Boozman Opening Statement at Hearing of Oversight of Digital Commodities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the hearing to conduct oversight of digital commodities.

Thank you, Madame Chair. Welcome to my colleagues and, again, thank you for calling today’s hearing on the current state of digital commodities. I would also like to welcome Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman [Rostin] Behnam. We appreciate your hard work and as the Chair said, you certainly are not a stranger to this committee. We appreciate your willingness to come over and visit us as we request.

As the Ranking Member of this committee, I have consistently said in the past that I believe the CFTC is the right agency to regulate spot digital commodities. I still believe that to be true. The CFTC’ s principle-based approach has proven to effectively protect consumers in the derivatives market, and I believe with the appropriate authorities this same approach will protect consumers in the digital commodities space. At the same time, as policymakers we must also protect innovation and provide the regulatory certainty businesses need to maintain their operations in the United States. 

The Chair has been drafting legislation that would give the CFTC the authority to regulate spot digital commodity trading. We have had many, many conversations and my staff have been working closely with hers on her proposal for the last several weeks. I am committed to continue to work in good faith on legislation to give the CFTC the authorities it needs.

Digital commodities and the regulatory issues they raise are complex and not well understood. I believe as a committee we have a responsibility to help educate our colleagues and the public on these issues and I would like to see us do more to better understand what policies are needed and why. Hopefully today’s hearing will begin to fill that gap. 

Additionally, as we proceed as a committee, it is vital that we limit our policy proposals to the agencies that we have jurisdiction over—in this case the CFTC. We do not have authority over the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve. The oversight of those agencies is clearly outside the jurisdiction of this committee. Any legislation reported out of this committee should not direct or require anything of agencies not under our authority.

Finally, I believe that we must have broad support within the community we wish to regulate if we ultimately want to protect consumers and innovation. I and my staff have had numerous meetings with those who would be covered by the proposed legislation. The frank and honest feedback we have received from these discussions does not lead me to believe the necessary level of support for this proposal to be successful currently exists among stakeholders – and people are working very hard to try and rectify that. 

Again, I am committed to working with the Chairwoman on her proposal to regulate digital commodities. Today’s hearing is a good start. I look forward to hearing the thoughts of Chairman Behnam and the questions posed by our colleagues. 

More than 40% of U.S. households expected to shop Amazon Prime event

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Consumer spending has remained resilient despite sticky inflation, and early indications by data, tech provider Numerator predicts that more than 40% of U.S. households will shop Amazon Prime Day event set for July 16-17. That’s two out of five U.S. households.

Numerator said 75% of surveyed shoppers cited “price” as the reason for their purchase while 57% like the wide variety of items on sale and 44% want fast shipping. Numerator said based on last year’s survey, 100% said they were aware of the upcoming event. On Prime Day 2023, 54% of surveyed shoppers said they compared prices at other retailers before purchasing. However, despite price comparisons, most shoppers bought at Amazon.

A majority of 78% said they only purchased on Amazon, despite Walmart and Target’s summer sales events. Numerator said 6.7% made purchases on Amazon and Walmart.com and 5.5% made purchases on Amazon and Target.com. Just 5.7% purchased only on Walmart.com and only 3.5% purchased at Target.com.

More than 40% of U.S. households expected to shop Amazon Prime event

Sanders announces Chris Caldwell as newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner

BY agfc

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that Chris Caldwell will serve as the newest Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner. Caldwell’s seven-year term will last until 2031. He is replacing outgoing Commission Chairman Stan Jones, and John David “J.D.” Neeley will become the Commission Chairman.

“Chris is a great friend and trusted advisor. I know how much he loves Arkansas, how much he adores hunting and fishing and the Arkansas way of life, and how hard he will work every single day in this role,” Gov. Sanders said.

“Hunting and fishing have always been a big part of my life, and I’m proud to join the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and help provide the same opportunities I enjoyed to every kid and family in Arkansas,” Caldwell said. “I’m grateful that the Governor has selected me for this role and look forward to working with her and every Commissioner to help make Arkansas the best state in the nation to hunt, fish, live and raise a family.”

Caldwell is a Saline County native who lives in Little Rock and leads Caldwell Consulting, a full-service lobbying, government relations and political consulting firm. He previously managed the Sarah for Governor campaign and served as a special advisor to the Governor-elect’s transition team. During the Trump administration, Caldwell was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. He also served on Senator John Boozman’s official staff and held senior leadership roles on several campaigns in Arkansas and around the country.

Caldwell is a University of Arkansas graduate. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children, Harley and Amelia.

