OK Says: Open Up to Fully Fund SNAP

U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) yesterday afternoon released the following statement after voting YES for a fourteenth time to reopen the federal government and end the longest government shutdown in American history. Mullin’s headline quote, “Open the Government to Fully Fund SNAP.” It seems simple but, of course, Democrats in Washington lie and deflect to avoid responsibility.

NOTE: Despite the ongoing shutdown, a federal court has approved the use of USDA contingency funds to allow partial food stamps (SNAP) to resume as soon as possible. What Oklahomans need to know follows.

“The easiest way to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program is to open the government back up,” said Senator Mullin. “Oklahoma families are having to decide between putting gas in their car, paying the electric bill, or feeding their children. It’s a horrible situation, but it was entirely preventable. I’ve voted 14 times to reopen the government, fund SNAP, pay our troops, and get the government working for the American people. I’m optimistic at this point that enough Senate Democrats will finally get on board and end this Schumer Shutdown before the end of the week.

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The Literacy Crisis

Opinion: Do you adore podcasts? If so, great. The venue seems right for long commutes, walks, or filling mental space while on the treadmill and otherwise. Friends often tell me about this or that great series on history, philosophy, arts, and religion. To have this option to legacy media is valuable, even essential. I have no doubt that some are brilliantly produced.

That said, I’ve been stung too many times by bad ones to have too great an interest in the general medium. I don’t even use the default podcast app on my phone. I’m sure it’s my failing, but there is one feature of many of them that I’ve found depressing. It’s not the content or the outlook as such. It’s the lack of erudition, the slang, the vulgarity, the prattle, the meaningless babble, the tonal inflections that rely on vocal fry and habitual filler language of “like” and “you know.”

In other words, too many podcasts to which I’ve been exposed feed my greatest single fear these days. What is it?

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CCP Influence in Oklahoma

Senator Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, recently held an interim study to evaluate the influence of the Chinese Communist Party within the state of Oklahoma. The study evaluated the surge in illegal marijuana cultivation in the state, raising concerns about foreign involvement, environmental hazards, and risks to public safety.

“CCP presence in Oklahoma and the United States has rapidly progressed from influence to insurgency,” Hamilton said. “In WWII, just over 407,000 Americans were killed in action. Now compare that with the 100,000 deaths from fentanyl overdoses each year, and you begin to get a sense of the problem. CCP and their proxies are killing Americans, and we’ve got to do more to protect our citizens.”

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Search Begins for Expo Square Leader

Mark Andrus notified the Tulsa County Public Facilities Authority (TCPFA) yesterday afternoon that he was retiring from his position as President/CEO of Expo Square and the Tulsa State Fair. Andrus has been involved with the facility since 1979, and became the Chief Operating Officer in 2008 and the Chief Executive Officer in 2009.

The email said, “Thank you so very much for allowing me to work here at the Expo. It is my request that I complete my current contract and retire effective January 1st, 2026. Of course, I will be available to assist in any way possible that board members might find helpful during any transition. Again, a sincere thank you.”

Now the search is on to fill the most demanding 24/7 high pressure position leading the most significant prosperity generator in Northeastern Oklahoma.

Tulsa State Fair 2025
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