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

Friday, August 21st, 2026
	Deere seeks early contract extension as UAW members vote Sunday Deere says the deal would add roughly $21,000 in combined wage increases and bonuses per average worker over two years.
	Attorney general candidates outline priorities at Iowa State Fair Voters heard from candidates for Iowa attorney general at the Iowa State Fair this week. Republican incumbent Brenna Bird is facing Democrat Nate Willems in November.
	Work on I-74, John Deere Road starts Aug. 24 Summer may be winding down but it’s still Road Construction Season in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that work on the Interstate 74 and John Deere Road (Illinois 5) interchange in Moline will start on Monday, Aug. 24, weather permitting. The work zone is on I-74 from south of 27th Street to [...]
	Severe T'Storm Watch issued for Friday evening - high school football games could be impacted A Severe T'Storm Watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for the Quad cities area Friday evening. This watch goes until 10 p.m. Storms will be capable of producing damaging winds, hail and even an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. The watch will likely be canceled before 10 p.m. in the Quad [...]
	'As long as Trudy's still missing, I'll keep looking' \| Uncle remembers 11-year-old niece 30 years since disappearance Ray Eddleman still remembers Aug. 21, 1996, and the helpless feeling after learning that Trudy was missing. He is one of the last living relatives who knew Trudy.
	Ross Education and its Davenport campus announce change to not-for-profit The new change will allow the institution to keep tuition relatively flat and expand federal and state grant access.
	Body found near Big Island Our Quad Cities News was on the scene at Big Island, where a body was found earlier today. Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson confirmed to Our Quad Cities News that the body is that of an adult male. No other information is available at this time.
	Deere seeks early contract extension as UAW members vote Saturday Deere says the deal would add roughly $21,000 in combined wage increases and bonuses per average worker over two years.
	Heavy police presence near US 67 bridge in Milan This is a developing story. News 8 is at the scene, working to gather more information.
	Davenport schools' Showing up Together event kicks off the 2026-2027 school year All Davenport Community School District staff members attended a Friday morning gathering at Vibrant Arena to celebrate the start of the school year.
	4 Your Money \| Bonds In Control Despite the Federal Reserve leaving interest rates unchanged, mortgage rates have continued to inch upward. James Nelson, Financial Planner at NelsonCorp Wealth Management, joins us to share how the bond market impacts mortgage rates and why the bond market is more impactful than many realize.
	Morrison Sports Complex receives AED donation Morrison is making sure visitors to the Morrison Sports Complex can get the help they need in a medical emergency. City of Morrison Recreation Services Director Nathan Jacobs announced that a new Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been donated to the complex. The AED will be installed in the main concession building, offering quick access [...]
	Iowa Economic Development Authority awards $2.23 million in tax credits to ADM in Clinton The $55.5 million project is expected to create 53 jobs at a qualifying wage of $23.57 per hour.
	National Senior Citizens Day recognizes older adults' impact August 21 is National Senior Citizens Day, a day that recognizes older adults and the impact they have had on society. The day was created in 1988 after President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5847. Ty Hill, owner of a local Caring Transitions franchise, spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to talk about the [...]
	Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to continue for now The ruling comes after months of back and forth between the Trump administration and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
	Davenport Northwest Little League team wins The Davenport Northwest Little League threw a combined no-hitter and beat California on Friday, winning 1-0.
	EICC names its board of trustee meeting room after Ellis and Bill Vetter The father and son held board of trustee roles across multiple decades, helping pave way for facility and academic development.
	Heavy police presence in Milan near Big Island Parkway There is currently a heavy police presence in Milan near Big Island Parkway.
	Owner of rehabilitation business arrested after allegedly sexually abusing client The owner of a rehabilitation business that helps people with sober living, was charged with two counts of sexual abuse, along with several drug possession charges.
	30 years after Trudy Appleby disappeared, prosecutors want Jamison Fisher found in contempt Trudy Appleby has been gone for three decades, and prosecutors are asking her alleged killer be found in contempt for speaking to media against a judge's orders.
	Davenport Fire Department receives reaccreditation The Davenport Fire Department has received reaccreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), after a hearing on August 20 in Rosemont, Ill. The reaccreditation recognizes the Davenport Fire Department’s continuing commitment to excellence, accountability and continuous improvement in delivering fire and emergency services to the community. The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) [...]
	3 Things to Know \| Quad Cities morning headlines for Aug. 21, 2026 The Moline community will hold a vigil for the disappearance of Trudy Appleby, and MercyOne Genesis workers will hold a mock trauma training.
	'Dreams in Nightmares' is a road-trip movie about living on your own terms Three queer Black friends embark on a road trip in search of a fourth whom they haven't seen in some time. Dreams in Nightmares is a sweetly bickersome comedy-drama about friendship and freedom.
	Davenport Fire Department awarded third reaccreditation The accomplishment was announced Thursday at a hearing held in Rosemont, Illinois.
	Beatty files emergency request to stop Trump's name from returning to Kennedy Center Joyce Beatty, a Democratic representative from Ohio, asked a federal judge to stop the Kennedy Center trustees from putting President Trump's name up in three places at the arts complex.
	Candlelight vigil in Moline marks 30 years since disappearance of Trudy Appleby Trudy Appleby will be remembered tonight at a Moline candlelight vigil marking the 30th anniversary of the 11-year-old girl's disappearance.
	Local schools brace for ripple effect of Tyson closure The impact of the Tyson Foods plant closure is extending beyond workers losing their jobs, with local school districts preparing for the effects on students and their families.
	Tyson workers to hold rally at Joslin plant in protest of layoffs Tyson workers and supporters are holding a rally at the Tyson Foods plant in Joslin on Friday.
	Biggest accounts payable automation challenges and how to overcome them in 2026 Biggest accounts payable automation challenges and how to overcome them in 2026Accounts payable (AP) automation challenges often become visible after go-live. The controller realizes exceptions are still piling up. The enterprise resource planning (ERP) sync broke after a vendor name change, and approvers have quietly reverted to emailing PDF invoices for sign-off. The finance leader is asking where the time savings went, and the honest answer is that the tool is running, but the results aren't matching the pitch.The gap between what AP automation promises and what it delivers can be a major source of frustration in mid-market finance operations. It often follows a recognizable pattern that teams may not diagnose until they've already spent months reconfiguring around the wrong root cause. Partial automation can produce worse aggregate outcomes than many teams expected from their investment.Ardent Partners' State of ePayables 2024 found that best-in-class AP teams run invoice processing costs 78% lower than the rest of the market, and partial automation tends to leave teams nearer the high-cost end than the savings the tool promised.Brex broke down common AP automation challenges, specific fixes, a diagnostic framework for why automation underperforms, which challenges may matter most by company size, and how to build a return on investment (ROI) case when leadership asks for proof. Getting AP automation right starts with knowing what the category actually includes and where it delivers the most value.Why does AP automation underperform?Many AP automation problems can often be grouped into three root causes. Diagnosing the category before attempting a fix is what often separates a targeted intervention from repeatedly reconfiguring around the same problem. The point isn't to relitigate implementation indefinitely. It's to identify where the failure often sits so the team can fix the right layer.The process wasn't readyAutomation can reflect the process it finds. When AP runs on inconsistent vendor data, variable invoice formats, and approval logic that lives in one person's memory, the tool can carry that inconsistency downstream at higher speed. Exception rates can stay high when the root cause sits upstream of the technology. Standardizing accounts payable best practices before automating them is often a prerequisite for determining whether the tool performs as designed.The integration was misconfigured"Native integration" can mean different things across vendors. Some platforms build directly inside the ERP. Others use an API with sync delays and mapping dependencies. Others route through middleware that introduces its own transformation rules. When controllers discover the integration requires active management, clearing sync error queues, reconciling invoice counts between systems, and repairing mappings after a chart-of-accounts update, the promised efficiency can shift into a new category of maintenance work. The maintenance burden matters because time savings can fade if the team swaps manual invoice handling for manual sync repair.The people weren't trainedA workflow that approvers use consistently can give the team a more complete audit trail and more usable data. When shadow processes emerge, invoices are approved via Slack or via PDFs forwarded by email, even though the platform can leave the automation with an incomplete audit trail and a partial dataset. Key performance indicators (KPIs) built on that data can be misleading because they reflect only the invoices that happened to flow through the platform. Which of these three root causes matters most depends on the company's stage and invoice volume.7 biggest AP automation challenges to fixEach challenge below follows a consistent structure with symptoms, cause, and fix. Diagnosing the right category matters because a process fix applied to a technology problem wastes time without moving the metric. The goal is to reduce rework and recover the business case that justified automation in the first place.ERP integration failureReliable ERP sync protects the time savings the platform was supposed to create. AP aging in the automation tool sometimes disagrees with AP aging in the ERP, turning what should be a routine accounting reconciliation into hours of manual detective work for the controller. Sync errors accumulate in a queue that may go unchecked until month-end.Many AP platforms offer ERP connectors, but failures often emerge in how general ledger (GL) coding logic, cost center structures, and chart-of-accounts customizations are mapped between systems. Middleware layers and custom API integrations can introduce additional risk. In some cases, transactions are processed without error messages but write incorrect values to the general ledger. Small mapping errors can lead to close-cycle delays as invoice volume rises. Integration pain intensifies in multientity setups, often with 50 to 200 employees, where divergent GL coding, entity-level mapping, and intercompany matching multiply the ways a sync can drift.Designate the ERP as the single system of record for vendors and GL codes, and sync down to the AP tool. Run a preintegration field-level audit by exporting the vendor master, full chart of accounts, and cost center list. Confirm in writing each field the AP tool writes back to the ERP. Set up a weekly integration health check to reconcile invoice counts and amounts between the two systems. Test any integration change in a sandbox with real invoices before deploying to production. Controllers managing vendor payment automation alongside AP need the ERP sync to be reliable, as downstream payment timing depends on accurate upstream data.Persistently high invoice exception ratesLower exception rates start with identifying which root cause keeps the queue growing. Many mid-market teams operate with exception queues that remain stubbornly high after go-live. A large exception backlog usually means the team is fixing symptoms one invoice at a time while the condition that keeps generating them stays in place.Vendor master mismatches cause matching failures when the name or ID on the invoice doesn't match the record in the tool. Purchase order (PO) or price tolerance mismatches flag invoices outside configured variance thresholds, even when the difference is immaterial. Missing GL coding rules force invoices into a manual queue. Overly broad duplicate detection catches legitimate invoices alongside actual duplicates. Invoices from vendors that don't include PO references are not matched at all.Build vendor-specific coding and routing rules for high-volume vendors. Introduce tolerance bands for PO matching so minor variances don't automatically trigger exceptions. Run a 30-day exception categorization audit and classify each exception by type before changing any configuration. An optical character recognition (OCR) fix solves a different problem than a vendor master fix. The distinction around two-way matching in accounts payable matters here. Getting invoice matching consistent across vendors keeps both failure modes from recurring. A parallel effort to reduce duplicate payments can also lower the false-positive rate, thereby reducing the queue volume that requires manual review.Approvers bypassing automated workflowsGetting approvers to use the platform consistently requires understanding two drivers that create bypass behavior. The first is a workflow that doesn't match the business's actual decision logic. It may have too many approval tiers for low-value invoices, the wrong approvers for certain vendor categories, and no differentiation between routine and high-risk payments. The second is minimal training, where approvers were shown what the tool requires but never understood what it does for them. Adoption often improves when the process respects how decisions already happen across the business.Redesign approval tiers around risk and materiality. Auto-approve low-value invoices from known vendors under a defined threshold, route midrange invoices to a single approver, and reserve multistep approval for high-value or first-time vendors. Put approvals on the channel approvers already use, email or mobile, with a single clear action. Set an internal approval service-level agreement (SLA) with automatic escalation to the approver's manager, and make it visible to the finance leader. In many teams, the workflow should reduce the AP manager's manual follow-up. Approver adoption can improve when the workflow reflects how decisions are actually made, rather than how an implementation consultant assumed they would be made.Automation is configured for a process that doesn't reflect realityA configuration that matches the real workflow can give AP staff fewer reasons to invent work-arounds. Edge cases and exception-prone invoice types often surface post-go-live that nobody accounted for during implementation. AP staff then invent work-arounds that become informal standard operating procedures (SOPs). Once those side processes take hold, the automation layer no longer represents how AP really runs. Smaller teams, often under 50 employees, hit this when a platform built for heavy configuration lands before intake, coding, and approvals are standardized.Map the current as-is workflow in specific detail before reconfiguring. Document known exception scenarios, vendor types, and department-specific coding preferences. Segment the invoice population into three tiers. High-volume, low-complexity invoices qualify for full automation. PO-backed invoices require configured matching with exception routing. High-complexity invoices get human review as a designed feature of the workflow. Write SOPs for the updated workflow and use them for onboarding new AP hires. If the accounts payable process lives only in one person's memory, each new hire often discovers the work-arounds independently.Vendor master data quality problemsClean vendor data supports accurate posting, remittance, and review. Split payment histories, misapplied remittances, and validation failures that trigger manual review all point to the same underlying issue. Dirty vendor master data generated with occasional manual errors can produce systematic errors at scale in an automated environment, and adding vendors without proper vetting can compound the exposure to duplicate payments, misapplied funds, and compliance gaps.A vendor master cleanup typically includes de-duplicating records, standardizing naming conventions, and deactivating records with no purchase history in a defined prior period. Many companies also move vendor creation and banking detail changes to a dual-control process, requiring two separate approvals for any modification, and assign a named owner for vendor master governance. The cleanup matters because a cleaner vendor master can improve posting accuracy, payment reliability, and audit readiness, and it may make it easier to keep track of invoices and payments across every vendor relationship.Fraud risk that automation introducesAutomated AP may need stronger review points because payments may move faster once a file is approved. The 2025 Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) Payments Fraud and Control Survey found that 79% of respondents reported their organizations experienced attempted or actual payments fraud in 2024. Business email compromise (BEC) remained the No. 1 avenue for attempted and actual payment fraud, cited by 63% of respondents. Vendor imposter fraud was cited by 45% of respondents, an 11-percentage-point increase from the previous survey.Three automation-enabled fraud vectors are specific to AP. One is