EVENING AT SEVEN ON OETA.

LAWMAKERS PUSH TO IMPLEMENT A MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY IN OKLAHOMA.

78% OF OKLAHOMA VOTERS SUPPORTED A MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY.

SO THIS IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE.

THOUSANDS OF RANCHERS AND THOUSANDS MORE CATTLE CONVENE IN OKLAHOMA CITY FOR THE ANNUAL CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS.

BE CLOSE TO 40 STATES EXHIBITING HERE, AND WE WILL HAVE VISITORS FROM AT LEAST TEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

17 YOUNG OKLAHOMANS WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE FAA CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS.

NO ONE'S REALLY HEARD OF TURTLE TRAPPING AND AIR TRAPPING, BUT HOW I'VE DONE IT, AND HOW GOOD OR HOW WELL I'VE DONE IT CAN THIS FISH, WHICH IS BLIND AND LIVES IN A CAVE, HELP LEAD TO NEW TREATMENTS FOR DIABETES IN OKLAHOMA?

RESEARCHER BELIEVES THAT IT CAN.

MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING HEALTH WISE, THE SOLUTIONS ARE THERE IN NATURE.

WE JUST NEED TO FIND THEM.

AN IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION ON WHAT'S NEXT FOR VENEZUELA FOLLOWING THE ARREST OF DICTATOR NICOLAS MADURO.

FOR THERE TO BE ANY KIND OF SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY IN VENEZUELA, WE NEED ELECTIONS AND WE NEED DEMOCRACY.

THOSE STORIES, PLUS NEW ARTWORK AT THE OKC FAIRGROUNDS NEXT ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

I'M RICH LENZ, THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS CONVENING IN OKLAHOMA CITY THIS WEEK FOR AN 11 DAY RUN AT THE FAIRGROUNDS.

THE ANNUAL EVENT TAKES PLACE THIS YEAR, WITH CONSUMERS PAYING EXORBITANT PRICES FOR BEEF.

AND AS WE ALL LEARNED IN ECON 101, THE LAWS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND EXPLAIN THE PAIN AT THE SUPERMARKET.

JASON DOYLE JOINS US NOW WITH MORE.

JASON.

RICH.

THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS BRINGS TOGETHER TOP BEEF CATTLE PRODUCERS, AND THEY KNOW CONSUMERS ARE FEELING THE PRICE PINCH, EVEN AS DEMAND CONTINUES TO RISE FOR BURGERS AND STEAKS.

WE'RE ABOUT READY TO GET STARTED WITH A REGIONAL RED ANGUS JUNIOR SHOW.

IT'S EARLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN THE ARENA AT COLISEUM, AND BEEF CATTLE PRODUCERS ARE SHOWING THE BEST OF THEIR BEST AT THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS.

THIS IS THE SIXTH YEAR FOR THE EVENT.

YOU'RE AT CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST GATHERING OF PUREBRED CATTLE IN THE WORLD.

OUR EVENT STARTED SIX YEARS AGO OUT OF NECESSITY BECAUSE OF COVID AND HAS GROWN BECAUSE OF DEMAND.

THE CATTLE AND THE PRODUCERS COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A MAJOR TRADE SHOW FOR THE INDUSTRY IN OKLAHOMA'S CAPITAL CITY.

WE HAVE ABOUT 8800 ENTRIES AND ABOUT HALF THAT THE NUMBER OF EXHIBITORS, AND THEY'LL BE CLOSE TO 40 STATES EXHIBITING HERE, AND WE WILL HAVE VISITORS FROM AT LEAST TEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

THE WORK IT TAKES TO GET TO SHOW PRIZE CATTLE IN THIS ARENA STARTS NEARLY TWO YEARS BEFORE THE BEEFY BOVINE ARE READY TO COMPETE.

THE PROCESS TO SHOWING HERE, IT'S HONESTLY ALMOST A TWO YEAR EVENT.

YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO MAKE THE BREEDING DECISION OF THAT ANIMAL THAT YOU WANT THAT MATING TO WORK.

THEN ON TOP OF THAT, YOU GOT TO FIND A WAY TO MARKET THAT ANIMAL AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THEN YOU'RE FINALLY BRINGING IT HERE TO TO YOUR FINAL PRODUCT, YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT.

RIGHT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS ISN'T OUR FINISHED PRODUCT, RIGHT?

WE'RE LOOKING TO TO GENERATE CATTLE AND LIVESTOCK OR OF ANY SPECIES TO MAKE THEM BETTER FOR THAT CONSUMER, FOR THAT PRODUCER.

TY BAIER IS THE OWNER AND OPERATOR OF TC REDS FROM WISCONSIN.

IT'S A REGISTERED SEEDSTOCK OPERATION, WHICH IS MOSTLY RED ANGUS AND ANGUS CATTLE.

HE CALLS THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS A WORLD CLASS EVENT, AN EVENT THAT YOU CAN SHOWCASE THE BEST OF EVERY BREED IN ONE LOCATION.

AND YOU CAN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING MUCH MORE OF A OF A SHOW TO TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE IN TERMS OF THE CATTLE INDUSTRY RIGHT HERE IN ONE LOCATION.

SO IN THE HEART OF CATTLE COUNTRY, THESE SHOW CATTLE TYPICALLY SELL FOR 10 TO $50,000 PER ANIMAL.

WE STRIVE TO MAKE THEM PERFECT, RIGHT.

BUT IT'S HARD TO MAKE THEM PERFECT.

SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU WANT TO FIND THE THE CATTLE, THAT OR YOU WANT TO FIND THE PROS AND THE CONS AND KIND OF MESH THEM TOGETHER.

AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF LIKE THE WHOLE BREEDING PROCESS HERE TOO, IS YOU'RE YOU'RE STRIVING TO CREATE THE POSITIVES OF EACH INTO THAT GENETIC MAKEUP.

SO MAKING THEM BETTER.

COME ON BABE.

WE ALSO CAUGHT UP WITH LILY JUDD FROM KANSAS AS SHE WAS PREPARING A CALF TO BE SHOWN.

WE HAVE 1000 HEAD OF MAMA COWS.

WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF ROW CROP TO FEED THOSE COWS ON THE SIDE.

WE HAVE AN ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE, A BULL SALE IN MARCH AND THEN A FEMALE SALE IN OCTOBER EVERY YEAR.

SO THOSE ARE KIND OF WHAT WE WORK AROUND ALL YEAR.

HER FAMILY'S OPERATION HELPS TO PROVIDE SEED STOCK TO COMMERCIAL BEEF OPERATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION.

THOSE ARE RAISING THE ANIMALS TO GO TO THE FEEDLOT THAT ARE GOING TO GO TO THE TABLE.

WE ARE THE STEP BEFORE THAT.

SO WE RAISE THE GENETICS.

WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE GENETICS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN GET THE BEST KIND OF QUALITY BEEF PRODUCT POSSIBLE.

BEFORE THEY GET TO THE FEEDLOT, THE PRODUCERS HERE SAY THEY UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF CONSUMERS.

WITH THE HIGHER PRICES AT THE GROCERY STORE FOR THINGS LIKE HAMBURGER AND STEAK, AND THEY SAY THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.

COW HERD IS THE LOWEST IT'S BEEN IN 50 YEARS, IS MY UNDERSTANDING, AND IT TAKES TIME.

INTERESTING FACT A COW HAS THE SAME GESTATION PERIOD AS A WOMAN OF HAVING A CHILD, SO IT TAKES A WHILE.

IT'S A NINE MONTH PROCESS.

AND THEN ONCE YOU HAVE THAT CALF, IF IT'S A HEIFER, YOU'VE GOT TWO YEARS TILL IT'S GOING TO HAVE A BABY.

SO IT IS A VERY LONG, DRAWN OUT PROCESS, DIFFERENT THAN THE POULTRY AND PORK INDUSTRY AND OTHER MEAT INDUSTRY.

NORVELL ADDS THAT THESE TYPES OF EVENTS HELP ENCOURAGE MORE COLLABORATION BETWEEN PRODUCERS SO THEY CAN BREED CATTLE, WHICH NEED FEWER INPUTS TO HELP DRIVE DOWN THE COSTS.

WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE?

AND I KEEP TALKING ABOUT GENETICS AND TRADING IDEAS AND RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE BEEF GROW FASTER, MORE EFFICIENTLY, WITHOUT ANY EXTRA INPUTS OR THINGS THAT CONCERN THE CONSUMER.

JUST GOOD GENETICS AND GOOD SELECTION.

LILY JUDD SAYS ANOTHER ISSUE CAUSING HIGHER PRICES AT THE STORE AND RESTAURANT HAS BEEN THE RISING COST TO RAISE CATTLE FOR BEEF PRODUCTION.

WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, THE INPUT COSTS ARE EXTREMELY HIGH, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING.

SO AS EVERYTHING INCREASES, IT TAKES JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TO GET THAT STEAK ON YOUR PLATE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE REFLECTION THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE.

DESPITE THE HIGHER PRICES FOR AMERICAN BEEF, THE DEMAND IS STILL GROWING.

AND AS ANY GOOD ECONOMIC PROFESSOR WILL TELL YOU, IF SUPPLY CAN'T KEEP UP WITH DEMAND, THE MARKETPLACE WILL PUSH PRICES HIGHER.

