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

Saturday, May 30th, 2026
	River cruise ships to make 13 stops in Muscatine in 2026 The ships American Melody and American Serenade will dock at the Muscatine Riverfront from June through October, according to a news release.
	Iowa law adds penalties for truck drivers who fail English proficiency checks More than 600 commercial truck drivers have been pulled off Iowa’s roadways for failing English proficiency checks, according to the CEO of the Iowa Motor Truck Association.
	Quad Cities area summer reading programs As the school year winds down, area libraries are gearing up for summer reading programs.
	Davenport Schools offer summer food service program Students who rely on school meals can get help though Davenport Community Schools' Summer Food Service Program. The program starts June 8, providing healthy meal options for anyone one to 18 years old at no cost or income restrictions. Meals will be offered at locations throughout Davenport, including schools building sites and community partner sites. [...]
	Water main break affects Moline traffic It's an Our Quad Cities News traffic alert. Traffic in Moline has been impacted by a water main break. According to a release from the City of Moline: Drivers are urged to avoid the area while repairs are underway.
	Sacred Heart Church, Moline, plans parish reunion The annual Sacred Heart Moline parish reunion, 1400 16th Ave,. Moline, will be noon until 3 p.m. Sunday, June 28, according to a news release. This year, the reunion will kick off the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, Among the features will be an 11 a.m. Mass outdoors on [...]
	'Big Boy 4014' steam locomotive will be in Sterling for visitors to see The City of Sterling has announced the return of the “Big Boy 4014” steam locomotive, a news release says. About 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, Big Boy 4014 will stop in Sterling at the Avenue B railroad crossing. This area is adjacent to the Sterling Farmers Market. The locomotive and train will stop for about [...]
	MercyOne reminds patients about Davenport bridge closure The City of Davenport and MercyOne Genesis remind patients to plan ahead for a bridge closure that changes access to the hospital and nearby medical facilities on the MercyOne Genesis Davenport campus. The Eastern Avenue bridge over Duck Creek between 29th and 31st streets is closed for several months for reconstruction. While detours are posted, [...]
	ImpactLife blood drive to benefit 9-year-old Rock Island boy who passed away from cancer To honor the legacy of a Rock Island boy, a blood drive is taking place Saturday morning.
	Crews working to repair break to major water main in Moline Officials are asking people to avoid the area.
	American Cruise Lines ships will stop in Muscatine The City of Muscatine is pleased to share that the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GMCCI) has announced a significant expansion of river cruise activity on the Mississippi Riverfront. American Cruise Lines (ACL) — a national leader in small‑ship cruising — will port in Muscatine 13 times throughout 2026, bringing hundreds of visitors [...]
	Pride celebrations struggle as corporate sponsorships dry up Public support for the LGBTQ+ community by corporations has become politically risky, public relations expert says.
	Officials identify cyclist seriously injured in pickup truck crash A cyclist, identified as Jeffrey Castro, was seriously injured in a crash with a pickup truck Thursday evening.
	Bettendorf announces summer of dance, concerts, farmers market, wildlife The City of Bettendorf is ready to jump-start summer with plenty of fun events planned for those who love live music, family-friendly movies, roller-skating, line dancing, and more, a news release says. Here's a look at the 2026 Summer Happenings: The Family Museum Dance Spring Production will be 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, May [...]
	Public hearing about long-range transportation plan scheduled in Eldridge A public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 11, at the Scott County Secondary Roads Building, 950 Blackhawk Trail Road, Eldridge. Its purpose is to receive comments on the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan for Iowa Region 9 (LRTP) and the Transportation Improvement Program Iowa Region 9 FFY2027-2030 (TIP), which includes Muscatine [...]
	Carcass of Timmy the humpback whale brought to shore in Denmark The humpback whale, nicknamed "Timmy" by German media, died following a controversial failed rescue effort. His carcass had been drifting near the Danish shore for two weeks.
	Bettendorf woman cited after crash seriously injures bicyclist Authorities say a bicyclist was injured when a pickup truck turned left into his path Thursday evening in Bettendorf.
	Opinion: Pope Leo reminds us of the value of our shared humanity Pope Leo's first encyclical voices his concerns about technology and AI. The pope cautions about the illusions AI bots can create, and how important actual human relationships are.
	Two Democrats, two Republicans face off in Iowa House District 96 primary Here's what the candidates for Iowa House District 96 had to say ahead of Tuesday's primary.
	Memories of Muscatine: La Mijouree This week for Memories of Muscatine: A painting by Georges Rouault.
	Second Saturdays fun will return to downtown Rock Island Second Saturdays, presented by Gas & Electric Credit Union, returns June 13 to the heart of downtown Rock Island, bringing more energy, activity and reasons to explore downtown alongside the QC Farmers Market. Held on the second Saturday of the month, June through October, this free, all-ages series turns downtown into a lively community destination [...]
	Poppy Mallow This is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Rock Island Lines is permitted two commercials a year. This is one of them.I won't mince words. If you have any small…
	The NTSB tries to keep cockpit audio recordings private. AI is making that harder The National Transportation Safety Board temporarily pulled its docket system offline after digital images were used to reconstruct cockpit voice recordings of the pilots in a recent crash.
	Colombia's untapped wonder: The Mavecure Mountains Far from Colombia's tourist hubs, the Mavecure Mountains rise from the Amazon jungle. Once off-limits during conflict, they now draw adventurous visitors to rare wildlife, sacred sites and vast views.
	Carlin criticizes Hinson’s vote for same-sex marriage law in U.S. Senate primary Rep. Ashley Hinson faces a challenge from the right from Jim Carlin in Tuesday's primary for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Joni Ernst.
	How single-party primary elections are reshaping Congress Some lawmakers are speaking out against closed, single-party primaries, which they see as part of a system that limits voter choice and incentivizes elected officials to prioritize party loyalty.
	Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing takes first foreign tour as leader, with visit to India The tour comes as Myanmar's new government tries to consolidate its political position regionally, while continuing to wage a brutal civil war.
Friday, May 29th, 2026
	Alleman girls soccer wins sectional championship 4-3 in thriller over Geneseo Alleman girls soccer won the 1A sectional championship in a thriller double OT and PK’s 4-3 over Geneseo.
	Davenport North boys soccer punches ticket to state for the first time in school history Davenport North boys soccer punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time in school history after defeating North Scott 3-2.
	Woman tased, arrested after Centennial Bridge stabbing Krystal Spears, 37, was arrested and faces felony charges after police say she stabbed a man on the Centennial Bridge and refused to drop her knife.
	Line wrapped around the block to get into Phoebe Bridgers pop-up show at Raccoon Motel Venue officials handed out 120 wristbands and had to turn the rest of the line away.
	John Deere volunteers partner with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing Volunteers from John Deere Harvester Works teamed up with Habitat for Humanity QC to help build affordable housing amid a regional housing shortage.
	OQC Crime Watch: Three men charged for selling drugs at work: Episode 67 Watch crime reporters Linda Cook and Sharon Wren talk about crime and courts in our area with the latest episode of the Our Quad Cities Crime Watch Podcast. In this episode Linda and Sharon discuss: updates on: To view, click the video above or watch on-the-go on Spotify. The QC Crime Watch Podcast \| Podcast [...]
	Sterling man arrested for home invasion Adam Euell faces home invasion and burglary charges after Sterling police responded to reports of a woman screaming at a home Thursday night.
	5 arrested during narcotics investigation in Sterling A raid at a Sterling home led to the arrest of five men on felony meth, drug delivery, and outstanding warrant charges on Friday.
	Pre-Election Day voting continues this weekend: Scott County auditor Scott County Auditor Kerri Tompkins is reminding voters absentee voting (early and in-person voting) is available Saturday, May 30, a news release says. “This is a great opportunity for those who are not able to vote on Election Day.” said Tompkins. Voting will be open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Scott County Administrative Center, [...]
	Illinois bill could pave the way for self-driving taxis Illinois state lawmakers could give the green light to driverless taxis. The Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Project Act (Senate Bill 3392) would clear the way for robotaxis. known as Waymo, in a limited number of cities on a trial basis. The move would gauge whether they are safe. The use of driverless cars could expand to [...]
	Crews battle Galesburg home fire No injuries were reported following a Galesburg fire. According to a release, the Galesburg Fire Department responded May 28 at 4:33 p.m. to a structure fire in the 2100 block of Sodhi Ave. Fire crews encountered heavy smoke coming from the home and flames in the kitchen. The Fremont Station fire crew made an initial [...]
	Stroke survivor works toward recovery one step at a time at Moline rehab center Five months after suffering a stroke, a QC man is rebuilding his strength through rehab, motivated by a goal that means more than anything else: his grandkids
	House lawmakers see governor’s proposed FY27 budget and raise it to $15.2B The Rhode Island State House is shown on a January night in 2026. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)Two long-debated topics on Smith Hill, a millionaire’s tax and a state inspector general, were cemented in the revised fiscal 2027 budget given first passage by a panel of House lawmakers Friday night. The record $15.2 billion budget — even higher than the $14.9 billion tax-and-spend plan Gov. Dan McKee unveiled in January thanks to an extra $228 million surplus revealed from updated revenue estimates in May — sailed through committee in record time, with the Friday night deliberations complete by 7:30 p.m. The revised version preserves McKee’s proposed millionaire’s tax, but spreads out the 3% tax hike on an income over $1 million across three years rather than making the change in a single year. “We thought this strikes the right balance here for our state given the situation we’re in with the federal government,” House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski said in a briefing with reporters Friday night. “We wanted to be sure we have revenue coming online at the same time we see a decrease in federal support.” Raising taxes on top earners took center state on Smith Hill this year, with business groups decrying the economic consequences for top employers, and progressives urging lawmakers to enact a more comprehensive version of a “tax the rich” proposal to offset forecasted federal funding cuts. Another long-simmering debate, to create an independent inspector general, gained traction weeks ago thanks to the backing of Blazejewski days after his ascension to the leadership role. Blazejewski, who was elected by his peers to succeed K. Joseph Shekarchi 22 days ago, cemented his advocacy for the government watchdog by including the $2 million, 12-person office in the revised fiscal 2027 budget. Rhode Island House Speaker Christopher Blazejewski says a millionaires’s tax would be phased in over three years during a budget briefing with reporters Friday, May 29, 2026. At far left is Rep. Scott Slater, a Providence Democrat and vice chair of the House Finance Committee. The committee’s chair, Rep. Marvin Abney, a Newport Democrat, is center. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) The even-keeled Providence Democrat raised his voice in defense of the proposal, and specifically the exclusion of the legislature from the inspector general’s purview, when questioned by a reporter Friday. “Once we pass this budget, 99.5% of government spending will fall within the Office of Inspector General,” Blazejewski said. “To me, that’s incredibly important.” The House Committee on Finance’s 11-2 vote Friday sends the updated spending proposal to the full House of Representatives for consideration on June 5. The two Republicans, George Nardone of Coventry and Sherry Roberts of West Greenwich, voted against the revised spending plan. Lawmakers must approve a final spending plan before the new fiscal year begins July 1. Prioritizing healthcare Federal funding cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act remain a top concern for legislators, who are leveraging the state’s surplus to help blunt the consequences for hospitals and healthcare providers, working families with children, and transit riders. To that end, the revised fiscal 2027 budget includes the full $116 million Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for home and behavioral health providers as recommended by the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner. McKee’s initial proposal spread out the inflationary payment adjustment over two years. Lawmaker also added another $26 million in state funds to hospitals to offset rising costs associated with more under and uninsured people — short of the $70 million hospitals wanted, but enough to assuage some of the worst cuts to service and staff. There is also $1.6 million dedicated to the Newport Hospital birthing center, and $5 million in initial funding for a new medical school at the University of Rhode Island. “I am particularly proud of the strong investments we are making to improve our health care system and to support Rhode Islanders in need,” Senate President Valarie Lawson said in a statement Friday night. Childcare and education Noting the personal importance of childcare — the newly minted speaker has a 12-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son — Blazejewski also emphasized efforts to help working families afford and access childcare. Lawmakers restructured McKee’s proposal to establish a permanent child tax credit for income-eligible families with the intent of making a bigger impact for middle-income families. The $330 per child credit, on average, will cost $23 million in fiscal 2027, with a $46 million price tag for a full year offering in fiscal 2028. Formula-driven state aid to school districts is also increasing above current levels and beyond McKee’s plan, with the extra spending concentrated on transportation costs and low-income students. And the long-awaited return of the Central Falls school system to city control has arrived after more than three decades under state purview, with a $1.5 million allotment of state education aid for the city district in the fiscal 2027 spending proposal. Lawmakers are also filling the estimated $4.6 million deficit in the Department of Children, Youth and Families, preventing the staffing cuts that have prompted protests by employees who say the short-staffed agency is inequipped to adequately protect and help children under state care. The House Committee on Finance meets Friday, May 29, 2026. