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

Birth to Five updates its action plan including progress on crisis nursery

Birth to Five, an Illinois statewide agency focusing on early childhood, is making progress in its action plan for Region 49, which covers Rock Island County.

CASI to host annual Blarney Bash on Feb. 26 in Davenport

You can enjoy an evening of live music, Irish dancing and the speciality "Bad Betty Blonde" brew, all while supporting CASI's work with our local seniors.

Iowans remember Rev. Jesse Jackson’s political impact

Many remember how Iowa played a critical role in shaping Reverend Jesse Jackson's political legacy.

Man charged after driving 107 mph, chase ending in crash

Police say a Henry County driver clocked at 107 mph led officers on a late-night chase that ended in a crash and multiple charges, including a felony DUI-related count, while the passenger was released without charges.

Pritzker proposes $56B budget with minimal new spending, tax on social media companies

Gov. JB Pritzker is proposing a $56 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 with minimal new spending.

Water main break impacting Milan water pressure

Crews in Milan are currently dealing with a water main break in the village. A post on the village’s Facebook says there is a water main break in the 300 block of 1st Avenue W. “Currently, there is no boil order in effect, but some areas downtown may experience low water pressure,” the post said. [...]

Quad City doctor offers care to U.S. Olympic Ski & Snowboard Teams

It all started several years ago when Dr. Tom VonGillern vacationed from his practice at ORA Orthopedics in Moline to Copper Mountain in the Colorado Rockies.

Water main break reported at 16th Street and 38th Avenue in Moline

Drivers should avoid the area due to water flooding the roadway. Crews are actively working at the scene.

Crews put out field fire off I-80 in Iowa

A fire left a scorched path in a field off of Interstate 80 near the exit for Wilton, Iowa.

Registration open for Little Bogey's Golf Classic

Registration is now open for the 30th annual Little Bogey’s Golf Classic at Pinnacle Country Club, 11928 Knoxville Road in Milan. The event will be on Monday, May 11; check-in is from 10:30–11:45 a.m. and golfing starts at noon. Click here to register. The golf tournament unites golfers, sponsors and supporters to raise funds that [...]

Moline responds to water main break at 38th Avenue, 16th Street

Drivers in Moline are asked to avoid the area of 38th Avenue and 16th Street due to repairs to a broken water main. A post on the city’s Facebook page says the city’s Utilities Department is responding to the water main. Drivers are asked to avoid the area to give them space to complete repairs. [...]

Traffic alert: Water-main break closes part of 16th St. in Moline

A water-main break has closed part of 16th St., 36th Avenue in Moline.

Quad Cities Honor Flight expands to Reserves and National Guard veterans

In the past, the Honor Flight has taken about 6,000 veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials honoring their service.

5 hospitalized after carbon monoxide exposure in Moline home

A running vehicle in an attached garage caused carbon monoxide exposure in a Moline home. Three occupants, one officer and one firefighter were hospitalized.

Common Chord names new development director

Common Chord has a new development director. The group announced that Margo Day will be the new development director. She will lead the organization’s efforts to develop resources that advance its mission to improve the community through music. Day started in her new role on Feb. 4, joining the staff in this newly created position [...]

Trump would like the government he leads to pay him billions

President Trump is asking the federal government for billions of dollars in damages, putting his own Justice Department on the spot and creating an unprecedented ethical morass.

Australia bans a citizen with alleged IS links from returning from Syria

The Australian is among a group of 34 women and children who had planned to fly from Damascus to Australia on Monday but were turned back by Syrian authorities to the Roj detention camp due to procedural problems.

Mississippi Bend AEA, Regional Office of Education hosting teacher job fair

Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency and the Regional Office of Education are hosting a teacher job fair on Monday, March 2 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, 729 21st Street in Bettendorf. The job fair is free for educators to attend. The Teacher Job Fair is a vital bridge between school districts who are [...]

Pritzker to present 8th budget as Illinois faces federal funding uncertainty

Gov. JB Pritzker will present his eighth budget on Wednesday and outline a plan to deal with limited revenue growth and significant uncertainty over the future of federal funding for the state.

The history and culture of casinos

The history and culture of casinosLike telling stories and making music, playing games and gambling are activities that humans in every corner of the world have enjoyed for thousands of years. But until relatively recently, people would only gamble between friends and family, or they would gamble in unlicensed institutions.The introduction of casinos changed everything. From the spectacular setting and additional entertainment to the range of games and strict regulations, casinos allow people to enjoy gambling to the fullest.However, casinos have changed since their inception, and are likely to evolve further. To explore the history and culture of casinos, as well as what the future may hold, Tachi Palace Casino Resort has put together this guide.History of Casinos Tachi Palace Since the first casino, these institutions have had a large impact on society. But the origins of casinos go back well before the first one was actually built.Ancient GamesEvidence indicates that gambling was practiced thousands of years before casinos were invented. However, the games that these gamblers played may well have laid the foundations for the casinos we know today.Some of the earliest records of gambling are evidence of tile games in China that date back to 2300 B.C. The ancient Greeks were known to play gambling games, too, which were often associated with social events and festivals.In ancient Rome, the first emperor, Augustus Caesar, was known to hold raffles during banquets. He even played what may have been an early form of backgammon called Alea. Emperor Claudius was a known dice player, and Caligula enjoyed gambling so much that he converted his palace into a gambling house.It wasn’t just the upper class who enjoyed gambling. The Romans may have invented an early form of craps, played by people of every station. Some historians believe that Roman soldiers would use shaved-down pig knuckles (hence knucklebones) as dice, and their shields as a table.During ancient times, gambling houses were common in many societies, although these were unregulated and usually illegal institutions.Medieval TimesWhile empires rose and fell, gambling games continued in various forms. Although the exact origins of playing cards are debated, the effect they would eventually have on gambling is undeniable. Games such as baccarat, blackjack and poker were invented in the following centuries, providing people with completely new games to gamble on.It was during this time that gambling started to become more organized and written about. Alfonso X of Castile and León reigned in the 13th century, but his love of games led him to pen the first known guide to gambling. Titled “The Book of Games,” it mostly covered board games such as chess. However, it also described a game called Hazard, another early form of craps.Birth of the Modern CasinoIt wasn’t until 1638 that the first legal gambling house, known as a casino, was opened. This casino, Il Ridotto, was a result of the Venetian government’s goal to quell illicit gambling in the city and make a profit at the same time.Besides the legality of the institution, Il Ridotto was different from the previous illicit gambling houses in many ways. This casino was opulent and glamorous and offered far more than just games. It also provided high-quality food and music, allowing patrons to enjoy the casino without having to gamble. It catered to the city’s elite, with all the games played with high stakes. All players were also expected to follow the casino’s dress code, adhere to its customs and even order certain items off the menu.Eventually, Il Ridotto closed due to the church’s influence and pressure, but it paved the way for the modern casino. Following the success of Il Ridotto, casinos began to appear elsewhere.Casinos in the 21st CenturyThanks to new technology and evolving player habits, casinos have adapted their offerings since the turn of the century. Digital technology has been incorporated into modern casino culture to provide even more ways for customers to gamble, from virtual roulette to digital slot machines. Many casinos now offer online gambling, too, where their customers can often choose from dozens of games to play.This increased accessibility has allowed casinos to grow globally. Today, there are more than 5,000 casinos in operation, over 1,000 of which are in the United States. This global expansion means the industry continues to grow, particularly online. In 2024, the casinos and online gambling industry reached $305.8 billion, and in the same year, the U.S. gambling industry had a record-breaking annual revenue of $71.92 billion.The History of the Largest Global Casino HubsTo fully appreciate the history of casinos, you need to know the history of the most famous casino hubs in the world.Las VegasLas Vegas is synonymous with casinos and gambling. Almost half of all American casinos are found in Nevada, and more than 150 of those are located in Las Vegas alone.Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, coinciding with the start of the Hoover Dam construction project. With thousands working on the project just miles away, Las Vegas benefited massively. Each month, thousands of workers would travel to Las Vegas to gamble their earnings, bringing revenue into the small town. During the Second World War, a magnesium plant opened and had a similar effect. Within a few years, the town’s population boomed, and it started to take shape as a gambling capital.In 1941, El Rancho Vegas opened its doors. Widely regarded as the first hotel-casino in Vegas, it stood along Highway 91, which would later become known as the Strip. As the town expanded, it attracted mobsters like Guy McAfee, who helped shape its gambling industry. McAfee had a lasting impact on Las Vegas, as he’s credited with naming Highway 91 “the Strip” and opening the Golden Nugget casino.Mobsters helped the town grow in other ways. Their national connections and influence meant they were able to bring celebrities and other high rollers to Las Vegas, helping boost the town’s reputation.As other locations like Atlantic City began to compete, Las Vegas expanded its offering to nongambling attractions. Shows, sports events and luxury hotels continue to attract tourists today. Despite this, Vegas is still predominantly associated with gambling and takes the top spot on many gamblers’ bucket lists.MacauOne of the largest gambling hubs in the world and the largest in Asia, Macau has a rich history of casinos and gambling. From the 16th century, tourists were able to visit Macau and gamble, although it wasn’t legalized. However, Hong Kong was transferred to Britain in 1842, after which it became a large trading hub that competed with Macau. To create a new revenue stream, Macau legalized gambling in 1847.In 1930, the Hou Heng Company won exclusive gambling rights, giving it a monopoly in Macau. Over the following years, the company built opulent and modern casinos that offered more than just gambling. They held free opera performances and offered complimentary food, cigarettes and even ferry tickets. This casino revolution led to Macau gaining a reputation as the gambling capital of Asia.In 1961, Macau decided to focus on tourism and gambling as its main source of revenue. It declared itself a low-tax region to encourage more visitors to the area.At the start of the 21st century, the monopoly law was abolished. Other casinos soon opened, and today, dozens of casinos can be found in Macau. Between 2011 and 2013, 63% of Macau’s GDP came from gambling, highlighting how much of an influence casinos have on the area. In recent years, there’s been a push to diversify Macau’s revenue streams, with the top six gambling operators forced to collectively pledge $12.5 billion to develop nongambling infrastructure.Monte CarloSituated in the tiny country of Monaco, Monte Carlo is one of the country’s four quarters and the place to go to gamble in Europe. Its most famous casino, the Monte Carlo Casino, was built in 1878 by Prince Charles III of Monaco. The casino faltered at first, struggling to entice gamblers.However, after François Blanc, who had overseen one of the prince’s previous casinos, took over, the casino’s fortunes changed. Soon, it was so successful that the town of Monte Carlo sprang up around it and was named in honor of the prince and his casino.From the 1960s, the government took over the casino company’s operations. Today, the gambling industry in Monaco is heavily regulated. A law from the 19th century banning residents of Monaco from gambling is still in effect, meaning only visitors to Monte Carlo can gamble in the casino. However, residents still benefit from the town’s gambling, as the revenue created by the industry means that the government doesn’t require residents to pay any income tax.Culture of CasinosThe casino culture has both affected society and provided a reflection of it.How Casinos Reflected Social HierarchyFor many years, casinos were only accessible to wealthy patrons who could afford the high stakes set by the house. They also had to meet the dress code and be seen to order food and drink, all of which cost money too. As such, being seen in a casino was a sign that you were a person of wealth and success. Less wealthy gamblers would visit unlicensed gambling houses instead.Today, this divide isn’t quite so obvious. Some casinos still have dress codes and higher minimum bets than others, but many casinos pride themselves on their inclusiveness, setting low minimum bets to cater to anyone with a few dollars to spend. Online casinos have made gambling even more accessible, allowing anyone with an internet connection to access casino games.How Casinos Have Shaped Modern Entertainment and NightlifeCasinos have had an impact on how we play games and enjoy nights out. They provide a luxurious space for people to socialize, enjoy a rush of adrenaline and perhaps even make a profit.Millions of Americans visit casinos each year, with 53% of American adults visiting one in 2025. However, only 56.6% of those visitors gambled, highlighting how casinos can offer plenty more than just gambling. Shows, restaurants and entertainment are common in many casinos, giving visitors plenty to do.How Casinos Have Influenced Popular Culture and EntertainmentCasinos have another, less direct impact on how we have fun. The high stakes of a casino make it the perfect setting for a story, which is why they often feature in popular culture.From books like “Casino Royale” by Ian Fleming and “The Gambler” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, to films such as “Rain Man” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” these media are still widely known and loved years after they were made. Other notable films involving casinos and gambling include:“Casino”“The Cincinnati Kid”“The Sting”“21”“The Hangover”“Now You See Me”While casinos may only feature briefly in some of these films, their inclusion as a place of splendor and high stakes is what makes them so effective in storytelling.What Is the Future of Casinos? Tachi Palace It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what future innovations might reshape casinos. What is certain is that as technology advances, casinos are likely to create new and improved ways to gamble.It’s also expected that casinos will focus more on millennial and Gen Z gamblers. As such, incorporating digital and online aspects into the casino experience is increasingly important. It may also mean adapting casinos to be more friendly to casual gamblers by offering different types of games to bet on, such as esports.Casinos may also have to offer more:Games that rely on skill as well as luck.Opportunities for social interaction on the casino floor.Personalized experiences.Responsible gambling tools.A Rich History and CultureCasinos have a history dating back to the 17th century, although many of their features date back millennia. Since the first casino, pioneers have evolved the way we enjoy them, making them more accessible and affordable for a larger audience. Today, just about any adult can gamble in a casino, either in person or online. This has led to an increased impact on global culture.The future of casinos is unclear, but since they continue to grow in popularity, it’s likely they’ll successfully cater to gamblers for years to come.This story was produced by Tachi Palace and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

