Oklahoma News
Oklahoma health care ranked nearly the worst in the nation: Oklahoma ranked 49th in the nation for its state health care system, according to a report released Wednesday. The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation supporting independent health care research, reported that only Texas and Mississippi trailed Oklahoma. D.C. was also included in the report. [Oklahoma Voice]
State Government News
Video shows Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission leaders at illegal cockfights: Anthony DeVore and Blake Pearce, the organization's president and vice president, have lobbied the Legislature in recent years to reduce Oklahoma's penalties for cockfighting. Now, the two men are being accused by Animal Wellness Action President Wayne Pacelle of engaging in a "criminal conspiracy." [NonDoc]
Oklahoma agency misses first benchmarks of mental health settlement: The Oklahoma mental health department missed its first series of deadlines to provide improved competency restoration services. The mental health department was supposed to meet 10 benchmarks by June 8. Seven benchmarks were not met. One was partially completed. One had an "unknown" status. Only one deadline was met. [Oklahoma Voice]
Oklahoma launches $75M fund to improve infrastructure in all 77 counties: A new fund established through the legislature for county transportation infrastructure projects will reduce the rising number of deficient bridges in Oklahoma due to rising construction costs. The measure establishes the Preserving and Advancing County Transportation (PACT) Fund within the State Treasury, with funding coming from the gross production tax on natural gas before it gets to the General Revenue Fund beginning July 1. [The Journal Record]
Former Oklahoma AG plans to appeal judge's decision to dismiss social studies standards lawsuit: A judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Oklahoma's new, controversial social studies standards, but former Attorney General Mike Hunter plans to appeal the decision. Hunter, who led the lawsuit against the Oklahoma State Department of Education and State Superintendent Ryan Walters, expressed his disappointment but said he remains determined to challenge the decision further. [KOCO]
- Social studies standards lawsuit tossed out, former AG speaks out [KFOR]
Oklahoma files federal lawsuit against 23andMe: The state of Oklahoma has filed a federal lawsuit against genetic testing company 23andMe. State Attorney General Gentner Drummond says he wants to prevent the company from selling its customers' private DNA information. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy and is now seeking to sell off its assets, including sensitive genetic and health data in a high-stakes auction. [KGOU]
Federal Government News
GOP senators warn mega-bill's new Medicaid cuts will hurt rural hospitals: GOP senators from across the political spectrum have debated the broad strokes of the tax and spending cut legislation for weeks, but raised fresh concerns after the influential Finance Committee released its portion of the package, which addresses taxes and Medicaid. Some GOP senators objected to a change in Medicaid policy they said could harm rural hospitals. [Oklahoma Voice]
Two-thirds of those in nonpartisan poll view GOP's tax and spending cut bill unfavorably: Republicans and backers of President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again platform support the party's "big, beautiful bill" as passed by the U.S. House, though Americans overall view the legislation unfavorably, according to a poll released Tuesday by the nonpartisan health research organization KFF. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Medicaid keeps getting more popular as Republicans aim to cut it by $800 billion [KOSU]
After nationwide protests, what do Donald Trump's latest approval ratings show? See polls: Five months into U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, approval ratings continue to fluctuate as Americans weigh in on Trump's handling of numerous national topics. Here's an updated look at the president's state and national ratings as well as comparisons to his first term and the beginning of his second. [The Oklahoman]
NAACP refuses to invite president for first time in 116 years: Donald Trump will not be invited to the NAACP's national convention next month, making him the first sitting president in the organization's 116-year history to be excluded. NAACP President Derrick Johnson announced the decision Monday during a press conference, stating, "This has nothing to do with political party. Our mission is to advance civil rights, and the current president has made clear that his mission is to eliminate civil rights." [The Black Wall Street Times]
Truck carrying tank after Army's 250th birthday parade kills pedestrian in DC: A truck carrying one of the Army M1 Abrams tanks that participated in President Donald Trump's parade in honor of the service's 250th birthday struck and killed a woman in Washington. [The Oklahoman]
U.S. senators call for security funding boost after Minnesota assassination: U.S. senators emerged from a briefing with federal law enforcement officials Tuesday saying they'll likely boost funding on safety and security for members and their families in an upcoming government funding bill. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Minnesota shooting suspect Vance Boelter once lived in Oklahoma. Here's what we know [The Oklahoman]
'Easy target': Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, says he's safe 'for now': President Donald Trump threatened Iran's supreme leader as he pushed Tehran to end its retaliatory airstrikes on Israel and warned against any threats to U.S. servicemembers in the region. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He is an easy target, but is safe there." [USA Today]
Tribal Nations News
Cherokee Nation proposes revamp of aging Claremore Indian Health hospital: The Claremore Indian Hospital has served northeastern tribal patients since 1930. Now, the Cherokee Nation is proposing a $255.5 million investment to replace its aging facilities. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Republicans Add New Barriers to Oklahoma's Dizzyingly Fast Process for Citizen Initiatives: In Oklahoma, organizers have to race against the clock to get measures on the ballot. The state has the nation's shortest window of time for collecting the tens of thousands of signatures needed to qualify citizen-led measures—just 90 days, compared to other states with ballot initiatives, which all give canvassers 180 days or more. Oklahoma's 90-day sprint is about to get a lot rougher, thanks to a new law adopted by state Republicans late last month that piles on new regulations. [Bolts]
Tulsa GOP chair wants to return to partisan city elections: The new chair of the Tulsa County Republican Party wants to see some changes to how local elections are handled. Myers argued the lack of party affiliation on city ballots causes confusion and that partisan elections could help people research their candidates more efficiently. [Public Radio Tulsa]
Education News
