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Crystal Bridges adds to collection ahead of expansion

The expansion is set to open to the public June 6.

News

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is expanding its craft collection ahead of its expansion set to debut next month.State of play: The museum has acquired about 140 works from about 60 artists in ceramics, glass, fiber, metal and wood, according to a news release from the museum.

App targets postpartum care gap

It's usually about six weeks between delivery and follow-up.

Business

Conway entrepreneur Kim Lane built the postpartum care app Momme to support mothers during the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weeks between hospital discharge" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" target="_self">weeks between hospital discharge</a> and their first follow-up visit.Why it matters: The U.S. has the highest maternal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mortality rate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/20/maternal-mortality-states-countries" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/20/maternal-mortality-states-countries" target="_self">mortality rate</a> among high-income countries, and more than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="80% of pregnancy-related" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html" target="_blank">80% of pregnancy-related</a> deaths are preventable. The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="weeks after delivery" data-vars-click-url="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/05/optimizing-postpartum-care?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2018/05/optimizing-postpartum-care?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">weeks after delivery</a> are some of the most <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vulnerable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="8ef0bb53-1182-4e44-abf5-ac0d77f91817" data-vars-headline="App targets postpartum care gap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/preventing-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">vulnerable</a> and least supported periods in maternal health care.

Monday Munchies: Hideaway Pizza comes to Rogers

Until now, Hideaway's nearest Arkansas location was in Fort Smith.

Food and Drink

The cluster of restaurants in the Pinnacle Hills area of Rogers has a new addition, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Hideaway Pizza" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hideawaypizza.com" data-vars-content-id="c17eab65-57ae-4635-843d-aaedb96963d9" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Hideaway Pizza comes to Rogers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hideawaypizza.com" target="_blank">Hideaway Pizza</a>.🌎 Catch up quick: Hideaway is a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="longtime Oklahoma spot" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hideawaypizza.com/history" data-vars-content-id="c17eab65-57ae-4635-843d-aaedb96963d9" data-vars-headline="Monday Munchies: Hideaway Pizza comes to Rogers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hideawaypizza.com/history" target="_blank">longtime Oklahoma spot</a> that expanded into Arkansas in 2016. Until now, the nearest Arkansas location was in Fort Smith.

Craft beer industry going strong in Arkansas

Nationally, beer production is declining.

Arkansas breweries made more craft beer in 2025 compared to 2024, according to new data from the national Brewers Association.Why it matters: The state continues to buck a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national decline" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" data-vars-content-id="0970b909-690d-4a62-829e-13476e29f72a" data-vars-headline="Craft beer industry going strong in Arkansas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2026/04/14/craft-beer-production-breweries-2025" target="_self">national decline</a> in craft beer production and sales.

Charted: Arkansas' tax on 'sin'

Fiscal year totals for alcohol were about $60.5 million, but tobacco was more than double: about $148.2 million

Taxes collected on tobacco and alcohol sales account for less than 3% of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$7.13 billion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-nw-arkansas-01cccf80-4e3c-11f1-9cd2-6356b11cc255.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="a990492e-3842-4867-902e-374bf189bcf1" data-vars-headline="Charted: Arkansas&#x27; tax on &#x27;sin&#x27;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-nw-arkansas-01cccf80-4e3c-11f1-9cd2-6356b11cc255.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top" target="_self">$7.13 billion</a> in gross general revenue collected in Arkansas during the first 10 months of fiscal 2026, almost $209 million.The big picture: The state&#x27;s &quot;sin taxes&quot; could be — what we&#x27;ve heard some CFOs describe it — a rounding error.

Arkansas' split-screen rankings reality

The state ranks well on some measures, but poorly on others, including health and wages.

Health

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders recently <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="touted" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/2042378027439456661" data-vars-content-id="884f28d3-1a41-45dd-b6ce-d96c8a8d842a" data-vars-headline="Arkansas&#x27; split-screen rankings reality" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/SarahHuckabee/status/2042378027439456661" target="_blank">touted</a> a run of No. 1 rankings for Arkansas, saying: &quot;We are blessed by God to live in the best state, in the best country, in the history of the world.&quot; But it&#x27;s only part of the picture.The big picture: Broad claims about where Arkansas stands nationally depend heavily on which metrics are used. The state ranks well on some measures, but poorly on others, including health and wages.

Bipartisan panel highlights maternal health needs

The reported U.S. maternal death rate doubled over 20 years, and more than 80% of those deaths were preventable.