T-accounts: What they are, how they work, and examples to learn from

T-accounts: What they are, how they work, and examples to learn fromT-accounts are one of accounting's most useful visual tools, and they've stuck around for good reason. Named for their simple T shape, these diagrams split a ledger account into two sides. Debits go on the left, credits go on the right. Every financial transaction hits at least two accounts, which is the whole point of double-entry bookkeeping. One account gets debited, another gets credited, and the books stay balanced.What makes T-accounts so valuable isn't their complexity. It's the opposite. They strip away the noise and let you see exactly how money moves through a business. Whether you're a first-year accounting student or a seasoned controller closing the books on a billion-dollar quarter, the T-account format helps you think through transactions clearly. Brex walks through what T-accounts are, how debits and credits actually work, real examples including accounts payable, and why this centuries-old concept still matters when most of us haven't touched a paper ledger in years.What is a T-account?A T-account is the visual layout of a single general ledger account. Picture a capital letter T drawn on a page. The account title sits above the horizontal line. The left side of the vertical line is where you record debits. The right side is where you record credits. Each T-account tracks everything happening in one specific account, whether that's cash, sales revenue, accounts payable, or any other line item in your chart of accounts.It's essentially a simplified version of a ledger page. You can see at a glance what's been added and what's been subtracted, and you can calculate a running balance by totaling up each side. One thing worth noting early on is that debits and credits don't automatically mean "increase" or "decrease." Their effect depends entirely on what type of account you're looking at. But the format itself never changes. Debits always go left; credits always go right.Accountants often use T-accounts as a thinking tool. Before entering a complex journal entry into the system, it helps to sketch out the T-accounts involved and make sure the transaction makes sense. You'll see them on whiteboards during team discussions, in training materials for new hires, and in the margins of workpapers when someone is troubleshooting a reconciliation issue. Modern accounting systems don't literally display T-shaped diagrams, but the term persists because the concept is baked into every ledger, every ERP system, and every set of financial statements you'll ever encounter. The T-account is the mental model that makes double-entry bookkeeping click.Double-entry bookkeeping basicsT-accounts exist because of double-entry bookkeeping. This is the standard accounting method that requires every financial transaction to be recorded in at least two accounts. One entry as a debit, one as a credit. The approach has been around for centuries, and it remains the foundation of modern accounting for a simple reason. It works. It preserves the accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity), and it catches errors that single-entry systems would miss entirely.In a double-entry system, the total debits across all accounts must always equal the total credits. If they don't, something is wrong, and you need to find it before the books can close. This is where T-accounts become especially handy. Each T-account represents one account in the ledger. When a transaction occurs, one T-account gets debited, and another gets credited. Sometimes multiple accounts are involved, but the principle holds. Debits and credits must balance.Consider a company that purchases equipment on credit. The equipment account, which is an asset, gets debited to reflect the new item the business now owns. At the same time, accounts payable, a liability, gets credited to reflect the obligation to pay for that equipment later. Recording this in T-account form immediately shows both sides of the transaction. You can see the increase in one account and the corresponding increase in the opposite account type. This mirrored recording is what keeps the whole system consistent.Double-entry bookkeeping ensures that for every value received, an equal value is given up or owed. That's why the sum of debits always equals the sum of credits across the entire general ledger. The T-account layout visually enforces this rule by pairing debits and credits for each transaction. If something doesn't add up, the imbalance is obvious. You don't have to go hunting through a spreadsheet to find the problem. The T-account shows you right where things went sideways.How debits and credits actually work in T-accountsEvery T-account has a debit side on the left and a credit side on the right. That part is simple and never changes. What trips people up is figuring out whether a debit or a credit means an increase or a decrease. The answer depends entirely on the type of account you're working with.For asset accounts, such as cash, accounts receivable, or inventory, a debit entry on the left side increases the account. A credit on the right side decreases it. When a business receives cash from a customer, it debits the cash account to reflect more money in the bank. When it pays out cash, it credits the cash account to show the reduction. This feels intuitive for most people because we naturally associate debits with "getting" and credits with "giving."But the rules flip for liability and equity accounts. For accounts like loans payable, accounts payable, common stock, or retained earnings, a credit on the right side increases the account. A debit on the left side decreases it. This makes sense when you think about it. Liabilities and equity represent claims on assets. When those claims grow, whether through new debt or additional investment, the account increases on the credit side.Revenue and expense accounts follow similar logic. Revenue accounts behave like equity because revenues ultimately increase equity. A credit increases revenue, and a debit decreases it. Expense accounts behave more like assets because they reduce equity. A debit increases an expense, and a credit decreases it. So when you record a rent payment, you debit rent expense to reflect the cost incurred and credit cash to show the money leaving the business. Both sides of the transaction are captured, and the books stay balanced.There's a handy mnemonic that many accountants rely on to keep this straight. DEA-LER. Dividends, expenses, and assets increase with debits on the left side. Liabilities, equity, and revenue increase with credits on the right side. It's not the most elegant acronym, but it works when you're staring at a set of journal entries at midnight during month-end close.One more thing worth emphasizing. The words "debit" and "credit" carry no moral weight. A debit isn't bad. A credit isn't good. They don't strictly mean "cash out" or "cash in" either. Their meaning is entirely dependent on the category of account they're applied to. The T-account format helps avoid confusion here because it physically separates the two sides and labels them for each account. Debits go left, credits go right, and the account type tells you what that entry actually does.Recording a transaction with T-accounts in practiceThe best way to understand T-accounts is to walk through an actual transaction. Let's say a company sells $20,000 worth of goods for cash. Two accounts are affected here. The cash account, which is an asset, will increase by $20,000. The inventory account, also an asset, will decrease by $20,000 because those goods are no longer sitting in a warehouse. They've been sold.Using T-accounts, the company would record a $20,000 debit on the left side of the cash T-account. That reflects the inflow of money. Then it would record a $20,000 credit on the right side of the inventory T-account. That reflects the reduction in stock on hand. Both entries happen simultaneously, and they mirror each other perfectly. $20,000 in, $20,000 out. The books remain balanced.After posting this entry, you can look at both T-accounts and immediately see what happened. Cash went up by $20,000 on the debit side. Inventory went down by $20,000 on the credit side. The company essentially traded inventory value for cash value. No net change in total assets, just a shift from one asset type to another. The visual layout makes this crystal clear without needing to dig through a journal entry narrative or a transaction log.Now let's layer on a second transaction. Suppose the same company pays $5,000 for rent. This time, the rent expense T-account gets a $5,000 debit on the left side, increasing the expense. The cash T-account gets a $5,000 credit on the right side, decreasing the asset. Again, two accounts are affected, and the debits equal the credits. If you were tracking both transactions in the cash T-account, you'd now see $20,000 on the debit side from the sale and $5,000 on the credit side from the rent payment, giving you a net debit balance of $15,000.This is why T-accounts are so practical for working through entries. You can map out any transaction, no matter how complex, by identifying the accounts involved, determining which side each entry falls on, and then verifying that debits equal credits. It's a built-in accuracy check that takes just seconds when you're comfortable with the format. And once you've confirmed the entries make sense in T-account form, you can post them to the accounting system with confidence.T-accounts for balance sheet accountsBalance sheet accounts are usually where people first get comfortable with T-accounts, and that makes sense. Assets, liabilities, and equity are the building blocks of the accounting equation, and seeing how they move in T-account form makes the whole system feel tangible.Asset T-accounts typically carry debit balances because assets have what accountants call debit-normal balances. When a company acquires something new, whether that's inventory, equipment, or office supplies, the increase gets recorded as a debit on the left side of that asset's T-account. When the asset decreases, maybe because it's been used up, sold, or written off, that reduction gets recorded as a credit on the right side. For example, if a company buys $1,000 worth of office supplies, the supplies T-account gets a $1,000 debit. If some of those supplies are consumed over the month and need to be expensed, you'd credit the supplies account to bring the balance down. Simple and clean.Liability T-accounts work in the opposite direction. They normally carry credit balances because liabilities represent what the business owes. Take loans payable as an example. When the company borrows money, it records a credit on the right side of the loans payable T-account. The liability goes up because the company now owes more. When the company makes a payment on that loan, it records a debit on the left side of the loans payable T-account to reduce the obligation. At the same time, the cash T-account gets a credit to reflect the cash going out the door. After posting both entries, the loans payable T-account shows exactly how much debt remains. No guesswork required.Equity T-accounts follow the same pattern as liabilities. Credits increase equity, and debits decrease it. If a company issues new stock, it credits the common stock T-account on the right side to reflect the increase in ownership equity. If the company pays dividends to shareholders, it debits the retained earnings or dividends account on the left side to reflect the reduction. These entries track the flow of value between the business and its owners, and the T-account format keeps everything transparent.Here's where it all comes together. After posting every transaction to the appropriate T-accounts, the sum of all asset account balances should equal the sum of all liability and equity account balances. That's the accounting equation in action. Assets = Liabilities + Equity. If those two sides don't match, something went wrong somewhere, and the T-accounts will help you find it. Any discrepancy signals a missed entry, a duplicate posting, or an amount recorded on the wrong side. The T-account format serves as a visual checkpoint that the fundamental equation holds true at all times.T-accounts for accounts payableAccounts payable (AP) is one of the most active liability accounts in any business, and it's a great example of how T-accounts help you keep track of obligations that are constantly changing. AP represents the money a company owes to its suppliers and vendors for goods or services purchased on credit. At any given moment, the balance in this account tells you how much the business needs to pay out in the near future.Because accounts payable is a liability, its T-account normally carries a credit balance. The right side of the AP T-account reflects outstanding obligations, and under normal business operations, that side tends to be larger than the left. When the company buys something on credit, whether it's raw materials, office supplies, or professional services, a credit entry gets posted to the right side of the accounts payable T-account. At the same time, the corresponding asset or expense account gets debited to reflect what was received. Each new purchase on credit adds to the right side of the AP T-account, building up the total amount owed.When the company pays a bill, the entry goes on the left side of the accounts payable T-account as a debit. This reduces the liability because the obligation has been settled. The cash T-account gets credited simultaneously to reflect the outflow of money. Over the course of a month, you might see dozens or even hundreds of entries flowing through the AP T-account. Credits accumulate as new invoices come in, and debits reduce the balance as payments go out.The beauty of tracking AP in T-account form is that you always have a clear snapshot of where things stand. The difference between total credits and total debits in the accounts payable T-account equals the remaining amount owed to vendors. Finance teams monitor this balance closely because it represents real cash commitments. This visibility into outstanding obligations is also what makes an accurate accounts payable forecast possible, helping businesses anticipate upcoming cash outflows and plan accordingly. Following accounts payable best practices, like reconciling vendor statements regularly, matching invoices to purchase orders, and reviewing aging reports, helps ensure those balances stay accurate and payments go out on schedule. When the T-account is well maintained, and these practices are in place, there are fewer surprises at close and stronger vendor relationships over time.T-accounts also make it easy to catch errors in the AP process. If a payment was recorded but not properly matched against the right invoice, or if a credit memo from a vendor was missed, the imbalance will show up in the T-account. You'll see debits and credits that don't reconcile cleanly, which is your signal to investigate. In a busy AP department processing hundreds of transactions, this kind of visibility can save hours of troubleshooting later. The AP T-account grows with credits for new payables and shrinks with debits for payments and adjustments, always reflecting the current liability sitting on the company's books.Recording accounts payable transactions step by stepWalking through a few AP transactions in T-account form makes the whole process concrete. Let's start with a common scenario. A company purchases $1,500 worth of office supplies on credit from a vendor. Two accounts are affected. The office supplies account gets a $1,500 debit on the left side of its T-account because the company now has more supplies on hand. The accounts payable account gets a $1,500 credit on the right side of its T-account because the company now owes the vendor for those supplies. At this point, the AP balance has increased by $1,500, and the transaction is fully recorded.A week later, the company pays the supplier $1,500 in cash to settle the bill. Now the accounts payable T-account gets a $1,500 debit on the left side, reducing the liability back down. The cash T-account gets a $1,500 credit on the right side, reflecting the money leaving the bank account. After posting both entries, you can look at the accounts payable T-account and see that the $1,500 credit from the original purchase has been fully offset by the $1,500 debit from the payment. For that particular vendor transaction, the AP balance is back to zero. The obligation has been met.But business is rarely that clean. Let's add a wrinkle. Suppose before paying the bill, the company discovers that $250 worth of the supplies were defective and returns them to the vendor. This creates another entry. Accounts payable gets a $250 debit on the left side because the company no longer owes that portion of the original amount. The supplies account gets a $250 credit on the right side because those supplies are no longer in the company's possession. The AP balance for this vendor transaction drops from $1,500 to $1,250.When the company finally pays the remaining balance, it debits accounts payable for $1,250 and credits cash for $1,250. Looking at the full picture in T-account form, you can trace every step of this transaction. The original $1,500 credit for the purchase, the $250 debit for the return, and the $1,250 debit for the final payment. Credits minus debits equals the outstanding AP balance at each point in time.This is exactly the kind of transparency that makes T-accounts so practical for managing payables. You don't have to wonder where a number came from or why a balance looks different than expected. Every entry is right there, organized on the appropriate side, telling you what happened and when. This transactional clarity is also what makes accounts payable reporting trustworthy, because every number on an aging report or vendor summary can be traced back to specific debits and credits in the T-account. A paperless accounts payable process makes it even easier to maintain this level of transactional transparency because every invoice, approval, and payment is captured digitally and automatically mapped to the correct accounts. There's no risk of a paper invoice getting lost in a stack on someone's desk or a manual entry being keyed into the wrong field. For AP teams juggling dozens of vendors and hundreds of invoices, being able to reconstruct the story behind a balance is invaluable. It simplifies accounts payable reconciliation, supports audit trails, and gives finance leaders the confidence that the liabilities on the balance sheet are accurate.The benefits of T-accountsT-accounts might look simple, and that's precisely why they're so useful. Behind that basic format are several practical benefits that finance professionals rely on daily, whether they realize it or not.Visual clarity that speeds up decision-makingT-accounts give you a clear visual representation of how transactions flow through the books. By laying out debits and credits side by side, you can trace the impact of any entry in seconds. This is especially valuable during the month-end and year-end close when accountants are preparing adjusting entries. Sketching out an adjustment in T-account form lets you see immediately how it will hit both the expense account and the corresponding liability or asset account. If you need to record accrued salaries or depreciation, the T-account shows you exactly what the entry will do before you post it. There's no guessing, no hoping the numbers will work out after the fact. You can validate the logic up front and move on with confidence.Built-in error detectionImbalances in T-accounts are impossible to ignore. If your debits don't equal your credits for a given transaction, something is wrong, and the T-account format makes that gap visible immediately. This is one of the most practical benefits for day-to-day accounting work. Rather than waiting until a trial balance reveals a problem, you can catch mistakes at the transaction level before they cascade into bigger issues. Good accounts payable management relies on exactly this kind of early detection, catching discrepancies when they happen rather than discovering them during an audit or a vendor dispute weeks later. A set of T-accounts can function as a worksheet for building your trial balance, since you can list all the ending debit and credit balances and verify that they match. When they don't, you know exactly where to start looking. This kind of vigilance saves significant time during reconciliation and prevents the frustration of chasing errors through hundreds of entries.A powerful teaching and communication toolT-accounts are one of the best ways to explain accounting concepts to someone who isn't an accountant. Senior finance professionals use them regularly to walk junior team members through journal entries, and they're equally helpful when explaining financial impacts to colleagues in operations, sales, or leadership. The format clearly shows both sides of every transaction, which makes the logic of double-entry bookkeeping accessible without requiring a deep accounting background. Instead of describing entries in abstract terms, you can draw a quick T-account and show someone exactly where the money went. This makes T-accounts valuable not just for recording transactions, but for building financial literacy across an entire organization.Keeping the accounting equation in checkAt the end of the day, every accounting system exists to maintain one fundamental truth. Assets must equal liabilities plus equity. T-accounts reinforce this discipline with every entry. Because each transaction requires equal debits and credits across accounts, the T-account format ensures that the accounting equation holds after every posting. If you total up all your asset T-accounts and compare that sum to the total of your liability and equity T-accounts, the numbers should match. If they don't, the T-accounts give you a clear trail to follow back to the source of the discrepancy. This ongoing balance check is what makes double-entry bookkeeping reliable, and T-accounts are the visual expression of that reliability.Supporting the close process and adjusting entriesT-accounts prove their worth most during the close process. Adjusting entries can be tricky because they often involve accruals, deferrals, and allocations that don't correspond to obvious cash movements. Using T-accounts to map out these entries helps accountants verify that expenses are being matched with the correct revenues for the period, which is the core principle behind accrual accounting. You can see at a glance whether a prepaid expense has been properly amortized, whether accrued liabilities are recorded accurately, and whether revenue recognition entries make sense. This level of verification before finalizing the books reduces the risk of material misstatements and gives the finance team a stronger foundation for producing accurate financial statements.T-accounts in the age of accounting softwareNobody is drawing T-accounts on paper ledgers to run a business anymore. Today's accounting happens inside ERP systems, cloud platforms, and specialized software that automates journal entries, reconciliations, and financial reporting. But here's the thing: Every one of those systems is built on the exact same logic that T-accounts illustrate. The software just does it faster and at scale.When an accountant enters a journal entry into an ERP system, the software is doing exactly what a T-account does on paper. It's posting a debit to one or more accounts and a credit to others. The user might never see a T-shaped diagram on their screen, but if you were to look at the underlying ledger database, it's essentially a massive collection of digital T-accounts for every account in the chart of accounts. The debits and credits are all there, organized the same way, following the same rules. The format hasn't changed. Only the medium has.Automation has dramatically reduced the need to manually sketch out T-accounts for routine transactions. Software handles the repetitive work, applies rules consistently, and flags exceptions automatically. But understanding T-account logic remains critical for the people configuring and overseeing these systems. When something goes wrong, and it inevitably does, thinking in terms of T-accounts is often the fastest way to diagnose the problem. If a balance doesn't look right or a report shows unexpected numbers, an accountant who can mentally walk through the T-accounts involved will find the issue faster than someone who just stares at the software output, hoping for an answer.Many finance platforms take this a step further by embedding double-entry logic directly into every workflow. Some are designed with an accounting-first architecture, meaning that every transaction, whether it's a card purchase, a bill payment, or an employee expense reimbursement, automatically triggers the correct debit and credit entries in an integrated sub-ledger. AP automation is a great example of this in action. When a platform automatically processes an invoice, matches it to a purchase order, routes it for approval, and posts the payment, it's executing the same sequence of debits and credits to accounts payable and cash that an accountant would map out in T-account form. The difference is that it happens instantly and at scale, with the underlying double-entry logic handled behind the scenes.The result is that accountants can trust the software to maintain the integrity of the books while they focus on higher-value work like analysis, forecasting, and strategic decision-making. But that trust is only warranted when the people running the system understand the principles underneath. Configuring account mappings, setting up automation rules, and interpreting the reports that come out of these platforms all require a solid grasp of how debits and credits flow through T-accounts. In a world increasingly shaped by AI and automation, T-accounts remain the conceptual model that ensures financial data is organized, accurate, and meaningful. Technology changes. The logic doesn't.Why T-accounts are the foundation your finance team can't ignoreT-accounts aren't glamorous. They won't impress anyone in a boardroom presentation, and no one is building a startup around them. But they are the foundation that every reliable financial system is built on. The simple act of splitting an account into a left side and a right side, and requiring that every transaction touch at least two accounts, is what keeps the entire discipline of accounting honest and verifiable.Finance professionals at every level still depend on the logic of T-accounts, even if they rarely draw one out by hand. Whether you're closing the books for a multinational corporation, reconciling AP for a mid-market company, or teaching a new hire how journal entries work, the T-account is the mental framework that ties it all together. It connects every transaction to its impact on assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, and expenses. It enforces the discipline of double-entry bookkeeping in a way that's easy to see, easy to verify, and hard to get wrong.As accounting software grows more sophisticated and automation takes over more of the routine work, the people who understand T-accounts will be the ones who can configure those systems correctly, interpret their output with confidence, and troubleshoot problems when the numbers don't add up. The tools will keep changing. The underlying logic won't. T-accounts are the backbone of organized accounting, and that's not going to change anytime soon.This story was produced by Brex and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Russia's hybrid warfare rattles Poland and NATO

