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Supreme Court tosses conviction and death sentence of Oklahoma inmate, orders new trial

The Supreme Court has tossed out the murder conviction and death sentence of Oklahoma's Richard Glossip, ordering a new trial.

Glossip was convicted and sentenced to death in the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme. Prosecutors in Oklahoma twice convinced separate juries to send him to death row.

The justices heard arguments in October in a case that produced a rare alliance in which lawyers for Glossip and the state argued that the high court should overturn Glossip’s conviction and death sentence because he did not get a fair trial.

"We conclude that the prosecution violated its constitutional obligation to correct false testimony," Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a majority opinion.

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"The Court stretches the law at every turn to rule in his favor… On the merits, it finds a due process violation based on patently immaterial testimony about a witness’s medical condition," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a dissenting opinion. "And, for the remedy, it orders a new trial in violation of black-letter law on this Court’s power to review state-court judgments."

Justice Samuel Alito also dissented, voting to uphold the conviction and death sentence, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett would have allowed a state appeals court to decide how to proceed.

At issue was whether Glossip's constitutional rights were violated when possibly exculpatory evidence was not turned over to his lawyers at trial. And whether Oklahoma's highest criminal court should have upheld the conviction and sentence, even after that new evidence came to light.

The case against Glossip, now 62, essentially rested on the testimony of Justin Sneed, in what prosecutors had originally said was a murder for hire.

The state claimed Glossip, who was employed at the Best Budget Inn, hired co-worker Sneed for $10,000 to kill their boss. The motive-- Glossip allegedly feared he would be fired for skimming money from the business.

Sneed later admitted to beating Van Treese to death with a baseball bat and received a life sentence in exchange for his testimony.

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In 2023, Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond ordered an outside independent review of Glossip's case.

Drummond, citing "troubling evidence of grave prosecutorial misconduct," then formally "confessed error" by the state, and said Glossip deserved a new trial. 

Among Drummond’s concerns are that prosecutors knew Sneed lied on the witness stand about his psychiatric condition and his reason for taking the mood-stabilizing drug lithium. 

The Supreme Court's syllabus of the case said "evidence of Sneed’s bipolar disorder, which could trigger impulsive violence when combined with his drug use, would have contradicted the prosecution’s portrayal of Sneed as harmless without Glossip’s influence."

Drummond has also cited a box of evidence in the case that was destroyed, including motel receipts, a shower curtain and masking tape that Glossip’s attorney, Don Knight, said could have potentially proven Glossip’s innocence.

Glossip has always maintained his innocence. He was initially convicted in 1998 but won a new trial ordered by a state appeals court. He was convicted again in 2004.

Meanwhile, the victim’s relatives had told the Supreme Court that they wanted to see Glossip executed.

If Glossip were to be tried again, the death penalty would be off the table, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna has said.

Then as now, the state still believes Glossip may be at least guilty of aiding and abetting a crime after the fact, which would not mean a death sentence.

Fox News' Shannon Bream and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Dem and GOP governors urge Trump to ‘let the states play a role’ in immigration decisions

Two governors, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, found common ground at a National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., on one of President Donald Trump's most critical goals.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat and chairman of the National Governors Association, and Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt told Fox News Digital they want states to have a say in immigration enforcement and issuing work permits.

"We want to make sure we're at the table in that with regard to immigration," Polis told Fox News Digital.

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He said the idea that the states should have a seat at the table regarding immigration decisions "has a lot of support (among) both Democratic and Republican governors."

Polis said states know what their labor needs are and could grant work permits after careful vetting.

"Let us be able to grant those based on free background checks … and that'll help our economic growth," Polis said.

Polis, whose state has been ground zero for criminal activity and violence by the migrant gang Tren de Aragua, said "varying degrees of cooperation" between state and federal authorities are necessary.

Colorado has several sanctuary-style laws limiting law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities, but Polis insisted its relationship with federal law enforcement agencies is strong.

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Stitt said he would encourage Trump to consider giving states the ability to grant workforce visas.

"I've been an advocate for workforce visas at the state level," Stitt said. "Matching employers with employees is something that governors should be able to do, whether it's in the construction industry, the agricultural industry, engineering, aviation, whatever."

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He joked that the U.S. is "like [a team in] the NFL with the No. 1 draft pick."

"We should be able to choose the very best and brightest to our country. But we're just being silly how we do it right now. Let's close the border. Let's make sure we have the very best and brightest that come into our country," Stitt said.

Stitt also touted his state’s Operation Guardian, which he launched earlier this month to empower state and local law enforcement to better work with the Trump administration and ICE to deport criminal illegal aliens.

"I put my commissioner of public safety in charge to say, ‘How many people do we currently have in prison in the state of Oklahoma who are here illegally that have committed crimes? And then how can we work with the Trump administration to get them out of our state, out of our country and off of the taxpayer rolls in Oklahoma? So, I think that's probably the first step," Stitt said.

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However, Stitt said there is a limit to what states should be doing to enforce immigration law. He proceeded to knock a recent effort by the Oklahoma State Department of Public Instruction to check the immigration status of children enrolled in public schools.

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"In Oklahoma, I also said, ‘Listen, we're not going to ask for immigration status for 6, 7, 8-year-old kids in school," he said.

But Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, also a Republican, responded by saying Stitt’s stance on not checking school children’s immigration status undermines Trump’s agenda.

