Dining Review
Slide into Slim Chickens
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A&E Feature
Stickyz Stage moves to the east side
To-Do List
Mary Gauthier at White Water Tavern
Movie Reviews
Little Rock Film Festival's downtown debut a success
Arkansas Blog
Vote fraud: Myth-busting in Ohio
This is really important, since the Republican-majority legislature in Arkansas just joined the "vote fraud" brigade with Voter ID legislation designed to depress turnout among traditional Democratic constituencies.
At the link, Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo reports on a deep and systematic study of whether vote fraud exists in Ohio — by a Republican officeholder, the secretary of state of Ohio. The Republican directed all counties to investigate all cases of potential fraud and came up with 625 cases of irregularities in 2012 voting. Bottom line, in addition to the Republican secretary of state himself now using the word "hyperbole" about claims of fraud:
... even with an especial emphasis on finding every instance of potential fraud, they appear to have come up with 135 - and most of those were apparently caught by the simple non-voter ID methods all good canvassers use. So guilt notwithstanding, those instances had no actual effect on the race in question.As Husted put it, “Voter fraud does exist, but it is not an epidemic. To put this into context, … that’s 135 referrals out of more than 5.6 million votes cast.”
The numbers speak for themselves. If anything I would say Husted still somewhat exaggerates the scale of the problem. But the guy deserves credit for putting this all out there.
Two points I’d make.
The first is that what really turns elections is organized vote fraud and organized voting fraud almost always requires the involvement of election administrators. This is why voter ID is itself such a fraud in my mind because it provides zero protection against the kinds of fraud that are real dangers to elections.
Second, there are clearly people who will vote in two states or try to vote absentee and then vote on election day. No sane person has ever denied this. But there are very, very, very few of them. The issue with election policy is always balancing the costs with the benefits. There’s no free lunch.
It has never been about fraud. It has always been about suppression. That's why a Koch-funded outfit invented it.
Health Care
Details emerge on Arkansas "private option" for Medicaid expansion
The House and Senate Public Health committees met today to hear updates on the “private option” plan for expanding healthcare coverage. Key Republican lawmakers — particularly Rep. John Burris, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, and Sen. David Sanders — have been working closely on an informal basis with the Department of Human Services and the Insurance Department to develop the policy details since the session ended, but frequent check-ins with other lawmakers are likely in the interim between sessions. Burris said he anticipates meeting on the plan at least on a monthly basis, and said there was a need for “legislative input…to make sure it’s implemented correctly.” He noted several times that a legislative supermajority approval for the appropriation will be needed each year. Should be fun!
DHS Director John Selig, Surgeon General Joe Thompson, and Exchange Director Cynthia Crone testified. After the jump, some of the policy details and lingering questions that emerged.
Arkansas history
Must read: Roy Reed's obituary on Orval Faubus' sister
It's plugged at the top of the page, but don't fail to read Roy Reed's obituary for Orval Faubus' sister, Bonnie Lou Salcido, and the story it tells about Faubus family opposition to his stance that created the constitutional crisis in Little Rock.
Rich Arkansas history from a veteran journalist eyewitness.
Rock Candy
Music / Coming soon
ZZ Top to Fayetteville
Get out your cheap sunglasses, 'cause "that little ol' band from Texas" is headed to Fayetteville's Arkansas Music Pavilion for an Oct. 4 concert. Tickets go on sale at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 30 and they're gonna run you $37-$102. Here's where to go to get 'em. Or you could call 479-443-5600.
The 'Top recently got the Rick Rubin treatment with last year's "La Futura," a gettin'-back-to-their-roots collection with real drums and a gritty, mean guitar tone.
After the jump, one of my favorite ZZ Top tunes, from 1973's "Tres Hombres." No, not "La Grange" (though that one is totally the jam).
What's going on
Friday: American Guild of Organists benefit recital, Wes Jeans at Denton's and more
If you're looking for something not quite so Riverest-y to do Friday night, The American Guild of Organists presents a recital to benefit the Pediatric Injury Prevention Program at Arkansas Children's Hospital, Christ Episcopal Church, 8 p.m., free, donations accepted.
Texas-based blues-blaster Wes Jeans brings the 12-bar tube-amp jams to Denton's Trotline, 9 p.m., $10.
The Sideshow Tragedy and Damn Arkansan offer an evening of Americana/roots rock at Maxine's, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door.
Up in Fayetteville, A Concert for Campers has performances by John Henry & Friends, Brick Fields, Houston Hughes, Dividend and Joey Largent, with proceeds helping to send children to Camp Quest Oklahoma, Nightbird Books, 7 p.m., donations accepted.
If you want to keep the good times going after things wind down at Riverfest, check out Lawler and Ewell's 5th Annual Bday Bash with Raydar and Shaolin, Joe C, Noodles and JDawg, Revolution, 9 p.m., $5 adv., $10 day of.
The Center for Artistic Revolution's Rainbow Camp is a sure bet for LGBTQ and ally youth, Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, Friday-Monday. More info here.
What's going on / Music
Friday To-Do: Mad Nomad
MAD NOMAD
9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern.
Mad Nomad is one of the newer entries on the Little Rock musicscape, having formed in September. But they're not exactly taking the leisurely route, having already finished up their first full-length, the nine-song "Black Out," available at this album-release show.
The group plays an amped-up sort of indie rock that's informed by the classics (Replacements, Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr.) and unabashedly guitar-centric. They remind me a bit of the Springsteen-gone-punk sounds of Against Me! circa "New Wave." Most of the tunes are of the fist-pumping, triumphant sort, but they slow down the pace a bit on the Southern-rock-riffing "Me Tarzan, You Jane" and they break out the acoustic guitars on the wistful "When You Were Here."
The band includes Joe Holland, Jacob Mahan, Jesse Bell, Adam Hogg and Chris Honea. Hogg's piano playing adds some nice texture to the guitar squall. The album, good on its own merits for sure, is also a promising indicator of things to come. Good-time party-rockers Booyah! Dad and The Bootheel of Springfield, Mo., will open the show.
Event Calendar
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Re: Sister who opposed Faubus dies
I'd just like to add my kudos to the chorus of compliments for the author…
- on May 24, 2013
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Re: House begins videos of state representatives
I don't care about their families or whatever. I just care how they vote on…
- on May 24, 2013
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Re: Riverfest Eve open line: Democrats rip Tim Griffin; Arkansas Tech joins no-gun list
We keep hearing from our fearful, dramatic Repubs about "unsustainable entitlement programs" and how they…
- on May 24, 2013
Arkansas Reporter
Sister who opposed Faubus dies
Editorials
Misquoted
Slideshows
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What's there, what's coming.
Fox16 Local News and Weather
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Earthquake Reported Near Morrilton in the Overnight Hours
May 24, 201317th earthquake for the week reported in Arkansas. fox16.com /more/ -
Busy Beavers Causing Huge Headaches In Lonoke County
May 23, 2013Lonoke County formed a special committee to find out how to deal with a beaver overpopulation. fox16.com /more/
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