Shows
StateImpact OklahomaHelp wanted: Oklahoma works to lower barriers to long-term care careersRecruiting long-term care CNAs can be challenging, and fighting consistent turnover is costly. But groups in Oklahoma are finding ways to invest in these workers’ education and futures.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-08-2904 minStateImpact OklahomaPainting brighter futures: OKC schools partner with community for mediation, mentorshipOklahoma students face many barriers to high school graduation, even more so since the pandemic. But educators at two Oklahoma City area high schools have teamed up with a new community organization to tackle root causes of student behavioral issues.Because of the efforts of educators and nonprofits, communities are finding solutions to help young people in Oklahoma City avoid violence and turn their lives around.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-08-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaHow one rural hospital hopes to be an oasis in Oklahoma’s maternity care desertThe farther a woman has to travel to receive maternity care, the greater risk they have of maternal morbidity and adverse infant outcomes.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-08-0104 minStateImpact OklahomaFrom caves to caterpillars: How Oklahoma schools are working to beat the ‘summer slide’“Summer slide” is the phenomenon of students losing ground academically during the summer break. It usually refers to learning loss in reading and math, though other areas of child development can be affected, like behavior.On average, students lose about 20% of their school-year gains in reading and 27% in math.StateImpact visited two Oklahoma schools that provide free, multi-week summer programming to see how districts hope to make a dent in learning loss.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-07-1804 minStateImpact Oklahoma'This is going to kill us': Oklahoma nursing homes brace for new federal staffing mandateOklahoma nursing homes are preparing for staffing rules finalized in April by the Biden administration, meant to improve safety and quality of care in long-term care facilities.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-07-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat to expect in the coming months as La Niña impacts Oklahoma's weatherFar out in the Pacific Ocean, the latest El Niño cycle is at an end, and La Niña is expected in the coming months. But what does that mean for Oklahoma’s weather?Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-06-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaLawton officials attempt to mitigate East Cache Creek issues amid growing concernsAfter a TikTok video went viral about water pollution in East Cache Creek, City of Lawton officials have explained their plan to restore water levels.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-06-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma wraps up the 2024 legislative sessionStateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis and health reporter Jillian Taylor talk with managing editor Logan Layden about some of this year's legislative highlights.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-06-0604 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma’s transition to managed Medicaid brings new benefits, challengesMore than 600,000 Oklahomans on Medicaid are now seeing their care coordinated by private insurance companies. Proponents say the change incentivizes preventative care, and its rollout has been going well. But, it has caused problems for some Oklahomans on Medicaid and smaller providers.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-05-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaEdmond ‘bike bus’ puts a healthy spin on kids’ school commuteKeeping kids active and healthy can be an uphill battle, especially in the age of smartphones, video games and other distractions. A new volunteer initiative in Edmond is getting kids’ hearts pumping — and their wheels turning.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-05-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma schools need bus drivers and are straining to fill the gapsStatewide, Oklahoma public schools are experiencing a shortage of bus drivers — and they’re struggling to adapt.StateImpact analyzed every public school district in Oklahoma and found that of the 400-plus schools with hiring listings accessible on their websites or that answered a superintendent survey, over 40% showed open driver positions. About a quarter of the 80 surveyed superintendents said they or other school administrators drive a bus. Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-05-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahoma’s transition to managed Medicaid happened and what’s nextMost of Oklahoma’s Medicaid population is transitioning to managed care. This means that instead of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority paying providers directly, it’s paying private companies to coordinate some enrollees’ care. Proponents say the new system incentivizes better preventative care, which could cost the state less in the long run.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-05-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma immigrant communities rally in face of state policy to arrest people in country illegallyAs a crisis continues on the U.S. Southern Border, Oklahoma lawmakers are among counterparts from about a dozen states taking things into their own hands. For StateImpact, Lionel Ramos reports on their efforts and the backlash they face from immigrant communities.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-04-2504 minStateImpact OklahomaThe end of pandemic-era federal dollars may mean the end for the school programs it fundedIn Tulsa, there are about 450 after-school programs at risk of shrinking to just 75 once ESSER funds are gone.One of those programs is an after-school gardening club at Tulsa Public Schools' Eugene Field Elementary. There, each participant gets a garden box to plan, decorate, plant and harvest from throughout the school year.Schools across the country may be on the brink of making tough calls once these "pennies from heaven" run out.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-04-1804 minStateImpact OklahomaFirst over-the-counter birth control pill offers family planning amid Oklahoma’s abortion banOpill, which was approved by the FDA last July, is the nation’s first over-the-counter birth control pill, and it’s hitting pharmacy shelves now.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-04-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaEclipse brings tourism and challenges as Oklahoma goes under the shadow of the MoonAny point on the globe can expect to see a total solar eclipse about once every 400 years. This Monday, it’s far southeast Oklahoma’s turn.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-04-0304 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat education measures are still alive at the 2024 legislative session’s halfway point?Lawmakers are at the halfway point in this year’s legislative session, and just a fraction of the education bills filed at the top of the session have survived big legislative deadlines. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Oklahoma Voice education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel about the bills that still remain on the legislature’s radar.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-03-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma social workers face barriers in getting licensed, a bill could help them get to work fasterThis legislative session, lawmakers are working with faculty from OU’s School of Social Work and Oklahoma Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, advocating for Oklahoma’s requirements to be reduced to 3,000 hours.Mentioned in this episode:Social Media tags
2024-03-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma paraprofessionals provide critical student services — but many are barely making ends meetSchool support staff received a statewide pay raise after the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, but while teacher pay remains a major legislative priority, support staff pay hasn’t. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports many paraprofessionals, who often provide critical support to students with disabilities, live paycheck to paycheck.
