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

Friday, July 24th, 2026
	Love's adds 90 jobs in Whiteside County with new Rock Falls stop The new location off of Interstate 88 and State Route 40 offers convenient access to food including Godfather's Pizza and Naf-Naf Grill.
	New Vibrant Arena executive director already having the time of his life Rik Edgar is in heaven right now, as just the third executive director in the 33-year history of Vibrant Arena at The MARK, Moline.
	What Bix-7 runners need to know to stay out of the medical tent The medical tent typically sees 25 to 100 patients each year.
	Tennessee child abduction ends with non-custodial parent's arrest in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa The local police department learned that the suspect and child in the McMinn County, Tennessee, abduction were traveling on U.S. Highway 218.
	Bix 7 boosts tourism in Quad Cities, downtown Davenport The Quad-City Times Bix 7 brought an estimated $2.6 million impact last year, with tourism leaders expecting another boost for Quad Cities businesses.
	4 Your Money \| Inflation's Second Wind While inflation had been showing signs of easing last year, all the developments this year suggest renewed volatility. David Nelson, CEO of NelsonCorp Wealth Management, shares the Core PCE Price Index which is the preferred measurement the Federal Reserve uses when analyzing inflation.
	Autism, veteran organizations to benefit at Backyard Classic in Bettendorf A series of sports competitions will be on deck Aug. 22, including tournaments in bags, wiffle ball and bucket golf. Cash prizes are offered in select activities.
	2 southeast Iowa men indicted for alleged multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme The Ponzi scheme involved dozens of victims and millions of dollars lost, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa said.
	Deputies seek witness information after Route 150 crash in RI Co. injures 2 Two hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash on Route 150 Thursday, and Rock Island County deputies are seeking information from witnesses.
	Habanero's in SouthPark Mall to close Sunday, plans to move to new location A new location has not yet been announced.
	Drug used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder recalled nationwide A popular prescription medication used nationwide to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder is being recalled, according to a Food and Drug Administration enforcement report.
	Rock Island LGBTQ+ community center in urgent need of more funding Despite a successful art auction last month, Clock Inc. community center in Rock Island is in desperate need of more private financial help.
	Rock Island Arsenal Museum social media account to deactivate The Rock Island Arsenal Museum announced that its Facebook account will be deactivated by July 30.
	2 Backwater Gamblers skiers injured during Wednesday night performance Two Backwater Gamblers water skiers are recovering after being injured during a performance on the Rock River, prompting an early end to the show.
	Kewanee man wins $1M prize on scratch-off ticket A Kewanee man won $1 million from a $5 scratch-off ticket just before his birthday.
	Rock Island man fails to return to jail after being granted furlough A man who pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and then was granted a furlough from jail failed to return and is wanted for escape.
	Two Iowa men indicted on Ponzi scheme charges Two Iowa men were indicted on federal charges related to a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. According to a release and public records, a federal grand jury returned a 16-count indictment in May 2026 charging offenses related to a Ponzi scheme involving dozens of victims and millions of dollars of loss. As alleged in the Indictment, [...]
	Jr Bix promises cuteness from Diaper Dash to sprinting preteens The Arconic Junior Bix 7 kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. in downtown Davenport, offering races and a festive post-race party for kids up to age 12.
	Muscatine names Nick Gow as Recreation and Parks Director The city of Muscatine has removed the interim tag and promoted Nick Gow to director of parks and recreation.
	Rock Island County Sheriff's Office investigates multi-vehicle crash The crash occurred in the 10000 block of Route 150 on Thursday evening. Two people were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
	Group O announces executive leadership transitions Group O announced two executive leadership appointments. According to a release from Group O, the moves are designed to support the company's continued growth and long-term strategic success. Effective July 24, Bob Marriott and Suerrette Franck are changing roles with the company. According to the release, the transition reflects a deliberate succession planning process that [...]
	Cook review: 'The Invite' is clever adult dramedy about intimate - sort of - behavior They're married. They're settled. They're miserable. And their neighbors both repulse and fascinate them. "The Invite" characters may remind you of yourself, your partner, or certainly people you know. This four-person grownups-only dramedy begins with Angela (Olivia Wilde, who also directs) and her husband Joe (Seth Rogen,) apartment dwellers who annoy the daylights out of [...]
	High heat and humidity cook up late weekend chance of thunderstorms in the Quad-Cities Officials said heat indices could reach or exceed 100 degrees Sunday and Monday.
	Man arrested in Sterling on drug and aggravated unlawful use of weapons charges A man was arrested in Sterling on drug and aggravated unlawful use of weapons charges. According to a release from the Sterling Police Department, Sterling officers responded to a report of a retail theft in the 400 block of Locust St. While investigating, officers were alerted to criminal trespass to vehicles in the 200 block [...]
	Visit Quad Cities' Dave Herrell appointed to Destinations International board of directors Visit Quad Cities president and CEO Dave Herrell has been appointed to the Destinations International board of directors. According to a release from Visit Quad Cities, Herrell joins destination leaders from around the world to help guide the future of destination organizations and the global visitor economy. Herrell will help provide strategic leadership and advocate [...]
	Musical performances grew from backyard acts into a full production at senior living community A Davenport family brought joy to Ridgecrest Village residents on Thursday, continuing a beloved musical tradition that started decades ago.
	36 years after the ADA, accessibility advocates turn their attention to the home 36 years after the ADA, accessibility advocates turn their attention to the homeRamps, curb cuts, accessible parking spaces, and automatic doors have become standard features of American public life since President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. As the law nears its 36th anniversary, a parallel shift is underway in a space the ADA never regulated: the home. Three-quarters of adults age 50 and older say they want to remain in their current home for as long as possible, according to AARP's 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, which polled more than 3,000 U.S. adults between June and July of that year. Seventy-three percent said the same about staying in their current community.QMedic, a national medical alert and remote monitoring provider, examines how aging in place, fall risk, and changing accessibility needs are reshaping the home for older adults.The survey, fielded through NORC's AmeriSpeak and Cint panels, found that nearly two-thirds of respondents aged 50 and older expect they will need a medical alert system to support independent living as they age. That figure marks a change from how researchers have historically framed this issue. Housing surveys in past decades tended to ask whether older adults wanted to stay home; the 2024 survey instead asked what tools they believed they would need to do it, and found 44% anticipating a need for smart home security features, 72% expecting bathroom modifications such as grab bars, and 71% expecting entryway changes such as ramps or wider doorways."Most older adults want to stay in their homes, yet rising housing costs and limited options create serious barriers," Rodney Harrell, AARP's vice president of family, home, and community, said in a statement accompanying the survey's release. AARP has cited affordable housing stock and accessible design as ongoing constraints on that preference, separate from the technology question. Falls remain the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injury among adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 14 million people in that age group, about 1 in 4, report falling each year, and the CDC estimates that 37% of those falls cause an injury serious enough to require medical treatment or restrict daily activity for at least a day.The National Council on Aging's Falls Prevention Resource Center puts the annual healthcare cost of nonfatal falls at roughly $80 billion, up from $50 billion in 2015, with costs projected to top $101 billion by 2030. Medical alert devices have changed accordingly. Where earlier systems relied on a wearable pendant that a user had to press manually, current products combine automatic fall detection, GPS tracking, two-way communication, and caregiver notifications into a single device or app. Brooke Miller, QMedic's vice president of sales, said the shift reflects what families are asking for. "Families are looking for ways to support independence, not replace it," Miller said, adding that the goal of newer systems is to operate passively in the background rather than requiring the user to initiate contact during an emergency.Falls are not the only reason families call, according to AARP's caregiving research. A recurring theme in that data is burnout among adult children managing a parent's care from another state, along with missed medications and stretches of isolation that don't show up in a fall report. Chronic illness is part of why no single device covers every household: 93% of adults 65 and older live with at least one chronic condition, and close to 79% live with two or more, according to NCOA. Federal law does not currently set accessibility requirements for private homes the way the ADA does for public buildings and transit systems, and the growth in this market so far has been driven by consumer demand rather than regulation. As the U.S. population ages, AARP expects demand for tools that support independent living at home to grow.This story was produced by QMedic and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Food assistance available for areas Tropical Storm Arthur hit Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, was approved for Tropical Storm Arthur. (Image via Louisiana DCFS)State health officials announced Thursday that federal disaster-related food assistance is now available for Louisiana residents in areas affected by last month’s Tropical Storm Arthur. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or D-SNAP, benefits for eligible households affected by Arthur, a short-lived storm that spawned tornadoes and heavy rainfall in Louisiana on June 17. The USDA also approved automatic supplemental SNAP benefits for eligible recipients. D-SNAP provides temporary food assistance to households that don’t normally receive SNAP benefits but experienced disaster-related losses and meet certain income eligibility thresholds. The new D-SNAP benefits are separate and in addition to the SNAP hot-meals waiver announced earlier this week. Eligible areas are portions of Avoyelles, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes, according to a Louisiana Department of Health news release. “Recovering from a disaster doesn’t end when the storm passes,” LDH Secretary Bruce Greenstein said in a news release. “As families continue rebuilding their lives, these temporary food assistance programs help meet an essential need. Through D-SNAP and automatic supplemental benefits for eligible SNAP recipients, we’re making it easier for eligible households to access the support available to them.” To determine eligibility, LDH will review household income received and disaster-related expenses paid during the disaster period of June 17 through July 16. Applicants can use LDH’s benefits calculator to determine eligibility: Louisiana Benefits Estimator Not everyone living in an eligible parish will qualify. A general description of the eligible areas is provided below, though residents should use the online eligibility map and address lookup tool at D-SNAP Eligible ZIP Codes and Census Tracts before applying. After opening the map, click the magnifying glass to search for an address. General description of eligible areas: Avoyelles Parish ZIP code 71362 Areas generally along LA 1 from Simmesport to Mansura, south of Marksville to the St. Landry Parish line, and west of Marksville to the Rapides Parish line St. Landry Parish Areas generally north of U.S. 190, east of Bayou Teche, west of LA 359 to the Pointe Coupee Parish line, and north of Lebeau east of U.S. 71 Terrebonne Parish Portions of Gray, Schriever, Bayou Cane, eastern Houma, Bayou Blue, Bourg, Dulac, Theriot and Montegut St. Tammany Parish ZIP codes 70452, 70458, 70460 and 70461 How to apply Applications will be accepted July 27-31 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. by calling 1-888-524-3578. Residents should apply according to the first letter of the primary applicant’s last name. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Louisiana Illuminator
	Alpacas & sheep visit Bettendorf Public Library The Bettendorf Public Library is welcoming alpacas and sheep from McCarty's Corner Farm on July 25 for a free, family-friendly event. Abby Sauer joined us to share details about the event and the library's Summer Reading Program.
