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

Thursday, May 14th, 2026
	Women caught on video stealing from church donation box 30 times Two women have been caught on security video climbing into a church donation box and stealing bags of donated clothing 30 times over more than six months.
	Great River Road named Best Scenic Drive in America The Great River Road has been named the Best Scenic Drive in America in the 2026 USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards. This is the second year in a row that Great River Road has taken the top honor in the category. Travel experts nominated 20 routes for the Best Scenic Drive distinction, including [...]
	Court documents detail shooting that killed child in Princeton Newly filed court documents allege police first tried to shock a man with a Tazer in a hostage situation before entering a room and opening fire.
	A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court flees from Senate A police investigation is underway in the Philippines, with suspicions that the incident was staged to help Sen. Ronald dela Rosa escape.
	Visit Quad Cities hosts the NIFA SafeCon aviation competition Visit Quad Cities hosts the NIFA SafeCon aviation competition. Dave Herrell from Visit Quad Cities explains what to expect at this years competition.
	Illinois boy earns Guinness World Record for museum curation A Cambridge boy has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest male museum curator in the world.
	Cook review: 'Apex' is fun cat-and-mouse thriller starring Charlize Theron You may not remember this at the end of the year when movie awards selection begins. But you may find that "Apex" is one of those solid thrillers that you recommend to friends who decide to stay in for an evening. Charlize Theron plays Sasha, an adventurer whose latest adventure, along with her husband Tommy [...]
	Muscatine celebrates the public work crews that care for the city Muscatine is recognizing the public works professionals who keep the city running with Public Works Week later this month.
	Zach Wahls campaigns in Bettendorf as early voting begins in Iowa primary Democratic Senate candidate Zach Wahls made his pitch to voters in Bettendorf as early voting opened ahead of Iowa’s June 2 primary.
	As Trump visits Beijing, an LA-area mayor admits to acting as an agent for China Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one felony charge that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China.
	An LA-area mayor acted as an agent for China. Experts say it's part of a pattern Eileen Wang, now the former mayor of the City of Arcadia, agreed to plead guilty to one felony charge that she acted as an illegal foreign agent of China.
	Davenport Speedway will double down with action this weekend Halfway through the month of May and Davenport Speedway is ready to double-down on the fun and excitement this weekend. Weekly racing is the highlight this Friday, May 15, when all six stock car classes will compete in side-by-side action for the checkered flag. If smash and crash is more your speed, Davenport Speedway will [...]
	Pay It Forward \| Nourishing her community through SNAP cuts Katelyn Rodriguez is a devoted mother, and when her Morrison neighbors struggled to feed their families, she opened 'Nourishing Neighbors' to support those in need.
	Steelworkers in Iowa cast their vote to authorize a strike The current contract expires in two days. If union workers affirm the vote to strike, this impacts roughly 3,400 steelworkers in the Quad Cities.
	Iowa residents are going green to support mental health awareness Iowa's Department of Human Services reports that over 80 counties in the state suffer from mental health provider shortages.
	Weekend Rundown with WLLR \| May 14, 2026 There are many family-friendly events going on this weekend, and we've brought in Dani Howe from WLLR to break it down.
	New Service Center to open in East Moline New service center, Open Bay Auto, has a coffee bar, on-site nail salon, and an area with a lending library wall to work or relax.
	Cesar Toscano: My boss forced me to write a column about graduating in 2020 Education Reporter Cesar Toscano has been forced to write a column about graduating in 2020.
	Geneseo pedestrian bridge to cost another $100,000 City administrator Brandon Maeglin said the council will look at costs and what kind of support the city can expect to get from grants at the May 26 committee of the whole meeting.
	Year-round E15 bill passes in US House, Iowa lawmakers hopeful for passage Current restrictions only allow year-round E15 in certain states with specified exemptions.
	Group O joins packaging trade association Group O Inc., a leading end-to-end business process outsourcing provider specializing in packaging, supply chain, and automation solutions, has announced it has joined PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, strengthening its commitment to innovation and growth within the packaging and automation industry, according to a news release. PMMI is a globally recognized trade [...]
	Scott County man sentenced to life in prison for 2022 sexual abuse A Scott County man will spend life in prison after a jury found him guilty of sexually abusing a woman in 2022.
	Win Free Jump Passes and More at Elevate Trampoline Park Milan This Summer! Elevate Trampoline Park Milan is giving away one-hour jump pass to weekly winners and a grand prize three-month membership; enter by June 14, 2026.
	Xi warns Trump over Taiwan, says differences could lead to clash At the summit, the Chinese leader placed Taiwan, a key point of friction between the U.S. and China, at the center, calling it "the most important issue" between the two countries.
	China's leader warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to a clash At the summit, the Chinese leader placed Taiwan, a key point of friction between the U.S. and China, at the center, calling it "the most important issue" between the two countries.
	Rock Island native hopes to turn former dealership building into community space The building at 1401 4th Ave. in Rock Island has been closed to the public for years, but Madelyn Putman hopes to turn it into a community space.
	A brain-controlled system may help listeners with hearing loss cut through the noise A hearing system that monitors brain waves could help people with hearing loss communicate in noisy environments.
	Memorial Day events happening around the Quad-Cities Memorial Day is Monday, May 25. Here are events around the Quad-Cities to mark the occasion.
	River of Sand This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Two great rivers flow past Rock Island on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. One of these has a name, the Upper…
	Voters are caught in the middle as the redistricting battle intensifies Much of the focus of the ongoing redistricting war has been on which political party will come out on top. But it's voters who will pay a cost, say voting experts and voting rights advocates.
	Ex-DOJ official goes public with blistering criticism of his former bosses Until recently, Jonathan Gross was a Trump political appointee at the Department of Justice and worked on its "Weaponization Working Group." He has now become a vocal critic of the department.
	The MAHA movement is coming to school cafeterias. Here's what that means for kids U.S. school districts worry it could get even more expensive to prepare a meal under new federal dietary guidelines, as they also contend with cuts to programs that helped them buy local food.
	Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera dream together again at Met Opera Gabriela Lena Frank's first opera, in its Met debut, sees late Mexican painter Frida Kahlo leaving the underworld on the Day of the Dead to be reunited with her husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera.
	UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran war Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.
	Russia hits Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles, killing 1 and injuring 31 Russia has launched a mass drone and missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, killing one person and injuring at least 31. Local authorities report damage across six districts.
	Exclusions, flawed jury lists lead to decades of unfair juries in Whiteside County Since 1993, Whiteside County circuit clerks have applied exclusion criteria to potential jurors. Two judges found those exclusions unfair.
Wednesday, May 13th, 2026
	Shutdown of expensive Florida Everglades prison promises to be expensive, too The state's contractors rapidly built the Alligator Alcatraz immigrant prison in the middle of the Big Cypress National Preserve without bothering to do any advance environmental studies or public hearings. Now the feds want to shut it down because it costs too much. (Photo via Florida Division of Emergency Management)News item: Gov. Ron DeSantis confirms that he’s talking to the Trump administration about shutting down his Alligator Alcatraz prison camp because it turns out it’s incredibly expensive to detain immigrants in cages in the Big Cypress National Preserve miles from civilization. Which led me to dream up this little scenario: The setting: A beige-walled conference room in the Florida Capitol. Six people in suits sit around a conference table with one empty chair. The white-haired man at the head of the table checks his watch for the fourth time, then picks up a gavel and bangs it on the table. Chairman: “OK, it’s 10 minutes past, I’m not gonna wait anymore. I’m calling this meeting to order. Because the governor is now ready to shut down Alligator Alcatraz in the Big Cypress National Preserve, this is the first meeting of the Committee on Removing Alligator Alcatraz from the Preserve. Who’s keeping minutes? Judy, can you do that? OK, make a note that we need to find a better acronym.” Judy, rolling her eyes but picking up a pen: “OK, who’s here and who’s missing?” James Uthmeier announcing Alligator Alcatraz, via screen grab Chairman: “We’ve got you from the Department of Environmental Protection — good to see you again, Judy! — as well as Joe, Jack, and Jim from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the South Florida Water Management District. I’m chairman because I represent the Division of Emergency Management, which got stuck paying for this. The person we’re still waiting for is the representative from Attorney General James Uthmeier.” Water district representative, grumbling: “Which is ironic since this is all his fault.” Chairman, nodding: “Yep, as per usual. I swear, every time this administration screws up, it’s Uthmeier’s doing. First, he runs the governor’s presidential campaign about as skillfully as the captain of the Titanic maneuvering around an iceberg. Then he comes up with that Hope Florida scheme that derailed the First Lady’s political career. Now we’ve got this ongoing embarrassment. How can the governor claim to be a fiscal conservative when he built a tent city that’s costing the taxpayers $1 million a day?” Judy from DEP: “Hang on, Mr. Chair. How candid can we be? I’d hate to have some nosy reporter use the Sunshine Law to get hold of these comments.” Chairman: “Don’t sweat it. You know how little the governor thinks of the Sunshine Law. If anybody requests our records, we’ll make ’em wait until the middle of the next administration. Now, let’s turn to the problem at hand. The camp shutdown starts in June so we need to have a plan ready by then.” Water district official: “Want me to start? I’ve been out there. It’s a mess.” Chairman: “How do you mean?” Water district official: “At least 20 acres of new asphalt was laid in the middle of the swamp. You can see why our scientists have been howling since it opened. Putting a prison camp for more than 1,000 people out there was the worst insult to the Glades since some nitwit turned loose the first Burmese python.” Truck hauling what have been described as water tanks into the detention camp, via Jessica Namath. Careless people Suddenly the door bursts open and a 20-something bearded man in a rumpled suit rushes in and plops down in the empty chair. He’s Attorney General James Uthmeier’s representative. “Sorry I’m late! We were getting the boss on Fox News again. So, what have I missed?” he said. Water district representative: “I was talking about what has to be removed. I mentioned the 20 acres of new asphalt. We’ll need to decide if it’s more destructive to rip all that out or just leave it. We’ll definitely need to remove the miles of new fencing you put out there. And then there’s the lighting.” Attorney general representative: “What about the lighting? Can’t we just turn it off and walk away?” Water district employee: “No. You guys installed high-wattage industrial lighting that’s so bright, it’s visible from 20 miles away. Big Cypress was known as a ‘dark sky’ domain until that happened.” Chairman: “Yeah, you need bright lights powered by 200 diesel-powered generators to run a prison camp. One more reason why it was a bad idea to put this in a dark spot in a nature preserve.” Water district representative: “Did you guys never think about the consequences of doing what you were doing?” Attorney general representative inhales loudly: “It’s a swamp. What harm could there be? I mean, the governor himself said there would be ‘zero impact’ on the Everglades.” The entire room bursts into laughter. When it subsides, the wildlife commission representative says, “That’s about as truthful as our commission chairman claiming our latest bear hunt was dictated by science.” The chairman sighs. “I dunno. This whole administration reminds me of that line from ‘The Great Gatsby,’ the one about how they were careless people who smashed up things and then left it to others to clean up the mess.” The smell test Judy from DEP adjusts her glasses and asks: “Mr. Chair, didn’t your agency complete an environmental assessment?” Chairman: “Yes, but four months after the site was already up and running.” Judy: “No way! Why so late?” Chairman, looking directly at the attorney general representative: “The people who dreamed this thing up were so eager to get it built, they didn’t want to wait for any environmental studies or public hearings. Then when we sought reimbursement of $608 million from the federal Department of Homeland Security, the feds told us the law required us to provide them with an assessment. Too bad Mr. Uthmeier didn’t take care of that little detail in advance.” Attorney general representative: “Hey, we had an emergency to deal with!” Chairman, looking skeptical: “Yeah, an emergency to scoop up people like that Palm Beach restaurant owner who’d lived here quietly for 30 years. What was the number I saw? Something like three-fourths of the Alligator Alcatraz detainees had no criminal convictions? It was all a political stunt, and we wasted hundreds of millions of dollars from an emergency fund that was supposed to be used for the next hurricane.” Wildlife commission representative: “Getting back to the environmental assessment — can we use that to figure out what we need to remove?” Chairman: “Have you read it? It says there won’t be any impacts to wetlands and the impact to protected wildlife will be negligible.” Wildlife commission employee: “So, you’re saying it doesn’t pass the smell test.” Chairman, nodding: “Just like the $92 million worth of Doodie Calls portable toilets we put out there.” A cleansing ritual Judy from DEP raises her phone: “Mr. Chairman, I have a suggestion. In the 10 minutes before you started the meeting, I flipped through some of the court filings and interviews with the groups that sued.” Chairman, looking confused: “Why would you do that?” Judy: “These people have spent every Sunday for 40 weeks protesting outside Gator Guantánamo — er, I mean Alligator Alcatraz. They’ve seen a lot of what’s gone in and out. They’re a great source of intel about what we’re facing.” Chairman: “For instance?” Protesters line the highway outside Alligator Alcatraz, via Jessica Namath Judy: “Here’s an interview with Eve Samples from Friends of the Everglades. She says that the Texas environmental consultants your agency hired reported we put 38 acres of asphalt out there, not 20. She also talks about chemical spills out there — jet fuel used by the planes, septic waste that sloshed out of the trucks, and so forth. Oh, and here’s a video.” Eve Samples, via Friends of the Everglades Video of Samples plays from Judy’s phone: “This political stunt was a failure by every measure — our government failed the Everglades and failed taxpayers, and history will remember.” Chairman: “Yikes! Who’s that next one? The dark-haired woman?” Judy: “That’s Jessica Namath. She runs a group called Floridians for Public Lands. Here, let me play you her interview: ‘Aside from dismantling what we see above ground, one of my biggest concerns is the septic system they’ll need to remove. A lot of what we saw trucked in early on has been buried underground. According to family members, once detainees were allowed to shower, the water smelled like well water, so they presumably also drilled a well or wells.’” Jessica Namath, via Facebook Chairman, sighing: “Water wells and a septic system? Wow, this place is MUCH more intrusive than just some tents. What’s that photo she’s pointing to?” Water district representative: “I recognize it. That truck is carrying four water storage tanks.” Judy: “Right. Namath says they saw the truck hauling them through the front gate, but they’re no longer visible above ground. Presumably they’re now buried underground.” Chairman: “Good Lord! How about that woman in the straw hat? Who’s she?” Betty Osceola, via Friends of the Everglades Judy: “That’s Betty Osceola, an elder in the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians. They have a village next door to the prison, so she’s been out protesting more than anyone. She says she saw a lot of gravel fill being trucked in, probably to be poured into the wetlands to stabilize the ground. And there are towers so the guards would have cell service.” Chairman: “Dang! Next, you’ll tell me we leased some of it out as affordable housing.” He pauses for a laugh, doesn’t get one. Judy: “Betty Osceola says there are sacred cultural sites accessible only by crossing the prison site, which they can no longer cross. Once the prison’s cleared away, she said the tribe needs to perform a cleansing ritual.” Chairman: “I feel like I need a cleansing ritual myself after hearing all this.” He looks closely at the attorney general representative, who appears to be squirming in his seat. “Something the matter?” Attorney general representative: “Well, to be honest, this is all kind of MY fault.” I started a joke Chairman: “Well, we know Mr. Uthmeier was the one who sold the governor on this and became the public face of it. He even went on a podcast and claimed it would be a low-cost alternative to an actual prison, which shows how clueless he is.” Wildlife commission employee: “Oh yeah, the same podcaster was later pushing the official Alligator Alcatraz merchandise sold by the Republican Party of Florida. There’s been some speculation that that was the whole point, to sacrifice the Glades as a fundraiser for the GOP.” Attorney general representative slumps in his chair. