Weekend Digest: The Girl Scout Cookies Edition

TV PREVIEW: GOV. HUTCHINSON ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS
On this week’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, which airs Sundays at 9 a.m. on KATV Ch. 7, tune in for the following:

Prison and parole reform – Gov. Asa Hutchinson rolls out his comprehensive plan for changes to the state’s criminal justice system. What all do they include?

Hutchinson and Talk Business & Politics host Roby Brock sit down for an in-depth conversation. Where does Hutchinson expect controversy? Where will the money come from for his proposed changes? Why does he feel these solutions will make a difference?

Plus, Cong. Bruce Westerman is in the district and in studio. The first term Fourth District freshman representative sits down to talk about the first bill he’s filed and how it could impact Arkansas’ private option debate.

Tune in Sunday at 9 a.m. on KATV Ch. 7.

For our weekend business and political readers:

WANT TO START A BUSINESS?
Great, but what sector should you choose with the most promising opportunities for new entrants?

Starting a business is always a gamble, but in these fast-growing industries, the odds are stacked in your favor.

Check out Inc.’s “annual look at the best industries for starting a business” by clicking this link.

THE FCC WANTS TO MOVE THE U.S. TO 5G
You’ve lived through 3G and and you’re probably on 4G now with your cell phone.

Marketplace reports that the Federal Communications Commission just wrapped up a public comment period on 5G – or what the FCC likes to refer to as, “bringing the U.S to the forefront of fifth-generation wireless technology.”

So, what exactly is 5G?

How much faster will it be and what new interesting quirk will it possess? Go to this link to find out.

HIGH-GROWTH ENTREPRENEURS IN UNEXPECTED CITIES
The Kauffman Foundation says, “With a disproportionate share of the media attention focused on the entrepreneurial community in places like Boston and Silicon Valley, it is easy to overlook the lively entrepreneurial scene in Middle America cities like Kansas City.”

The Foundation conducted a study on how entrepreneurs from outside the stereotypical startup hubs accomplished high growth.

The study is based on interviews with 22 of the 144 Kansas City companies that appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 between 2007 and 2012. The focus was on firms that operated in the following three sectors: 1) information technology, 2) biotechnology, and 3) business services.

What did the study discover?

Four actionable insights that may serve to inform entrepreneurs wishing to build high-growth ventures outside of Silicon Valley.

Learn what they are by connecting here. And don’t forget to check out our focus on the startup scene in Arkansas at TalkBusiness.net/Startup.

COULD THE NFL LOOK BETTER?
No we’re not talking about some new exotic formations on the field and we’re not talking about off-the-field PR. What we’re talking about here is a snappy new concept look for helmet designs for the NFL’s 32 teams.

Look if the college teams can do it, why can’t the NFL style-it-up a bit.

That means — as designer Dylan Young of Deeyung Entertainment affirmed — it’s never the wrong time to think about how the game could look better.

Or, at least, bigger, which Young’s Fresh Football Helmets series definitely aims for. The concept designs re-imagine all 32 NFL teams’ helmets (plus one for the long-defunct Houston Oilers, who presumably hold a soft spot in the designer’s heart) with brighter, bolder colors, and much larger logos.

Check out the concept “Fresh Football Helmets” at this link from Fast Company, and now what about those “staid” NFL designs in its uniforms?

AN ALLY ISN’T ALWAYS WHAT IT SEEMS
At least in the case of Hillary Clinton’s insider group reports National Journal.

There are Clinton “insiders” and Clinton “allies.” Clinton “loyalists” and Clinton “confidants.” People “familiar with Clinton’s thinking” or “in Clinton’s orbit.”

No doubt, Washington is filled with Democrats who have worked for, advised, donated money to, or rubbed elbows with Hillary or Bill Clinton over the duo’s three decades in politics. But as the former secretary of State prepares a 2016 campaign, these “allies” are posing a problem for Clinton’s real team.

