News

After Devastating Twisters, Tornado Threat Continues Through Monday

Brian Hardzinski and Kurt Gwartney — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:33:48 +0000

Authorities in Oklahoma are spending Sunday night searching through debris left behind by tornadoes responsible for at least one death.

A tornado that started near Norman Sunday afternoon swept the landscape, destroying as many as 35 mobile homes as it moved east toward Shawnee. Pottawatomie County Sheriff Mike Booth confirmed one fatality in the mobile home park.

Another storm that first hit Edmond produced a tornado that tracked through the north-central part of the state, hitting the town of Carney, destroying as many as 20 homes.

The American Red Cross is setting up three shelters in areas hit by the tornadoes: Shawnee, Little Axe and Carney.

Tornado Hits OKC Suburb, Kicking Up Debris

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:27:15 +0000

A tornado kicked up debris in an Oklahoma City suburb and threatened a number of tourist attractions on historic Route 66 before growing into a larger storm that rolled across rural parts of central Oklahoma.

OK Unemployment Rate Drops Again in April

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:14:27 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - State officials say Oklahoma's unemployment rate dipped below 5 percent in April.

The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission says the state's unemployment decreased by one-tenth of a percentage point to 4.9 percent last month. That remains well below the national unemployment rate of 7.5 percent.

The commission says nonfarm employment rose by 1,800 jobs in April in Oklahoma. The professional and business services sector saw the greatest increase at 1,300 jobs, while leisure and hospitality jobs dropped by 2,000.

House Approves "Wrongful Conviction" Bill

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:12:43 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Convicted criminals who maintain their innocence would have a way to seek DNA testing in their cases under a bill that is nearing final passage in the Legislature. The bill's passage would eliminate Oklahoma's dubious distinction as the only state in the nation without such a program.

The Oklahoma House voted unanimously on Thursday for the Postconviction DNA Act, which allows those convicted of violent felonies or who have been sentenced to 25 years or more in prison to file a motion in court to request forensic DNA testing in their case.

Fallin Proposes Funding Change for Medicaid

Associated Press — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:02:02 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Gov. Mary Fallin is proposing a last-minute legislative change to the state's Insure Oklahoma program that would direct $50 million in state tobacco taxes to pay for more than 9,000 Oklahomans who are expected to lose their health insurance under the program.

Fallin released a statement Friday urging lawmakers to redirect the $50 million so the Insure Oklahoma could continue to operate as a ``smaller, more targeted program run with state dollars only.''

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.

Why Debt-Weary Europe Should Watch Out For A Political Crisis

Suzette Grillot — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:44:00 +0000

Slow growth is plaguing many European countries as they struggle to cut their spending and debts. France's GDP has fallen for two consecutive quarters, and Greece's international lenders say unemployment will remain above 20 percent for another three years.

Mitchell Smith, the Chair of OU's Department of International and Area Studies and the Director of the European Union Center, says austerity has generated more than just economic tensions.

"I actually think the political problems a number of European countries are experiencing are even more worrisome than the economic problems," Smith says. "The eurozone countries have, at least for the time being, allayed some of the concerns of financial markets and they don't want to stir things up and start another run-up of a financial crisis."

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."

Walking With Pride Onto Owen Field for the First Time

Joey Adams — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:08:00 +0000

Daniel Rodriguez grew up about an hour from Norman. So, naturally, the Sooners were kind of a big deal. He knew from a young age, he would probably never step foot on Owen Field as a football star, but he also knew that wasn’t the only way, and in the fall of 2009, he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he sprinted onto the legendary field as a member of the Pride of Oklahoma.

How To Find Yourself While Traveling The World: A Personal Essay

Ana Noshpal — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:28:57 +0000

Traveling abroad is a tricky thing. You learn and experience so much, meet new people….but it can be very isolating and lonely at times. Assignment: Radio’s Ana Noshpal tells the story of the first time she felt she had found who she was, in the context of another country.

OK Receives "A" in Election Money Transparency

Associated Press — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:22:39 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma has received a grade of ``A'' from a national nonprofit group for its disclosure laws about how independent groups spend money to influence voting for certain candidates.

Oklahoma was one of 15 states to receive the top grade in the analysis released Thursday by the National Institute on Money in State Politics.