From Illinois law: “No unit of local government shall levy any tax on stock, commodity, or options transactions.” That statute has long been targeted for elimination by the Chicago Teachers Union and its allies. The CTU reliably shuns any proposal to increase property taxes across the board, instead pushing often-times “magical” solutions as alternatives. It’s one way the union has maintained its popularity among Chicago voters.

Hosted by the Quad Cities Bicycle Club and returning to the Village of East Davenport, an eagerly anticipated Memorial Day tradition returns for its 56th year in the Quad Cities Kwik Star Criterium – a May 29 event featuring hundreds of adult and youth cyclists from across the U.S., Canada, and Europe participating in a dozen bicycle races, with thousands of dollars in cash prizes awarded throughout the day.

Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the first month of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from May 31 through July 1, will address such topics as ferrying, steamboating, birds of prey, infrastructure, and the Quad City River Bandits.

With the traveling exhibit designed to memorialize the stories of migrants who have died seeking refuge in the United States and to encourage compassion and support for humane changes in border policies, Los Desconocidos: The Migrant Quilt Project will be on display at Davenport's German American Heritage Center through August 27, the exhibition a collaborative effort between artists and activists to document the names and number of lives lost each year.

One of the most beloved stage musicals in the history of American theatre, composer Jerry Herman's iconic Hello, Dolly! enjoys a June 1 through 10 run at Moline's Black Box Theatre, this Tony Award-dominating classic a treasure trove of show-tune staples and one of the most successful productions in the history of Broadway.

Praised by Talkin' Broadway as "a play that will keep you on the edge of your seat" and "great fun for fans of this genre," William Goldman's Stephen King adaptation Misery enjoys a June 1 through 11 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, this terrifying and darkly funny tale beloved by horror devotees who devoured King's bestseller and Rob Reiner's 1990 film version starring Kathy Bates in her Oscar-winning role.

Boasting a discography currently composed of four studio albums, one EP, and 15 singles since 2015, chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling country superstar Chris Stapleton headlines a June 1 concert event at Moline's Vibrant Arena at the MARK, the artist's professional laurels including eight Grammy Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music Awards 14 Country Music Association Awards, and five Billboard Music Award,

Performing in a rare Polyrhythms concert event held in addition to the organization's monthly Third Sunday Jazz Workshop & Matinée series, the acclaimed artists of the Laurence Hobgood Trio take the stage at Rock Island's Sound Conservatory Music Academy & Shoppe on May 28, the group lauded by the Chicago Tribune for delivering “power without noise, energy without haste, drama without overstatement.”

With their 2022 album Wait lauded by Americana UK as "an incredible offering" in which "the songs incorporate heartfelt topical lyrics while embracing old school Texan music," the folk and alt-country talents of Grady Spencer & the Work headline a June 1 concert at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, their newest release also praised by Creative Loafing Atlanta as a work in which "leanly arranged, tight guitars meld together with deep funk grooves to create a sound that is vaguely familiar yet excitingly new."