Devon Tower rises in the distance in a shot looking west from Bricktown Feb. 2. (William W. Savage, III)
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With significant holidays well behind us, February heralds open season on all the made-up holidays: The groundhog failed to see his shadow. Superbowl Sunday gave Thanksgiving consumption a run for its money. Hapless fools everywhere will inevitably pressure themselves into ruining Valentine’s Day.
In terms of the 2016 news cycle, there’s a particularly raucous sideshow occurring while the regular circus rolls on. New Hampshire hosted a debate Friday night for most of the remaining GOP candidates, just days before voters in that state take to the polls to elect their chosen one.
As illustrated in the Saturday Night Live news segment above and the Vine below, the real star of Friday night’s debate may have been the frustrated stage hand trying to shoo Dr. Ben Carson onto the stage.
As second-to-last in the polls, many Americans wouldn’t want to go onstage, either.
Things we saw (and heard)
Out of a rare Super Bowl I recording, a clash with the NFL unspools — New York Times
Daniel Holtzclaw’s police interrogation released — NewsOK (video)
Dainty Hooligan’s CEO stands behind controversial email — O’Colly
Commercial flight service to be launched at Stillwater airport — Stillwater News Press
Oklahoma News Report interview with eCapitol news director Shawn Ashley about the governor’s budget — OETA (video)
Quotes to note
The decision not to expand Medicaid in the state of Oklahoma has a negative financial impact on Norman Regional Health System. There are about 17,000 lives that would have been covered in the expanded Medicaid program in Cleveland County alone. If just 60 percent of these Oklahomans were covered by the Medicaid expansion, that would be $9 million to $10 million annually in reimbursement that Norman Regional Health System would have received.
— Norman Regional Health System president and CEO David Whitaker to the Norman Transcript, 2/2/16
I watch games every night. I don’t have any classes or any homework — well, I have online classes, but I don’t really have homework — so I just sit there and either play video games or watch other games.
— OU basketball senior Ryan Spangler to The Oklahoman, 2/4/16
Socialism isn’t so much a legitimate economic system as it is a moral failing. It will always exist because ignorant people will always want something for nothing. If we want to retain our freedom and prosperity, then we must educate our children that the purpose of government is to secure liberty, not provide free lunches.
— David Deming, in an editorial to The Oklahoman, 1/30/16
