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

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
	Musser Public Library, Muscatine, cuts hours after funding reductions As Muscatine prepares for Independence Day weekend with open parks, pools, and recreation amenities, the city is sharing important updates about upcoming service adjustments at Musser Public Library. These changes, driven by reduced government funding, will take effect Wednesday, July 1, a news release says. This summer, Musser Public Library will implement several service modifications [...]
	KENT WORLDWIDE celebrated grand opening of the World’s Best Cat Litter manufacturing facility Sitting on 70 acres, the 174,000-square-foot facility is equipped with research and development spaces and is designed for future growth opportunities to meet growing consumer demand.
	Hy-Vee hosting entrepreneurs for Business Summit this fall Small business applications now being accepted for Opportunity Supplier Impact Summit on Sept. 9-10 at Hy-Vee corporate headquarters in West Des Moines.
	Family Credit Union, Davenport, appoints Hoepfner as senior vice president of lending The Family Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Davenport, has announced the addition of Bob Hoepfner to its leadership team. He brings more than 30 years of lending experience to The Family Credit Union. He began his career in consumer finance in 1992, with early experience in Iowa, before moving into private banking [...]
	Several more days of dangerous heat An "Excessive Heat Warning" lasts until Wednesday night for the Quad Cities (Thursday night for Knox County). Shower and storm chances increase starting Thursday and some of the storms could be strong to severe. Here's your full 7-day forecast.
	Bishop Hill Heritage Association to present free Dancing Queen concert The Bishop Hill Heritage Association has announced that Dancing Queen, an ABBA tribute band, will present a free concert at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 12, in the village park in Bishop Hill. This live, all-ages, two-hour show is full of musical precision, flair and fashion. They perform more than 30 ABBA hits, from "Waterloo" to [...]
	Band from Australia, "The Voice" contestant, will perform in two Cambridge concerts A band from Australia and a contestant on "The Voice" will star in two Ca d’Zan House Concertss presented by Crossroads Cultural Connections in Cambridge, according to a news release. Singer-songwriter Abigayle Oakley will bring her compelling blend of folk, wit and lyrical honesty to Ca d’Zan House Concerts in Cambridge on Friday, July 10. [...]
	Rivermont Collegiate, Bettendorf, offers free math acceleration camp Rivermont Collegiate, 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf, will host a free Personalized Learning Math Acceleration Camp from July 6–10, offering area students the opportunity to explore how artificial intelligence and personalized instruction can work together to enhance mathematical learning, a news release says. The camp is designed for students entering grades 5 through 8 and combines [...]
	Iowa Quad-Cities invite input on public transit, Illinois study coming soon Davenport, Bettendorf, Eldridge and LeClaire residents are being asked to fill out a survey about what they want to see from public transit in the Iowa Quad-Cities.
	John Deere Classic livestream to offer rare, behind-the-scenes look at tournament’s impact KWQC+ will air a June 30 livestream offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at the John Deere Classic’s history, volunteers and major community impact ahead of tournament week.
	Retiring Superintendent Brian Strusz on what it was like serving Pleasant Valley for 30 years Brian Strusz will retire this week after three decades with Pleasant Valley, including seven years as superintendent. Read what he had to say as he heads into retirement.
	The Grand Tour This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.To cooperate or to compete is one of those dilemmas at the heart of the American experience. Is that classroom best…
	After Trump's re-election, these U.S. scientists found jobs in the U.K. More U.S. scientists are heading abroad. Three researchers explain why they decided to shift their research to universities in the U.K.
	Inside the coordinated strategy to radically reshape U.S. immigration As the Supreme Court today weighs the Trump administration's effort to revoke birthright citizenship, NPR looks at what else the White House has done to curb illegal and legal migration.
	Venezuelans deported from the U.S. were killed hours later in powerful quakes 146 Venezuelans were deported from Texas to Caracas on June 24. Hours later, while the deportees were in a guarded hotel, powerful twin earthquakes struck.
	Explosion in Monaco injures 3, including Ukrainian tycoon A blast from an explosive device has seriously injured three people at a residential building in Monaco, and the attacker fled to France, local authorities said.
Monday, June 29th, 2026
	Happy Joe's holds America 250 block parties Restaurants in Davenport and Bettendorf joined in the festivities.
	Planned Parenthood closing Iowa City location In-person services will be moved to Des Moines.
	WQUD Vintage Radio suffers transmission tower troubles Spotty internet at the Geneseo tower keeps interrupting WQUD's broadcast signal.
	Davenport health systems settle with DOJ for more than $4 million The DOJ alleges overuse and thus overbilling for heart pumps between 2016 and 2022.
	Here's what you need to know before heading out to the John Deere Classic this week WQAD is proud to once again be the official station for the tournament, which runs from July 1-5 at TPC Deere Run.
	Davenport awarded community catalyst grant for rehabilitation of historic building The City of Davenport received a $100,000 grant from the State of Iowa to support the redevelopment of Raphael’s Emporium at 628 Harrison Street.
	How to see June's Strawberry Moon The moon reaches peak illumination at 7:56 p.m. ET.
	Hook's Pub & Grill, Clinton, closes permanently after fire According to a Facebook post, a Clinton bar is now closed permanently after a devastating blaze. "We got the word (Monday) that Hook's Pub & Grill is a total loss, so it's with heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Hook's Pub & Grill," the post says. "Hooks' wasn't just a neighborhood bar - it [...]
	Colona baby pantry offers support to parents As the cost of raising a child continues to climb, one local church is helping families save money on baby essentials.
	Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui gets 30 years in U.S. prison for fraud conviction Guo said he came to the U.S. to destroy the Chinese Communist Party. But the judge said he instead diverted investor money to live lavishly.
	Arconic eagle nest collapse leaves community concerned, experts optimistic After Arconic's eagle nest fell on Sunday, wildlife rehabilitators believe the two eaglets likely survived and expect the parent eagles to continue caring for them.
	MercyOne Genesis offers heat safety tips Summer heat safety recommendations from MercyOne Genesis Convenient Care.
	3-vehicle crash at Main and McKinley closes road in Keokuk; 2 hospitalized Main Street is closed from McKinley Avenue to Belknap Boulevard.
	Extreme Heat Warning until WED 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning in Effect Until 10 PM CDT Wednesday
	NJ joins multi-state challenge to Trump administration Medicaid rule New Jersey is one of 24 states suing the Trump administration over new rules it says will make it harder for sick people to stay on Medicaid. (iStock / Getty Images Plus)New Jersey is one of two dozen states that sued the Trump administration Monday claiming that work rules the federal government recently issued for the Medicaid program are unlawful in how they reduce protections for people who are medically frail. Led by New Jersey Attorney General Jen Davenport and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, the 74-page complaint alleges a federal rule issued June 3 goes far beyond what is contained in the law Trump signed last July that requires certain adults in Medicaid to document that they are working, volunteering, or in school at least 20 hours a week to continue receiving healthcare benefits. The work requirement, which starts in January, applies to some 550,000 Medicaid members in New Jersey, primarily low-income adults. The lawsuit focuses largely on how the new rules define “medically frail,” a category of recipients who are automatically exempt from proving that they are employed. “The rule makes it harder to access Medicaid by shrinking exemptions to the work requirement,” Davenport told reporters Monday. The law suggests “medically frail” includes people who are disabled, have chronic or complex health conditions, or are struggling with substance abuse. Davenport said that under the new rule, a doctor’s diagnosis alone may not excuse Medicaid enrollees from work, noting that patients still may need to “jump through bureaucratic hoops” to prove that this condition also “significantly impairs” their ability to work. “Imagine that you are diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and that’s still not enough to prove you can’t work the hours this administration requires to allow you lifesaving care,” she said. In all, Medicaid covers about 1.8 million Garden State residents, and state officials predict at least 360,000 will lose their benefits because of the federal changes. Monday’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, targets the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which issued the rule, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the centers. The department did not respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit also claims the new rule ignores real-world evidence from states that have implemented work rules in Medicaid, changes that have not increased employment levels but have shown to strip eligible residents of their benefits over paperwork errors alone. The administration also didn’t consider that multiple studies have shown at least two-thirds of Medicaid recipients nationwide are already working, in school, or caring for a loved one, it notes. The lawsuit also faults the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for placing an unlawful burden on states with the rule, which differs significantly from the guidance the agency had provided state officials earlier in the process. State governments have until August 31 to communicate the changes to Medicaid members, a timeline the attorneys general say is now impossible given the concepts outlined in the new rule. “Defendants’ action will cause immediate and irreparable harms to Plaintiff States’ operation of their state Medicaid programs. It will further strain safety net providers, lead to more uncompensated emergency care, and raise other costs associated with newly uninsured, medically frail residents. And it will cause rural hospitals to be even more likely to shutter,” the complaint reads. The other states in the lawsuit are: California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Open since 1988, Davenport Golden Corral to close After nearly 30 years in operation, the Golden Corral in Davenport is closing its doors. The location's last day will be July 6. Our Quad Cities News reached out to the general manager, who wouldn't give a reason for the closing. The buffet restaurant first opened in 1988, offering all-you-can-eat fare for a flat rate. [...]
	Jordan Spieth returns to Deere Run for John Deere Classic Tuesday night, KWQC will be airing an hour long show on KWQC + called Countdown to the Classic at 6:30 p.m.
	Experts share tips to stay safe as Quad Cities heat climbs With temperatures climbing into the 90s this week, experts share how to stay safe, from hydrating early to keeping your home cool.
	New life for piece of Davenport history? A piece of Davenport history is getting a new chance at life. The City of Davenport was awarded a $100,000 state grant to help revive Raphael’s Emporium at at 628 Harrison St. The building dates back to the late-1800s. It has been a tin shop, rag warehouse and a cigar manufacturing site. The building has [...]
	55 to 60: speed limit changes come Wednesday in Iowa Drivers will see a change in the speed limit from the traditional 55 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour on some two-lane paved highways.
	Maryland officials promote third year of Sun Bucks to help stave off summer hunger among students Families who qualify for Maryland Sun Bucks receive $40 per child each month in the summer. Last year, 630,000 Maryland students qualified for Sun Bucks. (Photo by Lance Cheung courtesy of USDA)Maryland families struggling to put food on the table can receive a monthly boost in food assistance dollars this summer, as Maryland Sun Bucks kicks off for the third year to help alleviate the “hunger gap” that occurs when schools close. Gov. Wes Moore hopes to build on last year’s success, when 630,000 Maryland students qualified for Sun Bucks, equating to $75 million in benefits. “This program has been a critical lifeline for families to bring food to their table,” Moore said in a statement Monday. “No child should ever go hungry, and the success of Sun Bucks has brought that goal closer to reality, ensuring students have access to essential meals to thrive in the summertime.” Lower-income families across the state often rely on schools to help feed their children breakfast or lunch. But those meals are less available during the summer when schools close. That’s why Maryland joins 38 other states participating in the federal summer grocery benefit program aimed at low-income families. Sun Bucks provide those households with an additional $40 per month per child on their food assistance cards to help afford groceries from June through August. Most kids who qualify for Sun Bucks will be automatically enrolled due to their family’s participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Cash Assistance, Medicaid and similar programs. The additional grocery benefit will drop directly into the household’s electronic benefits card. Those who are not enrolled in those programs can check in with the Maryland Department of Human Services to see if their families qualify for the summer benefit. “We want to ensure that summer can be a season of fun and growth for our children,” said Maryland’s Department for Human Services’ Acting Secretary Stacy L. Rodgers in a written statement. “Sun Bucks helps reduce concerns about access to nutritious food and meals.” Courtesy of Maryland Matters
	Michigan governor threatens to pull troops from D.C. if used for Trump task force Michigan Gov. Whitmer is one of four Democrats who sent their states' National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. ahead of America 250 celebrations in recent weeks, amid President Trump's ongoing — and controversial — deployment in the city.
	New DUI-related resource opens in East Moline There are over 21,000 DUI arrests in Illinois every year, and a new resource opened in the QCA to help people navigate DUI-related requirements and recovery services. Elevated Treatment and Recovery Solutions dedicated its new location at 918 15th Ave., East Moline. The company provides DUI evaluations and driver-risk evaluation services. In Illinois, anyone arrested [...]
	Arconic Eagle Cam nest falls with eaglets inside Liberty, a mother bald eagle feature in front of hundreds of millions of viewers on the Arconic Eagle Cam, lost her home June 28. The nest dropped out of the tree with her two eaglets, Artemis and Apollo, sitting inside. They are just old enough to start using their wings and were able to glide [...]
	State commission returns to monitor insurance coverage under Trump administration Maryland Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant during a meeting of the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters)Almost 10 years ago, Maryland lawmakers pulled together a watchdog group of state officials, representatives for insurance companies and healthcare advocates to monitor health insurance coverage under President Donald Trump’s first term. The group disbanded during President Joe Biden’s term, but now as the second Trump administration pushes policies that could shake thousands of Marylanders off their insurance plans and increase healthcare costs, the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission is back. “The reason that we are here is that, although we’ve made many changes over the last decade… we need more,” Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery), co-chair of the commission, said Monday. “Because things are changing, we have less federal support,” she said. The General Assembly initially created the commission in 2017, which operated through December 2021. Last year, lawmakers passed legislation to revive the 25-member group, and the latest iteration met for the first time on Monday. “So now we will begin looking at these new programs, new possibilities and perhaps improving our current programs, being as innovative as we can,” Cullison said. Cullison co-chairs the commission with Sen. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City). Also on the commission is Maryland Health Secretary Meena Seshamani and Maryland Insurance Administration Marie Grant, along with representatives for health insurance companies, advocates for healthcare access, physicians and others. Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission co-chairs Sen. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore City) and Del. Bonnie Cullison (D-Montgomery) lead the first meeting of the revived commission previously established under the first Trump administration. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) “The composition of this commission is really important,” Seshamani said during the meeting. “I think it is important that we have all aspects of the healthcare ecosystem here together working through these problems … there are pushes and pulls that we are all going to have to be grappling with together.” As of the Monday meeting, there are seven vacancies on the commission to be filled by appointments from Gov. Wes Moore and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel). The first meeting was largely organizational, with presentations from state insurance officials and administrators of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, updating the commission on the recent premium rate increase proposals and ongoing concerns of reduced enrollment in health insurance. “I want to acknowledge: No one in Maryland thinks their health care is affordable,” said Insurance Commissioner Marie Grant, “but in comparison to the rest of the country, Maryland does have the lowest individual market.” That’s partially because of some of the policies put out by the commission’s previous iteration. Maryland health insurers want to raise premiums an average 13.7% for individual plans in 2027 One such measure is what’s called the reinsurance program, a special fund through which insurers are reimbursed for a portion of the costs of patients requiring the most expensive care. The reinsurance program is funded through a 1% assessment on health insurance policies and is currently set to end in 2028. To extend the program, Maryland lawmakers would need to pass legislation in 2027 to ask for an extension from the federal government, which would then approve, or reject, the extension. The reinsurance program helps keep costs down for consumers by offsetting the financial impact of expensive healthcare. In recent years, available funds from the assessment have been used to sustain the state’s young adult subsidy, which helps keep generally healthy Marylanders enrolled in insurance plans who may otherwise skip out on coverage to save money. The young adult subsidy program was also developed out of the previous commission’s work. Extending the reinsurance program will likely be a reoccurring topic, among many others, as the commission continues to meet throughout the year. The most recent concern is the 13.7% rate hike Maryland insurance companies are requesting. It’s the second year in a row insurers have asked to steeply raise monthly premium rates for those who buy insurance on the state’s insurance marketplace. Vincent DeMarco, President of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition, during a meeting of the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) The proposed rate increase, if it’s approved by the Maryland Insurance Administration, will add to rising healthcare costs all around. Meanwhile, future Medicaid work requirements may lead to people losing coverage as well as families struggling to stay enrolled due to increased paperwork. Despite those challenges, Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Health Care for All Coalition who sits on the commission, said it was the policies from the previous commission that left Marylanders “much better off” than some in other states. “There is a lot more we have to do,” DeMarco said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Maryland Matters
