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☆ A bettor sitting on a $1.7 million payout if the Thunder win the NBA title is hedging by letting in outside investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bettor could score a payout of $1.7 million if the Oklahoma City Thunder win the NBA title. The original $100 bet was a parlay ticket that also included championships for the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Chiefs, both of which have happened. The parlay ticket was purchased via DraftKings and cost Shelton just $100. Now he stands to win $1.7 million, representing a potential return of 1,690,900% if the bet pans out. There is an entire separate industry dedicated to playing matchmaking between high-rolling sports bettors and opportunities with high initial buy-ins, like Shelton's parlay ticket.

Persons: Wayne Shelton, —, Shelton, let's, it's, DraftKings Organizations: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Chiefs, Service, ESPN, MLB, NFL Super, Thunder, Oklahoma City, New Orleans Pelicans, Western Conference, Dallas Mavericks Locations: DraftKings

☆ Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs wins NBA Rookie of the Year award
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Kevin Dotson | Steve Almasy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama is the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, the first player from France to ever win the honor. Wembanyama’s points and rebounds per game are the highest for a rookie since Blake Griffin averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds during the 2010-11 season. The Frenchman is the first international player since Slovenia’s Luka Doncic in the 2018-19 season to win the award. The Spurs missed the playoffs after finishing the regular season 22-60, which matched their record of the previous year. 1 draft picks, Hall of Fame big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan, who also received rookie of the year honors.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, “, Wembanyama, ”, Blake Griffin, Frenchman, Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, @SportsonMax, San, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, CNN’s, De la Fuente Organizations: CNN, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets, Slovenia’s, Spurs, Max, of Fame Locations: France

☆ Army National Guard hasn't paid out enlistment bonuses to thousands of soldiers, alarming House lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Steve Beynon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House lawmakers criticized the National Guard over enlistment bonuses owed to more than 13,000 soldiers. AdvertisementA bipartisan group of House lawmakers is demanding answers from the Army National Guard on its plans to pay delinquent enlistment bonuses to the thousands of soldiers who are owed. A US soldier with the Oklahoma National Guard stands watch along a perimeter fence near the US Capitol in Washington, DC. US Army National Guard photo by Sgt. AdvertisementThe backlog was particularly inflamed by two 10-month outages of the Army National Guard Incentive Management System, or GIMS, which manages bonuses.

Persons: —, Daniel Hokanson, Ruben Gallego, Mike Waltz, Trent Kelly, they're, Thomas Alvarez, It's, isn't, Anthony Jones, Kelly, Hanna Smith Organizations: National Guard, Service, Army National Guard, Guard's, Democrat, Florida Republican, Republican, Guard, Idaho National Guard, Operation Spartan, US, Oklahoma National Guard, US Army National Guard, National Guard Bureau, US Army, Air National Guardsmen, Civil Disturbance Unit, Capitol Police, US Air National Guard, Staff, Army National Guard Incentive Management Locations: Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, Asia, Washington , DC

☆ Rare Oklahoma tornado wows Meteorologists
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

To be clear, in this loop we have a westward moving, dissipating cyclonic tornado AND and newly developed anticyclonic tornado also moving west-southwest with a debris signature. This storm produced a “large and extremely dangerous” tornado north of Loveland, Oklahoma, just before 10 p.m. CDT, according to a weather service warning. Reflectivity (left) and velocity (right) radar imagery captures a tornado taking a looping path just north of Loveland, Oklahoma, Tuesday night. Reflectivity (left) and velocity (right) radar imagery shows an anticyclonic tornado in progress just southeast of Loveland, Oklahoma, on Tuesday night. Most anticyclonic tornadoes are weak and short-lived, meaning this twister was rare on two fronts.

