A federal agency goes against the grain with its findings that COVID-19 came from a laboratory in China.

Iowa state lawmakers are considering an unusually high number of bills related to LGBTQ issues.

Illinois raises the stakes in the fight to bring passenger rail service that connects Moline and Chicago.

Host Jim Niedelman gets to these issues this morning with former Iowa State Representative Phyllis Thede and former Rock Island County Republican Party Chair Drue Mielke.

In regard to passenger rail service, Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati, along with Illinois State Senator Mike Halpin and State Representative Gregg Johnson called for federal intervention this week, arguing Iowa Interstate Railroad has not negotiated in good faith to do the work needed on its tracks to make the passenger service possible.

They want Amtrak to bring the case to the Surface Transportation Board and force the railroad to upgrade the rails.

“I wonder what’s the holdup, because the federal funding has been there … the state funding has been there …. This is something that would be good for the Quad Cities,” Mielke said.

“It’s really, really important that we do this,” Thede said. “One of the things that Iowa has to do to is join the (rail) compact.”

To hear more from our panelists, click on the video.

Now we want to hear from you, too, with our question of the week. How do you feel about asking the federal government to do more to bring the passenger rail service that would connect Moline and Chicago? Let us know at 4therecord@whbf.com.

Local 4 News, your local election headquarters, is proud to present 4 The Record, a weekly news and public affairs program focused on the issues important to you.  It’s a program unlike any other here in the Quad Cities. Tune in each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as Jim Niedelman brings you up to speed on what’s happening in the political arena, from Springfield, Des Moines, Washington, D.C. and right here at home.