(Photo by Beth Wallis, StateImpact Oklahoma)

What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Friday, August 22, and I’m so glad to be home after a productive week at LMA Fest 2025 in Chicago.

I wanted to lead this morning with what I believe was a journalism masterclass in how to push back on a local TV news guest with kindness.

News 9 anchor Robin Marsh interviewed Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters on Thursday. She asked him about the July 24 incident during a state Board of Education meeting in which nudity appeared on a TV screen in his office.

The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office investigated the incident and sent their recommendations to the Oklahoma County District Attorney. It is not known whether there will be any criminal charges, or even (truly) whether they’re even under consideration.

We did learn today (first from NonDoc) that Walters and his office are looking into lawyering up, which suggests that they might expect something to come down.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is also investigating, or at least I thought. The NonDoc story says that OSBI contributed to the sheriff’s report — so maybe I’m not sure.

Anyway, for those of you who don’t recall, Walters never acknowledged what was on the TV publicly. According to Oklahoma Speaker of the House Rep. Kyle Hilbert in previous reporting, Walters acknowledged it privately.

Instead, in a twist of serious equivocation during a press conference soon after the incident, Walters called the allegations a “coordinated attack” by members of the state Board of Education — and Thursday morning, Robin asked him in light of what both Rep. Hilbert and the Board members say was true, whether he would be apologizing.

Walters called the question ridiculous.

That’s fine. That overly dramatic, planned reaction from Walters has become the norm.

But Robin calmly pushed back, not once but multiple times. Co-anchor Colby Thelen did, too, in his follow-up question.

I’ve long had concerns about local TV newsrooms platforming elected officials and authorities and letting them say literally anything with zero push back.

However, that was not the case Thursday, and Robin Marsh showed the journalism world how it is done.

And she even did it nicely.

Watch the segment, and let me know what you think.

This needs to happen much more often in local journalism.

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️

Enjoy the weekend, and maybe mow that yard. It looks rainy next week!

🌡️ Friday's high in OKC 92°
🌡️ Friday’s high in Tulsa 90°

Oklahoma governor takes aim at Tulsa mayor’s decision to prosecute crimes in tribal courts

By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
Click here to read the story.
Donate to Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt has asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to toss out an agreement between the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and the tribe agreed that the city would not prosecute municipal violations against tribal citizens, but would still enforce those laws. Prosecution would take place in a tribal court.

Stitt said Nichols has made Tulsa a sanctuary city with two systems of justice, one for those with tribal membership and the other for everyone else.

The agreement was entered as part of a resolution to a federal court case.

“If left unchecked, Tulsa’s actions would undermine the uniform application of law, create uncertainty in criminal enforcement, endanger public safety, and encourage other municipalities to follow suit unilaterally ceding jurisdiction without lawful authority,” Stitt’s filing said.

The lawsuit argues the issue is of statewide concern and challenges state’s supremacy in criminal law enforcement.

In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the landmark McGirt decision, holding that the several reservations had never been dissolved, including that of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. It found that the state lacked criminal jurisdiction over Indians committing crimes governed by the federal Major Crimes Act in Indian Country.

Stitt’s brief said the agreement between Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation was not approved by the Tulsa City Council, him or the legislative Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations, which represents lawmakers during the compacting process with tribes.

The agreement creates an intolerable conflict between the state and one of its political subdivisions, the lawsuit said.

“Tulsa has ceased investigating and prosecuting certain criminal offenses based solely on the racial and political status of the offender and whether the person qualifies as Indian,” the suit said. “That policy impacts not only criminal defendants but also victims, witnesses, and the broader public that depends on equal enforcement of the law.”

Some of the statements by Stitt and in the filing are inaccurate and “riddled with just lies,” Nichols said Thursday.

“The notion that there has been any time where we have not enforced the law in this city is false,” Nichols said. “It is incorrect. It is an outright lie. The governor knows that. The governor does not care about that.”

Stitt has not come to him about the issue, Nichols said, adding that the governor is trying to get in the way of progress.

The question at hand is who prosecutes who based on the crime they committed, Nichols said.