	6 ways to get rid of poison ivy rash symptoms fast 6 ways to get rid of poison ivy rash symptoms fastFor many people, warm weather brings more time outside. But it can also bring itchy skin from bug bites, allergies, and poison ivy.Poison ivy rash can be very uncomfortable, especially if it covers a large area of your body. And it can take weeks to go away completely. Unfortunately, there’s no way to get rid of a poison ivy rash immediately — but there are things you can do to help relieve the itch.GoodRx, a platform for medication savings, shares six treatments that will relieve poison ivy symptoms fast.Key takeaways:Poison ivy rash is a painful, itchy rash caused by an allergic reaction to the oil on poison ivy leaves.There’s no way to get rid of poison ivy rash overnight, but treatments work fast to lessen discomfort.Over-the-counter treatments that provide quick relief to poison ivy symptoms include cold compresses, calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, and oatmeal baths.1. Calamine lotionMany people have childhood memories of this bubblegum-colored lotion. Calamine lotion has been around for a long time because it works wonders to stop itching.As it dries on the skin, it creates a cooling sensation that can quickly relieve itching. It also helps to dry out blisters and protect skin from further injury caused by scratching.Here’s how to use calamine lotion for quick poison ivy symptom relief:Wash your skin with warm water and gentle soap.Gently pat the rash dry — don’t scrub.Shake the bottle.Use a cotton ball or clean cloth to dab calamine lotion over your rash.Wait for the calamine lotion to dry.You can use calamine lotion whenever you feel itchy.Check the ingredients label on the calamine product before you buy it. Some brands of calamine lotion contain additional ingredients, like diphenhydramine (Benadryl). Combination products may not be suitable for people with certain medical conditions or young children.2. Oatmeal bathsOatmeal baths are another home remedy with a long history of treating itchy skin. Colloidal oatmeal helps relieve minor skin irritation and itching, including itchiness from poison ivy.You can make an oatmeal bath at home using any uncooked, unflavored oatmeal. Grind about 1 cup into a fine powder, add it to a lukewarm bath, and bathe in the water for 15 minutes to help soothe poison ivy rash. You can also buy ready-to-use colloidal oatmeal bath packets at retail pharmacies and grocery stores.You take an oatmeal bath whenever you feel itchy.3. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) is an over-the-counter (OTC) medication that helps relieve allergy symptoms, like itching. But it doesn’t work very well when it comes to itching from poison ivy rash.Diphenhydramine works by blocking histamine release. But the itchy rash caused by poison ivy isn’t caused by histamine release.The sedating side effects of diphenhydramine, however, can be helpful when you’re trying to go to bed. People find that it’s easier to “ignore” the itching when they take diphenhydramine. The sedating side effects can help you fall asleep more easily when you have a poison ivy rash.Make sure to follow dosing instructions on the package. Avoid taking diphenhydramine during the daytime because it can make you sleepy.4. Hydrocortisone creamHydrocortisone cream is a topical corticosteroid. It’s available OTC as a lotion or ointment. Steroid creams lower inflammation and swelling. This helps relieve itching and other poison ivy symptoms.You can apply hydrocortisone cream to your rash up to four times a day for a week. Stopping steroid cream after a week can help you avoid side effects.Talk with a healthcare professional before using steroid creams on your face. Steroid creams can damage and thin the delicate skin on your face.5. Cold compressesCold temperature can temporarily numb nerve endings in the skin, which will relieve itching. Try soaking a washcloth in cold water. Wring it out and gently apply to your itchy skin for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. You can use a cool compress anytime you feel itchy.You can use ice or a frozen pack instead of a cool compress. Just make sure to wrap it in a cloth before applying it to your skin. Ice or other frozen items can cause damage if you apply them directly to your skin.Take a cool shower if you have a poison ivy rash over a large area. The cool water can also help relieve itchiness and swelling.6. Burow’s solutionBurow’s solution is an OTC astringent that contains aluminum. It’s available under several brand names and can be found in most retail pharmacies. It can help keep your rash clean and dry when poison ivy blisters pop and start to weep.Burow’s solution often comes in packets that you need to dissolve in cool water. You can then soak your rash in the solution for 15 to 30 minutes. You can also soak a clean cloth in the solution and then place the cloth over your rash.You can use a Burow’s solution soak three to four times a day.How can you stop poison ivy rash from spreading?Poison ivy rash spreads when the oil from the plant touches your skin. The rash isn’t contagious. So once you get rid of all traces of the plant oil, the rash shouldn’t spread.The oil from poison ivy can stick to the skin, under fingernails, on clothing and pet fur. To prevent a poison ivy rash from spreading:Take off any clothes that may have touched the plant.Wash your skin with soap and water. Repeat a few times.Clean underneath your fingernails, where oil can get trapped.Wash clothing and shoes before using again (and use gloves to handle until you do).Bathe pets if they spend time outdoors near poison ivy.When should you get medical care for poison ivy?Most of the time, poison ivy rash can be treated at home. But there are some cases where it’s best to see a healthcare professional. Get medical care for poison ivy if:The poison ivy rash is on your face or genitals.The rash is over large areas of skin.Itching isn’t relieved with at-home treatment.You have other symptoms, like fevers, chills, difficulty breathing, nausea, or headache.You may need to take oral steroids (by mouth) if the rash is very large or involves a sensitive area like the face, hands, feet, or groin. Oral steroids, like prednisone or methylprednisolone, are prescription medications that reduce swelling, itching, and redness from poison ivy rash.You should also get medical care if you think your skin might be infected. Scratching itchy skin can introduce bacteria that cause infection. See your healthcare professional if the rash is getting worse or has yellow or thick drainage (pus) coming from it.Frequently asked questionsHow do you identify the poison ivy plant?A helpful way to identify the poison ivy plant is the saying “leaves of three, let it be.” While poison ivy isn’t the only plant with three distinct leaves, this general rule of thumb lets you err on the side of caution. Poison ivy can grow as a climbing vine or spread low through grass. The leaves are shiny and green (though the color changes with the seasons), and the middle leaf is bigger than the other two.How long does it take a poison ivy rash to show up?If you’ve had poison ivy rash before, symptoms can start within a few hours of another exposure to urushiol. But if it’s your first time getting poison ivy, it can take a few days or even weeks for itchiness and redness to show up.Is everyone allergic to poison ivy?No, not everyone is allergic to poison ivy. But most people do have an allergic reaction when they come into contact with urushiol — the oil in poison ivy (along with poison oak and sumac) that causes an allergic reaction.The bottom lineThe rash from poison ivy can be itchy and uncomfortable. There’s no way to cure poison ivy rash immediately, but there are lots of ways to lessen symptoms and prevent the oil from spreading. OTC treatments like calamine lotion, colloidal oatmeal baths, and hydrocortisone cream are all proven remedies for treating poison ivy. Get medical care for serious cases of poison ivy, or if the rash is getting worse.This story was produced by GoodRx and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Will Ferrell brings goofiness to the golf course in 'The Hawk' Ferrell plays a zany former golf star who's trying to regain his mojo in a new Netflix series. While The Hawk has its flaws, it delivers satisfying silliness, amusing shenanigans and surprise cameos.
	Robotic prostate treatment launches at UnityPoint-Trinity Rock Island UnityPoint Health in Rock Island introduces Hydros Robotic System, offering minimally invasive aquablation therapy for an enlarged prostate.
	Missouri drops out of lawsuit challenging federal disability rights protections About 1,200 Missourians with disabilities, their families, care staff and advocates crowded into the Capitol in February to attend Disability Rights Legislative Day, as lawmakers contemplated cuts to home and community based services (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).Missouri withdrew this week from a multi-state lawsuit seeking to strike down a part of federal law requiring states to provide services to allow people with disabilities to live in their communities instead of institutions. The lawsuit began in September 2024 with 17 Republican-led states challenging a Biden administration rule that indicated gender dysphoria “may be a disability” under Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. Eight states withdrew from the lawsuit after the Trump administration proposed a rule that would exclude gender dysphoria from the definition of a disability. Several more states dropped out over the following months, leaving four before Missouri’s exit. A spokesperson from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office told The Independent in an email that Missouri joined the lawsuit “to protect our state from overreach from bureaucrats in Washington.” “We are thankful that the Biden Administration’s absurd addition of gender dysphoria to the list of disabilities covered under Section 504, our original reason for joining the litigation, has since been corrected,” the spokesperson said. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Attorney General Catherine Hanaway “remains dedicated to protecting services for Missourians who need them most,” the spokesperson said. After a months-long push to raise awareness about the lawsuit, advocates for Missourians with disabilities greeted the state’s exit with relief. Sangyeal Lee, a member of the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council from Springfield, told The Independent he was “so happy” when he found out about the state’s withdrawal. “When I heard, I said, ‘Yahoo!’” Lee said. “…You know, ‘Finally, somebody’s thinking.’ That was my exact reaction.” Hannah Satterwhite, assistant director of advocacy and education for St. Louis Arc, thanked the attorney general’s office for “withdrawing from this lawsuit and protecting the rights of people with disabilities to remain living, working and interacting with their communities.” Christina Ingoglia, policy advocacy director for the council, told The Independent she and other disability advocates began meeting with staff from Hanaway’s office about the lawsuit in February. Those efforts coincided with a groundswell of opposition against $80.7 million in proposed cuts to state and federal spending on Medicaid programs that help Missourians with developmental disabilities live safely in their homes and participate in their communities. Lawmakers reversed cuts that would have slashed pay rates for care staff hired through self-directed supports or working in structured group programs called day habilitation. But the budget signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe June 30 eliminated two smaller programs, including a “community specialist” service designed to help participants become more independent outside their homes. Ingoglia said this year’s budget process shows that “it’s very real that these cuts could happen as funding decreases and as the state budget gets tighter.” Federal policy shifts Ongoing changes in federal policy could further complicate Missouri’s budget picture, experts and advocates said. The Biden-era rule challenged in the lawsuit was intended to update the regulations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reflect decades of statute and case law on disability rights, said Alison Barkoff, who led the Administration for Community Living in the department from 2021 to 2024 and helped write the rule. While states in the lawsuit initially challenged the entire rule, which included updates on website accessibility and check-in kiosks, an amended complaint filed in January focused on the “integration mandate” in federal law. The integration mandate requires states to provide services to people with disabilities in their homes and communities whenever possible. It was first articulated in Section 504 and elaborated in Title II of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. And it was reinforced in the 1999 Olmstead decision of the U.S. Supreme Court and subsequent court rulings and guidance from federal agencies. Barkoff, now a professor of health law and policy at George Washington University, told The Independent that the rule challenged in the lawsuit elaborated on the department’s 1977 regulations in two major ways. It expanded the description of the “most integrated setting” and clarified that states can be sued if their actions put people with disabilities at “serious risk” of institutionalization. “So for example, cutting services in a way that might place people at serious risk of going into an institution,” Barkoff said. Sangyeal Lee sits with Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council Director Emily Hartley and MODDC Chair-elect Allie Friedrich at a national developmental disabilities conference in Washington, D.C. in 2024 (photo submitted). But the U.S. Department of Justice has in recent weeks signaled its intent to revisit decades of federal consensus on disability rights. A June 18 Justice Department memorandum stated that neither Section 504 nor the Americans with Disabilities Act requires states to provide services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting possible. And the Justice Department on Monday issued a “clarification” that it will no longer use a 2011 policy document interpreting the integration mandate. The document, among other things, says budget shortages don’t necessarily excuse states from providing community-based services. “Even in times of budgetary constraints, public entities can often reasonably modify their program by re-allocating funding from expensive segregated settings to cost-effective integrated settings,” the document says. Barkoff said these recent moves are significant because the Justice Department is “the primary enforcer of these disability rights laws.” The Justice Department can’t change the law, Barkoff said, but states can use the recent memorandum in courts. “This is just their reinterpretation of the law,” Barkoff said. “(But) it is clear that they are trying to get courts to adopt this position.” Faced with proposed budget cuts this year, advocates argued that funding self-directed supports and day habilitation saves the state money. The Missouri Department of Mental Health indicated in its 2026 program book that while the average cost of self-directed supports per person was $48,534 in fiscal year 2025, the average cost of residential services that year was $227,317 per person. Ingoglia said the recent Justice Department communications are worrisome as Missouri faces continued budget pressure. “It feels like this in partnership with the lawsuit is attempting to undermine home and community based services and their funding,” Ingoglia said. Nightmares Lee, the advocate with the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council, said that although his 14-year-old daughter Isabella, who has Down syndrome, hasn’t yet needed to use the services protected by Section 504, he “wanted to make sure that Missourians, especially people who have disabilities, have the services they deserve.” “If we have 20 years of (disability work) and wipe it out, we have to do everything again and better,” Lee said. “So that would be like going back to the time with no cars, no phones.” Advocacy, he said, can be discouraging, and he’s had nightmares about the lawsuit. “I was really afraid, actually,” he said. Lee, who leads the council’s Olmstead standing committee, said he’s hopeful that the three states remaining in the lawsuit — Texas, Florida and Alaska — will decide to withdraw. Advocates and people with disabilities, he said, are asking states to follow federal law. “We’re not talking about, ‘Give me a favor,’” Lee said. “Let’s do it by the law. We have ADA, and Section 504 is the law that we’re following.” Courtesy of Missouri Independent
	Proposed Coal Valley sports complex draws concerns from neighbors The mayor says economic growth is important for the tax base. People living near the site worry about noise and traffic.
