad Cities culture, bringing together dozens of community partners, performers, and hand-son activities for all ages.
	Sports Car Club of America brings autocross racing to Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds As warmer weather arrives, the Great River chapter of the Sports Car Club of America is opening its season this weekend at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds.
	The 7 biggest deal killers for home sellers right now, and how to avoid them The 7 biggest deal killers for home sellers right now, and how to avoid themYou’ve accepted an offer, signed the paperwork, and started picturing your next move. Then, suddenly, things slow down or fall apart entirely. Maybe the inspection uncovers an issue or the buyer’s financing hits a snag, and you’re back at square one. It’s a frustrating reality, but even strong offers don’t always make it to the closing table.According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), about 6% of contracts don’t make it to the finish line, and many others face delays along the way. The good news is that these setbacks often follow familiar patterns.In this guide, HomeLight breaks down the biggest home sale deal killers affecting sellers today and how you can avoid them.1. Your home’s sewer, roof, or furnace fails inspectionDeals often start to unravel at the home inspection stage. Problems like aging systems, deferred maintenance, or structural damage can surface late, giving buyers a reason to renegotiate or walk away. Even minor issues can raise red flags as repairs start to add up. With today’s buyers more cost-conscious and wary of taking on major work, unexpected problems can feel like a big risk.“Sewer, roof, and furnace are the three big items that, if there are issues with them, can cause a buyer to cancel a transaction,” says Monica Graves, a Colorado real estate agent with more than three decades of experience.For sellers, a little preparation can go a long way. A prelisting inspection helps you catch major issues early and focus on the small fixes that offer the most value, while clear disclosures set expectations upfront. Pricing your home with its condition in mind can also help keep negotiations on track and your sale moving forward.2. Your buyer’s financing collapsesFew things are more frustrating than finding out your buyer doesn’t have the money to back their offer. Even well-qualified buyers can run into trouble once underwriting begins. A job change, new debt, or missing documentation can delay approval or stop it altogether.Graves says rising ownership costs are playing a bigger role. “It’s causing buyers to actually have to terminate the loan because the payment ends up being too high,” she explains, pointing to increases in insurance, taxes, and HOA fees.To protect yourself, look for buyers who are fully vetted or preunderwritten, not just preapproved. It also helps to pay attention to the lender involved and how clearly they communicate throughout the process. Offers from buyers who are stretching their budget may carry more risk, so a slightly lower but stronger offer can sometimes be the safer choice.3. Your buyer’s own home sale falls throughSome offers come with conditions that can put your deal at risk. These are known as contingencies, meaning the sale depends on certain requirements being met before closing. Buyers often include an inspection or financing contingency to protect against the first two deal killers above.In the current tepid market, one of the most common safety-net clauses used by buyers is the home sale contingency, meaning that, to purchase your house, the buyer must first sell their own home. Until this condition is satisfied, the deal isn’t final and can still fall through.To reduce risk, sellers may want to prioritize offers with fewer contingencies or negotiate shorter timelines when possible.If you do accept a contingent offer, keep the lines of communication wide open. As Graves puts it, “Communication is very important between all the agents involved in those contingencies because we need to know how things are going in terms of the deadlines."It can also help to continue marketing your home or keep a backup offer in place. In some cases, sellers add a kick-out clause, allowing you to move on to another offer if the buyer can’t remove their contingency in time.4. Your home’s appraisal comes in lowAn appraisal can quickly change the direction of a deal. If your home comes in below the agreed-upon price, lenders typically won’t cover the gap, leaving buyers to make up the difference in cash or renegotiate. If buyers don’t have the funds, the deal can hit a dead end.While this feels daunting, there are steps you can take to keep your sale on track.“The seller agent can negotiate and maybe meet in the middle somewhere with the price,” says Graves. This way, “the seller doesn't have to take the entire hit on the purchase price.” If the buyer won’t agree to split the difference, she says sellers can revisit concessions they’ve already offered, such as closing cost help or repair credits, and adjust the price accordingly.To lower your risk of appraisal gaps from the start, price your home based on recent, realistic comparable sales. An agent can help select the right comparables and position your home in line with how appraisers assess value. It also helps to ask buyers upfront if they can cover a potential gap.5. Your title search reveals an unpleasant surpriseSome deal problems don’t show up until the final stages. Title issues, such as unpaid taxes, old liens, boundary disputes, or unclear ownership, can surface during escrow and put everything on hold. Many sellers don’t realize these problems exist until a title search reveals them, but they need to be resolved before closing.Graves notes that situations like probate or title name discrepancies can also cause delays. Sellers can usually fix these issues, but this can take extra time and coordination.To avoid surprises, it helps to run a preliminary title report early in the process. This gives you time to resolve any problems before you’re under contract. Working with an experienced agent and title company can also make a big difference, helping you clear issues quickly and keep your sale on schedule.6. Your buyer gets cold feet, chilled by uncertaintyNot every deal falls apart because of an obvious issue. Sometimes buyers simply get nervous or change their minds. With ongoing concerns about interest rates, affordability, and overall economic uncertainty, some buyers feel less confident about the future. Some contracts also include clauses that give buyers a window to back out, which can make it easier for second thoughts to turn into canceled deals.To keep buyers committed, sellers can focus on maintaining momentum. Clear timelines, quick responses, and steady communication can help keep everyone on track. A smooth, low-stress experience from contract to closing can reduce second-guessing.It’s also smart to have a backup plan. Continue marketing your home, line up a backup offer, or consider a cash offer so you have options if a buyer decides not to move forward.7. Miscommunications, mistakes, and mix-upsEven solid deals can fall apart when communication breaks down. With agents, lenders, buyers, and sellers all involved, it doesn’t take much for wires to get crossed. A missed deadline, a delayed response, or unclear expectations can quickly create confusion.Today’s transactions move fast, leaving little room for mistakes or mix-ups. When people aren’t on the same page, small issues can quickly turn into deal-breaking ones.Graves says she often sees this happen when conversations rely too heavily on texting. “Texts are important, but when it is a negotiation type of thing that happens between the buyer agent and the listing agent, or between the buyer and the seller, I think that phone call communication is better than text communication. It's really hard to negotiate with a text or with an email.”Sellers can keep things running smoothly by working with experienced, responsive professionals. Set clear expectations from the start, confirm important deadlines, and stay in regular contact so nothing falls behind.How sellers can protect their deal from day oneThe truth is, most home sale deal killers aren’t random. They’re predictable and, with the right approach, often preventable. Sellers who take a proactive approach from the start are more likely to avoid the biggest pitfalls and keep their deal intact.Here are a few ways to set yourself up for a smoother sale:Work with a professional: An experienced agent can guide pricing, vet offers, and flag potential red flags before they become problems. Agent-matching services can help you find top professionals in your area.Look beyond the offer price: A strong offer isn’t just about numbers. Pay attention to contingencies, financing strength, and the buyer’s overall position.Prepare your home and paperwork: Prelisting inspections, clear disclosures, and early title work can prevent surprises later in the process.Stay organized and responsive: Keep a close eye on deadlines, respond quickly to requests, and make sure all parties stay aligned.It can also help to understand your options if a deal falls through. Some sellers keep their home on the market or consider working with cash buyers, which can reduce delays tied to financing and contingencies.For even greater certainty, many homeowners who are buying and selling are turning to buy-before-you-sell programs. These modern solutions unlock existing equity, allowing you to make a stronger, noncontingent offer on your new home and only move once.With the right preparation and expert guidance, you can approach your sale with more confidence and avoid these seven home sale deal killers.This story was produced by HomeLight and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Josh Hawley puts Missouri at center of national fight over abortion pill Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a ceremonial swearing-in with Sen. Josh Hawley as his wife Erin Morrow Hawley, and children Elijah, Blaise and Abigail, look on at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 3 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images).U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley has opened a new front in the fight over medication abortion, pushing legislation to revoke federal approval of mifepristone, urging the Justice Department to investigate its manufacturer and helping launch a national political group aimed at reshaping abortion debates after a string of losses on the ballot. The push has made Missouri a central arena in the national fight over mifepristone. It’s not just focused on Hawley’s efforts. A major federal lawsuit looking to limit access to the drug is currently playing out in St. Louis after Missouri became the lead plaintiff. The state’s attorney general is pursuing a separate case against Planned Parenthood, testing the ability to wield consumer-protection laws as a means to limit mifepristone. Later this year, voters will decide the fate of a proposed abortion ban placed on the ballot by Missouri lawmakers. Nearly 18 months ago, Missouri voters approved a constitutional right to abortion, becoming the first state to overturn an abortion ban through the people’s vote. But medication abortion — which now accounts for about two-thirds of abortions in the United States — remains unavailable through Missouri providers as a state court weighs which regulations on the medication and its providers are now unconstitutional under the new amendment. In April, Hawley called on acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to open an investigation into Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of brand-name mifepristone, the first medication taken during a medical abortion that causes the embryo or fetus to stop growing and detach from the uterine wall. If Blanche follows through, it, could disrupt the supply of the drug nationwide. A few weeks earlier, Hawley announced legislation aimed at ending the use of mifepristone for abortion. “It is time for Congress to do something about this racket, and it is a racket,” Hawley said during a March press conference, calling on his colleagues to withdraw the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, which is also used to treat miscarriages. “It is time for Congress to ban the use of mifepristone for abortion.