Russia is stepping up covert attacks across Europe — rail sabotage, drones, cyber strikes — testing NATO. Polish officials warn "disposable agents" are sowing fear and weaken support for Ukraine.

LLC tax rates: Comprehensive guide for tax year 2025

LLC tax rates: Comprehensive guide for tax year 2025If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur with a limited liability company (LLC), you have to understand your tax rate. The tax rate for LLCs depends on their structure, income level, and state of registration.This guide covers LLC tax rates for tax year 2025, which applies to returns filed in early 2026 (by March 15 for multi-member LLCs and April 15 for single-member LLCs). Ramp will explain how LLCs are taxed at both the federal and state levels, outline the self-employment tax burden, and provide actionable tips to minimize your LLC’s tax liability.What is an LLC, and how are LLCs taxed?An LLC combines the personal liability protection of a corporation with the flexible taxation of a sole proprietorship or partnership. As an LLC owner, you benefit from personal asset protection that shields your personal assets from business debts or legal issues.Your LLC tax burden depends on its structure.1. Single-member LLCA single-member LLC is treated as a sole proprietorship for income tax purposes. The LLC does not pay taxes as a separate entity. Instead, the owner reports the LLC’s expenses and business income on their personal income tax return, typically using Schedule C of Form 1040. The LLC’s profits are taxed at the individual’s personal income tax rate, and the owner also pays self-employment tax on the profits.The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, covering Social Security (12.4%) and Medicare (2.9%) taxes. For the 2025 tax year, Social Security tax applies to earnings up to $160,200, and Medicare tax applies to all net earnings, with an additional 0.9% surtax on earnings over $200,000 for individuals.2. Multi-member LLCA multi-member LLC is typically taxed as a partnership, meaning the LLC itself does not pay federal income tax. Instead, business profits and losses pass through to the members, who report them on their personal income tax returns.Each member receives a Schedule K-1, which details their share of the LLC’s income, deductions, and credits. Members are also responsible for paying self-employment tax on their share of the LLC’s net income unless the LLC elects S corp taxation.3. LLC taxed as an S corpAn LLC can elect to be taxed as an S corp to reduce self-employment taxes. With an S corp, owners must take a reasonable salary, which is subject to payroll taxes. The remaining business profits can be distributed as dividends, which are not subject to self-employment tax.To qualify for S corp status, the LLC must meet specific IRS requirements, such as having no more than 100 members and only one class of stock.4. LLC taxed as a C corpAn LLC can opt to be taxed as a C corp by filing Form 8832. This changes the tax treatment, making the LLC subject to the corporate income tax rate, which is currently 21%. This results in double taxation: The LLC pays taxes on profits, and then dividends distributed to owners are taxed again at the individual level.This structure may offer advantages, such as the ability to reinvest profits at the corporate tax rate, but the double taxation can be a drawback for many small business owners.2025 federal tax brackets for LLC ownersBecause LLC taxes are passed through to its members (unless you elect to be taxed as a C corp), the federal income tax rate effectively becomes the functional tax rate for LLC owners. These are marginal tax rates, meaning your income is taxed at different rates as it rises. As such, not all of your income will be taxed the same.Here are the 2025 IRS tax rates for LLCs: Ramp However, federal income tax isn’t all you need to file for and pay as an LLC owner. Depending on your LLC’s structure, you may also have to pay:State income tax or feesSelf-employment taxPayroll taxSales taxState tax obligations vary significantly depending on where your LLC is based. Some states charge state income tax on LLC profits, while others impose franchise taxes or annual LLC fees.States with high LLC taxesCaliforniaCalifornia charges an annual LLC tax of $800. In addition, LLCs earning over $250,000 in gross receipts are required to pay an additional fee based on their income. This fee ranges from $900 to $11,790, depending on the LLC’s gross receipts.California is known for its complex tax environment, with a state income tax rate that can reach up to 13.3% for high-income earners. As a result, LLCs operating in California may face significant tax burdens, particularly if they generate substantial income.New YorkNew York imposes state income tax on LLC profits. The state tax rate varies based on the LLC’s income bracket, and in some cases, the rate can go as high as 10.9% for certain business structures.LLCs in New York are also required to pay an annual filing fee, which is determined based on the LLC’s gross income. For LLC owners in New York, the state income tax and additional fees make it essential to plan strategically for state-level tax obligations.Tip: Choosing the right state for your LLC can significantly impact your tax burden.California and New York offer excellent business infrastructure and legal protections, but their high LLC taxes and additional fees may increase your overall costs. If you plan to expand nationally or internationally, consider balancing tax rates with other business advantages, such as access to markets, resources, and funding opportunities. Consult a tax professional to determine the most tax-efficient state for your LLC's long-term growth.States with low or no LLC taxesFloridaFlorida is one of the most popular states for LLC formation because it has no state income tax policy for LLCs. However, businesses in Florida are still subject to an annual franchise tax based on gross receipts. Florida’s tax environment is favorable for LLC owners looking to avoid state income tax, but it's important to factor in the franchise tax when budgeting for operating costs.TexasTexas also has no state income tax on LLCs, which can significantly reduce the tax burden for business owners. However, Texas has a gross receipts tax known as the Texas franchise tax, which applies to LLCs that generate income above a certain threshold. The tax is based on the business's gross receipts, not net income.This means LLCs in Texas may still face tax obligations, even if they’re not earning a profit. The Texas franchise tax is calculated using a marginal rate based on revenue, with a standard rate of 0.375% for most LLCs.States with mixed or moderate LLC taxesDelawareDelaware is famous for its business-friendly environment, including favorable tax laws for LLCs. While Delaware doesn’t impose a state income tax on LLCs that don’t operate within the state, LLCs that conduct business in Delaware are required to pay a franchise tax based on their authorized shares or assumed par value capital.The annual franchise tax fee is relatively low compared to other states, making Delaware a popular choice for LLC formation, especially for those seeking to raise capital or keep their operations flexible.NevadaLike Florida and Texas, Nevada does not impose a state income tax. However, businesses in Nevada must pay an annual business license fee and may be subject to a modified business tax based on gross wages paid to employees. Nevada is known for its corporate-friendly policies, making it an attractive state for entrepreneurs looking to reduce their state tax exposure.Additional taxes for LLC ownersBeyond income taxes, LLC owners may face other tax obligations, such as the self-employment taxes mentioned above, payroll taxes, and sales taxes.Payroll taxesLLCs with employees must pay payroll taxes, including:Social Security and Medicare taxes: These are shared by the employer and employee. The current rate for Social Security is 12.4% on wages up to $160,200 (for 2025), and the Medicare rate is 2.9% on all wages. There’s also a 0.9% Medicare surtax on wages over $200,000 for individual taxpayers.Unemployment taxes: These fund unemployment benefit programs for workers who lose their jobs. The federal unemployment tax rate is 6% on the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages. However, this tax may be offset by state unemployment taxes, which vary by state.Employers must also withhold income taxes from their employees’ wages and remit these to the IRS. To report and pay these taxes, you will need to use the following forms:Form 941: Filed quarterly, this form reports income taxes withheld from employee wages, as well as the Social Security and Medicare taxes paid by both the employer and employee.Form 940: Filed annually, this form is used to report federal unemployment taxes and must be filed by Jan. 31 of the following year.Sales taxIf your LLC sells taxable goods or services, you must collect and remit sales tax to the appropriate state and local authorities. Sales tax rates vary widely by state, and some states even have local sales tax rates that apply in addition to the state rate. For example, California imposes a 7.25% statewide sales tax, but local jurisdictions can increase this rate, resulting in higher overall sales tax rates in certain areas.Many states tax physical products, but they may not tax digital goods or services. States like Texas and Florida are known for having broad sales tax provisions that apply to a wide range of goods and services, while states like Delaware don’t have a state sales tax at all.Another important consideration is sales tax nexus, which refers to a business’s connection to a state that requires it to collect and remit sales tax. This nexus can be established by having a physical presence in the state, such as an office or employees, or by reaching a certain threshold of sales within the state.For example, California requires businesses to collect sales tax if they have $500,000 or more in sales within the state, even if the business is located outside California.Once you’ve determined that you need to collect sales tax, you’ll need to:Register with the state’s revenue department.Collect sales tax on all taxable transactions.Remit the collected sales tax to the state at regular intervals, which can be monthly, quarterly, or annually, depending on sales volume.How to prepare and file taxes as an LLCFiling taxes as a small business or LLC doesn’t have to be stressful. Using smart accounting software and taking advantage of e-filing are just some ways to make your life easier once tax season comes around.Here are five simple steps to prepare and file taxes as an LLC.1. Monitor business spending throughout the tax yearMonitoring and recording business expenses throughout the tax year is crucial to ensure you file accurate taxes as an LLC. Using an automated expense management platform gives you instant, easy access to organized business expense records by:Automatically collecting and matching receipts to transactions made on connected corporate cards.Eliminating the need for manual data entry and the human error it creates.Instantly sorting business expenses by category, department, and employee.Integrating with your accounting and tax-filing software to update tax documents on a rolling basis.On top of making filing taxes as an LLC a breeze, Ramp supplies unlimited corporate cards so you never have to use your personal card for business again.Not only does using a business credit card affect your personal credit and help build business credit, but all business-related fees and expenses are tax-deductible. As a result, using a business credit card could lower your tax bill as an LLC member.2. Collect your financial recordsThe biggest mistake most LLCs make is putting off collecting and organizing financial records until just a few days before the filing deadline. Important documents and information to collect beforehand include:Your taxpayer identification number.Business and personal bank account statements.Personal and business credit card statements.The tax returns your business filed the previous year.Your business and personal accounting records.3. Identify the proper tax forms to fileThe type of LLC you own and how it’s taxed will determine the forms you need to file with the IRS. The required forms for each LLC type are listed below.Single-member LLC:Form 1040Schedule CSchedule SE (conditional)Schedule E (conditional)Multi-member LLC:Form 1065Form 1040Schedule K-1Schedule SE (conditional)Schedule E (conditional)LLC taxed as an S corp:Form 1120SForm 1040Schedule E (conditional)LLC taxed as a C corp:Form 1120Form 1040Form 9414. Maximize your tax deductionsLLC and small business tax deductions can reduce your taxable income and save your business money in the long term. Common tax write-offs to remember include:Business insuranceCommercial property rentVehicle expensesOffice supplies and equipmentBusiness mealsBusiness travel expensesAdvertising expenses5. File your tax returns on timeIt’s important to file and pay income tax on time. If you don’t, the IRS can impose stiff penalties for every month they’re overdue.Depending on the type of LLC you own, your tax returns will have varying due dates. Familiarizing yourself with these deadlines will make sure you either meet them or apply for an extension in time.Single-member LLC: April 15Multi-member LLCs, LLCs taxed as S corps, and LLCs taxed as C corps: March 15Additionally, LLCs with employees may need to file and calculate quarterly taxes to stay on top of employment and unemployment tax payments and avoid penalties for underpaying. Ramp This story was produced by Ramp and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