"It is unfortunate that Gov. Stitt is thwarting President Trump’s America First agenda," Walters told Fox News Digital. "We cannot afford to stick our heads in the sand like Democrats and ignore the cost of illegals to taxpayers. President Trump was clear, Oklahoma voters were clear and we will defend the will of the president and Oklahomans." 

Maine governor's transgender athlete dustup with Trump made White House confab 'uncomfortable,' governors say

Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills’ public dust-up with President Donald Trump during a White House meeting with most of America's state leaders didn’t live up to governors’ collective goal of "disagree[ing] better," the National Governors Association chairman said Saturday.

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis was asked about the exchange – in which Trump challenged Maine to comply with his executive order on transgender athletes in school sports, and Mills told Trump "see you in court." The president remarked that any state that does not align its scholastic athletics with biological sexes will not receive federal funding.

"As governors, we have our prior initiative that we continue to work on is to disagree better," Chairman Polis said.

"We always hope that people can disagree in a way that elevates the discourse and tries to come to a common solution around . . . what the issue is. I don't think that that disagreement is necessarily a model of that," he continued, adding that some governors may not have known the origins of the fiery exchange at the time.

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Polis said governors do have the right to sue the federal government but that there are also other ways to understand where respective parties are coming from.

"It was a little uncomfortable in the room," added NGA Vice Chairman Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma’s GOP governor.

"But like, like Governor Polis said, I wasn't sure exactly what the backstory was behind the conflict there. Apparently, there had been some things that both sides have said."

Stitt remarked that the exchange may have been "good politics" for both Mills and Trump with their respective bases.

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He added that he personally agrees with Trump’s stance and noted that he led a push in 2022 to ensure that scholastic athletes are competing against people of their own biological sex in Oklahoma.

"The NCAA has followed that, I think the Olympics have. And then you have a governor saying that they're not going to follow that. So, I don't know what legal background she has, but they talked about seeing each other in court. And we'll we'll see what happens on it."

Polis added that Mills maintained that she is following current federal law under her current stance.

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Later, Stitt said that Trump had invited all governors to give him a call, and had quipped that if a Democrat and a Republican call at the same time, he will take the Democrat’s call first.

"He is a businessman. He is not ideological. He wants to get things done," Stitt said.

At the White House meeting, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey successfully asked cabinet officials to share their direct lines, to better facilitate cooperation between states and the Trump administration. 

That nugget was revealed by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who quipped that the president had also offered governors an open line – but did not explicitly publicize his number.

"I’ve got it, but I’m going to hold onto it," McMaster joked.

Slashing energy development red tape, beating China in 'AI arms race' top priorities for nations’ governors

"It shouldn’t take longer to approve an [energy] project than it takes to build it," said National Governors Association Vice Chair Kevin Stitt at Friday’s conference in Washington.

That, the Oklahoma Republican said, is the collective picture painted of all the problems with government bureaucracy at all levels that imperils the U.S.’ ability to stay ahead of China in terms of cyberthreat-prevention and energy dominance.

Permitting reform is one of the most important things to address with a new administration and new state government sessions beginning, the governors collectively expressed.

There was bipartisan consensus at the NGA that America must move responsibly toward a future secure from malign foreign actors in both cybersecurity and energy development.

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"Permitting reform is one of those issues where both Republicans and Democrats recognize the problem, we largely agree on solutions," Stitt said, adding it is a national security issue that the U.S. must streamline permitting.

"Our allies need affordable, reliable energy and the US has the resources to provide that," he said.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum spoke at length on that matter, saying America is in competition with foreign rivals like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea whether they like it or not.

"It’s key that we win the AI arms race with China," he said, citing bot-powered attacks that can be much more effective than human hackers.

"They would have the ability to take down the electric grid. They have the ability to disrupt everything that we know in our country. And they wouldn't have to put a single soldier on the ground, but it could completely disrupt us and our economy. So, winning that AI arms race doesn't just take software developers, it takes more electricity."

"We’re in a competition… against other countries that aren't slowing themselves down with the level of bureaucracy that we have," Burgum said, citing the threat of cyberattacks from Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

Burgum and the governors discussed the promise of nuclear energy and new technology that allows for the portability of such operations, where plants that generate power can be placed much closer to where that power is needed.

Stitt remarked that when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an order mandating his own government to rule on infrastructure permit applications within two weeks or give the applicant their money back, he didn’t want to get "beat by a Democrat" in that idea so he quickly issued his own order.

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Shapiro also said Pennsylvania conducted an audit of permit applications earlier in his term and found 3,400 – leading him to order there be cataloging going forward.

Despite Bethlehem Steel’s stacks laying dormant 25 years on, and the massive St. Nicholas Breaker coal processor long gone, Pennsylvania remains the nation’s second-largest energy net-exporter – a fact noted by the governor.

The first North American discovery of oil occurred in the mid-1800s in Venango County, and some of the longest-producing wells remain active in Pennsylvania, though the Commonwealth has been far surpassed in that regard by Texas, Alaska and other states.

"We're proud of our legacy as a national energy leader," Shapiro said. "We’ve got to get to-market quickly [regarding] energy projects."

Pennsylvania produced more than 7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2023. But there has been a push-pull effect of former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell banning fracking on state parkland, Republican Gov. Tom Corbett reversing that, and Shapiro's Democratic predecessor Tom Wolf then restoring Rendell's moratorium.

