Latest news with #KevinStitt
CNBC
10-07-2025
- Business
- CNBC
37. Oklahoma
Governor: Kevin Stitt, Republican Population: 4,095,393 GDP growth (Q1 2025): -1.6% Unemployment rate (May 2025): 3.1% Top corporate tax rate: 4% Top individual income tax rate: 4.75% Gasoline tax: 38.40 cents/gallon Bond rating (Moody's/S&P): Aa1, Stable/AA+, Stable Economic profile sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federation of Tax Administrators, Energy Information Administration (including 18.40 cent/gallon federal tax), Moody's Investor Service, S&P Global Market Intelligence
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Kennedy touts ultra-processed meals he once called ‘poison'
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr promoted a company whose meals contain ultra-processed ingredients – which he has repeatedly railed against – on his 'Make America healthy again' tour. Kennedy appeared at an enormous food plant in Oklahoma for a company called Mom's Meals, which makes 1.5m 'medically tailored' meals each week and ships them all over the country. Companies including Mom's Meals have been criticized for hijacking the 'food is medicine' movement by providing 'salty, fat-laden' meals to the ill and elderly, paid for by health insurance companies. 'This is really one of the solutions for making our country healthy again,' Kennedy said in a video posted to the his social media account. Kennedy visited Mom's Meals to celebrate Republican Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt's Food Is Medicine Act, which allows the state's Medicaid program to purchase such meals. Nutritionists told the Guardian that the company's menus contain ultra-processed ingredients and could be healthier. The Associated Press first reported nutritionists' concerns with Kennedy's promotion of the company. 'We can do better and there are lots of meal programs that do better, and they don't have any of those kinds of ingredients in there,' said Marion Nestle, emerita professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told the Guardian. 'It's the texturizers and even the natural colors. It's got all this stuff in it that food companies put into foods to make up for the fact the ingredients aren't fresh.' Walter Willett, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, gave the meals a 'C' grade in comments via email. Willet, who is generally skeptical of the utility of the ultra-processed label, said: 'These meals could be ultra-processed but be much healthier.' A disclaimer on the Mom's Meals website pushed back against the ultra-processed label: 'Mom's Meals does not currently produce any meals containing ingredients commonly found in ultra-processed foods,' the prominent banner read. 'This means no: synthetic food dyes, added MSG, high fructose corn syrup, non-nutritive sweeteners (e.g., sucralose), partially hydrogenated oils or added trans fats, synthetic preservatives banned in EU.' A spokesperson for the company who spoke to the AP echoed this argument. Ultra-processed foods generally include ingredients you wouldn't use in your home kitchen – such as stabilizers, gums and anti-sticking agents to name a couple in Mom's Meals' cheese tortellini meal. It also includes cooking processes you wouldn't use at home, such as molding and extrusion. There is a growing body of evidence that shows ultra-processed foods encourage people to eat more calories and are linked to obesity and diabetes. A recent study found these foods account for more than half of all the calories Americans eat. Food researchers are still studying exactly why ultra-processed foods prompt people to eat more. The phrase 'ultra-processed' has come into wide usage since Kennedy began painting it as the boogeyman of the US food system, criticizing the industrialized processes as 'poisoning the American people' in his confirmation hearing. His agency is also planning a 'bold, edgy' public relations campaign to warn Americans about the dangers of such foods. 'Why he would pick on these meals as being the solution to America's food problems – I have no idea,' said Nestle. 'But ones that are made with better ingredients and don't have all the junk in them would cost more, and they'd probably have to be shipped frozen.' Notably, the state act comes after Republicans and Donald Trump signed a mega bill to cut $1tn out of Medicaid and $186bn from government food supports, colloquially known as 'food stamps', over the next decade. Medicaid is a public health insurance program that covers 71 million low-income, disabled and elderly Americans. This is not the first time Kennedy has made a controversial choice of companies to promote. In March, he visited Steak 'n Shake, a burger and fries restaurant, where he praised the company's use of beef tallow in fryers and made inflammatory statements about vaccines.
