OETA: Oklahoma Forum - Senator Jim Inhofe & The State Budget Feb. 1, 2010
In a recent episode of OETA's Oklahoma Forum, U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe discusses his well-known views on climate change, what aspects of President Obama's Afghanistan strategy he agrees with, and even addresses a Rolling Stonearticle that calls him one of the "planet's worst enemies."
State Sen. Constance Johnson and State Rep. Sue Tibbs sponsored the Criminal Justice Symposium at the state Capitol in December. KGOU airs part of that event focusing on the death penalty. The three presenters are Collen Cunningham with Equal Justice USA, Dr. Susan Sharp of the University of Oklahoma, and Pastor Bob Yandian, Grace Church in Tulsa. Email KGOU with your comments on today's program. Also, to hear the questioning of Pastor Yandian fast forward to about 56:50 on the MP3 file.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: State Chamber Public Affairs Forum Dec. 14, 2009
Oklahoma Voices: My Story: Blogs by Four Military Teens Dec. 7, 2009
President Obama is calling for thousands more troops in Afghanistan. For each soldier facing deployment, there are family members left behind. Dr. Michelle Sherman, director of the Family Mental Health Program at Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, has co-authored a book, My Story: Blogs by Four Military Teens. KGOU's Kurt Gwartney interviewed Dr. Sherman a few weeks following the shootings at Fort Hood.MP3
Oklahoma and the World: Mona Eltahawy Dec. 7, 2009
Oklahoma City voters will decide the fate of a proposed penny sales tax extension officials are calling MAPS 3 next week. Mayor Mick Cornett and others spoke at three events sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber in the weeks before the vote. On this Oklahoma Voices we bring you two of those events along with a news conference with Oklahoma City police and firefighters who oppose the sales tax extension. Email your comments to KGOU news.
Oklahoma Voices: Native American Heritage Month airs at 11am on Mon 11/23
Oklahoma Voices is observing Native American Heritage Month by speaking with two authors about their new books on Oklahoma Indians. Host Susan Shannon speaks with Patti Dickinson (Cherokee) about her book “Coach Tommy Thompson and The Boys of Sequoyah”. This is the story of Tommy Thompson’s life; from a young boy dropped off by his indifferent father at the Sequoyah Indian Boarding School, thru his years as a star athlete to his coming full circle and returning to Sequoyah as coach and teacher. Our second author is Diane Glancy (Cherokee/German/English) and her book is “Pushing The Bear, After The Trail of Tears” which tells the tale of how the Cherokees literally started over with nothing. Music heard on the show is from the album “Songs In The Night” by Samantha Crain (Choctaw) and her band the Midnight Shivers. Crain is from Shawnee, Oklahoma.MP3
OKV: Healthcare – Universal Right or Economic Disaster? Nov. 16, 2009
On November 5, 2009, the University of Oklahoma Economics Club hosted a panel discussion titled Healthcare: Universal Right or Economic Disaster? The panel was led by three speakers who specialize in legal and economic issues in medicine and insurance. Professor Donald T. Bogan practiced law for nearly 20 years, and now researches and writes about the impact of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) on state law. Dr. Jennifer Graves researches in the economics of care for the elderly and labor economics. And OU Health Sciences Center Professor Steven Mattachione has managed healthcare provider organizations and large tertiary medical centers.
Metro-area residents are lining up to receive vaccinations against the novel H1N1, or swine flu, virus. This week on Oklahoma Voices, we listen in on a University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Public Health Grand Rounds presentaion on pandemic influenza and the OUHSC's planning. Featured presenters are: James Brand, M.D., Douglas Drevets, M.D., and Gary Raskob, Ph.D. You can find the audio and accompanying video of the presentation at the OUHSC website. Email KGOU your thoughts about this program.
OKV: Alex Awad, missionary visits Oklahoma Oct. 12, 2009
KGOU's Kurt Gwartney talked with Alex Awad in August of 2009. He is a native of Jerusalem serving as a missionary with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. The Palestinian Christian pastors a small international church in East Jerusalem and teaches courses at Bethlehem Bible College, where he serves as faculty member, dean of students and board member. He was in Oklahoma visiting several congregations about his work in the Middle East.MP3
OKV: The Kennedy Assassination - 24 Hours After Oct. 5, 2009
Hundreds of books have been written about the assassination of the nation's 35th president; books that have broken those tragic few moments in downtown Dallas down to the microsecond. But a new book from University of Oklahoma professor and Resident Historian of the History Channel Dr. Steven Gillon examines the first full day of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency, and how every decision LBJ made was based on his fear of two men closest to his slain predecessor, and concern for the American people.
OKV: Oklahoma and the World focus on Central and South America Sept. 28, 2009
The situation in Honduras continues to evolve, and it becomes more complicated with each turn. Oklahoma and the World host Zach Messitte leads a discussion on Central and South America, including a focus on Honduras.MP3
OKV: Women in Oklahoma Politics Sept. 21, 2009
For the first time in Oklahoma history there is a chance the Democratic and Republican Pary candidates for governor could be women. But while Jari Askins and Mary Fallin seek the state's top political job, there is a long way to go before their names appear on the ballot in 2010. On this edition of Oklahoma Voices we talk with Norman mayor and OU political scientist Cindy Simon Rosenthal. We also hear from Debbie Walsh, the director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers' Eagleton Institute of Politics.
View a PDF file of the presentation from Debbie Walsh.
Oklahoma and the World hosts Zach Messitte and Joshua Landis interview native Oklahoman Mike Boettcher on this edition of Oklahoma Voices. Boetcher has traveled the world as a correspondent for major news networks, and is now teaching at the University of Oklahoma.MP3
OK Voices: Sen. Tom Coburn Town Hall August 31, 2009
Most town hall meetings rarely get much attention. Each break from Washington, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate travel home to meet with their constituents. The gatherings often bring out people passionate about a particular cause, but town halls are typically poorly attended and often ignored. That’s not the case with the current round of town hall meetings. KGOU recorded the August 24 town hall with U.S. Senator Tom Coburn at the Chase Bank building lobby in downtown Oklahoma City.
Email Kurt Gwartney, KGOU news director, to express your thoughts on this program.
FactCheck.org checks the facts on the varying sides of the debate on health care in the U.S.
KGOU recorded the presentations August 20, 2009. You can also hear a re-broadcast of an in-depth report on early childhood education, and an Oklahoma Voices program on the topic.MP3
OKV: Town Hall Meeting with U.S. Rep. Tom Cole August 17, 2009
Part 1Part 2Part 3 Most town hall meetings rarely get much attention. Each break from Washington, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate travel home to meet with their constituents. The gatherings often bring out people passionate about a particular cause, but town halls are typically poorly attended and often ignored. That’s not the case with the current round of town hall meetings. KGOU Chief Engineer Patrick Roberts captured the audio from the August 11th town hall with Congressman Tom Cole at the Moore Public Library.
Email Kurt Gwartney, KGOU news director, to express your thoughts on this program.
FactCheck.org checks the facts on the varying sides of the debate on health care in the U.S.
OK Voices: Early Childhood Investment Aug. 3, 2009
Nobel laureate James Heckman presents his views on the fiscal benefits associated with an investment in a child's formative years during the Oklahoma Economic Summit on Early Childhood Investment. The July 27th event was sponsored by the Potts Family Foundation and supported by Smart Start Oklahoma.
On the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we remember the mission that paved the way, Apollo 10. Weatherford native Thomas Stafford led that mission, the first to carry the full complement of spacecraft destined for the moon. This past May, the crew and staff that made that mission possible reunited at the Oklahoma History Center and reminisced about their exploits. Our special thanks to the history center's Michael Dean for recording their remarks and providing them for this broadcast. The program started with a video presentation from Bill Moore that provides an introduction to the Apollo 10 mission and its importance to the first footsteps on the moon. After the video Bob Blackburn, the executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, introduces the first speaker.
Michael Givel is the first U.S. Fulbright to ever be in Bhutan and will be in residence at the Royal Institute of Management in Thimphu, Bhutan from July to December 2009. He will teach a graduate public administration course and conduct research on Bhutan's unique tobacco control law. Givel and his family are also keeping a travel blog on their experiences.
You can also learn more about Bhutan from the following weblinks:
We conclude our series of interviews as part of the national series, Five Farms: Stories from American Farm Families. Our focus this week is on how family farms handle the issue of succession. On this program, we talk with two farmers who have a plan in place to make sure their farms are tended to in the next generation. First we hear from cattle and hay producer David Christ in Seminole County before heading north to near Ponca City and Silvertop Ranch, operated by Mary Steichen.MP3
OKV: Five Farms... Nurture June 29, 2009
We continue our series of interviews as part of the national series, Five Farms: Stories from American Farm Families. Our focus this week is on how farmers nurture their crops to maturity. KGOU's Kurt Gwartney visited Sun Berry Orchard in eastern Oklahoma County on a day when the high temperature hovered near 100 degrees. Kurt sat down at a picnic table outside the orchard¹s farm store with owner, Rick Dye, who spends his days and years nurturing the blackberries that are the hallmark of his operation.MP3
What started out of a California restaurant has grown into a resurgence of locally available produce. The Norman market is just one of many in Oklahoma.
OK Voices: Five Farms with Rep. Frank Lucas June 15, 2009
KGOU continues a series of interviews and reports as part of our Five Farms: Stories from American Farm Families program. We interviewed Republican Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee. Representative Lucas has spent his Capitol career working on issues relating to farming and ranching.
The land farmers and ranchers work is a concern to Lucas, and there is a lot of it in the district he has represented since 1994. Oklahoma's Third Congressional district is the 20th largest in the nation, covering 34,384 square miles. The first question to the Congressman is how farm policy helps or hurts farmers and the soil they depend on.
In this edition of Oklahoma and the World, listen as a roundtable of University of Oklahoma professors addresses international relations and the first 100 days of the Obama administration. Panelists joining KGOU's regular hosts Joshua Landis and Zach Messitte include:
OKLAHOMA VOICES: Unconquered: The Legacy of One Apache Family April 27, 2009
On Oklahoma Voices, we take a look at one of Oklahoma’s most famous artists, Allan Houser, through the art exhibition called “Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family” now on display at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City through July. Allan Houser’s art, along with the art of his sons, Bob and Phillip Hazous, is being shown all together for the first time. Host Susan Shannon attended the opening last October. Excerpts from the opening reception speeches given by Bob Blackburn and Phillip Hazous, and interviews with curators David Rettig and Kim Bourne, and Houser documentary film maker Bryan Beasley, all come together to give an inside view to Allan Houser and his extraordinary family. Fort Sill Apache Crown Dancers danced that night to honor the Houser/Hazous family.MP3
The 2009 legislative session adjourns next month, and KGOU takes time out
in this Oklahoma Voices for an update. University of Oklahoma
Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie hosts Scott Cooper (Oklahoma Gazette)
and Janice Francis-Smith (The Journal Record). Explore these legislative links:
Oklahoma Voices: Gov. Brad Henry Speech at OKC Chamber Feb. 23, 2009
Governor Brad Henry used his time at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Chairman's Breakfast to push for permanent funding of the EDGE economic endowment fund. He also addressed the state's budget shortfall and his commitment to bipartisanship in the speech recorded Feb. 20.
The four top legislative leaders answered questions during the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber legislative breakfast Feb. 10. Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and Democratic Leader state Senator Charlie Laster join their state House colleagues, Speaker Chris Benge and Democratic Minority Leader Danny Morgan cover issues including the budget shortfall, lawsuit reform and more in this edition of Oklahoma Voices.
Oklahoma Voices: State and Metro Economic Forecast Feb. 16, 2009
The state budget shortfall and national economic downturn has Oklahomans in business and government looking for more information to help make better fiscal decisions. They often turn to Oklahoma State University economist Mark Snead. In this edition of Oklahoma Voices, Snead presents the most recent economic data to a luncheon sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.MP3
The four top legislative leaders answered questions during the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber legislative breakfast Feb. 10. Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and Democratic Leader state Senator Charlie Laster join their state House colleagues, Speaker Chris Benge and Democratic Minority Leader Danny Morgan to cover issues including the budget shortfall, lawsuit reform and more in this edition of Oklahoma Voices.
The 2009 legislative session enters its second week, and KGOU takes time out
in this Oklahoma Voices for an overview of the first week and the weeks ahead. University of Oklahoma
Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie hosts Scott Cooper (Oklahoma Gazette)
Janice Francis-Smith (The Journal Record) and Kurt Gwartney (KGOU).
Two new art exhibitions are opening in the metro area. Kicking off a full year of Native American and Western American artwork, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art unveils its first exhibition for 2009, “Borderlands: Images of the American West.” This exhibition is open through March 8.
Oklahoma Voices: Harlem Renaissance Feb. 2, 2009
The other explores African American art of the 1920s and 1930s and its lasting legacy with a one-of-a-kind exhibition at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, February 5 through April 19, 2009. Organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Harlem Renaissance will include more than 100 paintings, sculptures, and photographs. KGOU's Kurt Gwartney interviews curator Alison Amick.
Steve Lackmeyer talks with KGOU news director Kurt Gwartney about his new book on Bricktown. Lackmeyer is a reporter with The Oklahoman newspaper. He will be signing his book Feb. 12 at the Red Dirt Emporium and showing a video on the first Bricktown visionary, Neil Horton. MP3
Oklahoma Voices: The Transition to Digital TV Jan. 19, 2009
The transition to digital television happens Feb. 17. KGOU News Director Kurt Gwartney visits with staff at OETA, the Oklahoma Network, to see how the transition is going for their stations and viewers.
Oklahoma Voices: Creating a National Energy Policy with T. Boone Pickens Monday, January 12, 2009
Last month, T. Boone Pickens kicked off the first annual Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference by delivering the keynote address. The man from Holdenville, who has made and lost and then made again fortunes in the oil and gas industry is now pushing for a substantive national energy policy. He has spent his own money to promote what has been dubbed "The Pickens Plan," a proposal that would use wind energy to create more electricity and divert natural gas supplies to use by motor vehicles.
Video of the Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference Keynote
The search for homegrown alternative sources of fuel initially focused on starch-based ethanol made from corn. But researchers are also working to make the fuel from non-food plants to create what's called cellulosic ethanol. One of the promising crops for this process is switchgrass. The perennial grass that is also naturally drought resistant and grows on marginal croplands, has become a star in the constellation of bio-fuels, especially after getting a mention in a presidential address. Former KGOU news director Scott Gurian took a tour of a large switchgrass test plot with the Noble Foundation'sSteven Rhines late last summer. The foundation's acreage is one of the largest test fields in the nation.
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy Fall Legislative Forum Sunday, January 11, 2009
For the past 25 years, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy has researched the issues and then advocated for public policy that would bring better health and well-being to children, youth and families. The OICA promotes non-partisan public discussion in order to address a wide range of children’s issues. They build partnerships with public agencies and private organizations to develop projects and initiatives that lead to improved public policy for children.
Last October, the OICA hosted their annual legislative forum for children, youth and families on the University of Central Oklahoma campus. This program is excerpted from two days of planning meetings, on a myriad of topics, with the aim of building grassroots focus on specific legislative proposals for the 2009 session.
