Philadelphia is one step closer to opening a Hotel Heroin in beautiful, downtown Kensington.

Sure, I could write about impeachment again this week, and probably for countless weeks to come. But I think we all could use a diversion, what with the 24/7 news coverage, analysis, and editorializing that passes for news coverage. It makes you wonder if the earth is still turning on its axis. 

Are you more familiar with the little trees hanging from your rearview mirror than the trees in your own yard?

All of Washington is vibrating like the foam on a latte in the cup holder of a convertible jeep riding railroad tracks over a bridge. Republicans are scrambling to hold together their diverse coalition of rich white men frightened about the next election and well-to-do white men worried abou…

The constitutional crisis has officially arrived. To the surprise of nobody with a cognitive intellect, Donald Trump has hauled us to this treacherous precipice. The good news is that the House Democrats, empowered by the midterm voters to hold Trump accountable, are eager to prevail in the …

Garage sales are a little ridiculous if you think about it. As a society we spend untold millions trying to protect the sanctity of our homes from intrusion, and then we hold garage sales, where the entire point is to lure nosy strangers onto our property to rummage through our personal belo…

LITTLE ROCK — The annual report cards for Arkansas public schools has been released by the state Education Department, and they show improvement over last year.

Dak Kees, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, recently brought federal charges against a Texarkana doctor after an investigation uncovered that he prescribed over 1.2 million dosages of opioids to over 15,000 patients over a two-year period. 

 Arkansas’s timber industry contributes $6.4 billion to our economy, and today I’d like to talk about the many benefits of the forests to our state and also the effect of the ongoing trade war.

Autumn has arrived. I can't think of a better time to put priorities back in order. 

The impeachable president whined last week that he missed the good days when the Fourth Estate covered him exactly the way he wanted. In his inimitable words, "I used to be the king of getting good press."

Adam Schiff - congressman, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, thespian.

When I was a mass communications major in college (alas, this was not TOO long after mass communications consisted of Columbus yelling, "Can you guys in the back of the Santa Maria hear me okay?"), one of my film projects was a "Phantom of the Opera" takeoff. 

In its season opener "Saturday Night Live" did a fine job of skewering political figures who dominated headlines during the show's summer hiatus. The Trump stuff was funny, but even with new Ukrainian fodder it was routine. The Democratic parodies, however, were fresh and so spot-on that the…

This White House breathes chaos. It's like one of those Vaudevillian plate spinners who isn't happy until all the plates come crashing down to the ground. The attraction consists of the cast kicking through the detritus, which is always loud and cacophonous.

Every time an immigration conflict appears on the horizon, expansionists press for one of two solutions: amnesty or broader guest worker programs. Most often the push for more comes from Beltway lobbyists, but often the pressure emanates from within the sitting administration's cabinet membe…

LITTLE ROCK — The state Board of Correction has voted to pursue an agreement with Bradley and Drew Counties in southeast Arkansas to set up a private prison.

Editor's note: Governor Hutchinson brings this week's address from Mumbai while on his economic trade mission to India and the United Arab Emirates.

The convenience of email has changed the manner in which Americans communicate with their elected officials. These days, there are fewer and fewer letters delivered to the Capitol by the U.S. Postal Service. So, when a stack of orange envelopes arrived in my Washington, D.C. office in mid-Se…

The explosive release of a federal whistleblower complaint alleging that President Donald Trump abused the power of his office, and that "unidentified White House officials" then attempted to cover it up, is sending shockwaves throughout Washington. 

It's an appalling reality that in the entire Senate, not one single member is willing to stand up for American workers.

I never met my great-grandfather, although I've seen pictures of him. The one I treasure most is a family photo, similar to those images on an Ancestry.com commercial, where he is sitting with his wife and older daughters. (The sons would arrive later.) He's wearing a hat and a solemn expres…

There came a point when no one took Fred Sanford seriously when he clutched his chest, looked toward the heavens and cried out, "This is the big one! I'm coming Elizabeth!"

We dare not contemplate what the Washington Republicans would say if Donald Trump were to actually shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.

