StateImpact Oklahoma
309 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsStateImpact Oklahoma reports on education, health, environment, and the intersection of government and everyday Oklahomans. StateImpact Oklahoma is a collaboration of KGOU, KOSU, KWGS and KCCU.
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Episodes
Oklahoma lawmakers propose targeted criminal justice reforms
February 19, 2021 20:05 - 4 minutes - 4.1 MBOklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform’s main goal this session is to bring Oklahoma’s prison sentences more in line with the national average.
Oklahoma moves forward on partially privatizing Medicaid amid opposition
February 12, 2021 03:28 - 4 minutes - 3.9 MBSoonerSelect — otherwise known as managed care — will shift $2 billion in Medicaid funding to four private health insurance companies, tasking them with coordinating care for about 700,000 Oklahomans. Opponents are concerned the program was designed hastily, that it will reduce health access for low-income Oklahomans instead of improving it, that the $2 billion in contracts faced no legislative oversight, and that Oklahoma’s past attempts to implement full managed care failed miserably.
The Oklahoman and StateImpact explain the various meanings of the term 'ghost students'
February 08, 2021 17:00 - 4 minutes - 3.96 MBIn Kevin Stitt’s State of the State Address, the governor brought a new definition for the term “ghost students” to the mainstream. StateImpact’s Robby Korth and The Oklahoman's Nuria Martinez-Keel explain Stitt’s new definition and its effects on education funding policy.
Oklahoma educators are at frontlines of remembering Tulsa Race Massacre
February 04, 2021 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.14 MBThe Tulsa Race Massacre was famously forgotten in Oklahoma history classes for decades. But as the 100 year anniversary of the tragedy approaches, StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports keeping that memory alive is as important as ever in the state’s schools.
2021 Legislative Preview
January 28, 2021 22:07 - 4 minutes - 4.51 MBThe state Legislature’s session was badly disrupted last year by the pandemic . It’s back starting Monday, and faces a long list of pressing issues and unfinished work from 2020. StateImpact health reporter Chatherine Sweeney, education reporter Robby Korth, and criminal justice reporter Quinton Chandler met with Republican Oklahoma Senate President Pro Temp Greg Treat to talk about his priorities before the gavel drops next week, and share their thoughts on where lawmakers are focusing thei...
Federal prisoners complain a private prison in Oklahoma isn’t following COVID-19 safety guidelines
January 21, 2021 22:55 - 4 minutes - 4.14 MBFederal prisoners threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic complain they and other prisoners weren’t quarantined after having contact with infected people. They also say staff often don’t wear masks.
WahZhaZhe, Tsalagi, Español. No matter the language Covid creates challenges for immersion learning in Oklahoma
January 14, 2021 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.12 MBImmersion learning works like this: students come to school and they learn in two languages, usually English and something else. But COVID-19 has made teaching at these schools difficult. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports with Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton.
Oklahoma health officials choose rapid coronavirus vaccination over rigid phase model
January 13, 2021 06:30 - 4 minutes - 4.03 MBDeputy Commissioner of Health Keith Reed says it allows for quicker vaccinations, which fights community transmission and paves the way for larger vaccine supply shipments.
Protecting Oklahoma Alzheimer's patients from the coronavirus comes at a price
December 17, 2020 21:45 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBThroughout the pandemic, long-term care facilities have had to implement lockdowns. For Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, the isolation used to protect their physical health can further damage their brain health.
Did George Floyd’s death affect Oklahoma’s elections?
December 11, 2020 21:41 - 4 minutes - 4.06 MBBlack Lives Matter protesters urged Oklahomans to go to the polls after Minnesota police killed George Floyd. Did the energy felt in street protests translate into Oklahomans' polling places?
As Oklahoma's syphilis rate among women increases, cases in babies grow with it
December 03, 2020 20:38 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBSyphilis seemed all but eradicated in Oklahoma. Then, until about six years ago, it was reported only in men having sex with men. Cases among women grew more than eight fold from 2014 to 2018. Now, cases detected in babies are on the rise, too.
Oklahoma medical experts tackle state's "mixed messages" on coronavirus
November 26, 2020 01:36 - 1 minute - 1.23 MBMembers of the Healthier Oklahoma Coalition want to communicate with the public directly on hospital and ICU capacity, worker shortages and more.