2024-03-0704 minStateImpact OklahomaWatchdog agency failed to perform required inspections at elite Oklahoma high school plagued by culture of harassmentAn Oklahoma Watch investigation last year revealed a pervasive culture of harassment at an elite Oklahoma high school. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke with Jennifer Palmer, the reporter behind the story, about a recent update: the agency responsible for addressing those issues failed to perform required inspections for 16 years.
2024-02-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat to expect from Oklahoma lawmakers on healthcare in 2024Abortion restrictions, the ongoing opioid crisis and access to mental healthcare are in focus this legislative session. Jillian Taylor is StateImpact Oklahoma’s health reporter, and spoke with managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.
2024-02-1404 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat to expect from Oklahoma lawmakers on education in 2024The state legislature is back in session, and there’s no hotter topic than education policy. StateImpact education reporter Beth Wallis talked with StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden about what to expect from lawmakers in 2024.
2024-02-0704 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma’s Education Department awarded teachers life-changing bonuses — and created a nightmare for some by demanding them backThe Department of Education overpaid at least $290,000 in teacher bonuses and is working to claw back the money mere months after it was distributed. Nine teachers have been issued demands for repayment, and five additional teachers are under review.
2024-01-2504 minStateImpact OklahomaShawnee enacts no sit, no lie ordinance as future for homeless residents is uncertainAt least 150 of Shawnee's 30,000 residents are homeless. And because of an ordinance enacted this month, life might be getting a little more difficult for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
2024-01-1804 minStateImpact OklahomaThe road ahead for Tulsa Public Schools: five months into Walters’ mandated improvement planNo district in Oklahoma is under the State Board of Education’s microscope quite like Tulsa Public Schools. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and OPMX’s Max Bryan have this update on how TPS’ state-mandated improvement plan is going so far and the work that lies ahead.
2024-01-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma on the year that was and what's next2023 is coming to a close, and it’s been an eventful year for StateImpact Oklahoma’s reporters. Managing editor Logan Layden talks with the team about highlights of this year and what to expect in 2024.
2023-12-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahomans are navigating the ‘chaos’ of SoonerCare unwindingOver 300-thousand Oklahomans have lost SoonerCare coverage as state agencies remove ineligible people after a pandemic pause. StateImpact’s Jillian Taylor has more on how confusion around the Medicaid unwinding process is affecting members.
2023-12-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaTulsans regrow urban tree canopy after summer’s severe weatherSevere weather damaged thousands of trees in the Tulsa area earlier this year. A million cubic yards of green waste was collected, and many trees were bent or broken. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera reports on how the community is coming together to regow the city’s uban tree canopy.
2023-12-0703 minStateImpact Oklahoma'This is their story': Why a teacher in Osage County wants to teach Killers of the Flower MoonThe new Killers of the Flower Moon movie is sparking a conversation about Oklahoma’s difficult history. But those conversations in schools are complicated by Oklahoma’s law limiting lessons that make students feel uncomfortable about their race or sex.
2023-11-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma schools turning to the new, old way of teaching students to readThe science of reading is returning to the limelight, and Oklahoma schools and universities are using those techniques to teach literacy to the next generation.