Live cattle prices at an all-time high

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

High live cattle prices are pushing beef production down and pushing retail beef prices higher during the summer grilling season. Cattle prices were at an all-time high at mid-year, according to Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist with Oklahoma State University Extension.

Peel reports fed steers averaged $195.81 per hundredweight, with large steers priced at $255.41 per hundredweight at auctions before July 4. He said high live weight prices have pushed beef production down 1.6% from the same six-month period a year ago. Steer slaughter is down 1.7% and heifer slaughter is down 1.5% from a year ago. Peel said higher steer and heifer carcass weights are more than offsetting the modest decreases in slaughter.

Wholesale choice boxed beef prices are equal to one year ago at $328.96 in early July. Peel said wholesale prices for popular grilling steaks are strong at midyear increasing the demand for ground beef and pushing those prices to record levels. Peel said the 83.3% lean ground beef hit a wholesale record price of $3.26 per pound in early July.

Live cattle prices at an all-time high

Arkansas 4-H members put chops to the test at state barbecue contest

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

ROGERS, Ark. — Fifteen Arkansas 4-H members from 13 counties brought the heat at the 4-H State Barbecue Cook-Off, with first-place winners in chicken and turkey barbecue advancing to the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky, this fall.

BRING THE HEAT — Arkansas 4-H members tested their grilling skills at the Arkansas 4-H State Barbecue Cook-Off, held June 21-22 in Rogers at the 64th Annual Poultry Festival. Sarah Lamb, 18, was the first-place chicken barbecue winner, and Laney Slate, 18, was the first-place turkey barbecue winner. (Lamb pictured front row, right middle; Slate pictured front row, left middle. Division of Agriculture photo.) 

The contest was held June 21-22 in Rogers at the 64th Annual Poultry Festival, hosted by The Poultry Federation. Sarah Lamb, 18, was the first-place chicken barbecue winner, and Laney Slate, 18, was the first-place turkey barbecue winner. Lamb and Slate will advance to compete at the national contest, which will be held at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from Nov. 20-21.

Andrew Bolton, extension instructor of poultry science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the contest teaches participants important life skills.

“Food prep and food safety being first and foremost, from good sanitation practices to being conscious of the correct temperature that different meats need to reach to be safely cooked,” Bolton said. “This contest also pushes these youth to do research into the poultry industry, as well as some healthy living aspects as to why proteins like chicken and turkey are important.

Bolton said participants have also gained confidence in “their own abilities to get a grill lit, food prepped and then cooked all on their own.”

“They’ve learned how to be great critical thinkers in how they have developed their own sauces, marinades and rubs,” Bolton said. “I have also seen their creativity flourish when designing posters as part of their presentations on their choice of meat.”

Lamb has been a member of Arkansas 4-H in Howard County since she was five years old, competing in her county and district barbecue contests for the past four years. This year, she qualified for the state contest for the first time. Lamb attributes this success to changing up her seasoning blend, which remains a secret.

“I practice two times a month, and when I practice at home, I use a lot of different seasonings to figure out which ones I like,” Lamb said.

Slate has been a member of the Dayton 4-H Club in Sebastian County for nine years and began competing in the 4-H barbecue contest at the county level when she was nine years old. In 2021, she won first place in chicken barbecue at the state contest and advanced to the national level, where she placed fourth. Because she made it to the national competition with chicken barbecue, she wasn’t allowed to compete in the same category again, so she switched to turkey burgers for the 2024 competition.

“This year I had to practice a lot more, because the cooking process for turkey burgers versus a whole chicken is very different,” Slate said. “It’s almost two hours to cook a chicken, versus 30-45 minutes for the burgers. I had to learn that it’s okay for it to not take forever.

“With the burgers, you have to put in the ingredients to flavor it and patty it yourself, so finding the right consistency was difficult at first,” Slate said. “But once I got that down, I felt like it was fine.”

Practice and preparation

Lamb’s father taught her how to cook on a charcoal grill when she was 10 years old. When she learned the state contest would feature charcoal grills, she was relieved.

“It does take a lot of patience,” she said. “I’m the only one in my family who can do it.”

For her technique, Lamb said it’s important not to fuss over the chicken.

“I’ve learned to shut the lid and not look at my chicken for about 20 minutes, then look and see where the temperature falls,” she said. “To make it juicier, you barely touch it.”

Slate said that for her turkey burgers, breadcrumbs were key.

“You have to be careful because if you add too many, it dries them out and they fall apart when you cook them,” Slate said. “Finding the right ratio of breadcrumbs to the meat was the tricky part.”

