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UAMS researchers test app designed to prevent opioid use relapse
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researchers have developed an award-winning smartphone app designed to decrease opioid cravings and optimize medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder. Supported by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the research team is testing the effectiveness of OptiMAT (Optimizing Medication Assisted Treatment) among […]
DNC delivers blow to New Hampshire, Iowa with overhaul of primary calendar
(CORRECTION: A previous version of this story had an incorrect date for the Michigan primary.) The Democratic National Committee approved a presidential primary calendar Saturday that placed South Carolina as the first nominating state in 2024, pushing back New Hampshire and Iowa from their traditional spots in a party-wide push to diversify the early calendar. […]
Judge grants request to freeze assets, name receiver for Little Rock apartments
(This story was updated by Sonny Albarado on Feb. 4, 2023.) A Pulaski County circuit judge on Friday froze the assets of the owners of the troubled Big Country Chateau apartments in Little Rock and issued a temporary restraining order to protect tenants. Judge Cara Connors also granted Attorney General Tim Griffin’s emergency request to […]
“Gutted” Arkansas bill no longer targets drag performers or LGBTQ community, activists say
Arkansas legislators amended a bill that originally would have restricted where drag performances can be held but now does not mention the word “drag” at all. Activists who have opposed Senate Bill 43 since it was introduced in January say the heavily amended language no longer targets LGBTQ Arkansans. The bill was amended Thursday for […]
Teachers, students voice support for AP African American Studies course
If C.C. Smith had had access to an African American history class as a kid, the self-described history nut said he “would’ve ate it up.” Smith said he learned much from his father, “an expert on the Delta” and professor emeritus at Arkansas State University where he was the school’s first African American faculty member. […]
SESSION SNAPSHOT: Arkansas Legislature rolls through Week 4 with ice and amendments
The fourth week of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2023 legislative session brought lots of ice and amendments. Senate Bill 43, which targeted drag shows, has demanded the most attention of any legislation through the first month of the session, but by the time the House and Senate adjourned for the weekend, it had been so […]
Former Arkansas legislator Jeremy Hutchinson sentenced to almost 4 years in federal prison
Jeremy Hutchinson, the former state senator who pleaded guilty nearly four years ago to federal bribery and tax fraud charges, was sentenced Friday to nearly four years in prison. Hutchinson, 48, pleaded guilty in June 2019 to crimes in three jurisdictions — Eastern Arkansas, Western Arkansas and Western Missouri — resulting from a sprawling federal […]
Chinese surveillance balloon now drifting across the middle of the U.S., Pentagon confirms
(This article was updated at 3:35 p.m. Central to add more information from the Pentagon.) WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his planned trip to Beijing after the U.S. detected a Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over Montana. A senior State Department official said Friday that despite the Chinese government claiming the […]
State medical cannabis programs failing to make enough progress, advocacy group finds
WASHINGTON — A report from a patient advocacy group found the future of medical cannabis in the states is hazy unless costs are decreased, product safety standards are improved and civil rights are strengthened for patients and prescribers. Americans for Safe Access issued its annual State of the States report on Thursday. The organization, a […]
Congressional Black Caucus meets with Biden to push for police accountability
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday evening to urge the administration to use its executive power for law enforcement reform, following criminal charges for police officers in the killing of a Black man in Memphis. “My hope is this dark memory spurs some action […]
Arkansas child and family advocacy group names new executive director
Keesa Smith, a former deputy director for the state’s Department of Human Services, is the new executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the group announced Thursday. Smith will start with the longtime advocacy and public policy organization on Feb. 20, replacing Rich Huddleston, who retired last year after almost two decades at […]
As Southeast states warm, TVA criticized on preparations for dealing with climate hazards
WASHINGTON – Extreme weather patterns have sparked several improvements to the climate resiliency of Tennessee Valley Authority electrical infrastructure over the past two decades. However, a report from a government watchdog found the huge utility still has work to do in mitigating climate hazards to the regional power grid. “TVA has taken several steps to […]