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Arkansas Advocate
To hold back struggling readers or not: Indiana & Ohio take different paths
This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news organization covering America’s education system from early childhood through college and career. Indiana and Ohio joined the growing number of states last year mandating teachers use the science of reading, but the neighboring states have gone in opposite directions with another reading strategy — holding […] The post To hold back struggling readers or not: Indiana & Ohio take different paths appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans
State and federal officials said partnerships will be key to recovering from severe weather that caused widespread damage Sunday morning and killed eight people in north Arkansas. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a press conference at the Benton County Sheriff’s Office Sunday night that there’s a long road ahead, but officials are committed to […] The post Severe weather, tornadoes kill 8 Arkansans appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
On this Memorial Day weekend, a civic prayer for the living and the dead
By the Sunday before Memorial Day my father would already have the flowers set out on the family graves. He would have called the flowers “decorations,” because being an original Ozarker he knew the holiday by its old name. The relatives whose remains were held safe by these grassy plots had been gone for years, […] The post On this Memorial Day weekend, a civic prayer for the living and the dead appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
New solar will help keep power on during scorching summer, report says
With some parts of the country already facing heat waves, the organization in charge of setting reliability standards for the American electric grid is warning that a scorching summer could lead to a shortage of power generation in some regions. The warning comes as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there’s a 99% percent […] The post New solar will help keep power on during scorching summer, report says appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Missouri residents affected by radiation exposure push Congress to extend benefits
WASHINGTON — A fund to compensate Americans sickened by exposure to atomic bomb tests, uranium mining and radioactive waste expires in just under 20 days, and activists and lawmakers are scrambling to keep the fund active and open to additional victims. A bill to reauthorize and expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, often shortened to […] The post Missouri residents affected by radiation exposure push Congress to extend benefits appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Doctors urge U.S. Supreme Court to include abortion as stabilizing care under federal law
WASHINGTON — Doctors from throughout the country posted a public letter this week, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to ensure health care professionals can perform abortions in every state when that procedure is essential “stabilizing treatment” under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Thousands of doctors, organized by the advocacy group The Committee […] The post Doctors urge U.S. Supreme Court to include abortion as stabilizing care under federal law appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Rural schools look for ways to bring more multilingual education into the curriculum
This story was originally published in the Daily Yonder. For more rural reporting and small-town stories visit dailyyonder.com. Throughout rural America, non-native English speakers are less likely than their urban peers to get proper support in school, sometimes leading to a lifetime of lower educational attainment. But some rural schools are developing multilingual education strategies to […] The post Rural schools look for ways to bring more multilingual education into the curriculum appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients
WASHINGTON — When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldn’t transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasn’t expecting congressional action to solve the problem. He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States […] The post As Memorial Day arrives, bill unveiled in Congress to assist Purple Heart recipients appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
U.S. House panel debates nutrition benefit changes in GOP farm bill proposal
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee clashed late into the evening Thursday over funding for food and nutrition programs as part of Republicans’ sweeping proposal for the new five-year farm bill. The committee’s $1.5 trillion omnibus farm bill would set policy and funding levels for agriculture and conservation programs for […] The post U.S. House panel debates nutrition benefit changes in GOP farm bill proposal appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Congress, campaigns engage in tug-of-war over gas prices as summer travel begins
WASHINGTON — As Democrats continue to ramp up their push against the oil industry, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and others on Thursday called out big oil companies and their executives for high gas prices heading into the heavily traveled Memorial Day weekend. Republicans in turn have blamed President Joe Biden’s energy policies for high […] The post Congress, campaigns engage in tug-of-war over gas prices as summer travel begins appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Forced sterilizations for people with disabilities decried by members of Congress
