Bentonville's Heartland Forward launched a drive to slash U.S. maternal mortality in half within five years.

Why it matters: Maternal deaths in the U.S. have more than doubled since the 1980s, and the country now has the highest rate in the developed world. About 84% of the deaths are preventable and roughly 65% happen after childbirth.

• "This is a national emergency," authors of the group's call-to-action document write.

State of play: Heartland Forward research highlights gaps between awareness and action.

• The nonprofit says 88% of Americans recognize maternal mortality as a serious issue, but awareness is lowest in the communities most affected.
• More than two-thirds support increased federal funding, Medicaid expansion and paid family leave to help protect mothers and babies, Heartland's data shows.

What they're saying: "It was more dangerous for me when I gave birth to my kids than when my mom gave birth to me in the '80s," Olivia Walton told Axios' Mike Allen.

• "That's nuts … and it doesn't have to be that way."

What they're doing: Heartland Forward's Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America initiative lays out a road map to achieve the goal by expanding prenatal and postpartum care, and making maternal health good business.

• The plan relies on reforms at the state level and a phased approach focused on access, delivery of health care and outcome-based accountability.

Stunning stat: Arkansas' maternal mortality rate was the fourth-highest in the U.S. during 2018–2022, and its infant mortality rate was the second-highest in 2023, according to the CDC.

Zoom in: Public health leaders have struggled to reverse this trend for years. In 2024, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders created the Arkansas Strategic Committee for Maternal Health, and last year introduced the Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Act that will invest $45 million a year in maternal health, according to her office.

• Still, Arkansas is the only state that has not extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a year.
• Women can receive Medicaid coverage beyond 60 days if they qualify in one of Arkansas' Medicaid expansion programs, ARHOME or through an employer.

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Your city councils are back from spring break and plan to meet tonight.

Bentonville will vote on:

💵 Supporting a federal grant application through the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission for about $9.3 million for construction work on Greenhouse Road. The grant requires a 20% local match that Bentonville and Centerton would split with Bentonville covering 55%, or about $1.28 million.

💰 Supporting a similar grant application for construction related to intersection improvements at Highways 12 and 279 and Vaughn Road. The grant is for about $4.4 million, and the city would match an additional $1.1 million.

Springdale will vote on:

🚧 Four resolutions all expressing the willingness of the city to use federal aid for projects and authorizing the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission to initiate action to implement them. The projects include construction at:

• Watkins Trail from 48th to Cambridge streets.
• Watkins Trail – Maple Drive to Highway 412.
• East Emma streetscape.
• Gene George Boulevard.

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💰 The Arkansas State Police requested about $12.5 million from the Department of Homeland Security through a partnership established last year, but the state agency has yet to receive any payments. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

• The money is to be used to enforce immigration law and is intended for equipment purchases and information technology work.

🚨 The Arkansas State University campus in Doha, Qatar, transitioned to remote learning yesterday due to safety concerns related to the ongoing war in the region, according to a university spokesperson. (40/29)

🏏 Former Walmart chair Rob Walton and U.S. entrepreneur Kal Somani recently agreed to purchase the Rajasthan Royals, an Indian Premier League cricket team, for an estimated $1.63 billion. (Arkansas Business)

Business professionals and educators are most likely to own homes nationwide and in Arkansas, according to a new analysis shared exclusively with Axios.

The big picture: The occupations with the highest homeownership rates haven't changed much in the past decade. But higher-earning STEM workers are losing ground as service and sales workers tick up, per the National Association of Realtors analysis of census data.

By the numbers: Management and business professionals continue to lead, with roughly 72% owning homes in 2024, flat from 2014.

• Education and social services workers remain near the top, at 67%, though their homeownership rate edged down over the decade.
• In Arkansas, 76% of management and business professionals own homes, followed by 71% of education and social service professionals.
• The U.S. overall homeownership rate is around 65%.

Meanwhile, STEM and technical workers have seen a slight dip — falling to 67% in 2024 from 69% in 2014 — likely because they're clustered in expensive housing markets, per NAR.

• Service workers still have the lowest homeownership rate but saw the highest jump since 2014, rising to 46% from 43%.
• Sales and real estate pros also gained, climbing to 63% from 61%.

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