2023-11-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma doesn’t mandate sex ed, some churches are trying to fill the gapsSome Oklahoma churches are providing comprehensive sex ed to fill gaps in a state that doesn’t require it in schools.
2023-11-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaAn Oklahoma non-profit uses Hip-Hop to increase mental health awarenessA local non-profit is hosting rap battles and other events to advocate for mental health awareness in Oklahoma. The organization called SoulBody Cyphers is working to destigmatize conversations around mental health and cultivate a community of MC’s.
2023-10-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat Oklahomans need to know about student loan repaymentThis month, millions of Americans will have to make student loan payments after a three-year pandemic era pause. But since 2020, there have been some big changes made to the repayment system, and StateImpact’s Beth Wallis is here to break it down.
2023-10-1904 minStateImpact OklahomaHow is the first commercial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines going in Oklahoma?After its recent FDA approval, the CDC recommended everyone six months and older get an updated COVID vaccine. But getting it hasn’t been easy for some Oklahomans, with appointments canceled day of due to insurance snags and issues finding a place that carries it.
2023-10-1204 minStateImpact OklahomaButterflies are on the move, and Oklahomans are keeping track of them in monarch conservation effortMonarch butterflies, like many insects and birds, migrate twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the weather gets cold, monarchs travel over two thousand miles from North America to central Mexico to hibernate.
2023-10-0504 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat does it mean for Oklahoma to partner with PragerU?Earlier this month, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a partnership with conservative nonprofit media group, PragerU. Existing PragerU Kids content now populates the state’s social studies website, and Walters says PragerU and the State Department of Education are collaborating on an Oklahoma-specific curriculum. So what is PragerU? StateImpact spoke with parents, teachers, legislators and Walters to find out.
2023-09-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma trans youth, providers face uncertainty in gender-affirming care accessA bill in Oklahoma banning all forms of gender-affirming care for trans youth was paused by Oklahoma’s attorney general amid litigation from the ACLU of Oklahoma. Now, trans youth and providers are coping with all the uncertainty.
2023-09-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaOKC community comes together to collect data on impact of urban heat islandsMore than 250 volunteers collected temperature and air quality data around Oklahoma City through a community science project in August to study urban heat islands. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera reports the NOAA funded project could help the city prepare for extreme heat.
2023-09-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma schools adapt recreational activities to sweltering summer heatFaced with the dangers of excessive heat, educators around the state are getting creative to keep kids safe and cool while still providing recreational opportunities.
2023-09-0704 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma welcomes health reporter Jillian TaylorStateImpact Oklahoma’s health coverage informed listeners through the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s voter-mandated expansion of Medicaid, and the opioid epidemic. StateImpact managing editor Logan Layden introduces us to Jillian Taylor, the new reporter continuing the work to tell health stories that impact you, your community and the entire state.
2023-08-3004 minStateImpact Oklahoma'I’m talking about what’s best for the Greenwood area': What the removal of a highway could do for Black Wall StreetTulsa’s North Peoria Church of Christ used to call Greenwood home. That was before I-244 displaced it and cut through historic Black Wall Street. StateImpact’s Britny Cordera talked with State Rep. Regina Goodwin, who represents the area and attends the church, about its legacy and a planning grant to study the removal of the expressway.
2023-08-2404 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat you need to know as Oklahoma’s state board of education weighs Tulsa Public Schools’ accreditationNext Thursday, the State Board of Education will consider changing the accreditation status of the state’s largest school district, Tulsa Public Schools. This comes after over a year of remarks from State Superintendent Ryan Walters targeting the district. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis and Public Radio Tulsa's Max Bryan break down what’s behind the battle for TPS.
2023-08-1705 minStateImpact OklahomaPrivate landowners in Oklahoma are stepping up to preserve habitat for prairie chickensRebecca Jim owns a mile and a half acreage just north of Vinita, Oklahoma, at the northern edge of the Cherokee Nation. She inherited this land from her family who used to ranch cattle here. She said her land is longer than it is wide, perfect for bringing back prairie chickens. She is turning two fields on the land into prairies to bring back prairie chickens.
2023-08-1005 minStateImpact OklahomaBig Bonuses, Bigger Risks: Oklahoma’s New Teacher Sign-On Bonus Program Raises ConcernSigning bonuses of as much as $50,000 are what Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said is needed to attract new and retired teachers to the classroom.That’s also what makes his new bonus plan a risky policy. StateImpact's Beth Wallis teamed up with Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer for this story.
