
By Janelle Stecklein | Editor
“Higher education has been the focus of my career because of the difference it makes for students, families and communities. … I look forward to strengthening the pathways that connect RUSO students with Oklahoma’s workforce and its future.” - Kent Lashley of being appointed CEO of the Regional University System of Oklahoma

A sign stands outside a polling location at St. Luke’s Methodist Church on an election day Aug. 27, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
By Barbara Hoberock
Voters go to the polls Tuesday to pick nominees for various partisan posts, including governor, state superintendent and U.S. Senate.
Voters will be asked to decide the fate of two state questions lawmakers put on the ballot.
The race generating the most attention is the Republican primary runoff for governor.

East Central University’s Memorial Student Union in Ada is pictured on Dec. 4, 2024. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice)
By Emma Murphy
The board that governs six of Oklahoma’s regional universities has hired its third new chief executive officer in two years.

A photo taken from outside the courtroom of Epic Charter School co-founder Ben Harris arriving for a preliminary hearing Feb. 25, 2026, at the Oklahoma County Courthouse in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
OPINION
By Janelle Stecklein
Last month, I found myself scratching my head – and not for the first time – that no cameras were in the courtroom to allow Oklahomans to witness the sentencing of restaurant owner Brent Swadley.

Idaho Democratic state Rep. Brooke Green, her toddler Bridger Byington, and her baby Bryson Byington at the Boise River in Boise, Idaho, on August 6, 2026. Opposition to the two ways that Green had her children, IVF and surrogacy, is rising. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Stateline)
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
In the past two years, Republicans in Idaho and four other states have added specific anti-IVF language to their state party platforms, and some anti-abortion groups, including Students for Life of America and Live Action, have become increasingly outspoken in their opposition to both IVF and surrogacy.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office on August 6, 2026. Trump signed an executive order during the event denying birthright citizenship to children of foreign diplomats after a loss at the U.S. Supreme Court limited an earlier order. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
By Ashley Murray
President Donald Trump has not slowed his pursuit of central policy goals and personal passions, even after major setbacks at the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts.
ICYMI
US Supreme Court allows $400M Trump ballroom project to proceed | Ariana Figueroa
Cities turn to AI to speed housing permitting | Robbie Sequeira
Oklahoma ends federal food program for schools with expanded hours | Nuria Martinez-Keel
Thanks for reading The Word on Oklahoma. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.