Committee rejects bill to allow nonprofit Arkansas hospitals to hold retail pharmacy permits

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

A proposed Arkansas law that would have allowed nonprofit hospitals to hold a retail pharmacy permit narrowly failed in committee Wednesday after more than an hour and a half of discussion and public testimony.

Arkansas is the only state in which the law currently prohibits nonprofit, tax-exempt or governmentally-funded hospitals from holding or acquiring interest in retail pharmacy permits.

Lawmakers have attempted for years to change this via policy proposals that intend to help both hospitals and independently owned pharmacies serve their communities, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, the lead sponsor of Senate Bill 58, told the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.

Committee rejects bill to allow nonprofit Arkansas hospitals to hold retail pharmacy permits

Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate

Ryan Gehrig (center), president of Mercy Arkansas Hospitals, testifies in favor of a bill that would allow nonprofit hospitals in Arkansas to hold retail pharmacy permits on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. At right is Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health, who also spoke in favor of the bill before it was voted down by the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee.

3 NWA chefs selected as semifinalists for 2025 James Beard Awards

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The James Beard Foundation has named three Northwest Arkansas chefs as semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards, the foundation announced Wednesday (Jan. 22). This year marks the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards.

Matthew Cooper of Bentonville-based Conifer, Rafael Rios of Bentonville-based Yeyo’s El Alma de Mexico, and Jordan Wright of Johnson-based Wright’s Barbecue are the Arkansas semifinalists in the Best Chef: South category of the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The James Beard Awards, which have over 70 categories, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries and are considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, the release shows.

3 NWA chefs selected as semifinalists for 2025 James Beard Awards

UAMS Intervention Sees Significant Decrease in HbA1c, BMI Levels Among Marshallese Communities

By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — Participants in a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) study to determine the effectiveness of culturally-adapted, family-based diabetes education and management programs for Marshallese families saw significant reductions in HbA1c and BMI (Body Mass Index) levels, according to researchers at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.

The study examined 185 individuals, including 99 diabetics and 86 family members. Building on research conducted with Marshallese community members in Arkansas, the study was implemented in church settings in Hawaii and Washington state, using trained, bilingual community health workers (CHWs) to administer the family-based Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) program. The program was implemented in partnership with Washington State University and the Hawaii Island Community Health Center.

According to previous studies, more than 90% of Marshallese adults reported regular church attendance.

UAMS Intervention Sees Significant Decrease in HbA1c, BMI Levels Among Marshallese Communities

Arkansas hay production grew in 2024

By the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Hay acreage declined in the southeastern United States in 2024, but the region’s hay production rose 2 percent, and was up 17 percent in Arkansas, according to the Crop Production Summary from National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The summary — issued Jan. 10 — included information about U.S. hay production, acreage, and yield, as well as data for Dec. 1 hay stocks. The report categorizes the data into two segments: alfalfa and other hay, with other hay being particularly relevant for producers in the Southeast.

Map showing change in production of non-alfalfa hay between 2023-2024, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Arkansas saw a 17 percent increase in hay production. (Image from USDA)

For the 2024-25 marketing year that started in May and ends in April, “hay stocks were higher compared to the previous year, totaling 21.01 million tons, which represents a 47 percent increase year over year,” said James Mitchell, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

In the southeast — a region comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, hay stocks on May 1 reached 2.80 million tons, up 15 percent from the previous year, Mitchell said.

“These stocks, combined with the increased hay production in 2024, have elevated hay supplies to their highest level since 2020,” he said. “Total hay supplies for the 2024-2025 marketing year are 143.47 million tons. In the Southeast, the 2024-2025 hay supplies total 25.49 million tons, a 3 percent increase year over year, accounting for 18 percent of total U.S. hay supplies.”

Other hay production totaled 72.62 million tons in 2024, up 6 percent from the previous year and marking the largest annual total since 2020.

In Texas, the largest hay-producing state, production reached 11.52 million tons, more than double the total from two years prior, when it was just 5.7 million tons. In Arkansas, production increased 17 percent.

“The USDA’s estimate for Arkansas surpassed what I would have predicted last summer,” Mitchell said. “For several states included in the Southeast total, hay production was impacted by Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. Specifically, production in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee was down by 24 percent, 9 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.

All U.S. hay acreage declined by 3.38 million acres in 2024 to 49.39 million acres. In the Southeast, hay acreage decreased by 9.84 million acres, or 3 percent.

