Oklahoma’s new attorney general is suing the Biden Administration. StateImpact’s Catherine Sweeney reports the lawsuit echoes Former President Donald Trump’s ire toward a global public health agency.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a lawsuit against federal health officials on Monday. It alleges the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is giving too much power to the World Health Organization.
It focuses on a section of federal law that explains what the department is supposed to do when there’s a threat of communicable disease. It lays out what “public health emergency” means. A few of the criteria rely on the WHO declaring a threat bad enough to cause international concern.
Drummond argues that means the WHO is deciding for the country, and that threatens America’s sovereignty. The federal government argues that the section just gives insight into the department’s decision-making process.
Trump was a vocal WHO critic, and threatened to pull the country’s share of the agency’s funding — $400 million annually — arguing that it bungled its COVID response and it has too close of a relationship with China. Drummond makes similar statements in his press release.
Video evidence of an incident that might have led to the death of an inmate having a mental health crisis at Pottawatomie County Jail in 2019 was released late last week.
Pottawatomie County Jail officials released video footage of officers tackling and pinning down Ronald Gene Given in a holding cell a week before he died in an Oklahoma City hospital.
Given was originally taken to a mental health facility by police for causing a disturbance at the Shawnee Tractor Supply store but was later taken to the jail after allegedly shoving an officer.
The state medical examiner found Given had died of organ failure caused by the officers restraining him and ruled his death a homicide, though no charges have been filed in connection with his death.
A federal lawsuit filed by Given’s aunt in 2020 claiming the officers caused his death is still ongoing.
The Biden Administration has delayed the implementation of increased legal protections for two species amid pushback from congressional Republicans
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has postponed reclassifying the northern long-eared bat from “threatened” to “endangered” until March 31, and new designations for the lesser prairie chicken have been postponed until March 27.
The Administration says the delay will allow regulators and those affected by the changes time to adjust. The listings drew criticism from GOP lawmakers who argued they would disrupt infrastructure projects and economic activity.
The northern long-eared bat is on the brink of extinction due to white-nose syndrome, while the lesser prairie chicken is considered severely at risk due to human activity such as oil and gas development, livestock grazing and construction.
The Super Bowl 57 matchup is all set with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs taking care of business in their respective NFL Championship Rounds. And there will be no shortage of O-U football alumni playing in the big game.
Former Sooner Quarterback Jalen Hurts now commands the Eagles offense and according to Sports Illustrated’s Josh Calloway, he is the youngest QB in Philadelphia franchise history to lead his team to the Super Bowl at just 24 years old.
Protecting Hurts will be 2013 first round pick Lane Johnson on the offensive line. For the AFC champion Chiefs, 4 former Sooners will participate including Lineman Orlando Brown and Creed Humphrey, TE Blake Bell, and Long Snapper James Winchester.
In total, OU’s 6 players are the most out of any college football program in the country. Super Bowl 57 will be played in Phoenix on February 12th with game time at 5:30 p.m.
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