Wednesday - April 29, 2026
News Tipoffs - Oklahoma Editors Newsletter for Saturday March 21, 2026 ( 26 items )  

$9.5 Million Grant Launches Global Effort to Reanalyze Freshwater Systems Under Pressure
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, March 21 -- Virginia Tech issued the following news: * * * $9.5 million grant launches global effort to reanalyze freshwater systems under pressure By Courtney Sakry Freshwater systems worldwide are under increasing pressure. As populations grow and economies expand, water is being extracted faster than nature can replenish it. Pollution and climate change are further degrading water quality. Together, these forces are intensifying water scarcity and threatening human  more

AEP Ohio Partners to Bring $4.2B in New Electric Infrastructure in Appalachian Ohio Without Raising Customer Rates
COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 20 [Category: BizEnergy] -- American Electric Power Corp. posted the following news release: * * * AEP Ohio Partners to Bring $4.2B in New Electric Infrastructure in Appalachian Ohio Without Raising Customer Rates * GAHANNA, Ohio (March 20, 2026) -The U.S. Department of Energy, SB Energy and AEP Ohio today announced planned multi-billion-dollar investments in advanced digital and energy infrastructure to support data center growth and drive economic development in Appal  more

BLM announces May 2026 sale of oil and gas leases in New Mexico and Texas
WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management issued the following news release: * * * BLM announces May 2026 sale of oil and gas leases in New Mexico and Texas * SANTA FE, N.M. - The Bureau of Land Management today announced an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for May 20, 2026, to offer 74 oil and gas parcels totaling 33,530 acres in New Mexico and Texas. The BLM completed scoping on these parcels in December 2025 and held a public comment period th  more

BLS Southwest Region Issues Report on Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for the Regions December 2025
DALLAS, Texas, March 21 (TNSLrpt) -- Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for the Regions December 2025 - A report from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Southwest Region - March 20, 2026 * * * Private industry employer costs for employee compensation among the four regions of the country ranged from $41.21 per hour in the South to $53.99 in the Northeast in December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In the other two regions, hourly employer costs   more

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Set to Repatriate 735 Mississippian-Era Objects, 3 Ancestors
WASHINGTON, March 19 (TNSFR) -- The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Gainesville, Georgia, plans to repatriate human remains and associated funerary objects in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The inventory identifies the remains of at least three individuals and 735 associated funerary objects. At the Scull Shoals Mounds site, excavations between 1983 and 1985 recovered one individual and 154 objects, including nine quartz flakes, 143 pottery she  more

Chickasaw Nation breaks ground on new Lighthorse Police headquarters
ADA, Oklahoma, March 19 -- The Chickasaw Nation, a federally-recognized Native American tribe, issued the following news release: * * * Chickasaw Nation breaks ground on new Chickasaw Lighthorse Police headquarters * Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, center, is joined by Chickasaw Nation elected officials, tribal leaders and Chickasaw Lighthorse police to celebrate groundbreaking ceremonies on a new state-of-the-art facility March 19. The new facility will serve as the headquarters f  more

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Chairman Erickson Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies released the following testimony by Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, from a March 18, 2026, public witness day hearing on fiscal 2027 appropriations requests: * * * On behalf of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (the "Colville Tribes" or the "CCT"), I thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony on the Subc  more

ESPN Events tumbles to the Palmetto State with the 2027 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad set for Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena
BRISTOL, Connecticut, March 20 [Category: BizMedia] -- ESPN, a sports media company, posted the following news release: * * * ESPN Events tumbles to the Palmetto State with the 2027 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad set for Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena * ESPN Events' owned-and-operated gymnastics invitational, the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, heads to a new location as ESPN's 2027 gymnastics season will flip to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC, with two  more

Federal Charges Filed Against Carmichael Man for Interstate Threats Against a Judge
SACRAMENTO, California, March 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California posted the following news release: * * * Federal Charges Filed Against Carmichael Man for Interstate Threats Against a Judge A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Karl Czekai, 29, of Carmichael, with making interstate threats, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Czekai is separated from his wife, who moved to Oklahoma with their child to get away  more

FERC: Summaries | March 2026 Commission Meeting
WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following news release: * * * Summaries | March 2026 Commission Meeting These are summaries of orders voted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at its March 19, 2026, public meeting. Links to each order will be provided below once the order is issued. The summaries are produced by FERC's Office of External Affairs and are intended to provide only a general synopsis of the orders. These summaries are not intend  more

FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' Okla. AG Criticizes the Favoring of a Religious Charter School
MADISON, Wisconsin, March 21 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news on March 20, 2026: * * * 'Secularist' Okla. AG criticizes the favoring of a religious charter school The FFRF Action Fund's "Secularist of the Week" is Oklahoma's attorney general for his pushback against a state board's manipulation o  more

Governor Stitt Orders Transparency of Public School Spending
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 20 -- Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news: * * * Governor Stitt Orders Transparency of Public School Spending * OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20, 2026) - Governor Kevin Stitt today signed an executive order requiring a comprehensive review of how Oklahoma's public education funding is being spent. Under the Governor's leadership, state appropriations for Oklahoma's public school system have increased more during the last seven years than in the pas  more

Heartland Book Warning That Americans Don't Truly Own Their Investments Gains Significant Media Attention as States Consider Reforms
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois, March 16 (TNSjou) -- The Heartland Institute issued the following news release: * * * New Heartland Book Warning That Americans Don't Truly Own Their Investments Gains Significant Media Attention as States Consider Reforms Discussed on major national programs including The Glenn Beck Radio Program, Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey, and The Lars Larson Show Articles about the book have appeared in outlets including Fox News, RealClearMarkets, and The Epoch Times Legisl  more

