Little Rock Public Radio

Daily Newscast for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Wednesday, May 27, 2026. - A lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse at a northeast Arkansas church is expanding - The head of the Arkansas State Police has stepped up in defense of a state trooper who ran over a gosling on the interstate - A legal challenge to Arkansas’ near-total ban on abortion has been revived after overcoming a procedural hurdle - Early voting is underway for a special election to fill a vacant seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved post-disaster funding for Public Assistance projects in Arkansas - The Environmental Protection Agency is giving more than 27 million dollars in funding for Arkansas to help reduce exposure to lead in drinking water - As we move into the summer months in the Natural State, wildlife officials are urging Arkansans to be cautious of potentially aggressive bears - Arkansas’ first school of veterinary medicine is gearing up to welcome its inaugural class - Agricultural manufacturer Gowan Milling is growing its presence in Northeast Arkansas Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Daily Newscast for Tuesday, May 26, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Tuesday, May 26, 2026. - Arkansas’ official Memorial Day ceremony took place Monday at the state Veterans Cemetery in North Little Rock - A central Arkansas police officer has been arrested on rape charges shortly after resigning from the force. - Police say a west Arkansas officer who was shot earlier this month is making 'encouraging progress.' - Arkansas’ top education official says it’s unclear exactly how many students will be held back under a new literacy requirement - A new initiative to integrate birth doulas into maternal healthcare is set to launch in Northwest Arkansas Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

Afternoon Newscast for Friday, May 22, 2026

Hear LRPR's Afternoon Newscast for Friday, May 22, 2026.

Daily Newscast for Friday, May 22, 2026

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ec71a3e/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1485x1485+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F20%2F58%2F541e6e6741a9bf41936eb513de74%2Fnewscast-square.png] Here's the latest local and regional news from the Little Rock Public Radio Newsroom for Friday, May 22, 2026. - The State of Arkansas has settled a multi-year lawsuit over rats in a dollar store distribution facility - Healthcare providers in one west Arkansas city are looking at ways to serve residents in the wake of several clinic closures - Officials with the University of Arkansas have upheld the termination of a former Middle East studies professor - The Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered a judge to consider a joint motion lifting an injunction suspending two laws giving the state’s governor control over the Department of Corrections - More than $3 million dollars is coming to some Arkansas communities to update their water infrastructure - Kids in Central Arkansas can grab a free lunch this summer, courtesy of the North Little Rock Public Library System Listen to live newscasts from Little Rock Public Radio each weekday during NPR's Morning Edition from 6 to 9 a.m., during All Things Considered from 4 to 6 p.m., and online at littlerockpublicradio.org.

LRPR newsroom welcomes two new reporters

[https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03e3a63/2147483647/strip/false/crop/2856x2142+0+0/resize/704x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F38%2Fe0%2Faf292623417eacf584426b1a8810%2Fimg-1419.jpeg] Little Rock Public Radio is pleased to welcome two new additions to the news team – Amir Mahmoud has been named LRPR’s Rural Issues Reporter, and Paige Murphy will serve as a part-time reporter. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b055b05/2147483647/strip/false/crop/3067x3077+0+0/resize/526x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F75%2F7b%2F8d16ec834cc781d3525a92212f30%2F0l1a6874-1.JPG] Both Little Rock natives, Mahmoud and Murphy join LRPR as it continues to strengthen its statewide reach, bolstering partnerships with other public radio and nonprofit news outlets across Arkansas. Mahmoud joins the news team following a stint at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; he started working at the newspaper in 2022 as a copy editor and designer, later serving as a transportation and general assignment reporter. Mahmoud got his start in journalism as a student at the University of Miami, writing for the school’s newspaper, The Miami Hurricane. Paige Murphy [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1c36a50/2147483647/strip/false/crop/2048x2048+0+0/resize/528x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2F8d%2Fe103832a49c69b0482f145e58d1b%2Fheadshot-2.jpg] Paige Murphy(Courtesy photo ) Murphy comes to LRPR following years in film and television production. She holds a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Arkansas and a B.A. in Filmmaking from the University of Central Arkansas. She’s currently studying for her J.D. at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, and plans to work in entertainment law after graduating. Hear Mahmoud and Murphy in conversation with LRPR News Director Daniel Breen in the audio above. LRPR’s Rural Issues Reporter position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.