Nathan Vandiver

Both Democratic Candidates for Governor in Arkansas say the private option of Medicaid expansion was the best deal available to the state but disagree on the bulk of the federal health care overhaul.

Former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter and former Fourth District Congressman Mike Ross spoke to members of the Delta Grass Roots Caucus Friday at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the current Democratic leader and former Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, will participate in a lunchtime Clinton School discussion of current political issues Thursday.

Nicolai DiPippa, director of public programs at the Clinton School, says to expect a wide range of topics of current importance.

Arkansas Congressman Tom Cotton has been in Washington representing the Fourth District for four months now, but he's already getting national press on his stance on the country's foreign policy.

A report out Tuesday from Politico says Cotton's stance is reminiscent of the post 9/11 foreign policy of former President George Bush and could win him points with the Washington Republican political elite.

ExxonMobil as well as federal, state and local officials are still working to clean up from the oil spill in Mayflower that happened one month ago.

The Pegasus Pipeline ruptured spilling about 5,000 barrels of oil into the Northwoods subdivision. Residents from the neighborhood still have not returned to their homes.

Arkansas is moving forward with a new plan to implement part of the Affordable Care Act to pay for health insurance for the state’s working poor now that the legislature has wrapped up its business.

Governor Mike Beebe used his weekly radio address to highlight the benefits of the state’s new “private option” of expanding health insurance with money intended for Medicaid.

The daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging kids to use social media and technology to encourage their peers and parents to participate in community service.

Chelsea Clinton visited with students from several Little Rock High Schools during a lunchtime panel discussion Friday. The topics ranged from health and technology to her likelihood of running for political office. Clinton said not now.

One suspected car thief is dead after a shootout this morning with Little Rock Police near North University Avenue and H Street.

LRPD Spokeswoman Sergeant Cassandra Davis said police responded to a call at about 5:41 Thursday morning at 416 N. Pierce St. She said three individuals were reported breaking into cars.

During the legislative session that wrapped up this week, Twitter was used more than ever before by lawmakers to share opinions and debate ideas. KUAR’s Nathan Vandiver has more with Roby Brock of Talk Business Arkansas.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville will get to display works of modernist American Art from the famed Alfred Stieglitz collection after years of court battles kept its purchase of the works on hold.

The museum owns a 50 percent stake in the collection with Fisk University in Tennessee. The state’s attorney general sued to keep the collection in the state.

Spokeswoman for Crystal Bridges, Diane Carroll, the museum will allow members of the public who would not otherwise have been able, to view the works.

Legislators have a few weeks before they come back to officially wrap up the session, but Tuesday was likely the last day of business for Arkansas lawmakers as they approved the budget and Governor Mike Beebe signed into law a health insurance expansion that many lawmakers agree was the biggest issue of the session.