ICYMI: Lankford Raises Concerns on AI Scams, Fentanyl, and Terror Financing at Worldwide Threats Hearing
WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news release: * * * ICYMI: Lankford Raises Concerns on AI Scams, Fentanyl, and Terror Financing at Worldwide Threats Hearing * WASHINGTON, DC -US Senator James Lankford (R-OK), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned intelligence community officials during the Committee's annual Worldwide Threat Assessment hearing, raising concerns about the rise in international scams targeting Americans, coordin  more

Littler Issues Commentary: Ones To Watch - Legislation Landscape for 2026
SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 19 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on March 18, 2026, by Director Maureen H. Lavery and research attorneys Hannah T. Stilley and Joe St. James: * * * Ones To Watch: Legislation Landscape for 2026 At a Glance This article provides an overview of the thousands of labor and employment-related bills introduced in the United States in the first quarter of the year and looks at trends that appear to be emerging. * Ones To Watch is back wi  more

Medical Aid Departs for 20 Countries as Storm Response Continues in Hawai'i, Midwest
SANTA BARBARA, California, March 21 -- Direct Relief issued the following news: * * * Medical Aid Departs for 20 Countries as Storm Response Continues in Hawai'i, Midwest Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 635 shipments of requested medical aid to 46 U.S. states and territories and 20 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 12.3 million defined daily doses of medication. Medications and supplies shipped this week included specialty therapies, antibiotics, reproductive healt  more

Mercyhurst University to Return 2 Ancestors Removed from Davidson County, Tennessee
WASHINGTON, March 19 (TNSFR) -- Mercyhurst University plans to repatriate the remains of two Native American individuals in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The remains were originally removed from the vicinity of Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. The path of these remains to the university involved several collectors and institutions. They were likely removed by T. Hugh Young before being obtained by Raymond C. Vietzen, an avocational archaeologi  more

OCII staff, undergrads, grad students make an impact in cyber field
TULSA, Oklahoma, March 20 -- The University of Tulsa posted the following news: * * * OCII staff, undergrads, grad students make an impact in cyber field * At The University of Tulsa's Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII), three women are shaping the future of cybersecurity education, research and workforce development. Their paths into the field are distinct, but each reflects a blend of resilience, curiosity and commitment to the cyber field. Bristie Rahman - Security Compliance An  more

OIG Issues Report Critical of SBA's Eligibility Determinations Made Under SOPs 50 10 7/7.1
STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 19 (TNSrpt) -- The National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders issued the following news: * * * OIG Issues Report Critical of SBA's Eligibility Determinations Made Under SOPs 50 10 7/7.1 On March 11, 2026, SBA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued Report 26-07 (https://www.sba.gov/document/report-26-07-sbas-screening-7a-loan-applications-under-its-risk-mitigation-framework), SBA's Screening of 7(a) Loan Applications Under its Risk Mitigation Fram  more

Okla. A.G. Drummond: March - Transparency is Key to Building, Preserving Trust in Government
OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 21 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following statement on March 20, 2026: * * * March: Transparency is key to building, preserving trust in government Oklahoma means business when it comes to transparency in government. We must uphold strong and transparent government practices to allow Oklahomans to clearly see the work of their public servants and to have the power to hold them accountable. During Sunshine Week and all throughout the   more

OSU students live the Cowboy Code by not letting pain win
STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 20 -- Oklahoma State University posted the following news: * * * OSU students live the Cowboy Code by not letting pain win * Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu How is OSU helping you push through challenges? Email us and share at contactus@okstate.edu. College has a way of testing you. It tests your confidence in a class that feels harder than anything you have taken before. It tests your r  more

OSU-CHS alum Mike Daniels builds supportive team of athletic trainers
STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 20 -- Oklahoma State University posted the following news: * * * OSU-CHS alum Mike Daniels builds supportive team of athletic trainers * Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Senior Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu Like a lot of athletic trainers, Mike Daniels was an athlete first. "I ended up getting hurt and I saw the athletic training side of things and fell in love with it," he said. "I enjoyed anatomy, physiology and the emerge  more

Research aids future development of bio-inspired underwater vehicles
STILLWATER, Oklahoma, March 20 -- Oklahoma State University posted the following news: * * * Research aids future development of bio-inspired underwater vehicles * Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu The biological swimming technique of the vast majority of aquatic creatures could influence the design of unmanned and autonomous underwater vehicles. Crustaceans such as krill, shrimp and lobsters use metachronal swimming to   more

Researchers Hunt for Easier Detection of Lymphatic Disorders
RICHARDSON, Texas, March 21 (TNSxrep) -- The University of Texas Dallas campus issued the following news: * * * Researchers Hunt for Easier Detection of Lymphatic Disorders By: Kim Horner Lymphatic diseases, which affect some 10 million people in the United States, are difficult to diagnose because no single test can see the entire network of tiny lymph vessels in the body, and doctors often need to combine different approaches to identify problems. To address the issue, the Advanced Resear  more

Rutgers University Set to Repatriate 19th-Century Burial Items, Human Remains
WASHINGTON, March 19 (TNSFR) -- Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, plans to repatriate human remains and associated funerary objects in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The inventory identifies the remains of one individual and 29 associated funerary objects. These items include a projectile point, nodules of red ochre, a non-human bone awl, a deer antler tip, turtle shells, small stones and a tube of soil. Historical documentation, including  more

Working Families Tax Cuts Keeps Family Farming Alive and Growing in America
WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release on March 20, 2026: * * * Working Families Tax Cuts Keeps Family Farming Alive and Growing in America Rural America is already seeing the benefits of the Working Families Tax Cuts, legislation shaped by the experiences and testimony of everyday rural Americans. More of America's 2 million family farms will be able to pass down their acreage, equipment, and le  more