Podcasts about nondoc

Republicans want to investigate State Superintendent Ryan Walters and it seems he wants them to investigate him, too, which is weird. But...why?Here is the NonDoc article referenced gratuitously throughout the episode. There's more in the article; you should read it.

The governor and the Legislature have been at odds over the state's Medicaid agency, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. That fight came to a head last week, when the Senate booted the agency director from his Secretary of Health position. StateImpact's Catherine Sweeney talks with Tres Savage, the editor of nonprofit outlet NonDoc, about what led lawmakers to reject Secretary Kevin Corbett's re-instatement.

There's too much in this episode for one little description to handle. Here's a bunch of links: March Madness Group SQ 820 info, Oklahoma Baptists Woody Harrelson SNL Christian School withdraws from Game Mayflower Descendent shocked Oklahoma Cockfighting, Nondoc story --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theramblingviking/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theramblingviking/support

She is a poet, teacher, editor, writer, and playwright born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1967, who now lives in theUnited States. Faleeha is the first woman to write poetry for children in Iraq. She received her master's degree in Arabic literature and has now published 25 books. Her poems have been translated into  English, Turkmen, Bosnian, Indian, French, Italian, German, Kurdish, Spain, Korean, Greek, Serbia, Albanian, Pakistani, Romanian, Malayalam, ODIA, and Nepali language. Ms. Hassan has received many awards in Iraq and throughout the Middle East for her poetry and short stories. Faleeha Hassan has also had her poems and short stories published in avariety of American magazines such as: Philadelphia poets 22, Harbinger Asylum, Brooklyn Rail April 2016, Screaming Mamas, The Galway Review, Words Without Borders, TXTOBJX, Intranslation, SJ Magazine, Nondoc, Wordgathering, SCARLET LEAF REVIEW, Courier-Post,  I am not a Silent Poet, Taos Journal, Inner Child Press, Atlantic City Press, SJ Magazine, Intranslation Magazine, The Guardian, Words Without Borders, Courier-Post, Life and Legends, Wordgathering, SCARLET LEAF REVIEW, Indiana   Voice  Journal, The Bees Are Dead, IWA, Poetry Soup, Poetry Adelaide Literary Magazine, Philly, The Fountain Magazine, DRYLAND, The Blue Mountain Review, Otoliths, Taos Journal of Poetry and  Art, TXTOBJX, DODGING THE RAIN, Poetry  Adelaide Literary Magazine, NonDoc Philly,   DRYLAND, American Poetry Review, The Fountain Magazine, Uljana Wolf, Arcs, Tiferet and Ice Cream Poetry Anthology, Dryland Los Angeles underground art  & writing Magazine, Setu Magazine, Opa Anthology of contemporary, BACOPA  Literary Review, Better than Starbucks Magazine, Tweymatikh ZQH Magazine, TUCK Magazine, Street Light Press. For additional biographical information, please visit https://kvisit.com/7QE/5IgH.  

The legislature is juggling two concurrent special sessions (and they disagree on interpreting their own rules which govern them), there's an election in less than 2 weeks, Oklahoma County's government is in disarray (or at least one of its officeholders is), it's ungodly hot, and Covid is getting worse *again*. Links mentioned: https://nondoc.com/2022/06/16/prater-seeks-to-remove-david-hooten-from-office-blumert-outlines-awkward-messages/ (Prater seeks to remove David Hooten from office, Blumert outlines awkward messages) (NonDoc) https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/06/17/oklahoma-county-clerk-david-hooten-resigns-sexual-harassment-investigation/7659313001/ (Oklahoma County Clerk David Hooten resigns, vows to continue run for state treasurer) https://nondoc.com/2022/06/14/swadleys-contract-details-unknown-omes-for-year-plus/ (Swadley's contract details unknown to OMES for more than a year )(NonDoc)