2023-06-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact breaks down Oklahoma's 2023 education budgetStateImpact’s Logan Layden sat down with education reporter Beth Wallis for a breakdown of what education measures Oklahomans are going to get for their money after a contentious 2023 legislative session.
2023-06-0104 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘We will strive to survive the Ryan Walters time’: Oklahoma superintendents respond to Walters’ claims, rhetoricWalters repeatedly emphasized his focus on open communication with superintendents around the state. But when StateImpact sent out a survey to those superintendents, a much more complex picture emerged.
2023-05-2504 minStateImpact OklahomaThe battle for Oklahoma education fundingThe Oklahoma legislature has been deadlocked for weeks as it hashes out a plan for education funding. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis sat down with Oklahoman newspaper education reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel to talk about the events at the Capitol that led up to this moment.
2023-05-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaHealth secretary's ouster gives a look into "frustration" between the Senate and Gov. StittThe governor and the Legislature have been at odds over the state’s Medicaid agency, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. That fight came to a head last week, when the Senate booted the agency director from his Secretary of Health position. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney talks with Tres Savage, the editor of nonprofit outlet NonDoc, about what led lawmakers to reject Secretary Kevin Corbett's re-instatement.
2023-05-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaOU’s swatting event was a hoax, but the trauma it caused was realRun. Hide. Fight.Those were the words that ended the first of several text updates from OU’s emergency alert system on the night of April 7. The Norman Police Department had received calls that appeared to be coming from OU’s campus. The caller told police there was a shooting at the Bizzell Memorial Library and that one of the caller’s friends had been shot. And in secondary calls to Norman dispatch, gunshots can be heard. But as it turns out, it was a swatting incident — that is, a big hoax.
2023-04-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma nursing schools ramp up admissions amid worker shortageThe state ranks 46th in the nation for nurses per capita, and of course, the pandemic has only made that worse. But all along, one of the major contributing factors to that shortage has been nursing school. There are a finite number of slots offered, and Oklahoma hasn’t had enough. Why? It’s complicated.
2023-04-1904 minStateImpact OklahomaFive years after the Oklahoma Teacher Walkout, the stakes are higher than everEven though funding measures advocated for by 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout participants were stymied largely by Republican lawmakers, Oklahoma’s GOP is now authoring record-level education funding measures that include teacher raises, along with a slew of labor rights bills for educators. But the funding bills are far from a done deal — in fact, due to a disagreement in how those bills should operate, there could be no deal at all.
2023-04-0604 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma discusses the state's newly extended postpartum Medicaid benefitsOklahoma offers pregnant residents special Medicaid coverage. That coverage used to last only 60 days after delivery, but under a new policy, that coverage will run for a full year instead. StateImpact’s Logan Layden and Catherine Sweeney discuss how the policy will affect thousands of new parents in Oklahoma.
2023-03-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaA proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors would affect Oklahoma adults tooHouse Bill 2177 is making its way through the statehouse. It purports to ban gender-affirming care for children and teens in Oklahoma. Supporters say children and teens aren’t equipped to make life-altering health decisions for themselves. One provision says no health facility receiving state funds can administer gender-affirming care to anyone of any age. Another provision would ban insurance companies from covering gender-affirming care, again, for all Oklahomans, no matter how old they are.
2023-03-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaTrans Oklahomans find community through music amid heightened anti-queer rhetoric in legislatureRecent pushes from the Oklahoma legislature to target queer issues in schools and medicine have mobilized some Oklahomans to fight back. The Transgender Action Choir is one group lifting their voices to speak up.
2023-03-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma legislation would require insurance companies to cover high-tech medical screenings called biomarker testsBiomarker testing is a tool that doctors use to get a clearer picture of a medical problem — often cancer. Providers and patients say it can be difficult to get insurance companies to cover it. Oklahoma lawmakers are working to change that.
2023-03-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaWill Oklahomans vote to be the 22nd state to legalize recreational marijuana?Voters are just days away from deciding whether Oklahoma will legalize recreational marijuana. But results of similar ballot initiatives in Arkansas and Missouri could help predict the fate of State Question 820. KOSU's Xcaret Nuñez reports for StateImpact Oklahoma.
2023-03-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaHow Oklahoma's mismanagement of federal education funds could leave $18 million on the tableAt the end of January, Oklahoma's new Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, announced he would change course on a high profile debacle involving Secretary of Education and now State Superintendent Ryan Walters — and lots of federal money. Due to the state’s handling of its previous round of funding, Oklahoma now has nearly $18 million of federal education funding sitting untouched — and time is running out to spend it. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis sat down with Oklahoma Watch education reporter Jennifer Palmer for a recap of just what happened with the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.
