By Janelle Stecklein | Editor
“I know that nothing I say will be enough to erase your pain, to offer some kind of comfort or get her back. But I do want to tell you that I regret it and I am truly remorseful from the bottom of my heart. My time has come, and I want to leave, and I want to leave in peace. … And if I am forgiven some day, well, I will be forgiven. But it’s time for me to pay for what I did.” - Carlos Cuesta-Rodriguez in Spanish of not wanting the state Pardon and Parole Board to grant him clemency
Cederic C.M. Bond, left, and Trevor Pemberton, right, an attorney for Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak, pack up Tuesday after a hearing concerning the initiative petition process. (Photo by Barbara Hoberock/Oklahoma Voice)
By Barbara Hoberock
An Oklahoma Supreme Court referee on Tuesday heard arguments in a case which could shape the future of the state’s initiative petition process.
Supporters of a state question that would let voters decide if the state’s primaries should be open challenged a determination by the Oklahoma Secretary of State that they failed to garner enough legal signatures to get it on the ballot.
Frederic Dorwart, an attorney for the state question, which would place all primary candidates on a single ballot, said the Secretary of State must explain why over 57,000 signatures were rejected.
Members of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board listen during a clemency hearing on July 14, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Courtney Bell/Oklahoma Voice)
By Courtney Bell
The Pardon and Parole Board on Tuesday rejected the clemency request for a man facing execution after he told the board he did not deserve nor want clemency.
Vegetables and lettuces at a grocery store in Michigan. Michigan health officials say lettuces and salad greens are emerging as a likely source in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened hundreds of people across 31 states. (Photo by Jon King/Michigan Advance)
By Anna Claire Vollers
As state and federal officials work to identify the source of the recent outbreak of the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, Michigan health officials have identified lettuces or salad greens as one potential culprit.
Security stands outside ICE headquarters while the Congressional Hispanic Caucus rallies on Feb. 3, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
By Ariana Figueroa
The Department of Homeland Security Tuesday ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to cease vehicle-related enforcement stops, following the deadly shootings of two men in their vehicles, according to multiple media reports.
President Donald Trump speaks at a Freedom 250 Grand Prix showcase on West Executive Avenue between the West Wing of the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on July 13, 2026, as, from left to right, 2026 Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist, reigning IndyCar series champion Álex Palou and Freedom 250 Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker look on. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
By Amelia Twyman
President Donald Trump enlisted star IndyCar racers, a simulated pit stop and a pair of high-powered sports cars Monday as he sought to rev up excitement for a race around the nation’s capital next month.
ICYMI
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