What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Friday, July 18, and I’m really concerned today for my friends in public radio — and for the tens of thousands of Oklahomans or more who get information and entertainment from their local NPR stations.

From Oklahoma Voice:
The rescissions bill will claw back $1.1 billion in previously approved spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which contributes funding to NPR, the Public Broadcasting Service and hundreds of local stations throughout the country. That money was slated to cover the fiscal year set to begin Oct. 1 and the following year.

To be clear, this cut isn’t about savings. It’s about revenge.

Republican politicians have long loathed NPR for what they perceive as a leftward slant. That may be true as it is generally true across most media (reporters, not management), but as a long, long-time consumer of public radio, I would tell you that it’s very much a story-by-story situation.

I’ve always considered public radio coverage, both local and national, as taking its charge to ‘comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable’ seriously.

No matter who’s in office, they’re tough.

But what’s especially great about public radio is that it’s not filled with yelling and arguing. Their reporters multi-source their reports and triple-check their copy. The delivery is calm in a sea of cable news chaos, and the journalism quality is simply unmatched.

This decision by Congress could lead to programming and staffing cutbacks, especially for stations that don’t get the support they should from their local institutions or their communities.

If you at home are not donating, you should. I give $7.50 per month each to KOSU and KGOU. I’m trying to start a business, so I had to start out small.

When I can give more, I will.

I don’t want to virtue signal. I want to encourage, and to show you that participation doesn’t require a huge check. Baby steps are legit.

Imagine if every listener gave $7.50 per month!

The business community needs to step up as well. A better informed citizenry is a better educated populous that makes better decisions and, ultimately, creates a better environment for businesses.

A valid role of government is the support of institutions that enrich our lives. You can say that it shouldn’t be funding media — but I would argue that public broadcasting, TV or radio, isn’t an entity that can survive the marketplace on its own in a world where the currency is ad revenue.

It needs government support.

The cost of getting something as awesome as NPR is a few nickels and dimes from a gargantuan, bloated federal budget — and it’s not unreasonable that government support something great that costs so little.

It’s a high-value expenditure.

And if the money doesn’t come from Washington, D.C., it will need to come from donors or the business community.

Somebody has to step up because the federal government let us down.

Message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️

Might be the hottest day of the year so far.

🌡️ Friday's high in OKC 95°
🌡️ Friday’s high in Tulsa 94°

Nowhere to go: Oklahoma’s growing number of homeless youth have few options

By Maddy Keyes, The Frontier
Click to read the story.
Donate to The Frontier.

It was a muggy summer night when 17-year-old Jae quietly grabbed their black cat named Baby, careful not to wake their parents, and ran. 

Their friend was waiting in a car parked across the cul-de-sac in suburban Edmond. Jae threw open the passenger door, hopped in and yelled “Drive!”

They were sick from nerves as the car peeled away, fearful their father would be following close behind. 

Jae, who uses they/them pronouns, said they experienced emotional and physical abuse at home. The Frontier is only using Jae’s first name due to safety concerns. Jae said they began having thoughts of suicide at home, and felt their only option to protect their mental health was to leave.

“There was a split decision that night,” said Jae, now 21. “It was either I stay here and I end up dead, or I leave.” 

There were 450 unaccompanied youth under age 24 who were experiencing homelessness in Oklahoma in 2024, a 39% increase since 2019, according to federal housing department data. The figure is likely an undercount because it only includes people sleeping outside or at shelters, and not those couch surfing or staying in motels.

There is not enough housing or funding to combat the growing problem. 

Oklahoma had only 329 shelter or housing beds for youth in 2024, according to the most recent federal housing department data. The state lost 58 beds for unhoused youth from the previous year.  

Some Oklahoma programs have lost federal grant funding, making it harder for youth like Jae to exit homelessness.

Click to finish the story.

Data ties childhood evictions to chronic absenteeism in schools

By Jake Ramsey, Oklahoma Watch
Click to read the story.
Donate to Oklahoma Watch.

Students in Oklahoma experience housing instability at a higher percentage than the national average.

That contributes to the state’s chronic absenteeism rates, with evictions being linked to a decrease in school attendance.

“A lot of young people are falling behind or dropping out because they don’t have the support they need,” said Rachel Bradley, executive director of Sisu Youth Services.

Sixty percent of students experiencing homelessness or housing instability were chronically absent during the 2024-2025 school year, according to data from Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Similarly, Tulsa Public Schools, working alongside ImpactTulsa, found that areas with high concentrations of absenteeism overlapped with eviction hot spots.

During the 2022-2023 school year, Oklahoma schools reported that 24% of children statewide were chronically absent. America’s Health Ranking found that 3% of students in Oklahoma were homeless or facing housing instability in 2022, ranking the state among the ten states with the highest percentages of housing instability among students in the United States.

Jumping from school to school and facing different curricula, timelines, and cultures can be harmful, Bradley said.

Click to finish the story.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• Oklahoma legislator being investigated by AG office, Ethics Commission (The Oklahoman)

• 988 suicide crisis lifeline ends program for LGBTQ+ youth, including in Oklahoma (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Magistrate judge in Bobby Barrick case: Tribal citizens have ‘fewer constitutional civil rights protections’ (NonDoc)

• Oklahoma oil and gas regulator dismisses environmental authority of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes (KOSU)

• Police release 2nd set of videos in Tulsa jaywalking case, man hit by squad car (2 News Oklahoma)

• Highway Patrol doubles down on pulling resources from Oklahoma metros (Oklahoma Voice)

• FAA academy in OKC sees record number of students amid air traffic controller shortage (KOCO)

• Trader Joe’s opening 30 new locations across 18 states, including Oklahoma (KFOR)

• Durant popping up in second season of 'Landman' (Tulsa World)

• Who’s responsible for cleaning up abandoned oil wells on the Osage Reservation? (Osage News)

• Collington Index: The Tulsa World's food beat isn't all about the eating (Tulsa World)

• 10 food trucks that people are talking about (Tulsa World)

• Trisha Yearwood is returning to Oklahoma to serve up new songs and double-layered nachos (The Oklahoman)

• Tulsa County Commissioners approve data center zoning despite public opposition (Public Radio Tulsa)

• TU student leader ‘shocked’ his club is cited in discrimination complaint (Public Radio Tulsa)

• Oklahoma County Courthouse is down to one working elevator. What if it goes down, too? (The Oklahoman)

• Five tribes gather, take aim at governor (Cherokee Phoenix)

• ‘We knew it was coming’: Oklahoma deploys tiny wasps to control invasive forest pest (KGOU)

• Edmond family recounts terrifying near-miss with drunk driver (KOCO)

• 3 arrested in copper caper; caught red-handed (Purcell Register)

• OU announces Sooner Sports Properties, 1Oklahoma merger (OU Daily)

• Porter gets ready for thousands of peach lovers (Muskogee Phoenix)

• A new chapter: Fiesta in Fuqua returns with school supply giveaway (Duncan Banner)

• African Ice: new Sapulpa snow cone stand supports children and families in Kenya (Sapulpa Times)

• Three Ponds Elderly Housing development stuck in 6-year quagmire (Mvskoke Media)

• Lawton Ward 2 Councilman Smith announces resignation (KSWO)

• OKDEQ issues mandatory boil order for Rogers County RWD #3 (2 News Oklahoma)

• Covington to receive grant for sewer work (Enid News & Eagle)

• ‘Just Between Friends’ holds special pop-up clothing sale in Duncan (KSWO)

• 4 arrested after high-speed pursuit through Atoka County (KXII)

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