To listen to Hour 1 of this program, click the "Windows Media" link at the top of this bulletin. To listen to Hour 2 of this program, click the "MP3" link at the top of this bulletin. Windows Media| MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Saving Miss Belvedere / KGOU News Dir. Scott Gurian’s Final Show Monday, December 22, 2008
In 1957, a brand new Plymouth Belvedere was buried in a vault in downtown Tulsa. It was a giant time capsule, to be opened fifty years later on the state’s centennial. But when the vehicle was unearthed last year, all that remained was a rusted hunk of metal. Now it sits in a garage in a small office park in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where Dwight Foster is attempting to perform the car-lover’s equivalent of raising Lazarus from the dead. We pay a visit to Miss Belvedere and speak with Foster about his seemingly impossible task.
Oklahoma Voices: Three Views of the Situation in Iraq Monday, December 15, 2008
On the next Oklahoma Voices, we take a look at the ongoing US occupation of Iraq from several perspectives. First, University of Oklahoma Middle East History Professor Joshua Landis speaks with Oklahoma native and US Army Major Joel Rayburn, who was assigned earlier this year to the staff of the multinational forces in Baghdad. Then Oklahoma Gazette reporter Ben Fenwick (pictured above) discusses his experience serving as an embedded journalist in Iraq with the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade. We end with a conversation between Prof. Landis and Colonel Patrick Lang, a retired, senior military intelligence officer and former member of the Green Berets. He’s a specialist on the Middle East and a vocal critic of the war in Iraq.
WEB EXTRAS: Major Joel Rayburn sent us this update on how the situation in Iraq has changed since we interviewed him back in June
Oklahoma Voices: Dennis Fritz’s “Journey Toward Justice” Monday, December 8, 2008
In September, a federal judge dismissed a libel lawsuit filed by former Pontotoc County District Attorney Bill Peterson, a former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent and a state criminologist. The men claimed their reputations had been damaged by best-selling author John Grisham and two other writers who had authored books about the wrongful convictions and subsequent exonerations of two Ada men for a 1982 murder. In his ruling, Judge Ronald White wrote, “Where the justice system so manifestly failed, and innocent people were imprisoned for eleven years (and one almost put to death), it is necessary to analyze and criticize our judicial system (and the actors involved) so that past mistakes do not become future ones.” The plaintiffs are now asking a federal appeals court to reinstate their suit.
On the next Oklahoma Voices, we speak with one of the people at the center of the case. Dennis Fritz served more than a decade behind bars for the rape and murder of Debbie Sue Carter. He and his co-defendant Ronnie Williamson (pictured above – photo courtesy of the Ada Evening News) were released in 1999 after DNA evidence proved them innocent. Fritz and his attorney Mark Barrett discuss what happened, as chronicled in Dennis’s book Journey Toward Justice. We also hear from Christy Sheppard, the cousin of Debbie Sue Carter, about her efforts to create an Oklahoma Exoneration Review Commission.
The US Department of Justice was supposed to hand out eight million dollars to states seeking to conduct DNA testing on convicts. But so far the Department hasn’t spent any of it. Some Oklahoma members of Congress are asking why. Listen to a report from Capitol News Connection
Then, in the second half of the show, we feature excerpts from the Oklahoma City StorySlam, a monthly event that’s kind of like a poetry slam, except that participants tell stories related to a chosen theme. And at the end of the night, audience members vote for the best storyteller, and the winner gets a prize. Past themes have included “Busted,” “How We Met” and “Stranger in a Strange Land.” Today we’re airing excerpts from a StorySlam that took place last April on the topic of “Really Bad Dates.”
The next StorySlam is scheduled for 7pm on Friday, December 19th at the Istvan Art Gallery, 1218 North Western Ave. in Oklahoma City. The theme for the evening will be “Spirit” (interpreted however you wish). You can get more information on the series by going to http://www.myspace.com/okcstoryslam or sending an e-mail to okcstoryslam@yahoo.com.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: 2007 Leader To Leader Conference Thursday, November 27, 2008
Oklahoma Voices presents edited excerpts from a historic meeting between tribal leaders and Oklahoma state government officials that happened on the OU campus one year ago. The one day event, known as the Leader To Leader Conference, took place in the Center for Continuing Education’s Forum building. Although there were four different panels at the conference…covering gaming, business and sovereignty, due to time constraints we chose to air the panel on Indian Health care and the diabetes epidemic amongst Oklahoma’s native tribes. Former state senator Cal Hobson, who is now the executive director for operations for OU Outreach, was host and moderator for the day. Also speaking was Dr. James Pappas, Vice President of University Outreach and Dean of the College of Liberal Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He was followed by Neal McCaleb, member of the Chickasaw Nation and former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and twice head of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The members of the panel on Indian Health Care were Dr Timothy Lyons, who is the medical director of the Harold Hamm Oklahoma Diabetes Center in Oklahoma City…Dr. Mike Crutcher, Oklahoma State Health Commissioner…Mike Fogerty, Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma Health Authority, and Melissa Gower, who is the Director of the Cherokee Nation’s Health Services.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: The State of U.S.-Russian Relations Monday, November 17, 2008
When President-Elect Barack Obama takes office in January, he will face several significant foreign policy issues. From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the global financial crisis, the Obama administration will find plenty of challenges at home and abroad. During a recent panel on the state of U.S. and Russian relations at the University of Oklahoma, one presenter wasn't even sure the U.S. had a true foreign policy.
Hear what three experts had to say on the relationship between the two countries during an October panel discussion. Dr. Zach Messitte, vice provost for International Programs, introduces the topic and introduces panel members:
Oklahoma Voices: The Impact of Instant Information on Elections Monday, November 3, 2008
Recorded at the 10th Annual First Amendment Congress on October 23, 2008, this is a panel discussion on the effect of new technologies on elections and campaigns. The moderator was Sherry Fair, Administrator of the Oklahoma City Arts Center. The panelists were Pat Hall, Democratic consultant, Pat McFerron, Republican consultant, Dr. Keith Gaddie, Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma, and Dr. Joey Senat, Professor of Communication at Oklahoma State University. The First Amendment Congress is the annual meeting of Freedom of Information Oklahoma.
Professor Predicts Presidential Winner October 27, 2008
Allan J. Lichtman is professor of history at American University in Washington, D.C. But more notably, he has been predicting the winners of the nation’s presidential contests since 1984, and he has never been wrong. And while other electoral predictors use polls for their analysis, Lichtman depends on 13 true-or-false questions to forecast who will live in the White House. He developed the 13 Keys with a Russian geophysicist. His book The Keys to the White House: A Surefire Guide to Predicting the Next President provides an in-depth explanation of the development of the 13 Keys. MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Corporation Commissioner Election Interviews/Debate Monday, October 13, 2008
The actions of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission touch the lives of every Oklahoman. Whether it's passing along the cost of a new power plant to electrical utility customers or making sure each gasoline pump delivers the right amount of fuel, Corporation Commissioners are charged with regulating a variety of businesses and activities considered essential to the public welfare.
Listen to interviews with the two candidates for a short-term seat on the three-member commission" Dana Murphy and Jim Roth. Murphy is a Republican, a former Corporation Commission administrative law judge, and an attorney in private practice. Roth is the incumbent Democrat appointed by Gov. Brad Henry to fill the seat left vacant by former Commissioner Denise Bode. He is also a former Oklahoma County Commissioner.
KGOU's Kurt Gwartney spoke with each candidate using the same questions. He then put their answers together to make the comparison easier.
We also air a debate between the two candidates that was recorded Oct. 8 on the University of Oklahoma Campus. The recording has been edited for time. MP3
Oklahoma Voices: David Boren on American Foreign Policy / Religion and Politics Forum Monday, October 6, 2008 from 11am - noon
Whatever the outcome of next month’s election, University of Oklahoma President and former US Senator David Boren says the next administration will need to change its approach to foreign policy. OU International Programs Center Vice-Provost Zach Messitte and School of International and Area Studies Professor Joshua Landis speak with Boren about the Presidential race, the economy and what he calls the US’s “identity crisis.”
Then, with the election less than one month away, we listen back to excerpts of a 2004 forum hosted by the Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma. Former Democratic State Representative and Gubernatorial Candidate Laura Boyd; former Oklahoma Libertarian Party chair Steve Galpin and Republican John Woods -- a former aide to US Congressman Tom Cole -- discuss the intersection of politics and religion in the context of the separation of church and state.
Oklahoma Voices: Voter ID Debate and a Conversation with US Senate Candidate Andrew Rice Monday, September 29, 2008 11am - noon
Over the past two years, the Republican-led Oklahoma House has twice passed legislation that would require all voters to show photo identification at the polls. In each case, the measure later stalled in Senate Committee. With GOP leaders predicting their party will wrestle control of the state Senate in November, a voter ID law could come one step closer to reality (though it could still face a veto from the Governor).
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we listen to a recent debate on the matter hosted by the Oklahoma Republican Capitol Caucus. State Rep. John Wright (R-Broken Arrow) argues in favor of the measure, saying it would help instill voter confidence that their representatives in government have been fairly and properly elected. Chuck Thornton of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma disagrees. He says such requirements amount to “a solution in search of a problem” and impose “an obstacle to a fundamental right.” And Oklahoma County Election Board Secretary Doug Sanderson describes the current laws regarding voter registration and identity verification.
Oklahoma Voices: Religion in the Classroom Monday, September 22, 2008 11am - noon
The lines separating church and state have been drawn, but that doesn’t necessarily mean religion needs to be totally absent from the classroom. On the next Oklahoma Voices, we hear from several Oklahoma educators and members of the clergy, as well as a Constitutional law expert, about ways religious communities can partner with public schools to help at-risk children, but still uphold the First Amendment. Guests include University of Oklahoma Philosophy Professor Emeritus Tom Boyd; Christy Levings (pictured above), a teacher and member of the National Education Association’s Executive Committee; Mustang teacher and NEA Executive Committee member Carolyn Crowder; Rev. Wade Burleson, Past President of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Southern Baptist Church in Enid; and First Amendment expert Marcia Beauchamp. They were recorded last March at a two day conference in Norman sponsored by the Oklahoma Education Association.
Oklahoma Voices: The Revitalization of Downtown Oklahoma City Monday, September 15, 2008 at 11am
Exciting things are taking place in Oklahoma City! That’s a common feeling among many city residents, civic and business leaders, politicians and young people these days. As evidence, they point to the arrival of a professional basketball team, plans to develop the riverfront and build an urban boulevard and city park, the return of neighborhoods like The Plaza District and Automobile Alley and a burgeoning arts scene with annual events like Momentum and the “Ghouls Gone Wild” Halloween parade. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett says the real key to the future success of downtown is increasing the population density, and now that too is starting to happen. Over the past few years, developers have begun building over one thousand, new housing units in areas like Block 42 and Maywood Park.
Next time on Oklahoma Voices, we speak with Oklahoma City architect Hans Butzer about the revitalization of downtown Oklahoma City. In 1997, Butzer and his wife Torrey designed the winning plan for the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and in the past few years, much of his work has focused on continuing to “redefine” the city. He’s been instrumental in the Core to Shore project to redesign much of downtown, and as part of that, last week, he and his colleagues won a contract to design a pedestrian bridge over the new, I-40 Crosstown Expressway, scheduled to open in 2012. Butzer discusses downtown Oklahoma City’s growth from an urban planning perspective, and he talks about how the city can fix what he says are some of its past mistakes.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahomans in New Orleans Since the Storm(s) Monday, September 8, 2008 11am - noon
It’s been three years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and one week since the arrival of Hurricane Gustav. Oklahoma natives living in New Orleans say they’re relieved they mostly dodged the bullet this time, but with nearly three months left in hurricane season, they remain on edge. We rebroadcast a September, 2007 roundtable discussion with David Mitchell, Nicole Barron and Doris O’Sullivan Spath of the OU Club of New Orleans about life in the aftermath of Katrina, and we pay visits to several Oklahoma natives living in the Crescent City: college student Sophie Johnson, hip hop artists Jeff Chambless and Roan “Know One” Smith and photographer Stephen Houser. We also check back with several of our guests to see how they fared in this most recent storm.
During his visit to New Orleans in July 2007, KGOU News Director Scott Gurian and about one dozen other public radio reporters spent a morning volunteering with the grassroots organization Beacon of Hope to clean up one block in the Lakeview neighborhood of north New Orleans. They cleaned up a block in the Lakeview neighborhood of north New Orleans, which was heavily flooded following Hurricane Katrina. See photos of their trip to Lakeview.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: The Future of Energy in Oklahoma Monday, August 25, 2008 from 11am - noon
Concerns about the environment, national security and skyrocketing gas prices are causing business and political leaders to take a second look at alternatives to petroleum as a fuel source. Natural gas and nuclear power are gaining popularity, as are a variety of domestic and renewable energy sources like wind, solar and non-cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass. On the next Oklahoma Voices, we hear from US Congressman Tom Cole (D-Moore) and several alternative fuel experts and industry leaders about what’s on the horizon. Guests include Chesapeake Energy Senior Vice President Tom Price, Bergey Windpower President and Co-founder Mike Bergey, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud, Devon Energy Chairman and CEO Larry Nichols and Steven Rhines with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, which is conducting research into cellulosic ethanol.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Kiowa Author N. Scott Momaday 2008 OK Humanities Award Winner Monday, August 18, 2008 at 11am
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we hear excerpts from Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday's speech at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City last February. He's the recipient of the 2008 Oklahoma Humanities Award, presented by the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Introducing him is Dr. Lars Engle, Chair of the English Department at the University of Tulsa. Momaday remains the only Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize, for his novel House Made of Dawn. The evening concluded with a question and answer period with the audience.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: This Place Called China Monday, August 11, 2008 from 11am-noon
As the Olympic Games get underway, we continue our series exploring China by speaking with several Oklahomans who’ve traveled or worked extensively in that country. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center pediatrics professor and child psychologist Robin Gurwitch tells us about her recent experience counseling survivors of the earthquake in Sichuan Province. Peter Gries of OU’s US-China Institute talks about the importance of holding the games in Beijing amid the backdrops of geopolitics, human rights and China’s growing influence in the world. And Alan Atkinson gives us a tour of an exhibit of contemporary Chinese photography and discusses the enormous cultural changes he’s witnessed in China over the past three decades. Atkinson is Director of the Hefner Collection, a private museum of modern Chinese painting in Oklahoma City. Throughout the show, we’ll also speak with Jason Pickart, a former Oklahoman from Midwest City who’s currently studying abroad in Tianjin, China.
Oklahoma Voices: Press Freedom in China and the United States Monday, August 4, 2008 from 11am to noon
With the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics set to begin on Friday, the world’s spotlight is directed at China. In recent months, the nation has faced increased, international scrutiny for its poor human rights record and historically lax environmental regulations, but perhaps the loudest criticism has been reserved for China’s tight control of information on the web and in the press. Just last week, the country backtracked from its earlier promise to allow journalists covering the games unfettered access to the internet, and that freedom has never been granted to China’s own citizens. But Orville Schell says that to fully understand what’s going on, you need examine the different roles the media play in a democracy versus in a Communist state. Schell is Director of the Asia Society Center on US-China Relations and Former Dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. We listen back to a speech he gave to journalism students at the University of Oklahoma last February on the topic of press freedom and censorship in China and the United States, as well as coverage of the war in Iraq.