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) Energy affordability Advocacy to protect the state’s ambitious climate change mandates was also acknowledged by lawmakers, who opted not to proceed with the most controversial elements of McKee’s energy affordability plan. The revised fiscal 2027 budget offers short-term savings to ratepayers by incorporating nuclear and hydropower into the acceptable renewable energy sources needed to meet state benchmarks. But the 2033 deadline to generate 100% of electricity needs from renewables, or purchase credits to offset fossil fuel use, remains intact. “That was really important to our caucus,” said Majority Leader Katherine Kazarian, an East Providence Democrat. Social Security taxes Not as important: easing Social Security benefit taxes to retirees. McKee pitched a three-year phaseout of the state income taxes on retirement benefits. But lawmakers agreed only to the first step of the phaseout, which eliminates the age requirement that allows retirees over 67 to bypass the tax. But the $40 million cost to eventually cut income taxes on Social Security benefits for higher-income retirees remains in flux. “Hopefully we have a better budget next year, and are in a better position to take another look,” Blazejewski said. RIPTA and RIDOT But, the cash-strapped Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will no longer have to fight for survival, with a $7 million boost above what McKee proposed for fiscal 2027. Rather than cut the gas tax by 2 cents, as McKee pitched, lawmakers are preserving the gas tax increase from last July. Instead they are drawing on a separate highway maintenance account through the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to boost RIPTA. There will be no increases in cruise ship fees in Newport, which were originally proposed as a means to help fund RIPTA. The revised budget also requires a state-led audit of RIDOT, in acknowledgement of the high-profile failures of the Washington Bridge and, more recently, the Route 10 onramp. And, the state transportation director will no longer lead RIPTA’s appointed board of directors, though they will continue to have a seat on the panel. “We think it’s a conflict of interest,” Blazejewski said of letting McKee’s cabinet director on roads and bridges call the shots for the quasi-public transit agency. Copies of the revised fiscal 2027 state budget articles sit on a table for a State House hearing by the House Committee on Finance on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Photo by Nancy Lavin/Rhode Island Current) Bonds The $600 million borrowing plan across a series of six bond questions on the November ballot remains intact, although the allocations have shifted, with more money for a new health sciences building at URI and preserving farm and forestland. A $50 million bond for a new career and technical education program via the state education department was cut, following testimony that the startup bond was not enough to fully fund the program, Blazejewski said. The state archives and history center pitched by Secretary of State Gregg Amore remains. Other highlights A $19 million earmark ($9.5 million more than McKee’s proposal) to help offset rising premiums for HealthSource RI participants remains in the revised fiscal 2027 budget. Additional funding and a new state magistrate to oversee a designated domestic violence court, as suggested by Judge Joseph Montalbano, presiding justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court. No additional money for Bally’s Corp, which had asked for another $11 million for marketing efforts as a workaround to offset potential revenue losses from a ban on indoor smoking in its Rhode Island casinos No increases in cigarette and cigar taxes, asMcKee’s proposal sought. A line-item veto for the governor, which McKee enshrined in his spending plan, did not make it past lawmakers’ review. McKee said he was “encouraged” by the inclusion of his priorities, including Social Security tax relief, child tax credits, money for state heath exchange participants and an extension of the Hope Scholarship at Rhode Island College. ‘Our team is reviewing the full budget now, and we’ll have more to say in the coming days,” McKee said in a statement Friday night. Democratic representatives Karen Alzate of Pawtucket and Nathan Biah of Providence were absent from the meeting. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. 8:52 pmUpdated to include comments from Gov. Dan McKee. Courtesy of Rhode Island Current
	FY 26-27 budget done, vetoes are coming, and property tax debate lies ahead The Florida Senate chamber on May 29, 2026. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)The Florida Legislature signed off on a $114.5 billion budget Friday afternoon, even as some legislators worried it falls short of doing enough for schools, healthcare, and the environment. A handful of Democrats also sharply criticized a nearly $300 million tax cut package that they said does more to help special interests than everyday Floridians. Republican legislative leaders countered that the budget pays for critical needs while at the same time reducing overall spending from the previous year. Democrats also complained that a push to suspend the state’s gas taxes, which Gov. Ron DeSantis embraced in October 2022 but not this year, ultimately was not included in the tax reduction package, while savings for gun accessories, including silencers, was embraced. The Senate voted unanimously to pass the state fiscal year 2026-27 budget, while the House voted 99-6 to pass the budget to guide state spending between July 1 and June 30, 2027. The budget sets spending guidelines for public schools, higher education, healthcare, criminal justice, the environment, and more. “Floridians expect their government to spend responsibly and prioritize the issues that matter most to families across our state,” House Speaker Daniel Pérez said in a written statement following the vote. Additionally included in the budget is a $4 million appropriation for the so-called Groveland Four. It includes $50 million to help the Tampa Bay Rays build a new stadium near Hillsborough College. It also earmarks $250 million for an emergency fund overseen by DeSantis that he has used for immigration enforcement. Eleventh hour budget deal includes $4M compensation for ‘Groveland Four’ Some members quickly rushed out of the Capitol to catch Friday afternoon flights home but they must return to Tallahassee Monday for a special session on property taxes. After more than a year discussing property tax reductions, the governor’s office sent the Senate its formal proposal, which Sen. Bryan Avila filed this week as SJR 2F. DeSantis wants to increase the state’s homestead property tax exemption to $150,000 of a home’s value beginning Jan. 1, 2027, and to $250,000 beginning Jan. 1, 2028. Opposition That proposal faces opposition from both Republicans and Democrats and even some special interest groups. The Florida Association of Counties sent an email to the 160 members of the Legislature Friday calling DeSantis’ proposal a “tax shift” and asking them to vote against it. “Decisions about how to fund local services work best when they are made close to the people who live with them. Property taxes are local by design. They are debated publicly, set locally and tied directly to the services residents see every day,” the counties wrote. The Florida Education Association also came out against the plan, arguing it would starve public schools. And the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which frequently aligns itself with the governor, said in a written statement that it would evaluate the proposal and its potential fiscal impacts with its members. The Chamber noted that property taxes accounted for nearly $60 billion in local government and school funding in 2025 — more than the $55.18 billion paid by local governments the year before. Meanwhile, Democrats in both the House and Senate, without dropping any specific names, said they have heard tell of the governor’s lobbying efforts to get his proposal passed. To put his proposal on the ballot, a supermajority — 60% — of each legislative chamber must vote for the legislation. “I also have heard that he’s been calling around some members on both sides of the aisle, trying to lobby them to vote for his property tax proposal, but what’s interesting to me is, when I have conversations with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, they understand that this is wildly unpopular, and that it would toggle our local government, that it would harm our public schools. So, it’s going to be interesting,” Tampa Democrat Fentrice Driskell, the House Democratic leader, said. (Left to Right) Sens. Kirsten Arrington, Tracie Davis, and Carlos Guillermo Smith discuss the budget, vetoes, and property tax at the Capitol on May 29, 2026. (Photo Christine Sexton/Florida Phoenix) There’s “no consensus” in the Senate to vote for the plan, Jacksonville Democratic Sen. Tracie Davis said. “We know that we’re talking among ourselves, we’re talking to our colleagues, we know that we’re split all over the place, so it’ll be interesting to see where we land with this,” said Davis, the Senate Democratic leader-elect. “We do know it’s a split, and there is no consensus over here as to where we will land, whether we have a number of people that’s going to support this measure or not. We know we’re going to have members on both sides,” Davis said. If DeSantis gets his plan on the November ballot, it would take 60% of the voters in November to vote “yes” for it to take effect. Vetoes DeSantis twice in the past two weeks mentioned his power to veto line items from the budget. Delivering the keynote address during a Federalist Society meeting May 22, the governor acknowledged he vetoes money for projects championed by legislators who oppose his agenda and priorities. “That helps you to be able to advance a legislative agenda,” DeSantis said of veto threats. And DeSantis this week mentioned budget vetoes while calling for the three-day special session on property tax reduction. His comments haven’t fallen on deaf ears. “I mean, this is the elephant in the room as we’re here voting on a budget. Many of us would like to feel good about member projects for our municipalities — water projects, road projects, nonprofits that provide meals to our seniors. But we don’t know what’s going to happen to all those programs and municipalities come this property tax reform next week,” Sen. Kirsten Arrington, a Democrat from Kissimmee, said. “So, while we’re here, we’d love to pat ourselves on the back and feel good about projects and stuff that we’re bringing home. We don’t know what’s on the horizon.” Driskell felt similarly. “I do think that he has now released his property tax proposal during budget season because he wants that to be a threat,” she said. Education There was perhaps no more controversial issue when it came to education than the state’s universal school voucher program. An audit showed financial mismanagement by the Department of Education. While the Senate pushed to separate voucher funding from traditional public school funding, the House held firm against bifurcating the dollars. Specific to higher education, there is no money in this budget for “preeminent universities” even though the Senate pushed for $100 million. That money in the past has rewarded schools that demonstrate excellence in various categories. Budget on the table, but House and Senate can’t agree on solution to school voucher struggles Health Healthcare is the largest portion of the budget, accounting for $49.2 billion, and, not surprisingly, was one of the last to be finalized before the General Appropriations Act was agreed upon over the Memorial Day Weekend. Ultimately, the Legislature agreed to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for nursing homes and pump additional funds into two programs that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities obtain the care they need to keep them living outside of institutions and in the community. An additional $10 million was appropriated to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to help chip away at a lengthy waiting list for the iBudget waiver program. Another $15 million was directed to Medicaid to pay for a managed care program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Legislature agreed to reduce reimbursements by 1.3% to contracted Medicaid managed care plans that provide services to the poor, elderly, and disabled. Only contracted plans can provide services in the state’s Medicaid program. The Legislature agreed to extend the length of those contracts from six years to 10 years. Hospitals, which had faced potential budget cuts, went unscathed. Criminal justice Regarding criminal justice, the budget provides $4.05 billion for the Department of Corrections. That includes $50 million for a new prison hospital and $52 million for additional dorms. It does not include funding for a new prison. Nor does it include additional funding to provide air-conditioning for any prison facilities. Orlando Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith noted that a 2023 report conducted by KPMG showed it would cost $582 million to install air conditioning in all of the state’s prisons. The budget includes $78.7 million to increase correctional officer pay, raising the minimum hourly wage to $24. It provides the corrections agency with an additional $12.9 million for recruiting and retaining prison guards. The budget includes $4.4 million for 40 positions in state attorney offices. Of that, $1.8 million is earmarked for eight new positions in public defender offices. Environment The budget includes $638.6 million for Everglades Restoration, including money to complete the state’s portion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir, a critical 17,000-acre infrastructure project south of Lake Okeechobee. Everglades Foundation Vice President for Government Affairs Bradley Watson issued a statement thanking DeSantis and noted that he “fulfilled the promises” he made regarding Everglades restoration in two separate executive orders, one issued after initially taking office in 2018 and another after his re-election. Democrats lamented that there is no direct funding for Florida Forever, the state’s main program for buying land for conservation, but $425 million for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which allows agricultural landowners to permanently preserve their land from development but doesn’t require the landowners to allow public access. The failure to again fund Florida Forever was denounced by St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross. “As a Legislature, it would be wise to recognize the value of our parks as places for people to improve their physical and mental health, especially as our children spend more time behind screens than they do green spaces,” Cross said. “These parks are also economic engines, providing a three-to-one return on investment for towns and communities. “Going forward, the state needs to reimagine and reinvest in conservation programs, in ways that feed our families, protect our water, preserve our vibrant wildlife and increase safe and equitable access to natural areas for people.” Mitch Perry and Jay Waagmeester contributed to this story. Courtesy of Florida Phoenix
	Knox County wildlife rescue hosting benefit concert to help fund its mission Critter Cove is the only Illinois Department of Natural Resources-certified wildlife rehabilitator in the county. Some services have stopped due to lack of funding.
	Bridgford to file nomination petitions in Iowa's 1st Congressional District race Independent candidate Michael Bridgford will officially file his nomination petitions on Monday, June 1, to appear on the ballot for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, according to a news release. "Over the past several weeks, our team has completed an internal validation process on all collected signatures to ensure we comfortably exceed the required threshold prior to filing," the [...]