vendor banking change fraud, where an attacker impersonates a vendor via email and requests an automated clearinghouse (ACH) account change so the next automated payment goes to the attacker. Another is ghost vendor creation that exploits automated onboarding lacking dual-approval controls. A third is invoice duplication through multichannel submission that takes advantage of tools without duplicate detection that catch repeat submissions without flagging too many valid invoices. The faster money moves, the less time teams have to catch a bad change before it turns into a real loss.Don't process vendor banking detail changes through the same channel the request arrived in. Verify the new banking details by contacting the vendor using the method established before the request. Configure dual authorization for any banking update. Run a daily prerelease payment file review focused on new vendors receiving first-time payments, vendors with recent banking changes, and amounts materially above historical averages. Controllers responsible for internal accounting controls should treat AP fraud controls, including clear separation of duties, as a design requirement built into the AP workflow from the start.Missing baseline metrics that block ROI proofBuilding a credible answer to the question of whether AP automation saves time and money requires baseline metrics that many teams didn't capture before implementation. Default reports may show activity, processed invoices, and completed approvals, but they may not show efficiency, time saved, cost reduced, or exceptions eliminated. Efficiency requires a before-and-after comparison that many teams never set up. Without that baseline, finance teams are left defending a project with anecdotes instead of evidence.How to prove AP automation ROI to the finance leaderThe AP automation ROI case gets easier to make once the right metrics are in place. These three steps provide the controller with a credible framework for presenting results or diagnosing ongoing underperformance. They also make it easier to explain why a tool may be live but still not delivering the expected operating leverage.Establish the baseline, even after the factA small set of metrics usually matters most. They are cost per invoice, invoice processing cycle time, exception rate, touchless processing rate, and on-time payment rate. If no baseline was captured before implementation, reconstruct it from ERP invoice and payment dates for the six months before go-live. Payroll records showing AP staff time allocation, late-payment fee history, and early-payment discount capture rates from vendor payment records collectively contribute to a retroactive baseline. Controllers tracking accounts payable metrics already have the measurement infrastructure, and folding that tracking into regular accounts payable reporting keeps the baseline current instead of a one-time snapshot. Teams that aren't should start with cost per invoice and cycle time.Set realistic targetsSet targets that show measurable operational progress. Present current performance against the team's own baseline and show direction of travel quarter over quarter. A finance leader who sees a decline in cost per invoice over two quarters has a business case with visible progress. Realistic targets matter because leadership is more likely to support the next improvement cycle when the numbers show steady, defensible operational gains.What to say when the numbers still aren't goodIf automation is still underperforming, the ROI conversation requires a structured problem statement. Name the root cause, process, technology, or people. Identify the specific challenge from the section above, describe the fix underway, and state the metric it will affect and when. A finance leader who hears that the exception rate is elevated, that the root cause is vendor master data quality, that cleanup is underway, and that the team expects improvement by a stated internal deadline that has a credible diagnostic. A promise of better results next quarter without a specific mechanism doesn't hold up in a budget review. Controllers who want to automate accounting processes more completely should treat the ROI framework as the feedback loop that tells them which automation efforts are producing returns and which need intervention.Disclaimer: This article reflects Brex’s perspective at the time of publication and is intended for general informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, tax, accounting, or financial advice. Laws, regulations, and guidance may vary based on your specific circumstances, and interpretations or outcomes may differ. Information may also change over time. Before making any decisions, you should consult your own qualified legal, tax, accounting, or financial advisors.This story was produced by Brex and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Same flight, different logbook: Why a private jet crew's experience looks bigger on paper in the US than in Europe Same flight, different logbook: Why a private jet crew's experience looks bigger on paper in the US than in EuropeImagine for a moment two first officers who just finished identical careers. Exact same aircraft. Exact same number of years. Exact same routes.One trained and flew under the Federal Aviation Administration and the other under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. When they both apply for their next job, one logbook shows 1,500 hours of pilot-in-command (PIC) time but the other shows 0.That’s not an error. Neither logbook is wrong and nothing about their flying experience is actually different.Charter broker screening, insurance underwriting, Argus and Wyvern audits, and international standards qualification reviews all make reference to a PIC number, but what it actually means for the pilot depends on which regulator produced it.Paramount Business Jets has put together a comprehensive guide leveraging regulations in the U.S. and the European Union, information from the FAA, and industry resources to show what PIC actually means when looking at two logbooks side by side.One flight, two logbooksThe easiest way to understand how there can be differences in what PIC numbers mean is to look at a real-world example.Picture a two-pilot business jet that has a captain and first officer. They are flying a 1.5-hour charter leg. The captain is the designated commander for the flight under both regulatory regimes. Nothing changes there. What is different, however, is who else in the cockpit gets to log the time as PIC.There is one structural difference between the FAA and EASA that determines this. The FAA defines PIC by what a pilot's hands are doing, and the EASA determines it based on who holds command authority.How the FAA crew logs the legIn this imaginary leg, say the first officer hand-flies it as part of a normal rotation of duties in two-pilot operations. Under 14 CFR 61.51(e)(1)(i), a pilot can log PIC time when they are the sole manipulator of the aircraft controls for which they are rated. It doesn’t matter who is “in charge” of the flight.The captain will separately log the same leg as PIC under 61.51(e)(1)(iii), which covers acting as PIC of an aircraft that requires more than one pilot by type certification or operating rule. It’s two different provisions and two different justifications for a single flight. Both pilots log 1.5 hours of PIC.This course of action is completely allowed. The Chief Counsel of the FAA has confirmed as much. In this scenario, there would be three hours of PIC logged between both pilots against 1.5 hours of actual flight time.How the EASA crew logs the same legThe EASA works a little differently. There is no general sole-manipulator concept. As outlined by Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, the term “pilot-in-command” explicitly means the pilot who is designated as being in charge of the safe conduct of the flight. Further, CAT.GEN.MPA.105 attaches the responsibility to only a single person during the whole flight.So, what does this mean? On the same 1.5-hour flight, the first officer, even though they hand-flew the exact same leg, logs 1.5 hours as co-pilot time. The only exception is if the operator is running a formal pilot-in-command program under supervision.Most charter and fractional operations where a pilot is available and ready to intervene don’t run such a program, meaning 1.5 hours of PIC are listed across both logbooks.FAA framework: Sole‑manipulator PIC loggingThe FAA’s approach traces back to a design choice they outline in the broader 14 CFR 61.51. They choose to separate the question of who is legally responsible for the flight from the question of what a pilot may write in their logbook. A rated pilot who is the sole manipulator of the controls can log PIC, even if there is someone else on the flight with deck authority.An additional interpretation from the Chief Counsel on autopilot use explains the argument from another angle. Logging PIC hinges on being the one to manipulate the controls. Autopilot engagement can interrupt this status, independent of who is legally in charge of the plane.What this creates is a routine practice of dual-logging in many multi-pilot FAA operations. A captain will log their PIC under the acting-PIC provision for the whole flight. The first officer will also log PIC for whatever portion they were hand-flying under the sole-manipulator provision. Both are correct, and nobody is overstating their record.For business aviation logbooks, though, the practical result is that FAA-trained first officers accumulate a significant amount of PIC time before they’ve ever been the true captain.EASA framework: PIC, PICUS, and SPIC as PICUnder EASA’s Part-FCI structure, PIC is logged differently. PIC status is attached to the designated commander. A first officer hand-flying gets co-pilot time, but not PIC.The exceptions are narrow and specific. There is student pilot-in-command time for pre-license students flying solo-equivalent legs under supervision and the Pilot in Command Under Supervision time for licensed first officers flying under supervision. The arrangement must be approved by the competent authority where intervention on behalf of a commander isn’t required for safety.From a career progression standpoint, PICUS hours matter more. This is because up to 500 of the 1,500 PIC hours required for an unrestricted airline transport pilot license can come from PICUS time. This is credited under FCL.510(a)(2). That being said, the 500-hour ceiling is a credit towards a specific license milestone. It’s not an open parallel to the FAA’s sole-manipulator logging standard.A European first officer who spends their years flying business jet legs outside a formal PICUS program will need to log those hours as co-pilot time. This may make their total PIC figure sit near zero at a point where, well into their career, an FAA counterpart looks far more senior even if they are equal.Comparing PIC totals: Hours as a unit of accountThe gap really emerges when the math is expanded over a full first officer’s tenure. Imagine a pilot who flies 3,000 hours over a five-year period as a first officer, with half the time spent hand-flying in two-pilot business jet operations.Under the FAA’s sole manipulator rule, that pilot will log 1,500 hours of PIC time. Under the EASA, that same pilot would produce close to 0 PIC time unless they were operating under a PICUS program.Flight time, experience type, and competence are all equal. Yet the PIC column tells a different story.This is why the two numbers shouldn’t be used interchangeably in the same formula. A PIC total under the FAA is a reflection of both command experience and hand-flying experience blended into a single number. A PIC total under the EASA reflects just command experience in most cases. These numbers are measuring different things in accordance with specific regulatory requirements.Operational impacts for U.S. charter and Part 135The difference between the two systems gets even more confounding when one considers that mixed-nationality crews are very common in business aviation. When operators are running both FAA and EASA licensed pilots, they need to build reconciliation practices around the gap.In some cases, the workaround is requesting supplemental documentation rather than flight time broken out by role. An example could be to include operator letters confirming line experience.However, the friction shows most notably when a European first officer applies to a U.S. Part 135 operator. In many cases, their EASA logbook shows a fraction of what an FAA-trained counterpart may show, but it’s just a matter of who issued their license. An operator screening applications by just PIC minimums may pass up a perfectly excellent pilot without even knowing it.Get yourself a European pilot and it becomes clear that their experience needs to be translated for an underwriter or auditor who is reading the numbers as if they came from an FAA logbook. How U.S. clients and brokers should read hoursThe practical takeaway from all of this is to treat PIC as a supplemental unit of account rather than a direct measure of experience. Always ask which regulatory regime produced and stamped off on a logbook before comparing two pilots.A short checklist can help:1. Ask which authority issued the license and which hours were logged.2. Ask for total flight time and type-specific time alongside the PIC number.3. Ask specifically whether any PIC time came through a PICUS program for European pilots.4. Remember that published PIC minimums assume FAA style logging and that a European crew roster will require supplemental verification of experience.Q&A section: Dual‑licensed pilots, two logbooks, and practical choicesWhat about pilots who hold both an FAA certification and an EASA license?Generally speaking, the best rule of thumb is to follow the certificate privileges rather than the nationality of the pilot. A dual-licensed captain flying a U.S. registered aircraft under FAA authority logs that flight under 61.51, but flying an EASA-registered aircraft would be logged under Part-FCL and AMC1 FCL.050. The aircraft’s state of registry and operating rules in force should decide which logbook convention applies to the flight.Should pilots maintain two logbooks?For anyone who holds a certification from both regulators, the answer is yes. It’s also close to unavoidable in practice. A single logbook built to satisfy the FAA won’t meet EASA’s requirements and vice versa. Most dual-licensed pilots already have dual records.How can U.S. operators ask for clarity without putting an applicant on the spot?Clarity is key. Ask direct questions and don’t rely solely on PIC numbers. Inquire as to the authority that issued their license. Dig into whether any PIC time came from a PICUS program. Learn what their type-specific time looks like. All of this will give an operator a comfortable picture of a pilot’s true experience.Finding the right pilot for your needsRemember that a pilot’s listed PIC hours aren’t a standalone measure of their competency. It’s a bookkeeping convention that differs across regulators. The FAA counts the time hands are on the controls. The EASA wants to know command authority time.Two captains with two identical flying histories can have wildly different PIC times logged, but it doesn’t mean one is automatically more experienced than the other. The best operators dig deep and ask extra questions to determine who may be the best candidate.This story was produced by Paramount Business Jets and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Rural America's healthcare crisis: The 10 most vulnerable states Rural America's healthcare crisis: The 10 most vulnerable statesIn Texas, fifty rural hospitals are at risk of closure. That is more than any other state in the country. Behind Texas, in descending order: Kansas (44), Tennessee (27), Georgia (25), and Mississippi (24).Behind those numbers is a typical Friday afternoon at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) that takes patients from those vulnerable hospitals. The discharge packet arrives on paper. The patient does not arrive by ambulance. They arrive in a personal vehicle. The intake nurse reads what she can. The medication changes from the last 24 hours are still moving through a system that runs on phone calls and paper faxes, and they will reach her inbox two days after the patient does.Texas has also lost more rural hospitals than any other state since 2010, twenty-seven in all. And of the $50 billion in federal funding announced through the Rural Health Transformation Program last December, Texas will receive about $66 per rural resident. Rhode Island will receive $6,305. The Texas application, approved this April, proposes using artificial intelligence to process faxes as its central modernization initiative. The state is spending federal money to apply AI to the paper-based records its rural hospitals still run on.eFax, a digital fax and intelligent document processing provider, analyzed federal health data, state hospital records, and the paper-based systems that still carry most patient information, alongside its own research into how records actually move between care settings, to map which states sit at the deepest end of the healthcare data divide in 2026. The states most exposed to that divide are the ones getting the smallest federal lifeline. eFax A ranking where every position tells the same storyTexas, Tennessee, and Mississippi sit at the top of a ten-state ranking built on four measures of how badly rural healthcare is failing: hospital finances, whether the state expanded Medicaid, how many hospitals have closed since 2010, and whether records can move digitally between various systems and facilities, what the federal government calls interoperability. Arkansas, Kansas, and Florida fill the next three places. Oklahoma, Georgia, South Dakota, and Wyoming round out the top ten.Six of the ten have not expanded Medicaid. Two more operate limited or work-requirement versions. Only two, Oklahoma and South Dakota, adopted full expansion in the past five years, and both still rank in the top ten because the financial damage runs years deep.At the top of the list, the numbers stop reading like an index. They start reading like a wave that has already broken.Kansas. Florida. Mississippi. Tennessee. Four different states. Four different ways the same crisis lands.In Kansas, more than eight in ten rural hospitals operated at a loss last year. That number would be a crisis headline in any other state. In Florida, more than seven in ten rural maternity wards have closed since 2014. In Mississippi, more than half of the rural chemotherapy capacity is gone. In Tennessee, the share of rural hospitals classified as vulnerable to