Oklahoma students have returned to school following a legislative session that brought changes to teacher pay, reading and math instruction, recess, cell phones, testing, physical fitness and other education policies. The Legislature increased funding for State School Aid and Programs by about $232 million for Fiscal Year 2027, from about $3.98 billion to $4.21 billion….
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (SA&I) Cindy Byrd today released the Federal Single Audit for FY 2024. This annual audit is a federally-mandated examination of whether the State of Oklahoma spent federal grant money in compliance with federal regulations. The audit report covers roughly $14 Billion of expenditures which are audited based…
A newly released report commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified a claims-data pattern involving OU Physicians-Tulsa that HHS says warrants further scrutiny. The report, “Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of ‘Gender Medicine,’” analyzes nationwide insurance claims from 2015 through 2025…
Since the 2017-2018 school year, when teachers staged a walkout to protest what they described as insufficient education funding, total revenue to Oklahoma public schools has exploded. In the 2017-2018 school year, schools reported having more than $6.3 billion in revenue from all sources. By the 2024-2025 school year, revenue exceeded $9.5 billion, an increase…
Bixby voters will decide Aug. 25 whether to approve four separate general obligation bond propositions totaling $77.5 million. The proposals cover public safety, roads, parks and wastewater infrastructure. Each proposition will appear separately on the ballot, so voters can approve or reject each one on its own. City officials have promoted the package under the…
News On 6 in Tulsa and News 9 in Oklahoma City aired a televised debate Aug. 3 between Republican gubernatorial candidates Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei ahead of the Aug. 25 runoff election. Amanda Taylor and Craig Day moderated the statewide debate. A disputed allegation involving Mike Mazzei’s brother became a major development following Monday…
Senate District 34 saw incumbent Republican Sen. Dana Prieto running against three challengers in the June 16 primary – Brent Driskill, Aaron Forst and Kent Taylor. There was no candidate that received 50 percent of the vote so the top two candidates from the primary will go to a runoff election. Prieto earned the most…
OKLAHOMA CITY — House and Senate lawmakers joined Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday for the ceremonial signing of two laws protecting Oklahoma utility customers and groundwater resources as large-scale data centers expand across the state. Stitt ceremonially signed House Bill 2992, the Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, authored by Rep. Brad Boles,…
The Tulsa City Council elections will be held on August 25th along with the state runoff elections. The Tulsa City Council elections do not have primaries as they are non-partisan races. If there are more than two candidates filed in a District and no candidate reaches over 50 percent in the Aug. 25th election the…
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of Tulsa (IST) today held a news conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to announce the filing of a lawsuit against the City of Broken Arrow for illegally denying IST a rezoning application to construct a mosque in Broken Arrow. That lawsuit reads in part: “The City…
Oklahoma faces workforce challenges. Our college system should play a crucial role in addressing that challenge and fueling economic growth. Instead, the University of Oklahoma is receiving national attention for devolving into academic self-parody. Rather than gain renown for producing engineers and scientists, OU is under scrutiny for having a man who identifies as a…
[Analysis of history and science influence on political and religious attitudes.] It’s a small world. We were out on a fine, beautiful Saturday afternoon, headed over to our lab to work on the ham radio repeater. An event was underway at the Mountain Venue. We noticed one of the security guards managing traffic into…
Each year, as summer winds down and the first Monday in September approaches, we pause to honor the contributions of workers across the country. Labor Day is far more than a long weekend, it is a powerful reminder of the value of work, the dignity of those who labor, and the importance of fair and…
Oklahoma is taking in a lot of tax money. In fact, during the last year, the state has gotten so much extra money, it has as much as a billion dollars in the Rainy Day Fund (and other accounts). That’s a billion with a “B.” Gov. Kevin Stitt, to his credit, wants to sit tight…
[Looking at history and our area’s unique political and religious attitudes.] Calvin, the inquisitive 6-year-old asks his imaginary philosopher tiger, “It says here that ‘Religion is the opiate of the masses.’ What do you suppose that means?” The TV replies, ‘It means Karl Marx hadn’t seen anything yet.’ Although Marx was making a derogatory…
U.S. Senator for the seat left vacant by Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin: The Democratic runoff – no endorsements. Oklahoma Governor – Republican Runoff – the Tulsa Beacon endorses Mike Mazzei. Gentner Drummond is a Democrat in disguise, a RINO at best. He believes at the state level it does not…
This list is not a comprehensive list of endorsements, that will be available closer the the August 25 election date. It will be added to as decisions on endorsements are made. U.S. Senator for the seat left vacant by Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin: The Democratic runoff – no endorsements….
Over the past few weeks, I have had a number of conversations about State Question 844. Almost every one quickly turned to school funding. That concern is understandable. SQ 844 raises real questions about funding for schools and local governments. But after researching the measure, I came to believe it raises an even more fundamental…
America is witnessing a resurgence of ideas that many assumed had been relegated to history. Openly socialist candidates are winning elections. Socialist rhetoric is becoming increasingly mainstream. Class warfare is replacing free-market principles as the preferred language of many activists and politicians. And a growing number of young Americans are embracing ideas that previous generations…
After two abysmal seasons, the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team is looking to turn things around under new head coach Eric Morris, and the promise of a more exciting team to watch. The 2024 team started the season 3-0, but then lost 20 straight games against FBS schools, over the next season and a half,…
Collecting sports memorabilia has been a hobby of mine for many years and recently I acquired a couple of pieces that I’m thrilled to add to my collection. I don’t know when I first started collecting memorabilia, but I’m sure I was very young and it all began with a pack of baseball cards my…
With an improved defense, the Oklahoma Sooners football team is poised to be a contender for the SEC Championship. After a pair of seasons in 2023 and 2024, when the Sooners defense struggled against all opponents, the team turned things around last year and finished sixth in the country in total defense. OU allowed only…
Five former players were inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 8. The Hall’s 50-person Selection Committee met virtually in January to conduct its annual vote. The Class of 2026 are quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly and placekicker Adam Vinatieri. Craig was among…
BRANSON, Missouri – It would be difficult for a stage play to have more impact than the production of Jesus here at Sight & Sound Theatre. The public ministry of Jesus Christ, His miracles, His relationships, His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection are dramatically portrayed as only Sight & Sound can. Even though…
Vacation plans are on hold and Tulsans’ best options for entertainment due to the coronavirus outbreak are in their own living rooms. Movie theaters closed All the movie theaters in Tulsa – even the Admiral Twin Drive-in – are closed due to the pandemic. Entertainment venues, which tend to draw big crowds, are deemed “non-essential”…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nineties country-music hitmaker Joe Diffie died March 29th due to complications related to COVID-19. In all, Diffie charted 18 Top 10 singles, with the majority reaching the top five, including 1993 radio essentials Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) and iconic song, John Deere Green. Diffie’s popular hits also…
