Oklahoma

Oklahoma Judge Thad Balkman heard in July closing arguments in Attorney General Michael Hunter’s lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson. The case was the first government opioid case to go to trial out of thousands of lawsuits filed nationwide. There is no doubt that opioid abuse has become an epidemic with an enormous human toll. The Centers for Disease Control report that between 1999-2017 almost 400,000 people died from overdosing on either prescription or illicit opioids. Unfortunately, the lawsuits brought by publicity-seeking politicians (from both political parties) are a disingenuous attempt to exploit a crisis in order to raise public money without raising taxes. In the Oklahoma case, Mr. Hunter seeks a whopping $17 billion. That kind of money pays for a heck of a lot of Narcotics Anonymous meetings and public service announcements. Mr. Hunter’s theory of liability is that by overstating the benefits of opioids as treatment for chronic pain, Johnson & Johnson … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Going After BigPharma

SEATTLE — The SuperSonics will move to Oklahoma City for the 2008–09 season as part of a settlement with the city of Seattle, ending a contentious relationship that resulted in a trial in which the judge was due to issue her ruling yesterday. The settlement calls for Sonics owner Clay Bennett and the Professional Basketball Club LLC to pay up to $75 million to the city in exchange for the immediate termination of the KeyArena lease between the NBA team and the city. The team's name and colors will be staying in Seattle. "We made it," Bennett said after stepping to an Oklahoma City podium featuring the NBA logo and the letters OKC. "The NBA will be in Oklahoma City next season." Bennett said the move would start Thursday and the first focus would be on the SuperSonics' players. Bennett announced that the settlement calls for a payment of $45 million immediately, and would include another $30 million paid to Seattle in 2013 if the state Legislature in Washington authorizes at … [Read more...] about After Settlement, SuperSonics Will Relocate to Oklahoma City

Oklahoma and Notre Dame became the sixth and seventh FBS teams to earn 900 wins in program history on Saturday -- a feat the Irish accomplished for the second time.Notre Dame originally reached 900 wins in 2017 while appealing an NCAA mandate that the school vacate 21 victories because of academic misconduct, including all 12 wins from the school's 2012 run to the national championship game, as well as nine from 2013.The NCAA denied the school's appeal in February 2018, putting its official win total back under 900. The university's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, strongly criticized the NCAA's decision at the time, saying the school was being punished for rigorously enforcing its honor code.The decision ultimately allowed the No. 6 Sooners to beat Notre Dame in the race to an official 900 by a matter of hours on Saturday, running away from Texas Tech 55-16 before the No. 10 Irish matched them with a 35-20 win over No. 18 Virginia.The schools join Michigan (956), Ohio State (916), … [Read more...] about Oklahoma, Notre Dame (again) earn 900th wins

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Thousands of people visited a $132 million park in downtown Oklahoma City where the weekend grand opening included a free concert by Grammy-winning rockers Kings of Leon. City officials said 28,000 people attended the show at Scissortail Park, which opened to the public Friday. More visitors streamed through Saturday to try out exercises classes and sample food trucks. The park that will eventually cover 70 acres includes a lake, performance stages and trails. It’s also home to a clone of the “Survivor Tree” that lived through the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The clone will eventually be transplanted to replace the original American elm once it dies. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. … [Read more...] about Thousands show for Kings of Leon at new Oklahoma City park

Oklahoma Shakespeare is taking the cozy confines of its Paseo Arts District space by storm this fall with The Bard's epic tale "The Tempest." "I originally thought, 'Oh, that's one that they're going to do outside,' and then I realized 'Oh, no, they're doing that at the Paseo space," said W. Jerome Stevenson, who is playing Prospero in the new production, opening Thursday in the intimate indoor theater. "It's a big, sprawling, magical, musical adventure, this play. So, putting it in that space would seem to present certain challenges. But I also think Tyler (Woods) is a smart enough director that he knows part of the way you make it more magical and more mystical is by making it more intimate, letting us into these relationships." Continuing through Oct. 26, "The Tempest" is the penultimate show on the venerable company's 35th anniversary season. "There's 12 actors on this little tiny stage — which is a lot of actors on that small stage — and they're playing 14 … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Shakespeare brings ‘The Tempest’ in its snug Paseo space