	District judge blocks Nebraska Environmental Trust diversions as lawsuit plays out Members of the Nebraska Environmental Trust at a meeting in early 2026. (Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — A district court judge granted a temporary motion Monday blocking the transfer or spending of funds diverted from the Nebraska Environmental Trust in the past two legislative sessions while a lawsuit challenging the transfers plays out. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong granted the temporary injunction as part of a lawsuit from two former state officials. They seek to declare unconstitutional $28.52 million in legislatively authorized transfers in lottery proceeds that were directed to the Environmental Trust but later legislatively diverted to other funds. The lawsuit argues those transfers were unconstitutional and have been used to close budget shortfalls, not for environmental purposes as voters intended in the 1992 or 2004 elections. The Trust was created when voters approved the state lottery in 1992. It is intended to “complement” governmental and private programs via competitive grants that “conserve, enhance and restore the state’s natural environments,” the lawsuit says. “I think the balance of equities is in the plaintiff’s favor at this point and, mostly, because it is in the public’s interest to make sure that those funds are spent lawfully,” Strong said. Judicial reasoning Strong, in court Monday, said the plaintiffs — W. Don Nelson, a former chief of staff to then-Gov. Bob Kerrey, and Job Oberg, a former director of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services that oversees various funds for state agencies — had a “probability of success on the merits.” “I’m not saying it’s absolute, don’t get excited, but I’m also saying the plaintiffs will be irreparably harmed if the temporary injunction is not granted,” Strong said. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong presides over a hearing in a case revolving around legislative authority and lottery proceeds from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. June 29, 2026. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is defending State Treasurer Joey Spellerbeg, director Lee Will of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, state budget administrator Neil Sullivan, director Jesse Bradley of the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment and director Tim McCoy of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Strong, who became a county judge in 2006 before being elevated to the district court in 2015, said she could foresee a situation where, by not granting a temporary injunction, the state would transfer and spend the funds, rendering the case moot, thus tying Strong’s hands. Transfers and spending frozen Spokespersons for the AG’s Office, Spellerberg and the Game and Parks Commission declined to comment on the ruling. Spokespersons for the other agencies, as well as Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen who oversees them, did not respond to requests for comment by publication. The injunction covers four sections of law in Legislative Bill 264, which passed in 2024 for a total of $15 million in transfers from the Environmental Trust, and two sections of LB 1072, which passed this year for a total of $13.52 million in transfers from the Environmental Trust. Transfers and spending blocked under injunction LB 264 (2025) — Sections 71* ($3M), 72* ($8M), 73* ($2M) and 87 ($2M) LB 1072 (2026) — Sections 117* ($7.52M) and 118 ($6M) *Transfers have been completed, so the temporary injunction immediately blocks further spending. Spellerberg’s chief of staff said three of the four sections in LB 264 were completed Dec. 31, 2025. One $7.52 million transfer in LB 1072 was completed April 23. The other two sections of law — $8 million total — call for transfers between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. The $7.52 million transfer this April diverted funds to the Water Recreation Enhancement Fund. Lawmakers simultaneously swept $8.52 million from the Water Recreation Enhancement Fund to the state’s main checking account, helping to close the state’s budget deficit. Of funds already transferred, Strong’s order also blocks further spending. “No transfers have occurred since the State Treasurer’s Office received the complaint May 21, 2026,” Spellerberg’s chief of staff said in an email. Pillen had proposed taking millions more from the Environmental Trust, which lawmakers did not approve. Core legal arguments Gutman told Strong the case is about “constitutional interpretation,” namely Article III, Section 24, and how much “legislative discretion” voters left behind after amending the Nebraska Constitution in 2004 to guarantee funds be diverted to the Environmental Trust. Carlton Wiggam, an assistant attorney general in the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office. June 29, 2026. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) That year, the Legislature asked voters whether to limit authority over lottery funds. Gutman said before voters weighed in, lawmakers had near “unfettered discretion” over using lottery funds. Carlton Wiggam, an assistant state attorney general, said 44.5% of lottery funds go to the Nebraska Environmental Trust each year, as voters directed. He argued that the guardrails Gutman and his team say exist in the Constitution do not. “The plain language meaning of this is really just that this is telling someone who’s reading the Constitution, ‘Here’s where you go to look to see how this money is being spent,’ which is in the act itself,” Wiggam said. Wiggam said some legislative discretion was lost following the 2004 vote, but he told Strong the Legislature didn’t see that as ending discretion altogether. He cited lawmakers amending the laws underpinning the Environmental Trust 10 times since 2004, including the first change immediately in 2006 to authorize a transfer and various other transfers since. “Clearly, they still thought that they had the authority to do this,” Wiggam said. Case will play out in district court Gutman said the state’s argument treats the Environmental Trust as a “parking lot,” that if enough funds are placed into the account each year, it doesn’t matter how they’re used. Attorney Daniel Gutman of Lincoln, center, in Lancaster County District Court in a separate case arguing Nebraska’s medical cannabis laws are preempted by federal law. May 20, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) He said that would void voters’ wishes from the 2004 election. “It’s as if the people just wanted to set up more red tape and bureaucracy, establish some parking lots, and then give the discretion back to the Legislature,” Gutman said. “That’s not what they did.” Wiggam warned Strong that funds caught up in the injunction have already been transferred or promised to natural resource districts, municipalities, some landowners, public power districts and irrigation districts, and all for environmental purposes. The state, in a brief against the injunction request, said blocking the funds could specifically tie up improvements at Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area or jeopardize various other projects, such as efforts to reduce water use, improve groundwater recharge, enhance streamflows, support wildlife habitats and protect the Ogallala Aquifer. Gutman argued the “public interest never tips in favor of an unlawful expenditure.” Strong’s order takes effect immediately, she declared, and “will last until we resolve the issue on the merits.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Crop report: Hot weather should ‘boost’ behind-schedule corn and soybeans Corn silks begin to show on a corn field. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)Iowa corn and soybean crops are behind last year’s pace by several percentage points, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Crop Progress and Condition Report. One percent of corn in Iowa was reported as silking for the June 22-28 reporting period, which is 2 percentage points behind the same week in 2025, but only 1 percentage point behind the five-year average. The report shows 18% of soybean acres across the state are blooming. That’s 3 percentage points behind last year’s soybean crop, but ahead of the five-year average which shows 16% of soybean acres have typically bloomed in the last full week of June. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Despite being behind schedule, corn and soybeans continue to rate well in Iowa. Corn rated 78% good to excellent and soybeans rated 75% good to excellent for the period. Oats, on the other hand, are ahead of last year’s crop and the five-year average. According to the report, 94% of the crop had headed as of June 28, which is 5 percentage points ahead of 2025 reports and the five-year average. Oats rated 81% good to excellent. Around 20% of subsoil and topsoil in Iowa was soggy in the previous reporting period, but soil moisture conditions dried up after a week of below-average precipitation. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reported 69% of topsoil moisture conditions and 67% of subsoil moisture conditions were adequate during the reporting period. Only around 10% of subsoil and topsoil were rated as having surplus moisture for the week. State Climatologist Justin Glisan’s weekly weather summary found the statewide average precipitation during the reporting period was just over seven-tenths of an inch. The normal for the period is 1.20 inches. Temperatures across Iowa, at an average of 68.2 degrees Fahrenheit were nearly 4 degrees below the climatological normal for the reporting period, according Glisan. A heat wave settled across Iowa on Sunday and the National Weather Service anticipates the extreme temperatures will persist through the July 4th holiday weekend. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said the hot temperatures this week should “give the crops a boost.” Naig said the nation’s 250th anniversary on Saturday should serve as a reminder that “agriculture has always been central to our nation’s story.” “Our farmers have helped feed, fuel and sustain America since its founding, and they will continue to play a vital role in our nation’s strength, security and prosperity for the next 250 years,” Naig said in a news release. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Pa. joins multi-state lawsuit against Trump administration over Medicaid work requirement rules Voters say the cost of healthcare will be a major factor in how they vote in this year's midterm elections. (Getty Images)Gov. Josh Shapiro announced on Monday that the state will join a multi-state legal action against President Donald Trump “for trying to rip away Medicaid from Pennsylvanians who need it most.” “Donald Trump, Dr. (Mehmet) Oz and RFK Jr. are hellbent on trying to push aside people who rely on Medicaid to get the care they need,” said Shapiro. “But here in Pennsylvania, we’re going to keep standing up to protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.” U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), have spearheaded efforts to rein in Medicaid spending under the direction of Trump. President Donald Trump holds up the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” Act that he signed into law on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Brandon – Pool/Getty Images) Under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as H.R. 1, certain Americans who rely on the program for healthcare coverage will be subject to community engagement requirements and must document their work or volunteer hours to keep their benefits. There are limited exceptions for parents or those seeking treatment for substance use disorder, but the definition of medical frailty was a focus of Monday’s lawsuit. Two dozen states and Washington, D.C. also signed onto the legal filing. “CMS’s final rule will cause harm and chaos for Plaintiff States. The work that State Medicaid agencies need to do in order to implement H.R. 1’s provisions is complex, expensive, and takes substantial time and attention to perform correctly,” read the filing. “Therefore, Plaintiffs cannot wait to see whether CMS fixes the clear deficiencies in its decision-making process before seeking legal protection for State Medicaid programs and State residents who depend upon them.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Earlier this month, CMS outlined guidance for states determining if an applicant is considered to be medically frail, which can include a diagnosis like cancer or HIV or disability like blindness. The new rule requires someone’s ability to work to be “significantly” impaired to qualify, a standard some found to be “restrictive.” Citing the looming deadline to implement the new requirements by next year, the states collectively said they’d made plans with looser definitions following earlier guidance. In addition to Pennsylvania, state attorneys general and governors from the following states joined the lawsuit, which was filed in a Massachusetts federal court: Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, D.C., Hawai’i, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. More details Other portions of the guidance “will create unnecessary bureaucracy,” according to the filing, and could cause some people to lose coverage by going beyond what was written by Congress. When Arkansas launched a similar state-wide requirement, thousands lost coverage but work participation didn’t increase. The pilot lasted less than a year. “It will further strain safety net providers, lead to more uncompensated emergency care, and raise other costs associated with newly uninsured, medically frail residents,” the plaintiffs said. “And it will cause rural hospitals to be even more likely to shutter.” Pa. grapples with implementing Medicaid work requirements The $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Plan was a last-minute addition to H.R. 1 to counter the latter, though states are limited in how they can support healthcare providers. Twelve Pennsylvania hospitals were identified as being “at risk” of closure in a recent report from Public Citizen because of the new Medicaid restrictions. Many enrollees aren’t even sure if the new rules apply to them, though everyone who gets coverage under Medicaid expansion will be required to meet them. “An individual with a serious or complex medical condition may potentially be able to comply with the community engagement requirements one month and unable to do so the next due to the flare up of a condition or fluctuation in symptom expression, for example. Other individuals, like those undergoing cancer treatment and those with uncontrolled diabetes, may be unable to work consistently,” read the lawsuit. “For these individuals, losing Medicaid coverage is likely to cause their health to worsen and decrease their ability to comply with work requirements even further,” it continued. States are also accustomed to more flexibility under Medicaid, catering programs to the unique needs to their residents. With medical frailty, states like Pennsylvania indicated that they would take an applicant at their word in certain circumstances, otherwise known as “self attestation,” which the federal government opposes. Following the new guidance, certain medical frailty claims must be confirmed by a healthcare provider within six months — though past CMS communication seemed to be more lenient, according to the lawsuit. Plaintiffs seek a stay, or pause, on the requirements related to medical frailty. Monday’s filing isn’t Shapiro’s first time suing the Trump administration over cuts to entitlement programs. When a federal budget impasse threatened funding for food benefits in the fall, the state was a party in a lawsuit to force their restoration. Over a year ago, when Trump blocked Medicaid dollars from going to reproductive healthcare provider Planned Parenthood, Shapiro also joined on. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Capital-Star
	Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in Davenport to close The Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in Davenport is set to close next week.
	Heat wave underway in the Quad Cities We have been watching the weather for the past few days as temperatures have heated up over the weekend for the heat wave this week. Temperatures will be maintaining the 90s for most of the week with feels like temperatures well in the triple digits for the next few days. It is no surprise that [...]
	US Supreme Court will hear challenge to WA runaway youth law The U.S. Supreme Court building pictured April 9, 2026. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will consider the legality of a Washington law to protect runaway transgender youth that opponents contend tramples on parental rights. Justices will review a lower court’s dismissal of a challenge to the 2023 statute, which allows operators of emergency shelters to notify state authorities, rather than parents, when children seek refuge as they pursue gender-affirming care and support services. As part of the case, the court will also examine related state guidelines for reuniting runaway youth with their families, and a longstanding Washington law which allows children as young as 13 to receive outpatient treatment without a parent’s or guardian’s consent. With acceptance of the case for its term beginning in October, the court will enter the fierce, nationwide debate on the boundaries between state power and parental rights. Parents who took up the legal fight three years ago with the help of Stephen Miller, now President Donald Trump’s deputy chief of staff, contend the state cannot withhold information, even briefly, on their child’s whereabouts. They argue the same goes for health care decisions a child may be considering, such as obtaining gender affirming care or mental health treatment. To do so violates what they describe as their parental constitutional rights. “We’re looking forward to establishing to the Court’s satisfaction that parents have legal standing to challenge laws like Washington’s — laws designed to keep parents in the dark about their children’s gender identity, consideration of gender transitions, and other subjects on which parents have a legitimate interest,” said Gene Schaerr, lead attorney for parents and organizations suing the state. Washington law requires parents to be notified within 72 hours of their child’s arrival at an emergency shelter unless there are “compelling reasons” not to do so. If there are signs of abuse or neglect, for example, shelter staff can inform the state Department of Children, Youth and Families, which would take the lead on reaching out to parents. This court fight stems from Senate Bill 5599, which expanded the list of compelling reasons a young person feels they could be subject to abuse or neglect to cover situations where they are pursuing gender-affirming care or reproductive health services. Authored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, it passed along party lines and was signed by then Gov. Jay Inslee, also a Democrat. Opponents of the law tried to repeal it with a referendum, but did not gather enough signatures. Days after that effort failed, America First Legal, a conservative group founded by Miller, sued on behalf of several parents whose teenage children exhibited signs of gender dysphoria, but had not run away, and two nonprofits, International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. and Advocates Protecting Children. Both those groups oppose gender-affirming care for children. The lawsuit argued the statute “deprives certain parents — but not all parents — of their fundamental right under the U.S. Constitution to direct the care and upbringing of their children, as well as their rights to the free exercise of religion, due process, free speech, and equal protection.” In May 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Bryan dismissed the suit, siding with the state argument that those challenging the law lacked legal standing to sue because they could not prove they suffered actual or imminent harm from the statute. Last July, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld that ruling. The state reiterated its position in a filing opposing the petition to the Supreme Court. It asserted the parents who sued based their claim of injury “on their worry that at some point in the future, their children might identify as transgender, then might run away, then might seek refuge with a licensed shelter, then might decline reconciliation services, then might accept a referral for behavioral health services, and then might ultimately receive gender-affirming care.” The lower courts, the filing continued, found “this theoretical chain of events was too speculative to show that the challenged laws have injured or will likely soon injure.” On Monday, Attorney General Nick Brown’s office pointed to those lower court rulings upholding the contested law. “We will be prepared to successfully defend it at the Supreme Court,” said spokesman Mike Faulk. There were 20 briefs filed in support of the court taking the case. They came from individuals, religious organizations, parent rights groups, and political coalitions. Among them was an amicus brief filed by 14 states led by the Republican attorneys general of Idaho and Florida that urged the court to intervene “to secure parental rights nationwide.” “The threat that Petitioners’ children will exercise their Washington-given right to run away and seek irreversible life-changing treatment looms over every interaction Petitioners have with their children,” reads the states’ brief. “The Ninth Circuit would not correct Washington’s trampling of parental rights, but this Court should.” Courtesy of Washington State Standard
	Foster care provider urges Iowans to consider fostering amid statewide need The state is facing a critical shortage of licensed foster parents, with only 650 licensed homes in Iowa to roughly 1,500 kids needing placement in those homes.
	Foster care provider says Scott County faces critical need for more foster homes Right now there are about 1,500 children in licensed foster care homes in Iowa, but only 650 licensed foster parents. More parents are needed in all 99 counties.
	Scott County releases names of adults injured in I-80 crash, 1-year-old still in hospital A 1-year-old who was injured in a rollover crash on Interstate 80 over the weekend continues to be treated at the University of Iowa, according to the Sheriff's Office.
	More foster parents are needed across Iowa The Iowa Data Center showed around 6,000 children in foster care in Iowa as of 2024. Children are waiting for placement in all 99 counties.
	Flight sets speed record from Australia to Moline The flight reached Moline from Melbourne in just 16 hours and 54 minutes.