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to avoid it, but I guess I need to confess. This was my idea. But I didn’t mean it.” Water district representative, eyes widening; “What the hell did you do?” Attorney general representative: “You know that song, ‘I Started a Joke’?” Judy: “The one by the Bee Gees? I loooove that song.” Attorney general representative: “Well, that’s what happened. We were in a meeting and somebody brought up the fact that 75% of Florida prisons have no air conditioning and the guards are upset about working in all that heat. And I said, just as a joke, that we should build our next prison in the Everglades and hire the gators as the guards, because they wouldn’t complain.” Agriculture employee: “Holy cow!” Chairman shakes his head: “The ironic thing is that Alligator Alcatraz DOES have air-conditioning. It’s not very good, but it’s better than nothing.” Judy, looking appalled: “Didn’t you tell them you weren’t serious?” Attorney general representative, looking ashamed: “Before I could say anything else, the boss’s eyes began to twitch and he got a big smile on his face and shouted, ‘That’s IT! The governor will LOVE it!’ and he ran out of the room. There was nothing I could do to stop him.” Just then, the chairman’s phone chimes. He pulls it out, reads the message, then announces to the room: “Bad news. That was from the governor. Just as the contracts for building Alligator Alcatraz went to people who donated to his campaign, so he wants us to make sure that the contracts for pulling it out go to his contributors too.” Judy puts down her pen: “So, I guess we’re looking at a 20-year project, just like the full Everglades restoration.” Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	New construction reduces housing shortage in most states Construction workers build a 575-unit apartment complex combined with retail in Paramus, N.J. The state lags in providing housing for new residents, according to a Stateline analysis. (Photo by Tim Henderson/Stateline)Housing shortages have eased in most states since 2020, as new construction has made apartments and houses more affordable. Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island are the only states that have lost housing units per capita since 2020, according to a Stateline analysis of housing data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Most other states have built more than enough housing to account for population growth. The increase in the supply of apartments helped drive down the nation’s median rent in April by 1.7% compared with the same month last year, according to a May report from Apartment List, a company that posts rental listings online. Single-family homes also are starting to get more affordable, according to a May report from the National Association of Realtors. The group calculates “affordability” by calculating whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced, existing single-family home. The improvement in affordability is especially dramatic in the South and Midwest, while affordability is lagging but improving in the West and Northeast. In analyzing the housing supply, one housing unit for 2.5 residents is considered a healthy balance, though the ratio can be lower in places with large families or higher where there are many young singles or older people living alone. Nationwide, the ratio ranges from 1.8 people per unit in Maine to 2.7 people per unit in Utah, according to the Stateline analysis. In most places, the ratio of people to housing units is shrinking, as the housing supply grows. Some states have added far more housing than residents since 2020. Vermont, for example, has added nearly 10 times as many housing units — around 12,000 — as new residents. The District of Columbia and New Mexico have added five times as many new units as new residents. Apartment construction cools rents in some regions The story is different in Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island. In those three states, the housing supply is lagging behind population growth, with about three new residents per new housing unit in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and almost four residents per unit in New Jersey. New Jersey has added about 260,000 new residents since 2020, but only about 66,500 new housing units. The state is seeking to impose affordable housing quotas on towns, but has run into strong resistance from suburban residents. In February, a group of New Jersey towns, led by Montvale in Bergen County, a New York City suburb, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a March deadline for a new phase of affordable housing plans to start, but were rebuffed without explanation later that month by Justice Samuel Alito. In court papers, town leaders said their residents don’t want the denser housing required by the 2024 state law, and that residents would likely vote them out of office if they implemented it. At a February public hearing about the plan in Ridgewood, a town in Bergen County, “elected officials continued to receive objections from residents…ranging from accusations against local leaders of conspiracies, accepting campaign donations and personally benefitting from the rezoning,” according to court papers filed by the towns. Apartment List does not consider Bergen County separately from the New York City area, where home prices have increased 5.6% from last year as of April 30, according to Zillow, to a median $773,069. A one-bedroom apartment in the county can command $2,400 or more according to Rentometer, a rental market analysis site. In contrast, Travis County, Texas — which includes most of Austin — has added about 99,500 new residents and 120,000 new units since 2020. That disparity helps explain why the Austin area had the largest drop in median rent between 2025 and 2026 in the new Apartment List estimates, declining 5.7% since last year and 22% since 2022. Along with Austin, apartment-building has driven a decline in rents in Sun Belt metros such as Denver, Orlando, Phoenix and Tampa, according to the Apartment List report. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Attorney alleges Whiteside County has been improperly leaving people out of jury selection Defense attorney Jim Mertes alleges people were excluded due to factors including age, criminal history and owing money to the court.
	6 Davenport police officers sworn-in Mayor Jason Gordon swore-in the new police officers at a city council meeting Wednesday evening, joined by their friends and family.
	Pay It Forward: Whiteside County group fighting food insecurity Katelyn Rodriguez created Nourishing Neighbors in 2025 to offer relief for recipients cut off from SNAP benefits.
	KWQC, KCRG-TV9 host Democratic congressional forum KWQC and KCRG-TV9 hosted a live, commercial-free candidate forum for Democrats running for Iowa’s Second Congressional District seat ahead of the June 2 primary election.
	You can see transportation plan for Muscatine, rural Scott County Every five years, regional transportation priorities for Iowa Regional Planning Area 9 (Muscatine County and rural Scott County) are established in the Iowa Region 9 Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The plan examines regional economic and population changes, as well as other trends, to provide insights into the needs within our Iowa region and allow communities [...]
	Iowa 2nd District Democratic candidates debate healthcare, immigration Democrats running in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District participate in a debate May 13, 2026 on KWQC and KCRG-TV9. From left are moderator Jim Mertens, Lindsay James, Kathy Dolter, Clint Twedt-Ball and moderator Matt Christensen. (Screenshot from KCRG-TV9 livestream)Access to healthcare and changes to the U.S. immigration system were among the top issues for all three of the Democrats running for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District during a debate Wednesday hosted by KCRG-TV9 and KWQC. State Rep. Lindsay James of Dubuque, Clint Twedt-Ball, the founder of the nonprofit Matthew 25, and Kathy Dolter, former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College and a retired Army nurse, all participated in the debate televised Wednesday evening. They are competing to become the Democratic nominee for the open 2nd Congressional District seat in the 2026 election. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who currently holds the office, is running for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat. Though political forecasters have not predicted Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District will be as potentially competitive as the 1st and 3rd Districts in the upcoming midterms, Democratic candidates have argued the northeast Iowa district, which includes cities like Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City, is a potential pickup for Democrats this election cycle. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. James, who has been serving in the Iowa House since 2019, said she believes her campaign is the best shot at winning back the seat as she has a “won in trending red districts multiple times.” “I’m the only person in this race who has experience winning, and I’ve done incredible work at the Iowa Legislature, working across difference to bring people together to do what’s good and right and just for all Iowans,” James said. “And because of that, I have a reputation that spans across the political spectrum. People are exhausted by politics. They are exhausted by the partisanship, and they just want someone who has the courage of conviction to fight for what is good and right and just. I’ve done that at the state Capitol, I’m ready to do that in D.C.” Twedt-Ball and Dolter, neither of whom has previously held elected office, said Iowans are looking for someone who is not a traditional politician to represent their interests in Washington. Dolter said she is a “non-politician” who has worked in several fields cited most respected professions in polls, including nursing, education and being a military veteran, and said she can bring her experience as someone “who’s done things in her entire life to make things happen, with a proven track record,” from those jobs to Congress. Twedt-Ball compared the upcoming election to 2018, the midterm after President Donald Trump was elected for his first term as president, when Democrats saw major victories throughout the country — including in northeast Iowa, when U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer won the 2018 election for Iowa’s then-1st Congressional District. “When the last blue wave happened … three-quarters of the people that won those elections were fresh new faces, new people running,” Twedt-Ball said. “People are sick of Republicans, they’re sick of Democrats. They’re sick of the same old, typical politician. They want fresh and new. They want people that actually get things done and deliver. That’s what I’ve done my entire career.” Candidates emphasize healthcare policy One of the major topics discussed during the debate was healthcare. All three candidates said more needs to be done to support healthcare availability in rural Iowa. Dolter specifically pointed to repealing the Medicaid cuts in the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act and restoring the Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired at the beginning of 2026 — stances all of the candidates supported. The candidates also all spoke in support of removing restrictions on access to abortions, and James said she would do “everything we can to fight to restore Roe v. Wade,” the U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing a right to abortion that was overturned in 2022. Candidates had slightly different answers when asked about access to gender-affirming care for minors. While all agreed Congress should not be involved in regulating access to this medical care with parental consent, the candidates varied on what should be required if a child’s family is not accepting of their gender identity. Answering a question on parental notification if a child states they want to be referred to using a different name or pronouns, Twedt-Ball said, “I believe that a parent should be involved, if at all possible.” “Unfortunately, we live in a time right where a kid may have one decision that they’re thinking about, their parents may disagree, and so that’s a real place of tension where they need to work through that,” Twedt-Ball said. “There need to be outside people in the community that help to work through that. But I certainly don’t think that that is Congress’s role to work through that for them.” Dolter said the fact that children cannot receive medical treatment without parental consent, is “really the bottom line.” “There’s rules to follow on that, but if children need support, they can find support outside the family — but gender-affirming care can’t be provided by a physician without the support of the parents,” Dolter said. Currently, parental consent is required for minors to access gender-affirming healthcare in the U.S., and several states like Iowa do not allow minors access to gender-affirming care like hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers even with approval from their guardians. James did not directly answer the question, saying the issue is not what her campaign is “focused on,” and not something Iowans are talking to her about on the campaign trail. “These are not the issues that when I knock on doors, Iowans are telling me they’re concerned with,” James said. “They’re making impossible choices about whether or not they can put food on the table for their kid or pay for their rent and keep their apartment. These are the kinds of choices that no one should ever have to make in the wealthiest country in the world, and we all know it’s not right. It’s time for a change. Washington is failing Iowans.” Candidates call for immigration changes The candidates also highlighted their support for changing the U.S. immigration system, both to immigration law enforcement and the system in place for accepting new immigrants. Dolter said she would support defunding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “back to previous 2024 levels” and refocus ICE efforts toward the U.S. border. Under the Trump administration, ICE enforcement efforts have expanded nationwide. Twedt-Ball did not answer the question on ICE funding directly, but said his focus in Congress would be “making sure that we reform our immigration system so that people can get here legally, and they can get through the system quickly.” “I have somebody in my family that, they came over and it took them 40 years, literally, to get the rest of their family here legally,” Twedt-Ball said. “Forty years. We shouldn’t have to wait multiple generations for people to actually get here. It should be a much quicker process.” James said as a person of faith and a mother, she feels “completely passionate about making sure that communities are safe,” while also calling for “reform” to the federal immigration system. “Congress has failed to deliver on meaningful immigration reform,” James said. “They have failed to deliver on a meaningful pathway to citizenship, and we need to make sure that they do not fail to secure our borders.” Early voting began Wednesday in the primary election, which will be held June 2. There is also a contest in the GOP primary for the 2nd District nomination, with former state Rep. Joe Mitchell, founder of the conservative youth organization Run Gen Z, running against Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	House passes bill allowing year-round E-15 gasoline sales The U.S. House has passed a bill Wednesday allowing the year-round sales of gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol.
	Denise Powell wins Democratic primary for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district Political organizer Denise Powell has defeated State Sen. John Cavanaugh to win the Democratic primary in the closely watched race for Nebraska's second congressional district.
	Remains of 2nd U.S. soldier who went missing in Morocco have been recovered Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Taveres, Florida, is the second U.S. soldier who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco. The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. were recovered last week.
	Young Cambridge museum curator earns place in Guinness World Records Anderson Taylor of Cambridge, Illinois has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records as the youngest museum curator (male) in the world, according to a news release. Now 11, Anderson was just 9 years and 340 days old when he opened the Cambridge Natural History Museum on Aug. 10, 2024. What began as a childhood fascination with fossils, minerals, dinosaurs, and natural [...]
	Over 2,100 were without power in Iowa Quad Cities, power restored More than 2,100 people are without power in the Iowa Quad Cities Wednesday evening.
	Over 2,100 without power in Iowa Quad Cities More than 2,100 people are without power in the Iowa Quad Cities Wednesday evening.
	Pastor Ron Lott earns Clinton County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award The Clinton County Bar Association has announced that Pastor Ron Lott, longtime volunteer police and fire chaplain in Clinton, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Liberty Bell Award, presented in conjunction with Law Day, according to a news release from Clinton County Attorney Mike Wolf. The award ceremony will be held at 3 [...]
	Warmer and stormier weather returns to Quad Cities After some relatively cool weather to open the month of May, things are looking much warmer by this weekend. And we also have several storm chances coming up. So far rain has been below normal for May. But we could see an inch or more in the near future:
	LIVE: KWQC, KCRG-TV9 host Democratic congressional forum KWQC and KCRG-TV9 host a live, commercial-free candidate forum for Democrats running for Iowa’s Second Congressional District seat ahead of the June 2 primary election.
	Soybean farmers watching closely as Trump arrives for China visit Brazil’s share of China’s soybean imports has continued to grow in recent years, while the U.S. share declined and hit a low last year.
	Scams are on the rise, here’s how to avoid them Scams have been on the rise over the past few years, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird shares tips to “Stop the Scammers.”
	Davenport begins Quiet Zone project The goal is to improve safety at rail crossing and reduce how often trains sound their horns.
	Visits to parts of Hill Correctional Center, Galesburg, suspended because of chickenpox As of Wednesday, visits to those in housing units 3A and 3B at Hill Correctional Center, 600 S. Linwood Road, Galesburg, are suspended until further notice because of a potential case of chicken pox, according to a news release from the prison. Residents of all other housing units may receive visits as usual as long [...]
	United Township students commit to teaching careers Students at United Township High School are ready to become future educators, signing their letter of intent to teach Wednesday.
