Podcast Promotes Childhood Literacy

Monday, March 30, Second Lady Usha Vance announced the launch of her podcast: “Storytime with the Second Lady.” The first episode featured the Second Lady reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Later podcast episodes will feature special guest readers including celebrities, children’s authors, athletes, veterans, musicians, and more. The first show is embedded in this story.

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Tax Burden by State: OK 41st

Each April, Uncle Sam claims a portion of the previous year’s earnings. Because the tax code is so complex, it can be difficult for the average person to understand exactly how they’re affected. One helpful measure that simplifies things is the “tax burden.” Unlike tax rates, which can differ significantly depending on an individual’s situation, tax burden looks at the share of total personal income that residents pay in state and local taxes. This burden isn’t the same across the United States.

“It’s easy to be dismayed at tax time when you see just how much of your income you lose. Living in a state with a low tax burden can alleviate some of that stress. Some states charge no income tax or no sales tax, although all states have some form of property taxes and excise taxes,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

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It Works for Seniors and Families

Politics has been part of my life for a long time now. I’ve worked on campaigns, balanced budgets, and watched Washington debate programs line by line, year after year. Experience has taught me that policy decisions rarely stay in Washington. They show up in people’s homes, in their routines, and in the way that families manage everyday life. That’s especially true when it comes to health care.

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Turkey Hunting Workshops Slated

Hunters and potential hunters have two upcoming options to learn the ins and outs of wild turkey hunting in Oklahoma. And both take place before the regular spring season opener April 16. Don’t wait to get registered, and learn how you can tag a gobbler this spring.

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New Synthetic Opioid Extreme

OSU Medicine has issued a media advisory on a new emerging synthetic opioid known as Cychlorphine that is causing alarm among health and law enforcement officials across Oklahoma, with experts warning of its extreme potency and growing presence in the illicit drug supply.

According to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Cychlorphine has already been identified in the state and linked to at least one fatal overdose. The drug may be significantly more potent than fentanyl and, in some cases, more difficult to reverse with standard overdose treatments.

“Cychlorphine represents a dangerous shift in the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Rachel Wirginis, board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician at the OSU Addiction Recovery Clinic in Tulsa, and associate program director of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program at OSU Center for Health Sciences. “We are seeing increasingly powerful synthetic opioids that require rapid recognition and aggressive intervention to prevent fatal outcomes.”

Dr. Rachel Wirginis, DO
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