February News Byte 2023

Collaborating like never before 🫶

Hello Verified News Community! VNN’s Rachael Schuit is here to bring you a quick February News Byte.

We had big reports hit the airwaves this month.

The first was our Stealing Tvlse story about Mvskoke legend Tuckabache and the Allotment Era history we and Lucinda Hickory Research Institute won’t let die.

The second, also out of Oklahoma, detailed new language for a monumental bill called the Oklahoma Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act, aimed at easing the sentencing of survivors of violence who committed crimes relating to that abuse.

Our VNN Affiliates in Oklahoma have been pumping out quality stories for the VNN News Feed.

The Black Wall Street Times reported Republicans are rebuking “disparaging” comments by State Superintendent Ryan Walters about higher education in Oklahoma.

Broken Arrow Sentinel’s Fentanyl series continued on VNN this month, highlighting the fentanyl crisis that has killed thousands of people in Oklahoma and across the nation.

The Frontier summarized some of the dozens of bills Oklahoma lawmakers have filed to expand eligibility to programs, policies, and access to care after enacting one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.

And a Muscogee Creek Nation National Representative is charged with DUI in MCN District Court. Representative Joseph Hicks was arrested for DUI in early February but only charged with reckless driving until a report published by Mvskoke Media broke the story.

In Michigan, we have been working on stories impacting our communities the most.

We told you about a mass shooting at Michigan State University that left four people dead, including the shooter. Five others were hospitalized.

We also told you a little about Michigan’s homelessness problem, and how many families are having to be turned away from shelter due to lack of available beds.

VNN is developing more partnerships with community organizations, like Tulsa IrishFest, an Irish festival that has footprints across the globe.

VNN Oklahoma is currently running a Saint Patrick’s Day Fundraiser for the non-profit organization. You can visit verifiednews.network/TulsaIrishFest to purchase an at-home scavenger kit and have it shipped to anywhere in the country.

And keep an eye out for more Indigenous business news stories thanks to a recent partnership between The American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma and VNN Media Services.

We have even more exciting news coming at the beginning of the month so make sure to stay in touch. You can do that by downloading the VNN app to your home screen, registering your free account, and scrolling our news feed part of your news routine. And subscribe to our email updates through our website or Substack as well as your YouTube channel- if you haven’t already!

Thanks for checking in. We will see you back for our first spring News Byte next month!