Happy Friday!

🌧️ Today's weather: Slight chance of rain showers, then mostly sunny, with a high of 99 and a low of 74.

Today's newsletter is 1,089 words — a 4-minute read.

Advocates are urging Arkansas to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from the current 60 days to a full year like all 49 other states.

Why it matters: Physical and mental health problems can still occur more than 60 days after giving birth, says Camille Richoux, health policy director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

• Arkansas has some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation. Nearly a third of U.S. maternal deaths from 2018-22 occurred at least six weeks after giving birth, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

State of play: Since 2022, states have had the option to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to one year. Wisconsin was the second-to-last holdout, and its extension went into effect in July, making Arkansas the only state to not guarantee health insurance after 60 days postpartum, according to KFF.

By the numbers: About 57% of the 4,935 Arkansans whose postpartum Medicaid coverage was ending between April 1 and June 30 were eligible for other coverage through the state after the 60-day period, according to the latest quarterly report from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to the Arkansas Legislative Council. That was up slightly from 55% in the last report in May.

• Of the 2,126 people who lost coverage, 146 were documented as still being insured, such as through private insurance.

How it works: While some new moms continue to receive insurance through other state Medicaid programs after 60 days, some make a little too much money to qualify but don't have access to private insurance. Others may experience gaps in coverage because of paperwork issues, Richoux says.

• Threat level: Being uninsured makes new moms vulnerable to having minor health problems advance into more serious ones or facing expensive emergency room bills, she says.

The big picture: Maternal health has been a focal point for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' administration, and her Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act of 2025 included several Medicaid expansions and reforms, including coverage for doula services, remote blood pressure monitoring and glucose monitors.

What they're saying: "Governor Sanders isn’t interested in headline-grabbing policies or duplicative government programs that don’t actually change maternal health outcomes," Sanders spokesperson Sam Dubke told Axios in an email.

• He added that Sanders convened more than 100 stakeholders to craft a comprehensive approach and signed the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act in response to the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health’s report, directing $45 million annually toward improving maternal health.

Context: The Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, established by Sanders, released a list of recommendations in 2024, which did not include extending postpartum Medicaid coverage.

Flashback: Arkansas lawmakers in 2025 voted down a bill sponsored by Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) and Sen. Breanne Davis (R-Russellville) that would have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to one year.

Keep reading

Walmart posted its worst U.S. same-store sales growth in more than six years, raising questions about the health of the American consumer, even as the company raised its outlook for the full fiscal year.

Why it matters: As the world's largest retailer, Walmart has long been viewed as a bellwether for the economy and the health of the consumer.

Driving the news: The chain recorded U.S. comparable sales growth of 2.6% in the second quarter when excluding fuel, trailing Wall Street's expectation of about 3.5%, according to TD Cowen analysts.

• "Given the significant role Walmart plays in the lives of many Americans, the deterioration will set some alarm bells ringing over whether the consumer is running out of steam," according to GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders.
• "It also raises the question as to whether the helpful gains from more higher-income shoppers migrating to Walmart are starting to fade."

The impact: Walmart shares plunged 8.9% in midday trading.

Reality check: Walmart raised its fiscal year net sales outlook from a range of 3.5% to 4.5% to a range of 4% to 5%.

• It also increased its adjusted earnings-per-share outlook from a range of $2.75 to $2.85 to a range of $2.80 to $2.87.
• "While we acknowledge the US comp number may hold shares back today, we remain encouraged by WMT's ability to gain share and grow profits faster than sales," TD Cowen analyst Oliver Chen wrote in a research note.

Yes, but: Investors were expecting a bigger boost to the outlook, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Kate McShane.

• Walmart CFO John David Rainey said on an earnings call that the company felt "it's prudent to remain cautious by only raising the guide modestly" in part because it's facing "arguably a softer consumer environment than in February when we introduced our initial outlook."

By the numbers: The chain recorded a 5.9% increase in revenue in the quarter, to $187.9 billion, compared with a year earlier, edging S&P Capital IQ expectations of $186.8 billion.

• That included a 24% rise in U.S. e-commerce sales, which drew strength from store-fulfilled delivery, advertising and online marketplace sales.
• The company cited merchandising strength in grocery sales, personal care items, beauty, pet supplies, toys and fashion.

Threat level: Drug price declines — caused in part by the federal government's Medicare prescription drug regulation — undermined the retailer's U.S. sales.

Keep reading

🐈‍⬛ The Rogers animal shelter is waiving adoption fees for a year after receiving a $6,000 grant from Best Friends Animal Society. (KNWA)

👨‍⚖️ Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed attorney Cory Cox to temporarily serve on the state Supreme Court while Justice Barbara Webb recovers from a head injury. (Arkansas Advocate)

🧑‍⚕️ The Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation gave $34.5 million to John Brown University to help the school's plans to establish nurse practitioner and physician assistant master's degree programs. (Northwest Arkansas Business Journal)

Have a great weekend, NWA.

🍸 Bentonville Cocktail Festival — More than 40 cocktails will be available to try from 6-10pm Saturday at The Record in downtown Bentonville. Get tickets for $75.

🎬 Movies in the Parks — Take the kids to a free screening of "The Muppets Take Manhattan" at 7:30pm tonight at Lewis Park in Fayetteville.

🎸 Arkansas Music Week — This Fayetteville festival featuring live music and artist showcases kicks off Sunday and runs through Aug. 30. See full schedule.

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Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.

🥪 Alex has already been back to Songbirds Sandwiches.

📚 Worth is finally back to reading "Original Sin" about the cover-up of former President Biden's decline.