Factchecking Oklahoma: Is the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau driving up banking costs for Oklahomans?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau might have the driest name in federal government since Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, but drama surrounding the agency that regulates financial services like payday loans is anything but boring. The CFPB was created in 2011 in response to financial institutions’ actions connected to the Great Recession. The bureau…
Homeward bound
Native Americans stormed the beaches of Alcatraz Island in 1969 to claim the notorious prison for the “Indians of all tribes.” For nineteen months, the shuttered federal facilities were reopened by the activists and turned into homes. They hoped to force the U.S. government to make good on the Treaty of Ft. Laramie that promised…
Flavorful flower
Former NFL player and Duncan native Bryce Davis has returned to his home state to bring Oklahoma medical cannabis patients the tastiest medicine he can. Kola Organics, located in southwest Oklahoma City near the Oklahoma River, debuts its flower later this month in pre-rolls to select dispensaries. By the end of September, Davis expects his…
Cover: Shadow of doubt
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) opened doors for me that had been locked for a long time. It gave me and 800,000 other Dreamers a two-year work permit, a social security number, relief from the threat of deportation and the opportunity to get a driver’s license. With all that, it also opened the door…
Stripped-down Carmen
La Tragédie de Carmen May 17 and 19 Freede Little Theatre Civic Center Music Hall 201 N. Walker Ave. paintedskyopera.org $35-$45 Premiering in Paris in 1875, Georges Bizet’s Carmen is one of the most famous and influential operas in history, featuring a huge cast and large-scale production numbers in its more than three-hour runtime. Peter…
Taste buds
On one level, the Try It, You’ll Like It podcast is a comedy podcast hosted by talented improvisers and “taste buds” David Zwick and Winston Carter. On another level, it is an intersection of psychology and experience as they ask guests to eat a food item they do not enjoy. Surrounded by racks of ribs,…
Metallic Milton
Extreme metal fans will not be shocked to hear the voice of Satan screaming for vengeance on Cast From God’s Sight, the full-length debut from Chickasha-based musician Dakota Whiteside’s “blackened deathcore” project Desolate Tomb, but they might be surprised to learn that Whiteside thinks of it as a Christian album. “It talks about biblical things…
Chicken-Fried News: Poor execution
Oklahoma is still struggling with killing its people — quickly and intentionally, at least. If you recall the last two executions in Oklahoma, which were definitely cruel and highly unusual, you might remember that the lethal injections did not go according to plan. Clayton Lockett and Charles Warner were supposed to go numb and become…
Duck now
Honk Jr. Friday-Sunday Lyric at the Plaza 1727 NW 16th St. thelmagaylordacademy.com 405-524-9310 $15 First published in the 1840s, Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling has been comforting people who feel like outcasts and misfits ever since. Thelma Gaylord Academy’s production of Honk Jr., a children’s musical based on Andersen’s tale, runs Friday-Sunday at Lyric…
Gazedibles: New ’cue
May is National Barbecue Month, and we’re celebrating by honoring some new and inventive concepts in the metro. By Jacob Threadgill with photos provided Maples Barbecue 1800 NW 16th St. maplesbarbecue.com | 405-604-3344 The longtime food truck opened its 16th Street Plaza District location at the end of 2018, where it showcases true Texas-style smoked…
Midtown move
Ludivine 320 NW 10th St. ludivineokc.com 405-778-6800 What works: Ora King salmon and all things chimichurri highlight the confluence of salt, acid and fat. What needs work: The pesto lagged behind other pasta preparations. Tip:Check out the Monday lunch burger deal. The biggest challenge for Ludivine owner and chef Russ Johnson as he moved the…
Northeast development
oNE OKC noon-4 p.m. May 18 NE 23rd Street and Rhode Island Avenue neokcr.org Free A community is working together to ethically revitalize and develop its neighborhoods. Northeast Oklahoma City Renaissance (NEOKCR) aims to establish a commercial district on NE 23rd Street. It is hosting the fourth annual oNE OKC, a street festival that showcases…
Threatening beauty
The Skies Have It opening reception 16-10 p.m. Friday Mainsite Contemporary Art 122 E. Main St., Norman mainsitecontemporaryart.com Free Oklahoma’s unique connection to the weather is felt every time Oklahoma City-based artist David Holland puts brush to canvas. Holland takes photos of large thunderstorms after they move east past the city and turns them into…
Chicken-Fried News: No class
Less than two years after being acquitted for manslaughter, former Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby, who shot and killed unarmed Terence Crutcher in September 2016, is scheduled to teach a National Rifle Association pistol-shooting course at Tulsa’s United States Shooting Academy. While we could accuse NRA of having impure motivations here, we will just offer…
Emotional spelunking
Cavern Company 8:30 p.m. Saturday 51st Street Speakeasy 1114 NW 51st St. 51stspeakeasy.com 405-463-0470 $3 Post-Tension, OKC indie rock conglomerate Cavern Company is learning to ease up and dig in. “Sonically, this EP is one step closer to where we really want to be as a band,” said frontman Zach Shomaker, describing Cavern Company’s second…
Chicken-Fried News: Columbus circling
Last week, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law that merges Native American Day and Columbus Day into one holiday, which is like honoring vegan awareness and slaughterhouse operators at the same time. Stitt, who is a member of Cherokee Nation and the only governor in the country who is a recognized member of…
Lower highs
Six months after dispensaries were legally allowed to sell products containing THC to patients, the prices of grams of cannabis flower are steadily dropping. When some businesses opened their doors Oct. 26, prices per gram reached up to $35 at some locations. They quickly dropped, settling around $20 a gram for flower through the end…
Cannabis calling
The two biggest impediments to getting a medical cannabis recommendation are money and time, but once you have gotten the funds under control, Chronic Docs will be able to save you a little time. Carri Lawrence got the service off the ground about two months ago. It operates under her Chronic Rx Solutions business umbrella,…
