Arkansas' six-month Medicaid "unwinding" period after the COVID-19 pandemic is complete and nearly half a million people have lost their health insurance.

Driving the news: Since April, the state reports it has removed 427,459 people from the Medicaid rolls and renewed coverage for 298,257.

What happened: Medicaid eligibility rules were relaxed during the pandemic, and recipients had their coverage automatically extended during the public health emergency. Normal rules resumed April 1.

• The federal government gave states one year to complete the renewal process, but Arkansas set a six-month deadline.

The intrigue: About 65% of the closures were because of paperwork problems like recipients not returning renewal forms or other requested information, according to data from the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

• The remaining closures are because recipients were no longer eligible for Medicaid, requested to end their benefits or couldn't be found.

What they're saying: Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families said in a statement that "thousands of children in Arkansas have unjustly lost access to preventative care, immunizations and important screenings at a time critical to their healthy development."

• The group says children's insurance coverage needs to be reinstated as soon as possible.

Zoom in: The unwinding continues to strongly affect the Marshallese community, who are eligible for Medicaid because of the nation's compact of free association with the Marshall Islands, Michelle Pedro, policy director and spokesperson for Springdale-based Arkansas Coalition of the Marshallese, told Axios.

• Language barriers between the community and DHS staff can complicate the process, as well as a lack of knowledge among staff of Marshallese people's status, Pedro said.

What's next: Beneficiaries who were disenrolled because they didn't turn in necessary information have either 30 or 90 days from the date of closure, depending on their coverage, to provide information and potentially be reinstated, Gavin Lesnick, spokesperson at DHS, told Axios.

• Those who miss the deadline must reapply.

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Attorney General Tim Griffin on Tuesday said he will require Northrup King Seed Co., a Chinese state-owned company, to sell 160 acres of land in northeast Arkansas.

Why it matters: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it's the first known instance of a state enforcing a law targeting land ownership by foreign countries the U.S. considers adversaries.

Catch up fast: Arkansas' new law bans a "prohibited foreign party-controlled" business from owning land in the state.

• Griffin's office says that includes individuals or entities with "a connection to a country subject to the federal International Traffic in Arms Regulations," which includes China.

The big picture: State lawmakers across the U.S. have recently taken stances against land ownership by foreign countries, largely targeting China.

• For example, a new Florida law bars most Chinese people who aren't U.S. citizens or permanent residents from owning property, Axios' Han Chen writes.

Details: Griffin said the company — a subsidiary of Syngenta Group, which is owned by state-controlled China National Chemical Co. — will have two years to divest of the land in Craighead County.

• He also imposed a civil penalty of $280,000.

What they're saying: In an emailed statement, Syngenta told Axios the "shortsighted" order "fails to account for the effects of such an action, intended or not, on the U.S. agricultural market."

• "No one from China has ever directed any Syngenta executive to buy, lease, or otherwise engage in land acquisition in the United States."

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Ryan Sheedy, the parent of a child with a rare genetic mutation, became fed up and fatigued by filling out repetitive forms for each new specialist's office.

• So, he built an app.

Why it matters: Bentonville-based Mejo combines important medical data like medications, treatments and diagnoses into a single database.

• This paints a fuller picture and makes it easier for parents to share consistent and concise histories with a succession of healthcare providers, Sheedy told Axios.

What he's saying: "My son has Costello syndrome, but he's also a twin … he loves the color purple. He does equestrian therapy. He uses sign language and an AAC device to communicate. That type of information is not in his medical chart," Sheedy said.

• "But it's still crucial for those that are caring for him to understand and know about."

The big picture: About 30 million people in the U.S. have a rare disease, of which about half are children, Sheedy said.

How it works: Functioning like a medical journal, a parent opens a secure, user-friendly account and records information about their child's condition and history.

Details: Sheedy and co-founder Bret Koncak are targeting the pediatric and rare-disease space with the app, but they think it could easily scale for more routine use.

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💊 The Shift is a regular feature to catch up quick on what's happening in Arkansas' economy and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

💸 Former Attorney General Leslie Rutledge paid 26 employees more than $69,000 above their salary appropriation in fiscal 2022, a state legislative audit found. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🐛 Tyson Foods, Inc. says it has made an equity investment in the Dutch company Protix, which makes food ingredients from insects. (Tyson Foods)​​

• The two companies are entering a joint venture to build an insect ingredient-production facility in the U.S.

🗳️ Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson raised about $640,000 during the third quarter and has about $325,000 in cash on hand, far behind other GOP presidential candidates. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

👋 Alex here. If you're looking for a sweet treat to start your next brunch, consider this cinnamon roll at Yeyo's at 8th Street Market in Bentonville.

• The brioche roll smothered in cream cheese frosting and drizzled with honey means you'll leave absolutely no bites left.

Brunch is served 11am-3pm Saturday and 10am-3pm Sunday.