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☆ Arkansas Warns School Districts Not to Offer A.P. African American Studies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Dana Goldstein | More About Dana Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

African American Studies has had a tumultuous journey since its official rollout in February, when it emerged that the College Board had revised the course’s content. African American studies is interdisciplinary, encompassing concepts from history, sociology, politics, legal studies, arts and culture. But the College Board removed or watered down key subjects and concepts from the course framework, such as critical race theory and mass incarceration. The College Board said it “rejects the notion that the A.P. African American studies course is indoctrination in any form.” And it pointed out that more than 200 colleges have already agreed to provide credit for the class, including the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, the state’s flagship public postsecondary institution.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, —, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Jacob Oliva, DeSantis, Alexa Henning, Huckabee Sanders, “ Organizations: American Studies, College Board, Gov, Florida Republican, Board, Republican, Arkansas Department of Education, Twitter, The, University of Arkansas Locations: Florida, Arkansas, Fayetteville

People walk in the Goldman Sachs global headquarters in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 15, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew KellyAug 10 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs (GS.N) shareholders cannot go forward with a class action alleging the bank misled investors about its business practices ahead of the subprime mortgage crisis, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in three pension funds' long-running case accusing the bank of unlawfully hiding conflicts of interest when creating risky subprime securities, costing investors more than $13 billion. The investors said that the bank's fraudulent statements kept its stock price artificially high. Goldman argued that these "aspirational" statements were too vague and general to have had any impact on the stock price.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Andrew Kelly, Goldman, John Paulson, Jody Godoy, Jonathan Oatis, John Stonestreet Organizations: REUTERS, The, Circuit, U.S, Goldman, Abacus, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Supreme, Appeals, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York, U.S, The New York, Arkansas, New York

☆ Opinion | The Absurd Republican Argument for Rolling Back Child Labor Laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jessica Grose | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Vrbin’s report notes that Kellams isn’t against teenagers working, and that as a teenager she herself worked at a local chicken plant that has a history of violating child labor laws. Some of these laws, like Iowa’s, which allows 14- and 15-year-olds to work up to six hours a day during the school year, conflict with federal labor law. According to Nina Mast, a state economic analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, the ultimate goal of the proponents of these state laws is to weaken federal child labor law. Though there were attempts to weaken child labor law after that, he says, they weren’t really mainstream for decades. In his book, Fliter notes that as a presidential candidate in 2012, the former House speaker Newt Gingrich “proposed a plan to allow poor children to work as janitors in schools” and called child labor laws “truly stupid.” Since then, political attacks on child labor laws have increased.

Persons: ”, Tess Vrbin, Laura Kellams, ” Kellams, Nina Mast, John Fliter, Fliter, Mike Lee of, Newt Gingrich “ Organizations: Northwest, Arkansas, Children, Economic Policy Institute, Kansas State University, “ Child Labor, Fair Labor, Senate Locations: Arkansas, The Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, ” Arkansas, Iowa , New Hampshire, New Jersey, America, Mike Lee of Utah, ”

☆ Tyson is closing four plants as chicken sales slump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Chicken prices are down. The company reported earnings for the quarter ending July 1 that showed chicken revenue fell about 3.5%. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader/ImagnTyson CEO Donnie King pointed to these market conditions when discussing Tyson’s chicken sales decline during an analyst call Monday. “We’ve had a number of fits and starts from the breeder side to demand,” King said. “We’re on the right path.”Plant closuresIn March, the company announced the closure of one chicken processing plant in Glen Allen, Virginia, and another in Van Buren, Arkansas.

Persons: Nathan Papes, Imagn Tyson, Donnie King, ”, It’s, Tyson, “ We’ve, ” King, “ We’re, King, “ I’m, ” Tyson Organizations: New, New York CNN, Tyson Foods, Rabobank, Springfield News, CNN, TSN Locations: New York, United States, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Noel , Missouri, hatchings, Glen Allen , Virginia, Van Buren , Arkansas

☆ A 'Frankenfish' that can live without water for days and officials instruct to kill on sight was spotted deep in Missouri, worrying conservationists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Emily Swaim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"They're in the Mississippi River already, so that is a huge highway for the species," Knuth said. Dave Knuth, Duck Creek Conservation AreaWhile northern snakeheads normally avoid humans, they are very protective of their young. In 2019, researchers looked at how the Blackwater River watershed changed before and after northern snakeheads invaded. Dave Knuth, Duck Creek Conservation AreaIf you happen to spot a northern snakehead, the US government recommends killing it right away. If you find and kill a northern snakehead, you can report the capture to your local fish and game agency.