2023-02-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaAnother pandemic relief policy is ending, making groceries even more expensive for low-income OklahomansDuring the pandemic, the federal government started giving extra help to families who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — often called SNAP or food stamps. Officials were trying to make sure families could still put food on the table during the sudden economic downturn. But when Congress passed its big omnibus bill in December, they nixed the extra help, putting a sudden expiration date on three years of emergency payments. The roughly 700,000 Oklahomans who have benefitted from SNAP monthly are set to see a big decrease in their food aid.
2023-02-1604 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘Never took a sick day in seven years’: Oklahoma teacher moms and the realities of no paid maternity leaveKarli Myers is a first-time parent and an English teacher at Sapulpa High School. And without any sick leave left to take, Myers had to return to her classroom the previous day, cutting short her time at home with Luke. That’s because public schools in Oklahoma aren’t mandated by the state to offer paid maternity leave to school faculty and staff — even though three out of four teachers in Oklahoma are women.In a push to combat the state’s record teacher shortage by attracting and retaining more educators, one bill unveiled by Oklahoma...
2023-02-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact talks with Secretary of Health Kevin Corbett about Oklahoma's pivot to managed MedicaidOklahoma’s Medicaid program, SoonerCare, is on its way to profound change. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney talked with its director, Secretary of Health Kevin Corbett, this week about the transition to managed care.
2023-02-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaA decade of scandal at Epic Charter SchoolsAs more news emerges about embezzlement schemes at Epic Charter Schools, it might be difficult to keep up with the saga. That’s why StateImpact’s Beth Wallis asked Oklahoman newspaper reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel to get us up-to-speed on the last decade of Epic’s scandals. Martinez-Keel covers education at The Oklahoman and has been with the publication for four years.
2023-01-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaMethamphetamine is killing more Oklahomans than any illicit drug. A collaborative in Tulsa models how the communities can fight the epidemic.In 2013, Tulsans accounted for only about 13 percent of the state’s methamphetamine treatment admissions. In 2020, that figure climbed to one-third of the state’s admissions. That year, local nonprofits, treatment centers, law enforcement and government officials announced a collaborative, community-based initiative to help Tulsans find access to recovery services.
2023-01-1904 minStateImpact Oklahoma'A learner of learners': Staving off the "deprofessionalization' of Oklahoma's teachersOklahoma’s teacher shortage led to a record-breaking 3,780 emergency teaching certifications issued in 2022. From 2001-2018, Oklahoma’s enrollment in university education programs dropped by 80%. As the state's schools struggle to fill classrooms with teachers holding standard teaching certificates, provisionally certified teachers have had to step in to fill the gap. But do students lose out when hiring traditionally certified teachers becomes a luxury this teacher-strapped state can’t afford?
2023-01-1204 minStateImpact OklahomaState data paints a dire picture of Oklahoma teenagers' mental healthState data released this year showed half of the teens who participated in an annual survey checked yes on the traditional depression symptom of feeling so sad or hopeless for two weeks in a row that they lost interest in usual activities. It found that in 2021, nearly one in four respondents had contemplated suicide in the past year. Among girls, that rate was closer to one in three.
2022-12-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaMethamphetamine may not be the center of attention, but it's killing more Oklahomans than any other drug.Billion-dollar lawsuits and prestige television shows have made the opioid epidemic impossible to overlook. But it is far from the only drug epidemic the country — and Oklahoma — are facing. Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription drugs as well as illicit forms of fentanyl, have increased over the past few years, likely because of struggles amid the pandemic. But one drug in particular is killing Oklahomans at an even higher rate: methamphetamine.
2022-12-1504 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 2: ‘Disasters that define us’: Examining Northeast Oklahoma’s patchwork of flood protectionsHeavy rains in May 2019 revealed major disparities in flood protections across Oklahoma. While residents in Tulsa benefitted from decades of flood preparations, smaller communities lack the infrastructure and resources to keep the waters at bay. In the second of a two-part series with OPMX’s Graycen Wheeler, StateImpact’s Beth Wallis reports on how one riverside community came together to take care of each other.