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Shapiro indicated Friday he would be taking a more measured approach to responsibly developing the Commonwealth’s resources. 

He cited the bipartisan SPEED Act out of Harrisburg, which provides for third-party permitting review while also accelerating the overall process.

Burgum called the work of a governor one of the hardest, but remarked that it is about to "become more fun than it’s ever been" with the accessibility of the Trump administration.

In that regard, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster described how cabinet secretaries had shared their own personal contact information following a Friday White House meeting – and that President Donald Trump invited calls as well but did not share his own number.

"I’ve got it, but I’m going to hold onto it," he joked.

New frontier of AI-powered ‘teacher-less’ charter schools get mixed reviews from state officials

Artificial intelligence may be the new frontier for childhood schooling, but the idea of teacherless classrooms has received mixed reviews from state education officials.

Unbound Academy, a Texas-based institution billing itself as the nation’s first virtual, tuition-free charter school for grades 4 through 8, reportedly employs AI to teach students in a way that can be geared toward the individual student without "frustration[s]" sometimes present in traditional schooling.

While such schools have seen success in being approved to educate students in Arizona, Unbound was formally rejected by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

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In a letter to an Unbound Academy official with a Lancaster office address, Secretary Angela Fitterer said her office has found "deficiencies" in all five criteria needed for approval to teach Keystone State students.

Pennsylvania’s Charter School law denotes a school must demonstrate sustainable support for the cyber charter school plan from teachers, parents and students. It must also exhibit the capacity to provide "comprehensive learning experiences," enable students to meet academic standards, and abide by Section 1747(a) of the law, which pertains to governance, policy, facility and assessment.

"Artificial intelligence tools present unique opportunities in the classroom that educators across Pennsylvania are already exploring how to effectively, ethically and safely implement," a spokeswoman for Fitterer told Fox News Digital.

"However, the AI instructional model being proposed by this school is untested and fails to delineate how artificial intelligence tools would be used to ensure that the education provided aligns with PA state standards," she said.

In its application, Unbound cited its work with "2HR Learning" an "innovated educational approach that combines AI technology, personalized learning paths, and a focus on life skills development to revolutionize the learning experience," according to the Scranton Times-Tribune.

However, Unbound saw success in Arizona, which approved an academy for the 2025-26 school year, while being rejected in three states besides Pennsylvania, according to the Arizona Republic.

Two hours are set aside for core instruction, and the rest of the day is geared toward students pursuing "personal interests" and life skills workshops.

Unbound Academy co-founder MacKenzie Price told the paper the Grand Canyon State was appealing because of its welcoming of school choice tenets.

Another state official on the frontier of educational evolution is Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters.

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In recent months, Walters has spearheaded efforts to return the Bible to schools, root out foreign influence in curriculum, and AMIRA – a new literacy initiative, among other endeavors. His state is also set to appear before the Supreme Court this term in regard to interest in allowing a Catholic charter school to receive state funding.

Walters said he has not yet seen an application for Unbound or any other AI-powered charter school, but believes that if parents desire the option in the Sooner State, he will consider it.

"You have to show parental support that they're asking for it," he said.

"You also have to be very transparent. Where's the technology based out of? Who is developing it? We do not want any situation where you've got a CCP or [similar] country, involved there with the technology. . . . You need to be very upfront. Where is the technology developed? What is the curriculum look like?" 

With Oklahoma’s major agricultural sector, many schoolchildren work hours on their family farms when they’re not in class. Walters said virtual learning has helped Oklahoma families in the near-term, and suggested an AI school would have a similar setup.

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He said his state is always open to the next frontier of childhood education.

"Catholics have some of the most successful schools in our state in the country. They brought us a model that said we'd like to try out so many of the things that have worked for us in our private schools at a charter school. We can make it available for more kids," he said.

"We appreciate the Catholic Church for putting the application before us [and] the radical atheists and teachers union folks – they're dead wrong on this."

Walters said – just as Harrisburg deemed the AI-powered charter school did not meet its qualifications – Oklahoma believes the new Catholic charter school met its criteria.

"This is the next frontier of school choice – we want more schools. We want more charter schools."

Fox News Digital reached out to Unbound Academy for comment and further information on its other state applications.

Oklahoma superintendent who brawled with CNN over ICE entering schools doubles down: 'Deported together'

Oklahoma State School Superintendent Ryan Walters pushed back after a clash on CNN over his openness to allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers into schools – with Walters doubling down and rejecting "sanctuary schools."

Walters had told local media that he would not rule out allowing federal agents into schools to remove illegal immigrants, amid an ongoing deportation operation since President Donald Trump took office.

The Trump administration has lifted a Biden-era "sensitive places" mandate, which prevented agents from entering schools amid concerns that illegal immigrants could use such places to hide from enforcement. It has sparked pushback from some local officials.

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However, Walters, in an interview with Fox News Digital, said that such moves could be necessary to avoid family separation.

"Are the Democrats and now the left-wing media the party of family separation? If you have adults that are going to be deported from this country, do you not want the Trump administration to know where their kids are, where they're enrolled in school, so that if the family is to be deported, they're actually deported together?" he asked.

It led to a furious back-and-forth with CNN host Brianna Keilar, who asked him if it would be traumatic for kids.

"Do you think it would be traumatic for students to witness a raid in their school and students forcibly removed from their school? Do you think that would be traumatic?"