How to ensure data security with online registration software

How to ensure data security with online registration softwareIf your company handles registrant data in any way, you need robust practices in place to ensure sensitive and personal information is protected. From automated reporting to integrated payment processing, numerous features of online registration software help secure your registrants’ data.This guide from Regpack explores how you can ensure data security with online registration software, covering what makes data security important, ways to leverage registration software for ultimate data protection, and more.Why Is Data Security Important for Registration?For any company that receives, stores, or utilizes customer data, it is imperative that data security protocols are in place. Data breaches can pose a range of common security threats to registration systems, impacting both your company and registrants, including financial losses, severe reputational damage, and a loss of consumer trust.Here’s why ensuring data security is paramount. Regpack Protect Sensitive Client InformationData security protocols aim to protect the sensitive information of your registrants and customers, including personally identifiable information (PII), financial data, biometric data, business-sensitive data, and personal attributes information.Online registration software should integrate security measures that can help you protect sensitive information and:Prevent identity theft: Many registration forms require personal and personally identifiable information, which, when accessible to cybercriminals, can be used to commit identity theft. Identity theft can cause significant financial and emotional issues for your registrants.Reduce the risk of financial fraud: When registrants share their card details and financial information through your online forms, their data must be comprehensively protected to avoid unauthorized transactions.Limit emotional distress: When inadequately protected, clients’ sensitive information can be used in ways that cause stress and impact their emotional well-being.Build trust: If your organization can effectively protect client information, you are more likely to build trust with your consumers and foster lasting relationships.Comply With Legal and Regulatory RequirementsIf your company deals with personal or sensitive data in any way, you will need to comply with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements, many of which pertain to data security.Most online registration software is built to help you adhere to compulsory requirements, which can help your company:Avoid penalties: You must comply with state and federal regulations that mandate how personal data should be collected, stored, and communicated. For example, businesses that handle health care-related data must comply with federal HIPAA regulations. Failure to comply with data security and management regulations can result in substantial fines and public reprimands.Clarify requirements for users: Most online registration software enables you to choose how to make compliance regulations clear for consumers. For example, most software offers features such as consent pop-ups, privacy policy integration, and explicit opt-ins.Although online registration providers can assist you in your business’s compliance management, it is ultimately your responsibility. To ensure you fully understand and fulfill your obligations, you must assess your local, global, federal, and industry-specific regulations. For example, California alone has more than 25 state privacy and data security laws that its businesses must adhere to.Protect Your Company’s ReputationFailure to provide adequate data protection can result in breaches, which can damage your reputation and business success. Data breaches can lead to:Negative publicity: In the data protection sphere, news of data breaches can spread fast and furiously, and your business can quickly be deemed untrustworthy.Stifled growth: If past or current registrants have a negative experience and cannot trust you to protect your data, future ones won’t either.Competitive disadvantage: Data breaches put your company at a major competitive disadvantage. Being able to protect your clients’ data is considered the bare minimum for companies that handle sensitive information, and an inability to do so makes you far less appealing than your competitors.Support Operational ContinuityDealing with data breaches and their subsequent fallout can disrupt your operations. Having robustly secured data can:Reduce disruptions: Data breaches can halt operations. As you react to a breach, investigate its cause and work to resolve subsequent issues, your operations may be severely disrupted.Divert resources: The more time and resources you spend on dealing with a breach, the more valuable resources you are diverting that could otherwise be dedicated to advancing operations, enhancing your products and services, and more.Avoid Financial LossesIssues with data security can cause a host of financial difficulties. Data breaches can lead to financial losses through:Loss of customers: If your business experiences a data breach, you are likely to lose customers and see a decline in business.Invested resources: You will need to dedicate resources to investigating and resolving the breach and rectifying any issues it has caused.Litigation fees: If your data breach is due to negligence or noncompliance, you could be liable and may need to resolve issues legally. Any legal processes will incur attorney and court fees, and could even lead to client settlements.Maintain Ethical IntegrityBeyond the success or finances of your business, you have a moral obligation to protect your clients’ right to privacy and to ensure the complete safety of their personal information. Ensuring data security helps you uphold your moral duties as a business and maintain ethical integrity.How Can You Ensure Data Security With Online Registration Platforms?Online registration platforms provide the tools and features you need to ensure data security throughout the registration journey. Discover what makes online registration software secure, and how different registration software features ensure data security. Regpack Advanced EncryptionWhen you choose an online registration platform that meets the global benchmark of advanced encryption protocols, user data should be stored securely both in transit and at rest. Most platforms align with the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which protects data as it is transferred and stored online. Encrypting data makes it unreadable should it be compromised, protecting it from being stolen or changed.Encryption in transit protects your data as it actively moves from one place to another online, while encryption at rest protects data as it is being stored in databases. Encryption is a key component of data security as it minimizes cybercriminals’ ability to decipher it, so even if unauthorized access occurs, the data is unusable.To comply with the AES, all data exchanged between the user’s browser and the registration software’s servers must be encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS).AutomationOnline registration software automates many steps involved in the registration process, including:Payment processingForm creationCommunication and notificationsReporting and analyticsEncryptionCompliance checksAutomation can drastically improve data security by:Minimizing human error: When data is processed manually, there are more opportunities for mistakes. Manual data processing can lead to accidental exposure, input errors, incorrect data placement, and more. When the registration process is automated, data is automatically transferred from the registration form to online storage databases without error.Enforcing continuous security measures: Automated security protocols include encryption, regular backups, real-time threat monitoring, and streamlined compliance efforts.Integrated Payment ProcessingOne of the primary benefits of online registration software is its integrated payment processing.With integrated payment processes, you can avoid the risks associated with manual payments, such as cash exchange, paper checks, and offline exchanges of financial information. For a safe method of taking bank and payment details, choose an online registration platform that integrates online payments.Look for a platform that supports multiple currencies and a range of payment types, such as credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.Data Analytics and ReportingMost online registration software is data-driven and benefits from integrated reporting dashboards, which can help you understand your company’s data storage and use.Access to real-time data can provide important insights to make data-driven safety decisions and identify any potential risks early on. Having an overview of all your company’s data helps you see the bigger picture, and such advanced features are not available with in-person or manual registration processes.Look for the following features when choosing an online registration platform:The ability to filter by event, region, audience type, industry, and any other custom fields you need.Real-time dashboards with useful metrics such as payment status and registration count.Real-time threat detection with continual network monitoring.Enterprise-Grade Secure Data StorageThe leading providers of online registration software utilize the most advanced cloud operations, which adhere to the highest security standards.Common safety standards include:High network security: Enterprise-grade security measures include advanced firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and intrusion detection systems (IDS).Physical security: Software providers store your data in data centers that have multiple layers of physical security, such as 24/7 surveillance, security guards, and biometrics.Automated backup and recovery: Many online registration platforms provide frequent or continuous automatic backups to protect your data should any network issues occur and to minimize data loss.CAPTCHA or similar: Your chosen registration software should incorporate an additional layer of security, such as CAPTCHA, or something similar, to prevent bots from accessing the platform, compromising data, or submitting spam entries.Advanced Privacy and Compliance FeaturesYour online registration software must adhere to legal compliance and regulatory standards related to data privacy, security, accessibility, and financial transactions. Different industries, locations, and business types have different requirements, so it is essential to choose a provider that suits your business’s unique needs.Advanced compliance features of online registration software include:Granular consent management: The best registration platforms enable registrants to explicitly give their consent on how their data is used and stored, with clear checkboxes. It is also beneficial for your company to have a record of when and how registrants' data-related consent was given.PCI-DSS compliance: Any online platform that receives, stores, or uses credit or debit card information must adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), regardless of the volume of data in action, company size, and your business’s industry.While online registration software can streamline your privacy and compliance features, it is still your responsibility to follow cybersecurity best practices to optimize the privacy of your registrants’ data.Additional Benefits of Online Registration SoftwareAlongside strengthening your data protection, having the right online registration software can help you streamline your operations, boost user experience, and more.Additional benefits of online registration software include:Registrants feel protected: Integrated, secure payment options enable registrants to feel protected when they share sensitive information.Enhanced user experience (UX): The best registration software should allow you to customize your registration process, making it more appealing to today’s consumers. Plus, integrated features minimize extra steps and therefore reduce the risks of registrant drop-off.Helps drive strategic decisions: Access to data can help drive strategic decisions and determine trends, such as how registration numbers compare across regions, products, or event types.Accessibility on multiple devices: Your chosen software should be optimized for different devices so registrants can enter their information seamlessly wherever they are, whatever device they are using.Instant confirmation: Automated online processes enable quick processing and order or registration confirmations.Reduces manual workload: Automated processes reduce your company’s manual workload. This not only diminishes the risk of human error, but also enables your workforce to contribute their efforts to more important tasks.Leverage Online Registration Platforms to Protect Sensitive DataIn today’s digital landscape, protecting registrant information is not just an advantage — it is nonnegotiable.As online platforms become the most common forum for participant registration, organizations must make strategic decisions that prioritize data security and reduce the risk of breaches.That is where online registration platforms come in. Platforms that offer advanced data security features and adopt cybersecurity best practices can streamline your approach to data protection. Through optimized processes like automation, secure payment processing, and automatic system audits, online registration platforms are equipped with multiple layers of protection to safeguard private data.When you choose online registration software that is right for your company, you can stay up to date with the ever-evolving compliance and cybersecurity sphere, and protect your registrants’ data with confidence.This story was produced by Regpack and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

'Let them shower in hotels': Johannesburg Premier faces backlash amid water crisis

In South Africa, as taps run dry in Johannesburg, Africa's richest city, a tone deaf remark by a senior politician there unleashes fury.