With less than two weeks before sine die, we have yet to see a budget proposal...from anyone! Also, the investigation into the Swadley's scandal deepens and the multicounty grand jury issued policy recommendations but no indictments. Relevant links are below! Let's start with the latest on BBQGate. Two important developments came to light this week: First, The Frontier reported that https://nondoc.com/2022/05/11/pair-of-campaign-websites-now-available-on-state-network/ (Months before seeking bids, a state tourism official spoke of a deal for Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen to ‘make money from day one')  Also, the House Special Investigative Committee that is looking into this scandal convened their first hearing and heard testimony from LOFT director Mike Jackson. During that meeting, it was disclosed that 74% of the funds -  https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2022/05/13/swadleys-foggy-bottom-kitchen-investigation-okahoma-tourism-recreation-department-taxpayer-costs/9702143002/ ($12.4M of the $16.7M given to Swadleys - was misspent.) Director Jackson said this happened because the Tourism Department lacked the proper checks and balances. Some examples: Travel was reimbursed multiple times. Jackson noted that the mileage reimbursement for one month in 2020 could have paid for someone to drive around the globe four times.  one of the 59 subcontractors hired by Swadley's to make park and dining improvements charged a $20,000 fee on $53,000 worth of work. In addition, Swadley's then charged project-specific consulting and management fees, Jackson said. a cheese melter that Swadley's expensed for $11,600. When LOFT looked into it, the office found the same manufacturer charged no more than $5,500 for that item, Jackson said.  https://nondoc.com/2022/05/12/oklahoma-county-grand-jury-report/ (The multicounty grand jury filed their report on Thursday )and included within it were a number of findings as well as recommendations.  The report says, among other things, that Governor Stitt put improper political pressure on his appointees to the Pardon & Parole board.   The grand jury is convened by the District Attorney for the purpose of reviewing evidence and, when justified, issuing indictments. So...why is this grand jury issuing policy recommendations? (And is that even legal?) https://nondoc.com/2022/05/11/pair-of-campaign-websites-now-available-on-state-network/ (Initially blocked, pair of campaign websites ‘now available' on state network) (NonDoc) https://nondoc.com/2022/05/12/the-weird-political-misadventure-of-two-tag-agent-bills/ (The ‘weird political misadventure' of two tag agent bills) (NonDoc)

Scott and Andy discuss the recent rash of allegations of corruption among state legislators, gubernatorial appointees, and other public officials, as well as the recently-launched Clean Up Oklahoma campaign that has been tracking and highlighting these reports. A few pertinent links: https://cleanupoklahoma.org/ (Clean Up Oklahoma) [https://cleanupoklahoma.org/download/6403/ (timeline of corruption)] https://nondoc.com/2022/04/20/brent-swadley-on-following-the-rules/ (Brent Swadley in 2018: "Wouldn't be where I am today if I followed the rules.") (NonDoc) https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/odonnell-indictment-could-have-far-reaching-consequences/article_2a018eda-62a7-11ec-b999-e7b004464144.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share (O'Donnell indictment could have far-reaching consequences) (Tulsa World)

This week, Curtis and Ryan discuss Stillwater's problematic bathroom policy and some in the legislature attempting to line their own pockets.Article links:1. OSU's Drag Queen Story Hour2. Lawmaker makes false statements about bill3. Stillwater board refuses to change bathroom policy4. OCPA urges action by Hofmeister, State Board of Education on bathroom policy5. Oklahoma's confusing bathroom policy: context and legal background6. Why defined-contribution retirement plans are preferable to defined-benefit plans7. Nondoc: 'Burn it down: Chris Kannady hears no Senate bills in Civil Judiciary meeting

GAIDEN #7-- After a brief hiatus/vacation/vegetative state James is back and he's talking Texas Republicans making questionable romantic decisions, art imitating life, and what happens when good moms get drunk. Support our show at Patreon.com/quality! Follow WaM @WorldsAMessPod. Follow James on twitter @kislingtwits and at https://linktr.ee/JimboKberryBt . Follow Alex @giraffetermath.  Donate directly at Ko-fi.com/T6T16E5D. Thanks to Sef Joosten for our show art (http://spexdoodles.tumblr.com). Our theme music is "The World's a Mess" by X. Outro is "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" by John Lee Hooker. Today's sources are Reuters, IGN, Variety, AFP, NonDoc, KFOR, and Associated Press,