	I-80 Cafe is temporarily closed I-80 Cafe announced the temporary closure for family vacation.
	RAGBRAI Day 6 takes riders to Dyersville Keep following KCRG’s Joe Winters and Rebekah Vaughan as they bike across the state.
	From Winterset to London, Rebecca Fons thinks art house cinema is for everyone Rebecca Fons knows art house cinema when she sees it. The Iowan has spent nearly two decades in independent film exhibition and now works in London as a film curator. Ahead of Art House Theater Day on July 30, she shared what it means to bring independent movies to cinemas across the world.
	Overdoses haven’t fallen as much in NV as in rest of nation, officials trying to find out why Naloxone in a vending machine at the LGBTQ+ Center of Las Vegas. (Photo: Michael Lyle/Nevada Current)Nevada overdose rates have dropped by 2% since last year, but that’s a smaller decline than in most of the rest of the country, and local health officials aren’t sure why. The number of people dying from an overdose has declined roughly 16% nationally, health officials told a district’s Public Health Advisory Board meeting earlier this month. The district recently participated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epi-Aid project, a rapid investigation looking into a particular public health issue, to better understand overdose deaths in Southern Nevada. In May, local and federal officials conducted 69 interviews with Southern Nevada residents living in overdose hot spots to get a snap shot of those struggling with substance use, what their housing status was, and if and how they have access to overdose interventions like naloxone. The effort’s preliminary findings were presented to the health advisory board this month. Final results, expected within another four to six months, will provide insights about overdose deaths and help shape recommendations for addressing the issue, officials said. During the next few months officials will go through the transcripts from those interviews to gather qualitative data, Marco Mendez, a public health evaluator with the health district, said in an interview. “My expectation would be to have a richer understanding of how our residents experience the substance use care system here in Clark County, what barriers and facilitators there are to access, and how SNHD can best partner with the community to keep those rates going down,” Mendez said. The interviews could also illuminate causes of substance use, including whether it stemmed from a legal prescription or as a way to cope with experiencing homelessness. Both were scenarios Mendez heard during interviews. The health district has been able to identify “hot spots” for overdose deaths using emergency services outcomes data and hospital discharge data. Areas with the highest number of overdoses include the East Fremont Corridor, Valley View Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, and the UNLV area. The district identified 89101 and 89104 as the ZIP codes with high numbers of overdoses. CDC and health district officials deployed to those areas over two-weeks in May to conduct interviews as part of its investigation. Of those 69 people interviewed for the project, 32 people were unhoused. Those counting as being housed included people residing in group homes and mental health treatment facilities, as well as apartments. About 85% of all respondents said they hadn’t had a regular place to stay in the last year. The lack of housing and wraparound services were cited as barriers to care, according to the preliminary findings. Interviews also indicated the lack of access to Medicaid or other health insurance was is a barrier to accessing mental health and substance abuse treatment “We know that the amount of folks in need versus the amount of treatment that’s available doesn’t really line up,” Mendez said, nodding to“systemic issues that are ongoing as well.” People often struggle with accessing treatment “because they’re not able to get their insurer to pay for more than one day in detox,” he said. “In those situations it’s kind of like you come in, you detox, and they’re like, ‘All right, your insurance isn’t paying anymore. Bye,’” he said. “That can also add to the stigma and adverse experiences that lead to more substance use potentially.” Access to Medicaid and health insurance is expected to become an even bigger barrier as policy changes such as new work requirements under President Donald Trump’s massive spending and tax cut bill passed in July 2025 take effect. The health district initial findings didn’t indicate how many respondents relied on Medicaid or health insurance subsidies. “We did find that the drugs that were most frequently reported as being used by our respondents matched up with the drugs implicated most commonly based on our overdose rates,” Mendez, adding the top three are methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. More people cited meth use, but two-thirds of people were aware fentanyl was likely being cut into drugs. Though people are aware of the lethality of fentanyl, they also might risk it to prevent going into withdraw, Mendez said Half of respondents said they used more than one substance and preferred using alone. The findings showed that 73% called 911 to report an overdose, and 85% administered naloxone. One of the more surprising data points, Mendez said, was that 60% were aware of Nevada’s Good Samaritan law, which is supported to prevent punitive actions against people who call 911 to report a drug overdose. But more than half indicated they didn’t trust the law. Mendez said the high percentage of people knowing about the law was still encouraging. “People are actually aware that they are protected legally, so they shouldn’t fear helping a friend or whomever is experiencing an overdose,” he said. Courtesy of Nevada Current
	Our QC Crime Watch: Davenport man faces child-pornography charges: Episode 74 Watch crime reporters Linda Cook and Sharon Wren talk about crime and courts in our area with the latest episode of the Our Quad Cities Crime Watch Podcast. In this episode Linda and Sharon discuss: updates on: Why a Quad Cities bar had its license revoked A Davenport man who faces charges involving child pornography. [...]
	California Burritos in Davenport to relocate "Come get your fix in Bettendorf while we cook up our next move!"
	Resignations, hirings, other Central DeWitt School District personnel news from July 20 The following personnel items are from the July 8 agenda of the Central-DeWitt School Board.
	Trump threatens Iran escalation as tit-for-tat airstrikes continue The U.S. continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf as the region braced itself after President Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch "a massive attack".
	Trump threatens Iran with further escalation as tit-for-tat airstrikes continue The U.S. continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf, as President Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch "a massive attack."
	Trump threatens a major escalation in Iran as the war rounds its 4th month The U.S. continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf, as President Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch "a massive attack."
	Trump threatens a major escalation in Iran as the war nears the end of Month 5 The U.S. continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf, as President Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch "a massive attack."
	Trump threatens a major escalation in Iran as the war nears the 5-month mark The U.S. continued airstrikes in Iran while Tehran launched retaliatory attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf, as President Trump said he was close to deciding whether to launch "a massive attack."
	Heat and humidity build back in for the weekend One more comfortable day for the Quad Cities before it turns hot and humid again. A few showers are possible today and tonight, but many of us will stay dry. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Statewide EMS task force faces shutdown amid funding crisis New Jersey's EMS Task Force outside MetLife Stadium preparing for the World Cup matches. (Photo courtesy of the task force)Members of New Jersey’s Emergency Medical Services Task Force spent July 4th evacuating a Voorhees nursing home of more than 200 people after the facility’s air conditioning failed during a heat wave that would lead to a record 29 deaths statewide. Other members were deployed to help local responders at fireworks events in five counties and America250 celebrations along the Delaware River, to track wildfires in South Jersey, and to standby at World Cup matches in East Rutherford, an assignment that would eventually involve 8,500 personnel hours over five weeks, its largest undertaking ever. The nonprofit task force, which was founded to manage large-scale emergency medical responses in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, serves as a statewide backup for local emergency services, coordinates emergency preparedness for large-scale events, and leads regional emergency response planning. But as of August, it has just 60 days of funding left, according to its president, Michael Bascom. “We have zero funds to sustain, repair, or replace any of our equipment,” Bascom told the New Jersey Monitor, let alone money to continue to pay its handful of staff. The task force had pushed Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Democratic leaders in the Legislature to include $500,000 for its work in the most recent budget, but the $60.7 billion budget she signed in late June did not include it. Bascom said it is now requesting at least $8 million in one-time capital funding while it searches for sustainable revenue. “If our organization fails to maintain — there IS NO OTHER backup. Local EMS cannot absorb the work scope. Hospitals cannot replace it,” Beau Huch, a longtime EMS advocate and director of government affairs for the law firm Porzio, wrote in a funding request to lawmakers this spring. “This is not a warning bell ringing. This is an emergency siren blaring,” he added. Senate Democrats declined to comment on the request. A spokeswoman for Sherrill said she is grateful to the first responders, including the EMS task force, who have worked hard to protect public health during high-profile sporting events, extreme heat and summer celebrations, an “especially demanding period.” “Federal partnership has been essential to supporting New Jersey’s preparedness for health threats. As certain funding comes up for renewal and as other COVID-era federal funding streams end, the State remains committed to exploring ways to sustain key preparedness work. At the same time, no state can fully absorb the fiscal impact of expiring federal funds and broader federal policy changes,” Sherrill spokesperson Maggie Garbarino told the New Jersey Monitor. Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor) Sen. Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), a sponsor of a bill to codify the task force, said it’s the state’s responsibility to protect residents and that failing to fund the organization “could be a life-or-death thing.” “It’s just a continued demonstration that this administration, like the previous one, doesn’t give a damn. It would have been easy if they cared,” O’Scanlon told the New Jersey Monitor. Most of the task force’s 200 members work full-time for other emergency response organizations, which cover the cost of their deployments with the task force. It maintains equipment valued at $70 million, Bascom said, including 19 medical ambulance buses that can transport ten times as many patients as a regular ambulance, oxygen generators, field hospital shelters and more, all available for use by local responders in the state’s 21 counties. Repair needs are estimated at close to $30 million, he said. Bascomb said its funding needs were amplified over the Independence Day weekend, when several ambulance buses malfunctioned. Severe thunderstorms swept through the state that Saturday, causing extensive flooding and damage. “We learned a lot from Saturday, lessons we’ll take on the road to the next mission and beyond,” Bascom wrote in an email to task force members, thanking them for their work. The state Department of Health is tasked with maintaining and coordinating the activities of the task force under the 2017 law that formalized the group. But the $1.1 million in federal funding the department provided last year to ensure the task force could operate through the World Cup will soon be gone, Bascom said. The soccer matches are now history, but Bascom said the task force’s work continues, including its mandate to staff all events at MetLife Stadium. In 2025 alone, task force members deployed at least 225 times to evacuate nursing homes or hospital facilities and assist with major emergencies and led 1,500 hours of emergency preparedness training, according to task force data. Members of New Jersey’s EMS Task Force attend a briefing before the final World Cup match in the Meadowlands on July 19, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the task force) Once funded as a function of the state Department of Health, Bascom said the task force was pushed to become a nonprofit under Gov. Phil Murphy, but the grant money officials said would be available has not yet materialized. The group played a key role in the state’s COVID-19 response, setting up testing sites, vaccine clinics and field hospitals, but funding has been sporadic and unreliable, he said. The Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment. O’Scanlon took a swipe at Democratic legislators for focusing too much on pork, a Trenton-insider term for money that legislative leaders add to the budget for pet projects, during this year’s budget process. “Emergency preparedness should come before one dime of pork, and it didn’t,” he said. “The priority was pork over preparedness.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Want to weigh in on Prop 1, the Idaho abortion ballot initiative? Here’s how. Volunteers pass boxes of signatures supporting a ballot initiative to end Idaho's strict ban on abortion on July 2, 2026, outside the state Capitol in Boise. (Photo by Abigail Gerstein/Idaho Capital Sun)Idaho state election officials are asking the public to weigh in on a proposed ballot initiative to end the state’s strict abortion ban. The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office will feature some arguments in favor and against the ballot initiative on a voter pamphlet that it mails to all Idaho households ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Arguments related to the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act are due by 11:59 p.m. Mountain time on Friday, July 31, the Secretary of State’s Office announced in a news release. Submit arguments online at https://forms.sos.idaho.gov/pro-con/. Learn more about Idaho’s ballot initiative process online at voteidaho.gov/initiatives-amendments/. This year’s voter pamphlet will include information on two constitutional amendments, proposed by the Legislature. Here’s a primer on those: One proposed amendment, through House Joint Resolution 4, would allow only the Idaho Legislature – and not Idaho voters – to have the authority to legalize medical cannabis, recreational marijuana or any other drug. A proposed ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana failed to qualify for the ballot this year, election officials announced last week. Another proposed amendment, through House Joint Resolution 6, would declare English as the state’s official language. A committee of legislative leaders last month approved language to describe those two proposed constitutional amendments on ballots. The voter pamphlet will also include information on an advisory question for voters to designate a state gun for Idaho. Lawmakers approved the advisory question this year through House Bill 932. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Idaho Capital Sun