Persons: Dave Knuth, Knuth, White Organizations: Service, Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, DC, Washington Post, Fish Commission, Conservation Area, Conservation Center Locations: Missouri, Midwest, Wall, Silicon, Duck, Conservation Area, Asia, Africa, Crofton , Maryland, East, Maryland, Virginia, Arkansas, Northern, Mississippi, Blackwater, North America

☆ Tom Cotton demands briefing on the cocaine found at the White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A small amount of cocaine was found at the White House in an area heavily trafficked by visitors. Sen. Tom Cotton just sent a letter to the Secret Service demanding a briefing on the matter. "Congress and the American people deserve to know how cocaine got into the White House," he said. Cotton gave the agency until 5pm on Friday to respond to the questions, which centered around security procedures at the White House. "If the Secret Service discovers the identity of the individual who brought illicit cocaine into the White House complex, will they make an arrest under this provision?"

Persons: Sen, Tom Cotton, —, Cotton Organizations: White, Secret Service, Service, Arkansas Republican, Wing, New York Times Locations: Arkansas

☆ Exclusive: Exxon Mobil expands lithium bet with Tetra Technologies deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Ernest Scheyder | Thomson Reuters | Ernest Scheyder Is An Award-Winning Senior Correspondent Covering The Green Energy Transition | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Exxon acquired it earlier this year when it bought a neighboring Arkansas parcel of 100,000 acres from Galvanic Energy. Galvanic remains an independent, privately held company and is not affiliated with Tetra or Exxon. By partnering with Exxon, Tetra gains a large partner with capital to help it produce bromine, which is used in flame retardants, from the acreage. Exxon, meanwhile, gains access to yet another U.S. supply of lithium as the country rapidly expands its EV supply chain. Tetra had previously agreed to lease more than 27,000 acres in Arkansas to Standard Lithium (SLI.V) to produce lithium.

Persons: Tetra, Ernest Scheyder, Chris Reese Organizations: Exxon Mobil, Tetra Technologies Inc, Exxon, Energy, Tetra, Representatives, Eos Energy Enterprises, Arkansas, Reuters, Battery Metals, EnergySource Minerals, Thomson Locations: Arkansas, Tetra

CNN —Former NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett died Tuesday in an apparent drowning off a Florida beach, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Mallett went under the water and was not breathing when lifeguards pulled him out, the sheriff’s office said. “The New England Patriots are deeply saddened to learn of the sudden and unexpected passing of former quarterback Ryan Mallett,” the team said on Twitter. “It is with great sadness that we share the loss of Coach Ryan Mallett,” the district said. “Coach Mallett was a beloved coach and educator.

Persons: CNN —, Ryan Mallett, Mallett, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, CNN — Former NFL, Sheriff’s, Arkansas Razorbacks, New England Patriots, NFL, Patriots, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Twitter, White Hall Bulldogs, White Hall School District Locations: Florida, Okaloosa, Destin, White Hall , Arkansas, Gulf

Several Republican 2024 presidential hopefuls criticized Donald Trump Sunday as the former president faces 37 federal counts for allegedly hoarding documents after he left the White House. "He's a petulant child when someone disagrees with him," Christie told CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday. Presidential hopeful and former Vice President Mike Pence said it is "premature" to say whether or not he would pardon Trump were he to be convicted. "All we know is what the president has been accused of in the indictment," Pence told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday. But Trump had a supporter on Sunday in Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy who has said the former president should be pardoned if convicted.

Persons: Mike Pence, Donald Trump, Trump, —, Bill Barr, John Kelly, Chris Christie, Christie, CNN's, Pence, NBC's, Joe Biden, Asa Hutchinson, Hutchinson, I'm, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Martin Luther King Jr Organizations: Republican, Donald Trump Sunday, White, Former New Jersey Gov, Union, Sunday, Press, Republican National, Arkansas Republican, Federal Bureau of, Fox, Civil Locations: Ankeny , Iowa, United States, Arkansas

☆ Tornado alley is widening, putting millions more people and properties at risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Much of that is because the season is starting earlier, and tornado alley is expanding due to a warmer climate. Tornadoes need four ingredients to form, explained Ashley: moisture, instability (which provides the energy necessary for the storms), wind shear and lift. When a powerful F-4 tornado plowed through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in March, residents were largely unprepared. The only one that I can remember is 1971, and the tornado bypassed Rolling Fork. That's precisely why the widening of tornado alley is fast becoming a new focus for insurers.

