Latest News

China agrees to buy US soybeans

China has agreed to buy 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans this year after buying none during this harvest season, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday (Oct….

US may expand cattle imports

Smaller cattle herds and strong consumer demand have caused beef prices to rise by as much as 15% during the past year. This steady rise occurred despite a slight drop…

Report calls for streamlining child care licensing process

Child care in Arkansas can be made more available and affordable by reducing licensing and regulatory burdens, providing pooled or state-backed insurance programs, and expanding workforce training offerings, according to…

Alice Walton notes ‘special day’ at the AWSOM ceremonial opening

The inaugural class of medical students at the Alice Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) in Bentonville began studies in mid-July but the ceremonial opening was Wednesday (Oct 29), with Alice…

Murphy USA posts net income decline, announces leadership change

Third-quarter net income for El Dorado-based Murphy USA was $129.9 million, down 13% compared with the same quarter in 2024. The regional fuel and convenience store operator also reported a…

Primo Brands expands in Hot Springs

Primo Brands Corporation on Wednesday (Oct. 29) broke ground on a new factory in Hot Springs to support demand for its premium brand The Mountain Valley. The site marks the…

PAMT’s Q3 loss exceeds $5 million, revenue falls 17%

Tontitown-based carrier PAMT Corp. posted a net loss and a double-digit revenue decline in the third quarter of 2025. After the markets closed Tuesday (Oct. 28), PAMT reported a loss…

At Lithium Summit, Arkansas’ opportunities and China’s challenges

Arkansas potentially has a “world-class resource” in its lithium deposits and is an attractive partner thanks to its welcoming attitude and established regulatory framework. China enjoys a huge head start…

CEO: Blue Cross should have better year after ‘challenging’ 2024

After a difficult 2024 financially, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield should have a better year this year, CEO Curtis Barnett told the Rotary Club of Little Rock Tuesday (Oct….

UA professor Remko van Hoek receives supply chain award

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has named Remko van Hoek, professor of supply chain management in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of…

Elopak adding new $30 million production line to LR Port plant

International packaging manufacturer Elopak will expand its Little Rock manufacturing facility by another $30 million and add a third production line, the company said Tuesday (Oct. 28). The firm spent…

UAMS receives $4 million to reduce maternal mortality in Ashley and Union counties

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a federal grant of nearly $4 million to reduce maternity-associated health problems and deaths in Ashley and Union counties in…

Molecular Processing creates 50 new jobs in Hot Springs

Molecular Processing, LLC is locating its new manufacturing operations in Hot Springs with plans to create more than 50 new jobs over five years. Molecular Processing, LLC has acquired the…

Soybeans pass ‘memories’ to their offspring

Soybean plants often deal with and survive destructive insects and drought and if they survive they pass these “memories” onto their offspring. Researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station believe that soybean plants…

University of Central Arkansas establishes NWA advisory council

The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway announced Monday (Oct. 27) the launch of a Northwest Arkansas Advisory Council to “deepen the university’s connection” to Northwest Arkansas. The council…

Acres.com to collaborate with UA System’s Fryar Center

Acres.com, a Fayetteville-based land intelligence platform, recently established a partnership with the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture…

Olivia Walton, Robin Roberts among new investors in NY Liberty franchise

Olivia Walton, CEO of Ingeborg Investments and chair of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, is a new investor in the New York Liberty women’s pro basketball franchise. Multiple…

Report shows more Arkansas, U.S. children living in poverty

Children living in poverty in Arkansas was 14.5% in the 2022-2024 period, up from 8.9% between 2019-2021, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF). The…

The Supply Side: Centoco in talks to make toilet seats in Arkansas for Walmart

Bethany Toldo, president of family-owned Centoco Manufacturing of Windsor, Ontario, recently made the long trip to Bentonville to pitch toilet seats her company makes in McCrory (Woodruff County), about 75…

Nov. 21 a deadline to watch in government shutdown politics

Our D.C. Edition guest this week was David Olive, a principal with Washington D.C.-based Catalyst Partners, a government relations firm that primarily focuses on homeland security. He was the chief…