Masking rules a patchwork in Oklahoma schools
November 19, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBStateImpact's Robby Korth reports on how masking rules are applied unevenly in Oklahoma's schools. A survey conducted by the State Department of Education last month found about 80 percent have some rules requiring masks in place. However, only about half of the state’s schools require masks in the classroom. Many policies simply apply to buses or hallways during passing periods.
State superintendent says she would have implemented Oklahoma schools masking mandate 'a long time ago'
November 19, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBOklahoma state schools superintendent Joy Hofmeister says it’s impossible to know what school will look like in the near and distant future. But, she tells StateImpact’s Robby Korth wearing masks and taking the virus seriously are critical to getting to a place where safe in person schooling is again the norm.
Early release dates for Oklahoma prisoners just got pushed back
November 13, 2020 23:19 - 4 minutes - 4.36 MBThe state prison population is projected to grow an additional 3.6% in two years because the state Department of Corrections eliminated a method of shortening prisoners’ sentences.
Oklahoma health officials say that without renewed federal funding, coronavirus testing could dwindle, harming response
November 10, 2020 05:55 - 36 seconds - 574 KBOklahoma has been using federal coronavirus relief funding to ensure everyone can get tested for free without requirements, such as symptoms or a known exposure. That helps public health agencies track and fight spread. That funding expires Dec. 31, and officials are urging Congress to replace it.
Oklahoma public health officials continue opposition to statewide mask mandate
November 10, 2020 05:27 - 46 seconds - 722 KBAs Oklahoma's coronavirus figures continue their upward trend, public health officials say statewide mask mandates are not on the list of potential mitigation efforts.
Oklahoma Engaged: Vote rejecting State Question 814 places Medicaid expansion responsibility on the Oklahoma Legislature
November 06, 2020 05:47 - 4 minutes - 4.38 MBOklahoma voters rejected State Question 814. It would have taken payments away from the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, which funds public health measures like tobacco cessation and cancer research, and put them toward Medicaid expansion. The state is expected to see a $1 billion infusion of federal health funding, but has to put in about $150 million first. Without that TSET funding, lawmakers will have to find another source.
Oklahoma teenagers want their voices heard to make the world 'a better place'
October 30, 2020 00:57 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBMost high school students in Oklahoma can’t vote, yet the presidential election will have a tremendous impact on them. So, Oklahoma Engaged, with the help of youth civic engagement non-profit Generation Citizen, decided to talk directly to them. StateImpact’s Robby Korth guides listeners through their conversation.
Fewer Oklahoma educators running for legislative offices
October 26, 2020 14:00 - 4 minutes - 4.49 MBTwo years after Oklahoma educators walked out of their classrooms and stormed the state Capitol, fewer teachers are running for state legislative seats. This year, more than 50 education candidates launched campaigns for legislative seats, down from 112 candidates who ran in 2018, according to figures from the Oklahoma Education Association. In an Oklahoma Media Center story supported by Oklahoma Engaged and The Walton Family Foundation, StateImpact's Robby Korth and The Oklahoman's Carmen F...
Epic Virtual Charter Schools’ cloudy future leaves families searching for clarity
October 22, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.46 MBTurmoil has swirled around Epic Virtual Charter Schools for years. But StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports a state audit has intensified calls to take action against the school and its for profit management company. And that’s clouded the future for the more than 60,000 students who attend Oklahoma’s largest school district. This COVID-19/education reporting is made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
Oklahoma Engaged: State Question 814 has a history
October 21, 2020 04:27 - 4 minutes - 4.2 MBState Question 814 would route money away from a public health and tobacco cessation program, using it to pay for Oklahoma's Medicaid expansion. This pitch isn't new, nor is the attempt to divert money out of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust, otherwise known as TSET.
How to bring care to mental health emergencies
October 10, 2020 03:14 - 5 minutes - 4.89 MBOklahoma City Police are trying new ways to help people in crisis cope with their illness' and potentially get faster access to care.
Gov. Kevin Stitt announces new public health laboratory
October 09, 2020 23:07 - 1 minute - 1 MBA brief summary of this episode
A syphilis outbreak creates yet another strain on Oklahoma's public health system
October 09, 2020 20:22 - 4 minutes - 4.16 MBIn the midst of a historic pandemic and the onset of flu season, Oklahoma public health workers have another emergency to address. Statewide, syphilis cases among women have grown by more than 850 percent in four years. In south-central Oklahoma's Carter County, the case rate has grown by 900 percent since last year. Public health specialists tackle everything from raising awareness, preparing care providers and containing the spread.