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Few Republicans in Washington have made mifepristone as central to their work as Hawley. He has introduced or co-sponsored multiple measures targeting the drug, pressed the FDA and DOJ in letters and floor speeches, and made the medication a recurring theme of his public appearances. Abortion-rights advocates say his focus reflects a broader strategy to restrict abortion nationally, even in states where voters have backed legal access. That strategy, they argue, is being built in Missouri. “A lot of what we see happening across the country and at the federal level against reproductive freedom has its roots in Missouri,” said Emily Steinert McDowell, associate director of federal policy with Reproductive Freedom for All. “A lot of that does have to do with the leadership from Senator Hawley.” The Missouri connection extends beyond the senator. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, a former Missouri solicitor general, was among the lead donors to the campaign against Missouri’s 2024 abortion-rights amendment. Two federal judges nominated by President Donald Trump — Joshua Divine and Maria Lanahan — worked in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on litigation challenging the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. That case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where Erin Hawley, wife to Josh Hawley, argued against the medication before the court, which ruled that the anti-abortion doctors and organizations challenging the drug lacked standing. The case has since returned to the lower courts and was relocated to Missouri where the attorneys general of Kansas and Idaho joined Missouri in trying to give the challenge new life. The Hawleys also recently launched the Love Life Initiative. The group, organized as a nonprofit that does not disclose its donors, says it will invest in anti-abortion and pro-family messaging around the country. “This is more a story about the nature of Missouri politics than it is about the nature of Missourians,” said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California-Davis and a leading expert on abortion in America. “So this is partly about the efficacy of the anti-abortion movement in Missouri, and the fact that a lot of politicians with national ambitions have made Missouri home, like Senator Hawley.” Hawley was not available for comment. The shift in access to medication abortion came under the Biden administration, when the FDA allowed for the mailing of mifepristone and for prescriptions to be made online or through pharmacies without seeing a doctor in-person. During the March press conference, Hawley decried decisions by the Obama and Biden administrations to expand access to the medication. “They did it because they wanted to turn mifepristone into the driver of abortion on demand, and we have to admit today they largely succeeded,” he said. “There are more abortions now in the United States than there were when Roe versus Wade was the law of the land.” In the first six months of 2025, an estimated 15,000 abortions occurred each month using telehealth, according to the Society of Family Planning. While an estimate is not available specifically for Missouri, it’s widely known that getting abortion medication through the mail is possible. To test how easy it was to access abortion medication, Sam Lee, a longtime anti-abortion lobbyist in Jefferson City, says he ordered mifepristone and misoprostol for “dirt cheap” off eBay in early 2022. He said the medication arrived at his Missouri home from India within about 26 days. At the time, doctors in Missouri could not legally prescribe the medication. In the time since, Lee said it’s become more clear to him that without limiting mifepristone on the federal level, abortions will continue in large numbers. “For years you could say, ‘okay, well, abortions are done at this local abortion clinic. If we just shut down the abortion clinic, if we just shut down Planned Parenthood’s clinic where they’re doing abortions, that will take care of it,’” Lee said. “That’s just not the case anymore.” Missouri leaders began paying closer attention to medication abortion about a decade ago, Lee said. In 2017, Republicans passed abortion regulations requiring mifepristone to be administered by a doctor, and only if the provider has a complication plan approved by the state that includes a contract with an OB-GYN who can be on call 24/7 to treat any complications. That change effectively halted Missouri doctors’ ability to prescribe abortion medication. The FDA states that mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed in the first trimester of pregnancy. That conclusion has become a focal point in anti-abortion challenges to the drug. Hawley has called the medication “inherently dangerous” and “inherently prone to abuse,” noting a dozen instances in the past year where he said men were criminally charged with giving a woman mifepristone without her consent. Clinicians are providing medication abortion through telehealth services even to people in states where abortion is banned, thanks in part to shield laws in states where abortion is still legal (Natalie Behring/Getty Images). He also points to a 2025 study from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a right-leaning think tank, which concludes that serious complications from mifepristone are much more common than the FDA reports. That study has been widely criticized by medical professionals as flawed and politically-motivated. The paper concluded that 1 in 10 people who take mifepristone experience a serious adverse event. The FDA data cites serious adverse reactions in less than 0.5% of women who take the medication. Critics of the latest study said the decision to include visits to the emergency room when the patient doesn’t require admission as well as follow-up appointments as adverse outcomes was misleading. Since the medication was approved for use nearly three decades ago, the FDA has reported only 32 deaths associated with mifepristone. The report evaluates data from 5.9 million women who took mifepristone between 2000 and 2022. Of the three dozen deaths, 11 were the result of sepsis, 20 were homicides and two were suicides. Bleeding and cramping are expected side effects. More rarely, there can be hemorrhaging and infection. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever. This guidance also applies to those who recently underwent surgical abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby. “Missouri is leading the way in restoring commonsense limits on abortion that reflect the state’s longstanding priorities, including health and safety standards for women and clarifying parental consent,” Sue Liebel, director of state affairs with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement. She pointed to the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in Missouri this year that will ask voters if they want to reinstate a ban with limited exceptions for medical emergencies and survivors of rape and incest. It would also ban gender-affirming care for minors, which is already illegal in Missouri. The ballot measure is among the recent strategies Ziegler has seen emerge from Missouri. She said she’ll be watching closely to see whether the decision by the Missouri legislature to tie the amendment to transgender issues may prove to be a reliable “Trojan Horse” strategy that could be copied by other anti-abortion legislatures. A recent SLU/YouGov poll found that while almost 60% of Missourians support abortion access until at least the eight week of pregnancy, even more Missourians — 67% — oppose puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and gender transition surgeries for minors. “For the national anti-abortion movement,” Ziegler said, “Missouri is sort of a laboratory for other strategies that could be exported elsewhere to shut down access to abortion.” She said this includes the “vanguard” consumer protection lawsuit against Planned Parenthood challenging its portrayal of mifepristone’s safety. After narrow 2024 loss, Missouri abortion opponents reorganize for 2026 vote Last July, then-Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued Planned Parenthood Federation of America for $1.8 million in damages, claiming the nonprofit violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act for stating on its website that mifepristone is “safer than many other medicines like penicillin, Tylenol, and Viagra.” In November, current Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway asked a federal court to roll back the FDA’s decision to approve a new generic brand of mifepristone. “For Missouri and other states with strong protections for unborn life and maternal health, the widespread mail-order distribution of mifepristone directly undermines state law and burdens state hospitals, emergency rooms, and taxpayers,” Hanaway said at the time. Hanaway in a statement Wednesday said she will continue advocating for additional regulations around mifepristone use, including in-person appointments. “As Missouri Attorney General,” she wrote, “I am proud to lead the fight to protect women’s health and safety, ensure every unborn child has a voice, and defend the rule of law.” A majority of Americans support at least some access to abortion, including medication abortion, polling by the Pew Research Centers shows. It could be why some Republicans on the national level have been quieter on the subject, especially ahead of the midterms. Many anti-abortion activists have expressed frustration with the second Trump administration’s reluctance to talk about abortion. But Missouri’s leaders haven’t shied away from the issue. “Folks who are being rewarded,” Steinert McDowell said, “Despite doing this advocacy — or perhaps because of doing this advocacy — to undermine access to abortion care.” Courtesy of Missouri Independent