“Conversely, Texas saw a 5 percent increase in hay acreage,” Mitchell said. “Despite the overall decline, improved hay yields offset these reductions.”

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. 

Eight Arkansans among Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump

KUAR | By Debra Hale-Shelton

On the first day of his second presidency, Donald Trump pardoned all eight Arkansans among more than 1,500 of his supporters convicted for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the nation’s Capitol.

Among them were the state’s two highest-profile defendants, Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who became notorious for a photo taken in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office, and Peter Stager, who admitted to beating a police officer with a flagpole.

Barnett, 64, of Gravette was sentenced to 54 months in prison after a federal court jury convicted him in May 2023. He has been incarcerated in a prison in Seagoville, Texas. He wasn’t scheduled for release until July 17, 2026.

Eight Arkansans among Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump

U.S. District Court For The District Of Columbia

This video still from Jan. 6, 2021, shows Conway resident Peter Stager holding a U.S. flag. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to assaulting a police officer. He is among eight Arkansans pardoned by President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, for their roles in the 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Womack reappointed Chairman of the Appropriations Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee

Washington, January 15, 2025

Washington, DC—January 15, 2025…House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (OK-4) today announced his appointment of Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) to again serve as Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Congressman Womack will continue to serve on the Defense and Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittees during the 119th Congress.

Congressman Steve Womack

Congressman Womack said, “It’s been an honor to serve on the Appropriations Committee, particularly as Chairman of the subcommittee that delivers the most for Arkansans. Drawing on my experience as a mayor, I understand how THUD’s jurisdiction impacts every American's safety, economic opportunity, and quality of life. My service on Defense and FSGG allows me to strengthen our national defense and financial systems. My continued focus remains set on fiscal responsibility and securing wins for Third District Arkansans. I thank my friend, Chairman Cole, for his confidence in me to work on these vital components of the Appropriations Committee. With the rosters now in order, we must immediately finish Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations and begin our work on Fiscal Year 2026.”

Chairman Cole said, “The subcommittees that invest in America’s defense, infrastructure, and economic opportunity require strong fiscal understanding and experience—and Congressman Womack is equipped to serve these missions with distinction. At the helm of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, you can expect leadership that strengthens America’s transportation and housing future. Grounded in his hands-on experience as a mayor, he knows how to turn practice into purpose. Chairman Womack is a seasoned appropriator who works each day to safeguard taxpayer dollars and support Arkansas and America. I look forward to the continued results delivered under his guidance.”

To learn more about the jurisdiction of each subcommittee, click the below links:

• Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (Chairman)

• Subcommittee on Defense

• Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

Congressman Womack has served on the House Appropriations Committee since his first term in Congress in 2011. This committee is responsible for the discretionary portion of the federal budget and conducting critical oversight of federal agencies. He previously served as Chairman of the FSGG Subcommittee, and was first appointed as Chairman of THUD in April 2024.

Check the latest road conditions in Arkansas before traveling

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) has developed the idrivearkansas website and phone app. It maintains a travel and construction information portal (IDRIVEARKANSAS) to provide enough data to the motoring public to make informed decisions about navigating the state highway system.

IDriveArkansas is a free, mobile-optimized website and app that provides information about Arkansas road conditions, construction, and weather. The site's purpose is to help travelers make informed decisions about navigating the state's highway system. 

UADA’s Culver to be inducted into Arkansas Ag Hall of Fame in March

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Chuck Culver, former interim head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is one of the six being inducted in March as part of Class XXXVII of the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Culver, who joined the Division of Agriculture in 1990, spent much of his 30-plus-year career as its director of stakeholder relations, and during that time helped secure more than $600 million in funding for the division’s research and extension projects.

Chuck Culver is among those being inducted in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2025. (U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture file photo)

In 2021, Culver was named by UA System President Donald Bobbitt to be interim head of the Division of Agriculture following the retirement of Mark Cochran. Culver served as interim until Deacue Fields was appointed to the post in July 2022.

“We are so pleased that Chuck has been chosen for induction in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame,” said Fields. “His three decades of work has helped elevate the Division of Agriculture in its ability to serve Arkansans and Arkansas agriculture.”

Other Class XXXVII inductees include:

• Aubrey Blackmon of Houston, a founding member of Perry County Cattlemen’s Association in 1970 and recipient of the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association lifetime service achievement award in 2012.