Epic Charter School board approves $30 million credit lifeline, slimmer budget: Buoyed by a $30 million line of credit, Epic Charter School now has funds to survive the summer and a budget for the next academic year. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Long Story Short: Resignations and layoffs at the state's largest online school (audio) [Oklahoma Watch]
Oklahoma leads nation in aerospace education programs: Oklahoma leads the nation with the highest number of schools with an aerospace curriculum. That is according to The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics. [KSWO]
Health News
Eldercare Nightmare: A Tragic Family Story Raises the Specter of Widespread Guardianship Fraud: In recent years, elder guardianship scams have become common across the country. The case of Leroy Theodore suggests that a nationwide plague of guardianship abuse may have arrived in Oklahoma. [Oklahoma Watch]
Measles exposure reported at OKC airport, Guymon Walmart over Memorial Day weekend: Oklahoma so far has recorded 20 measles cases in 2025. That includes 17 test-confirmed infections and three probable cases in which a person was symptomatic. Seventeen of the 20 cases involved people who were unvaccinated for measles. [Oklahoma Voice]
Guns kill more US children than other causes, but state policies can help, study finds: More American children and teens die from firearms than any other cause, but there are more deaths — and wider racial disparities — in states with more permissive gun policies, according to a new study. [Oklahoma Voice]
New mobile mental health vans bring critical care to rural communities around Tulsa: Oklahoma's mental health care is taking a new direction, reaching rural communities surrounding Tulsa with a mobile mental health collaboration. What started as a small pilot program has now evolved into a full-fledged initiative, eliminating the distance between people and the care they need. [News Channel 8]
Abortion clinics are closing, even in states where abortion is legal: The abortion funding system across the U.S. is battered three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to enforce bans. An initial surge of donations has subsided, scores of clinics have closed and advocates fear that federal policy changes will result in more shutting down. [AP via Tulsa World]
Criminal Justice News
Richard Glossip seeks release on bond in murder-for-hire case: Richard Glossip will have to wait a little longer to find out if he will go free while he awaits his third murder trial. Glossip, once Oklahoma's most high-profile death row inmate, is asking to be released on a personal recognizance bond. Prosecutors want him to stay locked up. [The Oklahoman]
- Oklahoma County judge continues to weigh Richard Glossip's request for bond [KOSU]
- Former death row inmate Richard Glossip will be prosecuted again but no longer faces death sentence (video) [The Oklahoman]
Oklahoma County jail fails inspection over sanitation, safety and security issues: The latest report detailed an unannounced inspection that took place inside the long-troubled facility at 201 N Shartel Ave. on May 7, following up on a previous inspection conducted in December. Various deficiencies were cited as a result of the May inspection, meaning the jail is "not in substantial compliance," according to the 36-page report. [The Oklahoman]
Man fatally shot by OKC police identified; four officers on paid leave: A man fatally shot by police and the officers involved in a June 16 shooting in southwest Oklahoma City have now been identified. Police were responding to a call about a man threatening suicide, according to Capt. Valerie Littlejohn, a spokeswoman for the department. [The Oklahoman]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
'Be heard and be seen': Tulsa nonprofit serving people experiencing homelessness expands to OKC: BeHeard started in 2020 in Tulsa with a simple mission: "to help end homelessness one person at a time, one shower at a time." It operates a mobile drop-in center, which brings services like a mobile shower trailer, laundry, clothing, haircuts and charging stations directly to Oklahomans. [StateImpact Oklahoma]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma strives to become American hub for critical minerals processing: Nestled beneath Oklahoma's Wichita Mountains sits a two-story warehouse containing the only machine in the United States capable of refining nickel, a crucial energy transition metal now dominated by China. The facility, owned by startup Westwin Elements, aims to help Oklahoma become the epicenter for U.S. critical minerals processing, a sector the country largely abandoned decades ago. [Reuters]
Councilor Hall-Harper questions PartnerTulsa's commitment to redeveloping north Tulsa: City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper has accused PartnerTulsa, the city's economic development arm, of working against the best interests of the historic Greenwood District she represents. [Tulsa World]
Future of Wagoner County solar farm uncertain after public opposition, zoning rejection: County Commissioners voted 2-1 to deny NextEra Energy Resources' conditional use permit request Monday morning, forming an obstacle for the company's proposed solar project. [StateImpact Oklahoma]
Opinion: Business Strategy: Data shows long-term, positive impacts of ARPA programming: ARPA funding was due to be spent or returned by December 2024, and as auditors and researchers have now had the time to thoroughly examine outcomes, it is clear that ARPA played a major role in our community's economic stability through those difficult years. [Kenton Tsoodle / The Journal Record]
Community News
Mayor to Make Major Announcement Wednesday on Mass Graves Investigations: Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols is expected to provide an update on Wednesday June 18 on findings from the investigation of mass graves of victims killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The mayor's announcement will come just a few hours in advance of the Tulsa City Council's anticipated final consideration of the 2026 city budget and a day before the city holiday commemorating Juneteenth. [The Oklahoma Eagle]
Oklahoma adds 2 sites to the National Register of Historic Places: The National Register of Historic Places has listed two new sites in Oklahoma. The State Historic Preservation Office of the Oklahoma Historical Society identifies, determines and nominates properties for federal designation. [KOSU]
Juneteenth 2025: Will mail run? Are banks open? What you need to know in Oklahoma: Juneteenth, known as America's Second Independence Day, has been commemorated as a federally-recognized holiday since 2021, providing millions of Americans with a paid day off and the opportunity to commemorate the end of slavery. Here's what you need to know about banks, post offices and shipping services, and whether or not they'll be open on Juneteenth. [The Oklahoman]
Local Headlines
- Small city with big league energy: OKC Council approves new arena agreements [The Oklahoman]
- Proposed lease for new Thunder arena aims to keep team in OKC [The Oklahoman]
