Technology
Members of Congress blast TikTok CEO as bipartisan support for U.S. ban looks possible
A U.S. House panel grilled TikTok’s CEO for more than five hours Thursday over the social media giant’s ties to China, and indicated there may be bipartisan consensus for a national ban on the platform. Members of both parties showed an unusual level of agreement during tough questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Several members […]
Arkansas governor-backed bill would require social media age verification
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants the Arkansas Legislature to require platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, to hire third-party vendors to verify users’ ages. A bill introduced with the new Republican governor’s support on Thursday would require social media users to provide digital versions of their drivers’ licenses or state IDs to online companies. Those under […]
Looking beyond the fence at Standard Lithium’s ‘South West Arkansas Project’
Editor’s note: This is the second of two parts examining the promise and possible environmental peril of lithium extraction in Southwest Arkansas. You can find the first part here. Just about an hour west of El Dorado, where Standard Lithium debuted its demonstration plant, lies the foundation of the company’s “South West Arkansas (SWA) Project.” […]
Southwest Arkansas and the promise of ‘green’ lithium extraction
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series looking at the promise and possible environmental peril of lithium extraction in Southwest Arkansas. At 4:30 p.m., Jan. 10, 1921, the Busey No. 1 well drilled 2,233 feet and sent a thick black column of gas, oil, and water through the top of the derrick, […]
UAMS researchers test app designed to prevent opioid use relapse
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researchers have developed an award-winning smartphone app designed to decrease opioid cravings and optimize medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder. Supported by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the research team is testing the effectiveness of OptiMAT (Optimizing Medication Assisted Treatment) among […]
U.S. House GOP takes aim at fake pills containing deadly fentanyl sold on social media
WASHINGTON — On a June 2020 morning, Amy Neville entered her son’s bedroom to wake him for an orthodontist appointment. Fourteen-year-old Alex didn’t wake up. He died of fentanyl poisoning after taking a counterfeit pill he bought from someone he met on Snapchat, Neville told GOP lawmakers Wednesday during a roundtable discussion of the role […]
Members of Congress sign up for TikTok, despite security concerns
WASHINGTON — Just like teens, members of Congress are setting up TikTok accounts — even as the popular app is increasingly barred from government devices and heads of federal intelligence agencies raise concerns about data collection and surveillance obtained by a Chinese-owned company. At least 32 members of Congress — all Democrats and one independent […]
Rural seniors benefit from pandemic-driven remote fitness boom
MALMO, Minn. — Eight women, all 73 or older, paced the fellowship hall at Malmo Evangelical Free Church to a rendition of Daniel O’Donnell’s “Rivers of Babylon” as they warmed up for an hourlong fitness class. The women, who live near or on the eastern shore of Mille Lacs Lake, had a variety of reasons […]
Officials seeking federal dollars need Arkansans’ help verifying broadband access
The Arkansas State Broadband Office is urging Arkansans to verify a federal broadband map to ensure the state receives the maximum funding available and that those funds reach regions that need broadband most. The Federal Communications Commission has released a new broadband map showing high-speed internet availability across the country. The National Telecommunications and Information […]