	$10B in healthcare funds headed to Florida hospitals that treat the poor, uninsured Members of the Legislative Budget Commission agreed this week to give the DeSantis administration approval to spend $10 billion in healthcare funds for Florida hospitals for state fiscal year 2025-26. (Getty Images)Lawmakers won’t return to work on a state budget until they reconvene in a special session beginning May 12. But the Legislative Budget Commission this week agreed to give the green light to allow billions in healthcare dollars to flow to Florida hospitals. The joint House-Senate panel on Tuesday approved two budget amendments that, combined, allow the state Agency for Health Care Administration to spend more than $10 billion on Florida hospitals that treat the poor, elderly, and disabled who rely on Medicaid, a healthcare safety net program administered by both the state and federal government. The commission agreed to allow the state to spend nearly $8 billion for what is known as the Direct Payment Program, or DPP. AHCA has received near-final approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the money. According to AHCA’s website, DPP funding is provided to hospitals for inpatient and outpatient care. Specifically, DPP dollars help to bridge the funding gap between the amount hospitals are paid for treating managed-care enrollees and the amount it costs to provide the care. The DPP is funded through a combination of local government funds, which are transferred to the state and used to draw down matching federal dollars. AHCA Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Brian Meyer told the panel that final approval of the funds, tied to already submitted paperwork, is imminent. “We are hopeful that final approval will come any day,” Meyer said when commission member Sen. Lori Berman asked about timelines. He added: “Certainly, the hope is that we can get approval any day now because that’s what we’re hopeful for and we can move forward with issuing these payments.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That wasn’t the only healthcare funding the commission authorized AHCA to spend this week. The panel also granted authority to spend $2.17 billion in “Low Income Pool” funds. Commonly referred to as LIP, the money also combines local government funds and matching federal healthcare dollars. Unlike DPP — which is used to offset shortfalls in Medicaid reimbursements — LIP funds are given to hospitals to help offset charity care they provide to uninsured patients. Medicaid patients aren’t considered uninsured. The $10 billion in additional spending authority isn’t for the coming fiscal year 2026-27 budget, which will be the center of attention when the Legislature returns to Tallahassee for the 18-day budget session. Instead, the spending authority is for the FY 25-26 budget, which expires June 30. House Health Care Budget Committee Chairman Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican, asked Meyer about the timelines and why it took so long for the state to receive approval from CMS for the DPP and LIP programs. “Just looking forward, exactly what is your understanding of what may have created any kind of hold-up at the CMS level,” Andrade asked, referring to the federal money. Medicaid cuts could rock state’s budget, provider pay, and the care being delivered Meyer said the delay was due to the Trump administration’s crackdown on supplemental payment programs such as DPP and LIP that rely on local dollars and provider taxes to fund them. The Trump administration argues supplemental payment programs allow states to tap into additional federal Medicaid dollars but not have to increase their own spending because the required state costs are shifted to local taxpayers and healthcare providers. CMS estimates supplemental payment programs have generated about $24 billion annually and that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will save $78 billion over the next 10 years by seeking to lower supplemental payment programs funded through provider taxes. “Everything we’ve achieved with this administration has just come under longer levels of review,” Meyer said. “I would just say, this follows a pattern that we’ve seen with CMS in terms of enhanced scrutiny under the state-directed payments, provider taxes. You know, with the One Big Beautiful Bill, that was the focal point. State-directed payments, provider taxes, and there were regulations around that. So, CMS, I believe, is just pursuing their review of these with additional levels of review and scrutiny.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Rachael Dierickx to serve as interim Herbert Hoover Elementary principal The Bettendorf Community School District announced the appointment of Rachael Dierickx as interim principal of Herbert Hoover Elementary School. According to a release, Dierickx will begin the position in July, pending board approval. Dierickx began her career as a teacher and served as an instructional coach. Dierickx holds advanced degrees in education and educational leadership [...]
	Catch Pillars of Democracy: Unite & Rise exhibit at Galesburg Community Arts Center A new exhibit at the Galesburg Community Arts Center, 349 E. Main Street, by artist Niki Johnson reimagines American ideals as first time voters. Pillars of Democracy: Unite & Rise is a series of large-scale portraits that will be at the arts center through Wednesday, May 13. The series is presented by Niki Johnson Studio, [...]
	KWQC, Gray Media launch Star-Spangled Sing-Off in celebration of America’s 250th birthday The contest’s winner will get an all-expenses-paid trip to Nashville to film a performance that will air on KWQC and all other Gray Media stations across the U.S.
	Asset sale vs. stock sale for high-net-worth business owners Asset sale vs. stock sale for high-net-worth business owners Making the choiceFor business owners, deciding how to sell their business can be one of the most important financial and strategic decisions of their career. Whether the goal is retirement, pursuing new ventures or simply realizing the value of years of hard work, choosing between an asset sale and a stock sale will have lasting implications. Each approach carries distinct advantages, challenges and tax consequences that need to be carefully considered.Fifth Third breaks down the differences between asset and stock sales, explains their respective benefits and drawbacks, shares their role in business sale tax strategies and highlights the key factors that should influence your decision-making process.Key takeaways:Asset sales allow buyers to select specific assets: This helps your business exit strategy by avoiding unwanted liabilities, while stock sales transfer the entire business, including obligations.Tax treatment differs significantly: Asset sales may trigger higher taxes for sellers while stocks sales often qualify for capital gains rates.Buyer type matters: Private equity firms often favor asset sales for flexibility, while strategic acquirers may prefer stock sales for continuity.Deal complexity and valuation vary: Stock sales are generally simpler and may yield higher valuations; asset sales offer flexibility but may require multiple agreements.The difference between asset sales and stock salesWhat’s an asset sale?In an asset sale, the buyer purchases specific assets of your business, such as equipment, inventory, intellectual property or real estate, rather than acquiring the entire company. The buyer generally assumes only the liabilities associated with the specific assets being sold, while the seller retains responsibility for any remaining liabilities.What’s a stock sale?A stock sale involves transferring ownership of the company through the sale of shares. The buyer purchases the seller's stock and, as a result, acquires the company in its entirety—assets, liabilities and all. This means the seller’s ownership stake is completely transferred to the buyer, and the business operates under new ownership.A stock sale that’s treated as an asset saleIn certain circumstances, a transaction structured as a stock sale may be treated as an asset sale for tax purposes. This typically occurs through an election under Internal Revenue Code Section 338(h)(10) or Section 336(e), allowing both the buyer and seller of a qualifying corporation to agree that, for tax purposes, the target company’s assets are deemed sold and immediately repurchased.This election gives the buyer the benefits of an asset purchase, most notably a “step-up” in the tax basis of the acquired assets, enabling future tax deductions through depreciation and amortization. However, it can also result in higher tax liability for the seller since the gain is recognized as if the underlying assets were sold directly. Both parties should consult their tax and legal advisors early in the transaction process to determine whether this structure aligns with their financial and strategic goals because these elections have nuanced eligibility rules and implications.Exploring the benefits and challenges of asset salesAdvantages of an asset saleTax benefits for the buyer: Buyers in an asset sale can often “step-up” the value of the assets they acquire, allowing for depreciation or amortization of those assets over time. This may provide long-term tax savings, making the deal more attractive to the buyer.Separation from liabilities: The buyer typically only assumes the liabilities tied to the assets being acquired. This separation from any residual or unknown liabilities can make the transaction smoother for both parties.Tailored transaction structure: Asset sales offer flexibility. As the seller, you can decide which assets you wish to sell, allowing you to retain certain parts of the business (such as intellectual property or real estate) that may have strategic value.Appeal to buyers with specific needs: Buyers who are seeking specific assets, such as machinery, patents or inventory, without inheriting unwanted liabilities, may find an asset sale more attractive.Challenges of an asset saleHigher tax burden for the seller: Asset sales are generally taxed at higher rates for the seller. In an asset sale, some categories of assets are taxed as ordinary income or depreciation recapture, which are typically taxed at higher rates. Conversely, other assets may qualify as capital gains, which are typically taxed at lower rates. Depending on the selling company’s structure, the transaction may also trigger double taxation: once at the corporate level (if applicable) and again at the individual level, often leading to a