FEATURED
Snapshot of Plaza Towers Elementary School
Plaza Towers Elementary, the school in Moore where seven children died in a massive tornado strike today, has more than 400 students, most of them low-income.
State Has Kept Role to a Minimum with School Shelters
|
Oklahoma has shied away from requiring tornado shelters in schools, paying for them or knowing which schools have protective rooms or basements.
Aftermath of a Storm
|
Residents of Moore again see a portion of their city reduced to splinters by a giant tornado. But no one ever gets used to the scenes of devastation, grief, hope and strangeness in the wake of such storms.
Data-Driven: Spin the Wheel to Analyze the State Budget
|
This interactive wheel lets you track the state budget by category -- and see changes over last year and since 2009.
Consultant Recommends Arkansas-Type Health Plan
|
A consultant hired by Oklahoma to propose ideas on state health care for the uninsured is recommending the state adopt a plan similar to one in Arkansas that channels state and federal money to private insurers. The earliest realistic time to implement that plan would be in 2015, the company said.
Data-Driven: Comparing What Oklahoma Hospitals Charge
|
Hospitals in Oklahoma charge very different amounts for the same medical treatment, even within a city or community. Now, with this interactive, you can see what those charges are.
Government
Oklahoma’s Ratio of Women in Legislature Among Nation’s Lowest
Women make up a slight majority of Oklahomans, but that doesn’t translate into representation in the Legislature and Congress. Oklahoma has the fourth lowest percentage of female legislators in the nation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are four women among 48 Senate members, and 16 women among 101 House members. Altogether, women [...]
Public Money
As Energy Booms, Thousands Fail to Claim Their Share of the Wealth
The amount of money owed to Oklahoma mineral-rights owners who can’t be located has exploded in recent years as oil and gas production increased sharply across the state. Most owners will never know that they’re missing out on their share of the state’s oil and gas boom.
Poverty
Giving the Homeless Homes, No Strings Attached
Oklahoma City has joined Tulsa in pursuit of a seemingly impossible goal: to eliminate chronic homelessness within two years. Both are using a strategy that breaks from conventional wisdom.
Data-Driven
Where Tornadoes Strike
Little in the national Storm Prediction Center's summary of U.S. tornado activity through April suggested Oklahoma was about to experience a tornado assault. With a preliminary count of 87 tornadoes at EF1 level or stronger in the first three months, "the year is off to a slow start with about half the average number of tornadoes for this period of the year.
Locating the Uninsured
More than a fifth of Oklahomans under the age of 65 do not have health insurance, giving the state the sixth highest uninsured rate in the nation.
The Questioner
A Degree of Difference?
Q: Does it matter that Oklahoma has relatively few teachers with master’s degrees?
In Pursuit of Quick, High-Interest Loans
Q: Are Oklahomans falling for another version of predatory loans?