	Lawsuit challenges South Dakota’s new ban on abortion-pill advertising A new South Dakota law unconstitutionally bars Nancy Turbak Berry from wearing this sweatshirt advertising abortion-pill information, she alleges in a lawsuit. (Image from court documents)South Dakota’s new law criminalizing the providing and advertising of abortion pills and other abortion-related items faces a lawsuit alleging the advertising prohibition is unconstitutional. A New York-based nonprofit, Mayday Health, and a Democratic former South Dakota lawmaker, Nancy Turbak Berry, filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court against South Dakota’s Republican governor and attorney general. The state’s Republican-dominated Legislature passed the bill in March, and Gov. Larry Rhoden signed it into law that same month. It’s scheduled to take effect July 1. South Dakota already had a law that bans abortions except when necessary “to preserve the life of the pregnant female.” The new law says no person may knowingly dispense, distribute, sell or advertise an article or thing designed, adapted or intended to produce an abortion. The ban also covers any article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine or thing that is “advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing an abortion.” New anti-abortion laws clarify definition, criminalize pills, require prenatal videos in schools Violations are felonies punishable by up to two years in prison and a $4,000 fine. The law also gives the state attorney general authority to recover civil penalties of $10,000 per violation. The lawsuit alleges it’s unconstitutional to prohibit advertising that’s protected by the free speech guarantees in the First Amendment. Turbak Berry previously led a group supporting a failed 2024 ballot question that would have restored abortion rights in the state. The lawsuit alleges her free speech is deterred by the new law. As an example, the lawsuit says the prohibition on advertising would prevent her from wearing a sweatshirt that features Mayday’s mission and web address. “Unless this court grants relief, Turbak will be deterred from wearing the sweatshirt, and thereby deterred from engaging in lawsuit First Amendment-protected speech,” the lawsuit says. Turbak Berry responded to South Dakota Searchlight with a written statement. “Apparently, our state government isn’t satisfied with controlling women’s reproductive organs — they even want to control our eyes and ears,” Turbak Berry said. “They even want control over what women in South Dakota can see and hear. It’s outrageous.” Gov. Rhoden responded to the lawsuit in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “If Mayday Health and the abortion lobby want to sue us for defending unborn life, bring it on.” State Attorney General Marty Jackley issued a written statement. “The U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that states have the right to protect life,” Jackley said. “As with Mayday’s previous unsuccessful lawsuit, I will defend innocent life.” Mayday previously engaged in a legal battle with Jackley over advertisements Mayday placed at gas stations around the state saying “Pregnant? Don’t want to be?” and directing people to Mayday’s website, which includes information on obtaining abortion pills. Mayday Health posted signs like this one at gas stations around South Dakota in December 2025 as part of a campaign to spread awareness about the availability of abortion pills. (Courtesy of Mayday Health) In dueling state and federal lawsuits, Jackley accused the nonprofit of violating South Dakota’s abortion ban. Mayday claimed its advertisements were protected under the First Amendment. The lawsuits ended with a settlement that included Mayday removing the ads. In 2023, medication abortions accounted for 63% of abortions in the country, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. The drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly used in medication abortions, are also listed on the World Health Organizations’ list of essential medicines. The U.S. Supreme Court decided earlier this month to preserve telehealth access to mifepristone until after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the merits of the lawsuit Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration. Louisiana, where state officials sued the FDA in October, is arguing that a rule allowing telehealth access to mifepristone undermines the state’s abortion ban. EDITOR’S NOTE: South Dakota Searchlight has engaged attorney Jim Leach, who represents the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, in a past legal matter. For broadcasters Host script. Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Restaurant inspections: Mouse droppings in rice, shrimp in stagnant water Scott County health inspectors cited six Davenport food establishments for alarming health violations, including rodent droppings and unsafe food storage.
	Local teen driving course teaches emergency maneuvers and crash avoidance 'Street Survival' picks up where driver's ed leaves off by teaching what to do when the unexpected happens. This summer's sessions are July 11-12 in Mossville, IL.
	All aboard train lovers: 'Big Boy 4014' steam locomotive making stop in Sterling on America 250 tour The city has released a guide with event parking, viewing locations, accessibility services and vendors on site.
	Students cycling from Seattle to Washington D.C. stop in the QCA A group of college students is cycling across the country from Seattle to Washington D.C. to spread kindness and learn about regenerative food systems, while documenting 250 acts of kindness along the way.
	RFK Jr. announces new effort on Lyme disease during New Hampshire visit Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who also ran for president in 2024 and is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, spoke during a press conference in Concord May 29, 2026. He announced new initiatives to fight Lyme disease. (Photo by William Skipworth/New Hampshire Bulletin)During a visit to New Hampshire Friday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced millions of dollars in funding for research on Lyme disease before what’s expected to be a heavy tick season. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be giving up to $2 million to projects that “harness artificial intelligence and open data to help patients with Lyme disease and other invisible illnesses get answers faster and access care more quickly,” Kennedy announced. He also said the department will be funding up to $250,000 worth of public awareness campaigns and educational projects, specifically those developed with input from patients, clinicians, and advocates, and another $250,000 to “promising frontline solutions.” He also called on Congress to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, a 2019 law meant to establish a federal plan for dealing with tick-borne illnesses. And he set a goal to reduce Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035 compared to 2022 levels. Kennedy, whose tenure as health secretary has been heavily criticized by the mainstream medical community, has made Lyme disease one of his priorities in office. He claimed Friday that “Americans can’t go into the woods anymore safely” because of Lyme disease. In the past, he has said Lyme disease is “highly likely to have been a military weapon.” Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through tick bites. It’s at the center of major controversy within medical circles. Some doctors do not believe chronic Lyme disease — symptoms that persist long after an initial infection — is a real condition. Many patients, despite being told by clinicians their tests are negative and their symptoms should be gone, report continued fatigue, pain, and neurological symptoms, however. Kennedy, who disagrees with those who deny chronic Lyme disease, addressed the debate on Friday. “For years, Lyme disease patients fought hard to be heard while much of the health care system failed them,” he said. “Doctors would often tell patients, ‘It’s your imagination. It’s something else. There’s no such thing as Lyme disease.’” Asked what his message is to the doctors who don’t believe chronic Lyme disease exists, Kennedy pointed to a series of roundtables with doctors and patients he’s organized. “I think it will turn that ship,” he said. “We’ve seen the same thing with other diseases in the past. They just weren’t recognized by the medical establishment. I think we’re going to turn that around very quickly, just because of the sheer amount of research that we’re doing, and the kind of public events that we’re doing to make sure that doctors know this disease is real and it is treatable.” He and his colleagues cited long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome, other infection-associated diseases, that took time to gain more mainstream acceptance. Indeed, some researchers are finding evidence that Lyme disease isn’t psychosomatic, or triggered by mental factors rather than biological ones, but still the debate is far from a consensus. Federal officials accompanying Kennedy Friday sought to center patients in the debate. “Let me be clear that this movement did not start in government,” Dr. Kristen Honey, who is now managing public-private partnerships at DHHS. “It started with all of you. It started with the patients. It started with the caregivers, It started with the frontline providers and those affected families saying there’s a problem here, and rose up, came together, formed unusual allies.” Several of those patients spoke Friday. “I thought I was going to die,” Dana Parish, a Lyme disease activist, said. “I had 39 out of 60 symptoms when I was finally diagnosed by doctor No. 13.” Kennedy’s announcement comes after a rough tick season in New Hampshire in 2025. Last May saw 283 tick-related emergency room visits in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials expect another rough season in 2026. Scientists say climate change leading to warmer winters is allowing the ticks to proliferate. New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic are often the epicenter of tick-borne illnesses. While state House Speaker Sherman Packard, who moderated the press conference Friday, refused to allow questions unrelated to Lyme disease, Kennedy’s broader agenda has sparked massive controversy and condemnation from the medical community, particularly his anti-vaccine stances. Last year, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the federal government’s advisory committee on vaccines, replacing several with vaccine skeptics. Those new members went on to roll back federal recommendations for childhood Hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines. He and President Donald Trump also cut hundreds of millions in funding for research on mRNA vaccines for illnesses like influenza and COVID-19 and fired roughly 10,000 federal health employees, including CDC Director Susan Monarez. Several other top officials have resigned in protest. However, courts have halted some of the moves due to questions about process and legal authority. Kennedy ran as an independent in the 2024 presidential election before dropping out and endorsing Trump, who later nominated him as health secretary. Asked if the reason he chose to announce this initiative in New Hampshire rather than other New England states with higher Lyme disease rates (such as Rhode Island, Maine, or Vermont) was related to his presidential ambitions and the state’s key role in the primary election season, Kennedy said: “New Hampshire has one of the highest rates in the country, and it may have the highest rate of Lyme disease per tick per capita.” Courtesy of New Hampshire Bulletin
	Remember when Trump promised Great American State Fair would be in Iowa? The Great American State Fair is set to run from June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall in D.C. — but that’s not what President Donald Trump promised Iowans last summer.
	Legendary QC cyclists honored with new sculpture in Schwiebert Park Local cycling legends were honored with a colorful sculpture in Schwiebert Riverfront Park Friday. The cycling community wanted to honor Dean and Deb Mathias and all the work they've done, with a sculpture that would stand out and stand the test of time. The man known as the "GOAT of RAGBRAI" and his wife are [...]
	Your forecast for the last weekend of May After a week full of sunshine and hot weather staying in the mid 80s, it is not going to be any different for your weekend. Temperatures will continue to stay in the mid 80s for your afternoon highs for both Saturday and Sunday, with lots of sunshine to enjoy.
	Metro Link partners with local libraries for summer reading programs to provide free rides The program is available across the Illinois Quad Cities in Moline, Rock Island, East Moline or Silvis.
	Authorities confirm remains at Northeast Park in Kewanee belong to unidentified adult Kewanee police say investigators are working to obtain dental records as part of the identification process.
	Bird's-eye views from across the Quad Cities region during the week of May 29, 2026 Sit back, relax and enjoy these scenes captured by the News 8 drone from across the Quad Cities region this week.
	Bike sculpture dedicated to honor 2 locally involved cyclists The sculpture was dedicated to honor Deb and Dean Mathias, who have spend more than four decades contributing to the cycling community.
	As an AI tech-hub, Washington must lead with conscience (Stock photo by Tolgart/Getty Images)From Seattle to Spokane, the state of Washington has been a leader in cutting-edge technology. Today, technological advances focus on artificial intelligence. As president of Gonzaga University, I see firsthand how profoundly AI is reshaping higher education. Students are already using generative AI in classrooms. Faculty are rethinking assessment. Entire industries are recalibrating workforce expectations. The disruption is not theoretical. It is here. The question for universities is no longer whether to engage AI. It is how. At Gonzaga, a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic university, we believe the answer begins with a moral commitment: technology must serve human dignity — not displace it. Jesuit education has always asked a deeper question than “Can we?” It asks, “Should we?” And perhaps more importantly, “Who does this serve?” Those questions and others require Gonzaga to step into a leadership role as AI develops and becomes an integral part of our world. Gonzaga’s Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology serves as a hub for the practical use of data, artificial intelligence and digital tools. Since its launch two years ago, the Institute has integrated artificial intelligence learning outcomes into Gonzaga’s core curriculum, advanced interdisciplinary research on responsible AI, visual cognition and leadership in technology adoption, and convened more than 300 scholars, industry leaders and students for discussions focused on values and responsibility in AI. We are keenly aware that AI is not simply a new productivity tool. It is a system of encoded human decisions — built from data shaped by history, economics and power. AI reflects the assumptions of its creators and the inequities embedded in its inputs. If left unquestioned, it can scale bias as efficiently as it scales innovation. That is why Jesuit universities are uniquely positioned for this moment. Our tradition emphasizes cura personalis — care for the whole person. It calls us to form leaders committed to justice, reflection and service to the common good. In the AI era, that formation must include the ability to interrogate algorithms, challenge embedded bias and design systems aligned with ethical principles. Washington state understands both the promise and the peril of technological acceleration. Innovation has driven extraordinary economic growth and global influence. It has also intensified debates about workforce displacement, privacy, misinformation and equity. Universities cannot stand apart from these debates. Nor can we simply mirror the pace of industry. Our role is distinct: to prepare students not only to build AI systems, but to shape them responsibly. Gonzaga has embedded AI literacy across disciplines so that engineers, nurses, business leaders and humanities scholars alike graduate with both technical fluency and ethical discernment. But our ambition goes further. We want our students to influence how AI evolves. That means equipping them to ask difficult questions about power and access. Who controls data? Who benefits from automation? Who is rendered invisible? It means preparing graduates who can enter technology firms, health systems, classrooms and public agencies ready to advocate for human-centered design. AI will increasingly shape social systems — from loan approvals to medical diagnostics to hiring decisions. If those systems are built without moral reflection, they risk deepening inequities. If they are guided by humanistic values, they can expand opportunity and improve lives. A Jesuit university does not fear innovation. But neither does it accept inevitability. We believe human agency matters. We believe ethical reasoning must evolve alongside technical capability. And we believe that conscience belongs at the center of leadership. Parents and students evaluating universities today understandably want assurance that education will prepare them for an AI-shaped future. It should. But preparation must mean more than mastering tools that may soon be obsolete. It must mean developing judgment, empathy and courage — qualities no algorithm can replicate. Artificial intelligence will continue to evolve. Markets will shift. Capabilities will expand. What must remain constant is our insistence that innovation align with human dignity and the common good. Jesuit education has prepared leaders for centuries of transformation — political upheaval, scientific revolution, the industrial change. The AI era is another such inflection point. The question before us is not whether machines will grow more capable. They will. The question is whether we will grow more wise. Courtesy of Washington State Standard
	What's going on in the Quad Cities this weekend? \| Friday, May 29 Bring your dog to a day at the park, browse dozens of vintage item sellers, or enjoy some craft beer!
	Driving safety class for teens coming up in July The Illini chapter of the BMW Car Club of America is hosting its 15th annual "Street Survival" program on July 11 and 12 in Mossville, Illinois.
	Large portion of Davenport's Main Street Landing pedestrian bridge installed The bridge should be completed by mid-June.