	Alabama officials to ask federal government for two-year delay on SNAP error rate penalty Brandon Hardin, Alabama SNAP Director, speaking at the Department of Human Resources meeting on July 23, 2026, in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, Alabama. The DHR board unanimously approved a motion for the commissioner to ask the congressional delegation for a two-year delay on the SNAP error rate penalty, which is currently projected to cost the state $174 million. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)Alabama officials Thursday asked the federal government to extend a two-year reprieve from changes to a food assistance program that could cost the state more than $174 million based on errors in the program. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced a penalty for states with a high error rate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Alabama’s error rate for fiscal year 2025 was 9.52%, SNAP Director Brandon Hardin said at a quarterly meeting of the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), which administers the program in the state. “It’s not even close to a measure of fraud. It’s when a household circumstance changes, and they do not report that, it ends up becoming a potential error in that case,” Hardin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. He said errors can be on the client, the agency, or can be under-issuances or overpayments of benefits. A $174.3 million penalty Alabama will have to pay about $174.3 million beginning Oct. 1, 2027, or about 10% of the state’s SNAP benefits, unless the FY26 error rate gets below 7.99%. Before the passage of the OBBBA, the benefits were fully funded by the federal government. The changes to the program have pushed over 80,000 Alabamians off SNAP, according to an analysis released Wednesday by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. About 23,000 were children. According to preliminary data for FY26, the state’s error rate is trending down, but the first three months of the fiscal year were difficult, Hardin said in an interview after the meeting. A shutdown of the federal government in November left SNAP-recipients without benefits. The error rate in November was 12.86%, which is about $4,300 “error dollars.” The state issued $142 million in benefits that month. The error rate in February was 5.37%, about $1,800 error dollars. The state issued $135 million in benefits that month. Through the first five months of FY26, the error rate is 9.55%. “Ultimately, we are seeing a downward trend. But statistically, you’ve got to have a lot more dollars involved in it,” he said. “All the states submitted a request in the first part of this fiscal year to exempt October and November samples because it was such a trying time during the shutdown, and that was denied at the federal level … Those months, you’ve got to understand that it was very chaotic for a client.” If the FY26 error rate is between 6% and 7.99%, the state will have to pay 5% of its benefits in 2027. Based on FY25 issuance, that would be $87.1 million. In 2028, the state’s penalty is based solely on the FY26 error rate. Trump budget bill will increase Alabama SNAP costs, say state officials States with error rates below 6% or above 20% will not have to pay penalties. Penalties for states on the high end will have a two-year delayed implementation. “All the other states should be treated fairly. They should all get the same treatment,” DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said. ‘What we’re going to have to live and die by’ Error rates, part of the program’s quality control system, are based on 1,020 cases over the fiscal year, Hardin said. Currently, there are approximately 650,000 individuals enrolled in SNAP, about 45% of whom are children. Hardin said there are three options with the error rate: pay the penalty, get below 6% or end SNAP in Alabama. “That baseline is 1,020 cases. They’re basing a $1.7 billion program that’s on the brink of what could happen to it based on 1,020 cases,” Hardin said. “We do 750,000 transactions a year, and that sample is what we’re going to have to live and die by.” Buckner said that without a SNAP program, crime rates could go up, medical costs would increase and test scores would decrease. “Food banks themselves say they cannot make it up, and I believe that it would be up to the people,” she said. “Food is a necessity for people. Whether they’ve got it, they’re going to get it one way or the other to feed their children.” The board unanimously approved a motion, brought by Joe Morton, for Buckner to send a letter to the Alabama congressional delegation asking for a two-year delayed implementation of the error rate penalty. “I think it would be well for this board to support that effort, so we would officially take a stand that we’re headed in the right direction in Alabama, but we just need more time,” Morton said. Hardin said the department has implemented several “payment accuracy strategies” to improve the error rate since the passage of the OBBBA, but the results will not be visible until the FY26 error rate is finalized in 2027. Congressional reaction Messages seeking comment from the congressional delegation were left Thursday afternoon. U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Selma, said in a statement that the cuts to SNAP is one of the reasons she voted against the OBBBA. “I am open to exploring any proposal that would reverse or mitigate the harm that this cruel bill is inflicting on our children, but let’s be clear – these cuts to SNAP should never have become law in the first place,” she said. “Hard working Alabama families should not have to struggle to put food on the table so that billionaires can get even richer.” U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Mobile, said in a statement Thursday that he, like all Democratic representatives, voted against the bill because of the potential impacts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid. “Republicans continued to tell us time and time again that no children would be cut off from SNAP. Now here we are, with over 80,000 Alabamians – including over 23,000 children – having access to food ripped away while billionaires got permanent tax breaks in the same law,” Figures said. “Now the Alabama DHR board is essentially saying that they need relief from the effects of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’” More than 80,000 Alabamians have lost food assistance, according to study Hardin said that SNAP participation fluctuates with the economy, with peak enrollment in 2012 at about 912,000. Eligibility for the program was expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there were about 770,000 Alabamians enrolled. The OBBBA tightened eligibility work requirements, which has contributed to some of the 80,000 Alabamians that lost benefits between the passage of the law in July 2025 and May. Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is the party’s nominee for governor, said in a statement in June that DHR should use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the error rate. “Alabama’s SNAP error rate is too high, and we need to look into creative ways to get rid of fraud. I think AI could help us with that. I’m all for helping people who have fallen on hard times, but SNAP has become overrun with fraud,” he said. Buckner said Thursday that although AI can identify an error, the department needs more bodies to fix the problems. “When everybody’s out there, AI is going to solve the problem. AI is not going to solve this problem … Whatever AI finds is going to make a body go out and do it,” she said. “It is hard because we don’t have the additional money in our budget to hire the additional staff who are needed to go behind and do the second party reviews.” Federal and state officials have pressured DHR to lower the error rate, but Buckner said it is not as easy as it sounds. “I’m hoping there’s enough compassion in people’s hearts that are in control of whether we have to go forward with this or not,” she said. “That there’ll be some wiggle room to change it a little bit to make it more fair for states versus other states that got a two-year pass.” Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	The Professor and Capitalism This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Even in ancient Greece, professors were accused of having their heads in the clouds. Their places of work are still…
	DEQ asks Virginians how to best engage environmental justice communities during permitting process Virginia environmental regulators are seeking the public’s feedback on the best ways to meaningfully engage with EJ communities on projects that directly affect them. (Photo illustration by States Newsroom)When the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality reviews permits for proposed projects that would impact water, air, or land, the agency must consider whether projects would be in or near environmental justice communities, areas that are low-income or whose residents are mostly people of color who experience a disproportionate rate of environmental harm. Now, state environmental regulators are seeking the public’s feedback on the best ways to meaningfully engage with EJ communities on projects that directly affect them, an action stemming from a new law that passed this year’s legislative session. House Bill 1266, sponsored by Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, directs the department to host two public town halls on how to update regulatory guidance that is due at the end of the year. DEQ hosted the first meeting on Wednesday evening in Richmond. Environmental justice is defined under the 2020 Virginia Environmental Justice Act as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of every person, regardless of race, color, national origin, income, faith, or disability, regarding the development, implementation, or enforcement of any environmental law, regulation, or policy.” At Wednesday’s meeting, DEQ representatives said they are considering requiring companies seeking permits to be responsible for engaging the communities that fall under the environmental justice requirements. The agency representatives also suggested that the culmination of other stressors in the area when compounded with the project seeking a permit be part of the updates to how to assess cumulative impacts of a project. Members of the public said officials’ process should scrutinize the full weight communities must bear due. “DEQ should consider the cumulative or total burden of pollution and community already carry, for reflecting how people actually live, not how permits are processed,” said Kim Sudderth with Virginia Interfaith Power and Light. Other members of the public recommended that these new considerations for permits be applied to existing industries seeking permit reissue or extension. The agency should be more transparent about major projects with potential to pollute the surrounding areas, other residents said. A Varina pastor who lives near a facility that sterilizes medical equipment, which has been flagged by the EPA as a major contributor to cancer risks in the area, said information about new projects proposed in eastern Henrico like data centers are often constrained by nondisclosure agreements. “Why is it you have to almost be there and be a part of it?” Rev. Ray McKenzie said of nearby Sterilization Services of Virginia and forthcoming digital warehouses. “Then when protests take place, the people protesting are the problem,” McKenzie said. Residents also don’t get proper notice about new plans, he added. The new law does not require that cumulative impacts on environmental justice communities warrant the department to deny a permit application in those areas. Some community advocates said such a provision would give the regulation “teeth” that would encourage industries to minimize their impacts on the environment. A few representatives from the industrial business community also spoke at the meeting. Stacie Gordon with the Virginia Manufacturers Association said that making developers consider impacts from other facilities and environmental concerns unrelated to the permit they are seeking would create uncertainty for industry statewide. She also said that economic benefits should be included in the consideration, which she suggested could offset environmental harms. “Maintain objective and transparent evaluation criteria that can improve public confidence while also ensuring consistent permitting decisions,” Gordon told DEQ representatives. “Cumulative impact evaluations should also recognize positive and negative impacts, in addition to any of the environmental consequences associated with permanent actions.” A draft update to the environmental justice regulations was started in 2023, but was never completed. This latest update will not include those recommendations and will include new public comments. The next town hall meeting will be in Virginia Beach on July 29. The department will have until Oct. 31 to respond to public comments and must issue the new guidance by the last day of the year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Virginia Mercury
	What animal is the deformed-but-adorable Jimothy? The quiz knows — do you? Also: Ryan Gosling's regrets, Zohran Mamdani's exhortations and the Smithsonian's alleged wokeness.