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Walters answered, "I think what would be traumatic is if you didn‘t give President Trump the information necessary to keep families together. So what you would prefer is to just deport the parents and have the kids have no idea what happened to their parents? What we‘re—"

"That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking you….That’s not at all what I’m asking, superintendent," Keilar interrupted again.

Many members of the media have also taken issue with a recent rule change by the Oklahoma State Board of Education, titled "Enhancing Enrollment Transparency," which requires each school district to report the number of students enrolled in schools who are unable to provide proof of citizenship or legal status. According to the rule, the new policy is designed to "provide greater transparency" and to "support the needs" of the schools and students.

"We're saying we want to see your driver's license, we want to see which country you came from, if you've come into the country illegally. I think that is a very commonsense requirement that we're putting out there. We want to make sure that we're asking for this information so that we can accurately use resources and personnel in the state to educate our children," Walters explained. "I think that our taxpayers or our citizens understand that. And the left tries to gaslight the American people into acting like this is some kind of absurd ask."

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Speaking to Fox Digital, Walters stood by his stance, noting Trump’s victory at the voting booth in November.

"We're talking about families, we're talking about adults, the adults are in the country illegally. And we're trying to make sure the Trump administration has the information to move forward with the most aggressive deportation policy in our nation's history that the American people clearly support," he said.

"The president won an overwhelming victory with his election. He won every swing state. He won every county in Oklahoma. So you look at this and you say: ‘CNN, left wing media, Democrats, you don't want to have the real conversation because it requires you to admit you created this problem.’ Now the adults are in charge trying to fix it by shutting down the border, deporting illegal immigrants," he said.

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Walters also pointed to the impact of illegal immigration on schools in Oklahoma, including the necessary diversion of resources.

"While the left continues to go out and defend and champion the cause of illegal immigrant criminals, we're looking at the American citizen, Oklahomans, and we're sitting here saying, ‘listen, what about the kid that's over a year behind in reading who we've now put in a tutoring program? They're getting caught back up, now all of a sudden, all the tutors have to be diverted because of illegal immigrants that have flocked to their city and flocked to their hometown,’" he said.

"Outlets like CNN and other left-wing outlets refuse to talk about the compassion for the victims’ families who have been targeted by the crimes committed by illegal immigrants. They refuse to talk about compassion when it's your students of American citizens that have fallen behind in school, are working to get caught back up and yet, all of their resources are being moved at the last minute. They refuse to talk about compassion when you see the deaths caused by fentanyl, that oftentimes what a student tries it for the first time and they drop dead," he said. "Americans are tired of it."

He also pointed to the flow of drugs and criminals into the U.S. via the porous southern border.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

"And we know that over 99% of that fentanyl has come across the border. So the left, they can cry their crocodile tears. It's complete phony outrage that they act like that," he said. "They have compassion for illegal immigrants. They have no compassion for the American citizens, for the American people, for the American worker. And Americans are tired of it."

Walters also said that other states should be following Oklahoma’s example and backing the deportation and border security effort by the Trump administration.

"This country is a law and order country. We cannot continue to allow criminal activity, we cannot continue to allow sanctuary schools," he said. "Listen, you don't get to…harbor any other criminals in a school system. We should not be allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in our schools, work in our schools, and not get that information for the president, for the entire country," he said.

"Americans want to see an America First policy. They've got that in President Trump," he added. "They will see that here in Oklahoma with our schools. We will put our students first. We will put American citizens first. And we will continue to work with President Trump and his team as they are doing a tremendous job in not only getting our schools back on track but getting our country back on track by bringing law and order back."

Fox News' Lindsay Kornick and Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.

The 10 most unsafe states to live in, ranked

Shreveport, Louisiana, skyline over the Red River at dusk.
Louisiana ranks as one of the least safe places in the US, according to WalletHub.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

  • WalletHub released a report of the safest states in the US.
  • It ranked states based on 52 safety indicators, including work safety and emergency preparedness.
  • Louisiana came in last, followed by Mississippi and Texas.

Not all states are equal when it comes to safety.

And while FBI data from 2023 and 2024 indicates declining crime rates nationwide, what it means to be safe these days is not limited to reduced homicides, assaults, and robberies.

Some states feel safer than others due to stronger financial security or how well-prepared they are for natural disasters.

WalletHub released a report in October 2024 ranking the safest states in the US based on 52 factors in five key areas: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness.

Each state was given an overall score out of 100 based on its average rating across the five categories, and all the states were then ranked based on these scores. From this list, Business Insider identified the 10 states with the lowest scores to determine the most unsafe states in the US.

The data used in the report was sourced from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, and US Fire Administration, among other sources.

Here are the 10 most unsafe states in the US, according to WalletHub.

10. South Carolina
Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina.
Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The Southern state ranked 42nd in personal and residential safety and 46th for road safety in WalletHub's report.

For financial safety and emergency preparedness, it ranked 32nd and 33rd, respectively. The state also has the most fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.

Despite its poor rankings in most categories, the state did well in workplace safety, ranking 18th out of all states.

According to a September 2024 report by the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, the state also saw a 5.8% decrease in violent crime between 2022 and 2023.

9. Georgia
Piedmont Park in Atlanta.
Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The Peach State is the ninth most unsafe state in the US, according to WalletHub's report.

Georgia ranked 36th on the emergency preparedness scale, third lowest in financial safety, and 19th worst in road safety. It also has the third-highest share of the uninsured population.