larger tax liability than a stock sale.Increased complexity: The asset sale process is often more complex and time-consuming, requiring multiple legal agreements, reorganization of operations and sometimes even renegotiation of contracts or licenses.Loss of certain tax benefits: In an asset sale, the buyer does not inherit the company’s tax attributes, such as net operating losses or tax credits, which could have been beneficial for future tax savings.Employee and contract concerns: Asset transfers may require renegotiating employment contracts, supplier agreements or customer relationships, potentially causing disruption or uncertainty.Exploring the benefits and challenges of stock salesAdvantages of a stock saleMore favorable tax treatment for the seller: The tax treatment for the seller is generally more advantageous in a stock sale. The seller typically pays capital gains taxes on the sale of stock, which are often lower than the taxes on ordinary income and depreciation recapture that may apply within an asset sale.Simplicity and business continuity: A stock sale is often simpler in terms of execution. Since the business continues to operate as it was, with the same contracts, licenses and relationships, there is less disruption. The business’s brand, reputation and goodwill are seamlessly transferred to the buyer.Potential for a higher purchase price: Stock sales can sometimes result in a higher overall valuation as the buyer is acquiring the entire company, including intangible assets like customer loyalty, brand value and established market position.Preservation of tax attributes: The buyer inherits the company’s tax attributes, such as net operating losses, which can offer significant long-term tax benefits. This can make the business more appealing to a buyer seeking to offset their tax liabilities.Challenges of a stock saleBuyer reluctance due to liabilities: One of the main deterrents for buyers in stock sales is the assumption of all liabilities, including any hidden or contingent risks such as legal, tax or environmental issues. This makes stock sales less attractive to certain buyers.Limited flexibility: A stock sale often offers limited flexibility in how the transaction is structured since the buyer acquires the entire business as a single entity. All of the company’s assets, contracts and obligations automatically transfer with the stock, whether they are desirable or not. This means that the buyer cannot selectively exclude underperforming assets, unfavorable leases or unwanted liabilities, as might be possible in an asset sale.Tax considerations for the buyer: While a stock sale offers tax advantages for the seller, it may be less beneficial for the buyer, as the buyer cannot take advantage of the "step-up" in asset basis, which could reduce their future tax liabilities.Potential for lengthy due diligence: Buyers in a stock sale often conduct more extensive due diligence, as they are acquiring both the assets and the liabilities of the business. This can increase the complexity and timeline of the sale process.Key considerations when deciding between an asset sale and a stock saleTax implications: Taxes will likely be a central concern for high-net-worth business owners. Asset sales often result in higher taxes for the seller, while stock sales tend to be more tax-efficient for the seller but may have tax drawbacks for the buyer.Liability exposure: If minimizing the buyer’s exposure to potential liabilities is a priority for you, an asset sale may be the better choice. This structure limits the buyer’s risk by allowing them to select only the assets they wish to acquire, leaving you with residual liabilities.Buyer profile: Consider the nature of your buyer. If your buyer is a private equity firm or another business looking for specific assets, they may prefer an asset sale. Alternatively, if your buyer is a strategic acquirer seeking to grow their business by acquiring an entire company, a stock sale could be more appealing.Deal complexity: If you value simplicity and ease of transition, a stock sale may be preferable. The buyer inherits the business as a whole, meaning less restructuring or renegotiating is required compared to an asset sale, where there are typically multiple agreements and transfers that take place.Company valuation: The valuation of your business may vary depending on the type of transaction. In stock sales, the buyer is acquiring the entire business, including intangible assets, possibly leading to a higher sale price. On the other hand, asset sales can offer a more straightforward and segmented approach to valuing specific assets.Choosing the right path for your business saleThe decision to sell your business is one of the most significant moments in your entrepreneurial journey. Whether you choose to pursue an asset sale or a stock sale, each option brings unique benefits and challenges that can influence the final outcome of the transaction.For high-net-worth business owners, the right decision depends on your financial goals, tax strategy and long-term plans. It’s helpful to consult with your legal, tax and financial advisors to thoroughly understand the implications of each option. By evaluating the advantages, challenges and strategic fit of both asset and stock sales, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your business objectives and personal goals.This story was produced by Fifth Third and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Circa '21 presents 'Fiddler on the Roof' Continuing the Rock Island theater's spectacular 49th season of live entertainment, audiences are invited to cheer a rousing “L'chaim!” when the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse presents the eagerly awaited return of "Fiddler on the Roof," according to a news release. Running through June 27, this iconic delight is the most cherished stage work by Tony [...]
	Several states — and the LA public schools — are setting limits on screen time Four states have recently passed legislation to limit teaching and assessments via screens for students. So has the United States' second-largest school district.
	This elementary school banned screens in the middle of the year. Will it solve their reading crisis? This elementary school banned screens in the middle of the year. Will it solve their reading crisis?Chromebooks are scattered all around the classrooms of Floyd M. Jewett Elementary School in Mesick, Michigan.Towers of them are teetering atop bookshelves. They’re piled up in corners of classrooms. They’ve even cropped up in one classroom’s dish rack.But there’s one place you won’t find them: in students’ hands.Last month, Mesick Consolidated Schools banned digital devices in its elementary school of about 250 students. The decision wasn’t an agonizing one. The ban came at astonishing speed, almost overnight, after a conversation between Mesick Superintendent Jack Ledford and Jewett Principal Elizabeth Kastl.Ledford recalled asking Kastl how much teachers read to students in grades K-5. And he recalled her reply: “That has almost vanished.” Kastl’s response helped seal the deal.Teachers had to have students off devices by the end of the week. School printers went into overdrive. Then the district went cold turkey, Chalkbeat reports.Mesick’s midyear ban underscores a growing backlash against screen time in school, a battle that parents and educators are taking up nationwide. Fears about digital devices’ impact on learning have fused with ongoing concerns about a multiyear decline in national test scores that predates the pandemic. A stream of government hearings, op-eds, and social media posts has only magnified the sense of urgency.Ledford and Kastl think the need for drastic action is warranted. About 18% of Jewett’s third graders scored proficient or higher on the state reading test last spring — half the state average and half what it was a decade ago.In Mesick, a rural town known for its annual mushroom festival, 66% of students are economically disadvantaged. The district has done all the “normal things” to improve persistently low reading scores, Ledford said, like switching to an evidence-based curriculum. But he now views screens as an adversary to learning.“When we’re competing with screens, we’re going to lose,” he said.But blanket bans at school won’t affect kids’ screen time at home. And research about how screens affect students is inconclusive, although it does suggest that teachers should exercise caution. Not everyone is convinced that a complete prohibition on screens is the best way to help struggling learners.Morgan Polikoff, a professor at the University of Southern California’s education school, said he understands the appeal of an all-or-nothing approach, but it avoids the reality that some technology does have a place in the classroom.“It’s like taking a hammer when you need a scalpel,” he said. “A lot of the use of technology in schools is not appropriate. But rather than sitting down and thinking about, ‘What are appropriate uses of technology in classrooms serving young children,’ this approach would just obliterate all uses.”Lawmakers in at least 16 states have proposed bills that would limit education technology in public schools, following a spate of state-approved cellphone bans for schools.Ledford said he’s been influenced by writers like Jonathan Haidt, a New York University psychologist who is a prominent supporter of school cellphone restrictions and has more recently criticized the proliferation of tech in education. At the same time, a mid-March visit to Mesick’s classrooms shows the ed-tech backlash can be somewhat divorced from the reality of a school day.For some at Jewett, the school day doesn’t feel that different. A few teachers said they hadn’t used screens very much. For others, the routine has changed substantially — and for the better, they believe, with students more engaged and learning less “gamified.”When asked about her school’s screen ban, a girl wearing a “Lilo & Stitch” shirt in an intervention class for struggling readers just growls. But her intervention instructor, Julie Kearns, said the students are simply adjusting.The student “definitely seems like she enjoys” reading a book more than wearing headphones and peering at a screen, Kearns said.As Kearns watched, the girl bounced in her chair while reading a passage about soccer.Why a school banished screens and bought booksIn classrooms, a screen ban for students doesn’t mean all screens are gone.One Friday in March, third-grade teacher Hanna Brechenser presented images on the Smartboard — the modern-day version of a projector — of Indigenous communities to help foster a classroom conversation. Teachers also still have desktop computers.This is Brechenser’s fifth year teaching and her second in Mesick. She said she had already tried to limit screentime in the classroom before the ban. Her class mostly used their Chromebooks a few times a week for a math fluency exercise and digital library access.Both Kastl and Ledford believe teachers may not have been aware of just how much of a crutch screens were in some classes.Mesick went 1:1 with students and devices around 2015, Ledford said, when schools were under pressure by tech evangelists and politicians to add more technology so students would be prepared for jobs in the digital world. That was the argument at the time, anyway.