Persons: ” Rick Smith, SCpnyWXOgA — Taylor Trogdon, Smith, Sam Shamburger, “, ” Smith Organizations: CNN, National Weather Service, Oklahoma -, Loveland, Tornadoes, Northern, “ Tornadoes, Emergency Management, Nebraska Locations: Oklahoma, Tillman County , Oklahoma, Norman , Oklahoma, Oklahoma - Texas, Loveland , Oklahoma, Greensburg , Kansas, Loveland, ”, Hollister , Oklahoma, Tillman, Texas

☆ Before and after images reveal extent of tornadoes’ destruction
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Eric Zerkel | Paul P. Murphy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Vexcel Imaging Vexcel Imaging Tornado damage in Elkhorn, Nebraska Vexcel ImagingThe storm then tracked north and east toward Omaha, spawning a tornado that ripped through its western suburbs. Vexcel Imaging Vexcel Imaging Tornado damage in Elkhorn, Nebraska Vexcel ImagingFreshly built homes in a new neighborhood were reduced to piles of timber. Vexcel Imaging Tornado damage to an airport hangar at Omaha's Eppley Airfield Vexcel ImagingThe storms kept going into Iowa. Tornado damage is seen in Minden, Iowa, Saturday, April 27, 2024. At least four people were killed in Oklahoma, all in places hardest-hit by tornadoes: Sulphur, Holdenville and Marietta.

Persons: upending, Adam Lucio, Eppley, Cody Scanlan, Bryan Terry, Rebekah Riess Organizations: CNN, American Heartland, Oklahoma, Travelers, USA Locations: Lincoln , Nebraska, Elkhorn , Nebraska, Omaha, Elkhorn, Omaha’s, Omaha , Nebraska, Iowa, Minden, Pottawattamie County, Texas , Nebraska , Iowa , Kansas, Missouri, Minden , Iowa, Sulphur, Oklahoma, Holdenville, Marietta, Sulphur , Oklahoma

☆ NBA stars are scoring big in the fashion world
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Nick Remsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Basketball players’ style — largely in the men’s league, but increasingly the women’s too — has become a bonafide pillar in fashion media and consumption. Basketball players’ style has more eyes on it than any other sport, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson told CNN. “(The league) was the first to embrace it,” Jackson, author of the recently released photobook “Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion,” explained. “Basketball players are so much a part of American culture. Bettman/Getty Images/Courtesy Workman“We talk a lot about current NBA tunnel style, but the league has been America’s most stylish for decades,” Schube continued.

Persons: Tyrese Haliburton, Pepper Robinson, Ron Hoskins, NBAE, — Tyrese Haliburton, —, Pharrell Williams, Birkin, it’s, Shai Gilgeous, Alexander, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Josh Giddey, Tyler Herro, “, Marcus Paul, Luka Dončic, ” There’s, Caitlin Clark, Prada, Sam Schube, Thom Browne, AJ Mast, Tyler Ross, Workman, Virgil Abloh, Louis Vuitton, Williams, Kim Kardashian’s, Donovan Clingan, Caleb Love, Hunter Dickinson, Jared McCain, Duke, Robert Dillingham, Paxson Wojcik, Mitchell S, Jackson, ” Jackson, ”, LeBron, Michael Jordan, Jordan, Jackson’s, Peggy Sirota, who’ve, Stephen “ Steph ” Curry, Curry, Steph Curry, Jed Jacobsohn “, ’ ” Curry, ” Curry, “ I’m, Kyle Kuzma, Timothée, Johnson, Andrew D, Bernstein, Walt Frazier, Bettman, ” Schube, “ Allen Iverson, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley, Armani, Walt Fraziers, Wilt Chamberlain’s, Fatih Aktas, ‘, ’ ”, …, they’d, ” Gilgeous, Alexander —, haven’t Organizations: Indiana Pacers, Basketball, Gilgeous, CNN, GQ, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Times, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, UConn, UNC, “ Basketball, Golden State Warriors, Fashion Council, Savant, State, GQ Sports, ’, Workman New York Knicks, Royce, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Civil, Nike Locations: Haliburton, Arizona, Kansas, Robert Dillingham ( Kentucky, Chicago , Illinois, Gilgeous

☆ LeBron James scores 30 points as Los Angeles Lakers earn a ‘lifeline’ against Denver Nuggets
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —LeBron James scored 30 points as the Los Angeles Lakers avoided a first-round elimination in the Western Conference playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. Four-time NBA champion James rose to the occasion, as did Anthony Davies, who had 25 points and 23 rebounds in the 119-108 win in LA. It was the Lakers’ first victory over the Nuggets since December 2022, ending Denver’s 11-game winning streak in the fixture. “We’ve given ourselves another lifeline, and it’s a one-game series for us,” James told reporters. Game 5 will be held in Denver Monday and the defending champion, leading the best-of-seven series 3-1, could secure the series on home soil.

