Free Arkansas

It’s Friday the 13th, and we’re covering everything from spooky superstitions to serious headlines across Arkansas.

🐕Pitbulls are the culprits in 15-year-old's death in Saline County.
🪦 Little Rock is ordered to follow the law after removing a Confederate monument.
🚨 A murderer stabs two jail deputies with a homemade spear.
🏈 A Quitman coach suspended after locker room harassment fallout.
🐊 And if you want to hunt a gator this fall, applications open Saturday.

Quick, sharp, and all Arkansas. Subscribe for more.

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Today’s episode covers major news from across the state — from legal battles and political spats to tragedy and baseball.⛪ Ten Commandments Lawsuit Hits Federal CourtA group of Arkansas families is suing to block Act 573, the new state law requiring public schools and libraries to display the Ten Commandments. ⚖️ Newsom vs. Sanders: Homicide Stats and Political FireAfter Gov. Sarah Sanders criticized California’s handling of unrest, Gov. Gavin Newsom hit back on X — pointing out that Arkansas' homicide rate is nearly double California's. 🐕 Dog Mauling Turns Deadly in Saline CountyA 15-year-old girl was killed while trying to feed neglected dogs on a rural property in Saline County. Neighbors say they had warned officials for years about the dangerous conditions — but no action was taken until it was too late.⚾ Hogs vs. LSU: Omaha Showdown BeginsArkansas faces LSU in Game 1 of the College World Series this Saturday at 6 p.m. 🎧 Subscribe for daily Arkansas headlines — no fluff, just the facts.#ArkansasNews #TenCommandments #SarahSanders #GavinNewsom #CollegeWorldSeries #Razorbacks #SalineCounty

Full Moon, Full News Cycle 🌕🍓

On today’s episode:
🍬 Arkansas becomes one of the first states approved to ban junk food, soda, and candy from SNAP benefits.
⚖️ Senator Fred Love’s lawsuit against Pulaski County gets tossed.
🗳️ Meanwhile, the race for Love’s open Senate seat is heating up — his wife ShaRhonda is running, but so is Rep. Tara Shephard.
📲 Watch your phone: scam texts are circulating across Arkansas pretending to collect traffic fines. Spoiler: there’s no such thing as the Arkansas Vehicle Administration.
🚨 Total meltdown in Jefferson County: eight JPs walk out, one man gets tased, and the local government continues to unravel in public.
🔥 “No Kings” protests are set for nine Arkansas cities this weekend.

🎧 Subscribe for the latest news out of Arkansas — politics, policy, and everything in between.
🧠 Stay informed. Stay sharp. Stay free.

📍Listen now. Share it if you care.

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📢 Arkansas ranks 45th in child well-being — again. We break down the brutal stats in this year’s Kids Count report. Plus:⚾ Razorbacks are headed to Omaha after a huge win over Tennessee💰 Lobbyist spending hits a record $1.6M — and it wasn’t just about pharmacy laws🚨 Escaped killer Grant Hardin found just 1.5 miles from prison🗺️ Federal court rules Arkansas’s congressional map is legal⚖️ Audit reveals $230K in unpaid legal bills in lawsuit against Gov. Sanders🔫 Third arrest in Conway park mass shooting

From the ER to the State Capitol — Arkansas Rep. Dr. Lee Johnson joins Free Arkansas for a wide-ranging, no-nonsense look at the state of healthcare in Arkansas.📉 Arkansas ranks 47th in overall healthcare — and Dr. Johnson explains exactly why. From sky-high obesity and smoking rates to rural hospital closures and critical provider shortages, we break down the root causes and what can be done.💡 Topics include:Why Arkansas can’t retain rural hospitals — and what local communities are doing to keep them afloatThe shortage of both specialists and primary care physicians across the state1.2 million Arkansans are on Medicaid, but 145,000 don’t even have an assigned doctorDr. Johnson’s thoughts on Ozempic, preventive care, PBMs, training reforms, and how AI might shake up the systemCommon-sense health reforms that could make a difference now📍Whether you're a policymaker, patient, or just trying to make sense of Arkansas’ broken healthcare system, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.#Arkansas #Healthcare #Medicaid #RuralHealth #PublicPolicy #FreeArkansas

Beige Book Breakdown, Medicaid Reform, Outdoor School, and More

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book report — and what it says about Arkansas’ economic outlook. Spoiler: we’re holding steady, but there’s plenty of warning signs.