Politics

Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders joined Maryland&#x27;s Democratic governor and the Crystal Bridges museum&#x27;s chair on NBC&#x27;s &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Meet the Press" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nbc.com/meet-the-press/video/it-has-to-be-bipartisan-governors-find-solutions-on-maternal-health/NBCN071301594" data-vars-content-id="c3a1a580-45f6-4b24-8d0c-5a1f720834bb" data-vars-headline="Bipartisan panel highlights maternal health needs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nbc.com/meet-the-press/video/it-has-to-be-bipartisan-governors-find-solutions-on-maternal-health/NBCN071301594" target="_blank">Meet the Press</a>&quot; on Mother&#x27;s Day to talk about maternal health.The big picture: The maternal health issue is a rare area of bipartisan agreement. Answers include earlier maternal health care, better <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="postpartum support" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" data-vars-content-id="c3a1a580-45f6-4b24-8d0c-5a1f720834bb" data-vars-headline="Bipartisan panel highlights maternal health needs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/13/mental-health-maternal-mortality-data-gap-arkansas" target="_self">postpartum support</a>, and more locally rooted systems to help people navigate pregnancy and birth, the panelists said.

Amy Coney Barrett talks Constitution in Bentonville

The Supreme Court justice is part of a speaker series on the Crystal Bridges campus.

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett discussed her views on the high court&#x27;s role during a talk Saturday night at Heartland Whole Health Institute on the Crystal Bridges campus in Bentonville.What they&#x27;re saying: Barrett, who was appointed by President Trump in 2020, said she views the Constitution as a foundational document and herself bound to apply its texts, describing it as a &quot;bare bones&quot; document that leaves much up to the democratic process.

Gov. Sanders signs income tax cuts into law

Homeowners will be eligible for a tax credit of $675, up from $600.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders lowered the income tax rate Wednesday for the fourth time since she took office and ceremonially signed a bill to increase the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="homestead property tax credit" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/arkansas-assessment-coordination-division/real-property/property-tax-relief/" data-vars-content-id="dbb0ebc1-d923-4b2f-93f9-e18df154c5b3" data-vars-headline="Gov. Sanders signs income tax cuts into law" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/arkansas-assessment-coordination-division/real-property/property-tax-relief/" target="_blank">homestead property tax credit</a> by $75.How it works: For individuals, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new law" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026S1%2FPublic%2FSB1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="dbb0ebc1-d923-4b2f-93f9-e18df154c5b3" data-vars-headline="Gov. Sanders signs income tax cuts into law" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2026S1%2FPublic%2FSB1.pdf" target="_blank">new law</a> keeps a graduated structure, with lower-income brackets taxed from 0% to 3.7% and a bracket adjustment for taxpayers with net income between $94,701 and $97,600.

Gov. Sanders covers topics from Trump to motherhood

"I have to be really intentional about the time that I have with my kids."

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared on &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Riley Gaines Show" data-vars-click-url="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394680056112" data-vars-content-id="af0dbc88-f20f-4165-8dac-abe1f412d964" data-vars-headline="Gov. Sanders covers topics from Trump to motherhood" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6394680056112" target="_blank">The Riley Gaines Show</a>&quot; podcast Tuesday for a wide-ranging conversation covering President Trump, state economics, education and motherhood. What she said:On Trump: &quot;One of the reasons that the president is so popular and was able to win the presidency, and the reason he&#x27;s been able to get things done, is because he is not a scripted robot, and he is very raw.&quot;

Arkansas lawmakers advance income tax cut

Arkansas' general revenue would drop by $191.8 million in fiscal year 2027 and $144.8 million in fiscal 2028.

The Arkansas Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday quickly OK&#x27;d <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="identical bills" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB1&amp;chamber=Senate&amp;ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026S1" data-vars-content-id="4d306157-4e80-46d0-9d27-56bb46aff397" data-vars-headline="Arkansas lawmakers advance income tax cut" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=SB1&amp;chamber=Senate&amp;ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026S1" target="_blank">identical bills</a> that would trim income tax rates for individuals and corporations by 0.2%.Why it matters: About 1.1 million taxpayers and 7,800 corporations would get a rate cut, the state Department of Finance and Administration <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="estimates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAssembly%2F2025%2F2026S1%2FFiscal+Impacts%2FSB1-DFA1.pdf" data-vars-content-id="4d306157-4e80-46d0-9d27-56bb46aff397" data-vars-headline="Arkansas lawmakers advance income tax cut" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FAssembly%2F2025%2F2026S1%2FFiscal+Impacts%2FSB1-DFA1.pdf" target="_blank">estimates</a>.

Arkansas farmers squeezed by costs, lower prices

Input costs have climbed roughly 40% to 70% in the "last couple of years," while the prices farmers receive for their crops have moved in the opposite direction.