Persons: LeBron James, James, Anthony Davies, “, ” James, you’re, Nikola Jokić Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Lakers, Western Conference, Denver Nuggets, Lakers, Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers Locations: LA, Denver

☆ Oklahoma double murder: Why prosecutors accused the grandmother
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Rachel Clarke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Investigators say they were deliberately killed by Adams, Cullum and the Twomblys. Bottom row: Tad Cullum and Tifany Machel Adams Oklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationAt about that time, Adams did an online search for how to get someone out of their house. Adams told officers she had called Butler to check if she was coming for the usual Saturday visit. She said Butler told her that something had come up and she could not make it. And she said her mother told her the two couples were involved in the killings.

Persons: CNN — Tifany Machel Adams, Veronica Butler, Adams, Tad Cullum, Cole, Cora Twombly, Butler, Adams ’, Jilian Kelley, Tifany Machel Adams, Charles Laughlin, Laughlin, Kelley, Cullum, anvils, Cole Twombly, Wrangler Rickman, Rickman, Veronica Butler Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Kelley, Cheryl Brune, Brune, Melissa, Joey Padilla, KWCH, Matt Boley, “, ”, Hugoton, Heath Kelley, boyfriend Cullum, –, KFDA, sobs, Butler’s, “ She’s, ” Junia Butler, Veronica’s Organizations: CNN, Tifany Machel Adams Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Veronica Butler Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma State, ”, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Kansas, Chevrolet, Christian, Christian Post, Courthouse, KFDA Locations: Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma’s, Kansas, Hugoton , Kansas, Tifany Machel Adams Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Hugoton, Veronica Butler Oklahoma, Texas County, Colorado, El Paso, Nebraska, Texas County , Oklahoma

☆ Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna breaks longest standing men’s track and field world record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Martynas Ruseckas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna broke a world record that had stood for four decades at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational meeting in Ramona on Sunday. The Lithuanian’s throw of 74.35 meters surpassed Jurgen Schult’s effort in 1986, when the German threw 74.08m. Schult’s landmark effore had been the longest-standing record in track and field, according to Olympics.com. Virgilijus threw 69.89m in Athens 2004. The Lithuanian is a two-time world and Olympic champion.

Persons: Mykolas Alekna, Jurgen Schult’s, Alekna’s, “, ” Alekna, Ramona, Alekna, Virgilijus Organizations: CNN, Oklahoma, Sunday, World Athletics Locations: Lithuanian, Ramona, Lithuania, Athens

☆ 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

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

☆ US troops are shooting at balloons to figure out how to beat one of the Ukraine war's most 'dangerous' and unpredictable weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Small drones have emerged as a serious problem on the modern battlefield, especially in Ukraine. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderThe Smart Shooter system is the kinetic follow to the electronic warfare component. In other words, the Smart Shooter is a much-needed asset that even a great marksman would likely find helpful. The Drone Buster and Smart Shooter don't necessarily need to be used together, but they work best if they are, Cameron said. The drones were unarmed, but they were meant to replicate a terrifying aspect of the evolving drone threat.

Persons: —, Jake Epstein, Moseph Sauda, Sauda, Jacob Cameron, Smart, Cameron Organizations: Service, National Guardsmen, Aircraft System, University, US Army, Wisconsin National Guardsmen, Islamic, Business, Smart, Wisconsin National Guardsman, Wisconsin National, The Guardsmen, Guardsmen Locations: Ukraine, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Islamic State, Wisconsin

☆ LeBron James surpasses 40,000 career points as NBA legend burnishes legacy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Dennis Romero | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, #23, during the NBA game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2024. LeBron James surpassed 40,000 career points during Saturday night's home game between his Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, further solidifying his place in the NBA record books. A layup in the second quarter had James reach 40,000 points, and another layup ensured he surpassed the mark. "No one has ever done it," he said of scoring 40,000 career points at the postgame news conference on Thursday. On Christmas night, a 3-pointer against the Phoenix Suns pushed him past 10,000 career NBA points.