WEB EXTRAS: The journalist advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders has launched an advertising campaign aimed at various regimes, including China, it considers hostile to press freedom. We’ve posted a picture of one of the ads above, but click here to see a larger version.
Oklahoma Voices: Taming the Alpha Male Monday, July 28, 2008 from 11am - noon
It’s a billion-dollar publishing business, representing more than six thousand books and half of all paperbacks sold in the US each year. In fact, some say romance novels are the lifeblood of the industry. And central to it all are the models that grace the book jackets, appealing to readers’ senses of fantasy.
We speak with Norman filmmakers Cindi Finneran and Charley Reeves, whose forthcoming documentary Reading, Riting, Romance – Taming the Alpha Male focuses on the annual Romantic Times convention and the competitors for the Mr. Romance competition. We also hear about what it’s like on the inside from cover model CJ Hollenbach (pictured above) and New York Times bestselling romance novel author (and Oklahoma native) Sharon Sala. Finally, for those guys out there who might be inspired to try to break into the modeling industry after hearing this program, we present a cautionary tale from radio producer Joe Frank.
Oklahoma Voices: OK Superintendent Sandy Garrett’s 2008 State of Education Address Monday, July 21, 2008 at 11am
Addressing thousands of school, civic, business and elected leaders earlier this month at the Cox Convention Center Arena, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said that Oklahoma schools face many challenges, but that those challenges can be addressed by reorganizing instructional time and making better use of technology in the classroom. We listen back to an edited version of her remarks.
Oklahoma Voices: Climate Change and Its Potential Impacts on Oklahoma Monday, July 14, 2008 from 11am to noon
Next time on Oklahoma Voices, we’ll hear from a variety of experts on the possible effects of climate change on the state of Oklahoma and actions being undertaken at the state level that seek to find solutions. First, former University of Oklahoma Meteorology Professor and Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change member David Karoly (pictured above) gives us the big picture by describing the problem as it’s viewed by the majority of the world’s climatologists. Then state climatologist Dr. Ken Crawford localizes the issue with a discussion of how Oklahoma might be impacted. Finally, Oklahoma Secretary of the Environment Miles Tolbert talks about why Oklahoma needs a climate change policy.
WEB EXTRAS: Listen back to a 2007 debate between David Karoly and OU Arts and Sciences Professor / global warming skeptic David Deming on the question, “Is Global Warming Real?” MP3
…this new century unfortunately has all the hallmarks of becoming a new era of terrorism that may guide the directions of political and civil life in the years to come. Despite the evolution of terrorism, there is a lack of clarity much less consensus on what should be done to prevent or counter this 'clear and present danger.' The current debate, especially in the U.S. Presidential race, demonstrates the failure to fully comprehend the nature of the threat.
Sloan joins us to discuss the national political dialogue surrounding terrorism and how the country can best respond.
Then we listen back to several speakers from last spring’s National Symposium on Counterterrorism, held at the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City. Guests include Memorial Institute Executive Director Don Hamilton, MIPT Deputy Executive Director David Cid and Peter Swire, Professor of Law at Ohio State University and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Finally, we hear from Cherif Bassiouni, a Professor of Law at DePaul University who’s authored and edited more than seventy books on Islam and its role in the global world. Bassiouni’s comments about terrorism and human rights were delivered in April at Oklahoma City University as part of the conference, “Denouncing Violence in the Name of God: The Case of Islam.”
Oklahoma Voices: Islam, Terrorism and Democracy Monday, June 23, 2008 from 11am - noon
Over the past decade, Islamic fundamentalism has become the most visible face of worldwide terrorism, but is it fair to draw a connection? This week on Oklahoma Voices, we examine the roots of religious extremism and hear several contrarian points of view.
First, we listen back to several presentations from a conference focusing on Islamic perspectives on terror. It was held in April at Oklahoma City University. Rice University Religion Professor Jill Carroll discusses how Islam and other religions are often used as a cover for political motivations. Religions are mirrors of ourselves, she argues, so they represent both the best and worst in us; religions are violent because we are violent.
University of Chicago Political Science Professor Robert Pape speaks about the driving forces behind suicide terrorism. Attacks perpetrated by Muslim terrorists point to Islamic fundamentalism as a central cause. But Pape’s thorough analysis of more than 460 suicide terrorists around the world shows that neither Islam nor any other religion functions as the main cause.
Finally, University of Oklahoma Middle East History Professor Joshua Landis speaks with Columbia University Government Professor Alfred Stepan, who visited the OU campus recently. Stepan is an influential scholar on the relationship between Islam and democracy. He picks up where Pape left off in dispelling the notion that Islam is inherently undemocratic or the prime motivating factor of many terrorists. Rather, by looking at Islamic countries like Senegal and Indonesia, he’s concluded that it’s the culture of the Middle East that’s the root cause of much of the violence and unrest.
Oklahoma Voices: Examining High Gas Prices in Oklahoma Monday, June 16, 2008 from 11am - noon
Traditionally, Memorial Day marks the start of the summer driving season, when Oklahomans get in their cars and enjoy the freedom of the open road. But with the cost of gasoline nearing four dollars a gallon, many are choosing to take their vacations closer to home this year. Chuck Mai of AAA Oklahoma joins us to discuss the effects the price spike is having on both drivers and businesses across the state, and whether some of the solutions proposed by the Presidential candidates might make any difference.
Then University of Oklahoma International Programs Center Vice-Provost Zach Messitte (pictured above on right) and OU School of International and Area Studies Professor Joshua Landis (left) speak with Larry Grillot, the Dean of OU’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. Grillot talks about forces within global politics and the oil and gas industry that have contributed to the record-setting prices.
Finally, Jay Wolf of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association speaks about the differing views beef producers have on the emerging ethanol industry. He spoke last October at the 2007 Oklahoma Biofuels Conference in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma Voices: Conversations with Senator Coburn and Congressman Cole Monday, June 9, 2008 from 11am – noon
US Representative Tom Cole has a job no one wants. As chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, he’s charged with electing members of the GOP to Congress, but after three Republican losses in once-friendly districts, he’s been taking the heat from some of his colleagues. Last month Congressman Tom Davis (R-VA) wrote a letter to fellow Republicans noting the low popularity of President Bush and calling the political atmosphere for Republicans the worst since the Watergate scandal. But Cole remains hopeful. We speak with him about the campaign agenda he created to attract women and independent voters, his thoughts on the Presidential race and where his party goes from here. We also listen back to a recent town hall meeting and Q&A session Senator Tom Coburn held in Midwest City.
Oklahoma Voices: Reviewing the 2008 Oklahoma Legislative Session Monday, June 2, 2008 from 11am - noon
University of Oklahoma Political Science Professor and regular KGOU commentator Keith Gaddie leads a panel of journalists in an hour-long discussion of the highlights of the second session of the fifty-first Oklahoma legislature. Oklahoma Gazette investigative journalist Scott Cooper, News 9 reporter Stacey Cameron and Journal Record Capitol Reporter Janice Francis-Smith revisit the topic of ethics prompted by the resignation of Oklahoma House Speaker Lance Cargill, they review several of the bills that failed to pass, and they look ahead to November’s elections.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma’s Health Status Monday, May 19, 2008 at 11am
Oklahoma’s health rankings have traditionally been behind the national average. Statistics from recent years rank the state’s citizens as having the worst nutrition and highest rate of heart disease deaths in the nation, among the highest rate of mental illness and near the top in most use of tobacco. In fact, the lifespan of the average Oklahoman is about two years less than people living in other states!
On the next Oklahoma Voices, a panel of health experts discusses these problems and offers suggestions for ways the state’s business community can help. The speakers featured on this program are Oklahoma Secretary of Health Dr. Michael Crutcher, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Commissioner Terri White and INTEGRIS Health President and CEO Stanley Hupfeld (pictured left to right above). They spoke at the State Chamber’s 2008 Health Care Summit, held last month at the Cox Convention Center.
Oklahoma Voices: May 13 Elections Monday, May 12, 2008 at 11am
Voters in Norman and Oklahoma County are being asked to approve ballot issues costing millions of dollars May 13. Norman residents will decide the fate of a sales tax increase, while the Cleveland County electorate will also vote on a millage increase for the Pioneer Library System.
Oklahoma County government is asking the voters to approve five different bond proposals totaling $84.5 million. The biggest of these is money to buy the closed General Motors plant in Oklahoma City. The facility would then be leased to Tinker Air Force Base to help consolidate and streamline its operations.
KGOU News Director Scott Gurian speaks with Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal about what voters there will face. And Kurt Gwartney plays back an event sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce May 5.
Oklahoma Voices: Student Journalists Cover Crises on Campus Monday, May 5, 2008 at 11am
When tragic events occur on college campuses, reporters from student newspapers are often the first journalists on the scene. Amie Steele was a junior at Virginia Tech and the Editor-in-Chief of the Collegiate Times one year ago, when a fellow student went on a shooting spree that left thirty-two people dead. “We weren’t outsiders looking in like most of the national media,” Steele told The New York Times. “The victims were just like us – they walked past the same buildings, ate in the same dining halls – and there is absolutely no way you can remove yourself from that.”
This week on Oklahoma Voices we listen to a panel discussion with student newspaper editors and advisors from Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, which experienced its own shooting in February. They speak about how they covered the events and what lessons they learned. In addition to Amie Steele, the speakers include Virginia Tech media editorial advisor Kelly Furnas, NIU journalism senior and Northern Sun Editor-in Chief John Puterbaugh and Northern Sun faculty advisor Jim Killam. The forum was recorded last month on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Downtowners Quiz OKC Mayor Mick Cornett Monday, April 28, 2008 at 11am
Appearing earlier this month before a quarterly meeting of the Urban Neighbors downtown association, Mayor Cornett spoke about a variety of topics including public transit, crime, homelessness and future development plans for Oklahoma City. We listen back to the question and answer session with downtown residents and business owners.
Oklahoma Voices (Special): The Big Read Sunday, April 27, 2008
“Bless Me Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya is the featured book of the Pioneer Library System’s Big Read project. With a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, over 80 events have encouraged people to read the book and come to one of many book discussion groups.
The book tells the story of Antonio growing up in 1940’s rural New Mexico and examines the mixing of cultures and religion, family traditions and external influences that affect the young boy.
This Oklahoma Voices features an OU Honors Class taught by Dr. R.C. Davis Undiano, Dean of the Honors College at the University of Oklahoma and Executive Director for World Literature Today, discussing the book as a seminal point in Chicano literature. The students are Rebecca Mackie, Chris Leatherman, Hannah Moore, Renee Selanders, and Armando Celayo. The program begins with a short interview with Anne Harris, Coordinator for the Center for Reader Services at the Pioneer Library System, about the Pioneer Library System Big Read project.
As Anne notes in the program, interested listeners can obtain a free copy of the book by calling her at 701-1839. More information is also available at the Pioneer Library System’s web page . MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Governor Addresses Metro Business Leaders Monday, April 21, 2008 at 11am
This week on Oklahoma Voices we air recent comments Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry made at the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce’s annual Chairman’s Breakfast. The Governor predicted the state is well-positioned to weather any economic storms. He said Oklahoma’s economy is growing at a slower rate than in the past, but it’s still growing, and it’s faring better than the economies of many other states across the nation.
Oklahoma Voices: Remembering the Arrest of Timothy McVeigh Monday, April 14, 2008 at 11am
In advance of the thirteenth anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, we hear from Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Charlie Hanger, the man responsible for the arrest of bomber Timothy McVeigh. Hanger spoke at the Oklahoma City National Memorial in July, 2005 as part of the First Person: Stories of Hope series.
CORRECTION: The moderator of this discussion was incorrectly identified as former News 9 Reporter Tamara Pratt. It was actually former News 9 Anchor Angela Buckelew.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Two Views on the Conflict in Iraq Monday, April 7, 2008 at 11am
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we hear two perspectives on the US military occupation of Iraq. First, we get an update from the frontlines. Lt. Col. David Jordan joins us by telephone from southern Iraq, where he’s just completed his second month serving with the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade.
Then University of Oklahoma International Programs Center Director Zach Messitte and Joshua Landis – a Professor in OU’s School of International and Area Studies and an expert on the Middle East – speak with Larry Diamond, who worked with the Coalition Provisional Authority in the early days of the Iraq occupation. Diamond is a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and has authored and edited dozens of books on the subject of democracy.
Oklahoma Voices: The Buffalo Commons Monday, March 31, 2008 at 11am
This week on Oklahoma Voices we speak with Frank and Deborah Popper, who coined the term "Buffalo Commons." It’s the controversial notion that the rural Great Plains, including Oklahoma, be returned to a natural habitat for animals and few or no people. The idea is based on the continued population decrease of the region. The Poppers spoke to students last month on the OU campus.
Oklahoma Voices: The Pros, Cons and Impacts of Oklahoma’s New Immigration Law Monday, March 17, 2008 - 11am to noon
Last November, the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 – commonly known as House Bill 1804 – went into effect. At the time of its implementation, it was characterized as among the strictest anti-illegal immigration measures in the nation. The law makes it a felony to knowingly aid, transport or conceal undocumented immigrants, creates barriers to hiring them and requires proof of citizenship for immigrants to receive certain government benefits including drivers’ licenses.
It appeared as though immigration would continue to be a big issue this legislative session. State lawmakers in both the House and Senate filed a dozen bills aimed at both further cracking down on illegal immigrants and repealing portions of HB 1804. There were also measures introduced to make English the official language of Oklahoma. But amid uncertainty over 1804’s economic impact and growing opposition from the business community – including a legal challenge from the US Chamber of Commerce, the State Chamber and the Chambers of Tulsa and Greater Oklahoma City – legislative leaders as well as Governor Brad Henry opted to take a wait-and-see approach. In the end, none of the immigration-related bills introduced this session survived a deadline of last Thursday to pass out of their house of origin. State Representative Randy Terrill – who authored HB 1804 – still hopes to amend further anti-illegal immigration measures to a Senate bill, but political observers say it’s unlikely at this point he’ll be successful.
As the debate continues over how states like Oklahoma should respond to illegal immigration, we’ll spend the next Oklahoma Voices hearing various points of view on the issue. First, we listen to an extended interview KGOU conducted with Representative Terrill last October on why he authored House Bill 1804 and how he responds to some of the concerns voiced by critics.
Then we’ll hear a speech State Representative Shane Jett delivered last month before a joint meeting of the Governor’s Ethnic American Advisory Council and the Governor’s Council on Latin American and Hispanic Affairs. Jett was the only House Republican to oppose HB 1804 (though he didn’t vote on the measure). He calls it a “natural over-reaction and backlash to the federal government’s dereliction of its duty to solve the immigration problem,” but says that any law “whose primary fallout is fear is bad legislation.”
Finally, we’ll listen back to excerpts from two town hall meetings (pictured above) on the new law that were held last December and January at Santa Fe South Junior High School in South Oklahoma City. A bilingual panel of community leaders responds to questions from the mostly Hispanic audience about the effects and implications of HB 1804.