	Trump refuses to give up on tariffs - a pillar of his economic legacy The administration timed a new set of tariffs on all of its largest trading partners to take effect at the same time the old, global tariff ended.
	Poll: Americans don’t think recipients are ripping off Medicaid A patient has blood drawn as he receives a free HIV test from a medical assistant in Miami. The giant tax and spending bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate would bar clinics that provide abortions — which tend to be testing sites for sexually transmitted infections — from accepting Medicaid. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) As some Republican leaders are pushing allegations that Medicaid recipients and their families are defrauding Medicaid, a new poll indicates that most Americans believe they’re far from the main culprit. Most respondents also said they thought the overall Medicaid-fraud push was just politics. In addition, the poll indicated that when it comes to defrauding the government, Medicaid wasn’t respondent’s top concern — it was taxes. The poll, by the nonpartisan health-research organization KFF, was published July 16. The combination online/phone poll was conducted between June 25 and 30 among a nationally representative sample of 1,321 U.S. adults. It comes after President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” last year cut almost$1 trillion from Medicaid over 10 years while giving massive tax cuts to the richest Americans. Congressional Republicans also allowed subsidies to buy health coverage on Affordable Care Act exchanges to expire. Since then, Ohio has seen the steepest drop in coverage purchased on the exchanges. Almost a third, or 161,000, have dropped coverage as their premiums doubled. Amid an overall affordability crisis, Americans’ are still most worried about healthcare, the KFF poll found. Sixty-two percent said they were very or somewhat worried about affording healthcare, while 38% were not too worried or not worried at all. Healthcare was followed by gas prices, then housing costs, then food expenses and then utilities in respondents’ affordability concerns. As the public and Medicaid administrators brace for the brunt of Medicaid cuts to take effect Jan. 1, the Trump administration and Ohio officials have been highlighting what they say is rampant fraud in the system. In early June, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and other administration officials gathered on a stage in Whitehall with Ohio Republicans to decry alleged Medicaid fraud — particularly home health programs it funds. But the dollar figures they threw out also included allegations of undelivered behavioral-health services and alleged fraud in federal programs unrelated to Medicaid. The KFF poll said the administration has also been playing up Medicaid fraud in other states. It said a big majority of respondents think it’s not a genuine anti-fraud effort, merely election-year politics. “The Trump administration has recently deferred federal Medicaid payments in a few states with claims that these actions will save money and root out fraud,” it said. “But voters are skeptical: fewer than half say these deferrals are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat likely’ to save taxpayers money (43%) or that it is likely to lower health care costs for people like them (31%). However, most voters — including majorities across partisans — say the deferrals are likely to cause eligible low-income people to lose access to care they rely on. About two-thirds of voters (65%) believe this approach is mostly motivated by politics, though most Republican voters say it is mostly motivated by a genuine effort to reduce fraud and protect Medicaid (69%).” When it comes to fraud, respondents placed other suspects higher on their list. A whopping 92% said the federal tax system was subject to a lot or some fraud. That was followed by defense contracting (87%), foreign aid (79%), Medicaid (78%), Medicare (75%), Social Security (72%) and ACA marketplaces (70%). Respondents also don’t appear to be buying what some Republican officials are selling in terms of Medicaid fraud — that recipients and their families are bilking the system. Keith Faber is Ohio auditor and the Republican nominee for state attorney general. On a May 5 appearance on Cincinnati’s WLW radio, Faber said that family members paid by Ohio Medicaid are bilking a program to provide home care. “The problem is that it’s very difficult to catch the abuse because grandma’s never going to rat out granddaughter or daughter who’s supposed to be taking care of her, but she’s sitting there playing on her cell phone all day,” Faber said at the 1:16:18 mark of the “Sunday Nights With Bill Cunningham” show. “So that’s the problem you get into and, candidly, why the legislature probably needs to get out of that waiver and get back to the… eliminate these programs.” In other words, Faber was accusing an elderly Ohioan of being complicit as family members denied her care that taxpayers were financing. When Faber’s campaign was asked for a documented example of that happening, it didn’t provide one. Respondents to the KFF poll didn’t think such alleged scams were much of a problem. Just 13% thought that Medicaid or Medicare fraud was carried out by individual patients. Another 53% said it was carried out by providers, including doctors’ offices and hospital systems. The remainder were unsure. Courtesy of Ohio Capital Journal
	Indian activist Wangchuk ends 26-day hunger strike as 'Cockroach' protesters vow to press on Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk ended a 26-day hunger strike on Friday that helped galvanize a youth movement that's become one of India's largest protests in recent years, but demonstrators vowed to continue until the education minister resigns.
	Rubio says U.S. is ready to help end war in Ukraine but no quick deal ahead Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, said that President Trump was committed to the work "if conditions and factors have changed to make that possible."
	10 movies you can watch for free to celebrate Christmas in July While Christmas isn't until December 25, many folks celebrate Christmas in July as a festive and fun way to escape from the summer heat and enjoy a taste of holiday traditions long before the winter holidays. Here is a list of 10 holiday movies and specials you can watch for free to celebrate Christmas in [...]
Thursday, July 23rd, 2026
	Illinois residents needed for food waste survey University of Illinois Extension is seeking input from Illinois households to better understand food waste and develop practical, community focused solutions. According to a release from University of Illinois Extension: Research shows that one third of the U.S. food supply was not purchased or eaten in 2023. While some surplus food is donated or recycled, [...]
	Justice Dept. drops 'New York Times' subpoenas under pressure from judge The Justice Department is dropping the subpoenas it filed demanding grand jury testimony and phone records from New York Times journalists after sharp questioning Thursday from a federal judge.
	Geifman Group acquires Quad-City Times building The company says it plans to transform the property into a multi-tenant commercial building while still preserving its history.
	Neighbors raise concerns about proposed Coal Valley sports complex The mayor says economic growth is important for the tax base. People living near the site worry about noise and traffic.
	Iowa lt. gov. candidate addresses marijuana legalization concerns during addiction treatment facility tour Iowa Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Dave Muhlbauer was asked about his running mate’s marijuana legalization position during a tour of a substance use disorder treatment facility Wednesday.
	The Heart of the Story: In search of baby foxes Our Quad Cities News is partnering with award-winning journalist Gary Metivier for The Heart of the Story. Each week, Gary showcases inspiring stories of everyday people doing cool stuff, enjoying their hobbies and living life to the fullest. Stories that feature the best of the human condition. Good things come to those who wait, and [...]
	Davenport man faces child sexual abuse material, drug possession charges A Davenport man has been charged with possession of child sex abuse material and drugs.
	Bix Beiderbecke Museum reopens in new downtown Davenport location The Bix Beiderbecke Museum reopens in a new downtown Davenport location after 2023 flooding, with more space, new exhibits, and free admission for Bix race participants.
	Central DeWitt Community School Board approves SAVE bonds resolution The Central DeWitt Community School District is one step closer to moving it’s students to a single campus.
	Man sentenced to probation in Scott County case involving inappropriate contact with a child A Scott County man on probation in a Delaware County sex case is sentenced to probation in a Scott County case involving inappropriate contact with a child.
	Geifman Group buys former Quad-City Times building in Davenport Geifman Group has bought the former Quad City Times building at 500 E. 3rd St., Davenport. Steve Geifman, managing partner/president of the Geifman Group, on Thursday confirmed the sale with Our Quad Cities News. "It looks a bit different from our original drawings last month," Geifman told Our Quad Cities News. "We have most of [...]
	Doctors warn Andy Biggs’ record on healthcare, abortion should alarm Arizona voters U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs on July 21, 2026, after he was declared the winner of the Republican primary election for governor. (Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy/Arizona Mirror)Arizona doctors and progressive organizations are warning voters that Republican gubernatorial nominee Andy Biggs has a long record as an elected official of attacking access to healthcare and abortion care. Biggs will face off with Gov. Katie Hobbs in November to determine who will lead the state for the next four years. Among the stark policy differences between the two are healthcare and abortion rights. Hobbs ran in 2022 on a vow to preserve access to abortion, at a time when court rulings ricocheted the state between a 15-week gestational ban and a near-total prohibition from 1864. The Democrat has spent her first term doing just that, vetoing anti-abortion proposals from the GOP-majority legislature and issuing an executive order that prevented county attorneys from prosecuting abortion patients or doctors while the restrictive laws, which carried criminal penalties, were still in play. On the other side of the ideological divide, Biggs was a staunch supporter of Arizona laws to restrict abortion access while he was a state lawmaker, and since going to Congress, he has co-sponsored federal legislation that could effectively ban the procedure nationwide four times, including in 2025, months after Arizona voters chose to make abortion a fundamental right in the state. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. During an online news conference hosted by the Committee to Protect Health Care, local doctors called on voters to reject Biggs in November, saying that his track record shows he will undermine the ability of Arizonans’ to receive the healthcare they need. The organization represents medical providers across the country and advocates for accessible and affordable healthcare. Biggs’ campaign did not respond to a request for comment or answer emailed questions. Dr. Danielle Allen-Herried, an OBGYN in Chandler, said that voters shouldn’t be complacent about the legality of abortion in Arizona, even though the procedure is enshrined as a right in the state constitution. In 2024, voters passed Proposition 139, which guarantees the right to obtain an abortion until fetal viability, generally considered to be between 23 and 24 weeks of gestation, and forbids the state from enforcing or adopting policies that interfere with that right. But that hasn’t stopped Arizona’s Republican congressional delegation from continuing to back a federal ban or deterred Republican state lawmakers from passing measures designed to circumvent the abortion rights amendment. Reproductive rights advocates fear that awarding the governor’s seat to Biggs would usher in even more attacks on the procedure from GOP lawmakers, this time without a veto buffer. “I’m grateful that the voters of our state passed Proposition 139 back in 2024 to protect the right of reproductive care into our Constitution,” Allen-Herried said. “But we have to be vigilant against attempts from state leaders to chip away at that right.” Allen-Herried lambasted the political push to restrict abortion access, saying that it only serves to hurt and endanger women. She shared that, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 and Arizona was vacillating between bans, one of her patients was forced to carry a pregnancy to term, despite a fetal diagnosis of anencephaly, a fatal condition in which parts of the brain and skull aren’t formed. Awarding Biggs the governorship, Allen-Herried said, would have devastating consequences for women across the state. “Arizona deserves a governor who believes that healthcare should be more accessible, more affordable and guided by medical evidence, not by political ideology,” she said. Dr. Eve Shapiro, a Tucson pediatrician who has worked with Arizona families for more than 40 years, highlighted the healthcare cuts Biggs has supported as proof that he is the wrong choice to lead the state. Last year, Congressional Republicans successfully negotiated a sweeping tax and spending package, dubbed “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” that slashed Medicaid spending and failed to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that have proved critical for millions of Americans to afford their health insurance coverage. Biggs voted for the funding plan and vocally opposed reviving the insurance premium tax credits, falsely claiming that the program was rife with abuse. The fallout from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been deeply felt across the country. In Arizona, more than 121,000 people dropped their health insurance plans after the tax credits expired, and that number is expected to keep growing. The impact of the $880 billion cut to Medicaid is less immediately visible, in large part because the funding reduction is slated to start in earnest next year, but health policy experts project that they will lead to the closure of hundreds of hospitals and the loss of coverage for more than 11 million low income Americans. As many as eight Arizona hospitals are at risk of shutting their doors or dramatically reducing their services because of the funding loss. Shapiro, who said many of the families she works with rely on federally funded aid programs, like the premium tax credits or the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid program, said that making it harder for people to afford their health insurance leads to a harmful domino effect. “Health insurance means cancer is caught earlier, diabetes is managed before complications develop,” she said. “Children…get care for asthma, allowing them to be able to run and play safely with their friends, they get vaccines that keep them from getting preventable diseases.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Arizona Mirror
	Scott County taxpayers spent $1.3M on outside jail beds as sheriff urges Iowa prison expansion to ease county costs Scott County spent $1.3 million housing detainees elsewhere in FY2025 as its sheriff called for more Iowa prison space.