Why one geologist thinks we should all pay more attention to rocks

Why one geologist thinks we should all pay more attention to rocksMarcia Bjornerud loves rocks. Not just under a petrographic microscope, but as animated entities with properties and personalities born from their long, eventful lives. “I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m not going to hold back from talking about rocks in an affectionate way,” she said.Bjornerud, a professor of geology at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, has spent years studying the intricate processes that shape our planet and its deep history. From the smallest grains of metamorphic rock to tectonic plates that span continents, she argues we have much to gain from better understanding the building blocks of the place we call home. It’s why she wrote her newest book, “Turning to Stone,” which examines the ways in which rocks keep the planet functioning. The book is, in many ways, a love letter to rocks—and to the possibility of reconnecting with Earth’s deep wisdom. Rocks, she says, are storytellers, archivists that hold clues to Earth’s histories. Understanding their narratives could inspire us to act with both the patience and foresight that life on this planet demands.Never has this been more urgent. The climate crisis is fuelled by our misconception that we exist apart from nature, that we dominate it rather than belong to it. But understanding our place within Earth’s long and intricate history could shift this perspective, argues Bjornerud in her earlier book “Timefulness.” In an age of short-term thinking and quick-fix solutions, Bjornerud posits that contextualizing our existence within geological time, which spans billions of years, offers both perspective and hope.Here, Bjornerud speaks with Atmos about the scale—and wonder—of Earth’s foundations, the spiritual costs of binary thinking, and why time literacy is essential for creating an equitable climate future.Daphne Chouliaraki Milner:How can the study of geology help us appreciate the interconnectedness of micro and macro systems on Earth?Marcia Bjornerud:Having taught geosciences for more than 30 years, I’ve realized that the most essential thing we can teach our students is the capacity to zoom in and out of scales in time and space, to look at a rock sample under the microscope and make inductive inferences on a regional scale. The geologic mindset requires this polyfocal capacity because all Earth systems are operating at these scales, too. Feeling comfortable traveling back and forth across scales is really central to the geologic worldview.DCM: I love the word “polyfocal” because it also accurately describes the work that we’re trying to do at Atmos. Climate storytelling has for so long been restricted to one focus, but to fully understand the climate crisis, we need to nurture intersectional, polyfocal thinking. What’s an example of a seemingly small geological process that has a profound macroscale impact on our planet?MB: Microbes are in charge of global biogeochemistry. The Earth is, in many ways, a microcracy. It’s ruled by the very tiny. We, macroscopic creatures, think we’re the top of the food chain. But the reality is that we are not in charge. The pandemic made that very clear.Another example—which is perhaps the most important in all of our planet’s history—would be that microbes changed the atmosphere. In the first two and a half billion years of Earth, the atmosphere was dominated by volcanic outgassing. Then, some early single-celled organisms learned to photosynthesize. And by around a couple of billion years ago, they had been doing that long enough that oxygen started building up in the atmosphere. That changed all the geochemical rules and made it possible for different strategies of metabolism to be possible. It changed what kinds of minerals could form on Earth because oxygen allows for different ways of combining elements into new minerals.There were many, many, many billions and trillions of very tiny microbes. Collectively, they achieved global revolution.DCM: In your latest book, “Turning to Stone,” you reflect on the ways in which rocks intersect with our lives. I wondered whether you could describe some of those intersections and some of the most surprising overlaps that you’ve discovered?MB: One of my motivations for writing the book is that our Western attitude toward nature is at the root of our environmental problems: this idea that nature is the passive backdrop for the real action; that we’ve invented the world; that the world is limited to human commerce and culture; that nature’s inert, insensate. This habit of mind has come to us, sadly, from the sciences, alongside the idea that we need to objectify anything we’re studying, that we need to be dispassionate and analytical.As a scientist, I realize I can’t do that anymore. I care about the things I study. And actually, I think that’s true for most scientists. We wouldn’t stick with it if we didn’t love our subjects. So why are we pretending that these things are separate from us? That we can be dispassionate and detached from them when, in fact, we do care about them?I have thought a lot about the Western attitude toward the natural world and wondered at what point we began to think we had outsmarted it. I think it was the Enlightenment, and though I can hardly speak ill of the Enlightenment, that new mindset combined with the industrial revolution started a process of seeing nature as a resource rather than something with its own deep wisdom. There are environmental consequences, but I would say there are also spiritual consequences. If we think the world is only what we’ve made, then that’s terrifying. The world is a mess, but there is a much richer and wilder and older natural world out there that we’ve forgotten about.DCM: I agree, and I think that this binary thinking is reflected in our language, too. In the West, the narrative we have developed around rocks is that they are static and inanimate. It’s even embedded into our language—stone dead. Even describing someone as a rock implies that they are immobile, unmoving. I wonder, from your experience, how studying geologic processes can help us rethink some of these narratives.MB: My field is structural geology, which has to do with rock deformation—rocks literally changing shape. We use the approaches of fluid mechanics to study tectonics, mountain building, fault zones.Rocks, even in the solid state, can be considered fluid—not as a state of matter, but as something that flows. Plates move. Mountains grow. They’re ephemeral things. They haven’t always been there. They form, and then they erode away. Rocks are literally animate things in the science that I study. So it’s not too difficult for me to think of them that way. It’s just they’re moving in ultra-slow motion most of the time, until they lurch in an earthquake.DCM: In “Turning to Stone,” you make the case that rocks have eventful lives. How might our lives be enriched by understanding their histories and our heritage on this very old planet?MB: I’m perhaps in the minority, but I do find solace in knowing that the Earth is old and that the rocks around me have been here for a long time. Some people find that diminishing, but to me, it’s comforting. I would be terrified if we lived on a 6,000-year-old Earth, as some of the young Earth creationists say, that hasn’t been tested and shown to be as resilient as it is.There are many different kinds of rocks, and to me, they have different personalities. They also literally have different properties in the way that they respond to wind, rain, or ice. It’s like a pantheon of ancient gods in that I can look at these different rock types that, in some way, personify different personality characteristics. I’ve become less embarrassed to talk about that.DCM: Have you got a favorite type of rock?MB: I do have an affinity for metamorphic rocks. They’re the ones that formed in one environment and then found themselves, usually through tectonic upheaval, somewhere else, maybe deep in the crust. So, a sedimentary rock might find itself deep in the guts of a mountain belt, which causes it to transform into something else because of the extreme pressure and temperature. If we want to read something from that, these rocks teach us about the capacity to adapt and change and become something new under difficult circumstances.DCM: In “Timefulness,” you emphasize the importance of understanding and respecting Earth’s deep geological time. You describe a timeful mindset in the book as broadening our sense of timescales through an awareness of Earth’s geological billion-year history. How can we adopt such a mindset? And how might it reshape the way we understand our relationship to the past and the future?MB: Our technologies keep us trapped in the moment in a consumptive cycle of the next briefly famous meme. Corporations benefit from making us never-satisfied consumers of short-lived content. I don’t think this is the normal way that humans have experienced time in human history. It’s an aberration—and I would say, a pathological one.In the past, I think people were more acutely aware of mortality, more comfortable with acknowledging the finitude of lives, and keenly aware of the importance of remembering ancestors. They cared about leaving a legacy into the future. Today, many of us in the West are narcissistic about our time. We somehow feel that the past doesn’t matter, despite the knowledge that terrible colonial crimes were committed. In the process of detaching from our histories, we’ve also detached ourselves from this sense of continuity.We can start repairing our relationship with the past by recognizing that we live in geologic time—and that there isn’t a disjunction between the past and now or the past and the future. In fact, there’s great comfort in being able to read a landscape and understand the rocks around you as records of earlier versions of the place. It’s not that everybody should become a geologist or even take a geological class, but the habit of remembering that this now is just one of many nows is important.DCM: We talk a lot about historical literacy, cultural literacy, media literacy, and political literacy—and with good reason. But what I don’t think we discuss enough is the importance of time literacy—the awareness and understanding of time in both its short-term and long-term dimensions—and why it’s imperative that we understand ourselves as a continuity of our ancestors. Why is time literacy so crucial in today’s world?MB: That’s a wonderful point. One reason is that people have no sense of proportion about, say, our carbon dioxide emissions. Many [climate skeptics] say, “Well, Earth’s climate has changed dramatically in the past.” Yes, that’s absolutely true. Long before humans, there have been high amplitude climate changes. But the point is we weren’t there. And during the last 10,000 years, the Holocene has been unusually stable, and that’s the time during which human civilization has risen. We’ve been the beneficiaries of that stability.So, just understanding what our little 10,000-year timeline looks like, relative to earlier times of climate instability, is one very specific example of why time literacy matters. Understanding the rates of change—for instance, the asymmetry between how quickly we can consume groundwater from a given place versus how long it takes that groundwater to recharge. But people don’t have any conception of groundwater flow rates. It’s considered obscure.There should be a focus in schools on understanding temporal proportions about events that happened in the geologic past relative to the rapidity of change today. That’s why I wrote “Timefulness.” So often, there’s this tendency to crunch and condense everything that came before us into the category of “prehistory,” which is a ridiculous idea. People have no depth of field, no understanding of how long ago different historical and natural events happened, and no idea of how long phenomena like the mass extinctions of the past took—and how long it took to recover from them. These are timescales that we don’t like to contemplate too much, but we should.DCM: How can a timeful mindset, one that connects a deep understanding of the past with a thoughtful awareness of the future, challenge the short-term thinking that is driving so many crises, specifically the climate crisis?MB: I don’t know if it can. I’ve become more pessimistic, sadly, since I wrote that book, given what’s happened in the U.S. again.One of the points I make in “Turning to Stone” is that we’re in a golden age in geosciences. Today, we can understand the climate system in pretty high resolution at the 100,000- to million-year timescale. It’s a real frustration that, in this time when we know more about the way the Earth’s system works than ever before, our political and economic systems are not designed for long-term thinking.In other words: We’ve got the science now, but the implementation is thwarted by the incentive systems of the economy and the political realm. Two to four years is about the best we can hope for, at least in this country. We keep getting jerked back and forth. One administration put climate policies in place, but then they are reversed by the next one. Long-term planning is not baked into the way we make societal decisions. I have to think that part of the answer is education and cultural change. But that’s very slow.All I’m trying to say is we need to think on longer timescales. We need to be infusing that everywhere: into education, into policy, into the economy.DCM: How does storytelling, in books like “Turning to Stone” and “Timefulness,” enhance the accessibility of geology to a broader audience? And why do they matter?MB: I hope they do enhance accessibility. Unfortunately, the Earth sciences are not well-represented in most school curricula, certainly not in the United States.It’s a tragedy that the average Earthling never gains a rigorous understanding of the place they’re going to spend their lives. I and other people who are trying to break open the Earth sciences to ordinary people are trying to make up for that gap in our educational system, which is at the root of so many of our problems. I have to think that if more people really understood the implications of their individual and collective actions, then we could’ve held fossil fuel companies accountable much earlier for what they are doing. We would’ve insisted, before everything became so politicized, on government policies that would steer us in a different direction.The fact is the Earth is complicated. It’s not something that can be reduced to a quick, superficial, soundbite-like story. That’s why we need to find stories that have some resonance, that have some kind of arc that people can relate to.DCM: I want to go back to something that you said at the beginning of our conversation. You said that the West’s construction of humans and nature as a binary has a spiritual cost. What exactly is that spiritual cost? What does it look like?MB: Loneliness. This feeling of being bereft of something we cannot even articulate. To me, that’s the greatest cost.When we don’t see ourselves as embedded in nature, we focus so much on strife between ourselves. But when we see ourselves in miniature, in the context of nature, looking down on the human collective, then we say, “Now I’ve got everything back in proper proportion.” That may be a simplistic explanation, but I’m describing that sense of seeing yourself as you really are and not this narcissism—both individual and collective—that we’re stuck in. It’s toxic, and it’s making everybody sad and mean-spirited.I’m a deeply agnostic person, so I don’t have a glib religious answer, but I think that there is some kind of spiritual connection to nature that has been corroded for most people, and they really yearn for a way back.DCM: What is the most profound piece of wisdom that you’ve learned from studying rocks? What can they teach us about our interconnectedness and what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves?MB: The main lesson I would say is that we live on a creative, resilient, generous planet.Interestingly, we didn’t appreciate just how unique our planet is until we looked out in space and started getting detailed information about our near neighbors in the solar system: Venus and Mars and the moon. Now we’re looking out into deep space and seeing exoplanets and finding that actually, Earth-like planets are extremely rare.I’m currently teaching a course about Mars. I’m asking my students to write an open letter to Elon Musk about how Earth and Mars diverged developmentally more than 3 billion years ago, and the hubris in thinking anyone could ever make Mars even marginally habitable in a matter of a couple of human generations. Our planet has a uniquely innovative nature: ceaseless in experimentation and invention of so many different creatures, rocks, landforms.In the arc of my own career, I’ve seen a change in the narrative—even in hard-nosed, scientific journals—from Earth being seen as an ordinary, middle-sized planet around a middle-sized star that’s just one of billions out there, to Earth being seen as quite unusual. It has all this water, it has a plate tectonic system, and it has maintained habitable conditions for billions of years. The amazing thing is not that Earth happened to start with the right conditions, but that it maintained them over those timescales. That is extraordinary on a galactic scale.This story was produced by Atmos and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Why Utah’s Silicon Slopes hiring feels like it’s at a standstill: ‘It’s taking a toll.’