Persons: LeBron James, James, LakersNation.com, He's, Vince Carter, Bryce, Laker Kareem Abdul, Abdul, isn't, Kevin Durant, Luka Dončić, Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous, Alexander, Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell Jr, Durant, I'm Organizations: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Los Angeles Clippers, Crypto.com Arena, Denver Nuggets, Lakers, Nuggets, basked, state's Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, University of Southern, Sierra Canyon School, Oklahoma Thunder, Thursday's Lakers, Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Wizards Locations: Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Slovenian

☆ How vending machines help states battle the opioid crisis: ‘You don’t know when you’re going to need these products’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

A CNN analysis of state health departments finds that at least 33 states and the District of Columbia have naloxone vending machines. Other states, like Delaware, don’t currently have vending machines but plan to launch programs this year. Machines need to be restocked every dayOklahoma’s naloxone vending machine program launched in June. Naloxone vending machine programs often can face opposition from the communities where they are placed. He says he has heard some criticisms or “difficult” questions about the naloxone vending machines and other programs.

Persons: CNN —, Jason Hall, don’t, “, ”, “ You’re, Leo Guerrero, Marshall Hawkins, Hall, you’ve, I’ve, ” Hall, Lori Tremmel Freeman, Heath Hayes, they’re, ” Hayes, Jason Hall refills, Hayes, Carla Sofronski, it’s, ” Sofronski, ’, that’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Jason Organizations: CNN, Hall, District of Columbia, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Marshall Hawkins Hall, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, “, National Association of County, City Health, of Mental Health, Substance, Reduction, CNN Health Locations: Oklahoma, United States, California, New York, Oregon, Delaware, Michigan, Wayne, Oklahoma City, Cincinnati, Clark County , Nevada, Tulsa ., Pennsylvania

☆ 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

☆ Target is limiting self-checkout hours in some stores as the retailer continues to battle missing inventory
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewTarget’s self-checkout reckoning continues as the retailer is cutting the hours of operation for self-service lanes at some of its stores. The move does not yet include all of the company’s nearly 2,000 locations, but employees told Business Insider that store staffing levels and sales volumes are key factors in the decision. In particular, Target is aiming to keep the percentage of overall store sales through self-checkout below a certain threshold, the workers said. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Target, BI, Workers, Walmart, Kroger Locations: Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan

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

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Hornets are sending often-injured small forward Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for guard Tre Mann, power forward Davis Bertans, point guard Vasilije Micic and two second round draft picks, according to a person familiar with the situation. The second round picks will be in 2024 and 2025, according to the person. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks for Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a 2027 first-round draft pick, AP sources said. The Hornets signed Hayward to a four-year, $120 million contract in 2020 hoping he would give them a boost and make them a consistent playoff team. The Thunder acquired Bertans from the Dallas Mavericks in a draft night deal last year, and he has played sparingly.

Persons: CHARLOTTE, Gordon Hayward, Tre Mann, Davis, Vasilije Micic, Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Hayward, Terry Rozier, Kyle Lowry, Lowry, Mitch Kupchak, Charlotte, Miles Bridges, Bridges, Mann, Cliff Brunt, ___ Organizations: Charlotte Hornets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Associated Press, Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee, Thunder, Minnesota, Western Conference . Hayward, Miami Heat, ESPN, New York Knicks, Madison, Garden, Boston, The Thunder, Oklahoma City, AP Locations: N.C, Washington, Charlotte, Denver, Hayward, Micic, Philadelphia, Europe, Oklahoma

