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☆ Affordable internet gave Native Americans a way to preserve community and culture. Now it’s another broken promise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Within weeks, the two-year-old US Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is set to run out of funds, and Congress appears unlikely to authorize more. Even as many older and rural Americans may be thrust into financial hardship due to the ACP’s collapse, indigenous communities could fare even worse. Because tribal members can now work remotely, they are no longer forced to move away from their communities to seek opportunity, they told CNN. For example, Mitchell said, after decades of decline in Mohawk fluency, a growing number of tribal members are now involved in online language immersion. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) Seth Wenig/AP/FileInstead, some say, the collapse of the ACP will become another stain on the US government’s centuries-long track record of breaking promises to tribal communities.

Persons: Kelly, ”, “, “ That’s, ” Kelly, Mike Johnson, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen, John Fetterman, Fetterman’s, Jonathan Nez, “ I’ve, Loren King, Geoffrey Starks, ” Starks, Allyson Mitchell, Mitchell, Nez, ” Nez, Derrick VanSoolen’s, Choctaw, ” VanSoolen, they’re, Bois, Randy Long, Gary Johnson, Paul, Seth Wenig, I’ll Organizations: Washington CNN, Mohawk, CNN, Connectivity Program, FCC, Pennsylvania Democratic, Federal Communications Commission, Treasury, US Federal Communications Commission, Mohawk Networks, Navajo, ACP, Emergency, Program, Choctaw Nation, Bois Forte, Paul Bunyan Communications Locations: St, Lawrence, New York, Canadian, Mohawk, America, Navajo, Oklahoma, Oklahoma , Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, South Dakota, Arizona, Minnesota, Regis

☆ An Oklahoma tourist says he faces 12 years in prison in the Caribbean after he mistakenly left 4 bullets from a hunting trip in his carry-on duffel bag
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He and his wife, Valerie, say the four bullets in their duffel bag were unknowingly left there from a hunting trip. Watson now faces 12 years in prison, alongside several US tourists who say they made the same mistake. Valerie Watson was released from the charges on Tuesday and flew back to Oklahoma to reunite with her children. He now faces 12 years in prison, which is the minimum custodial sentence for bringing firearms or ammunition into Turks and Caicos. Related stories"We were trying to pack board shorts and flip flops," Valerie Watson told CBS News.

Persons: Ryan Watson, Valerie, Watson, —, Valerie Watson, GoFundMe, Tyler Wenrich, Wenrich, wouldn't Organizations: Service, NBC Boston, NBC, CBS News, Business, US State Department, TCI, Tourism, Turks, Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce, United Nations World Tourism Organization Locations: Caicos, An Oklahoma, Caribbean, Turks, Oklahoma

☆ Kevin McCarthy is haunting Mike Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson can blame his problems on his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Anyone may have struggled to wrangle this slim Republican majority. He offered three seats on the powerful House Rules Committee to more conservative members. The Rules Committee keeps the House moving, but Johnson has been forced to maneuver around it in the face of likely opposition to major bills. AdvertisementFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich summed up Johnson's reality rather grimly.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Johnson, Matt Gaetz, McCarthy's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tom Cole, Cole, We've, George Santos, Santos, Newt Gingrich, it's, he's, Gingrich Organizations: Republican, California Republican, Caucus, Florida Republican, Georgia Republican, Speaker's, Democrats, Pentagon, Oklahoma Republican, Politico, GOP, CNN, Republicans, Rep Locations: California, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma

Although both Blevins and Patterson are Republicans, the race is nonpartisan and open to all registered voters in the ward. The recall effort in Oklahoma was launched by two longtime Enid residents, best friends Connie Vickers and Nancy Presnall, both Democrats in a county where Republicans have a nearly 4-to-1 advantage in voter registration. The two helped spearhead a signature drive to qualify Blevins’ recall for the ballot, getting 350 signatures from voters in the ward, far more than the 240 they needed. "The people who support that ideology are very passionate and very dedicated, and up until this point we haven't been. “We determined that we have a good group together that wants to do good things for the community,” Presnall said.