Has Congress imposed a secret austerity plan? In the past, I remember every office in Congress had at least on calendar on the wall. That is either not the case now or if they have calendars, no one is turning the pages.

We've heard a lot about impeachment this week, and it's a word we'll continue to hear. With the media focusing on the impeachment inquiry that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, I thought it would be helpful to discuss the topic in my weekly video. You can watch it on my Facebook page here.

LITTLE ROCK — This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and today I’d like to talk about the progress we’ve made and about the opportunities the scholarships have provided for many of our young people.

LITTLE ROCK — Tourism in Arkansas grew at a healthy rate last year, whether it’s measured in total spending or how many people visited the state or how many jobs are supported by the travel industry.

Our farmers are dealing with the perfect storm right now. Commodity prices are below the cost of production. Standoffs with critical trading partners have created additional uncertainty that has only compounded worries. A rainy fall and spring have hampered planting season and, in the case o…

Some presidential candidates, past and present, sure have cursed up a storm.

Have you heard that Elizabeth Warren has an ambitious plan - a surefire popular plan - to boost Social Security payments by roughly $200 a month? 

Never let the facts get in the way of a good vendetta. Words to live by for politicians and apparently for some news organizations.

"If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a perfect kid. And six of 'em, yecch!" - Ann B. Davis as housekeeper Alice Nelson.

During the 1980s, my brother Teddy was a volunteer firefighter with our local firehouse. I remember more than a few late nights when an alarm would go off and Teddy would jump into his 1976 Monte Carlo and rush to the firehouse or, more frequently, just run the block and a half up the street.

Got an embarrassing admission here. I was scheduled to summarize the Democratic candidates debate last week, but also had a deadline about the opening of the football season, and they kind of got mixed up together. Don't you hate it when two things vie for your attention at the same time? Mu…

What if Beto O'Rourke was right?

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. I’ve made reducing the rate of suicide, particularly among veterans in Arkansas and around the country, one of my top priorities. Our men and women who are serving or have served in uniform suffer a disproportionately higher rate of suicide com…

LITTLE ROCK – The joint Senate and House Committees on Public Health, Welfare and Labor approved a study proposal to combat the dramatic increase in teenagers’ use of vaping products, also known as e-cigarettes.

I spend quite a bit of time driving across Arkansas, and I've seen the condition of rural roads in the district gradually worsen over recent years. Unsafe rural roads take away one's peace of mind when commuting to work, visiting family and friends or even driving to the grocery store. No on…

LITTLE ROCK – I have just finished my ninth Computer Coding tour of Arkansas schools, and I’d like to talk about our computer-science success.

When my retired professor friend told me about it, my alarm bells went off.

The last three incumbent presidents to lose their reelection bids - Gerald Ford in 1976, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George H.W. Bush in 1992 - were fatally burdened by a sluggish or recessionary economy.

"I wanna be Bobby's girl. I wanna be Bobby's girl. That's the most important thing to me." - as sung by Marcie Blane in 1962.

Just over a year ago, the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings got under way. They dropped a bomb on American social psychology and created a tectonic divide. And, as a book published this week suggests, their controversies were the result of a politically motivated hit campaign.

Alert! Alert! This is a test. This is only a test. A test of the Congressional Re- Arrival Warning System. Residents of the District of Colombia should remain on the lookout for male and female politicians walking the streets disguised as normal citizens. Although expert at camouflage, they …

Shortly after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its August report - which showed that the economy had created a middling 130,000 new jobs - the White House issued an effusive statement.

I ended a recent column observing that American taxpayers, not the government of Mexico or anyone else, was going to end up footing the bill for President Donald Trump's border wall.

LITTLE ROCK – In 2017 the legislature approved the creation of four crisis stabilization units (CSU), where police officers can bring people who are experiencing a severe mental health episode.

I traveled to Jonesboro to help cut the ribbon at the state’s fourth Crisis Stabilization Unit, and åI’d like to talk about the difference these centers are making in Arkansas.