	DeSantis vetoes $1.7B from his eighth — and final — state budget as governor Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the FY 26-27 budget Monday. (Stock photo illustration via Getty Images)Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will leave office in January due to term limits, signed his eighth and final state budget into law Monday but not before he struck $1.7 billion in spending. The actual line-item vetoes were actually smaller — $810 million — but they fell along a familiar pattern of DeSantis using his power to axe money set aside from everything from programs that help the elderly to wiping out pay raises for Florida’s correctional officers because they were tied to another bill to build a new prison hospital. The overall $117.6 billion spending plan is less than the current year budget, which is set to expire June 30. The governor added that it was the fourth consecutive year the budget has been smaller than the previous year. “Who else is doing that? “ he asked rhetorically during a press conference at Hillsborough State College in Tampa, which is the beneficiary of $50 million in funds for capital improvements that could help the Tampa Bay Rays build a stadium there. He added: “You know, we’ve had a few people move to Florida, there, so the population’s grown, and yet we’ve been able to do it.” The biggest cut was $750 million that is supposed to go to the Budget Stabilization Fund, a “rainy day” account mandated by the Florida Constitution, which requires that 10% of revenue collections be directed there. The fund is already about maxed out, but legislators set aside additional money to increase its bottom line if voters approve a constitutional amendment in November that would require 25% of state revenue to be deposited into the rainy day fund. DeSantis has previously criticized the idea and has maintained voters will reject it. Meanwhile, during his press conference, DeSantis dwelled primarily on his budget priorities, ranging from $665 million for Everglades restoration projects to more than $1.5 billion that will go to teacher pay hikes and $30 million for a cancer treatment “incubator program.” “If you go back to 2019 until now, no question that we are leaving it better than we found it,” DeSantis said. Prisons DeSantis vetoed a budget conforming bill, HB 5403 E, that would have required spending $50 million in each of the next 40 years for the construction of new prisons and improvements to existing facilities. The legislation also authorized the state to build a new 600-bed correctional hospital. The veto has gone largely unnoticed; Republican legislative leaders haven’t issued press statements or commented on the veto on social media. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. This isn’t the first time the Legislature included funding for prison improvements that the governor vetoed. DeSantis killed $2 million from the FY 2020-21 budget legislators included to contract for an independently prepared master plan for repair, maintenance, or replacement of state prisons. DeSantis the following year vetoed $850 million the FY 2022-2023 General Appropriations Act for construction of a new 4,500-bed correctional facility and 250-bed hospital unit. But in an attempt to prevent a veto this year, the Legislature tied the prison construction and improvements to $91.5 million in to raise correctional officer pay to $24 an hour. The strategy, however, didn’t work. During a House Democrat media availability Monday, state Rep. Kelly Skidmore of Boca Raton said the Legislature “should really be thinking about ways in which we can override these vetoes, in my opinion.” But she later acknowledged it was “wishful thinking,” given the tensions between House and Senate leaders over the past two years. “The corrections budget was a massive veto on behalf of the governor,” saId Skidmore, who added that it left “many of our prison workers in dangerous, dangerous situations, not even able to get up to $24 an hour. Talk about affordability. Who can live in Florida when they are not making enough money to feed their families, let alone have any quality of life?” DeSantis suggested he vetoed the budget conforming bill because of the extensive commitment to bonding that would have been required over the years to fulfill the mandate. “It was a casualty of saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to rob Peter to pay Paul,’” DeSantis said. “That accounts for a decent chunk of the vetoes.” House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell speaks to reporters in the Capitol rotunda on May 26, 2026, while representatives debate the 2026 budget. (Photo by Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix) But House Democratic Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa attributed it to the governor’s need to come out on top. “This is the type of stuff that people hate about politics. We should be able to be there for our law enforcement, you know, including our corrections officers, who work in some of the most dangerous conditions day in and day out, and so it’s a real disappointment to see the governor try to count it in those terms,” Driskell said. “But I really feel like that was just a scapegoat, and what he was really signaling is that he didn’t get his way, therefore he was taking his marbles and going home, and that’s not fair, because who loses out? Well, it’s our corrections officers, it’s our entire corrections system, frankly, that needs those resources to modernize, to improve, and to keep both the officers and the folks who are housed in those facilities safe.“ In a near-hour-long press conference, DeSantis said he spoke to legislators before the vetoes and told them, “Listen, you know, I respect what you guys put in the budget, I don’t always agree, but I know it’s meaningful to a lot of people, and we want to accommodate.” The list The governor didn’t release his actual veto list to the public until hours after his budget press conference. During the afternoon press conference, Driskell said she was still reviewing the vetoes but that some of the victims of DeSantis’ pen included programs that support veterans, children with autism, opioid and drug prevention programs, seniors, and pregnant mothers. “Funding equals priorities, and helping Floridians remain our Number One priority. We don’t take it lightly that people are struggling to provide for themselves and their families. This is not a game for us, and we are fighting with every tool we have in our toolbox to address the issues surrounding affordability. This is not about politics or whose side you’re on. We’re talking about real people with real needs. And I grew up knowing that where your treasure is, there your heart is also.” Driskell said Democrats had about twice as many projects vetoed by the governor as their Republican counterparts. “And what’s so unfortunate about that is that regardless of whether or not your district is represented by a Democrat or a Republican, there are people of all political stripes in those districts, so it’s unfair to see the governor punish Democrats.” She said the governor also likely took aim at Republicans who had disagreed with his policies. “So it’s just, it’s really icky, and it’s the partisan underbelly of politics that people hate,” she said. DeSantis did not veto additional funding for a drug assistance program for people with HIV called ADAP, an acronym for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Advocates had challenged the DeSantis administration’s attempt to drastically reduce the program by alleging a $120 million deficit. The battle resulted in two separation appropriations: a near $31 million in the spring during the regular session and another $75 million in the actual FY 26-27 budget passed during a special session. “This victory belongs to our whole coalition, the clinicians, providers, and people living with HIV who told their stories at real personal cost,” said Esteban Wood, director of advocacy and legislative affairs at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We led this fight together. For months, it was a promise. Today it is the law, and people can finally breathe.” Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Niabi Zoo reveal genders of 3 new Pallas's cats All three of the new arrivals are boys.
	Moline man sentenced to 15 years for drug charges A Moline man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug charges. According to public court documents, Donell Hines, 37, distributed approximately three-and-a-half ounces of crack cocaine between March and April 2025. At Hines’ home, law enforcement found distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana. Lab testing showed that some of the [...]
	What is the state of Iowa's foster care system right now? Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a new law that changes how foster care parents are trained. The goal is to reduce barriers and increase the foster parent pool.
	After an Iowa inmate’s death, state prison nurse’s license is suspended for 90 days The Newton Correctional Facility in Iowa's Jasper County. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Department of Corrections.)Iowa regulators have suspended the license of a state-employed nurse accused of providing inadequate care for a prison inmate who died hours later. In October 2025, the board charged Penny Lynn Daniels of Newton, a registered nurse who worked for the Iowa Department of Corrections, with committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare, failing to assess or accurately document a patient’s status, and committing an act that causes physical, emotional or financial injury to a patient. According to the board, Daniels worked for the state at the Newton Correctional Facility in September 2024 when she failed to provide an inmate with adequate medical care. The board alleges other medical personnel informed Daniels of the inmate’s “worsening symptoms,” which included fever, nausea and vomiting. According to the board, she added electrolyte fluid to his medication order but did not assess his condition and informed others that the inmate had a virus. The inmate died a short time later from a perforated ulcer. The Board of Nursing resolved the disciplinary case with a settlement agreement that calls for Daniels’ license to be suspended for three months. Daniels must also complete educational training in the area of ethics and maintaining professional boundaries with patients, although it’s not clear how those subjects are related to the charges in Daniels’ case. After 90 days, Daniels’ license will be placed on probationary status for three years, during which her practice will be subject to monitoring. According to board records, the board first issued Daniels an Iowa registered nurse’s license in July 2012. State employment records indicate that from 2015 through 2017, she worked for the Iowa Department of Human Services at the Glenwood Resource Center for individuals with disabilities. In 2018, Daniels began working for the Iowa Department of Corrections, earning up to $93,000 per year as a registered nurse there. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was not able to reach Daniels for comment Monday. Death led to other board charges and a lawsuit Court records indicate the disciplinary case against Daniels stems from the September 2025 death of Malga Harun Yanga at the Newton Correctional Facility. A civil lawsuit filed by Yanga’s estate against Daniels, the State of Iowa and others, alleges Yanga had a week-long history of stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting blood by the time he twice saw Daniels on Sept. 3, 2024. By that time, the lawsuit claims, Yanga had “vomited such a large amount of blood, it was all over his hands and the floor of his cell and multiple inmates had to clean it up.” The lawsuit alleges Daniels was informed that Yanga continued to vomit blood, was unable to speak, had severe abdominal pain, and could not walk — and that Daniels did not perform any additional nursing assessments or request a physician assessment. About 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2024, a cellmate of Yanga’s banged on the door and yelled for help from correctional officers, saying Yanga was unresponsive, seizing and making “jerking, twitching” movements. The lawsuit alleges a correctional officer refused the cellmate’s request for medical attention by stating Yanga had already been to the medical clinic and “we’re not taking him again.” At 5 a.m., Yanga’s cellmate again called out for help, after which corrections officers found Yanga unresponsive. The officers allegedly initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation before pronouncing Yanga dead about 45 minutes later. The defendants in the civil case have denied any wrongdoing. The case is scheduled to be tried on May 4, 2027. One of Daniels’ co-defendants in that lawsuit is registered nurse David Allen Arterburn of Altoona. Like Daniels, Arterburn worked at the Newton prison and saw Yanga in the days before his death, the lawsuit alleges. The Iowa Board of Nursing has charged Arterburn with committing an act that may adversely affect the welfare of a patient, failing to assess or report the status of a patient, and committing an act that causes physical, emotional or financial injury to a patient. A board hearing in the Arterburn disciplinary case is scheduled for July 17, 2026. Iowa Capital Dispatch was unable to reach Arterburn for comment on Monday. Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Stay safe from severe heat: Here's how from QC doctor The forecast for the week leading into the July 4 holiday and the John Deere Classic calls for an extended stretch of hot and humid weather. In a news release, MercyOne Genesis Medical Center has tips to protect yourself from the dangers of heat exhaustion. MercyOne Genesis Medical Center Emergency Medicine Medical Director Michael Craddick, [...]
	2 westbound lanes between 7th and 16th Streets closed The lane closures are expected to remain in place through Wednesday, July 1.
	Officials release names and conditions of those involved in weekend I-80 vehicle rollover crash A 31-year-old female and a 23 month-old female infant are both in the hospital after a single vehicle rollover near Walcott Saturday afternoon.
	Locks and Dam 15 Auxiliary Lock to open for holiday weekend Some good news for boaters planning to go out on the Mississippi River over the 4th of July weekend.
	Davenport Community School District names new administrators for 2026-27 year The Davenport Community School District has named new administrators for the 2026–2027 school year effective July 1, a news release says. "Strong leadership is essential to creating exceptional learning experiences for our students," said Superintendent TJ Schneckloth. "Each of these administrators has demonstrated a deep commitment to educational excellence, collaboration, and student achievement. We are [...]
	Crews respond to multi-vehicle crash near Quad Cities Airport Crews are on the scene of a multi-vehicle crash in Moline.
	House passes bill that would ban ride share ‘surveillance pricing’ based on personal data The Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. (Photo by Peter Hall/Capital-Star)Charging different prices for ride-sharing services based on a customer’s personal data would become illegal in Pennsylvania under legislation passed Monday in the state House. Surveillance pricing is the practice of using information about a consumer gathered from personal devices or other sources and charging different prices to individuals or groups based on their likely willingness to pay. State Rep. Andre Carroll (D-Philadelphia) introduced a measure that would outlaw the practice by transportation network services such as Uber and Lyft. In remarks on the House floor, Carroll focused on surveillance pricing by ride-share companies, which have long adjusted their prices based on demand. He noted trips using ride-share services Uber and Lyft have become essential for Pennsylvanians to get to work, doctor’s appointments, pharmacies and other critical services. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. “These are not luxury trips for many people,” Carroll said. “Ride-share services have become an important part of daily life and necessary means of transportation, because these services play such a vital role. Consumers should be able to trust that they are being treated fairly.” The bill passed with a 198-4 vote and will now go to the Senate for consideration. Simultaneously, Sen. Lindsey Williams said she would introduce her own legislation in the Senate to ban surveillance pricing in a broader range of services. “No one believes the grocery store clerk should be allowed to add 10% to your bill because of what you wore to the store,” Williams said in a news release. “But that’s exactly what happens in surveillance pricing. You’re being charged more because of who you are, not because the item is more valuable.” According to Williams, Maryland, Connecticut, California, and New York have laws banning surveillance pricing. Similar legislation is being considered in 20 other states and in the U.S. Congress. She cited investigative reporting that found companies including Instacart, Target and Delta Airlines and other companies have used artificial intelligence to experiment with pricing based data about consumers. In April, Target agreed to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office alleging the company changed prices on its app when customers entered a store to charge them more. Williams also noted Consumer Reports found Uber routinely charged customers different prices for the same rides. Uber has contested the magazine’s findings, saying that it used a flawed methodology, non-representative samples and “a fundamental misunderstanding of how an open and dynamic rideshare marketplace works.” Uber said it does not engage in surveillance pricing or customize prices to individual consumers. The bill passed Monday includes provisions for discounts to recognizable groups such as veterans or teachers. Rep. Jeremy Shaffer (R-Allegheny) said while he believes in the free market’s power to spur innovation, technology sometimes moves faster than policy and requires guardrails to protect consumers. “This bill prevents egregious behavior from charging extra for rides based on a low battery that you might have on your cell phone, or even what type of cell phone that you might have,” he said. Courtesy of Pennsylvania Capital-Star
	25 Democratic-led states sue Trump administration over Medicaid work requirements Rhode Island Democratic Attorney General Peter Neronha in Providence earlier this year. Rhode Island is one of 25 Democratic-led states plus the District of Columbia that have sued the Trump administration over its new work requirements for people who get their health insurance through Medicaid. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)Twenty-five Democratic-led states plus the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration over its new work requirements for people who get their health insurance through Medicaid. At issue is a “medically frail” designation that the states say is too narrow and will make it too difficult for ill and disabled people to remain on Medicaid. They’re challenging the administration’s guidance on who can be exempt from the work requirements included in the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the broad tax and spending measure President Donald Trump signed a year ago. Medicaid is the publicly-funded health insurance for people with low incomes. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, states that have expanded Medicaid eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act — 40 states plus the District of Columbia — must require those adults to prove they’re working, going to school or serving their communities for at least 80 hours a month to receive Medicaid. Georgia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, which have used federal waivers to expand their Medicaid programs, are also subject to the new work rules. The new lawsuit specifically targets new federal guidance that narrows the definition of who can qualify as “medically frail,” a key exemption used to excuse Medicaid recipients from work requirements if they have serious disabilities or illnesses. The guidance came in the form of an interim final rule published this month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). States face tight timeline as feds unveil new Medicaid work requirement rules The Democratic attorneys general and governors who are plaintiffs in the suit claim the feds surprised them with this new rule months after they’d already been working with CMS on how to implement the work requirements. “This eleventh-hour attempt to further narrow protections for medically frail Medicaid recipients seeks to punish those who cannot fend for themselves,” said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, a Democrat, in a statement. “Further, this Administration is once again attempting to sidestep Congress by unlawfully reinterpreting the law, and coercing the states to rush to implement their last-minute changes or face penalties,” he said. To qualify as “medically frail” and therefore exempt from work requirements, the new guidance says, a Medicaid recipient must have a significant health condition and be significantly impaired in their ability to work. It’s a distinction the states say Congress did not make in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The states also claim the new guidance violates federal law by ignoring evidence that work requirements cause people to lose coverage due to red tape. For example, Arkansas tried instituting work requirements for Medicaid recipients in 2018, during Trump’s first term. A federal judge halted the policy less than a year later, after 18,000 adults had lost coverage. Studies later found that Arkansas’ work requirements didn’t increase employment. A recent analysis from the Urban Institute projects that 3-7 million people could lose coverage because of the new work requirements. Supporters of the new work rules say they are sufficiently flexible and that the category of who qualifies as “medically frail” remains broad. “This rule helps Americans build skills and independence through work, education, job training, or community service, creating new opportunities for themselves and their families,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, director for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in a statement earlier this month announcing the new guidance. The lawsuit says states have already invested significant resources into implementing the new work requirements based on the original law’s language and prior federal guidance. They’re staring down an August 31, 2026, deadline for notifying Medicaid recipients about changes to the “medically frail” designation, a timeline the states say is not workable. They face financial penalties for not meeting the deadline. States are expected to put the new work requirements into place by January 1, 2027, though the feds could choose to grant them temporary extensions through 2028. The lawsuit was filed by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Stateline reporter Anna Claire Vollers can be reached at avollers@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	The Temporary Protected Status program may effectively be over. Here's what we know. A Supreme Court ruling gives the Trump administration space to strip this status from hundreds of thousands of more people from the few remaining countries with this program.
	Arkansas launches mobile app to navigate new food stamps junk food ban Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of County Operations Director Mary Franklin (left) demonstrates how to use the agency's new app to help food recipients navigate new changes to the program at Edward's Food Giant in North Little Rock on June 29, 2026. At right is DHS Communications Chief Gavin Lesnick. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)The Arkansas Department of Human Services launched a new mobile app Monday to help food stamp beneficiaries navigate a new ban on junk food purchases that will go into effect this week. Arkansas is one of several states that received federal permission to ban the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds to purchase soda, candy, juices with less than 50% natural juice and other highly processed foods. The ban will be enforced Wednesday, the start of the state’s new fiscal year. AR SNAP Companion allows users to scan grocery items with their phone cameras to learn whether a product can be purchased with food stamps or whether it’s deemed too unhealthy. The app will include information about why a product is ineligible for SNAP and give suggestions of what to buy instead, DHS Division of County Operations Director Mary Franklin said. “By combining technology, education and beneficiary support, we are working to make this transition as simple and successful as possible for Arkansas families,” Franklin said in a Monday news conference at Edward’s Food Giant in North Little Rock. More than 220,000 Arkansans in about 118,000 households received SNAP benefits as of April. AR SNAP Companion is available on Apple and Android devices. DHS created the app with the help of Sifter Solutions, a Chicago-based consultant that provides regularly updated lists of restricted products to retailers in states with SNAP junk food bans. The state entered a $1.2 million contract with Sifter in May. The app will include a series of videos called “Make It Snappy,” instructing SNAP users on budget-friendly healthy recipes, produced by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Culinary Medicine program, Franklin said. Arkansas Retailers Association Director Steve Goode expresses support for the state’s upcoming implementation of a ban on purchasing highly processed foods with food stamps at Edward’s Food Giant in North Little Rock on June 29, 2026. At right are state Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville; Rep. Karilyn Brown, R-Sherwood; Sen. Jane English, R-North Little Rock; Rep. Brandon Achor, R-Maumelle; and Rep. Alex Holladay, D-North Little Rock. (Photo by Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) The Arkansas Retailers Association worked closely with grocery stores and DHS to make sure the junk food ban can be implemented smoothly, Director Steve Goode said. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the ban is necessary to reduce rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease statewide. “On one floor of DHS, our state has been approving food stamp purchases for soft drinks and candy, while on another floor, our state’s Medicaid program is paying to treat the chronic diseases those products can help create,” Sanders said. SNAP recipients in five states sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture in March, alleging that the “practical effect” of the junk food bans is “to destabilize food access for every SNAP participant in the affected states.” The lawsuit also claims that people with chronic illnesses are “losing access to products they need to manage blood sugar or sustain diets they need to maintain baseline health care needs.” A federal judge sided with the plaintiffs last week and blocked Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia from enforcing the SNAP junk food ban, but the ruling does not affect Arkansas. Advocates for food assistance have said the ban will further stigmatize the use of SNAP and that beneficiaries do not make unhealthy foods a priority when they already have a limited amount of funds. Experts have also raised concerns that the increased digitization of SNAP, including the use of apps, makes food aid more difficult for senior citizens and other technologically challenged groups to access. Looming federal cuts prompt concerns about food aid in Arkansas Arkansas will be on the hook for an additional $24 million in SNAP administrative costs within the next couple years thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. State leaders have not increased DHS’ budget, raising more concerns from advocates that the agency will not have the resources to handle the extra work. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act also incentivizes states to keep their rates of overpaying or underpaying SNAP benefits below 6% in order for the federal government to continue to pay 100% of the cost of assistance. States with error rates above 6% will pay at least 5% of SNAP benefit costs starting Oct. 1, 2027. Arkansas’ error rate has consistently been above that threshold. It was 7.43% as of April, an increase from December. For fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30, 2024, Arkansas’ error rate was 8.81, according to USDA data. The national SNAP error rate for FY 2025 was 10.62%. The rate accounted for $10.1 billion in erroneous payments nationwide, according to a Wednesday USDA news release that calls the errors proof of “significant waste at the state level.” Millions of Americans eligible for SNAP in 2023 were not enrolled in the program, according to a data analysis released earlier this year. Arkansas grocers will have to implement another federal rule in November in order to be allowed to continue accepting SNAP benefits. Most grocery stores will be required to stock at least seven different products in each of the four major food groups and offer perishable products in at least three groups. Specialty stores such as butcher shops and farm stands will be exempt from the rule. Courtesy of Arkansas Advocate
	KWQC + to stream Red, White & Boom The show is expected to start around 9:30 p.m.