However, the state fares better in personal residential and workplace safety, ranking 33rd and 25th, respectively.

8. Colorado
Denver skyline.
Colorado is the eighth least safe state in the US.

Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock

Colorado has maintained its ranking from 2023, retaining the eighth position.

The Centennial State scored poorly in two categories: personal residential safety, where it ranked 44th, and workplace safety, where it was 43rd overall.

According to the Council of Criminal Justice, Colorado Springs had a 56% increase in homicides — the largest jump among other cities in the US — between 2023 and 2024.

However, Colorado excelled in financial safety, ranking 16th, and is near the middle of the pack for emergency preparedness, in the 28th spot.

7. Alabama
Port harbor in Mobile, Alabama.
Port Harbor in Mobile, Alabama.

nektofadeev/Shutterstock

Alabama, which ranked sixth in 2023, moved up a spot in 2024.

The state ranks ninth lowest in financial safety among all 50 states and eighth lowest on the emergency preparedness scale. It also ranked 37th overall for workplace safety and 32nd for personal residential safety.

While homicides declined across Alabama in 2024, Birmingham, the second-most populated city, saw a surge in shootings, surpassing 2023's total and nearing an all-time record of 148, last seen in 1933, per AL.com.

In terms of road safety, the state performed slightly better, ranking 26th overall.

6. Oklahoma
Oklahoma City capitol.
Oklahoma City capitol.

Niklas Schorrer/Shutterstock

Oklahoma moved from seventh in 2023 to the sixth-most unsafe state in the US in 2024.

This is partly due to its weak performance in emergency preparedness, where it ranked 44th, and in road safety, where it ranked 38th.

The state also has the second-highest share of the uninsured population and the fourth-lowest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds alongside Arkansas.

In a separate WalletHub report, the Sooner State was also ranked one of the worst states for women in 2024.

5. Florida
Sunny Isles Beach in Miami.
Sunny Isles Beach in Miami.

Artiom Photo/Shutterstock

Florida maintained its ranking from 2023.

The Sunshine State ranked the fourth worst state for emergency preparedness and was also in the bottom 10 in the financial (44th), road (41st), and workplace safety (43rd) categories. It performed better in personal residential safety, ranking 35th overall.

NBC 6 reported in September that Miami — among the most popular tourist destinations in Florida — had the highest rate of property crime: 8,557 incidents per 100,000 residents, based on FBI data from 2022.

4. Arkansas
Clinton Presidential Park in Arkansas.
Clinton Presidential Park in Arkansas.

Nina Alizada/Shutterstock

Arkansas ranked the sixth lowest in personal residential and road safety. It was also the fifth-worst state in the US for workplace safety and ranked 36th in financial safety.

The state also has the fourth-most assaults per capita — alongside Tennessee, Alaska, and New Mexico — and the fourth-lowest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds.

3. Texas
Dallas Hall at Southern Methodist University in University Park.
Dallas Hall at Southern Methodist University in University Park.

Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock

WalletHub ranked Texas as the third least safe state to live in the US because of its low road safety and emergency preparedness.

The state has grappled with roadway fatalities in both rural and urban areas. Dallas, for example, experienced 207 traffic fatalities in 2024, an increase from the 205 deaths that were recorded in 2023, according to an analysis of Texas Department of Transportation data by NBC 5 Investigates.

The Lone Star State also has the highest share of the uninsured population.

However, it fared better in workplace safety, ranking 32nd.

2. Mississippi
The Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.

Chad Robertson Media/Shutterstock

Mississippi retained its spot as the second most unsafe state in the US.

It's the worst state for road safety and emergency preparedness, ranking 50th in each category. It's also the second worst for workplace safety.

Compared to other states, Mississippi, which has experienced extreme droughts, rising sea levels, and dangerous heat levels in recent years, has the fourth-highest total loss amount from climate disasters per capita. Yet it has a high share of uninsured people and the second-lowest percentage of adults with rainy day funds.

It also has the second most fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel and the third most fatal occupational injuries per total workers.

1. Louisiana
Louisiana State Capitol.
Louisiana State Capitol.

RebeccaDLev/Shutterstock

For two years in a row, Louisiana has been the least safe state in the US, according to WalletHub.

The Pelican State continues to be at the bottom of the safety index, partly because it is the second-least safe regarding road safety and on the emergency preparedness scale. It is also the 11th worst in personal residential and workplace safety.

Positioned 33rd, it fared relatively better in road safety rankings.

Although it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita — a position it shares with Wyoming and New Jersey — Louisiana has the fifth-most assaults per capita.

Along with Mississippi and the Dakotas, the state ranked 47th for having one of the highest total per capita losses from climate disasters.

Read the original article on Business Insider

High school basketball player jumps into action to save opponent's life after harrowing on-court collapse

A critical moment prompted a high school basketball player in Oklahoma to put aside competition. When Randy Vitales, 16, went into cardiac arrest in the opening minutes of a basketball game Jan. 9, Magnus Miller rushed to his aid.

According to Oklahoma City news station KOCO-5, Dover High School was competing against Life Christian Academy in Orlando, Oklahoma, when Vitales collapsed about three minutes into the game. Dover coaches determined Vitales did not have a pulse, according to King Fisher Press.

Miller reportedly had undergone lifeguard training and used an automated external defibrillator to help Vitales. The high school student also took the lead in performing CPR.

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Once Vitales' heartbeat was restored, CPR was administered until medical personnel made it to the gymnasium.