Persons: ENID, Judd Blevins, Cheryl Patterson, Blevins, Patterson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar of, Connie Vickers, Nancy Presnall, ” Presnall, It's, ” Blevins, ”, Evropa, Donald Trump, “ I'm, Patrick Anderson, Enid, Anderson, James Neal, ” Neal, “, ___, Sean Murphy Organizations: Southern Poverty Law Center, Reps, Enid, Republicans, Republican, Democrat, Nazi, University of Virginia, Enid News & Eagle, Air Force, Holy Orthodox Catholic Church, Enid Social Locations: Okla, Oklahoma, Enid, Iraq, Charlotesville , Virginia, United States, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Paul Gosar of Arizona

☆ Oklahoma Was a Legal Marijuana Utopia. Then Came the Mass Murder
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Matt Stroud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +32 min

Fourteen months after the murders, the garage of the abandoned marijuana farm on prairie tableland northwest of Oklahoma City sits frozen and dark. Broadway Avenue in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, about 30 miles south of where Wu Chen, 47, executed four people at a marijuana farm. When Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana, the only real requirement was that Oklahoma residents had to be involved in marijuana growing and selling. But Oklahoma required 75% of any marijuana business to be owned by an Oklahoma resident. Deputies from the Kingfisher County Sheriff's Office were the first to arrive at the scene of a quadruple homicide at an abandoned marijuana farm.

Persons: Wu Chen, Mike Simons, Kevin Stitt, Sean Hannity's, Dan Newhouse, Liu, Chen, Yi Fei Lin, Mark Woodward, —, OBN, Adria Berry, BI Adria Berry, I'm, Barb Miuccio, Jeremy Grable, Jeremy, Barb, she's, Barbara Miuccio, Treez, Matt Stacy, Stacy, Stitt, Jeremy they'd, he'd, OMMA, didn't, Barb didn't, Barbara, Stacy —, she'd, Stacy hadn't, BI Jonathan Riedlinger, Riedlinger, Lin, Qirong Lin, Hechun Chen, Qiang Chen, Fang Lee —, Wenbo Lin, Wu Chen —, Wenbo Lin didn't, Reidlinger, Jed Green, Matthew Alan Stacy, Barb —, — he's, He'd, Woodward, Helen Carillo, He's, Kevin Pham, Pham, BI Pham, ProPublica, recriminations, Green, It's, they're, I'd, Ken Thompson, Thompson, Chen didn't, He'll, Jonathan Riedlinger, Kiki, I've Organizations: Oklahoma City, Broadway, BI, Marijuana, Oklahoma, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, Republican, Sean Hannity's Fox, Fox News, Chen Inc, Narcotics, BI Adria, Oklahoma's Army National Guard, OBN, Business, Oklahoma State Bureau of, Sheriff's, Prosecutors, CSI Accounting Services, Whitney Economics, NBC, Cannabis, Virginia Slim, Florida . Police Locations: Oklahoma, Kingfisher County , Oklahoma, Ames , Oklahoma, Kingfisher , Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, California, Arkansas, Republican Washington, China, Kingfisher County, Dallas, Moore , Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, He's, Moore, Kingfisher, Hennessey , Oklahoma, OMMA, Mexico, Edmond, Tulsa, Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, Steakhouse, Virginia, Florida, Miami Beach, Miami

☆ How corporate PAC money could end up in the personal coffers of Sens. JD Vance and Markwayne Mullin
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At the same time, they've been taking tens of thousands of dollars in corporate PAC money — some of which may be ending up directly in the senators' bank accounts. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Between the 2022 election and the end of 2023, Vance has used $78,000 in corporate PAC contributions to repay campaign debts, while Mullin has done the same with $45,000 in corporate cash. Mullin did the same with 19 corporate PACs, including ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobile, and GlaxoSmithKline. He also promised not to take corporate PAC money during the GOP primary, only to reserve that pledge during the general election against Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who did accept corporate PAC money.

