Subject: Thursday Morning Briefing
From: Talk Business <[email-masked]>
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Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 11:29:32 +0000
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ALL TRUMPED UP: JOHN BRUMMETT HUNTS FOR SUPPORTERS OF THE OUTSIDER WHO WOULD BE PRESIDENT - Columnist John Brummett scours the Arkansas political landscape in search of Donald Trump supporters who are willing to explain the GOP Presidential presumptive nominee's appeal.

In this article in the latest magazine edition of Talk Business & Politics, Brummett talks to the Trump for President Arkansas chair - Bud Cummins - and a number of individual supporters from around the state. What is driving their loyalty to Trump? Read this well-written, in-depth analysis at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=2f5dd8fe29&e=b5f4886f5f) .

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APARTMENT RENTAL COSTS RISING IN U.S., MUCH OF ARKANSAS: Apartment rent prices are rising across the nation and in two of Arkansas’ three largest metro areas, according to a report from San Francisco-based Apartment Lists. The Fort Smith metro has bucked the trend with a decline in rent rates. In central Arkansas, Little Rock’s apartment rental costs have risen 0.8% year-over-year, according the Apartment List report. The median cost of a one bedroom unit is $660, while two bedroom units cost $800. One-bedroom apartment rentals in the Little Rock area are 12.5% less expensive than Bentonville, 42% cheaper than Rogers and cost 17% less than Fayetteville. Overall, national rent prices were flat over the past month, although rents were 2.8% higher in April over a year ago. Read more on the trend lines at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=cd535123d6&e=b5f4886f5f) .

MURPHY OIL TRIMS 1Q LOSSES, CONTINUES TO HOLD DOWN SPENDING IN ‘LOW COMMODITY’ ENVIRONMENT: Murphy Oil Corp. trimmed losses from a year ago as the El Dorado oil producer tries to wait out the fallout from low crude oil and natural gas prices with a bare bones budget that mothballs most of the company’s capital-intensive exploration and production program. For the period ended March 31, 2015, Murphy reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $198.8 million, or $1.16 per share, compared to last year’s huge loss of $14.4 billion, or two cents per share, in the same period of 2014. Read more here (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=a465109ea4&e=b5f4886f5f) .

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LEGISLATORS PASS $5.3 BILLION STATE FUNDING BILL, PAVES WAY FOR SPECIAL SESSION: THE fiscal session moved toward its conclusion Wednesday (May 4) with the passage in the House and Senate of the Revenue Stabilization Act, the funding mechanism that governs how all state general budget dollars are spent. Next up: a brief fiscal session dealing with highways, levees and more.

The Senate approved the revenue measure, 25-6, with four not voting. The House approved its identical version, 85-7, with six voting present and two not voting. The two chambers will vote on each other’s versions Thursday, sending them to the governor’s desk and effectively ending the session. Read more here (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=80957442c5&e=b5f4886f5f) .

SPECULATION BEGINS OVER WHO WILL BE GOV. HUTCHINSON’S NEXT CHIEF OF STAFF: The governor’s chief of staff is one of the most important positions in state government, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson is looking for a new one. On Monday, Michael Lamoureux, announced he was stepping down from that post at the end of May. Asked if a potential replacement is ready, Hutchinson said, “No, I wanted to give some time to think about it and might take advantage of that opportunity to restructure the office or at least consider it, so we’ll see where that goes.”

Hutchinson could look to his current senior staff. Jon Gilmore, his deputy chief of staff and Hutchinson’s 2014 campaign manager, is young but experienced and respected. Senior advisor Betty Guhman was Hutchinson’s chief of staff when he was under secretary for Border and Transportation Security at the Department of Homeland Security in 2003-05, and then was a partner with Hutchinson in the Hutchinson Group, a consulting firm. Read more here (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=aaafc6b4a5&e=b5f4886f5f) .

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USDA UNVEILS 'URBAN AGRICULTURE TOOLKIT' FOR CITY FARMERS, AGRI-BUSINESS STARTUPS AND ENTREPRENEURS: The U.S. Department of Agriculture recent unveiled its Urban Agriculture Toolkit, a new resource created by the federal agency’s Know Your Farmer team to help entrepreneurs and community leaders successfully create jobs and increase access to healthy food through urban agriculture. USDA's Toolkit is an electronic document that helps urban and small farms navigate more than 70 helpful resources, including technical assistance and financing opportunities. It focuses on some of the most pressing challenges confronting urban producers such as land access, soil quality, water resources, capital and financing, infrastructure, market development, production strategies, and applying for federal, state or private foundation grants.

CONSUMER WEARABLES, WIRELESS AUDIO AND CONNECTION DEVICES SEE LARGEST OWNERSHIP GROWTH IN PAST YEAR: Ownership of wireless audio, wearables and connected devices saw the largest household gains from 2015 to 2016, according to new research from the Consumer Technology Association. The 18th Annual Consumer Technology Ownership and Market Potential study's findings also verify that smartphones are now a household staple, with ownership trends beginning to mirror those of televisions, which remain the most pervasive tech product in U.S. households.

Tech devices experiencing the largest increase in household ownership from 2015 to 2016 include portable wireless speakers (up 10 percentage points to reach 35% household ownership); wearable fitness activity trackers (20% ownership) and wireless headphones (36% ownership) both increasing nine percentage points; and smart TVs (50% ownership) increasing by seven percentage points. The ever-expanding adoption and growth of IoT will also help lead the U.S. consumer technology industry to a record-setting $287 billion in retail revenues ($224 billion wholesale) in 2016, according to CTA’s consumer technology sale forecast.

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"It is not me. … Yeah, that’s settled." - Senate President Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, who says he won't be replacing Michael Lamoureux as Gov. Hutchinson's chief of staff.

"I know there’s a couple of different options. There’s some in-house. There’s some outside, so I know he’s looking at those things, and he’ll probably get some input from others." - Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren, R-Gravette, on the chief of staff position.

"Murphy remains focused on driving down operating and administrative costs across all segments of our business as demonstrated with our first quarter results. The leaner organization and reduced costs better position the company to weather a possible ‘lower-for-longer’ commodity price environment." - Murphy Oil President and CEO Roger Jenkins.

"No doubt he'd be one of the most qualified people to serve there." - State Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Bigelow, suggesting that GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump appoint former opponent, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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