HALL OF FAMER, RAVENS LEGEND ED REED TAKES COACHING JOB AT ATLANTA-AREA HIGH SCHOOL IN SURPRISING MOVE

The Guthrie Fire Department credited Miller for his actions, telling KOCO-5 the student-athlete "without a shadow of a doubt" saved his opponent's life.

Miller said there was no hesitation once he became aware of the situation. 

"I didn’t have any second thoughts about it," the 18-year-old told the news outlet. "I just jumped in and took control."

Miller admitted that being described as a lifesaver was somewhat unsettling.

"It’s weird hearing someone say you saved their life," Miller said. "But it wasn’t really me. It was God just being there for me and him. Obviously, I didn’t go there to play basketball that day."

Dover Public Schools previously confirmed Vitales was transported to an Oklahoma City hospital and eventually placed in the intensive care unit (ICU). Once Vitales was admitted, doctors said an abnormal heartbeat caused the cardiac arrest.

"Randy is undergoing several tests and will be moved to ICU," a statement released Jan. 9 said. "Doctors did say that the quick response by our coaches and the training they received is probably what saved his life. Counselors and some area pastors were at the school when our teams returned to talk and pray with our students."

The Oklahoman reported Vitales was breathing without the assistance of a ventilator as of Jan. 11.

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FIRST ON FOX: Red state suing Biden admin for unleashing ‘chaos’ on schools through open border

FIRST ON FOX: The state of Oklahoma is suing to hold the Biden administration accountable for unleashing "massive chaos" on the public school system in the state through four years of open border policies.

The suit, launched by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, targets President Biden’s Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. It demands the Biden administration refund Oklahoma for the approximately $470 million it had to spend on educating thousands of illegal immigrant children over the last four years.

Walters, who filed the suit in the Western District Court of Oklahoma today, told Fox News Digital that public schools are "overrun with illegal immigrants" who are stretching the system’s resources thin and limiting opportunities for the children of taxpaying citizens.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT HONDURAN GANG MEMBER KIDNAPPED US WOMAN, ‘GIGGLED’ AFTER THREATENING TO SELL ORGANS: REPORT

According to data gathered by the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the state spends approximately $11,000 per student annually, and the number of unaccompanied migrant children placed in the state is nearly 3,000. 

Walters said that Oklahoma schools are struggling to provide adequate resources for immigrant children, such as certified teachers for students with limited English proficiency, transportation and individualized education plans, and that these challenges have a long-term impact on school budgets and the quality of education for all students in the state.

"It truly is chaos in the school system. And who's suffering here? It's the students," said Walters. "Joe Biden and Kamala Harris did this intentionally, and we've got students caught in the crossfire here. We have got to protect them, and we've got to get our states back on track in educating our kids."

BIDEN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPENT OVER $1 BILLION ON DEI GRANTS: REPORT

Though President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office next week, he said that Oklahoma taxpayers are still being saddled with the costs of the Biden administration’s failed border policies.

He pointed to an NBC interview with outgoing ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner, who said the Biden administration "absolutely" should have acted sooner to shut down the border. 

Walters said, "They knew it was happening, and they didn't do anything about it."

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"Last week we had Joe Biden's top ICE director admit that they allowed this to happen, that they allowed the law to be broken … and frankly, they're crystal clear these orders came from the top, they came from Joe Biden and the border czar Kamala Harris," he said. "We cannot just allow them to skate off into the sunset and say, ‘President Trump, here you go, states, sorry, we just caused this massive chaos across your schools, across your state, into your communities.’ Those individuals have to be held accountable for the chaos they brought to our kids and our families. And that's what this lawsuit will do."

BLUE STATE GOV CHANGES TUNE AFTER VOWING TO FIGHT TRUMP DEPORTATION EFFORTS, NOW HOPES HE FIXES BORDER

Walters called on other states to join Oklahoma’s suit against the Biden administration, saying that "every state has to get a grasp of what illegal immigration has done to their school system, has done to their states."

"This is the future we're talking about; we're trying to get education back on track," he said.  

"This is how you change this trajectory. This is how you get the Trump administration the support that they need by holding the current administration accountable, getting this data, getting this information," he went on, concluding: "In Oklahoma, we're not going to tolerate Kamala Harris and Joe Biden allowing our schools to be overrun with illegal immigrants and with this lawsuit, we will hold them accountable to the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma."

State revamps curriculum, bans ‘woke garbage’ to teach all aspects of Obama-Biden-Trump era

EXCLUSIVE: Oklahoma’s 2025 school-year curriculum will look markedly different after major adjustments are made to eschew "woke garbage" while making sure students learn all aspects of complex figures like Thomas Jefferson and Donald Trump, and issues like the BLM and Capitol riots.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said Wednesday his state is "taking the lead" on a "direct rejection" of politicizing influences on the curriculum like teachers' unions and activist educators.

"What we are not going to allow is these radical teachers' unions to push lies in the classroom. That's not how we're going to teach."

Walters said school curricula are set every six years, and that he plans to hold schools accountable by withholding accreditation from any institutions that don’t follow suit.

CHINESE INFLUENCE IN SCHOOLS A RISING CONCERN, EDUCATION LEADERS SAY

He suggested the new rules are an extension of Oklahoma’s previous push to return the Bible to the classroom as an "important historical document" that shaped America’s founding – in that it is important to similarly give students a fuller perspective on landmark events and figures throughout the rest of U.S. history.