closure jumped by seventeen percentage points in a single year.Inside the hospitals still operating in these states, the work that goes into moving a patient's records is mostly invisible to the people in the rooms with the patients. According to a survey of hospital technology leaders, nearly half of providers still use paper fax to send patient data to facilities that do not have digital medical records. About half the time, those records arrive in one to two days. The other half, it takes three to five.Why the ranking holdsThe states at the top of this list are about to absorb a second shock. The 2025 federal budget law cut roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade, and the American Hospital Association estimated rural hospitals would lose $50.4 billion of that funding. The same Rural Health Transformation Program these states are counting on to modernize is, in part, the relief fund meant to offset those cuts. The money arriving to digitize rural records is the same money backfilling the revenue these facilities are losing. For a hospital already operating in the red, every dollar redirected to cover uncompensated care is a dollar not spent on the systems that would let it share a patient's records. The ranking measures where the divide is deepest. The budget math explains why it is likely to stay that way.The pattern hiding in the federal dataFederal data has never published a state-by-state ranking of how well hospitals share records. The closest the federal government has released is a national comparison. Among hospitals that belong to a larger health system, 53% routinely share patient records electronically. Among independent hospitals, the kind that fill rural counties, 22% do.That 31-point gap runs underneath the entire ranking. Independent hospitals cluster in the rural counties in the non-expansion states at the top of this list. The same hospitals that cannot afford to upgrade are the same ones where fax and mail sending actually rose, from 30% in 2023 to 40% in 2025. According to eFax's analysis, about 15 billion fax transactions still move through American healthcare every year. At least 70% of healthcare organizations still use fax to exchange medical information.Adoption climbed; exchange went backward.The federal lifeline that did not equal outThe Rural Health Transformation Program was authorized at $10 billion per year for five years, beginning fiscal 2026. All fifty states received first-year awards. The allocations were not even.Texas, with the most vulnerable rural hospitals and the most closures since 2010, received the largest total award in the country at $281 million. Spread across its rural population, that comes to about $66 per person, the lowest per-capita figure in the country. Tennessee received roughly $115 per rural resident. Mississippi, about $260.Rhode Island, which has no rural hospitals classified as vulnerable, received $6,305 per rural resident.Every state received a flat $100 million floor, which meant the largest states saw their per-person share shrink. The rest rewarded states for what they proposed to do with the money. Texas proposed using AI to process faxes. Tennessee proposed adding AI to rural medical records. Oklahoma proposed buying electronic health record systems for rural facilities outright.The federal government estimates $782 million in annual savings once providers move off paper fax nationally. The states with the deepest divide are getting paid to acknowledge it. The math has not yet started to close it.What holds the ranking in placeThe states at the top of the ranking share three features beyond the financial picture. They have rural hospitals operating in the red at rates well above the national average. In states that never expanded Medicaid, 52% of rural hospitals operated at a loss in 2023, compared with 35% in expansion states. They have closure histories deep enough that 69% of all rural hospital closures between 2014 and 2024 happened in non-expansion states. And they have a reason why their rural doctors cannot share records the way urban doctors can.The widest rural-versus-urban gap in the most recent peer-reviewed study is not in whether doctors use electronic records. About 64% of rural physicians do, ten points behind urban. The gap is in whether those records can move. On the federal score that tracks interoperability, urban physicians average 34 out of 100. Rural physicians average 20.Inside the nursing facilities that take in the patients these hospitals discharge, only about 14% use their electronic records on a daily basis, and 76% report receiving unusable patient data on intake. The records arrive on paper. Sometimes they arrive late. Sometimes they arrive incomplete. The nurses on the receiving end work around what they have.What is closing the gap, even slowlyThe technology that bridges this kind of gap does not require every small facility to buy a $100,000 electronic health record system. At roughly $33,000 per physician, a three-doctor rural practice would face a six-figure investment just to get on the grid. Instead, a growing number of healthcare organizations are pairing AI with the internet-based fax services they already use to convert paper records into digital data their existing systems can read. According to a 2026 industry survey, nine in ten healthcare leaders are already evaluating or have adopted this approach. The federal Rural Health Transformation Program named technology upgrades for record-sharing as approved uses of the funding, and several state plans approved this spring list data exchange as a priority. A second federal initiative, launched in late 2025, requires providers to move away from paper fax machines and adopt a digital standard for sending medical documents to insurers by 2028.The pieces of the bridge exist. AI is being added at the point where paper enters the system, reading the document, pulling the medical data out, and routing it into the receiving facility's workflow in minutes instead of hours.The pieces are unevenly distributed.A January 2027 federal deadline could start to push these states off the top of the list. Major insurers, including Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed-care plans, have to meet new standards for sharing records and processing approvals digitally. By March 2026, they were required to report their progress publicly. By January 2027, they have to build digital systems that let hospitals, doctors, and insurers share records and approval decisions automatically. Penalties have already started: up to $1 million per violation for technology vendors, and a median of about $394,000 for hospitals caught blocking the flow of patient information.What would move a state off the top by 2028 is the same thing that put Texas at the top in 2026. If federal funding flows to where the gap is deepest, the gap closes.In 2026, the gap is still holding. The patient still arrives before the paperwork.This story was produced by eFax and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Have too many credit cards? Here's which ones you should cancel Have too many credit cards? Here's which ones you should cancelA wallet full of credit cards isn't a problem by itself. But it's time to cancel one when you're paying annual fees for perks you never use, or an old card stays open only because a forgotten subscription is charging it.Nearly 1 in 5 cardholders pay an annual fee on their primary card, according to Motley Fool Money research examining 2025 Federal Reserve data. If yours isn't paying you back in cash back or rewards, start there. But closing credit cards can ding your credit score, so strategy matters.One rule first: if you're carrying a balance, pay it down before canceling anything. Closing a card doesn't erase the debt, and no rewards perk beats what you're losing to interest. Motley Fool Money shares how to decide what stays and what goes.1. Cancel when the annual fee costs more than the perksA pricey credit card only earns its keep when the perks pay you back more than the annual fee. There's no sense in paying $95 per year for a card that sits unused.Before canceling, ask the bank about switching to a no-fee version of the card. Most mainstream rewards credit cards have several downgrade options, which keeps the account open and protects your credit history. It usually takes one phone call.If there's no downgrade and the benefits don't cover the fee, cut it loose. A card that costs more than it gives back is the easiest first cancellation.2. Cancel your newest credit cards before your oldest onesWhen two credit cards are on the chopping block, close the newer one. Your credit score rewards long relationships, so closing a recently opened credit card does less damage than closing a longtime one.Handle one thing first: Cash out your rewards before the account closes. Points, miles, and cash back usually disappear the moment a credit card is canceled. Americans let billions in credit card rewards go unused every year, according to 2025 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau research. Don't add your balance to that pile.3. Cancel when your spending has moved on from the cardThe best credit card for your life five years ago might be the wrong card today. A card built for restaurants and nights out loses its value if your spending shifts to groceries and family runs.And sticking with old rewards programs can cost you. Say you spend $20,000 a year on a credit card earning 1% cash back. That's $200 in rewards. Move the same spending to a 2% flat-rate cash back card and you'd pull in $400. Same purchases, double the cash back, no new habits to build.How canceling a credit card affects your credit scoreThere are two main reasons closing a credit card can nudge your credit score downward.First, canceling a credit account shrinks your total available credit. That raises your credit utilization, the share of your available credit you're using, which is a major factor in your credit score. Using a small slice of a big credit limit looks better to lenders than maxing out a small one.Second, closing an account can shorten your credit history over time. A closed account in good standing can stay on your report for up to 10 years. Once it drops off, your average account age can slip, and so can your score.These are easy to plan around. Protect your oldest accounts and any high-limit credit cards you have open to avoid an ugly surprise on your credit report.Most people only need two to three credit cardsThere's no perfect number of credit cards to have, but most people do fine with two or three well-chosen cards. A simple lineup covers nearly every purchase.Your oldest no-annual-fee card, kept open for history. This anchors your credit age and costs nothing to hold. Put one small bill on it and set autopay.One credit card for your biggest spending category. Whether that's groceries, gas, or travel, this is where you earn the most. It should match your largest monthly expense.A flat-rate card for everything else. A simple cash back card that earns the same on every purchase handles whatever the first two miss. There are no categories to track.Three cards can cover a grocery run, a gas fill-up, and a big vacation without cluttering your wallet. More than that is usually just more to manage.Fewer cards, more rewardsA little credit card strategy goes a long way here. The goal isn't to cancel every card you don't use but to stop paying fees you don't have to and earn more on the spending you're already doing.Start with the fee cards you've outgrown. Protect your oldest accounts. Then build a small lineup of the best credit cards that match how you actually spend.FAQsShould I cancel a credit card I don't use?If it has no annual fee, it's usually best to keep it open. Keeping old credit cards open adds to your available credit and your average account age, both of which help your credit score. If it does charge an annual fee and you're not using any perks, downgrading to a no-fee version beats canceling.Does canceling a credit card hurt your credit score?It can, but usually not by much, and not forever. Closing a credit card lowers your total available credit, which can raise your credit utilization and dip your credit score. Keeping your oldest credit cards open and your balances low elsewhere softens the hit, and credit scores often recover within a few months.This story was produced by Motley Fool Money and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Parking lots to be closed in downtown Muscatine, Riverside Park for events Muscatine has a busy 10 days coming up for the end of August and wants to make residents aware of parking closures for downtown and Riverside Park lots.
	11 fall traditions and new adventures at The Beach (BPT) - If you're looking for a warm-weather fall escape this year, head to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where coastal traditions, local flavor and memory-making events keep the season glowing. Locals agree that The Beach is at its best during autumn, when the Grand Strand comes alive with surfing witches, music festivals and cook-offs the whole family can enjoy. With unexpected experiences and one-of-a-kind ways to celebrate, fall at The Beach offers a getaway that's wonderfully different from the expected.Below are just a few of the beloved traditions and new experiences you can enjoy this fall in the Myrtle Beach area.1. Loris Bog-Off FestivalOn Oct. 17, downtown Loris — located at the northern end of The Beach — will host the 47th annual Loris Bog-Off Festival. The festival celebrates the region's signature chicken bog — a Lowcountry dish featuring a flavorful mix of rice, chicken, smoked sausage and closely guarded seasonings. What began in 1980 as a cooking contest has evolved into an annual tradition that brings together family recipes, live entertainment and local vendors, culminating in a grand fireworks finale.2. Witches Sunrise SurfThat same morning, visitors can head to North Myrtle Beach to witness the fifth annual Witches Sunrise Surf. Costumed surfers will paddle into the Atlantic to ride the waves, flying upon surfboards to greet a beautiful fall day. This playful Halloween twist is one of the area's most delightful and unexpected coastal traditions, and it will have you setting your alarm early to watch the sunrise behind a coven of black hats and broomsticks.3. Conway: City of HalloweenFor more Halloween fun, take a short drive inland to Conway, a historic river town that officially renames itself the City of Halloween, S.C. Throughout October, you can walk Conway's downtown and take in the sights of jack-o'-lantern trees, floating witch hats, oversized creatures, immersive lighting and family-friendly happenings. If you plan to visit on Oct. 17, make sure to take the family to see the town's Graveyard Grand Prix Coffin Race, where locals race homemade, human-powered "coffins" through downtown.4. Patriots Day FestivalVisit Little River — the oldest of the Grand Strand's 14 communities — on Sept. 12 to celebrate the town's Patriots Day Festival. This event honors service members and first responders while also raising funds for a memorial reef, a diving and fishing destination and coral restoration effort. The reef gives this new event an added sense of purpose that connects celebration, service and coastal environment stewardship.5. Little River Waterfront Fright NightsIf you're lucky enough to visit Myrtle Beach Sept. 24-Oct. 31, you can be among the first to experience the new Little River Waterfront Fright Nights. This six-week Halloween experience offers visitors plenty of spooky spectacles to choose from, including the Trail of Fear, waterfront decor, a haunted house, a costume contest and pirate-themed 'Boos' cruises along the Intracoastal Waterway.6. NMB Live!Music lovers, mark your calendar on Sept. 26 for the inaugural NMB Live! festival. This event brings three stages of free music to Main Street in North Myrtle Beach during the SOS Fall Migration, a celebration of the Carolina Shag dance held Sept. 18-27. The timing connects something new with a tradition that began in Ocean Drive's dance clubs in the late 1930s. Named South Carolina's official dance in 1984, the shag continues to be a vibrant part of North Myrtle Beach through lessons, competitions and celebrations.7. Purdy CenterVisit Brookgreen Gardens — voted one of the top 10 Best Public Gardens in the U.S. — as it enters its first fall with the newly opened Purdy Center. This spacious venue and conservatory gardens feature a light-filled Great Hall, changing botanical displays and a floor-to-ceiling tropical Green Wall.8. Harvest Home WeekendHave double the fun by visiting Brookgreen Gardens Oct. 3-4 for Harvest Home Weekend. Families can enjoy traditional fall activities such as picking their annual pumpkin, building and taking home their very own scarecrow, getting lost in a hay maze, creating a festive craft and enjoying an Autumn Creek Adventure amid the sculpture gardens and Lowcountry landscape.9. Myrtle Beach Songwriters FestivalNov. 13-14, head to downtown Myrtle Beach for the new Myrtle Beach Songwriters Festival. This two-day event is a walkable celebration of original music, storytelling and coastal culture. Enjoy musical performances from more than 50 singer-songwriters and poets from across the country performing their original work in intimate listening-room settings in multiple venues. Produced by Songs That Save Foundation, the event will support local children and families through Backpack Buddies.10. Jazz FestThis year, jazz enthusiasts can help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Myrtle Beach Jazz Fest on Oct. 16-18 in Myrtle Beach. During this three-day celebration, the spacious event grounds will feature nearly two dozen live jazz performers, along with a variety of food options and cultural experiences.11. Crazy Sister MarinaMyrtle Beach's pleasant fall weather means there is still plenty of time for an adventure on the water. Visit Murrells Inlet and book an excursion with Crazy Sister Marina, a fishing charter, water sports and tour company that gives visitors unique ways to stay on the water well into the fall season, including dolphin-and-sea-life cruises, guided kayak tours, jet ski rides and half-day deep-sea fishing trips. Make sure to stay after sunset and experience a children's pirate sunset adventure, a Full Moon Ghost Stories Cruise and a Murder Mystery Dessert Cruise.Your next beach vacation starts this fallWhether you're seeking a quick weekend getaway or a longer stay, fall in Myrtle Beach offers every type of traveler a warm-weather escape that celebrates the best of autumn and the Grand Strand's unique communities. For trip ideas, lodging offers and a comprehensive event calendar, visit VisitMyrtleBeach.com.
