This week, learn how to take a more active role in conversations with your healthcare providers. Discover simple ways to prepare for appointments, ask questions, communicate concerns, and make sure you understand your care plan before you leave. Good healthcare communication starts with making sure your voice is heard.

State Senator Mike Halpin, Democrat representing the 36th District which includes the Illinois Quad Cities, talks about the high cost of gas, food and housing, education and workforce development, AI, the recent closure of the Tyson plant, and his priorities for another term.

The Quad Cities International Airport is in Phase 2 of its long-range terminal modernization plan, Project Gateway, the largest and most publicly visible phase of the estimated $60-million initiative.

Mason Moss, a 32-year-old alum of Rock Island High School, is literally living his dream, as music director, conductor and keyboard player for “Come From Away” at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

As a resource conservationist at the county Soil and Water Conservation District, Kara Downin’s goal and passion is to protect natural resources and support the agricultural community as she advises landowners about the resources and programs best suited to their needs.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton vowed to serve as a check on President Donald Trump, while Republican Don Tracy largely defended the president’s positions on tariffs and the war in Iran as the two sparred in their only face-to-face meeting.

Stratton, the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat left vacant by Sen. Dick Durbin’s retirement, repeatedly vowed to stand up to President Donald Trump’s policies, as Tracy, the Republican, used the platform to call her a socialist — three times.

House, Senate districts centered near Barrington among election's most intense races

Iowa's 1st Congressional District is seeing Democrat Christina Bohannan challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks for the third time in a row. But an unpopular foreign war, independent candidate Michael Bridgford and new campaign strategies are making this year's race a little bit different.

Iowa's Board of Regents unanimously selected Nebraska professor Carson Holloway to lead the Center for Intellectual Freedom at the University of Iowa, as its outgoing interim director criticized the regents and university administrators' handling of the center.

New campaign finance reports show Republican Zach Lahn received more money from national political groups, while Sand spent more as the campaigns' combined spending topped $46 million.

Iowa officials project modest revenue growth over the next two years, but Democrats warn collections remain more than a billion dollars below current state spending.

Schools in the U.S. serve almost 30 million lunches every day. But rising food costs, regulations and cuts to food assistance mean school kitchens have to do more with less.

Farmers are cutting less hay this year due to persistent drought, the soaring price of fuel and a new pest. That’s driving up the cost for livestock producers, who often rely on hay to feed their animals during the winter.

Researchers recently traced the birthplace of the world’s dominant cotton species to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. Their sleuthing also uncovered a treasure trove of genetic diversity in wild populations, which could eventually make the crop more resilient.

Sargento has developed a natural American cheese, hoping to give consumers classic melt without added ingredients.