Oklahoma House Rep. Merelyn Bell and Norman City Councilmember Lauren Scheuler join us for an important and enlightening conversation about women in government, what it takes to run (and serve) in elected office, and the power of authenticity in our world. Links & bios: Former Congresswoman Kendra Horn has officially entered the race for US Senate https://www.cbsnews.com/news/scott-pruitt-senate-oklahoma-weighing-run/ (CBS News reported that Scott Pruitt may be contemplating a run for Senate) https://nondoc.com/2022/03/14/joel-kintsel-campaign-rumors-computer-concerns/ (NonDoc reported that OK Dept of Veterans Affairs director Joel Kintsel may be contemplating a run for Governor) and has all but accused Governor Stitt's staff or campaign team of accessing his computer without authorization.  https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/education/2022/03/17/jena-nelson-first-democrat-enter-oklahoma-state-superintendent-race/7084088001/ (The Oklahoman is reporting that Former Teacher of the Year, Jena Nelson, is entering the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.) She will be running as a Democrat; there are currently three Republicans vying for their party's nomination:  Ryan Walters, who is Stitt's Education Secretary,  April Grace, who is superintendent of Shawnee Public Schools, and John Cox, who is superintendent of Peggs Public Schools. Cox previously ran for state superintendent in 2014 and 2018, both times as a Democrat. https://nondoc.com/2022/03/16/joe-don-dickey-tim-binghom-indicted-ced-7/ (NonDoc also has a fascinating article) about alleged corruption and millions of dollars of embezzlement in western Oklahoma involving two county commissioners, one from Kiowa County and one from Tillman County.  It's too complicated to really talk about in this episode, but I strongly encourage you to read it and then to go listen to the most recent episode of “https://www.okhistory.org/learn/avokp (The Very OK Podcast,)” produced by the Oklahoma Historical Society and hosted by current OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson and former director Bob Blackburn. The episode is entitled “At War with Corruption” and it details the major corruption scandals from the 1960s to 1980s involving county commissioners, the political climate in which they happened, and an interview with Bill Price, who was the former US Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma who prosecuted the county commissioners. It's absolutely wild. There's a claim in there that some of the county commissioners estimated - openly admitted - that 50% of the materials reported as received by the county government in Oklahoma between statehood and the 1960s were never received! Every March is nationally designated as Women's History Month, a time in which we celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Since this is a podcast about government and civic engagement, we thought it would be most appropriate to talk to some of the female leaders in those fields, Oklahoma House Representative Merelyn Bell and Norman City Councilmember Lauren Schueler. Representative Merelyn Bell is a fifth-generation Oklahoman and an art director with over 15 years of experience in publication design. She was first elected in 2018 to represent House District 45, which is east Norman, and is the first woman of color to ever represent her hometown.  Lauren Schueler is the director of N.E.W. Leadership and civic engagement at the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. She coordinates the N.E.W. (National Education for Women's) Leadership program that seeks to address the historical under-representation of women in politics and public service, as well as civic engagement more broadly on campus. In addition, she helps organize and advise other programs housed the Carl...

What an episode! We rode the lightning and covered the latest story out of Oklahoma that's made national news and guess what? It's not a flattering story out of Oklahoma...Also, today is the day the People's Convoy heads out from So. Cal to make their way to DC in order to persuade the federal government to lift the state of emergency that remains due to the 'rona. Here's more links than I've ever posted: The Website The Meade Hall Abby Broyles - NY Post, KFOR, NonDoc, Twitter The Peoples Convoy - IG, FB, Donation Link The Freedom Convoy USA instagram, Website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theramblingviking/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theramblingviking/support

Governor Stitt delivers his fourth State of the State, the State Auditor releases her audit of OSDH, the OK County Jail leadership left a very bad voicemail. ------- Non-profits aren't supposed to use federal funds for fun furloughs: Candida Manion, formerly ED of Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, https://oklahomawatch.org/2022/02/10/oklahoma-nonprofit-used-federal-funds-for-vacations-instead-of-victim-services/ (repeatedly used federal funds to take vacations and even go wine tasting)…story from Oklahoma Watch The LOFT doesn't think OKs Medical Marijauna regime passes muster; 788 created the most accessible MJ industry in the country Inadequate regulatory structure Better regulatory regime is needed 56 dispensaries per 100k in population More than Sonic, Braums, Starbucks, Wal-Mart and McDonalds combined. “COVID is our friend”: You really should always make sure you hung up the phone…OK County Jail Administrator Greg Williams director of communications Mark Opgrande https://nondoc.com/2022/02/08/greg-williams-mark-opgrande-covid-recording/ (had a phone call where they discussed public health)…it did not go well. NonDoc has the story. Does state Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd listen to the pod????: Following our discussion last week, State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd has released the audit into OSDOH…https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/pandemic-spending-at-the-oklahoma-health-department-violated-the-state-constitution-an-audit-found/ (it's not great Bob).  Legislative Round-Up: HB3621 - Virgin, passed out of committee this week. No more taxes on groceries https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bill-distancing-oklahoma-national-guard-from-federal-command-advances/article_ad1e9542-891c-11ec-8072-c312043db3da.html (HB3902 - Kannady) passed out of the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee - who determines what a lawful order is?? Who is qualified to be Adjutant General? https://www.poncacitynow.com/sen-warren-hamilton-proposes-changes-to-state-question-approval-process/ (SJR 30 - Hamilton) - give rural counties veto power over state questions https://www.thelostogle.com/2022/02/11/oklahoma-lawmaker-is-still-obsessed-with-kids-praying-the-gay-away/ (HB2973 - Olsen) - pray the gay away SB 1647 - Treat - McCall says the house has no appetite to hear the bill Governor Stitt delivered his annual https://oklahomawatch.org/2022/02/07/oklahoma-gov-kevin-stitts-fourth-state-of-the-state-address-annotated/ (State of the State) address

