Ponca Post

Recreational marijuana back on the table in Oklahoma with new petition drive

Friday, August 8 by News 9

A new push to make recreational marijuana legal in Oklahoma now has the approval to begin collecting signatures.Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action will now start collecting signatures on a new petition, which needs 172,000 signatures by Nov. 3 to get State Question 837 on the ballot.If enough signatures are collected, voters could decide the... Read More.

What to know as Trump’s immigration crackdown strips tuition breaks from thousands of students

Friday, August 8 by AP

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tens of thousands of U.S. college students without legal resident status are losing access to in-state tuition prices as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.The Justice Department has been suing states to end tuition breaks for students without legal residency, starting with Texas in June. It... Read More.

Oklahoma schools ordered to fund free student meals with no new funding

Friday, August 8 by News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -UPDATE: Education chair dismisses SDE mandate as "empty threat"The Oklahoma State Department of Education has mandated that every school district in the state must fund free meals for all students this upcoming school year. However, no additional funding will be provided. Districts must rely on existing state and federal resources.SEE... Read More.

State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US

Friday, August 8 by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many.In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it would... Read More.

Sen. Mullin proposal could strip United Keetoowah Band’s authority on Cherokee land

Thursday, August 7 by News 6

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -Senator Markwayne Mullin is filing legislation that could limit what the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians is allowed to do on Cherokee land.Senator Mullin is a Cherokee citizen, and his proposal would give the Cherokee Nation exclusive authority over the reservation, including gaming, which the UKB says could effectively... Read More.

Young adults are less likely to follow politics or say voting is important: AP-NORC poll

Thursday, August 7 by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mairekk Griffiths, a 26-year-old cook in a Denver suburb, doesn’t think he’ll ever pay a lot of attention to U.S. politics unless radical change happens.“If another party was likely to win, I’d be interested in that,” said Griffiths, who voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last... Read More.

RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development

Thursday, August 7 by AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Health and Human Services will cancel contracts and pull funding for some vaccines that are being developed to fight respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu.Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a statement Tuesday that 22 projects, totaling $500... Read More.

Drummond asks U.S. Justice Department to help combat illegal offshore gaming

Thursday, August 7 by Ponca City Now

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond is urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help address the rampant spread of illegal offshore gaming that is threatening the country from coast to coast. Drummond and a coalition of 50 attorneys general sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday, underscoring the need for action... Read More.

Red-state campuses partner with ICE, blue-state campuses claim ‘sanctuary’

Thursday, August 7 by TNND

WASHINGTON (TNND) — A new Campus Reform investigation found that over 35 colleges and universities have adopted sanctuary campus policies, but some schools in red states have come to the aid of ICE enforcement.Sanctuary Campuses refuse to cooperate with ICE, blocking agents from campus buildings and limiting the role of campus police... Read More.

5 soldiers shot at Army’s Fort Stewart in Georgia, Suspect in Custody

Wednesday, August 6 by AP

SAVANNAH, Ga. -An Army sergeant opened fire at Fort Stewart on Wednesday, shooting five soldiers and prompting a brief lockdown at one the country’s largest Army bases, officials said.Few details were immediately available about what led to the gunfire, but the suspect is an Army sergeant, according to a U.S. official. The official was not... Read More.

Trump DOJ and Drummond partner to end in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

Wednesday, August 6 by Ponca City Now

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a joint motion Tuesday with President Trump’s U.S. Department of Justice to put an end to a state law that unconstitutionally gives in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. “Today marks the end of a longstanding exploitation of Oklahoma taxpayers, who for many years have subsidized colleges and universities... Read More.

Oklahoma Supreme Court declines to block new social studies standards

Wednesday, August 6 by News 6

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has declined to temporarily block the state’s new social studies standards from going into effect.The ruling means the new standards will be implemented for the upcoming school year.In July, 33 Oklahomans, including teachers, parents, and clergy, filed a lawsuit asking the court to halt the standards. The suit alleges the... Read More.