THERE IS A SHORTER DEMAND FOR CATTLE OUT THERE AT THIS MOMENT.

SO I MEAN, THAT'S GOING TO DRIVE THE PRICE UP A LITTLE BIT.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE QUALITY OF OUR PRODUCT IS IMPROVING.

THE HIGHER PRICES HAVE BACKED DEMAND OFF ANY.

IF NOT, WE SEE JUST AS MUCH OR MORE THAT HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT IS DEFINITELY THERE AND THERE'S DEFINITELY A DRIVE FOR IT.

EVEN DESPITE TARIFFS AND OTHER TRADE ISSUES, INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR AMERICAN BEEF CONTINUES TO RISE AS WELL.

OTHER COUNTRIES ARE REALIZING WHAT A HIGH QUALITY PRODUCT WE HAVE HERE AND WANT MORE OF IT AS WELL.

AND I BELIEVE THERE ALWAYS WILL BE, BECAUSE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN THE INTERVIEW, THE QUALITY OF AMERICAN BEEF.

I MEAN, IF YOU GO TO COUNTRIES, EVERY COUNTRY HAS AN UPPER CLASS.

THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO WANT TO HAVE THAT UPPER END U.S.

BEEF BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

THESE TOP CATTLE BREEDERS AND PRODUCERS APPRECIATE THE CATTLE CONGRESS FOR BRINGING THEM TOGETHER, AND THE ORGANIZERS APPRECIATE THEM BECAUSE THEY BRING A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT TO THE STATE.

THE EVENT HAS CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STATE FAIR PARK WHEN IT TRADITIONALLY DOESN'T SEE MUCH TRAFFIC.

SO THE IMPACT TO OKLAHOMA CITY IS OVER $50 MILLION.

AND WHAT MAKES US SO UNIQUE TO OKLAHOMA CITY IS BEFORE WE WERE HERE, JANUARY WAS THE SLOWEST MONTH OF THE YEAR, THE FIRST TWO WEEKS, AND NOW IT'S ONE OF THEIR BUSIEST.

TY BURR, WHO IS A THIRD GENERATION CATTLEMAN, SAYS THE OKLAHOMA SHOW IN JANUARY IS PERFECT TIMING AND A PERFECT LOCATION FOR HIM TO BRING HIS CATTLE TO THE EVENT.

IT'S VERY CONVENIENT, YOU KNOW, VERY CENTRALIZED.

I THINK THIS SHOW IS FOR FOR ANYBODY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET PEOPLE FROM THE WEST COAST, EAST COAST, NORTH TO SOUTH.

IT'S VERY ACCOMMODATING TO COME HERE.

BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS WAS ABLE TO USE THE NEWLY OPENED COLISEUM AT STATE FAIR PARK.

IT'S STATE OF THE ART, LIKE NOTHING ELSE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR LIVESTOCK SHOWS, HORSE SHOWS.

IT'S BEEN PRETTY NEAT.

AS I CAME DOWN HERE TO DO THE INTERVIEW, I WAS TALKING TO BREEDERS UP IN THE STANDS.

THEY'RE LIKE, YOU UNDERSOLD IT.

IT'S BETTER THAN WE EVER IMAGINED.

THE ARENA.

IT'S JUST A REALLY SOMETHING OKLAHOMA CITY AND THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA SHOULD BE PROUD OF.

AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL IN HERE IN A FEW MONTHS.

THE CATTLEMEN'S CONGRESS ALSO STREAMS THEIR SHOWS LIVE BECAUSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DEMAND FOR AMERICAN CATTLE GENETICS BY BEEF LOVERS AROUND THE WORLD.

THE EVENT GOES THROUGH JANUARY 14TH.

AND COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST, STEVE SHAW WILL PROFILE ONE OF THE 17 OKLAHOMA TEENAGERS CROWNED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AT THE 98TH ANNUAL FFA CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS.

RICH.

JASON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.

WELL, OKLAHOMA IS ALL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FULLY SUPPORTS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S ARREST OF FORMER VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE ON DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES.

MANY DEMOCRATS ARE OPPOSED TO WHAT THEY SAY IS AN ILLEGAL ACTION.

WITH MORE ON OKLAHOMA'S REACTION, HERE'S A PREVIEW OF OUR IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST.

I THOUGHT, I'M NEVER GOING TO GET THE HOPE BACK TO BE BACK TO MY COUNTRY AND SAY, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, AND I JUST STARTED CRYING.

MY DAUGHTER STARTED CRYING.

SHE'S JUST TEN YEARS OLD, BUT SHE STARTED CRYING.

SO BECAUSE SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION.

WE WERE SO HAPPY.

I WISH I COULD BE MORE OPTIMISTIC RIGHT NOW.

I UNDERSTAND THE ELATION AND THE EUPHORIA.

I'M HAPPY TO SEE MADURO GO UP.

I THINK IT'S GOOD.

BUT A LOT MORE HAS TO HAPPEN.

MY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE MOST POWERFUL PLAYERS IN THIS SITUATION, BOTH THOSE RULING VENEZUELA CURRENTLY AS WELL AS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, ARE NOT LOOKING IN THAT DIRECTION.

THE REST OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING UP LATER IN THIS NEWSCAST.

OKLAHOMA LAWMAKERS ARE CALLING FOR THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 601, THE DEATH PENALTY MORATORIUM ACT, WHICH WOULD AT LEAST TEMPORARILY HALT ALL EXECUTIONS IN OKLAHOMA.

AND THEY ARE ALSO SEEKING CLEMENCY FOR CONVICTED KILLER SET TO BE PUT TO DEATH IN FEBRUARY.

TAELYR JACKSON ATTENDED A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE STATE CAPITOL ON TUESDAY AND JOINS US FROM OUR NEWSROOM NOW WITH MORE DETAILS.

TAELYR RICH OKLAHOMA HAS EXECUTED MORE THAN 125 PEOPLE SINCE 1976.

CURRENTLY, MORE THAN 20 INMATES SIT ON DEATH ROW.

NOW, SOME STATE LEADERS SAY IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

EVERY LIFE DESERVES DIGNITY, TRANSPARENCY AND FAIR JUSTICE.

SENATOR NIKKI NICE AND OTHER STATE LEADERS ARE PUSHING FOR THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 601, ALSO KNOWN AS THE DEATH MORATORIUM ACT.

THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION WOULD PAUSE ALL CURRENT EXECUTIONS AND CREATE THE DEATH PENALTY REFORM TASK FORCE.

THE PURPOSE OF THE MORATORIUM IS TO ALLOW US TO CONDUCT A REVIEW SO THAT CONSIDERATIONS CAN BE MADE TO INCORPORATE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE 2017 OKLAHOMA DEATH PENALTY REVIEW COMMISSION REPORT INTO DEATH PENALTY PRACTICES.

THE ALMOST 300 PAGE REPORT WAS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT THAT EXAMINED ARREST, EXECUTION AND TAXPAYER COST.

HERE'S AN EXCERPT FROM THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THAT REPORT.

MANY OF THE FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION'S YEAR LONG INVESTIGATION WERE DISTURBING, AND LED COMMISSION MEMBERS TO QUESTION WHETHER THE DEATH PENALTY CAN BE ADMINISTERED IN A WAY THAT ENSURES NO INNOCENT PERSON IS PUT TO DEATH.

AND AS WE KNOW, THERE'S A 2020 3RD FEBRUARY POLL THAT WAS SENT OUT TO OKLAHOMANS AND OKLAHOMA CONSERVATIVES CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEATH PENALTY.

78% OF OKLAHOMA VOTERS SUPPORTED A MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY.

SO THIS IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE.

THIS IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE.

SENATE BILL 601, AUTHORED BY SENATOR DAVE RADER, WAS INTRODUCED DURING THE LAST REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

SENATOR NICE IS HOPING THE BILL WILL GAIN MORE TRACTION DURING THE UPCOMING SESSION, WHICH BEGINS IN FEBRUARY.

I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SENATOR RADER.

I HAVE TALKED TO HIM BEFORE ABOUT IT.

I KNOW THAT THE ACLU HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE MEASURE, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF FOLKS WHO HAVE ALSO CALLED AND CONTACTED MY OFFICE IN SUPPORT OF THIS MEASURE.

AND I SPOKE ABOUT THE BILL DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE ON TUESDAY, URGING THE OKLAHOMA PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD TO GRANT DEATH ROW INMATE KENDRICK SIMPSON CLEMENCY.

SIMPSON, A NEW ORLEANS NATIVE, WAS CONVICTED FOR THE 2006 MURDER GY JONES, SIMPSON'S ATTORNEY.

OTHERS.

HE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR KILLING TWO PEOPLE, FOR PSYCHOLOGICALLY SCARRING ONE, AND FOR FOREVER CHANGING THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED THEM.

KENDRICK ACCEPTS THAT HE MUST BE PUNISHED AND HE WILL DIE IN PRISON ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

BUT THE DEATH PENALTY IS SUPPOSED TO BE RESERVED FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST OFFENDERS, AND THE WORST OF THE WORST CRIMES.