All good things must come to an end, and the gang has decided to go on hiatus for a while, but not before giving you all a very special season finale wherein we reminisce about our favorite podcast moments from the past year, see who can make the best donkey noise, and share who we all would want our dream podcast guest to be. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

Alyssa Fisher joins the pod to chat about the weather, local elections, and, most importantly, to tell us about the new https://sallyslist.salsalabs.org/sallyslistambassadorapplicationform/index.html (Ambassador Program) at https://my.captivate.fm/sallyslist.org (Sally's List). Things mentioned: Oklahoma Watch: https://oklahomawatch.org/2021/11/12/they-dont-vote-but-they-do-count-how-the-incarcerated-skew-political-representation-in-oklahoma/ (They Don't Vote, But They Do Count: How the Incarcerated Skew Political Representation in Oklahoma) The Oklahoman: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/12/02/oklahoma-sues-biden-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-air-national-guard/8844306002/ (Stitt administration suing Dept of Defense over vaccine requirement) NonDoc: https://nondoc.com/2021/11/26/unearthed-joe-exotic-interview-donald-trump/ (The unearthed Joe Exotic interview about Donald Trump, Oklahoma's teacher walkout) How to Win Friends and Save the Republic podcast from the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers Support this podcast

After an extended hiatus, the gang is back in the News Dungeon, and they have brought along Bailey Perkins Wright from the Oklahoma Food Banks to talk about food insecurity and ways to combat it. Along the way, we talk about the relationship between the Choctaw Nation and Ireland, admire Tres's new haircut, and Bryce reveals his love for a great English thespian. Links mentioned in the show: www.RegionalFoodBank.org www.RFBO.org www.OKFoodBank.org Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

Well, this episode got a little...weird. We start by talking about questionably appropriate children's literature, then things take a turn and we have a ridiculous and lengthy discussion about certain bodily functions, and we finally cap it all off by talking about our favorite fictional detectives. It's just another day in the News Dungeon. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

