The Republican runoff for Oklahoma State Superintendent on August 25th presents Republican voters with two very different candidates. On one side is James Taylor, a classroom teacher and perennial candidate for public office. On the other is Robert Franklin, an educator with 45 years of experience who has served in leadership positions overseeing schools and […]
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A Conversation with Enes Kanter Freedom
When Enes Kanter Freedom was 9 years old, neighborhood children handed him an American flag and a lighter. The children wanted him to burn the flag. Growing up in Turkey, Freedom says anti-American sentiment was commonplace. Politicians routinely attacked the United States, Christianity and the West, and those messages filtered down to children. “I looked […]
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Tomorrow’s Keepers
When a series of investigative reports exposed horrific conditions facing children in Oklahoma’s state system during the 1980s, the outrage sparked more than headlines—it created a movement. Four decades later, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) remains one of the few organizations devoted exclusively to advancing policies that improve the lives of children across […]
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Is Mike Mazzei’s Tax Plan Built On Sand?
The fastest way to win a Republican’s heart is usually through a big tax cut, and that rings particularly true when it pertains to Oklahoma’s GOP Gubernatorial primary election. Mike Mazzei seems to be attempting to take this path via “A Plan” being pitched to Oklahoma voters, promising to eliminate our state income tax and […]
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Primary Recap
Oklahoma’s June 16 primary election did more than narrow crowded fields. It sent a message loud enough for every candidate, consultant, and lawmaker to hear: Oklahomans are tired of chaos. Across the state, voters chose between serious public service and another round of ideological warfare. In race after race, they pushed back against candidates openly […]
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Fun With Fractions
Fun With Fractions Governor Stitt, now famously “that guy,” per Rod Polston, spent the recent session pitching “A Half and a Path,” hoping lawmakers would slash Oklahoma’s income tax by 0.5%. The legislature politely handed him half of a half, or a 0.25% cut, and called it a day. So roughly the same percentage as […]
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A Cause Close to the Heart
OKC Thunder player Isaiah Joe’s foundation supports a variety of causes, including children’s hospitals. There’s a personal reason for that. According to the CDC, roughly 40,000 U.S. babies each year have a heart condition, and 10,000 of them are serious enough to require immediate surgical intervention. Isaiah’s younger brother Jon was one of them. The […]
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OKC Zoo welcomes sixth endangered Asian elephant calf
OKC Zoo welcomes sixth endangered Asian elephant calf The Oklahoma City Zoo is celebrating the arrival of its sixth endangered Asian elephant calf after 31-year-old Asha gave birth to a female on Friday, June 26. The calf arrived nearly two months ahead of schedule, making the birth an early surprise for the Zoo’s elephant care […]
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Bottle rockets could light up Oklahoma skies for first time in decades
Christopher Burney fondly remembers a childhood with large July 4 cookouts and fireworks displays that went into the early morning hours. The self described “fireworks enthusiast” from Okmulgee was the instigator for Senate Bill 1948 that allows retailers to sell fireworks year-round and allows the sale of bottle rockets for the first time since 1981. The measure, […]
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OKC Animal Shelter pauses intake after more than 500 animals seized from southeast Oklahoma City home
The Oklahoma City Animal Shelter has temporarily suspended animal intake through Tuesday after taking in more than 350 animals recovered late Thursday night from a home in southeast Oklahoma City. According to Oklahoma City Animal Welfare, the seizure included a wide variety of domestic and exotic animals, including dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and a horse. […]