Oklahoma Voices: More Highlights from the Ninth Annual First Amendment Congress Monday, March 10, 2008 from 11am – noon
This week on Oklahoma Voices we broadcast two more panel discussions recorded last November at Freedom of Information Oklahoma's Ninth Annual First Amendment Congress. The first roundtable features representatives from the Oklahoma arts community talking about how they practice self censorship for fear that a controversy could translate into lost revenue – either fewer customer sales or the abandonment of private funding. Guests include Joy Reed Belt, the owner and Director of the JRB Art at the Elms gallery in Oklahoma City’s Paseo district; NONzine magazine Editor and Co-publisher Michael Tabor; Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO) gallery Executive Director Jeff Stokes and veteran entertainment industry attorney Jay Shanker. The moderator is Sherry Fair from City Arts Center.
Then, Oklahoma Press Association Executive Director Mark Thomas leads a discussion on the state of government transparency in Oklahoma. Panelists include Bryan Dean, staff writer for The Oklahoman; Oklahoma State University Documents Librarian and Professor Barbara Miller and Oklahoma State University Journalism Professor Joey Senat.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Highlights from the Ninth Annual First Amendment Congress Monday, March 3, 2008 from 11am - noon
Next time on Oklahoma Voices we broadcast two panel discussions recorded last October at the Ninth Annual First Amendment Congress, sponsored by Freedom of Information Oklahoma. The first is titled "Censorship Stories, Then and Now," and is moderated by Connie Van Fleet, Professor at the OU School of Library and Information Studies. Panelists were former Muskogee High School teacher Tobi Thompson, retired Okmulgee High School librarian Karen Morris and Shirley and Wayne Weigand, authors of Books on Trial, Red Scare in the Heartland.
In the second half of the program, we hear a discussion on "How to Be Free and Smart on the Internet," moderated by OSU Journalism Professor Joey Senat. Panelists were Center for Education Law attorney Teresa Rose, job placement professional Jim Farris and Amanda Wrede, Coordinator of the First Year Experience program at Oklahoma City University.
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma’s Changing Climate Monday, February 25, 2008 at 11am
In the wake of December’s disastrous ice storm and last week’s latest round of wintry weather, we speak with Derek Arndt (pictured above) -- Associate State Climatologist at the Oklahoma Climatological Survey – about what causes such weather conditions, how Oklahoma's climate has changed over the past few decades and what the long term outlook might be. Also, Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal discusses environmental steps her city is taking in response to climate change. She spoke as part of the roundtable discussion, “Global Warming: Impacts and Solutions in Oklahoma,” held Thursday, January 31 on the University of Oklahoma campus.
KGOU WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL CNN Democratic Presidential Debate In Texas Friday, February 22, 2008
KGOU and NPR present coverage of the CNN Democratic Presidential Debate which took place Thursday, February 21 at the University of Texas in Austin. It was the second one-on-one debate between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Part 1 Part 2
KGOU WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL ASK YOUR LAWMAKER: The Defining Issues of Campaign 2008 Friday, February 22, 2008
As the Presidential primary race moves on to other states in the wake of Super Tuesday, what do voters really want? Capitol News Connection offers the first of its Campaign 2008 interactive series, “Ask Your Lawmaker.”
Exit polls confirm most Democrats want change, and voters from both parties are most concerned about the economy. What issues matter most to you? The economy? Healthcare? Immigration, global warming, Iraq? Plus, how lawmakers, as “super delegates”, could end up picking the candidates at the party conventions – how will they decide
Oklahoma Voices: Governor Brad Henry Previews the 2008 OK Legislative Session Monday, February 18, 2008 at 11am
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we’re airing a recent press conference the Governor held at the capitol as part of the annual Associated Press Legislative Forum. The informal question and answer session with members of the media included wide-ranging discussions on topics such as ethics reform, illegal immigration, pay raises for teachers and state employees and the legacy of former House Speaker Lance Cargill. Henry also used the occasion to introduce his program to pair at-risk students with mentors known as “graduation coaches.”MP3
Oklahoma Voices: OKC Mayor Mick Cornett’s 2008 State of the City Address Monday, February 11, 2008 at 11am
Greater Oklahoma Chamber Chairman Larry Nichols says Mayor Mick Cornett has been successful at increasing the rate of Oklahoma City’s growth and creating a city where people want to live. Among his specific accomplishments, Nichols says Cornett has improved education, created jobs, made improvements to the State Fairgrounds and recruited the New Orleans Hornets basketball franchise to Oklahoma City for two seasons in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. And of course there’s the Mayor’s recent healthcare initiative to encourage city residents to lose weight. We listen to Cornett’s recent speech to Chamber members, where he reflects on the current state of things in the metro and what lies ahead as he enters his fifth year in office.
KGOU Live Coverage: Gov. Brad Henry’s State of the State Address Monday, February 4, 2008 at 12:45pm
The 2008 Oklahoma legislative session officially begins today with Governor Brad Henry’s annual State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate. Henry’s proposals include raising teacher salaries by about $1200 per teacher and earmarking gross production taxes to help build a one billion dollar research fund that would be used to create jobs. Other issues include money for education, healthcare, highways and prisons.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: US Rep. Tom Cole Offers His Election Season Analysis and Predictions Monday, February 4, 2008 from 11am-noon
In advance of Super Tuesday, when Oklahomans and residents of twenty-three other states head to the polls to vote in the Presidential primaries, we’re airing these remarks Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole made last November at the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism. Cole says the American electorate is in the mood for fundamental change, and as the fourth-ranking Republican in the U.S. House and Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee – charged with electing Republicans to Congress -- his comments carry a certain weight.
“The Presidential election, I predict today, is going to be the most intense and one of the closest in the last couple of generations,” he said, “because the country remains on most fundamental issues, very, very evenly divided between the two parties.” Speaking before student journalists, he noted this is the first time in his life that he’s been unable to point to the most viable Republican nominee. On the Democratic side, however, he predicted Hillary Clinton will win her party’s nomination, and he called her “the most conservative Democrat running for President.” Looking ahead to November, he forecast that the GOP will fare well in Congress. “Republicans can lose the Presidency, lose seats in the Senate and still gain ground in the House,” he said. “The table is set for that as one of the potential outcomes.”
KGOU WEBSITE ONLY SPECIAL: GOP Presidential Contender Mike Huckabee Visits Oklahoma Friday, February 1, 2008
Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was in Oklahoma City this morning, where he stressed his conservative views and vowed to continue his campaign. Speaking before enthusiastic supporters at Coaches Restaurant in Bricktown, Huckabee called himself the only true conservative running for president. He also
called for smaller, more localized government, increased border security, a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and a drastic overhaul in tax policy. Huckabee supports a so-called “fair tax” policy that would replace federal income taxes with a 23 percent national sales tax.
Listen to former State Senator and Huckabee's Oklahoma Campaign Chairman Scott Pruitt, as well as former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys introduce Mike Huckabee: MP3
KGOU WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL: Bill Clinton Campaigns at OU for his Wife Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Former President Bill Clinton campaigned for his wife this afternoon before a packed crowd on the University of Oklahoma campus. His appearance came just six days before Oklahomans will have the opportunity to vote in the February 5th Super Tuesday primary. Supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton say polls show she has the lead among Democratic candidates in the state. The former President was accompanied by his daughter, Chelsea Clinton.
Listen to OU President David Boren's introduction of Clinton:MP3
Oklahoma Voices: OKC Chamber’s 2008 Legislative Breakfast Monday, January 28, 2008 from 11am-noon
On Thursday, January 17th, leaders of the Oklahoma House and Senate took part in the annual Legislative Breakfast at the Oklahoma City Marriott, where they discussed issues on the agenda for the upcoming legislative session. Moderator, Devon Energy CEO and Greater OKC Chamber Chairman J. Larry Nichols led House Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah), House Minority Leader Danny Morgan (D-Prague), Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee (R-OKC) and Senate Democratic Floor Leader Charlie Laster (D-Shawnee) – who filled in for Democratic Senate Co-President Pro Tem Mike Morgan – in a wide-ranging discussion on topics including immigration, educational advancement, healthcare and the condition of the state’s roads and bridges.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Leadership in Trying Times Monday, January 21, 2008
Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards made a campaign stop at a Teamsters union hall in Oklahoma City last Friday, where he vowed to fight against special interests in Washington. OU Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie joins us to discuss a brief press conference he attended with the former North Carolina Senator earlier in the week. Then Gaddie speaks with NBC News Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss and OU Classics Professor Kyle Harper (pictured above) about the quality of a good leader and the history of how leaders have met challenges in trying times. Finally, for Martin Luther King Day, we rebroadcast a roundtable discussion first aired last month with Richard Brown, Alma Posey, Calvin Luper and Willy Johnson, Jr. They talk about their involvement in the Oklahoma City sit-ins of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which played an important role in the national Civil Rights movement.
WEB EXTRAS: Listen to Keith Gaddie talk about the press conference he attended with John Edwards (excerpt from full show): MP3
Listen to the complete press conference Edwards held on Tuesday, January 15th at Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City: MP3
Download and listen to Keith Gaddie's rountable discussion on leadership with Michael Beschloss and Kyle Harper (excerpt from full show): MP3
Live Broadcast: KGOU's 25th Anniversary Celebration and New Station Ribbon-Cutting Friday, January 18, 2008
An audience of current and former station staff, listeners and donors gather in the KGOU performance studio to celebrate KGOU's 25 years as a public radio station and take part in a commemorative ribbon-cutting for the station's new facilities in Copeland Hall on the University of Oklahoma campus.
General Manager Karen Holp hosts the program with Robert Ross, President and CEO of the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation; University of Oklahoma President David Boren; Dr. James Pappas of OU's College of Continuing Education; NPR CEO Ken Stern; listeners Mary Sallee and Haven Tobias and student employee Brian Hardzinski.
Oklahoma Voices: OU Bipartisan Political Forum Monday, January 7, 2008
KGOU aired live coverage of the bipartisan political forum taking place on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. OU President David Boren has convened a panel of national political leaders including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, former Defense Secretary Bill Cohen and former Senators Chuck Hagel, Sam Nunn, Jack Danforth and Bob Graham to discuss "ways in which our nation can end divisive partisan polarization, create bipartisanship, and bring the country together after conclusion of the 2008 election." Despite assurances to the contrary, the event fueled speculation that Bloomberg may be planning an independent bid for the Presidency.
Download and listen to the entire forum and press conference: MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma Books on Trial Monday Jan. 14, 2008 - 11am to noon
Next time on Oklahoma Voices, we feature a recording made at Freedom of Information Oklahoma’s annual First Amendment Congress, held October 31 and November 1, 2007. Shirley and Wayne Wiegand discuss their book, Books on Trial, Red Scare in the Heartland, an account of the 1940 trial of four Oklahomans for violation of the state’s criminal syndicalism laws. At issue was the content of the books being sold in a bookstore. The case brought national attention.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: OKC StorySlam – Stories of Being Grounded Monday, December 24, 2007 at 11am
This week we’re featuring excerpts from the Oklahoma City StorySlam, a monthly event that’s kind of like a poetry slam, except that participants tell stories related to a chosen theme. And at the end of the night, the audience votes for the best storyteller, and the winner gets a prize. Past themes have included “Really Bad Dates,” “Busted” and “Okie Nation.” The StorySlam we’re airing today took place last February as part of the WinterTales Storytelling Festival in Oklahoma City. Storytellers Molly O’Connor, J.C. Mahan, Lynn Baker, Janae Bernhard and Anita Baker share their tales on the topic of being “Grounded.” Also, Steve Liggett talks about his brush with death.
The next StorySlam is scheduled for Friday, January 4th at 8:30pm at the Istvan Art Gallery, 1218 North Western Ave. in Oklahoma City. The theme for the evening will be "Oops, I Did it Again: Blunders." You can get more information on the series and find out about future events by calling Stephen Kovash at 405-831-2874 or sending an e-mail to okcstoryslam@yahoo.com. MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Women, Pregnancy and Drug Use Monday, December 17, 2007 - 11am-noon
This week, Oklahoma City resident Theresa Lee Hernandez will be sentenced for the 2004 stillborn death of her child. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater charged Hernandez with second degree murder after her baby boy was born dead with methamphetamine in his system. But more than 150 doctors and medical groups from across the nation – including the Oklahoma State Medical Association and the state Nurse’s Association -- are opposing the prosecution. They say it’s “highly questionable” whether the stillbirth can be attributed to Hernandez’s drug use, and they fear that such prosecutions could deter pregnant women from seeking help when they have drug abuse problems.
We speak to Hernandez’s attorney, Jim Rowan, and listen back to a panel discussion on the issue organized last month by the group National Advocates for Pregnant Women. It was held at the Presbyterian Health Foundation in Oklahoma City and included Dr. Barry Lester, Director of the Brown University Center for Study of Children at Risk; Oklahoma City OB/GYN Eli Reshef (pictured above) and Mary Barr, former drug addict and Executive Director of Conexions. She lectures around the country on drugs, addiction, substance abuse, the drug war, prison and her own experiences with the criminal justice system.
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma’s Black History Monday, December 3, 2007 11am - noon
As Oklahoma celebrates its one hundredth birthday, we’ve spent the past several months looking back at its rich history. In previous weeks we’ve examined the roles and experiences of women, Latinos and gays and lesbians in the Sooner state over the past century, and we aired a discussion on portrayals of Oklahomans in film. Today we hear about Oklahoma’s early, black history from attorney and author Hannibal Johnson and Tonnia Anderson, Assistant Professor in the University of Oklahoma’s African and African American Studies department. Then, Richard Brown, Alma Posey Washington, Calvin Luper and Willy Johnson, Jr. (pictured above) discuss their involvement in the Oklahoma City sit-ins of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which played an important role in the national Civil Rights movement.
Oklahoma Voices: A Debate on OK’s Anti-Illegal Immigration Measure Monday, November 26, 2007 - 11am-noon
This month, a new law took effect making it a felony for Oklahomans to knowingly aid, transport or conceal undocumented immigrants. It also creates barriers to hiring them and requires proof of citizenship for immigrants to receive certain government benefits including drivers’ licenses. Supporters of the measure formerly known as House Bill 1804 say it’s a model for other states to follow, and they cite anecdotal evidence that seems to indicate it has already had an enormous effect on the size of Oklahoma’s undocumented immigrant population. Critics respond that immigration enforcement is the job of federal authorities, that this law only duplicates federal laws already in place, and that it could have unintended consequences and cost too much for local police agencies to enforce.
This week on Oklahoma Voices, we air a forum on immigration issues organized at the state capitol earlier this month by the Oklahoma Political Science Association. It’s moderated by University of Central Oklahoma Political Science Professor Randall Jones, Jr. and includes HB 1804 author Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore), Rep. Richard Morrissette (D-OKC), Carol Helm of the advocacy group I.R.O.N. (Immigration Reform for Oklahoma Now) and University of Tulsa Professor and immigration expert Linda Allegro.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: A Native American Voice on Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 9am
On this Thanksgiving Day, KGOU’s Susan Shannon hosts a special edition of Oklahoma Voices featuring the former principal chief of the Cherokees, Wilma Mankiller. Mankiller spoke last February at the Oklahoma History Center in OKC, where she was awarded the 2007 Oklahoma Humanities Award (30 minutes).MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Women in OK's History / Film Examines Tar Creek Monday, November 19, 2007
As Oklahoma begins its 101st year, we spend some time this week listening to one resident’s memories of what life was like in the state’s early days. We air excerpts of Vera Keating being interviewed by her daughter as part of the Metropolitan Library’s “Oklahoma Voices” oral history project, which is modeled after the national StoryCorps series that airs on NPR. To schedule your own interview with a friend or family member, call 414-9977. Appointments are currently being accepted for the mobile recording at the Ralph Ellison Public Library in Oklahoma City through the end of this month and the Choctaw Public Library next month.