Persons: —, JD Vance, Markwayne Mullin, they've, Vance, Mullin, Sen, Ted Cruz, Elena Kagan, Cruz, Jordan Libowitz, Republican Sen, Ron Johnson of, Ron Johnson, Shawn Thew, who's, Tim Ryan, didn't, Vance's, Saurav Ghosh, Ghosh Organizations: Service, Sens, Indiana, Business, Texas Republican, Finance, FEC, Citizen, Washington, Capitol, Republican, Getty, Pro, Comcast, Intel, General Motors, Walmart —, ConocoPhillips, GlaxoSmithKline, GOP, Democratic Rep Locations: Ohio, Texas, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, AFP, Oklahoma, The Ohio, ExxonMobile

WASHINGTON (AP) — Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, who commanded a dress rehearsal flight for the 1969 moon landing and the first U.S.-Soviet space linkup, died Monday. He died in a hospital near his Space Coast Florida home, said Max Ary, director of the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe Apollo 10 mission in May 1969 set the stage for Apollo 11’s historic mission two months later. He volunteered for the Air Force and had hoped to fly combat in the Korean War. After the Apollo-Soyuz mission, Stafford returned to the Air Force and worked in research and commanded the Air Force Flight Test Center before retiring in 1979 as a three-star general.

Persons: Thomas P, Stafford, Max, Tom Stafford, Bill Nelson, “ Tom, Gene Cernan, John Young, Charlie Brown, ” Stafford, Alexei Leonov, Tom, Gerald Ford, Leonid Brezhnev, “, you’re, Neil Armstrong, Frank Borman, Pete Conrad, Wally Schirra, Stafford’s, Cernan, didn’t, Get, Linda Organizations: WASHINGTON, Air Force, Coast, Stafford Air & Space Museum, NASA, Apollo, Soviet Union, Disney World, Soyuz, Russian, Space, U.S . Naval Academy, Air, Gemini, Gene, Stafford's Air Force, Pentagon Locations: U.S, Stafford, Coast Florida, Weatherford , Oklahoma, Soviet, Soviet Union, Russia, Oklahoma, Florida, Cape Canaveral

☆ Beyoncé's country songs are bringing new listeners to the genre, boosting streams for Black artists
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Micah Washington | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

While some music critics praised Knowles' country tracks, other fans of the genre refrained from a warm welcome. Beyond just radio, Black artists and artists of color represented less than 4% of country songs played on the radio, airplay, charting songs, artists signed to major labels and award nominations, according to SongData. One such fan, Tenley Patterson, 26, said she didn't bother listening to country music before Beyoncé's releases, but was impressed with the country tracks. Rachel Whitney, head of editorial for the Nashville team, said playlists outside of the country genre are playing Knowles' country tracks, broadening its reach. The Beyoncé draw is also boosting exposure for other artists on some lists, like Lainey Wilson and Cody Johnson, who have more "traditional" country songs, Whitney said.

Persons: Beyonce, James Devaney, Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé Knowles, Tanner Adell, Mickey Guyton, Reyna Roberts, Knowles, Alice Randall, Randall, —, Rhiannon Giddens, hasn't, Jocelyn Neal, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Kacey, Lil Nas, Nas X, Tim Mosenfelder, Neal, Knowles —, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, George Bush, Tenley Patterson, I've, Patterson, It's, there's, Z, Rachel Whitney, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Whitney, Kevin Mazur Organizations: Scott, New York, Spotify, The New York Times, Radio, University of North, NBC, Houston, CMA, Republican, Nashville, Crypto.com Arena, The Recording Academy Locations: Brooklyn, New, New York City, U.S, Texas, an Oklahoma, University of North Carolina, San Francisco , California, Iraq, Los Angeles , California

☆ In Video, Nonbinary Student Describes Fight in Oklahoma School Bathroom
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An altercation at an Oklahoma public school involving a 16-year-old nonbinary student who died the next day began after the student “poured water” on girls who had been making fun of the teenager, according to a body camera video interview released by the Owasso Police Department late Friday. The video of the 16-year-old student, Nex Benedict, talking to an Owasso officer provided the fullest account yet of what took place inside the girls’ bathroom on Feb. 7. The interview, which lasted about 20 minutes and took place at a local hospital, provided new details of the confrontation at the West Campus of Owasso High School. And they had said something like, ‘Why do they laugh like that?’ They were talking about us in front of us. And so I went up there and I poured water on them” from a plastic water bottle, Nex told the officer.