	Trust, not uncertainty, should guide the future of organ donation in SC (Left to right) Dave DeStefano stands with Rose Hood, sister of a donor; and Amy and John McArdle, parents of a donor, at We Are Sharing Hope's headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina, in April 2026 on National Blue and Green Day, an annual event encouraging people to register to be a donor. (Photo courtesy of We Are Sharing Hope)Lives are saved every day through the generosity of organ donors and their families. And behind each donation is a complex, around-the-clock effort to honor that gift and help it reach someone in need. As South Carolina’s federally designated organ procurement organization, We Are Sharing Hope SC is part of every step of that process, from sitting with a grieving family in a hospital room to ensuring a donated kidney reaches a recipient safely. With 157 staff members serving communities across South Carolina, our work is rooted in a local presence and a commitment to those we serve. That community connection is essential because organ donation depends on trust. Our team members understand that organ donation is far more than a medical process. It is an act of extraordinary generosity, often made during moments of profound loss, and requires compassionate professionals who understand local cultures, traditions, and values. For more than four decades, Sharing Hope has earned that trust while continually improving its service. Since 2022, we’ve reported an increase in the number of organ donors in South Carolina by 44% and the number of lives saved by South Carolina organ and tissue donors by 37%. And we have been consistently recognized as a top workplace, helping attract and retain the skilled professionals this work demands. Which is why the situation Sharing Hope and organ procurement organizations across the country are facing is so concerning. The nonprofit that coordinates organ transplants in SC could fold under federal change In 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services introduced new performance metrics intended to strengthen accountability among the nation’s 56 organizations. Instead, these flawed metrics have created significant confusion and fear, and have placed high-performing organizations, including Sharing Hope, at risk of decertification. The primary flaw in the metrics outlined by the federal agency is that they do not adequately account for factors outside an organization’s control. Factors like population health, causes of death that affect the ability to donate, and differences in state health data collection. For states like South Carolina, which faces significant challenges in population health and access to care, these omissions can produce misleading comparisons and distort actual performance. The fairness and legality of these metrics are now the subject of ongoing federal litigation and rulemaking. And the uncertainty created by these metrics is already negatively affecting decisions across the donation system. Recently, Prisma Health, one of our valued hospital partners, submitted a federal waiver request to transfer its federally designated organ procurement services to a North Carolina hospital system. We value our partnership with Prisma and, by their own account, Prisma’s decision was not prompted by dissatisfaction with Sharing Hope or the care and service we provide. Rather, it was a response to the federal metrics that remain under legal and regulatory review. Prisma Health seeks split with SC organ transplant coordinator facing decertification That should concern everyone who cares about organ donation. When major decisions are driven by uncertainty, the consequences can extend far beyond a single organization or state. Organ donation depends on a carefully coordinated network of hospitals, donor families, transplant centers, and organizations working together with trust and stability. Policies that create confusion risk weakening the partnerships that make lifesaving transplants possible. In the case of Prisma’s request, the consequence of this uncertainty risks transferring care of South Carolina donor patients out of state to a North Carolina hospital system. It would re-direct South Carolina’s donation resources — which are meant to serve our community — to support a North Carolina hospital system. And it would place control of organ sharing practices in the hands of a North Carolina hospital system that has its own transplant program and priorities, creating a genuine conflict of interest with no explanation or controls to ensure fairness and equity in organ sharing for patients in South Carolina. As policymakers, regulators, and healthcare leaders consider the future of organ donation in South Carolina, we urge them to focus on what matters most: supporting donor families, transplant recipients, and the systems that connect them. Any decisions should be guided by fair and accurate metrics that reflect real-world conditions and reward meaningful results. At Sharing Hope, our commitment remains unchanged. Every day, we work alongside hospitals, healthcare professionals, and communities across South Carolina to honor the gift of donation and help save lives. We are proud of the trust South Carolinians have placed in us over the past two decades, and we remain dedicated to earning it for decades to come. Courtesy of South Carolina Daily Gazette
	4 chinchillas dead, 3 kittens and 1 cat rescued after Burlington house fire The Burlington Fire Department responded to a house fire on the 1200 block of Smith Street where crews found four chinchillas dead due to smoke.
	Venezuela's deadly quakes put its U.S.-backed government to the test Venezuela's La Guaira state bore the brunt of the earthquake damage, bringing memories of a 1999 disaster that became President Hugo Chávez's first major test. Now, it's the acting leader's challenge.
	Davenport receives $100,000 grant to help redevelop Raphael's Emporium Davenport is supporting a developer's efforts to restore a historic, vacant building on Harrison Street that dates back to the 1800s and once housed a cigar manufacturer.
	Omaha dental school gets $4.6M nibble of $50B federal rural health fund A patient receives care at a Creighton University dental clinic. The Omaha-based university's dental school is one entity to receive a bite of Nebraska's portion of the $50 billion the federal government plans to distribute among all states over five years to help offset harm to rural areas due to sweeping cuts to Medicaid. (Courtesy of Creighton University) OMAHA — Omaha Creighton University’s dental school has been awarded a $4.6 million grant by the state to help expand access to oral healthcare for Nebraska’s rural and underserved communities. The funds come from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which was authorized under the mega tax and spending cut package President Donald Trump signed into law last July. In all, $50 billion is to be distributed ($10 billion annually through fiscal year 2030) among states to help offset harm to rural areas due to sweeping cuts to Medicaid, the state-federal public health insurance for people with low incomes. Creighton University School of Dentistry in downtown Omaha. (Courtesy of Creighton University) Half of the program funding is to be allocated evenly across states. The other half is to be doled out based on several factors, including a state’s rural population and policy actions, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As previously announced, Nebraska secured the eighth-highest funding amount, or $218.5 million, for the first year of the five-year rollout. Creighton, a private Jesuit university based in downtown Omaha, has announced that it will receive $925,000 annually, or $4.6 million over five years. Asked about other entities that will share in Nebraska’s funds, a spokesperson for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Medicaid and the state grant program, said the state could not readily provide that information. Independent researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and elsewhere nationally have questioned whether the rural health grant funding will be enough to offset the structural changes to Medicaid that narrow thin margins for medical providers in less populated areas. Among initiatives planned by Creighton, representatives said, are services and clinics designed to divert patients away from seeking more expensive and often less effective care for dental crises in hospital emergency rooms. An average $3,200 cost for a dental-related ER visit often does not lead to a resolution anyway, said Jillian Wallen, dean of Creighton University School of Dentistry. “The patient gets diagnostic imaging and often leaves with an antibiotic but perhaps without the necessary tooth extraction.” Creighton for the past couple of years has provided an “after-hours clinic” that is a less expensive alternative to the ER, and has treated more than 2,500 patients, many who travel many hours from rural areas to get relief. Guided by professors, fourth-year dental students voluntarily staff the Omaha-based clinic on certain days. Wallen said the rural health grant allows for the continuation of that program, where a typical visit costs the patient $100. Some philanthropic dollars are available for those unable to pay. Some walk-ins have been living with pain for years due to lack of insurance, transportation or trouble finding a provider, Hayley Franklin, patient navigator for the School of Dentistry, said in a statement. “The impact is visible in the moment when I have patients sitting across from me, so thankful that they were finally able to be seen, heard and provided immediate affordable care,” she said. Wallen said grant funds also will offer budding dentists a taste of working in remote and smaller areas of Nebraska. Of the state’s 93 counties, 88 are considered rural and 37% of Nebraskans live in them. A patient is treated at a Creighton University dental clinic. (Courtesy of Creighton University) Student clinical rotations in rural areas will be in partnership with the local public health departments and other entities that also are subrecipients of the rural health grant dollars, Wallen said. The hope, the dean said, is that the students, upon graduation, would then consider working in rural America, where dentists are “desperately” needed. “That they would find community — and a great opportunity to build a practice there.” Wallen said Creighton and its school of dentistry are honored to be named one of the recipients of the rural health care funds. “We recognize that access to oral healthcare remains a significant challenge for many individuals and communities,” she said. “Our responsibility as educators is to help students understand those challenges, become part of the solution and provide compassionate, high-quality care where it is needed most.” The Nebraska DHHS web site says that healthcare providers will have additional opportunities to apply for the rural healthcare funding in each fiscal year. According to the web site, “A project of this size and scope requires participation from many stakeholders across multiple fields.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	U.S. Supreme Court lets Nebraska-Colorado South Platte River, Perkins County Canal case proceed Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, at center, and Gov. Jim Pillen, at right, announce a lawsuit against Colorado before the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to assert Nebraska's water rights to the South Platte River that crosses state lines. At left is Jesse Bradley, director of the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment. July 16, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Nebraska’s claims about whether Colorado has violated a century-old water compact or obstructed Nebraska’s plans for building a canal. In a brief motion Monday, the nation’s highest court granted the request from Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and his office to file its complaint. Colorado has 30 days to file an answer. It’s the first major hurdle for claims stemming from the 1923 South Platte River Compact between the states and the proposed construction of what’s termed the Perkins County Canal. The Supreme Court will appoint a special master to oversee proceedings, conduct hearings and submit recommended findings. It could be years before a resolution is reached. “Nebraska will finally have the opportunity to prove that Colorado has violated the Compact and to hold Colorado accountable for depriving Nebraska of water that rightfully belongs to our state,” Hilgers said in a Monday statement. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Monday said Colorado is complying with the compact and is not interfering with Nebraska’s plans to build the Perkins County Canal. “Today’s court decision merely opens the door for Nebraska to bring its claims against Colorado,” Weiser said in a statement. “Nebraska’s burden to prove those claims is incredibly high, and we will vigorously defend Colorado’s full entitlements under the compact.” The compact dictates that Colorado is to deliver an average of 120 cubic feet of water per second to Nebraska during the irrigation season, between April 1 and Oct. 15. Nebraska is not guaranteed that much water, but it gives priority water access to Nebraska over newer, or “junior,” water users that have popped up over the last century. The complaint alleges that Colorado has allowed “junior” water users to access water while Nebraska has not received its promised water flows. The compact gives Nebraska the right to 500 cubic feet per second of water in the non-irrigation season, between Oct. 15 and April 1, if a canal is built. Nebraska is afforded “eminent domain” over some Colorado land to build the canal, meaning the state could seize private land if needed, which has caused consternation for some landowners in the area. Then-Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, now a U.S. senator, revived the canal idea in 2022. Hilgers was speaker of the Nebraska Legislature at the time. Nebraska lawmakers have repeatedly defended the canal and set aside more than $600 million in funding, even dipping into cash reserves and sweeping various state cash funds to help balance the state budget. U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer, the federal government’s lead lawyer before the Supreme Court, had advised the justices to take just part of Nebraska’s claim. Those were allegations that Colorado was not delivering enough water to Nebraska in the irrigation season, which Sauer called a “classic case.” However, Sauer called Nebraska’s argument over the Perkins County Canal and supposed interference from Colorado “unripe.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	NU president talks Omaha Community Foundation, Nebraska Medicine transition Dr. Jeffrey Gold, president of the University of Nebraska system, gives his first "State of the University" address in the Nebraska State Capitol. Sept. 4, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner)LINCOLN — The Omaha Community Foundation is set to govern half the Nebraska Medicine nonprofit alongside the University of Nebraska this week. The NU Board of Regents voted unanimously Monday to approve amended nonprofit bylaws and governing documents giving the Omaha Community Foundation two seats on the board overseeing Nebraska Medicine. The changes will be in effect through at least Sept. 30 to give NU and the foundation time to craft and execute a more permanent governance structure. Assuming NU closes its deal with Clarkson Regional Health Services to exit as the 50% co-owner of the nonprofit by the end of Tuesday, the Omaha Community Foundation can then appoint two members to replace the two governing board seats currently owed to Clarkson. “The Omaha Community Foundation, in many ways, represents the breadth and depth of the philanthropic communities that serve the State of Nebraska and predominantly serve as well the Omaha community,” NU President Jeff Gold told reporters Monday. Omaha Community Foundation in talks to join NU as owner of Nebraska Medicine He continued: “They have a number of relationships with organizations — probably nothing as large or as prominent as Nebraska Medicine — but their board and their leadership team stepped up and came to us and said, ‘We’re willing to roll up our sleeves and work with you, if we can make this happen in a way that’s fair and balanced and represents the best interests of the community.’” ‘Completely on track’ As for what’s left to close the deal with Clarkson, Gold said just a couple of details are left. “I was talking to our attorneys earlier today, and we are still, at least from the university’s perspective, we are still completely on track,” Gold said. A model detailing how the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s footprint would grow in Omaha with the $2 billion “Project Health” endeavor sits in front of University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold. Oct. 3, 2025. (Photo by Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Funding the $500 million deal to buy out Clarkson’s 50% stake in the nonprofit — $300 million for the transaction, plus $200 million earmarked at Clarkson’s request toward NU’s longstanding $2.19 billion “Project Health” — will be accomplished “predominantly” via short-term debt as NU works through the next 90-day period. NU also plans to use short-term debt to initially purchase $300 million in related properties owned by Clarkson. Gold and the regents have said no taxpayer or tuition dollars will be used. Timeline of the deal Gold on Monday affirmed what regents first revealed in a last-minute resolution June 18, that private philanthropists had approached NU shortly after the Jan. 15 vote to approve Clarkson stepping away from the NU-Clarkson partnership, which had been in place since 1997. It was in mid-July 2024 when Clarkson leaders first approached NU and expressed a desire to get out of the longstanding partnership. Gold, the former chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center for 10 years, who chaired the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors during his time as chancellor, had just taken the reins of NU on July 1 of that year. Appropriators deny NU regent claims to state AG about Nebraska Medicine Regents have described what came next — various closed-door conversations and nondisclosure agreements — as out of their hands. The plan came to light Jan. 2 when regents announced Clarkson would leave and NU would become the sole parent organization. By Jan. 15, the regents unanimously approved Clarkson’s exit, but conversations continued behind the scenes until they “gelled,” Gold said, to where a shared governance structure would remain the right path. Some of the former board members of Nebraska Medicine had protested NU becoming the sole owner and asked for a private philanthropist to take Clarkson’s spot, rather than allow NU to become the sole governing body. Part of the concern was whether NU would dip into Nebraska Medicine reserves in hard budget times, which Gold and regents have said won’t be the case. NU leaders and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a former regent who supported the Clarkson-NU deal, had separately expressed concern that if not NU, a non-Nebraska entity could step in. Next 90-day period Gold said he was not made aware of the opportunity for a private philanthropist to come to the table until just around the time of the vote, “but not, certainly, any time in advance of that.” “Whether the Nebraska Medicine board members had these discussions or had an offer, no one approached us,” Gold said. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Dec. 5, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Just a day after the vote to approve Clarkson leaving, the then-board members sued to stop the deal. Gold and Clarkson leaders restructured the board, replacing the members and reducing the voting team to four, with two members each for Clarkson and NU. Gold said he’s “optimistic” that NU and the Omaha Community Foundation can come together quickly over the next 90 days, finalize any necessary documents and agree to move forward. “The next 90 days will tell the tale, but I can tell you, on the part of the Board of Regents and myself, we’re going to roll up our sleeves, work really hard and try to nail this,” Gold said. “We’re Nebraskans. We like to win.” SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner
	Mills announces bridge funding for key regional higher education, childcare center Gov. Janet Mills gives her final State of the State address on Jan. 27, 2026. (Photo by Jim Neuger/ Maine Morning Star)While the Katahdin Higher Education Center develops a path to long-term financial sustainability without the University of Maine System, funding from Gov. Janet Mills will ensure the East Millinocket-based center can remain open in the short term. “For nearly four decades, the Katahdin Higher Education Center has helped working families in the Katahdin region pursue a degree, earn a credential, access training and access childcare for their children as they build a better future close to home,” Mills said in a statement. Mills announced Monday that she would make a one-time donation of $100,000 from her contingency fund to the Katahdin Higher Education Center. The center offers college courses, academic advising, workforce training and other student support services; and is home to the Katahdin Regional Child Development Center, which provides childcare services for families in the area. “During the closing of the paper mills, the center was a place for relief and support for mill workers and today it’s a place of opportunity for all,” said Lee Umphrey, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corporation. “This support from Gov. Mills ensures that students at the Katahdin Higher Education Center will continue to provide local people an opportunity to learn, train and find jobs.” The Maine Community College System has already begun work on long-term funding for the center. In a statement, President David Daigler said the system was grateful for the bridge funding. “The Katahdin Higher Education Center is an important part of the community and we look forward to working with our partners to develop a sustainable, long-plan to continue offering affordable, accessible workforce training and childcare in the community,” Daigler said. The center opened in 1987 as a joint initiative of Eastern Maine Community College and the University of Maine System to expand college classes in northern Penobscot County. But earlier this year, the University of Maine System announced it would end its partnership with the Katahdin Center, as part of an effort to reduce the system’s physical footprint. “The Katahdin Higher Education Center has become an important resource for education, workforce training and economic opportunity in our region,” said East Millinocket Selectman and former U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud. “Gov. Mills’ support will help ensure that these opportunities remain available while a long-term plan is developed.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Maine Morning Star
