Oklahoma
UK trade agreement could boost Oklahoma agriculture
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a trade agreement with Great Britain, calling it a major step forward for both countries and a validation of his aggressive approach to international trade.
“This is now turning out, I think, really to be a great deal for both countries,” Trump said, adding that the agreement could generate $5 billion in new U.S. exports.
Oklahoma leaders say the deal, while still being finalized, promises substantial benefits for the state’s agriculture industry.
“This is realigning and restructuring our economies,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma. “The president said he wanted to try making the U.K. the first one in, and they delivered on that. But they’re still working out the minor details.”
Among those details: The United States would reduce tariffs on British cars, steel and aluminum from 25% to a 10% baseline. In exchange, the United Kingdom would streamline customs procedures for U.S. exports and open more of its market to American agricultural products, including an estimated $700 million in ethanol exports.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, noted the deal would also allow for more American beef to be sold in the U.K.
“That’s good for Oklahoma and our beef producers,” Lankford said. “But it’s good for the country as well.”
Lankford, who previously expressed skepticism over Trump’s tariff-heavy trade policy in his first term, is more optimistic now.
“Our focus on any of our trade agreements should be what’s helpful to America — period,” he said.
While the agreement with the U.K. appears close, broader trade talks are ongoing. Treasury Secretary Bessent is set to travel to Switzerland this weekend for discussions with Chinese officials. Mullin said additional trade deals are in the works.
“Every time I talk to the president, he’s heading into another conversation with another country,” Mullin said. “This is the first of many to come.”
The final U.K. agreement could still be several months away, but for Oklahoma’s agricultural sector, the early signals are promising.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City fire crews responded to a commercial fire in SW Oklahoma City on Wednesday afternoon.
The Oklahoma City Fire Department said crews responded to a fire at a vacant restaurant near SW 29th and South Miller Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.
Crews extinguished the flames, which were shooting up through the roof, according to OKCFD.
No injuries were reported, and OKCFD is working to determine the cause of the fire.
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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
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