	How Trump accounts compare to other tax-advantaged savings accounts for your child How Trump accounts compare to other tax-advantaged savings accounts for your childTrump Accounts officially opened for contributions on July 4 of this year, and millions of American families have already signed up. The launch has sparked some questions from parents: What exactly is a Trump Account, and how does it compare to other tax-advantaged savings vehicles for children?The short answer is that a Trump Account is not a replacement for any of them. It’s a new tool with its own rules, tax treatment, and trade-offs, created as part of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This guide from Wealth Enhancement compares four tax-advantaged savings vehicles for children, side by side, so you can decide which one, or which combination, fits your family’s financial goals. And because building healthy financial habits for your children early matters as much as the tax-advantaged savings vehicle you choose, the guide concludes with a practical decision framework.What You’ll Learn in This GuideWhat Trump Accounts (530A) are and how they work.How they compare to 529 plans, UTMA/UGMA accounts, and custodial Roth IRAs.Which tax-advantaged savings vehicles fit your family’s financial goals.How to take action.What Is a Trump Account (530A)?The BasicsA Trump Account is the common name for a Section 530A account, a new tax-deferred investment account for children established under The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Structurally, it works like a modified traditional IRA owned by the child but administered by a parent or other authorized adult until the child reaches adulthood.Any child under age 18 with a Social Security number valid for employment is eligible, and only one Trump Account may be opened per child. Children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, and who are U.S. citizens, also qualify for a one-time $1,000 seed contribution from the U.S. Treasury under the program’s pilot provision. Notably, no earned income is required to contribute, which makes the Trump Account the only IRA-style vehicle available to babies and young children.Key Rules and Contribution Limits for 2026Annual contribution limit: Up to $5,000 per child per year (indexed for inflation), combined across all contributors.Employer contributions: Up to $2,500 of the $5,000 annual limit may come from a parent’s employer. These contributions are excluded from the employee’s taxable income but count toward the $5,000 cap.Who can contribute: Parents, relatives, friends, employers, and certain nonprofit and government entities.Earned income requirement: None. Unlike a Roth IRA, no earned income is required for contributions.Investment restrictions: Limited to low-cost, broad-market U.S. stock index funds and ETFs, with expense ratios capped at 0.10%. Bonds, actively managed funds, and leveraged products are not permitted.Withdrawal rules: Funds generally cannot be withdrawn before January 1 of the year the child turns 18. After that, the account operates under standard traditional IRA rules, which set the current penalty-free withdrawal age at 59 1/2.Excess contributions: Amounts over the annual limit may trigger a 6% excise tax each year until corrected.Tax TreatmentContributions are made with after-tax dollars, meaning no up-front federal deduction, though employer contributions are excluded from the employee’s taxable income.Growth is tax-deferred, meaning taxes are owed upon withdrawal, not annually.Withdrawals—including the government seed, employer contributions, and all earnings—are generally taxed as ordinary income. See how traditional and Roth IRA tax treatment differ for a deeper look at why that distinction matters.No state income tax deduction is available for contributions, unlike many 529 plans.How to Open a Trump AccountConfirm your child’s eligibility: under age 18, with a Social Security number valid for employment, and no existing Trump Account.Gather required documentation, including your child’s Social Security number and your own identification.File IRS Form 4547, either with your federal tax return, through your IRS Online Account, or via the official portal at TrumpAccounts.gov.Once the IRS processes your election, activate the account through the Trump Accounts app or at TrumpAccounts.gov.Request the $1,000 pilot contribution on Form 4547 if your child was born between 2025 and 2028.Set up recurring contributions within the $5,000 annual limit.For a walkthrough from a major custodian’s perspective, see Fidelity’s guide to using Trump Accounts to save for kids.The Four Main Tax-Advantaged Savings Vehicles for Children: A Side-by-Side Comparison Wealth Enhancement Trump Account vs. 529 Plan: The Most Common ComparisonWhat Is a 529 Plan?A 529 plan is a state-sponsored education savings account. If you’re new to the concept, start with our overview of how 529 college savings plans are structured. The essentials:Tax-free growth and tax-free withdrawals for qualified education expenses—including tuition, room and board, K-12 tuition, vocational training, and student loan repayment.There’s no federal annual contribution limit; state aggregate caps apply, often between $300,000 and $550,000.Up to $35,000 (lifetime) of leftover 529 funds can be rolled into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary, subject to holding-period and other rules.For common questions, see how 529 plans work and whether one is right for your child.Key Differences: Tax Treatment529 Plan: Tax-free growth plus tax-free qualified withdrawals: the strongest tax efficiency available for education spending.Trump Account (530A): Tax-deferred growth plus ordinary income tax on withdrawals: less tax-efficient, but not tied to education spending.Key Differences: FAFSA and Financial Aid Impact529 plans are reported as a parent-owned asset on the FAFSA. The federal Student Aid Index (SAI, which replaced the Expected Family Contribution) counts at most 5.64% of parent-owned assets, so the impact on need-based aid is modest.Trump Accounts are widely expected by financial aid experts to be reported as a student-owned asset, assessed at up to 20% of the account balance, which would reduce aid eligibility far more sharply. Note that the Department of Education has not yet issued official guidance; some analysts believe the account’s IRA structure could eventually qualify it for the retirement-account exclusion. Until guidance arrives, families with children close to college age should plan around the less favorable treatment.For the mechanics, see how education savings accounts affect your child’s FAFSA eligibility and SavingForCollege.com’s Trump Account vs. 529 analysis.Key Differences: Investment Options529 plans offer broad menus: stock funds, bond funds, target-date portfolios, and actively managed options.Trump Accounts are restricted to broad-market U.S. stock index funds and ETFs with expense ratios of 0.10% or less; no bonds and no actively managed funds.What If Your Child Doesn’t Go to College?A child not going to college is a common concern with 529 plans, and it’s more manageable than many parents assume. Unused 529 funds can be transferred to a sibling’s 529, applied to vocational training, or rolled into a Roth IRA for the beneficiary (up to the $35,000 lifetime limit). A Trump Account, by contrast, simply continues under traditional IRA rules at 18 regardless of whether the child attends college, which gives it more built-in flexibility on this specific point.Can Your Child Have Both?Many financial advisors recommend having both tax-advantaged savings vehicles. A family can claim the $1,000 government seed in a Trump Account and simultaneously fund a 529 plan for education. These two tax-advantaged savings vehicles serve different purposes and are not mutually exclusive. J.P. Morgan’s analysis of 529 plans vs. Trump Accounts reaches the same conclusion: For newborns, the answer is often both.Trump Account vs. UTMA/UGMA Custodial AccountsWhat Is a UTMA or UGMA Account?Custodial investment accounts that are governed by the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).Has no contribution limits, though gifts above $19,000 per person in 2026 may require gift tax reporting.Offers maximum flexibility: Funds can be used for any purpose that benefits the child—whether college, a car, travel, or a business startup.Earnings are taxed annually under the kiddie tax: In 2026, the first $1,350 of unearned income is tax-free, the next $1,350 is taxed at the child’s rate, and amounts above $2,700 are taxed at the parents’ marginal rate.At the state-defined age of majority, typically 18 to 25, the child gains full, unrestricted control of the assets.Key Differences from a Trump AccountA UTMA has no investment restrictions, versus the Trump Account’s U.S. index-fund-only rule.A UTMA has no contribution limit, versus the Trump Account’s $5,000 annual cap.A UTMA is counted as a student asset on the FAFSA, so on financial aid, the two accounts are expected to land in a similar place.UTMA funds can be accessed at any time for the child’s benefit, subject to annual tax consequences, versus the Trump Account’s hard lock until age 18.Gift Tax Considerations for UTMA ContributionsBecause UTMAs have no contribution ceiling, they are a common landing spot for larger gifts from grandparents and other relatives. Anyone planning a substantial transfer should understand that using the annual gift tax exclusion to fund accounts for your child: Staying at or below $19,000 per giver, per child, per year, keeps the gift below the federal reporting threshold.A Note on Children with Special NeedsUTMA and UGMA accounts are generally not appropriate for children who receive, or may later receive, means-tested government benefits, because assets held in the child’s name can jeopardize eligibility. Specialized tools such as ABLE accounts and special needs trusts exist for this purpose.Trump Account vs. Custodial Roth IRAWhat Is a Custodial Roth IRA?A Roth IRA that’s opened by a parent or guardian on behalf of a minor child.The child must have verified earned income, such as W-2 wages or self-employment income, which is the most important restriction.The 2026 contribution limit is the lesser of $7,500 or the child’s total earned income.Offers tax-free growth plus tax-free qualified withdrawals in retirement.Roth IRAs are generally not counted as assets on the FAFSA, the most favorable financial aid treatment among the four account types.Contributions (not earnings) can be withdrawn at any time without penalty, and earnings may qualify for penalty-free early withdrawal for a first-time home purchase or qualified education expenses.Trump Account vs. Custodial Roth IRA: The Key Trade-Off Wealth Enhancement Is a Trump Account Better Than a Roth IRA?For working teenagers, a custodial Roth IRA is generally the stronger tax-advantaged savings vehicle: decades of tax-free compounding, qualified tax-free withdrawals, and better financial aid treatment. For young children with no earned income, a Trump Account is the only IRA-style option available, so the question is less either/or than when each becomes available to your family. Advisors quoted by CNBC make the same point: Trump Accounts are not the only option when it comes to child investments.Which Tax-Advantaged Savings Vehicle Account Is Right for Your Child? A Decision FrameworkBest for College Savings: 529 Plan529 plans offer superior tax efficiency for education (tax-free growth and withdrawals). They’re the best FAFSA treatment of any account on this list except the Roth IRA, and have wide investment options. If paying for college is your primary goal, a 529 should anchor your strategy.Best for Working Teenagers: Custodial Roth IRAIf your child has earned income from a part-time job or self-employment, a custodial Roth IRA can deliver the greatest long-term tax benefit: decades of tax-free compounding with flexible withdrawal options for education or a first home.Best for Maximum Spending Flexibility: UTMA/UGMAIf you want to give your child funds usable for any purpose at the age of majority—whether college, a car, a business, or travel—a UTMA offers the fewest restrictions and no contribution ceiling.Best for Capturing the Government Seed: Trump Account (530A)If your child is under 18, and especially if you have a newborn born between 2025 and 2028, opening a Trump Account to claim the $1,000 government deposit costs you nothing and gives your child a tax-deferred investment head start that does not require earned income.Best Strategy for Many Families: Use Them TogetherFor many families, the most effective approach is layered: open a Trump Account to capture the government seed, fund a 529 for education, and open a Roth IRA when your child begins working. These tax-advantaged savings vehicles are complementary, not competing. It’s one piece of the broader work of preparing your children for long-term financial independence.Talk to an Advisor Before You DecideChoosing among these four tax-advantaged savings vehicles involves long-term tax implications, financial aid consequences, and estate planning dimensions that are easy to miss on your own, and the right answer often changes as your child grows. A fiduciary advisor can help you weigh tax-efficient investment strategies for families and build a plan around your children’s long-term financial independence, rather than around any singular tax-advantaged savings vehicle.This story was produced by Wealth Enhancement and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Most Canadians want a pipeline. Nobody wants to pay for it Most Canadians want a pipeline. Nobody wants to pay for itPipelines, pipelines, pipelines. No matter how you feel about them, it’s hard to escape news of them lately.In July, the Alberta government announced it is formally proposing another pipeline to the West Coast. On the weekend, the federal government took another step towards designating the pipeline as a project in the national interest, meaning environmental assessments and other parts of the approval process could be fast-tracked.Recent polling shows the majority of Canadians — 63% according to the Angus Reid Institute in July — support that new pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia.Why? Mostly for economic reasons. A majority told pollsters they were convinced by the argument that Canada needs to diversify its oil markets away from the U.S., while half said oil is just generally important to the economy. Forty-five percent said the project would create jobs.The economic forecast, though, isn’t quite that simple. There’s still the question of who’s going to pay for it. A poll commissioned by the Pembina Institute and conducted by Probe Research in April found a majority of Albertans — 61% — say they don’t want to spend taxpayer money on a new pipeline.It’s increasingly clear: Many Canadians say they do want a new pipeline, but they don’t want to pay for it. Companies aren’t exactly lining up to build new pipelines by themselves, either. That raises a question: Why?So what are the economics of a pipeline in Canada? Do they make money? The Narwhal broke down what you need to know.Key TakeawaysAs polls suggest a majority of Canadians support building new pipelines, the Alberta government is proposing a new pipeline to the West Coast to help boost production in the oil sands.The terms of the pipeline proposal name Alberta and the Canadian government together as majority owners, suggesting taxpayers will foot much of the construction bill.Pipelines are very expensive to build. A recent analysis of the federal government’s Trans Mountain pipeline, which is already operational, showed that the pipeline’s revenues aren’t high enough to cover its construction and debt costs, making it a money-loser for taxpayers.How much do pipelines cost to build?No one is going to build a pipeline on a shoestring. These are multibillion-dollar projects, often crossing multiple provinces. Even expanding an existing pipeline, or building along an existing pipeline route, is a huge endeavor involving tens of thousands of people working on the project.Take the Trans Mountain Expansion project, as an example. That increased the capacity of an existing pipeline, built in the 1950s, from Alberta to the West Coast. That expansion project ultimately cost taxpayers 34 billion Canadian dollars — notably, that’s almost CA$30 billion more than initial estimates.The latest pipeline idea making headlines was proposed by the Alberta government, with an estimated cost pegged at between CA$35.2 billion and CA$43.7 billion. That proposal was brought forward alongside the federally owned Trans Mountain Corp., which will lead the project, and Pembina Pipeline Corp. (which is not connected to the Pembina Institute that held the poll).Under the proposed partnership, Trans Mountain and the Government of Alberta — through the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission — would hold a majority interest.So who would actually own it? Well … taxpayers, in a way.How much have taxpayers spent building pipelines in the past?How much taxpayers have already spent on pipelines varies. Canadian taxpayers have been on the hook for billions since the Government of Canada purchased the Trans Mountain pipeline in 2018.And maybe that’s okay. Some would argue that pipelines are infrastructure, much like highways or railways. Others disagree that billions of dollars of public money should be put toward increasing oil and gas infrastructure.Nonetheless, it continues to happen. TC Energy’s canceled Keystone XL expansion was backstopped by Alberta taxpayers to the tune of CA$1.5 billion in 2021.And it’s happening again. Alberta’s government has already contributed a little more than CA$18 million to its latest pipeline plan, saying the money went to early planning work “including preliminary engineering, cost estimates, economic modeling, early Indigenous engagement with communities and development of the proposal for federal consideration.”The Alberta government calls it a “myth” that it will pay for the entirety of the pipeline, saying, “Now that this preliminary work is done, we will work alongside Trans Mountain and Pembina Pipeline to move this project ahead.” But Pembina Pipeline currently has only a 10% stake in the project.So, in the end, it appears if the West Coast pipeline project moves ahead, it will be governments — and taxpayers — who foot much of the bill.