Slate said she hopes to place within the top five at the national competition. She plans to work on her speech presentation, a significant percentage of contestants’ scores, in the meantime.

Slate said her favorite part of participating in the barbecue contest has been making new friends.

“I’ve met a lot of people who the only thing we have in common is cooking in that contest,” Slate said. “Some people I met in 2021, back at the national event, I still talk to them to this day. So, I’ve just enjoyed the friendships and people you meet along the way.”

Lamb said her 4-H record book — where 4-H members log all projects, contests, activities, events and skill development — has focused on food and nutrition, which she plans to pursue as a career.

“I’m going to culinary school a year from now because I would love to have my own bakery,” Lamb said. “It’ll be a bakery and a café, where I could serve food and sweets.”

For her fellow 4-H members interested in testing and improving their own barbecue skills, Lamb said she advises not to fear the grill.

“Don’t be intimidated by the grill, because it’s just a grill,” she said. “And if something happens, you’ll always have somebody to help you. When you get to know it, it’s more fun, because you can do anything on a grill.”

Slate said it’s also important for competitors to be able to adjust to circumstances out of their control.

“Being able to think quick on my feet has been important,” Slate said. “Since we cook outside, I’ve had to cook in the rain, the sleet and the snow. At the national level, it started sleeting and snowing on us, and then after we got done cooking, the sun came out. So, you never really know, and you just have to be prepared.”

The Arkansas 4-H youth development program is operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the Division of Agriculture. To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, visit 4h.uada.edu.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Constitutional expert said he believes recent immunity ruling by Supreme Court is too broad

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

Last week, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of former President Donald Trump in the Trump v. United States case, according to NPR News.

In the opinion, the majority wrote that any president has immunity when they are exercising their “core constitutional duties.” In an interview with KARK Channel 4’s Capitol View, John DiPippa, dean emeritus of the Bowen School of Law and a constitutional expert, said one of the issues with this ruling is it is difficult to determine whether or not a president is acting within their official capacity.

“The details make it very difficult to ever show a president’s acts are unofficial,” Dipippa said. “For example, the court said if a president talks to a cabinet official or the attorney general that’s an official act and you can’t use the conversation to prove that it was unofficial or if he was pursuing a private goal.”

Constitutional expert said he believes recent immunity ruling by Supreme Court is too broad

Olivier Douliery/AFP Via Getty Images

Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court

Pathways Academy Students Spend Week as VA Hospital Volunteers

By Chris Carmody

A weeklong volunteer project at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock gave teens from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Pathways Academy an opportunity to learn about health careers and the sacrifices that veterans have made on behalf of the nation.

Pathways Academy is an educational and community engagement program in the UAMS Division for Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships. The program prepares K-12 students for careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health sciences (STEM-H) disciplines.

Seventeen high school students from central Arkansas took part in the volunteer effort, with each of them logging nearly 40 hours of service. Katina White, education and curriculum coordinator for Pathways Academy, noted that the 2023 Arkansas LEARNS Act requires high school students to perform 75 hours of community service before they receive their diplomas.

Pathways Academy Students Spend Week as VA Hospital Volunteers

High school students from UAMS’ Pathways Academy take part in a virtual reality demonstration at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. The students spent a week as volunteers at the hospital, interacting with veterans and gaining a better understanding of how war has changed the lives of those who served.

Consumer Alert: Resources available to Arkansans affected by change healthcare cyberattack

Griffin: 'Because Change Healthcare has not yet provided notice to individuals, the safest course of action is for Arkansans to use some of the resources available such as free credit monitoring'

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement alerting Arkansans to the availability of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services after Change Healthcare’s February data breach:

“In March, I launched an investigation into the cyberattack against Change Healthcare, a unit of UnitedHealth Group, Inc., to determine whether Arkansans’ confidential medical and personal information was compromised and whether other laws were violated.

“Unfortunately, after publicly stating that the data breach could impact up to one-third of all Americans, Change Healthcare has not yet provided individual notice to consumers. The delay in notifying Arkansans affected by the breach is unacceptable, and I am issuing this alert regarding Change Healthcare’s public offer of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

"Because Change Healthcare has not yet provided notice to individuals, the safest course of action is for Arkansans to use some of the resources available such as free credit monitoring."

Change Healthcare is the nation’s biggest electronic data clearinghouse. Change Healthcare’s technological infrastructure is used by tens of thousands of providers, pharmacies, and insurers to verify insurance, confirm pre-authorization of procedures or services, exchange insurance claim data, and perform other administrative tasks essential to the delivery of health care.