‘We are still human beings’: Oklahoma prisoners, officials adjust as COVID-19 spreads
October 06, 2020 23:37 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MBThe Department of Corrections is drawing heavy criticism for its steep rise in COVID-19 cases. Most of the 3,175 total cases recorded as of Sept. 23. were first reported in the past month.
Oklahoma City mental health emergencies outpace police trained to handle them
October 06, 2020 23:17 - 5 minutes - 5.23 MBMental health calls have nearly doubled for Oklahoma City’s police force in six years. Police and policy makers say officers shouldn’t be involved in most of the calls at all.
Oklahoma’s college campuses continue to be coronavirus hotspots
October 01, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.04 MBA September surge of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma is largely a result of the coronavirus’ spread on college campuses. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney and Robby Korth report on how cases have spread in college towns.
Oklahoma's Medicaid expansion vote wasn't as simple as urban versus rural
September 24, 2020 00:17 - 4 minutes - 3.88 MBOklahoma voters approved Medicaid expansion via State Question 802 in June. Six of Oklahoma's 77 counties approved the measure, and those counties were largely the state's most urban. Soon, conventional wisdom attributed the vote breakdown to the urban-rural divide.. However, The Oklahoma Policy Institute dug into the data and found there was more to it than that. Here, StateImpact's Catherine Sweeney interviews Oklahoma Policy's Carly Putnam.
Oklahoma health experts: COVID-19 also attacks the heart
September 18, 2020 00:11 - 4 minutes - 4.04 MBMore than half of the Oklahomans who have died from COVID-19 complications had an underlying heart condition. Health experts said that the state's high rate of heart disease is not the only factor.
A month into the fall semester, StateImpact has tracked hundreds of COVID-19 cases in Oklahoma schools
September 10, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.42 MBSince classes started this semester StateImpact’s Robby Korth has been tracking COVID-19 cases in schools across Oklahoma. So far he’s identified almost 200 school districts where a case has been publicly announced. Korth spoke with StateImpact Managing Editor Logan Layden about the tracking project.
Tempers flare after Oklahoma County sends CARES money to jail
September 03, 2020 21:31 - 4 minutes - 4.17 MBA nonprofit leader hoped Oklahoma County would use some of its $47 million CARES Act grant to help people facing eviction. But the state’s most populous county is planning to spend the bulk of that relief package on its problematic jail.
COVID-19 worsens Oklahoma's decades-old nursing shortage
August 24, 2020 20:25 - 4 minutes - 4.46 MBThe United States entered a nationwide nursing shortage in 2001, and Oklahoma has been in one since. There aren't enough slots in nursing programs, many graduates take jobs out of state, and retention is difficult. Then the U.S. entered the worst pandemic in a century.
Oklahoma schools COVID-19 guidelines are widely ignored by many rural districts
August 24, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.5 MBThe Oklahoma State Board of Education refused to pass a plan that featured a masking mandate and required pivot to distance learning amid rising case numbers of the coronavirus. Instead, they opted to make a thorough plan simply a recommendation. The result, few school districts are following the state's guidelines as they reopen for school.
A former Oklahoma prisoner struggles to find his feet during the pandemic
August 14, 2020 01:53 - 4 minutes - 4.32 MBThe pandemic threatens former prisoners’ access to resources they need to build stable lives. Offices that issue legal identification have closed for part or the majority of the pandemic.
Lessons learned in Oklahoma’s interrupted semester will be critical to delivering instruction this fall
August 06, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.25 MBA growing number of school districts across Oklahoma are already pivoting to distance learning because of the continued spread of the coronavirus. The decisions aren’t made easily, as evidenced by hours long meetings and narrow votes by local school boards. More could - and if cases don’t fall will - move online. So how did that move go last spring and what lessons can schools learn?
Oklahoma State University took his name off a building, but Alfalfa Bill Murray can still be found across the state
July 30, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.29 MBFew people have had a bigger impact on Oklahoma than early governor and framer of the state’s constitution Alfalfa Bill Murray. But StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports Murray’s racist beliefs are now sparking conversations to change the way Oklahomans remember him today.