“I am quite comfortable that this is a good investment for Canadian taxpayers,” federal Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson told CBC in July.How does a pipeline operator make money?Whether pipelines are owned by companies or governments (and taxpayers like you), they charge fees for companies to move their products. The fees paid to use pipelines by companies such as oil producers are called tolls or tariffs.The Canada Energy Regulator oversees pipeline tolls, saying it ensures “they are just and reasonable.”According to the regulator, tolls “cover the company’s cost of service, including a fair and reasonable return to pipeline investors.” Rates vary based on many factors: whether there’s a long-term commitment to shipping, how far, what the product is and how much of it.The Trans Mountain expansion ended up costing so much that the tolls it charges customers to move oil are higher than expected. Still, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development, only CA$15.4 billion of the CA$34 billion cost of the pipeline is covered by the tolls it charges.Does running a pipeline actually make money?Take a look at the Trans Mountain Corp. as an example — that pipeline Canadians all own together.The company says it is now profitable. It reported its net income for 2025 was CA$556 million — up from CA$5 million the year before.It’s what Minister Hodgson described to CBC as “generating oodles of cash.”But that claim has raised some eyebrows. And untangling it is complicated.The Trans Mountain Corp. is a wholly owned entity of another company, Canada TMP Finance Ltd., which is itself a subsidiary of Canada Development Investment Corp., the entity which holds the Government of Canada’s investment in Trans Mountain. Still following?Look in the opposite direction. The Government of Canada owns a Crown corporation. That corporation has a subsidiary, which then in turn owns Trans Mountain Corp. Hopefully that helps.The debt of the expansion, and the interest on that debt, isn’t paid off. But Hodgson can claim the pipeline is profitable because of the confusing corporate structure of which Crown corporation holds its construction debt and pays the interest, and which takes in the tariffs, according to a report from the International Institute for Sustainable Development.The author of the report described Trans Mountain’s profit claims to The Tyee as a “misrepresentation of finances.”Trans Mountain Corp. did not respond to questions from The Narwhal by publication time.But a company’s balance books aren’t the only way of looking at it. Industry advocates argue pipelines generate money in other ways too, including tax and royalty revenues and making oil prices more competitive.For example, a 2024 report from a group created for Alberta credit unions argued the Trans Mountain expansion project resulted in a significant increase in access to markets for Alberta oil and that access significantly narrowed the price difference between a type of Western Canadian oil called Western Canada Select and a type sold out of Texas called West Texas Intermediate. The report estimated this had already increased revenues by about CA$10 billion in the first six months the pipeline expansion launched.There’s little doubt that producing and exporting oil and gas makes money for Canada — and especially for oil and gas companies themselves. But many have argued a fuller accounting would include the significant costs of the health risks, environmental degradation and other damage that comes from increasing carbon pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.What are the costs of carbon pollution from increasing oil production?Fossil fuel production is driving climate change, and the consequences are being felt today. Life is more expensive, cities have dirtier air from wildfires, deadly heat waves and other extreme weather events are more common, First Nations are disproportionately threatened with disasters and Canadians are more at risk of poverty, heart disease, cancer and premature death.As The Narwhal has reported, it’s possible, at least broadly speaking, to compare the economic output of fossil fuels with health costs. The federal energy regulator, for example, has reported the total value of crude oil exports from Canada was CA$138 billion in 2024. A Health Canada report that same year found the total cost of health impacts attributable to air pollution in 2018 was CA$146 billion. The cost of many foods produced in Canada is also rising as farming becomes less predictable.Estimates vary, but the short answer is climate change is expensive. A 2022 report from Queen’s University projected trillions of dollars in losses in Canada due to climate change this century, with the greatest contributor to that change being the burning of fossil fuels.Does Alberta produce enough oil to fill a new pipeline?Trans Mountain is currently “Canada’s only pipeline system transporting oil products to the West Coast.” The company says its 1,200-kilometre pipeline network has room for 890,000 barrels of petroleum products to be shipped each and every day.The new pipeline proposed by the Alberta government would be capable of transporting 1 million barrels of crude oil per day from the Edmonton area to the West Coast.If it goes ahead, that would significantly increase the network of pipelines leading from Alberta.There are already several other pipeline systems in use — leading to other locations in the U.S. and eastern Canada — and according to the Alberta Energy Regulator, all of them together could carry 5.4 million barrels per day.Currently, Alberta produces an average of more than 4 million barrels of oil per day. That suggests Alberta’s oil production stands to increase substantially if a new pipeline is going to be filled each and every day.Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency has predicted global demand for oil from combustible fossil fuels may peak as early as 2027 — raising questions about the long-term outlook for expanded oil sands production.With files from Drew Anderson and Carl Meyer.This story was produced by The Narwhal and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Shea Doyle named new president, CEO of Modern Woodmen of America Modern Woodmen has a new president and CEO. Shea Doyle was named by the board of directors of Modern Woodmen of America to be the organization's next president and chief executive officer, effective June 1, 2027. The appointment comes after a comprehensive succession-planning and executive-selection process over the past year. President and CEO Jerald J. [...]
	A chance of severe weather this evening Before we head into what is looking to be a very nice weekend in the Quad Cities, we are watching for some storms later today. The futurecast is showing these storms developing later in the afternoon and into the evening with potentially strong storms. Depending on where these storms start to develop, there is the [...]
	Aspirin vs. ibuprofen: Which should you take for a headache, fever, or muscle pain? Aspirin vs. ibuprofen: Which should you take for a headache, fever, or muscle pain?When you're standing in the pharmacy aisle faced with rows of pain relievers, the choice between aspirin and ibuprofen can feel overwhelming. Both are trusted medications that have been helping people manage pain for decades, but they work differently in your body and are better suited for different situations.Understanding the key differences between these two common over-the-counter medications can help you make informed decisions about your pain management. Whether you're dealing with a headache, muscle strain, or chronic condition, knowing when to reach for aspirin versus ibuprofen can make a real difference in your comfort and recovery. Doctronic provides this guide to help you determine which pain reliever is most appropriate for your specific symptoms and health profile.Key takeawaysAspirin works better for heart protection and blood clot prevention.Ibuprofen provides superior anti-inflammatory effects for muscle and joint pain.Children under 18 should avoid aspirin due to Reye's syndrome risk.Both medications can cause stomach irritation when used long-term.What Are Aspirin and Ibuprofen?Aspirin and ibuprofen belong to different classes of pain-relieving medications, though both work by reducing inflammation in your body. Aspirin is a salicylate that irreversibly blocks cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, preventing your body from producing prostaglandins that cause pain and inflammation. This blocking effect lasts seven to 10 days, which is why aspirin has long-lasting effects on blood clotting.Ibuprofen, on the other hand, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that temporarily blocks both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Unlike aspirin's permanent effect, ibuprofen's blocking action is reversible and wears off as your body metabolizes the medication, typically within four to six hours.Both medications reduce prostaglandin production, which decreases pain, inflammation, and fever. However, aspirin has unique antiplatelet effects that make it valuable for cardiovascular protection. This blood-thinning property is something ibuprofen lacks, making aspirin the preferred choice for heart health maintenance. Understanding these fundamental differences helps explain why doctors recommend specific medications for certain conditions.When to Choose Aspirin vs. IbuprofenThe choice between aspirin and ibuprofen often depends on your specific symptoms and health goals. Choose aspirin when you need cardiovascular protection, as low-dose aspirin therapy can reduce heart attack and stroke risk in high-risk individuals. It's also effective for headaches, particularly those that may be vascular in origin, and for general pain relief when you don't have stomach sensitivity.Select ibuprofen for acute muscle strains, sprains, and joint inflammation where you need targeted anti-inflammatory action. Ibuprofen excels at reducing swelling and is often the better choice for sports injuries, dental pain, and menstrual cramps. However, be aware of the ibuprofen interactions that could affect your treatment plan.For fever reduction in adults, both medications are effective, though ibuprofen may provide slightly better temperature control. Parents should note that children under 18 should never take aspirin due to the risk of developing aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) and Reye's syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.How These Medications Work in Your BodyThe way aspirin and ibuprofen function in your system reveals why each medication has distinct advantages. Aspirin creates permanent changes in blood platelets that last for the entire lifespan of those cells, typically seven to 10 days. This explains why doctors often recommend stopping aspirin a week before surgery to reduce bleeding risk.Ibuprofen's effects are temporary and reversible, wearing off within four to six hours as your liver processes and eliminates the drug. This shorter duration means you need to take ibuprofen more frequently than aspirin for ongoing pain management, but it also means side effects resolve more quickly if they occur.Both medications reduce fever by acting on your hypothalamus, the brain region that controls body temperature. However, ibuprofen tends to target localized inflammation more effectively than aspirin, making it particularly useful for conditions like arthritis or muscle injuries where reducing swelling is important for healing and comfort.The key difference lies in aspirin's irreversible enzyme blocking versus ibuprofen's reversible action. This fundamental distinction affects everything from dosing schedules to long-term safety considerations.Benefits and Effectiveness ComparisonWhen comparing therapeutic benefits, each medication has clear advantages in different scenarios. Aspirin's cardiovascular benefits are well-established, with studies showing it reduces heart attack risk by 20%-25% in high-risk patients. This protective effect comes from aspirin's ability to prevent blood clots that could block coronary arteries.For anti-inflammatory conditions like arthritis, ibuprofen typically provides 30% better inflammation reduction compared to aspirin. This makes ibuprofen the preferred choice for conditions where swelling contributes significantly to pain and disability. The proper ibuprofen dosage varies based on your specific condition and body weight. Doctronic Low-dose aspirin (81mg daily) provides cardiovascular protection with minimal bleeding risk for most people. In contrast, ibuprofen offers superior fever reduction and is generally more effective for dental pain and menstrual discomfort.Safety Profiles and Side EffectsUnderstanding the safety differences between aspirin and ibuprofen is essential for making informed choices about pain management. Aspirin increases bleeding risk because of its antiplatelet effects, which is why doctors recommend stopping aspirin seven to 10 days before planned surgery. This blood-thinning property can also increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, especially with long-term use.Ibuprofen can worsen kidney function, particularly in people who are dehydrated, elderly, or have pre-existing kidney disease. It can also raise blood pressure and may interfere with certain heart medications. If you experience stomach pain from taking ibuprofen, you should consult with a healthcare provider about alternative options.Both medications increase stomach ulcer risk with long-term use, as they reduce the protective mucus lining of your digestive tract. Taking either medication with food can help reduce stomach irritation. The effects of ibuprofen can range from mild stomach upset to more serious cardiovascular and kidney complications.Aspirin is absolutely contraindicated in children under 18 due to Reye's syndrome risk, a potentially fatal condition affecting the liver and brain. Pregnant women should also avoid both medications, especially in the third trimester.Frequently Asked QuestionsIs aspirin or ibuprofen better for reducing inflammation?Ibuprofen is generally more effective for reducing inflammation, providing approximately 30% better anti-inflammatory effects than aspirin. This makes ibuprofen the preferred choice for conditions like muscle strains, joint pain, and other inflammatory conditions where reducing swelling is important for healing and comfort.Can I take aspirin and ibuprofen together safely?It's generally not recommended to take aspirin and ibuprofen together, as ibuprofen can interfere with aspirin's cardioprotective effects. Additionally, combining these medications increases your risk of stomach irritation and bleeding. Always consult with a healthcare provider before combining any pain medications.Which is safer for long-term use, aspirin or ibuprofen?For cardiovascular protection, low-dose aspirin (81mg) is often considered safer for long-term use under medical supervision. However, both medications carry risks with extended use, including stomach ulcers and bleeding. Regular monitoring by a healthcare provider is essential for anyone taking either medication long-term.Should I choose aspirin or ibuprofen for heart health?Aspirin is the clear choice for heart health due to its unique antiplatelet effects that help prevent blood clots. Low-dose aspirin therapy can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in high-risk individuals. Ibuprofen lacks these cardiovascular protective properties and may actually increase heart attack risk with long-term use.How do I know if aspirin or ibuprofen is right for my condition?The best choice depends on your specific symptoms, medical history, and health goals. Consider aspirin for cardiovascular protection and headaches, and ibuprofen for muscle pain and inflammation. However, individual factors like age, other medications, and health conditions should guide your decision, ideally with input from your healthcare provider.The Bottom LineBoth aspirin and ibuprofen are effective pain relievers with distinct advantages depending on your needs. Aspirin excels at cardiovascular protection and headache relief, while ibuprofen provides superior