Persons: Nex Benedict, Nex, ” Nex Organizations: Owasso Police Department, West, Owasso High, Nex Locations: Oklahoma

☆ Boxabl customers tired of waiting for their tiny homes ask for their deposits back as a cash crunch looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

While most of those customers say they have received their money, some said their refund requests were disputed or ignored. Two-thirds, or 23, of those people said they had asked to be refunded, or were going to ask Boxabl for their money back. Boxabl said it recently received approval to sell its homes in Arizona and is close to receiving similar clearances in California and Nevada. Amid its own dwindling cash supply, Boxabl has recently appeared less willing to grant refunds to some depositors who want out. When he sent an email in January to Boxabl asking for a refund, the company declined his request.

Persons: —, Boxabl, Dan Pena, Pena, Chris Armbruster, Gary Palmer, Palmer, He's, Galiano Tiramani, Zach Punnett, Punnett, Tiramani, What's, Paolo, Boxabl Galiano, Paolo Tiramani, Peers, Helene, Ali Faraji, Faraji, wouldn't Organizations: Service, North Las, Business, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Oklahoma City, Archdiocese, Regulators, Tesla Plaid Locations: North Las Vegas, California, Los Angeles, Joshua Tree, Fort Worth , Texas, Riverside , California, Guantanamo Bay, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, California , Virginia , Nevada , Arizona , Utah, Hawaii, Canada, Atlanta, Aptos, Santa Cruz

☆ Anti-Trans Law Draws Scrutiny After 16-Year-Old’s Death in Oklahoma
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( J. David Goodman | Edgar Sandoval | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A 16-year-old student in a small Oklahoma town outside Tulsa died after what the police said was a “physical altercation” in a high school bathroom, drawing outrage from gay and transgender rights groups who said the student was attacked because of their gender identity. The student, known to peers as Nex Benedict, often used the pronouns they and them, and told relatives that they did not see themselves as strictly male or female. Under an Oklahoma law passed in 2022, students must use the bathrooms that align with their birth gender. As of Wednesday afternoon, no arrests had been made in connection with the altercation, which occurred on Feb. 7 in a girls’ bathroom at Owasso High School. The apparent severity of the altercation, and the death of the student a day later, has focused national attention on how it is being handled by school officials and law enforcement.

Persons: Nex Benedict Organizations: High School Locations: Oklahoma, Tulsa

☆ Nex Benedict: Death of Oklahoma teen after fight in school has LGBTQ+ advocates seeking answers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Andy Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A 16-year-old student died following a fight at an Oklahoma high school – and as an investigation into the cause of death continues, advocates point to a heightened and hostile climate against the LGBTQ+ community. Nex Benedict, whose family says identified as nonbinary, died February 8, one day after they told their family they and a transgender student were involved in a fight with others at Owasso High School. It is not clear if or how the fight contributed to Nex’s death. An Owasso school resource officer went to Bailey Medical Center, where Nex was examined, and interviewed both Nex and their parent about the incident. Nex’s death comes after advocates have strongly criticized Oklahoma officials for actions perceived as targeting LGBTQ+ residents.

Persons: Nex Benedict, Nex, ”, Sue Benedict, Benedict, ” “, ‘ You’ve, don’t, ’ ” Benedict, “ Nex, ” Benedict, “, I’m, Kevin Stitt, Ryan Walters, ” Walters, CNN’s Whitney Wild, Taylor Romine, Caroll Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Owasso High School . Police, Police, Independent, High School West, Bailey Medical, Owasso Fire, KOKI, Oklahoma, Gov, Public Schools, Lambda Legal, ACLU Locations: Oklahoma, Owasso, ”, Nex

☆ An Oklahoma radio station refused to play Beyoncé's new country single until fans fought back. Here's why the country music industry keeps excluding the singer.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On Tuesday, Oklahoma's country music station KYKC refused to play Beyoncé's new song "TEXAS HOLD 'EM." Here's what to know about Beyoncé's challenges with being recognized by the country music industry. I requested Texas Hold ‘Em at my local country radio station (KYKC) and after requesting, i received an email from the radio station stating “We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station. Although critics and fans praised Beyoncé's country pivot, the Country Music Association Awards and the Grammy's country music committee did not nominate the song for any awards, which was viewed as a snub. Slate reported in 2016 that Orlando's country radio station K92.3 received backlash from its listeners after playing "Daddy Lessons" on air.

