Native Arts & Community: Red Earth Festival is back in downtown Oklahoma City, spotlighting Indigenous creativity with 130+ artists, dance competitions, film screenings, and cultural demos through Sunday. Education & Faith in Public Schools: LifeWise Academy is expanding its opt-in “released time” Bible-based character classes in Arkansas public schools, raising familiar questions about the line between parent choice and school influence. Immigration & Work Policy: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told governors at the NGA meeting in Oklahoma City that visa-worker programs can “plug holes” in the economy and suggested scaling back deportations for people with jobs—sparking fresh backlash online. Religion & Local Institutions: Catholic dioceses nationwide are consolidating parishes and closing churches as attendance drops and priest numbers decline, with Oklahoma among states seeing restructuring. Local Resilience: In Collinsville, the agriculture community rallied with a fundraiser for the children of Sara Duffey, killed in a murder-suicide, using a donated goat “rollover auction” to raise support. Culture & Literature: Nathaniel Rich’s new techno-thriller “Cloudthief” follows data-center heists across places including Oklahoma, using hyperscale tech as a lens on love and humanity. Sports Business: The OKC Thunder’s offseason is putting long-term pressure on ownership as the team weighs future spending and roster sustainability.