The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Kennedy touts ultra-processed meals he once called ‘poison'
Health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr promoted a company whose meals contain ultra-processed ingredients – which he has repeatedly railed against – on his Make America Healthy Again tour. Kennedy appeared at an enormous food plant in Oklahoma for a company called Mom's Meals, which makes 1.5m 'medically tailored' meals per week and ships them all over the country. Companies including Mom's Meals have been criticized for hijacking the 'food is medicine' movement by providing 'salty, fat-laden' meals to the ill and elderly, paid for by health insurance companies. 'This is really one of the solutions for making our country healthy again,' Kennedy said in a video posted to the secretary's social media account. Kennedy visited Mom's Meals to celebrate Republican Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt's 'food is medicine' act, which allowed the state's Medicaid program to purchase such meals. Nutritionists told the Guardian that the company's menus contain ultra-processed ingredients and could be healthier. The Association Press first reported nutritionists' concerns with Kennedy's promotion of the company. 'We can do better and there are lots of meal programs that do better, and they don't have any of those kinds of ingredients in there,' said Marion Nestle, emerita professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, told the Guardian. 'It's the texturizers and even the natural colors. It's got all this stuff in it that food companies put into foods to make up for the fact the ingredients aren't fresh.' Walter Willett, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, gave the meals a 'C' grade in comments via email. Willet, who is generally skeptical of the utility of the ultra-processed label, said: 'These meals could be ultra-processed but be much healthier.' A disclaimer on the Mom's Meals website pushed back against the ultra-processed label: 'Mom's Meals does not currently produce any meals containing ingredients commonly found in ultra-processed foods,' the prominent banner read. 'This means no: synthetic food dyes, added MSG, high fructose corn syrup, non-nutritive sweeteners (e.g., sucralose), partially hydrogenated oils or added trans fats, synthetic preservatives banned in EU.' A spokesperson for the company who spoke to the AP echoed this argument. Ultra-processed foods generally include ingredients you wouldn't use in your home kitchen – such as stabilizers, gums and anti-sticking agents to name a couple in Mom's Meals cheese tortellini meal. It also includes cooking processes you wouldn't use at home, such as molding and extrusion. There is a growing body of evidence that shows ultra-processed foods encourage people to eat more calories and are linked to obesity and diabetes. A recent study found these foods account for more than half of all the calories Americans eat. Food researchers are still studying exactly why ultra-processed foods prompt people to eat more. The phrase ultra-processed has come into wide usage since Kennedy began painting it as the boogeyman of the American food system, criticizing the industrialized processes as 'poisoning the American people' in his confirmation hearing. His agency is also planning a 'bold, edgy' public relations campaign to warn Americans about the dangers of such foods. 'Why he would pick on these meals as being the solution to America's food problems – I have no idea,' said Nestle. 'But ones that are made with better ingredients and don't have all the junk in them would cost more, and they'd probably have to be shipped frozen.' Notably, the state act comes after Republicans and Donald Trump signed a mega bill to cut $1tn out of Medicaid and $186bn from government food supports, colloquially known as 'food stamps' over the next decade. Medicaid is a public health insurance program that covers 71 million low-income, disabled and elderly Americans. This is not the first time Kennedy has made a controversial choice of companies to promote. In March, he visited Steak 'n Shake, a burger and fries restaurant, where he praised the company's use of beef tallow in fryers and made inflammatory statements about vaccines.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Governor reveals ‘Make Oklahoma Healthy Again' plan with RFK for bans on soda, red dye
Gov. Kevin Stitt, center, pens his name during a ceremonial signing of an executive order to "Make Oklahoma Healthy Again," as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., right, the nation's secretary of health, and other supporters look on Thursday, June 26, 2025. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — In a move quickly panned by licensed health care providers, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Thursday that he planned to 'Make Oklahoma Healthy Again' by urging state agencies to stop supporting public water fluoridation, removing red food dyes from school and prison meals, and by asking the federal government to approve a request that bans food stamp recipients from purchasing soda and candy. Stitt's pledge came minutes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's secretary of Health and Human Services, criticized the state for having the 47th worst health outcomes during a raucous 'MOHA' kickoff rally that drew hundreds of people to the state Capitol. Oklahoma has become the latest conservative state to submit a waiver to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that seeks to ban the state's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients from using their benefits to buy sodas, candies and other confectionery items, Stitt said. Tax dollars will no longer 'continue to fund foods that are making people sick,' he said. State officials will also work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find more ways to promote healthly eating and to make food stamp funding go further. 'Eating healthy foods today is going to reduce health care spending and dietary related illnesses later on in life,' Stitt said. The Republican governor also said he's instructed the Oklahoma State Department of Health to stop recommending fluoride in public water. 