• Carl Brothers of Stuttgart, who spent 53 years with Riceland Foods, retiring as senior vice president and chief operating officer and whose leadership was instrumental in passage of the 1985 farm bill, also known as the Food Security Act of 1985.

• Mike Freeze of Little Rock, co-owner and operator of Keo Fish Farms — America’s largest producer of hybrid striped bass fry and fingerlings — who helped Arkansas become one of the top three states in aquaculture production.

• The late Jack Reaper of Albion, who was a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp before starting with a 24-acre farm in White County and growing it into a model farm that included poultry, cattle and row crops.

• Frank Wilson of Rison, who began planting pine trees with his dad more than 70 years ago and started Wilson Brothers Lumber Company in 1972, followed by several logging companies and other timber industry enterprises offering more than 100 jobs in rural Cleveland County.

Class XXXVII induction ceremonies are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. March 28 in the Wally Allen Ballroom at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Contact Cindra Jones at 501-228-1609 for ticket information or click here to purchase tickets online.

Since the hall of fame’s first class in 1987, a total of 192 men and women have been inducted for significant contributions to Arkansas’ largest industry and the economic impact of the industry.

“What an amazing group of farmers and those who help our farmers make agriculture Arkansas’ No. 1 business sector,” said Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame Chair Debbie Moreland of Roland. “Agriculture is such a critical cultural and economic part of Arkansas. It is what binds so much of our state together.”

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. 

Brush up on winter weather and wildlife

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — Take a moment while stocking up on the bread, milk and eggs in preparation for this week’s snowstorm and think about how you can better prepare your yard for the local wildlife. 

The good news is that native wildlife are highly adaptable to a random winter storm if they have the right habitat nearby. Reptiles and amphibians have already found burrows and shallow pools to ride out the winter. Songbirds can easily relocate to more habitable areas and make the best of a temporary situation. Cottontail rabbits and other mammals make the best use of brush and other low-lying cover. But there are a few things landowners can do to give them a little boost during heavy snowfalls and icy conditions.  

CARDINAL
A female northern cardinal weathers a snowstorm near the safety of heavy weeds and brush. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

During harsh weather, wildlife are always going to benefit best from those yards that look a little less manicured. Rough weed edges and randomly placed piles of branches may be unattractive to a greenskeeper or neighborhood association watchdog, but they’re heaven on Earth to local wildlife. If your homeowner’s association is agreeable, give a little thought to making a brushpile or two.

If feasible, make several brushpiles, and you’ll have rapid rewards in the form of songbirds and other wildlife making use of the debris in your backyard or in a corner of your rural property.

With a bit of creativity, the brushpile can be a yard or garden feature, fronted or ringed, perhaps, with a planting of flowers. It can also be tucked away in a corner of the yard, drawing attention only from wildlife. Place the brushpile near a fencerow or border to the nearby woods. This offers an extra benefit to give to other food and cover.

The instructions for a great wildlife brushpile are pretty simple. Pile up some brush. It doesn’t have to be any particular shape or size, although a few piles the size of a wheelbarrow are much more beneficial to various animals than one huge pile. But even a simple pile of sticks will offer some cover from the cold and predators. Anchor the brushpile around a stump or log. If these aren’t available, lay two or three bigger pieces on the ground then work the limbs, sticks and twigs around and on top of these. This way, there will be some space down low for small creatures to move around and hide.

If you haven’t yet delivered your Christmas tree to one of the AGFC’s Habitat for the Holidays dropoff locations, maybe you can drag it to the corner of your yard to be a temporary brushpile during the upcoming storm, then deliver it to one of the dropoff locations for fish habitat by the end of January. 

Once spring arrives, you can even make your brushpile a feature of a flowerbed or yard. Plant some favorites around the pile. The main thing to keep in mind is to keep any plantings around your brushpile native. Not only do native plants require less maintenance, most produce seeds and fruit that native wildlife depend upon. The following link can offer some help in choosing native species:  www.agfc.com/education/native-gardening. 

GOLDFINCHES
American goldfinches taking advantage of sunflower seeds scattered around brush. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath. 

If you don’t have many native plants around right now, a few supplemental food sources can help, especially with songbirds. 

“Black oil sunflower seeds are the best all around seed to put out for songbirds,” Allison Fowler, Assistant Chief of Wildlife Management for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said. “If you have house finches or goldfinches around, nyjer seed is also a good food for them. Suet feeders are very popular with a lot of birds, especially woodpeckers.”