Why Utah’s Silicon Slopes hiring feels like it’s at a standstill: ‘It’s taking a toll.’Cody Scott’s foray into the tech sector began at Snow College, where the then-football player and some of his friends built an app to help fellow students find events and parties. The startup went on to get early accolades, and it planted a seed for Scott.He found he was good at this type of work, designing software and products for real people, “being very empathetic to the problems that the user’s facing.”He knows it sounds “cheesy,” but he started to see tech as a relatively quick way to earn a high salary, support his family and achieve the American dream.“As long as you have the skillset and you understand how to work within that culture, you can sort of climb the ladder,” he said, “which is what I’ve been doing.”As he jumped to different tech jobs over the years, his income provided everything for his wife and their two kids, he said.Until November 2024, when Scott lost his remote job as a senior product designer and spent more than a year searching for another. His wife, who was studying nursing, had to get a job. They had to work with their mortgage lender to pause payments so they didn’t lose their home.“We were OK,“ he said, “but we were literally just scraping by throughout the whole year.” Bethany Baker // The Salt Lake Tribune It’s not just Scott. Many others told The Salt Lake Tribune a similar story — filing job application after job application, seemingly into the void. Hiring and job growth are slowing nationwide as economic uncertainty remains high, and the national unemployment rate increased to around 4.4%, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, up a tenth of a percentage point from November. Utah’s is lower at 3.6%, but still up from a year ago.The tech industry has been hit particularly hard, all as artificial intelligence proliferates and the torrent of investments that once flooded the field have slowed with higher interest rates.  Christopher Cherrington // The Salt Lake Tribune Utah’s Silicon Slopes region is no outlier. The state’s tech hub had been steadily growing until a recent slump “amid a slowing economy and increased funding costs,” Gwen Kervin wrote in a 2024 paper about the state’s tech employment. The Utah nonprofit also called Silicon Slopes, which empowers local startups and businesses, declined comment.Kervin, a senior economist with the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said there are signs of recovery.And Madison McCord, chief human resources officer at Domo, the Utah-based business intelligence company, said the situation is “really a sign of durability,” and the “natural effects of success.”“We see this moment less as a slowdown and more as a reset toward sustainable growth, one that strengthens the local ecosystem. And at the same time,” McCord added, “it is creating room for the next wave of scrappy startups.”When the search starts to wear people down For many displaced workers, though, a rebound doesn’t feel realistic. It’s not unusual in the tech sector to weather layoffs and restructuring. But Scott is one of many who have struggled to find work in this particular period of disruption. “I stopped counting my applications around 500,” Scott said in January. He estimates he submitted about double that number.As the search dragged on, Scott said, he started to think — despite his qualifications and years of experience — that he was the problem.Was he not talented enough? Had he not developed enough new skills, what the industry refers to as “upskilling”? He wondered whether he’s not the type of Black guy people might “want him to be” — “entertaining,” like “Kevin Hart, Will Smith,” instead of the “laid back and chill” person he is.“It’s like, that’s ridiculous. I can’t even believe I was thinking it, but it does it to you, when you’re being told no over and over again,” he said. “You’re just searching for answers.”Matt Schulz, LendingTree’s chief consumer finance analyst, said social media is full of posts from people feeling dejected.“All it takes is spending 30 seconds on LinkedIn to see the frustration that is out there among job seekers,” Schulz said.The ones who spend months, a year, or more looking for work aren’t just struggling financially, he said. “It’s taking a toll on them emotionally, and they’re trying to keep their hopes up,” Schulz said. “It isn’t easy.”Right now, there just aren’t enough Utah tech jobs for the amount of people seeking them, according to “Hold My Fry Sauce,” a popular Silicon Slopes parody and gossip-gathering Instagram account with more than 7,400 followers.The person who runs the account told The Tribune that they have worked in Utah’s tech industry for years. They fear revealing their identity could lead to retaliation from employers, and The Tribune has agreed to not use their name.They said they’ve heard from people who are “well-connected” who have gotten jobs within months — giving credence, they said, to the idea that it’s less about what you know than who you know.But they’ve also heard from well-connected people who spent nearly a year searching before eventually taking other “transitional” jobs to make ends meet.Hiring managers are also feeling the pressure, the “Fry Sauce” admin said, adding they’ve heard that some roles have received 500 to 800 applications within a week of being posted.“I don’t think most companies are intentionally excluding people; it’s more that the sheer volume of applicants has broken the traditional hiring process,” they said. “Combined with risk-averse hiring, budget freezes, and fewer open roles overall, it creates a system where a lot of good candidates are effectively invisible.” Greg Green lost his job at Oracle in March, after more than 20 years with the company. While job hopping can be a good thing — and can lead to higher wages and career advancement — Green stayed at Oracle because he needed security. Bethany Baker // The Salt Lake Tribune Green, 58, has diabetes. He and his wife also have three children, two of whom are permanently disabled and dependent on them. He needed to make sure he didn’t lose health insurance or other benefits and could take care of himself and everyone else. The remote aspect of his job was also important.“Because I could stay at home and take care of my daughter, and I could also get insurance, and get my job done, and be appreciated for that,” he said, “but it wasn’t enough.”Since he was laid off, Green has applied to hundreds of jobs. And nearly as many times, he’s heard some version of this same refrain: We appreciate the time that it took to complete this application. Due to the overwhelming number of applicants, we’ve decided to continue with other applicants for this role.Or, he said: We regret to inform you that the role was filled. Good luck.“It’s just over and over,” he said.At Domo, managers haven’t “slowed hiring,” according to McCord.“But we have gotten more intentional about it,” she continued.“As the business has matured,” McCord said, “we’ve focused our hiring on roles that directly support customer value and long-term growth strategy.”For Domo, that means hiring developers and salespeople with experience that aligns with their cloud partnerships with Snowflake, Databricks and Google. Is AI to blame?At least part of the industry’s slowdown is because of artificial intelligence.The proof was in a chart projected around the Grand America’s ballroom in January, where lawmakers and business leaders gathered ahead of the legislative session to discuss the economic outlook and weigh the impact of public policy.As the graph indicated, the rollout of ChatGPT in late 2022 coincided with the slowdown job seekers are seeing.“Like every tool that’s ever been invented, it can be a positive,” Gov. Spencer Cox said about AI. Former Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who joined Cox in a panel discussion, pointed to AI benefits for public safety, such as using it to time street lights or guide first responders to emergencies. But it also comes with disruption.“AI will take some of our jobs,” Cox continued. “And what’s a little different about this disruption, or this evolution, that we’re seeing right now is historically, when we’ve had new tools, the disruptions have really affected the blue-collar workers.” “Plumbers,” Cox said, “are going to do really well in this evolution.” Christopher Cherrington // The Salt Lake Tribune But AI isn’t the only force contributing to the slowdown. High interest rates and economic uncertainty also play a role. Years of overhiring during the pandemic-era tech boom, followed now by a shift to investing in data centers, are also factors, said Mary Hall, director of the University of Utah’s Kahlert School of Computing.White-collar workers faced similar challenges when the personal computer, the internet, the cellphone and cloud computing were invented. Despite earlier challenges, those technologies all led to new industries and jobs, she said.“There may be a transition period now,” Hall said, “but we expect this to follow that same pattern, with normalization and then another period of growth.”Right now, the tech industry seems to want people with more experience as AI takes over tasks typically reserved for junior engineers. At Domo, McCord said, “AI is definitely part of what is reshaping the talent market, but for us it’s not about replacing people, it’s about changing how work gets done.” She said the company has created an “AI council” to evaluate how the technology is used internally. “The goal is to help teams work smarter while keeping humans firmly in the loop when it comes to judgment, context, and accountability,” she said. Reasons for optimismYounger workers new to the labor market are having the most trouble finding jobs. The unemployment rate for those age 20-24 is well above the national rate, at 8.2%, according to federal data. Since at least 2001, a gap like that has existed, but it’s widening.“The current no-hire, no-fire labor market — and the prospect of a jobless expansion — is an enormous challenge for members of Gen Z who are just now entering the labor force,” according to a November research briefing from Oxford Economics.These workers are “more vulnerable to economic downturns,” the briefing continued, because they haven’t yet accumulated wealth. That means a “weak labor market can have a lasting negative impact on wage growth and earning potential.”Job seekers are also getting trapped by an increase in so-called ghost jobs, according to NPR, where a listing is posted but no one is ever hired, either because it’s fake or because a company posted for more open positions than needed. For every two job postings, one doesn’t get filled, NPR reported.Employers are implementing AI to help filter the large pool of applicants they get, too, which can cull good candidates in the process. Some candidates are using AI to fight back and send out hundreds of applications.Hall said her school is updating its curriculum to help better prepare students. They’re adding a new minor in AI this fall, as well as AI pathways within their majors and additional courses on cloud computing and data centers. Professors are also coaching students to look beyond traditional tech jobs, she said.There’s some good news on the horizon: The percentage of Utah businesses that planned to add new employees in the coming months was higher than the percentage who expected to cut staff, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s December jobs report.Schulz, with LendingTree, said a downturn in Utah’s tech industry would be “a big deal” for the state.“This data doesn’t suggest that, though,” he said, adding that “I think, in all, that bodes well for Utah.”Utah’s own jobs report also had promising signs, Kervin said.That report, released about a week ago, shows the state added 21,800 jobs in a year — a 1.2% gain compared to national growth of 0.3%.Growth in the information sector was even higher, Kervin said, at 6.3%. “I’m not seeing, in Utah, what is perhaps happening in the rest of the United States,” she said. Utah has made attracting tech companies a priority, she said, and the state’s efforts — and talent pool — are paying off.“It looks like Utah’s growth in this sector is outpacing what we see in the rest of the United States,” Kervin said, especially in software development, data processing and data warehousing. Whether that holds true, she said, is harder to say. The state will release its annual projections in the spring.Green, whose severance ran out six months after he was laid off, is still holding out for a tech role. He thinks this AI “hype bubble” will eventually pop. “If I can survive that long,” Green said, “I might get a job coming off the end of that.”In the meantime, he said, he stopped taking medications that helped control his blood sugar to cut costs. He also recently tapered off his antidepressants, both to save money and to avoid the potential side effects of stopping cold.Thanksgiving and Christmas, he said, were hard. “I don’t feel very hopeful about the future,” he said. Scott did end up landing a job — 13 months after his search began. It pays less than he hoped and it’s not remote, requiring him to come into an Orem office, but it’s a job. “Even though I landed on my feet, like, it’s not without some collateral damage,” he said, “and it’s just like, I just have a sour taste in my mouth to this industry.”He said when he got started in tech about eight years ago, there seemed to be more of an “entrepreneurial spirit.” Jobs allowed more autonomy and the culture felt more optimistic and exciting, where the “best idea wins.”Now, Scott said, it feels like there’s less interest in solving problems or creating new ways to do things.“It’s more [about] creating shareholder value,” he said, “and whatever’s best for the bottom line.” This story was produced by The Salt Lake Tribune and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Interview: Celebrating National Drink Wine Day with Wide River Winery

There's double reason to raise a glass today. It's Wine Down Wednesday and National Drink Wine Day. Liz Quinn shares what's new at Wide River Winery.

Fire danger high again today across the Quad Cities

Strong winds, low humidity, and warm temperatures are creating another day with a high threat of wildfires spreading across the Quad Cities. Some much-needed rain is on the way, but it won't be much. Along with the rain, some storms and snow are possible, too. Here's your full 7-day forecast.

Greetings from Cairo, where lights and decorations transform the city during Ramadan

As Ramadan begins, traditional lanterns called fawanees brighten Cairo. They have become a symbol of Ramadan and are an almost-mandatory home decoration for the holy month in Egypt.

Three sent to hospital after carbon monoxide detected in Moline home

All occupants were evaluated and treated at the scene before being transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

5 people, 2 dogs treated in Moline after carbon monoxide exposure

Three people, two Moline first responders and two dogs were treated early this morning after experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in a home. A news release from the Moline Fire Department says crews were dispatched to a home in the 900 block of 34th Avenue on February 18 at about 12:47 a.m. for a [...]

That dead battery could cause a fire: Here’s what officials want you to know

Waste officials say disposing of batteries correctly can help prevent fires, protect workers and keep recyclable materials from being damaged.

Car left running in garage causes carbon monoxide leak, sends 5 to hospital

The leak occurred about 12:47 a.m. in the 900 block of 34th Avenue, according to a news release.

Chucking socks for charity at St. Ambrose men's volleyball

Players and spectators donated hundreds of socks, hats and gloves to Humility Homes and Services.

The US issues the most EB-1 visas to professionals from these countries

The US issues the most EB-1 visas to professionals from these countriesEach year, thousands of the world’s highest achievers apply for the EB-1, a U.S. visa category designed for people with extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers, and multinational executives.Despite its high bar for eligibility, the EB-1 remains a popular Green Card pathway, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services receiving almost 13,000 initial I-140 petitions each quarter.That may be because it’s one of the fastest routes available to a Green Card and long-term residency in the United States.For many applicants, that means skipping years of uncertainty tied to temporary work visas — and moving more quickly toward the stability of permanent status, including the freedom to change jobs, build a company, or plan a future in the U.S. without constantly worrying about renewals. Manifest Law examines data from USCIS and the State Department to examine where the biggest proportions of successful EB-1 visa applicants are from.Leading professionals from these 10 countries receive the most EB-1 visasNot every country sends the same number of EB-1 talent to the U.S. The top 10 nations below account for over 68% of EB-1 visa issuances abroad between June 2024 and May 2025, the most recent month for which the State Department has released data.Mainland China accounts for the majority of new EB-1 visas, outpacing Russia by more than fivefold.But State Department visa issuances are only one part of the EB-1 process. Its data reflects EB-1 visa stamps issued at U.S. consulates abroad, not the number of EB-1 Form I-140 approvals. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) tracks that data instead. And unlike the State Department, they include applications filed by people already living in the U.S.That’s why USCIS’s data tells a different story. Each year, India takes the No. 1 spot of approved Form I-140s, with mainland China following closely behind. Last year was no different.What the EB-1 data showsManifest principal attorney Nicole Gunara says the discrepancy between these two agencies’ data sets isn’t surprising. That’s because many Indian nationals enter the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa, with the H-1B being especially popular. “In fiscal year 2024 alone, 71% of H-1B visa approvals came from India,” she says. “That could be why they’re not showing up in the State Department’s data. As long as they remain in valid status, an Indian H-1B worker can apply for an EB-1 Green Card within the U.S.”Gunara says another possible explanation could be due to increased scrutiny from the State Department. “There’s no official document source that says mainland Chinese nationals categorically cannot get a nonimmigrant visa as easily as other people, but there are policy trends that suggest they face additional administrative hurdles,” she says. “That can deter someone from applying for a nonimmigrant visa before filing an EB-1 petition.”Socioeconomic factors may also play a factor as to why so many Chinese nationals qualify for the EB-1 — particularly under the EB-1B “outstanding professor and researcher” category. Manifest immigration attorney Ana Gabriela Urizar explains: “As part of its efforts to expand its economic growth, China’s government has strategically invested in research and development. That alone has helped produce more candidates who can prove international recognition or outstanding achievement to qualify for the EB-1B.”USCIS approval data helps confirm that. In fiscal year 2025, 33.79% of Form I-140 approvals from mainland China were under the EB-1B category. For India, that was 16.49%.Urizar notes that these explanations don’t fully explain why countries like Russia and Brazil are also outpacing India in EB-1 visa issuances. Part of it could be due to their priority dates, which dictate when people can file for a Green Card. “Unlike mainland Chinese or Indian nationals, extraordinary professionals living in other countries usually don’t have to wait for an EB-1 visa to become available to them,” she notes.In short, the gap between State Department EB-1 issuances and USCIS EB-1 petition approvals reflects differences in where applicants complete the Green Card process, rather than how many people qualify. Countries with larger nonimmigrant pipelines, such as India, may see more EB-1 cases finalized inside the U.S. through adjustment of status.Benefits of the EB-1 immigrant visa pathwayMany people know the EB-1 for its criteria, as it has extensive requirements to prove extraordinary ability, outstanding academic achievements, or qualifying multinational management. But don’t be fooled by its nickname, the “Einstein visa.” The EB-1 offers one of the most stable pathways for immigrating to the U.S. for creatives, founders, and researchers alike.For foreign nationals, that means avoiding changes of status, increased stability, and the ability to plan a long-term future in the U.S.The EB-1A, a subcategory of the EB-1, also offers the ability to self-petition. That’s a huge unlock for those who qualify, as it allows them to build their case without relying on a single employer. For extraordinary professionals in less corporate fields, such as creatives and freelancers, it can be more achievable than the standard work sponsorship route.How immigration attorneys can help EB-1 filersStrong EB-1 cases rely on more than just popularity. To obtain approval from USCIS, applicants are expected to meet the minimum criteria and, in many cases, pass a “final merits determination.” That doesn’t just mean just clearly outlining accomplishments, but building a narrative of sustained achievement that an immigration officer will resonate with.A lawyer with years of case experience offers more than just guidance on meeting USCIS’s preliminary criteria.They:Know how to navigate the final merits requirement, a gut-check from immigration officers on whether your case truly qualifies as extraordinary.Anticipate challenges along the road, whether they’re lengthy wait times or a request for additional evidence from USCIS.Understand your personal immigration goals, whether they’re focused on work or life in the U.S.Immigration law is tricky, and it can be easy to undersell your achievements to USCIS. A lawyer can help you navigate that and prove to a reviewing officer that you are a suitable candidate.Why the EB-1 matters nowEach year, employment-based petitions rank No. 2 in the total number of immigrant visas issued. Instead of being a niche immigration category, the EB-1 represents a viable pathway for many skilled workers looking to permanently enter the U.S. job market.The data proves that extraordinary talent is immigrating to the U.S. from several nations, but through different pathways. At U.S. embassies and consular offices, countries like China, Russia, and Brazil dominate EB-1 issuances. Domestically, Indian nationals are receiving EB-1 approvals in record numbers, likely because they’re already working in the U.S. through nonimmigrant visas like the H-1B.Regardless of where they’re from, those with exceptional abilities are much closer to qualifying for the EB-1 than they think. The strongest cases don’t just list accomplishments, but tell a story of sustained achievement and career growth. With the right strategy, the EB-1 is attainable and provides a pathway to a permanent future in the U.S.This story was produced by Manifest Law and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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Movies and TV shows casting across the US

