North Little Rock Alderman Cary Gaines, who represents Ward 3, has resigned from the City Council. He confirmed to me last week that he faced federal investigation related to the indictment of an accused Cabot bookmaker and drug dealer who was also accused of trying to influence Gaines to steer city business to an unnamed contractor to generate [...]

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Columnist Joe Conason, in Little Rock this week to follow Bill Clinton for a coming book, dipped into senatorial politics and found an incumbent U.S. Senator, Blanche Lincoln, looking weak rather than thoughtful. He found pressure from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter and a free health clinic and a not-thinly-veiled bit of advice from Clinton, whose [...]

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Rock Candy, our entertainment blog, has details on cancellation of Billy Joel/Elton John concert at Verizon Arena. Says here that FBI is taking a look at a cop’s Tasering of an Ozark girl, 10, who refused to talk a shower. Jordan Johnson tweets and twitpics that students at the Clinton School of Public Service (above) are getting some words of wisdom from a [...]

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State Supreme Court Justice Annabelle Clinton Imber has retired, leaving a position for Gov. Mike Beebe to fill by appointment for a year until an election in 2010. How’s this for an intriguing candidate for that appointment — Bill Bowen, retired lawyer, banker, gubernatorial chief of staff, UALR law school namesake? He’s a spry 86. The governor’s office [...]

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Surprise. The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce does not want debate to open on health care legislation in the Senate. It wants it killed dead, now. It is rallying troops to pressure Sens. Pryor and Lincoln to filibuster what is traditionally a routine procedure to open debate. Pryor has already indicated he’d allow debate. Lincoln [...]

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Not all doctors are on the Republican bandwagon. One writes to me: All the anti-reform ‘no gub-mint’ in health care Docs had ALL of their salary during their residency paid for by the Feds. If they hate the govenment so much, how ’bout they repay all that, with interest?  FYI, for this year, interns, i.e. first year [...]

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The unemployment rate in Arkansas rose from 7.1 percent in September to 7.6 percent in October. National details here.

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Copy to Sen. Lincoln: Survey says an overwhelming majority of Arkansas voters — regardless of feelings on the legislation itself — want debate in the Senate on the health reform bill.

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Law enforcement sources say two suspects are in custody following the shootout Thursday night that left a Garland County sheriff’s reserve officer wounded and a suspect dead in a raid aimed at suspects in five slayings in Garland County Nov. 12. The basics: Information was developed that led to issuance of a search warrant related to [...]

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There are many lies from which to choose. Joan Walsh points out one Republican lie about "breast panels." Republicans claim bureaucrats will deny mammograms to women under 50 thanks to Obama’s push for reform. It’s an enormous lie. Various government advisory panels have been trying to ratchet up the age for women to begin routine mammograms (from [...]

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