Weekend Digest: The Super Bowl Edition

TV REVIEW: THE LEDGE IN FULL SWING
On this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics:

The Arkansas Legislature moves bills related to the Private Option, tax cuts and the Governor’s budget. What may change in the next week and where do we stand on other urgent issues? House Revenue and Tax Chairman Rep. Joe Jett and Joint Budget Vice chair Sen. Missy Irvin are our roundtable guests.

There were a variety of debates across the capitol this week plus new bills pile in. KATV’s Janelle Lilley and LobbyUp’s Bradley Phillips wade through a few. Plus, our mid-week political roundtable with Skip Rutherford and John Burris chimes in.

On the education front, the state takes over the Little Rock School District. Plus a new business and community leadership coalition comes together to advance Arkansas’ educational policy. Scott Inman and Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury discuss new survey results from the group, ForwARd Arkansas.

Tune in to Talk Business & Politics Sunday morning at 9 a.m. on KATV Ch. 7. You can catch all of these stories from this week’s interviews on our web site main page at TalkBusiness.net.

For our weekend business and political readers:

10 SUPER BOWL PREDICTIONS FROM UNLIKELY SOURCES
Super Bowl XLIX kicks off this Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Who do you think will win? Need some help?

USA Today has posted predictions, but not from the usual sources.

Everyone from a Chicago psychic to a South Carolina sea turtle have made their predictions for the match-up between the Seahawks and the Patriots. Here’s a rundown.

Go to this link for the predictions.

Editor’s note: We think Teddy Bear the porcupine is on a roll and a force to be reckoned with.

THE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS
It’s no secret many people tune-in to the Super Bowl more for the commercials than the extravaganza of the game itself. Want to see them now? At least the ones so far?

You got it. Click and enjoy thanks to Fast Company.

BESIDES THE GAME AND THE COMMERCIALS, THERE’S HALFTIME!
And the Super Bowl’s halftime is big. So big it is a major event in itself. This year Katy Perry will rock along with special guest Lenny Kravitz. Its director is Hamish Hamilton, who has directed every Super Bowl halftime show since 2010.

So Fast Company asked Hamilton what does it take “to create a big, big event.”

For “his tips for the biggest 12-minute show on Earth”, go to this link.

HOW DO YOU CHANGE THE WORLD?
Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates have some ideas on how the next generation should start.

Bill Gates has some advice to young people who want to have a social impact over their lives and careers: look around and observe the world around you first.

It’s not surprising that one of the world’s biggest philanthropists and entrepreneurs would put a high value on first-hand learning and experience. But it is worth thinking about, given how many people jump into fields or ideas with preconceived notions.

So what is the best method to do that?

In an interview, Bill and Melinda gave their advice on how you start, and actually it’s very simple. Go to this link to find out where they believe it should begin.

ARE YOU AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Always thought you had that certain-something to make you an entrepreneur? But what is that certain something?

A guest writer for Entrepreneur has taken some inspiration from comedian Jeff Foxworthy.

Well, inspired by Jeff, I’ve been thinking about a “You might be an entrepreneur” routine—in other words, slightly unexpected signs you’ve got what it takes to go through the thrilling, punishing, life-changing experience of starting your own company.

Yes, you’ve got to be passionate, resilient and all that other good stuff. But there are more subtle qualities needed, as well. Networking with other entrepreneurs over the years through Hootsuite and working closely with young up-and-comers through my foundation The Next Big Thing, I’ve noticed that a lot of us share some common personality traits. So, without further ado, you might be an entrepreneur if…

For the answers (some surprising), click here.

AMAZON AND WOODY ALLEN
Marketplace says, “The announcement was a showstopper: Woody Allen will produce his first television series. His distribution partner: Amazon Studios.”

It came on the heels of a big weekend for Amazon, which won its first two Golden Globe awards for the series “Transparent.”

Here’s how the 79-year-old Allen characterized the deal in a written statement: “I have no ideas, and I’m not sure where to begin.”

