Arkansas’ major cities report troubling news on the jobless front.

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A U.S. appeals court in Cincinnati has upheld the health care reform law’s requirement that Americans have health insurance or pay a penalty. It is one of many cases winding its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. For tea leaf readers: NBC says this is first ruling in favor of the mandate in which a George W. [...]

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Sarah Beth Lowe Phone: 501-682-2144 | Email: sarahbeth.lowe@arkansas.gov Monday, June 27, 2011 LITTLE ROCK- Arkansas Lt. Governor Mark A. Darr announces the appointment of Rex M. Terry of Fort Smith to serve a six year term as an Alternate Member on the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. The Commission may initiate, and shall receive and i…

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LITTLE ROCK – If you’re still working on plans for a summer vacation, you may be tempted by an offer that seems like quite the deal but in reality is a ploy to get your money. “Unfortunately, scam artists are always on the prowl to lure cash from unsuspecting summer travelers,” said Attorney General Dustin McDaniel. [...]

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THE REPUBLICAN CATCH: Lots of paper signifying nothing. They haven’t even bothered to pick it up. Another chapter in the story of Arkansas Republican Party retaliation against those who would make Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin look bad by shining the light on his misjudgments. Here, it’s about the retaliatory action the RPA took against two [...]

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It was inevitable, today’s news in the Democrat-Gazette that Mike Beebe would tap his old Senate buddy Shane Broadway to continue as the permanent director of the state Higher Education Department. Broadway is a nice guy and an adept politician with a bachelor’s degree (from Beebe’s alma mater) at an agency more typically led [...]

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There was some discussion last night of Gov. Mike Beebe’s lamentable remarks before Stonewall Democrats. In fuller reporting, his remarks look even worse. He personally opposes gay marriage. He personally opposes civil unions. He proclaims it an “appropriate” societal judgment. His judgment (for all of society? Not me, Bro. Beebe) condemns loving couples in hundreds of [...]

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NEW EDITOR: Lindsey Millar. A small piece of news in this week’s Arkansas Times. Effective July 1, I’m no longer the editor of the Arkansas Times. Lindsey Millar is taking over. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still be blogging, kibbitzing and generally being a pain. This completes a transition that started a year ago. The announcement here. My [...]

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Gee, an entire rainy day. I can turn on the oven tonight. The line is open. Stuff: * FRAUD SCHEME: Jeff Rand pleads guilty. Remember Tony Rand, once an NLR theater magnate who’s had his own problems? His son. * BEEBE TELLS GAYS TO GO TO SOMEWHERE SHORT OF HELL: Interesting blogging from Kelly MacNeil and Roby Brock [...]

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Sen. Mark Pryor made press rounds in Little Rock yesterday and his message included hopefulness about Republican Senate colleagues. He believed they recognized the inevitability of raising the debt ceiling. He believed they understood, though they weren’t yet saying, that any budget solution has to include some tax increases. These would be reasonable assumptions on the [...]

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