Oklahoma congressional candidate drops out amid texting infidelity scandal

The Oklahoma congressional candidate Jackson Lahmeyer announced on Wednesday that he was suspending his campaign, after the Christian pastor once endorsed by Donald Trump, who had advanced to a Republican primary runoff, was reported to have sent extramarital, intimate text messages...

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/17/oklahoma-republican-congress-infidelity

 

Prison criticized for allegedly incarcerating people in squalid underground cells with no natural light

Incarcerated people allege they are forced to endure vermin-infested cells and are subjected to beatings and rape…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/11/oklahoma-penitentiary-underground-cells-rape-abuse-allegations

 

36 Oklahoma Republicans DEFENDED child marriage!

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X655vOiqRU4

 

Oklahoma Ignored Records Revealing 600 Illegally Operating Injection Wells — ProPublica

Oklahoma took on an ambitious project to catalog all of the state's injection wells, which shoot toxic waste generated by oil drilling back into the ground. Despite records showing risk of drinking water pollution, the state chose not to act...

https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-injection-wells-oil-regulators-database 

 

"He Gets Us" Still Doesn't Get It (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #622)

— The “He Gets Us” campaign has a PR problem no Super Bowl ad can solve. (1:23)

— Oklahoma finally scraps Bible-heavy, conspiracy-laced Social Studies standards. (22:24)

— Trump’s “Religious Liberty Commission” just got sued for its pro-Christian bias. (36:49)

— Court rules against anti-trans Christian teacher who demanded right to misgender students. (47:23)

— Judge refuses to toss The Satanic Temple’s lawsuit, putting Boston’s flag policy on trial. (57:29)

— South Carolina’s bill to force the Ten Commandments in school is doomed to fail. (1:07:31)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/02/12/he-gets-us-still-doesnt-get-it/

Their Water Was Undrinkable. Oklahoma’s Oil Regulators Failed to Help. — ProPublica

Salty Water, Delayed Tests: When one couple's water turned toxic, state oil regulators delayed key tests that could find a source of contamination. 

Polluted Plume: The state didn't tell the couple for over a month that tests showed their drinking water was contaminated with high levels of barium, which can cause heart problems. 

No Answers: Despite evidence showing pollution consistent with oil field waste, the state closed the family's complaint and dismissed its own findings...

https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-oil-polluted-drinking-water-boarman-family 

 

OK State Senator Seeks to Rein In Oil Companies’ Groundwater Pollution — ProPublica

The legislation comes after The Frontier and ProPublica found over 150 incidents where oilfield wastewater had gushed from the earth, releasing toxic chemicals — including some that cause cancer — near homes and farms and into drinking water sources...

https://www.propublica.org/article/oklahoma-legislation-oil-gas-injection-wells-water-pollution-cleanup 

 

Venezuela, Vanity Fair, and Rob Reiner (Andrew Seidel; One Nation, Indivisible podcast Episode #044)

Andrew begins with some good news out of Oklahoma and a Christian Nationalist meltdown; he talks about Rob Reiner’s God + Country documentary and Trump’s reaction to Rob and Michele Singer Reiner’s murder. 

Then, Andrew wonders about Trump and Steven Miller’s real reasons for targeting Venezuela, especially in light of recent reporting and their dabbling with the Alien Enemies Act. 

Plus, the joy of the Vanity Fair article on White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and the accompanying photo spread. 

• Part 1 of Vanity Fair’s masterpiece 
• Reuters’ investigation of 600 employees purged post-Kirk 
• WaPo reporting on Steven Miller’s wish for war with Mexico becoming a potential war with Venezuela.

Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-8rfwq-29c3a777

Pete Hegseth's War on Military Chaplains (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #615)

— Univ. of Oklahoma punishes instructor for failing Christian student who didn’t do the assignment. (0:55)

— Pete Hegseth is waging a pointless and damaging war on military chaplains. (19:30)

— Mayor criticized for preaching bigotry during secretly recorded speech to high school club. (45:30)

— Texas city blocks Christian pastor’s invocation after his open support for a Pride event. (1:18:40)

— Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders turned a holiday email to state employees into a Christian sermon. (1:32:20)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/12/23/pete-hegseths-war-on-military-chaplains/

There's No Religious Revival in America (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #614)

— Oklahoma’s Supreme Court overturns Ryan Walters’ Bible-heavy Social Studies standards. (0:41)

— Former Christian college administrator indicted for lying to cops in sex abuse investigation. (18:06)

— Rachel Laser’s USCIRF appointment brings church-state separation back to the table. (32:54)

— America isn’t in the midst of a religious revival—and the numbers prove it. (49:42)

— Australian court awards abuse survivor $1.5 million—and exposes Jehovah’s Witnesses’ cover-up. (1:00:35)

— Ohio Republicans advance bill that would flood schools with Ten Commandments posters. (1:17:56)

— An Arizona Republican is trying to force Creationism back into science classes. (1:24:11)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/12/18/theres-no-religious-revival-in-america/

Weekly Roundup: Cultural Crusades: From Hegseth’s Boat Attacks to Oklahoma’s Classrooms (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad and Dan return with a packed Weekly Roundup that cuts through the noise of culture war headlines to get at what is really happening in American politics and religion this week. They start with the bizarre story dominating Congress: alleged Venezuelan narco boats, U.S. military strikes, and the growing scrutiny around Pete Hegseth’s involvement. Brad and Dan unpack the legal and ethical questions raised by the operation, the bipartisan concerns over potential war crimes, and the way Hegseth’s rhetoric is being weaponized in the larger project of authoritarian politics. As blame shifts within the administration, the hosts look at how these events fit into a longer pattern of circumventing democratic norms under the guise of national security.