KENDRICK AND HIS CASE REPRESENT NEITHER OF THOSE ROLES, SAYS SIMPSON'S PAST TRAUMA PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN HIS ACTIONS THAT NIGHT, AND WAS EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

AND KENDRICK'S EARLIEST MEMORIES INCLUDE SEEING DEAD BODIES, SHOOTINGS, STABBINGS, RAPINGS, BEATINGS AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIME AT THE DESIRE HOUSING PROJECT.

AND SADLY, THIS EXPOSURE WAS NOT LIMITED TO THE GROUNDS OF THE PROJECT.

IT SEEPED INTO THE INTO THE WALLS OF THE APARTMENT IN WHICH HE LIVED WHEN HE WAS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD.

HIS UNCLE, JOHN SIMPSON, WHO WAS HIS FATHER FIGURE, WAS SHOT AND PARALYZED FOR THE REST OF THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN KENDRICK'S PRESENCE.

AFTER MOVING OUT OF PROJECT HOUSING, SIMPSON'S MOTHER BECAME AN ADDICT, LEAVING HIM TO FEND FOR HIMSELF.

HIS MOTHER DID HAVE ONE CLOSE MALE FRIEND WHO CHECKED IN ON HER AND KENDRICK OCCASIONALLY.

HE OFTEN BROUGHT GROCERIES TO ENSURE THAT THE CUPBOARDS WERE NOT BARE.

BUT WHEN KENDRICK WAS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD, THIS MAN BEGAN SEXUALLY ABUSING HIM.

FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THIS ABUSE WENT ON FOR YEARS WITHOUT KENDRICK SAYING ANYTHING, BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID THE MAN WOULD STOP PROVIDING THINGS FOR HIS MOTHER.

BY THE TIME HE WAS 16, SIMPSON WAS ALREADY SERVING TIME IN AN ADULT PRISON.

ALMOST SIX YEARS LATER, HE WAS RELEASED, AND JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER BEING RELEASED, KENDRICK WAS GUNNED DOWN WHILE HE WAS WALKING TO THE STORE FROM HIS HOME.

HE WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE ABDOMEN, HEAD AND LEG.

ROSS SAYS THIS LED TO SIMPSON BECOMING PARANOID.

ATTORNEY GENERAL GENTNER DRUMMOND HAS FORMALLY REQUESTED THAT THE OKLAHOMA PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD DENY SIMPSON'S CLEMENCY.

THE A.G.

GAVE HIS OFFICIAL REQUEST AT THE END OF DECEMBER.

KENDRICK SIMPSON HUNTED HIS VICTIMS, EXECUTED THEM WITHOUT HESITATION, AND THEN BOASTED ABOUT WHAT HE HAD DONE.

THE FAMILIES LEFT BEHIND HAVE ENDURED UNIMAGINABLE PAIN, AND NOTHING IN SIMPSON'S DECADES ON, DEATH ROW HAS SHOWN THAT HE DESERVES THE MERCY HE REFUSED TO GIVE TO OTHERS.

BUT ADVOCATES SAY THERE WERE MULTIPLE FLAWS IN COURT PROCEEDINGS.

OKLAHOMA IS QUICK TO CHARGE CAPITAL OFFENSES, TOO OFTEN WITHHOLDING EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE, AND THE COURTS HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO PERMIT FULL DISCLOSURE.

ONE JUROR STATING THAT IF HE KNEW, IF HE HAD AN INKLING OF THE FORCES OPERATING IN KENDRICK KENDRICK SIMPSON'S PAST, HE WOULD NOT HAVE SUPPORTED THE CAPITAL DECISION.

THE PARDON PAROLE BOARD WILL MEET ON JANUARY 14TH FOR SIMPSON'S CLEMENCY HEARING.

THE BOARD IS NOW UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KYLE COUNTS AFTER TOM BATES RESIGNED LAST YEAR.

THERE'S BEEN SOME TURNOVER IN BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.

BOARD MEMBERS ARE RICHARD MILLER, SEAN MALLOY, SUSAN STAVA AND ROBERT REEVES.

SINCE 2021, ABOUT 19 CASES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD.

SIX INMATES HAVE RECEIVED CLEMENCY RECOMMENDATIONS, AND ONLY TWO INMATES, JULIUS JONES AND TREMAINE WOOD, HAD THEIR SENTENCES COMMUTED BY GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT.

ADVOCATES WILL HOLD A RALLY IN SUPPORT OF SIMPSON'S LIFE THIS SATURDAY AT THE OKC FIRST CHURCH.

THE EVENT IS SET TO START AT 2 P.M.

RICH TAELYR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OKAY, CAN A BLIND FISH THAT LIVES IN A CAVE HELP DEVELOP NEW TREATMENTS FOR DIABETES AND OTHER HUMAN DISEASES?

A SCIENTIST AT THE OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION BELIEVES THAT IT CAN.

NOAH MACK JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN.

NOAH.

WELL, RICH, SINCE THESE FISH LIVE IN DARK CAVES, EYESIGHT IS OBSOLETE.

SO OVER THE COURSE OF EVOLUTION, NATURE SCRAPPED THE EYES.

HOWEVER, IT'S THE LESS OBVIOUS ADAPTATIONS THAT SPRUNG FROM LIFE IN CAVE POOLS THAT MAY HOLD THE SECRET.

SCIENTISTS ARE SEARCHING FOR.

THIS IS OUR MAIN FISH ROOM.

HELLO.

HI, SARAH.

HELLO.

SO THIS IS A NICE PLACE TO SEE.

OUR FISH MAN WAS INSPIRED BY BIRDS AND THOUGHT OF MAKING AIRPLANES.

MANY OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE FACING HEALTH WISE, THE SOLUTIONS ARE THERE IN NATURE.

WE JUST NEED TO FIND THEM.

NO EYES, NO PIGMENT, BUT FULL OF POTENTIAL.

HUNDREDS OF BLIND CAVEFISH RESIDING AT THE OKLAHOMA MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION ARE THE SUBJECTS OF STUDIES INTO WHAT THEY CAN TELL US ABOUT DIABETES AND OTHER SIMILAR DISEASES IN HUMANS.

BUT IT'S NOT THE ANIMAL'S ABSENCE OF EYES THAT DOCTOR JAYAKRISHNAN IS INTERESTED IN, IT'S THEIR FAT.

YOU ALSO NOTICE THESE ARE HUGE.

THEY HAVE A LOT OF FAT IN THEM.

OBESITY IN HUMANS IS A DETRIMENT TO HEALTH, OFTEN RESULTING IN DIABETES OR FATTY LIVER.

BUT CAVEFISH ARE PERFECTLY HEALTHY.

SO THE QUESTION IS WHY IS THAT SO?

AND WHAT CAN BE LEARNED AND TRANSLATED TO GIVE HUMANS A HEALTHIER QUALITY OF LIFE?

I WANT TO SEE WHAT IS THE NOVEL THING THAT WILL COME OUT MAYBE TWO YEARS LATER, FIVE YEARS LATER, THAT I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT TODAY.

SHE HOPES THIS WILL LEAD TO NEW MEDICATIONS OR ADVANCEMENTS IN GENE THERAPY.

FOOD IS SCARCE IN CAVES, AND SO THESE FISH HAVE DEVELOPED UNIQUE INSTINCTS.

WHEN THERE IS FOOD, THEY GORGE THEMSELVES.

SO ESSENTIALLY THEY ARE OBESE AND THEY ARE ALSO INSULIN RESISTANT AND PUT TOGETHER.

THEY ARE DIABETIC, THEY HAVE VERY HIGH BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS.

THEY STORE THAT EXCESS FAT AS ENERGY RESERVES FOR LONG PERIODS.

WITHOUT FOOD.

THEY HAVE SO MUCH FAT THESE ONES.

AND STILL YOU SEE, THEY LOOK HAPPY AND HEALTHY AND SWIMMING AS ANY OTHER FISH WOULD SWIM.

ANOTHER THING THAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT STUDYING THESE ANIMALS IS THEY HAVE A COUNTERPART LIVING IN THE RIVERS, WHICH RESEARCHERS CALL SURFACE FISH.

THEY ARE THE SAME SPECIES, JUST PRODUCTS OF DIFFERENT EVOLUTIONARY PATHWAYS.

SO THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF HAVING THE SURFACE FISH.

SO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY COMPARING, SAY, TWO DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF APPLES RATHER THAN APPLES AND PLUMS.

DOCTOR KRISHNAN STUDIES THESE TWO VARIETIES CONCURRENTLY, AND THE DIFFERENCES GO BEYOND PHYSICAL FEATURES.

THEIR HABITS ARE ALSO NOTABLY DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR LUNCH.

THE SURFACE FISH HAD TO SEE THE FOOD TO START EATING.

THE CAVEFISH STARTED EATING WITHIN SECONDS OF ADDING THE FOOD.

SO WHAT THESE FISH LACK IN EYESIGHT, THEY MAKE UP FOR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY.

SO WITH THE LACK OF EYES, THEY HAVE VALUABLE ENERGY THAT CAN BE PUT TOWARDS OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY.

SO SENSES LIKE SMELL AND TOUCH, THE SENSE OF SMELL THAT CAVEFISH HAVE IS ALMOST TEN TIMES STRONGER THAN SURFACE FISH.

DOCTOR KRISHNAN HAS GONE ON A SMALL NUMBER OF EXPEDITIONS TO CAVES IN MEXICO TO OBSERVE THESE FISH.

NATURALLY.

IN THE LAB, THEY RELY ON SMELL.

IN THE CAVES, THEY OFTEN RELY ON A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF TOUCH AND THEIR PRIMARY SOURCE OF FOOD IN THE WILD, AS GROSS AS IT SOUNDS, IS BAT EXCREMENT.

SO NOW IMAGINE A STILL CAVE WATER THE A COUPLE OF CAVEFISH JUST SWIMMING AROUND.

AND NOW THESE CAVES HAVE BATS AND NOW THEY'RE ROOSTING.

THEY ARE HANGING UPSIDE DOWN ON THE CAVE CEILING AND SOME GUANO.

THE BAT EXCRETA FALLS INTO THE WATER.

THAT MAKES A RIPPLE.

IT MAY BE A TINY RIPPLE AND THE FISH MAY BE VERY FAR, BUT THE SENSE OF TOUCH THAT NEUROMAS ARE SO SENSITIVE AND SO MANY IN NUMBER THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FEEL THAT RIPPLE AND GET ATTRACTED TO THAT RIPPLE.

THE BENEFITS FROM STUDYING THESE FISH IN THEIR NATURAL, UNTOUCHED DOMAIN IS MANY, BUT SO IS HAVING THEM WELL FED IN THE LAB AS THEIR INSTINCTS TO PIG OUT ARE STILL ACTIVE, AND RESEARCHERS CAN OBSERVE THOSE TRAITS WITH MORE PRECISION.

WHEN WE FEED THEM A LOT, THAT'S WHEN THEIR GENES, YOU KNOW, START DOING THEIR FUNCTION.

THE LAB HAS EMBRYOS, BABIES, 150 TANKS, AND AROUND 1000 FISH.

WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE HAD MAYBE ONE RACK OF FISH, THE CAVEFISH.

WHEN THEY HEAR MY VOICE, THEY'LL KNOW IT'S GETTING TIME TO EAT, SO THEY'LL GET EXCITED.

SARA IS THE FISH ROOM CARETAKER, GOING FROM A STAY AT HOME MOM TO A FULL TIME FISH MOM.

YOU DO HAVE TO KIND OF BE A MOTHER TO THESE FISH.

I MEAN, I FEED THEM, I CLEAN THEM, I BREED THEM, I LOOK AFTER THEM, AND IT HAS TO BE YOUR PASSION.

SARA FEELS HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS SCIENTIFIC EFFORT.

THEY MAY NOT REALIZE IT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE A HUGE CHANGE IN THE WORLD.

THAT SEARCH MAY COME TO AN ANSWER SOONER THAN EXPECTED.

WE ARE GOING FASTER EVERY MINUTE WITH SO MUCH TECHNOLOGY.

SO I THINK IF WE ALL, AS A TEAM, AS A SCIENTIFIC FRATERNITY GO AS DEDICATED AS WE ARE TODAY AND EVEN MORE, I'M SURE IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING REALLY TANGIBLE OUT OF IT.

AND FOR DOCTOR KRISHNAN, HER RESEARCH IS DRIVEN BY PERSONAL STAKES.

HALF OF MY FAMILY IS DIABETIC, INCLUDING ME.

I'M PRE-DIABETIC.

I WANTED TO BE A SCIENTIST SINCE I WAS IN NINTH GRADE, AND THERE ARE SO MANY KINDS OF SCIENTISTS.

WHAT IF I CAN BE ONE PERSON WHO CAN ACTUALLY BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE TO PEOPLE?

DOCTOR KRISHNAN MENTIONED THE WEIGHT LOSS DRUG OZEMPIC, DISCOVERED BY RESEARCHERS STUDYING A SPECIES OF LIZARD, AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW NATURE ENGINEERED A SOLUTION TO A MEDICAL PROBLEM.

RICH.

PRETTY INTERESTING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE NOVEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBER IS DELAYED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

SHUTDOWN ARE OUT AND UNEMPLOYMENT IS UP IN OKLAHOMA.

THAT STORY TOPS THIS WEEK'S STATEWIDE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW WITH JASON DOYLE.

OKLAHOMA'S NOVEMBER UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ROSE TO 3.5%.

THAT'S COMPARED TO SEPTEMBER'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF 3.2%.

WE DON'T HAVE FIGURES FOR OCTOBER BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.

THAT JUMP IN UNEMPLOYMENT MEANS MORE THAN 70,000 OKLAHOMANS ARE NOW CONSIDERED UNEMPLOYED AND INCREASE OF NEARLY 5800 SINCE SEPTEMBER.

WHILE THERE WERE SECTORS WHICH ADDED JOBS AND OTHERS WHICH LOST JOBS, IT ENDED UP BEING A WASH FOR NET NEW JOBS IN OKLAHOMA.

MACY'S ANNOUNCED TO ITS EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK IT WOULD BE CLOSING DOWN ITS OWASSO DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

THE FACILITY IS SCHEDULED TO CEASE OPERATIONS ON MARCH 28TH.

AT ITS PEAK, THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER REPORTEDLY EMPLOYED 2500 FULL TIME, PART TIME AND SEASONAL EMPLOYEES.

OKLAHOMA CITY BASED MD BUILDING PRODUCTS HAS NAMED CHRISTIAN LAIRD AS ITS NEW PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.

HE MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS PERENNIALS IN SUTHERLANDS PRESIDENT AND CEO.

HE'LL TAKE THE PLACE OF RYAN PLOTKIN, WHO HAS SERVED AS MD PRESIDENT AND CEO FOR A LITTLE LONGER THAN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

PLOTKIN TAKES ON THE NEW TITLE OF VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR MD.

HE'LL FOCUS ON RESHORING AND PROMOTING DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING FOR THE COMPANY.

MD BUILDING PRODUCTS HAS BEEN OWNED BY THE PLOTKIN FAMILY SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1920, AND SPECIALIZES IN THE MANUFACTURING OF WEATHERIZATION, FLOORING, SEALANTS AND ALUMINUM EXTRUSION SOLUTIONS.

U-HAUL'S ANNUAL GROWTH INDEX, MEASURING ONE WAY CUSTOMER TRANSACTIONS, RANKS OKLAHOMA AS THE 14TH MOST POPULAR STATE TO WHICH PEOPLE ARE MOVING.

THAT'S ACTUALLY LOWER THAN 2024.

RANKING AT 11TH PLACE U-HAUL SAYS TEXAS HAS RECLAIMED THE TOP SPOT AS THE MOST POPULAR NEW STATE FOR ITS CUSTOMERS, WHILE FLORIDA ROSE TO SECOND PLACE IN THE RANKINGS.

THE LEAST POPULAR PLACE PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.

CALIFORNIA, WHICH RETAINED THE BOTTOM SPOT FROM 2024.

THIS IS THE OKLAHOMA BUSINESS REVIEW.

JASON.

THANK YOU.

WELL, WE WANT TO SALUTE AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE BY OKLAHOMA IN THE RECENTLY COMPLETED 2025 FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA CONVENTION IN INDIANAPOLIS.

YOUNG OKLAHOMANS BRINGING HOME 17 NATIONAL TITLES IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES.

TRAY MYERS FROM THE PERKINS TRY ON FFA, BECOMES THE NINTH OKLAHOMAN TO BE NAMED NATIONAL PRESIDENT, AND RYDER CLASSEN FROM HYDRO EQUALLY HONORED AS THE AMERICAN STAR FARMER.

ALSO, THE STILLWATER FFA WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE NATIONAL PREMIER CHAPTER AND FOR OKLAHOMANS RENAMED PROFICIENCY AWARD WINNERS, ALL OF THEM NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.

THEY INCLUDE KENZIE MAORI, BRIANNA BEARD, BLAKE WEEKS, AND KYZER SCHNEEBERGER.

AND THIS WEEK, REPORTER STEVE SHAW HEADED OUT TO CARNEGIE, OKLAHOMA TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KAISER.

TURNS OUT HIS SUCCESS IS PRETTY MUCH A FAMILY AFFAIR.

STEVE RICH KAISER SNOWBERGER IS JUST 16 YEARS OLD.

HE'S A SOPHOMORE AT CARNEGIE HIGH SCHOOL, AND HE'S GOT A TWIN BROTHER, COOPER, WHO'S NOT SO BAD HIMSELF WHO SMELLS GOOD IN HERE.

YEAH.

IT DOES.

IT PROBABLY SMELLS A LOT WORSE.

EARLIER, KAISER AND COOPER SCHNEEBERGER ARE TWINS.

THEIR FAMILY LIVES 82 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OKLAHOMA CITY, JUST OUTSIDE CARNEGIE IN OUACHITA COUNTY.

THE BOYS WILDLIFE ADVENTURE REALLY GOT CRANKING SEVEN YEARS AGO, WHEN THEY NOTICED THE TURKEY POPULATION AROUND THE FAMILY'S 20 ACRE FARM HAD DWINDLED.

AND WE WONDERED, LIKE, WHAT'S HAPPENING?

THEN WE STARTED SEEING, LIKE, NEST RAIDERS.

THAT'S RACCOONS AND POSSUMS.

THAT'S JUST HOW WE BASICALLY STARTED TRAPPING, TRYING TO GET AS MANY AS THOSE.

WE CAN GET THE TURKEY POPULATION BACK UP.

ARE THEY ARE THEY BACK UP?

YES.

IT'S DEFINITELY GETTING A LOT BETTER.

NEST RAIDERS LIKE RACCOONS, POSSUMS, FOXES, COYOTES AND BOBCATS ARE A NATURAL RESOURCE THAT'S CONSTANTLY MONITORED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE.

KAISER SAYS HE AND HIS BROTHER, COOPER, HAVE TRAPPED MORE THAN 20 BOBCATS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AROUND HERE.

YEAH, RIGHT AROUND THE HOUSE.

AREN'T BOBCATS KIND OF DANGEROUS?

I'D SAY SO.

I WOULD SAY RACCOONS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST DANGEROUS AROUND HERE.

THEY'RE MEAN.

THE BOBCATS ARE MORE SKITTISH AND MORE PEOPLE.

BUT THE, LIKE, COME AFTER YOU.

ALMOST.

SO YOU GOT TO CARRY A BIG STICK.

YEAH, SOMETHING MORE HEAVY.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

KAISER WON THAT BIG NATIONAL FFA AWARD RECENTLY BECAUSE OF HIS WILDLIFE AND TURTLE TRAPPING SKILLS.

IT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THESE YOUNG TWIN BROTHERS WERE COMPETING AGAINST, IN SOME CASES, COLLEGE AGE COMPETITION.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU WON?

MOST PEOPLE NO ONE'S REALLY HEARD OF TURTLE TRAPPING AND FUR TRAPPING ABOUT HOW I'VE DONE IT AND HOW GOOD OR HOW WELL I'VE DONE IT WITH IT.

AND THEY JUST LIKE, I GUESS NO ONE'S EVER HEARD OF THAT.

AND THEY JUST REALLY SURPRISED THE BOYS SELL THE FURS AND HIDES THEY CATCH TO A BUYER IN EUREKA.

KAISER SELLS THE TURTLES HE CATCHES TO A BUYER IN THE LOUISIANA BAYOU, AND HE SELLS THE RED EARED SLIDERS TO CHINA.

MOST THEY EAT THEM OR THEY MAKE LIKE RATTLES OUT OF THEM.

BUT IN LOUISIANA, THEY EAT THE SOFT SHELLS AND SNAPPING TURTLES.

RED EARED SLIDER TURTLES.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?

I GUESS THEY CALL IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR HEADS, LIKE THEIR EARS ARE RED ON THE SIDE OF THEIR HEAD.

THEY JUST GET THEIR NAME FROM THEIR RED EARS, I GUESS.

AND THE CHINESE EAT THEM.

YES, THEY EAT THEM.

AND LOUISIANA EAT THE SNAPPERS.

SNAPPING TURTLES.

THEY EAT THEM.

OH, GOD, I WOULD NEVER.

HEY, MAN.

CASH IS KING, RIGHT?

CASH IS KING.

COOPER WAS THE STATE WINNER IN A TOP FOUR NATIONAL RUNNER UP AT THAT FFA COMPETITION.

HE COMPETED IN THE WILDLIFE PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT CATEGORY.

IS THERE ANY GOOD HUNTING AROUND HERE?

MY GRANDPA OWNS AND RENTS A LOT OF THE BOTTOM DOWN HERE.

NOT TOO.

NOT TOO FAR.

WE COULD WALK TO THE RIVER IF WE WANTED TO WHICH WE CAN HUNT.

WHICH RIVER?

THE WASH?

YES, THE OUACHITA RIVER.

WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOWN ON THE CREEK BOTTOM.

RIVER BOTTOMS.

HOW FUN IS IT TO HUNT?

I ENJOY IT, I ENJOY IT A LOT.

I'D RATHER BE OUT THERE THAN BEING BEING IN A HOUSE OR IN SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WE'LL TAKE OUR SANDPAPER AND WE'LL GLUE IN THE TEETH AND DO ANY FINISHING PRODUCTS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT LOOK THE BEST WE CAN MAKE IT.

WHAT IS THAT?

THIS IS A GATOR SKULL RIGHT HERE.

WE CAN DO ANY ANY KIND OF SKULLS.

WE SPECIALIZE IN WHITETAIL AND MOSTLY WHITETAIL AND ELK AROUND HERE.

AND THEN WE GIVE THEM.

WE GET IN.

WE HAVE GET THEM IN.

WE HAVE A PROCESS CALLED MACERATION WHERE WE ROT THE MEAT OFF.

AND THEN AFTER SO LONG WE'LL COME BACK AND WE'LL DEGREASE THEM.

AND THEN WE'LL GO AFTER THE DEGREASING TANKS INTO THE WHITENING.

AND THEN AFTER WHITENING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WE'LL SET THEM OUTSIDE.

AND THEN AFTER THEY GET TO A CERTAIN WHITENING POINT THAT WE LIKE, WE'LL GO THROUGH THERE AND DO OUR FINISHING PRODUCTS ON THEM AND TOUCH THEM UP AND GET THEM READY FOR THE CUSTOMERS.

FOR AS YOUNG AS THEY ARE, IT WAS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.

CRYSTAL SCHNEEBERGER IS FROM A LOCAL MULTI-GENERATIONAL FARMING FAMILY AND IS THE BOY'S MOTHER.

THEY'RE EXTREMELY BUSY.

THEY USUALLY GO TO THE BARN AND WORK BEFORE SCHOOL.

THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND THEN AS SOON AS SCHOOL IS OUT AND SPORTS ARE FINISHED, THEN THEY'RE BACK TO THE BARN WORKING.

A LOT OF TIMES IT'S DOWN THERE TIL SUPPERTIME OR AFTER DARK, AND THEN A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL GO BACK DOWN THERE AND FINISH UP AND CALL IT A DAY.

DO THEY AT LEAST HAVE A STEREO OR SOME MUSIC BACK THERE?

THEY'VE ALWAYS GOT SOME MUSIC GOING.

OKAY, I BRING IN QUITE A BIT OF MONEY, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF HOURS AT THE BARN BEFORE SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, AND THEN SOME THINGS I DON'T GET TO DO BECAUSE I'M WORKING ON OTHER STUFF.

BUT, I MEAN, I SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, SO I GOT TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS OUR FOOT TRAPS WE USE FOR OUR BOBCATS AND COYOTES FOR THE MOST PART.

THESE ARE MY TURTLE TRAPS RIGHT HERE.

I USE WHEN I CATCH OUR TURTLES.

JARED SCHNEEBERGER IS CRYSTAL'S HUSBAND AND KAISER AND COOPER'S FATHER.

JARED IS ALSO THE FORMER LONG TIME AGRICULTURE TEACHER AT CARNEGIE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO KAISER'S THE TURTLE WHISPERER.

KAISER'S EVERYTHING THEY DO, THEY DO TOGETHER.

THAT'S THE.

THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING THE PARENTS OF TWIN BOYS THAT ARE THAT ARE YOU GET TO SEE THEM WORK TOGETHER HAND IN HAND.

AND THERE'S ANOTHER SCHNEEBERGER, 19 YEAR OLD ADDISON SNOWBERGER ATTENDS REDLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

LAST YEAR, SHE WAS A NATIONAL FFA GOAT PRODUCTION FIRST PLACE WINNER.

I THINK IT'S JUST BRED IN THEM.

YEAH, I THINK IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING WE HAD TO TEACH THEM.

IT'S JUST THEY THEY JUST NATURALLY GET AFTER IT.

WELL, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

I THINK IT'S THE FACT THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, RAISED IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, LIKE I SAID, MULTI-GENERATIONAL AG BACKGROUND.

THEY DON'T KNOW ANY DIFFERENT.

WE HAVE TO HAVE AGRICULTURE TO LIVE.

AGRICULTURE IS OUR FOOD AND OUR SAFE, LIKE OUR EVERYTHING FROM US, LIKE OUR COWS, OUR BEEF.

IF WE DON'T HAVE WILDLIFE, WE CAN'T HAVE CROPS WITH ALL THESE FARMERS.

THEY GROW FOR US EVERY YEAR.

WE HAVE TO HAVE MORE AND MORE FARMERS.

BUT RIGHT NOW THE WORLD JUST KEEPS GETTING LARGER AND LARGER.

KAISER PLANS TO ATTEND OKLAHOMA STATE WHEN HE GETS OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.

HE WANTS TO BE A WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST.

COOPER PLANS TO ATTEND VO-TECH AT FORT COBB.

HE WANTS TO LEARN HVAC, BUT HE'LL STILL HAVE HIS SIDE HUSTLE WE JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT.

ALSO, IF YOU WANT TO SEE A LIST OF ALL 17 OKLAHOMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, THEY'RE AVAILABLE ON THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT FACEBOOK PAGE.

RICH, GREAT, GREAT KIDS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WITH FORMER PRESIDENT AND DICTATOR NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE SITTING IN A BROOKLYN JAIL FACING DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES, THE FUTURE FOR VENEZUELA IS UNCERTAIN RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT'S THE FOCUS OF THIS WEEK'S IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION WITH MODERATOR CASSIDY MUDD AND HER PANEL OF INFORMED GUESTS.