'Cities and water districts, they can still choose to do what they want, based on their constituents and the science, but it's no longer going to be a recommendation for the state health department,' Stitt said. And Stitt said he's instructed all state agencies that provide meals to Oklahomans to discontinue their use of artificial dyes. He also plans to convene an advisory counsel to recommend other changes that can improve health outcomes across the state. Stitt's plans immediately faced criticism from licensed medical providers who showed up en masse at the rally, holding signs reading 'Support Evidence-Based Health Care', 'Encourage Immunizations' and 'Protect Medicaid.' Dr. Steven Crawford, chair of the Oklahoma Alliance for Healthy Families, said it would be 'disastrous' for children's health to remove fluoride from water. 'We do know that appropriate public water fluoridation prevents cavities,' he said. 'And how do you help children get better nutrition when they don't have adequate dentition or teeth to be able to eat the food? So I am so sad that the governor is advocating removing appropriate fluoride from public water.' Crawford, who practices medicine in Oklahoma City, said fluoridation of public water and immunizations are two of the major health benefits over the past century and have been critical to improving the state's and nation's health outcomes. He said removing candy and sugary drinks from the list of approved food stamp items isn't inappropriate, but Stitt neglected to mention that many recipients already don't get enough resources to be able to buy healthy foods. The governor also didn't discuss increasing food stamp funding to ensure children are getting adequate nutrition, particularly during the summer months when they are not eating at school, he said. Kennedy, who participated in a staged, ceremonial executive order signing with Stitt, praised the governor's actions. 'I am so gratified by these actions that are being taken by Gov. Stitt to make Oklahoma healthy again,' Kennedy said. Spectators heckled Kennedy throughout his speech that focused on America's soaring rates of obesity, diabetes and autism, declines in the nation's fertility rates and a drop in American teenage boys' testosterone levels. Kennedy, who has been criticized as being a vaccine skeptic, did not mention immunizations during his address. At one point, a state trooper could be seen escorting two bystanders from the crowd after one began shouting something unintelligible at Kennedy. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the encounter. Kennedy said when people ask him if he's taking soda and sugary drinks away from the Americans, he tells them that they should have the right to drink a bottle of soda. 'We live in a country where we have individual freedom,' he said. The federal government just should not be paying for it, he said. 'We're paying for them at the front end by buying soda for the poorest Americans, and then we're paying for it (on) the back end with this diabetes, for Medicaid and Medicare,' Kennedy said. 'And it doesn't make any sense. We are poisoning the American people.' He said electing leaders like Stitt will change the way we do things in the U.S. to give American children a better chance of growing up healthy. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Stitt praises Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling preserving taxes imposed on certain tribal members
Gov. Kevin Stitt explains the new safety guidelines for Oklahoma events developed by an advisory council he led on June 5, 2025 at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday praised a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that said the state can impose income taxes on tribal members living and working on a reservation. Stitt called the 6-3 ruling a big win for the state. 'Tribal governments, liberal groups, and some elected officials have pushed for special tax exemptions that would create a two-tiered system – one set of rules for tribal citizens and another for everyone else,' Stitt said. 'That's wrong. It would divide our state and weaken the public services every family relies on.' The case was closely watched because it could have expanded the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt to civil matters. The McGirt ruling held that the state could not prosecute certain crimes committed by tribal members on the reservation. 'This ruling makes it clear that attempts to expand McGirt into civil and tax matters have no basis in the law,' Stitt said. In its Tuesday ruling, the Oklahoma Supreme Court found that McGirt, decided in 2020, was narrowly limited to criminal jurisdiction under the Major Crimes Act. 'The United States Supreme Court's declaration – 113 years after statehood – that nearly half of Oklahoma is a reservation is unprecedented,' the ruling said. 'To date, the United States Supreme Court has not extended its ruling to McGirt beyond the Major Crimes Act. To date, the United States Supreme Court has not extended its ruling in McGirt to the State's civil or taxing jurisdiction. And it is not this Court's place to do so.' Alicia Stroble had sought a tax exemption for years 2017, 2018, and 2019, saying she was exempt because she was a Muscogee (Creek) Nation member, worked for the tribe and lived on her tribes' land. The Muscogee Nation was disappointed by the ruling, said Principal Chief David W. Hill in a statement. 'Ever since the McGirt ruling, we have seen Oklahoma state courts go through legal gymnastics to come up with results that are not in compliance with federal law and that do not even follow pre-McGirt state court precedent on the limits of state authority in Indian country,' Hill said. 'The Stroble ruling is another example of those antics.' The tribe is reviewing the decision and preparing for its next steps, he said. Michael D. Parks, the attorney representing Stroble, did not immediately return a message seeking comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
