This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of July 21, 2024. I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at the Arkansans influencing our national political discussions.

This week, we are taking a look at an event outside of Beltway. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette joined Arkansans in Milwaukee last week as they participated in the Republican National Convention and formally nominated former President Donald Trump as their presidential nominee.

On this week's episode, we provide you with an inside look at the emotions of the week following the assassination attempt against Trump, the Arkansans who shared the convention stage with other leading Republican figures, and what some people are thinking with the general election less than four months away.

STORY: Arkansas Republicans eager for convention as emotions over Trump assassination attempt linger

STORY: Arkansas Republicans applaud Trump’s selection of Vance as running mate

STORY: Cotton, Sanders call for a second Trump White House term in Republican National Convention speeches

STORY: Hutchinson watches GOP convention from sidelines, 6 months after ending presidential campaign

STORY: Arkansas Republicans energized after convention, ready to support Trump's candidacy

Thank you for supporting "Arkies in the Beltway!" Make sure to stay up to date with all news involving Arkansas at arkansasonline.com. You can also track what's happening in the nation's capital by following me on social media; my handle across all platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of July 14, 2024. I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, with your look at national politics and the Arkansans influencing the discussions.

Members of Congress were busy upon returning to Capitol Hill from their Independence Day break. U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., introduced separate measures confronting different matters; Cotton's bill involves the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision overturning its longstanding Chevron deference, while Westerman's measure addresses the use of cell phones in classrooms.

STORY: Sen. Tom Cotton seeks court case, agency reviews after Supreme Court overturns regulatory precedent

The United States and Mexico have agreed on actions protecting steel and aluminum industries from Chinese efforts to enter other markets.

The nations hope these new efforts will stop China's ability to enter North America by shipping products to Mexico, avoiding American tariffs in the process.

STORY: U.S., Mexico reach deal to protect steel and aluminum from foreign tariff circumvention

Members of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee are getting more serious about establishing a regulatory framework for digital commodities.

Lawmakers and regulators alike have been pushing to close the current gap in federal oversight, which was made apparent by the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX nearly two years ago.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., is the Senate Agriculture Committee's ranking member; he wants the committee to address the matter but warns of taking any action risking the United States' chances of having an advantage over its international counterparts.

STORY: Senators eye action on digital commodities; Boozman unsure of success in current Congress

Thank you for supporting "Arkies in the Beltway!" The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will have coverage this week from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. On next week's episode, we will recap the gathering and the Arkansans who played a part in the GOP gathering.

This is "Arkies in the Beltway" for the week of July 7, 2024. I'm Alex Thomas, Washington Correspondent for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and in a change of pace, we are not spending time this week focusing on national politics and the Arkansans influencing those discussions.

Rather, we're taking a break from our usual coverage to discuss this year's Congressional Art Competition.

Since 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated in the nationwide contest, submitting portraits, illustrations, photographs and other media in hopes of representing their state in a rotating exhibit located below the U.S. Capitol.

Winners from each U.S. House of Representatives district are recognized in the year-long display.

The Democrat-Gazette spoke with the four Arkansas teenagers represented in this year's exhibit and discussed the inspiration behind their submissions.

STORY: Check out Arkansasonline.com for this story

Thank you for supporting "Arkies in the Beltway!" Make sure to stay up to date with all news involving Arkansas at arkansasonline.com. You can also follow what's happening in the nation's capital by checking me out on social media; my handle across all platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.