There's been considerable trouble in the Western Heights school district over the last couple of years...and "trouble" doesn't begin to describe it. Thanks to strong journalism by the folks at NonDoc and others, we were able to put together a pretty comprehensive timeline for you, which we'll detail in this episode (it is included below with links to all the stories). Remember: local elections matter. Timeline for Western Heights In October 2019, https://kfor.com/news/15-employees-resign-at-western-heights-school-board-meeting/ (15 employees resigned), ranging from bus drivers to the assistant superintendent, citing ongoing issues of mismanagement at all levels of the district. Two weeks later, still in October 2019, https://www.news9.com/story/5e346e6c527dcf49dad6e133/parents-call-for-investigation-of-western-heights-superintendent (parents in the district requested an investigation) into the district for these issues, and specifically wanted an investigation into Superintendent Mannix Barnes, his $220,000 per year salary, and the fact that the chair of the WH school board, Robert Everman, is his former employee when they worked at a casino. (Which is obviously directly useful knowledge for running a school district, right?) Before we go on, you've got to hear about the compensation package superintendent Mannix Barnes had at the time. And, again, remember that he had no experience as a superintendent when he was hired by the district just a couple of years ago. Barnes' contract with Western Heights included: A $220,000 base salary with a $75,000 retention bonus effective June 15, 2022; 20 days of unpaid leave for outside activities; Reasonable time off and pay for professional growth and community involvement; 25 semester credit hours annually to further education; Membership for community organizations including the Chamber of Commerce; 40 vacation days per year; 20 sick days per year; 20 personal business leave days per year. We'll do the math for you: that's a minimum of 100 days of paid leave. The district only has 167 instructional days. Anyway, in April 2020, the WH district got into hot water with the state board of education when the district unilaterally https://www.oklahoman.com/article/5659613/mayor-disagrees-with-western-heights-food-service-suspension (decided to suspend the free meal )program during the pandemic, despite the fact that 90% of the distinct's students qualify. The superintendent said some pretty inflammatory things about state superintendent Joy Hofmeister and OKC Mayor David Holt, including using the phrase “I double dare those two to come down here” and threatened to sue the state board. Nearly a year later in March of this year, the state board of education expressed “utmost concern” about the operation of Western Heights Public Schools https://nondoc.com/2021/03/25/state-board-accreditation-western-heights-schools/ (and threatened to end their accreditation), mentioning multiple issues, including: failure to provide in-person instruction since March 2020; a decision in the spring of 2020 not to provide nutritional services to students; an audit report showing violations of state law, including the use of 2018 bond proceeds meant for contracting and repairing facilities to pay off debt instead; a board member consuming alcohol during a public meeting; a 23 percent drop in student enrollment, from 3,365 to 2,597 in the past year, and a loss of more than 100 staff members in the past two years; disharmony in the school environment and community. In April the state board https://nondoc.com/2021/04/09/state-board-hands-out-probation-for-western-heights-district-and-sovereign-school/ (placed the district on probation) and giving them 90 days to remedy the situation or face being annexed by the state board. As you might have guessed, the district didn't comply and instead they filed suit against the state board, So, in June the state board... Support this podcast

The gang is back in the dungeon, and they have brought along NonDoc staff reporter Archie Browne! Archie talks about his latest reporting on food access in northeast OKC, then we segue into a little celebration of NonDoc's 7th anniversary, Tres unveils how he almost singlehandedly ruined a national pizza ad campaign, and Bryce reveals the weird way he would want to grotesquely modify his body. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

We are back from another hiatus! The gang was on the road, and they have returned with tales from some small towns in Oklahoma. They are also joined by NonDoc contributor Jeremy Cowen and have a talk about the recent announcement of OU's impending departure from the Big 12 for the SEC. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us Editorial@NonDoc.com

After a few weeks off, we are back in the Dungeon and joined by Andy Moore, founder of Let's Fix This and Executive Director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma! The group recaps the NonDoc Summer Fundraiser party, then talks about the First Amendment, the Freedom of Information Act, and which people they would like to throw a pie in their face. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