Also on this week’s program, author and historic re-enactor Glenda Carlisle discusses the role women played in the founding of Oklahoma. Did you know, for example, that the first dentist in the state was a woman, or that men were forbidden from entering the all-women’s town of Bathsheba? Carlisle portrays one of the most significant women in early Oklahoma politics, Kate Barnard. Barnard was the first woman in the country to be elected to statewide office, before women even had the right to vote.
Then, in the second half of our program, we re-broadcast an interview Rich Fisher at Public Radio Tulsa conducted with James Payne, one of the filmmakers behind the documentary The Creek Runs Red, about the contaminated Tar Creek superfund site in Northeastern Oklahoma. It airs Tuesday, November 20th at 10pm on OETA and public television stations nationwide as part of PBS’s Independent Lens series.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Memories of Oklahoma Monday, November 12, 2007 at 11am
In this week of celebrations for Oklahoma’s one hundredth year of statehood, we listen to one state resident’s recollections from her life in the Sooner State. Anita Martinez tells her story to her granddaughter, Jessica Martinez Brooks, as part of the Metropolitan Library’s “Oklahoma Voices” oral history project, which is modeled after the national StoryCorps series that airs on NPR. We also speak about the project with Dana Morrow, the library system’s Director of Outreach, Children’s Services and Senior Services. To schedule your own interview, call 414-9977.
In the second half of our program, we re-broadcast a speech former Governor George Nigh gave to members of the State Chamber last June about how he introduced the bill in the state legislature in 1953 to make “Oklahoma” the official state song.
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma at the Movies Monday, November 5, 2007 at 11am
Since the beginning, the unique history of Oklahoma has captured the attention and imagination of the rest of the nation and, consequently, the producers in Hollywood. But how has the state been portrayed on the silver screen, how have those representations contributed to people’s perceptions of the Sooner State, and are they accurate? We listen back to a panel discussion recorded August 29th at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Noble Theater. Museum Film Curator Brian Hearn speaks about “Images of Oklahoma at the Movies” with Oklahoma Humanities Council Executive Director Ann Thompson, film historian and Reelclassics.com founder Elizabeth Anthony, University of Central Oklahoma director of film studies John Springer and Oklahoma Today magazine editor Louisa McCune Elmore.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: 45th Infantry Brigade Begins Training for Deployment to Iraq Monday, October 29, 2007 at 11am
Earlier this month, about 2500 members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade began training at Fort Bliss, Texas in preparation for a 2008 deployment to Iraq. We speak about the deployment with Brigadier General Myles Deering and also hear from Oklahoma Adjutant General Harry M. Wyatt III, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, 45th Infantry Brigade Spokesperson Lt. Col. Rhonda McGuire and University of Oklahoma President David Boren.
Oklahoma Voices: Panel of Journalists Discusses Ethics Investigation of State GOP Monday, October 22, 2007: 11am-noon
Last week, Oklahoma House Republicans met in caucus to re-elect Representative Lance Cargill as House Speaker for the upcoming legislative session. Their vote came as the Oklahoma Ethics Commission appears to be investigating Cargill and other members of the state Republican Party over allegations of campaign finance improprieties and possible ethics violations. University of Oklahoma Political Science Professor and regular KGOU political analyst Keith Gaddie speaks with Oklahoma Gazette investigative journalist Scott Cooper and KWTV / News 9 reporter Stacey Cameron, who’ve been closely monitoring the developments.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Conversation with a Soldier Headed to Iraq Monday, October 15, 2007 at 11am
This Thursday, a farewell ceremony will be held at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center for 2400 soldiers with the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade. They’re headed for training at Fort Bliss, Texas in advance of a January deployment to Iraq. Next time on Oklahoma Voices we begin a series of reports profiling members of the Brigade.
30-year-old Specialist Terry “Scooby” Axson is a recent University of Oklahoma graduate who’s been working with the Brigade’s Public Affairs Office. We spend a half hour speaking with him about his journalism background, his experience in the military and what lies ahead. We hope to occasionally check back in with him and other members of the 45th throughout their year-long deployment.
Oklahoma Voices: “Getting on the Ballot” Monday, October 8, 2007 at 11am
A few weeks ago, a group calling itself Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform held a press conference at the state capitol to announce it was kicking off an initiative petition drive. By mid-December, group members are hoping to collect ninety thousand signatures to force a voter referendum to change state laws and make it easier for lesser-known candidates to get on the ballot. Next time on Oklahoma Voices we’ll air an updated version of a 2004 program from the KGOU archives exploring why Oklahoma's current ballot access laws have third parties and independent voters in the state calling for electoral reform.
Oklahoma Voices Special: Norman Constitution Day Town Hall Meeting Sunday, October 7, 2007 ~ 11 am - 12:30
How is the U.S. Constitution being used and/or abused today, in regards to civil liberties, privacy, national security, religious freedom, and separation of church and state? This panel discussion was recorded September 17, Constitution Day, the 100th anniversary of the Oklahoma Constitution. Moderated by Dr. Robin Meyers and featuring panelists Dr. Bruce Prescott, former Oklahoma Senator Bernest Cain, and OU Law Professors Randy Coyne and Joe Thai. Part 1Part 2
Oklahoma Voices: Two Experiences of Oklahoma’s First 100 Years Monday, October 1, 2007 from 11am - noon
With more than three and a half million residents, the state of Oklahoma – like all places – has throughout its history existed as a collection of diverse stories of diverse individuals. There are of course the settlers from the East who made the land run in 1889, the Native Americans forced to relocate here as the final stop on the Trail of Tears, the freed slaves who came after the Civil War and established dozens of black towns like Langston, the thousands of Vietnamese refugees whose mass migration to Oklahoma City gave birth to the Asian District after the 1975 fall of Saigon… The list could go on and on. Today we take a look at two of these disparate communities, how they’ve impacted the state and how they’ve changed over the past hundred years. First, historian Aaron Bachhofer speaks about gay and lesbian history in Oklahoma between 1889 and 1989. Then the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Executive Director Bob Blackburn discusses the history of Latinos in Oklahoma.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahomans in New Orleans Since the Storm, Pt. 2 Monday, September 17, 2007 at 11am
More than two years after Hurricane Katrina, we visit with several Oklahoma natives living in the Crescent City to find out how they’re coping and whether things are returning to normal. In the most badly-damaged neighborhoods of the Lower Ninth Ward (pictured above), many houses remain overgrown and abandoned, but the news isn’t all bad.
College student Sophie Johnson is re-building her life after being flooded out during the storm, yet she says she feels incredibly optimistic. Hip hop artists Jeff Chambless and Roan “Know One” Smith say these are difficult times to operate a record label, but they’ve found music is an effective creative outlet during times of trouble. Photographer Stephen Houser moved to New Orleans three months after Katrina to document the rebirth of the city, and he discovered it feels like a natural fit. And New Orleans waitress Andi Knox and Oklahoma City fertility specialist Dr. David Kallenberger tell the fascinating story of how Andi came to have three healthy babies “Made in Oklahoma.”
During his visit to New Orleans in July, KGOU News Director Scott Gurian and about one dozen other public radio reporters spent a morning volunteering with the grassroots organization Beacon of Hope to clean up one block in the Lakeview neighborhood of north New Orleans, which was heavily flooded following Hurricane Katrina. View photos of their trip to Lakeview.
If you missed this first part of our series two weeks ago featuring a roundtable of Oklahomans in New Orleans discussing life since the storm, you can listen to it here: MP3
KGOU WEBSITE-ONLY SPECIAL Libertarian Presidential Candidate Daniel Imperato Visits Oklahoma (recorded Thursday, September 6, 2007)
Daniel Imperato – who’s seeking the presidential nomination from the Libertarian Party – spoke last Thursday in Oklahoma City at a fundraiser for the group Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform. Imperato said his thirty years of experience in global business planning and his high level personal relationships around the world make him well-suited to make a major push for the White House in 2008. He lamented, though, that Oklahomans would be unable to vote for him unless the state substantially changes its restrictions making it difficult for third party candidates to get on the ballot.
Oklahoma was the only state in the country where voters did not have the option of choosing a Libertarian candidate in the last Presidential election. OBAR will hold a press conference at the state capitol this Friday to announce the beginning of an initiative petition drive, asking voters to ease the ballot access laws.
Listen to Daniel Imperato speak about ballot access: MP3
Hear Imperato talk about his campaign and the issues on his agenda:MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma Natives in New Orleans Reflect on Life Post-Katrina Monday, September 3, 2007 at 11am
It’s been two years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, breaching levees and leaving much of New Orleans underwater, and life remains hard in the Big Easy. In the aftermath of what’s been called the worst natural disaster in American history, forty percent of the city’s residents moved away, and those who’ve returned battle high rents, rising insurance costs and few guarantees of protection from future storms. More than forty thousand families still live in FEMA trailers. Street crime is common. The murder rate is even higher than before the storm and is on track to become the highest in the nation. So why go back? For many residents of the Crescent City, the answer is simple. New Orleans is their adopted home, and they couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Today we begin a two-part series featuring the voices and experiences of Oklahoma natives living in New Orleans post-Katrina. David Mitchell, Doris O’Sullivan Spath and Nicole Barron (pictured above) of the OU Club of New Orleans discuss the process of rebuilding and how life is for them slowly returning to normal, as it was before the storm.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Town Hall Meeting With Rep. Mary Fallin Monday, August 27, 2007 at 11am
We listen to U.S. Representative Mary Fallin’s recent report-back to constituents on her first eight months in Congress. Speaking last Tuesday at the Francis Tuttle Technology Center’s Rockwell campus in Oklahoma City, Fallin said the most important issues on her agenda all revolve around the concept of security: national security, energy security, border security and economic security. She also described her recent fact-finding trip to Iraq, where she says she saw signs of progress. While warning of the threat posed by groups like al Qaeda and saying that her number one goal is to prevent terrorists from carrying out attacks on American soil, she added that she wants the troops home from Iraq as soon as possible because she’s concerned about the human and economic impacts of a prolonged deployment. Fallin represents the Fifth Congressional District, which includes Oklahoma City, Edmond, Seminole and Shawnee.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Health Issues Among Native Americans Monday, August 20, 2007 from 11am - noon
Native Americans in Oklahoma and across the nation have higher rates of tuberculosis, diabetes, obesity, pneumonia, influenza, alcoholism, infant mortality and suicide than the general population. And more than one-third of American Indian adults are without health insurance. Earlier this month, doctors, scientists and tribal leaders gathered in Oklahoma City for a symposium on these issues sponsored by the University of Oklahoma’s College of Public Health and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. While focusing on Native Americans, panelists stressed that these are not just native health problems, but issues affecting everybody.
We listen back to some of the speakers including the Chair of OMRF’s Clinical Pharmacology Research Program Dr. Joan Merrill, OU College of Public Health Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Health Promotion Sciences J. Neil Henderson, OU Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Pediatrics Diabetes Program Dr. Kenneth Copeland, OU President David Boren and Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt.MP3
KGOU WEBSITE-ONLY SPECIAL GOP Presidential Contender Mitt Romney in OKC (recorded Tuesday, August 14, 2007)
Former Massachusetts Governor and GOP Presidential Contender Mitt Romney delivered his stump speech and answered questions from the audience this afternoon at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. The visit comes a day after Romney released his personal financial disclosure statement indicating he has investments totaling between 190 and 250 million dollars, which is nine or ten times the net worth of his closest competitors.
Speaking to reporters, Romney said he thinks his campaign is witnessing “winds of change” that began last weekend in Iowa. That’s when he finished first in the Republican straw poll, an unscientific test vote that was skipped by candidates John McCain and Rudolph Giuliani. A Soonerpoll.com survey of Oklahoma Republicans conducted in May found that Romney was in a distant fourth place, trailing McCain, Giuliani and undeclared candidate Fred Thompson. But Romney said his success in Iowa as well as his efforts in other, early primary states like New Hampshire and South Carolina will help him take his message nationwide and ultimately be successful in Oklahoma as well.
Oklahoma Voices: Questions about the OKC Bombing Monday, August 6, 2007 from 11am – noon
If you ask most Oklahomans, the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building is pretty much an open-and-shut case. Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001, and bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols is serving a life sentence in Colorado. But an attorney from Salt Lake City who's investigating the death of his brother has uncovered information he feels raises new questions about what the FBI knew and when it knew it.
Kenneth Trentadue’s mutilated body was found dead in an Oklahoma City prison cell in August of 1995. Prison officials say he committed suicide, but Trentadue’s brother Jesse believes Kenney was beaten to death during a botched interrogation after the FBI mistook him for "John Doe #2," a suspect in the Oklahoma City bombing. Documents he’s uncovered also indicate that the bombing may not simply have been the work of a couple of lone individuals, but rather a network of people affiliated with the far right militia movement.
“In trying to find out what happened to my brother, all the trails, all the leads kept taking me back to Oklahoma City and the bombing,” Jesse Trentadue tells KGOU. “I doubt my family will ever see justice for my brother’s murder, but in the end, we may get justice for a lot more folks, and maybe that was what it was all meant to be.”
Then, for a dose of skepticism, Dr. Lane Crothers joins us in the second half of our program to explain why he thinks it’s entirely possible that two men -- Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols -- could have pulled off the entire bombing plot from start to finish without the knowledge or logistical support of a wider circle of people. Crothers is Professor of Politics and Government at Illinois State University and author of the book Rage on the Right: The American Militia Movement from Ruby Ridge to Homeland Security.
Listen to Oklahoma State Trooper Charlie Hanger describe how he captured Timothy McVeigh. Hanger spoke and answered audience questions at the Oklahoma City National Memorial in July of 2005. MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Sexual Violence Against Indigenous Women Monday, July 30, 2007 from 11am - noon
It’s a sobering statistic: Native American and Alaska Native women are more than two and a half times as likely to be raped or sexually assaulted as non-native women, and one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes. The majority of these crimes are committed by non-native men, and most of them are never prosecuted. According to an Amnesty International report released in April, indigenous survivors of sexual violence often encounter a myriad of legal and logistical hurdles when attempting to bring their perpetrators to justice: inadequate law enforcement in rural areas, under-funded tribal police departments and complex issues of sovereignty and prosecutorial jurisdiction.
Today we listen to a recent panel discussion on the issue held on the University of Oklahoma campus. “Maze of Injustice Community Forum: Working Together to End Sexual Violence Against Indigenous Women” is moderated by Amnesty International Field Organizer Adiyah Ali and includes comments from domestic violence survivor Jimmi Ross, Oklahoma Native American Domestic Violence Coalition / Spirits of Hope member Juskwa Burnett, Jennifer McLaughlin from the Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and Jim Cox of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police.
