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Red Cross Heat TipsNew Iowa Bike Map Features New I74 BridgeQC Community Foundation Announces GrantsTraffic Alert for Busy RI IntersectionThe Weather is feeling HOT, HOT, HOT...

James Risen, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former New York Times journalist, talks about his new book, The Last Honest Man: The CIA, The FBI, The Mafia, The Kennedys—And One Senator’s Fight to Save Democracy. Risen discusses the Church Committee, headed by Idaho Senator Frank Church, which exposed shocking abuses by the intelligence community involving assassinations of foreign leaders, hit men, the Mob, illegal surveillance of American citizens, and the mysterious deaths of three committee witnesses.

Recently everyone in the Midwest has been talking about the smoky haze that has settled onto our communities from the Canadian wildfires. Wildfires have been a natural part of many ecosystems for thousands of years. Some tree cones need to be heated before they open and release their seeds. Wildfires also help keep ecosystems healthy. They can kill insects and diseases that harm trees. By clearing underbrush, and weak trees, fires can make way for new grasses, herbs, and shrubs that provide food and habitat for animals and birds. At low intensity, flames can clean up debris and underbrush on the forest floor, add nutrients to the soil, and open up space to let sunlight through to the ground. That sunlight can nourish smaller plants and give larger trees room to grow and flourish. Climate change has been responsible for warmer temperatures which intensify drought and dry out forests, making fires more likely to become very destructive and hard to control. So far the 2023 Canadian fire season has burnt around 24.7 million acres shattering all previous records. For comparison 40 years ago the 1983 season only burnt 2.5 million acres of land. Although wildfires are a natural process, high-intensity fires have been making more frequent appearances due to climate change.It may come as a surprise that these wildfires have appeared at the same time as other extreme climate and weather events across the world, but that isnt very unreasonable. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as of July 11, 2023, of the lower 48 states, 12 are in an excessive drought. From South Florida to Northern Nevada more than 100 million Americans are under heat alerts this week, with temperatures in the southwest well over 100 degrees daily. Just a week prior to countless heat records being shattered, Vermont experienced historical catastrophic flooding. Widespread rainfall of six to eight inches was observed up the spine of Vermont, with isolated pockets of over nine inches in places like Plymouth. This is only the beginning of extreme weather. As we further enter a climate crisis, extreme weather is more likely to happen each year around the globe.So why should we care? Well, the most direct answer is that it clearly affects our everyday life. Whether that be air quality or flood damage to houses, extreme weather is harmful to health. Not just human health, but other species as well. The consequences include habitat loss; shifts in climatic conditions and in habitats that surpass migrational capabilities. This puts many plant and animal species at risk, including some of the crop species that our diet relies on. This was Lazlow with River Action, thanks for listening!

Listen to the conversation here with Executive Director Kevin Maynard about how Quad City Arts has intentionally been building their role as an arts advocate, connector, and resource hub; about their commitment to creative placemaking; and how they beautify our community in ways less commonly known to the public, such as through their public sculpture program.

Rick Kogan, host of “After Hours With Rick Kogan” on WGN and Chicago Tribune columnist, talks about the Chicago cultural scene, the Mob, the state of journalism, the urban-rural disconnect, and what it means to be a “newspaperman.”

Apollo Takes Arconic PrivateDeeres Sales and Profits Rose for 3QI-74 Demo Will Use ExplosivesGalesburg Early Trash Pick UpHere We Go Again...Hot Weather in the QC

The Illinois DOT says it's in "ongoing negotiations" to restore passenger rail service between Moline and Chicago, and more.