Who are they and what are they doing…or shouldn’t be doing? Go to this link for the full story.

IS HILLARY CLINTON A SHOO-IN?
Not even close, reports The Washington Post. But doesn’t this contradict the common notion that Clinton “will be hard to beat?”

Maybe. Clinton does have many strengths including a long and deep resume and a knack for fundraising. (Not to mention the demographic and electoral college edges that any Democratic nominee will likely carry.)

But, her ascendance to the presidency is anything but a sure thing. There’s lots of reasons for that but one of the big ones is that her time spent as Secretary of State for Obama will make it difficult for her to present herself as something new and different to voters almost certainly in the market for something, well, new and different.

And then there’s that poll question asked by Quinnipiac University. What was the question and how could it possibly pose problems for a Clinton candidacy? For the in-depth story, click on this link.

‘I AM MY OWN MAN’
And so with that declaration of comparison to his father and brother, Republican Jeb Bush has drawn a line about where he stands on policy decisions that affected the two former presidents in his family.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush gave his first foreign policy address since indicating he is exploring a 2016 run for the White House and aimed to distinguish himself from his brother and father, both former presidents.

He told the audience “I am my own man,” even though he is seeking guidance from many of their former advisers.

“I recognize that, as a result, my views will often be held up in comparison to theirs,” he said. “But I am my own man, and my views are shaped by my own thinking and my own experiences. Each president learns from those who came before – their principles, their adjustments.”

For Bush’s complete remarks plus commentary, connect to this link from ABC News.

THE OBAMA LIBRARY GETS OFF THE GROUND
It hasn’t been a seamless undertaking, but Politico reports that Chicago soon may win the Obama presidential library “in spite of itself.”

Earlier this month, it was far from a done deal. Although the Windy City was where Barack Obama launched his career and started his family, and where his former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel now serves as mayor, a seemingly mundane land use dispute nearly derailed the proposal to build the library at the University of Chicago. Meanwhile, Columbia University, Obama’s alma mater, stepped into the breach — offering 17 drama-free acres in upper Manhattan.

What happened to put Chicago “back at the front of the pack” and when will the Barack Obama Foundation make the announcement on the location? Go to this link to find out.

GIRL SCOUTS UNVEIL THREE NEW COOKIES
It’s major news! More delicious Girl Scouts cookie choices to choose, and guess what? Two of the new choices are gluten-free. And also there’s a new twist in this year’s ordering process.

According to CNN, around 1.5 million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million boxes of cookies annually, starting in January. The Girl Scouts’ tradition of selling cookies has been going on for 98 years, but this is the first year the Girl Scouts will be selling cookies online.

Kitchen Daily has the scoop on the new flavors at this link. Have you ordered yours yet?

ONE-WHEEL ELECTRONIC SKATEBOARD
Now they have “officially” thought of everything. Did you ever think you would see this? A skateboard that is self-balancing and uses one big wheel that drives itself.

The OneWheel is a self-balancing skateboard that uses one, big wheel to deal with obstacles, bumps, etc. with no problem at all. It is electric and drives itself based on the way you’re leaning.

Go for a video ride at this link from AOL.

EDDIE MURPHY AND ‘SNL 40’
If you’re like millions of other viewers, you probably caught the ‘SNL 40’ celebration this past weekend on NBC. And one of the show’s biggest former stars, Eddie Murphy, made an appearance but didn’t appear in a live sketch comedy bit like many were hoping.

SNL had actually prepared a sketch with Murphy in mind, but he declined. What happened?

Former Weekend Update host Norm Macdonald revealed it all for Rolling Stone.

“Murphy knew the laughs would bring the house down. Eddie Murphy knows what will work on SNL better than anyone. Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he is down,” Macdonald wrote. “Eddie Murphy, I realize, is not like the rest of us. Eddie does not need the laughs. Eddie Murphy is the coolest, a rock star even in a room with actual rock stars.”

So who did Murphy refuse to kick “when he is down?”

Go to this link for the full story.