	Quad Cities youth hockey programs get rebrand through new partnership The Quad City Hockey Association approved a partnership expansion with the Quad City Storm that rebrands several local youth hockey programs.
	Woman arrested after Davenport stabbing Davenport police responded to the Centennial Bridge for a weapons call on Wednesday, May 27.
	Trump endorses Randy Feenstra in Iowa governor race The primary will take place on Tuesday, June 2.
	Phoebe Bridgers will play for pop-up, sold-out concert at Raccoon Motel, Davenport Doors will open at 6 p.m. in downtown Davenport today (Friday, May 29) for a surprise pop-up concert by a popular musician. Indie-folk star Phoebe Bridgers will perform at the Raccoon Motel, 315 E. 2nd St., Davenport. Word of tonight's concert came quietly, with a sign posted on the venue window. Bridgers, a solo artist [...]
	Autopsy confirms skeletal remains found in Kewanee park are human Kewanee police said what could be a human skull was found in a waste holding tank at Northeast Park.
	John Deere partners with Habitat for Humanity QC to build homes The new partnership includes six John Deere facilities across Iowa, where workers are framing and assembling walls of entire homes for Des Moines, Quad Cities, Waterloo, and Dubuque.
	One year later, family of Bettendorf woman killed in motorcycle crash still seeks answers One year after Samantha Burke was killed in a Davenport motorcycle crash, her family is raising reward money and urging anyone with information to come forward.
	Kids can have a whale of a time at Cops n' Bobbers Kids 15 and under can have a whale of a time as they fish with law enforcement officers from the QCA! Sgt. Greg Hill and Brooks VanDerBeek joined Our Quad Cities News to talk about Cops n' Bobbers. For more information, click here.
	Remains found in Kewanee confirmed to be those of an adult An autopsy was performed Friday and found the remains were those of an adult human. The person has not yet been identified.
	Skeletal remains found at Kewanee park belong to adult human, police say Police said they are working to identify the remains.
	Former McCausland city clerk sentenced for stealing from the city Former McCausland City Clerk Sheila Bosworth has been sentenced on six of 31 charges including first-degree theft and multiple forgery charges.
	Driver won’t be charged in Ankeny crash that injured 16 students The case was presented to the Polk County Attorney's Office for review, and, based on all presented facts and evidence, there is no basis for criminal charges against the driver.
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	Iowa communities look to fill gaps in statewide mental health care Residents of Mason City march to celebrate the opening of a New Residential Care facility in Mason City for people with severe mental illnesses, Mason City, Iowa, Oct. 24, 2025. (Photo by 43 North Iowa)One of the most prominent issues in Iowa mental health care is the lack of available psychiatrists and behavioral health providers, especially in rural communities. According to Mental Health Stats, an organization that publishes U.S. mental health data, Iowa on average has 25 available psychiatrists per 100,000 residents, which is 37.5% below the national average of 40 psychiatrists per 100,000 residents as of 2025. Iowa also has a significant shortage of mental health providers, with one provider per 1,500 residents, which is lower than the national average of one provider per 1,200 residents. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Rather than waiting for statewide solutions, some Iowa communities have experimented with localized mental health models aiming to fill gaps in behavioral health treatment. Iowa communities implement alternative mental health models John Derryberry, the director of 43 North Iowa, a disability service organization in Mason City, said the organization’s “no eject, no reject” model has led to increased trust in the community’s mental health services. “We don’t cherry pick. If we have a spot, we admit, and it really has produced a lot of trust here in North Iowa of sharing clients and working together,” Derryberry said. “A client does not get discharged until the entire care team feels they’ve achieved what they needed to or decided that we’re not the right match for the client to get healthy.” Derryberry said he tracks a patient’s progress by the level of care they receive after discharge, community contributions and annual income, which contributes to the local economy. “We track people going to a lower level of care or leaving services completely,” Derryberry said. “If someone has staff with them 24 hours a day and we lower that to 18 hours, they’re more independent, they’re healthier and we’re being more efficient with taxpayer money. Our clients made $2.4 million in salary last year, and so that money gets reinvested in the local economy. We’re tracking real data about people’s health and contributions to their community.” Mason City residents celebrate the opening of a new Residential Care Facility for people with severe mental illnesses, Mason City. Oct. 24, 2025. (Photo by 43 North Iowa) Iowa Mental Health Advocacy co-founder Leslie Carpenter, who is also a long-time advocate for people with severe brain disorders, described 43 North as a “pocket of hope” in the state. “We’re finding great hope over what’s happening at 43 North in Mason City, an agency that has several levels of care, ranging from a residential care facility, having homes to support community living and an employment agency within the organization,” Carpenter said. “They’re doing some amazing community collaboration, and their ‘no eject, no reject’ model is paying dividends for some of the most complex patients in our state.” In 2023, Carpenter helped launch an outpatient treatment program and civil mental health council in Johnson County, saying that these programs have produced results for patients over the past three years. Johnson County’s outpatient treatment program focuses on providing community-based treatment and long-term support for individuals with severe mental illness, aiming to reduce hospital admissions and emergency interventions. “Across the first 52 participants, they were able to reduce emergency department visits by 85%, hospital admissions went down by 68% and hospital days went down by 97%,” Carpenter said. “Crisis stabilization days increased by 16%, which we were OK with because the crisis stabilization at our GuideLink Center is less traumatic, less expensive and a more therapeutic setting.” Erin Foster, the director of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center, said collaboration among different providers to create a specialized plan for individuals is the “backbone” of the access center’s mission to treat patients effectively. “Across the county, or in some of the more rural parts of Iowa, sometimes these programs don’t even exist,” Foster said. “The role of access centers across the state is to be a one-stop-shop for an individual who is experiencing a crisis.” Although local programs have produced positive outcomes, advocates like Carpenter say Iowa continues to face workforce shortages and inconsistent access to care. “What we hear from people is that they’ll take somebody to the hospital in the midst of a psychiatric crisis, but hospitals are turning them away because they don’t agree that the person is a danger to themself or others,” Carpenter said. “The other thing we hear is that somebody is ‘too suicidal,’ and they’re saying they don’t have enough staff to provide the right level of supervision.” Advocates hope for more legislative action Iowa has taken steps to address advocates’ concerns about statewide mental health access, as Gov. Kim Reynolds signed House File 2543 into law on May 2. The bill aims to make subacute mental health care more accessible. The final version of the bill was changed significantly in the Iowa Senate, where specific provisions for insurance companies were removed. Carpenter said two separate bills that would have allowed for hospitals to evaluate psychiatric deterioration, which is when patients stop their medications and their conditions are worsening, and require hospitals to perform a suicide assessment of patients who were admitted on a psychiatric commitment, did not pass the Senate. Carpenter added that she is hopeful that these bills will pass during the next legislative session. Ryan Crane, the director of NAMI Iowa, an advocacy organization that provides mental health support groups and education, said the organization takes part in lobbying efforts at the Capitol, where the goal is to educate legislators about mental health. “Legislators may have somebody in their life who has been affected by depression or addiction, but they may not think of that as mental health,” Crane said. “In 2027, where we are likely to have some outgoing and incoming legislators, that would be a year where we will really focus on educating.” Despite being hopeful about the trajectory of mental health care in Iowa, Foster said the stigma surrounding mental health is the number one reason people do not seek care, and having more conversations will only help reduce the stigma. “Anyone can struggle with anything behavioral health-related, and anyone can find themselves in a crisis and need some additional help,” Foster said. “We are ready, waiting and willing to give you the help that you need, and so I think this mindset of, ‘It’s not anyone I know, it’s never going to be me, it’s those people,’ really does hinder the work that organizations are doing.” SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	In an uncertain job market, these new grads found a guaranteed career path (BPT) - Key TakeawaysRecent graduates are struggling in today's job market, with fewer entry-level positions available and more competition than ever — making graduation feel less celebratory and more stressful.Unlike traditional civilian pathways, the U.S. Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) can cover the cost of higher education and guarantees a defined career path following graduation, coupled with competitive salaries, extensive benefits, advanced technical training and immediate leadership responsibilities.Cadets can pursue an Army career that aligns with their individual goals by commissioning into the Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard as Officers, the leaders of the Army who are responsible for planning missions, managing resources and guiding teams.Graduation season has always promised new beginnings, but for many recent grads, the hard-earned diploma feels less like a golden ticket and more like an incomplete puzzle. With a tightened job market, scarce entry-level positions and fierce competition, the pressure for young adults to land the "right" role at the beginning of their career has never been greater.For those mired in uncertainty, the U.S. Army offers something increasingly rare in today's market: a clear path forward. From competitive pay and comprehensive benefits to on-the-job training and career development opportunities, the Army provides the stability that many young adults are looking for. At the beginning of their Army journey, young Soldiers build experience in a wide range of fields, develop transferable skills and can even pursue new career paths over time — all while gaining financial security and leadership experience early on.The U.S. Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) can cover the cost of higher education while providing a defined career path after graduation.One path to Army service is through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). Offered at more than 1,000 college campuses nationwide and producing about 60% of all Active Duty Officers, ROTC helps Cadets invest in their future by easing the cost of college, all while building the skills needed to become the next generation of leaders in the Army and beyond. After graduation, ROTC Cadets walk away with a reliable job and immediate leadership responsibilities, as they commission into the Army, Army Reserve or Army National Guard as Officers.The following list represents just a few of the many choosing this path — from twin brothers who are extending their family's tradition of service, to a father obtaining the degree he always wanted, to a rising senior with her eyes on a career in healthcare. They all demonstrate how Army service can transform uncertainty into opportunity:Twin brothers, 2nd Lts. Alex and Luke Rogers, continue their family's legacy of service2nd Lts. Luke and Alex Rogers knew from an early age that Army service could help shape their futures and provide a deeper sense of purpose. Inspired by their father, who participated in ROTC at Florida State University before serving in the Army, they chose to apply for ROTC scholarships at the University of Kansas — a decision that would help them pursue higher education while lowering the cost of college.For both brothers, ROTC provided more than just tuition assistance. As a high school football and track athlete, Alex says, "I immediately fell in love with it," finding that the program mirrored the teamwork he found in sports, and offered structure, accountability and a close-knit community of like-minded Cadets. Luke notes that the experience strengthened his self-belief, saying, "I've gained a lot of confidence in myself through ROTC. I am a better public speaker and more physically fit (because of the experience)."At KU, Alex followed his passion for health and fitness by earning a degree in exercise science on a pre-physical therapy track, while Luke majored in electrical engineering, earning several accolades along the way, including the Outstanding Senior Award, where he was recognized by faculty as the top student in his class. Outside of the classroom, both brothers took full advantage of their ROTC opportunities, including morning physical training (PT) with their unit and participating in specialized Army training, including Airborne School, where they were trained in parachute jumps, and Air Assault School, where they focused on helicopter insertion, rappelling and sling-load operations. Alex also completed the Sapper Leader Course, a rigorous program that teaches advanced combat tactics, demolitions and mountaineering, which he describes as one of the most demanding, yet rewarding, times of his ROTC journey.After graduating from KU in May 2026, their commissioning paths reflect the various ways ROTC Cadets can serve. Luke has commissioned into the Kansas Army National Guard while he pursues a master's degree in radar systems, allowing him to advance his education while serving part-time and making a direct impact on his community. Alex commissioned as an Active Duty Infantry Officer (11A), where he will lead Soldiers in offensive and defensive operations when they are in the field, while pursuing his strength and conditioning certificate.Cadet Madeline Dively forges her path to a healthcare careerOriginally from Pine Bush, New York, Cadet Madeline Dively knew that she wanted to become a nurse. What she did not initially envision was a career that would allow her to practice healthcare while serving in the Army. That possibility first came into focus during her freshman year at the University of Kentucky, when an ROTC recruiter invited her to the Cadet orientation, also known as Zero Week, where she made a spontaneous decision to join the program. When she was offered a scholarship at the end of her first semester, she fully committed."It was very out of the blue," she says, "but once I pictured it in my future and saw how many opportunities it would bring to me, I was completely sold."Cadet Madeline Dively knew from an early age that she wanted to be a nurse, and when she arrived at college, she realized the vast opportunities of an Army healthcare career.Balancing a rigorous nursing curriculum with ROTC duties is demanding, but what sustains her is the tight-knit community she has with her fellow Cadets. "It's nice to have someone who understands both nursing and ROTC," she says of the bond that she shares with the three other nursing majors in her ROTC class. She has also received invaluable mentorship