	10 most expensive states to buy rental property in 2026 10 most expensive states to buy rental property in 2026As housing prices soar, homebuying has become harder across the country. Naturally, some places are hit harder than others. The gap between the least and most expensive states to buy rental property has widened substantially, and it’s impacting how and whether people can afford real estate.There are a few different reasons for the discrepancy, ranging from limited housing supply to restrictive zoning laws. Sudden jumps in job and population growth, along with geographic constraints, can also limit purchase opportunities and widen the gap between renting and buying costs.By understanding broader rental and housing market trends, landlords and investors can determine where to buy their next rental investment property. To help paint a picture of how expensive today’s top markets have become, TurboTenant counts down the 10 most expensive states to buy real estate, but not before a look at a short list of what drives up prices.Why are some states more expensive than others?Numerous factors are to blame for the housing affordability crisis. And though the exact reasons may vary, considering the following variables will give you a better idea of why home prices are particularly high in a given location:Strong job markets: Places with strong job markets tend to draw high-earning professionals from surrounding states and countries, thus creating intense competition for a limited pool of available homes. When demand outpaces supply, bidding wars become common, and prices climb quickly.High population density: More people living in one area means fewer homes available. In densely populated states, even modest properties can command premium prices due to limited supply.Limited available land: Without room to expand due to geographic constraints such as coastlines, mountain ranges, or islands, developers can’t build more property. When the land runs out, prices have nowhere to go but up.Slow new construction: Permitting laws, zoning restrictions, community opposition, labor shortages, and weather can all slow the construction of new homes. Even in areas where demand is surging, the flow of new supply often can’t keep pace, putting sustained upward pressure on prices.10 most expensive states to buy rental property in 2026Now that you have an idea of the reasons behind high housing costs, here is a look at the priciest places in the U.S. We sourced the numbers below from each state’s Zillow Home Value Index, which measures typical mid-tier home values nationwide.#10: Oregon – $502,934A strong tech sector and creative economy in the Portland metro area have pushed the state’s housing market well above the national average. Statewide, home values have grown by roughly 40% since 2019, though eastern Oregon and the southern coast are significantly cheaper than Portland and its surrounding suburbs.Real estate investors may want to steer clear of the Beaver State, though, as Oregon has some of the nation’s strictest rent control laws and even requires landlords to pay tenants’ relocation fees if they increase rent significantly. Ultimately, the price-to-rent ratio isn’t ideal, even for higher-cash-flow Airbnb investments.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#9: New Hampshire – $516,578Since 2019, New Hampshire’s housing market has been completely transformed. Home values are up by nearly 80%, driven by remote workers and homebuyers who can’t afford Boston or the greater New England area. With all that competition swirling, homes regularly sell above asking price.Though median home values recently surpassed $500,000 (and can be much higher in coastal communities like Rye and Portsmouth), you can still find cheaper property in towns like Berlin and Claremont. New Hampshire also has relatively landlord-friendly laws for rental property investments.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#8: New York – $517,805The New York City metro area is famous for its astronomical housing prices, which have driven up average costs across the state. In affordable upstate cities like Rochester and Buffalo, median home prices hover around $200,000. However, by state, home prices are up about 5% year over year.On top of its high housing prices, New York consistently ranks among the least landlord-friendly states due to rent stabilization laws in the Big Apple, just-cause eviction requirements, and a tenant-favorable court system. Most prospective landlords might want to look elsewhere for their next real estate investment.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#7: Utah – $541,277Utah typically isn’t the first state to come to mind for high housing prices. But an expanding tech sector and in-migration from neighboring states have driven up home prices, particularly in the Salt Lake City-Provo corridor. Costs in resort markets, like Park City, are even higher.On the upside, Utah’s rental laws are relatively landlord-friendly. If you buy in the right place at the right time, long-term rental demand from the state’s growing population should translate to a decent profit margin. But short-term rental owners may face headwinds in resort areas as regulations increase.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#6: Colorado – $543,270Colorado has long been desirable for homebuying, with metros like Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs all drawing buyers who are willing to pay a premium for an outdoorsy lifestyle. Though home prices have dipped by 2.4% year-over-year, values remain well above the nationwide averages for housing costs by state.Though $543,000 won’t go far in larger cities, towns like Pueblo and Grand Junction offer lower-cost investment opportunities. Not to mention, Colorado also ranks on TurboTenant’s list of the most landlord-friendly states and has one of the lowest property tax rates in the country at roughly 0.50%.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#5: New Jersey – $578,855The rise of remote work and proximity to New York City have contributed to New Jersey having one of the highest home prices among states. Costs are highest in Bergen County, near NYC, but South Jersey still has some affordable markets worth looking into.Landlords won’t have an easy time in New Jersey, however, as the state has the nation’s highest property taxes and just-cause eviction laws that extend tenant protections. With these limitations in mind, New Jersey isn’t the best place for real estate investing, even in that state’s more affordable markets.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#4: Washington – $603,870Washington’s housing demand is primarily concentrated in the Seattle metro, which is home to major corporate employers like Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft. Though home prices have dipped slightly, falling roughly 0.5% year-over-year, Washington remains within the top five most expensive states to buy rental property in 2026.Seattle, of course, has the most costly homes, with average values hovering around $870,000. While other cities like Spokane and Yakima have more affordable houses, landlords will have to contend with the state’s just-cause lease termination requirements, rent increase restrictions, and lengthy eviction timelines.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#3: Massachusetts – $667,265Massachusetts has one of the highest average housing prices among states because of its elite universities, a highly concentrated job market, and severely limited housing supply. Costs are particularly high in Boston and Cape Cod, though the burgeoning Pioneer Valley area offers a more affordable alternative.Landlords should also note that Massachusetts law tends to favor tenants. The state requires landlords to pay annual interest on security deposits and gives tenants the right to seal their eviction records, limiting what future landlords can see. Investors here also face high entry costs, thin margins, and increasingly complex landlord-tenant laws, making rental property operations difficult at best.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#2: California – $775,550California has long been the second-most expensive state to buy rental property, primarily due to high housing prices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Though the cheaper Central Valley and Inland Empire bring down average costs, homeownership rates are just 55% as of 2025.With a large renter population, California is one of the least landlord-friendly states in the country due to its strict rent control laws, high income taxes, and variations in local landlord-tenant laws. The state also heavily regulates short-term rentals, making Airbnb equally unfeasible.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026#1: Hawai'i – $831,183With a gap of over $50,000 between Hawai‘i and California housing prices, the Aloha State ranks as the most expensive state to buy an investment property by a wide margin. Homes cost more than twice the U.S. average due to extreme geographical constraints, tourism demand, and high construction costs.Compared to other islands, costs are particularly high in densely populated Oahu, where the median sales price exceeds $1.1 million. Hawai‘i’s short-term rental market is also under fire from local lawmakers, who are already phasing out short-term rentals on Maui to create housing opportunities for residents.Statewide, long-term rental demand is strong, driven by a large rental base. But the combination of high entry prices and rising operating costs means that investors who haven’t done thorough market research can easily lose money on rental properties in Hawaii.Source: ZHVI data through May 31, 2026What high home prices mean for buyers and landlordsThe spread between the cheapest and most expensive states is pushing a growing number of would-be investors out of the markets they’d most like to enter. In the states on this list, prices have climbed so high that a growing number of residents with solid incomes can’t afford to buy.That doesn’t mean investment opportunities don’t exist.If you’re researching where to buy rental property, price is only part of the equation. A state’s landlord-tenant laws, property tax rates, and eviction timelines can make or break a deal in ways that raw home values don’t capture. A market with high prices and landlord-friendly laws can still outperform a cheaper state with restrictive tenant protections.Before committing to a market, learn how real estate investing works and stress-test the math with a rental property calculator. The numbers will tell you whether a high-priced state is worth the cost of admission.This story was produced by TurboTenant and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Why car crashes are an overlooked threat during pregnancy Why car crashes are an overlooked threat during pregnancyExpectant parents often ask their doctors about air travel, hot tubs, and which foods to avoid. They rarely ask about the activity they do almost every day. Driving and riding in a car turns out to be one of the larger physical risks a pregnancy faces, and the research suggests the danger does not behave the way most people would guess.In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of trauma-related fetal death. One large study put the odds of a serious crash at roughly 1 in 50 over the course of a pregnancy. Below, Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. looks at how often these crashes happen, when the risk appears to peak, and what the medical evidence says about lowering it.How often crashes happen during pregnancyA 2011 review in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine by epidemiologists Catherine Vladutiu and Harold Weiss estimated that about 92,500 pregnant women are injured in motor vehicle crashes each year in the United States. The same review described crashes as the leading cause of traumatic fetal death and a top cause of injury-related hospitalization among pregnant women. State-level studies it cited found crash rates among pregnant drivers ranging from roughly 1% to nearly 3%, depending on the state and the years measured.Measuring the toll on the pregnancies themselves is harder, in part because fetal death certificates do not record whether the mother had recently been in a crash. The best current synthesis comes from a 2020 systematic review in BMJ Open, which pooled 19 studies covering more than 3.2 million women. Among women involved in a crash during pregnancy, it found fetal death or stillbirth in about 6.6 per 1,000 and maternal death in about 3.6 per 1,000. The authors cautioned that the underlying studies varied widely, which is part of why a precise national count of crash-related fetal losses remains out of reach.The risk peaks in the middle of pregnancy, not the endThe clearest evidence on crash risk comes from a 2014 study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. A team led by Dr. Donald Redelmeier followed 507,262 women who gave birth in Ontario between 2006 and 2011, comparing each woman against her own record, her crash rate before pregnancy versus during it. Measuring each woman against herself strips out the personal driving habits that complicate most comparisons.In the three years before pregnancy, these women averaged 177 serious crashes a month as drivers. During the second trimester, the figure climbed to 252 a month. That works out to a 42% jump, with a confidence interval of 32% to 53%. The pattern held regardless of the women's age, income, or education, and across all four seasons.Two details make the finding more persuasive. The increase showed up only when the women were driving, not when they rode as passengers or walked as pedestrians, which points to something about being behind the wheel rather than simply spending more time near traffic. And the elevated risk faded in the third trimester, then dropped below baseline in the year after birth. Redelmeier and his colleagues pointed to the fatigue, insomnia, nausea, and distraction common in mid-pregnancy, which arrive once the careful early months have passed, as a plausible explanation.What a crash can do to a pregnancyMost pregnant patients admitted to a hospital after a crash have relatively minor injuries, and the baby's outcome usually follows the mother's: When she does well, the baby tends to as well. The serious exceptions, though, can follow even a modest impact. The complications clinicians watch for most closely are:Placental abruption, in which the placenta tears away from the uterine wall. It is the most common cause of crash-related fetal death, and reported rates run from about 1% to 5% in minor crashes to as high as 20% to 50% in severe ones.Uterine rupture, which is rare but carries a fetal mortality rate near 100% when it does happen.Maternal shock, when heavy blood loss causes the body to divert blood to vital organs and away from the fetus.Direct fetal trauma, usually to the head, although the uterus and abdominal wall give the fetus considerable protection.The same body of evidence points to a range of specific risks: crashes during pregnancy are linked to higher rates of preterm birth, placental abruption, and fetal loss, and even a minor impact can matter. That is why obstetricians urge an evaluation after any crash, including low-speed ones and cases where the mother feels fine.What the evidence says about driving more safelyOne point in the research gets muddled often enough to be worth stating plainly: Seat belts and airbags protect pregnant occupants. Restraints can contribute to injury in a high-speed crash, but going unbelted is far more dangerous. Standard guidance is to run the lap belt low, under the belly and across the hips and pelvic bone, keep the shoulder strap between the breasts, and leave about 10 inches between the breastbone and the steering wheel where the seat allows.The Ontario researchers were careful to say their findings were not a reason to stop driving. As Redelmeier put it at the time, the message was to drive more carefully, particularly in the months when the data suggests attention tends to slip.After a crash: medical and legal follow-upSome fetal injuries cause no symptoms the mother can feel, so doctors generally recommend a medical check after any crash during pregnancy, then watching for warning signs such as abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, contractions, or a change in the baby's movement. Pediatricians also suggest noting a prenatal crash in a child's records, because some effects of fetal head trauma, including developmental or intellectual delays, may not appear until later in childhood.The legal picture depends on the state. New Jersey is one example worth noting: The state's Limitation on Lawsuit Threshold, sometimes called the verbal threshold, limits certain claims for injuries that are not permanent, but state law treats the loss of a fetus as a permanent injury, which preserves the right to file. Filing deadlines and the long delay before some developmental injuries surface are among the reasons these cases can grow complicated.MethodologyThis article draws on peer-reviewed research and public health data rather than any original survey. The central figure on crash risk comes from Redelmeier, May, Thiruchelvam, and Barrett, “Pregnancy and the risk of a traffic crash,” a population-based, self-matched cohort study of 507,262 women who gave birth in Ontario between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2011. The study counted only crashes serious enough to require emergency care and compared each woman's pre-pregnancy rate against her second-trimester rate; the 42% increase carries a 95% confidence interval of 32% to 53% (p < 0.001). Because the cohort included only women who went on to give birth, it leaves out crashes that ended a pregnancy and so likely understates the true risk. The study population is Canadian; the underlying physiology and driving conditions are broadly comparable to those in the U.S., but readers should keep the national source in mind.U.S. incidence figures (roughly 92,500 injured pregnant women per year, plus the state-level crash rates) come from Vladutiu and Weiss, “Motor vehicle safety during pregnancy.” The fetal and maternal mortality rates following crashes during pregnancy — about 6.6 fetal deaths or stillbirths and 3.6 maternal deaths per 1,000 — are pooled estimates from the systematic review by Amezcua-Prieto and colleagues. which combined 19 studies covering more than 3.2 million women, the large majority in high-income countries. Those pooled rates carry wide confidence intervals and high statistical heterogeneity, which is why the article presents them as approximate rather than precise counts. Injury complications and their rate ranges are also drawn from that review. Percentages for placental abruption and similar complications reflect ranges reported across the clinical literature, not a single dataset.This story was produced by Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Extreme Heat Warning until WED 10:00 PM CDT Extreme Heat Warning in Effect Until 10 PM CDT Wednesday
	USDA’s finalized rule could boost adoption of regenerative farming practices A farmer plants corn into a cover crop, which is one of several regenerative agriculture practices that a new federal rule holds can reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions of producing ethanol. (Photo by Jacob Tosch/USDA)Farmers growing corn and soybeans for biofuels can now quantify the carbon intensity of crops grown with certain regenerative agriculture practices, due to a recently finalized federal rule. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule will allow farmers to “capture new value” from agricultural practices like cover crops and reduced tillage, according to a news release from the department. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. According to the finalized rule, the production of corn accounts for more than 50% of the direct greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing corn ethanol, and nearly 50% of soybean biodiesel emissions are attributable to the feedstock crop production. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with growing corn and soybeans can be reduced with the “low-carbon practices” outlined in the final rule. These tools include reduced tillage, cover crops and nitrification inhibitors. Farmers can also lower the carbon intensity score of a feedstock by following nutrient management guidelines that specify nutrient budgets based on current soil testing and are verified by a third party. Regenerative practices Cover crops: seeding a crop between cash crops, can help to keep roots and nutrients in the soil. Reduced tillage or no till: tilling a field in strips, or not at all, helps to keep the carbon dioxide sequestered by growing plants, and other nutrients, in the soil. Nitrification inhibitor: adding a nitrification inhibitor to fertilizer slows the conversion of ammonia to nitrate in the soil and can reduce nitrous oxide emissions. According to the final rule, these practices, which in earlier iterations of proposed rules were called “climate-smart agriculture” practices, generally reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase soil-carbon sequestration. The adoption of these practices can lower the greenhouse gas emissions of biofuel production and “provide other environmental benefits” like improved water quality and soil health, according to the final rule. Along with the finalized rule, USDA released an updated carbon intensity calculator to help farmers “quantify regenerative practices” and market their feedstocks accordingly. The carbon intensity score of a feedstock is important to low-carbon biofuel producers, as these fuels must be produced within certain total greenhouse gas emissions limits – from the field to distillation. Low-carbon intensity feedstocks can help biofuel producers fit within these limits. The finalized rule was celebrated by crop and biofuel groups in Iowa, who also called for the adoption of the rule into a U.S. Department of Energy model essential to receiving low-carbon fuel tax credits known as 45Z tax credits. The renewable fuels industry has also looked to carbon sequestration pipelines as a way to lower the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels, but such projects have faced pushback in Iowa. Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw called the finalization of the USDA rule a “great step forward” and said farmers can benefit from adopting regenerative practices, while biofuels producers will be able to source low-carbon intensity feedstocks and access “massive new markets.” “And maybe most importantly, biofuels production will now be the single biggest driver of regenerative ag practices that improve water quality throughout rural America,” Shaw said in a news release. Shaw said the DOE needs to “expeditiously” incorporate the USDA tool into the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies, or GREET, model that stipulates the life cycle emissions levels a biofuel must be produced within to qualify for the 45Z tax credit. “The Treasury Department must immediately recognize that updated model in time for farmers to make decisions this fall,” Shaw said. “It may seem a little early when this year’s harvest isn’t even out of the ground yet, but many farmers will already be making decisions by August that will impact the (carbon intensity) of next year’s crop.” Mark Mueller, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, said the new rule will “jumpstart” opportunities for growers in Iowa who “are committed to doing what’s right for the land and the environment.” “For years, Iowa corn farmers have led the nation in adoption and implementation of conservation practices, and today’s USDA rule provides a framework to reward conservation-minded farmers who are stewards of the land,” Mueller said in a news release. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order Friday calling for the advancement of regenerative agriculture practices. The order connects the practices to the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. “It is the policy of the United States to promote continued advances in precision agriculture technologies; significantly increase Federal investment in regenerative agriculture practices, research, and education; and spur private-sector innovation in farm modernization by reducing red tape and strengthening public-private partnerships,” the order said. In addition to regenerative agriculture practices, the order also urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to prioritize the registration of substances that can be used as alternatives to “older active ingredients.” It also encouraged EPA to support research into the impacts of chemical exposures on human health. A news release from USDA said the executive order and finalized rule represent the “most significant market-driven effort ever undertaken to reward America’s farmers for voluntarily implementing regenerative practices.” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said the initiatives were examples of Trump’s “America First agenda.” “(The rule) put farmers, not Washington bureaucrats, in the driver’s seat,” Rollins said in the release. “Instead of mandates, we’re creating market opportunities. Farmers who choose to implement regenerative practices will have new opportunities to earn premium prices, lower their input costs, improve soil health, and strengthen the long-term profitability of their operations.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Golden Corral Buffet & Grill to close Davenport location A popular Davenport restaurant will close their doors next week.