So now Amazon’s rivalry with Netflix has gone to a new level. One that insiders say may be good for Hollywood and the consumer.

Go to this link to learn more about “The Economics of Woody Allen and Amazon”.

CAN A WORK-AT-HOME POLICY HURT MORALE?
Harvard Business Review has taken a case study look at this intriguing and controversial topic.

Do employees left in the office feel at a disadvantage over those allowed to work at home? Could a company’s work-at-home policy be causing a productivity gap? Or should your office expand its work-at-home program?

This is a fictionalized case study, but do any of those questions sound familiar? Click on this link to join the fray.

WHY MITT PULLED THE PLUG
Jonathan Martin with the New York Times turns the back story on why Mitt Romney won’t seek the Presidency for a third time. The 2012 GOP nominee announced Friday that he won’t enter the field in 2016.

The news on Friday that Mr. Romney would opt out of the race revealed as much about the party in 2015 as it did about the former Massachusetts governor’s weaknesses as a candidate. Republican leaders, especially the party’s wealthiest donors, are in an impatient and determined mood. They are eager to turn to a new face they believe can defeat what they anticipate will be a strong, well-funded Democratic opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“People were much more excited about Jeb than Mitt,” said Ron Gidwitz, a Chicago financier who helped raise millions for Mr. Romney and allied groups in 2012. “Mitt ran twice before unsuccessfully. He’s a great guy. But winning is everything in this business.”

Mr. Romney’s decision not to run frees up scores of Republican establishment donors and campaign operatives, and sets off an intense battle for their support. A key question, given the early strength demonstrated by Mr. Bush and his network, is whether there is room for a candidate of similar policy views, such as Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey or Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, to emerge. So far, Mr. Bush has fared well among the party’s moneyed donor class, but its grass-roots activists, crucial to the early nominating states, have yet to coalesce around any candidate in a still evolving field.

Read more at this link.

HILLARY CLINTON MAY DELAY CAMPAIGN
In a exclusive, Politico reports that top Democrats have said, “Hillary Clinton, expecting no major challenge for the Democratic nomination, is strongly considering delaying the formal launch of her presidential campaign until July, three months later than originally planned.”

A Democrat familiar with Clinton’s thinking said: “She doesn’t feel under any pressure, and they see no primary challenge on the horizon. If you have the luxury of time, you take it.”

Advisers said the biggest reason for the delay is simple: She feels no rush.

What would be the key advantages of this strategy?

Connect to this link for the entire exclusive report.

HOW LONG BEFORE DEMOCRATS COULD GAIN THE HOUSE MAJORITY AGAIN?
“It could be a very long time,” reports The Washington Post.

House Democrats are gathering in Philadelphia Thursday and Friday to talk about that most compelling and complex of topics: the future. High on that agenda will be how – and when – they can hope to retake the majority they lost in the 2010 election.

The short answer to that question is: It’s going to be a while. The long answer is: It’s going to be a while. Here’s why.

Go to this link to find out.

A MORE CONSERVATIVE MEDICAID ALTERNATIVE IN INDIANA APPROVED
With Arkansas’ Medicaid expansion plans heading for a task force review, it’s interesting to tune in to other states’ efforts.

Governing reports, “The feds are letting Indiana, which is now the 10th Republican-run state to expand Medicaid, make several changes to the program that could discourage low-income people from seeking care.”

After roughly two years of talks, Indiana and the federal Department of Health and Human Services announced a deal Tuesday to expand Medicaid that adopts many of the same concepts pursued by other conservative additions to the program but with notable departures that some health experts say are overly harsh toward the poor.

The state also becomes the fourth to expand Medicaid through a special waiver that allows it to make some changes from the traditional program. Arkansas was the first, getting approval to use federal funding to pay for private health insurance. Other conservative states have pursued similar policies, as well as charging premiums or co-payments in order to offset costs or discourage wasteful care.

Like Arkansas, Indiana’s Medicaid expansion will go to pay for private health insurance plans.

Click on this link for the full story.