Is Print Hot Again? BusinessWeek, Chicago Sun-Times Have Bidders

Did you know that instead of reading constantly updated breaking news online, you can also access a summary of yesterday’s news in physical, printed format? There are several types of “print,” including things called “magazines” and “newspapers.” Several are for sale, including one here in Arkansas. But so far, not many folks want to buy [...]

Tough Times for Auto Dealers in This Week’s Arkansas Business

Happy Memorial Day! This week’s edition of Arkansas Business is online now. Among the highlights:
George Waldon takes a look at the state’s beleagered auto dealers, who were already facing tough times before Chrysler and GM started pruning dealerships, including several in Arkansas. Includes a list of recent closings.
(Also: Click here for video of Arkansas Business [...]

The Winner

AP: Allen Wins
Congrats from the hometown paper | TheCabin.net fan page
100 million votes after lowest-rated penultimate ep in ‘Idol’ history
KLRT retracts ‘38 million votes from Arkansas’ report
HuffPo: ‘Spoiler!’ Allen wins
NY Daily News: ‘Surprise upset’
NY Times: Protest? Cowell remains seated after announcement
USA Today: ‘Awful, moldy, bloated finale’
Washington Post: Christians for Kris
Fox affiliate’s blanket coverage
Vic Harville cartoon
Get [...]

The Democrat-Gazette Enters the Twittersphere

Conan Gallaty, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s online director, told us this day was coming. And now, the state’s largest newspaper is among the tweeters in the Arkansas Twittersphere.
And since our last check, others are tipping a toe in, testing the waters. Some haven’t even begun Twittering! But that’s okay. We’re here to give you a helpful [...]

State Officials, TV News Provide Storm Info Via Twitter

It’s a very small part to a still unfolding story weather tragedy in western Arkansas, but it bears noting for media-watchers how Arkansas news providers — and more importantly, state emergency management officials — used Twitter during last night’s storms.
In one of our Arkansas Twittersphere updates a few weeks ago, we noted that the Arkansas [...]

Reality Bites: State Revamps Budget Forecasts

Happening now: Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration Director Richard Weiss is delivering the bad news to the Arkansas General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee. Arkansas’ budget picture for the next fiscal year? Less rosey than originally thought! Are chickens coming home to roost? Has recession finally come to Arkansas?
All will be revealed. Track the breaking [...]

State Unemployment Up, But Things Could be Worse. We’re Looking at You, California

Arkansas unemployment rate rose seven-tenths of a percentage point from December to January, hitting 6.4 percent in the first month of the year. But for right now, things could be worse!
First, the report revised downward the December 2008 Arkansas unemployment rate, taking it from 6.2 percent to 5.7 percent. And in January, the Arkansas rate [...]

Major Job Losses, State Revenue and the Legislative Session on ‘Arkansas Week’

Update: Listen to audio, see video of tonight’s show.
It’s Friday, so you know what that means: “Arkansas Week”! Steve Barnes hosts another panel of Arkansas journalists to discuss The Week That Was. On tonight’s episode, me, John Williams and Brenda Blagg try to put the whole messy affair into some perspective. The topics:
Today’s painful U.S. [...]

USA Today on Arkansas ‘Stable’ Economy

Arkansas gets the front-page treatment in today’s USA Today newspaper, with an article talking about how the Natural State is among the few in the country with a relatively stable economy and low metropolitan unemployment.
The explanation is one we’ve heard many times before: We missed the highs of the bubble economy, so we’ve also been [...]

Joycelyn Elders in Arkansas Business: Raise the Cigarette Tax

Arkansas Business was packed with lots of local business and government celebrities this week, Gov. Mike Beebe and Stephens COO Curt Bradbury among them.
But don’t forget that letter to the editor from our nation’s infamous former Surgeon General, Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, who wholeheartedly endorsed Beebe’s plan to raise the state’s cigarette tax by 56 [...]