☆ As G.O.P. Demolishes Border Deal, One of Its Own Stands in the Wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Kayla Guo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was late on a Thursday afternoon in the marbled halls of the Senate, and a small group of negotiators — one Republican, one Democrat and one independent — had just about finished a painstakingly put together border security compromise it took them months to forge. But what should have been a triumphant moment felt more like an ordeal for the lone Republican in the trio. “I feel like the guy standing in the middle of the field in a thunderstorm, holding up the metal stick,” Senator James Lankford, the Oklahoma Republican who was his party’s lead broker of the deal, told reporters last week. The plight of Mr. Lankford, a slim, understated Baptist minister with a neatly combed shock of red hair and a baritone voice that regularly delivers deadpan quips, reflects the extraordinary rise and fall of the border and Ukraine deal that is expected to collapse in a test vote in the Senate on Wednesday — and the political forces within the Republican Party that brought it down.

Persons: —, James Lankford, Lankford Organizations: Senate, Republican, Oklahoma Republican, Republican Party Locations: Ukraine

☆ Why Congressional Republicans are imploding before our eyes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Look no further than Tuesday night when House Republicans plowed ahead with two votes that they didn't have to hold. AdvertisementAcross the Capitol, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing increasing calls for him to step aside after conservatives nuked a bipartisan border security-Ukraine aid deal that some Republicans themselves said they had wanted. After all, it was Trump who instructed Republicans to kill the bipartisan immigration deal before the text was actually released. "Politics used to be the art of the possible," Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, told reporters, per Semafor. "Some of them have been very clear with me that they have political differences with the bill," Lankford said in a floor speech on Wednesday.

Persons: Mike Johnson, befuddled, Al Green, it's, Johnson, Mitch McConnell, nuked, McConnell, Trump, Donald Trump, George W, Bush, Sen, Mitt Romney, We've, James Lankford, Lankford, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Republicans, Republican Party, Business, GOP, Texas Democrat, Politico, Democratic, Democratic Senate, Utah Republican, Chamber of Commerce, Border Patrol Union, Trump, Oklahoma Republican Locations: Washington, Texas, Ukraine, Iraq, Utah, Oklahoma

☆ Country singer Toby Keith dies at age 62
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toby Keith performs on stage during the 2023 People's Choice Country Awards held at the Grand Ole Opry House on September 28, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Country music icon Toby Keith has died, his official website and social media accounts said early Tuesday, 18 months after he revealed he had stomach cancer. It's always zero to 60 and 60 to zero but I feel good today," Keith told E! News ahead of receiving the Country Icon Award at the People's Choice Country Awards. Keith continued to record and perform through his illness, appearing live over three nights in Las Vegas in December.

Persons: Toby Keith, Keith, Willie Nelson Organizations: Grand Ole Opry House, Oklahoman, Oklahoma City Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, Las Vegas, Vegas, Clinton , Oklahoma, Moore, Oklahoma, United States, Dodge City , Kansas, Canada

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — “Beer For My Horses” singer-songwriter Toby Keith has died. “The money to be made was unbelievable,” Keith told The Associated Press in 1996. “Should’ve Been a Cowboy,” his breakout hit, was played 3 million times on radio stations, making it the most played country song of the 1990s. “They were trying to get me to compromise, and I was living a miserable existence,” Keith told the AP. “I always felt like that the songwriting was the most important part of this whole industry,” Keith told the crowd of fellow singers and writers.

Persons: NORMAN, Okla, Toby Keith, Keith, “, ”, Beer, Willie Nelson, ” Keith, I’ve, I’m, ” ‘, Harold Shedd, Shedd, “ Should’ve, Shania Twain, That’s, “ I’ve, Bobby Braddock, “ They’re, He’s, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, We’ll, Singer, Steve Earle, Natalie Maines, Maines, Saddam Hussein, FUTK, Ethan Hawke, Kris Kristofferson, Hawke, Vince Gill, Scott Borchetta, Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols, Josh Thompson, Clay Walker, Phil Vassar Organizations: Associated Press, Oklahoma City Drillers, United States Football League, Mercury Records, Alabama, AP, DreamWorks Records, Academy of Country, “ Billboard, Arts, “, Universal Music Group, DreamWorks, Universal, Songwriters Hall of Fame, BMI Locations: Oklahoma, Texas, Nashville, Mercury, Oklahoma City

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