2022-12-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 1: ‘Disasters that define us’: Examining Northeast Oklahoma’s patchwork of flood protectionsAs climate change continues to raise the stakes of severe flooding events, some Oklahoma communities are prepared to weather the storm, and some aren’t. During the extreme flooding of May 2019, communities were put to the test. In the first of a two-part series in partnership with StateImpact’s Beth Wallis, OPMX’s Graycen Wheeler reports on how two neighboring cities responded to disaster.
2022-12-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaHow social media affects the ways two Tulsa teenagers get their newsNathalie Valero and Elodie Musungayi are Tulsa teenagers who spoke about how social media is amplifying youth voices and how it impacts mental health for them and their peers. KOSU reporter Kateleigh Mills went to Tulsa to speak with them.
2022-12-0104 minStateImpact Oklahoma'It had to be more than just teachers and their families voting': Oklahoma educator responds to election outcomeLeading up to the midterms, throngs of teachers and education advocates rallied around democratic candidates for governor and superintendent. But after the ticket went to Gov. Kevin Stitt and Education Secretary Ryan Walters, some of those teachers are thinking about leaving the state altogether. Jami Jackson-Cole is a fifth grade teacher at Duncan Public Schools and manages the Oklahoma Edvocates Facebook page, which is a community of thousands of teachers and parents around the state. StateImpact’s Beth Wallis spoke to her about how Oklahoma teachers are looking at the road ahead.
2022-11-1704 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact Oklahoma reporters react to midterm election resultsUnlike some other states, Oklahoma’s midterm election results are in the books. The results have big implications for education, health, and the environment in our state. Managing editor Logan Layden discussed what the outcome means with the StateImpact Oklahoma reporters.
2022-11-1004 minStateImpact OklahomaThe Adderall shortage has made its way to Oklahoma.Workforce problems, federal regulations and an increase in demand are creating a shortage of ADD and ADHD medications. Local medical providers started seeing an issue this summer. There are ways around the shortage, but they involve jumping through hoops.
2022-11-0204 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma lawmakers tried to limit four day school weeks, but they’re hanging on in rural communitiesFour day school weeks have become more common across Oklahoma over the last decade. Lawmakers have tried to limit the practice. But as StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports, the rural districts that use them are fighting to keep them.
2022-10-2704 minStateImpact OklahomaWhen Oklahoma voters choose a governor in November, they'll be voting on the future of SoonerCare.The governor's race has had plenty of hyper-partisan debates, but one major issue falls away from party politics. Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to fundamentally alter the state's Medicaid program. His plan would bring in private-sector insurance companies to manage the no-cost health insurance that covers 1.3 million Oklahomans. The gubernatorial election will determine whether he gets to. Democratic challenger Joy Hofmeister argues that Stitt's plan to partially privatize SoonerCare simply funnels money into insurance companies' profits, and that the state should instead invest in health infrastructure directly.
2022-10-2004 minStateImpact OklahomaWhat more can be done to save the Lesser Prairie-Chicken?In June 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on the Endangered Species List — a move that would’ve triggered significant federal protections for the imperiled grouse. However, the Service has yet to finalize its proposal to do so, despite its June 2022 deadline. If the bird does get listed, industries will be required to mitigate their development impacts through conservation measures. But if the delay continues or the bird is never listed, advocates say this rare, dancing bird is running out of time.
2022-10-1304 minStateImpact OklahomaAlumni gather at Oklahoma City's old Northeast High School to honor 1970 student activismA group of alumni from the former Northeast High School in Oklahoma City returned to their alma mater this weekend to remember their old school and activism many engaged in more than 50 years ago. StateImpact’s Robby Korth tagged along. Listen to his story below.
2022-10-1002 minStateImpact OklahomaHow important is education in Oklahoma’s race for governor?As Governor Kevin Stitt gears up for his challenge from State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister in November, StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on what effects education policy could have on the race.
2022-10-0604 minStateImpact OklahomaAs pandemic response wanes, Oklahoma schools adapt to the end of universal free lunchOver the past year, pandemic relief efforts have been winding down. One of the first to go: universal free lunch for public school students.For more than two years during the pandemic, the waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture meant all kids qualified for free breakfasts and lunches. It saved families with one child hundreds of dollars per year, and for families with multiple kids, it saved thousands. It meant families who might qualify for free or reduced lunches didn’t have to handle paperwork, and no students had to navigate lunch debt.Bu...
