The week's done. You're up. Final words:
* TWO ARRESTED IN CONVENIENCE STORE SLAYING: Fox 16 has the news on the arrest of two men and a warrant for the arrest of another, all on capital murder charges, in the Saturday night slaying of Akiya Egeston, 29, a clerk at a North Little Rock EZ Mart. One of those arrested, Davion Howard, 19, is also identified as a suspect in a convenience store robbery Sunday in Jacksonville.
* PARTISAN POSTURING: Legislative rules became a partisan battle at the Legislative Council this morning. Republicans turned back a proposal — needing two-thirds approval — to allow council approval of matters by a majority of those present, not a majority of the committee. Democrats admittedly are hoping to speed some rules the council can approve in the interim between sessions related to implementation of the federal health care law. Republicans are mounting massive resistance to implementation of the federal law, a la George Wallace. Republicans want rule changes to be considered in January, when they hope to have a legislative majority. THEN, I'll bet, they'll have a kinder view on getting things down without pure majority approval. Report here. Republicans would turn down the $18 million approved for Arkansas and the tens of millions that could come to insure the uninsured in the name of opposing anything associated with the black man in the White House. Rep. Terry Rice, who'll be House speaker if Republicans take over, painted this as a move for the people. Hogwash. It's a move to let a minority continue to block progress, no more or less. If he had vowed to retain the existing rules if HE is in charge, I might view it differently.
* FORDYCE BATHHOUSE CLOSING: The Fordyce Bathhouse in Hot Springs will be closing temporarily for heat/AC work on Oct. 1. The national park visitors center will be located during the interim in the Lamar Bathhouse, which will have some new displays of items from the park's collection.
* EQUAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE: What do you think the chances of this bill passing in a GOP-majority Arkansas Legislature?
Today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill to ensure that women in same-sex relationships and single women can access fertility services on the same terms as women in different-sex relationships. Assembly Bill 2356, authored by Assemblymember Nancy Skinner and co-sponsored by Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, allows women using known donors to access certain fertility procedures that are less expensive and more effective.
* TELLING IT LIKE IT IS: Interesting interview with Gawker's Hamilton Nolan.
“The thing I like most about Gawker is that we are able to dispense with all of the politesse bullshit that surrounds so much establishment journalism and just speak the truth (as we see it, at least). We’re not required to hem and haw and couch what we want to say in euphemisms. If something is bullshit, we can say “this is bullshit."
Ditto.