anti-inflammatory benefits for muscle and joint pain. Your choice should consider your specific symptoms, medical history, age, and any other medications you're taking. Children should never receive aspirin, and both medications require caution with long-term use due to potential side effects. The decision between these medications isn't just about immediate pain relief but also about your overall health profile and risk factors.This story was produced by Doctronic and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Back-to-school items college students may regret not buying before move-in day Back-to-school items college students may regret not buying before move-in dayFew moments carry a rush of emotions quite like heading off to college, and move-in day often brings more pressure than the packing list suggests. For dorm life, families usually buy the visible items first, with clothes and school supplies filling carts before the daily comfort items make the list.Even with extensive preparation, sleep rarely gets the same attention as the items students can see, wear, or carry to class. And as Sleepyhead has observed around dorm living, the bed often becomes one of the first parts of the room students want to change after they spend a few nights on campus.So while the checklist may look finished on move-in day, the first week often reveals comfort issues families wish they had addressed sooner.Why Move-In Season Puts Pressure on These ChoicesThe pressure of move-in season comes down to how many choices arrive at once, and nearly all of them run against a tight clock.Millions of young adults leave home for student housing every fall, according to Statista, and each arrival means a room outfitted from scratch. But getting that room ready is already a major expense, with the National Retail Federation putting dorm furnishings at a roughly $14 billion market nationwide.Yet even after that spending begins, an earlier NRF survey found that 45% of shoppers with purchases left to make still did not know what would be needed. Still, many of those missing items only become clear once the student is using the room every day, which is why move-in choices are so hard to get right the first time.Why Dorm Shopping Is Harder Than It LooksDorm rooms are designed for efficient housing, not long-term comfort, so students have to fit daily life into less space than many expect. And campus housing guides show how limited that setup can be, with Berkeley Housing noting that many rooms include Twin XL single beds or bunk beds along with basic furniture assigned to each student.The same housing guidance also tells students they will usually live with at least one roommate, which turns every choice into a shared-space decision.So with the layout and bed size already decided, families have to prepare around parts of the room they cannot easily change. And those limits often show up first at night, when the student has to sleep on the bed assigned by the school.The Sleep Upgrade Students Wish They Had PackedEven with sleepmaxxing now part of wellness culture, more than 70% of college students say they get less than eight hours of sleep a day, according to an NIH report cited by the University of South Florida. And Lawrence Epstein of Harvard Medical School has explained what that costs, telling the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that adequate sleep is "essential to feeling awake and alert."Two weeks of six hours or less, he adds, leaves students performing about as poorly as someone awake for two straight days. A later MIT study published in npj Science of Learning gave that warning a full-semester view, with researchers finding that better and more regular sleep accounted for nearly a quarter of the variance in student grades.So with alertness and grades tied to quality sleep, the dorm bed becomes the first place to improve. Sleep Foundation notes that a super infused topper improves how a dorm bed performs without replacing the mattress underneath. And that first change does the most work on a school-issued mattress, where a better surface adds comfort while cooling foam reduces the heat that builds overnight.After the bed is handled, the room itself becomes the next problem to manage, especially when warm air or bright campus lighting keeps rest from coming easily. So adding a small fan can keep air moving through the room, while blackout curtains help protect the dark where housing rules allow them.And when a roommate keeps a different schedule, white noise from a small machine or a phone often makes the room easier to sleep in.Small Dorm Accessories That Make a Big DifferenceNever underestimate the power of small but practical dorm accessories to solve the problems that surface once a room fills up. Electricity tends to be the first one students misjudge, and campus fire officials treat it as more than a formality.Georgia Tech reports that more than 3,500 fires break out on college campuses every year, advising students to buy power strips with an over-current protector that cuts off automatically when too much current runs through. Extension cords are prohibited across its residence halls, and other schools ban them outright.But outlets are not the only thing two people end up sharing, since most rooms come with a single overhead light that one roommate has to switch on while the other is trying to sleep. So a clip-on lamp attached to the bed frame or desk solves that, giving each student light without lighting the whole room.Dorm storage runs into the same limits, with two people splitting a floor barely wide enough for the furniture already there. Certified professional organizer Mackenzie Scott told Consumer Reports that students should use all the vertical space available, starting with under-bed bins and over-the-door organizers that hold what the closet cannot.A crowded room also needs air moving through it, and the American Lung Association warns that older dorm buildings do that poorly, turning small spaces packed with students into breeding grounds for mold and other pollutants. And air quality that poor affects concentration and leaves students tired, which puts a HEPA purifier alongside everything else worth having before the semester starts.Limited Space, Better Comfort: Rethinking Dorm EssentialsIt is not uncommon for students to bring things they never use while forgetting the ones they did not know they needed. And university housing offices see both patterns every move-in season.Housing guidance from UT Austin says residence hall rooms already come with a desk, desk chair, trash can, and other basics, while also asking students to check with roommates before duplicating large items.Cornell goes further, telling incoming residents to leave extra furniture behind since space is limited and rooms already include what students need. Still, smaller comforts get skipped along the way, with laundry hampers and cozy blankets often proving more useful than another chair. But the bed draws the most regret.Stanford sleep researcher Clete Kushida told the American Academy of Sleep Medicine that sleep loss is linked to learning and memory problems, along with reduced attention, putting what a student sleeps on ahead of any furniture worth upgrading later.Conclusion: A Better Start Begins With Better PreparationPreparation is everything, especially during a transition as big as moving into a college dorm. And good preparation starts by narrowing the list to items that match how the room will be used every day.Asha Dornfest, author of Parent Hacks, estimates parents can safely skip about 70% of typical dorm-list items, leaving more room for purchases that support sleep and schoolwork. Parents can help by checking school rules and confirming the bed size first. And roommate coordination should follow before any large item is bought.After those basics are settled, the items most likely to be used every day deserve priority, especially the ones tied to a comfortable sleep environment. A mattress topper can be one of the most practical upgrades, giving students a more comfortable sleep surface without requiring them to replace the school-issued mattress. The goal is to send students into the first week with fewer unused purchases and more of what they will actually rely on each night.This story was produced by Sleepyhead and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Survey: Credit isn't a backup plan. For millions of Americans, it's how they buy groceries. Survey: Credit isn't a backup plan. For millions of Americans, it's how they buy groceries.Sixty-six percent of Americans carrying at least $10,000 in unsecured debt used a credit card to buy groceries in the last year, more than any other essential expense, according to a new survey. Credit cards were once reserved for expensive purchases or for added security in buying online. For households managing debt, they have become a way to cover everyday purchases like groceries.Accredited Debt Relief, a company specializing in debt relief, commissioned Atomik Research in May 2026 to survey 2,000 U.S. adults with at least $10,000 in unsecured debt. Along with groceries, 47% say they've used credit for gas or transportation, 45% for utilities and 33% for rent or housing costs. Accredited Debt Relief For people struggling with cost-of-living pressures, using unsecured debt can begin as a quick solution to cover household needs for the moment. At first, it's just milk and eggs. But then an unexpected expense happens: a flat tire, an unusually high electricity bill, a medical cost that was not in the budget. The balance adds up and, according to the survey data, this also creates stress for consumers. Accredited Debt Relief This isn't discretionary spending. The data reflects a growing reliance on consumer debt to cover basic cost-of-living needs. However, relying on borrowed money without an executable plan for repaying it could mean that one day, the runway for taking care of such expenses runs out.A significant share of respondents report relying on credit as a routine part of managing their personal finances. This routine could become a long-term debt cycle for many households. Nearly three in ten say that they rely on credit or borrowing to get through a typical month. This reliance appears to be growing, with a third saying they depend on credit more than they did a year ago. For those consumers, what may have once been a stopgap has become an increasingly common and ongoing financial strategy.The growing debt cycle by unsecured borrowing is taking an emotional toll on these consumers, too. A quarter of respondents are concerned about their financial future and 12% feel a stronger concern that they're at risk of long-term financial instability.A lack of savings makes the cycle harder to break. Only 28% of respondents say they can both cover expenses and save. When there is little room between income and expenses, every disruption becomes harder to absorb.Unexpected expenses, such as medical bills or car repairs, lead 19% of respondents to take on additional debt every time, and 27% most of the time. These are the kinds of costs households are often told to prepare for, but preparation requires room. For many consumers, that room does not exist.Debt builds over time when credit becomes part of monthly operations. Some of these consumers say they don't earn enough to make meaningful changes to their current financial situation. Among those surveyed, 45% report that their income is enough to get by but not get ahead. Many report that their financial situation has caused them to put off taking a vacation or begin building savings. Accredited Debt Relief When asked about the biggest barrier to reducing debt, 29% of respondents listed the same obstacle: the cost of everyday expenses. That number connects how debt builds with why it persists.When everyday expenses become part of ongoing credit card debt, the balance can grow without notice. Even when a consumer gets their next paycheck, if it's already accounted for, they may not be able to make much progress in paying down their debts. A few recurring costs, spread across months, can become a greater financial weight. The result is debt that builds, because it's tied to the basic cost of living. It also can create a stressful way to live; more than three in ten people say their current debt situation has affected their mental well-being.Without meaningful changes, whether through increased income, debt relief or other financial support, these households may continue to rely on consumer debt and unsecured credit as a daily necessity rather than a strategic financial tool or occasional supplement. The risk is that life's most basic needs become harder to maintain in the long run.MethodologyAccredited Debt Relief commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,000 U.S. adults with at least $10,000 in unsecured debt. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Fieldwork was conducted between May 11-14, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.This story was produced by Accredited Debt Relief and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Dual-income households: Could you afford your mortgage on a single salary? Dual-income households: Could you afford your mortgage on a single salary?A change in circumstances—a divorce, the death of a spouse, a job loss, a growing family—can turn a two-income household into a one-income household overnight. For homeowners, that shift raises a difficult question: Can the house be maintained on a single paycheck? The answer depends on far more than the monthly mortgage payment, Hometap reports.Housing affordability is often measured against the mortgage alone, but that figure captures only part of what a home costs to own. Property taxes, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and unplanned repairs together can add hundreds or thousands of dollars to monthly obligations—expenses that may be manageable across two incomes but strain a single one.Evaluating the full cost of ownershipIndustry guidance commonly suggests homeowners budget between 1% and 4% of a home's value each year for maintenance and repairs alone. For a $400,000 home, that translates to roughly $4,000 to $16,000 annually, or about $333 to $1,333 per month, on top of principal and interest.Beyond maintenance, recurring costs include:Property taxes, which vary widely by jurisdiction and tend to rise over time. Homeowners insurance, which costs an average of $2,490 a year, or about $208 a month, though like property taxes, can vary widely by state.HOA fees. If your home is part of a homeowners association, these mandatory monthly or annual fees can range from under $100 to over $500 per month.Utilities—Electricity, gas, water, sewer, trash, and internet services can easily total $300-600 per month or more, depending on your home's size and location.Evaluating affordability on one incomeA standard benchmark holds that housing costs should stay below roughly 28% of gross monthly income—the front-end ratio widely used in mortgage lending.Financial planners often suggest single-income households aim below that threshold to build in margin.A realistic assessment also accounts for other obligations—car payments, student loans, credit card balances, and healthcare—and whether enough income remains afterward for savings. A frequently cited emergency-savings target is three to six months of expenses.Future variables matter too: whether income is likely to rise or fall, and whether major repairs are foreseeable. And while a home carries emotional weight that numbers can't capture, planners generally advise that the decision to keep it still rests on whether the math works.Building a single-income budgetHouseholds committed to staying put typically start by establishing baseline housing costs, then tracking every expense for at least a month to capture full spending patterns. Expenses can then be sorted into essential categories—housing, food, transportation, healthcare, insurance—and discretionary ones such as dining out and subscriptions.Common cost-reduction strategies include refinancing to lower a monthly payment, eliminating unused subscriptions, and improving energy efficiency. Even modest, consistent contributions to an emergency fund can cushion against unexpected repairs.When a home isn't sustainableSometimes the analysis shows that keeping the home on one income isn't feasible. Financial counselors generally recommend confronting that conclusion early rather than risking missed payments or foreclosure. Options include:Refinancing, which can lower monthly payments if rates have fallen, though extending the loan term can increase total interest paid.Taking in a roommate to offset costs, subject to mortgage terms and local regulations.Accessing home equity. Homeowners with substantial equity may be able to tap it through various financing products, some of which provide funds without adding a monthly payment.Downsizing to a smaller, more affordable property, which can provide long-term financial relief.The right path depends on individual circumstances, goals, and priorities.This story was produced by Hometap and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Scattered storms may move through the Quad-Cities Friday The National Weather Service said scattered storms may form in the Quad-Cities area Friday from 2-8 p.m.