Persons: KYKC, —, Beyoncé, Oklahoma's, @BeyLegion, eQksQemk6m, JUSTIN 🫧, ong, addy, hicks, hite, arius Organizations: Service, TEXAS Locations: Texas

The near-absence of laws criminalizing the practice of fertility fraud until recently means no doctors have yet been criminally charged for the behavior. In 2019, Indiana became the second state, more than 20 years after California, to pass a statute making fertility fraud a felony. He added some of his biological children have “expressed gratitude for their existence” to him and even sent him photos of their own children. Cline’s case spurred lawmakers to pass legislation that outlawed fertility fraud but wasn’t retroactive, meaning he was never prosecuted for it. “In fertility fraud, no parent is saying that – no parent is saying I would have gotten an abortion,” she said.

Persons: Hill, –, Burton Caldwell, “, ” Hill, we’ve, ”, Jody Madeira, Laura Oliverio, wasn’t, Eve Wiley, Marvin Yussman, Yussman, Victoria Hill, ” Yussman, Dr, Donald Cline, general’s, Cline, Stephanie Bice, Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey Democrat –, Kelly Wilkinson, Katherine L, Kraschel, Julia T, Woodward, Laura High, we’re, ’ Let’s, it’s, let’s, OBGYN Narendra Tohan, isn’t, Tohan, ‘, Janine Pierson, Doreen Pierson, Caldwell –, Doreen, Alyssa Denniston, Caldwell, Pierson, ” Pierson, she’d, doesn’t, texted, Jamie LeRose, Maralee Hill, Victoria, Sean Tipton, Tipton, Caldwell “, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Indiana University, Savin Rock, CNN CNN, Netflix, Oklahoma Republican, New, New Jersey Democrat, Indianapolis Star, DC, Northeastern University, Duke University Health System, CNN Fertility, United, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Seagulls Locations: Connecticut, Savin Rock Beach, West Haven , Connecticut, Indiana, California, Kentucky, Wethersfield , Connecticut, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Indianapolis, Wethersfield, New Britain, Madeira, Yale, Victoria, Hartford , Connecticut, Victoria Hill's, Norwalk, Norway, Germany, United States, Cheshire, New Haven

KINGFISHER, Okla. (AP) — A man was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to killing four workers at an Oklahoma marijuana farm in 2022. As part of a plea agreement, Wu was sentenced to life in prison without parole for each of the murder counts and given a 20-year prison term for the assault charge. Wu, 47, was arrested in Florida two days after the shooting and was later extradited to Oklahoma. Killed in the attack were Quirong Lin, Chen He Chun, Chen He Qiang and Fang Hui Lee, court documents show. “This case should serve as a reminder of the dangers surrounding illegal marijuana activity in Oklahoma,” said Kingfisher County District Attorney Tommy Humphries, according to The Oklahoman.

Persons: Chen Wu, Wu, Wu Chen, Quirong Lin, Chen, Chun, Qiang, Fang Hui Lee, Yi Fei Lin, ”, Tommy Humphries Organizations: Prosecutors, Oklahoma City, Authorities Locations: Oklahoma, Hennessey, Florida, Kingfisher

Some bills would bar financial institutions from discriminating against those who refuse to participate in DEI programs. Meanwhile, Democrats have filed about two dozen bills in 11 states that would require or promote DEI initiatives. The Supreme Court’s June decision ending affirmative action at universities has created a new legal landscape around diversity programs in the workplace and civil society. Rob Standridge, who has authored four bills aiming to hollow out DEI programs in the state, said it has become a salient campaign theme. In a 2023 report, White said Mississippi’s public universities are spending millions on DEI programs instead of student scholarships.

Persons: JACKSON, Republican Oklahoma Sen, Rob Standridge, Standridge, “, Trump, ” Mike Gonzalez, Josiah Magnuson, ” Magnuson, Kevin Stitt, it’s, Sen, Marko Liias, Liias, Ron DeSantis, ”, Shad, White, Becky Currie, Currie, Spencer Cox, Cox, Robin Vos, Jonathan Butcher, ” Butcher, Fentrice, ” Driskell, Trisha Ahmed, David Lieb, Hannah Schoenbaum, Todd Richmond, ___ Michael Goldberg Organizations: Republican, Associated, Democratic, Republican Oklahoma, Heritage Foundation, Rep, Republican Gov, Oklahoma State Regents, Higher Education, ”, Washington, Utah Gov, The Heritage Foundation, Democratic House, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Miss, Washington, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Jefferson City , Missouri, Salt Lake City, Madison , Wisconsin