Clarification: After publication, Rebecca Cokley’s affiliation was changed at the request of Pressley’s office and the Center for American Progress. Both said Cokley was appearing in her personal and not her professional capacity. WASHINGTON — Three members of Congress introduced a resolution Thursday that’s intended to bring attention to the experiences and challenges people with […] The post Forced sterilizations for people with disabilities decried by members of Congress appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Arkansas-filed ‘gun show loophole’ federal lawsuit transferred to Kansas
U.S. District Judge James Moody on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit challenging new rules that close the “gun show loophole” for firearm sales and transferred the case to federal court in Kansas. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of […] The post Arkansas-filed ‘gun show loophole’ federal lawsuit transferred to Kansas appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Dozens of services would cease if Arkansas lawmakers fail to pass Game and Fish budget
Obtaining a fishing permit, registering to hunt squirrels this season or earning a boating license ahead of peak summertime are just a few of the services that would no longer be possible for Arkansans come July 1 if lawmakers don’t reconvene and pass a budget for the state’s Game and Fish Commission. Earlier this month, […] The post Dozens of services would cease if Arkansas lawmakers fail to pass Game and Fish budget appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
New rules protect pregnant workers, but red states sue over abortion provisions
Natasha Jackson was four months pregnant when she told her supervisor she was expecting. It was 2008, and Jackson was an account executive at a rental furniture store in Charleston, South Carolina — the only female employee there. “I actually hid my pregnancy as long as I could because I was scared about what could […] The post New rules protect pregnant workers, but red states sue over abortion provisions appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Experts identify affordable housing barriers, opportunities for rural Arkansas
By definition, housing should not exceed 30% of a person’s monthly income to be considered affordable. But with rising construction costs, capacity issues and an overall lack of project funding, options in rural Arkansas can be limited. Ten housing experts from the private and public sectors joined a panel Tuesday afternoon at the 2024 Rural […] The post Experts identify affordable housing barriers, opportunities for rural Arkansas appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Wide scope of presidential emergency powers could be reined in by Congress this year
WASHINGTON — Senators from both political parties at a Wednesday hearing appeared to be on the same page about limiting presidential emergency powers, striking a bipartisan agreement that Congress should take steps this year to rework a decades-old law. The National Emergencies Act, approved during the 94th Congress, provides the president with powers they wouldn’t […] The post Wide scope of presidential emergency powers could be reined in by Congress this year appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
USDA chief voices ‘deep concerns’ over U.S. House GOP farm bill’s nutrition cuts
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a call with reporters Wednesday strongly criticized a farm bill draft written by U.S. House Republicans, saying it would damage the coalition that traditionally has united behind farm bills and “raises the real possibility of being unable to get a farm bill through the process.” The massive five-year […] The post USDA chief voices ‘deep concerns’ over U.S. House GOP farm bill’s nutrition cuts appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Experts eye tax changes ahead of Trump-era cuts’ sunset
WASHINGTON — The race to harness the tax code is in full swing as economists and advocates across the political spectrum view the expiring Trump-era tax law as an opportunity to advance their economic priorities. Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington said Wednesday that reworking the tax code will be “a reflection of what your […] The post Experts eye tax changes ahead of Trump-era cuts’ sunset appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
Members of the U.S. Senate face a vote on whether they support contraception access
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators will go on record next month with whether they support legislation from Democrats that would guarantee access to contraception — a right currently upheld by two Supreme Court cases, but one that has been singled out by a conservative justice. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, announced Wednesday […] The post Members of the U.S. Senate face a vote on whether they support contraception access appeared first on Arkansas Advocate.
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Arkansas Advocate intends to show how state government affects the lives of everyday Arkansans so they can make informed decisions about themselves, their families and their communities. We strive to amplify the voices of all Arkansans. We focus especially on the relationship between people, power and policy. As an independent, nonpartisan news organization, Arkansas Advocate will keep an eye on the levers of power and those who manipulate them, and hold public officials accountable regardless of party or ideology. We believe news is a vital community service and ethical journalism a cornerstone of democracy, making us key players in fulfilling Arkansas’ state motto, Regnat Populus: “the people rule.” Arkansas Advocate proudly publishes the work of independent journalists. If you have a great idea and a passion for ethical, truthful storytelling, we’d love to hear from you. The Advocate also provides a forum for guest commentary on issues of interest to Arkansans. We separate opinion from our news reporting and clearly label each. Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Advocate retains full editorial independence.
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