	Emergency responders extricate man from car at crash site on Route 150 Emergency responders are at the scene of a crash that happened shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday about halfway between Coal Valley and Orion on Route 150, which was completely blocked at 7 p.m. Our Quad Cities News crew saw a car and a pickup truck, which may have been pulling a trailer, at the scene. [...]
	Brady Street Sprints ring in Bix 7 weekend The 3rd annual Hilltop Brady Street Party is going on before the race kicks off.
	Bettendorf School Board hears public reaction to recent superintendent moves The Bettendorf School Board heard praise, questions and criticism of recent leadership decisions, including a settlement agreement with the former superintendent and the hiring process for the interim superintendent.
	Short-term workforce programs now eligible for Pell Grant funding As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, these career training programs are now eligible for money that had traditionally only been available to undergraduates.
	Sharp monthly drop in Nebraskans receiving public food aid sounds alarm for advocates Data shows that Nebraska has about 25,000 fewer people receiving grocery assistance through the SNAP program since last July. Shown here are grocery shoppers at a Walmart store in Ohio.(Photo by Marty Schladen/Ohio Capital Journal)LINCOLN — The number of Nebraskans receiving public food aid has declined nearly 17%, or by about 25,000 people, since last July when Congress approved a massive 2025 tax and spending cuts package, according to newly released data from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. May through June marked the sharpest single month participation drop — nearly 6,000 — since at least 2014, says watchdog group Nebraska Appleseed. That’s when DHHS started sharing performance metrics on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps. The entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. (Stock photo by hapabapa/Getty Images) Groups that advocate for low-income families call the slide in SNAP participation alarming. They tie it not only to the act President Donald Trump calls big and beautiful, but also to what they view as stepped up state verification tactics that make applying more difficult. “While that is happening we haven’t seen economic conditions improve, but we have seen grocery prices and inflation go up,” said Eric Savaiano, Appleseed’s manager for food and nutrition access. He said he sees more stress on Nebraska families, emergency food systems and communities. Angie Lauritsen, director of Nebraska For Us, a nonprofit formed to monitor economic issues and federal legislation, said that “making matters more challenging” are longer SNAP application processes. The recent data, for example, shows that Nebraska’s average time to process an expedited SNAP application was more than five days in June, compared to just over three days in May and nearly three days in April. The state goal is three days or less, whereas the federal standard is seven days. The report also showed that total calls to customer service centers handling SNAP and other state economic assistance benefits jumped beyond 80,000 in June, compared to about 61,000 the month before. Wait time went up from about 13 minutes a call in May to almost 23 minutes in June. “Roadblocks and cuts are happening by design,” said Lauritsen. She noted that all the Nebraska congressional delegation voted for Trump’s tax and spending measure. Ask your neighbor? The latest DHHS report shows Nebraska SNAP enrollment at 124,299 individuals, down from nearly 150,000 last July. Officials and advocates had anticipated that eligibility changes and stricter work requirements in the new tax and spending law would reduce the number of refugees, veterans, homeless and people recently aged out of foster care who receive public food assistance. Afghan refugee, father of 10 in Nebraska, faces hunger under ‘big beautiful’ law Supporters of more stringent restrictions argue that the changes will increase accountability, self-sufficiency and help cut government spending. DHHS also has noted that Nebraska is mandated to enforce changes in the food assistance program funded by the federal government. The Department of Agriculture covers the cost of benefits. States administer the program and share those costs with the feds. In a statement Thursday, DHHS spokesman Jeff Powell said the agency is closely monitoring participation trends and their impact while also ensuring compliance with the federal law. But Savaiano says Nebraska DHHS workers more recently started asking for more detailed financial and medical information that he believes has led to unnecessary burdens and loss of food assistance to qualified Nebraskans. He said, for example, that some new and renewing SNAP applicants have had to get signed confirmation from a neighbor about who eats in their household. “The state is now requiring verification for absolutely everything,” Savaiano said. “It’s making it harder and harder for people to apply and receive SNAP.” In a tent, under a bridge Savaiano applauded Nebraska for keeping its payment error rate below 6% — one of only nine states to do so, which keeps them from having to pay for a bigger portion of SNAP benefits it pays out, starting next October. The federal government has fully paid for those benefits, but that is changing with Trump’s tax and spending bill. But he said the effort to hold down the error rate shouldn’t come at the expense of Nebraskans qualified to receive grocery assistance. The DHHS statement, while not addressing specific techniques, said SNAP recipients are able to verify eligibility through a variety of options. Powell said the agency has implemented verification options permitted under federal Food and Nutrition Administration guidelines. “These verification practices were developed using approaches that have been successfully implemented in other states and are designed to ensure eligibility determinations are accurate while complying with federal requirements,” said Powell’s statement. Malissa Lang says food aid benefits for her and her husband were cut off as she waits for his medical diagnosis. (Photo courtesy of Nebraska Appleseed) Of SNAP application times, he said applications increase substantially during summer months and that the state is “working aggressively” to address the workload while keeping “benefit accuracy” a top priority. “DHHS is committed to ensuring the correct benefits are distributed to those eligible, payment errors are minimized and any new potential financial penalties are avoided,” Powell said. Malissa Lang and her husband Dillion Taylor are among Nebraskans who said their SNAP benefits have been cut. Lang, who said she has been without the aid for six months, was among a group of homeless people who met in Lincoln on Thursday with Savaiano. Lang, 37, said she’d been receiving public food assistance as she cared for her husband, who she said has been mostly deaf since childhood. The couple lives in a tent under a bridge. She said the state wants an updated diagnosis but her husband has had a lengthy wait to get proper medical checks and documentation. Meanwhile, she said, the state required her to work and she said it was too tough to leave her husband alone, with his disability. She said they now get their food at pantries or dumpsters. “They gave me time to fix it, we just couldn’t get the documentation,” Lang said. “We’re trying, and waiting.” New statistics on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were released this week by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. (Courtesy of DHHS) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Geifman Group closes on purchase of former Quad-City Times building The nearly 123,000-square-foot space was the headquarters for the Quad-City Times from the building's construction in 1989 until late last year.
	Senate Democrats criticize AG’s office for not disbursing opioid settlement money Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird touts the Billion Pill Pledge as an effective part of the state's crusade against the opioid crisis. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Iowa Senate Democrats criticized the state attorney general’s office Thursday for not distributing money from the Opioid Settlement Fund to organizations focused on opioid addiction treatment and prevention services. Iowa has received $365 million in settlement funds through several lawsuits led by the state AG’s office against opioid manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and other parties related to the opioid crisis. The state has control over $186 million of this settlement, with the remaining $179 million of funds going directly to Iowa counties. This funding is being released between fiscal years 2021 through 2039. For the state’s portion, lawmakers established the Opioid Settlement Fund in order to distribute funds in 2022, and in 2025, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law House File 1038, a measure allocating this funding. While earlier versions of the measure had legislators designating specific organizations to receive money, the 2025 law directs the settlement money to be distributed by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and state attorney general’s office. Iowa HHS is set to control 75% of the funds and the AG’s office controls 25% — an amount that the AG’s office stated represents about $20 million by June 30, 2030. While some funds designated to HHS oversight have began to flow out to organizations providing opioid addiction treatment and prevention services in Iowa, Senate Democrats released a statement Thursday criticizing Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird for not disbursing money through the Opioid Settlement Fund more than a year after the law passed. “For over a year now, Attorney General Brenna Bird has failed to distribute even a single cent of the millions of opioid settlement dollars appropriated to her office,” Iowa Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines said in a statement. “These funds are meant to help Iowans in need, but they’re just sitting in the attorney general’s coffers gathering dust.” Petersen said not distributing these funds for support, recovery and prevention services means people struggling with substance abuse and addiction related to opioids are not getting the help they need. “There are real Iowans suffering real consequences from the opioid crisis. They need the help these dollars can provide, but the attorney general is sitting on her hands,” Petersen said. “It’s long past time to send these resources to the places where they can prevent addiction and save lives.” In a statement to Iowa Capital Dispatch, Jennifer Green, communications director for the AG’s office, said the attorney general and office staff are conducting meetings with “law enforcement, treatment facilities, care providers, and prosecutors across Iowa to hear about projects that will benefit the state and improve the lives of those dealing with addiction” as they make decisions on how to distribute the funding. But she said this process takes time. “Determining who will receive awards is a thorough process that we do not take lightly,” Green said in a statement. “We built our distribution process from scratch with the goal of fiscal responsibility and meaningful impact, and we intend to deliver on that goal.” Green said the office anticipates distributing awards “in the coming weeks” as the office’s team concludes current work to review submitted applications for the funding. She also noted that “unlike other grant administrators, our review and granting of awards will be made on a rolling basis until the conclusion of the guidelines established in HF1038.” Questions about Opioid Settlement Fund distributions can be directed to opioid.funding@ag.iowa.gov, Green said. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Once a hostel, a new mental health group home for women opens in Salt Lake City Kearra Clark, left, and therapist Lani Gailey sit in a common area of Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, after a ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch)Kelly Cockrell said when her son was killed in a car crash at the age of 24, “I just spiraled.” Cockrell, 49, said she started using drugs, lived on the streets of Salt Lake City for about five months, and attempted to take her own life before she was hospitalized. But she eventually got help from Odyssey House, a nonprofit that provides services for substance use issues, mental health and medical care for people in need. While in Odyssey House’s program, Cockrell and her best friend, Kearra Clark, 38, have been living in a sober living and mental health transitional home in Sugar House. But this week, both Cockrell and Clark will be moving into a new home that will give them and 27 other women long-term housing stability and support as they continue to heal. “It means a lot to have a safe place to come to,” Cockrell said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity, I think, for all of us to be able to have a safe space … and be able to live here for as long as we need to be here.” Kelly Cockrell checks out her bedroom at Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, after a ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) State and local leaders on Thursday celebrated a ribbon cutting for Stonebridge, a 29-bed group home in Salt Lake City for women with severe mental illness that Odyssey House purchased and renovated using about $3.3 million, which included a mix of donations and funding from both the state and Salt Lake County. “It’s a miracle,” Clark said, eyes brimming with tears. Clark said she experienced homelessness after struggling to afford rent, and she’s looking forward to moving into a home where she won’t have to stress about where she’ll be living long term. “It means a lot to me,” she said. To fund Stonebridge, the Salt Lake County Council approved $1.4 million out of the county’s Medicaid reserves, according to the mayor’s office. The state Office of Homeless Services contributed $1.4 million, and Utah philanthropist Gail Miller donated about $500,000 from the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. State and local leaders celebrate a ribbon cutting for Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County Council member Aimee Winder Newton, State Homeless Coordinator Tyler Clancy and Gail Miller all spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony, lauding Stonebridge as filling a critical need, especially for people who end up living on the streets due to a lack of mental and behavioral health resources. Before it was purchased by Odyssey House, the Stonebridge building was a youth hostel. Now with newly