Covid is up, tuition is up, TSET effectiveness is in question, Canoo incentives are secret, and we still don't have an Attorney General. Let's talk about it. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/06/25/oklahoma-covid-cases-rising-possible-delta-variant-trend-alarming-health-leaders/7781208002/ (COVID cases are increasing in Oklahoma) and around the country. OK has roughly doubled the number of new diagnoses since the beginning of June. Likely due to Delta variant (as there is an outbreak in Missouri), but we can't know for sure because Oklahoma is dead last for genomic sequencing, with just 0.19% of total cases sequenced. So, they're working on that.  Good news is, vaccinated folks are not contracting the virus. OK only at 37% vaccinated, though, so there's a lot of people out there who are “eligible to get the virus” https://nondoc.com/2021/06/22/regents-advance-tuition-increase-ou-health-merger/ (OU increases tuition) (NonDoc) (avg of $248 per year for in-state, $671 per year out-of-state) Timing is just coincidental, but also not great given last week's news about NonDoc suing OU to release two reports from Jones Day law firm, one of which has to do with misreporting or fabricating of fundraising data...which impacts the university budget, even if just a little. https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/06/22/oklahoma-legislative-watchdog-office-questions-tobacco-settlement-endowment-spending/7770584002/ (LOFT report questions the effectiveness of TSET )and says some of its impact cannot be measured. OK is Top 10 for tobacco cessation spending...but despite that, we're also still Top 10 for number of adults and youth who use tobacco But is part of the blame on lawmakers? They could increase the tax on tobacco products and e-cigarettes—in fact, TSET asked them to do it—but they haven't. But remember, last year the legislature sent a state question to the ballot (SQ814) asking voters to give them [the legislature] more access to TSET funds. Voters rejected the measure...and now the legislature is coming after TSET again. If nothing else, this seems suspicious. Oklahoma chosen as site for new Canoo electric vehicle production facility https://www.oklahoman.com/story/business/2021/06/24/canoo-oklahoma-tax-money-incentives-secret-electric-car-factory-jobs/5306567001/ (Incentives still secret, at least for now.) Apparently agreements haven't yet been signed, which means there's still time for talks to break down? https://tulsaworld.com/business/local/auto-makers-development-in-pryor-gets-assist-from-former-oklahoma-u-s-senator/article_185494fe-d35d-11eb-ab7a-a3bdc06cc160.html (Tulsa World reports) that former US Senator Don Nickles tipped off Oklahoma to the possibility of the deal https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/06/23/oklahoma-attorney-general-search-still-ongoing-governor-kevin-stitt-says/5304700001/ (Governor still mulling candidates for Attorney General). Names supposedly on the short list: Ryan Leonard, currently Stitt's special counsel for Native American affairs,  Tim Downing, Stitt's counsel for Sec of State until Trump bumped him up to US Attorney, but he resigned once Biden took office (weird) Tricia Everest, formerly Stitt's Sec of Public Safety, then chair of OK County jail trust Greg Mashburn & AJ Ferate, both attorneys with strong ties to OK GOP and big oil and of course there's Gentner Drummond (ran in 2018, narrowly lost in primary to Hunter who was the incumbent) https://www.eventbrite.com/o/people-not-politicians-31941585843 (Legislature's Congressional redistricting  town halls) start July 8th.  6 p.m. July 8 in Oklahoma City at the state Capitol, Room 535 6 p.m. July 13 Virtual 6 p.m. July 20 in Enid at the Autry Technology Center 6 p.m. July 22 in Tulsa at the Tulsa Technology Center 6 p.m. July 27 in McAlester at the Kiamichi Technology Center 6 p.m. July 29 at Lawton City Hall 6 p.m. August 3 Virtual Support this podcast

After a few weeks off, the crew is back in the Dungeon, and they've brought along NonDoc cartoonist Mike Allen! The gang has a wide ranging talk about political cartoons, the early days of NonDoc, the futility of life, things people hate to look at cartoons about, first jobs, and hanging out with incarcerated people when you're under-age! It's just another day, Live! from the News Dungeon Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

We are back in the News Dungeon for our cuddliest and weirdest episode yet! Tres, Angela, and Andrea (and Bryce!) sit down to talk all things pets, but the conversation soon digresses into talks about parasites, baculum, professional wrestling, and phone booths full of farts. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

For our 10th episode, the crew has a big guest this week: Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister! The Superintendent talks about her history in public education, what the future of education looks like in Oklahoma, and reveals which famous singer she would like to tour with. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

After a couple of weeks off, the crew is back in the News Dungeon! Tres, Andrea, and Angela have a chat about the latest round of local elections, then talk about the current state of transit in the metro area, including Tres's disdain for a certain streetcar system... Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

The crew is back in the News Dungeon, joined by NonDoc reporter Matt Patterson, to talk all things marijuana. They talk about Tres's annoyance with certain dispensaries, old-timey slang for pot, and what competitive activity everyone thinks they could dominate in. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

After a crazy bout of winter weather, the crew is back in the Dungeon, and they are joined by former Oklahoma Governor David Walters! The group talks about the recent controversies surrounding energy costs in Oklahoma and Texas, a historic oil and gas spill that made a lady famous, and then they answer that age-old question: would you rather be dumb or mean? Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

NOTE: Owing to the insane weather last week, the crew wasn't able to actually gather in the News Dungeon for this episode. We recorded over Zoom, and the audio quality isn't as good as our usual efforts, but we'll be back in the Dungeon next episode!   The group gets together virtually to talk about the massive winter storm that tore across Oklahoma. We talk about the history of the National Weather Center in Norman, pissing off local TV news folks, climate change, power problems, and weird foods we like to eat when it gets cold. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

We are back in the News Dungeon with a special guest: NonDoc education reporter Megan Prather! The group talks about all things education in the state of Oklahoma, with some digressions about weird English pronunciations, Tres's childhood creations, and what some of the best snacks are. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@NonDoc.com

Our very first guest has arrived! Oklahoma State Rep. and House Majority Floor Leader John Echols ventures into the News Dungeon to preview the upcoming legislative session. The group talks Medicaid, education, marijuana, and the finer points of toe placement on the foot. Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@nondoc.com