Change Healthcare is offering all Arkansas residents who believe they may have been impacted free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years. The dedicated website and call center will not be able to provide details to individuals about whether their data was impacted, and Change Healthcare has not determined the actual number and identity of affected consumers. Griffin encourages Arkansans to use the following resources Change Healthcare has offered:

• For information on the breach, visit http://changecybersupport.com. 
   

• To enroll in credit monitoring, visit http://changecybersupport.com or call (888) 846-4705.
   

• For additional support from Change Healthcare, call (866) 262-5342. 

Griffin also encourages consumers to be aware of potential warning signs that someone is using their medical information. The signs include:

• A bill from their doctor for services that they did not receive;
   

• Errors in their Explanation of Benefits statements;
   

• A call from a debt collector about a medical debt that they do not owe;
   

• Medical debt collection notices on their credit report that they do not recognize;
   

• An unexpected notice from their health insurance company indicating they have reached their benefit limit;
   

• Denial of insurance coverage because their medical records show a pre-existing condition that they do not have.

Cotton introduces legislation to mandate review of cases that used Chevron as basis

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today introduced the Bureaucratic Overreach Review Act. The legislation would review federal court decisions on laws, regulations, and legal cases that used the recently overturned Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. case as the basis for their decisions. The bill would also direct federal agencies to review litigation where the agency relied upon Chevron to support its interpretation of a regulation or law.

“Overturning Chevron was a victory for Americans and the Constitution. Congress should make laws, not unelected bureaucrats. My legislation will make sure the verdicts that used Chevron to justify government overreach are reviewed,” said Senator Cotton.

Text of the bill may be found here.

The Bureaucratic Overreach Review Act would:

• Require the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress that identifies where the federal courts have relied upon Chevron to reach a decision in favor of deference.

• Require federal agencies to conduct a review of cases where the agency was a party and accorded Chevron deference.

U.S. Senators Boozman, Moran, Colleagues Call on VA to Correct Policies Impacting Veteran Access to Care

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, joined Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS) in urging Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough to quickly correct policy initiatives making it harder for veterans to receive care.

In 2018, Congress passed the MISSION Act, which increased access to care for veterans by expanding their ability to be seen by health care providers in their communities. However, recent actions by VA leaders indicate the department may be limiting community care options for veterans.

“Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission,” wrote the Senators. “If you believe that VA lacks the funding to provide the level of access to care that veterans deserve in VA and in the community, it is incumbent on you to reprioritize resources from non-patient care areas and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, not to unilaterally implement purported cost-savings measures that, even as an unintended consequence, decrease veteran choice and endanger veteran lives.”

Boozman and Moran were joined on the letter by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Thune (R-SD), Jim Risch (R-ID), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), James Lankford (R-OK), Steve Daines (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Ted Budd (R-NC). 

Read the letter here and below. 

Dear Secretary McDonough,

We write to you today to reaffirm veterans’ right to community care and to urge you to quickly correct policy initiatives that are endangering the lives of veterans. Ten years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suffered through a nationwide access to care crisis. Six years ago, the enactment of the MISSION Act expanded the ability of veterans to seek care in the community. For countless veterans, the convenience, accessibility, and control that community care offers is life-saving. In the years since the MISSION Act was enacted, the VA healthcare system has seen significant increases in enrollment, utilization, and reliance, as well as improvements in key measures of quality and veteran trust. However, a recent shift in strategy at VA is jeopardizing these significant gains for our veterans.

In January, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, commissioned a panel (“Red Team”) to “assess the trends and drivers of increasing community care spending.” VA leaders – including yourself – addressed the Red Team and provided it with select data and briefings that contributed to the conclusion that frames community care as “a potential existential threat” to VA’s direct care system, rather than the vital lifeline it is for veterans and for VA. Among the Red Team’s recommendations are suggestions that VA save money by reducing community care referrals for veterans seeking emergency, oncology, and mental health care. Veterans in need of these services are among the most vulnerable and high-risk. It is unconscionable that VA would consider leaving them with fewer options to seek needed care. 

VA claims that the Red Team’s work was independent, and that their findings are still under consideration. However, a dramatic increase in the number of reports from veterans and their family members, as well as from whistleblowers working in VA medical facilities, about administrative practices suggest that VA is already operating in accordance with the Red Team’s recommendations. For example, in one recent case, VA cancelled the community care authorization of a veteran who had just two treatments left to complete a course of successful chemotherapy in his hometown. In another case, VA denied a veteran with a recurrence of cancer the opportunity to seek radiation and chemotherapy in the community, as he did during his previous cancer battle, following surgery that will leave him unable to communicate and without a means of transportation to-and-from his VA medical center.

