On Tuesday, a heated exchange between Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Sean O'Brien, the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, almost turned into a fistfight during a Senate hearing on labor unions. Mullin, a former MMA fighter, had challenged O'Brien to a physical fight for charity, but the exchange was eventually brought back to order. Mullin and O'Brien have since apologized for their behavior, sparking a debate over the appropriateness of physical confrontations in the Senate.
Posts tagged as “Oklahoma”
Authorities in Colorado are investigating the improper storage of human remains at Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, owned by Jon and Carrie Hallford. The Hallfords have been arrested in Oklahoma on suspicion of abuse of a corpse, money laundering and forgery. At least 189 decaying remains were found at the facility, and the Hallfords have been in contact with aggrieved families via email. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Fremont County Sheriff's Office are leading the investigation, with the potential for penalties for the Hallfords yet to be determined.
Senate Republicans have proposed a one-page plan to President Biden, calling for stricter immigration laws as part of an emergency funding package. The plan includes raising the “credible fear” standard for asylum-seekers, curtailing officials’ ability to grant humanitarian parole, toughening penalties for illegal border crossings, and creating a new “border security trust fund” to pay for additional personnel and technology at the border. The proposal has been met with criticism from some immigration advocates, and it is expected to be a major point of contention in the negotiations over the emergency funding package.
Bhagavan "Doc" Antle, owner of an exotic animal safari in South Carolina and featured in the Netflix documentary series "Tiger King," pleaded guilty to wildlife trafficking and money laundering. He admitted to overseeing the sale or purchase of protected species between 2018 and 2020, and will pay a $100,000 fine and serve three years of probation. He will be sentenced in January 2021.
Ricky Dority, who had been serving a life sentence in Oklahoma’s Joseph Harp Correctional Center, was released after more than two decades in prison due to inconsistencies found by the Oklahoma Innocence Project. Dority used his pandemic relief funds to hire a private investigator and is now adjusting to his newfound freedom with his son's family. The Oklahoma Innocence Project has exonerated seven people since its founding in 2011 and is dedicated to helping those wrongfully convicted.
House Republicans are attempting to select a new speaker after the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy last week. Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan are making their pitches to small caucuses and state delegations in an effort to secure the gavel. The nominee will need to secure a simple majority of all House members, though it is unclear when a final decision will be made.
On Friday afternoon, tragedy struck at the Broken Bow Airport in Oklahoma when a woman was killed after being hit by a small plane. Samantha Hayes, 27, was working for the city of Broken Bow's parks department when the pilot of a 1972 Bonanza A36 landed on the runway and struck her with a wing. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is currently investigating the incident to determine if any charges should be filed against the pilot.
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina on Saturday, bringing near-hurricane-strength winds and heavy rainfall to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Central U.S. The National Weather Service has warned of flooding, coastal storm surge and potential tornadoes, urging residents to take necessary precautions.