Tres, Angela, and Andrea are back and live(ish) from the News Dungeon! In this episode, the crew talks about all things vaccine, a couple of scab-related digressions, how the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is going, and then they finish everything off by trying to figure out who is the better fighter: a couple of enraged primates or a 43-year-old boxer? Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@nondoc.com

Tres, Angela, and Andrea (and Bryce, a little bit) talk about what some people call the most wonderful time of the year. They talk about the history of gift-giving, the most popular toys of almost every decade, the current progressive side of Barbie dolls, disdain for humanity, and Bryce's controversial opinion on horses.   Show Notes: Donation link to the OK Foster Wishes gift program Background information about Kwanza Background information about Christmas gifting The “love languages” quiz and subsequent gift guide Marcel Mauss’ book The Gift History Channel information about popular gifts of the past A controversial tweet about an article from The Frontier Information about the kingdom Animalia A link to make end-of-year donations to NonDoc Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at Editorial@nondoc.com

Tres Savage, Angela Jones, and Andrea DenHoed are live(ish) from the NonDoc.com News Dungeon! Join them as they talk about COVID-19, a historical spitting scourge, a child's hairy back, attractive medical professionals, and which is the superior liquid: printer ink or Topo Chico? Links: Article about the 1896 New York City anti-expectoration law Oklahoma’s coronavirus tracking website; the Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource center Andrea DenHoed’s recent article on contact tracing Two tweets — first and second — from Bond Payne, chief of staff to Gov. Kevin Stitt Robert Ellis’ song Topo Chico Article about the world’s most valuable liquids Live! from the News Dungeon is a NonDoc.com production Email us at editorial@nondoc.com

The Frontier's Ben Felder talks with Megan Prather of NonDoc.com about recent protests in Norman over virtual learning, a debate that is taking place across the state. Support this podcast

On this week's episode of Listen Frontier we speak with two candidates running in a state Senate Republican primary in rural Oklahoma, and with Tres Savage of NonDoc about which races he most interested in next Tuesday. Support this podcast

When a quadruple veto override is the least notable thing that happens at the legislature in a given week, you know session must be drawing to a close. This week the Governor vetoed the budget plus three related bills, the legislature quickly voted to override the vetoes, and the legislature passed all manner of other bills that would do everything from:  Changes to the initiative petition process (HB 3826) Attacks on campaign ethics rules (HB3613 & HB3996, though it was retracted) Pay raise for judges Omnibus administrative rules bill (passed, save for the OSDH rules about vaccines) An abortion bill Expanded Medicaid Took authority away from cities & mayors Permanently permitting curbside and delivery of liquor A COLA increase for retired state employees (https://nondoc.com/2020/05/15/pension-cola-sent-to-stitt/) And so much more! First, let’s start with the ethics commission.  On Thursday it looked like they were trying to pass a law to allow candidates to spend campaign funds on personal expenses, but that bill was retracted.  Donation use stays restricted (The Oklahoman) (https://oklahoman.com/article/5662378/donation-use-stays-restricted) On Wednesday, they sent HB3613  to the Governor, and the Ethics Commission says it is opaque enough that it might mean they can’t collect reports they need.  Would this counteract HB3827? Bill could hide donor and lobbyist info from the public (The Frontier) (https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/bill-could-hide-donor-and-lobbyist-info-from-the-public/?fbclid=IwAR0aWEgdYmVTLLbbHVRvx3oxP78lPqH3oyN-DjiZF8kvDwAQASE_taeHwwI) Let’s talk about  the budget. What was vetoed and why What the legislature did about it Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoes budget, Legislature overrides (NonDoc) (https://nondoc.com/2020/05/13/gov-kevin-stitt-vetoes-three-bills/) S&P says 33% change Oklahoma’s bond rating drops Don't forget: Civics Con is on May 29th! Registration is now open: CivicsCon.com (http://civicscon.com) Support this podcast

Andy Moore is the executive director of Let's Fix This in Oklahoma City. He's also the co-host of the Let's Pod This Podcast. Additionally, Andy is a licensed professional counselor. Andy joins us to talk about his Nondoc media story, "During the COVID-19 Crisis, Consider Your Mental Health." Read the story here: https://nondoc.com/2020/03/27/amid-public-health-crisis-dont-forget-mental-health/