	Ocean freight market enters holding pattern ahead of September Ocean freight market enters holding pattern ahead of SeptemberSo far, mid-August has demonstrated that Washington is continuing to solidify a centralized trade architecture by extending national security protections to high-tech sectors, issuing a Presidential Proclamation under Section 232 imposing 15% to 100% tariffs on foreign drones and components.Simultaneously, a landmark federal decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade upheld the administration's suspension of the $800 de minimis exemption, permanently altering cross-border ecommerce by subjecting low-value parcels to formal customs entries.As macro-economic data revealed that the U.S. weighted-average statutory tariff rate settled at 11.0%, North American trade faced heightened friction, prompting Canadian and U.S. officials to hold emergency weekend negotiations in Washington to head off a pending 50% Section 338 tariff deadline on Canadian goods.Below, Freight Right examines the implications of these recent events for ocean, air and freight markets going into September.This Week’s Ocean, Air and Freight MarketsChina-U.S. Ocean Freight Market:CEA to USWC: Market rates are hovering around $7,000 to $7,500 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU). However, promotional rates are available, bringing actual usable market levels down to roughly $5,700-$6,300 per container. Overall, rates for the West Coast remain stable to slightly softer due to these discounted options.CEA to USEC: Market rates sit firmly between $9,800 and $11,000 per FEU. Unlike the West Coast, virtually no promotional or discounted rates are accessible for East Coast, Gulf Coast, or inland destinations, forcing shippers to book at near-full market price.Freight Right’s Lowest Rate indicators show that importers can find the latest spot ocean rates as low as $5,200 from China to the U.S. West Coast and $6,850 from China to the U.S. East Coast. Talk to your freight forwarder about options available to you. Freight Right Freight Right Freight Right What Happened This Past WeekCarrier Capacity Management: Ocean carriers are aggressively managing capacity by pulling approximately 20% of capacity from the market through blank sailings. This strict supply control prevents spot rates from dropping significantly.Bundled Volume Promotional Rates: Discounted West Coast rates ($5,700-$6,000) come with carrier contingencies. Shippers must commit to volume bundles (e.g., 1:1 or 2:1 ratios), where booking multiple containers at full market rates unlocks a single discounted slot, driving down the average per-unit cost.Tariff Absorption and Market Fatigue: The recent 2.5% tariff increase introduced three weeks ago has caused minimal demand disruption. Shippers have largely absorbed the minor cost differential, leading to a stabilization period rather than panic-booking or severe pullbacks.Early Peak Season Elongation: Ocean carriers are intentionally maintaining high rate floors to stretch out profitability during an early peak season that began in June and is expected to run through October.Looking AheadThe market is currently in a brief late-August lull, but rate floors are expected to remain solid. Carrier capacity cuts should successfully prevent a major rate collapse, ensuring spot rates stay near elevated levels through the end of the month.Heading into September, minor downward adjustments of a few hundred dollars may occur if overall volumes drop slightly, but no drastic rate cuts are anticipated. Carriers will continue using blank sailings as a lever to preserve high rate baselines.China-U.S. Air Freight Market:CEA to USWC: Rates eased toward the end of last week after a short-lived increase early in the week. Typhoon Dolphin disrupted flight schedules and temporarily tightened available capacity, pushing rates higher as cargo backlogs accumulated. Once schedules normalized and the backlog cleared, softer underlying demand allowed pricing to retreat.Current week quotes into LAX and SFO generally sit around $5.00-$6.30/kg for standard-density cargo, depending on origin, carrier, routing, and shipment configuration.CEA to USEC: Rates followed a similar pattern. Temporary capacity disruption from Typhoon Dolphin created upward pressure early last week, but rates softened later as delayed cargo moved through the network and demand moderated.Pricing in JFK is generally around $6.25-$7.65/kg for standard-density cargo, with carrier and routing choices accounting for much of the spread. Overall, the market has moved back toward more stable conditions following last week's weather-driven volatility.What Happened This Past WeekTyphoon created temporary capacity pressure: Flight schedule disruptions at the beginning of last week reduced available uplift and caused cargo to accumulate, briefly pushing air freight rates higher.The increase was operational rather than demand-driven: Last week's rate spike appears to have been primarily caused by temporary flight disruptions rather than a fundamental increase in cargo volumes. That distinction is important because rates normalized quickly once capacity returned.Carrier capacity is currently better aligned with demand: With flight schedules stabilizing and no significant backlog remaining, available capacity appears sufficient for current shipment volumes, limiting the likelihood of another immediate rate increase.Looking AheadAir freight rates from China to the U.S. are expected to remain relatively stable this week as the market has absorbed the disruption caused by Typhoon Dolphin, and backlogs have been cleared. Softer demand should limit carriers’ ability to push through meaningful rate increases, keeping both West and East Coast pricing within a narrow range. Barring new weather events or capacity disruptions, any upward pressure would need to come from sustained demand growth rather than short-term operational issues.This story was produced by Freight Right and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	More evidence soon to be published of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's polygamy More evidence soon to be published of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith's polygamyUntil the late 20th century, most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not realize that founder Joseph Smith had practiced polygamy himself.After all, the Utah-based faith had kept pretty quiet about Smith’s involvement in the controversial practice — despite debating with its Missouri cousins in the then-Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ), who argued for Smith’s monogamy.But as critics and outside historians began to publish more and more information about Smith’s reportedly 30-plus wives, the Utah church acknowledged in an official essay that “Joseph Smith married multiple wives,” the youngest of whom was 14.Historians — inside the Community of Christ and the larger Utah church — believed the case was settled.Or so it seemed.Now there is a new generation of so-called polygamy deniers, many of them Latter-day Saints, claiming there is “no evidence” — or at least scant documentation — of Smith’s marriages to multiple women beyond wife Emma Hale Smith.The Salt Lake Tribune spoke with LDS experts and historians about the evidence supporting the belief that church founder Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Though they base it on their reading of history, their reasons may be more modern.“For these followers, polygamy denialism justifies suspicion of the LDS Church as an organization,” Latter-day Saint historian Matthew Bowman wrote in a Salt Lake Tribune guest column about this movement, “...an impulse quite powerful in American culture right now — a generalized suspicion of institutions.”These days, the polygamy controversy is centered on one particular person: William Clayton and the diaries he kept as a secretary and scribe to Joseph Smith during pivotal years in Nauvoo, Illinois, before the Mormon prophet was killed.And, though the most controversial passages have been public for decades, a copy of Clayton’s record was surreptitiously obtained and circulated widely — ahead of the church’s own annotated publication of the full diaries due out next year from Yale University Press. Church History Library The faithful scribeAs Smith’s confidant and clerk, Clayton, a professional record keeper, had an insider’s view and left behind what many believe to be an unparalleled description of life in Nauvoo.He also recorded sensitive details of Smith’s plural marriages, including tensions with Emma, and Clayton’s own experience marrying plural wives.Of particular note is Clayton’s account from July 12, 1843, of Smith dictating what became Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, Latter-day Saint scripture that outlines the theological justifications for “plural marriage,” as it was known, among biblical figures and the need for it to be restored. The scribe also recorded accounts of Smith marrying women even before that episode.“It seems clear that Joseph Smith has had these concepts in his mind before this date,” Matthew Grow, managing director of the Church History Department, said in a forthcoming “Mormon Land” podcast. “There’s clear evidence that Joseph Smith and others have begun to practice plural marriage before it’s written down on paper.”Smith first introduced the practice of plural marriage to a small coterie of colleagues, Grow said, and kept it largely secret from the majority of members.“Everyone [at the time] wanted this to be kept from public view,” Grow said. “It was born in a moment of great concern that if this practice were revealed, that it would lead to opposition, lead to persecution against the church.”Clayton doesn’t record anything specific about whether these marriages included physical intimacy, Matthew McBride, director of publications for the Church History Department, said in the same podcast, but later statements by some of the wives “used 19th-century euphemisms” to describe their involvement with Smith.The church leader’s public statements often contradicted what was happening behind closed doors, Grow said, “and so people are just kind of wondering: OK, does it make more sense that Joseph Smith was trying to protect himself, his family, his followers from the potential fallout and consequences of this becoming public, or is there some conspiracy involved in the creation of all of these other records?”Some have opted to believe the latter.Creating a narrativeIn a Journal of Mormon Polygamy article, “Crafting a Sacred Story: Joseph F. Smith and the William Clayton Affidavits,” Cheryl Bruno and Michelle Stone argue Clayton’s diary entries and an 1871 letter to an inquiring observer “lacked the cohesiveness needed to serve as a robust defense of [Joseph’s] polygamy.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints They write that apostle Joseph F. Smith, the church founder’s nephew and eventual church president, pictured above, “recognized the potential within these fragments, seizing upon them to craft a narrative that would fulfill the institutional needs of the church.” The Salt Lake Tribune Some skeptics have suggested that crucial evidence of Joseph Smith’s polygamy was the result of dishonest church leaders, including Brigham Young, pictured above.”The messiness and opaqueness of the Clayton documents, however, do not mean they “were liars,” said historian Todd Compton, who wrote two seminal works on Smith’s polygamy: “In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith,” and a companion volume about the supporting documents.“The Clayton journals are great,” Compton told The Tribune. “You are naive if you want evidence to be absolutely perfect.”The historian built his conclusions about Smith and the women not only from Clayton’s contemporaneous chronicle and the women’s affidavits in the 1860s but also from memoirs of those who wrote about their relations with Smith.“Retrospective evidence can be more emotional and human, but together with the sworn statements,” he said, “they built a strong case for Joseph’s polygamy.”Going publicIn the late 1970s, the church gave several historians unlimited access to Clayton’s journals, with the understanding that they would not share them. And they didn’t.But others inadvertently found the transcripts the historians had made, and then anti-Mormon writers published the most scandalous parts, especially about Smith and the wives besides Emma.Yes, the historical evidence for Smith’s polygamy may have settled the historical debate with the Community of Christ, but it was also deeply unsettling to Latter-day Saints.The church kept a lid on the Clayton diaries partly because of the discomfort about the faith’s former practice of polygamy in general, said Grow. “Plural marriage is just a really challenging topic, and we can’t pretend otherwise. It can be very emotional … and very difficult for people to to think about, to imagine, to confront.”That could help explain why this backlash against the historical record has arisen.The deniers sit “at the intersection of three trends in the 20th century church, historian Matthew Bowman said in an interview. They are:“A firm defense of monogamy, including in the last 30 years a romanticized version of Joseph and Emma’s relationship in books and movies.“An emphasis on the charisma and authority of ‘the prophet,’ and in particular Joseph Smith.“The institutional discomfort and obscuring of the evidence for polygamy, and especially Joseph Smith’s.”Thus, “the denials find it difficult to square a prophet as charismatic and authoritative as they believe Joseph Smith to be with a practice they find repellant,” Bowman said, “and the church’s uneven history with being forthright about the sources has opened the door to suspicion and conspiracy belief.”Today’s Latter-day Saints “have grown up in a monogamous world,” said Grow, “so it’s hard to to think about our spiritual ancestors, who confronted a very different time.”Grow and McBride hope readers will soon have a chance with the forthcoming publication to discover Clayton’s richer, multilayered story about early Mormonism — including day-to-day life in Nauvoo and efforts to finish the temple before abandoning it for the trek West — not just its pages about secret polygamy.This story was produced by The Salt Lake Tribune and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
	Quad Cities community reacts to Trudy Appleby's disappearance 30 years later Trudy Appleby disappeared from her Moline home in 1996. Police have a suspect in custody, and the case will appear in court for a pretrial conference on Oct. 20.
	‘The End of Oak Street’ is full of Spielbergian charm but is far from dino-mite The End of Oak Street is an admirable attempt to revive the dinosaur blockbuster outside the confines of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise. However, an underdeveloped plot and a painfully wooden performance from Ewan McGregor prevent the movie from fully capturing that old Spielbergian magic.
	Resignations, hirings, athletic assignments, and other Moline School District personnel news from Aug. 10 See the personnel items from the Aug. 10 agenda of the Moline-Coal Valley School District. The board met at the Moline Education Center.
	North Scott School District resignations, hirings and other personnel news for Aug. 21 The following personnel items are from the Aug. 17 agenda of the North Scott School District. The school board met at Junior High.
	Top Iran official says US focus on economic warfare shows it has failed militarily The Iranian regime has dismissed President Trump's threats to crush the country economically, saying that years of U.S. sanctions have failed.
	Family This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Before you bemoan once more the decline of the American family from those good old days pictured in The Reader's…
	What to know about this weekend's IndyCar race on the National Mall Why is the car race in this part of D.C.? Will it be streaming? Who's paying for it? Here's what to know before the Freedom 250 Grand Prix hits the National Mall this weekend.
	Federal government thins the herds of wild horses in Colorado U.S. officials say the ever-growing population of wild horses that roam federal lands in Colorado is depleting natural resources. But some activists say efforts to remove the horses are inhumane.
	Charter plane crash kills 8 near remote radar site in western Alaska, military says A charter aircraft carrying eight people crashed at a remote radar site in western Alaska on Thursday, killing all on board, the U.S. military said.
	'Survival mode': Indiana residents endure a ninth day without power Tens of thousands of people in Indiana are entering a second week without power after a deadly storm toppled trees and power lines. Schools remain closed and businesses have been unable to reopen.
	Federal agents seize devices from ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell in sexual misconduct probe, AP source says Federal agents seized electronic devices from former Rep. Eric Swalwell and searched his Washington home as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the ex-Democratic congressman from California.
	Jurors hear 'Keffe D' say his nephew fired fatal shots at Tupac Shakur in 1996 drive-by shooting Jurors on Thursday heard Duane "Keffe D" Davis tell detectives in 2008 that his nephew Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson fired the shots that killed Tupac Shakur.