2022-09-2904 minStateImpact OklahomaWhere should we put our country's nuclear waste? StateImpact Oklahoma goes underground to find outMore than 2,000 feet underground in Carlsbad, New Mexico, sits the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). WIPP is the country’s only deep geological repository for nuclear waste of any kind — the U.S. doesn’t have a permanent repository for high level waste like spent nuclear fuel . But its other claim to fame is it’s also a case study in “consent-based siting,” which is the practice of getting community buy-in for nuclear storage sites.Now, a $3 million research project led by the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Public Policy Research is aiming to develop a new fr...
2022-09-1504 minStateImpact OklahomaPlaintiff: challenging Oklahoma's transgender bathroom ban 'just the right thing to do'Three Oklahoma students are suing the state over its law that bars transgender students from using the bathroom corresponding with their gender identity.Andy Bridge is the lead plaintiff. The suit argues Senate Bill 615 is unconstitutional and should be overturned.Bridge and his parents, Aysha Prather and Eli Bridge, sat down with StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Robby Korth to share why they think it was an important step to take.
2022-09-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaStateImpact answers some common questions about HB 1775StateImpact has gotten many questions about House Bill 1775, Oklahoma’s so-called critical race theory ban. So education reporter Robby Korth tried to address the most common ones. Here he is talking with Logan Layden about answering those frequently asked questions.
2022-09-0804 minStateImpact OklahomaSharing Indigenous Oklahoma stories at Field Museum exhibit ‘really inspiring’ for Stilwell studentsStateimpact is on a tour around Oklahoma to gather voices, stories and more from youth. Education reporter Robby Korth and KOSU engagement reporter Kateleigh Mills talked with two Stilwell High School students about their art and how they fit in as Cherokee in Oklahoma.
2022-09-0104 minStateImpact OklahomaA new wastewater monitoring program means Oklahoma doesn't have to rely solely on testing to find COVID and monkeypox.Researchers at the University of Oklahoma started developing a monitoring program in 2020. Now, they're working with state health officials to scan for about a dozen pathogens — including COVID, monkeypox and West Nile Virus.
2022-08-2504 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘Something that can’t be replaced’: What a turnpike project could mean for Oklahoma wildlifeThe ACCESS Oklahoma Turnpike project from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is a 15-year, $5 billion project to build several turnpike routes in central, southern and northeastern Oklahoma. Residents in the paths of these turnpike extensions who regularly see deer grazing in their yards and eagles soaring overhead are wondering, what’s going to happen to all the wildlife and the facility that takes care of them? And how far does the law go to protect them?
2022-08-1804 minStateImpact OklahomaTexas students help make up for enrollment losses at Oklahoma collegesAs Oklahoma colleges struggle to maintain enrollment, they’re increasingly turning to other places to recruit new students. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports the top target is the Sooner state’s neighbors to the south.
2022-08-1104 minStateImpact OklahomaIn StateImpact conversation, Tulsa high schoolers ask peers ‘Will you accept me as I am?’StateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. StateImpact’s Robby Korth and KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills talked to a couple of Tulsa high school students about race, gender and how they interact with their peers at school.
2022-08-0404 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma allows abortions in life-threatening situations, but how much danger is enough?Several states that banned abortion created exceptions for medical emergencies, but the laws fail to make clear which conditions qualify for the exception. That leaves room for interpretation, which has already caused delays in life-saving care.
2022-07-2804 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma educators don’t shy away from difficult conversations at Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial & Museum eventAs lawmakers, parents and school boards debate what kids should or shouldn’t learn in the classroom, teachers are still trying to find ways to lead tough conversations. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on a day a couple dozen educators at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum spent figuring out just that.
2022-07-2604 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 2, Sustaining sustainability: The waste problem in Oklahoma’s cannabis industry and the innovators at the helm of changeOne Oklahoman is taking it on herself to chip away at the mountains of packaging waste left by the booming industry. Taylor Davis, a 28-year-old Edmond resident, drives hundreds of miles every week to pick up tubs full of pop-top drams, glass jars, tiny cardboard boxes and Mylar bags from dispensaries around the state. Since February, she’s held these recycling drives at dispensaries all over Oklahoma, which she advertises on her Instagram, @RecycleYourEmpties. She said everywhere she goes, she meets people who just can’t bring themselves to toss piles of packaging into a landfill.
2022-07-2204 minStateImpact OklahomaPt. 1, Sustaining sustainability: The waste problem in Oklahoma’s cannabis industry and the innovators at the helm of changeWith Oklahoma’s medical marijuana scene growing rapidly, industry professionals and cannabis patients are feeling the weight of packaging waste. But a lack of recycling infrastructure and an unwillingness to raise prices for sustainable packaging have left Oklahoma unprepared to handle the growing mountains of plastic packing the state’s landfills.