"We are driving out this woke indoctrination and woke nonsense that has been injected into the classroom by undermining Republican presidents and American exceptionalism," he said.

"So our kids are going to know America is a great country. They're not going to be taught to hate this country. They're going to be taught to love this country and a patriotism to come from the principles that our country was founded in our history."

Giving the example of former President Ronald Reagan in the last generation’s education, and how some curricula focused more on shortcomings during Iran-Contra and Col. Oliver North's hearings, Walters said he will not tolerate educators "maligning" President-elect Trump in the same way.

"You're not going to come in and teach President Trump wanted an insurrection on Jan. 6 [2021]. We're not going to allow it. We will be crystal clear on what President Trump's victories were in the White House," he said.

UNIVERSITY CUTS TIES WITH CONFUCIUS INSTITUTES AMID GOP SCRUTINY ON $17M DOD GRANT

Similarly, the new curriculum will take a broader look at Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and the repercussions of coronavirus lockdowns.

He cited a recent clip he saw of a student stating that the only thing they knew about Thomas Jefferson was that he was a slaveholder, and did not know he was a president or the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

"And so we will drive these lies out of the classrooms and get back to an understanding of American greatness throughout our history," he said, noting that Oklahoma will teach "the good with the bad."

Walters was asked how the curriculum would teach COVID-19 lockdown history, given how states like Pennsylvania, New York and Hawaii were confident their zero-tolerance edicts were the right response, just as much as Florida believed its less restrictive response was right.

"I don't care to appease the left or make them happy. We're going to teach facts. We're going to stick to accurate history here. And they can be offended by that," Walters said.

"It is not debatable. Rights were taken from individuals during COVID. That's not debatable. It's also not debatable that lockdowns hurt kids. Lockdowns hurt families and businesses," he said, adding that current curriculum often glosses over that argument and offers only a more proverbially-northeastern view of the COVID years.

"We are ultimately going to let [students] come to their own conclusions," Walters said of the curriculum writ-large.

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U.S. history is strewn with successes and failures on all sides, he said, adding that the most responsible way to prepare the next generation to lead the country is to instill in them the widest view of its history and law possible.

"The left wants to browbeat kids into believing to hate their country, while conservatives, we just want history taught, and show that America is the greatest country in the history of the world."

"It will show you what policies work, what policies don't work. A kid should come to their own conclusions. That’s why every state has to look at their [civics curriculum] standards."

Fox News Digital also reached out to union leader Randi Weingarten via the AFT for comment on the general tenor of partially blaming teachers unions for purportedly slanted curricula.

Oklahoma measure seeks to make school district superintendents an elected position

Oklahoma will consider a new measure to make the role of school district superintendent an elected position in response to a spate of controversial situations involving scholastic leaders, Fox News Digital has learned.

There have been allegations and news reports about several issues: the refusal to remove "pornographic books" from school libraries, the dismissal of a teacher for failure to comply with a COVID-19 face mask mandate, and media coverage of "nothing [being] done" in response to reports a school football coach was bragging about sexual conquests with parents.

In 2021, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called firings of mask-averse teachers "preposterous" and said their talents are needed more than ever.

"This is about a school district not following state law — this isn’t a debate about masks," he said, after the Oklahoma City district reportedly fired multiple educators, adding the state previously banned such firings.

STATE SCHOOLS CHIEF BILLS KAMALA HARRIS $474M FOR EDUCATION COSTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

In February, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters — who is an elected official himself — threatened to lower the accreditation of Edmond, Oklahoma, schools if it didn’t remove the books "The Glass Castle" and "Kite Runner" from its high school libraries.

Walters called the inaction "subversion of accountability," though Edmond’s superintendent said the state lacked authority to remove the books based on a 1997 district policy.

In another case, in Edmond, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz from neighboring Texas, among others, blasted videos showing a portion of a school fundraiser wherein students were licking each other's toes. 

In a public statement, school officials appeared to celebrate the event:

"This afternoon, Deer Creek High School announced a grand total of $152,830.38 raised for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, an organization created to 'inspire our community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities," school staff wrote. 

"All participants in the assembly were students who signed up for the game(s) they played ahead of time. No Deer Creek faculty or staff participated in any of the games during this Clash of Classes assembly," a portion of the latter part of the statement read.

LANDMARK BILL TARGETS HIDDEN FOREIGN FUNDING IN SCHOOLS AS OFFICIALS WARN OF CCP INFLUENCE

Walters called the fundraiser "filth," and Cruz said it was "child abuse."

In another district on the Arkansas line, now-former Muldrow Superintendent Leon Ashlock resigned after driving drunk and crashing a school vehicle on Creek Turnpike. Two 100-proof bottles of cinnamon schnapps were found in its console, according to KOCO.

Walters told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that a case involving a school’s response to an athletic director’s criminal exploits with a student also drew his attention.

"Even in a conservative state like Oklahoma, where voters have overwhelmingly made clear they want the radical progressive policies of the left out of public schools, we continually see superintendents defying their will, ignoring their concerns, and refusing to take action necessary to improve education outcomes while protecting Oklahoma children," Walters said.

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"This has to end."

"And, the best way to do that is by requiring superintendents to be elected by the voters."

Walters called the legislation a common-sense solution to efforts to improve education for Sooner State children.