	Davenport Schools hires four principals West High School, Sudlow Middle School and McKinley Elementary School will all have new principals next school year.
	Enjoy July 4 events around the QCA Cities around the QCA are getting ready to celebrate the July 4 holiday. The list below contains information about celebrations around the area. Illinois: East Moline: East Moline Independence Day, July 3, fireworks at Rock Island County Fairgrounds at dusk, kids zone 6:15 – 8:15 p.m., live music 6:45 – 9:10 p.m. July 4, pancake [...]
	Is it back-to-school butterflies or something deeper? Is it back-to-school butterflies or something deeper?Back-to-school season can be a stressful time for students. As you think about navigating your class schedule, friend dynamics, academic pressures, and other responsibilities, it’s normal to feel a little nervous. If this happens to you, you’re not alone, and there are ways to feel better.Feeling anxious at the start of a new school year doesn’t mean you have a mental health condition. But if your anxiety doesn’t go away and negatively impacts your daily life, it could be cause for concern. Around 30% of teens will experience an anxiety disorder at some point.Rula explains how to spot the difference between back-to-school butterflies and an anxiety disorder so you know when to ask for help.Key TakeawaysIt’s OK to feel nervous during back-to-school season. Often, these worries will subside once you get back to class.Getting into a routine, connecting with friends, and learning some stress-management skills can help reduce back-to-school anxiety.If your anxiety is so intense that it’s making daily life difficult, talk to an adult you trust. They can help connect you with the support you need to feel better.Common experiences with back-to-school anxietyWhen summer vacation comes to an end, you might feel a little nervous about going back to school. You might wonder if you’ll like your teachers, who you’ll sit with at lunch, or if you’ll have any classes with friends. These worries aren’t unusual, and they’ll probably go away once you settle into your new routine.However, for some students, back-to-school anxiety can be more intense, and they may need some help to manage it. If you’re experiencing any of the following, reach out to an adult you trust.Sleep troubles: “Ever since I started thinking about the first day of school, I haven’t been sleeping very much. When I do fall asleep, I have nightmares about being in class.”Appetite changes: “No food sounds good to me anymore, not even my favorite things. I feel like throwing up whenever I think about going back to school.”Aches and fatigue: “For some reason, I keep having headaches, and I’m exhausted all the time. My dad took me to the doctor, but they couldn’t find anything physically wrong with me.”Avoidance: “When I saw the back-to-school-night invitation in the mail, I threw it in the trash. The last thing I want to do is go anywhere near school before I absolutely have to.”Reassurance-seeking: “Every day, I ask my parents to call the school office for a copy of my new schedule. They keep saying it’s not ready yet, but I need to figure out which teachers I have.”What’s behind your fear of going back to school?Some of the most common reasons you might be experiencing back-to-school anxiety include:Academic pressure: Many high-achieving students experience intense pressure to maintain their grades. This can lead to burnout. Once summer break comes to an end, you may worry about facing that pressure again.Bullying: If you’ve been the victim of bullying, you may worry about what the new school year may bring. It might make you anxious to anticipate encountering a bully on the bus, in the hallways, or in class.Mental health concerns: Severe back-to-school anxiety that doesn’t improve once the school year starts could be a sign of an anxiety disorder or another underlying mental health concern.School safety: School shootings are a public health crisis in the U.S., and gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teens. Fearing for your safety at school could increase your anxiety.If you’re experiencing anxiety related to the start of the school year, support is available. Reaching out to others — whether a parent, school counselor, or friend — can help you feel better.Seven ways students can face back-to-school anxietyYou don’t have to let your back-to-school stress take over your mind. You can regain your calm and confidence as you enter the school year.Consider these tips:Get back into a regular routine. Before the school year begins, start going to bed at the same time and getting up early. This will help your mind and body adjust to the new schedule once classes start.Connect with friends. If you haven’t seen your friends all summer, reach out to see if they want to get together before school starts. Spending time with friends can help you feel less alone at the start of a new school year.Take a school tour. You might not want to spend time in a school building during summer, and that’s OK! But taking a tour before school starts can help you feel less anxious — especially if you’re going to be in a new building this year.Create a list of things to look forward to. Think about the year ahead, and try to come up with a few things that you’re looking forward to. Then, write them down so you can look at them when you’re feeling anxious. Your list could include anything from joining a new club, taking a class that interests you, or getting to see your friends.Talk to your school counselor. If you’re still feeling anxious once school starts, your school counselor can help. Their job is to help students manage emotions — including anxiety — so they can make the most of their education. They may offer individual or small-group counseling during the school day.Create an anxiety tool kit. Having a few go-to coping strategies can help you navigate anxiety in the moment. For example, breathing exercises can help you calm your mind and body. And no one will even know you’re doing it!Ask for help. If you’ve tried to manage your anxiety on your own, and it’s not getting any better, talk to an adult you trust. This could be a teacher, coach, or parent. Find a time to connect with them privately, and be honest about how your anxiety is affecting you. Let them know you’d like to explore anxiety treatment. A therapist or psychiatrist can determine whether you have an anxiety disorder and help you create a plan to manage back-to-school anxiety and other worries.Clinician’s take“Back-to-school anxiety is like a smoke alarm — if it only sounds at school, the issue may be in that environment,” says Brandy Chalmers, LPC “But if it keeps ringing everywhere, it may point to a deeper condition.”This story was produced by Rula and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	4 reasons the mall is Gen Z’s favorite place to hang out 4 reasons the mall is Gen Z’s favorite place to hang outFor a generation raised on algorithmic feeds, group chats, and on-demand everything, the most surprising place Gen Z is choosing to spend time together may be the most analog one of all: the shopping mall.A nationally representative study conducted in March 2026 by Sunnie, Hello Sunshine’s Gen Z-focused media and lifestyle brand, in partnership with Westfield Rise, finds that 73% of Gen Z respondents say the mall is the top place they go to spend time with friends, outranking parks, restaurants, and even each other’s homes.The numbers land alongside a broader wave of industry data pointing in the same direction. Projections from research firm Circana show that by 2030, Gen Z and Millennials will dominate the U.S. population and drive 60% of retail sales growth. NielsenIQ projects Gen Z retail spending will surpass $12 trillion globally by 2030, with growth outpacing every other generation.Here are four reasons the mall has become Gen Z’s favorite place to hang out and what it signals about a generation choosing physical spaces over digital ones. Courtesy of Westfield Rise 1. They’re looking for connection beyond the screenThe shift toward in-person gathering comes amid a well-documented rise in social isolation among young people. In 2023, the U.S. surgeon general declared loneliness a public health epidemic. A 2025 Cigna survey found that 67% of Gen Z adults reported feeling lonely, which is the highest proportion of any generation.For a generation that came of age during remote schooling, algorithmic media, and pandemic-era isolation, the appeal of physical gathering spaces is not nostalgic but instead practical. According to Sunnie and Westfield’s research, 72% of respondents said they would still visit the mall even if they could not buy anything, suggesting that the draw is less about consumption than about shared experience. Rather than structured activities or ticketed events, many respondents described valuing spaces where they could stay for hours, move freely between environments, and spend time together without pressure to plan or spend.Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third space” in 1989 to describe locations beyond home and work, such as cafés, barbershops, and bookstores that foster informal social interaction. For decades, malls performed that role for American teenagers. As screens have become the default setting for nearly every aspect of daily life, Gen Z appears to be actively seeking out the in-person moments that digital environments cannot replicate. Courtesy of Westfield Rise 2. The mall beats social for brand discoveryIn an era defined by social media-driven discovery, research has surfaced a counterintuitive pattern. A majority of consumers (70%) are more likely to discover new brands in malls, according to Westfield’s How We Shop: The Next Decade study, a global retail trends report examining how consumers find and engage with brands, versus social media platforms. According to that same research, 59% say physical retail inspires them more than online.In effect, the mall is functioning as an offline group chat where decisions aren’t shaped by algorithms, but by the people you’re with. Visitors arrive without a strict agenda and make choices based on atmosphere, curiosity, and social cues. Research on sensory marketing shows that physical environments drive higher rates of unplanned purchasing than digital-only touchpoints, in part because they activate emotional and social responses that screens cannot replicate. Quad/Graphics and The Harris Poll released a cross-generational study last year detailing widespread consumer desire for more in-real-life brand experiences. The report, The Return of Touch, shows consumer values rebalancing toward physical, tangible connections and the benefits to brands. Nearly all of Gen Z and millennials (86%) said “touching and feeling products are essential to my purchase decisions.” Courtesy of Westfield Rise 3. Retailers are designing spaces for hanging out, not just shoppingAs Gen Z’s preferences shift, so does the physical environment they’re walking into. Across the country, retailers are rethinking what their spaces need to do and increasingly, the answer is to keep people there longer, not just move them through a transaction.Pacsun, a youth-focused apparel retailer, is opening 35 new locations over three years, its first major expansion in nearly two decades. But the strategy is not simply about adding square footage. CEO Brie Olson told The Wall Street Journal that the decision reflects renewed interest from Gen Z shoppers in mall environments as social destinations.Lululemon’s 17,000-square-foot SoHo flagship in Manhattan, which opened in late 2025, is designed around community programming — free fitness classes, local ambassador boards, and product personalization areas. The company has said it plans to adapt additional locations using that model. The common thread is clear: For these retailers, the metric appears to be shifting from transactions per square foot to time spent and experiences created.Disney transformed the mall atrium into a runway-style experience for the premiere of “Devil Wears Prada 2” and extended the glam beyond the event itself. “Fashion Emergency” vending kiosks popped up at select theaters nationwide, offering complimentary beauty and styling products like makeup and hairspray, to help moviegoers elevate their night out. Courtesy of Westfield Rise 4. Brands are turning malls into stages for culture, not just commerceExperiential formats are extending beyond apparel. Beauty and entertainment brands have increasingly used temporary, participation-focused installations to translate online culture into physical interaction.At Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, skincare brand Josie Maran hosted a sensory-driven sampling experience that drew thousands of visitors over a weekend. Pinterest and NYX Professional Makeup collaborated on an in-person pop-up inspired by trending digital aesthetics, designed to encourage experimenting and sharing in real time.Entertainment companies have made similar moves. Apple TV hosted an immersive public installation tied to its programming that encouraged visitors to co-create custom merchandise, drawing more than 20,000 participants over two weekends. Music artist Billie Eilish’s multi-day pop-up ahead of film screenings drew fans less for merchandise than for the opportunity to take part in a live, shared cultural moment.Clearly, participation now matters more than observation. That preference is reflected in the research findings, with 87% of respondents saying they want brands to involve them in the creative process, according to Hello Sunshine and Westfield Rise’s report. A 2024 global survey from Interpublic’s Momentum Worldwide shows 83% of consumers expressed a higher appreciation for brands that promote genuine connections with communities, and 75% feel a sense of belonging by connecting with fellow fans of the same brand. Courtesy of Westfield Rise The investment is following the foot trafficBroader marketing trends suggest the industry is taking notice. Experiential and sponsorship spending saw the largest budget increase of any offline channel between 2024 and 2025, growing by more than 7% according to Winterberry Group. In 2026, the Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that 41% of U.S. ad buyers expected to increase their focus on in-person and experiential marketing that year.The growth is not evenly distributed. Reporting from PYMNTS shows that top-tier malls in higher-income areas continue to outperform lower-quality centers, suggesting that foot traffic alone isn’t enough. Destinations that succeed tend to offer a mix of social, cultural, and experiential elements that reward time spent, not just transactions.For Gen Z, the draw to shared physical spaces appears to be deliberate rather than nostalgic. The research suggests they are choosing environments that value atmosphere and help foster connection.MethodologyThe Comeback of the Hangout study combined three research methods: in-person mall intercepts with Gen Z women ages 13 to 29 at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles (N=86); a nationally representative survey fielded by YPulse (N=1,500; ages 13 to 39, with results reported for a subset of women ages 13 to 29); and a rapid-response national survey fielded by Suzy (N=940; women ages 18 to 29). Data was collected in December 2025 and March 2026.This story was produced by Westfield Rise and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Senate Ethics Committee dismisses complaint against Sen. Ruben Gallego The committee had been alerted by a fellow member of Congress of allegations of campaign finance violations and potential sexual misconduct, but said it found no evidence of wrongdoing.
	Drivers still hitting the road for July 4 travel: AAA Millions of travelers are hitting the roads for the July 4 weekend and there’s good news at the gas pumps for them as prices continue to fall. Molly Hart, spokesperson for AAA Auto Club, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to offer tips on making those road trips easier. “I do have to [...]
