By Janelle Stecklein | Editor
“Maybe I lack imagination, but I didn’t expect that performing this service was going to put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was and why I had to wear one.” - Amy Coney Barrett of the U.S. Supreme Court’s need for more security funding
Gov. Kevin Stitt speaks at a bill signing ceremony at John W. Rex Charter Elementary in Oklahoma City on April 21, 2026. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
By Courtney Bell
Oklahoma’s governor said Wednesday that the state will no longer divert Social Security survivor benefits from children in the state’s foster care system.
Gov. Kevin Stitt said Oklahoma will no longer use the so-called “orphan tax” to pay for children in foster care and instead preserve the benefits for future youth. Stitt said the change will help the youth leave the system with “greater opportunity and a stronger foundation for success,” he said.
Social Security survivor benefits are monthly payments some children are entitled to collect from the government after their parent dies. Previously, Oklahoma and dozens of other states collected benefits on behalf of the children in foster care and used them to reimburse state costs.
Produce at a Virginia grocery store in 2011. (Photo by Lance Cheung/U.S. Department of Agriculture)
By Emma Murphy
With 56 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, Oklahoma is the latest state to report a spike in cases amid a national outbreak of the intestinal illness.
State Chief Financial Officer Aaron Morris attends a news conference announcing details of the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget on April 1, 2026, at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)
By Emma Murphy
Oklahoma’s CFO will lead the state’s Health Care Authority after the current director said he would be stepping down after less than a year in the role.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s badge and weapon are seen during a vehicle checkpoint on Georgia Ave. in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 30, 2025. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
By Ariana Figueroa
President Donald Trump directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to resume traffic stops Wednesday, reversing a one-day pause on the policy after officers killed two immigrants who were in their vehicles in Texas and Maine.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 that a new budget reconciliation process would provide a way for Congress to change how elections work and appropriate more funding for defense. In this photo, Johnson answers reporters’ questions after holding a press conference on Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
By Jennifer Shutt
U.S. House Republicans released their latest budget resolution Wednesday, the first step in a long and complicated process that could allow Congress to approve a third party-line bill.
ICYMI
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