from a local Brigade Nurse who meets with her each semester and helps her navigate the ins and outs of Army nursing.But perhaps Dively's most notable transformation has been in developing her leadership and confidence. What started as a reluctance to be in the front of a room has evolved into her naturally stepping into leadership roles, including serving as a platoon sergeant her sophomore year and leading the unit's PT profile."Who I thought I was capable of becoming has completely expanded," she says. "One day it clicked, and I didn't even realize I was doing it."Now entering her senior year, she plans to commission into the Army after graduation and combine her love of nursing with the adventure of serving her country. If she could share one piece of advice with someone just starting out, she says, "You're going to be scared, but you just have to do it. Before you know it, you'll be on the other side and a completely new person."2nd Lt. Juan Loera Rogers discovers his purpose and path to leadershipAs he neared the end of his high school career, 2nd Lt. Juan Loera Rogers was seeking direction and stability, and with only a month until graduation, he made the decision to enlist in the Army as a Carpentry and Masonry Specialist (12W). As the first Soldier in his family, he says, "I wanted to challenge myself, and create a better future not only for myself, but for my family. Becoming a first-generation Soldier was something that gave me a strong sense of purpose and pride."While in the Army, Loera Rogers took advantage of countless leadership and training opportunities, including Air Assault School, Sapper Leader Course, and, perhaps most notably, the grueling U.S. Army Ranger School, where candidates are trained in small-unit tactics, mountaineering, reconnaissance and waterborne operations. He recalls, "I really leaned on my people, and that's where the basis of my leadership skills came from. Those moments when I was leading a platoon as a 20-year-old Sergeant gave me the confidence that I could lead anybody through anything."After serving in the Army for several years, 2nd Lt. Juan Loera Rogers utilized the Army's Green to Gold program to earn his degree and become an Officer.Wanting to further his career, Loera Rogers explored the possibility of earning a degree through the Army's Green to Gold program, a scholarship designed for enlisted Soldiers to earn a higher education degree while serving as Cadets in their chosen school's ROTC program. Upon graduation, they commission back into the Army as Officers. He was accepted into the program and earned a bachelor's degree in applied management from Grand Canyon University in May 2026.Now, as he prepares for his new role as an Army Officer, Loera Rogers has his eyes set on building a sense of belonging and camaraderie within his unit. He is also continuing to challenge himself physically, including through CrossFit. For students who may be in the same position he once was — uncertain about the future but ready for something more — Loera Rogers offers direct advice. "Take that leap," he says. "I know it's daunting, but just three to four years can change the trajectory of your life forever."2nd Lt. Josey Arbogast continues a family legacy while finding her voiceAlthough she grew up in an Army family, 2nd Lt. Josey Arbogast arrived at Coastal Carolina University wanting to forge her own path. Throughout her freshman year, she made friends while doing well in school and pursuing a degree in physics, but something was missing. "I just felt very unfulfilled," she says. "I wasn't serving a common purpose or common goal."That summer, Arbogast made the decision to try ROTC and quickly found what she was looking for. "I loved it," she says. "The other Cadets became some of my best friends, and everybody was working towards the same purpose, which was really fulfilling."Her studies benefited, as well. "The busier I was, the better I did with school. Whenever I had a second, I would get on top of my homework, and I think it helped a lot with my relationships with my professors." Wanting to serve a common purpose, 2nd Lt. Josey Arbogast (far right) notes that her ROTC experience not only fulfilled her, but also gave her the skills to motivate and lead others.ROTC accelerated Arbogast's leadership development, moving her from quiet observer to instructor within just a few years. By senior year, she was designing and teaching coursework to fellow Cadets. Through programs like Leader Challenge — an experiential learning initiative that originated at the United States Military Academy — she helped Cadets examine real scenarios from Army leaders and brought them firsthand insight into how critical decisions are made under pressure.Arbogast's most meaningful growth came from a personal realization. Early in her ROTC journey, her instinct was to direct and react. Over time, she discovered the power of genuine listening. By pausing to understand her peers' backgrounds, concerns and motivations rather than simply telling them what to do, she fundamentally transformed her leadership approach.Following graduation in May 2026, she is now preparing to begin her career as an Active Duty Logistics Officer (90A), with the goal to eventually become a Space Operations Officer.2nd Lt. Ryan Sanders finds stability and camaraderie through serviceDuring the uncertainty of COVID-19, 2nd Lt. Ryan Sanders enlisted in the Army as a Combat Engineer (12B) to provide stability and support for his young family. At 27, he had already developed a strong foundation of adaptability and resilience, but he says, "The Army pushed me to become mentally and physically stronger, placing me in the best shape of my life while also teaching me that age is only a number."His age did not slow him down, and he quickly moved through challenging Army training programs, including Ranger School, Air Assault School, Airborne School and Sapper Leader Course. But his most transformative experience came through the Green to Gold program, which made it possible for him to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from his dream school, Texas Christian University.While attending Texas Christian University through the Green to Gold program, 2nd Lt. Ryan Sanders (far right) helped lead the school's Ranger Challenge team to a historic finish. At TCU, Sanders excelled academically while continuing to pursue high-level Army training as a member of the Ranger Challenge team, an elite group of Cadets who compete against other schools' ROTC programs in a variety of skills, including land navigation, physical fitness and casualty care. In 2025, for the first time in school history, TCU advanced to the international Sandhurst Competition at West Point, a grueling two-day event that tests the most elite squads from around the world. This year, the team went back-to-back and placed in the top 20, a testament to their dedication and teamwork. "The morale and camaraderie were always there," Sanders reflects. "We didn't get there because just one guy showed up."After graduating in May 2026, Sanders continues to live by the philosophy of relying on your team — a belief that is more important than ever as he begins his career as an Infantry Officer (11A). For him, his leadership is rooted in the responsibility Soldiers have to one another. "You have to lean so much on the men and women to your left and right to ensure that everybody comes home," he says. "You're not focusing on yourself; you're focusing on the people around you."To find out more about ROTC and the career opportunities available in the Army, visit GoArmy.com.
	Forest Service and state of South Dakota sign agreement to work together on forest management A May 2024 view of the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. (Photo by Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)The U.S. Forest Service announced Friday that it has signed a five-year agreement to work with the state of South Dakota to carry out projects on national forest and adjacent land, possibly including timber harvesting, prescribed burning, forest thinning, grazing, and habitat and watershed restoration. Meanwhile, a former national forest employee said he suspects the agreement will allow the Forest Service to lean more on the state’s help to maintain logging levels. The shared stewardship agreement is between the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Forest Service. It follows similar agreements in other states and comes after President Donald Trump’s executive order last year calling for an “immediate expansion” of American timber production. Following the initial five-year term, the agreement may be extended in increments of three years. It does not authorize any project by itself. Specific projects involving money, services, property or other resources would require separate agreements and approvals. window.addEventListener("message", function(event) { var message = JSON.parse(event.data); if (message.sender == "Flourish" && message.context == "iframe.resize") { src = message.src.replace(/#.+$/, ""); vizFrame = document.querySelector('iframe[src="' + src + '"]'); vizFrame.setAttribute('height', message.height); } }); Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a press release the agreement is meant to align state and federal priorities, including work to reduce wildfire threats and address insect and disease outbreaks. “With this agreement, we are aligning federal and state priorities to accelerate active management in high risk areas,” Schultz said. Gov. Larry Rhoden said in the press release that the agreement reinforces the state’s collaboration with the Forest Service to “reduce wildfire risk, improve rangeland health, and support the state’s forest products industry.” Dave Mertz, a retired Black Hills National Forest natural resource officer, said in an interview with South Dakota Searchlight that he suspects the agreement’s purpose is to maintain or increase timber production by relying more on the state. The Trump administration fired thousands of Forest Service workers nationwide during Department of Government Efficiency cuts last year, although lawsuits resulted in rehirings. “I’m suspicious that the primary reason for it is to help the Forest Service get more trees cut,” Mertz said. In recent years, a debate has raged about the quantity of trees large enough to serve as sawtimber in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest. Environmental and conservation groups have argued that decades of mountain pine beetle infestations and large wildfires have reduced the number of trees to a level that requires reduced logging for sustainability. Timber companies have argued that the forest can sustain a higher level of logging. The Forest Service determines areas available for logging and sells the rights to cut trees. Timber sales in the Black Hills National Forest declined from 2021 to 2024 but increased last year. The roughly 8.4 million cubic feet of timber sold last year in the forest was still far lower than a peak of 25.3 million sold in 2008. south-dakota-shared-stewardship-agreement A new stewardship agreement between the state of South Dakota and the U.S. Forest Service. Courtesy of South Dakota Searchlight
	Davenport releases name of man who died in North Park Manor fire The fire department has not yet determined a cause for the May 22 fire, but does not believe it was intentional.
	Officials identify victim of fatal Davenport apartment fire 50-year-old Jason Wold died after a fire broke out on the 1400 block of East 39th Street around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, May 22.
	Trump's name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules The judge wrote in his 94-page ruling that it was "crystal clear" that the arts complex was named for the late president John F. Kennedy. He also ruled that the center could not wind down its programming and close for two years of renovations – at least for now
	NJ lawmakers advance bill to make basic emergency services ‘essential’ Lawmakers in New Jersey advance a measure that would require towns to ensure residents have access to basic life-support services, just as they do with police and firefighting. (Photo/New Jersey Monitor.)Legislation to require all towns in New Jersey to provide basic emergency services — the same way they must now ensure residents have police, firefighting and sanitation services — is moving forward in the State Legislature. The Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee on Friday approved the bill which defines basic life support as care provided by a state-licensed entity that includes stabilizing a patient, transporting that person to a hospital, providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, controlling bleeding, stabilizing fractures or wounds and other techniques. “This bill simply makes the law match what common sense already tells every taxpayer and every parent who has ever dialed 911,” said Chief Kevin Beyrouty, a leader with the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, which represents firefighters, emergency medical technicians and emergency dispatchers and supports the proposal. The legislation, first introduced by Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (D-Burlington) last fall, passed with three yes votes and two abstentions from the Republican members of the committee. Antwan McClellan (Cape May) and Paul Kanitra (Ocean) cited concerns raised by EMS volunteers that the legislation, as drafted, would make it hard for their teams to continue to serve their communities. Murphy, a member of the committee, said she wants volunteers included in the scope of the legislation and said she was working with various stakeholders on amendments, but wanted to advance the bill Thursday so it can be done before lawmakers break for the summer. A companion version, with bipartisan sponsorship, is also undergoing changes in the Senate, she said, where it cleared one committee in March. “It is the idea of being able to ensure that people have access to healthcare, access to medical care and EMS service as well. And the best way to do that is to make sure our volunteers are part of that,” Murphy said. Murphy’s bill now moves to the Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee. Advocates for the measure said it is needed to strengthen an increasingly fragile emergency response system, a patchwork of volunteer and paid squads associated with fire departments, hospitals and private companies. There were around 400 volunteer rescue squads in the early 2000s, Beyrouty said, and less than half that many today. To meet the bill requirements, municipalities could contract with a licensed company or non-profit entity, enter an agreement with a hospital of fire department, or create a mutual aid pact with another town or with other communities in a region. The Public Safety Committee also approved a bill calling for the state Department of Health to create a statewide emergency medical services plan. The proposal calls for the state to assess the level of EMS services available in each community and create a coordinated statewide plan with goals for improvement, performance metrics and timelines for reporting data. There was no debate and the measure passed with unanimous support. The bill, which was approved by the Health Infrastructure Committee in January, now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of New Jersey Monitor
	Officials identify man killed in apartment building fire Officials said the man was found dead inside an apartment.
	Former McCausland city clerk sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for theft, forgery Sheila Bosworth pleaded guilty to first-degree theft, misconduct and forgery and was tied to more than $63,000 in improper spending during her time in office.
	Line wrapped around the block to get into sold-out Phoebe Bridgers pop-up show at Raccoon Motel Venue officials handed out 120 wristbands and had to turn the rest of the line away.
	River Bend Food Bank to receive 40,000 pound donation as part of America250 initiative A semi truck loaded with up to 40,000 pounds of food and cleaning supplies will arrive at the food bank on June 3, according to a news release.
