Arkansas Lithium Push: Smackover Lithium’s South West Arkansas Project landed a second binding offtake deal with LG Energy Solution—8,000 metric tons of battery-quality lithium carbonate per year for 10 years (about $1.5B), following an earlier Trafigura agreement, putting the project on track for financing and a targeted 2026 final investment decision. Emergency Management Degree: Southern Arkansas University launched a new B.S. in Emergency Management starting Fall 2026, designed for incident command, homeland security, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and emergency management technology. Rural Health Tech Funding: Arkansas’ Rural Health Transformation Program awarded first-round grants totaling nearly $150M, including THRIVE and PACT awards aimed at telehealth, health monitoring, and access improvements across rural counties. Public Safety Cameras Debate: Jonesboro Police says its 55 Flock cameras integrated into its Real Time Crime Center are essential, while other cities across Arkansas have paused or ended similar automated license plate surveillance amid privacy concerns. UAMS Opioid Response: Arkansas AG Tim Griffin and UAMS staff distributed 1,000 free naloxone kits to support opioid overdose emergency treatment. STEM Learning for Youth: The Arkansas 4-H Food Plot Project offers hands-on wildlife and plant science training for ages 9–19, with registration due Sept. 1. AI Regulation Watch: The EU designated ChatGPT as a “Very Large Online Search Engine” under the Digital Services Act, raising compliance expectations for generative AI at scale.