KASSIDY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS DISCUSSION IS RACHEL SCHWARTZ, AN OKLAHOMA BASED SCHOLAR WHO STUDIES POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN LATIN AMERICA.

MICHAEL SHIFTER, A LONGTIME ANALYST OF VENEZUELA AND U.S.

FOREIGN POLICY.

AND FINALLY, WE'RE JOINED BY DIANA PERDOMO, AN OKLAHOMA RESIDENT WITH CLOSE TIES TO VENEZUELA.

AND JUST A QUICK NOTE HERE FOR VIEWERS, THE DISCUSSION IS BEING TAPED ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THIS SITUATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US HERE ON IN DEPTH.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

NOW, MICHAEL, YOU'VE SPENT YEARS ANALYZING VENEZUELA AND U.S.

POLICY TOWARD THE REGION TO GET US CAUGHT UP.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED WITH THE U.S.

ACTION THAT LED TO NICOLAS MADURO'S CAPTURE?

AND WHY IS THIS SUCH A MAJOR MOMENT?

SURE.

WELL, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION.

I THINK THAT THE US AND VENEZUELA HAVE HAD A BAD RELATIONSHIP SINCE HUGO CHAVEZ CAME TO POWER IN 1999.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TENSION, A LOT OF HOSTILITY, AND THEN HAS GOTTEN WORSE SINCE NICOLAS MADURO TOOK OVER IN 2013.

AFTER CHAVEZ DIED.

AND THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN VERY BAD IN IN VENEZUELA AND THE RELATIONSHIP HAS DETERIORATED.

THIS IS A HUGE MOMENT BECAUSE THIS WAS A VERY BRAZEN, BOLD MILITARY ATTACK.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE FIRST MILITARY STRIKE EVER BY THE UNITED STATES IN SOUTH AMERICA.

THERE HAVE BEEN LOTS OF MILITARY INTERVENTIONS IN CENTRAL AMERICA, IN THE CARIBBEAN, BUT NEVER IN SOUTH AMERICA.

THIS IS THE FIRST ONE AND OBVIOUSLY WAS REALLY HAS SHAKEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN LATIN AMERICA, IN THE UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY, BECAUSE I THINK IT REVEALED THAT THE PRESIDENT IS IS WILLING TO USE LETHAL FORCE AGAINST LEADERS AND REGIMES HE DOESN'T LIKE.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT I THINK MAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE NERVOUS AND HAS CERTAINLY PUT MOST OF LATIN AMERICA ON EDGE BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S THINKING, WELL, MAYBE WE'RE WE'RE NEXT.

IT'S A REALLY YOU BROUGHT UP A LOT OF REALLY GREAT POINTS THERE, MICHAEL, THAT WE WILL DIVE BACK INTO.

RACHEL BRINGING YOU INTO THIS.

YOU'RE STUDYING POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS ACROSS LATIN AMERICA.

HOW SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT THIS SITUATION IN VENEZUELA?

WE SEE A LOT OF VENEZUELANS CELEBRATING.

AND LIKE MICHAEL SAID, THERE'S ALSO ROOM FOR CONCERN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW TO GET A SENSE OF THE DIFFERENT SOURCES OF INSTABILITY WITHIN VENEZUELA.

WE OFTENTIMES WHEN WE THINK OF AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES LIKE NICOLAS MADURO'S REGIME, WE THINK OF A SORT OF STRONG MAN WHO CONTROLS ALL FACETS OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.

BUT THE REALITY IS THAT VENEZUELA, ESPECIALLY SINCE HUGO CHAVEZ'S DEATH AND MADURO'S ASCENT TO POWER IN IN 2013, HAS BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTIONS WHO ARE MANEUVERING FOR POWER BOTH AT THE NATIONAL AND THE LOCAL LEVEL.

AND SO I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE DIRECTION THAT THIS EVOLVES IN IS GOING TO DEPEND ON HOW SOME OF THOSE INTERNAL SQUABBLES AND CONFLICTS PLAY OUT, OF COURSE, WITH THE UNITED STATES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE POTENTIAL MILITARY ACTION AS WELL AS ECONOMIC INTERVENTION.

HOW THAT IN TURN AFFECTS THOSE THOSE INTERNAL DYNAMICS AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER, DIANA.

CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR CONNECTION TO VENEZUELA?

WELL, I CAN EXPLAIN ABOUT TO DIANA, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES THE LAST TEN YEARS.

SO WHEN I WAS I'M A LAWYER IN MY COUNTRY.

I WAS A JUDGE IN MY COUNTRY.

SO I'M NOW I GOT ASYLUM POLITICS FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

SO.

YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT MYSELF AND MY COUNTRY?

WELL, SO I HAVE TO SAY, WE'RE SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW.

I'M A MISSPEAK BY MYSELF.

BUT I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR THE MOST.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER VENEZUELAN HERE WHEN WHEN A DIFFERENT OPINION.

THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY WANT TO HAVE.

BUT WE HAPPY.

WE'RE SO HAPPY.

IT'S FINALLY IS WHEN YOU HAVE A KIND OF CANCER IN YOURSELF AND SOMEBODY JUST PUT IT OUT AND YOU GOING TO PAY THE BILL NO MATTER WHAT TO THE HOSPITAL.

SO PEOPLE ARE CELEBRATING.

OH, WE CELEBRATE.

ABSOLUTELY.

YES, YES.

WHEN YOU FIRST HEARD THE NEWS, WHAT DID YOU THINK?

WERE YOU SHOCKED?

I, I THOUGHT I'M NEVER GOING TO GET THE HOPE BACK TO BE BACK TO MY COUNTRY AND SAY THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.

I MEAN, I HAVE TWO BROTHERS HERE AND I CALL MY BROTHER.

SAY, DID YOU SEE INSTAGRAM?

AND HE SAY, NO, WHAT'S WRONG?

THAT WAS AROUND 2 A.M.

AND AND I START CRYING BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS FROM MADURO, BETWEEN MADURO AND DIOSDADO CABELLO.

AND AND I SAID, NO.

THE NEWS SAYING THIS, THEY ARE TAKING ONCE A DAY IS UNITED STATES TAKING MADURO.

AND I JUST STARTED CRYING.

MY DAUGHTER STARTED CRYING.

SHE'S JUST TEN YEARS OLD, BUT SHE STARTED CRYING.

SO BECAUSE SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION, WE WAS SO HAPPY.

BUT NEXT DAY I JUST PUT MY HEAD BACK AND JUST GO OUT AND CELEBRATE IT.

AND RACHEL, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT FOLLOW VENEZUELA CLOSELY, WHY IS MADURO SUCH A CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE?

SO NICOLAS MADURO ROSE TO POWER IN 2013 AS THE HAND-PICKED SUCCESSOR OF PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ, WHO CREATED A LEFTIST SOCIALIST POLITICAL MOVEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE WORKING AND LOWER CLASSES IN VENEZUELA.

MADURO ROSE TO POWER AFTER PREVIOUSLY SERVING IN CONGRESS, BEING MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND BEING VICE PRESIDENT.

CHAVEZ TAPS MADURO, BUT HE COMES TO POWER WITHOUT THE SAME KIND OF CHARISMA, POLITICAL SUPPORT AND CONTROL OVER THIS MOVEMENT THAT HIS PREDECESSOR HAS.

AND SO HE STARTS RESORTING TO AUTHORITARIAN STRATEGIES THAT BECOME EVEN MORE VIOLENT AND REPRESSIVE.

HE CO-OPTS OTHER BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE JUDICIARY, WHERE DIANA WORKED.

HE PUSHES ANY KIND OF OPPOSITION POLITICIANS OUT OF OF POWER, WHETHER IN CONGRESS OR LOCALLY.

HE USES VIOLENT REPRESSION AGAINST PEACEFUL PROTESTERS AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA AND OTHERS WHO ARE DEEMED DISSIDENTS OR OPPONENTS OF THE REGIME.

AND THEN ANOTHER SORT OF KEY STRATEGY HE USES IS ELECTORAL MANIPULATION.

MICHAEL, THERE'S NOW DISCUSSION OF A POSSIBLE 50 MILLION BARREL OIL RELEASE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT?

I THINK WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT THIS IS A LOT OF THIS.

WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WE SAW ON JANUARY 3RD IS ABOUT MONEY.

IT'S ABOUT BUSINESS, AND IT'S ABOUT HELPING OIL COMPANIES.

THEY PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THIS WILL HELP ALL VENEZUELANS AS WELL.

BUT I THINK THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THAT WILL HAPPEN AND IF IT DOES, HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN AND HOW IT WILL WORK OUT WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS THERE IN VENEZUELA, HOW DOES IT AFFECT GLOBAL ENERGY MARKETS AND WHY DOES THAT MATTER FOR AN ENERGY PRODUCING STATE LIKE OKLAHOMA?

WELL, AGAIN, SO FAR THERE REALLY HASN'T BEEN A MAJOR IMPACT ON GLOBAL ENERGY MARKETS.

AGAIN, THIS IS WE'LL SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT.

RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A GLUT OF ENERGY BASICALLY A GLUT OF OIL ON MARKETS.

SO I THINK THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT REALLY A GREAT DESIRE FOR TO INCREASING SUPPLY AT THIS MOMENT.