	Missouri ‘born-alive’ abortion bill heads to governor after contentious House debate Rep. Brian Seitz speaks on the House floor in May 2025 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications).Healthcare providers could face the death penalty if they don’t provide life-saving care to a baby born after an attempted abortion under legislation headed to Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe. The legislation — approved by the House Wednesday on a 102-46 vote — has been a top priority of Republicans this year and was the only significant anti-abortion bill to pass this year with just two days left in the legislative session. The bill faced a Democratic filibuster earlier this year in the Senate. Last week it was given a second opportunity when the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, agreed to remove language seeking to open the door for lawsuits against anyone involved in an illegal abortion, including medication abortion, as part of a deal with Democrats to pass it through their chamber. On Wednesday, Republican state Rep. Brian Seitz of Branson told his colleagues that the latest iteration of the bill, which he was handling, shouldn’t be controversial now that the civil liabilities language was removed. “The Democrats are putting themselves in a very dangerous political position by not supporting healthcare for a living child,” Seitz told The Independent ahead of the vote. Despite being presented a pared-down version of the bill, the House on Wednesday quickly became embroiled in heated debate over the legislation’s purpose and practicality. House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, called Seitz “a sad little man cosplaying as Superman when he’s not busy controlling women’s bodies.” Seitz, who regularly wears ties with the Superman logo, responded by accusing Aune of “satanic mockery.” The exchange marked the culmination of a debate in which House Republicans accused their Democratic colleagues of condoning the killing of babies and Democrats accused Republicans of political theater. Under the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” anyone who “knowingly performs or attempts to perform an overt act that kills a child born alive” can be charged with first-degree murder. In 2024, voters enshrined the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability in the Missouri Constitution. Viability is the point in pregnancy when a fetus can survive on its own outside the womb without extraordinary medical interventions. Abortions are not currently being performed after the point of fetal viability in Missouri. With modern medical technology, it is exceedingly rare that an elective abortion performed after fetal viability ends in a birth. Infanticide is illegal. But Republicans say the protections of the federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 doesn’t go far enough in dictating what kind of care a baby should be given. Several Missouri OB-GYNs have testified against the legislation this year, saying it could force a hospital’s legal team to get involved before a doctor can treat complicated pregnancy diagnoses, including the diagnosis of fatal fetal anomalies in which families choose to induce an early labor. “What the bill really is doing is creating a threatening environment for medical providers who both must follow the law as well as the standards of their practice,” state Rep. Pattie Mansur, a Kansas City Democrat, said Wednesday. Democrats argue the bill could have a chilling effect on medical professionals in a state that recently saw a 25% drop in applicants for OB-GYN medical residencies. State Rep. Connie Steinmetz, a Democrat from Maryland Heights, said the bill was an unwelcome invitation by lawmakers into doctors’ offices. State Rep. Deanna Self, a Republican from St. Paul, disagreed. “The government should be in the doctors’ office to do everything they can to protect life,” she said. State Rep. Ken Jamison, a Democrat from Gladstone, called the bill a “disservice to unborn children,” claiming that Missouri lawmakers’ “misguided obsession with abortion has caused neglect of prenatal care.” “Meanwhile, unborn children in Missouri are screaming from the womb for prenatal care,” said Jamison, emphasizing the state’s growing maternal healthcare deserts. “ … The greatest danger to unborn children is not abortion, it’s miscarriage.” State Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Republican from Ste. Genevieve, raised concerns that the bill is unconstitutional because the Senate version tacked on two amendments broadening the scope of the state’s Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board and creating criminal provisions around cyberstalking. Because of these additions, four Republicans voted against the bill last week, worried it violated a constitutional requirement that bills address a single subject “clearly expressed in its title.” Earlier this week, longtime anti-abortion lobbyist Sam Lee also declined to support the final bill, calling the changes a “poison pill” to the underlying legislation. “Is the ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act’ worth taking that risk?” asked Wolfin, who was ultimately one of two Republicans to vote against the bill. Melana Salisbury is among a small protest that breaks out in the Missouri House gallery as the House passed a “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act,” bill Wednesday (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent). Just ahead of the vote, several protesters with Abortion Action Missouri rose from their seats in the House’s upper gallery, chanting “When abortion rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back.” They were quickly escorted from the chamber. Missourians will again vote on abortion later this year after lawmakers last session voted to put a new abortion ban on the ballot. Courtesy of Missouri Independent
	Arkansas abortion case could be revived due to recent state Supreme Court ruling The Pulaski County Courthouse in an undated file photo. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)A circuit judge last month dismissed the first legal challenge to Arkansas’ abortion ban, but the case could be revived due to a recent state Supreme Court ruling on how such lawsuits are handled. Pulaski County Judge Cara Connors is considering whether to reverse her decision last month dismissing the lawsuit filed by six women and an obstetrician-gynecologist challenging Arkansas’ near-total abortion ban. Connors filed an order to dismiss the case on April 29, citing a 2025 state law removing county courts’ authority to hear certain constitutional challenges. But her ruling was issued the morning of April 30, shortly after the Arkansas Supreme Court declared that law, Act 975, unconstitutional. North Little Rock attorney Chris Burks argued on behalf of the plaintiffs that the Supreme Court’s ruling means a circuit court “does, in fact, have subject matter jurisdiction over this case” since Connors’ order was issued after the fact. The case could be the first major fallout from the court’s unanimous ruling against the predominantly Republican Legislature’s effort to change the courts’ authority over constitutional challenges. Act 975’s passage followed several high-profile instances of judges in Pulaski County striking down state laws. Arkansas Supreme Court strikes law changing how constitutional challenges handled Act 975 transferred the authority to hear certain lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state laws from circuit courts to appeals courts. The Supreme Court ruled the law violated Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution, which spells out the authority of circuit courts. On April 23, Arkansas Solicitor General Autumn Hamit Patterson cited Act 975 as a reason for the challenge to the abortion ban to be dismissed. “We will continue to let our filings speak for themselves as we vigorously defend Arkansas’ abortion laws,” Jeff LeMaster, a spokesperson for Attorney General Tim Griffin, said Wednesday. Griffin’s office has until Monday to respond to the plaintiffs’ request for relief from Connors’ ruling. The women and doctor challenging Arkansas’ abortion ban are represented by Amplify Legal, the litigation arm of Abortion in America. Abortion in America is an abortion-rights advocacy group co-founded by former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, who died last year. Amplify Legal declined to comment Wednesday on the lawsuit’s next steps. Arkansas has banned abortion, with a narrow exception to save a pregnant person’s life, since June 2022 under a law that took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Amplify Legal’s argument in the lawsuit is that the abortion ban violates the Arkansas Constitution’s provision that “enjoying and defending life and liberty [and] pursuing their own happiness” are “inherent and inalienable rights.” 2 women join lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ near-total abortion ban The case also relies on the constitutional law principle that a criminal law cannot be too vague for people to know how to comply with it. The plaintiffs asked the court in April to temporarily block enforcement of the ban. Arkansas law makes it a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a maximum fine of $100,000 or both for a medical professional who performs an abortion. One of the plaintiffs, Theresa Van of Fort Smith, continued her pregnancy for seven weeks after learning it was nonviable because doctors denied her an abortion. The other five women traveled to Illinois or Kansas to receive abortions. Three had nonviable pregnancies, one had been sexually assaulted and one did not want children, according to the amended complaint. Courtesy of Arkansas Advocate
	Iowa pediatric cancer research bill heads to governor’s desk Iowa lawmakers approved legislation that would create a new tax on vape products and nicotine pouches to help fund pediatric cancer research at the University of Iowa.
	Lock and Dam 13 turns 87 years old The Army Corps of Engineers say the lock and dam in Fulton, Illinois first opened on May 13, 1939. Construction took about 3.5 years for the entire project.
	ICE arrests 8 at Davenport restaurants; local law enforcement says they weren’t notified beforehand Three weeks ago, federal agents arrested several people at Izumi Steakhouse and Jiangs Hot Pot BBQ Grill in Davenport.
	Flawed jury pools in Whiteside Co. could spark statewide legal crisis in Illinois An attorney’s curiosity has exposed a decades-old error in jury selection, potentially jeopardizing thousands of criminal convictions across Illinois.
	‘Not perfect’: Iowa senior homeowner says property tax reform bill could help seniors Iowans won’t see an immediate change in their property taxes in a proposal that’s likely about to become law, but they are trying to figure out how those changes will impact them.
	Local health officials prepare for influx of World Cup fans A message promoting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shown after a qualifier match between Belgium and Liechtenstein in November in Liege, Belgium. U.S. health officials are preparing for a number of potential problems when millions of fans come to watch the games, including heat-related illness and the spread of infectious diseases. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)Health officials from the U.S. cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup say they are preparing to deal with infectious diseases, heat-related illness, and an array of other health threats when millions of fans, many of them from overseas, come to watch the games. The World Cup is expected to draw between 5 million and 7 million soccer fans to the 11 U.S. host cities, which are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City (in partnership with East Rutherford, New Jersey), Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. The newly formed Big Cities Health Coalition, a consortium of health officials from 36 of the nation’s largest health departments, says it has been formulating a strategy to mitigate any negative health impacts from such a large influx of people entering the country at once. At a news briefing on Wednesday, health officials from Atlanta, Dallas, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Jose said they are preparing for disease monitoring and contact tracing during the weeks of soccer matches, which begin on June 11. The officials said they aren’t concerned about the hantavirus, which is very rare. However, they are worried about the spread of measles after recent outbreaks around the country. “Somebody might be here for a game in Atlanta and be exposed to something — let’s say measles, since that’s been so prevalent lately,” said Marcus Plescia, district health director at the Fulton County Board of Health, which includes the Atlanta region, “But by the time we realize that and start to look at who might be at risk, that fan might have traveled to Dallas to see their team playing there.” “Something that happens here may actually have its impact somewhere else, and we’re going to have to think about how we handle that and hand off information.” Alister Martin, commissioner of New York City’s health and mental hygiene department, said health officials also are concerned about extreme heat, alcohol and drug use, and sexually transmitted diseases. “Relevant teams from disease control to mental health have been preparing to work in new capacities for months, and most recently, we tested our emergency capacity at our healthcare facilities,” Martin said. At the briefing, the health officials said they are strapped for resources as a result of the expiration of COVID-19-era public health funding, and that host cities have gotten federal dollars for security and infrastructure needs but not for public health. “In Atlanta, at least, there’s been some significant investment in infrastructure improvements, and those are very important things,” Plescia said. “We’ve not received a lot of direct funding for specific public health services.” Stateline reporter Shalina Chatlani can be reached at schatlani@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Fee on in-game purchases would fund youth mental health services under Colorado bill Colorado state Sen. Dylan Roberts, seen here on the floor of the Colorado Senate on Wednesday, sponsored a bill that would impose a fee on in-game purchases. (Photo by Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)Coloradans who make add-on purchases within an online game would have to pay a new fee to fund youth mental health services under a bill approved by the Colorado Legislature. House Bill 26-1418 would charge users of online games “reasonably likely” to be used by youth a 5% fee on any in-game purchases, starting in January. Those funds would go to the state to fund various mental health programs for youth in Colorado through state-run enterprises. After October 2027, the enterprises can change the amount of the fee. The bill presents a way to fund youth mental health services while Colorado is working under a tight state budget, bill sponsor Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, said during its Senate committee hearing this week. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The fee would fund peer mental health support professionals, out-of-school grant programs, and educational rights programs that support students with disabilities. Bill sponsor Rep. Sean Camacho, a Denver Democrat, said the state already has legal precedent allowing enterprises to collect fees that support specific public services. Fees are distinct from taxes, which are subject to Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Bill sponsor Sen. Dylan Roberts, a Friso Democrat, said games covered by the policy “do a tremendous job” of locking kids in for hours of play time, and certain purchases within the games further entice them to keep playing. Video games and online gaming contribute significantly to mental health challenges for youth, he said. Lawmakers cited the game platform Roblox and Minecraft when discussing the bill. Groups in support of the bill include Colorado Youth for a Change, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Children’s Campaign, and Disability Law Colorado. Behavioral Health Administration opposes bill Heather Tritten, president and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, said HB-1418 takes a small portion of revenue generated by online games to support youth mental health. “Colorado’s kids need and deserve a dedicated, durable funding stream for mental health supports, especially one that doesn’t put extra strain on the general fund,” Tritten said in the committee hearing. Rep. Yara Zokaie, a Fort Collins Democrat, also sponsors the bill. Colorado's kids need and deserve a dedicated, durable funding stream for mental health supports, especially one that doesn't put extra strain on the general fund. – Heather Tritten, president and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration testified in opposition to the bill in its Senate committee hearing Monday. Ryan Templeton, governmental affairs officer at the agency, said it presents legal concerns that would put the stability of programs it intends to fund at risk. “If revenue streams for these essential youth behavioral health programs were to fail due to litigation or legal invalidation, our state would be left in a more precarious position than we are today, resulting in a reduction of services and restricted access to behavioral health supports for children,” Templeton said. The Entertainment Software Association also opposes the bill, expressing concerns about having to geolocate game users to determine Colorado residency to properly charge the proposed fee. The bill passed the Senate on an 18-17 vote Wednesday, and the House approved amendments made in the Senate and passed the bill again on a 38-26 vote. All Republicans voted against the bill, and a few Democrats joined Republicans in opposition. It now goes to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ desk to be signed into law. The 2026 legislative session ends Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Colorado Newsline
	Monmouth College alum gives six-figure gift to college's bagpipe band A longtime Monmouth College trustee with a heart for the bagpipes has made a significant gift to his alma mater, according to a news release from Monmouth College. "Monmouth College is one of the few places that has it," said 1968 graduate Augustin "Gus" Hart of the presence of a pipe band. "I wanted [...]
	Summit carbon pipeline rerouted to storage site in Wyoming; North Dakota future unclear Signs in protest of a carbon pipeline project sit along Highway 281 south of Ellendale, North Dakota, on Nov. 12, 2024. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) Summit Carbon Solutions, the Iowa company that had targeted North Dakota as the destination of its carbon dioxide pipeline, announced Wednesday that an updated route will instead travel to a storage site in Wyoming. Summit’s announcement indicated its pipeline would run through Iowa and Nebraska to Wyoming, with no mention of North Dakota and South Dakota. A spokesperson said North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota “remain important for our company.” North Dakota had issued permits for both the pipeline and an underground storage area northwest of Bismarck, which both face legal challenges. The company has been unable to secure a pipeline permit in South Dakota, where it met significant landowner resistance. Summit said the new route has been “refined” and it is smaller in scope than the $8 billion project that would have included more than 2,000 miles of pipeline to connect 57 ethanol plants, in five states, to a storage facility in North Dakota. The new route will connect to 27 ethanol plants in Iowa. The project intends to capture carbon from the fermentation process at ethanol plants along the route. A truck delivers corn to the Tharaldson Ethanol plant near Casselton, North Dakota, on May 15, 2024. (Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor) Tharaldson Ethanol near Casselton was the only North Dakota ethanol plant to sign on to the project. The project had support in North Dakota from some corn growers who felt the project would boost the ethanol industry and the farmers who supply the ethanol plants with corn. But some North Dakota landowners and environmental groups opposed the project, citing safety and property value concerns. Some landowners are not opposed to the project but alleged Summit would not negotiate with them in good faith. “For the folks that this could have helped, it’s too bad that Summit used the tactics that they did,” said Troy Coons, chair of the Northwest Landowners Association. “This one caused an uprising in multiple states with so many people being offended and their constitutional rights being threatened.” Both the pipeline route and underground storage permits have been challenged in North Dakota courts. Two district court judges have determined the underground storage permits and the law they were issued under are unconstitutional, casting the project’s future into question. Both decisions are expected to be appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court. Summit permit for CO2 storage voided as second judge finds North Dakota law unconstitutional Derrick Braaten, a Bismarck attorney representing landowners in both lawsuits, said Summit’s apparent willingness to continue fighting legal battles in North Dakota may suggest a desire to keep the company’s route options open moving forward. “I think that it’s possible they’re going to continue to fight and see if they can win these fights on the constitutional issues,” Braaten said. “There’s at least a chance that there’s a long game where they’re still going to try and develop the current route” to North Dakota. A Summit spokesperson said the permits and easements the company owns in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota “provide valuable optionality for future phases” of the project. “We remain committed to building systems that support economic growth and long-term U.S. energy production,” said Sabrina Zenor, spokesperson for Summit, in a statement. Summit seeks to take advantage of federal tax credits for carbon sequestration. Summit’s statement on Wednesday indicated that the carbon dioxide it transports to Wyoming could be used in enhanced oil recovery. The technology uses a gas such as carbon dioxide to rebuild pressure in oil reservoirs and could double the amount of oil that can be produced. “Seems like a tremendous lost opportunity for North Dakota,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. “Projects that help ag and energy and create revenue streams for landowners are rare.” Oil companies in North Dakota are moving forward with pilot projects to try to make the technique economically viable. Todd McMichael, a landowner near Kindred, opposed the project but signed an easement with Summit because he said his family could not afford a potential legal battle with the company. He said he and neighbors who signed easement agreements have already been paid by Summit. He said he had not been notified by Summit of its change in plans. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of North Dakota Monitor
	River Action to kick off annual educational program ‘Explore the River Series’ This summer program teaches participants about the wildlife, history, culture, and geography of the Mississippi River. Events on the Channel Cat or at other locations will happen May 26 to Aug. 29.
	Inmates quarantined at Hill Correctional Center following exposure to virus causing shingles Visits to Hill Correctional Center were canceled beginning Saturday, but visitation was restored for anyone not in a quarantine unit on Wednesday, May 13.
	Costs tied to Iran war add to WA farm woes Winter wheat planting near Palouse, Washington. (Photo by Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images)It’s going to be another tough year for Washington farmers, who were already facing record-low worldwide commodity prices. While consumers benefit from lower prices on things like wheat (resulting in cheaper bread) and pork, wheat growers and pig farmers are footing the bill for these savings. Many farmers are experiencing a triple hit on their finances from the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran, with higher costs for fuel, shipping and fertilizer. “Unless you have perfect insight” and bought your fertilizer and stocked up on diesel fuel before the war in Iran began, explained T. Randall Fortenbery, professor and Thomas B. Mick Endowed Chair of the Washington State University’s School of Economic Sciences. Even before the war, Washington had steep fuel prices, with one of the highest gas taxes in the country. Agricultural fuel buyers are eligible for an exemption from surcharges tied to the state’s cap-and-trade program. Farmers in Washington export most of their crops. So their prices are set in the global marketplace and do not necessarily reflect their costs. If they try to pass along an increase in fuel costs to transport their crops, for example, buyers will just choose to do business with someone else, Fortenbery said. “Washington grows almost 300 different commodities; most of them have an export market,” Fortenbery said. The prices for their goods are set by that global market, so increases in their costs to grow and transport wheat, alfalfa or hops cannot be passed along to the consumer. Ed Chvatal, a major wheat and alfalfa hay and seed grower in Walla Walla, says increased fertilizer and fuel prices are a big concern for him and his neighbors. “I’m not going to get into the politics … all I know is it’s causing some grief,” he said. Because farming 6,000 acres requires careful planning, Chvatal isn’t experiencing war-related pain yet. He bought fertilizer for his current wheat crop last fall and he purchased a tanker of diesel in January. The farm can hold about 15,000 gallons on site, which will last them into the first part of the harvest, maybe until July. And they won’t need more fertilizer until the fall. “I lucked out there. It wasn’t because I was brilliant,” Chvatal said, explaining that timing and planning force most of his purchasing decisions. And sometimes the results are not as good. Even if the war ends tomorrow, most economists believe fuel and fertilizer prices will not drop before 2027, because it will take a while for production to ramp back up after the Strait of Hormuz reopens. So Chvatal will experience cost increases by late summer and he will be paying more to ship his grains to customers this year. The shippers will add a fuel surcharge, but he doesn’t have that freedom. The market sets the price he will receive for his wheat. Prices won’t change unless there’s a production interruption elsewhere, Chvatal explained – a drought in the Midwest, for example. “The world can produce enough food for everybody. It’s a matter of what people will pay for it. Then there’s weather and political issues,” he said. The price of wheat has been below the cost of production for the past three years, Chvatal said. This spring’s crop was looking good and the price had been bouncing up a bit. “I took off my pessimistic hat and put it on the rack,” he said. Then Iran happened. Chvatal has farmed on his family acreage for the past 40 years and has seen a lot of ups and downs, but things have been different since the pandemic. Input costs went up and never came back down. Labor costs have also gone up because of new state regulations around overtime and because seasonal workers are harder to recruit. “There’s a point where it’s frustrating. I don’t have the time and effort to go protest and bitch about things. I’m just trying to put food on the table for my family. I have six full-time employees who also want the farm to succeed,” Chvatal said. “I’ve seen it before,” he added, “but this one has a different flavor. It’s kind of like the perfect storm.” So why do farmers stay in the business if it’s so difficult to make a profit? Professor Fortenbery points out that they experience good years and bad. For example, wheat prices were more than double what they are now six or seven years ago. Adding high fuel and fertilizer costs to already low prices is going to make things particularly tough for farmers this year. One of the oddities of the current situation is that most of America’s fertilizer comes from Canada, not the Middle East, but worldwide shortages will drive up prices everywhere, Fortenbery said. Chvatal wishes the state government would help farmers out by giving them a break on new overtime regulations — an unrelated issue that also affects his input costs. He’s also concerned about the ways data centers are pushing up electricity rates. And says the debate over water rights is a constant pressure. But Chvatal has no plans to give up on farming or dramatically change how he runs his operation. “I love it and have done it all my life. Hopefully, my children will want to take it on,” he said, but adds back a hint of the dark cloud he is sitting under right now. “Things are tough around here. You wonder why young people aren’t coming back to farming. It’s very capital-intensive. It’s hard work.” Courtesy of Washington State Standard
	QC Arts’ Chalk Art Fest happening May 30–31, Ballet Folklórico to perform Friday Quad City Arts is highlighting two upcoming events in May — the free, family‑friendly Chalk Art Fest May 30–31 in downtown Rock Island, and a May 15 performance by Ballet Folklórico del Rio Grande as part of its Visiting Artist Series.
	Coroner names 3-year-old shot and killed during hostage situation in Bureau County On Sunday, police responded to a domestic disturbance call that escalated into police firing their weapons. 3-year-old Damian Camacho was killed.
	Measles reemerges in Kansas with Osage County case, exposure at Topeka church An Osage County resident has measles, acquired from an out-of-state exposure, health officials say. Concern about measles, once thought eradicated in the United States, continues as kindergarten vaccination rates fall in Kansas. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)TOPEKA — Measles, once thought successfully eradicated in the United States, returned to Kansas with a confirmed case Tuesday in an Osage County resident, health officials said. The individual acquired the disease outside the state and “we do not have measles spreading in Kansas at this time,” the Osage County Health Department and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said in a release. Also Tuesday, a Topeka area church and the Shawnee County Health Department reported a measles exposure. The Shawnee County Health Department said in a separate news release that attendees at the Topeka Baptist Church, 3301 S.W. Gage Blvd., on May 3 between 10:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. could have been exposed to measles. The department encouraged people who were at the church during that time period to avoid working at or attending an adult care home, correctional facility, healthcare facility, schools, childcare facilities and adult daycare facilities until May 24. Measles reemerges Kansas reported 87 cases of measles last year associated with an outbreak that began in January and three additional cases not part of the outbreak. “More than 80% of the cases were children, and over 90% of the cases were not vaccinated against measles,” a KDHE report said. “Eight people were hospitalized over the course of the outbreak.” Measles has reemerged as people across the country question the safety of vaccines, which are recommended by all the major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Kansas has seen the percentage of kindergarteners who receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine drop from 94.47% in the 2019-20 school year to 90.59% for the 2024-25 school year, according to Kansas Division of Public Health data. However, that coverage can be much lower when considering Kansas counties individually. In the 2020-21 school year, five counties reported kindergarten vaccination rates for MMR below 75%. In 2023-24, the most recent year’s data available on the KDHE website, 12 counties report MMR vaccination rates below 75%, with Morton County the lowest at 56.67%, Kiowa at 60% and Decatur at 60.02%. Measles cost the state In a March report, the Kansas Legislative Research Department said the measles cases in 2025 cost the state about $2.6 million. The assessment included 80 of the 90 measles cases that occurred in the state in 2025. “The review estimated the median cost per measles case at $32,805 and the median cost per contact at $223,” the report said. “Based on that information, KDHE estimated the cost of measles in Kansas from Jan. 1, 2025, to June 16, 2025, at a total of $2,665,432 (80 measles cases, 184 cases under public health monitoring).” What to watch for People are considered susceptible to measles if they were born in 1957 or later, SCHD said, and are not age-appropriately vaccinated, or lack laboratory evidence of immunity, or lack documentation of a previous measles infection. Measles is highly contagious, and early symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that typically begins on the face and spreads downward, the Shawnee County Health Department said. On average, one infected person can spread measles to 12 to 18 unvaccinated people, according to the KDHE website. Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	Iowa man again faces charges of providing unlicensed medical care Old Cabin Retreat, which is alleged to be operating as an unlicensed hospital, in Centerville, Iowa, and its owner, Eddie Gingerich. (Main photo and inset photo courtesy of Appanoose County)An Appanoose County man who has been repeatedly accused of practicing medicine without a license over the past three years is again facing criminal charges related to an unlicensed healthcare facility he operates in rural Iowa. Court records indicate that the Old Cabin Retreat in Centerville has been the subject of at least one death investigation in recent years. Police have charged 36-year-old Eddie Gingerich of Moravia, the alleged owner and operator of the Old Cabin Retreat, with ongoing criminal conduct; money laundering; engaging in the practice of medicine, dietetics or dentistry without a license; and violating medical licensure laws and state laws regulating hospitals. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Police allege that between April 2023 and February 2026, Gingerich knowingly held himself out as a medical provider and dietician and performed medical evaluations, diagnoses, treatments and procedures without the required licensure. In court filings, Gingerich has indicated he never progressed in school past the eighth grade but, according to Appanoose County law enforcement, he claims to have treated more than 70 cancer patients at the Old Cabin Retreat. Court records show the building in rural Centerville is outfitted with therapy and treatment rooms, patient rooms with hospital-style beds, an oxygen chamber, a heat bed, a body scanner of some type, and an office with laboratory equipment and medical charts. Police allege Gingerich’s illegal conduct resulted in “significant financial gain” for him “while impacting public safety through incompetent care, false or misleading health advice, and lack of accountability leading to confirmed injury and death” of visitors to the Old Cabin Retreat, which is located just off Highway 5 in Centerville. The total amount of the illicit proceeds from the “retreat” is approximately $887,404, county law enforcement officials allege. Police allege that while working at the Old Cabin Retreat, Gingerich diagnosed diseases and prescribed supplements and special diets for patients. “Multiple patients that were on scene and present during the search of the premises gave statements pertaining to overnight stays and receiving treatment,” one police report states. “Multiple patients stated they gave urine and saliva samples to be evaluated by Eddie Gingerich to determine what their ‘levels’ were.” Some patients visited and “stayed” at the Old Cabin Retreat, police allege, making the Old Cabin Retreat fit Iowa’s legal description of a hospital. According to Appanoose County law enforcement records, Gingerich completed bank account transfers and engaged in spending that was designed to conceal the illicit nature and source of the funds generated by the Old Cabin Retreat. Gingerich has yet to enter a plea in the case. Criminal charges first leveled in 2023 It’s not the first time Gingerich has faced such charges. In November 2023, police charged Gingerich with three counts of violating medical licensure laws and one count of violating state laws regulating hospitals. In that case, Gingerich was accused of diagnosing an Old Cabin Retreat patient with high blood pressure, allergies, and cancer of the liver, pancreas and large intestine. As part of plea bargain with county prosecutors, Gingerich eventually agreed to plead guilty to one count of violating medical license laws through the employment of an unlicensed dentist and all of the remaining charges were dismissed. Gingerich was fined $1,500. Court records filed by Gingerich’s attorney indicate law enforcement officials had investigated the Old Cabin Retreat even before the 2023 arrest, beginning in December 2021 when the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the building. In October and November of 2023, the sheriff’s office conducted what Gingerich’s attorney, J. Michael Boomershine, later called an illegal search made without a warrant using “recording devices.” “The Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office knew the truth of the Old Cabin Retreat at the time of procuring warrants,” Boomershine told the court. “The facility is run by an Amish man engaged in religious practices consistent with the tenets of he and his patrons’ beliefs.” Undercover probe used camera in coffee mug Boomershine alleged that Appanoose County Sheriff Department had “illegally utilized the assistance of a person named Rosemary Miller who wore a wire and video camera under the color of seeking services” from Gingerich. “Ms. Miller, who is ex-Amish, assisted law enforcement without a warrant or probable cause.” In response to those claims, prosecutors told the court the Old Cabin Retreat was first brought to the sheriff’s attention in November 2021, when authorities received an anonymous complaint from an Amish man who said he’d taken his wife to the Old Cabin Retreat and her condition had worsened as a result. Bring us your worst case. Warning: There are no MDs here, only the wisdom God taught us... – Alleged social-media post promoting the Old Cabin Retreat One month later, prosecutors said, the sheriff’s office “conducted a death investigation at the Old Cabin Retreat” and then executed a search warrant at the building. “From December 2021 through October of 2023, the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office continued to receive various tips and complaints regarding poor treatment of individuals at the Old Cabin Retreat,” prosecutors alleged. “One of the aforementioned complaints involved a critically ill child that had to be life-flighted to Des Moines.” Prosecutors acknowledged the sheriff’s office then contacted Miller to assist with an undercover investigation at the Old Cabin Retreat. Miller went to the facility while wearing a wire and holding a coffee mug equipped with a hidden camera, court records show. During Miller’s visits to the retreat, Gingerich had Miller “pee in a cup and spit in a cup,” and then diagnosed her with various illnesses, including cancer, prosecutors alleged. As part of a search warrant application in the 2023 case, the Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office alleged that after Gingerich collected the samples from Miller, he spoke to her about her diet, indicated he could tell her kidneys were stressed by the redness of her eyes, and told her that her pancreas and liver had “carcinoma cells in them,” suggesting she had cancer. He allegedly charged Miller $75 for the visit, with future visits to be billed at $175 each. Patient death and a child’s injury are alleged In court filings, county prosecutors alleged they have witnesses prepared to testify that one man who was receiving care at the Old Cabin Retreat had died from cancer. In other court filings, the prosecutors have alleged it was “undisputed that the death occurred at the Old Cabin Retreat and that a Department of Human Services investigation occurred due to a child’s injury/illness related to their stay at the Old Cabin Retreat.” Other court records detail the incident involving the child. County law enforcement officials allege beginning in July 2023, an 11-year-old Amish child was being treated for diabetes at the Old Cabin Retreat. According to the sheriff’s office, while being treated there, the child stopped taking his insulin and other medications. Three weeks later, deputies claimed, the youth was “extremely ill and vomiting,” prompting his parents to take him to a licensed emergency treatment facility, from which he was life-flighted to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. In one recent search warrant application, an Appanoose County deputy states that during his investigation of the Old Cabin Retreat earlier this year, he ran across a 2025 Facebook post from a Centerville woman and her two small children posing in front of the retreat. In a separate post, the woman wrote that one of her daughters had an unspecified disease and that she, the mother, had decided to go against the advice of the medical team at the University of Iowa Hospitals where the doctors recommended radiation treatments. The woman wrote that she then took her daughter to “see a man” used by the Amish community. “My daughter no longer has this disease,” she wrote. “Praise the Lord!” ‘Bring us your worst case … Memberships only.’ The application indicates that days later, a Centerville police officer contacted the sheriff’s office about a female relative coming to the Old Cabin Retreat to be treated for stage 4 lung cancer at a cost of $3,500 per week. Two months later, the officer’s relative died, and family members reported the woman had stayed at the retreat for six days, where she was told to stop taking all medications and was then treated with a special diet and supplements. At the time, the family allegedly reported, there were about 10 other patients staying at the retreat. Court records indicate the Old Cabin Retreat advertises on social media by stating, “Helping the sick – spiritually, mentally and physically, by the Word of God and with God-given foods and herbs!! Bring us your worst case. Warning: There are no MDs here, only the wisdom God taught us, and to him be all the glory. Memberships only.” In some of his social-media posts, police allege, Gingerich posted the names and health conditions and test results of specific patients. In one search warrant application, an Appanoose County deputy reported earlier this year that while on his patrols, he’d frequently see small groups of people, or the occasional individual, walking along the remote, rural road that leads to and from the Old Cabin Retreat. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Oregon governor signs laws to backfill Planned Parenthood funding, strengthen shield law Most of what this Planned Parenthood clinic in Salem provides is related to birth control services, vasectomies, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and screenings for breast and cervical cancer. Only 10% of the services Planned Parenthood provides in Oregon is related to abortion. Planned Parenthood’s Ontario clinic is the only exception, where most patients come from out-of-state for abortion care. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Oregon Capital Chronicle)Oregon is officially the first state to create a long-term plan to replace Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood if Congress permanently cuts off those funds, lawmakers and health officials said at a ceremonial bill signing Gov. Tina Kotek, Democratic state lawmakers and healthcare professionals gathered at Planned Parenthood in Portland Wednesday to celebrate three new laws that strengthen access to abortion, gender-affirming care and vaccines in the wake of the Trump administration slashing funding for providers offering those services and cutting vaccine recommendations for children. Kotek in March signed into law House Bill 4127, which would use state dollars to backfill funding Planned Parenthood has lost since July 2025 when President Donald Trump signed a law blocking the healthcare provider from receiving Medicaid or Medicare reimbursements until June 30, 2026. The law also creates a contingency plan to pay for Planned Parenthood services should it lose access to Medicaid funding permanently. Oregon lawmakers already secured $7.5 million for the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics in the latest legislative session, less than half of the $17 million in Medicaid reimbursements those clinics relied on in 2024. Federal law has for nearly 50 years banned the use of Medicaid funds for abortion under a 1977 policy known as the Hyde Amendment. And 90% of what Planned Parenthood clinics in Oregon provide are unrelated to abortion. Doctors at the clinics mostly provide vasectomies, treatment for sexually transmitted infections and screenings for breast and cervical cancer. Planned Parenthood’s Ontario clinic is the only exception. The eastern Oregon clinic is a 30 minute drive from the state’s border with Idaho, where abortion is banned in almost all cases. Planned Parenthood officials said 80% of that clinic’s patients are seeking abortion care from out-of-state. “At a time when reproductive health care is under relentless attack across our country, Oregon chose to lead,” said Amy Handler, the president of Planned Parenthood of Southern Oregon. “This law reflects something deeply Oregonian. When people’s reproductive health care is threatened, we do not look away. We problem solve, we innovate and we fight to protect our communities.” Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek surrounded by healthcare advocates and lawmakers poses for a photo at a ceremonial bill signing for House Bill 4127, House Bill 4088 and Senate Bill 1598. (Screenshot of livestream) Bill sponsor and House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, said the bill is the first of its kind in the country and reflects Oregon’s great tradition of being a national trailblazer. “What I love about House Bill 4127 is that it continues in this tradition, albeit in a slightly different context,” he said at the event. “This particular big problem, the big problem we solved in this bill was manufactured. It was created by the President and by the United States Congress when they defunded Planned Parenthood.” Oregon strengthens its shield law, vaccine access Kotek also celebrated the signing of House Bill 4088, which builds off a 2023 law shielding healthcare workers who assist with abortion or gender-affirming care in Oregon from lawsuits or professional discipline. The law adds more legal protections for state employees, midwives and the individuals seeking abortion or gender-affirming care. It prohibits public employees from assisting federal or out-of-state agencies in investigations into reproductive or gender affirming care activities that are legal in Oregon, including the governor, who under the law cannot extradite someone for receiving that care unless the individual participated in treason or other serious crimes. It also prohibits the use of personally identifiable information related to reproductive or gender affirming care in most court proceedings, and adds applications for legal sex and name changes to the list of items exempt from public record, with some exceptions. “The bills before us ensure that Oregon does not sit back to federal attacks that devastate our health care infrastructure,” said Sen. WInsvey Campos, D-Aloha. “Instead, we strengthened our laws and created sustainable paths to protect access to Oregonians across the state.” Kotek also penned a celebratory signature on Senate Bill 1598, which requires state-regulated health plans to cover specified preventive health services, including vaccines. And, it authorizes the state to make recommendations for services to be covered and to issue standing orders for providers to dispense drugs and devices. Dr. Jennifer McCall, a Portland primary physician, said it is a difficult time for healthcare providers to witness the federal government shift guidance on preventive services, disregarding science and people’s safety. “We spend so much of our time asking patients to invest in prevention, to show up, to be proactive about their health, and then the system turns around and makes that harder than it needs to be,” she said. “It erodes trust in a way that’s, frankly, really hard to rebuild once it’s lost. Senate Bill 1598 is Oregon’s answer to that.” Oregon in September joined a health advisory alliance with Washington, California and Hawaii following concerns about the credibility of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic. In January, the alliance split from the federal government’s vaccine recommendations to follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ longstanding pediatric vaccine recommendations. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Oregon Capital Chronicle
	Group O Inc. joins Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies to support growth “Becoming a PMMI member aligns naturally with Group O’s long-standing focus on helping complex organizations modernize and optimize their packaging operations"
	Run for Hope fundraiser combines fitness and cancer support This year's 5K or 1-mile fun run will be on June 27 in Coal Valley. You can personalize race bibs to recognize someone you're running for. Here's how to sign up.
	Learn about a future in health care at the UnityPoint Health Career Exploration Day High school students interested in careers in health care can get an in-depth look at the possibilities ahead of them. Lauren VanNatta joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about the UnityPoint Health Career Exploration Day. For more information, click here.
	RI federal judge voids DOJ subpoena for trans youth medical records Rhode Island Child Advocate Katelyn Medeiros, center, leaves U.S. District Court in Providence after a Tuesday, May 12, 2026, hearing on her office’s motion to quash a federal subpoena seeking Rhode Island Hospital records tied to transgender minors’ medical care. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy on Wednesday night nullified a U.S. Department of Justice subpoena seeking roughly six years’ worth of medical records of young patients at Rhode Island Hospital prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy. McElroy’s 24-page order came a day before the deadline set by a Texas federal judge for Rhode Island Hospital to submit the requested records. She began by noting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) possesses “immense prosecutorial authority and discretion,” with citizens trusting that “this awesome power against a state, a company, or certainly against vulnerable children” will be wielded fairly. “DOJ has proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case,” McElroy wrote. The Justice Department, she wrote, acted in bad faith, fibbed to federal courts, and sought records guarded by constitutional rights. The subpoena was part of a nationwide effort to obtain transgender-related medical records from hospitals and providers which treat young people with puberty blockers and hormone therapies in an investigation into alleged violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). The DOJ wanted Rhode Island Hospital’s records for gender-related care at the hospital from 2020 through 2025. Because the subpoena was administrative — it came from the DOJ, and not a court — McElroy could slash it down, severing the root cause of the Texas court’s order rather than the Texas order itself. “This Court quashes the administrative subpoena — the instrument issued by the DOJ — not the enforcement order entered by the Texas Court,” McElroy wrote. McElroy’s Wednesday night order also crystallizes many of the questions she had during a Tuesday bench hearing about how the U.S. Department of Justice went about the case. Had the DOJ lied, or at least omitted something important, when it asked a Texas judge to enforce its subpoena against Rhode Island Hospital for treatment records of transgender youth? Was the DOJ misleading the Rhode Island court in a similar manner? “It’s unfathomable that the process comes down to this level of adversarial,” McElroy said toward the end of an over four hour hearing about the DOJ’s recent interactions with the federal courts. “It never was.” McElroy granted the motion filed last week by Rhode Island Child Advocate Katelyn Medeiros after presiding at a hearing Tuesday in Providence’s federal court. The medical records the feds want to see include names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, addresses, details about parents or guardians, as well as clinical documents pertaining to diagnoses, assessments, intake and informed consent. Rhode Island Hospital had until Thursday to hand over the documents per a deadline set by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on April 30. Office of Child Advocate fights to block DOJ subpoena for trans youth private medical records The hospital and Rhode Island’s Office of Child Advocate, which is statutorily charged with legal advocacy and defense of children in state care, argued the subpoena is rooted in dubious arguments and that the feds maneuvered to have the subpoena enforced in a more receptive venue. McElroy agreed in her ruling. “The presiding judge in the Texas court has branded ‘the Department of Justice, the world’s largest law firm’ a ‘frequent forum shopper,’” she added in a footnote. “It is clear that the DOJ has done so here.” Wednesday’s order echoes concerns from Tuesday’s hearing Outside the courthouse Tuesday, Medeiros told reporters she could not disclose the number of kids in state care whose records would have to be turned over to the feds. But state law authorizes her office to defend young Rhode Islanders — and, by extension, their individual privacy rights which, in most circumstances, not even the federal government can trample. That is why Kevin Love Hubbard, a former chief of DOJ’s Civil Division in Rhode Island who now stood to represent the child advocate in court Tuesday, argued that the case is one of constitutional rights — specifically, informational privacy, which guards an individual’s personal information from outside prying. “Again, temporally, when the subpoena was issued, where was the investigation carried out?” Hubbard asked. All signs, he suggested, pointed to Rhode Island and Washington, D.C., as the likely venues for the case’s investigation and litigation. “One state is missing from those factors, and it’s Texas,” Hubbard said. The feds, who claim their fraud investigation is primarily centered in Texas, are arguing that the decision from U.S. Chief Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas cannot be easily invalidated. McElroy did not elect to immediately grant the child advocate’s motion to quash the subpoena on Tuesday, but she was deeply concerned with how the DOJ obtained that decision in Texas, so the bulk of McElroy’s inquisition fell upon DOJ Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General Brantley Mayers. Mayers told the judge he had joined the department in November 2025. McElroy said that, given Mayers’ somewhat fledgling status within the DOJ’s civil division, his appearance Tuesday was “unfair” to both him and the court. There was something intentional, she thought, in the DOJ’s sending a neophyte to field questions — not all of which he could answer — for a subpoena process which had started in July 2025, months before Mayers’ arrival. Mayers, who contested that take, said at one point, “I’m happy to be here.” “I’m sure you are, and I’m sure they require you to say that,” McElroy replied. At around 4:46 p.m., nearly three hours into the hearing, McElroy noted in an aside that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit had denied Rhode Island Hospital’s appeal to stay the Texas order — an outcome, Mayers argued at one point, that should prove germane to the court’s own conclusions. “They did it in one sentence, so I’m not impressed,” McElroy said. The search for search terms Still, Rhode Island Hospital had 10 months to respond to the subpoena issued in July 2025 and originally due August 2025, the feds noted in filings and in court. Lisa K. Hsiao, acting director of the DOJ’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, wrote in her declaration to the North Texas court that the hospital had produced “only one document totaling six pages,” which she cited as a failure to meaningfully comply, given that the department had requested 15 categories of documents — about five of which are patient-level data that has provoked the core of the dispute. The hospital’s counsel, Eric Olshan — a former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania — vigorously disputed some of Hsiao’s claims Tuesday. “It made us sound like we dropped off a six-page document and said, ‘See ya later,’” Olshan said, noting the hospital and the DOJ were discussing search terms — that is, what keyword and filters should be used to identify possibly responsive records — as recently as February. Olshan argued that it was actually the Justice Department which held things up. A Feb. 4 email from the hospital’s legal team about clarifying search terms went unanswered by DOJ until April 28, when trial attorney David Gunn replied, “I’ve been out a few weeks and hope all is well.” Two days later, on April 30, after a follow-up response from Rhode Island Hospital, Gunn wrote back with a copy of the proposed motion to enforce — a motion which was filed, and approved, in the District of North Texas that same day. “We are here all these months later because we relied on the conduct of the government,” Olshan said. Olshan also relayed that the feds’ stated purpose of investigation should not apply to Rhode Island Hospital, since the hospital is neither a manufacturer nor distributor of medicines used in hormone therapy for gender dysphoria. McElroy asked Olshan for his interpretation of what the DOJ is investigating. “It is confusing even in this litigation,” Olshan said. Mayers said in his arguments that physicians at the hospital might be incentivized to participate in fraudulent billing or medical coding practices. The hospital can be “witness” to such fraud, he said. U.S. Department of Justice attorneys Jordan Campbell, left, and Brantley Mayers, right, leave U.S. District Court in Providence after a Tuesday, May 12, 2026, hearing over a federal subpoena seeking Rhode Island Hospital records tied to transgender minors’ medical records. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) Hsiao’s declaration alleged that some Rhode Island Hospital providers used diagnosis or billing codes like “endocrine disorder, unspecified” or “precocious puberty” instead of “gender dysphoria” to obtain insurance coverage or payment for puberty blockers or hormones. A DOJ analysis showed that claims bearing a gender dysphoria code more than doubled from 2020 to 2025, Hsiao wrote, while claims for “endocrine disorder” saw comparable growth. Putting aside the loosening distinction between criminal and civil offenses in the DOJ’s argument, McElroy asked the feds how a broad demand for children’s medical records would help substantiate claims about provider fraud. “You chose Justice O’Connor in Texas,” McElroy said. “Just be honest enough to admit that.” “Admit what, your honor?” Mayers replied. But even if DOJ did seek out a “favorable forum,” as McElroy phrased it at one point, she maintained that she did not need to decide whether O’Connor “did something wrong.” “I don’t need to set it aside,” she said of the Texas ruling. “I’ll just quash the subpoena.” The fault, she thought, resided with the DOJ for its possible failure to tell O’Connor “the full jurisdictional landscape” before he made his decision. Hsiao’s declaration — one version of which had been partially provided sealed, or ex parte, to O’Connor — contained an assertion to which McElroy returned several times. The last time Rhode Island Hospital had contacted the DOJ, Hsiao wrote, was Feb. 4, 2026. But an email thread contained in Rhode Island Hospital’s petition for a stay — filed in the North Texas case — showed the email thread with DOJ’s Gunn, to which the hospital responded April 29 — a day before the department filed its petition in Texas. We are here all these months later because we relied on the conduct of the government. – Eric Olshan, attorney for Rhode Island Hospital “You don’t think Miss Hsiao’s statement is at best misleading?” McElroy said, adding later, “If Miss Hsiao is going to hang her hat on that being accurate, I’m not hopeful for her chances.” Another question: Had an offer been made — as it had been made to other hospitals subpoenaed for gender-related care — for Rhode Island Hospital to provide anonymized data? Olshan said the hospital had not received that offer. Mayers said he could not recall. That unresolved question prompted McElroy to squeeze a new filing out of the DOJ, a declaration the department produced by Wednesday morning. “It is probable that the Department provided this information to Rhode Island Hospital, just as the Department provided it to others; however, I do not specifically recall,” Gunn wrote. “In subsequent conversations, to the best of my recollection, Rhode Island Hospital did not provide any plan to produce patient records whether anonymized or not.” Gunn added that the DOJ was open to anonymized records only if the hospital “was willing to later unmask particular patients upon the good faith request of the Department.” “Did you inform the Texas court about the back and forth you had with Rhode Island Hospital for 10 months?” McElroy asked Mayers at one point. “Our focus was on production,” Mayers said. “So, you did not,” McElroy replied, adding later that a discussion about search terms certainly sounded like an attempt to produce. Subpoena is suspiciously vast in scope The Justice Department also supported its attempt to counter the child advocate’s motion by referring to the doctrine of collateral attack. The doctrine looks down upon the use of one District Court as a proxy venue to challenge another court’s decision. But, McElroy said from the bench, the doctrine is not as one-directional as DOJ suggests, especially if the original court lacked information in its decisionmaking. You chose Justice O’Connor in Texas. Just be honest enough to admit that. – U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy to DOJ Assistant Attorney General Brantley Mayers When Mayers said the doctrine precludes actions such as the child advocate’s, McElroy replied, “Or allow. Or allow. The corollary is ‘allow.’ You want to focus on ‘preclude.’” McElroy thought the DOJ’s subpoena was suspiciously vast, so vast, in fact, that she said she had not seen one quite so far-reaching in her 25 years of experience. Furthermore, the judge offered, it is not at all unusual that when an entity like a hospital is subpoenaed, it contacts the patients or people whose information would be affected by any resulting disclosure. So, those people may, in turn, file their own motions to quash. Motions to quash such subpoenas, she argued, will inevitably multiply. The DOJ, McElroy said, “should be prepared to field thousands — tens of thousands, maybe — of motions to quash.” McElroy also referenced the Rhode Island court’s recent release of an undocumented man with a murder charge in the Dominican Republic, a crime which had not been communicated but rather actively hidden from the court by ICE. “We’re at the end of our tether with the DOJ making false representations to this district,” she said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. 9:48 pmUpdated with U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy's ruling Wednesday night. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	In Utah, still a national hotspot, measles cases hit 663 Vials of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed on a counter at a Walgreens Pharmacy on Jan. 26, 2015. (Photo by Illustration Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)With at least 663 measles cases confirmed, Utah continues to be a national hotspot — but the state’s outbreak, while still active, appears to be tapering. As of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ last update to the state’s measles tracker on Tuesday, so far 466 Utahns have been diagnosed with measles so far this year — on top of 197 diagnosed last year. Over the last three weeks, the number of Utahns with measles reported to public health officials was 37. That’s compared to 121 during a three-week span leading into April, when Utah’s measles outbreak became the most active in the U.S. after South Carolina’s outbreak tapered. Utah now ‘epicenter’ of U.S. measles outbreak Utah’s ongoing measles outbreak is the biggest the state has seen in more than 40 years, Utah epidemiologist Leisha Nolen has said. According to Utah’s measles dashboard, the biggest hotspots in the state include: The Southwest Utah Public Health Department’s jurisdiction, which includes Washington, Iron, Kane, Beaver and Garfield counties. There, 263 cases have been reported as of Tuesday. Utah County, with 109 cases. Salt Lake County, with 62 cases (the same number reported since early April). The TriCounty Health Department’s area, which includes Daggett, Duchesne and Uintah counties, with 73 cases. The Central Utah Public Health Department’s area, which includes Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier and Wayne counties, with 83 cases. Of the state’s 663 confirmed cases, 51 people have been hospitalized. About 430 are under the age of 18, while 233 are adults. The state reported 567 Utahns who have been diagnosed with measles were not vaccinated, while 64 were, and 32 have an unknown vaccination status. On the state’s website, Utah health officials maintain a running list of “exposure locations” where Utahns may have come into contact with a person infected with measles. “Because measles is spreading in Utah, there may be other exposures or exposure locations that we are unaware of and are not listed here,” state health officials say on the state’s exposure locations website. “As soon as a new exposure location is confirmed, we add it to the list below. The list is updated throughout the week. If you have questions about any of the exposure locations, contact your local health department.” How to recognize measles and what to do Measles symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure, according to health experts. Early symptoms include a high fever (of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), cough, runny nose, or red eyes. A rash will also usually appear after four days of fever. State health officials encourage anyone who develops symptoms to stay away from other people and call your healthcare provider before going to a clinic or a hospital to prevent others from being exposed. Health officials also encourage parents to talk to their doctors about giving an early, extra dose of the MMR vaccine to their infants who are older than 6 months and younger than 12 months to protect them amid the outbreak, even if they haven’t been exposed to someone with measles. Health officials usually recommend that infants who are 6 months to 12 months old get an early, extra dose of the vaccine if they are traveling internationally or to an area where measles is spreading. But “given the high levels of measles in Utah, it is now appropriate to consider this early, extra dose for all Utah infants of this age,” state health officials say on the health department’s website. “Any infant who gets a dose before 12 months old will need to get 2 later doses in accordance with the standard vaccination schedule at 12–15 months and then a dose at 4–6 years.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Utah News Dispatch
	Inmates quarantined at Hill Correctional Center following exposure to virus causing shingles Visits to Hill Correctional Center were canceled beginning Saturday, but visitation was restored for anyone not in a quarantine unit on Wednesday, May 13.
	Run for Hope fundraiser combines fitness and cancer support This year's 5K or 1-mile fun run will be on June 27 in Coal Valley. You can personalize race bibs to recognize someone you're running for. Here's how to sign up.
	NC Senate bill seeks to cut adult care home inspections The North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)A bill moving through the N.C. Senate would eliminate some inspections of adult care homes that a powerful Republican legislator says are unnecessary and duplicative. Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett), sponsor of Senate Bill 863, said the bill grew from talks with home operators. Burgin said he does not want to compromise safety, but that too many state and local agencies have overlapping inspection responsibilities. Sen. Jim Burgin (Photo: NCGA) “When we’re inspecting for pest control eight times, we need to have a conversation,” Burgin told the Senate Health Care Committee, which endorsed the bill Wednesday. Burgin said the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has concerns about the bill. Janssen White, DHHS assistant secretary for government affairs, would not answer questions about the bill after the committee meeting and directed reporters to the agency’s communications office. In an emailed statement, DHHS said that with any legislation about adult care homes, “we want to ensure there is no negative impact on resident safety at these facilities. NCDHHS will continue to work collaboratively with our partners at the NCGA throughout the legislative process.” Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) suggested the bill be sent to a study committee or an oversight committee to examine the issue and dig into the details. “I think I understand what you’re trying to do,” she said. “This also seems very broad.” The committee did not act on her suggestion. Work on the bill will continue, Burgin said, and it is likely to change. Adult care homes are for people who have difficulty with “activities of daily living” such as eating, bathing, or dressing. They are also home to people with cognitive impairments that may jeopardize their safety. State appeals court rules DHHS can be held liable for both lax and overzealous adult care home oversight A division of DHHS is responsible for routine inspections and for investigating complaints. Adult care homes are also inspected by multiple state and local agencies that check for working fire alarms and sprinkler systems, cleanliness, and health and safety issues, according to information Burgin provided. Under the bill, if an adult care home passes an inspection by the Adult Care Licensure Section at DHHS, the results are good for three months. Those results would be accepted by other state or local agency looking to do a similar inspection. Burgin said the bill is directed at non-emergency inspections, and investigations into complaints would remain unchanged. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	With $9.87M in funding available, WV First Foundation to open new grant cycle in June West Virginia First Foundation's Community Catalyst Grant will fund community-based programs with $9.87 million over three years. (Photo by Leann Ray/West Virginia Watch)The West Virginia First Foundation will open up another grant cycle that will run from June 1 to June 30, where the organization will give out up to 18 awards totalling $9.87 million over a three year period. Awards for the new Community Catalyst Grant funds will be targeted toward three specific areas: reducing substance use, strengthening public safety responses and supporting reentry and rehabilitation. Per a news release from the First Foundation, up to six awards will be given in each of the target areas listed. Only one award will be given per a region. To view how regions are defined by the First Foundation, click here. The grant cycle will open at midnight on June 1, with applications due by noon on June 30. Each organization interested in receiving funds can only enter one application for the cycle, per the First Foundation. The money will be allocated over a three year period, with continued funding contingent upon yearly performance checks. Per the Request for Applications published by the First Foundation, each award for public safety response and reentry and rehabilitation will total $166,667 annually. Those receiving awards for general prevention efforts could see $215,000 annually. Awards will be further split and disbursed quarterly for those selected to receive them. Any organizations who have questions about the grant cycle have until noon on May 20 to submit them to the First Foundation. Questions should be answered by May 26, and applications will be eligible to be filed the next week. On May 26, the First Foundation will post a grant portal video tutorial and a comprehensive FAQ to help applicants with their applications. Entities selected to receive awards will be notified by Dec. 31, per the First Foundation. Applications entered should include the following information, which will be used to select successful applicants: an overview of the organization, a project narrative detailing who will be served by the proposed project and how, information on staffing and capacity, details on participants and planned outreach efforts, program impact and sustainability and insights into how the success of the project will be measured. This is the third official grant cycle opened by the First Foundation, a private nonprofit created by the Legislature in 2023 to disburse the state’s share of funds from litigation against drug manufacturers and distributors. To date, the First Foundation has allocated nearly $40 million in grant funds to organizations across the state working in the substance use disorder field. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of West Virginia Watch
	Coroner names 3-year-old shot and killed while responding to hostage situation in Bureau County On Sunday, police responded to a domestic disturbance call that escalated into police firing their weapons. 3-year-old Damian Camacho was killed.
	Dordt University to build stormwater pond with state water quality investment Dordt University will use state dollars to construct a stormwater pond on campus. (Photo courtesy of Dordt University)Dordt University will use awarded state funds to expand its stormwater management on campus, one of several urban water quality projects across the state to see support. The Sioux Center private university announced in a news release Wednesday it will receive $430,000 from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to construct a stormwater pond in a natural drainage area to help minimize peak flows and downstream erosion and flooding, as well as improve water quality. While further details on the project are not yet available, the release stated the wet detention pond will also serve as an educational tool for different disciplines and a recreational area. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “This project will allow us to meet practical infrastructure needs while also creating something that contributes positively to the campus environment,” said Vice President of Operations Fred Verwoerd in the release. “Rather than simply installing a detention basin, we are creating a feature that can support biodiversity, improve water quality, and provide an attractive natural space for students and the broader community.” Sioux Center was one of four communities selected for this year’s first round of urban water quality projects, the release stated. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship identified Belle Plaine, Hiawatha and Humboldt in its own release as the other communities to see state investments for water quality, totaling $1.24 million in committed funds. Local sources will provide an additional $2.1 million to these projects, the release stated. The City of Belle Plaine will receive a $410,000 investment from the state agency to continue its wetland restoration project, and the Humboldt County Soil and Water Conservation District will use $5,000 to establish an initiative to support residents in establishing native pollinator habitats with water quality benefits, like deep rooted plants. The City of Hiawatha will also create a stormwater pond with its $395,000 investment, with vegetative buffers, soil quality restoration, an area to capture sediment from runoff and opportunities for urban fishing. “From the field to the faucet, there is more work to do to improve water quality in Iowa, and that means continuing to invest in both agricultural and urban conservation alongside water treatment infrastructure,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig in the release. “I appreciate the communities across Iowa—large and small—that have stepped up and said yes to these projects. Everyone has a role to play in conservation, and these locally led efforts are making a real difference. This work doesn’t happen overnight. It takes commitment, collaboration, and a willingness to do the hard, boots-on-the-ground work. Improving water quality in Iowa is nonnegotiable and it is a shared responsibility for all of us.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Knox County clerk pushes for more federal election funding during D.C. trip Scott Erickson said it will cost Knox County $70,000 to run elections this year. He said increased, stable federal funding would ease the burden on local taxpayers.
	Have you seen these suspects? Crime Stoppers wants to know! Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities wants your help catching two fugitives. It’s an Our Quad Cities News exclusive. You can get an elevated reward for information on this week’s cases: DAVID STALEY, 39, 5’6”, 160 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes. Wanted by Scott County Sheriff’s Department for probation violation on convictions for sex offender [...]