☆ A judge has resigned after sending 500 texts during a toddler's murder trial in which she mocked a prosecutor, jury members, and witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An Oklahoma judge resigned after she was caught sending hundreds of texts during a murder trial. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAn Oklahoma judge has stepped down after she was caught sending hundreds of text messages while presiding over a murder trial concerning the death of a two-year-old boy. AdvertisementThe move to oust Soderstrom came about after the Oklahoman published 50 minutes of security footage, which showed Soderstrom sending messages for minutes while in the courtroom. AdvertisementWhen the deceased child’s mother took the stand as the prosecution’s key witness, she sent a text saying: “Can I please scream ‘liar, liar?

Persons: —, Traci Soderstrom, Braxton Danker, Khristian Martzall, John Kane IV, Soderstrom, ’, “, child’s, ” Organizations: Service, Associated Press, Oklahoma Supreme, AP, Oklahoman Locations: Oklahoma, Lincoln County

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma judge who sent more than 500 texts to her bailiff during a murder trial will resign, according to a court filing. In a proposed settlement agreement filed Thursday with the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary, District Judge Traci Soderstrom agreed to resign on Friday and never again seek a judicial office in Oklahoma. Soderstrom, who was elected in November 2022 and took office on Jan. 9, 2023, voluntarily suspended herself in October. However, being human, I have also faltered.”The judge’s texts during Martzall's trial on a charge of killing his girlfriend's 2-year-old son included saying the prosecutor was “sweating through his coat,” according to Kane’s petition. The texts described the defense attorney as “awesome” and asked “can I clap for her?” during the defense attorney’s opening arguments.

Persons: —, Traci Soderstrom, John Kane IV, Khristian Tyler Martzall, Soderstrom, “, ” Soderstrom, ” Kane, Martzall Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma Court, Judiciary, Oklahoma Supreme Locations: — An Oklahoma, Oklahoma, Chandler, Oklahoma City

☆ Republicans Against Border Enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States has had a porous border with Mexico for decades, and the situation has worsened in the past few years, with more than 10,000 people entering the U.S. on some days. Mayors, governors, and immigration experts — as well as voters — have long urged Congress to fix the problem. And for anybody who has grown cynical about Washington, the plan offered reasons for both surprise and further cynicism. The surprising part is that productive bipartisanship seems to be alive, even on an issue as divisive as immigration. So do the editorial boards of The Washington Post, which leans left, and The Wall Street Journal, which is deeply conservative.

Persons: —, James Lankford, Chris Murphy, Kyrsten, Donald Trump Organizations: Washington, Oklahoma Republican, Connecticut Democrat, The Washington Post, Street Locations: States, Mexico, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Arizona

☆ Toby Keith, Popular Country Music Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 62
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Bill Friskics-Warren | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Toby Keith, the larger-than-life singer-songwriter of No. 1 country hits like “Who’s Your Daddy?” and “Made in America” and one of the biggest stars to come out of Nashville in three decades, died on Monday. His death was announced on his official website, which said that he passed “peacefully” surrounded by his family. The singer announced in the summer of 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and was being treated with chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. “You just sit here and wait on it to go away — it may not ever go away.” Keith said that his Christian faith was helping him get through the treatment and the potential dark outcome.

Persons: Toby Keith, “, Keith, ”, ” Keith Organizations: KWTV Locations: America, Nashville, Oklahoma, Las Vegas

The quake would be tied as the fourth-strongest in Oklahoma history if seismologists maintain the rating, according to Oklahoma Geological Survey data. WHAT'S CAUSING THE OKLAHOMA QUAKES? “It's very difficult when there's an earthquake to know exactly what caused it.”WHAT HAS OKLAHOMA DONE TO STOP THEM? “Some people had chimney damage near the epicenter,” Greff said. The strongest recorded earthquake in Oklahoma was a 5.8-magnitude quake near the town of Pawnee in 2016.