	The graduation gift that actually gets used every day (BPT) - Looking for gift ideas for graduates that won't just end up in a drawer? You could opt for a gift card, but it's a lot more fun to choose something you can wrap, and that you know will be used and appreciated! Today's high school or college grad needs a fast, efficient wireless charger, which is a must-have to keep today's vital electronic devices up and running whenever they need them.When you're shopping for a high-quality wireless charger, it's super important to make sure you're getting the real deal. Look for devices indicated as Qi Certified (pronounced "chee"), which means they meet the world's leading standard for ensuring wireless charging works smoothly and efficiently — no matter what brand's products they're used with.Why gift a wireless charger?Chances are, your grad is tired of scrambling for cables, fumbling to plug in devices in dark or small spaces — or wearing out the port in their gadgets with constant plugging in. Wireless charging with devices built to today's updated Qi2 standard provide one clean charging setup with minimal cords, less fuss and minimal mess.With a wireless charger, your grad can charge their compatible phone, smartwatch and earbuds all at once, without worrying about tangled cables. Wireless chargers also come in a wide variety of designs to meet specific needs, wherever and however they'll be used.Best yet, Qi2 Certified chargers employ magnetic attachment between a Qi2-enabled phone and charger for the perfect charging alignment, every time. Simply drop your phone on the charger and you'll feel the click as the devices lock together.Help keep your grad's phone and other devices from conking out on them with one of these thoughtful gifts that will make every day easier and less cluttered.1. Acefast Speaker Wireless Charger K10 Air The K10 Air is not just a charger: It's a speaker, a stand and a Qi2 25W charging station rolled into one. Acefast features two wireless charging areas: 25W for your phone and 3W for earbuds. There's also music-synced RGB lighting and roughly 10 hours of speaker battery life. For a desk piece that does more than just charge your phone, this is worth a look.2. Prodigee MagChill Station Prodigee, known for its stylish phone cases and MagSafe accessories, is entering the Qi2 25W charging space with the MagChill Station. It's built with a unique gooseneck design to allow for easy customized positioning. Prodigee's products typically feature clean industrial design, premium materials and a focus on the Apple ecosystem.3. Ku Xiu (KUXIU) S4 Power Bank The KUXIU S4 is a 10,000mAh power bank with Qi2.2 25W wireless charging and a standout feature: a semi-solid-state battery cell. The aluminum alloy body helps with heat dissipation and gives it a premium feel. There's a TFT display showing real-time battery health, temperature, remaining capacity and charging power. A built-in foldable stand lets you prop up your phone hands-free while it charges. KUXIU says it can hit 58% charge in about 20 minutes.4. AC Island 5-in-1 Qi2 25W Charger AC Island's foldable 5-in-1 charging station is designed for travelers who want one device to rule them all. It wirelessly charges your iPhone at up to 25W, handles Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, and includes USB-C and USB-A ports for wired charging of other devices. The whole thing folds down to a compact size, and it ships with a 65W GaN adapter and a travel case. On Amazon, it has solid reviews for build quality and magnet strength.5. AUKEY MagFusion Z PlusThis versatile 3-in-1 wireless charger station charges iPhones, Apple watches and Airpods all at once. Both Qi2.2 Certified and MFW compatible, it comes in an ultra slim 17.5mm foldable design, along with a strong magnetic force so you'll know when your device is connected. This 2024 Reddot winner for outstanding design and innovation offers 25W fast wireless charging, giving users a compact, efficient solution for simultaneous powering while saving space and eliminating cables.These are just a few of the options for wireless chargers that you can choose from. Interested in a specific brand? Virtually all major wireless charger brands today produce Qi2 Certified wireless chargers, including Belkin, Anker and Baseus, to name a few. Qi Certified cell phones include iPhone, Samsung and Google Pixel.You can ensure you're getting a Qi Certified charger for the grad on your list by examining the box and/or charger for the Qi or Qi2 logo. Buying online? Check the product's wireless specifications for Qi certification first. If in doubt or you can't find the logo, check the Wireless Power Consortium website for their database of Qi Certified devices.
	$40M in federal health grants available to help rural hospitals upgrade equipment A couple smile at an ultrasound screen. (Photo by Maskot/Getty Images)The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday $40 million in new grants for updating clinical equipment for rural hospitals through the Rural Health Transformation Program. The new grants, part of the state’s $200 million allocation in 2026 from the passage of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year, must go to rural critical access or emergency hospitals or outpatient care units in rural areas. The funding can be used to purchase equipment that specializes in advanced imaging, emergency stabilization tools and surgical, obstetric and oncology technology. “When hospitals have the tools they need locally, patients and families spend less time traveling for care and communities are better positioned to remain healthy and strong,” said interim HHS Commissioner Pat Traynor in a news release. The department said it anticipates dividing the funds into 20 awards of about $2 million each. Traynor said the awards will allow local health care units to provide better service, closer to people’s homes. Some projects covered by the grants could include purchases of: MRI, CT scan and ultrasound equipment. Emergency and trauma stabilization tools. Surgical and minimally invasive procedure technology. Labor and delivery and neonatal equipment. Cardiology and respiratory care systems. Rehabilitation and post-acute care equipment. Oncology treatment technology. Infection prevention and patient safety systems. A full list of eligible projects for the grant funding can be found on the HHS website. A technical assistance call for interested applicants will be held at noon June 8 with HHS officials. Applications for the new grants are due June 30. Courtesy of North Dakota Monitor
	89,000-pound bridge section hoisted over rail lines Friday morning Train traffic was stopped as a massive piece of Main Street Landing’s pedestrian bridge was put in place Friday morning.
	Augustana Prison Education Program celebrates 10 graduates during commencement ceremony “If I wasn’t a writer, I wouldn’t have been able to push past my limits to get here,” Justin Dismuke said while giving the student commencement address.
	4 Your Money \| Stay in May or Go Away? There is an old Wall Street expression — “Sell in May and Go Away”. Nate Kreinbrink, Financial Planner at NelsonCorp Wealth Management, explains the history behind that phrase and shares if investors should be selling right now.
	Sterling man arrested, charged with battery, home invasion A Sterling man is in the Whiteside County Jail after police charged him with burglary, home invasion and battery. A news release from the Sterling Police Department said officers responded to a 911 call of a woman screaming in the 500 block of West 5th Street on May 28 at about 10:36 p.m. When officers [...]
	President Trump announces support for Iowa Rep. Feenstra in race for governor President Donald Trump announced his support on social media Friday for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra in the Iowa Republican primary race for governor.
	Measles, whooping cough spike amid low vaccination rates A University of Utah clinic in Salt Lake City displays a sign warning about measles last year. Utah is among the states that already has more measles cases in 2026 than in all of 2025, when cases reached the highest annual level since 1991. (Photo by McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch)Vaccine hesitancy fed by misinformation is causing new surges of measles and whooping cough, while COVID-19 hotspots persist in some states and a new threat looms from an Ebola outbreak in central Africa. Nationally there have been 1,983 measles cases this year, nearly the 2,288 total for all of 2025, which in itself was the worst year since 1991, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday. Halfway through the year, 12 states and the District of Columbia already have more measles cases than they did for a full year in 2025. That’s true for South Carolina and Utah, where cases are already more than double last year, and also for states such as Florida, which has 139 cases so far compared with eight in 2025, and Virginia, which already has 63 compared with six in all of 2025. States that once led in child vaccination fall as they expand exemptions South Carolina, the state with the highest number of cases this year at 669, declared an end in April to an outbreak that was the nation’s largest in 35 years. The outbreak in the northwestern part of the state was centered in Spartanburg County, where religious exemptions to vaccination have spiked. The Utah outbreak, which began in the Short Creek area on the Utah/Arizona border, where vaccination rates are low, has generated 484 cases this year and is now slowing, said Dr. Andrew Pavia, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Utah, speaking at a May 26 briefing for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Dozens of measles patients have been hospitalized with serious symptoms such as brain inflammation or pneumonia, he said, and one baby developed life-threatening congenital measles during pregnancy but survived, he said. The national increases signal that the U.S. will certainly lose the measles elimination status it gained in 2000, Pavia said, in a determination due this fall. “Most state public health departments are stretched very, very thin, limiting their ability to contain measles. Anti-vaccine rhetoric has made this all the more difficult,” Pavia said. He referred to $11 billion in federal funding cuts to local public health last year that were delayed by a restraining order when states sued. The case is in settlement negotiations, according to court records. The Trump administration cited a “non-existent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago” in the funding cuts, but COVID-19 is still causing more than 1,000 deaths a month and wastewater surveillance still shows hotspots in the Appalachian region and some other states, including Michigan. Whooping cough is also on the rise with Ohio and Florida most affected. Deaths last year were at the highest level, 22, since 2010, according to the latest CDC WONDER provisional statistics. Local health officials prepare for influx of World Cup fans “The rising number of deaths from whooping cough, including among infants, is a reminder of the vital importance of vaccination,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a pediatrician and professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore who follows whooping cough trends. “Families who follow public health guidance on vaccination and other precautions can avoid a needless tragedy,” Sharfstein said. Louisiana was accused of unusual delays in reporting a whooping cough outbreak last year that claimed at least two lives. Shortly after the deaths were reported, the state ended promotion of vaccines and vaccination events. At least three babies died in Kentucky last year along with at least one in Oregon. Unvaccinated people are like fuel for the wildfire of disease outbreaks, said Pavia, of the University of Utah, in his remarks. “Until we can restore faith in vaccines and restore funding for our public health agencies and increase measles vaccine coverage, we have to anticipate that there will be many more outbreaks, and some of these may blow up into very large conflagrations,” Pavia said. Meanwhile the Trump administration announced a new quarantine center in Kenya opening Friday, May 29, for Americans exposed to the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The move was criticized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America in a statement, saying the decision to send exposed Americans to Kenya “raises serious questions about resources, timing and the level of care Americans sent there will receive.” On Ebola, a May 22 CDC directive prohibited United States entry of non-citizens who had been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or nearby Uganda or South Sudan, in the previous 21 days. The disease has killed 224 people in that region, and there are more than 900 suspected cases. Stateline reporter Tim Henderson can be reached at thenderson@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Stateline
	Co-founder of Wichita private school contending for Iowa GOP’s gubernatorial nomination Zach Lahn, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Iowa, has a significant association with Kansas as co-founder of a Wichita school in 2018 and as a registered voter in the state until 2024. His "Iowa First" platform will be put to a test Tuesday in the primary election. In this image from April 2, 2026, Lahn chats at opening of his West Des Moines campaign headquarters. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)TOPEKA — Private school founder, farmer and businessman Zach Lahn is running an insurgent Republican campaign for governor in Iowa. The former Kansan has labeled this outsider bid as an “Iowa First” campaign. He’s opposed abortion and high taxes, but defended gun rights, school vouchers and religious freedom. He told Iowa voters he admired President Donald Trump’s tenacious fight against the political establishment. “I told my wife many times, if I ever ran for anything, the only thing I’d ever want to run for was governor,” Lahn said. Lahn grew up near Sioux City, Iowa, graduated from University of Colorado in Boulder, worked for Montana and Colorado congressmen, served as Montana director of Americans for Prosperity and as an AFP fundraiser, and bought a Belle Plaine, Iowa, farm previously owned by relatives. He launched an unorthodox school in Wichita and voted in Kansas elections in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 cycles. Lahn’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment about why he chose to run for governor in Iowa rather than Kansas or questions raised by the Iowa Democratic Party about his close ties to Kansas and decision in 2024 to transfer his voter registration to Iowa. Lahn has stood out among Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial candidates by denouncing lobbyists, corporations and organizations with outsized influence on politics. He’s not been shy about criticizing Democrats and Republicans responsible for blocking public policy reform. “I’m fighting the ‘Uni-party.’ Both sides have been bought off in many ways,” he said. Lahn is on the Tuesday primary ballot with U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former Iowa Department of Administrative Services director Adam Steen. The Democratic nominee will be Iowa state Auditor Rob Sand, who is running unopposed. For the first time since 2006, an incumbent Iowa governor won’t be on the ballot. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, with one of the lowest approval ratings in the country, didn’t seek reelection. Populist approach Michael Smith, a political science professor at Emporia State University, said old-school political theory dictated gubernatorial candidates had to be rooted in a state’s political infrastructure and local community life to be relevant. That changed as Trump assumed control of GOP politics and showed how firebrand conservatives, including those without prior experience in public office, might find a lane to run, he said. “It’s all different now,” said Smith, who indicated Lahn could be a beneficiary of that shift. “He’s trying to be his own kind of populist.” Lahn created momentum for his candidacy by loaning the campaign $2 million and using that cash to fill the airwaves with television advertising. After working for Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group associated with founders of Koch Industries, Lahn moved to Wichita to launch the unconventional private school named Wonder. The pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school opened in 2018 on the campus of Wichita State University. It was financed by Chase Koch, the son of billionaire Charles Koch, and Chase Koch’s wife at the time, Annie Koch. Annie Koch and Lahn subsequently divorced their spouses and were married. They have seven children in a blended family and the kids have been featured in campaign materials. Kansas voter registration records show Zach Lahn voted in Kansas with a provisional ballot in November 2018, in-person at a Sedgwick County polling place in November 2020 and with an advance ballot in the August 2022 primary. Zach Lahn registered to vote in Iowa on Oct. 17, 2024. Transferring his registration at that time allowed him to meet the state’s two-year residency requirement for a run for governor in 2026. Jennifer Konfrst, a professor of journalism and strategic political communication at Drake University in Des Moines, said there was potential for Lahn’s “Iowa First” campaign slogan to come across as disingenuous among voters aware of his lengthy presence in Kansas. Iowa voters appreciate the life history of candidates, she said, but some dig deeper into whether a candidate’s staff came from Iowa or Washington, D.C. “Being from here matters,” said Konfrst, a Democratic member of the Iowa House not seeking reelection. “It’s not unimportant that somebody who wants to be governor of Iowa isn’t from here.” Kansas connections In July 2024, according to Sedgwick County’s register of deeds, Annie Lahn purchased a home in Kechi near Wichita and declared on mortgage documents it was her primary residence. One year after acquiring the property, Zach and Annie Lahn sold the home to an LLC for $1. Business records filed with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office identified the LLC’s “authorized person” as Wichita resident Mikaela Ledbetter, who made a modest donation in December 2025 to Zach Lahn’s campaign for governor. Less than two weeks after the transaction in July 2025, Annie Lahn registered to vote in Belle Plaine, Iowa. Zach Lahn and his previous wife, Lauren, had purchased that Belle Plaine homestead in 2014. The Des Moines Register reported in April that Zach Lahn flew from Iowa to Wichita in his personal airplane 37 times since Oct. 1, 2025. Zach Lahn told the Register the flights allowed him to be with children that he and his wife had from previous marriages. “I’m trying my best to be present for things,” Zach Lahn told the Register. “I have no worries that we’ll be able to fulfill every duty we need to do on the campaign or as governor.” Zach Lahn told the newspaper he moved from Kansas to Iowa in 2023 and was an official Iowa voter in the 2024 general election and a 2025 local election. Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez seized upon the Register’s reporting to declare Zach Lahn a “Kansas carpetbagger.” “Lahn has been trying to fool Iowa voters since the start of his campaign, thinks he can pay his way to the governor’s mansion with his millions in out-of-state money and spends more time in Wichita than Belle Plaine,” Hernandez said. On campaign trail During the gubernatorial campaign, Zach Lahn has emphasized he was a sixth-generation Iowan with family roots as far back as the Civil War. His campaign has concentrated on restoration of academic achievement in the state’s education system and removal of classroom educators who insisted on advancing personal ideology. “We don’t have a spending problem. We have a quality problem,” Zack Lahn said during a GOP forum broadcast by KCCI in Des Moines. He said he would work to preserve Iowa family farms after 10,000 vanished during the past 20 years. He said one-fourth of Iowa land was now owned by out-of-state investors. He proposed raising property taxes on Iowa land held by nonresidents so property taxes for Iowa residents could be lowered. He’s questioned economic development strategies in Iowa that did little to stem the brain drain of youth to other states. Zack Lahn, endorsed by MAHA Action associated with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., made a campaign issue of rising cancer rates in Iowa. He promised to veto any bill granting agricultural chemical companies immunity from lawsuits tied to alleged failure to accurately warn consumers of health risks. “I believe big ag and big pharma have treated our farmers and families as numbers, not neighbors,” Zack Lahn said. Courtesy of Kansas Reflector
	MercyOne North Health Plaza in Clinton closed for remainder of Friday MercyOne North Health Plaza in Clinton is closed for the remainder of Friday, May 29 due to a city sewage issue.
