Tyson clinics pause 1-shot vaccine's use
Tyson Foods said Wednesday that it will follow federal and state guidance and will "pause" the use of the Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine for its workers.
The company plans to continue hosting free vaccination clinics for its U.S. workers where local and state health departments are providing vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.
"Following guidance from the FDA, [Tyson] will pause the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as part of those events," spokesman Derek Burleson said in an email Wednesday.
Arkansas, along with the rest of the country, stopped distributing Johnson & Johnson doses Tuesday after federal agencies reported six cases of a "rare and severe" type of blood clotting among people who took the vaccine.
Burleson said the company will continue to encourage its workers about the importance of the vaccine. More than 36,000 people in Tyson's workforce have been vaccinated so far.
-- Nathan Owens
Walmart executive to leave company
Walmart Inc. is losing its global chief ethics and compliance officer.
Daniel Trujillo's last day with the company is Friday, Walmart chief legal officer Rachel Brand said in a memo. She did not say why he is leaving or who will replace him.
Brand said Trujillo has worked for the Bentonville-based retailer since 2012, starting as senior vice president and chief international compliance officer.
Trujillo was promoted to his current position in February 2019 after the departure of his predecessor, Jay Jorgensen. They were hired within a month of each other shortly after the start of a federal investigation into allegations of bribery at Walmart's Mexican operations and of a cover-up by company executives.
The New York Times brought the allegations to light with a report published in April 2012. The U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission began their investigation that October.
As part of the retailer's settlement with the agencies in 2019, Trujillo supported the independent compliance monitor assigned to assess Walmart's anti-corruption program and controls.
-- Serenah McKay
State index up 3.72 to 602.64 at close
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Wednesday at 602.64, up 3.72.
"Equities traded higher early in the session but subsequently fell in afternoon trading to close modestly lower with cyclicals outperforming growth stocks as earnings season for the first quarter kicks into gear," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc.
Shares of America's Car-Mart rose 3.4%. USA Truck shares fell 1.6%.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.