	HCMC served patients from 86 of 87 counties in 2025 Hennepin Healthcare’s Hennepin County Medical Center, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County Medical Center — the state’s largest safety net hospital on the verge of financial collapse — served patients from all but one Minnesota county in 2025. The vast majority of patients served by Hennepin Healthcare, which operates HCMC as well as community clinics, live in Hennepin County. But many patients from other counties are transferred from outside the metro area because the hospital offers specialized services not widely available elsewhere in the state. The hospital has the state’s largest emergency department and trauma center and a vital burn unit, for example. With just days left in the legislative session, lawmakers are debating multiple proposals to rescue the hospital from potential closure. Proposals include one-time money or an increase to a Hennepin County sales tax currently allocated to fund Target Field, the Twins ballpark. Part of the ongoing debate at the Legislature is whether HCMC is a state asset deserving of state help, or the county’s responsibility. HCMC treated 114,614 individual patients in 2025 — nearly 1 in 50 Minnesotans — which added up to 702,283 inpatient and outpatient cases, according to county data. Of those cases, over 95% were from the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, with the remaining roughly 26,800 from other counties. Mahnomen, a county of 5,000 in the White Earth Reservation, was the only county HCMC didn’t serve. window.addEventListener("message", function(event) { var message = JSON.parse(event.data); if (message.sender == "Flourish" && message.context == "iframe.resize") { src = message.src.replace(/#.+$/, ""); vizFrame = document.querySelector('iframe[src="' + src + '"]'); vizFrame.setAttribute('height', message.height); } }); HCMC, which is a major source of both charity care and services for people on Medicaid, has projected operating losses of $40 to $50 million in 2026 and up to $1.7 billion over the next decade from federal Medicaid cuts. The hospital’s importance to the entire state, and not just Hennepin County, has been repeatedly stressed by other hospital systems, such as Allina, and organizations representing healthcare workers at the Capitol. In a statement, the Association of Minnesota Counties, which represents all Minnesota counties, wrote that the loss of HCMC “would place extraordinary pressure on emergency departments and trauma systems statewide, creating delays in care and increasing strain on already stretched health systems.” The DFL-majority Minnesota Senate already passed $150 million in one-time direct aid for the hospital as part of its $700 million Health and Human Services budget bill in April, with an additional $114.8 million in grants to stabilize other hospitals. Hennepin County is advocating for the sales tax increase and not just one-time aid, county spokesperson Joshua Yetman said, because “the financial challenges facing Hennepin Healthcare are not one-time gaps; they are structural and growing over time.” But Republicans, who control a share of the Minnesota House, have been opposed to any tax increases, which means the House may also favor one-time money. Courtesy of Minnesota Reformer
	More heat, more pests: Top tips to safeguard your lawn before summer More heat, more pests: Top tips to safeguard your lawn before summerWarmer weather brings outdoor pests back in full force, and they may cause yard damage before you even notice that they’re there. Each season and agronomic region brings its own set of growing challenges. From root-chewing grubs, plant-piercing chinch bugs, to fire ant nests, what you do now to protect your lawn matters.TruGreen shares a few simple lawn maintenance habits to follow to help keep pests under control.Early signs of lawn pest infestationThere are a few early signs of pest damage that may be mistaken for other problems:Patchiness and discoloration (often mistaken for drought)Irregular wilting (that doesn’t resolve with watering)Spongy or easily lifted sod (common with grub damage, later in the season)Unresolved problems from the prior year (assess the past to predict future reoccurrence)These visible signs of lawn stress are often misdiagnosed, and missing the cause of the distressed lawn can delay an appropriate response. One way to fix this problem? Regular inspection throughout the year helps catch issues early.“Assessing your lawn regularly and scouting for issues — especially after warm, hot dry or hot wet periods of time — is the best way to catch problems before they reach damaging levels,” says Brian Feldman, senior director of technical operations at TruGreen. “Having a professional consultant to discuss what you are seeing daily helps to diagnose issues and thwart pressure more rapidly. That partnership is critical to long-term landscape health and beauty.”Common pests that may be lurking in your turfDifferent pests damage lawns in different ways: some below the surface and others above. A few common culprits include:White grubs: Feed on the grassroots, causing turf to loosen and peel back; damage often appears as brown patches.Billbugs: Larvae damage stems and roots, causing plants to wither and dieArmyworms, cutworms, sod webworms: Chew grass blades, leaving notches or bare spots; damage may appear quickly during active feeding periods.Chinch bugs, aphids: Extract fluids from grass blades, causing yellowing that can resemble drought stress.How to make your yard less welcoming to biting, stinging pestsCommon outdoor nuisance pests like mosquitoes are inevitable during the warm-weather months. However, these pests damage your yard and can pose a health risk to your family and pets. The good news is that there are ways to limit exposure and combat pests if they do make themselves at home on your property.Mosquitoes: “Mosquitoes breed anywhere there is standing water, so regularly inspect kiddie pools, toys, plant trays, garbage cans, and clogged gutters,” said Feldman. “Overgrown grass and shady spots give mosquitoes places to hide. Keeping your lawn mowed and dense vegetation trimmed removes resting spots.”Fire ants: Fire ants are aggressive pests that bite and sting. They live in colonies, building large mounds that provide a telltale sign that fire ants have invaded your yard. Once fire ants begin to build mounds on your lawn, they will continue building more until stopped. Keeping a well-maintained yard and avoiding leaving food out, including pet food, are two effective ways to reduce the risk of an infestation.Ticks and fleas: “The condition of your lawn plays a major role in whether fleas and ticks settle there,” said Feldman. “Fleas thrive in warm temperatures and hide in moist, shaded spaces. Ticks prefer tall grasses, wooded areas, and dense shrubs. A healthy, well-maintained landscape is one of the best defenses. To prevent fleas, avoid overwatering, remove leaves and other debris regularly, and keep garden beds tidy. Likewise, keeping grass mowed to the recommended height, avoiding tall ornamental grasses near high-traffic areas, and installing a 3-foot-wide strip of wood chips or gravel between wooded areas and your lawn are some of the best ways to prevent tick migration.”Protecting trees and shrubsSpring and fall are the best times of year for planting new trees and shrubs to improve the look of your yard, but success depends on how well you maintain your new plantings.“Spring into summer is the ideal time to begin fertilization treatments as part of a comprehensive tree and shrub care strategy,” said Feldman. “Fertilized landscape plants produce greener, larger leaves, increased flowering, and better overall plant health and vigor. Without proper nutrients in the soil, they will not reach their full potential and can show signs of decline, including poor leaf color, stunted growth, and reduced resistance to insects and disease.”Landscape plants and shrubs also need to be protected from pests, especially new plantings, just like your turfgrass.“Trees and shrubs can be affected by a wide range of pests depending on local climate and plant type, including aphids, scale insects, Japanese beetles, leaf spot, and powdery mildew,” said Feldman. “Left untreated, these issues can weaken plants, reduce growth, and lead to long-term damage.”Late spring and summer pests are a part of warm-weather life, but how you prepare for them can make a big difference. Closely monitoring your lawn when it’s warm and wet outside, regularly watering and fertilizing trees and shrubs, and maintaining a well-kept yard are a few simple ways to keep pests in check.If you spot the early warning signs and stay on top of basic lawn care with the help of a professional, you’ll be in much better shape heading into summer.This story was produced by TruGreen and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Eldridge Police part of Indianapolis child exploitation investigation Police in Eldridge recently helped the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in an online child exploitation investigation. A news release from the Eldridge Police Department said the two departments worked together to arrest a 56-year-old man from Indianapolis after an undercover investigation. An investigator from the Eldridge Police Department’s Special Investigations/Internet Crimes Against Children Unit engaged [...]
	Foreign ticket holders from World Cup teams' countries won't have to pay bonds to enter U.S. The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and bought tickets for the tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the U.S.
	NC musicians, concert venues join lawmakers in push to ban reseller bots, ticket fraud Heather LaGarde, center, owns Haw River Ballroom, a venue with a capacity of 750, in Saxapahaw, N.C. She spoke at a news conference in Raleigh on May 13, 2026. (Photo: Laura Leslie/NC Newsline)Heather LaGarde owns Haw River Ballroom, a venue with a capacity of 750 in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Fifteen years ago, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings were the first band to ever perform at Haw River Ballroom. The group came back recently on tour. “They were doing it in 6,000-person theaters across the nation, but they chose North Carolina. They chose little Saxapahaw to do a special two-night run, which is incredible,” LaGarde told reporters Wednesday. “It’s life-saving for little venues like ours, and we love them dearly, and everyone wants to get into that show.” Both nights of the show sold out in four minutes, leaving upset would-be concertgoers calling the ballroom. LaGarde estimates reseller bots snatched up least 100 tickets from each night. During the show, people lined up outside but couldn’t get in without a valid ticket. But there were still empty spots inside that she thinks were purchased by bots. “We had really reduced bar sales, which hits your venues very hard because you don’t have your full capacity,” LaGarde said. “The bands had really reduced merch sales, which they rely on so much for their bottom line.” LaGarde is one of the venue owners and musicians joining lawmakers to support legislation that would impose tougher penalties for fraudulent concert ticket sales in North Carolina and limit the number that can be bought by reseller bots. Senate Bill 849, “Real Tickets, Real Fans Act,” would implement more regulations for second- and third-party sellers, targeting price gouging and fraudulent sales of concert tickets. Under the legislation, resellers would need to clearly identify themselves as resellers, not the box office, official artists or venue partner. The bill would also ban impersonators fooling fans into thinking they’re buying directly from the source. Resellers would need to provide an active link directly to the primary seller, giving fans a choice to view the original listing. Additionally, the measure would ban the sale of speculative tickets, which aren’t in the possession of a reseller at the time of listing, sale or advertisement. Beware UNC-Duke basketball ticket scams, NC AG Jeff Jackson says The bill would also ban software scalpers from using bots to purchase tickets before real fans can even load the page, according to primary sponsor Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake). Artists and musicians play a key role in driving tourism in North Carolina, Chaudhuri said. The measure would help preserve that industry. “Those economic contributions deserve the same marketplace protections we extend to every other industry so our constituents and our fans don’t need a fraud-detection course to buy a concert ticket,” Chaudhuri added. When Jason Isbell came, LaGarde said, he and the venue agreed to sell the tickets for $25, but resellers listed them on fake sites for $700, according to LaGarde. A woman surprised her husband with a ticket as an anniversary gift to see his favorite artist, LaGarde said. Upon arriving, she learned the ticket was fake. “She’s sobbing outside the door, she’s hysterical,” LaGarde said. “This is her gift of the year to her husband, and it’s a fake ticket.” In cases like those, venue owners can relay the story to the artist, and in some instances, the artist still allows them in, but neither the venue nor the artist ever sees any of the money paid for the ticket. “We cannot sustain that when it’s 100 fake tickets. The artists can’t sustain it. We can’t work as businesses and artists that way,” LaGarde said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. LaGarde said fans who buy these overpriced or fake tickets often blame the venue or the artist. But she said fraudulent sellers set up sites that look like they belong to the venue. “We’ve had websites say they’re Haw River Ballroom that are using pictures from the Sydney Opera House, and people buy tickets there. You know, they’re using seating charts. We don’t have seats,” LaGarde explained. “Every time, they’re very angry with us,” LaGarde said. “‘Why was it $700 when it’s still on sale for $25, and why is this fake? And where is my front row seat? Where is my VIP treatment?’” The bill has bipartisan support in the state Senate with both Democratic and Republican sponsors, including Sen. Vickie Sawyer (R-Iredell). But Sawyer said Wednesday the proposal also has plenty of powerful detractors. “I thought, ‘Well, this is going to be a simple bill. It’s a no-brainer. Protect people, right?” Sawyer said. “Well, it’s not. What we’ve learned is that it is fraught with special interests and folks who want this bill to fail.” Asked for more detail, Chaudhuri said they’ve had pushback from secondary reseller sites who argue that it restricts a fan’s ability to resell their ticket. ”Nothing in this bill actually restricts that from happening. But what we’re trying to do is crack down on very predatory practices that are taking place,” Chaudhuri said. NC Newsline contacted StubHub and SeatGeek, two of the largest ticket resale firms. Neither immediately responded to our request for comment on the proposed legislation. Courtesy of NC Newsline
	Scott County auditor announces absentee voting for June 2nd primary election Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins is reminding voters absentee voting, early and in-person voting, begins Wednesday.
	Knox County clerk joins delegation in D.C. to advocate for more local election funding Scott Erickson said it will cost Knox County $70,000 to run elections this year. He said increased, stable federal funding would ease the burden on local taxpayers.
	How to raise seed funding for your startup How to raise seed funding for your startup in 2026You've built something real, and your product works. Customers are interested, but your bank account tells a different story. The gap between what you've created and what it takes to scale feels impossibly wide. This is where most founders find themselves when they start thinking about seed funding.Early-stage capital came back in 2025, but access narrowed. Valuations rose, round counts stayed low, and more capital concentrated in larger, AI-heavy financings. Carta reported a median of 616 days from seed to Series A close in mid-2025, a gap that shapes how much runway you need to plan for. Founders who approach fundraising without a clear strategy waste precious time chasing the wrong investors or accepting unfavorable terms.The 2025 seed market split into two distinct tiers, covered in detail below, and which one you're in shapes everything from your valuation to your timeline. Brex shares what to do once you've decided seed is the right stage.What is seed funding?Seed funding is the first significant external capital a startup raises after bootstrapping or collecting small amounts from friends and family. It typically ranges from $500,000 to $5 million, though competitive sectors push higher. The money funds product development, initial hiring, and early go-to-market efforts. The distinction between how the two funding stages differ comes down to traction, team, and whether you have a product gaining measurable momentum.This stage matters because it determines your runway and your leverage. A well-structured seed round gives you 18 to 24 months to hit the milestones that will attract Series A investors. Your seed round also sets the valuation baseline for every future raise, making the terms you accept now carry consequences for years. But before getting into the mechanics, there's an important context shift that changes how you should read the rest of this guide.The two-tier seed market since 2025Most seed funding guides are written as if all seed rounds work the same way. That hasn't been true for a while, and understanding the split matters before you start building your investor list.On one end, AI-focused startups commanded 42% of all global seed dollars in 2025, up from 30% the year before. Investors at the top of the market moved faster, wrote bigger checks, and cared less about traditional traction metrics when the founder had the right pedigree or a model already showing early product-market fit. On the other end, among U.S. seed rounds tracked by Crunchbase, smaller rounds between $200,000 and $5 million fell from 70% of all seed dollars in 2018 to just 26% in 2025. That doesn't mean those rounds aren't happening. It means the capital concentration has shifted upward, and founders raising in that range face more competition for fewer available dollars.Your strategy depends on which tier applies to you. If you're building an AI company with strong early traction, you may command a higher valuation than this guide's benchmarks suggest. If you're building outside AI, in SaaS, commerce, fintech, or hardware, the traditional playbook still applies, but expect tighter due diligence, more conservative valuations, and longer timelines than founders in the AI bracket see.How to raise a seed roundThe startup fundraising process follows a predictable sequence, even when individual outcomes vary wildly. Breaking it into discrete steps helps you focus on what matters at each phase.Step 1. Calculate your target raise amountStart with the number, not the investors. Map out your business startup costs for the next 18 to 24 months, including salaries, infrastructure, marketing spend, and a buffer for unexpected expenses. Most founders underestimate by 20%-30%. Add that cushion to your baseline.Your target should give you enough runway to hit clear milestones that make you Series A ready. The ARR threshold that Series A investors expect has risen significantly. Carta-tracked investors cited benchmarks ranging from $1 million to $5 million or more in ARR, depending on sector, growth rate, and market conditions, so define your specific milestone with your target investors in mind rather than assuming a fixed number. Hardware companies need working prototypes and manufacturing partnerships. Define your milestone first, then work backward to the funding amount. Knowing your startup burn rate before you start modeling will make this calculation more accurate.Step 2. Build your investor listCreate a tiered list of 80 to 100 potential investors. Your first tier includes investors who have funded companies in your space at your stage. Your second tier covers investors who match on stage but not sector. Your third tier serves as backup volume.Research each investor's recent deals, check sizes, and stated thesis areas. Reaching out to an investor who only writes $5 million checks when you're raising $1 million wastes everyone's time. Use LinkedIn, Crunchbase, and your network to find warm introductions wherever possible.Step 3. Prepare your materialsYou need a pitch deck, a financial model, and a data room. Your deck should run 10 to 15 slides covering problem, solution, market size, business model, traction, team, and ask. Your financial model should show three years of projections with clear assumptions. Your data room holds everything an investor will request during due diligence.Practice your pitch until you can deliver it in 3 minutes, 10 minutes, or 30 minutes. The 3-minute version matters most because most initial conversations happen quickly.Step 4. Run a parallel processContact your top 20 investors within the same two-week window. Running parallel conversations creates natural urgency and gives you leverage when term sheets arrive. Staggering your outreach lets investors wait each other out.Track every conversation in a CRM or spreadsheet. Note the date of each interaction, the next step, and any concerns raised. Follow up within 48 hours of every meeting. Momentum matters more than perfection.Step 5. Negotiate terms carefullyWhen term sheets arrive, focus on valuation, liquidation preferences, board