	How much should you spend on bras? How much should you spend on bras?You've done the math before, even if it wasn't conscious. You bought a $35 bra that felt fine in the fitting room, wore it three times a week, and watched it fall apart in six months. The underwire poked through. The band stretched out. The cups went flat. So you replaced it with another $35 bra and started the cycle again.Here's the truth: How much you should spend on a bra depends less on hitting a specific number and more on understanding what your money is actually buying. A higher price only makes sense when it reflects better materials, more durable construction, and engineering that holds up over time. Plenty of expensive bras don't meet that standard. Some midrange bras punch above their weight. And cheap bras aren't always the wrong call.This guide from Honeylove breaks down what each price tier delivers, why most bras fail prematurely, what hidden construction details separate a bra that earns its price from one coasting on markup, and how to think about the real cost of what you wear every day.What budget, mid-range, and premium price points buy youNot all price tiers are created equal, and not every jump in price reflects a jump in quality. Here's what each range typically delivers.Budget bras (under $25) get you basic fabrics, minimal internal structure, and a limited size range. They'll work for light-wear days or situations where longevity isn't the priority. But the materials and construction at this level have a short functional lifespan. Expect the fit to degrade within a few months of regular rotation.Midrange bras ($25 to $60) offer better fabric blends, some internal shaping or light boning, and wider size availability. This is where most women may have been shopping by default. It's also the tier where the gap between price and actual construction quality is widest and most inconsistent. Some midrange bras are genuinely well-built. Others are budget bras with better packaging.Premium bras ($60 and up) should reflect engineered support systems, high-performance fabrics that maintain recovery and shape, durable edge finishing, and hardware designed for long-term fit adjustment. The key word is "should." A premium price tag alone doesn't guarantee any of that. What it should guarantee is that the brand can tell you exactly why the bra costs what it does, with specifics about materials, construction, and fit engineering.Why most bras fail before they shouldThe most common bra frustrations aren't random bad luck. Each one traces back to a specific construction decision. Understanding that connection is the first step toward knowing what's worth paying for.Underwires that poke throughTraditional underwire bras rely on metal or plastic wires seated inside fabric channels. With repeated use and washing, those channels wear through. The wire migrates, the casing thins, and eventually the wire punctures the fabric.This failure is a construction limitation, not a wear-and-tear inevitability. Alternative support structures exist that eliminate the wire entirely without sacrificing lift.Bonded cradle technology is one example. Instead of a wire floating inside a channel, a structural lift system is bonded directly into the bra. It provides shaping and support without a component that can degrade, poke, or shift over time.Another example is embedded underwire, where the wire is cushioned within the pad of the bra. The extra cushion around the flexible wire creates distance between the wire and your skin, which ultimately makes it a more comfortable support choice. This technique is more likely to be found in the premium bra category.Bands that stretch out within monthsThe band provides much of a bra's support, and band longevity depends on the elastic recovery of the fabric. That's its ability to snap back to its original shape after being stretched.Lower-cost fabric blends lose their recovery quickly. The band rides up, shifts throughout the day, and stops doing its job within a few months of regular wear.High-recovery fabrics like Lycra and double-knit constructions are engineered specifically to maintain compression and shape through repeated wear and washing cycles. That directly extends how long the band performs.Cups that lose their shapeCup structure depends on the density and resilience of the foam or fabric layered inside. Thinner, lower-grade foams compress permanently with body heat and pressure. Within months, cups dent and go flat.Higher-quality construction uses denser foams, bonded internal panels, or structured fabric layers that resist compression and hold their molded shape over time. Memory foam cups, for example, bounce back instead of permanently conforming to pressure points.Edges and seams that frayMost bras use stitched hems and overlocked seam edges. These create stress points that unravel with friction and washing, leading to visible fraying and eventual structural failure at the seam.Raw-cut, bonded edges eliminate stitched hems entirely. There are no thread-based seams to break down, which means less friction against skin and significantly longer construction life.What earns the price: The engineering inside a well-built braConstruction that doesn't cut cornersIn order to assess the quality of a bra's construction, look at these factors:How seams are finishedHow layers are bonded versus stitchedWhether internal support panels are integrated or tacked onBonded construction fuses layers together, while traditional stitched construction relies on thread, which creates weak points that fray and separate over time. The performance gap between the two grows with every wash cycle.Raw-cut bonded edges contribute to longevity because there are no seams to catch or stitching to unravel. They also create a smoother look and feel under clothing.Support architecture that actually worksTrue support comes from the band and side panel engineering, not primarily from straps. How a bra distributes weight across the torso determines both comfort and longevity.Well-engineered bras use wider, reinforced side panels and structured bands to distribute support evenly. This reduces strain on any single point and prevents the gradual breakdown that comes from concentrated stress. Wide smoothing wings, for instance, spread the load while also providing back and side smoothing.Adjustable, convertible hardware is another design decision built for long-term use. As your body changes, the fit adapts rather than becoming something you tolerate until the bra gets replaced.The cost-per-wear equation: What a bra really costs youCost-per-wear is a more honest way to evaluate how much you should spend. Divide what you paid by the number of days you wore it, and the math often flips the assumption that cheaper is more economical.Here's a concrete comparison: If a budget bra costs $30, and it has a 4-6 month lifespan, that’s about a 46-cent cost per wear if you are wearing it three times per week. Comparatively, if a premium bra costs $70 but lasts 12-18 months, that’s about a 36-cent cost per wear if worn at the same cadence.The premium option costs more upfront but less per day. And that doesn't account for the comfort difference, or the fact that you're not shopping for replacements every few months.It makes sense to invest more in everyday bras worn in heavy rotation. This is where construction quality directly determines lifespan and daily comfort. If you're wearing it three or more days a week, it needs to hold up.On the other hand, spending less is reasonable for occasion-specific bras worn infrequently. A strapless for one event, a bralette for low-support days. Lower wear frequency means construction longevity matters less.How to tell whether you're paying for quality or just a markupNot every expensive bra is well-built. A higher price tag alone is not proof of better construction. Here's how to tell the difference.Signals that indicate genuine quality:Published fabric composition and sourcing detailsVisible construction techniques (bonded vs. stitched edges, reinforced bands)Transparent information about internal support structuresDetailed size and fit guidance that goes beyond standard S/M/LSpecific explanations of how the bra is engineered and whyRed flags that suggest markup over substance:Vague fabric descriptions ("premium blend" with no specifics)No information about internal constructionHeavy reliance on brand name or aesthetic packaging over product detailLimited or no fit support or sizing resourcesThis story was produced by Honeylove and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	European student housing is 30% more competitive than last year. US students who act now still have the advantage. European student housing is 30% more competitive than last year. US students who act now still have the advantage.Nearly 7.3 million students are studying outside their home countries right now, and about half of them are in Europe, according to UNESCO's first Higher Education Global Trends Report, published in 2026. The same report projects that number to reach nine million by 2030. For U.S. students planning to join them this autumn, the housing market is more competitive than ever, but those who start their search now are still in a position to find great options before the real rush begins.This guide from HousingAnywhere breaks down what the 2026 European student housing market looks like and why acting now puts U.S. students ahead of the curve.Starting early is the single biggest advantage a U.S. student can haveNew data tracking student housing searches across Europe shows bookings rose 30% in May 2026 compared to the previous month, with the number of students actively browsing available homes up approximately 15% over the same period. Of those who booked in May, 44% were already securing housing for an August or September move-in. At other times of the year, only around 10% of students search this far ahead.That gap tells a clear story. Students who begin their search in spring choose from the widest selection of verified, furnished properties before landlords and listings get absorbed by the summer rush. They have time to compare neighborhoods, ask questions, and make a confident decision rather than a pressured one. For U.S. students searching from across the Atlantic without the ability to visit in person, that extra time is not just convenient. It is the difference between finding a home that genuinely fits and settling for whatever is still available.The good news is that students searching now are still ahead of the majority. The peak of the summer rush has not arrived yet, and in most European cities, the strongest selection of listings is still accessible to anyone who moves with purpose in the coming weeks.Where the opportunities are right nowThe sharpest booking increases in May were recorded in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, followed by Spain and Hungary, covering cities that consistently rank among the most popular destinations for international students, including Prague, Ljubljana, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Budapest.In the Netherlands, student housing searches rose 16% month-on-month. Activity was particularly strong in Delft, up 34%, followed by Maastricht at 29%, Utrecht at 28%, Amsterdam at 23%, and The Hague at 19%. The Dutch market is competitive, but students who search now are finding landlords more responsive and options more plentiful than they will be at the height of summer. A 2025 survey of tenants in the Netherlands found that 42% reported their housing search lasted three months or more, which explains why students there have learned to move early.Spain recorded an 18% rise in student searches, with growth spreading well beyond its two biggest cities. Granada was up 45% and Bilbao up 30% alongside Madrid at 26% and Barcelona at 23%, reflecting the growing appeal of Spanish cities that offer strong universities and a high quality of life without the housing pressure of the largest metros.Italy saw a 23% increase in students searching for accommodation, with particularly strong momentum in Turin, up 54%, and Florence, up 45%, with Milan and Rome each up 27%. Students who secure housing in Italian cities early are finding furnished apartments in well-connected neighborhoods that become significantly harder to access once summer competition intensifies.Germany, where most universities begin later in the autumn, offers U.S. students a slightly longer runway. Frankfurt was up 21% and Munich up 20% in May, with broader momentum expected to build through June and July. The search window there remains wider than in markets where the academic year starts in August or early September.What U.S. students searching right now should knowSearching for housing in Europe from the U.S. comes with a unique set of challenges that have nothing to do with budget or qualifications. You cannot do a walkthrough. You cannot build a relationship with a landlord over a coffee. Everything has to work remotely, which means the quality of the platform you search on and the preparation you bring to each inquiry matter enormously.U.S. students who are finding success in European housing searches share a few consistent habits. They have a personalized introduction ready before they start browsing, one that explains who they are, what brings them to the city, and why they would be a reliable tenant. They respond quickly when a listing goes live. They acknowledge up front that they are based in the U.S. and explain clearly how they plan to handle payments, since European landlords are often unfamiliar with U.S. banking and credit history.None of this is complicated. But it requires starting early enough to do it thoughtfully rather than frantically. Students who begin now have exactly that opportunity, and the European cities waiting to welcome them this autumn have more to offer than ever.This story was produced by HousingAnywhere and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Davenport man found guilty of murdering two teens in Moline in 2024 A Rock Island County jury determined Israel Martinez murdered Giovanni Flores and Zachary Meincke in May of 2024.
	How to keep costs under control when attending a wedding this summer How to keep costs under control when attending a wedding this summerSummer is prime time for lovebirds to tie the knot. If you’re invited to a wedding or two, your budget for this year might already be spoken for. As soon as you confirm your RSVP to the invite, it’s easy to get excited about planning for the big day.Weddings can cost a lot. No surprise there. What’s shocking is how much it costs guests to attend. How much? An average of almost $610. If you’re staying local, expect to spend a little less. If you need to hop on a plane to join the fun, your average cost is more than $1,680.Before you max out on your credit cards and set yourself back with debt, Achieve shares five ways you can save on the cost of being a wedding guest.1. Start saving earlyIdeally, as soon as you get the engagement announcement, you should start saving. And definitely when you receive the Save the Date, start stashing cash in your wedding guest fund. Don’t raid your emergency fund, if you have one. Your bestie’s wedding is not an emergency.Here are some expenses you might need to factor in:Wedding attireHotel or vacation home rentalTransportation to and from the weddingWedding giftChildcare, if you'll be away and don't want to bring the kidsPetcareDo your research to figure out how much to shell out for travel-related expenses. Then, automate your savings if possible.Set periodic milestones for your savings goals. That's because if you're traveling, you'll need to book your flights and accommodations early. The wedding gift and your outfit could be purchased later.2. Share expensesIf you have friends and family attending the event, look for someone to share expenses with. Maybe you can carpool and share the cost of gas if the wedding is not local, but close enough to drive to. You can also share a hotel room, or split the cost of a wedding gift.3. Just say "no" to the extrasThose add-on events around a wedding—think the engagement party, bridal shower, and bachelor or bachelorette party, and activities during the wedding weekend—will ramp up the costs to be a wedding guest. If you’re not paying close attention to your budget, you can easily find yourself spending more than you anticipated. Of course you want to support your friends or family in all their celebrations, but don’t do it at the expense of your bank account. So, be okay politely declining festivities if your budget doesn't allow for it.It's perfectly acceptable to opt out or be unavailable. Pick and choose the gatherings that you truly want to be at. Ask yourself, "Do I really want to go? Do I feel like I should go? Can I afford to go?"4. Borrow, rent, and reinvigorate your outfitAsk your friends or put up an ISO (“in search of”) post on your local gift economy group. You'll be surprised at how many folks would be more than happy to give or loan an outfit that’ll fit the bill. Or, consider going the rental or thrifting route. Check out platforms like Rent the Runway, Haverdash, and Nuuly. You can get several items sent to you to choose from, for a fraction of the cost of buying just one. Also, try shopping at your local thrift or consignment store for a wedding day look to save moneyIf you're attending multiple weddings this summer, there's no shame in wearing the same dress or suit at more than one event. An easy way to change it up? Swap out your shoes and accessories, such as jewelry, a hat, wrap, cufflinks or ties to change up the style of your outfit.5. Set a "no travel" ruleIf being a guest at an out-of-town wedding will set you back financially, then don't be afraid to politely decline weddings where you'll need to travel. If it's a destination wedding, there might even be an option to attend virtually.Otherwise, you can send a video message or shoutout on your social feeds the day of. Plus, you can send a wedding gift to show your support. Bonus: Because you aren't going to the wedding, you might have a bit extra to put toward a gift.At the end of the day, adulting means learning how to set your own financial boundaries, especially when life gets expensive. When it comes to budgeting to be a wedding guest this summer, a bit of planning goes a long way. Crunch the numbers and save as far out as possible, and look for deals and find ways to save.This story was produced by Achieve and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	The rise of fin-AI: Why Americans are trusting generative AI with their wallets The rise of fin-AI: Why Americans are trusting generative AI with their walletsGenerative artificial intelligence has quickly become a go-to resource for consumers, from trip planning and meal prepping to dating advice and even money management. Providing users instant access to personalized insights on spending habits, budgeting tips, and even investment strategy, gen AI tools like ChatGPT are taking the role of financial advisor for many. While it’s a simpler, more accessible alternative to working with a finance professional – no appointments, no jargon, and no fear of being judged for asking basic (or deeply personal) money questions – is it actually helping American’s finances?According to new data from Intuit Credit Karma, 66% of Americans surveyed who have used gen AI before say they have used it to seek financial advice, rising to 82% of Gen Z and Millennials. In fact, finance ranks as the second most common use case for gen AI (41%), just behind health and wellness (44%). And it’s not just the occasional one-off question. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of gen AI users say they seek financial guidance from AI often, while 3 in 4 (75%) say they feel it lets them ask the financial questions they’d be too embarrassed to ask anyone else.Gen AI’s most-asked money questionsThose turning to gen AI for financial guidance use it for everything from help with the fundamentals to more complex topics, such as tax filing and investing. Among respondents using gen AI to seek financial advice, the most common topics include financial education and basic personal finance concepts (35%), financial goal setting and action plans (35%), budgeting and expense management (34%), optimizing savings (33%), saving for retirement (31%), and investing in the stock market (32%). AI is proving it can answer a wide range of financial questions consumers face on a daily basis, making it a natural place to turn for financial advice.The results: More confidence, but not without riskAmericans are putting AI-generated financial recommendations into practice, making it clear trust in these tools is growing. In fact, 85% of respondents who have used generative AI for financial advice have acted on the recommendations provided. Among them, 80% say their financial situation has improved thanks to gen AI, and 81% feel more confident managing their finances because of gen AI. Furthermore, when it comes to consumer sentiment around gen AI in general, 79% of users find the information generated to be accurate and 71% consider it helpful.But it’s not all without risk. Of those who have acted on financial advice they received from generative AI, 52% say they have made a poor financial decision or mistake based on the information they received.Many gen AI users are treating it as a starting point when it comes to decision-making, as 80% of those who have acted on financial advice they received from gen AI say they still research and validate the advice before taking action.Why some prefer gen AI for money mattersEven with the rapid rise of generative AI as a helpful resource for almost anything, Americans still turn to a mix of online platforms and tools for financial guidance. Among the 51% of Americans who seek financial advice or information online, 27% consider social media the most useful source, followed by Google or other search engines (20%), with gen AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini close behind (18%). This could be because 51% say their top concern about using gen AI for financial advice/information is security and privacy.However, many consumers still see clear advantages in generative AI. Of those who have used gen AI for financial advice, nearly half (48%) say it’s faster and more direct than social media, 45% say it explains financial concepts more clearly or in simpler terms, and 44% believe it delivers more personalized advice based on the individual’s specific situation.“Gen AI is a powerful tool for learning, planning, and managing your money in more personalized ways,” said Courtney Alev, consumer financial advocate at Intuit Credit Karma. “It can do more than just explain concepts, it can help consumers take action based on their unique financial goals and current situation. While these tools put smart insights at your fingertips, it’s also important to understand your options and how they fit into your bigger financial picture. Finances are nuanced and deeply personal, so if you’re ever unsure, it never hurts to get a second opinion.”MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the United States by Intuit Credit Karma Aug. 7-14, 2025, among 1,019 adults ages 18 and older.This story was produced by Intuit Credit Karma and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	MidAmerican Energy ready for heat wave Temperatures are skyrocketing and QCA residents are leaning on their fans and air conditioners to keep cool but may be concerned about higher utility bills. Geoff Greenwood, spokesperson for MidAmerican Energy, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to share tips on staying cool and saving money. He said using appliances that give off [...]
	Kara Package: “Supergirl” and “Jackass: Best & Last” Given how bored I've been at so many cinematic superhero origin stories over the decades, I feel silly for actually feeling and writing this. But I really wish director Craig Gillespie's Supergirl had merely been a superhero origin story.