The latest action is one of a number of disputes between Stitt and Oklahoma’s federally recognized tribes. Stitt unsuccessfully sought to renegotiate voter-approved gaming compacts. He’s also pushed back against tribal tag owners who use turnpikes but don’t pay tolls. 

See Also: 👀

• Nichols knocks governor on tribal criminal jurisdiction, Highway Patrol decision (Tulsa World)

• Citing 1898 Curtis Act for jurisdiction over tribal citizens, Henryetta calls 2020 McGirt ruling ‘old’ news (NonDoc)

Kratom compound under fire as users brace for ban

By Elizabeth Caldwell, Oklahoma Watch
Click here to read the story.
Donate to Oklahoma Watch

In 2009, when Jacey Blaylock was 17, she and a friend decided to take an early October trip to the Castle of Muskogee for its haunted house. But the outing spiraled into crisis when the pair was hit head-on in rural Cherokee County by a man in a speeding car who strayed into their lane.

Blaylock, now 33, is still dealing with the effects of that day when she was pinned inside the vehicle for 45 minutes. It would take her a year to learn to walk again, though moving would never be the same because her foot was mangled. 

“For lack of a better word, it’s kind of deformed,” Blaylock said. “It’s hard to walk on. It causes me a lot of pain. My hip and pelvis were also crushed and also cause me a lot of pain.”

After the accident, Blaylock, who is on Medicaid,  tried numbing injections in her neck, opioids, and pills aimed at nerve pain. But the medications weren’t as effective as she hoped. In 2018, she discovered something new: kratom.

Kratom is a plant native to Southeast Asia where it was traditionally used to control chronic pain. The drug has had a controversial rise overseas: in 1943, growing kratom trees was banned in Thailand as the government tried to protect its monopoly on opium. In 1979, kratom was designated a Schedule V drug with cannabis. But by 2021, Thailand had decriminalized kratom, saying it wasn’t as dangerous as portrayed.

The United States is now grappling with the question of how to regulate kratom. In Oklahoma, the drug is still legal, though one of its compounds, considered central to its analgesic properties, 7-OH, is drawing scrutiny from both state and federal authorities.

Click here to finish the story.

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The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

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

• Oklahoma county officials air concerns about jail lawsuits, insurance coverage issues (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma law enforcement officials warn against recreational marijuana proposal (News On 6)

• City's $5 million opioid grant request with Tulsa Public Schools denied by state panel (Tulsa World)

• How education policies from the 2025 legislative session impact Oklahoma students (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• As some states prepare to cut junk foods from SNAP, rural grocers face more costs (KOSU)

• Questions raised after new Shawnee schools admin accepts $229K buyout in Missouri without working a day (The Oklahoman)

• Cherokee Nation opens $85M Salina health and wellness center (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Oklahoma City police report person found shot to death in wrecked pickup (KOCO)

• Bartlesville Police investigating body found in abandoned building (Fox 23)

• OSU's depth chart, including starting quarterback, remains mystery heading into game week (Tulsa World)

• How David Stone's decision to stay with OU football was aided by Ethan Downs (The Oklahoman)

• Southeastern Conference announces nine-game 2026 schedule (OU Daily)

• Education Watch: Naturalization Test for Teacher Certification Began This Month (Oklahoma Watch)

• Oklahoma lawmaker seeks to dismantle school sports oversight board (KOCO)

• ‘It’s not just a pond:’ HOA sues Google after construction begins for new data center (KFOR)

• OKC Mayor Holt defends diversity in New York Times essay (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• Growth continues in Cherokee Nation’s capital city (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Oklahoma Catholic churches offer free classes to immigrants (KOCO)

• Langston University’s Marching Pride Band prepares for national stage (News 9)

• Fort Sill basic trainees sworn in as United States citizens (KSWO)

• 'Kindest with the biggest heart': Family remembers James Bode as more than a hero (Enid News & Eagle)

• Lincoln County man sentenced to 20 years for fatal Highway 33 crash (Guthrie News Page)

• Driver fined heavily for collision with Del City Fire Department ladder truck (KFOR)

• Search continues for missing Durant woman (KXII)

• Update comes for local I-35 exit (Pauls Valley Daily Democrat)

• Pontotoc Co. Fair kicks off three day event (KTEN)

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