	Nurse sanctioned for identity theft and job abandonment (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Board of Nursing)An Iowa nurse accused of identity theft and job abandonment has had her license placed on probation. State records show that in September 2025, registered nurse Jamie Lyn Jorgensen, 38, of Ankeny, provided her employer with a series of notes, purportedly signed by her physician, to excuse her from work obligations. The notes and signatures were later determined to have been forged, according to the Iowa Board of Nursing. In addition, the board alleges, on Oct. 8, 2025, Jorgensen left her shift at an unspecified care facility without properly notifying a supervisor or having someone to take over the care of her patients. A patient had what the board describes as “an anaphylactic issue” — anaphylaxis typically signals a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction — and the patient was left to treat themselves by self-administering a drug using an EpiPen. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. The board charged Jorgensen with falsifying records related to nursing, committing an act that might adversely affect a patient’s welfare, leaving a nursing assignment without proper notification, and failing to properly safeguard patient medications. In addition to the disciplinary charges, Jorgensen was criminally charged with felony forgery. She later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of identity theft, which resulted in a deferred judgment that will result in the case being expunged from public court records after the successful completion of one year’s probation. To resolve the licensing board charges, Jorgensen recently agreed to a settlement with the Board of Nursing. The agreement stipulates that Jorgensen’s license will be placed on probation for two years, and that she must complete 60 hours of educational training on ethics. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Iowa Capital Dispatch
	Data shows record low compliance from Oregon families with kindergarten vaccine requirements A health care professional picks up a vial of vaccine. The number of Oregon students whose families have filed for nonmedical exemptions from school kindergarten vaccination requirements has risen, state data finds. (Getty Images) A record high number of Oregon kindergartners entered school without required vaccines this year, new state data shows. The Oregon Health Authority released figures on Thursday showing a 10.9% rate of vaccine exemption on nonmedical grounds statewide, compared to 9.7% in the prior school year and 6.9% in the 2021-22 school year. When combined with medical exemptions — children with severe allergies to vaccine ingredients or weakened immune systems because of disease or chemotherapy — the data shows only 85.6% of current kindergarteners are up to date on required vaccines. The data comes as pertussis and measles cases have skyrocketed nationwide in the past year, with 23 cases reported in Oregon in 2026. Health officials say a 93% vaccination rate for measles, mumps and rubella is necessary for herd immunity to prevent outbreaks, but more than one-third of Oregon schools with 10 or more students in K-12 don’t meet that baseline requirement. “Although the vast majority of families in Oregon are still choosing to protect families through vaccination, the downward trends are deeply concerning,” Howard Chiou, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s public health division, said in a statement. “We risk seeing the return of diseases such as measles and polio — diseases of the past that once caused widespread harm but are entirely preventable with vaccines.” Oregon has been on a downward trend for a decade when it comes to the percentage of kindergarten students who are up to date on required vaccines, with the steepest decline happening since the 2021-2022 school year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state health officials. The vaccination most commonly avoided through nonmedical exemptions is the second dose of the measles vaccine, which has seen a more than 90% increase in the rate of exemptions over the past decade. The next least popular vaccination is the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine, known as DTaP. “Even when overall vaccination rates are high at the state or county level, that can sometimes hide significant risk at an individual school, so parents should not assume their local schools will also be well protected,” Chiou said in a statement. “We encourage families to look at the immunization rates for their child’s school to better understand personal and community risks.” All but one of the 23 measles cases identified in Oregon this year involved unvaccinated people or people with unknown vaccination status, while the remaining case was a person who received just one of the two measles vaccine doses. Oregon lawmakers this past legislative session also passed legislation that would make it easier for the state to require health insurance plans to cover vaccinations despite shifting federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state is also a member of the pro-vaccine West Coast Health Alliance, which has rebuked recommendations from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel shaped under the political influence of U.S Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the nation’s most prominent vaccine skeptics. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Courtesy of Oregon Capital Chronicle
	Alaska Legislature votes to improve preparedness and response for stroke, heart attack emergencies A sign, seen July 11, 2025, directs visitors to the entrance of Alaska Regional Hospital entrance and adjacent medical buildings. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)The Alaska Legislature approved a package of legislation aimed at improving the state’s coordination and emergency medical services response for strokes and heart attacks, including prompting school districts to offer CPR training for all Alaska students. Noting Alaska’s unique challenges with geography, transportation and emergency services resources, the bill’s sponsor Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, said the goal of the legislation is to streamline responses to intervene in what’s known as the “golden hour” — the 60 minutes following a traumatic injury or medical event — particularly for strokes and heart attacks. Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, speaks to the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) “The issue is that in Alaska, we do not have a system of care for these time-sensitive emergencies for strokes and heart attacks,” Mina told senators at a May 7 hearing. Lawmakers approved the package, which combined a pair of bills, in the final days of the legislative session by a total vote of 49 to 10, with Rep. Delena Johnson, R-Palmer, abstaining. The combined bill now goes to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for consideration. If approved, the bill would designate strokes and heart attacks to be included in the Alaska Department of Health’s Office of Emergency Services trauma system, and require the state to develop a coordinated system of care with first responders, transport agencies, hospitals and clinics. That includes developing standardized protocols and training for all first responders, establishing statewide guidelines based nationally accredited standards and procedures and communicating a patient’s condition to receiving hospitals or clinics. “There are now best practices and improved technology for addressing severe strokes and heart attacks and designating stroke centers and severe heart attack centers, but no one is coordinating these hospitals, these provider organizations, and communities on improving this care,” Mina said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. In 2022, 744 Alaskans died from trauma, 217 died from strokes and 510 died from cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack, according to data provided by Mina’s office. “At least 41 states have or are finalizing regional or statewide stroke and heart attack protocols to ensure that patients are transported directly to level one stroke centers,” she said. “This bill will help reduce transfer times throughout our state to meet this golden hour, which will in turn help improve outcomes and cost savings to the state.” “We can’t change when a patient arrives at a hospital. We can help improve these workflows to diagnose the case and make this decision-making process more efficient,” she added. The state’s expansion of the trauma system is estimated to cost roughly $250,000, according to a state fiscal note, which includes a new public health specialist position, travel and IT system enhancements. The Alaska Stroke Coalition, Guardian Flight — which provides air and ground ambulance services — and Providence Hospital in Anchorage penned letters of support for the legislation that said improving coordinated, standardized emergency response systems will be a “win-win” for patients and providers. “Even the smallest delays in care can have huge consequences for the person experiencing a stroke,” wrote members of the executive team with the Alaska Stroke Coalition. A stroke is defined by a damage to the brain caused by interruption of blood supply, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes. “Treatment delays of just 15 minutes can mean the difference between leaving the hospital capable of independent living or permanent reliance on others for the activities of daily life,” they wrote. “A third of the patients who experience stroke are under the age of 65 and most of these patients can never return to work, resulting in both a loss of income potential and a significant reliance on medical resources for support,” they noted. “In a state like Alaska where our demographics skew younger, this has a profound impact.” The window of response to heart attacks is equally critical. Another bill added by senators to the legislative package would “encourage” school districts to provide hands-on training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation education, known as CPR, in health education for kindergarten through 12th graders. Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, sponsored the bill. “When administered immediately, CPR can more than triple a person’s chance of survival,” she told lawmakers at a March 23 hearing. Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) “This legislation aims to strengthen health education in our schools by equipping students with the knowledge and the skills that they need to respond effectively in emergencies,” she said, and recalled that CPR has been necessary in the Capitol building more than once. “And those moments lives were saved simply because someone nearby had the training and the confidence to act,” she said. Doug Schrage, fire chief for the Municipality of Anchorage, testified in support of the bill and noted the CPR skills students learn can be applied in school settings or at home. “We know that most cardiac arrests occur in the home and believe a student of any age that has been trained in CPR is likely to be home and can provide lifesaving care. There are many examples where a student has provided CPR in the home,” he said. Survival rates for heart attack are quite low, Schrage noted, but with hands-on CPR chances improve. Jason Dolph, a safety officer with the Anchorage Fire Department, testified to lawmakers about his first day on the job as a firefighter, when he entered a home where no one was trained in CPR. “There was a man laying on the couch, he was gray in color, and around him was about eight family members, and none were performing CPR or attempting any other life-saving measures. And you have to ask yourself, why? Why would a family member not be willing to, or to help, or engage? And it was simply because they didn’t know what to do, no one had ever trained them in CPR. They never had the opportunity,” he said. Dolph said equipping children with the skills and confidence to be responsive bystanders will help improve outcomes. “During my career, I’ve responded to more than 10,000 emergency calls and incidents, and in that time I’ve made this observation that when responders arrive and no bystander is performing CPR, we most often have negative results, despite our best efforts, and despite advancements in medicine,” he said. The bill directs the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to determine which grade levels are required to receive the training and develop the appropriate curriculum, based on evidence-based, national standards. If approved by the governor, the legislation would take effect in July 2027. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Alaska Beacon
	9 pasos para una alimentación saludable para el corazón durante toda la vida (Feature Impact) Más de la mitad de los adultos y alrededor del 60% de los niños en Estados Unidos tienen una alimentación poco saludable, lo que puede contribuir a un aumento de la frecuencia de factores de riesgo para la salud, como la hipertensión y la obesidad, y provocar directamente problemas de salud, incluyendo la muerte por enfermedades crónicas como las enfermedades cardiovasculares. Estos hallazgos provienen de la American Heart Association, una organización global que está transformando el futuro de la salud para todas las personas, la cual publicó su documento “Guía Alimentaria 2026 para Mejorar la Salud Cardiovascular” (“2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health”) en su revista insignia revisada por pares, “Circulation”. en la cual se recomienda que los estadounidenses sigan un patrón de alimentación saludable durante toda la vida que pueda reducir el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares y mejorar la calidad de vida, con base en la evidencia científica más reciente. La declaración describe nueve características clave de un patrón de alimentación saludable para el corazón: Ajustar la ingesta y el gasto de energía para lograr y mantener un peso corporal saludable: intenta equilibrar lo que comes con tu nivel de actividad física para alcanzar y mantener un peso corporal saludable. Consumir una variedad de verduras y frutas: incluya diferentes colores, texturas y tipos de productos frescos. Recuerde que incluso los alimentos enlatados y congelados pueden ser nutritivos y accesibles. Elegir alimentos elaborados principalmente con cereales integrales: los alimentos como el pan integral, el arroz integral y la avena suelen ser mejores opciones que los cereales refinados, incluyendo el pan y el arroz blancos. Elegir fuentes saludables de proteína: sustituya parte del consumo de carne por fuentes vegetales, como legumbres, incluidos frijoles, chícharos y lentejas, junto con nueces y semillas; consuma pescado y mariscos con regularidad; elija productos lácteos bajos en grasa o sin grasa; y, si desea consumir carne roja, prefiera cortes magros, evite las carnes procesadas y limite el tamaño de las porciones. Elegir fuentes de grasas no saturadas: reemplace las grasas saturadas por grasas no saturadas saludables, incluyendo las que provienen de nueces, semillas, aguacates y aceites vegetales no tropicales. Elegir alimentos mínimamente procesados: consuma alimentos cercanos a su estado natural, con una cantidad mínima de ingredientes comerciales añadidos, en lugar de aquellos altamente procesados con aditivos. Minimizar el consumo de azúcares añadidos: limite las bebidas azucaradas que consume y los alimentos con azúcar añadido que ingiere. Elegir alimentos bajos en sodio y prepare los alimentos con poca o nada de sal: considere las fuentes ocultas de sodio en los alimentos preparados y empacados, y sazone sus alimentos con opciones más saludables, como hierbas, especias o limón, en lugar de sal. Si no consume alcohol, no comience; si consume alcohol, limite su ingesta: el alcohol puede aumentar el riesgo de hipertensión y otros problemas de salud, por lo que, si usted no bebe, no empiece a hacerlo. “Para que una alimentación saludable sea más alcanzable y sostenible, recomendamos que las personas se enfoquen en su patrón general de alimentación y no en nutrientes o alimentos específicos”, dijo Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., FAHA, presidenta voluntaria del comité encargado de redactar la declaración científica y científica principal y líder de la Directiva de Dieta y Prevención de Enfermedades Crónicas en el Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging de la Tufts University. “Cada vez que usted decide hacer un cambio por una alternativa más saludable, está dando un paso hacia una vida más saludable”. Aunque la guía actualizada está diseñada específicamente para mejorar la salud cardiovascular, en general es consistente con las recomendaciones alimentarias para otras condiciones, como la diabetes tipo 2, la enfermedad renal, algunos tipos de cáncer y también la salud cerebral, debido a factores de riesgo compartidos, incluyendo la hipertensión, el colesterol elevado, el nivel alto de azúcar en sangre, el exceso de peso y la disminución de la función renal. “Un patrón de alimentación saludable puede favorecer la salud y el bienestar durante toda la vida, más allá de la salud cardiovascular”, afirmó Lichtenstein. Para obtener más información sobre la alimentación para la salud del corazón y del cerebro, visite heart.org/healthydiet y consulte con su proveedor de atención médica sobre lo que puede funcionar mejor para usted. Foto cortesía de Shutterstock
	Main Street Landing bridge reaches milestone over Davenport rail line Crews lifted an 89,000-pound bridge section over active rail tracks Friday, marking a major milestone for Davenport’s Main Street Landing.