Thursday, August 20th, 2026
	Toys for Tots’ Operation Turn the Page Unlocks Futures Through Books (NewsUSA) - Across the Nation, millions of children are preparing to head back to school—filled with excitement, opportunity, and promise. But for far too many children, the year begins with a challenge: limited access to the books and educational resources that are essential to academic success.That is the reality the Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program is working to change through Operation Turn the Page—a nationwide back-to-school initiative built on a simple but powerful belief: Give a Book, Unlock a Future. The Toys for Tots Literacy Program has provided more than 63 million books and educational resources to underserved children since 2008, helping children strengthen literacy skills, stay engaged in learning, and discover the joy of reading.Yet, the need to support literacy initiatives remains significant across the Nation, where low-income communities may have a single age-appropriate book available for every 300 children. Without access to books, many students struggle to develop the literacy skills needed for academic success, and summer learning loss can make the transition back to school even more difficult. That’s why Operation Turn the Page focuses on helping children in need stay connected to learning throughout the summer and return to the classroom ready to thrive.“A single book may seem like a small gift, but for a child impacted by summer learning loss, it can open the door to possibilities they never knew existed,” says Lieutenant General Jim Laster, U.S. Marines (Retired), President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “When children living in low-income communities have access to books throughout the summer, they return to school more confident, engaged, and prepared to learn. When you give a book, you unlock a future.”Operation Turn the Page’s impact begins long before the first school bell rings and is measured not only in books distributed, but in the moments that books create. Disadvantaged children across the country receive the resources they need to keep reading, learning, and growing as they prepare for a successful return to the classroom long before the first school bell rings.“For many of our students, receiving these books means more than just reading—it’s the beginning of their first home library and a lifelong love of learning,” said a Freedom Trail Elementary teacher after a book distribution event.At United Elementary, more than 400 books found their new homes with students, creating excitement that extended beyond the classroom. “With over 400 new books in the hands of our students, we’re seeing excitement, pride, and a growing love of reading both in school and at home,” staff shared.At Entheos Academy, “One student’s face lit up with pure wonder when she found a book about baseball—proof that the right book can spark a lifelong love of reading,” a teacher exclaimed.These stories illustrate Operation Turn the Page’s mission: ensuring access to books for disadvantaged children over the summer so they can enter the classroom with confidence and a stronger foundation for success.As children prepare to return to school, supporters have the power to help write the next chapter of their success story. A single book can inspire a love of reading, strengthen literacy skills, and help a child start the school year ready to learn. By supporting Operation Turn the Page, donors are doing more than giving a book—they are helping disadvantaged children turn the page on summer learning loss and toward academic success and a brighter future.Because when supporters Give a Book, they Unlock a Future.To learn more or donate, visit: https://www.toysfortots.org/programs/
	Rock Island deputy fire chief retires: 'I go with a deep sense of pride' Rock Island's deputy fire chief called it a career on Thursday. Greg Marty retired exactly 25 years after he joined the fire department. His coworkers celebrated his 25 years of service with him. Marty worked as a paramedic, then moved up the ranks as a lieutenant, a captain, fire marshal and deputy chief. He became [...]
	Whiteside County's judicial system could be bogged down with old cases Whiteside County's judicial system could wind up being bogged down with old cases after a verdict in a felony trial this week. It took months for the case to make it to court. A jury acquitted Michael Cover of aggravated battery against a peace officer, but guilty of a lesser charge for obstructing a peace [...]
	New Windsor Rodeo kicks off with annual parade Kids also got to enjoy some mutton busting, which is basically bull riding with sheep.
	Oscar Mayer Wienermobile stops in Schwiebert Park If you'd like to "catch up" with the wienermobile, tune into GMQC on Friday, when our morning team will be chatting with the crew.
	Portion of Moline's Avenue of the Cities has speed limit lowered The speed limit has been lowered to 30 mph along the Avenue in Moline from 41st Street to the East Moline border.
	Rock Island housing summit continues conversation about homelessness A housing summit in Rock Island continued a conversation about homelessness across the Quad Cities. Dwight Ford, the CEO of Project NOW, spoke with three different panels about local and state-wide housing. Dozens of people attended the session. Michael Glanz, with The ARC of the Quad Cities, previewed a housing development that's taking an innovative [...]
	Clinton looks to other communities to determine data-center regulation Clinton City Council members are looking to other communities as they consider how to regulate data centers. Two council members traveled to New Albany, Ohio, this week to learn about data center impacts. They discussed water use, noise, lighting, infrastructure and long-term oversight. The visit comes as Clinton debates new data-center regulations. The city plans [...]
	Sheriff's office removing Flock cameras in Henry County, Illinois: The privacy concerns from the community Experts say automated license plate readers collect data that can be misused by bad actors.
	U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche talks meatpacking industry concerns at Iowa State Fair US Attorney General Todd Blanche said Iowa farmers and ranchers need to be protected from large companies controlling the meatpacking industry, but he did not call for the government to force those companies to break up.
	Davenport Schools Foundation distributes free school supplies collected from KWQC drive Davenport Schools Foundation handed out donated school supplies to help local students walk into their classrooms prepared and ready to learn. The supplies were collected during a KWQC donation drive.
	U.S. Attorney General Blanche: Trump administration not giving up pursuit of voter information U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche toured the Iowa State Fair Thursday and later told reporters that the Trump administration plans to continue its pursuit of voter information from states.
	Employee describes escape as Mattoon building collapses An employee of a smoke shop that collapsed in Mattoon Thursday said she is grateful she was able to get out in time and avoid injury.
	Squirrel hunting season opens in Illinois with about 30,000 hunters The season runs through Feb. 15, with hunters expected to bag around 300,000 squirrels. Still, the number of squirrel hunters in the state has fallen dramatically.
	Whiteside Co. jury acquits man of felony battery after court fixes flawed selection system Whiteside County jurors acquitted a man of felony battery in the first trial since officials fixed decades of illegal jury selection practices.
	Expert prosecutor: State doesn’t need body to convict in Trudy Appleby murder case A jury may never see Trudy Appleby’s body — but a national homicide expert said that’s not the biggest hurdle prosecutors face in her case.
	Trudy Appleby case: How a 30-year Quad Cities mystery led to a murder indictment She was only 11 years old when she climbed into an older gray car and vanished into thin air.
	Davenport Junior Theatre prepares for milestone 75th season This year, the second oldest children's theatre program in the country has a new managing artistic director at the helm. Here's what she's most excited about.
	Records requester sues Davenport over redacted city administrator resume Davenport redacted most of its city administrator's three-page resume in response to a records request despite it being already publicly available in a September 2025 city council agenda.
	Man accused of killing Trudy Appleby gives second interview, prosecutors seek contempt ruling Fisher denies claims from witnesses expected to testify at trial.
	Ascentra, Grow Clinton, work to offer services to former Tyson employees While 2,500 former employees at the Tyson Foods Plant in Joslin, Illinois try to figure out what's next, local organizations in the Quad Cities Area are stepping in to help out. With a large number of workers seeking out new job opportunities, it could take a little extra time for them to find their next [...]
	Getting to Know Ryan Wille: Quad City Botanical Center's Executive Director Chief Meteorologist Andy McCray talks with familiar faces around the Quad Cities in the Getting to Know Podcast. Learn more about important people around our area and have a good time doing it. Each week will feature a new guest from restaurant owners, to area leaders, to Our Quad Cities News Staff. In this episode [...]
	You can help Musco Sports Center earn Iowa community award The City of Muscatine has announced that the Musco Sports Center has advanced to the quarterfinals of the People’s All-Star Community Award competition, part of the Iowa League of Cities All-Star Community Awards program. Sixteen statewide finalists were selected, with eight moving on to the Elite 8 round. The People’s Award recognizes innovative local government [...]
	Illinois squirrel hunting season underway The season started on Aug. 1 and runs all the way through Feb. 15, with a pause for deer firearm season.
	Lee County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office investigating Flock camera vandalism Officials with the sheriff's office said three cameras have been cut down in the last three weeks.
	Trudy Appleby’s uncle turns grief into search and rescue work Eddleman now helps other families get the closure he is still hoping for.
	Longtime KWQC anchor recalls covering Trudy Appleby disappearance, suspect’s arrest The disappearance of 11-year-old Trudy Appleby 30 years ago has been one of the biggest stories the Quad Cities Area has ever seen.
	Carlinville, Illinois nominated for Hallmark's 'Merriest Christmas Town' contest Voting in the contest is open until Sept. 4. The winner gets to be the location of a future Hallmark movie!
	Summit: Partnership is key to addressing QC affordable housing crisis Solving the affordable housing crisis nationally and locally is complex, but participants in the third-annual Housing Summit on Thursday, Aug. 20 agreed it must be addressed by working together.
	Davenport Junior Theatre prepares to kick off historic 75th season The Davenport Junior Theatre is the second-oldest children's theatre in the entire country.
	St. Ambrose students help with painting crosswalks on the Hilltop On 14th Street and Main Street, Hilltop Campus Village is adding some color to the crosswalks, with pedestrian safety in mind.
	3 Flock cameras damaged in Lee County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office investigating Over the last three weeks, officials said, people cut the poles of these Flock readers in the area of I-39 in eastern Lee County, causing hundreds of dollars in damage.
	Gather for the Cure set for Oct. 18 at Scott County Park Gather for the Cure returns Oct. 18 at Scott County Park, offering a one‑mile community walk, survivor stories, education and fundraising to support the MercyOne Genesis Voucher Program, which helps provide essential breast imaging and free mammograms for those facing financial barriers.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted by Iowa Department of Corrections for probation violations Shane J. Montgomery is wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections, 7th District, High Risk Unit for probation violations and absconding supervision.
	Crime Stoppers: Man wanted in connection to January assault Davenport Police are asking for help identifying a man suspected in a felony assault.
	Crime Stoppers: Bettendorf Police want man on drug, assault charges Bloch is 28 years old, 5-foot-10, 158 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
	Lee County, Illinois, Sheriff's Office investigating vandalism of Flock cameras Officials with the sheriff's office said three cameras have been cut down in the last three weeks.
	Considering Ketamine Therapy? What You Need to Know to Stay Safe (BPT) - For people living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions, ketamine therapy may offer an option when other therapies haven't worked. But if you are considering ketamine, either at a clinic or through a prescription obtained via telehealth, it's important to understand how your treatment is provided and what safeguards are in place to keep you safe.The $5 billion ketamine therapy market is projected to nearly triple over the next decade, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is calling for stronger patient protections amid concerns that safety standards and oversight are not keeping pace. ASA urges patients to ask how the drug will be prescribed, who will oversee their care, and what safety and monitoring protocols will be in place.Ketamine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an anesthetic, but its use for mental health conditions is off-label. A related drug, esketamine, is FDA-approved for certain forms of depression and must be administered in a certified healthcare setting.Because ketamine can affect breathing, heart rate and blood pressure and carries a risk of misuse, it should only be prescribed as part of a comprehensive treatment plan with medical supervision. Last year, a 41-year-old New York woman seeking relief from depression died after being prescribed at-home ketamine through a telehealth company — even though she had reported taking Xanax, a combination the FDA warns can dangerously suppress breathing."For decades, anesthesiologists have safely administered ketamine in hospitals and other medical settings where patients are carefully monitored, and we have grave concerns about home delivery and unsupervised use of ketamine," said ASA President Patrick Giam, M.D., FASA. "You can move very quickly from feeling relaxed to becoming deeply sedated, and without proper monitoring and supervision, that can become dangerous."What safe ketamine care requiresKetamine can cause serious side effects requiring prompt medical intervention. That is why it matters where treatment is provided and whether qualified medical professionals are available if something goes wrong. For ketamine given by IV or injection, ASA guidance recommends that treatment should only be provided in a monitored medical setting under the supervision of a physician who is immediately available, familiar with ketamine's effects and prepared to respond to complications. Appropriate monitoring and emergency equipment should also be readily available.However, some patients receive prescriptions after virtual visits and take ketamine at home, typically as a tablet or lozenge that dissolves under the tongue, without a trained healthcare professional to monitor their breathing, heart rate or level of consciousness."You can go from a short online screening to receiving a powerful anesthetic at home," said Dr. Giam. "If something goes wrong, there may be no one there trained to respond. In the hospital, we have strict protocols to account for every milligram of ketamine administered, yet ketamine used at home is subject to far less scrutiny. Patients need appropriate safeguards wherever they receive treatment."Lawmakers and policymakers in some states, including Texas, are considering stricter regulations, and federal officials have stepped up scrutiny of online ketamine providers and unapproved ketamine products.What to ask before treatmentBefore starting therapy, your healthcare professional should review your medical history, medications and overall health to determine whether ketamine is appropriate for you. Follow-up appointments are also important to monitor your response, adjust care if needed and identify side effects or complications.If you're considering ketamine therapy, ask questions before treatment begins so you can make a safer, more informed decision:Who will evaluate whether ketamine is appropriate for me?Will I have an in-person medical evaluation before treatment begins?Who will oversee and monitor me during treatment?What safety measures and emergency procedures are in place if I have a serious reaction?How could ketamine interact with my current medications or medical conditions?How often will I have follow-up appointments, and who should I contact if I experience problems after treatment?Be sure to tell your healthcare professional about all prescription and over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, alcohol, cannabis and other substances you use. Some combinations can increase the risk of dangerous side effects or make ketamine unsafe.For more information about ketamine, visit https://madeforthismoment.asahq.org/pain-management/ketamine/.
	The Cultural Trust moves to a new home in downtown Rock Island The Cultural Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a vibrant quality of life throughout the Quad Cities region.
	Lee County Sheriff's Office investigating Flock camera damage The Lee County Sheriff's Office is investigating three damaged Flock License Plate Readers (LPRs) near I-39 in eastern Lee County, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. Over the last three weeks, individuals have cut the poles containing these LPRs and repairing and replacing the cameras will cost hundreds of dollars. “While the [...]
	NeuroStar Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for treatment of depression It works by stimulating the area of the brain that impacts mood
	Pay It Forward: Meet the secret hero making sure Frances Willard students have what they need The school counselor keeps supplies and hygiene items in her office for students. Meet the woman who has been silently helping the mission for the past two years.
	Davenport sued over redacted city administrator resume A local doctor is suing the City of Davenport over city administrator Tim Gleason’s resume. Michael Meloy, attorney for Dr. Allan Diercks, said the resume was heavily redacted, keeping important details from the public. He says the redactions made the resume unreadable. The lawsuit filing noted that Gleason did not request his resume be kept [...]

Friday, August 21st, 2026

Thursday, August 20th, 2026