The Iran war has led to a sharp increase in fuel and fertilizer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="prices this spring" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-war-food-inflation-oil" data-vars-content-id="92ac0427-67a3-49d2-9224-76c363e5c743" data-vars-headline="Arkansas farmers squeezed by costs, lower prices" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/06/iran-war-food-inflation-oil" target="_self">prices this spring</a>, worsening an already difficult farm economy in Arkansas, which <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="led the U.S. in ag bankruptcies" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/09/charted-arkansas-farm-busts" data-vars-content-id="92ac0427-67a3-49d2-9224-76c363e5c743" data-vars-headline="Arkansas farmers squeezed by costs, lower prices" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/09/charted-arkansas-farm-busts" target="_self">led the U.S. in ag bankruptcies</a> last year.Why it matters: Agriculture is a cornerstone of the state&#x27;s economy, contributing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$25.6 billion" data-vars-click-url="https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/3/599/files/2025/09/1017_Contrib_Agri_sector_Ark_Econ_2023.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com" data-vars-content-id="92ac0427-67a3-49d2-9224-76c363e5c743" data-vars-headline="Arkansas farmers squeezed by costs, lower prices" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://bpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/wordpressua.uark.edu/dist/3/599/files/2025/09/1017_Contrib_Agri_sector_Ark_Econ_2023.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">$25.6 billion</a> in 2023. As the No. 1 grower of rice and the third-largest producer of poultry, stress on Arkansas farms can ripple into the national food supply.

Gov. Sanders signs 2027 budget and calls for tax cuts

Lawmakers approved a budget that was about $211 million higher than the fiscal 2026 budget.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday signed the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Revenue Stabilization Act" data-vars-click-url="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb75&amp;ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026F&amp;Search=" data-vars-content-id="ea4d2c1a-1c13-4f13-937a-351799ab9519" data-vars-headline="Gov. Sanders signs 2027 budget and calls for tax cuts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=sb75&amp;ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2026F&amp;Search=" target="_blank">Revenue Stabilization Act</a>, locking in a $6.7 billion budget and setting lawmakers up for a special session next week focused on cutting income taxes.Why it matters: The spending plan, which is a 3% increase from last year, effectively closes out the fiscal session and cements the state&#x27;s priorities for the year that starts July 1.

What to know about the ongoing fiscal session

Arkansas lawmakers have been meeting to decide all things state budget.

Arkansas lawmakers have been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="meeting in Little Rock" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/07/arkansas-legislature-decide-state-budget?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="225d8780-e44c-42a2-ac9a-b37d0025c2fd" data-vars-headline="What to know about the ongoing fiscal session" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/04/07/arkansas-legislature-decide-state-budget?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top" target="_self">meeting in Little Rock</a> the past few weeks to decide all things state budget, and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dozens of bills" data-vars-click-url="https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/bills-signed-sb6-sb9-sb11-sb12-sb17-sb18-sb34-sb35-sb37-sb38-sb57-hb1012-hb1027-hb1028-hb1038-hb1040-hb1043-hb1046-hb1056-hb1059-hb1061-hb1063-hb1074-hb1079-sb25-sb27-sb28/" data-vars-content-id="225d8780-e44c-42a2-ac9a-b37d0025c2fd" data-vars-headline="What to know about the ongoing fiscal session" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://governor.arkansas.gov/news_post/bills-signed-sb6-sb9-sb11-sb12-sb17-sb18-sb34-sb35-sb37-sb38-sb57-hb1012-hb1027-hb1028-hb1038-hb1040-hb1043-hb1046-hb1056-hb1059-hb1061-hb1063-hb1074-hb1079-sb25-sb27-sb28/" target="_blank">dozens of bills</a> to fund state agencies.Here&#x27;s what to know ahead of the last expected few days of the fiscal session.

A line chart that tracks Arkansas alcohol and tobacco tax revenue from July 2025 to April 2026. Alcohol revenue falls from $7.4 million to a low of $4.5 million in February 2026, then rebounds to $6.3 million in April. Tobacco revenue ranges from $13.8 million to $15.9 million and stays higher throughout.

Arkansas alcohol and tobacco tax revenue, fiscal 2026


Data: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration; Chart: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Quote du jour: Farmer woes

Sen. Boozman notes farmer woes

A table that lists Arkansasâ top and bottom state rankings across 12 metrics. Arkansas ranks No. 1 in affordability, inbound movers, teacher job satisfaction and several others, including a tie in election integrity. It ranks No. 50 in food insecurity and maternity practices, and No. 49 in median annual wage and overall health.

Arkansas' best and worst rankings

Data: U.S. News & World Report, TNTP, Heritage Foundation, Atlas Van Lines, Americans United for Life, Education Week, America's Health Rankings, USDA, CDC, America's Health Rankings, Bureau of Labor Statistics, America's Health Rankings; Note: *Advocacy group rankings; Chart: Worth Sparkman/Axios

Politics 🇺🇸

Charted: Arkansas' tax on 'sin'

Sen. Boozman notes farmer woes

Arkansas' split-screen rankings reality

Bipartisan panel highlights maternal health needs

Amy Coney Barrett talks Constitution in Bentonville