Articles
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Higher Education, Culture & the Family
OU president’s response to Charlie Kirk’s killing contrasts sharply with response to George Floyd’s death
University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr., who issued strong statements condemning racial violence after George Floyd’s 2020 death and called for “systemic change,” has been far less outspoken following the recent assassination of conservative Christian Charlie Kirk.Ray Carter | September 18, 2025
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling opens door for California-style elections in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has cleared the way for State Question 836, a proposal to replace Oklahoma’s current party-primary system with California’s “top two” model.Ray Carter | September 16, 2025
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Education
Oklahoma ranks high in teacher ‘opportunity and competition’
The website WalletHub, which recently ranked Oklahoma’s public-school system 50th in the nation academically, now ranks Oklahoma 14th nationally for “teacher opportunity and competition.”Ray Carter | September 15, 2025
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Culture & the Family
Tulsa public defender’s pro-assassination post fuels outcry
A Tulsa County Assistant Public Defender is facing backlash after a social-media post in which she appeared to celebrate the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Ray Carter | September 12, 2025
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Education
Strapped, starved, and ignored: Oklahoma family pushes lawmakers to track school staff accused of abuse
When Kacey and Scott Burnett discovered their daughter Destri—an 11-year-old with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome—was being restrained, mocked, and even left unfed at her Moore public school, they were stunned to learn state law allowed implicated staff to quietly transfer and keep working.Ray Carter | September 11, 2025
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Higher Education
Kirk’s death comes as more college students support violence over speech
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and outspoken Christian, comes as a record share of college students, including those in Oklahoma, now say violence is an acceptable response to speech with which they disagree.Ray Carter | September 11, 2025
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Law & Principles
Oklahoma Supreme Court upholds Stitt’s remote-work ban
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld Gov. Kevin Stitt’s order requiring most state employees to return to in-person work, rejecting a lawsuit from Democratic state Rep. Andy Fugate.Ray Carter | September 10, 2025
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Higher Education
Students self-censor as OU and OSU fail to make the grade on free speech
Roughly half of surveyed OU and OSU students say they hold their tongues on campus at least monthly, according to a new free-speech report. Both universities received failing grades, with OU earning an “F” and OSU a “D-minus.”Ray Carter | September 10, 2025
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Higher Education
Fewer than half of OU freshmen are Oklahomans … again
The University of Oklahoma’s freshman class hit a record 6,251 students this fall, but fewer than half—just 47.6 percent—are from Oklahoma, continuing a trend of declining in-state representation.Ray Carter | September 8, 2025
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Law & Principles
Stitt deploys state troopers to tackle Tulsa crime, homeless encampments
Declaring that Tulsa leaders have failed to protect residents, Gov. Kevin Stitt has deployed state troopers to clear homeless encampments and curb rising crime on state-owned property inside the city.Ray Carter | September 4, 2025