	Why metabolic health matters more than weight loss Why metabolic health matters more than weight lossFew medications have moved from the doctor’s office to the dinner table as quickly as Ozempic and Wegovy. A KFF Health Tracking Poll conducted in November 2025 found that roughly 1 in 8 U.S. adults has taken a GLP-1 medication, and public attention has followed the weight loss that can come with them.Much of the conversation has stayed focused on the weight scale, because weight is the first thing people can see. But physicians, researchers, and science-driven companies are paying closer attention to what happens beneath that visible change.The deeper conversation is about metabolic health and why a lower number does not always indicate how well the body is working. And the science behind that question is now going well beyond research labs, asking everyone to rethink what metabolic health actually looks like from the inside out. Below, Fatty15 explains why metabolic health matters more than weight loss.HighlightsMetabolic health is determined by multiple factors, including blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and blood pressure, not body weight alone.GLP-1 medications have helped shift the conversation from weight loss toward understanding the biological processes that drive long-term health.Lasting metabolic health is built through consistent habits such as quality nutrition, regular movement, adequate sleep, and working with healthcare professionals to monitor key health markers. What Is Metabolic Health, Really?Metabolic health is harder to pin down than most people expect, because no single test can capture it on its own. Researchers look at a group of connected markers that show how well the body processes food and turns it into usable energy. Those markers include blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and blood pressure.When they move out of a healthy range, the risk for conditions like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease can rise. The American Heart Association has estimated that about 90% of U.S. adults fall somewhere on the cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health spectrum.Getting a complete read requires looking at these markers together, because no single number can tell the full truth about someone’s health.Why Weight Alone Doesn’t Tell the Full StoryBody weight has long been medicine’s starting point for assessing health, but the research behind that approach has grown slightly more complicated. Body mass index, the formula built on height and weight alone, cannot distinguish between fat and muscle, and it cannot detect where fat lives in the body.Scientific American has reported on people who carry extra weight without the usual markers of metabolic disease, including healthy blood pressure and good insulin sensitivity. The reverse can also be true.Someone with a lower or average BMI can still have visceral fat around internal organs without knowing it, raising their risk for serious chronic conditions they may never see coming. “BMI is just one data point, along with many others,” said Dr. Wajahat Mehal, director of Yale’s Metabolic Health and Weight Loss Program.A fuller health assessment has to look past the scale and into the signals the body is giving.How GLP-1 Medications Are Changing the NarrativeOzempic was originally designed to treat Type 2 diabetes, not to reshape how the public thinks about weight loss. GLP-1, the hormone these drugs mimic, is naturally produced in the gut after eating, and its original job was to help the body regulate blood sugar by telling the pancreas to release insulin and slowing digestion.Weight loss was an unexpected result from early clinical trials, one that quickly overshadowed the drugsâ€™ original medical purpose. Dr. Bob Busch, an endocrinologist at Albany Med, told Spectrum News that the intent has always been medical. "This is not a drug to get someone in a bridesmaid's dress or a bikini," he said. "This is a drug for a chronic disease."Researchers have since shown that GLP-1 medications also affect appetite signals in the brain and hormone pathways tied to how the body manages energy. The scale may have made these drugs famous, but the science behind them is forcing a deeper conversation about what is happening inside the human body.The Building Blocks of Metabolic HealthMost of what supports metabolic health comes down to daily habits, but those habits do not need to be extreme to matter. Food quality, exercise, sleep, and stress management all shape how the body uses energy, and the benefit comes from making those choices often enough for the body to respond.The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, though CDC data shows only about 1 in 4 U.S. adults meets that target. Movement helps the body use blood sugar more effectively, while adequate sleep helps regulate appetite, energy, and recovery.Dr. Kenneth Wright Jr. of the University of Colorado Boulder, whose National Institutes of Health-funded work has examined sleep loss and metabolism, said people should “get adequate sleep as much as you can on a consistent basis.” Metabolic health often improves through patterns the body can rely on, and those changes can begin before major weight loss ever shows up on a scale.The Risks of Oversimplifying Weight LossChasing a smaller number on the scale has long been sold as the definition of better health, but clinical evidence is far more complicated. A clinical review available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that losing 5% to 10% of body weight over six months can improve blood sugar control, blood pressure, and cholesterol, but faster or more extreme weight loss can carry real risks.And those risks can include nutrient deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances, hormone changes, and psychological effects. That is where the weight loss conversation can become too narrow.A lower number may look like progress, but it does not show whether someone is nourished, maintaining muscle, sleeping well, or addressing the issues that shaped their health to begin with. Health has to be judged by how the body holds up over time, not by how quickly it changes.The Role of Medical and Professional GuidanceNo two bodies run on the same biology, and no two health plans should either. Primary care doctors track the markers that matter over time, while registered dietitians translate nutritional science into eating habits that fit a person's specific medical needs and daily life.Endocrinologists go deeper, specializing in hormonal conditions like insulin resistance and thyroid disorders that sit at the root of so much metabolic disease. Together, these professionals make decisions based on a patient's actual lab results, medical history, and how their body functions, rather than on what is trending on social media.Medications like GLP-1 drugs can be the right tool for the right person, but that determination belongs in a patient/doctor conversation, not inside a comment thread or Google search.Redefining Health Beyond the ScaleMeasuring health by how the body functions day to day, rather than by what a weight scale shows, is becoming a more central idea in medicine and in everyday life.That way of thinking makes room for the parts of well-being people actually feel each day, including energy, strength, sleep, and the ability to keep up with real life. And prevention belongs in that same conversation.Research published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine found that consistent positive daily habits can cut the risk of heart disease by more than 80% and the risk of diabetes by over 90%. People are also becoming more active in their own health decisions, asking for lab results and learning what those markers reveal about how their bodies are working.A scale can show a change in size, but health literacy helps people understand what is changing underneath.A More Nuanced Approach to HealthWeight will always be part of the health discussion, but it is only one piece of a much larger biological picture. And the rise of GLP-1 medications has made that harder to ignore, pulling public attention toward the biology working beneath visible change.Metabolic health gives doctors and patients a clearer way to understand long-term well-being, because it looks at how the body functions rather than relying only on how it appears from the outside.The conversation around health is becoming more honest, and that honesty may be what people need most. It gives them permission to look past the number, ask better questions, and begin to understand what taking care of themselves actually requires.This story was produced by Fatty15 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Does general liability insurance cover property damage? It depends. Does general liability insurance cover property damage? It depends.Does general liability cover property damage? In many cases, yes — it can help cover property damage your business causes to someone else’s property. However, it typically doesn’t help cover damages to your own business property. If there’s an accident, the cost to repair or replace damaged property can be significant. If you have general liability insurance, or if you’re looking to get it, coverage often depends on whose property is damaged and what caused the damage. ERGO NEXT covers the ins and outs of what to expect from this coverage.What property damage can general liability insurance cover?General liability insurance is designed to address accidental third-party property damage. If the damage is sudden and unintentional, coverage may apply.However, coverage can depend on the circumstances. For example:Intentional damage is typically not covered.Damage to your own business property is generally not covered under general liability.So, if your business unintentionally damages someone else’s physical property, general liability insurance may help cover the costs of the accident.Property falls into two categories: real property and personal property.Real property refers to land or things attached to land. This might include a building, a signpost, or trees sitting on the land.Personal property is all other types of property. This includes your stuff — things you own and can move around, like clothes, cars, art, jewelry, and electronics.Property is considered damaged if it:Loses monetary value, orLoses functionality1. Damage to a client’s building or structureSay you’re a painter who breaks a client’s window while working on their property. General liability insurance could help cover the cost.Or, for example, say you run a landscaping business, and your equipment accidentally damages a client’s irrigation system. General liability insurance coverage may help address the claim.Other examples may include:Damaging a client’s flooring during installation workCracking tile while moving equipmentBreaking cabinetry during renovationsIn many cases, general liability insurance can help with the cost to repair or replace that property.2. Damage to a customer’s personal propertySay you’re a nail technician, and you accidentally stain a customer’s designer handbag, and they sue you to recoup their loss. General liability insurance could help pay for court and legal fees.Other examples might include:Spilling cleaning solution on a client’s laptopKnocking over a vase while working in a client’s homeBursting a pipe that ruins your client’s wardrobeIf your work accidentally damages someone else’s belongings, general liability insurance may help with repair or replacement, so you’re not paying for expenses fully out of pocket.Does general liability cover damage to your own property?General liability can help cover damage your business causes to someone else’s property, such as a customer, passerby, supplier, or vendor.But a commercial general liability policy generally does not help cover damage to your own business property (for example, your building, computers, tools, inventory, products, business furniture and fixtures, or equipment).What type of insurance can help with your own business property?Some types of business insurance can provide coverage for your own business property. For your own protection, look for either commercial property insurance, business owner's policy insurance (also called BOP insurance), or tools and equipment insurance.1. Commercial property insuranceCommercial property insurance can help protect your own business from property damage. It can help protect your business gear, inventory, equipment, buildings, and income if a fire or another covered event requires you to close temporarily (if your policy includes business income insurance).The cost of commercial property coverage depends on a number of factors, including your company’s risk level, total property value, operations, claims history, and location.Commercial property insurance can help protect your business property, but it does not typically include liability coverage for injuries, defamation lawsuits, or damages to a third party’s property.2. Business owner’s policy insurance (BOP insurance)BOP insurance combines general liability insurance with commercial property insurance in one convenient, and often more affordable, package.A BOP can be custom-made to match the needs and risks of your company and industry. Because coverage is personalized to each business, the cost can vary. But you’ll usually pay less for BOP coverage than if you buy two separate policies.Bundling general liability and commercial property policies into a BOP can give you broader coverage that includes:Property damage to your building and its contents.Injuries your company or employees might cause to others.Loss of income if a fire, theft, vandalism, or other incident causes you to close temporarily for repairs.Some court and legal fees if you need an attorney.Copyright infringement in your advertising, such as libel, slander, or other advertising mistakes.Inventory replacement if a covered event damages your business property.3. Tool and equipment insuranceTools and equipment insurance, also called inland marine insurance, can help with protection for the work gear you bring to a job site. It could replace or repair your tools and equipment if it gets stolen or damaged on the job. You can get protection from some financial losses if the tool storage shed or trailer gets broken into, or if your contractor accidentally breaks the tools you need to finish the job.What property isn’t covered under general liability?General liability insurance is designed to address some claims around damage you or your employees cause to other people’s property, but it doesn’t cover everything related to property damage. Depending on your policy, general liability often doesn’t help cover:Damage to your own business property (building, tools, inventory)Intentional damageEmployee injuries (often handled by workers’ compensation)Professional mistakes or missed deadlines (often handled by professional liability insurance)Cyber incidents or data breaches, such as hacking, ransomware, or exposure of customer information (these are typically addressed by cyber liability insurance)Auto accidents (often handled by commercial auto insurance)What else could general liability insurance cover?In addition to protection from property damage, commercial general liability insurance can help protect you in other ways.A typical general liability policy includes:Bodily injury coverage for nonemployees hurt at your business.Legal costs and settlements for some legal actions against your business.Advertising injury and personal injury claims, such as defamation or infringing on someone’s copyright in your advertisement.General liability policy costs can vary. You can estimate your monthly or annual premium with a general liability calculator or see the exact price you’ll pay if you get a quote.7 tips to help prevent business property damageTotal damage prevention to business property isn’t possible, but finding and fixing your weak spots is key. Try these tips to protect yourself and your business from property damage:Perform routine maintenance: Inspect your property to check for business hazards before they become problems. Keep your building up to code.Take safety precautions. Use protective measures such as safety barriers, mats, or covers when working on projects that could potentially cause damage. Ask clients to remove valuables from the areas where you’re working.Get business insurance: Coverage that includes property damage (applied to your own things or someone else’s) can help share the risk.Install a security system: Cameras, alarms, and access control measures can deter potential intruders and record mishaps to back up your story in a legal claim.Install weatherproofing and fire safety measures: This could include storm windows, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and sprinkler systems.Train employees: Proper safety procedures and emergency protocols can minimize the risk of accidents that could lead to property damage.Keep detailed incident reports: Documentation is helpful if you need to file an insurance claim or defend yourself in a lawsuit.Combine action with insurance protection to help reduce the likelihood of property damage, insurance claims, and lawsuits.This story was produced by ERGO NEXT and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Check yourself or someone else: 2026 is the summer of ticks Check yourself or someone else: 2026 is the summer of ticksTicks have been spreading across Canada as the climate changes, and southern Ontario has seen a dramatic increase in several species of ticks, The Narwhal reports. Unfun fact: This province has 44 species in total, according to Public Health Ontario. But only one, the blacklegged tick, carries Lyme disease (more on that in a minute).Ticks have been on the rise in Canada for the better part of the last decade, Manisha Kulkarni, a professor in University of Ottawa’s School of Epidemiology and Public Health, says.“What we’re really seeing is the result of this multi-year trend of tick population expansion in North America,” she says. “And now we’re really seeing those populations establishing in more regions in southern parts of Canada, including in Ontario.”Key TakeawaysTick populations are spreading in Ontario, increasing the risk of Lyme disease.Of the 44 varieties of ticks found in the province, only one — blacklegged ticks — carry Lyme, but they make up more than half of all ticks here.Experts say people need to recognize the risk of ticks and Lyme in the outdoors, and check themselves and others.With warmer weather, ticks in Ontario are spreadingThere are a few factors encouraging the tick’s northward march, Kulkarni says, but “one of the main drivers is climate change.”“We’re not seeing as cold winters that would normally prevent them from surviving and reproducing, so they’re able to survive in more regions,” she adds.That longer warm season allows more time for ticks to find hosts — like people — to feed on, and to reproduce. As a result, every year populations establish in new areas that now have desirable conditions for ticks.The latest map from Ontario Public Health shows populations of blacklegged ticks as far north as Thunder Bay and Kenora, throughout the Ottawa Valley and in Owen Sound, on Lake Huron.While Ontario experienced some bitingly cold temperatures in Ontario this winter, Kulkarni says, “We also had lots of snow, which is a great insulator.” Ticks burrow down in the leaf litter, blanketed by snow, and stay cozy even when most are complaining about a stretch of -30 C (-22 F) days.So depending on where you live, it might be time to draw the blinds, strip down … and turn on the lights.How to check for ticks (or stop them before they get to you)How exactly should you check yourself and loved ones for ticks? Cover as much surface area as possible, according to Health Canada. Check your chest and back, and in your hair — and don’t forget the crevices: armpits (and kneepits), belly button and between your toes. Ticks also have a habit of going for the groin, unfortunately.To prevent ticks from reaching your skin in the first place, Health Canada suggests closed-toed shoes, long sleeves and pants — with your shirt tucked into your pants and your pants tucked into your socks. Ten minutes in a hot dryer will take care of any that hitched a ride on your clothes.Sticking to cleared paths and trails helps, too.And there may be ways to keep ticks away, more broadly, from outdoor spaces humans like to frequent. Kulkarni’s team at University of Ottawa recently released a study that found spreading wood chips at the edges of gardens and trails where ticks are prevalent effectively reduced the number that came looking for blood.How did they test that? Dragging a piece of flannel material across the ground before and after wood chips were laid to see how many latched on. It really tells you something about how easily ticks attach.Why do so many Canadian musicians have Lyme disease? Blame the deerAs ticks take on new territory, their presence isn’t just creepy and unwelcome. It’s actually a public health risk: Ask Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne or Shania Twain.They’ve all publicly announced their diagnoses of the disease that, if left untreated, can cause neurological and cardiac issues, as well as arthritis.Some areas of the country and our province, particularly around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, have a higher concentration of ticks carrying bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Though it’s the most common disease people get from ticks, Lyme isn’t the only one they carry. And while not all types of ticks can pass on Lyme disease, more than half of the ticks found in Ontario are of the blacklegged variety that can, according to Public Health Ontario’s recent report.How does it happen? After mating on the backs of deer, the female blacklegged tick drops to the ground and, in the spring, lays eggs among the leaf litter, Kulkarni explains. Those eggs hatch into larvae, which quickly go looking for their first drink of blood. Down among the leaves, that’s usually from a small animal like a mouse or bird. If that animal is infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme, the tick takes on the infection. When it’s larger and more active, in the nymphal stage, the tick will find a bigger animal or human to feed on, and pass that infection on to them. As they mature into adults, white-tailed deer, dogs and humans are all on the menu.“There’s several points in the cycle where humans are susceptible, but that tends to be during the nymphal peak of activity, in kind of the late spring and summer months, and then the adults, which are in the early spring and in the fall,” Kulkarni says.For a general rule of where there might be a risk of ticks, consider if it’s a place populated by white-tailed deer, Kulkarni says.But what do you do if you find one?Across Canada, diagnoses of Lyme disease have skyrocketed from 104 cases in 2009 to a preliminary count of 7,105 cases in 2025, though the increase is likely due to awareness and increased testing, as well as a rise in cases. So far this year in Ontario, 236 cases have been identified by Public Health Ontario.If you can remove the tick within a day, you can spare yourself a lot of trouble — it typically takes more than 24 hours after it attaches for the tick to pass on the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Properly removing it means pulling the tick out straight, rather than twisting or bending, which risks leaving some of its mouthparts (unfortunately, that is the proper anatomical term) embedded.Next up? Keep the tick. Put it into a sealed container and take it to your doctor for testing. And if you can’t wait to know whether you’re holding a little blacklegged tick hostage — the kind that carries Lyme — you can also submit photos of the little offender online, where it will be quickly identified by kind-hearted insect enthusiasts.If you have been bit, or even suspect you may have been, look out for Lyme symptoms like a rash or fever, headache or joint pain, Kulkarni says. These can occur even without the most famous Lyme symptom: a bullseye rash around the bite. “Not everybody actually gets the rash, so it’s important to look out for those other symptoms,” she says. If you have a summer fever, she adds, “that’s a good indication you should get checked out for Lyme, especially if you’ve been in an area where ticks are present.”It’s not about being afraid to go outside, she adds, but equipping yourself with knowledge: both of the level of risk for ticks and Lyme wherever you’re going (there’s a map for that) and how to properly remove one of it digs in (there are kits for that — and tweezers work, too).Kulkarni likens the threat of ticks to another unpleasant natural hazard. “There are settings where we know there’s poison ivy. People don’t go off the trail because they might brush along it, and if they do get a rash, they know what to do, right?” she says. “Tick bites can be a bit more serious than that, but it’s the same concept: that being out in nature isn’t without risks, but by knowing what the risks are and how to manage them, you can really reduce any potential impacts.”This story was produced by The Narwhal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Apple Maps ads could help businesses capture decision-ready searchers Apple Maps ads could help businesses capture decision-ready searchersApple Maps ads may soon give businesses a new way to appear in sponsored local search results inside Apple Maps. Businesses that rely on nearby, high-intent searches — like restaurants, hotels, healthcare providers, and local services — could gain another channel for customer discovery and local visibility.While some users have criticized the move, Apple Maps ads could become an important new layer of local search visibility for businesses competing for decision-ready traffic. WebFX explored how businesses could benefit from Apple Maps ads and which types of businesses will benefit most.What are Apple Maps ads?Apple Maps ads are sponsored placements that allow businesses to appear more prominently in sponsored Apple Maps search results and “Suggested Places” recommendations for relevant local searches. Apple says ads will be clearly labeled and initially rolled out in the U.S. and Canada in 2026.Apple Maps ads could put your business in front of consumers at key decision momentsAt first glance, this move may seem like Apple simply copying Google’s playbook. But the bigger story is how local search behavior is changing.Consumers today search and make decisions in local ecosystems that don’t always include opening up Google. They might ask Siri, open Apple Maps, use voice search, or discover businesses through apps or AI-powered recommendations. In many cases, these searches take place as users are preparing to take action, like choosing a restaurant or booking a hotel.While traditional search ads often capture research intent, map searches capture decision intent, making ads in Apple Maps especially valuable. Further, Apple Maps is already deeply integrated into how many users navigate daily decisions with fingerprints across iPhones, CarPlay, Apple Watches, and Siri searches. That’s why even limited visibility inside Apple Maps could become highly competitive for certain industries.Which businesses could benefit most from Apple Maps ads?Businesses that depend on local discovery and immediate intent will see the most immediate value from Apple Maps ads, including:RestaurantsCoffee shopsHotelsHealthcare providersHome services companiesRetail storesAuto repair shopsFitness studiosTourism businessesFranchises with multiple locationsHow businesses should prepare before Apple Maps ads officially launchEven though Apple Maps ads aren’t officially launched yet, businesses can start preparing now.Claim and optimize your business locations with Apple BusinessMake sure your Apple Business is accurate and up to date with your:Business name and detailsLocationsHours of operationCategories and servicesPhotosApple uses business listings to power how businesses appear across Maps, Siri, and other Apple services.Audit Your local SEO basicsApple Maps still relies heavily on location accuracy and business data consistency. Now is a good time to review name, address, and phone number (NAP) consistency across all business listings, local citations, reviews, local landing pages, and location schema.Prepare for another competitive local ad channelGoogle Maps ads can already be highly competitive in some industries. If Apple Maps follows a similar model, businesses in crowded markets may eventually need dedicated local advertising strategies across multiple ecosystems, not just Google.This story was produced by WebFX and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Davenport receives $100K grant to redevelop Raphael's Emporium building The redevelopment will become a multi-tenant hair salon with potential space for another business.
	What you need to know about watching John Deere Classic The John Deere Classic starts this week at TPC Deere Run. Find key details on tickets, youth clinic, strict bag policy, and weekend concerts here.

Tuesday, June 30th, 2026

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