installed air conditioning, fresh paint, a commercial kitchen, new furniture and a window in every bedroom, state and local leaders hope the bright blue building will be a place not just for recovery and healing, but community. “What makes this project so meaningful is that it recognizes the simple truth that people do better when they have both a place to live and a community to support them, and that believes in them,” Gail Miller said. The women who will live at Stonebridge, Wilson said, often haven’t lived in “safe environments.” “If we can provide a reset, that’s what we need to do,” the mayor said. “I’m excited for the futures of these incredible women, to see where this beautiful home and this safe environment can take them.” A bedroom is pictured inside Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Tony Pizza with the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness) Cockrell and Clark picked rooms next door to each other. They told Utah News Dispatch in an interview after Thursday’s ribbon cutting that they’re looking forward to moving in — and they’re especially grateful that they’ll continue to receive support from their therapist, Lani Gailey, who encouraged them to attend Thursday’s festivities and stayed right by their side the whole time. “I’ve never had a close relationship with a therapist like I do with Lani,” Cockrell said. “You can text her on weekends, late at night, and she always responds. And that really means a lot.” That close support is key for the success of Stonebridge and its clients, said Adam Cohen, CEO of Odyssey House. “When these 29 women move in, they’ll have much more than a place to sleep,” he said. “They’ll have 24-hour support from caring professionals. They’ll have nutritious meals every day. They’ll have safety, stability, dignity, and a community that believes in them. Most importantly, they’ll have a place to call home, and be surrounded by people who genuinely care about them.” Gailey, the clinical director of Odyssey House’s Assertive Community Treatment Team — which provides intensive treatment, rehabilitation and support services for people with severe and persistent mental illness — said the waiting list for services averages about four to six months Visitors sit in a common area of Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, after a ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) “So Odyssey adding 30 more beds, and also more down the line, is huge,” Gailey said. In coming months, two additional group homes are expected to open, Cohen said, including a 45-bed home for men and a third operated by Clinical Consultants. Together, the three homes will bring on a total of 90 new beds — which he said will “easily double” existing capacity for people with needs for substance use treatment and mental illness. “It’s huge,” he said, not just to help a population that doesn’t have enough resources, but for every individual client who has been “suffering on the street for many years, cycling in and out of the hospital, cycling in and out of jail. … This will be life changing for them.” Clients living at the group home will be referred by the Assertive Community Treatment Team, and are eligible for Medicaid to pay for their treatment. Those Medicaid dollars will pay for the facility’s ongoing costs of roughly $1.5 million a year, Cohen said. Salt Lake County’s part in making Stronebridge possible stems from the county’s Behavioral Health and Justice Action Plan, built with recommendations from the Leifman Group, a consulting group made up of national experts in behavioral health and justice system reform. Adam Cohen, CEO of Odyssey House, speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) Winder Newton said one of her constituents had a son who was “dealing with schizophrenia and other severe mental health conditions, and she watched as her son’s life just deteriorated so quickly.” “It was devastating to watch the effect on him and his family,” Winder Newton said. “As our behavioral health team has been looking at the right way to help these individuals with severe mental illness, these group homes have become the answer.” The county’s $2.8 million contribution also counts toward the Utah Legislature’s local match requirement on state funding approved earlier this year as part of Gov. Spencer Cox’s administration’s efforts to improve the state’s homeless system, with a special focus on mental and behavioral health and “high utilizers” of shelters, jails and emergency rooms. “This is exactly the type of project that the state wants to prioritize going forward,” state homeless coordinator Tyler Clancy told Utah News Dispatch after the ribbon cutting. “When counties are not only prioritizing saying, ‘We want to participate,’ (but also) ‘We’re going to show our values by putting forward money,’ it’s a huge thing. We want to bring leaders from other counties here, and see what’s possible, and we think this can grow.” Kelly Cockrell, left, and Kearra Clark walk through Stonebridge, a new group home for women with mental illness, after a ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility in Salt Lake City on July 23, 2026. (Katie McKellar/Utah News Dispatch) SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Utah News Dispatch
	Road closures, forecast and more: What to know ahead of the Quad-City Times Bix 7 this weekend What started with just 84 runners in 1975 has grown to thousands of participants. Here's a look at what's in store.
	Muhlbauer defends Sand campaign’s marijuana plan at kids’ recovery facility Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for Iowa lieutenant governor, tours Ember Recovery, a rehabilitation and recovery facility in Cambridge, July 23, 2026. (Photo by Kadin Luhmann/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, defended the Sand campaign’s cannabis legalization plan and discussed the importance of accessible behavioral health treatment for children Thursday during a campaign visit to the Ember Recovery facility in Cambridge. Ember Recovery, located in Cambridge, is part of YSS, a nonprofit organization in Ames that serves children who are facing mental health challenges, substance use and addiction, family conflict, crises and homelessness or unstable housing. Muhlbauer defends Sand’s marijuana plan Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, tours Ember Recovery, a rehabilitation and recovery facility, guided by YSS president and CEO Andrew Allen, Cambridge, July 23, 2026 (Photo by Kadin Luhmann/Iowa Capital Dispatch) Andrew Allen, president and CEO of Ember Recovery, told Muhlbauer that he is concerned about the Sand campaign’s plan to “legalize, tax and regulate” recreational cannabis for adult-use in Iowa. Muhlbauer is Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand’s running mate. Allen said children can be exposed to cannabis at extremely young ages, and the legalization of recreational marijuana in Iowa could potentially lead to more issues. “It’s something that you know causes some concern to us, especially as it relates to the perception of risk for young people,” Allen said. “I’m guessing we can all agree that young people should not be smoking marijuana.” Allen cited that 1 in 6 people struggle with substance abuse in their lifetime, with 90% of those people’s addictions beginning during their teenage years. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “If someone is exposed to drugs or alcohol before age 14, it’s almost a 50% chance that they’re going to have an issue,” Allen said. “If you can keep them until age 18 from first exposure, it’s like 5%, so the longer we can delay the first exposure to drugs or alcohol, the better off all families are going to be. Our concern is that legalized recreational marijuana means a reduced perception of risk, more kids potentially using and more investments that we’re going to have to make as a state from a treatment standpoint.” Muhlbauer said young people accessing cannabis is not the “intent” of the Sand campaign, and if elected, Sand plans to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol. “The plan is to treat it much like alcohol, limit the marketing, and the advertising and put a framework and structure on it for those people that are already doing it,” Muhlbauer said. Muhlbauer added that it is a focus of the Sand campaign to ensure young people will not be “enticed” by the legalization of cannabis. “I’m here today because I realize that behavioral health and substance use is a crisis in Iowa, and we want to do our part as well to make sure that we better treat our youth, so they have a brighter future,” Muhlbauer said. Mulhbauer cites family connection to Ember facility Muhlbauer said one of his children was admitted to the facility nearly one year ago during a crisis. Muhlbauer said he only knew of the facility because of a connection and would not have known where to go for help otherwise. Democrat Dave Muhlbauer, candidate for Iowa lieutenant governor, speaks to reporters July 23, 2026, after touring Ember Recovery in Cambridge, Iowa. (Photo by Kadin Luhmann/Iowa Capital Dispatch) “Last fall, we were harvesting corn, and later that evening, my wife met me at the door with our kids because we were in a crisis moment,” Muhlbauer said. “The uncertainty of where your family is at, the future of one of your kids, and knowing that they need help, but not knowing exactly where to go, it’s nerve-wracking.” Muhlbauer said his fears went away when he walked into the Ember Recovery facility, as the comforting environment led him to believe that the family was in “a good place.” Muhlbauer participated in a tour of the facility, and a roundtable discussion, where he and four others discussed gaps in Iowa behavioral health treatment for children, and what the Rob Sand for Iowa campaign can do to address the issue. “I’m here today because I realize that behavioral health and substance use is a crisis in Iowa, and we want to do our part as well to make sure that we better treat our youth, so they have a brighter future,” Muhlbauer said. During press availability after the roundtable, Muhlbauer praised Ember Recovery’s efforts in helping young Iowans. “The takeaway is the passion. There’s a genuine passion here to help young adults and youth get on the right path and see a brighter future,” Muhlbauer said. “Andrew has a bigger vision of Iowa being in a better place in these crisis areas, and you’re seeing that through their actions that are reaching people, and we’d like to help them reach more people and put us in the right direction.” Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Day 5 of RAGBRAI is winding down Today's 87-mile ride from Marshalltown to Independence is the longest of this year's ride.
	Trump to impose double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.
	Fewer Florida residents are receiving federal food benefits Florida has seen one of the largest dips in the number of people receiving food benefits in the last year. (Getty Images)The number of Florida residents who receive federal food assistance dropped by 23% during the past year, state data published this month show. There were 2,285,099 residents enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in June, down from the 2,970,283 in June 2025, data maintained by the Department of Children and Families show. That’s about a 23% reduction. SNAP enrollment dropped steadily in each of the past 12 months. Although significant, the decrease was outpaced by the 26.1% reduction in financial assistance awarded, from nearly $541 million in June 2025 to about $399 million last month. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Enrollment in social services programs such as SNAP is countercyclical, meaning it increases as the economy worsens. But the drop-off in SNAP enrollment occurred even as the state’s unemployment rate increased during the year, U.S. Bureau and Labor Statistics data show. The number of enrollees in SNAP was dipping before the July 2025 enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act but increased as the law took effect. The law slashes spending on the food security program by $187 billion over a decade. To accomplish those costs savings, Congress required states with SNAP payment error rates of more than 6% to contribute toward the costs of the food beginning next year. Under the law, states with error rates of 10% or more would have to contribute 15% toward food costs, which puts Florida on track to have to pay upward of $1 billion to maintain food benefits at existing levels. Payment error rates measure the accuracy of each state’s eligibility and benefit determinations and include overpayments and underpayments. The federal law also: Limited the categories of lawfully present immigrants who could qualify for benefits. Extend work requirements to older adults aged 55 through 64 and parents with children aged 14 and older. Eliminated work requirement exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young people who recently aged out of foster care. (function(){function e(){window.addEventListener(`message`,function(e){if(e.data[`datawrapper-height`]!==void 0){var t=document.querySelectorAll(`iframe`);for(var n in e.data[`datawrapper-height`])for(var r=0,i;i=t[r];r++)if(i.contentWindow===e.source){var a=e.data[`datawrapper-height`][n]+`px`;i.style.height=a}}})}e()})(); SNAP provides nutritional support for low-income seniors, people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, and other individuals and families with low incomes. Although funded by the federal government, SNAP in Florida is administered by DCF’s Office of Economic Self-Sufficiency, which is responsible for determining eligibility. National trend Florida is not the only state to see a reduction in SNAP enrollees, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, but it experienced one of the more noticeable dips. Nationwide, SNAP participation fell by more than 4.5 million people, or about 11%, since the federal budget bill took effect, the nonpartisan research and policy institute reports. Arizona saw a 44% reduction in its SNAP participation from July 2025 to June 2026 and Louisiana had a 21% reduction. The center put Florida’s reduction rate at 21% and Oklahoma’s at 18%. The center relied on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Federal data differ from state data due to differences in state and federal reporting protocols. The atrophy in enrollment occurred despite a double-digit increase in the number of requests for assistance, which from June 2025 to June 2026 jumped by 15.2% Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Crime Stoppers: Woman wanted by high risk unit for escape from Iowa work release program Fugitive Brieanna Summers, 37, is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections' High Risk Unit for escaping a work release program, officials say.