“I had started in my walkthroughs just noting, what are the students doing?” Kastl said. “More often than not, I was coming back with a list of students on devices. So the perception of how your day actually looks versus what we were seeing on the data piece are probably disjointed.”Mesick’s new policy has been helpful for Brechenser because she doesn’t have to police students so much on their devices.Brechenser’s students have physical books from the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, “Twilight,” and “The Baby-sitter’s Club” stacked on their desks. That’s the other side of Mesick’s new screen ban: The district has set aside $30,000 for physical books to bulk up classroom libraries, along with beanbag chairs so students will have special spaces to read.Students adjusted quickly, Brechenser said. “At first, they were kind of shocked, but we just have a lot more silent reading time.”Still, it’s hard to miss signs of the amount of time students spend on screens outside of school: A “K-Pop Demon Hunters” water bottle. A Sonic the Hedgehog T-shirt. The image of a snake Brechenser put on the Smartboard prompted one student, Alaric, to say it reminded him of one in a “Harry Potter” movie he watched before school.Alaric, who’s 9, said he doesn’t really miss his Chromebook, though he’d been reading something on the online library he can no longer access thanks to the screen ban.He gets plenty of screen time at home playing Xbox, he said. He hasn’t thought about cutting down on that.“Because I love Fortnite,” he giggled.In reading instruction, students get a digital detoxWhere Mesick’s screen-free initiative feels most significant is in the 30-minute small group sessions for Jewett’s struggling readers.Mesick uses Read Naturally, an intervention program designed to build fluency. Before the screen ban, students would read a short passage aloud from a computer, then listen through bulky headphones as the software read the passage back to them. Students would then read the passage to themselves three times before reading it aloud again. Paraprofessionals would go from student to student to assist.Now, Sharon Brown and other literacy aides sit with their students and work through printed reading passages together. Brown can more easily point out when students stop tracking words with their fingers. She can help sound out words. Though she closely helped students on the computers, she finds herself more thrilled to engage this way, to see progress up close. This is why she is in education.“It’s our passion to sit and watch these kids go from struggling readers to eventually testing out … and not having to come back and see us,” she said.With one second grader, she has an engaging conversation about the reading’s topic, mammals, before they begin. He asks if a shark is a mammal and if it evolved from dinosaurs.Brown can see improvements, particularly with some of her first graders. Students are reading more words per minute, based on data they track every session.“They are so engaged,” she said. “It’s been amazing to us that we’re going, ‘Wow, this has actually been so fun.’”The way students use technology is an important consideration when thinking about limiting or banning screens, said Dr. Joanna Parga-Belinkie, a pediatrician and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.Educators and parents should focus on using technology in ways that are interactive and in group settings, instead of having students looking at screens on their own.“When you are focusing on screens and technology and the use of them you might be not focusing on human relationships,” she said.Samantha Daniels, the mother of three children in the district, said that last school year, some of the software the district used would offer students games if they read enough.She’d watch her son, a first grader, try to rush through the reading to get to the game. He struggled a lot with reading, becoming easily frustrated like many young readers.“It would be about getting to that, versus us enjoying what we’re reading and what we’re learning,” she said.But now, he’s starting to pick up books on his own.There are some difficult practical adjustments to a midyear change as big as this one. A lot of classroom resources are based online or have some kind of online component. Kastl asked teachers to stop using those components.Ultimately, every hour of screen time represented “an hour that we’ve lost direct teacher instruction where they’re actually getting that responsive feedback from a human,” Kastl said.“That’s when you move the needle.”Will eliminating screens help young readers?Ledford doesn’t think he’s taking a gamble by eliminating screens at the elementary school, even though students take state assessments on computers. He thinks it’s much easier to teach students technology skills than social skills.In fact, he already has plans to scale back technology use by older students, too.Ledford moved rapidly to ban screens, but he expects improvements in reading scores to happen more gradually. Still, he’s laser-focused on the connection between screens and literacy. To him, education should unlock the ability to read for students, because it affects everything else the district is trying to do for kids.“We’re failing in literacy,” Ledford said. “If we fail in literacy, how can we effectively teach science or social studies or any of the subjects?”Getting rid of screens will not solve all of Mesick’s problems, like a leaky roof or clapped-out HVAC system. Kastl has also observed a deeper potential issue: a drop-off in parent involvement after schools closed during the pandemic.In many cases, Kastl said, “Parents don’t know what actually happens inside their kids’ school building.”But parents know about the screen ban, and they’re excited about it. They’ve said they’ve noticed their children take more interest in reading.Kids are also socializing more during free periods, a bright spot for the principal’s son, Sam Kastl.Sam, 11, used to spend indoor recess — a regular occurrence in northern Michigan’s severe winters — playing games on his Chromebook. He thought the screen ban was “going to be annoying.” Classmates who used to ask him if his mom would declare a snow day started asking him to convince her to bring back devices.But those requests went away pretty quickly. Students now play board games together instead of games on their Chromebooks alone — just like how reading intervention students now study in a group instead of solo. Another student taught Sam how to draw. Everyone’s adjusted pretty well, from his vantage point.On the day Chalkbeat visited their school, Sam and his fifth-grade classmates built a fort out of blankets during class time. Then they climbed inside to read with flashlights.This story was produced by Chalkbeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	This 'Devil Wears Prada' wants to save journalism Andy Sachs returns to Runway in a timely but unconvincing story about saving the magazine.
	Upholstered Furniture Shopping Tips: 7 Questions to Ask (NAPSI)—Are you shopping for upholstered furniture? Whether you are furnishing a new home, updating a room, or replacing a single item, there are many factors to consider. Here are seven questions to ask to help you make an informed decision:1. Will it fit? Measure the length and width of your room, including windows, alcoves, and doorways. Create a floor plan on paper with the measurements to scale. Sketch the dimensions of furniture you like and what you plan to keep. Recreate your plan on the floor, marking spaces for each piece with tape (painter’s tape may not damage the floor). Alternatively, you could use an interior design app. Some retailers have online features that will let you “picture” how a new item looks in your space.2. What’s your style? Magazines and design look-books, as well as Pinterest and Houzz, are terrific for honing your style. Visiting local stores and seeing the wide array of choices in person can also help. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of design consultations—virtual or in-home—offered by many furniture stores.3. Will it clean up and wear well? Ask your salesperson how the fabric will age over time and how to clean it. Is it stain-resistant? Will its color fade from sunlight streaming through a window? Fabrics are subjected to a “rub test” to rate their durability. A fabric should be at least 15,000 rubs for heavily trafficked areas, such as living and family rooms. Medium duty (9,000-15,000 rubs) may be adequate for less-used areas. Some fabrics are rated for family and pet friendliness! Ask for a sample swatch and experiment with how the sample cleans up after a coffee or wine spill. You might be surprised to find out how strong and stain-resistant many performance fabrics are made.4. Does it make sense to invest in better quality furniture? High-quality, better-made upholstered furniture generally costs more because it is built with materials that are designed to last longer. A small percentage increase in cost now can translate to a sofa that maintains its shape and comfort for much longer.5. Is flexibility in configuration important? If you plan to stay in your home for many more years, it may not matter if the furniture you buy can adapt. But if you plan to move, or simply like to rearrange furniture periodically, today’s modular styles create endless arrangement possibilities and eliminate permanent left or right alignments.6. What’s inside? People are increasingly concerned about the materials they bring into their homes that might affect indoor air quality. Look for upholstered furniture made with CertiPUR-US® certified foam. Certified foams are made without formaldehyde; ozone depleters; mercury, lead and other heavy metals; or phthalates regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It also means the foam has low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million). Certified foams are screened for relevant chemicals, including flame retardants, that are classified as carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxins and are harmful to human health. Visit certipur.us/directory to find manufacturers and retailers offering upholstered furniture, mattresses and pillows made with certified foam before you make a purchase.7. When will it be delivered? If you are shopping with a deadline in mind and need that new recliner before a major event or holiday, plan ahead. If you customize your purchase, check on the delivery time frame and plan ahead.Enjoy the shopping process—and treasure your new investment for years to come.Word Count: 571