Researcher: Covid-19 infection rates 5 times higher in U.S. Prisons
July 23, 2020 19:32 - 4 minutes - 4.35 MBData analyzed by a Johns Hopkins University researcher suggests people incarcerated in state and federal prisons are at higher risk of catching Covid-19 and of dying from the disease.
Defund police vote exposes deep divisions in Norman
July 23, 2020 06:21 - 4 minutes - 4.27 MBNorman is the only one of Oklahoma’s three largest cities where leaders were swayed to redirect funding after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Tulsa educators share five tips for how teachers, parents can talk about race with kids
July 09, 2020 15:00 - 20 minutes - 18.3 MBIn the wake of Black Lives Matter activism across the country, teachers are re-emphasizing their role in leading discussions about racial justice. StateImpact’s Robby Korth spoke with Tulsa Public Schools Manager of Equity Content Denita White and Hawthorne Elementary School third grade teacher Katherine Maloney about how to talk to children about race.
Pandemic isolates Oklahoma domestic violence victims
July 06, 2020 22:26 - 4 minutes - 4.23 MBCovid-19 made it harder for some domestic violence victims to find safety from their abusers. Victim advocates also fear they may experience more severe violence in their isolation.
Stilwell High School students explore their town’s history in podcast that was a finalist in NPR student challenge
June 26, 2020 16:00 - 4 minutes - 4.22 MBThe NPR student podcast challenge had 2,000 entrants from across the country. But one project from high school seniors in Stilwell, a Northeastern Oklahoma town with 4,000 people, stood out as one of only a dozen finalists. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on the podcast that was a finalist for a prize.
Oklahoma Arts Institute moves off Quartz Mountain and into students’ living rooms
June 25, 2020 14:00 - 4 minutes - 4.36 MBEach summer hundreds of the state’s elite arts students travel to Quartz Mountain, on the picturesque outskirts of the Wichita Mountains in southwest Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Arts Institute. But this year the normally two week arts program was moved online and shortened because of the coronavirus. StateImpact’s Robby Korth reports on how the selective arts program made the move.
Oklahoma City Black Lives Matter requests more robust, transparent police oversight
June 18, 2020 22:19 - 4 minutes - 4.26 MBResidents of Oklahoma City often don't hear the details surrounding complaints against police and the investigations they prompt. Black Lives Matter activists are calling for independent probes of police investigations.
Oklahoma City leaders to reconsider police oversight following protests denouncing racial disparities
June 11, 2020 20:37 - 4 minutes - 4.27 MBThousands of Oklahomans demanded change after an unarmed black man was killed by police in Minneapolis. Protesters in Oklahoma City especially criticized its police department's relatively high number of killings of black residents. City leaders are considering some of the protesters' demands.
Oklahoma child care leaders share how they’ve dealt with positive COVID-19 cases
June 11, 2020 15:00 - 3 minutes - 3.57 MBThe call from the health department still sticks in Gabrielle Moon’s mind. There was a positive case of the coronavirus at St. Luke’s Children’s Center. Moon, the center's executive director, and other childcare leaders share what they've learned from handling this case and others.
Here's what school could look like for Oklahoma schools next fall
May 28, 2020 17:00 - 4 minutes - 3.68 MBThe coronavirus will change school next semester. StateImpact Managing Editor Logan Layden spoke to education reporter Robby Korth about a school year that will likely look a little more normal, but will still be unfamiliar.
As coronavirus spreads, Oklahoma's largest jails could increase testing
May 22, 2020 03:28 - 4 minutes - 4.28 MBAn outbreak of Covid-19 in the Comanche County jail underscores how vulnerable jail populations are to the disease. Officials in the state's two largest counties are considering increasing testing in their jails to make sure they don't have their own outbreak.
Digital ceremonies, drive-ins and delays mark Oklahoma high school graduation celebrations
May 14, 2020 15:00 - 4 minutes - 4.33 MBThe novel coronavirus has changed a lot of graduation plans throughout Oklahoma. Normally, a community’s staple spring event, the global pandemic has altered plans. Districts across Oklahoma are taking a wide range of approaches to honor graduates.
Oklahoma Covid-19 testing in question as positive cases spike in other states’ prisons
May 07, 2020 21:21 - 4 minutes - 4.19 MBThousands of prisoners across the country are infected with Covid-19. The more states test, the more cases they find. Some question whether Oklahoma's Covid-19 testing policies have revealed the true number of state prisoners carrying the disease.