Ted Streuli

2 weeks ago | oklahomawatch.org | Ted Streuli

Federal lawmakers in Oklahoma are deliberately avoiding endorsements in the crowded 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary, a field that already includes at least five candidates. With an open seat—Gov. Kevin Stitt is term-limited—attention has turned to those who can self-fund early campaigns. Rep. Tom Cole declined to back anyone, citing his focus on his own re-election race. Rep.

2 weeks ago | oklahomawatch.org | Ted Streuli

Why is today’s newsletter so late, you ask? Well, the AM and PM buttons are deceptively close to one another on the scheduling tab and, heck — it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. Here you go:Poverty in Oklahoma is neither new nor fleeting. It’s a generational burden shaped by economic volatility, political friction and natural disaster. Today, about 16% of Oklahomans live below the poverty line, nearly a quarter of them children.

2 weeks ago | oklahomawatch.org | Ted Streuli

There isn’t a single five-star Yelp review for a prison chow hall. But food plays a big part in prison morale and, consequently, prisoner behavior. Studies from Brown University, Boston University, the International Journal of Prison Health, Australian researchers and others have concluded that Vitamin D, magnesium, and omega-3s are lacking in most prison diets. Those nutrients contribute to mental and physical health, particularly ADHD and bipolar disorder.

2 weeks ago | oklahomawatch.org | Ted Streuli

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are raising alarms about President Trump’s proposed budget, warning it could imperil health care access for millions of Native Americans in the event of a government shutdown. Though the plan allocates $7.9 billion to the Indian Health Service, it notably omits advance appropriations — a critical safeguard that keeps the agency funded even during shutdowns. Rep.

2 weeks ago | oklahomawatch.org | Ted Streuli

Reporter J.C. Hallman explored how justice in the panhandle isn’t quite like other places. He told the story through the eyes of a colorful mother and son, Linda Brown and Billy Green, who had very different experiences with the criminal justice system a quarter of a century apart. Green, short on influential connections, was bullied into a blind plea deal that netted him a stretch in state prison for minor offenses.