	Crime Stoppers: Suspects burglarized Galaxy Vape in 32 seconds Moline police are searching for two men who broke into Galaxy Vape on Avenue of the Cities and stole THC products in just 32 seconds on Tuesday.
	Crime Stoppers: Iowa High Risk Unit searching for wanted sex offender registry violation Brian J. Hamilton, 34, is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections' High Risk Unit for a second-offense sex offender registry violation.
	Pleasant temperatures ahead of dangerous heat & humidity Pleasant weather settles in, cooler through end of work week
	Suspect wanted in Henry County, Iowa hit-and-run The suspect's vehicle is believed to be a white Ford Escape. Anyone with information about the driver is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff's Office.
	Students able to use federal Pell Grant dollars for eligible workforce programs Both Illinois and Iowa have some form of approval process for the programs open right now.
	Davenport businesses ready for Bix 7 surge Business owners told News 8 that the Bix weekend is the busiest of the year.
	Alabamian tests positive for measles; no exposure in state, says ADPH A woman scratches a measles rash. An Alabamian living and working outside the state tested positive for measles, the Alabama Department of Public Health reported Thursday. (Getty Images)An Alabamian living and working outside the state has tested positive for measles, but is not related to any known exposures in the state, the Alabama Department of Public Health said Thursday. The individual was unvaccinated, according to ADPH. The department was unable to release any other identifying information on Thursday afternoon. “However, it serves as a reminder that unvaccinated individuals can be exposed to measles while traveling within the United States or internationally and may unknowingly bring the virus home, where it can be spread to others,” a statement from the department said Thursday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. As of Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 2,260 cases reported by 44 states of the highly contagious virus. In 2025, there were 2,289 cases reported by 45 states. There was one confirmed case of measles in Alabama in 2025: an unvaccinated child in the northern part of the state who was under five years old. The child later recovered. Symptoms of the disease can take seven to 14 days to present after infection, and can be particularly dangerous for infants and young children. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes and a rash. ADPH said the best way to prevent measles is the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Children should get the first dose of the vaccine between 12 and 15 months, and the second dose between 4 and 6 years old before starting school. Adults should get one or two doses depending on individual risk factors, according to the department. “Measles is a serious, highly contagious viral respiratory illness that spreads through droplets sprayed into the air when someone with measles sneezes or coughs. If exposed, unvaccinated people have a 90 percent chance of becoming infected,” the department’s statement read Thursday. According to the CDC, 95.2% of Alabama kindergarteners were vaccinated against the disease for the 2024-25 school year. In the 2023-24 school year, 93.8% of kindergarteners were vaccinated. Herd immunity against the disease is reached at 95% vaccination. Courtesy of Alabama Reflector
	Arkansas unveils new app aimed at protecting food stamp recipients from scammers Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of County Operations Director Mary Franklin presents an updated version of the agency's app that manages food stamp benefits at a news conference on July 23, 2026. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)The Arkansas Department of Human Services will launch a new app next week that will better protect food stamp beneficiaries from scammers, the agency announced Thursday. The ebtEDGE New app will launch Monday as part of DHS’ switch from Conduent to Fidelity Information Services as the vendor that manages the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer system, known as SNAP EBT. Division of County Operations Director Mary Franklin said the state switched vendors as part of DHS’ regularly scheduled competitive re-procurement process. While Arkansas was changing vendors, Arkansas’ SNAP benefits were targeted for theft, Franklin said in a news conference. She said she did not know exactly how many EBT cardholders were targeted. “Earlier in the summer, we saw a large number of suspicious transactions, which caused us at that time to work with our current EBT vendor and [enact] a reset of all the PIN numbers for those cards,” Franklin said. Fidelity Information Services’ app has extra safety features to prevent fraud, such as blocking out-of-state purchases with EBT cards and locking a card when not using it, according to a DHS news release. SNAP recipients can download ebtEDGE New only from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store or by visiting ar.gov/snap. Arkansas launches mobile app to navigate new food stamps junk food ban The new app is DHS’ second in a month related to SNAP. The agency in June launched AR SNAP Companion, which allows users to scan grocery items with their phone cameras to learn whether a product can be purchased with food stamps. Arkansas is one of several states that received federal permission to ban the use of SNAP funds to purchase soda, candy, juices with less than 50% natural juice and other highly processed foods. The ban went into effect July 1. Experts have raised concerns that the increased digitization of SNAP, including the use of apps, makes food aid more difficult for senior citizens and other technologically challenged groups to access. Courtesy of Arkansas Advocate
	Former JI Case Plant demolition underway Crews are tearing down the former JI Case Plant in Bettendorf.
	Another cyclospora outbreak not linked to lettuce under investigation: FDA At least 72 cases have been linked to this outbreak.
	Davenport woman charged in connection with suspected heroin overdose death A Davenport woman has been charged following the suspected overdose death of a man in May.
	NLRB board certifies union election of St. Mary’s Hospital nurses in Madison Nurses at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison have petitioned for an election to vote on joining the Service Employees International Union. (Photo by Erik Gunn/Wisconsin Examiner)The union election of nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison was certified Wednesday after a regional office of the National Labor Relations Board overruled the objections of the hospital’s parent company, SSM Health. On June 11, nurses at the hospital voted 89% to form a union. It was the largest representation election in Wisconsin in at least a quarter century. The nursing staff at St. Mary’s previously told the Wisconsin Examiner that they were seeking to form a union over concerns about procedures, staffing and compensation and a lack of responsiveness from hospital management. The St. Louis-based SSM Health had objected to the election, arguing that charge nurses at the hospital should not be allowed to vote or join the union because they hold a supervisory role. At the nearby Meriter Hospital in Madison, charge nurses are part of the union. The company had filed its objections about the charge nurses prior to the election but the NLRB had decided to delay ruling on the question and the charges nurses were allowed to vote but their ballots were kept separate. The hospital system’s objections included claims that the delayed decision affected the election results, that charge nurses engaged in pro-union electioneering, that the union caused disruptions to the hospital’s human resources staff, that a pro-union staffer brought cookies to the voting area and that union supporters tried to enter the voting area. Jennifer Hadsall, the director of the NLRB region that includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and parts of Iowa, wrote in her ruling that for most of the objections, the system did not include proof of the complaint or that the activity affected the election results. “I have concluded, for the reasons set forth in this decision, that the offer of proof produced by the Employer is not sufficient to meet its burden of showing that the proffered evidence would be grounds for setting aside the election if introduced and credited at a hearing,” Hadsall wrote. While the election was certified, the board has still not ruled on the question of charge nurses joining the union. After the ruling, nurses at the hospital celebrated the decision and urged hospital management to stop working to prevent the unionization and instead start bargaining. “The Labor Board has spoken, our community has spoken, elected leaders have spoken, St. Mary’s nurses have spoken, and we have resoundingly declared that it’s time for SSM to respect our union vote so we can start working on solutions for our patients,” Zach Zahalka, a nurse in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab, said in a statement. “As nurses, this work is a calling, and our primary role is to be our patients’ advocates. Forming our union is an extension of that patient advocacy, and we urgently have to solve the crisis of understaffing and loss of experienced nurses at St. Mary’s.” “SSM needs to stop trying to undermine our union,” he added, “and instead focus all their resources on engaging with us productively so that together we can create real solutions for better staffing and retention to provide the best care.” Lisa Adams, a spokesperson for the hospital, said in a statement that the hospital is reviewing the decision. “SSM Health respects the federal labor law process. We have received the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) staff decision and are reviewing it,” she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Wisconsin Examiner
	Nick Gow named Muscatine Parks and Recreation Director Muscatine has a new Parks and Recreation Director. The city has named Nick Gow as the new Parks and Recreation Director, effective July 22. City Administrator Matt Mardesen announced the appointment after a competitive selection process that highlighted Gow’s leadership experience, operational knowledge and commitment to community‑focused recreation services. Gow graduated from Iowa State University [...]
	How to keep an ancient text interesting to students? Make it a summer blockbuster English teachers are excited to have a new adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey to use to get students excited about the epic poem.
	New Mexico court officials report positive early data from new competency, diversion law New Mexico’s largest jail, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center, has often functioned as one the state’s largest mental healthcare providers. (Source NM file photo)Officials with New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts on Thursday told a panel of state lawmakers that they’re seeing encouraging preliminary results from a 2025 law that expanded judges’ abilities to order defendants to undergo treatment if they’re found not competent to stand trial.SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the law last year at the same signing ceremony as the Behavioral Health Reform and Investment Act, which seeks to rebuild the state’s behavioral healthcare system. At the time, she said the two pieces of legislation would work together to combat the state’s outsized rates of crime and mental health crises. At an interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee hearing in Las Vegas on Thursday, court officials said that the law has already appeared to lead to fewer repeat arrests, although they noted the data is preliminary. Previously, if a felony-level defendant was found to be dangerous and not competent to stand trial, judges could only order them to be committed at a psychiatric facility, according to the state Legislative Council Service. The new law allows judges to order treatment at community-based programs in addition to psychiatric facilities, and includes defendants charged with misdemeanors, as well. While the law was working its way through the Roundhouse in the 2025 legislative session, behavioral healthcare advocates expressed concerns over the lack of a statewide competency restoration program. To that end, AOC’s Senior Statewide Behavioral Health Program Manager Stacey Boone told lawmakers that the courts have piloted assisted outpatient treatment programs in three of the state’s 13 judicial districts since early 2025. “We have served over 400 individuals through our competency diversion pilot program,” Boone said, adding that she and her colleagues are working to expand eligibility to defendants who do not have a history of being found not competent to stand trial. “We want them to get diverted out so that they don’t have to develop that history to be eligible for these types of initiatives.” Diversion efforts, which offer treatment rather than prosecution to defendants with severe mental illnesses, have so far been effective, Boone said. For instance, early data shows that defendants who go through a diversion program have “significantly lower odds” of new criminal activity. One lawmaker on the committee, Sen. Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), countered that the data could be misleading. Those people might still be committing crimes and just not getting arrested, he said. “They haven’t been caught committing new crimes,” he said. “I’m not saying they are. I’m saying we don’t know.” Discussion at the Thursday morning hearing focused on the overlap between the so-called competency law and a broader effort — led by officials from the Administrative Office of the Courts, the New Mexico Health Care Authority and behavioral health experts — to rebuild the state’s behavioral health network, Cervantes also questioned whether these entities are the right ones to oversee the effort. New Mexico lawmakers express frustration with long process to rebuild behavioral health system An executive committee has overseen the effort in which local leaders from 13 behavioral health regions in the state, mirrored after the 13 judicial districts, file plans with the state detailing the behavioral health gaps and priorities in their communities. So far, the committee has approved two of those regional plans and expects to vote on the majority of those still outstanding at an August meeting. Recently, some lawmakers have criticized the committee for not yet adopting a comprehensive statewide plan to address these needs. On Thursday, however, Cervantes, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, told his panel of fellow lawmakers that he was concerned the judicial branch was taking on matters outside of its scope. “I think the judiciary should not become social workers — and that’s what’s happening,” he said. Courtesy of Source New Mexico

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