Autonomous Freight in Arkansas: PepsiCo and Gatik announced a multi-year rollout of fully driverless Class 8 trucks on a fixed corridor across Texas, Arizona and Arkansas, moving from testing to revenue routes. Cancer Care Expansion: Highlands Oncology broke ground on a new cancer center in Rogers to bring treatment, testing, research and support under one roof for Northwest Arkansas patients. Biomedical Funding: UAMS received a $19.6M federal grant to extend its Arkansas INBRE biomedical research program for five more years, supporting student and faculty research across the state. Local Research Boost: UAMS also landed a $7M Windgate Foundation grant for tuition scholarships and a new endowment tied to its Chancellor’s Scholars Program. Public Health & Work Requirements: CMS launched Medicaid work requirements under HR-1, with exemptions for health-related cases and an 80-hour-per-month engagement requirement for many adults. Food Safety Recall: FDA reported a Class II recall of 160,200 pounds of Farm Rich Pizza Cheese Crunchers shipped to Arkansas and other states. STEM Workforce & Infrastructure: Ritter Communications added Jerry Sorrentino as VP overseeing outside-plant construction and engineering as it expands RightFiber services. Heat Safety: A Northeast Arkansas report highlights practical steps for outdoor workers to prevent heat-related illness. Child Exploitation Arrest: Arkansas State Police ICAC Task Force arrested a Yellville man on multiple felony child exploitation charges after seizing devices and digital storage.