Defense & Manufacturing: The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin up to $58.6B to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, aiming to ramp output to about 2,000 per year by 2030, with Arkansas workforce expansion tied to the deal. Local Tech & Permitting: Little Rock board member Kathy Webb is proposing an 18-month moratorium on permits for “hyperscale” data centers, including a planned Google facility at the Port of Little Rock, as the city tightens rules on power-hungry projects. Energy & Grid Reliability: A federal emergency order targets power reliability in 17 states during extreme heat, including Arkansas, while utilities face growing pressure over demand and rates. Utilities & Data Centers: An Entergy rate case turned contentious as residents questioned the utility’s handling of a secret contract tied to a West Memphis Google data center. Agriculture & Land: USDA is making $35M available for feral swine control partnerships, and Arkansas reported a drop in foreign-owned farmland acres in 2024, though nearly 1.5M acres remain under foreign ownership. Rural Water & Flooding: Stakeholders are working to build consensus on solutions for Cache River flooding impacts on agriculture and towns. Workforce & Health: ORAU is launching a rural health Research Innovation Cluster with Arkansas State University as part of a push on workforce, access to care, women’s health, and resilience. Retail & EV Charging: Walmart is accelerating EV charging with rapid high-speed buildout, including new stations in Bentonville.