Here’s the open line and week-ending video. Also, Sen. Tom Cotton gets some friendly treatment from the New York Times:

* LET HIM EAT CAKE: Tom Cotton is the feature of the weekly punchy Q&A with a public figure in the Sunday New York Times magazine. It was completed before this week’s widely circulated remark about hanging gays in Iran. The big get:

Advertisement

You have been described as having very little appetite for frivolity. Do you have any guilty pleasures? I run a lot every morning.

That sounds neither guilty nor pleasurable. But I do it so I can indulge in the guilty pleasure of eating birthday cake.

Every day? Most days, with ice cream. Early on, when my wife and I were dating, we went to the grocery store, and I told her that sometimes I just buy birthday cakes, and I eat them. And she said: “Really? I do, too.”

Even if it’s not somebody’s birthday? Yes. She went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up a white birthday cake.

* COMPUTER TASK FORCE: Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced today members of a task force to study computer education standards and other computer needs for the states. The members follow:

Advertisement

Johnny Key, Department of Education, Commissioner of Education

Tom Chilton, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Director of Technology Development

Dr. Charisse Childers, Department of Career Education, Director.

Brett Powell, Department of Higher Education, Director.

Daryl Bassett, Department of Workforce Services, Director.

Tim Atkinson, Arkansas Science & Technology Authority, President.

Carl Frank, Arkansas’s Computer Science Teachers Association, President.

Gary Dowdy, Arkansas Academy of Computing, President.

Andy Mayes, Bentonville. IT Solutions teacher, Bentonville High School. President of Arkansas Society for Technology in Education. A High School Computer Science Teacher.

Suzanne Mitchell, Little Rock. Executive Director, Arkansas STEM Coalition. Representative of the Arkansas STEM Coalition.

Rasesh Patel, Little Rock. Director of Product Development, Acxiom. Representative in the field of computer programming.

Dave Wengel, Little Rock. Founder and CEO, iDatafy. At-large member.

John James, Fayetteville. CEO, Acumen Brands. At-large member.

James Hendren, Technology Startup Consultant, Self Employed. Little Rock. At-large member.

David Hopkins, Clarksville. Superintendent, Clarksville School District. At-large member.  

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Blanchard Springs Caverns tour re-routed Next article Staff Picks: Lost Valley, Funkadelic, The Great Discontent, ‘We are the Best!’ and more