Congress is debating another $1 trillion stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first stimulus package granted hundreds of billions of dollars in an attempt to relieve family, business and government funding shortfalls as a result of mandated school and business closures.…

LITTLE ROCK — More than 28,000 Arkansas residents work in the forest products industry, cutting trees, producing paper and pulp, manufacturing furniture and shipping wood products across the world.

I have appointed Dr. José Romero as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Health, and today I’d like to share some things about the man who is assuming this job in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Over two-thirds of American children have all available parents in the workforce. At the height of the economic shutdown that resulted from the COVID-19 public health emergency, over 800 child care providers in Arkansas closed their doors.

In recent years and in recent times, we as a nation and a state have looked inward to ourselves and to values that we hold dear. This concept of reflection is not new to us as Arkansans or Americans. Our country and state have erected many monuments throughout history to memorialize a person…

Dear Editor

Recently, rural Americans have missed out on many services usually offered in their communities.

Political trust is harder to find than disinfectant wipes. With the suspicion level this high, one would think political leaders on both sides would be working hard to make sure the November election runs smoothly, and results up and down the tickets are reported quickly.

The other day I mentioned to my son Cameron something I heard the great economist Thomas Sowell say.

We’re getting a lot of advice these days. Some of the tips for the pandemic are good, such as wearing masks. Some of it – like injecting bleach – is actually dangerous. As a behavioral scientist, I know that the advice I’m about to give you is backed up by years of research, but as a semi-fu…

Here’s how far Donald Trump is willing to go to ensure his re-election: After trying to normalize COVID-19 deaths among senior citizens and asking us to just get used to the fact that more people will die, he’s now willing to use America’s schoolchildren as pawns in a proxy fight with Democrats.

What spoils even more evening meals than robocalls?

I’m getting a whole-house attic fan installed this week – just like the one my father had installed in my childhood home – and I cannot wait to cool my house using his old-time methods.

Can we finally nix the myth that what this nation needs is a businessman who will “run America like a business”? If mining magnate Herbert Hoover wasn’t sufficient evidence, bankrupt casino hack Donald Trump should be the clincher.

The number of Arkansas children in foster care continued to go down last year, after reaching an all-time high in 2016 and prompting dramatic measures from elected officials to improve the state’s child welfare system. In 2019 the number of children in foster care was 4,226. That is down 12 …

The First Amendment of the Constitution guarantees every American the right to religious freedom, allowing us to practice our religion as we so choose. This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government cannot force religious organizations to provide any abortifacient drugs that …

From the water we use in our homes, to the roads we drive on to work, to the food we buy at the grocery store, our nation’s infrastructure is a fundamental component of everything we do. Our ability to be connected and efficiently move goods across the country is a significant reason why we’…

The leaders of the major political parties in Arkansas are united in their determination to assure everyone can cast their ballot in November safely and securely.

Pope Francis couldn’t have said it better.

All presidents must deal with things they did not expect FDR had the Great Depression and World War II. Kennedy had the Cuban Missile Crisis. George H. W. Bush had Saddam Hussein. And Donald Trump has had COVID-19.

Recently, I visited my local gym for the first time after snacking-in-place for over two months. It was like going to see an annoying former friend – out of guilt. I’ve always had a tolerate-hate relationship with working out. I hate spending my time sweating and hyperventilating when I coul…

Most Americans know Lou Gehrig’s tragic story. Fewer know how his widow, Eleanor, lovingly kept the baseball Hall of Famer’s memory alive for decades after his untimely death.

Dear pandemic-battered readers,

Donald Trump spent Wednesday tweeting about Fox and Friends‘ TV ratings and complaining about “fake news.” Those were safe topics, well within his bunkered comfort zone – because he certainly wasn’t going to tweet about his latest political humiliation.

LITTLE ROCK — During the upcoming school year, local districts will have flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances created by the outbreak of the coronavirus, thanks to a set of waivers adopted by the state Board of Education during a special meeting.

Happy Fourth of July weekend! We are blessed to live in the United States of America, and I am proud to call this country home.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— As regions of the country are seeing rebounding rates of COVID-19, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) reminds everyone that practicing social distancing and continuing to cover your face when in public is the best recourse to slow the spread of the virus.

For several years now, my office has made a concerted effort to capture and preserve the memories of Arkansas’s war veterans for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s Veteran History Project (VHP). Not only is it a great way to honor their service and commitment to our country, but it is a …

LITTLE ROCK — This year, the Fourth of July will be quieter than any in our lifetime. That will be most obvious, perhaps, in small towns such as Piggott, where July 4th is the biggest event of the year.

While Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden remains semi-cloistered in the bunker/basement/television studio of his Wilmington, Del., home, the vice presidential selection process plods on.

I recently testified before the House Select Coronavirus Subcommittee on the meltdown in nursing homes, which excluding New York (which deliberately underreports) now account for over 55 percent of deaths with COVID. The House Democrats’ goal was to blame these high death rates on President …

Finally! After nearly three decades of pleading to deaf Republican and Democratic congresses for a fair shake, American workers can celebrate.

In case you missed it, 106 people were shot in Chicago last weekend. That’s not a typo – 106.

The New York Times has a story that’s entertaining reading for conservatives. It concerns a mostly white, solidly leftist neighborhood so inspired by the death of George Floyd at the hands of a rogue policeman, they decided to volunteer to become victims, too.

The personal finance website WalletHub recently released its ranking of the “patriotism” of all 50 states.

There was even more yelling and screaming than usual in Washington this week.

For more than a decade, Congress has improved access to new and existing treatments for veterans at risk of suicide and increased funding for programs to support suicide prevention. Unfortunately, the number of veterans who commit suicide each day has remained roughly unchanged. It’s clear t…

LITTLE ROCK — The state will hire 350 more contact tracers to help control the spread of the coronavirus. After the funding is allocated to pay them, it will bring the state’s total to 900.

As Secretary of State and Chief Election Officer for the State of Arkansas, I have been receiving many questions and have listened to the many concerns of the citizens of Arkansas as to the upcoming November election. We are fortunate in Arkansas that we have in place the means by which regi…

LITTLE ROCK — We started reopening the economy in May, and today I’d like to talk about the encouraging numbers that we’re already seeing. More than 45,000 Arkansans are back at work. Our unemployment rate, which has remained below the national rate, dropped from 10.8 percent in April to 9.5…

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 7120, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. I voted against this bill because it was written solely by Democrats who denied all Republican input on the legislation. I believe that we need police reform, but this partisan bill …

I want to write a big thank you to the officials of Jasper for the respectful, compassionate way they treated the people of Newton County in the peaceful protest on the Square last Friday. We were there and were impressed by the friendly attitudes, protection and treatment from Mayor Jan Lar…

“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an …

Donald Trump isn’t even trying to be president of the United States anymore.

My father’s mission was to tame the stupidity out of me – a powerful blessing too few children are experiencing now.

My wife and I experienced some vicarious living when our son Gideon (finishing up his junior year of high school) attended the senior prom.

Oh, so now he tells us.

For years, the Association of American Medical Colleges has predicted the United States will face a large physician shortage, and the coronavirus pandemic may further exacerbate this shortage.

Everyone everywhere is demanding that we reform the police.