Following Japan’s Dec. 7, 1941 devious and unprovoked attack on the U.S. at Pearl Harbor where some 2,400 military and civilians were killed by air bombardment by over 300 aircraft, President Franklin Roosevelt said the day that triggered our involvement in World War II would “live in infamy.”

If our news coverage of that day in our nation’s history is any indication, I suppose the infamy part has since passed.

Our paper included a blurb on 3A last Saturday marking that anniversary, which likely was better than most. But as a member of the war baby generation, it’s sad that this generation apparently has all but forgotten the day that will live in infamy.

A close friend of mine of the same age (and a subscriber), correctly remarked this way:

“I’m likely being an ass about how on page 3 of section A of [Dec. 7’s] paper there was a blip about Pearl Harbor survivors attending a memorial. I saw nothing in the general media about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Form your own opinion. Our dads and their comrades aren’t here to remind those self-absorbed people why they are here today. I’m going to shut up now.”

For all the lives our nation sacrificed that day and in the ensuing WWII (some 419,000 military and civilians) he should never shut up about this Day of Infamy. Neither should any of us, and our children, and theirs, most certainly including those expected to report on the activities and history that properly honor our United States, especially when the actions of those who resist our national pride, values and culture are spread far and wide in exaggerated headlines that affect only a relatively few with controversial agendas.

I know I felt ashamed that I failed to mention the hallowed day in in my columns until today. I’ll not be making that inexcusable error again.

Leaving a void

Unfortunately I never got to know our former outstanding sportswriter, the late Bob Holt, who unexpectedly passed away much too soon earlier this month. But from the widespread outpouring last week of admiration and respect for him as a reporter and person, I wish I had made the time to enjoy and appreciate his company after enjoying his well-crafted sports accounts over the years.

Bob’s departure undeniably left a void in our world, which in itself also becomes a wonderful tribute to his having been with us and shared his abilities and personality for years. His life also represents a legacy that sets such a positive example of the ripple effects one person’s thoughts and skills at sharing them can have among many thousands of us. We should all strive to be more like Bob was and live on when our time arrives to live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew and/or admired all we represented.

No go out into the world and treat everyone you meet exactly like you want them to treat you.

Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master’s journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.

Ole Miss added to its transfer portal haul late Friday, landing a commitment from former Arkansas cornerback Jaylon Braxton.

The 6-foot, 190-pounder from Frisco, Texas, had 21 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception in 2023. He played sparingly early in the 2024 season, playing in two games and recording two pass deflections, before missing most of the Razorbacks’ season.

He chose Ole Miss over Missouri and Texas A&M, among others.

NFL Draft Buzz said Braxton will “line up in press at times, where Braxton has a quick and powerful punch. His ball skills are good, and he plays with an extremely confident and competitive demeanor. …(He’s) willing in run support, coming downhill quickly when he has a chance to make a play. (He’s an) aware zone cornerback who is also adept in man coverage, flashing physical hand punch at the line and straight-line speed to stay with receivers downfield. (He) shows the click-and-close ability to backpedal and the ball skills to make plays. Braxton has loose hips to go along with good top-end speed, and he can flip around to turn and run in coverage. He’s tall-framed with long arms to match. With his powerful hands, straight-line speed, and fluidity in his hips, turning and chasing downfield shouldn’t be a problem. He’s physical at the line of scrimmage, showing unexpected power in his hands.”

Braxton will have three years of eligibility, starting with the 2025 season.

Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, filed two tax-related bills Thursday that would increase individual taxpayers’ standard deduction and remove a cap on its annual adjustment. 

House Bill 1066 would increase Arkansas’ standard deduction to $4,400 per taxpayer in 2026. The state’s current standard deduction is $2,340, well below the federal standard deduction of $14,600 for individuals or married taxpayers filing separately. 

HB 1065, also known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2025, would eliminate the 3% cap on adjusting the standard deduction in future years. The annual adjustment is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines as the “average change over time in prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of goods and services.”

Instead of using the CPI for All Urban Consumers to calculate the annual adjustment, the bill calls for referring to the CPI for West South Central division of the South Region published by the U.S. Department of Labor, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Increasing the standard deduction is “a solid move to make” in light of recent inflation and “a really broad-based way to deliver income tax relief to hardworking Arkansas families,” Ray said in an interview Friday.

The federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, passed during President Donald Trump’s first term, included a doubling of the standard deduction, which Ray said was “extremely popular.”

Ray said “one of the biggest lessons” from November’s presidential election, in which Trump won a second term, was that Americans want their elected leaders to reduce the impact of inflation.

“As one state representative out of 100, there’s very little I can do about the wasteful spending we see in Washington D.C. that drives a lot of the inflation, but the one thing I can do is file a bill that makes us adjust our tax brackets to truly account for inflation,” Ray said. 

Arkansas governor signs tax, appropriation bills after special legislative session ends

He also said the legislation will have “literally zero cost” if inflation rates are manageable in 2025, and it “would provide some really robust protections for taxpayers for the next time we get a nasty bout of inflation.”

Tax cuts have been a focus for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who signed legislation to lower taxes for Arkansans three times over 15 months.

The Legislature approved more than $100 million in tax cuts in April 2023, reducing the top individual tax rate from 4.9% to 4.7% and the top corporate tax rate from 5.3% to 5.1%. During a special session in September 2023, legislators lowered the top individual and top corporate income tax rates to 4.4% and 4.8%, respectively.

The most recent cuts came during June’s special session during which lawmakers approved a bill to lower the top corporate income tax rate from 4.8% to 4.3% and the top individual income tax rate from 4.4% to 3.9%, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024.

Ray co-sponsored all of those tax-cut bills. In addition to filing HB 1065 and 1066 for the 2025 legislative session that begins on Jan. 13, Ray has also filed HCR1002, a resolution urging the Congress to permanently extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. 

The law made several changes to the individual income tax, including an expanded tax deduction and child tax credit. The individual income tax changes are set to expire at the end of 2025. If made permanent, the income tax provisions would reduce federal revenue by $115 billion to $165 billion annually, according to the Tax Foundation.