Oklahoma Voices: OK Superintendent Sandy Garrett’s 2007 State of Education Address Monday, July 16, 2007 at 11:00am
Addressing more than 2500 business and education leaders at the Cox Convention Center Arena last week, State Superintendent Sandy Garrett said more instructional time is a key change needed to make Oklahoma schools and the students they produce more globally competitive. She also called for more funding for education, full implementation of Oklahoma’s Achieving Classroom Excellence Act and compliance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act. We listen to an edited version of her remarks.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Sustainability and Development in Oklahoma City Monday, July 9, 2007 at 11:00am
This morning on Oklahoma Voices we bring you sound from the sixth annual Oklahoma City Mayor’s Development Roundtable, where land developers, financiers, planners and city leaders gathered to hear about the latest development trends across the country and discuss possible applications here in the Oklahoma City metro.
The keynote speaker was William Hudnut, III, who’s a former mayor of Indianapolis and Senior Resident Fellow for Public Policy at the Washington-based Urban Land Institute. He discussed the need for denser developments, links between the city core and the suburbs, and the dangers of what he called suburban sprawl. Also featured in today’s program are Marilee Utter, the President of Citiventure Associates, LLC – a Denver-based real estate advisory and investment firm focusing on transit-oriented development and Fred Kent, a leading authority on city revitalization and the concept of place-making.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Former Governor George Nigh on Oklahoma’s Past and Future Monday, June 25, 2007 at 11:00am
Former four-term OK Governor George Nigh was honored as “Oklahoma’s Oldest Futurist” at the State Chamber’s annual meeting last Tuesday at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. In this Centennial year, Nigh was invited to share with business leaders his memories of the state’s unique history and his perspective on where to go from here. While calling Oklahoma’s first century “an era of great progress and achievement,” he said he believes the best is yet to come. We listen back to an edited version of his remarks and also hear from historian and Nigh biographer Bob Burke.
WEB EXTRA:Listen to some additional comments Nigh made about the historical creation of the state of Oklahoma:MP3 MP3
Oklahoma Voices: OKC StorySlam – Tales of Getting Busted Monday, June 18, 2007 at 11:00am
This week we’re featuring excerpts from the Oklahoma City StorySlam, an ongoing event that’s kind of like a poetry slam, except that participants tell stories related to a chosen theme. And at the end of the night, the audience votes for the best storyteller, and the winner gets a prize. Past themes have included “Really Bad Dates,” “Stranger in a Strange Land” and “Grounded.” The StorySlam we’re airing took place as part of the Momentum art show in Oklahoma City last January. Storytellers Drew Watson and Molly O’Connor share their tales on the topic, “Busted.”
You can get more information on the Oklahoma City StorySlam series and find out about the next event by sending an e-mail to okcstoryslam@yahoo.com.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: OK Native Hannah Allam’s Experiences in Iraq Monday, June 11, 2007 11am – noon
In 2003 at the age of 25, Oklahoma native Hannah Allam became the youngest bureau chief in the American newspaper industry when McClatchy (Knight Ridder) Newspapers hired her to head its Baghdad bureau. She spent the next two years reporting on the war in Iraq and winning some of the top awards in print journalism before moving on to become McClatchy’s Cairo Bureau Chief, where she now oversees coverage of the entire Middle East and Islamic world. Just after she finished her Iraq assignment in late 2005, Allam paid a visit to her alma mater, the University of Oklahoma, to speak with reporters at The Oklahoma Daily, where she was once editor. Today we air an edited version of that speech.
Oklahoma Voices: Lessons Learned from the Virginia Tech Tragedy Monday, June 4, 2007 from 11am - noon
University presidents, administrators and law enforcement personnel from more than twenty-four states gathered on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma last week to attend a summit on campus security in the wake of the April shooting at Virginia Tech that left thirty-three people dead. We listen back to VA Tech student Scott Cheatham’s account of the tragedy and its aftermath. And former FBI Profiler and NBC Crime Analyst Clinton Van Zandt describes possible motivators for campus killers and ways to identify “at risk” students before they act out violently.MP3
The Long and Winding Road: The Cultural Legacy of Four Lads Who Shook the World Sunday, July 3, 2007
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the US release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, KGOU presents a two-hour documentary on the cultural legacy of The Beatles.
In the 37 years since the group broke up, The Beatles' popularity has never waned. The Long and Winding Road looks at several ways that popularity manifests itself today. News Producer Brian Hardzinski speaks with musicians, professors, fans and people who knew the band personally about why the Beatles remain so important four decades later.
(Due to music copyright restrictions, we are unable to make this program available in our online archives, but you can listen to it here if you create a free account at the Public Radio Exchange)
Oklahoma Voices: Reviewing the 2007 Oklahoma Legislative Session Monday, May 28, 2007 at 11:00am
With a Democratic Lt. Governor, a Republican House leader soliciting ideas from constituents, and the State Senate evenly divided along party lines, no one knew quite what to expect from the 2007 Oklahoma Legislative Session. Some political observers had high hopes for bi-partisanship, but critics warned that this would be a budget only session because controversial bills would be unable to garner enough Senate votes to pass. So was that the case? OU Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie takes a look back at the highlights of the past four months with a roundtable of experts: Oklahoma Gazette staff writer Scott Cooper, Journal Record Senior Capitol Reporter Janice Francis-Smith and Bill Shappard of the public opinion research firm Soonerpoll.com.MP3
The Freeing of Curtis Edward McCarty Monday, May 21, 2007
Twenty-one years ago, Curtis Edward McCarty was sentenced to death for the 1982 killing of Pamela Kaye Willis. Earlier this month, an Oklahoma District Court Judge decided to free McCarty after ruling that his case had been tainted by the misconduct of former Oklahoma City police chemist Joyce Gilchrist. McCarty’s parents Shirley and Joe McCarty and his lead attorney Perry Hudson spoke to reporters at the capitol on Friday about their son’s case and about the dangers of wrongful convictions. Hudson claimed that Gilchrist maliciously lost or destroyed key evidence in the case, and he added that he believes higher-ranking officials in the police department must also have known what was going on. We listen to an excerpt of the press conference.MP3
Oklahoma's Centennial Events Monday, May 7, 2007
Oklahoma's Centennial officially happens Nov. 16, 2007, but the work started August 1, 1999 when J. Blake Wade was named the director of the Oklahoma Capitol Complex and Centennial Commemoration Commission. Since that time, Wade has traveled the state to involve Oklahomans in the celebration of statehood. He recently spoke at a Breaking Through luncheon sponsored by the Oklahoma City Chamber. You can find a listing of Centennial Events online.MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part IX: Core to Shore Monday, April 16, 2007 at 11am
In the final episode in our series, we look not at transit itself, but rather at how a major transit-related decision -- namely the relocation of I-40 -- will affect Oklahoma City’s future growth and development. The city’s Core to Shore study is planning the details of a proposed urban boulevard that will be built in the footprint of the current expressway, and it’s also considering options for the 590 acres of land between the core of downtown and the shore of the Oklahoma River. Guests include Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, Core to Shore planning team consultant Sara Jane Maclennan and Russell Claus, the City’s Project Manager for Core to Shore.
WEB EXTRAS: Listen to ODOT’s John Bowman describe the route of the new urban boulevard:MP3
Listen to Core to Shore planning team consultant Anthony McDermid talk about some of the specific proposals under consideration:MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 & the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part VIII: Expanding Rail Service Monday, April 9, 2007 at 11am
On this week's installment of our series, we pay a visit to the Norman Train Depot to talk with Evan Stair about his group Passenger Rail Oklahoma's campaign to expand Amtrak's Heartland Flyer route north from Oklahoma City to make connections in Kansas and Missouri. We also speak with University of Oklahoma Professor of Regional and City Planning Dr. Richard Marshment about mass transit options in Central Oklahoma's future.
Over the past eight weeks, we've spent several programs in this series examining the controversy over the I-40 Crosstown re-location plan. But how would the new highway affect downtown Oklahoma City's future growth and development, and what would come of the footprint of the current expressway? Find out and get your questions answered when the City of Oklahoma City holds its next Core to Shore public meeting from 6-8 pm on Tuesday, April 10th. The meeting will take place in rooms 16-18 of the Cox Convention Center. We'll have a report-back on next week's show.MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part VII: Examples to Follow Monday, April 2, 2007 at 11am
Last week in our series, we heard from various political leaders, transit planners and commuters, who all agreed that Central Oklahoma is desperately lacking in its public transportation infrastructure. Architect Tom Shelton described some of the transit recommendations for the region included in the Oklahoma Fixed Guideway Study. This week we take a look at what three other cities in the region have done. We speak to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, and we take a trip south of the Red River, where Dallas-based rail consultant Garl Latham describes the success of DART Rail.
WEB EXTRAS: Listen to Garl Latham's thoughts about the controversy over Oklahoma City's Union Train Station rail yard:MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part VI: Recognizing a Need Monday, March 26, 2007
In the previous five parts of our series, we’ve looked at the pros and cons of the new, proposed I-40 Crosstown Expressway, its expense and the impact on the rail corridor and surrounding areas. Whether they support or oppose the project, though, pretty much everyone – from local political and business leaders to urban planning experts to rail advocates – seems to agree that Central Oklahoma also has to look beyond building more roads and highways and start expanding its offerings of public transportation. We spend some time investigating the metro's mass transit needs and what some people are trying to do about it.
Guests include commuter and mass transit advocate Bob Waldrop; Larry Hopper with the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority; Fixed Guideway Study Project Manager Tom Shelton; OU architecture professor Hans Butzer; rail advocate Tom Elmore; Lt. Governor Jari Askins; Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and Oklahoma Railway Museum volunteer Steve Davis.
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part V: Examining the Plans Monday, March 19, 2007 at 11am
We continue our series examining the I-40 Crosstown and the future of mass transit in Central Oklahoma. We have a report back from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s recent public meeting on the highway project -- including some comments from Assistant Chief Engineer and Director of Pre-Construction David Streb -- and we’ll get some insight from Dr. Richard Marshment, Professor of Regional and City Planning at the University of Oklahoma.
WEB EXTRAS: In his interview, Dr. Marshment voiced concern that the new I-40 would provide a barrier to travel to what he referred to as remnants of land along the river. Here's a response from ODOT’s David Streb:MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Roundtable Discussion on Oklahoma’s Sunshine Laws Monday, March 19, 2007 at 11:30am
Freedom of information is an invaluable tool, not just for journalists, but for citizens participating in a democratic society. Transparency in government is our best guard against corruption, and it helps voters know whether their elected officials are truly representing their interests. We’ll examine Oklahoma’s so-called “sunshine laws” – the open records and open meetings acts – with a roundtable of experts. Our panelists are Dr. Joey Senat, Associate Professor in the Oklahoma State University School of Journalism and Broadcasting; Mark Thomas, Executive Vice President of the Oklahoma Press Association and Gay Tudor, Chief of the General Counsel section of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office.MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part IV: Footing the Bill Monday, March 12, 2007 at 11:00am
On this week’s installment of our series, we take a look at the cost and funding sources of the Crosstown, review some of the specific points of controversy and hear responses from those working on the project.
Guests include ODOT Assistant Chief Engineer and Director of Pre-Construction David Streb; former Fifth District Congressman Ernest Istook; Governor Brad Henry; Dr. Edwin Kessler, Vice Chairman of Common Cause Oklahoma; former Oklahoma City Planning Director Garner Stoll and John Bowman, ODOT’s Project Development Engineer for the I-40 Crosstown Expressway.
As mentioned in the program, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting from 4 to 6pm this Thursday, March 15th at the Cox Convention Center to discuss the I-40 Crosstown project. Attendees will have the opportunity to review and comment on the plan, view prepared displays and ask questions from ODOT representatives about environmental impacts, funding, right-of-way acquisition and tentative construction schedules. For more information, click here or call Mr. Craig Moody at 405.522.1465.
Read former Oklahoma City Planning Director Garner Stoll's critique of the final Crosstown route. Listen to this program to hear an interview with him as well as a response from ODOT's John Bowman.
A while back, Tom Elmore – who’s been featured in our series – gave a presentation at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library in Oklahoma City about mass transit options and why he's opposed to the I-40 Crosstown plan. You can listen to the presentation here:MP3
OU Debate on Human-Induced Climate Change Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 11:00 am
When former Vice President Al Gore visited OU a few weeks ago to deliver a presentation on global warming, two university faculty members took the opportunity to express their views on the subject. Meteorology professor David Karoly and Professor and global warming skeptic David Deming debate the question, “Is Global Warming Real?”MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part III: Ask the Engineer Monday, March 5, 2007 at 11am
We continue our series exploring the controversy over the I-40 Crosstown Expressway and the future of mass transit in Central Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation's Project Development Engineer for the Crosstown, John Bowman, joins us to review the proposed route and its impact on downtown Oklahoma City. He also responds to some criticisms of the plan.
ODOT officials will hold a public meeting at the Cox Convention Center from 4 to 6pm on Thursday, March 15th to provide an update on the current status of the I-40 Crosstown construction. MP3
KGOU WEBSITE-ONLY SPECIAL Norman Mayoral Candidates Debate the Issues Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Just six days before Norman residents head to the polls, the three candidates running for Mayor gathered for a debate at the University of Oklahoma's Catlett Music Center. In the event sponsored by The Oklahoma Daily newspaper and the Norman Sustainability Network, OU Political Science Professor and candidate Cindy Rosenthal warned that Norman must not sacrifice its quality of life by failing to pay attention to public safety, the preservation of green space, and the quantity and quality of the water. As a City Council member, she originally voted to create a tax increment financing district to draw new businesses to OU-owned land near Norman's airport, but now says the plan was rushed through and did not take into account needed traffic upgrades for the area.
On the issue of suburban sprawl, candidate and Norman developer Trey Bates expressed excitement about many development projects currently underway in the city core and said he's advocated giving citizens greater involvement in the future development of their city. He also said he wants to make Norman "more fun" by creating a cultural district and attracting more tourists to Lake Thunderbird.
Candidate E.Z. Million called for the building of two new high schools in Norman and criticized what he called a "do-gooder plan" to institute citywide curbside recycling. He said OU President David Boren has too much influence on local politics, and he called for Boren to retire because he's past the usual retirement age and won't bring the OU-Texas game to Norman in 2008.
Union Station, the New I-40 & the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part II: Debating the Expressway Monday, February 26, 2007 at 11am
The destruction of much of Oklahoma City’s Union Station rail yard to make way for the I-40 Crosstown Expressway could begin in the near future. KGOU continues a weekly series examining the history of Union Station, the controversy over the highway project and the plans underway to address the metro’s future public transportation needs. On today’s show, we feature a debate over the proposed route of the new stretch of I-40. Arguing in favor of the Crosstown Expressway are Paul Matthews, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Highway Users Federation and Dr. Leonard West, former Executive Director of the Oklahoma Traffic Engineering Association. Arguing in favor of saving the rail yard are Dr. Edwin Kessler, Vice Chairman of Common Cause Oklahoma and Tom Elmore, Executive Director of the Moore-based North American Transportation Institute. The debate was moderated by Tom Roach of the Northwest Republican Club of Oklahoma City.MP3
Union Station, the New I-40 and the Future of Mass Transit in OKC Part I: Remembering a Depot Monday, February 19, 2007 at 11am
The destruction of much of Oklahoma City’s Union Station rail yard to make way for the I-40 Crosstown Expressway could begin in the near future. KGOU begins a weekly series examining the history of Union Station, the controversy over the highway project and the plans underway to address the metro’s future public transportation needs. On today’s show, rail advocate Tom Elmore of the Moore-based North American Transportation Institute gives us a tour of historic Union Station.