	Ready to recall: These meats are behind 40% of USDA food warnings Ready to recall: These meats are behind 40% of USDA food warningsA staggering 37 million pounds of frozen chicken and pork products, much of it ready to eat, is no longer considered safe for consumption after being shipped to retailers, including Trader Joe’s, across the U.S. and exported to Canada and Mexico. Four customers complained about glass shards in the food to the manufacturer, Ajinomoto Foods North America, which issued a recall and alerted regulators at the U.S Department of Agriculture. The federal agency notified the public in February and again about an expanded recall in March.Both recalls remain in effect nationwide, representing two of the USDA’s four active recall alerts in effect. They all share the same culprit: ready-to-eat (RTE) meats, which can be eaten with minimal to no preparation, typically after more intensive processing to kill pathogens and extend their shelf life. Sentient The only other recalls still underway, first announced by the USDA in 2025, involve pieces of metal and wood, respectively, found in BBQ pork jerky produced by meat snack manufacturer LSI, Inc. and chicken corn dog and turkey sticks produced by Foster Farms, California’s largest poultry producer. These recalls are part of a broader pattern of these widely accessible meat products being pulled from shelves, accounting for at least 40% of USDA food safety warnings between 2014 and 2025, according to Sentient’s analysis of public USDA data.It’s easy to see the appeal of RTE meats: cheap, quick, protein-rich foods that can last longer in the fridge or shelves than uncooked meat. They’re the junk food of meat — hot dogs, salami, pâté, jerky, prosciutto, rotisserie chicken — often branded for quick consumption, while serving as an affordable staple of many diets. Yet these products carry an elevated risk for contaminants, foodborne illnesses, and chronic diseases. And the consequences are often severe: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates there are 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses every year in the U.S., resulting in 3,000 annual deaths, with many outbreaks tracing back to RTE meats.Earlier this month, the USDA alerted the public to a Listeria outbreak that may have originated with contaminated pork deli meats, or headcheese, when it was discovered that three people were sick in Illinois. Headcheese — jellied meat molded into a loaf, traditionally eaten cold — has emerged as the most likely source of this outbreak following a positive test result for the pathogen.This is not a surprise to food safety experts because moist environments, which are typical for processing RTE meats, provide ideal conditions for Listeria. “Listeria is one of those bacteria that does really well in what you often see in processing environments. They like the really moist environment,” says Ellen Shumaker, the director of outreach of North Carolina State University Extension’s evidence-based food safety programming.Along with these food safety risks, a growing body of research has linked processed meats, including RTE meats, to chronic health conditions, such as colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. The World Health Organization also classifies processed meats as carcinogenic to humans.Sentient’s analysis highlights the scope of the public health risks as a consequence of RTE meat contamination and other risks introduced in the supply chain.Meat and poultry recalls are typically initiated by the manufacturer notifying the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of the U.S. meat and poultry supply. The USDA investigates the concern, and if verified, issues a public recall notice warning consumers to avoid the affected products. If they are no longer being sold — or when a company refuses to recall the products — the agency instead issues a public health alert. (The USDA’s food safety warnings are limited to meat and poultry, whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates a wider range of food and has a separate process for issuing and communicating recalls.) Sentient Sentient examined 1,163 recalls and public health alerts — which will be collectively referred to as food safety warnings for the sake of simplicity in this article — in order to determine which USDA-regulated meat and poultry products tend to raise concerns. The findings are stark: Perishable RTE meats account for at least 4 in 10 of all of the USDA’s food safety warnings, underscoring the elevated health risks that come with some of the most widely accessible meats.These results are an underestimate because the 40% figure includes only fully cooked, perishable RTE meats. This excludes other RTE meats, including fully shelf-stable meat like jerky and cured meats, that could not be reliably separated out in the USDA data. Still, a clear pattern emerged: RTE meats are a major driver of USDA food safety warnings, most often due to product contamination (pathogens or foreign material, like glass), followed by misbranding, undeclared allergens and products that had not undergone inspection before making it into the U.S. food supply.Sentient did not receive a response from either the USDA or Ajinomoto Foods to its request for comment before publication.Not Exactly Safe to Consume Without CookingAlthough RTE meats are, by the USDA’s definition, “edible without additional preparation to achieve food safety,” Sentient’s analysis of food recalls and public health alerts — contributing to a growing body of evidence on the health risks of highly processed meats — shows that this promise of safety can be compromised. And the USDA acknowledges that RTE meat is susceptible to bacterial, physical and chemical contamination “as a result of the different ingredients and process steps these products may undergo.”A high number of recalls due to bacterial contamination in RTE meats didn’t come as a surprise to Donald Schaffner, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University. Bacterial contaminants, like Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli, can result in severe health complications and even death to immunocompromised and high-risk groups, prompting Schaffner to urge caution while browsing the deli counter.A bit of cooking can go a long way in reducing the risks posed by RTE meats by killing off potentially dangerous bacteria, he advises. According to the FDA, RTE meats should be heated up to 165 F to eliminate bacteria. “I would say, if you’re planning on eating raw deli meats, you shouldn’t, if you’re immunocompromised, just to be safe,” says Schaffner. He would also extend this advice to other RTE meats, like hot dogs and luncheon meats.“If you really have a hankering, you know, for a bologna sandwich, maybe make a fried bologna sandwich.”The CDC recommends that pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems avoid unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and meat spreads. But even people outside of these high-risk groups may still want to avoid or reheat this type of meat, given that foodborne illnesses, like listeriosis (the disease caused by bacteria Listeria), can still cause intense and draining symptoms of fever, diarrhea and muscle aches in healthy people.Pâté, a spreadable paste made from minced meat, was behind a recent, fatal Listeria outbreak in France. As of mid-March, there had been 12 illnesses and two fatalities after the individuals had eaten pâté en croûte, a French charcuterie dish with ground meat encased in a bakery crust, sold by Drôme Ardèche Tradition. In the U.S., a severe Listeria outbreak in 2024 linked to Boar’s Head’s liverwurst pâté and other deli meats resulted in ten deaths and 59 hospitalizations.Most food labels don’t mention the risk of eating RTE meats without reheating, particularly for vulnerable groups. “There was a big to-do around putting labels on raw meats, saying that it has to be cooked,” Schaffner says, referring to a 2016 rule. “And the industry pushed back on that for years.” He suspects that industry pushback is similar to why RTE meat products don’t include any advice on heating them prior to consumption, or warnings for vulnerable groups. Sentient Food Safety Concerns With the Trump AdministrationJust before Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, the USDA released initial findings from an investigation into a 2024 Listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats. The agency concluded that “inadequate sanitation practices” contributed to the outbreak, noting that a fan was “blowing condensate directly on products” in the plant’s RTE meat section.A couple of weeks later, the Trump administration fired USDA General Inspector Phyllis K. Fong, who had served in this role since 2002 and was responsible for ordering the investigation.This was the beginning of a drastic restructuring of the USDA. The mass firing of employees and the appointment of meat industry affiliates to top food safety positions have prompted concerns about the agency’s compromised regulatory capacity.In a move backed by meat industry associations, the USDA recently proposed increasing line speeds in meat processing plants, which would reduce the time inspectors have to identify and discard meat that could be contaminated. Adding to concerns, the administration dissolved two advisory committees that had been helping steer the USDA’s strategies to decrease some of the worst risks to food safety, including microbial contamination.One of those committees, the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, was first established by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1988. It was “charged with answering big questions that FDA and USDA had around microbial food safety,” says Ben Chapman, department head of agriculture and human sciences at North Carolina State University. Chapman was appointed to the committee in 2023 and served until it was abruptly dissolved in March 2025.“We were then told that the advisory committee was being disbanded and our work was essentially done,” says Chapman, who was part of a subgroup that had just finished drafting safety recommendations on infant formula when this news came. “There’s been really important reports that have come out of this [committee],” he says, including on reducing the risk of Salmonella throughout the poultry supply chain.These concerns, though not directly correlated to Sentient’s analysis, prompt questions about the USDA’s ability to detect health and safety issues in meat before entering stores.Based on the agency’s own data, the USDA alerted the public about a total of 71.4 million pounds of meat and poultry recalled in 2025, more than the past six years combined. Almost all of the meat and poultry recalled between 2014 and 2025, 94%, were categorized as a Class I risk, defined as a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”Last year also saw a sharp uptick in complaints to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service about meat and poultry concerns, which prompted some of the recalls, according to a recent USDA report.What Makes RTE Meats Higher Risk?So, what exactly is it about RTE meat that makes it more prone to contamination and other food safety concerns? It’s typically related to the production process, though risks can also be introduced through improper storage, cross-contamination in retail stores and a wide range of hazards throughout the supply chain, up until it is sold as “ready-to-eat.”In the case of Listeria, which resulted in four USDA recalls and six public health alerts in 2025, these meats are processed in the ideal conditions for this bacterium to grow.“A big reason that we see high rates of recalls associated with RTE meats is you’re often seeing those associated with Listeria monocytogenes,” says Shumaker. And Listeria risk doesn’t stop at production, but continues even after it’s packaged and refrigerated. “One of the really difficult parts about Listeria is that it actually grows at refrigerated temperatures,” says Shumaker.Beyond disease-causing pathogens, unintended materials, like rocks and glass, could accidentally be introduced during RTE meats processing — in fact these materials were the top reason for USDA food recalls in 2025, accounting for almost all of the 71.4 million pounds recalled. Processing plants for meat and poultry are typically required to have procedures in place to mitigate this risk, but it can be hard to fully eliminate. The foreign object contaminants often stem from broken manufacturing machinery.“When we’re seeing things like metal pieces, or maybe something like glass, that’s where we might see some breakdown in actual machinery that’s being used,” says Shumaker. In the case of Ajinomoto Foods, the glass originated with carrots produced by another company and mixed into their RTE chicken products, according to the USDA warning — an example of how multiple processing steps can introduce more opportunities for risk along the supply chain.That said, Shumaker also notes that an increase in food recalls doesn’t always indicate an increase in risk; it could also indicate a greater capacity to detect risk.“We’re getting better technology at identifying these things, and I think overall,” she says. “Companies are finding ways to be more proactive in terms of identifying food and getting it off the marketplace quicker.”MethodsSentient accessed USDA data on recalls and public health alerts (PHAs) via the USDA recall API. After removing duplicate records in Spanish, 1,163 food safety warnings were identified, including 1,010 recalls and 153 PHAs issued between 2014 and 2025. Recall extensions were included as part of its original recall. They were then grouped by processing category, which was available for 91% of the food safety warnings. The processing category Fully Cooked – Not Shelf Stable, which contains only RTE meat products, comprised 463 food warnings (39.8% of the total) over the time period. Three other USDA processing categories contain at least some RTE meat products, so 39.8% is likely a substantial underestimate. Products can appear in multiple processing categories.Figures for pounds of meat recalled by year, reason, and risk class are calculated directly from the USDA’s published annual summaries.This story was produced by Sentient and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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