Opinion

Walking a tightrope

This month may prove in the long run to be the most significant time period so far in our state’s efforts to battle the COVID-19 virus. We hear the numbers…

Most postwar recessions did not exceed 10 months

The recent national payroll employment report for April, which showed a decline of 20.5 million jobs and a 14.7% unemployment provides additional evidence a recession is underway. Coupled with peaks…

Transportation in NWA: The laws of physics rule

On the subject of transportation in Northwest Arkansas, those who are adults with a job will probably have to own a car here. Without one, it will be nearly impossible…

PPP: What you should know

In less than two weeks, small-business owners claimed all $349 billion allocated to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP officially opened on April 3 and by April 16, the…

Hiring perspectives from the CPG industry

As recruiters in the consumer goods industry, my colleagues and I have the opportunity to speak with professionals who manage sales, analytics and supply chains for the leading companies providing…

As retirement accounts take a hit, a Roth conversion offers silver lining

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the investment world has seen a dramatic decrease in values. This is obviously not what you want to see in your retirement account; however, there could…

Gov. Asa Hutchinson: The road back

Today I’d like to talk about our plans to shift our economy out of low gear as we look to life after the worst of this health crisis has passed….

‘ALICE’ provides a path forward for underserved

Every day, we meet Arkansans suffering under heavy loads. The dad who puts in long hours as a janitor at a local public school but can barely afford medications for…

No matter what happens around you, choose gratitude

The world is a new place. COVID-19 has changed the modern world in many ways we have yet to learn. Though the world is different, people are the same. Driven…

The global pandemic is creating significant disruption for businesses in every industry, which are doing their best to adapt to a still-evolving new reality. Consumer preferences also are rapidly changing,…

Retirement planning under COVID–19

From my 12+ years living and working in Washington, D.C. on and off Capitol Hill, I am keenly aware of how quickly major provisions in legislation get lost in the…

Supporting small business during the COVID-19 crisis

Social distancing may be necessary right now, but it’s taking a toll on small businesses. State-specific numbers aren’t available, but I am the Arkansas director of the National Federation of…

Riff Raff: Dear John

It wasn’t supposed to get to John. With little guilt, a subdued conscience and the shallow anger of the bitter, I’d submit the names of others this goddamned coronavirus should…

Come on, man!

As the coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness it causes, continue to spread, I’m not shocked that the Department of Justice has already identified and is taking action against a company…

Your disruption is another person’s devastation

A decade ago, I had the opportunity to sail aboard two Holland America cruise ships as the lead singer of a 10-person show cast. It was truly an amazing opportunity…

Task force making progress with data-driven decision making initiative

In June 2019, a legislative task force committee began asking the question: Is state government most effectively utilizing its data to ensure cross-agency collaboration? The conclusion, acknowledged at its first…

Telehealth: Healing from a distance while increasing patient ‘touch’

These are interesting times for health care professionals. While technology has been evolving rapidly over the last decade to allow for telemedicine, it hasn’t been until the last few weeks…

COVID-19 considerations

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably affected Arkansans’ daily lives and routines. One night recently, my 9-year-old daughter asked if I experienced something like this when I was her age. Of…

Amid uncertainty, Arkansans can be assured their water is safe

Arkansans have a lot on their mind right now. In short notice, life as we know it has flipped. Schools have closed. Some businesses have had to lay off workers…

ARA an advocate for residential tenants, landlords

Editor’s note: The following commentary appeared in the March 16 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. ———— Various media outlets have devoted significant time and energy reporting on the…