WEB EXTRAS: “Railroad building in years past has always had its accompaniment of humor, pathos, violence and even tragedy,” write Preston George and Sylvan Wood in their 1943 treatise The Railroads of Oklahoma. To get a sense of just how important passenger trains were in the decades leading up to the building of Union Station, listen to this account of the dispute between the citizens of Enid and the Rock Island Line that almost turned deadly:MP3
Former railroad worker Jim Pasby shared with us his memories of the passenger train era in Oklahoma. We didn't have time to include it in the show, but you can listen here:MP3
If you missed it, check out “The Train-ing of Oklahoma,” KGOU’s award-winning documentary on the important role passenger trains played in the early history of Oklahoma (scroll down to 9/4/06 show after clicking on link)
Oklahoma House Speaker Lance Cargill’s 2007 Agenda Monday, February 12, 2007
At 35, Republican Lance Cargill is the youngest House Speaker in the nation. His “2007 Year of Ideas Agenda” includes plans to foster an “Entrepreneurial Society,” his “Healthy Oklahoma Platform” and the “Safe Families Platform.” Representative Cargill has also introduced the “100 Ideas Initiative,” an ambitious, year-long plan to seek input from Oklahomans about directions their lawmakers and government should take. We listen in on Lance Cargill’s recent speech and Q & A session with reporters taking part in the fourth annual Associated Press Legislative Preview Workshop.MP3
OK Lawmakers Discuss Issues Affecting the Business Community Gov. Henry’s 2007 Legislative Agenda Monday, February 5, 2007
David Rainbolt of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and a panel of state lawmakers discusses upcoming legislative issues affecting the economic health of Oklahoma. Guests include Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan, Republican Senate Co-President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill and Democratic House Minority Leader Danny Morgan. They spoke at the Chamber’s 2007 Legislative Breakfast, held January 30th at the Oklahoma City Marriott. Also, we air Governor Brad Henry’s recent speech and Q & A session with reporters taking part in the fourth annual Associated Press Legislative Preview Workshop.MP3
Previewing the Legislative Sessions in OK and Washington & Mick Cornett's 2007 State of the City Monday, January 29, 2007
Just one week from today, the 2007 Oklahoma Legislative Session will officially convene. With a Democrat as Lt. Governor, a tie in the State Senate and a Republican House leader actively soliciting ideas from constituents, it promises to be an interesting few months. On the national level, Oklahoma’s mostly Republican Congressional delegation is in the minority, with Democrats now in control of both Houses of Congress. The Fifth District has a new US Representative, and several Oklahoma lawmakers now have new committee assignments. OU Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie and our DC reporter Todd Zwillich join us for a half hour to discuss these and other legislative matters. We also listen back to OKC Mayor Mick Cornett’s recent State of the City address.
Examining the Roots of Oklahoma’s Social Problems Monday, Janurary 15, 2007
Oklahoma often takes the top spot in rankings the state would rather not be winning. Whether it’s the number of women behind bars, the rate of heart disease or mental illness, we struggle to break the stigma associated with our poor performance on many national studies. The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy is one of several organizations in the state working to change those numbers. KGOU’s Kurt Gwartney speaks with the Institute’s Executive Director, Anne Roberts, about the Adverse Childhood Experience Study, which provides some fresh insights into why Oklahoma has trouble breaking out of its low rankings.MP3
Building Mass Transit in OKC and Tulsa Monday, January 8, 2007 at 11am
Since its inception in a single day in 1889, the city of Oklahoma City has experienced remarkable growth, and its population continues to increase. Unfortunately, with more people comes more traffic and congestion, and that spells trouble for a state whose roads and bridges already rank as some of the worst in the nation. Now business and political leaders have begun to explore mass transit as a partial solution to congestion in and around Oklahoma’s largest cities. We hear from Tom Shelton, associate principal for the Dallas-based architecture and engineering consulting firm Carter & Burgess. Shelton was a lead consultant to the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority’s Fixed Guideway Study, which developed a plan to implement a regional bus/rail public transportation system in the Oklahoma City metro area.
Meanwhile, Tulsa is currently considering the creation of its first rail line or a bus rapid transit service linking it with the city of Broken Arrow. Rich Fisher, host of Studio Tulsa on Public Radio Tulsa speaks with the General Manager of Tulsa Transit Bill Cartwright, as well as transportation consultant Timothy Schmidt.MP3
Oklahoma’s Relationship with Canada Monday, December 11, 2006
Canada’s Ambassador to the US, the Honorable Michael Wilson, joins us in our studio to discuss Oklahoma’s trade relationship with Canada. We also talk about a variety of issues affecting both Oklahomans and Canadians, including immigration, prescription drug importation and mad cow disease.MP3
Treating Mental Health Issues Among Returning Oklahoma Veterans Monday, December 4, 2006
We speak with Dr. Michelle Sherman, a psychologist and the Director of the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, about how Oklahoma soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are coping with mental health issues and what support systems are in place to help them. Sherman is also the co-author of Finding My Way: A Teen’s Guide to Living With a Parent Who Has Experienced Trauma.
We also listen to "Johnny Comes Home," the story of Iraq Marine veteran John Marchelletta by radio producer Rupa Marya. It's not included in the online version of this show, but you can listen to it here. MP3
Interview with the Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers Monday, November 27, 2006
The Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers, pastor of Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City, attracted national attention with a speech he delivered on the University of Oklahoma campus against the Iraq War. The "speech heard round the world" eventually became the book, "Why the Christian Right is Wrong: A Minister's Manifesto for Taking Back Your Faith, Your Flag, Your Future." Kurt Gwartney interviewed Dr. Meyers in advance of his appearance on New Dimensions, airing Sunday, Dec. 3 at 7 a.m. on KGOU.MP3
Remembering Oklahoma’s Oldest Residents During the State’s Centennial Monday, November 20, 2006
As Oklahoma kicks off its year-long centennial celebration, what better way to learn about the state’s history than to speak with people who’ve actually lived here these past hundred years? We talk to Rev. Richard Ziglar, who works with NorthEast Active Timers, and Mary Jane Alexander, who’s traveled around Oklahoma photographing and speaking with centenarians. Click here to view some of her photographs
A Conversation with Oklahoma Native Journalist Anthony Shadid Monday, November 13, 2006
Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post journalist Anthony Shadid returns to his native Oklahoma and joins us in our studios to share excerpts from his book Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War and discuss the current situation in that country.MP3
KGOU Election Season Special: Pre-Election Political Wrap-up Monday, October 30, 2006
Dr. Bob Darcy, Regents Professor of Political Science at Oklahoma State University and Dr. Keith Gaddie, Political Science Professor at the University of Oklahoma and creator of the website SoonerPolitics.com join us to give updates on the state races, review the ballot initiatives and answer questions from listeners.MP3
Bringing Direct Flights to Oklahoma City Monday, October 23, 2006 at 11:30am
Ever since September 11th, air travel has gotten increasingly complicated and frustrating for many travelers. Getting from one airport to another has become more difficult with increased security, fewer flights and packed planes. And while the airline industry remains troubled, it is beginning to show signs of new life. Market analysts say major carriers posted third-quarter profits following a positive second quarter. This is only the second time in six years that airlines have had consecutive quarterly profits. We listen in on the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce’s recent luncheon where three representatives of the airline industry discussed the state of air travel at Will Rogers World Airport.MP3
Alternative Fuels and National Security Monday, October 16, 2006
Prior to September 11, 2001, the need to reduce US dependence on foreign oil was not clear to many Americans, and the path of doing so seemed a long, difficult and unnecessary one. But the terrorism risks in the post-9/11 world, the higher oil prices and the increased awareness of the vulnerability of the oil infrastructure have changed all that, as has technological progress in fuel efficiency and the development of alternative fuels. Former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency director James Woolsey discusses why global reliance on petroleum and related products to fuel the world’s transportation needs creates special dangers in our time. He spoke earlier this month at the Oklahoma Governor’s Conference on Biofuels, held on the campus of the University of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma’s Fourth Congressional District Candidates on the Issues Monday, October 9, 2006
We discuss the race with US Representative Tom Cole, who’s seeking re-election to a third term in Congress. We also speak with Hal Spake, his Democratic opponent. The candidates share their views on immigration, US energy policy and the war in Iraq, among other topics.MP3
2006 State of the Schools Monday, October 2, 2006
Five years after voters approved a temporary sales tax to fund the MAPS for Kids school construction program, we take a look back at the improvements that have already taken place as well as the ones still underway. Oklahoma City School Board President Ciff Hudson delivers his annual “State of the Schools” address, which he delivered last month at an event sponsored by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. We also listen to a recent speech by Dr. Phil Berkenbile, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.MP3
KGOU WEBSITE-ONLY SPECIAL Social Issues Candidates Forum (recorded Thursday, September 9, 2006)
KGOU moderated a recent candidates forum at the Norman City Council chambers. The event focused on social service issues and was organized by Progressive Independence, a community-based, non-profit agency that helps provide independent living arrangements to individuals with disabilities. Participants included John Sparks, a Democrat running in Oklahoma Senate District 16; Democratic Representative Bill Nations and Republican candidate Gary Caissie, running in State House District 44; Republican Representative Thad Balkman and his Democratic challenger Wallace Collins in House District 45; GOP candidate Scott Martin running for House District 46 and Democratic candidate Troy Green, who’s running against incumbent Randy Terrill in House District 53 (about 90 minutes).
Watch a video of the event (for users with broadband internet connections) or download audio files (for listeners using dialup connections):
The Train-ing of Oklahoma Monday, September 4, 2006
Trains have been in the news a lot in recent years. When funding shortfalls last spring threatened the continued operation of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer route to Fort Worth, rail advocates launched a vocal and ultimately successful campaign to keep the service going. Now they’re busy fighting the imminent destruction of much of Oklahoma City’s Union Station rail yard to make way for the I-40 Crosstown Expressway. We spend the hour looking back at the important role trains played in the early history of Oklahoma.
WEB EXTRAS: “Railroad building in years past has always had its accompaniment of humor, pathos, violence and even tragedy,” write Preston George and Sylvan Wood in their 1943 treatise The Railroads of Oklahoma. To get a sense of just how important passenger trains were in the state's early days, listen to this account of the dispute between the citizens of Enid and the Rock Island Line that almost turned deadly:MP3
Former railroad worker Jim Pasby shared with us his memories of the passenger train era in Oklahoma. We didn't have time to include it in the show, but you can listen here:MP3
KGOU Election Season Special: Examining Political Television Ads in Ok Monday, August 28, 2006
The primary and runoff elections are over, but the political advertising on television is expected to increase in advance of November's general election. Political communications analyst Kim Gaddie joins us to discuss commercials from past and present Oklahoma campaigns. She will examine the different types of political theater on TV and answer questions about an ad's effectiveness in winning state elections.
For more information on political advertisements, visit the Political Commercial Archive at the University of Oklahoma's Political Communication Center.MP3
Focus on the Fifth District: GOP Congressional Candidate Mick Cornett Monday, August 21, 2006
KGOU concludes its series of profiles of Fifth District Congressional candidates by spending some time on the campaign trail with Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett. In addition to his role as Mayor, Cornett has served as a city councilman, television reporter and news anchor, small businessman and sportscaster. He’s been credited with the implementation of the MAPS for Kids school construction initiative and the luring of the New Orleans Hornets to Oklahoma City in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Cornett says he has a “proven track record of conservative leadership,” and he characterizes himself as a candidate who will get things done. We tagged along with Cornett recently during his “Real People” bus tour to visit voters in Seminole and Pottawatomie Counties.MP3
Political Junkies Discuss Primary Runoff Election Sunday, August 20, 2006
The University of Oklahoma Political Communication Center presents the second of four Political Junkie’s Luncheons. Panelists include Darwin Maxey, founder of the Oklahoma Insider political news website; Pat McFerron of the PR firm Cole, Hargrave, Snodgrass and Associates; Republican strategist and publisher Neva Hill of The Hill Report newsletter and Chebon Marshall, former Chief of Staff with the campaign of Democratic Senatorial candidate Brad Carson. They’ll discuss the various local and statewide races and make predictions.
Focus on the Fifth District: Independent Congressional Candidate Matthew Horton Woodson Monday, August 14, 2006
KGOU continues its series of profiles of the candidates running to replace Ernest Istook in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District. Along with Democrat Dr. David Hunter and Republicans Mary Fallin and Mick Cornett – who will face off in next Tuesday's runoff election – there’s also an independent in the race. Matthew Horton Woodson says he feels the two, main political parties seem too similar on many issues, and he hopes his campaign will reach independent thinkers and voters in central Oklahoma. He’s calling for an end to the war in Iraq within the next two years, a greater focus on farming and agricultural policies, tax incentives to encourage people to vote and a re-opening of the investigation surrounding the events of September 11th, 2001.MP3
Focus on the Fifth District: GOP Congressional Candidate Mary Fallin Monday, August 7, 2006
KGOU continues its series of profiles of the candidates running to replace Ernest Istook in Oklahoma's Fifth Congressional District. The race narrowed a couple of weeks ago when Dr. David Hunter won the Democratic nomination, and GOP candidates Mary Fallin and Mick Cornett proceeded to a runoff. We spend today's show following Fallin on the campaign trail.
Mary Fallin entered politics sixteen years ago as a State Representative from Tecumseh. When she was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1994, she became the first Republican and the first woman to hold that post. Fallin says her experience serving in both the legislative and executive branches make her uniquely qualified for the US Congress. In her campaign, she's called for cutting federal spending and bureaucracy, balancing the budget, securing the borders and lowering taxes. She's also supported a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.MP3
KGOU Election Season Special: Looking Behind the Poll Numbers Monday, July 31, 2006
In the weeks leading up to last Tuesday’s primary election, KGOU – like many media outlets – often used polling data to analyze the relative strength or weakness of the various candidates’ campaigns. But just how are polls conducted, and how reliable are they? Bill Shapard of the public opinion research firm SoonerPoll.com gives us a tour of his company’s facilities and describes how he collects his information.