2022-07-2104 minStateImpact OklahomaTulsa teenagers discuss how to be allies to their friends during uncertain timesStateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills and StateImpact’s Robby Korth talked to a couple of Tulsa teenagers about being allies for their friends, following the news and about their own roles as Oklahomans.
2022-07-1404 minStateImpact OklahomaTwo more COVID strains have made their way to Oklahoma. Here's what to know.The health department confirmed that two new variants account for about 40 percent of new cases. And according to state data, the number of officially reported cases per week doubled in June. StateImpact's Catherine Sweeney talked with Dr. David Holden, the president of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, about how contagious these variants are and what risk factors Oklahomans should be considering.
2022-07-0704 minStateImpact Oklahoma'When a right is created by the Supreme Court, it can go away': What overturning Roe could mean for contraception access, sexual privacy and marriage equalityIn the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey were struck down. In his opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote three previous rulings that used the same constitutional mechanism as Roe and Casey had been decided erroneously and should be reexamined. StateImpact Oklahoma reporter Beth Wallis interviewed Kathleen Tipler — an OU political science professor who specializes in gender, sexuality and the law — to understand how the Dobbs decision could impact other precedents related to contraception, sexual privacy and marriage equality.
2022-06-3004 minStateImpact OklahomaFor years before the Saint Francis shooting, health workers have experienced on-the-job violence at alarming rates.And they say the pandemic has made it worse. One national survey of nurses found 44 percent of them experienced physical abuse at work in early 2020.
2022-06-2304 minStateImpact OklahomaOklahoma City teenagers ask policymakers not to ‘downplay' their experiencesStateImpact is on a listening tour with Oklahoma’s youth. And we’ve brought along our microphones. Two recent high school graduates from Oklahoma City - Aspen Harrod and Ahmari Sango - talk about their comfort levels in the classroom, how they fit in society and representation. StateImpact’s Robby Korth talked with them in late May.
2022-06-1604 minStateImpact OklahomaTulsa mass shooting reignites gun policy debate in OklahomaOn the afternoon of June 1, a man walked into a local gun store and bought an AR-style rifle. A few hours later, he used that rifle and a handgun he’d purchased two days before to kill four people at a Tulsa medical center before turning the gun on himself.This came just a week after an 18-year-old bought an AR-style rifle and days later massacred 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas. And that came a little over a week after an 18-year-old, who had previously threatened a murder-suicide at his high school, purchased a sem...
2022-06-0904 minStateImpact OklahomaCritics say Oklahoma’s abortion and Critical Race Theory crackdowns rely on fearUnder the state's new abortion bans, are Oklahomans allowed to donate to abortion funds? Are they allowed to advise patients on their options in other states? The slew of contradictory bills passed this year weren't explicit. Vague laws leave residents wondering what’s legal and what isn’t. Opponents argue that is by design.
2022-06-0205 minStateImpact Oklahoma‘It’s utterly ridiculous:’ trans Tulsa students react to Oklahoma’s school bathroom banGovernor Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed a bill to bar transgender students from using the bathroom corresponding with their identity. StateImpact's Robby Korth and KOSU's Kateleigh Mills went to Tulsa the day the bill was sent to the governor for a conversation with three trans high schoolers. The teenagers talked about identity and how political conversations surrounding the bathrooms they use affect them.
2022-05-2603 minStateImpact OklahomaSubstitute shortage persisted even after Oklahoma school closures slowed downEarlier this year a teacher shortage in Oklahoma forced hundreds of school districts to close their doors because of a lack of substitutes to fill in for educators out with the coronavirus. But StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports even though it’s no longer in the headlines, the substitute teacher shortage persists.
2022-05-1904 minStateImpact Oklahoma'Oklahoma doesn't want us': Families grapple with looming displacement from turnpikeOn February 22, Governor Kevin Stitt announced plans for the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to embark on a $5 billion, 15-year project to expand Oklahoma’s turnpike network. Two families facing displacement from the turnpike project told their stories to StateImpact’s Beth Wallis. In Part 2, you’ll hear the story of Darla and Cedric LeBlanc, a Norman family whose home and horticulture business sits in the path of the proposed South Extension route. Beth Wallis visited the family’s home, where they were hosting an Easter egg hunt.
2022-05-1304 min