Fowler says a heavy snow last year was particularly tough on bluebirds who were not able to find their preferred foods (insects and berries) for almost a week.

“A lot of commercial suet blocks contain berries, cracked seeds and mealworms that the bluebirds and other insect-focused species can use,” Fowler said. “They lack stout seed-cracking beaks so they can make good use of these alternative food sources.”

Another option is to make your own suet for the birds. Here’s an article that walks you through one of the best family snow-day activities to enjoy between snowball fights and sledding: www.agfc.com/news/simple-recipe-to-share-with-your-feathered-friends. 

Chairman Hill taps Dan Schneider and Brooke Nethercott to lead the Communications Team of the House Financial Services Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) today announced that Dan Schneider will serve as his Communications Director and Brooke Nethercott as his Deputy Communications Director of the House Financial Services Committee. Nethercott is serving as Acting Communications Director until Schneider joins the Committee later this month. 

Brad Schneider - Wikipedia Image

As Communications Director, Schneider will be responsible for driving messaging for the Committee, overseeing the communication’s team, advising the Chairman, and liaising with Committee leadership, the GOP Conference at-large, and relevant Senate Committees and staff.  

As Deputy Communications Director, Nethercott will lead media relations and serve as a liaison with the press and reporters at-large for the Committee. She will be point of contact for all media requests for the Chairman, oversee written materials, and work closely with Schneider to advise the Chairman, amplify messaging for the Committee, and drive the Chairman’s priorities. 

Schneider returns to Capitol Hill following two years at the Business Roundtable, where he served as Director, Communications. Previously, he spent over 10 years in the federal government, most recently as Communications Director for Chairman Hill from March 2021 to October 2022. Prior to that, Schneider served as Vice President of Communications at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Associate Director for Communications at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Press Secretary at the House Committee on Energy and Commerce under former Chairmen Greg Walden (R-OR) and Fred Upton (R-MI), and Press Secretary for Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH).  

Brooke Nethercott - Linkedin Image

Nethercott has been Chairman Hill’s Communications Director since November 2022, spearheading communications strategy, managing the communications team, and leading media relations. Prior to the U.S. House of Representatives, Nethercott was a Senior Consultant in Strategic Communications at FTI Consulting. Before her time in Washington, she worked in digital media for WebMD and Pandora Music in New York. 

"Dan and Brooke have been my trusted advisors and top communications strategists during my tenure in Congress. Dan’s extensive communications experience in federal government, paired with Brooke’s outstanding media relations background, brings invaluable expertise to the Committee. Their time in the public and private sector equips them with the unparalleled skillsets and knowledge to drive the Committee’s successes forward. I am delighted that Dan and Brooke will lead my communications team of the House Financial Services Committee."

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK —The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently earned echocardiography accreditation for its cardiac noninvasive laboratory from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).

Echocardiography is a noninvasive procedure that uses ultrasound to create images of the heart for use in examining its structure and diagnosing heart conditions. UAMS was awarded accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal, stress and transthoracic echocardiography — procedures that diagnose various conditions of the heart including infections, blood clots and heart artery blockages. UAMS is the only adult-care hospital in central Arkansas to earn accreditation in the areas of adult transesophageal and stress echocardiography.

“This prestigious recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication and excellence of our entire faculty and staff,” said Paul Mounsey, M.D., professor and chair of the Division of Cardiology in the UAMS Department of Internal Medicine. “Achieving IAC accreditation underscores our commitment to providing high-quality education and continuous improvement in all aspects of our program.”

UAMS Cardiac Noninvasive Lab Earns Echocardiography Accreditation

Senior male patient having ultrasound examination of the heart in medical clinic

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tapped to be Israeli ambassador

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Three months ago, Huckabee had a guest on his TV show, "Huckabee Today," who said the world will end any minute now. “I do believe that we’re not just at the end times,” the guest, Max Lucado, said. “We're at the end of the end times. It's moving fast.” Like Huckabee, Lucado is a preacher. And both agree the end of days is not something to panic over.

“Max, when you say that, it scares a lot of people,” Huckabee said. “They think 'oh no, the end of the world its just terrible.' You say... it's not something we should be afraid of. It's something we should embrace and look forward to.”