	Alaska House advances bills aimed at regulating standards, conditions for caregivers (Photo by Halfpoint Images/Getty Stock photo)The Alaska House of Representatives advanced two bills relating to certified nurse aide training and home health care workers this week in an effort to support Alaska’s growing senior population. The bills aim to regulate Alaska’s health care by setting training standards for CNAs and regulating wages and conditions for caregivers. HB 244, sponsored by Rep. Jubilee Underwood, R-Wasilla, would establish eleven standards of a CNA training program at no cost to the state to ensure that patients receive competent health care. The bill passed with 39 yes votes. Rep. David Nelson, R-0Anchorage was excused absent. “It simply says through regulation, CNA training should reflect the real job, communicating with patients, recognizing behavioral changes, supporting dignity and independence and properly caring for people with cognitive conditions,” Underwood said. The House also advanced HB 96, sponsored by Rep. Mike Prax, R-North Pole, which would establish a Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board to investigate and provide a biennial report on wages, workforce and working conditions for home care personnel. The board would be required to meet at least three times annually. The bill also ensures that 70% of Medicaid funding to agencies providing home and community-based services will go directly to employees and benefits. “The home care industry has kind of developed organically if you will and there are no professional licensing requirements at this time, but they do need to set up some recognizable standard to organize the industry for purposes of pay and services,” Prax said. The bill passed 35-5 in the House Monday and advanced to the Senate for consideration. Alexis Rodich, director of Alaska and Montana SEIU 775, a union representing long-term care workers, said in April that the bill is a solution to a caregiver workforce crisis and provides accountability for Medicaid dollars. The Health Department stated in the fiscal note that it would cost approximately $378,900 annually and would require the department to hire two full-time health program managers. Rep. Jamie Allard, R-Eagle River, voted against the bill. She said Monday that she supports the need for home care employment positions but suggested consolidating the duties of the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board into another Health Department board. Rep. Zack Fields, D-Anchorage, supported the bill and said that it is in the state’s best financial interest to maintain a functioning home health care work force. “It both minimizes our long-term expenses for long-term care while keeping our elders in the place they prefer to stay, which is in their home with their family,” he said. According to Rodich, personal care services are 45-90% less costly than nursing facilities or Alaska pioneer homes. Shanah Kinison, a caregiver for a child with disabilities, wrote that she sees caregivers leaving the state and the bill could support caregivers, clients and their families. “I support HB96 because it will address the shortage of caregivers in Alaska, the disparity in wages & training, and resolve other issues facing caregivers & their clients,” Kinison said. Vanessa Liston, a caregiver for one of her children, supported the bill in a letter to legislators and said that the bill could improve her son’s life. “This bill could upgrade the caregivers and give capability to hire strong caregivers that have pride in their job!! This is so important to the folks with disabilities and would be a game changer for growth for the future!!” she wrote. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	5 ways to automate your finances while you travel 5 ways to automate your finances while you travelJust because you're on vacation doesn't mean your money should be. With a little planning and automation, this guide from Ally Financial shows you how you can make your money work hard for you while you're hardly workin'.Set up direct deposits to savingsOn PTO? Make sure your money still hits your savings account. Rather than manually moving some of your paycheck to savings from your checking account, set up your direct deposit to split it automatically, if your employer offers the option.All you have to do is provide the organization paying your salary or pension with your savings account number and routing number.By directly depositing a portion of your paycheck into your savings account, you don't have to remember to make transfers — and you could start earning interest on your deposits even faster.Turn on recurring transfersIf you want to send money to your savings on a different schedule than payday, recurring transfers are a great option. Just log in to your bank account and choose Transfers. Then decide how much you want to deposit into your account, pick the account you want to withdraw from (or from another financial institution) and decide how often you want the transfer to occur.Recurring transfers are a super-easy way to keep money regularly flowing into your savings account without having to lift a finger. And to keep your savings growing, consider keeping your recurring transfers going even after returning from vacay.Automate your bill payWhether it's rent, utilities or cable, monthly bills never take a break. Save yourself the stress of making your payments on time by setting up automatic bill pay. That way, whether you're relaxing on a tropical beach or hiking a mountain, you won't get caught wondering if you actually made your car payment.Automating these kinds of payments is ideal for when you're trying to avoid logging online (or don't have service). It's also a smart way to ensure you don't miss payments and always stay on time with your bills — which is critical for boosting or maintaining a top-notch credit score.Keep an eye on your accounts to avoid overdrafting and incurring any fees. Also, remember that if a check or ACH transaction is returned to a merchant or to your account at another financial institution, they may charge you a few bucks.Pause your subscriptionsPlenty of subscription services can help you save money or enhance your life — but they're only valuable when you use them. If you're headed out for an extended vacation (or even a weeklong getaway), suspending a subscription or two can help you hold on to some extra cash.For example, you definitely don't want your weekly meal kit showing up on your doorstep if you're not there. The money you save can be a great way to pad your vacation wallet. You could also set up a transfer and direct the cash straight to your savings account!Use savings boostersBeing away doesn't have to stop you from growing your savings. Work smarter, not harder, with the right tools for your finances. With smart savings tools, you can rack up the savings while you focus on enjoying your time off.Relax and let your money do the workMoney management while traveling doesn't need to be a hassle. By automating aspects of your finances, you can stop worrying about due dates, transfers and manually moving your money around. Whether you go all-in with saving strategies or start off strong by setting up a split direct deposit, your savings balance can continue to go up, even after you log off.This story was produced by Ally Financial and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Kansas state employees could lose Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance in cost-saving move Kansas Rep. Bill Sutton, who serves on the Kansas State Employees Health Care Commission, says commissioners must be fiscally responsible in selecting who will administer the state's health care program and he is leaning toward choosing Aetna. (Photo by Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)TOPEKA — State decision-makers are mulling whether to drop Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas from the state employee health insurance plan, which would give employees just one option and potentially save the state nearly $240 million over three years. Members of the Kansas State Employees Health Care Commission questioned representatives from Aetna and Blue Cross at an April 15 meeting, weighing proposals to administer the state’s health insurance plans for 43,400 eligible employees. The proposals came in with a cost difference of about $240 million for the three-year contract, which would begin Jan. 1, 2027. That is the cost savings between going with the current set-up, which includes both companies, and going with just Aetna’s Local Best plan. Costs for Blue Cross alone would be just over $1.5 billion, while Aetna, which offered two separate plans, came in at $1.4 billion for Aetna Choice POSII and $1.3 billion for Aetna Local Best. If the state continued with both companies, combining Blue Cross and Aetna Local Best, the cost is just under $1.5 billion. Rep. Bill Sutton, a Gardner Republican who serves on the commission on behalf of the House Appropriations Committee, said he was willing to go with Aetna based on the cost difference between the two plans. “I’m a dollar and cent guy,” he said. “We have the responsibility to our plan members.” Other commission members were hesitant to make a decision, asking for more information and clarification on the differences between the two proposals. They expressed concerns about the Aetna provider network, particularly in rural areas. They are expected to decide in May after the companies submit additional information. Both companies were providers in the state’s 2026 plan, with 4,500 state employees enrolled in Aetna and 35,400 in Blue Cross. Commissioners questioned the disruption that could occur if all Blue Cross enrollees must switch insurance and whether Aetna’s provider network would be adequate. Cristi Cain, a Kansas Department of Health and Environment employee who represents state employees on the commission, said she was concerned employees won’t have access to needed medical care under Aetna’s network, pointing out that many people have used Blue Cross “for all of time.” Blue Cross has been a provider of state insurance for at least 40 years, a company spokeswoman said. “I have a team of people who are based across the state, and I know that they already have problems accessing care,” Cain said. “I don’t want to make it more difficult for state employees to access care.” Blue Cross’ ancillary network had “notably higher” penetration in all regions than Aetna, said Jennifer Flory, director of the State Employee Benefits Health Plan. Ancillary services include diagnostic imaging and lab work, physical/speech/occupational therapies, home health, hospice, and skilled nursing, a commission report said. In the southwest corner of Kansas, Aetna covered just 28% of ancillary services in its network while Blue Cross covered nearly 80%. Overall, Aetna’s network had a higher penetration, primarily because of the large population in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area, a commission report said. In some areas, such as physicians and specialists, the two companies were nearly equal in their coverage, although there was confusion about which specialities and providers were covered in various categories. Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt expressed frustration with the way the request for proposal was written because it wasn’t always clear what was included in each category, and she wanted to ensure they were comparing the bids properly. An Aetna official at the meeting said the company would begin building out its provider network immediately, and commissioners discussed adding monetary penalties to the contract if the company didn’t do so. “The problem is, if it doesn’t happen, then we have state employees without services,” Schmidt said. “So the monetary (penalty) is nice to — as a stick, I guess — but I think the more important thing is just having ancillary services for our employees and their families.” Increasing costs are projected to eat away at the state health insurance reserves. In 2026, the program is expected to lose nearly $31 million, leaving reserves at just $6.5 million. In 2027, costs are projected to exceed revenue by $21.5 million, clearing out the reserves and leaving the program $15 million overdrawn. Commissioners questioned why pharmacy costs had increased more than 9%, asking about the costs of supplying GLP-1 medications for weight loss to plan participants who had a body mass index over 35. The costs are expected to drive up the employee share of insurance as much as 13% in future years. “When we start telling our employees that we’re going to have a 13% increase — after they get a 1% (pay) raise from the state — a 13% increase in their healthcare insurance to make the bottom line because GLP-1s have consumed millions — over $20 million in our plan — and we sat here and didn’t do anything about it, I don’t want to take those calls,” Schmidt said. Commission chairman and administration secretary Adam Proffitt said previous discussions about changing GLP-1 policies in the plan didn’t result in a vote to make the changes, and that the commission discussed tightening policies in June. “If you want to say we’re not going to do anything about it this entire plan year, we will be sucking air by the end of this time,” Schmidt said. At its June meeting, the commission will look at plan design and changes that could be made to lessen premium increases for state employees. Flory gave examples of increasing co-pay limits and removing caps on prescription medications. Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trashFrappuccino lovers, rejoice: Your plastic to-go cups are now “widely recyclable.”That’s according to an announcement made in February by Starbucks, the waste hauler WM (formerly known as Waste Management), and three recycling groups (The Recycling Partnership, GreenBlue, and Closed Loop Partners). In a press release, they said that more than 60 percent of U.S. households can now recycle cold to-go cups in their curbside recycling bins. This makes the cups eligible for one of GreenBlue’s special labels featuring the familiar chasing arrows triangle and the words “widely recyclable.”“To-go cups are entering a new era of recyclability,” the release said.However, there’s a catch. Just because a product can be collected for recycling doesn’t mean it actually gets recycled. To imply otherwise is to conflate two very different numbers: the access rate and the real recycling rate. The former describes the number of people who are told they have “access” to a recycling program for a given product. The latter — the amount of plastic that is ultimately turned into new things — is what really matters, from an environmental standpoint. There’s not much evidence to suggest that the recycling rate for plastic cups is above 1 or 2 percent.“This is one of those situations where statistics can be very misleading,” Alex Jordan, a plastics researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, told Grist. “They can pull a statistic that would make the public think that all these things are being recycled, but unfortunately, even if you clean and dry and put your recycling in the recycling bin and it gets picked up, the overwhelming likelihood is that it ends up in a landfill or being burned for energy generation.”Jordan is one of several experts across government, academia, and industry who question the feasibility of recycling plastic cups. Polypropylene, the type of plastic Starbucks’ cups are made from, is ubiquitous in packaging and foodware but not in recycling facilities. It’s often contaminated with food or other types of plastic, difficult to sort, and expensive to process — so most recyclers don’t want it.There “just aren’t a lot of recycling centers that want to accept polypropylene,” Jordan said.The manager of one recycling center in California, who asked not to be named, said the cup announcement represents little more than a convenient alignment of interests: It generates good press and revenue for GreenBlue, allows WM to collect more material, and casts Starbucks as eco-friendly without requiring it to move away from single-use plastic.“Everyone wants that warm, fuzzy recyclable label,” the manager said, adding that they suspected there would be no buyers for polypropylene even if they advertised it widely. “Our phone would not ring. It’s not something there are a lot of mills out there that are buying.”February’s announcement is part of a yearslong effort to increase polypropylene collection and recycling. Helming the effort is The Recycling Partnership, or TRP, a nonprofit funded by plastic-producing companies and their lobbying groups, including the American Chemistry Council, Exxon Mobil, and Coca-Cola.It started in 2020, just two years after China stopped accepting the United States’ plastic waste. At the time, polypropylene had a bit of an image problem. It was the second most common type of plastic in Americans’ municipal solid waste, but its recycling rate was far below that of other resins, at just 0.6 percent. (Polypropylene “containers and packaging” had a slightly higher rate of 2.7 percent.) Because cities could no longer ship their mixed plastic waste to China for reprocessing and there weren’t enough domestic facilities to sell it to, many stopped accepting all but the simplest products: bottles and jugs made of PET or HDPE, labeled with the numbers 1 and 2, respectively.All of this called into question the legality of labeling polypropylene products with the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol, as some recycling organizations had previously recommended. TRP said there was an immediate need for action to “ensure the long-term viability of polypropylene plastic.”Working in tandem with other recycling groups, including GreenBlue — whose board of directors includes executives from Walmart, Dow, and the packaging companies Printpack and Smurfit Westrock — TRP launched a “Polypropylene Recycling Coalition” that would work to increase the number of curbside collection programs accepting polypropylene. TRP started by giving grants to material recovery facilities, the factories where your household recycling is sent to be sorted, so they could install better technology capable of picking out polypropylene from mixed piles of plastic. The organization also said it would pursue “education of residents.”One of TRP’s key goals was to reach the 60 percent access rate it now claims to have achieved for polypropylene cups. Hitting that threshold allows the cups to carry the chasing arrows and the words “widely recyclable,” as shown on a label sold by GreenBlue’s subsidiary, How2Recycle. But state and federal regulators don’t actually vet these labels. Instead, How2Recycle sells them to hundreds of companies across the U.S., from Procter and Gamble to Lowe’s, via annual use fees of up to $6,780, depending on their revenue.From the start, TRP and its partners have faced scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest and for opaque, unilateral determinations about the state of recycling systems. For the polypropylene cup announcement specifically, Malak Anshassi, an assistant professor in environmental engineering at Florida Polytechnic University, said she wasn’t sure where the 60 percent access rate came from. Nor would she have “full confidence” in it, since recycling programs “vary completely in terms of what is accepted.”Jan Dell, an independent chemical engineer and founder of the nonprofit The Last Beach Cleanup, conducted an analysis for Greenpeace last year and found that only 6 percent of the U.S. population has access to a municipal recycling program that accepts plastic cups. She said TRP’s numbers relied on an AI analysis of whether city websites listed cups as accepted materials. “They say through their magic AI tool, ‘Oh, yeah, 78 percent acceptance.’ And they have no data that they can give you.”GreenBlue did not respond to multiple requests for comment or to a detailed list of questions from Grist. TRP sent a statement from its press release saying that “access alone is not enough.”“Only 20 percent of [polypropylene] packaging is currently captured, and 76 percent of all recyclables are still lost at the household level,” said Kate Davenport, the organization’s chief impact officer. She said TRP is focused on increasing polypropylene recycling through “clear communication, stronger engagement, and continued investment in communities.”Critics argue that TRP, GreenBlue, and their partners intentionally blur the line between a cup’s recycling access rate and its actual recycling rate. The touted 60 percent access rate only measures how many people are allowed to toss plastic cups into their curbside bins. It guarantees nothing about the cups’ final destination. Because there are virtually no buyers for this low-value plastic, waste haulers could simply collect the cups to hit the 60 percent threshold, only to route them straight to landfills and incinerators.Ending up in landfills and incinerators is the kind of thing that is liable to happen if plastics don’t have robust “end markets” — buyers who will pay what it takes to collect, sort, transport, and reprocess polypropylene. TRP and GreenBlue say they take end markets into account when judging a product’s recyclability, but they didn’t publish information about how they did this for polypropylene cups, other than to say that WM “helped develop” them.WM said in a November press release that, thanks to a $1.4 billion investment in new recycling infrastructure, cups had become “valuable recyclable materials that are baled at WM’s recycling facilities along with other commodities, then sold to end markets that remanufacture products out of the recycled materials.” The company encouraged cities to update their accepted materials lists, but it’s unclear if it provided further justification. In at least one case — in Salt Lake City — communications obtained by Grist show that WM did not give city staff advance notice of the change, nor did the company directly respond when the city asked if it could be “100 percent clear” that plastic cups sent to the local MRF would ultimately be recycled. WM did not respond to multiple requests for comment.The manager of the California recycling center said they were only familiar with “one place” accepting polypropylene to be reprocessed on an industrial scale: KW Plastics in Alabama, which is too far away to send California’s plastic to. A 2025 analysis from Greenpeace suggests that all of the U.S.’s recycling facilities combined only have the capacity to reprocess 2 percent of the country’s discarded polypropylene tubs and containers, or about 5 percent of its polypropylene cups.In Oregon, polypropylene cups are still not accepted in curbside recycling programs as a matter of law. That’s because of the state’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act, which established a uniform list of recyclable items for all of Oregon. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality explicitly chose to exclude single-use polypropylene cups from its list for 2025 to 2027.“There was a preliminary study for polypro cups, and … the market for those cups was not ‘responsible,’” said Peter Chism-Winfield, sustainable materials and waste policy manager for the city of Portland. “There are certain materials like low-grade plastics, which polypropylene cups fall into, that are the ones most susceptible to bad practices,” he added. The third-party organization helping implement Oregon’s recycling law said it would conduct research to see if polypropylene cups could one day be added to the uniform list.Chism-Winfield said he expects similar laws in Washington and California will eventually lead those states to stop accepting polypropylene cups. “If you go down the trail of where those materials are going, and the environmental and social impacts that those are having, it’s not going to be a pretty story for them,” he said.Maryland and Minnesota are also in the process of evaluating which products meet criteria for responsible end markets. Colorado listed polypropylene cups as recyclable in a plan for 2026 to 2030, though the needs assessment on which the plan was based found there were no in-state end markets for post-consumer plastics of any type. It identified KW Plastics as the only potential processor for Colorado’s polypropylene waste, provided that it is baled separately from other plastics and that these bales have a contamination rate less than 2 percent.Davenport, from TRP, said in February’s press release that recyclability labels are an important “first step” toward increasing polypropylene cups’ recycling rates. Without them, people would keep throwing their cups in the trash. This is consistent with the way other industry groups talk about labels, as a way to provide recyclers with more material to turn into new products.Recyclability labels “educate and activate everyday people, and get waste into the right streams, and improve the recycling rate,” How2Recycle wrote in a 2024 press release.But that approach — using recycling labels before there’s evidence of actual recycling — might run afoul of state and local consumer protection laws.In California, the state’s recycling agency determined last December that polypropylene cups are technically “recyclable,” but only in order to force plastic producers to try to increase their recycling rate from 2 to 65 percent by 2032. While companies try to meet that threshold, a separate law will prevent them from labeling polypropylene cups with the chasing arrows symbol; the law requires evidence that labeled products are sorted for recycling 60 percent of the time.Howie Hirsch, a retired lawyer who’s been involved in recycling-related consumer protection litigation, said companies may be opening themselves up to lawsuits if they use the “widely recyclable” label on polypropylene cups in California. “I would certainly argue it is deceptive and misleading to label something as ‘widely recyclable’ when we know that the vast majority of any of those plastic materials that are placed in a recycling bin are going to end up in a landfill,” Hirsch said.The same may be true of other states with their own truth-in-advertising laws. Attorneys general could argue that the use of the recycling symbol contravenes guidance from the Federal Trade Commission, a watchdog agency tasked with protecting consumers from fraud and deception. The FTC’s “Green Guides” for environmental marketing claims say it’s misleading to label something as recyclable unless 60 percent of consumers have access to a recycling program that will actually recycle it, not accept it, and then throw it away.Starbucks declined to say whether it would use How2Recycle’s labels for to-go cups in its California stores, or respond to additional questions. A spokesperson said its polypropylene cup initiative is part of a “broader packaging strategy” that includes “reducing single-use materials where we can, promoting reuse, and improving recyclability across our footprint.”Starbucks has publicly committed to making all of its packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2030. Last year, it replaced polypropylene to-go cups with paper versions at about 580 of its stores nationwide, potentially in response to local ordinances restricting the use of single-use plastics, as well as a CBS investigation showing that polypropylene cups placed in the company’s in-store recycling bins were usually taken to incinerators, landfills, and waste transfer stations. But the company’s endorsement of the “widely recyclable” label suggests it isn’t planning on a broader phaseout.“Starbucks wants consumers to think that the cups are recyclable so that consumers will buy lots of them and feel good about themselves,” said Dell, with The Last Beach Cleanup.This story was produced by Grist and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Quad Cities Soaked: Wet April Leads Into Warmer May Ahead After a very wet April, May should bring some relief with more seasonable conditions but we’ll continue to monitor the long-range pattern for any significant weather systems that could impact your plans.
	'History Rocks' school assembly stops at Hayes Elementary The event included speeches and games with questions about the American Revolution. Some are concerned about the conservative groups behind the event.
	Freight House Farmers' Market opens the doors for new season This weekend is the start of the annual Freight House Farmers' Market, which will be open for the next 26 weeks.
	Manhattan to San Francisco: The Lincoln Highway is your next great road trip (BPT) - You've probably heard of Route 66 and the Blue Ridge Parkway, but do you know anything about the historic Lincoln Highway? If you love the idea of a road trip but are less fond of hours on an interstate passing strip malls and rest stops that all look the same, the Lincoln Highway may be exactly the kind of journey you've always wanted.The history of the Lincoln HighwayAs the first transcontinental highway created in the United States, the Lincoln Highway cuts straight across the country for about 3,000 miles, starting in New York's Times Square and ending in San Francisco's Lincoln Park.Its origins in 1912 dovetail with the development of the auto industry, as there really were no good quality roads to travel across the country at that time. The Lincoln Highway Association credits Carl Fisher — the force behind the creation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — with the idea for a "Coast-to-Coast Rock Highway," which quickly caught the attention of entrepreneurs and leaders of the early auto industry.Dedicated in 1913, the original Lincoln Highway spanned about 3,389 miles, traveling through 13 states. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, part of the Lincoln Highway in New Jersey incorporated a road originally built by Dutch Colonists around 1675. One section in Ohio followed the Ridge Road, an ancient Indian trail, and a western portion of the highway followed part of the famed Mormon Trail. In other words, to travel the Lincoln Highway means traveling back in time, to explore the history of the country in an exciting new way.Over the years, portions of the road have been replaced by more modern highways, so large sections of the highway have merged with roads like U.S. 30 and Interstate 80. However, you can still find markers of the original Lincoln Highway across the country, and traveling this route offers you opportunities to visit small towns, historic sites, unique shops and diners, off-the-beaten-path attractions — glimpses of the country the average interstate just doesn't provide.Planning your Lincoln Highway road tripWhile the idea of a 3,000+ mile trek may not exactly get your motor running, you can pick the nearest part of the highway to you and plot out a shorter journey from there, keeping an eye out for places of interest.Here's just a sampling of highlights and quirky locales you can explore along the way:New York: Stop to create a few historic selfies in Times Square!New Jersey: Check out the wonders of Thomas Edison Center in Menlo Park.Pennsylvania: Rent (or just gawk at) the one-of-a-kind Haines Shoe House in York, or check the time at the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia.Ohio: Indulge your sweet tooth along the Buckeye Candy Trail.Indiana: Travel back in time to explore Honest Abe's childhood at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Lincoln City.Illinois: Catch the breeze at the Dutch Windmill in Fulton.Iowa: Learn about the early days of the state and the Lincoln Highway's origins at the Ames History Museum.Nebraska: Get off the highway for a natural excursion to discover the beautiful Sandhill Cranes in Kearney.Wyoming: Check out the amazing Lincoln Head Monument in Laramie.Utah: Tour the state's rich history and culture at the family-friendly This Is The Place Heritage Park.Nevada Explore the story of the automobile at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.California: Take in the gorgeous scenery on the Sierra Nevada South Route (also called the Pioneer Route) along the last leg of the Lincoln Highway.You can look forward to exploring many more quaint small towns, memorable monuments and awe-inspiring scenery throughout the United States as you rediscover lost treasures from the past, rolling along the Lincoln Highway for your next great road trip.
	Handball championships to be held in the Quad-Cities in May “For an entire week, Bettendorf will become the center of North American handball," USA Team Handball CEO Michael King said.
	Winter shelter helped 86 people toward housing, as Quad-Cities officials look for long-term solutions Finding long-term solutions to homelessness took center stage this week in the Quad-Cities.

Friday, May 1st, 2026