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a State of Emergency has been declared at the city, state, and federal level.  These declarations have far-reaching impact and consequences and, frankly, we are in uncharted waters. Here to help us walk through everything that has happened in the past 48 to 72 hours for my cohosts, Bailey Perkins and Scott Melson.  Last Friday President Trump declared a national state of emergency, which was followed by a similar declaration on Sunday from the mayors of Oklahoma City and Stillwater, as well as Governor Stitt. We are recording this on Monday evening, and so far today I have seen that the mayors of Yukon and Tulsa have also declared state of emergency in those jurisdictions. Additionally, the Oklahoma state Department of Education has canceled school throughout the state until April 6, the Cherokee in Chickasaw tribes are clothes in their casinos, (Most of the casinos in Las Vegas are also closed, for what it's worth), and the Oklahoma legislature announced they are making significant changes to their operations to expedite passage of the budget and other constitutionally required duties. Yesterday the CDC said that all public events with 50 or more people for the next 8 weeks should be canceled, and today they updated that to be all public events with more than 10 people should be canceled.  How about we start by talking about what a state of emergency declaration is, and why there are different ones, walk through what a state of emergency means at each level. So,  why do we have different ones?  [discussion] So, a when the president declares a national state of emergency (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/politics/coronavirus-national-emergency.html) for a public health emergency, it basically enacts three laws: the Public Health Service Act, Stafford Act, Social Security Act, as well as some other laws. The Stafford Act is the government’s main mechanism for responding to major disasters and emergencies. It permits tapping into an account that currently has more than $40 billion, which it could use to do things like buy medical supplies and equipment. Often used with natural disasters, previously also used by President Clinton to respond to  the West Nile outbreak   It frees up federal funds and other resources to help when “federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety.”  also empowers the president to direct any federal agency to use its personnel, facilities and equipment to support state and local emergency efforts, disseminate public health and safety information, provide public health and safety measures, and distribute supplies like medicine and food. unlocks extra powers under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act aimed at making it easier to get medical supplies and doctors and nurses where they are needed most. (Prev used by by Obama to address H1N1 aka Swine Flu. Okay, let’s move down to the state level (http://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/executive/1913.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3b9a5RrTJ4vkDbMTnroOe6pPur5Ge4FVxw2muKJW3nYdL57SC2eq5CShY) . [discussion] And finally, down to the city level. (https://www.okc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/3287/5296) [discussion] Resources cdc.gov (http://cdc.gov) Coronavirus.health.ok.gov (http://coronavirus.health.ok.gov) Regionalfoodbank.org/covid19  (http://regionalfoodbank.org/covid19) Okfoodbank.org (http://okfoodbank.org)   Good news coverage: The Frontier (https://www.readfrontier.org/) NonDoc (http://nondoc.com) Support this podcast

The Oklahoman’s Carmen Formen and Ben Felder welcome Tres Savage, editor in chief of NonDoc, to discuss this week’s state Supreme Court ruling on a Medicaid expansion petition and to discuss whether journalists should vote in the elections they cover.

Tres Savage from NonDoc explains the finer points of why Oklahoma counties should be allowed to tax the production of aggregates (i.e. rocks and gravel) and we visit with Joe Hight, chairman of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to discuss Sunshine Week, government transparency, and whether the legislature should be subject to the Open Records Act. Support this podcast

Adam and Ralph discuss NonDoc suspending publication and we chat about holiday movies. Of course, we occasionally get off topic, but–hey–if you are listening to this podcast, you should always assume this will happen.

Trent talks with NonDoc’s Tres Savage about breaking the story of possible bribery in the writing of medical marijuana rules.

Andy and Scott are joined by Tres Savage from NonDoc to recap the debate we held this week between Republican candidates for Labor Commissioner.  Support this podcast

In this inaugural episode of How We Got Here, Bryan, Alex, and Tres talk about how raising taxes has become so difficult in Oklahoma. Check out accompanying article for this episode here. For more information, visit FKGConsulting.com and NonDoc.com

Mike Allen (NonDoc/Speakeasy Art Shows) stopped by the Tower Theatre to talk J-Dilla, Tom Petty’s music video murderer, art shows at 51st Street Speakeasy, Paranoia Agent and more! 

Today on the WAFTI Show, Black Mesa Brewing holds an election to select their new coffee stout, Elemental hugs it out for our cycling youth, and Nondoc celebrates the launch of their website. With special appearances by newly elected State Representative Cyndi Munson, Chad and Tim from Short Order Poems, and the musical stylings of Beau Jennings.