SO IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT SORT OF OUT OF SYNC WITH WHAT THE OIL PICTURE IS GLOBALLY AT THIS MOMENT.

SO WE'LL SEE HOW IT HOW IT WORKS OUT.

SO FAR WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY MAJOR, YOU KNOW, EFFECTS OR IMPACTS.

BUT YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST THIS IS JUST BEGINNING.

SO WE'LL WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH IT CLOSELY AND WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH IT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER, MICHAEL.

AND RACHEL, WHEN OKLAHOMANS SEE DISAGREEMENTS LIKE THIS AND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING GOING ON, WHAT CONTEXT HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHY FOREIGN POLICY POLICY DECISIONS MATTER HERE LOCALLY?

YEAH, I THINK THIS IS IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE KINDS OF HISTORIC EVENTS, THE REPERCUSSIONS CERTAINLY REVERBERATE OUT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, TO OTHER COUNTRIES WITHIN OUR OWN HEMISPHERE.

BUT HERE IN OKLAHOMA, ON THE GROUND, THERE ARE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS TO THINK ABOUT.

SO YOU JUST ASKED ABOUT AND MENTIONED OIL.

OKLAHOMA IS CERTAINLY AT THE TOP OF OIL PRODUCING STATES IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND WHILE I THINK, AS MICHAEL MENTIONED, THERE'S STILL A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE UNITED STATES'S PLANS FOR THE VENEZUELAN OIL INDUSTRY AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT COULD IMPROVE OIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND INCREASE PRODUCTION IN ANY SUBSTANTIAL WAY, AT LEAST IN THE IN THE SHORT TERM, ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS REMAIN.

BUT THAT CERTAINLY HAS IMPLICATIONS HERE AT HOME IN OKLAHOMA.

I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN OKLAHOMA, WE DO HAVE A VENEZUELAN DIASPORA POPULATION, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD TO FLEE THIS REGIME FOR THEIR LIVES, THEY'VE HAD TO LEAVE BEHIND FAMILY.

THEY'VE HAD TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR HOME COUNTRY.

AND SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE PAY ATTENTION AND THAT WE WE SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL SAY, GIVEN THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP ON JANUARY 3RD MENTIONED THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS NOT AVERSE TO PUTTING BOOTS ON THE GROUND, IF THAT, IF IT DEEMS NECESSARY, THAT CERTAINLY HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR SERVICE MEMBERS HERE IN OKLAHOMA.

SO LOTS TO PAY ATTENTION TO.

THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER, DIANA.

WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

HAVING BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN VENEZUELA, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD HELP?

WE WAS WAITING FOR THAT FOR YEARS.

WE WAS BEGGING FOR THAT SITUATION FOR YEARS.

AND YOU JUST BEGGING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE FROM THE OUTSIDE TO SAVE YOU TO SAY, HEY, SO BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN MY COUNTRY, I WAS WORKING ON THE CORE FOR TEN YEARS.

THOSE PEOPLE SIT ON MY DESK TO SAY, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS BECAUSE YOU OWN YOU, AND IT'S LIKE, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.

IF NOT, YOU GO TO THE JAIL BECAUSE I NEVER ACCEPT ANY MONEY, NEVER.

SO THEY ALWAYS SAY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON THE JAIL, YOU BETTER DO THIS.

BUT I WAS WORKING ON THE COURSE WHEN I WAS 20, SO.

I WAS WORKING THERE UNTIL MY 30S.

SO IN SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ALWAYS ACTING LIKE THERE IS UNDER THE LAW.

THEY ARE JUST PRETENDING THAT'S THE WAY THEY ARE ACTING.

SO AND EVERYONE JUST LOOKING AT THEM, OH NO, THEY ARE RIGHT.

NO THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T.

SO YEAH, WE'RE SO HAPPY.

WE'RE HAPPY.

WE HAVE HOPE.

I HAVE HOPE TO GO BACK TO MY COUNTRY, BECAUSE THE FIRST THING WE EXPECTING IS THAT ALL THE, THE CRIMINALS FROM THE REGIMENT, LIKE, LIKE I AM BECAUSE I'M A CRIMINAL FOR THEM, LIKE BECAUSE I NEVER SUPPORT THEM SO.

AND I HAVE THE HOPE TO GO BACK TO MY COUNTRY, VISIT MY FAMILY.

I DON'T HAVE FRIENDS ANYMORE THERE BECAUSE EVERYONE IS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRY, BUT THAT IS LIKE I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE.

SO OKLAHOMA, MY HOME.

I ALREADY SAY, JOEL, YOU KNOW.

SO IT IS MY HOME.

SO.

BUT IT'S I ABSOLUTELY MY HEART BEATS IN MY COUNTRY AND THIS COUNTRY TOO.

BUT YOU'RE JUST THERE'S THE HOPE OF GOING BACK.

YES.

THAT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THIS.

YES.

INCREDIBLE.

WELL, WE'RE JUST ABOUT OUT OF TIME HERE, BUT MICHAEL AND I WANT TO SEE EVERYONE'S FINAL THOUGHTS.

BUT MICHAEL WILL START WITH YOU.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THIS SITUATION MOVING FORWARD?

YEAH.

MY FINAL THOUGHT IS THAT I REALLY HOPE THAT DIANA WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER FUTURE, AND THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER, BETTER FUTURE.

I WISH I COULD BE MORE OPTIMISTIC RIGHT NOW.

I UNDERSTAND THE ELATION AND THE EUPHORIA.

I'M HAPPY TO SEE MADURO GO.

I THINK IT'S GOOD, BUT A LOT MORE HAS TO HAPPEN.

AND THE REGIME, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN RUNNING THIS SORT OF CRIMINAL ECONOMY AND CRIMINAL GOVERNANCE IN VENEZUELA, ARE STILL BASICALLY IN CHARGE, AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET FROM THAT SITUATION TO A SITUATION WHERE DEMOCRACY AND THE RULE OF LAW AND RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EXISTS.

AND I HOPE THAT HAPPENS.

BUT A LOT WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.

RACHEL.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

YEAH.

SO I THINK FOLLOWING UP ON ON WHAT MICHAEL JUST MENTIONED, I THINK AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM, THERE IS A REAL RISK IN VENEZUELA RIGHT NOW THAT WHAT WE END UP SEEING IS ESSENTIALLY THE MADURO REGIME WITHOUT MADURO RIGHT NOW, THE THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OR THE PRESIDENT WHO HAS JUST SWORN IN, DELCY RODRIGUEZ HAS IN SOME WAYS BEEN AN ARCHITECT OF THE REPRESSIVE APPARATUS OF THE MADURO REGIME.

SHE IS IS SOMEWHAT MORE PRAGMATIC AND HAS BEEN ABLE TO.

INTERFACE WITH DIFFERENT SECTORS IN THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS, OF COURSE, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

BUT I THINK FOR THERE TO BE ANY KIND OF SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY IN VENEZUELA, WE NEED ELECTIONS AND WE NEED DEMOCRACY.

AND MY CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE MOST POWERFUL PLAYERS IN THIS SITUATION, BOTH THOSE RULING VENEZUELA CURRENTLY AS WELL AS THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, ARE NOT LOOKING IN THAT DIRECTION, AND I HOPE THEY WILL BE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER RATHER THAN LATER.

DIANA.

WELL, I HAVE TO SAY, I MEAN, MADURO NEVER WAS OUR PRESIDENT.

I MEAN, HE LOST LAST TIME, BUT RIGHT NOW, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, IN MY OPINION, SHE HAS TO GET THAT KIND OF SPEAK, LIKE PRETENDING THEY ARE STILL IN POWER, BUT THEY ALREADY KNOW THEY DON'T.

BUT THEY HAVE TO PRETEND IN THAT BECAUSE CAN BE A CIVILIAN WAR BETWEEN BECAUSE BECAUSE THEY ARE OTHER PEOPLE.

OF COURSE THEY HAVE.

SO AND THOSE PEOPLE IS AROUND THE STREET.

I MEAN, I STILL HAVE FRIENDS OVER THERE, SO THEY ARE JUST INTIMIDATING PEOPLE, SAYING, WE'RE STILL ON THE POWER.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BEING YOU GROW UP WITH THIS.

I MEAN, THEY GROW UP WITH THAT.

AND THE LAST ALMOST 30 YEARS.

SO THEY ARE JUST AROUND THE STREET, YOU KNOW, SO THEY HAVE TO KEEP THAT KIND OF SPEECH FOR THEM TO SAY, OKAY, CALM DOWN.

WE'RE STILL ON THE POWER, BUT WE ALREADY KNOW NO, BUT THERE'S STILL HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

YES.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE ON IN DEPTH.

THANK YOU.

AND, CASSIDY, THANK YOU FOR THAT CONVERSATION.

OKLAHOMA IS ONE OF JUST 12 STATES THAT DO NOT ALLOW SPORTS BETTING IN ANY FORM, THOUGH OF COURSE THOUSANDS DO IT ILLEGALLY ALL THE TIME.

WHEN AND IF SPORTS WAGERING DOES BECOME LEGAL IN OKLAHOMA, THERE'S A MATH PROFESSOR IN COLORADO WHO HAS SOME TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE IT WORTH YOUR WHILE.

THAT STORY, COURTESY OF OUR FRIENDS AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS.

