Supreme Court affirms Muscogee (Creek) reservation status
Wendy Weitzel, Reporter
July 9, 2020
WASHINGTON -- The ground shifted in Oklahoma shortly after 9 a.m. on Thursday when the Supreme Court ruled the eastern half of the state is still comprised of Native American reservations. Suddenly, jurisdictional lines were rearranged: A member of an Oklahoma tribe can’t be tried in state court for...
Oklahoma’s CD5 Republican primary foreshadows a nationally important general election
Breanna Mitchell, Reporter
June 14, 2020
As Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District June 30 primary nears, the nine Republican candidates are vying for a shot at facing off against incumbent U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn. Democratic congresswoman Horn’s win in 2018 suggested the historically red district, consisting of Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and...
Businesses, Banks Continue Wait For More Relief Funding
Hogan Gore, Gaylord News
April 21, 2020
More than 35,000 Oklahoma small businesses received loans from the federal $2 trillion stimulus plan last week, but thousands more are stuck waiting for a refill for a program that blew through $350 billion in less than three weeks. Steve Bullock, president of Fail-Safe Solutions LLC in Oklahoma City,...
Supreme Court to rule on tribal justice remotely via telephone
Brooklyn Wayland
April 13, 2020
A tribal sovereignty issue that has been wending its way through the courts for two decades may be finally heading toward a final decision before a home-bound U.S. Supreme Court. McGirt v. Oklahoma oral arguments will be held in front of the Supreme Court despite the coronavirus pandemic...
State census response rate a little better than 10 years ago
Hogan Gore, Gaylord News
April 8, 2020
Forty-one percent of households in Oklahoma have completed the nation’s first primarily digital census with one-third of surveys completed online since the count began last week. As good as it may appear, that puts Oklahoma towards the bottom of the state response ranking. Currently the Sooner state i...
Inhofe in the clear on questionable timing of stock sales?
Brooklyn Wayland
March 26, 2020
Oklahoma’s senior senator appears to have been cleared of any improprieties in connection with the sale of thousands of dollars of stock in January and February shortly before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Oklahoma activists had raised questions about the sales by Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-O...
Oklahoma Rates 10 in Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Cases
March 23, 2020
WASHINGTON -- When Pam Smith found out her niece had been radio silent for hours, she started to worry. She called family, friends and finally local law enforcement in hopes of hearing good news, or any news at all. “Before my niece went missing, I knew that the missing and murdered indigenous...
Inhofe accused of selling stocks before Covid-19 panic
Brooklyn Wayland, KaraLee Langford, and Autumn Waggoner
March 21, 2020
WASHINGTON -- Oklahoma’s senior senator denied any knowledge or involvement in investment decisions that saw him selling over $400,000 in stock shortly before fears about the coronavirus pandemic exploded. “The New York Times allegations are completely baseless and 100 percent falseâ€...
Sen. Inhofe flies plane upside-down, announcing he is still fit for reelection
Karalee Langford and Brooklyn Wayland
March 5, 2020
Photo by KaraLee Langford Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) released a campaign video of him flying a plane upside down to announce his campaign for reelection in 2020 and prove he’s still not too old to be in Congress. “I’ll be announcing for office upside down and that’s to overcome the critici...
Oh, frack!
Brooklyn Wayland and Karalee Langford
February 28, 2020
Photo by KaraLee Langford Kendra Horn took steps Thursday to distance herself even further from the left-wing elements of her party by announcing her opposition to a fracking ban. She said she is opposed to legislation proposed by U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, NY) and Darren Soto (D, F...
Tribal jurisdiction on Supreme Court docket again with McGirt v. Oklahoma
Brooklyn Wayland
February 26, 2020
Oral arguments in a case that could reshape tribal justice in eastern Oklahoma have been set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on April 21. The case, McGirt v. Oklahoma, argues under the Indian Major Crimes Act the state does not have the authority to prosecute convicted child rapist Jimcy M...
Week in Washington: Gaming compacts take center stage
February 14, 2020
Photo by Hogan Gore WASHINGTON -- Here’s a look at our stories in and around Washington this week: Tribe Officials Discuss Gaming Compacts at State of Indian Nations Gaming compacts in Oklahoma came up after Monday’s State of Indian Nations address, highlighting the ongoing conflict be...
