WASHINGTON, April 2 -- A coalition of 20 conservation organizations have submitted a public comment letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advocating for the relisting of the Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) under the Endangered Species Act. The letter highlights concerns about the bird's continuing population decline and mounting threats to its habitat across its five-state range of Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The groups report that the Lesser Prairie-chicken population currently numbers around 28 more ST

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- Americans United for Separation of Church and State issued the following news on April 1, 2026: * * * Oklahoma families, teachers, and clergy seek to block unconstitutional religious public school OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- In support of church-state separation and public education, a predominantly Jewish group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers - including families with children attending public schools, teachers and clergy - filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gam more PR

SACRAMENTO, California, April 1 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Bonta Urges Federal Crackdown on "Tranq" as Xylazine Abuse Surges * AG Bonta again calls on U.S. Congress to classify the animal tranquilizer xylazine, commonly called "tranq" and frequently combined with illicit fentanyl, as a controlled substance OAKLAND -California Attorney General Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 41 attorneys general, sent another letter to Congress in support of the Combating Illici more PR

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, April 1 -- Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Griffin Co-Leads Letter from Bipartisan, 41-AG Coalition Asking Congress to Pass the Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act * Griffin: 'Criminals and foreign adversaries are targeting Americans with this combination of drugs, and we need to do everything in our power to stop them' LITTLE ROCK - Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement after co-leading a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general i more PR

RALEIGH, North Carolina, March 31 -- North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued the following news release: * * * Attorney General Jeff Jackson Calls on Congress to Pass Bipartisan Legislation That Would Regulate Deadly Drug Xylazine * Attorney General Jeff Jackson today joined a bipartisan group of attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (S. 545/ H.R. 1266). The bipartisan bill would classify xylazine as a Schedule III substance under federal law, which would help prevent the illicit use of the more PR

WASHINGTON, March 31 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- The National Association of Attorneys General issued the following news release: * * * Bipartisan Coalition of Attorneys General Urges Congress to Pass Legislation Against Illicit Xylazine * Today, the National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter on behalf of a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general calling on Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. The bipartisan legislation would classify the dangerous animal tranquilizer xylazine - which is more PR

ADA, Oklahoma, April 1 -- The Chickasaw Nation, a federally-recognized Native American tribe, issued the following news release: * * * Chickasaw Nation perinatal program earns Gold Spotlight Award for second consecutive year * The Chickasaw Nation Medical Center's (CNMC) perinatal program has received the Gold Level Spotlight Hospital Award from the Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (OPQIC) for the second year in a row, placing it among the top birthing hospitals in the state. The award places the Chickasaw Nation among more PR

WASHINGTON, April 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48890) on March 31, 2026, entitled "Determining Grants Under Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act" by education policy specialist Rebecca R. Skinner and research assistant Isobel Sorenson. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) authorizes aid to local educational agencies (LEAs) for the education of disadvantaged children. Title I-A grants provide supplementary educ more PR

WASHINGTON, April 1 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48888) on March 30, 2026, entitled "The Federal Recognition of Tribes: Frequently Asked Questions." The report is written by natural resources policy specialist Mariel J. Murray, legislative attorney Mainon A. Schwartz and law librarian Laura Deal. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY As of 2026, the United States encompasses 575 federally recognized Tribes, or groups of Indigenous people that have a formally acknowledged government-to-govern more PR

MADISON, Wisconsin, April 2 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted the following news release on April 1, 2026: * * * Okla. taxpayers seek to block unconstitutional religious public school A group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers -- including families with children attending public schools -- filed a motion today in federal court seeking to intervene in a lawsuit brought by the National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation. This religious organization is trying to open the nation's first religious public charter school in Oklahoma  more PR

STILLWATER, Oklahoma, April 1 -- Oklahoma State University posted the following news: * * * High schools statewide participate in second annual Aero Exploration Day at Oklahoma State University * Media Contact: Kirsi McDowell | Communications Coordinator, CEHS | 405-744-8320 | kirsi@okstate.edu High school and junior high aviation student teams demonstrated their skills and knowledge, and explored aviation and aerospace opportunities at Oklahoma State University during the second Aero Exploration Day, hosted by the College of Education an more PR

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: * * * Launch Cleared: Congress Fuels America's Next Moon Mission Following enactment of the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans are fueling American ingenuity and scientific discovery to secure space superiority and push the next frontier forward. The successful launch of Artemis II - the first crewed deep space mission in more more PR

RUSTON, Louisiana, April 2 -- Louisiana Tech University issued the following news: * * * Louisiana Tech, Air Force Sustainment Center partner to power future workforce Louisiana Tech University and the Air Force Sustainment Center (AFSC) formalized a new partnership during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing event held March 23 at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The partnership is designed to create a pipeline of highly skilled graduates prepared to contribute to the Air Force Civilian Service in aircraft and warfi more PR

LINCOLN, Nebraska, April 2 -- The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment issued the following news release on April 1, 2026: * * * Nebraska submits information to U.S. DOE for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus consideration Today, the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) submitted a response to the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Request for Information about the state's consideration as a potential future site for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. The submission is the first step in DOE's proc more PR

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 2 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release on April 1, 2026: * * * Drummond: Operation Sooner Shield protects vulnerable Oklahomans, recovers tax dollars Attorney General Gentner Drummond's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) wrapped up investigations this week in 10 counties across Oklahoma, resulting in 10 arrests, two surrenders, 10 criminal cases and one civil action. More than $1.5 million in restitution and fines was identified in the collective enforcements. The inv more PR

NEW YORK, April 1 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the U.S., posted the following news release: * * * Oklahoma families, teachers, and clergy seek to block unconstitutional religious public school * OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -In support of church-state separation and public education, a predominantly Jewish group of seven Oklahoma taxpayers - including families with children attending public more PR

STILLWATER, Oklahoma, April 1 -- Oklahoma State University posted the following news: * * * OSU NPDC helps manufacturers adopt robotics * Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology's New Product Development Center is helping small manufacturers across the state explore advanced automation through a hands-on robotics pilot program designed to reduce barriers and improve operational efficiency. Through a partnership with the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology's Inventors Assistan more PR

LAWTON, Oklahoma, April 1 -- Cameron University issued the following news release: * * * Prizes awarded for Cameron University's 44th academic interscholastic contest * Approximately 360 students from a dozen southwest Oklahoma high schools converged on Cameron University recently to participate in the university's 44th Interscholastic Contest. The academic meet offered events in more than 45 categories ranging from accounting and biology, to woodwind instruments and world history. "We were thrilled with the turn out for this year's conte more PR

WASHINGTON, April 1 (TNSFR) -- Tripower Resources LLC, Ardmore, Oklahoma, has filed a petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management to reinstate a terminated competitive oil and gas lease located in Converse County, Wyoming. The agency is now proposing to grant the request, noting that no other leases have been issued that impact these specific lands. The proposal to restore the lease follows the guidelines established by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. To qualify for this action, the petitioner agreed to adjuste more PR

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 2 (TNSjou) -- The University of Oklahoma Health campus issued the following news: * * * Researchers Identify Mechanism for Body Weight-Reducing Hormone A hormone that reverses obesity in mice appears to work by signaling to a brain region involved in metabolism and appetite regulation, the same area targeted by the popular GLP-1 drugs. The finding, from University of Oklahoma researchers, is published in Cell Reports. The study provides valuable new insight into the naturally occurring hormone, called FGF21 (f more PR