Tess Vrbin

U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said she didn't care if she medaled. She won gold Liu is the first American woman to win an individual figure skating gold medal since Sarah Hughes in 2002.

Liu is the first American woman to win an individual figure skating gold medal since Sarah Hughes in 2002. n.pr/3OhUjzv

Arkansas public libraries' state aid delayed after board questions rules for audits, use of funds | Arkansas Advocate The board’s lack of action stems from two counties' decision to withdraw from the White River Regional Library system, which hasn't been audited in years.

Members of the previous State Library Board tried to withhold library funding because of "sexually explicit" content. It didn't work.

The new board delayed library funding today, saying the rules about libraries' annual audits and uses of funds are unclear. arkansasadvocate.com/2026/02/13/a...

photo of Pam Bondi testifying in the foreground as a group of 7 women and 1 men raise their hands

Likely-historic photo by NBC News of all the Epstein victims asked to raise their hands if they've not yet been asked to meet with the DOJ as Bondi testifies in foreground

Arkansas public television viewers, parents disillusioned with network's plan to cut ties with PBS | Arkansas Advocate Some viewers are threatening to not just tune out, but no longer give money to the network, according to emails obtained via a records request.

Arkansas TV, formerly Arkansas PBS, wants to "march boldly forward with a business model that can work for the long term," CEO Carlton Wing said.

In the short term, viewers all over the state are cancelling their donations and PBS Passport subscriptions.
arkansasadvocate.com/2026/01/26/a...

Another person in Minneapolis shot and killed by feds • Minnesota Reformer Over 10 shots can be heard in the video, but it’s unclear if more than one agent fired a weapon.

Another person in Minneapolis shot and killed by feds minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/24/a...

Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026

Thread on the incredible work being done, under extremely trying circumstances, by our colleagues at the @minnesotareformer.com.

Some folks worry that ICE’s use of Medicaid data will cause widespread fear among immigrant families, keeping them from seeking the health care that states have said they’re eligible to receive. My latest:

I spoke with the lead counsel on the brief Emily Suski signed that was submitted to SCOTUS, who told me that penalizing legal scholars for providing legal expertise to courts would be a loss for the justice system and society. Read more here:

#arpx

Election 2026 Archives | Arkansas Advocate Voting is the way we as citizens of the United States and its component states, counties and cities express our opinions and preferences. We are periodically asked to mark our ballots for candidates…

Polls have closed in the HD70 and SD26 special primary elections in Arkansas. The Arkansas Advocate team will be watching for the results and posting updates on the races as votes finish tallying on our website. #arpx #arleg

Two answers: The Good Place for comedy, The Americans for drama

New and returning candidate square off in special Democratic primary for Arkansas House seat | Arkansas Advocate A health care administrator who narrowly lost a bid for the Arkansas House last year is running once again, this time against an Air Force veteran in Tuesday’s special election.

From @tessmvrbin.bsky.social: New and returning candidate square off in special Democratic primary for Arkansas House seat #arleg #arpx

arkansasadvocate.com/2026/01/05/n...

Arkansas' maternity ward shortage sometimes leads to births in ambulances, paramedics say | Arkansas Advocate Long distances between hospitals that deliver babies have only been getting longer in recent years due to closures, putting an extra strain on ambulance services that transport these patients.

Great read from @tessmvrbin.bsky.social:

Arkansas’ maternity ward shortage sometimes leads to births in ambulances, paramedics say arkansasadvocate.com/2025/12/29/a...

Touchdown

HOWEVA

Transparency requires more eyes keeping watch. That's why the Arkansas Advocate is here. | Arkansas Advocate Arkansas is a great state for politics, and benefits from readers who want to know how their tax dollars are being spent.

My first column with the @arkansasadvocate.com!

Transparency requires more eyes keeping watch. That’s why the Arkansas Advocate is here. arkansasadvocate.com/2025/12/21/t...

Part 3 in our Overcrowded series! I spoke to a former state parole officer who said caseloads are too heavy for parole and probation officers to get a feel for what each formerly incarcerated individual needs to keep them from reoffending.

Overcrowded: Tighter parole, probation rules set stage for Arkansas prison population increases | Arkansas Advocate Housing convicted offenders is an active source of consternation for legislators, counties and state corrections officials as Arkansas continues to grapple with a growing prison population, fueled by…

Arkansas incarcerates more of its population than any other democratic country in the world, research shows. And that was before a new law made it harder for people to get parole and probation.

@ainsleyplatt.bsky.social tells the story in a new series from @arkansasadvocate.com

If we’ve succeeded in keeping you informed throughout the year on new state policies, please consider donating to our nonprofit this #GivingTuesday. Your gift will be doubled, up to $1,000, thanks to a matching grant from Skip Rutherford.

Thank you for your continued support!

buff.ly/9hC4cIe

Obama tells Arkansas audience young people give him hope for US democracy | Arkansas Advocate Although the country is more divided and democracy is more unstable than he’s seen in his lifetime, former President Barack Obama said young people give him hope for the future.

Via @arkansasadvocate.com: Former President Barack Obama shared his thoughts Monday on democracy, civic engagement and understanding others during the inaugural conversation of Building Bridges, a new lecture series hosted by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

Library groups, publishers criticize Tennessee secretary of state’s gender identity audit • Tennessee Lookout Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is requiring libraries that receive government funds to make an “age-appropriate” review of books.

30+ national organizations have signed onto a letter expressing “profound concern” about the demand by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett that libraries receiving state grants remove remove books that "promote gender ideology"

tennesseelookout.com/2025/12/01/l... @tennesseelookout.com

I wanted that game to go to OT just for chaos reasons

Arkansas panel delays contract amendment over company's stance on transgender youth | Arkansas Advocate California-based Evident Change allegedly disagreed with Texas' classification of gender-affirming health care as child abuse.

Via @tessmvrbin.bsky.social: Arkansas lawmakers returned an amended contract between the state’s child welfare agency and a California-based company to the subcommittee that reviewed it after a state representative raised concerns about the its stance on health care for transgender youth. #arpx

Andrew DeMillo named top editor of Arkansas Advocate by States Newsroom • States Newsroom States Newsroom today announces the hiring of veteran political journalist Andrew DeMillo as editor-in-chief of the Arkansas Advocate, Arkansas’ leading state government-focused nonprofit news outlet....

The Arkansas Advocate has big news! Andrew DeMillo, a veteran reporter who has covered Arkansas politics and policy for 23 years, will take the reins from retiring founding editor Sonny Albarado next month. Read more here:

Correction: Adams is running against Justice Nicholas Bronni, also a Sanders appointee, not Justice Hiland.

(Bronni and Hiland are running for each other's seats because as appointees, they can't defend their own seats.)

Arkansas' 2026 election cycle will feature several rematches, returning candidates | Arkansas Advocate The Democratic Party of Arkansas is fielding 75 candidates in 2026. Fewer contested races were on the ballot in 2024, when the party fielded 72 candidates.

The last point in this story is worth highlighting: Supreme Court Justice Cody Hiland, a Sanders appointee, will run for election against John Adams, an attorney who represented the plaintiffs against the 2023 library "obscenity" law and got it enjoined. #arpx
arkansasadvocate.com/2025/11/13/a...

Benton public schools hide books from students after parent's complaint, citing two Arkansas laws | Arkansas Advocate The decision came around the same time North Little Rock School District administrators ordered dozens of LGBTQ+ books hidden from students.

Via @tessmvrbin.bsky.social: Elementary and middle school administrators in a Central Arkansas school district ordered faculty and staff to remove a book from library shelves in October after a parent complained it was “grooming” children by portraying LGBTQ+ characters. #arpx

2026 Elections: Candidates for Arkansas' federal and state seats begin filing to run | Arkansas Advocate Arkansas’ first candidates for next year’s elections packed the Capitol rotunda on Monday to formally declare their candidacies, kicking off the 9-day filing period and the 2026 election cycle.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Rep. French Hill and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, all Republicans, filed their paperwork with the Secretary of State to run for reelection. Democratic challengers of all three candidates also filed Monday. #arpx
✍️: @tessmvrbin.bsky.social, @ainsleyplatt.bsky.social

An Exclusive Sneak Peek: Stories From The States | News From The States

Here’s a teaser, a snippet of our pilot episode about the impact of Medicaid funding cuts.

www.newsfromthestates.com/episode/excl...

#FairFearlessFree #LocalJournalism