We are also hearing from a number of veterans who had been receiving non-narcotic pain relief treatments outside of VA medical facilities who are now having their community care authorizations revoked. This appears to stem from another Red Team recommendation. Many of the veterans in this situation who have contacted our offices for help have been offered few alternatives in place of community care other than VA-provided opioid prescriptions. In one case, an opioid prescription was the only alternate treatment VA offered a veteran recovering from an addiction. This is contrary not just to law, veteran preference, and best medical interest but also to VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative, which has a stated goal of decreasing opioid prescriptions among veterans and better utilizing non-narcotic methods of managing pain. 

In line with these examples from veterans, VA whistleblowers have disclosed the establishment of burdensome processes to have VA medical center leaders highly scrutinize community care referrals in an effort to recapture care in VA medical facilities. Given that the VA healthcare system recently initiated a strategic hiring pause and is actively working to reduce staff by 10,000 employees, we share the concern expressed by these whistleblowers about the impact that increased reliance on VA’s direct care system will have not just on wait times for veterans in need of care, but also on VA staff who are already being asked to do more with less. Independently, these policy goals are cause for concern. Together, they risk the welfare of veterans and VA’s workforce.

We are also alarmed by the volume of concerns we are hearing from veterans and VA staff who attribute limitations on care in the community to a lack of funding for VA. You have assured us that VA has adequate funding and VA’s most recent budget submission, for the second fiscal year in a row, did not request additional funding over the advance appropriations VA received in the last budget cycle. Yet, veterans and VA staff continue to assert that they are unable to move forward with community care referrals because of alleged budget shortfalls. Congress has never failed to provide VA with the resources required to fulfill its mission. Furthermore, VA data shows that community care is more cost-effective than VA’s direct care system, with VA’s projections of global relative value units (RVUs) showing an average cost of just $58 per RVU in the community compared to $116 per RVU in the direct care system. Regardless, if you believe that VA lacks the funding to provide the level of access to care that veterans deserve, in VA and in the community, it is incumbent on you to reprioritize resources from non-patient care areas and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse, not to unilaterally implement purported cost-savings measures that, even as an unintended consequence, decrease veteran choice and endanger veteran lives.

Many of the veterans who have shared their complaints with our offices are willing to do whatever it takes to continue accessing care in their communities. This includes paying out of pocket, even if they are on limited incomes. The MISSION Act was designed, in part, to avoid this unacceptable outcome. VA must embrace both the spirit and letter of that transformational piece of legislation to ensure this does not continue. Doing anything less is detrimental to the progress VA has made through the MISSION Act and a personal affront to veterans across the country.

For these reasons and more, we ask that you act without delay to refute the Red Team’s recommendations and issue guidance and retraining materials to all VA staff reaffirming veterans’ right to seek community care. Our nation’s veterans are waiting. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Four of 11 Arkansas-based publicly-held companies post share gains through June

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Among the 11 largest Arkansas-based publicly traded companies, only four reported gains in their stock prices over the first two quarters ending June 28. Most of the decliners were among banks and shipping companies based in the state.

The largest Arkansas stock by market cap is Bentonville-based Walmart which closed out the first half of 2024 with stock gains of 28.92%, the highest growth among its Arkansas cohorts. Walmart shares (NYSE: WMT) closed on June 28 at $67.71 compared to $52.52 where the stock opened trading on Jan. 2. Walmart also grew its market capitalization by $122.7 billion since Jan. 2, the first trading day of the year. The market capitalization of Walmart shares closed out the first half of 2024 at $544.63 billion.

Close behind Walmart is El Dorado-based Murphy USA. The gasoline and convenience retailer operates more than 1,700 U.S. stores. Shares of Murphy USA (NYSE: MUSA) increased in value by 28.48% in the first six months of 2024. The stock opened the year at $365.39 and closed at $469.46 on June 28. The share price has retreated from weaker-than-expected earnings reported in May. However, the company has grown its market capitalization to $9.6 billion, up from $7.58 billion at the start of 2024.

Four of 11 Arkansas-based publicly-held companies post share gains through June

Abortion amendment delivers signatures; FOIA, education, ‘pink’ tax fail

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Supporters of an amendment that would legalize abortion in Arkansas submitted signatures to qualify for the November ballot on Friday afternoon (July 5), the last day to do so.

However, efforts to change the state’s education system, enshrine the Freedom of Information Act into the Constitution, and remove the sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products, also known as the “pink tax,” fell short of the required number of signatures.

Earlier in the day, signatures were submitted by groups supporting proposed constitutional amendments that would expand medical marijuana access in Arkansas and would revoke the Pope County casino license while allowing for local option voting for casinos.

Abortion amendment delivers signatures; FOIA, education, ‘pink’ tax fail

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

KUAR | By Maggie Ryan

Arkansas is the recipient of new funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has received nearly $2.2 million in a grant to purchase land where three endangered species live.

The grant, announced Monday in a press release, will be used to purchase just under 1,100 acres around the Upper Little Red River Watershed.

The area is inhabited by the yellowcheek darter, the speckled pocketbook mussel, and the northern long-eared bat, all of which are endangered species.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg/U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service

A male yellowcheek darter on South Fork of upper Little Red River.

Paddlesports see national rise in fatalities

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Sales of canoes, kayaks and paddleboards have surged since 2020, with more Americans than ever taking to the water aboard a paddling craft. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, boating fatalities associated with padding craft have increased as well.

According to the USCG’s 2023 Boating Statistics, 304 injuries requiring medical attention were recorded last year from paddle craft operators, resulting in 189 fatalities. This accounted for nearly one-third of the total boating fatalities recorded during the year. Arkansas, however, bucked this trend, recording only two fatalities.

Sydney Grant, AGFC boating safety coordinator at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Hot Springs regional office, says boaters should still pay heed to the warning, especially as the summer sun drives many more users to Arkansas’s waterways.

“Motorboats still make up the vast majority of our accidents and fatalities here,” Grant said. “But we want everyone out there to make it home safely, and it really only takes a little extra effort to do so.”

Paddlesports see national rise in fatalities

Tropical Storm Beryl Briefing from the National Weather Service

Areas from southwest to north-central Arkansas could see the highest totals (isolated 4-6 inch amounts)

This map shows rainfall totals through Tuesday night, which includes some rainfall expected before Beryl moves through.

• TS Beryl will move onshore along the Texas coast late tonight into early Monday morning, likely as a hurricane.

• Beryl will quickly weaken and move toward the north then northeast, traveling across east/northeast Texas Monday into early Tuesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl are expected to move across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday before lifting northeast of the state by early Wednesday morning.

• The remnants of Beryl could provide some locally heavy rain and perhaps a few tornadoes/damaging wind gusts across Arkansas from Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.

NOTE: Do not focus on the exact track. Impacts can occur well outside the area enclosed by the cone

Avian influenza, USDA-APHIS response topic of NALC’s July 17 webinar

By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In the more than two years since the current outbreak began, highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, has proven to be a highly adaptable foe, infecting not only poultry, but also dairy cattle and their human handlers.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, will present the National Ag Law Center's July 17 webinar on HPAI in poultry and cattle. (Image courtesy Brook Duer)

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or USDA-APHIS, 97.26 million birds in commercial and backyard flocks, as well as 137 dairy cattle herds, have been affected since the current outbreak’s start in February 2022. In a June 2024 technical report, the CDC reported that the virus has also infected three farm workers in Texas and Michigan this year.

Since December 2023, the number of states where HPAI has been detected has risen from 27 to 48. Since May 24, 2024, 6.41 million birds have been affected, according to USDA-APHIS.

Brook Duer, staff attorney at Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, said that HPAI remains as virulent and easily transmissible in poultry as when the industry first experienced an outbreak in 2015.

“We are in uncharted territory with HPAI in poultry — it is by far the largest animal disease event in U.S. history,” Duer said. “HPAI may already be a permanent backdrop to poultry and egg production.”

The foundational statutes, regulations, manuals and procedures that give USDA-APHIS its authority will be examined through the lens of HPAI outbreaks in poultry and cattle during the NALC’s next webinar, “HPAI in Poultry and Cattle: How Can We Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?” The webinar will be presented by Duer.

The spillover to dairy cattle has brought more insights and questions. Each host species’ unique response to the virus is vastly different and the virus can mutate quickly, Duer said.

“With dairy cattle, the disease can go nearly undetected through traditional observation of symptoms. This allows it to reach a point in the food production supply chain where pasteurization becomes the primary tool. That might be seen as uncomfortably close to the consumer,” Duer said. “Understanding how USDA-APHIS’ response has progressed to date, and why, will allow producers to better anticipate what research still needs to be done to get the answers producers want.”

The webinar will be held Wednesday, July 17 at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is no cost and available online.

