By Janelle Stecklein | Editor

“We cannot legislate good parenting. We cannot force families to value education, but we can create systems that provide meaningful support, remove barriers and hold people accountable. And we have to stop expecting schools alone to carry that responsibility.” - Charity Eakens of ensuring students are attending school

The Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town’s flag flies Oct. 27, 2026 at the Indian Flag Plaza outside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

By Emma Murphy

A potentially high-paying deal between a major prediction market operator and a small, Oklahoma-based tribe may be in jeopardy amid a yearslong internal fight over who is the legitimate tribal chief.

The dispute over who is the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town chief has thrown the validity of an agreement with Kalshi – one of the nation’s best-known operators of prediction gaming markets – into question and raised the possibility of litigation over whether it is legal.

In October, the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town became one of the first Native American tribes in the country to enter into a highly touted agreement with Kalshi.

A student writes on a worksheet at Adelaide Lee Elementary in Oklahoma City on Aug. 11. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

By Nuria Martinez-Keel

Addressing student absenteeism will take two things, school district and court officials said Wednesday: money and manpower.

Voters line up to vote early Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at the MAC Center in Edmond, Oklahoma. (Photo by Barbara Hoberock/Oklahoma Voice)

By Barbara Hoberock

Nercissa Newberry didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

ICYMI

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oklahoma Voice staff will participate in the following events:

  • 2 p.m. Nov. 6, Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. Editor Janelle Stecklein will speak on a media panel about state politics at the Oklahoma Political Science Association Annual Conference. Host: Oklahoma Political Science Association

If you're interested in having us talk in your town, email Janelle Stecklein at [email protected]

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