Washington, D.C. – Monday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now accepting applications from all states looking to take advantage of the Rural Health Transformation Program. This unprecedented investment is designed to empower rural states like Oklahoma to strengthen health care infrastructure and improve patient access to care. The program, authorized under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on July 4^th, 2025.

Tulsa, OK — The NorthStar Project has filed formal public comments on the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s request for a waiver from federal peer review of statewide assessments. While affirming the Department’s intent to modernize testing and reduce burdens on schools, the NorthStar Project warns that the proposal—if adopted as written—risks eroding accountability, transparency, and fairness across Oklahoma’s 500+ school districts.

“Oklahoma cannot afford to weaken accountability at the very moment when student outcomes are at historic lows,” said Dr. Mark Roberts, Chairman of the NorthStar Project. “Our students deserve both innovation and rigor. That requires statewide comparability, constitutional compliance, and clear transparency for parents.”