HPAI is not only a threat to animals, but also to humans. On June 5, 2024, a 59-year-old man from Mexico City became the first person to die from HPAI. The man did have prior health complications and the source of exposure is unknown, according to Reuters.

Duer said much more still needs to be known about transmission and impact in humans. More extensive, and potentially expensive, detection methods may become routine and legally required at earlier stages.

“With the outbreak of HPAI in dairy cattle and cases of human illness, this topic is extremely important to agricultural producers,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “Brook will give producers a greater understanding of where things are at with HPAI, what USDA-APHIS is doing to resolve the situation and what producers should know about the disease.”

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture.

Invasive tick found in Boone County cattle, July 11 webinar to address concerns

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK – A tick found in a Boone County cattle herd has been confirmed as the invasive Asian longhorned tick, known for carrying a parasite that can be deadly to cattle.

TICKING UP – Asian longhorned tick populations are increasing in Arkansas.

The Asian longhorned tick, also known as bush, cattle or scrub tick, was first found in Arkansas in 2018 on a dog in Benton County. The tick can kill its host by swarming the animal but can also transmit a protozoan parasite called Theileria orientalis. One Theileria genotype, Ikdea, can impact cattle by attacking blood cells.

Since its arrival in Arkansas, the Asian longhorned tick has been confirmed in Benton, Independence and Washington counties with Boone County added last month.

Three researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are collecting ticks as part of a broad surveillance project. They include extension entomologist Kelly Loftin; veterinarian and animal science professor Jeremy Powell; and assistant professor of entomology Emily McDermott. The team aims to evaluate the prevalence of Asian longhorned ticks in Arkansas, determine whether Theileria orientalis is present in the tick population and evaluate host preference.

“Surveillance efforts in 2024 began in April and we’ve seen a significant increase in the Asian longhorned tick population from both on-animal and environmental tick collections,” Loftin said. “In our 2023 collection efforts we found eight to 10 ticks at our site in Batesville and this year we found over 200. That site in Batesville has the most dramatic increase I’ve seen.”

In addition to the spread of the tick, more confirmed cases of Theileria orientalis have recently been confirmed in Arkansas cattle with Boone and Searcy counties reporting cases.

“Arkansas producers should be aware of the risk of Theileria infection in their cattle herd, but not alarmed,” said Maggie Justice, beef cattle extension specialist for the Division of Agriculture. “Understanding how the disease spreads and the best methods of prevention are important in helping herds, so it’s important producers utilize resources and knowledge available through their veterinarians and local county extension agents.”

Justice said cattle that are infected may look like those that have been impacted by anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease common in Arkansas. She added that signs of sickness can make the animal appear weak and “off” with an abnormal attitude, not eating and decreasing gains.

The Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association are partnering to host a webinar to discuss how to look for the Asian longhorned tick, signs of Theileria orientalis infection, prevention methods and more.

The webinar will be at 6 p.m. on July 11 and is free to attend. Those interested can register online.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

High tunnels, Arkansas Diamonds featured at 2024 Horticulture Field Day

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

HOPE, Ark. — Last week 97 growers, gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts headed to Hope, Arkansas to hear about fruit, vegetable and ornamental research being conducted at the Southwest Research and Extension Center.

MITEY DAMAGING — Division of Agriculture's Aaron Cato talks increased mite pressure in high tunnel grown blackberries at the 2024 Horticulture Field Day. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

The 2024 Horticulture Field Day featured extension specialists, educators and county agents with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. They covered topics including pest management, produce washing, nutrition and more.

“We enjoyed being able to show off the hard work being done on our station,” said Daniel Rivera, director of the Southwest Research and Extension Center. “We have a lot of young faculty conducting research here and I’m glad we were able to highlight them to our local stakeholders.”

Managing melonworm in pumpkins

Aaron Cato, extension horticulture integrated pest management specialist for the Division of Agriculture, gave an overview of recent research targeting key pests of pumpkins and tomatoes in Arkansas. Recent data from Cato’s pumpkin trials suggest there may be cultural control options for melonworms, a major pest in Arkansas pumpkins.

“We trialed eight varieties of pumpkins that are derived from four different species of cucurbits,” Cato said. “We found that all varieties derived from Cucurbita pepo, including all of the jack-o-lanterns we grow, are highly attractive to melonworm. Some pumpkin varieties from Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita maxima, including varieties like Jarrahdale and Fairytale, did not attract melonworm.”

Cato said with this data, growers can tailor melonworm management to fit their operation, potentially decreasing the number of pesticide applications needed.