Dpongvit // Shutterstock Movies and TV shows casting across the US The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities' Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of that journey.Whether you're a working actor or an aspiring one, you might be curious to know which movies and TV shows are casting roles near you. Backstage compiled a list of projects casting right now across the U.S., and which roles they're looking to fill. KinoMasterskaya // Shutterstock 'Lost in Love' TV Series Pilot - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- AJ (lead, male, 14-18)--- Jenn (lead, female, 14-18)--- Sarah (lead, female, 14-18)- Roles pay up to: $1,800- Casting locations: Worldwide- Learn more about the scripted show here Tikkyshop // Shutterstock 'Criminal Mastermind' - Project type: documentary- Roles: --- Lead Criminal (lead, male, 25-45)- Roles pay up to: $300- Casting locations: Boston, MA; New York City, NY- Learn more about the documentary here Media_Photos // Shutterstock 'The Gilded Age,' Season 4 - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- People to Portray Footmen (Non SAG AFTRA Covered) (background / extra, male, 18-25)- Roles pay up to: $187- Casting locations: New York City, NY- Learn more about the scripted show here Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock 'The Middle' - Project type: feature film- Roles: --- Adriana Perez (lead, female, 18-25)--- Andrew (supporting, male, 18-25)- Roles pay up to: $3,000- Casting locations: Worldwide- Learn more about the feature film here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock Korean Feature Film Project 2026 - Project type: feature film- Roles: --- Tyler (supporting, male, 18-26)- Roles pay up to: $3,000- Casting locations: nationwide- Learn more about the feature film here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock 'Out The Kitchen' - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- Featured Criminal Who Is An Extremist Organization Member (SAG-AFTRA Covered) (background / extra, male, 25-45)--- Featured Criminal With A Drug Addiction (SAG-AFTRA Covered) (background / extra, male, 25-55)--- Teens Dealing Illegal Drugs 18+ (SAG-AFTRA Covered) (background / extra, male, 18-21)- Roles pay up to: $234- Casting locations: New York City, NY- Learn more about the scripted show here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock Discovery Channel Historical Recreation Shoot - Project type: documentary series- Roles: --- WWII POW (American, British, and Dutch) (lead, male, 18-40)--- Japanese Naval Officer (lead, male, 25-50)- Roles pay up to: $200- Casting locations: Los Angeles, CA- Learn more about the documentary series here Media_Photos // Shutterstock Documentary Shoot, Recreation Actors - Project type: documentary series- Roles: --- Female College Student Passenger (real people, female, 18-25)--- Al-Megrahi (real people, male, 30-40)--- Masud (real people, male, 35-40)- Roles pay up to: $100- Casting locations: Los Angeles, CA- Learn more about the documentary series here Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock 'Minivan,' Extras - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- Restaurant Patrons (background / extra, 18+)- Roles pay up to: $187- Casting locations: Dobbs Ferry, NY; Yonkers, NY; Rye, NY; Nyack, NY; Nanuet, NY- Learn more about the scripted show here muratart // Shutterstock 'Cupertino' - Project type: scripted show- Roles: --- Background/Extras for New TV Show, Cupertino (background / extra, 18-80)- Casting locations: New York City, NY; North Bergen, NJ; Asbury Park, NJ; Atlantic City, NJ; Hackensack, NJ- Learn more about the scripted show here Media_Photos // Shutterstock 'Painted with L.O.V.E.' - Project type: feature film- Roles: --- Lilly (lead, female, 22-30)--- Patrick Jones (lead, 25-35)--- Lois (supporting, female, 22-30)- Roles pay up to: $10,000- Casting locations: nationwide- Learn more about the feature film here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock 'Cheating Ex I'll Never Forgive' - Project type: vertical series- Roles: --- Emma (lead, female, 18-24)--- Ethan (lead, male, 18-25)--- Carter (supporting, male, 18-25)- Roles pay up to: CA$400- Casting locations: Worldwide- Learn more about the vertical series here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock 'The War God Returns' - Project type: vertical series- Roles: --- Birthday Partygoers/Birthday Party DJ (day player, 18-30)--- Gala Attendee (day player, female, 25-45)--- General/Dictator/Soldier (War Flashback) (day player, male, 18-60)- Roles pay up to: $400- Casting locations: New York City, NY- Learn more about the vertical series here Grusho Anna // Shutterstock 'Christmas Retreat' - Project type: feature film- Roles: --- Ava (lead, female, 25-40)--- Clay (lead, male, 28-40)- Roles pay up to: $7,000- Casting locations: nationwide- Learn more about the feature film here guruXOX // Shutterstock 'Mad King' - Project type: feature film- Roles: --- Eileen (lead, female, 18-25)- Roles pay up to: $22,500- Casting locations: Worldwide- Learn more about the feature film here This story was produced by Backstage and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

8 creative ways to build your village, according to our listeners

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Nebraska GOP enters branding fight by opposing bill moving self-funded state agency to Ag Department

A feedlot in Grand Island on Dec. 30, 2025. (Juan Salinas II/Nebraska Examiner) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Republican Party formally opposes State Sen. Ben Hansen’s proposal that would make brand inspection voluntary statewide and eliminate the governor-appointed state Brand Committee. In a resolution adopted by the state party’s key leadership committee on Jan. 31, the GOP wrote that it had urged “all members of the Nebraska Legislature, particularly Republican senators, to oppose its passage.” It said the party opposed the bill in part because it could “lead to increased bureaucratic control under the Department of Agriculture.” The resolution said the GOP would distribute copies of the group’s stance to every Republican lawmaker in the officially nonpartisan statehouse. State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair. July 26, 2024. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Legislative Bill 1258 from Hansen, of Blair, would transfer the Brand Committee’s responsibilities to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, a state agency overseen by a gubernatorial appointee. Services provided by the Brand Committee are funded using fees. It would be housed differently but funded the same way under Hansen’s proposal.  The Brand Committee investigates cattle theft and verifies ownership through brand inspection when cattle are bought, sold or moved within or beyond the branding zone or area set in state law. Nebraska’s brand law applies mandatory inspections to cattle owners in the western two-thirds of the state.  SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hansen’s bill is the latest escalation in a years-long divide over the future of the Brand Committee among rural and agricultural constituencies — a fight that has flared recently, including during the last legislative session.  Some in the party started circulating the state GOP resolution online a few days before Tuesday’s legislative hearing on Hansen’s proposal, both of which highlighted the cattle industry’s division on the Brand Committee.  State GOP Chair Mary Jane Truemper said the state party hadn’t widely shared the resolution, because the party has up to 30 days to post its meeting minutes. She said the NEGOP sent the resolution to the “appropriate people” — including state senators — to avoid blindsiding them.  Hansen called the GOP resolution “premature,” though he acknowledged that it might sway some lawmakers. He said he hoped the hearing on the bill Tuesday in the Legislature’s Agriculture Committee might matter more. State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman. April 10, 2025. (Zach Wendling/Nebraska Examiner) Most hearing attendees opposed Hansen’s proposed changes, making the case for the importance of the independent branding group. Some supported it, saying it would make the process more efficient.  “I noticed they put in there that they are all about government efficiency and limited government, which is exactly what my bill does,” Hansen said. “So it seemed like a little bit of a contradiction to their philosophy.” State Sen. Tanya Storer of Whitman, a lawmaker from north-central Nebraska who has defended the Brand Committee, said Hansen’s bill would make a mockery out of one of the state’s most valuable industries — the cattle industry. She said some who co-sponsored LB 1258 “listened to a handful of feedlot owners who have hired a lobbyist to represent them,” and painted an inaccurate picture of a system they say is ‘out of date or unfair.’” The Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska also oppose the bill.  Matt Blackford, Brand and Property Rights Committee chair for Nebraska Cattlemen, opposed shifting decisions about governing the brand inspection area  to the state. He prefers the status quo, he said. A couple of rural sheriffs expressed concerns about having the manpower to take on Brand Committee duties if needed and questioned whether the state can afford to pick up the tab, suggesting that some responsibilities might fall on local government. Steve Shultz,  a feedlot owner near North Platte, said the Brand Committee is important because it helps prevent cattle theft, especially as cattle prices have risen. “We can argue that the Nebraska State Patrol should be defunded because they don’t catch every single traffic violator,” Shultz said, making a comparison to the Brand Committee being criticized. Cattle gather near a feeding trough at a feedlot run by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Saunders County. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) Duane Gangwish, chair of the Brand Committee, said there is room for comparison because “we can’t continue to throw rocks … at each other.” “There’s been a lot of talking,” Gangwish said. “There hasn’t been a lot of communication.” Supporters of Hansen’s proposal also spoke at the hearing — mostly families that own feedlots. Cassie Lapaseotes, whose family owns a feedlot in Bridgeport, said she was threatened with a felony over cattle she raised because she didn’t have the correct paperwork.   “Nearly every person who testifies about problems with the current Brand Committee has had similar experiences,” Lapaseotes said. “That is not right, and it must change.”  Some dispute her claims of being threatened with a felony over paperwork, saying it was just a misunderstanding.  She was given a warning, according to the Wall Street Journal. Other supporters of Hansen’s changes said they want to get rid of “red tape” and said the bill would help.   Most attendees who spoke against the Hansen bill also spoke in support of LB 1187, a bill from Niobrara State Sen. Barry DeKay, which would raise certain brand fees to fund the brand committee.   Hansen said his goal is to “solve this issue once and for all, so this committee can focus its energies on many more major issues confronting agriculture.” The committee took no immediate action on the bills. R26-007 Resolution Opposing LB1258 of the 109th Nebraska Legislature Pertaining to the Elimination of the Nebraska Brand Committee   SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Nebraska Examiner

St. Ambrose volleyball collects socks for charity

"Chuck the Chill" collected donations for Humility Homes and Services.

$1 Million in funding brings City of Clinton one step closer to its North River Drive Connector Project

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More than 354,000 reports made about issues with YouTube

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Bettendorf senior, wrestler defying the odds to battle at State tournament

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More than 354,000 reports made about issues with YouTube

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New battle over Iowa Beverage Containers Control Law

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Still warm for now...but for how much longer?

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Two lawsuits challenge Trump administration’s plans for oil drilling in Alaska petroleum reserve

Teshekpuk Caribou Herd animals graze in June of 2014 in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. (Photo by Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management)A newly filed lawsuit and a revived six-year-old case from environmental groups and an Alaska Native organization are challenging the Trump administration’s proposal to open more parts of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas drilling. On Tuesday, Grandmothers Growing Goodness and The Wilderness Society filed suit against the U.S. Department of the Interior, alleging that the department’s development plan for the reserve violates proper procedure and federal law. That suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Thousands of miles away, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth updated a six-year-old challenge dating from the first Trump administration.  Despite the difference in time and distance, both lawsuits are seeking the same goal: A stop to new plans for oil and gas drilling in the reserve. The Audubon Society, which had been participating in the older lawsuit, withdrew from the case shortly before the new complaint was filed.  It isn’t yet clear whether the lawsuits will deter a planned oil and gas lease sale scheduled to take place next month.  That sale, which will open up to 5.5 million acres of North Slope land to oil and gas drilling, would be the first in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska since 2019.  The reserve, located to the west of Prudhoe Bay, has been eyed for possible development for decades, and — unlike the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the east of Prudhoe Bay — has been the subject of interest by major drillers. The sale is one of five mandated in the next 10 years by the budget and policy legislation known as the “Big Beautiful Bill Act.” During the first Trump administration and again this year, the federal government attempted to lease parts of the reserve that are near Teshekpuk Lake, an area that had been protected under previous agreements with local residents. The lake is the largest on the North Slope and is considered important habitat for caribou and migrating birds.  Since taking office earlier this year, Trump has emphasized his desire for increased oil production from the North Slope and other federal land nationwide, part of a strategy intended to wean America off imported oil. If a lease sale takes place in the reserve, exploratory drilling would likely take years, and production would take years more.  Oil company ConocoPhillips acquired some NPR-A leases in 1999; its Willow Project, located in the reserve, is expected to reach full production by the end of this decade. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Courtesy of Alaska Beacon

Quad Cities community mourns civil rights leader Jesse Jackson

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Illinois governor hopeful Darren Bailey stops in Galesburg

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Bill would limit mailing abortion pills to Iowa

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The U.S. falters again in figure skating, but the women still have time to make it up

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Gift of Giving - Hand in Hand - February 2026

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2026 marks 100 years since classic Buster Keaton silent film "The General" debuted.

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Birth to Five Illinois aims to improve early childhood programs

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Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a period of fasting, reflection — and fish fries

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North Scott Press — February 18, 2026

Meet Yolanda the wax truck, Team USA's unsung cross-country ski hero

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County stops power plant

Scott County will not allow a power plant to site on land zoned for agricultural preservation, supervisors decided Thursday after months of public debate. Supervisors voted down an ordinance that would have added thermal power generation to a list of approved special uses for land in an agricultural preservation district. Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) requested the change in August of last year, to accommodate construction of a natural gas power plant east of Maysville. Supervisors voted 4–0 against the proposal. Supervisor Ken Beck abstained. Members of the public and the Concerned Citizens of Scott County, which organized opposition to ordinance, crowded the supervisors’ meeting room Thursday evening. The audience broke into applause after the vote. In late August, CIPCO announced its hope to build a 240 MW, $400 million plant on agricultural land it had optioned between New Liberty Road and 242nd Street. A “peaking” or “peaker” plant, it would run 15% to 20% of the time, to fill gaps in energy production and demand. CIPCO Vice President of Communications Kerry Koonce said Monday that the cooperative would continue “analyzing all the options” available to the project. Those options include filing to rezone the land from agricultural preservation to industrial, which would bring CIPCO back before Scott County supervisors. CIPCO could also ask the Iowa Utilities Commission to issue a “need determination” that would allow CIPCO to surpass local zoning ordinances to move forward with the project as planned. “The Iowa Utilities Commission has authority over need. They have the ability to proceed with local zoning changes if they determine that need,” Koonce explained. “As an organization, CIPCO has never done that. We have never gone that direction,” she said. But it is a step the cooperative could take. Board Chair John Maxwell acknowledged Thursday that the utility commission could bypass supervisors’ decision. But that didn’t mean Scott County residents couldn’t “squeal like a stuck hog” in protest to get the project stopped at the state level. In January, CIPCO filed for environmental review of the proposed facility with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The review process will move forward in the coming weeks. Supervisors explain ruling Supervisors were not convinced that agricultural land in Scott County was the right place to site such a project. “I truly appreciate that CIPCO has a need for such a facility, but I simply wasn’t convinced that Scott County has a need for a peaker facility,” Supervisor Maria Bribriesco said. She added that the proposed location, in land zoned for agricultural preservation, was a “no-go.” Supervisor Jean Dickson told the audience that she had heard from numerous citizens who opposed the special use permit. “Energy sources are everyone’s problem, but for me, this ordinance is not the solution,” Dickson said. “For me, there is no compelling county interest at this point to justify going against what I have heard from so many citizens on this issue.” Supervisor Ross Paustian said that he had “never seen anything like” the Concerned Citizens’ petition to stop the power plant, which has gathered hundreds of signatures. “You should be proud of yourselves that you got organized, stuck with it,” he added. Board Chair John Maxwell said his vote against the proposal was motivated by a concern for agricultural preservation and that the need for energy had never been fully justified. “I never got proof that we absolutely need it,” he said. “And furthermore, if we do need it, out in the middle of our cornfields and out our backdoor doesn’t seem like a good spot. Just because that’s where gas and electrical lines cross, doesn’t mean it’s a good spot. It means that is a convenient spot.” Maxwell said it pained him whenever agricultural ground was taken out of production for development. “That is something we will never get back … anytime you bring in a bulldozer, and you pour concrete, it’s gone,” he said. He added that a future industrial park might be a better location, as others had pointed out at past meetings. Supervisor Beck said it remained unclear whether there was need enough for power in rural Scott County to justify taking agricultural preservation land out of production, not just for CIPCO, but for any future requests. “Just about everybody agrees that more power is needed. Although I respect the information that CIPCO has provided, it is my opinion that an independent analysis is warranted that demonstrates this ordinance change is needed for Scott County,” Beck said. Without such a study, he voted to abstain. “Should future independent studies justify the need for additional power in rural Scott County… and with additional safeguards to reduce impacts, I would consider revisiting an ordinance change. Since the need cannot either be denied or verified at this time, I am taking a neutral position.” CIPCO, Concerned Citizens present Tuesday Both CIPCO and the Concerned Citizens presented before the Board of Supervisors at a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday morning, two days before the final vote. CIPCO provided supervisors with a more than 40-page document before the meeting, restating the need for the plant and the limits of its environmental impact. CIPCO representatives highlighted several of the document’s key points. Engineer Sam Honold said CIPCO was prepared to rezone 80 additional acres of optioned land at the west end of LeClaire Road for agricultural preservation. That land, zoned for general agricultural use, was the first site CIPCO considered. The move into agricultural preservation would foreclose development options currently available. Sam Stineman, director of generation assets for CIPCO, assured supervisors that the plant’s impact on air quality would be minimal. According to Stineman, the plant would increase volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by just 0.1%; sulfur dioxide emissions by 0.3%; particular matter emissions by 0.6%; and nitrogen oxide emissions by 1.8%. “Given the quantity of all the other emissions in the county, it should be clear that Hickory Grove Generating Station, by itself, is not going to fundamentally change the air quality in Scott County,” Stineman said. Stineman said he expected the Iowa DNR to find the project in compliance with all clean air standards. CEO Andrew St. John stressed that natural gas peaking plants were the best way for CIPCO to meet a 14% “gap” in its energy portfolio—a gap it was forced to make up by short-term contracts on the open market. Those prices spiked to 10 times the market rate during cold weather the last weekend in January, St. John said. Ensuring that CIPCO could produce the power their clients needed would stabilize prices and shored up the risk of rolling blackouts, he said. “Throughout this latest event, wind and solar generation were minimal, and the lack of generation from those resources extended for several days,” he said. “CIPCO must maintain an always available resource, to meet the needs of our members day and night, no matter what the weather or what the season,” St. John added. “Having generation that's on call is critical to delivering the dependable power that Iowans deserve, and Hickory Grove generating station will do just that.” The Concerned Citizens of Scott County maintained that the power plant still posed a health risk to rural residents and jeopardized the agricultural character of their land. “We live and farm near the proposed power plant, very near, and many of us, for generations,” organizer Linda Golinghorst said. “We know what it means to take care of this land and what it means to be able to pass it on to future generations. We know what it means to lose the farmland, and we know that once it's lost, it will not be returned to us,” she said. Three speakers who addressed a crowd at the Eldridge Library in January offered their points of view to the supervisors Tuesday. Attorney Mike Meloy stressed that the ordinance risked introducing “spot zoning,” while physician Ross Burandt that the plant posed a threat to the respiratory health of neighbors. Meteorologist Ray Wulf suggested where emissions would be likely to travel, based on historical weather patterns. Their views were covered at length in the Jan. 28 NSP, and can be found online at northscottpress.com. CIPCO Vice President of Communications Kerry Koonce addressed several of their claims, and other pieces of “misinformation and faulty comparisons that have been circulating.” She said studies cited by the Concerned Citizens rely on historical surveys of outdated technology, which often failed to differentiate between natural gas and coal or oil combustion. She said that “facility-specific” information demonstrated the proposed plant would yield far lower emissions than opponents had suggested. She said that, as natural gas plants have replaced coal plants in Midwest energy production, air pollutant concentrations have dropped dramatically. Jon Van Zante, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 204, spoke briefly in favor of the plant Tuesday morning. “We've lost power plants in Clinton, Dubuque, Lansing. Our coal plants in Burlington and Cedar Rapids are all in the process of conversion over to natural gas, and our grid is growing immensely,” he said. Plants like the one proposed by CIPCO would help meet rising need. “Historically, we've always produced more than we use. Here in this recent cold snap, we got down to a position where we were in danger of not having enough electricity,” Van Zante said. Encouragement for renewable energy During the public comment period of Thursday’s meeting, Davenport resident Mary Maher spoke against the proposed special use permit and also encouraged supervisors to reconsider the county’s position on solar farms. Maher suggested CIPCO consider building more infrastructure in renewable energy, such as hydroelectric, wind, landfill gas capture and solar, rather than focusing on a natural gas plant. She reiterated the concern that building a plant on productive farm ground would take the land permanently out of production. However, Maher said if solar panels were constructed on farm ground, the land could become more fertile as the ground lay fallow. “Agricultural crops or native plants could be grown among the solar gathering units,” she said. “Animals could also graze on the site of the solar farm. The energy generated on the solar farm would also be a source of revenue for the farmer.” She said if a solar farm was decommissioned, the land could transition back to crop or livestock use.  

Rock Island-Milan deputy superintendent to return from administrative leave

Deputy Superintendent Jeff Dase will return to work on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, after being placed on administrative leave in late January.

Expanded clinic opens in Eldridge

Just over a year after construction began on an expansion to the facility, the new wing of MercyOne Genesis Eldridge Family Medicine opened to patients on Friday, Feb. 13. The clinic is located at 301 N. 4th Ave. The $8 million expansion nearly doubled the size of the clinic, and features 13 new exam rooms, new offices and a conference room, two procedure rooms, an expanded laboratory and a larger convenient care area. More work will take place on the interior of the original side of the clinic this summer. “We know that the community is growing,” said Beau Dexter, regional vice president of operations for MercyOne Medical Group. “We need to make sure that we’re growing as well. “We identified a need to keep care local, which is the whole point of MercyOne Medical Group, and we are excited that we’re able to expand.” Over the last year, the Eldridge clinic served more than 45,000 patients, including more than 20,000 practice visits and more than 7,200 Convenient Care visits. Dexter said that represented a 10% increase in patient volume. “Really, what we’re seeing is, once we opened the Convenient Care here, we started pulling from neighboring communities – Donahue, even as far up as Clinton – coming down here to get access on evenings and weekends, where access may not be open at their current location.” Dexter said the expansion also allowed for improved clinical equipment, including a new x-ray machine that will provide better images, and a larger lab. He said the Eldridge clinic has one of the busiest labs in the area, and more space will allow for better patient care. Dr. Michael Persson, division chair for MercyOne Medical Group, said the expansion also meant improved access for primary care, which is a huge need in the greater Quad City area. “We don’t have enough medical providers, but primary care physicians in general. How many times do you call to find a provider, and it takes forever to get in? And if you can get into your provider closer to home, that would be great.” Persson said having the Convenient Care and lab facilities on site in Eldridge has also been a great help for providers, allowing them to triage patients based on their needs. The Convenient Care location opened about four years ago. “For on-site ability to do point of care testing for a patient – if you’re evaluating somebody for an acute problem and you’re like, ‘Boy, I’d really love to have a blood count to see if this patient is really sick. And is it somebody I can treat here, or do I have to get him in an ambulance and send him to the hospital?’ To have an on-site laboratory and on-site imaging to say, is this finger broken or is it not broken? It really changes how you manage patients versus having to shift them into Davenport to get those labs and those imaging studies done.” With the expansion also came new staff. Troy Dolmetsch, DO, began seeing patients in August. His wife, McKenna Sexton, DO, will also join the staff later this year. Both doctors are graduates of Des Moines University and the MercyOne Genesis Family Medicine Residency program. Sexton is currently completing a fellowship in women’s health and obstetrics through MercyOne Genesis. Dolmetsch said he was also pleased with the expansion. “I think it shows our commitment to the community. We recognize that it’s growing, and we want to serve the healthcare needs of the community and put in state-of-the-art facilities and really help the doctors and providers provide the best healthcare for the people.” He added the expansion also represented the importance of local healthcare options. “Obviously, that helps lower the barriers to accessing healthcare, and in addition to volume, we want to be able to provide high-quality care. Sometimes, just having more time to spend with your patients can allow you to do that. I think it’s kind of that perfect balance of quality and improving access. “I actually have patients at Grand Haven, just down the street, and they’ll walk themselves sometimes, or take a wheelchair right to our office. You can’t overstate the convenience, just what that does for them, to allow them to access their healthcare and do it in a way that’s easy for them. I think that’s really important. I don’t want to say Eldridge is forgotten by any means, but it’s not considered one of the four major cities of the Quad Cities. So, I think it does show the investment in this area, and allows that small town, local community feeling to have your doctor in the same community that you live in.” And Dolmetsch said the transition to working in Eldridge has been a good experience. “I love the patients. They are all very nice. They seem to take an interest in me, as much as I have an interest in taking care of them. Everyone’s been really friendly. It’s been good; I appreciate the opportunity.” MercyOne Genesis also hopes to add two additional physicians to the staff, and more clinical and clerical staff have already been hired for the Eldridge office.  All of this will allow the clinic to also take on more patients. Area residents interested in becoming new patients at the Eldridge clinic may call 563-421-DOCS (3627). More information is also available at MercyOne.org.