The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) produces a Weekly Viral Respiratory Diseases Report for clinicians. The report provides information on Influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity in the state. The report also compares activities in Arkansas to the U.S. ADH receives reports of only a fraction of COVID-19 cases and flu cases since it only requires reports of flu hospitalizations, deaths, and outbreaks. RSV is not a reportable disease in Arkansas. Therefore, it is important to understand that the information in the weekly update is representative of the timing and location of activity, but it does not reflect the overall disease burden. It is presumed that there are many more people actually affected than the report shows. Clinicians and policymakers may find the report helpful in terms of communicating to colleagues and patients about the current status of viral respiratory diseases in the state and nationwide. more

The statewide gas price average in Arkansas was $3.19 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel on Thursday, according to the AAA Arkansas Weekend Gas Watch. That price is two cents less compared to that day last week and is one cent more compared to that day last year. more

United Methodist delegates have repealed their church’s longstanding ban on the celebrations of same-sex marriages or unions by its clergy. The action marked the final major repeal of a … more

Several Democrats serving as their state’s top election officials have sent a letter to the parent company of Facebook, asking it to stop allowing ads that claim the 2020 presidential election was … more

Just like the Olympic athletes, the cyberwarriors that will be crucial for the success of the Paris Games are deep into training for the big event. They have turned to friendly hackers to probe their … more

The health insurer Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit over whether its fertility treatment coverage discriminates against LGBTQ+ patients. The insurer will make coverage of artificial insemination … more

The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division announced this week that it had revoked the license of medical marijuana dispensary Green Springs Medical Dispensary in Hot Springs. This is the first time a dispensary license has been revoked since the medical cannabis industry launched in Arkansas in 2019. more

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers gave final approval to bills outlining the state's $6.3 billion budget for the coming year as they wrapped up this year's legislative session. more

America's Newspapers, a leading advocate for the nation's newspaper industry, enthusiastically endorses the Arkansas Government Disclosure Act of 2024 and the proposed Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment. These initiatives represent a critical step forward in protecting the public's fundamental right to access government records and proceedings and to make government actions more transparent. more

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday gave final approval to new restrictions on cryptocurrency mining operations after facing backlash for limiting local governments' ability to regulate them last year. more

As pro-Palestinian student protests dominated college campuses across the country in recent weeks, Jewish students had fervent debates over how to respond. Like many Americans, Jewish students’ … more

Advocates have turned in more than twice the needed number of signatures to put a proposal to legalize abortion on the Missouri ballot. The campaign turned in more than 380,000 voter signatures on … more

Warrant for Possession of Firearms by Certain Persons more

An experimental F-16 fighter jet has taken Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on a history-making flight controlled by artificial intelligence and not a human pilot. Kendall said he came out of … more

San Francisco’s famed Fisherman’s Wharf district is seeing a surge in sea lions. First appearing at Pier 39 after the 1989 earthquake, the sea lions have become a well known tourist attraction. … more

Nippon Steel says it has postponed the expected closing of its $14.1 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by three months after the U.S. Department of Justice requested more documentation related to the … more

The U.S. government has loosened some rules governing electric vehicle tax credits a bit, potentially making more EVs eligible for credits of up to $7,500. The Treasury Department announced final … more

A U.K. High Court judge has ruled that the government acted unlawfully when it approved a plan to meet climate targets without evidence it could be delivered. It was the second time in two years that … more

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is arguing that a fractured democracy can have destructive effects on the economy. In an address prepared for delivery Friday in Arizona, Yellen never mentions … more

The King’s Trust has celebrated its new name, an update of King Charles III’s long-running charity The Prince’s Trust. The organization marked the expansion of its work in the United States … more