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee tapped to be Israeli ambassador

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee - Flickr Image

Jan. 15 webinar to discuss impact of 2024 elections on ag law, policy

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With the 2018 Farm Bill having expired and an election cycle that has come and gone, what’s on the horizon for agricultural law and policy?

According to Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, one word encapsulates what can be expected: change.

“Election cycles bring with them many changes that have lasting impacts,” Shipman said. “With new members of Congress, as well as narrow Republican control of the White House and narrow control of Congress, among many other factors, 2025 is set to be very impactful for agricultural law and policy.”

On Jan. 15, Shipman will present the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, webinar, titled “Looking Ahead: Impact of the 2024 Elections on Ag Law and Policy.”

During the National Ag Law Center’s Jan. 15 webinar, Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, will discuss what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

Shipman brings an insider’s view to this webinar. He has served in the agriculture law and policy industry for more than two decades, with roles in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Senate Agriculture Committee and more. In 2002, he was USDA’s principal negotiator with Congress on the 2002 Farm Bill.

“Change in government impacts agriculture across the country,” Shipman said. “It’s important for agricultural stakeholders to grasp what is ahead amidst changing structures.”

The presentation will begin at 11 a.m. Central/Noon Eastern. Registration is free of charge online on the NALC website.

“Hunt has years of experience working on Capitol Hill and knows where things stand, as well as great perspective on where they are heading,” NALC Director Harrison Pittman said. “From administration, to policy and regulatory landscape, to the Farm Bill and beyond, Hunt offers valuable insight.”

Shipman said he looks forward to discussing what the country’s recent political changes mean for the future of agriculture.

“We’ll also discuss who is or who may be involved in agriculture under the Trump Administration, potential regulatory changes, along with what the path forward to reauthorize the Farm Bill may look like, as the 2018 Farm Bill expired in September,” he said.

For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Subscribe online to receive NALC Communications, including webinar announcements, the NALC’s Quarterly Newsletter, and The Feed, which highlights recent developments in agricultural law and policy.

About the National Agricultural Law Center 

Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — John R. Montgomery, M.D., and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D., have joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as liver, kidney and pancreas transplant surgeons. Both will also serve as assistant professors in the College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

Montgomery comes to UAMS from New York City, where he completed a two-year fellowship in abdominal transplant surgery at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Previously, he completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Michigan Medicine, which is a research university in Ann Arbor, and a research fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Center for Healthcare Outcomes & Policy (CHOP).

Nakamura joins UAMS from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he completed fellowships in transplant surgery and transplant surgery research, and performed numerous liver and kidney transplant surgeries, including robotic-assisted surgeries.

Two Transplant Surgeons Join UAMS

John R. Montgomery, M.D., (left) and Tsukasa Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D.

Incoming Chairman Hill announces new Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Incoming House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill (R-AR) today announced that Ben Johnson will serve as his Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee.

Johnson has worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a decade. He most recently served as Staff Director for the House Small Business Committee, where he was responsible for managing the Committee staff and advancing Chairman Roger William’s priorities. Prior to joining the House Small Business Committee, Johnson handled the financial services portfolios for Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) and Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM).

New Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee Ben Johnson

“I have known Ben throughout my decade in Congress and have watched his impressive career progress. From his early days managing the financial services portfolios of Rep. Williams and Rep. Pearce to his most recent role as Staff Director on the House Small Business Committee, Ben possesses a deep understanding of American businesses, families, and seniors having access to business capital, mortgage credit, and investment advice and services. His time on the House Small Business Committee, paired with his decade of deep legislative knowledge in Congress, will make him an outstanding Staff Director of the House Financial Services Committee. I look forward to working with him as my Staff Director and watching his career continue to evolve as a leader on my Committee.”  

Cotton to Garland: The DOJ is targeting cops while ignoring criminals

Washington, D.C.— Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the Department of Justice for its recent push to impose federal consent decrees on multiple police stations across the country. This gross overreach undermines public safety and our police. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years.”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

The Honorable Merrick Garland

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20530 

Dear Attorney General Garland, 

I write to express my deep concern with your department’s attempted last-minute takeover of a dozen police departments across the country using federal consent decrees. 

According to The Washington Post, your department has opened “pattern or practice” investigations into twelve state and local law-enforcement agencies in a rush to gain federal control of these agencies before President Biden leaves office.