Persons: Nick Hayman, Hayman, “, Matt Skinner, Skinner, Jim Greff, Greff, Tim Holik, haven't, ” Holik, doesn't, ” Organizations: OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma Geological Survey, Oklahoma Corporation Commission Locations: Oklahoma, OKLAHOMA, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Prague , Oklahoma, Prague, sheetrock, Praque, Pawnee, Illinois, Texas, California

A dead goose was found in part of the flight control system of a medical helicopter that crashed in western Oklahoma, killing all three people on board, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. The report does not cite a suspected cause of the crash, but noted one goose was found in the helicopter's flight control system and others were found in the debris field. A report on the probable cause could take up to two years to complete, according to the NTSB. The helicopter crashed Jan. 20 in a pasture near Hydro, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City, as it was returning to Weatherford after taking a patient to an Oklahoma City hospital. The pilot and both Air Evac Lifeteam crew members, a flight nurse and a paramedic, were killed.

Persons: Evac Lifeteam Organizations: National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB, Weatherford, Oklahoma City Locations: Oklahoma, Hydro, Oklahoma City

☆ Oklahoma considers banning consensual nudes before marriage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

An Oklahoma GOP lawmaker is proposing a bill that would make sexting illegal unless you're married. The bill, if passed, would target those involved in "unlawful pornography" with harsh punishments. AdvertisementOklahoma's senate is set to consider a bill that would make it illegal to send nudes before marriage. Oklahoma Senate Bill 1976, pre-filed by Republican State Sen. Dusty Deevers ahead of its planned formal introduction on February 5, primarily targets child pornography, though a section of it prohibits other forms of "unlawful pornography."

Persons: —, Republican State Sen, Dusty Deevers Organizations: Oklahoma GOP, Service, Republican State Locations: Oklahoma

☆ Trump meets with Teamsters as he looks to peel off union voters from Biden
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Gregory Krieg | Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Story highlights Trump is looking to attract union members, who have traditionally voted Democratic. CNN —Former President Donald Trump Wednesday met with Teamsters union leaders and members in Washington as his campaign tries to drive a wedge between President Joe Biden and one of his most loyal constituencies: organized labor. The Teamsters have twice endorsed against Trump, backing Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden four years later. “We’re not ceding any territory, any group, any demographic to Joe Biden,” one senior Trump adviser said of the campaign’s outreach to working class voters. The group said Biden had been invited to its headquarters on the same day as Trump.

Persons: Trump, Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Sean O’Brien, ”, John Palmer, “, ” Trump, Nikki Haley’s, ” Haley, Olivia Perez, Cubas, –, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Cornel West, Asa Hutchinson, Marianne Williamson, Dean Phillips, ” O’Brien, Shawn Fain, Sean O'Brien, Sara Nelson, Elizabeth Frantz, Reuters O’Brien, Sen, Markwayne Mullin, O’Brien, Mullin, Vermont Sen, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, “ We’re, Fain, Cole Scandaglia, ” Fain, ” Biden, Kara Deniz, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, MJ Lee Organizations: Democratic, Teamsters, United Auto Workers, CNN, Biden, Trump, United States Army Veteran, Republican, ” Former South Carolina Gov, GOP, UPS, Arkansas Gov, Teamsters Union, UAW, Capitol, Reuters, Oklahoma Republican, Drake Enterprises, Ford, General Motors, National Labor Relations Board, Department of Transportation, Auto Workers, Automobile Manufacturing Industry Locations: Washington, Michigan , Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Lago, United States, Arkansas, Minnesota, Washington ,, Oklahoma, Vermont, Detroit, Michigan

☆ Oklahoma teachers who mistakenly received $15,000 to $50,000 in bonuses are now being told to give it all back
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some teachers in Oklahoma are being told to return tens of thousands in bonuses they got by mistake. At least nine teachers received letters demanding they return bonuses of up to $50,000 each, nonprofit news organization Oklahoma Watch reported Thursday. The bonuses can be bigger if the teachers commit to a rural or poorer school, though the maximum is $50,000, per the state department website. This was the source of confusion for several teachers like Bojorquez, a teacher in Oklahoma last year but still received the money, Oklahoma Watch reported. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma State Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

Persons: they've, —, Kay Bojorquez, she'd, Kristina Stadelman, She's, It's, Ryan Walters, Walters, Bojorquez Organizations: Service, Oklahoma Watch, Associated Press, Oklahoman, Oklahoma State Education Department, Business Locations: Oklahoma

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