Persons: Walker Scott Ashley, Ashley, Eldridge Walker, Walker, That's, John Dickson, Dickson, Eric Andersen, Aon Organizations: Climate Central, Northern Illinois University, Tornadoes, Global, U.S ., Farm, Allstate Locations: U.S, Northeast Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Fork , Mississippi, Rolling, Kansas, Mississippi, Aon, California

☆ Walmart gobbled up and spit out e-commerce brands like Bonobos and Moosejaw. Here's what happened to the retailer's jilted exes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past few months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year. Bonobos, founded in 2007, attracts young, urban customers with its slim-fitting pants, shirts, jackets, and suits.

Persons: Marc Lore, —, Lore, Doug McMillon, Eoin Comerford, Bebeto Matthews, Ben Tobin Organizations: Walmart, Service, Privacy, Lore's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Moosejaw Walmart, Bonobos Walmart, Bonobos, Bebeto Matthews Walmart, WHP Global, Express, FullBeauty Brands Locations: Arkansas, Bentonville , Arkansas, Michigan, Walmart's, New York

☆ Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Would Criminalize Access to Some Books
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Elizabeth A. Harris | Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A new state law in Arkansas that could send librarians and booksellers to prison was challenged on Friday in a federal lawsuit filed by libraries, independent bookstores and publishers who said the legislation was unconstitutional. The suit comes as states and counties around the country are increasingly restricting the availability of certain kinds of books, and as those who oppose such regulations are finding more ways to push back. The complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the western District of Arkansas, said the law “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.”The Arkansas law, which is scheduled to go into effect in August, requires any material that might be “harmful” to minors, including books, magazines and movies, to be shelved in a separate, “adults only” area.

Organizations: United States, Court, of Locations: Arkansas, of Arkansas

☆ How the 'water bed effect' is costing you at the grocery store
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But that habit creates a "water bed effect," putting pressure on small grocers, an NYT opinion says. For the food industry, the consequences of the water bed effect have included consolidation and less competition, Mitchell wrote. Walmart commanded about one-quarter of US grocery sales in 2021, according to Euromonitor. The subject of grocery consolidation was a concern to small grocers before the most recent merger proposal. Independent grocers represent up to one-third of US grocery sales, according to a 2021 estimate from the National Grocers Association.

A supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021. The Arkansas man who was photographed on Jan. 6, 2021, with his feet on a desk in then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office was sentenced Wednesday to four and a half years in prison. Richard 'Bigo' Barnett arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse for jury selection in his trial on January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. Before he left Pelosi's office, Barnett took an envelope that he later displayed for cameras outside the Capitol. After his arrest, "Barnett sought to profit from his notoriety and criminal conduct," including by selling autographed pictures of himself in Pelosi's office, prosecutors said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Mr, Barnett, Richard, Bigo, Nancy Pelosi's, Richard ' Bigo, Barrett Prettyman, Pelosi, Nancy, he'd, Elect Biden, he's, Ryan J, Reilly, Daniel Barnes Organizations: DC, U.S . Capitol, Capitol, Prosecutors, Washington , D.C Locations: Washington , DC, Arkansas, Washington ,, United States, New York, Washington

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

☆ Meet the billionaire family behind Tyson Foods, the beef, pork, and chicken juggernaut whose heir apparent has battled legal troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Tyson Foods owns brands including Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm, producing roughly 20% of America's beef, chicken, and pork. The Arkansas-based company made $53.6 billion in sales last year and has been family-run for generations. Chairman John H. Tyson and his family are worth $2.3 billion, making the Tysons one of the country's wealthiest families. The company has been family-run ever since it was founded in 1931, with chairman John H. Tyson — grandson of founder John W. Tyson — and his relatives controlling a majority of the company's stock. Here's a look at the massive beef, pork, and poultry company and the billionaire family behind it.

Federal worker safety inspections have alleged poor maintenance or a lack of safety training at some Tyson plants where ammonia leaks injured workers. CNN interviewed eleven current or former Tyson workers across three different plants who experienced ammonia leaks. !”A safety sign hangs on a fence at a Tyson plant in Hope, Arkansas, in March 2023. Still, some Tyson workers who lived through ammonia leaks said they wished more had been done to protect them. That means that the data doesn’t necessarily cover Tyson plants or other meat facilities that hold smaller amounts of ammonia.

☆ Where Walmart's jilted exes are now: what happened to the e-commerce brands it gobbled up and spit out like Bonobos and Moosejaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past couple of months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Recently, Walmart's e-commerce goals have shifted. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year.