“This tells us that not all pumpkins need to be controlled the same when considering melonworm,” Cato said. “We are currently working on cultural controls and thresholds for using insecticides in susceptible jack-o-lantern varieties.”

Cato said the goal of this project is to create a framework for growing damage-free pumpkins in Arkansas.

Insect management in tomatoes

Cato and his team have been trialing insecticide efficacy in tomatoes at the SWREC for four years and have found that many go-to products for tomato producers may not be as effective as once thought.

“We’ve found a number of common insecticides that we use now don’t control tomato fruitworm very well, including pyretheroids like Warrior,” Cato said. “However, newer products like Coragen and Proclaim have been established as standards for fruitworm control in Arkansas tomato production.”

For other common tomato pests, good news may be on the horizon with a new product potentially hitting the shelves within the next few years.

“One issue growers commonly face is how to control a combination of pests including tomato fruitworm, stinkbugs and spider mites, which are common at the same time in South Arkansas,” Cato said. “We have been trialing an unregistered pesticide, Plinazolin, for three years and it has shown great efficacy controlling all three of these pests. This level of control in one product across all three of these pests is something we’ve never had before.”

Cato said he is hopeful the product will hit the market for tomatoes in the next one to two years.

High tunnel production

Taunya Ernst, high tunnel and urban agriculture educator for the Division of Agriculture, gave an overview of pros and cons of high tunnel production in the southeast and Mid-South.

“One of the biggest advantages we get from using high tunnels is season extension,” Ernst said. “We can go to market earlier and stay longer, extending farm revenue periods.”

High tunnels also offer protection from adverse weather and allow growers to produce high quality produce with greater predictability. One major disadvantage, however, is increased pest and disease pressure.

“While the environment inside the high tunnel can promote faster plant growth, it also favors rapid reproduction of many insect pests,” Ernst said. “And while we may see a decrease in diseases spread by splashing water, the more humid environment in the tunnel will be more favorable for other common diseases like botrytis.”

However, Ernst said by implementing effective management strategies like ventilation and crop rotation, disease pressure in a high tunnel can be lessened. Ernst has outlined these management strategies, as well as more information on high tunnel production, on the Cooperative Extension Service website.

Arkansas Diamonds

Extension ornamental specialist Anthony Bowden gave attendees a tour of in trials for the Arkansas Diamond Program. This program is a partnership of the Arkansas Green Industry Association, the Division of Agriculture, local growers and independent garden centers designed to identify and promote plants that grow well in Arkansas’ climate. Bowden noted some changes to the program for 2025.

“Edible plants, such as peppers, have historically not been included in the Arkansas Diamond Program and that’s going to change in 2025,” Bowden said. “Also beginning next year, we are transitioning from a one-year trialing period to a two-year period to better gauge how these plants perform in the state long term.”

The Arkansas Green Industry Association lists all current Arkansas Diamond plants and participating nurseries on their website.

Mention of brand names does not imply endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

UAMS Earns $750,000 Federal Grant to Relaunch Family Medicine Residency Program in El Dorado

By Philip Allison

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has earned a $750,000 federal grant to help reestablish a family medicine residency program in El Dorado.

The grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. UAMS is one of just 15 organizations nationwide to receive funding from an $11 million effort to launch medical residency programs in rural communities.

UAMS will use the grant for curriculum development, recruiting and training faculty and staff and other costs associated with achieving accreditation and sustainability.

UAMS Earns $750,000 Federal Grant to Relaunch Family Medicine Residency Program in El Dorado

‘Bedrock’ units to train F-35 pilots in Fort Smith are activated

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

Military units activated during World War II to train pilots for operations in Africa and the Aleutian Islands in what was then the U.S. Territory of Alaska were reactivated Tuesday (July 2) to train foreign military pilots at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith.

The 85th Fighter Group and the 57th Fighter Squadron, both under the Eglin, Fla.-based 33rd Fighter Wing, will be based at Ebbing and are the “bedrock” of training for F-35 pilots from numerous U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allied countries, noted Rob Ator, a retired Air Force colonel and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission director of Military Affairs.

“Of the three big things that had to happen, we needed this to happen. So now we have the core of the instructors, and then we have to have the runway available, and then we have to have aircraft arrival. And that’s all going to happen by the end of Fall,” Ator said Tuesday.

‘Bedrock’ units to train F-35 pilots in Fort Smith are activated

Col. Nicholas Ihde visits with media Tuesday (July 2) after a formal ceremony recognizing him as incoming commander of the 85th Fighter Group.