Week-In-Review: Medicaid, Omnibus, Ted Cruz, Huckabee & More

KUAR | By Michael Hibblen,

Michael Hibblen, Jacob Kauffman, Sarah Whites-Koditschek, Chris Hickey

Published December 19, 2015 at 5:10 PM CST

Hear KUAR's Week-In-Review podcast for Friday, Dec. 18, 2015.

Two big stories lead this week's podcast: a task force agrees with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's push for changes to the state's Medicaid expansion plan and a look at how the state's congressional delegation voted on an omnibus bill funding the federal government through next September.

We also discuss a visit to Arkansas this coming week by Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, who is building momentum in his campaign, while former Gov. Mike Huckabee loses a key staffer and seems stagnant.

A look at the future of the Pulaski County Special School District, an effort for the community Little Italy to become its own town and a grant will begin efforts to restore the state's second oldest bridge still standing.

You can listen to the podcast above or Subscribe on iTunes.

Michael Hibblen

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Michael Hibblen

As News Director, Michael Hibblen oversees daily news coverage for KUAR. He handles assignments for the news staff, helps develop story ideas and edits copy. Michael isresponsible for starting a news-sharing partnership between public radio stations in Arkansas in 2009 which laid the foundation for what became Arkansas Public Media. He is also a regular panelist and fill-in host on AETN's Arkansas Week, where journalists discuss issues in the news.

Jacob Kauffman

Jacob Kauffman is a reporter and anchor for KUAR. He primarily covers the state legislature and politics beat while juggling anchoring Morning Edition Monday through Friday.

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Sarah Whites-Koditschek

Sarah Whites-Koditschek is a Little Rock-based reporter for Arkansas Public Media covering education, healthcare, state politics, and criminal justice issues. Formerly she worked as a reporter and producer for WHYY in Philadelphia, and was an intern and editorial assistant for Morning Edition at National Public Radio in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

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Chris Hickey

Chris Hickey was born and raised in Houston, Texas, spending his teenage years in Camden, Ohio. He graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, majoring in English. He got his start in public radio working as a board operator at WMUB in Oxford, Ohio during his summer and winter breaks from school. Since graduating, he has made Little Rock home. He joined KUAR in September 2011 as a production intern and has since enjoyed producing, anchoring and reporting for the station. He is the composer of KUAR's Week-In-Review Podcast theme music and the associate producer of Arts & Letters.

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