Walters previously made headlines when he led his state in becoming the first to appropriate funding toward supplying a Bible to each school. The official said the move blunts "woke curricula" and provides students a "historical document" that the founders used to form their government.

Fred Harris, former Democratic senator from Oklahoma and presidential candidate, dies at 94

Fred Harris, a self-described populist Democrat from Oklahoma who served eight years in the U.S. Senate before an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1976, has died. He was 94.

Harris’ wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to the Associated Press in a text message on Saturday, writing: "Fred Harris passed peacefully early this morning of natural causes. He was 94. He was a wonderful and beloved man. His memory is a blessing."

Harris, who was living in New Mexico, died in a hospital in Albuquerque, Elliston told The New York Times.

Harris first served for eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate after winning election in 1956. He then launched his career in national politics in 1964 when he won a Senate race to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Robert S. Kerr, who died in January 1963.

GAME SHOW HOST CHUCK WOOLERY OF ‘WHEEL OF FORTUNE,’ ‘LOVE CONNECTION,’ DIES AT 83

"I’ve always called myself a populist or progressive," Harris said in a 1998 interview. "I’m against concentrated power. I don’t like the power of money in politics. I think we ought to have programs for the middle class and working class."

As a U.S. senator, Harris was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the so-called Kerner Commission, appointed by then-President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the urban riots of the late 1960s.

The commission released its report in 1968, declaring, "our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal."

Thirty years later, Harris co-wrote a report that concluded the commission’s "prophecy has come to pass," stating that "the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and minorities are suffering disproportionately."

COLIN PETERSEN, BEE GEES ORIGINAL DRUMMER, DEAD AT 78

In 1976, Harris ran a failed bid to earn the Democratic presidential nomination, bowing out of the race after poor showings in early contests. The more moderate Jimmy Carter went on to win the presidency.

Harris moved to New Mexico that year and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote and edited more than a dozen books, mostly on politics and Congress. In 1999, he broadened his writings with a mystery set in Depression-era Oklahoma.

Harris was born Nov. 13, 1930, in a two-room farmhouse near Walters, in southwestern Oklahoma. The home had no electricity, indoor toilet or running water. He worked on the farm starting at age 5, driving a horse in circles to supply a hay bailer with power – earning 10 cents a day.

He later worked part-time as a janitor and printer’s assistant to help pay for his education at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a law degree in 1954. He practiced law in Lawton before beginning his career in politics.

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Harris married his high school sweetheart, LaDonna Vita Crawford, in 1949, and had three children, Kathryn, Byron and Laura. After the couple divorced, Harris married Margaret Elliston in 1983. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

'Common sense': Red state governor makes crucial move to boost Trump's deportation push

Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt says his state is creating a plan to deport criminal illegal immigrants who are in custody in state prisons, in a boost to President-elect Trump’s proposal to conduct a mass deportation operation next year.

Stitt announced that he is directing the state’s commissioner of public safety to lead the effort to expel inmates in Oklahoma prisons who are in the country illegally, by creating a plan to deal with them. That plan will be delivered by January, and the state says it will consult with the Trump transition team and incoming administration to implement it.

Stitt downplayed the complexity of the effort, saying it was "common sense and restoring Oklahoma to the rule of law," while speaking to Fox News Digital.

‘100% ON BOARD:' BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

"So these are people that are here illegally, that have committed crimes, and we want to make sure that they're not burdensome to the taxpayers of the state of Oklahoma," he said.

The state says there are more than 500 criminal illegal immigrants in Oklahoma’s correctional facilities, and it costs taxpayers $36,000 a day to house them. 

Trump has promised to launch the operation next year, sparking opposition from some Democrats in "sanctuary" jurisdictions and elsewhere. His incoming border czar, Tom Homan, has said the priority will be public safety and national security threats, but no one is off the table.

Stitt said he is surprised by the opposition from some Democrats, given the focus is on removing criminals from the country.

"What's amazing to me is you have some Democrat governors that are now talking about not supporting President Trump, and I don't think they learned anything from the election, that the American people want safe communities, and we want to have strong borders," he said.

‘SANCTUARY’ CITY MAYOR VOWS SHE WILL DEFY TRUMP'S MASS DEPORTATION PUSH: ‘CAUSING WIDESPREAD FEAR’

"When you think about someone that's here illegally, that's breaking the law, that's pushing fentanyl, or they have been convicted of rape or burglary, and they're not U.S. citizens, and they're here illegally. I don't know who could argue with me on ‘We want to make sure that those people are out of our country and not allowed to return,’" he said.

Oklahoma isn’t a border state, but Stitt says it has still been affected like every other state by the historic crisis at the southern border. He said fentanyl deaths are up 500% since he took office. He also noted the recent foiled Election Day terror plot; the suspect was living in Oklahoma.

Stitt stressed that he isn’t against immigration more broadly.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

"If you're at the University of Oklahoma on a education visa, we certainly want to be able to convert that to a workforce visa if we have an employer that needs that job, and if you want to chase the American dream, if you want to be part of paying taxes, part of our society, then we absolutely want to work that angle as well," he said.

He said there is now optimism in the U.S., and he believes there is enthusiasm about the prospect of being able to make communities safer across the U.S.

"I think the American people have spoken loud and clear with Trump's victory that they believe in safe communities. And so I think it's, I think it's just the right thing to do, and I'm excited about some of the Cabinet picks that President Trump has put in place, and it's going to be, it's going to be a fresh day for America," he said.

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