Oklahoma Watch

Gov. Stitt’s Operation SAFE led to the displacement of hundreds of homeless people in Tulsa, making it harder for them to access resources and stretching shelters thin.

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Payne County District Judge Michael Kulling’s rejection of a key OSSAA argument in the case of four teenage basketball players attempting to transfer from one school to another raises questions about a century-old Oklahoma organization.

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Is Edmond among the best school districts in the nation? #Edmond #OKLAED @factbriefs

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Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ is directing the $2 billion Tobacco Endowment Settlement Trust’s new investment consultant to rank fund managers by alignment with so-called Oklahoma values. #okgov #okleg #DEI #ESG #tobacco

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Keaton Ross on the cost of phone calls more than doubled with minimal notice. Jake Ramsey on the high number of renters in the state who are considered to be extremely low income. Paul Monies examined recent votes against renewable projects by the commissioners of the Land Office.

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Riding a grassroots wave of anti-renewable energy sentiments, Oklahoma officials in charge of state school land have voted down leases for solar and wind projects in the past year. #okgov #okleg #renewables

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A quarter of Oklahoma renters meet the qualifications to be considered extremely low income. Despite this, affordable housing in Oklahoma remains scarcely available, which contributes to the state's high eviction rates.

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Free access to tulsaworld.com Friday through Tuesday, courtesy of Tulsa Area United Way Thanks to the Tulsa Area United Way, everyone will have unlimited digital access to the Tulsa World's website this Labor Day weekend starting on Friday through Tuesday.

Thanks to the Tulsa Area United Way, everyone will have unlimited digital access to the Tulsa World's website this Labor Day weekend starting on Friday through Tuesday.

Patient recruiters helped struggling Oklahomans apply for insurance and connected them with treatment options. But some facilities exploited their patients for profit.

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Keaton Ross reports on CoreCivic advertising jobs at two long-vacant prisons, Paul Monies on candidates self-funding campaigns, and JC Hallman on why Oklahomans pay more for auto insurance. Ted Streuli hosts.

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32,300 Oklahomans are at risk of eviction or homelessness under the proposed rental assistance timeline. Experts say the timeline does not adequately address the housing crisis.

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Here is the audio of Oklahoma Watch’s published stories for the week of August 11, 2025.

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Does Oklahoma rely on states such as California for federal tax dollars that fund education and healthcare? @factbriefs

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The company is touting starting pay of $27 per hour for detention officers, more than $5 per hour than Oklahoma pays correctional officer recruits.

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Jake Ramsey on the use of hostile architecture in Tulsa and OKC to deter homeless encampments. Elizabeth Caldwell discusses a tax credit that was supposed to make housing more affordable. Maria Guinnip talks about the latest installment in our “Justice in No Man’s Land” series.

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A Texas company owned by a father and son bought Oklahoma low-income housing properties that came with huge tax credits in exchange for a commitment to low rents. Instead, they evicted the tenants and raised the prices.

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The number of Department of Corrections inmates awaiting transfer has increased 74% since 2021, correlating with a population uptick in the Oklahoma and Tulsa County Jails.

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Here is the audio of Oklahoma Watch published stories for the week of July 28, 2025.

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Russell Goodwin makes a living exposing predators online. Both disability rights advocates and police say his work doesn’t help them.
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We join the rest of Oklahoma in mourning the passing of our friend, Governor George Nigh.
At our 2023 event, Governor Nigh made a moment we’ll never forget — conducting the UCO Stampede of Sound with the very pen that signed “Oklahoma!” into law as our state song.
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Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma on Wednesday night defended her use of remote town halls after a constituent on the call confronted her and accused her of dodging voters

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U.S. Rep. Tom Cole plans to seek a 13th term, citing increased influence in Congress and his role in protecting Oklahoma’s federal interests. The longtime lawmaker says his appropriations work remains motivating, though a final decision is pending.

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Did Ryan Walters receive $120,000 from a non-profit funded by school privatization advocates while serving as the Secretary of Education? @FactBriefs

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Investigation of a second harrowing attempt to seize control of an elderly vet establishes a troubling pattern of abuse in the St. Francis Health System and uncovers hints of turmoil and controversy at Oklahoma’s largest hospital.

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Did Oklahoma turn down federal money to feed low-income kids two summers in a row? @FactBriefs

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Some textbook publishers steer clear of OK social studies standards We are getting a first look at how textbook publishers are responding to the recently passed Oklahoma social studies standards, and many are taking a step back.

ICYMI: Jennifer Palmer spoke with Dylan Brown about her story on textbook publishers steer clear of OK social studies standards. KFOR-TV

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Trump’s budget bill brings stricter SNAP rules and shifts costs to states, putting 131,000 Oklahomans at risk of losing food benefits as hunger relief systems brace for the impact.

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Since the McGirt decision, cases involving missing or murdered Native Americans have been mired in confusion and a lack of police collaboration.

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JC Hallman explores the reasons behind soaring insurance rates, while Jake Ramsey examines the link between childhood evictions and chronic absenteeism. Anna Kramer reports on the White House’s shutdown of the flood warning system in Norman. Ted Streuli Hosts.

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Here is the audio of Oklahoma Watch published stories for the week of July 14, 2025. #AudioStories

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