Brian Hardzinski

World Views: May 24, 2013

Suzette Grillot, Brian Hardzinski and Hallie Arias — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Suzette Grillot reports from Istanbul, where she speaks with University of Oklahoma economist Firat Demir about the international response to Monday's deadly tornado in Moore, Okla., and political problems facing Turkey.

University of Oregon political scientist Richard Kraus joins the program for a conversation about how art and culture become a testing ground between the United States and China. He's the author of author of Pianos and Politics in China: Middle-Class Ambitions and the Struggle over Western Music.

Across the World, Citizens Empathize with Moore

Suzette Grillot and Brian Hardzinski — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:45:28 +0000

From Italy to Istanbul, the tragedy in Moore isn’t far from many people's minds or the front pages of international newspapers.

"We have received an amazing outpouring here from the mayor to regular citizens stopping by to see how they can help," says Rebecca Cruise, who's visiting the University of Oklahoma's center in Arezzo, Italy. "The emails from faculty with students abroad also show how much the world is paying attention to this story."

Why the Piano is a Political Prop in China

Suzette Grillot, Brian Hardzinski and Hallie Arias — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:07:27 +0000

Art, culture, and politics are closely linked in China, and until the mid-1960s Cultural Revolution government officials viewed Western classical music as an unwelcome outsider.

“For a while the piano was regarded as the ultimate expression of the bourgeoisie,” says Richard Kraus, a University of Oregon political scientist and the author of Pianos and Politics in China: Middle-Class Ambitions and the Struggle over Western Music. “[Then] Mao's wife decided she liked the piano, and there was then sort of the idea that you need to adapt Western technology and art to serve Chinese political purposes. So after about 1968 the piano was alright.”

Powerful Before/After Aerial Images of Moore

Brian Hardzinski — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:32:12 +0000

Stunning visual images have emerged that show a side-by-side comparison of the areas of Moore hardest hit by Monday’s tornado. Follow this link to see an interactive spatial scrawl.

“I've flown over that corridor dozens of times and shoot Southeast 19th Street and Interstate 35 regularly as it's a prime development location,” says photographer Jamin Yeager with Aerial Oklahoma. On Tuesday, he says “we waited for the weather to clear and got airborne by 3:45.”

The pictures show the hardest hit areas between SW 4th and 19th Streets just west of I-35. The entire neighborhood behind the Warren Theatre was flattened, and there’s a noticeable brown tint caused by mud and debris along the tornado’s path.

Aid Pouring In From CHK, American Legion, Kevin Durant

Brian Hardzinski — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:14:41 +0000

An Oklahoma City energy giant, a veterans group, and a superstar athlete have each announced three separate $1 million gifts to aid storm relief efforts following Monday's tornado that killed dozens in Moore.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. announced this morning it will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross to help in the rescue and recovery efforts in Moore.

The oil and gas company says it's also organizing hundreds of employee volunteers to help in the relief effort.

"Google Crisis" A Clearinghouse for Information

Brian Hardzinski — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:27:18 +0000

This interactive map from Google highlights the storm track, as well as locations for American Red Cross shelters throughout Central Oklahoma.

Relief organization Save the Children says it's sending help to families affected by Monday's deadly tornado in Moore.

UPDATE: Death Toll Lower Than Feared, 24 Confirmed

Brian Hardzinski and Kurt Gwartney — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:30:48 +0000

The state medical examiner's office has revised the death toll from a tornado in an Oklahoma City suburb to 24 people, including seven children.

Spokeswoman Amy Elliot said Tuesday morning that she believes some victims were counted twice in the early chaos of the storm.

Authorities said initially that as many as 51 people were dead, including 20 children.

Teams are continuing to search the rubble in Moore, 10 miles south of Oklahoma City, after the Monday afternoon tornado.

UPDATE: Tornado Warning Issued For Lincoln, Pottawatomie Counties

Kurt Gwartney and Brian Hardzinski — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:12:04 +0000

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Warning for Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties until 7:30 p.m.

The Norman Forecast Office says a new tornado is likely developing north of I-40 along the Lincoln-Pottawatomie County line.

Nearly 7,600 OG&E customers in Central Oklahoma are without power, according to the utility's System Watch.

More says severe thunderstorms are possible until midnight, with hail up to the size of baseballs and 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts as the main threats with some of the stronger storms.

Tornadoes are also possible, especially in the area from north of Oklahoma City to Medford and Ponca City.

KGOU is currently broadcasting Channel 5 KOCO-TV's First Alert Weather Coverage. Watch here.

World Views: May 17, 2013

Suzette Grillot, Joshua Landis and Brian Hardzinski — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000

University of Oklahoma political economist and European Union expert Mitchell Smith joins the program for a conversation about the eurozone's economy slipping further into recession, and the American kicked out of Russia over accusations of spying for the CIA.

Veteran diplomat Richard Arndt speaks with Suzette Grillot and Joshua Landis about how the national security state changed U.S. diplomatic relations. He's the author of The First Resort of Kings: American Cultural Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century.

Spy Vs. Spy: Latest Arrest Shows Cold War Still Resonates

Brian Hardzinski — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:13:42 +0000

The embarrassing arrest of a suspected CIA officer in Moscow is the latest reminder that even after the Cold War, the United States and Russia are engaged in an espionage battle with secret tactics, spying devices, and training that sometimes isn't enough to avoid being caught.

"There's nothing new here," says Suzette Grillot, the Dean of the College of International Studies at the University of Oklahoma. "We spy, everybody spies. There's a long history of spying between these two countries."