Focus on the Fifth District: Democratic Congressional Candidate Dr. David Hunter Monday, July 24, 2006
KGOU continues its series profiling the candidates running to replace Ernest Istook in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District. Today we spend a half hour with Dr. David Hunter, an ear, nose and throat surgeon at St. Anthony’s Hospital. He says his 25 years of experience as a physician have given him unique insights into what he calls a “health care crisis” facing Oklahoma. Dr. Hunter also contends that his role as a doctor has taught him how to be a good listener and problem-solver. Among the other issues in his platform, he’s calling for more grants to college-bound students, a requirement to balance the national budget and a fix to Social Security and the Medicare prescription drug program.MP3
GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Debate the Issues Sunday, July 23, 2006
While Ernest Istook and Bob Sullivan have captured most of the media headlines, there are also two other Republican candidates for Governor. Tune in as Jim Evanoff and James Williamson join Istook and Sullivan in the last gubernatorial debate of the primary season. We air the Cleveland County GOP's recent candidate dinner forum.MP3
Focus on the Fifth District: GOP Congressional Candidate Dr. Johnny Roy Thursday, July 20, 2006
We continue our series profiling the candidates in the Fifth District Congressional race. Today we speak with Dr. Johnny B. Roy, an Edmond urologist and political novice. He was born in Baghdad, Iraq and immigrated to the US forty years ago. Roy supports the war and says that a premature US withdrawal would cause chaos. He also calls for a toughening of immigration laws, elimination of the income tax and more difficult high school exit exams. As a physician, he feels healthcare-related issues are of the utmost importance, and he says he decided to run for office because Oklahomans “deserve a doctor in the House” (19 minutes).MP3
Focus on the Fifth District: GOP Congressional Candidate Fred Morgan Monday, July 17, 2006
KGOU continues its series of profiles of the nine candidates running to replace Ernest Istook in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District. We spend a half hour this week with Fred Morgan, an Oklahoma City attorney and recently term-limited member of the State House of Representatives. He’s been an outspoken advocate for lawsuit and workers’ compensation reform, as well as changes to the tax system. He also co-authored Oklahoma’s Right-to-Work legislation and takes pride in his ranking as the highest pro-business member of the House (according to the Research Institute for Economic Development).MP3
GOP Congressional + Lt. Gov. Candidates Debate the Issues Sunday, July 16, 2006
This Sunday on KGOU, we feature a debate between the six Republicans vying to replace Ernest Istook in the US Congress. The candidates share their views on Iraq, government spending, global warming and a variety of social issues. Also, Todd Hiett and Scott Pruitt square off in the GOP race for Lt. Governor. Part 1 Part 2
Focus on the Fifth District: Democratic Congressional Candidate Bert Smith Monday, July 10, 2006
After fourteen years, Rep. Ernest Istook is leaving the US House to run for Governor. KGOU continues a series of profiles of the nine candidates running to replace Istook in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District. We spend the half hour with Bert Smith, a math teacher, small business owner and veteran who's running for Congress for the second time. His top issues include the war in Iraq, Medicare and care for returning veterans.
7/13 UPDATE: In the course of his interview, Bert Smith made the claim that he thought his Democratic opponent, Dr. David Hunter, was formerly a Republican. The Hunter campaign has since denied this allegation, and records from the Oklahoma Election Board have also disproven it. Confronted with evidence to the contrary, Bert Smith has retracted his statement and vowed to publicly apologize to Dr. David Hunter for misstating the facts.MP3
Oklahoma Voices - A Conversation with the Democratic Candidates for Lieutenant Governor Sunday, July 9, 2006
KGOU moderates a panel discussion with three of the four Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor: former House Minority Leader Jari Askins, former State Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson and Pete Regan, who’s served as Congressman Dan Boren’s Chief of Staff. They share their views on everything from the role of religion in politics to campaign finance reform. Part 1 Part 2
Focus on the Fifth District: GOP Congressional Candidate Kevin Calvey Monday, July 3, 2006
After fourteen years, Rep. Ernest Istook is leaving the US House to run for Governor. KGOU begins a series of profiles of the nine candidates running to replace Istook in Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District. We start our series by spending the half hour with Kevin Calvey (R- Del City), a conservative Republican who calls for cutting taxes, toughening immigration laws and reining in wasteful government spending. He’s served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives since 1999, most recently as chairman of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee.MP3
Women and the Making of Oklahoma Sunday, June 25, 2006
In this hour we explore a theory about the relationship between written language and femininity. We talk with author and Oklahoma City University professor Patricia Loughlin about her book "Hidden Treasures of the American West", about the contributions made by Angie Debo, Muriel Wright and Alice Marriott. The program concludes with an excerpt from a speech by author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on her book "Red Dirt: Growing Up Okie."
Reviewing the 2006 Oklahoma Legislative Session Sunday, June 18, 2006
We spend the hour looking back at the accomplishments and shortcomings of the 2006 Oklahoma Legislative Session. KGOU airs a recent political forum organized by the Norman Chamber of Commerce. Speakers include Rep. Thad Balkman, Senator Cal Hobson, Rep. Doug Miller, Rep. Bill Nations and Senator Jonathan Nichols.MP3
Republican Candidates for Governor Discuss Issues Affecting Oklahoma Sunday, April 30, 2006
As the 2006 Oklahoma Legislative Session winds down, the election season is just beginning. In advance of the July 25th primary, the three Republicans running for Governor took part in a series of candidate forums over the past week. About 80 members of the Northwest Republican Club attended one of those gatherings on Monday, April 24th, at the Boulevard Cafeteria in Oklahoma City. The organization’s President, Tom Roach, led US Congressman Ernest Istook, State Senator James Williamson and Tulsa businessman Bob Sullivan in a wide-ranging, hour-long conversation about tax issues, workers comp reform and immigration, among other topics. KGOU broadcasts an edited version of the event.
Oklahoma Voices State Budget Forum Sunday, March 12, 2006
Whether it’s tax cuts, government waste, spending for social services or the proposed Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, budgetary issues affect everyone in Oklahoma. KGOU rebroadcasts a panel discussion recorded last month at Moore-Norman Technology Center as part of a day-long State Budget Forum organized by the group “Alliance for Oklahoma’s Future.”
OETA’s Dick Pryor moderates a discussion on “Oklahoma’s Fiscal Priorities: Policy-making for Tomorrow and Beyond.” State Treasurer Scott Meacham, Republican Representative Chris Benge, Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, and Democratic Senator Jay Paul Gumm, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, discussed funding priorities this legislative session and took some questions from the studio audience.MP3
KGOU Political Special - Preview of the 2006 Legislative Session Monday, February 6, 2006
KGOU airs Governor Brad Henry’s State of the State address (tape delayed from earlier in the day to allow for the “NSA” Hearing) this Monday evening at 7:00pm. Join KGOU for the Governor’s remarks, followed by a Republican response from House Speaker Todd Hiett. Also, Henry, Hiett, Lt. Governor Mary Fallin and Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan speak about the upcoming session and take questions from journalists during a recent gathering at the capitol.
OKC Mayor Mick Cornett's State of the City Address / OKC Chamber Legislative Breakfast Sunday, February 5, 2006
KGOU rebroadcasts Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett’s annual State of the City address. Also, Fred Hall of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and a panel of state lawmakers discusses upcoming legislative issues affecting the business community. Guests include Republic House Speaker Todd Hiett, Republic Senator Glenn Coffee, Democratic Representative Jari Askins and Democratic Senator and former Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson.
Katrina Evacuees Rebuild Their Lives in Oklahoma Sunday, October 9, 2005
We take a tour of Camp Gruber in Braggs, Oklahoma, which housed more than 1500 New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina. We hear stories about the experiences of several evacuees and how their presence has impacted people who live near the military base. Guests include Lt. Pete Norwood of the OHP, Red Cross spokespeople Nellie Kelly and Mary Ogle, New Orleans evacuees Keith Brown and George Lovan, Charles McIntyre Junior of the “Our Place Café” and Braggs Resident Peggy Goade. Also, Rich Fisher of Public Radio Tulsa’s “Studio Tulsa” program speaks with Jack Holmes, CEO of the Tulsa-based energy company Syntroleum. They discuss innovative plans to extract and refine cleaner-burning, alternative fuels.
OK Voices Political Special - Istook Town Hall Meeting Monday, September 19, 2005
We air an hour of Rep. Ernest Istook's recent town hall meeting at the Ronald J. Norick downtown public library in OKC. Istook answers questions about tax laws, medicare, healthcare coverage and "pork barrel" legislation, among other topics.MP3
OK Voices Political Special - Congressional Interviews Sunday, September 18, 2005
KGOU speaks with several of Oklahoma's federally elected members of Congress while they return home on break. We'll hear from Senator Tom Coburn and Representative Tom Cole on a variety of issues including the occupation of Iraq, stem cell research and Congressional ethics rules. Also, Representative Frank Lucas takes questions from constituents on topics ranging from the price of gasoline to Social Security and the state of the economy. MP3
Walking a Mile in Each Other’s Shoes Monday, September 5, 2005 (Labor Day)
32 Oklahoma lawmakers have just finished participating in a program that paired them with low-income constituents for the month of August. The goal of “Walk a Mile Oklahoma” was to give policymakers and those who rely on government assistance the chance to get a personal understanding of each other’s lives. KGOU spends some time following State Representative Paul Wesselhoft (R-Moore) and his Walk a Mile partner – Elisa Marlowe – as they tour the capitol and apply for food stamps. We also speak with Brad Beesley, producer of The Fearless Freaks, a new documentary about the Oklahoma rock band The Flaming Lips.MP3
The Great Outdoors Sunday, June 19, 2005
KGOU spends an hour in the Oklahoma wilderness, hunting snakes at the 40th Annual Rattlesnake Derby and Flea Market. We also take an afternoon trip down the North Canadian River in Watonga, sticking our hands in the mouths of giant catfish, and we re-visit last year’s Okie Noodling Tournament and Fish Fry in Paul’s Valley. View Slideshow(Slideshow will take a few minutes to load for dial-up internet users)
Plus, KGOU’s Susan Shannon speaks with native Oklahoman poet-turned-musician Joy Harjo of the Creek Nation about her latest CD, “Native Joy for Real.”
Oklahoma Voices Political Roundtable Sunday, June 5, 2005
To mark the end of the 2005 Oklahoma Legislative Session, KGOU has convened a panel of journalists and commentators to review some of the highlights of the past four months. What were the biggest issues on the agenda, and what remains to be resolved next session? Guests include Robert Burch, host of OETA's Legislative Week; Janice Francis-Smith, [former] Senior Capitol Reporter for the Journal Record business newspaper and OU Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie. We'll also speak with US Representative Tom Cole about his work in Washington.MP3
Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary: Coping with the Aftermath Sunday, May 8, 2005
On April 19th, 1995, Oklahoma City police officer Jim Ramsey put aside his fear of heights and rescued two women trapped on a seventh floor ledge of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. One year later, he received a standing ovation as he was awarded the Oklahoma City Police Department’s highest citation for bravery. But Ramsey’s feelings of enormous guilt and depression eventually took control of him, leading him to start gambling, stealing, drinking and using drugs and causing his divorce and resignation from the police force. Ramsey tells his story.
Also, in the intervening and chaotic hours between the bombing and the arrest of Timothy McVeigh, suspicions were erroneously cast on ‘foreign’ sources. Among those forced to deal with these initial accusations was Oklahoma’s Arab population. KGOU’s Scott Gurian visits the Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City and speaks to President Imad Enchassi as well as Salam al-Marayati, Executive Director of the Los Angeles-based Muslim American Public Affairs Council; Ibrahim Hooper, Communications Director for CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Sahar al-Moswi, an Iraqi exile and former Oklahoma City resident who blames the loss of her child on an angry mob.
And we hear from author and Professor Lane Crothers about the militia movement behind the Oklahoma City bombing. What motivated Timothy McVeigh, and how strong is the movement today?MP3
Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary: Forgiveness and Reconciliation Sunday, April 24, 2005
Survivors and family members of the Oklahoma City bombing describe coming to terms with the tragedy and struggling with concepts like healing, justice and reconciliation. And we hear from Rabbi Harold Kushner, who met with family members and survivors in the aftermath of the bombing, and who wrote the book WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.MP3
The Oklahoma City Project Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Local playwright Ruth Charnay and the Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre commemorated the bombing anniversary with two weekend performances of "The Oklahoma City Project," a documentary drama crafted from the media accounts and testimonies of people affected by the bombing. Through a special arrangement, Charnay has allowed KGOU to re-broadcast the performance in its entirety. We also speak with Charney as well as performer and Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Don Jordan.MP3
OKC Bombing 10-yr Anniversary: Lessons in Recovery and Hope Monday, April 18, 2005
KGOU speaks with Donna Compton, who served as a chaplain in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing and Robin Finnegan and Krista Flannigan, who worked as grief counselors and co-authored the book, Tragedy to Triumph: Lessons in Recovery and Hope. Finally, we rebroadcast an excerpt of a conversation between KGOU’s Susan Shannon and Oklahoma native author Hank Stuever, who writes for the Washington Post’s Style section. Stuever discusses his memories of the Oklahoma City bombing as recounted in his book Off Ramp: Adventures and Heartache in the American Elsewhere.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Oklahoma Weather Sunday, December 19, 2004
KGOU takes a tour of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather research and prediction facilities in Norman to learn just what goes into forecasting the weather, and how technology is playing an important role in saving human lives. We also review last month's elections with the leaders of the state Democratic and Republican parties, and Susan Shannon speaks to an author who's just written a comprehensive history of the state of Oklahoma.MP3
Oklahoma Voices: Getting on the Ballot / Oklahoma's Film Industry Sunday, September 5, 2004
KGOU explores why Oklahoma's strict ballot access laws have third parties in the state calling for electoral reform. Guests include Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Michael Clingman; Ballot Access News Editor Richard Winger; former Central Oklahoma Libertarian Party Chair Tom Laurent; former Oklahoma Green Party co-chair Rachel Jackson and John Anderson, former Independent Presidential candidate and Chair of FairVote (née the Center for Voting and Democracy), which researches and advocates more democratic voting systems.
Also, the recent shooting of "Elizabethtown" with Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst has attracted Hollywood's attention to Oklahoma as a "film-friendly state." Just how does Oklahoma attract big-name filmmakers, and what impact do film crews have on the local economy?
And KGOU's Susan Shannon speaks with Hank Stuever, a native of Oklahoma and journalist with The Washington Post. He's just written a book about his cross-country travels.
Listen to an updated version of this program that aired in October of 2007: MP3
The Idea of Oklahoma / Catfish Noodling Sunday, July 4, 2004
Oklahoma has a bit of an image problem in the rest of the country. We'll identify the problem and hear what the state tourism board is doing to change people's perceptions.
KGOU goes Noodling! - We spend a few hours on the North Canadian River near Watonga, learning the fine art of catching giant catfish with your bare hands. We also take a trip to the 5th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament and Fish Fry at Bob's Pig Shop in Pauls Valley.MP3
MP3
Our second author is Diane Glancy (Cherokee/German/English) and her book is “Pushing The Bear, After The Trail of Tears” which tells the tale of how the Cherokees literally started over with nothing.
Trains have been in the news a lot in recent years. When funding shortfalls last spring threatened the continued operation of Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer route to Fort Worth, rail advocates launched a vocal and ultimately successful campaign to keep the service going. Now they’re busy fighting the imminent destruction of much of Oklahoma City’s Union Station rail yard to make way for the I-40 Crosstown Expressway. We spend the hour looking back at the important role trains played in the early history of Oklahoma.
While 
KGOU moderates a panel discussion with three of the four Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor: former House Minority Leader 
To mark the end of the 2005 Oklahoma Legislative Session, KGOU has convened a panel of journalists and commentators to review some of the highlights of the past four months. What were the biggest issues on the agenda, and what remains to be resolved next session? Guests include Robert Burch, host of OETA's Legislative Week; Janice Francis-Smith, [former] Senior Capitol Reporter for the Journal Record business newspaper and OU Political Science Professor Keith Gaddie. We'll also speak with US Representative Tom Cole about his work in Washington.
KGOU goes Noodling! - We spend a few hours on the North Canadian River near Watonga, learning the fine art of catching giant catfish with your bare hands. We also take a trip to the 5th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament and Fish Fry at Bob's Pig Shop in Pauls Valley.