IN TOTAL, I MADE ABOUT 25,000 OVER TWO SEASONS.

I HADN'T DONE ANY SPORTS BETTING AT ALL UNTIL I LEARNED THAT IT WAS LEGAL IN COLORADO.

I STARTED DOING THE MATCH BETTING KIND OF AT THE PRIME TIME OF ALL OF THESE SPORTSBOOKS COMING AND REALLY TRYING TO HOOK US.

JOIN TODAY AND GET YOUR FIRST BET.

RISK FREE UP TO $500.

HEAD TO THE DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK APP TO CLAIM YOUR FREE BET.

SIGN UP NOW AND GET FIVE SECOND CHANCE BETS UP TO $100 EACH.

AND I JUST THEN TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT IN THE SENSE OF MAKING VERY METHODICAL CHOICES ON HOW I MATCHED THEIR PROMOS.

I JOINED ALL OF THE ONES THAT WERE AVAILABLE IN COLORADO AT THE TIME.

THERE WERE PROBABLY AROUND 20.

I'M MARY BETH, I'M AN ASSOCIATE TEACHING PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE HERE AT CU BOULDER.

WHAT I ENDED UP DOING WAS TEACHING FOUR OF MY GIRLFRIEND'S NEW NO MATH WHATSOEVER HOW TO DO THIS, AND THEY MADE IT A COUPLE THOUSAND JUST WITH 2 OR 3 PROMOS.

THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN DO WHAT ARE CALLED MATHEMATICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS BETS.

ONE OF THE FIRST ONES IS JUST CALLED MATCH BETTING, WHERE YOU JUST BET ON ALL POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF A GIVEN GAME.

SO YOU PICK DIFFERENT SPORTS BOOKS AND MAYBE BET THAT TEAM A WINS ON THIS ONE, AND TEAM B WINS ON THIS ONE FOR THE SAME GAME.

JUST DOING THAT STRAIGHT UP IS NOT GOING TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO YOU.

YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE MONEY BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY GOING TO BE PAYING THEM A LITTLE FEE TO BET EVERY TIME YOU'RE DOING IT.

BUT WHAT I LEARNED WAS WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO GET YOU TO JOIN A SPORTSBOOK, THEY'LL USUALLY OFFER YOU A PROMOTION.

AND IF YOU USE THAT PROMOTION TO THEN SET BETS THAT ARE MATCHED, YOU CAN GUARANTEE A PROFIT USING THAT PROMOTION BET.

THIS IS ASSUMING YOU HAVE A BONUS BET YOU HAVE $200.

YOU CAN BET IT AND THEN THEY'LL GIVE YOU BACK JUST THE THE PROFIT.

SUPPOSE I HAVE SPORTSBOOK A, SPORTSBOOK B HERE'S TWO DIFFERENT GAMES HOUSTON VERSUS DUKE.

AND I'M LOOKING AT THESE MONEYLINE ODDS I WOULD THEN PICK THE LARGER THIS POSITIVE ONES 220 THIS ONE'S 215.

SO I'M GOING TO USE 220.

MEANING I'M GOING TO BET HOUSTON ON THIS SITE.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO BET DUKE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

MY FREE BET OR MY BONUS BET.

I'M BETTING THAT $200 ON THIS PLUS 220.

THEN I CAN GO BACK TO MY CALCULATION FROM THE OTHER PAGE AND SEE EXACTLY HOW MUCH I NEED TO HEDGE ON DUKE.

I BET MY $200 BONUS, BUT ON HOUSTON, WITH MY ODDS OF PLUS 220, THEN HOW DO I KNOW HOW MUCH TO BET ON DUKE?

THIS IS WHERE I CAN GO BACK TO MY FORMULA.

IF YOU PLUG ALL OF THAT IN, YOU'RE GOING TO GET 319.

SO I'M AT ABOUT 319 ON DUKE.

AND YOU CAN SEE EITHER WAY IF HOUSTON WINS I GET A NET OF 121.

IF DUKE WINS, I GET BASICALLY THE SAME.

EITHER WAY, I'M MAKING 121 OUT OF MY ORIGINAL 200 FREE BET THAT I WAS GIVEN MY BONUS BET.

THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN CALLING MY CONVERSION RATE.

THAT'S ROUGHLY 60%.

THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY I KEPT TELLING MY STUDENTS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT PROBABILITY AND GAMES OF CHANCE IS LIKE, THESE ARE DESIGNED TO TAKE YOUR MONEY, AND IT FEELS FUN BECAUSE THERE'S THIS VARIANCE IN IT.

BUT IF YOU LOOK MATHEMATICALLY HOW THEY DESIGNED THIS OVER TIME, IT IS TO FOR YOU TO LOSE.

YOU COULD ARGUE THAT I'VE NEVER REALLY GAMBLED IN THE SENSE THAT I'VE NEVER HAD VARIANCE AND RISK.

I WOULD SAY MATCHED BETTING IS LESS PROFITABLE NOW BECAUSE THE PROMOS AREN'T AS BIG.

SO YOU CAN COME IN AND DO THIS IN COLORADO WITH MATCHED BETTING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE $25,000 DOING IT.

AND NOW THERE'S WEBSITES THAT WILL LITERALLY SAY, OH, TELL ME HOW MUCH YOUR BET IS WORTH.

AND WE CAN POINT OUT FOR YOU WHICH ODDS WOULD BE THE BEST CURRENTLY.

FOR ME, IT WAS FUN TO USE MY LOVE OF MATH AND THEN APPLY IT TOWARD AN AREA THAT I ENJOY WATCHING, BUT WITHOUT ANY OF THE RISK.

GOOD LUCK!

A STRIKING NEW 72 FOOT TALL SCULPTURE WAS UNVEILED AT THE OKLAHOMA CITY FAIRGROUNDS THIS WEEK.

IT'S CALLED THE BOLDT TOWER AND PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE 118 YEAR HISTORY OF OKC FAIR PARK.

THE INSTALLATION WAS CREATED BY NEW YORK ARTIST JENNY SABIN, AND A LOT OF ENGINEERING WENT IN TO ENSURE ITS STABILITY.

AND AT NIGHT, IT LIGHTS UP IN ALL SORTS OF COOL COLORS.

I WAS PARTICULARLY INSPIRED BY THE PREVIOUS ICONIC SCULPTURES THAT RESIDED HERE AT THE FAIRGROUNDS THE SPACE NEEDLE, THE MONORAIL, AND THEIR SORT OF FUTURE FORWARD KIND OF INSPIRATIONS AND KIND OF ASPECTS TO HOW THEY WERE MADE.

AND ALSO THEY SERVED AS MEMORY MAKERS.

THEY WERE BELOVED BY THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO I REALLY WANTED BOLDT TOWER TO EMBODY THOSE QUALITIES.

ALL OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN OKLAHOMA CITY BENEFIT FROM A 1% FOR ART ORDINANCE.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT 1%, BASICALLY OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS GOES INTO PUBLIC ART AROUND THE CAPITOL BUILDING THAT WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED, AND WE'VE SEEN THE FRUITS OF THAT ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

IT'S WHY IN RECENT YEARS, WE'VE BEEN VOTED THE BEST CITY FOR PUBLIC ART IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.

THE BOLDT TOWER ALSO INCLUDES A 3D TIME CAPSULE LOCATED IN ITS BASE AT GROUND LEVEL.

ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT, OKLAHOMA RECEIVES A $230 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT TO BOLSTER THEIR RURAL HOSPITAL SYSTEM, AND THEY MIGHT GET MUCH MORE IN THE FUTURE.

JASON DOYLE REPORTS FRIDAY AT SEVEN.

OKAY, WE'LL LEAVE YOU THIS WEEK WITH A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT ONE OF OUR NEWS CREWS IN ACTION, FEATURING REPORTER JASON DOYLE AND PHOTOGRAPHER ALYSSA JANES.

SHOT AND EDITED BY OETA LEGACY.

FOR ALL OF US WHO PLAY A ROLE IN PUTTING THIS NEWSCAST ON THE AIR EACH WEEK, I'M RICH.

LENZ.

HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE BECAUSE IT'S ON THE CLOSE TO NORMAL, WE USUALLY DO 104.1 MAGIC ONE FOUR.

YEAH, IF WE'RE DOING MUSIC.

THANK YOU DOGS.

BUT.

I'M A HARD WORKING MAN.

I WEAR A STEEL HARD HAT.

I CAN RIDE ROPE A HAMMER AND PAINT, DO THINGS WITH MY HANDS THAT MOST MEN CAN'T.

I CAN'T GET AHEAD NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRIED.

I'M GETTING REALLY GOOD AT BARELY GETTING BY.

I. GOT EVERYTHING ON BY THE SWEAT OF MY BROW.

FROM MY FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TO MY COWBOY BOOTS.

I OWE IT ALL TO MY BLUE COLLAR ROOTS.

FEEL LIKE I'M WORKIN OVERTIME ON A RUNAWAY TRAIN I GOT TO BUST LOOSE FROM THIS BALL AND CHAIN I'M A HARD WORKIN MAN I GOT IT ALL ON THE LINE.

FOR A PIECE OF THE PROMISED LAND.

AND I'M BURNING MY CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS.

BOUT THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE.

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT.

THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.

THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED