Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Snowfall keeps residents at home
Most people stayed close to home Saturday after the first round of a winter storm left between 3 and 6 inches of snow in Northwest Arkansas and a second round was poised to dump another 6-8 inches by the time it wrapped up Sunday. First responders and...
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Winter storm moves into area
A severe winter storm began moving into Northwest Arkansas late Friday, bringing with it snow and frigid temperatures. Northwest Arkansas could get as much as 15 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said in its Friday afternoon briefing....
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Region’s shelters on alert as severe cold moves in
The lengthy period of cold expected to begin Friday coupled with a significant snow forecast has Northwest Arkansas shelters on high alert. “We’ve had those small stints, but this is something that there’s not going to be a break, that’s the thing...
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Trump outlines his plan for more homeownership
President Donald Trump’s plans for bringing homeownership within reach of more Americans involve pushing for lower interest rates on home loans and credit cards, and banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. In his address...
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UA law school students protest
FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, law school students protested Tuesday what they contend is the university’s apparent capitulation to political pressure in rescinding an offer for Emily Suski to become dean of the law school. Suski...
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Visitors pose
for a selfie at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington on Monday.
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European nations condemn tariff threat over Greenland
BERLIN — The eight European countries targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump for a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland blasted the move Sunday, warning that his threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward...
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Panel OKs voucher funds addition
State lawmakers approved $32 million in additional funding for Arkansas’ Educational Freedom Account program Friday, bringing the total funding for the program to roughly $309.4 million. A divided Arkansas Legislative Council authorized the request by...
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Oklahoma, George’s Inc. come to deal
TULSA, Okla. — The first settlement was reached Wednesday in Oklahoma’s lawsuit with Northwest Arkansas poultry companies over pollution of the Illinois River. The related companies of George’s Inc. and George’s Farms Inc. of Springdale agreed to pay...
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Minnesota, Twin Cities sue to stop ICE actions
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota and its two largest cities sued the Trump administration Monday to try to stop an immigration enforcement surge that led to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal officer and evoked outrage and protests across...
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Federal agents in Minneapolis ram door of home, arrest man
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal agents carrying out immigration arrests in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region already shaken by the fatal shooting of a woman rammed the door of one home Sunday and pushed their way inside, part of what the Department of Homeland...
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Minnesota governor insists on state’s role in probe
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota must play a role in investigating the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Gov. Tim Walz insisted Thursday, pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to keep the...
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24 Venezuelans said killed in US operation
CARACAS, Venezuela — At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the deadof-night U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face drug charges, officials said Tuesday. Also Tuesday, in a late...
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Maduro enters innocent plea
NEW YORK — A defiant Nicolás Maduro declared himself “the president of my country” as he protested his capture and pleaded innocent Monday to federal drug trafficking charges the Trump administration used to justify re- moving him from power in Venezu-...
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Rubio restates Venezuela role
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday that the United States would not govern Venezuela day to day other than by enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after President Donald Trump announced a day...
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US troops capture Maduro
CARACAS, Venezuela — Hours after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and...
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Swiss bar fire leaves 40 dead
People gather around a memorial of candles and flowers near the Le Constellation bar, where a devastating fire during New Year’s celebrations killed about 40 people and left 115 others injured, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Thursday.
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XNA breaks enplanement record again
HIGHFILL — Northwest Arkansas National Airport has experienced several years of record, double-digit growth in passenger enplanements following the covid pandemic, including surpassing 1 million enplanements for each of the last two years. However,...
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Israel bars over 30 aid groups from operating in Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules. Israel says the rules...
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Arkansas Children’s given $50M donation
Arkansas Children’s Hospital has received a $50 million gift from philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano, the largest philanthropic donation in the hospital’s history. Along with the donation, the hospital’s Little Rock campus will be renamed the Arkansas...
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Trump hosts meeting with Ukrainian leader
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump on Sunday insisted Ukraine and Russia are “closer than ever before” to a peace deal as he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort, but he acknowledged the negotiations are complex...
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Russian bombardment puts wrench in US talks
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles and drones Saturday, killing at least one person and wounding 27, a day before talks between the leaders of Ukraine and the United States, authorities said. Explosions boomed...
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Leaders give Christmas speeches
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV gave his first Christmas Day message on Thursday, urging the faithful to shed indifference to those who have lost everything, such as in Gaza; those who are impoverished, such as in Yemen; and the many migrants who cross the...
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Ukraine floats withdrawing eastern troops
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would be willing to withdraw troops from the country’s eastern industrial heartland as part of a plan to end Russia’s war, if Moscow also pulls back and the area becomes a demilitarized...
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Justices block use of Guard in Chicago
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown. The justices declined the Republican administration’s emergency request to...
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Car bomb in Moscow kills Russian general
TBILISI, Georgia — A senior Russian general was killed Monday in Moscow after a bomb placed under his car exploded, the country’s investigative committee said in a statement, in what appeared to be the latest high-profile assassination of Ukraine’s...
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US pursues oil tanker fleeing Caribbean Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard tried Saturday to intercept an oil tanker linked to Venezuela that is now fleeing away from the Caribbean Sea, according to three U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation, days after...
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Holiday plunge
Participants jump into Lake Geneva to take part in the 87th edition of the annual Christmas Cup swimming competition, together with more than 4,200 others, in Geneva on Saturday.
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Trump orders change for pot
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that brings the U.S. closer to reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug and opening new avenues for medical research, a major shift in federal drug policy that inches closer...
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Police: Beallis said to admit killing woman
FORT SMITH — Years before deputies found Charity Beallis and her 6-year-old twin children dead in their Bonanza home, her father told police she admitted firing the shot that killed her husband’s previous wife. Shawna Beallis, 34, died in early 2012...
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Hegseth keeps lid on strike video
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the Pentagon will not publicly release unedited video of a U.S. military strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat reportedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean, as questions...
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Legislators updated on funds for families in need
The state likely will give nonprofits that help provide assistance to needy families until June to spend the remaining funds they have in their grants, Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Janet Mann said Monday. After that, those same...
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Father, son gunmen kill 15 in attack on Hanukkah event
SYDNEY — Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, killing 15 people, including a child, officials said Monday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart...
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Duplicate school enrollments seen
Duplicate enrollments in Arkansas’ Educational Freedom Account program and in public schools involved students who were enrolled merely part time at the school or received special education services there, officials told lawmakers on Friday. Darrell...
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Voter-backed amendments open for edits
The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled the Arkansas Legislature — with a twothirds vote — can amend or repeal voter-proposed constitutional amendments, overturning a 74-year precedent. The landmark decision means the state Legislature now has the authority...
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Fed cuts interest rate ¼ point for 3rd time
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate by a quarter-point for the third time in a row with a 9-3 vote Wednesday but signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months. Chair Jerome Powell signaled at a news...
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NWA poultry industry faces lawsuit fallout
Northwest Arkansas poultry growers say Tyson Foods’ recent decision to not renew contracts for farms in the Illinois River watershed will ripple through the center of the state’s most productive region. Cody Hays, a grower in Gentry, said he has less...
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Cavern complex eyed as state park Blanchard Springs set to be 53rd
Arkansas has formally started the process of making the Blanchard Springs Caverns Complex into the Natural State’s 53rd state park, state officials announced Monday. Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders at a news conference signed a memorandum of...
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Netanyahu claims 2nd phase expected shortly
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel and Hamas are “very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the ceasefire,” after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Netanyahu...
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Ukraine struck with Russian missiles, drones
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “substantive phone call” with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian...
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Vaccine panel ceases hepatitis shot counsel
NEW YORK — A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born. A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of...
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FBI arrest suspect in ’21 D.C. pipe bomb attempts
WASHINGTON — The FBI on Thursday arrested a man accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national parties in Washington on the eve of the U.S. Capitol riot, an abrupt breakthrough in an investigation...
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Searching for the dead
Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants search for the remains of hostages in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.
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Weekend sees grand turnout for shopping
A record number of shoppers turned out seeking bargains over the five-day weekend from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, a retail industry group said Tuesday. Most of those 203 million consumers spent an average of $338 per person on Christmas gifts...
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Obama confides hope for US’ youth during Bentonville talk
BENTONVILLE — Youth is the hope for an eroding political system, former President Barack Obama said Monday. About 700 people gathered at the Heartland Whole Health Institute on Monday to hear a conversation between the 44th U.S. president and Olivia...
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UA names Silverfield head coach
FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas announced early Sunday afternoon the hiring of Memphis Coach Ryan Silverfield to fill the Razorbacks’ head football coaching vacancy. Silverfield, a 45-year-old native of Jacksonville, Fla., is set to be...
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Planned Gaza force yet to see troops, resources
The proposed deployment of an international force in Gaza, seen as a crucial feature of President Donald Trump’s plan to bring peace to the enclave, is struggling to get off the ground as countries considered likely to contribute soldiers have grown...
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Guard member dies day after D.C. attack
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage...
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Two Guard members shot near White House
WASHINGTON — Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation’s capital were shot Wednesday just blocks from the White House. FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized and in...
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State officers given abilities of ICE agents
Selected Arkansas corrections officers will be permitted to question immigrant detainees, carry out warrants and issue immigrant detainers under an agreement with federal authorities to collaborate on immigration enforcement. The added authority is...
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Heading to the gate
The turbulence caused by the longest U.S. government shutdown may still be fresh on the minds of travelers this Thanksgiving, but experts say preparing for the usual holiday crush of winter weather, heavy traffic and crowded airports can help ease the...
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Ukraine, US said to see talks on peace plan make progress
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian and U.S. officials said they had made good progress Sunday in talks about a contentious U.S. plan to end the war with Russia, even as President Donald Trump lashed out at Ukraine, accusing its leaders of ingratitude. Trump...
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Court extends order blocking SNAP funds
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order blocking full SNAP payments amid signals that the government shutdown is nearer to an end and food aid payments more likely to resume. The order keeps in place at least for a few more days a chaotic...
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Cotton, Boozman back plan to end shutdown
WASHINGTON — Nearly six weeks after the federal government shutdown began, Arkansas’ U.S. senators joined fellow Republicans and a group of Senate Democrats to pass legislation to end the funding lapse. Sens. John Boozman, of Rogers, and Tom Cotton,...
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States pushing to clear schools of antisemitism
Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have spilled into schools around the U.S., with advocates reporting a rise in antisemitic harassment since the 2023 surprise attack on Israel. While some argue that school leaders have failed to take the threat...
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UAMS expert offers tips on meals for SNAP limits
Across Arkansas and America, people at the bottom of the pay scale are straining thin budgets and confronting bare cupboards. Some 240,000 Arkansans — most of them children — are awaiting the release of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...
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Airlines cancel 1,000 flights while complying with order
Anxious travelers across the U.S. felt a bit of relief Friday as airlines mostly stayed on schedule while still cutting more than 1,000 flights largely because of the government shutdown. Plenty of nervousness remained, though, as more canceled...
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Official hopeful food aid distributed by next week
Though the amount Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients could be receiving for November is still up in the air, their wait for the money might be nearing an end. Arkansans who rely on federal food assistance could see their benefits...
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FAA set to reduce air traffic
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning early Friday to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown. The reduction stands to affect...
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Kalmaegi’s aftermath
Vehicles are piled up after flooding caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi in Cebu, Philippines, on Tuesday.
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Two Democratic challengers, Sanders file for governor race
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders became the first candidate for state or federal office in Arkansas to file Monday at the state Capitol to run in the 2026 elections, and two Democratic gubernatorial candidates filed shortly afterward. The...
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Palestinians discussing future of postwar Gaza
Palestinian political factions are holding discussions that could see Hamas play a role in shaping a postwar administration in Gaza, despite Israel’s vow to eliminate the militant group’s political influence in the enclave and a decades-old feud...
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State lawmakers talk shutdown
WASHINGTON — The two wings of the U.S. Capitol have presented contrasting images of the nation’s legislative branch amid the federal government shutdown. Senators have voted 13 times on the House of Representatives’ continuing resolution to fund the...
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Judges: US must fund SNAP
BOSTON — Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. The...
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State braces for SNAP closure
In recent days, Margaret Douglas, director at Helping Hand of Greater Little Rock, has been experiencing a sense of déjà vu. It’s October 2025, but in the food pantry — located at 1601 Marshall St. — it might as well be the spring of 2020. Or worse....
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Melissa hits Cuba
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba — Hurricane Melissa left dozens dead and widespread destruction across Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica, where roofless homes, toppled utility poles and water-logged furniture dominated the landscape Wednesday. A landslide blocked the...
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Israeli barrage kills 7, testing Gaza ceasefire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli army launched a barrage of attacks in Gaza on Tuesday as tensions with Hamas grew two weeks into a fragile ceasefire, and the militant group responded by saying it would delay handing over the body of a hostage....
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Trump, new Japanese leader to talk on trade
TOKYO — President Donald Trump opened his visit to Japan on Monday with greetings from the emperor a day before he meets new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is banking on building a friendly personal relationship with the U.S. leader to ease trade...
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Trump, Xi set to strike deal in tariff battle
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A trade deal between the United States and China is drawing closer, officials from the world’s two largest economies said Sunday as they reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to...
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US drones keep watch over ceasefire in Gaza
JERUSALEM — The U.S. military has begun operating surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip in recent days as part of a broader effort to ensure that both Israel and Hamas adhere to a fragile ceasefire agreement, Israeli and American military officials...
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Social Security to raise annual benefits by 2.8%
WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration’s annual cost-of-living adjustment will go up by 2.8% in 2026, translating to an average increase of more than $56 for retirees every month, agency officials said Friday. The benefits increase for nearly...
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Senate stalls on efforts to pay federal workers
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked legislation to pay federal employees who have been working without compensation during the government shutdown, thwarting Republicans’ latest effort to weaken their hand in the federal spending...
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Vance assuages Israel: US not dictating truce
TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Vice President JD Vance sought Wednesday to ease concerns in Israel that the Trump administration was dictating terms to its closest ally in the Middle East, as he and other top U.S. envoys visit Israel this week to support the...
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Discuss health care after shutdown, Trump says
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signaled no compromise with Democrats on the federal shutdown as he welcomed Republican senators for lunch Tuesday. “We have the hottest country anywhere in the world, which tells you about leadership,” Trump said...
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UA won’t host A-State for ’26 football season
The University of Arkansas Razorbacks will not be playing the Arkansas State University Red Wolves in football in 2026 despite a request from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to make the matchup — which occurred for the first time this fall — an annual...
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