From there, the episode moves into the latest culture war flashpoint out of Oklahoma. A University of Oklahoma student, Samantha Fulnecky, received a failing grade on a paper centered on conservative Christian claims, and the incident was quickly inflated into a statewide moral panic. Brad and Dan trace how a classroom disagreement became a coordinated spectacle, how politicians and media personalities seized on the moment, and what the uproar reveals about academic freedom and the pressure educators face in a polarized climate. They discuss the difference between expressing a viewpoint and meeting academic standards, and why higher education has become a convenient battleground for Christian nationalist narratives.

The hosts also break down the Supreme Court’s decision to keep Texas’s contested congressional maps in place for 2026. They examine the racial and partisan consequences of the ruling, what political leaders are saying in response, and how the decision fits into a broader assault on voting rights and democratic representation. Despite the heavy topics, Brad and Dan close with reasons for hope. They highlight ongoing pushback against authoritarian politics, communities organizing for justice, and signs that democratic accountability remains possible.
Interview: 

https://straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-cultural-crusades-from-hegseths-boat-attacks-to-oklahomas-classrooms/

Religious zealots want to launch a taxpayer-funded Jewish school in Oklahoma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ZRAhsgK2I

 

Megachurch Pastor (and Trump Ally) Sentenced to Jail (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #604)

— An appeals court has vacated a ruling saying Ten Commandments posters in Louisiana schools are unconstitutional. (1:26)

— Oklahoma has already started erasing Ryan Walters’ disastrous legacy. (14:14)

— The Christian Right tried to make a late-night talk show—and it bombed spectacularly. (36:09)

— Trump’s NSPM-7 memo casts critics of Christianity as enemies of the state. (1:05:19)

— Megachurch founder and Trump ally Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse. (1:20:00)

— Faith, fear, and forced labor: The Kingdom of God Global Church scandal. (1:39:12)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/10/09/megachurch-pastor-and-trump-ally-sentenced-to-jail/

#Trump is even failing his #maga base #statesrights #illinois #oregon

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YWF45yCLx_o

Oklahoma Begins FULL-SCALE INVESTIGATION Into Psycho Former State School superintendent

Jesse discusses the fallout from the resignation of Ryan Walters as Oklahoma's Superintendent of Public Instruction. Reversing the damage has begun in earnest, and an investigation by the state attorney general has commenced, which could potentially result in criminal charges and severe jail time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9AvEYBVjs0

 

Oklahoma Republicans propose all state colleges must have Charlie Kirk statue

Schools would be required to build memorial plaza and describe slain activist as civil rights leader or face fines…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/20/oklahoma-republicans-charlie-kirk

 

The Christian Right's Anti-Woke SAT Alternative (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #601)

— TN high school football coach suspended after pushing religion on kids during game. (4:13)

— Appeals Court says Vermont public league must reinstate anti-trans Christian school. (22:06)

— U.S. military academies plan to accept the Christian Right’s inferior alternative to the SAT. (41:42)

— Colorado pastor and wife ordered to repay $3.4M to victims of their crypto scam. (1:00:30)

—- Oklahoma’s Supreme Court blocks Ryan Walters’ Bible-heavy Social Studies standards. (1:10:16)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/09/18/the-christian-rights-anti-woke-sat-alternative/

The Religious War on America’s Kids (Andrew Seidel; One Nation, Indivisible podcast episode 029)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running for Senate so he’s hitting the Christian Nationalism. Hard. Andrew breaks down his prayer push and the law it’s based on. Hemant Mehta at the Friendly Atheist took PragerU’s anti-woke teacher test for Oklahoma, Florida bans vaccine mandates, and more. 

Episode Show Notes:

• Ken Paxton’s Christian Nationalist press release. 
• Text of the TX law Paxton was ranting about. 
• Updated Axios story about DOJ leaving Dems and Liberals in Epstein docs. 
• Hemant Mehta at the Friendly Atheist takes PragerU’s Oklahoma teacher “test” and reports on it.
• BBC reports on FL vaccine mandate ban.

Interview: 

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-du84f-2765bde2

Oklahoma’s Scammy PragerU Teacher ”Test” (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #599)

— Oklahoma’s meaningless “America First” teacher test is just a PragerU ad campaign. (1:45)

— New Jersey town sues mall for ignoring Blue Laws and selling merch on Sundays. (34:49)

— Mormon columnist who preached “traditional values” busted for alleged child exploitation. (48:55)

— Judge orders Arkansas school district to remove illegal Ten Commandments posters. (1:02:15)

— 25% of Texas districts are using Bible-heavy reading lessons in public elementary schools. (1:11:20)
Interview: 

https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2025/09/03/oklahomas-scammy-prageru-teacher-test/

Educational video claims slavery was 'better than being killed,' OK lawmaker defends it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLRJMUnojz0