By Andrew DeMillo | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Advocate readers! A waitlist for services and changes in federal policy are creating even more concern for families of Arkansans for disabilities. And the editor’s commentary this week looks at the contributions of immigrants to Arkansas over the years. You can find more Arkansas government and politics news on the Advocate site here.
Susan Roberts uses a device hanging from their ceiling to help lift her 16-year-old son, TJ, into his bed on July 29, 2026. The device is covered by a Medicaid waiver for people with disabilities that need supportive living services. (Photo by Antoinette Grajeda/Arkansas Advocate)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Tess Vrbin
Arkansas has struggled for decades with long waitlists for services for people with disabilities, but the shift to managed care over the past several years and changes in federal policy are heightening worries for families around the state.
Taken between 1899-1900, this photo shows the first class of students who attended a one-room school for Italian immigrants in Tontitown, Arkansas. (Tontitown Historical Museum courtesy of the Basitanelli Collection)
COMMENTARY
By Andrew DeMillo
Some of Arkansas’ most well-known communities and traditions exist because earlier generations chose to welcome immigrants rather than shun them.
Diseases like measles have surged to the highest level in decades in the United States.(Photo by Getty Images Plus)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
By Stateline
Less than two years into Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s tenure at the helm of the department responsible for the health of millions of Americans, a string of outbreaks has repeatedly made headlines.
MORE NEWS
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