☆ Should parents decide what their kids do online? These states think so
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

That, at least, is the vision emerging from a growing number of states introducing — and in some cases passing — legislation intended to protect kids online. Now, in the absence of federal legislation, states are taking action, and raising some alarms in the process. On the surface, providing more guardrails for teens is a step forward that some parents may welcome after years of worrying about the potential harms kids face on social media. “Not all parents are passionate, kind and supportive of their kids, and even the ones who are don’t have the capacity or time to deal with the 24/7 nature of social media,” said Heitner. “It’s an unfair burden.”Enforcement issuesGiven that the bills are unprecedented, it’s unclear how exactly social media companies will adapt and enforce it.

☆ Arkansas governor signs sweeping bill imposing a minimum age limit for social media usage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a sweeping bill imposing a minimum age limit for social media usage, in the latest example of states taking more aggressive steps intended to protect teens online. The legislation, known as the Social Media Safety Act and taking effect in September, is aimed at giving parents more control over their kids’ social media usage, according to lawmakers. It defines social media companies as any online forum that lets users create public profiles and interact with each other through digital content. The confusion over YouTube appears to stem from the carveout for businesses that offer cloud storage and that make less than 25% of their revenue from social media. “The purpose of this bill was to empower parents and protect kids from social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat,” Dees said in a statement.

☆ Morning Bid: And it was all going so well
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 6 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Amanda Cooper. The prospect of a sustained string of interest rate rises last year led to an epic sell-off in bonds and battered sectors of the stock market, such as tech. As 2023 dawned, data showed the economy was holding up, the consumer was resilient, and, just as importantly, so were corporate profits. But this week's data releases have served as a reminder that policy transmission - the effect of changes in interest rates on the real world - is alive and well. Twelve months and nearly 500 basis points of rate rises will eventually take their toll.

CNN —The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would require social media companies to verify their users’ ages and confirm that minors have permission from a parent or guardian before opening an account. The bill, dubbed the Social Media Safety Act, was passed by an overwhelming vote of 82-10, according to a tweet from the House account, and adds to the swell of efforts by state and federal lawmakers to regulate social media platforms and protect children online. If the Arkansas bill is signed into law, social media companies would be required to use third-party vendors to verify Arkansas residents’ ages – regardless of whether or not they are minors. For users younger than 18, the platform must obtain the consent of their parent or guardian in order to open an account for them. Similar bills have also been proposed in Connecticut and Ohio, where the legislation would require a guardian’s consent for minors younger than 16 to have accounts.

☆ Fed should stick to raising rates while labor market strong, Bullard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Lindsay Dunsmuir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 6 (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve should stick to raising interest rates to lower inflation while the labor market remains strong, given the high probability recent financial stresses will continue to abate and absent a marked tightening of credit conditions, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Thursday. Economic data since the Fed's March 21-22 policy meeting has been mixed, with encouraging signs of a loosening in the labor market and a further abatement in high inflation tempered by both remaining too strong for comfort. The Labor Department's employment report for March is due to be released on Friday. Bullard said this week's better-than-expected report on labor market openings still showed a job market that remained very strong by historical standards. Investors are almost evenly divided as to whether the Fed will keep its policy rate unchanged at its May 2-3 meeting or proceed with a quarter-of-a-percentage-point increase.

☆ The Fed should keep raising rates as overblown credit fears make a recession unlikely, Fed President Bullard says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Fed can keep raising rates as there's little risk of recession caused by recent bank stress, Fed president James Bullard said. The lending facilities extended to banks have been working, offsetting a bigger credit crunch. "It's not clear to me that there will be much of a pullback on lending by these types of banks," Bullard said. Bullard had previously forecast a Fed rate of 5.50%-5.75%, and has been a proponent of the bank's aggressive policy in order to tame high prices. And rate cuts may not be the most effective answer to current credit anxieties, Bank of America explained in a note published Thursday.

☆ Mitt Romney calls new bike lanes 'the height of stupidity' as bicyclists press Congress to make roads safer and e-bikes cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sen. Mitt Romney said making room for bike lanes is "the height of stupidity" and opposes e-bike credits. "Removing automobile lanes to put in bike lanes is, in my opinion, the height of stupidity, it means more cars backing up, creating more emissions." "There is a widespread suspicion on the right today that liberals want to take away their way of life," Carney told Insider. That is in the background of the mind of every conservative, and so when they hear more bike lanes, they think, 'Okay, what is that code for?'" Carney told attendees at the annual National Bike Summit in Washington last week to frame their efforts as building safer and more interconnected communities.

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