Plus:
📉 Arkansas businesses brace for higher tariffs and rising costs
🛒 Consumer spending shifts and retail slowdowns
🏭 Manufacturing and real estate trends
🌾 “Friendshoring” takes hold in supply chains

Also in this episode:
🚨 Manhunt update on escaped inmate Grant Hardin
🍼 Two big Medicaid reforms aimed at improving maternal health
🗳️ New faces enter the 2026 Arkansas election field
🌲 Outdoor education pilot program launches statewide

📢 Like, comment, and share to stay in the loop on what’s happening across the Natural State.

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Today’s top stories in Arkansas:

🗳️ Arkansas ranked #1 for election integrity

🌬️ Newton County bans wind and solar farms🌊 Conway County farmers warn: levees are failing⚖️ AG Griffin refuses race-based Ethics Commission appointment📉 Math teacher prep gets national praise — but scores still lag🦌 AGFC deer hunt permits now open
📅 Aired: June 4, 2025

Today’s episode covers the biggest stories happening across Arkansas — no spin, just facts you won’t hear anywhere else:

🚔 A massage parlor in Hot Springs raided in a human trafficking sting — part of what the AG calls “gray zone warfare”
🛒 16 people arrested in a retail theft sweep tied to big-box stores across Jonesboro
🌫️ Wildfire smoke from Canada brings breathing warnings and hazy skies to Central Arkansas
🍔 The Big Daddy Burger from Melbourne wins Arkansas’ Best Burger
⚖️ The state’s lawsuit against TikTok moves forward — what the Supreme Court just ruled
🎤 A Fort Smith free speech lawsuit is dismissed in federal court
🗳️ A ballot amendment is blocked
🧑‍💼 Steven Person enters the race for House District 77
⚾ UALR’s postseason run ends in Baton Rouge after a hard-fought game against LSU
👍 Subscribe and hit the bell for daily briefings with no fluff, no filter, and no political games

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Omaha dreams, political shakeups, and a manhunt still underway — here’s what’s happening across the Natural State.In today’s episode of Free News Arkansas, we break down:

⚾️ UALR’s Cinderella run: Two big wins in one day, including an upset over LSU
🐗 Razorbacks roll through the regional with home run power and a dominant Gage Wood
🗳️ Two new challengers take aim at Rep. Steve Womack and Rep. French Hill
🚨 Eight days and counting — convicted murderer Grant Hardin still on the run
🧪 Tontitown landfill: New round of air testing complete, results still pending
🌽 Corn crop update: 98% planted, but spring storms and rising fertilizer costs took a toll
🎣 Free Fishing Weekend kicks off Friday — no license needed, just grab a pole

No spin, no fluff — just what you need to know in under 10 minutes.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for daily updates.

📍 Find more at https://FreeArkansas.com
📱 Follow us on X: @FreeNewsAR

#ArkansasNews #UALRBaseball #Razorbacks #GrantHardin #ArkansasPolitics #FreeFishingWeekend #Tontitown #FreeNewsArkansas #ArkansasDailyBriefing

In this episode of Free Arkansas, host Andy McNeill sits down with Troy Wells, President & CEO of Baptist Health, for a wide-ranging conversation on the challenges and innovations shaping Arkansas’s largest healthcare provider.

With 11,000 employees and 12 hospitals, Baptist Health plays a massive role in the state’s economy — and in the daily lives of thousands of Arkansans. But as Troy explains, leading a nonprofit hospital system in the lowest-reimbursed state in the nation comes with serious hurdles.

That’s right: Arkansas ranks dead last in both Medicare and commercial insurance reimbursement rates — meaning hospitals here get paid less than anywhere else in the country for the same procedures. And the impact of that reality ripples across every part of the system.

Andy and Troy dig into:

• 💰 Why Arkansas hospitals get paid less — and what that means for care

• 📉 The double burden of underfunding and high chronic disease rates

• 🏥 The quiet crisis of rural healthcare access

• 🧑‍⚕️ Why Baptist employs most of its doctors — and what that says about national competition

• 🧪 The promise (and pressure) of AI, boutique medicine, and longevity clinics

• 🧾 Medicaid cuts, misinformation, and the economics no one wants to touch

• 🛠️ What Troy would fix first if he could wave a magic wand

This is a candid look at the economics, politics, and public trust behind one of the state’s most essential services — and what it will take to fix a system that’s stretched to its limit.

🔗 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about Arkansas' future — from healthcare to education, infrastructure to innovation.