composition, and pro-rata rights. Valuation gets the most attention, but the other terms can matter more in a downside scenario. A higher valuation with aggressive liquidation preferences can leave founders with less than a lower valuation with clean terms.Get a startup-focused attorney to review every document. The $5,000 to $15,000 in legal fees pays for itself many times over. Good legal counsel catches issues you won't see.How to arrive at your startup valuationValuation is the term sheet line that gets the most attention, but most founders approach it backward. They pick a number that feels ambitious and defend it. The better approach is to anchor to market data and build from there.Start by researching post-money valuations for comparable seed-stage companies in your sector and geography. Crunchbase, AngelList, and Carta's public benchmarking data are all useful starting points. Once you have a sample of five to 10 comparable rounds, target the mean or up to 25% above it if your traction metrics justify it. "25% above the mean" isn't arbitrary; it's a negotiating position you can defend with data.A few factors adjust the baseline meaningfully. First-time founders at the same traction level typically command lower valuations than repeat founders. Bay Area rounds run higher than comparable rounds in most other markets. AI companies receive a structural premium right now that may not persist, so price your expectations accordingly.Where you can find seed capitalNot all capital is equal. Different sources bring different expectations, timelines, and nonfinancial value, and mixing them strategically is often how the best seed rounds get built. Most successful seed rounds combine multiple sources. A typical structure pairs a VC lead with angel follow-on participation, using nondilutive grants to extend runway without additional equity sacrifice.Angel investorsAngels move faster than institutions, take more concentrated risk, and often bring networks that matter more than their check.Venture capital firmsVenture capital firms pool money from institutional investors and deploy it across portfolios of startups. Seed-stage VC funds typically write checks between $500,000 and $2 million. They bring pattern recognition from seeing hundreds of companies, connections to future investors, and hands-on operational support.The tradeoff involves higher expectations and more formal governance. VCs need portfolio companies to swing for significant outcomes because their fund economics require big wins. A company targeting $20 million in annual revenue is often a great business but a poor VC investment. VCs also move slowly relative to angels, with six to 12 weeks from first meeting to term sheet.Top-tier seed VCs are now making decisions faster for companies they want. They've moved from slow diligence to high-conviction calls based on distribution, retention, and founder instinct. If a fund is interested, you'll know quickly. If you're three weeks in and still getting vague follow-up, that's a signal too. A VC seed round often includes board representation. That accountability cuts both ways. Make sure your working style aligns with any investor who will have a seat at the table.AcceleratorsAccelerator programs provide capital, mentorship, and cohort-based support in exchange for equity. Y Combinator's current deal is $125,000 for 7% equity plus a $375,000 uncapped MFN SAFE. Techstars updated its terms in April 2025 to $20,000 for 5% common equity plus a $200,000 uncapped MFN SAFE. Both structures split the investment across two instruments, so the total capital is larger than the headline equity check suggests.The real value extends far past the check. Top accelerators provide access to investor networks that would otherwise take years to build. Demo day events put you in front of hundreds of potential investors in a single afternoon. The equity cost runs higher per dollar than other sources. You're paying for the programming and access, not just the capital. This makes sense for first-time founders without existing investor relationships.Crowdfunding platformsEquity crowdfunding lets you raise capital from large numbers of nonaccredited investors through SEC-regulated platforms. Regulation Crowdfunding allows raises up to $5 million annually. Companies like Republic and Wefunder facilitate these campaigns, handling compliance and investor management. Crowdfunding works well for consumer products with built-in audiences. Your customers become investors, which deepens their loyalty and creates built-in marketing.Campaigns require significant marketing effort. You'll spend weeks driving traffic to your raise page. Managing hundreds of small investors creates administrative overhead, even with platform support. Traditional VCs sometimes view crowdfunded companies with skepticism.Government grantsFederal and state governments offer non-dilutive funding for startups in specific sectors, particularly deep tech, biotech, defense, and energy. The Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) is the most common entry point, but check current solicitations for award amounts rather than relying on published caps. The program lapsed after September 2025 and was reauthorized in April 2026, and published figures have not been fully harmonized across official pages. The SBA provides detailed guidance on eligibility and application processes.The main advantage is nondilutive capital. Winning a competitive federal award also signals technical credibility to follow-on investors in a way that's hard to manufacture otherwise.The application process demands significant time investment. SBIR applications often run 25 to 50 pages and require detailed technical and commercial plans. Review cycles take four to six months. Grant funding works best as a complement to other capital, not a primary strategy.Revenue-based financingRevenue-based financing provides capital in exchange for a percentage of future revenue until a repayment cap is reached. Typical terms across providers involve repaying 1.1 to 1.5 times the principal over 12 to 24 months. This option suits companies with predictable revenue who want to avoid dilution. A SaaS company with $50,000 in monthly recurring revenue can access $500,000 in growth capital while keeping full ownership. The cost of capital exceeds traditional debt but involves no equity sacrifice.Revenue-based financing doesn't work for pre-revenue companies. You need a consistent income to qualify and repay. The ongoing revenue share also reduces cash available for other expenses, which can constrain growth in capital-intensive periods. Explore business lines of credit for startups for additional nondilutive options.Factors that shape your seed funding decisionHow much to raise, from whom, and on what terms are decisions you can get technically right and still get wrong if you haven’t thought clearly about your own situation. These three factors tend to matter most.Your tolerance for dilutionEvery dollar of equity funding costs ownership. The question isn't whether dilution is bad. It's whether the capital fuels enough growth to make your smaller percentage more valuable in absolute terms. A founder who owns 60% of a $10 million company has less than one who owns 40% of a $50 million company. Understanding startup equity compensation helps you structure deals that keep everyone aligned.Some founders prioritize control and accept slower growth to preserve equity. Others prioritize speed and accept more dilution to capture market windows. Neither approach is wrong, but your answer should be intentional rather than reactive.The nonfinancial support you needMoney is the baseline. What else do you need? A first-time founder benefits enormously from experienced board members who have built companies in their industry before. A serial entrepreneur with deep networks often prefers passive investors who won't add meetings to the calendar. Consider whether you need introductions to enterprise customers, technical advisors, or recruiting help. Different funding sources deliver different types of support, and matching your needs to the investor profile matters as much as the check size.Market timing and competitive pressureSome markets reward fast movers with lasting advantages. Others favor patient builders who wait for technology or regulation to mature. If three well-funded competitors are racing toward the same opportunity, underfunding means losing. If you're building in an emerging category with room for multiple winners, capital efficiency matters more than speed. That decision also interacts with which tier of the current market you're in. Analyze your startup growth strategies before deciding on funding pace.Can a solo founder raise a seed round?Solo founders can raise seed rounds, but the odds are materially lower than most guides suggest. That's not a reason to give up. The core investor concern isn't really about being solo. It's about whether you can recruit. Investors backing a single founder are betting that person can attract the engineers, operators, and executives the company will need. They want to know why there's no co-founder, and what that signals about your ability to bring people in.The most effective counter to that concern is to show evidence of recruiting ability before you're in the room. If you have advisors with strong credentials, team members ready to join post-funding, or a track record of building teams at previous companies, make that visible. Some founders go further and bring on a committed co-founder after the round closes, establishing the agreement in advance. That approach can work, but investors will want to see the arrangement formalized.Traction matters more for solo founders than for teams. Strong retention numbers, paying customers, or a fast-growing waitlist reduce the team risk question significantly. If the product is working, the lone-founder concern shrinks. If you're pre-traction, the bar is higher.Common seed funding mistakesUnderstanding the mechanics of a raise is only half the job. These are the mistakes that derail founders who have the right product and the right investors lined up but still get it wrong.Raising too little to reach the next milestoneFounders often underestimate costs and overestimate progress. They raise 12 months of runway when they need 18. The result is a bridge round from a position of weakness or a fire sale when cash runs low. This mistake destroys more startups than bad products.Add 30% to your initial budget estimate. Build your financial model with conservative revenue assumptions and realistic hiring timelines. Identify the specific metrics you need to hit for Series A eligibility and work backward to the required runway. Create a startup budget that accounts for delays and unexpected expenses, and review it monthly against actuals.Optimizing for valuation over termsA high valuation feels like validation. But valuation is one line in a term sheet full of provisions that matter more in a downside scenario. Aggressive liquidation preferences, participating preferred structures, and restrictive covenants can all leave founders with less than a cleaner deal at a lower number would have.Understand every term before you sign. Ask your attorney to walk through the downside scenarios for each provision. A clean $8 million valuation often beats a messy $12 million when you account for all the terms.Taking money from misaligned investorsNot every check is worth cashing. Investors who need quick returns, expect unrealistic growth rates, or want control that doesn't match their ownership stake create ongoing friction. These relationships sour faster than founders expect. Reference check every investor before you close. Talk to founders of their portfolio companies, including the ones that struggled. Ask specifically about how the investor behaved when things went wrong.Neglecting financial infrastructureFounders focus on fundraising and then forget to build systems for managing the money they raised. Set up dedicated business banking, expense management, and accounting processes before the wire hits your account. Know how to track business expenses from day one. Cash flow problems, missed payments, and compliance gaps erode investor confidence fast.Missing milestones after raisingHigher seed valuations mean less margin for error. Investors who wrote a check at a $15 million post-money valuation may expect a Series A at $40 to $60 million. Miss your milestones and the next round gets harder, not just because you need more traction but because your cap table creates a math problem for new investors.Raise for the milestones you can actually hit, not the ones that sound most impressive. Being conservative in what you promise and then overdelivering is a far better position than raising on an aggressive growth story and coming up short. Investors have longer memories than founders sometimes expect.Best practices for managing seed capitalMonthly financial reviewsSchedule a recurring monthly session to review actual spending against your budget. Compare burn rate to projections and identify categories running over or under plan. Unmanaged cash flow catches up with startups faster than most founders expect. Track runway remaining as a primary metric. Your target should stay above 12 months until you're actively raising your next round. When it drops below nine months, treat it as an emergency.Spending approval workflowsCreate clear thresholds for spending authority. Individual contributors can approve purchases under $500, while managers can handle up to $5,000. Anything larger can be set to require founder sign-off. Document your spending policies in a corporate credit card policy that everyone on your team understands.Cash reserve managementKeep two to three months of operating expenses in a separate, higher-earning account from your operating funds. This buffer protects against timing mismatches between payables and receivables. A business sweep account can automate this separation. Track your cash position weekly at a minimum. Daily visibility is better during high-burn periods.Investor reporting cadenceSend monthly updates to your investors even when they don't ask for them. Include key metrics, wins, challenges, and specific asks for help. This builds trust and keeps your investors engaged as partners rather than passive observers.Your update should take 30 minutes to write and 5 minutes to read. Consistency matters more than polish. Investors who feel informed are more likely to help when you need support.Financial tools for seed-stage companiesThe operational side of managing a seed round is easy to underestimate. These are the tools that help you maintain control and visibility from the day the money lands.Corporate cards without personal guaranteesMany traditional business credit cards require founders to personally guarantee the balance, putting personal assets at risk for company expenses. Knowing how corporate credit cards work can help you select the right solution for your team.Automated expense trackingManual expense reports waste hours every month. With real-time spend tracking, every transaction automatically categorizes and appears in your dashboard immediately. You see where money goes without chasing receipts or waiting for credit card statements. This visibility helps you catch budget overruns before they compound.Integrated bill payPaying vendors through multiple systems creates reconciliation headaches and fraud risk.Virtual cards for controlled spendingSoftware subscriptions, contractor payments, and marketing spend often need separate cards with specific limits. Virtual cards let you create unlimited card numbers with custom spending controls. Set per-transaction limits, restrict merchant categories, and cancel instantly if a number gets compromised. Many seed-stage companies benefit from accounting software for startups that connects seamlessly with their financial tools.This story was produced by Brex and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	YWCA, ThePlace2B hosting Youth Mental Health Forum QC youth can come together for an evening of connection, conversation, and support at a free Youth Mental Health Forum on Wednesday, May 28, from 5 - 7:30 p.m. at YWCA Quad Cities, 513 17th Street in Rock Island. The forum is hosted by ThePlace2B and is open to kids ages 13–18 throughout the community. [...]
	From Accident to Zzyzx: 5 of the weirdest town names (and how they got them) From Accident to Zzyzx: 5 of the weirdest town names (and how they got them)Most cities in the United States have easily explainable names: They were named during the colonial era after European cities or their royal leaders. Or they were named after the European settlers who claimed the land.However, some city names are downright bizarre. A few are the result of local legends, others from mistakes, and some even from marketing stunts. ThatsThem looked at the weirdest town names across the United States, with details about the stories behind them and who lives there today.1. Accident, MarylandThere are two competing stories about Accident, Maryland. According to Preservation Maryland, both date back to 1774, when land in Western Maryland was up for claim by settlers. One story says that two friends, Brooke Beall and Williams Deakins Jr., both set out to survey land and claim their stake. Apparently, both parties had claimed the same piece of land “by accident.” Beall agreed to take another plot.Another version of the story is that a man named George Deakins was told by King George II that he could have any 600 acres of land in Western Maryland. Deakins sent out two men to find the best plot, and surprisingly, both came back with the same tract of land. Deakins chalked it up to a coincidence, but was happy with the results. From there, it was said he called it the “Accident Tract,” and the name of the town stuck.Today, residents here are called “Accidentals.” It’s a small town with only about 400 residents.2. Toad Suck, ArkansasAccording to ArkansasTV, the town of Toad Suck got its name from the steamboat days. Back then, boats used to navigate up and down the Arkansas River that passed through the area. It was common for water levels to drop from time to time, so crews would dock their boats and head into town.One specific tavern was a magnet for these boat crews. Locals described instances of them drinking and relaxing at the tavern all day long, “sucking on the bottle ‘til they swelled up like toads.” No one is sure if this is true, but regardless, the name is still around.Toad Suck is technically an unincorporated town, so there’s no official census data on it. However, thousands descend on the town every year for the annual Toad Suck Daze, a local festival that’s organized to raise money for local education.3. Ding Dong, TexasThe unincorporated town of Ding Dong, Texas, has a less mysterious origin. The story is well documented. In the 1930s, two cousins, Zulis and Isaac Bell, operated a small country store along the Lampasas River. People frequently traveled this route, so the two cousins decided they wanted to make a store sign to encourage people to stop. An artist named C.C. Hoover was hired. Playing off the two cousins’ last name, he decided to add two bells to the sign. Another local store owner suggested it would be funny if the artist added “Ding Dong” to the sign. He did, and the name has never changed since.Although it’s also an unincorporated town, Ding Dong has a small registered population. In 2000, it had a whopping 22 residents.4. Truth or Consequences, New MexicoWould you ever think that a town would be renamed because of a radio show contest? Well, that’s exactly what happened in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.At the time, the town was named Hot Springs. But in 1950, a radio producer named Ralph Edwards held a radio contest on his game show, Truth or Consequences. He announced that he would broadcast the show’s 10th anniversary from the first town to rename itself after the show. Residents in the town voted to officially change the name, and the radio show was broadcast from it. According to Time, the name never reverted, and in 1967, residents voted to make it permanent.This is one of the larger towns on this list, with around 6,000 residents today.5. Zzyzx, CaliforniaZzyzx was never an official town. It was the creation of a self-proclaimed minister from Los Angeles who claimed that the mineral springs in the Mojave Desert were the perfect spot for a spa and health resort. He filed a mining claim with the government for 12,800 acres of land and named the parcel the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Resort. There were no natural hot springs; they were all artificially heated by a hidden boiler.He named it Zzyzx intentionally and strategically. It was the last listing to appear in any directory, making it a savvy marketing ploy. The resort did find success and, at one time, had a 60-room hotel, church, and airstrip. But in 1974, the government decided that the minister had no claim to the land.Today, Zzyzx is managed by the California State University System. It has a population of one: the manager of the Desert Studies Center.A lasting legacyAs weird as these names may be, they’re officially recognized places by the U.S. government. They portray regional character, tell stories that won’t be forgotten, and offer a unique glimpse into the country's history.The next time you’re driving through a new region, pay attention to the names of the towns you pass. There might be more to them than you realize.This story was produced by ThatsThem and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Thursday, May 14th, 2026

Wednesday, May 13th, 2026