No police department—like any human institution—is without flaw, but federal consent decrees have a well-established and atrocious record of increasing crime and endangering law-abiding citizens. Violent crime has surged in seven out of twelve cities that entered federal consent decrees since 2012. For instance, violent crime soared by 61 percent in Los Angeles County, 36 percent in Albuquerque, 27 percent in Seattle, 20 percent in New Orleans, and 19 percent in Maricopa County. 

Your department is reportedly nearest to entering consent decrees with Minneapolis and Louisville, where murders have already reached record highs in recent years. The last thing these cities need is unqualified defund-the-police radicals like Kristen Clarke micromanaging their police departments for the next ten years. 

Crime has risen during the Biden administration and your tenure as Attorney General. We should be arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating criminals—not handcuffing our police. I object to your efforts to perpetuate this administration’s failed policies. I urge you to drop these midnight lawsuits and let the new administration get about the business of protecting Americans from violent criminals. 

Sincerely, 

Tom Cotton
United States Senator 

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Citing national security concerns, President Joe Biden has blocked the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese-based Nippon Steel Corporation. The $15 billion deal, more than a year in the making, was halted by the president on Friday (Jan. 3).

“We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests,” Biden said in a released statement.

Both U.S. Steel and Nippon immediately threatened legal action. In a jointly released statement, the two steel manufacturers said there is no threat to national security and this was a politically motivated move.

President Biden blocks U.S. Steel sale to Nippon

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A discovery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) that a viral protein helps a cancer-associated herpesvirus evade the immune system has led to a five-year, $2.9 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Craig Forrest, Ph.D., will use the grant to help reveal functions of the viral protein known as latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA). The research is focused on LANA’s roles during infection by the gamma herpesvirus known as Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV).

Forrest, a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Microbiology and Immunology, hopes the work will someday lead to a vaccine for Kaposi sarcoma and other cancers caused by gamma herpesviruses.

UAMS Receives $2.9 Million NIH Grant to Study Virus that Can Trigger Cancers

UAMS researcher Craig Forrest, Ph.D. (center), and his lab team hope their work will ultimately lead to a cancer vaccine. With Forrest are (l-r) Sheldon Zeltner, Chandra Penthala, Shana Owens, Ph.D., and Steven Murdock, Jr. Image by Bryan Clifton

Farm aid could be on the way with proposed Continuing Resolution

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK – Amid worries that an expired Farm Bill would leave farmers without an economic safety net, Congressional leadership released a Continuing Resolution Tuesday that includes $10 billion for crop producers. 

FARM AID -- Nine program crops covered in the Continuing Resolution are relevant to Arkansas farmers.

This new agricultural aid package follows the payment mechanism laid out by the previously proposed Farmer Revenue Assistance Mitigation Act. Hunter Biram, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said the payments are based on three key variables: National season-average price reported, 10-year national average yield and 2024 cost of production.  

“Two key elements of this payment mechanism differ from the FARM Act,” Biram said. “The payment factor has been reduced from 60 percent to 26 percent of the estimated economic loss. However, a minimum payment has been included.”  

Biram said the minimum payment will be the product of 8 percent of the statutory reference price laid out in the 2014 and 2018 farm bills and the national Price Loss Coverage payment yield to be determined by USDA. 

“Among the nine program crops that are relevant to farmers in the southeast, three should expect to see the minimum payment be greater than the estimated payment,” Biram said. “This includes barley, peanuts and rice. The other six program crops considered will receive the estimated payment per acre. These include corn, cotton, grain sorghum, pats, soybeans and wheat.”  

Although the resolution has been the subject of much discussion, Biram said it is important to remember it still has to pass. 

“The deadline to pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown is Dec. 20,” he said. “While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) have both  voiced support for economic assistance to farmers, there has been opposition from GOP hardliners who have voiced frustrations over not pushing funding issues to 2025. 

“Economic assistance seems likely, but we will not know with full certainty until the bill passes. The situation is very fluid,” Biram said. 

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

Arkansas awarded $17 million grant to support maternal health initiatives

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas has been awarded a $17 million grant, the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Human Services announced Monday (Jan. 6).

Applying for the TMaH grant was among the recommendations made by the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health established by Gov. Sarah Sanders’ executive order last year. The funds will support efforts to improve the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and babies, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) said.

The grant will provide the funding over 10 years to several state Medicaid agencies, including Arkansas, with a goal of reducing disparities in access and treatment.

Arkansas awarded $17 million grant to support maternal health initiatives