On Wednesday, Tulsa’s City Council is set to vote on an ordinance that would limit what Tulsans can do on sidewalks and medians. The proposed ordinance comes after two incidents, one in 2023, and one in 2024, where two separate people were killed while standing in center medians.

Councilor Phil Lakin, who spoke to The Frontier on Monday about the ordinance, said it was about public safety. Many medians in Tulsa are narrow, and in zones where the speed limit is above 25 miles per hour, he believes standing in the median is a safety hazard. The ordinance would also potentially apply to sidewalks that are within 18 inches of the street as well.

But when it comes to enforcement, some, including City Councilor Laura Bellis, fear the ordinance will only be applied to those panhandling, and she fears fines associated with the ordinance could prove too costly.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, we hear from Bellis, Lakin, and Deputy Council Administrator Sarah Davis ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Five years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark McGirt v. Oklahoma decision affirmed much of eastern Oklahoma as Indian Country, some towns are still issuing traffic and municipal tickets to tribal citizens. In this episode, we talk with reporters Clifton Adcock and Allison Herrera about their investigation into why this happens, how it plays out in municipal courts, and what that means for tribal sovereignty.

The conversation looks into the tension between local governments and tribal nations, the burden on everyday citizens caught in the middle, and the patchwork of settlements and agreements reshaping law enforcement. We also explore whether tribal courts and police departments have the resources to handle the cases being shifted their way, and what models of cooperation might point the way toward a lasting solution.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Chuck Hoskin Jr. has served as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation since 2019, leading the tribe through a period of historic legal shifts, economic investment, and political tension. 

At the center of much of it is McGirt v. Oklahoma, the landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that affirmed much of eastern Oklahoma remains reservation land. That ruling reshaped how justice is administered in Indian Country and how tribal sovereignty is understood and exercised today.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, Hoskin pushed back on critics who claim the McGirt decision led to “legal chaos.” He also reflected on the strained relationship between tribal nations and Gov. Kevin Stitt, discussed how he hopes the next governor will mend that relationship, and talked about how the Cherokee Nation is working to lift up long-neglected communities while simultaneously facing the challenges that come with increased jurisdictional authority.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Oklahoma has officially adopted new social studies standards that require public school students to be taught about "discrepancies" in the 2020 presidential election — language critics say mirrors debunked conspiracy theories. 

Despite the lack of evidence supporting claims of widespread voter fraud, the state’s new standards embed references that educators and parents fear could mislead students and turn classrooms into ideological battlegrounds.

The standards, approved earlier this year by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, include mandates criticized for their similarity to talking points from conservative media outlets rather than academically sound instruction. Teachers, parents, and education experts worry the inclusion of partisan narratives threatens the integrity of education and places pressure on educators.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, we speak with Aaron Baker, an Oklahoma-based U.S. History teacher, Sandra Valentine, whose daughter is entering high school and will soon be taught these concepts, and Heather Goodenough, President of the Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies.

In this episode of Listen Frontier, we sit down with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt just days after the Thunder captured their first NBA championship — a moment that’s left the city buzzing.

Holt reflects on what this unforgettable Finals series meant not just for basketball fans, but for the city itself. We talk about the energy in the arena, the grit of the team, and how the Thunder's run became something bigger than sports — a symbol of how far Oklahoma City has come.

We also dive into the deeper story behind the celebration. Holt opens up about how this moment of triumph connects to Oklahoma City’s long journey since the bombing 30 years ago — and why he sees the Thunder’s win as a powerful chapter in that story of resilience.

Gentner Drummond. Ryan Walters. Matt Pinnell. 

A year out from the 2026 primary elections, those three names have emerged as leaders to be Oklahoma’s next Republican candidate for governor. The catch? Only one of them has officially declared their candidacy.

Drummond, Oklahoma’s Attorney General, has a large -— though not insurmountable lead — according to polling released Wednesday by Sooner Survey, which asked 500 registered Republican voters in Oklahoma about their thoughts on likely GOP candidates for governor. Walters, Oklahoma’s state schools superintendent, and Pinnell, the lieutenant governor, lag behind Drummond.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson has entered a growing contest to replace Kevin Stitt as Oklahoma’s next governor. The odds are stacked against Munson - when election day rolls around next year, it will have been 20 years since Oklahoma last elected a Democrat as Governor.

But that’s not slowing down Munson, who said she hopes to provide an alternative to the conservative candidates currently duking it out ahead of next summer’s primary elections.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, told The Frontier she hopes her bill will help Oklahoma schools limit cellphone use and increase learning outcomes.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton is “100 percent on board” with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s proposed half-percent income tax cut – but it’s a cautious 100 percent. 

Paxton told The Frontier that recent Board of Equalization figures, which show Oklahoma’s budget to be short of expectations following last year’s grocery tax cut, make him wary of the possibility of a return to the state’s budget woes of last decade. 

“I can easily say I’m 100% in favor of an income tax cut,” Paxton told The Frontier.

But he also remembers when the state was facing a more than $1 billion budget deficit in 2016.   Stitt has pushed for “half and a path,” his term for a half-percent cut  and a path toward eventually eliminating personal income taxes. Recent Board of Equalization figures show Oklahoma’s revenue projections are less than anticipated, though the state has about $4.6 billion in reserves. Those figures come after the state eliminated its portion of the grocery tax last year, which resulted in a loss of more than $400 million in tax revenue. Stitt, while urging a cut to personal income taxes, has also called for state agencies to have flat budgets for this fiscal year.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, I talk to Paxton about what an income tax cut might mean - both good and bad - for Oklahomans.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

The United States Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Oklahoma to vacate the murder conviction of Richard Glossip, the state’s most famous death row inmate, finding that prosecutors violated Glossip’s civil rights during his trial more than 20 years ago. 

“Glossip is entitled to a new trial,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the majority opinion for five justices. She was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Kentaji Brown and Amy Comey Barrett, who dissented in part. 

Glossip has spent 26 years on death row, had two trials, nine execution dates and three last meals. Tuesday’s ruling came as Oklahoma prepares to execute its first inmate of the year in March, the 16th since the state resumed executions in 2021.

On today's podcast, I'm joined by former Republican lawmaker Kevin McDugle. In his time in the Legislature, McDugle advocated for Glossip, as well as for various reforms to Oklahoma's use of the death penalty.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.