AGP Executive Report

Oklahoma Politics & Courts: Oklahoma County finance watchdogs are pushing for a forensic audit after repeated bookkeeping problems, including a reported $10 million shortfall in the county’s reserve fund. Education Policy: Senate and House Democrats are holding a “Capitol Conversation” on public education in Oklahoma City on Sept. 15, inviting residents to weigh in on how new policies are affecting schools. Immigration & Visas: DHS finalized a rule ending “duration of status,” tightening timelines and transfer rules for F-1 and J-1 students; OU international students are among those facing new pressure. Health & Medicare: A federal Medicare AI prior-authorization pilot is drawing fire after records show “lengthy treatment delays,” raising questions about testing and patient impact. Local Community: Midwest City volunteers helped build 50 beds for children through Sleep in Heavenly Peace, using a city grant to expand deliveries. Business & Tech: Crusoe opened a second Tulsa plant making data-center hardware for OpenAI and Oracle’s Stargate campus, pitching energy-efficiency gains.

Medicare AI Troubles in Oklahoma: Newly released records show CMS’s WISeR Medicare prior-authorization pilot launched with treatment delays, technical problems, and warnings from a vendor that its system wasn’t ready—requests reportedly missed a promised 72-hour turnaround, including one left unanswered for 83 days. Housing Policy Watch: Congress passed a major housing affordability bill, but Oklahoma advocates say the state still needs work to address supply and eviction pressures. Oklahoma Judge and AI Missteps: An Oklahoma judge’s ruling is tied to claims of AI hallucinations, raising fresh questions about how courts use new tools. Prisons and Telemarketing: Reporting says telemarketing calls tied to Oklahoma prisons were used for insurance/political outreach, sparking outrage over rehabilitation promises. Healthcare Access for Rural Oklahoma: Rural stores say Oklahoma’s SNAP restrictions have sharply cut benefit use, hitting families who rely on the only grocery option in town. Federal Education Fight: DOJ sued more states over in-state tuition for undocumented students, with Oklahoma already affected. Local Tech/Defense: Northrop Grumman won an $18.73M modification for B-2 trailing-edge production work managed through Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. Sports—Week 2 Shockwaves: Texas stunned Ohio State with a massive comeback, while Oklahoma State upset Oregon and Michigan beat Oklahoma—shifting bowl and playoff projections.

Broadband for Tribes: The federal government is opening a supplemental BEAD funding round, giving states updated lists of potentially unserved locations that could include tribal lands—tribes will need to move fast through state offices to see what’s eligible. Oklahoma Housing & Veterans: Oklahoma ranked 46th for average VA home loan amounts in Q2 2026, with $302,099 in loans issued, according to the VA Home Loans Index. Oklahoma Social Security Snapshot: ZIP 74153 in Oklahoma had 195 Social Security beneficiaries in Dec. 2024, down 10 from the prior year. Mental Health in Oklahoma: Rogers State University’s MSCC director, Dr. Michelle Taylor, was selected to speak at the 2026 Zarrow Mental Health Symposium Oct. 2-3. Sports, With Oklahoma at the Center: Week 2 college football chaos reshuffled rankings—Texas jumped to No. 1 after a huge comeback over Ohio State, while Oregon fell after losing to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma dropped after a loss to Michigan. Local Community Fundraiser: Family Shelter of Southern Oklahoma is running its Sept. 14-18 “Healthy Choices United Way Fundraiser” with partner businesses across multiple counties.

Local Public Safety: Oklahoma Highway Patrol is asking drivers for dash-cam footage after a pedestrian was killed on I-44 near the Arkansas River bridge by Elwood Avenue in Tulsa, with troopers still piecing together what happened between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Sept. 10. Local Industry & Community Pushback: Inola residents and officials are continuing their fight against a proposed aluminum smelter, approving a 60-day moratorium and drawing hundreds to a protest parade as a federal lawsuit moves forward. Oklahoma Sports: Oklahoma State stunned No. 6 Oregon 39-31 in Stillwater, ending a 21-game skid against FBS opponents; fans stormed the field and a Big 12 fine could follow. State Politics & Voting: Rogers County’s election board is marking National Voter Registration Day with extended hours and help for residents to register, update info, and prepare for upcoming elections. Health Research: OMRF received a $3.2 million federal grant to study a nonsurgical approach for a degenerative heart valve disease that hits older adults hardest.

Inflation Pressure: Gas prices are climbing again, and analysts say the hit at the pump will squeeze household budgets and ripple into higher grocery and delivery costs as transportation expenses rise. Big 12/OU Fallout: Oklahoma’s season took another hit with a 17-10 loss at Michigan, leaving the Sooners’ offense under scrutiny early in the year. OSU Upset Shock: Oklahoma State stunned No. 6 Oregon 39-31, ending a long skid against FBS opponents and handing coach Eric Morris a headline win in Stillwater. Local Safety/Traffic: A Jeep rollover on I-44 near SW 134th sent one person to the hospital and snarled traffic on a busy Oklahoma City corridor. Health & Courts: A federal case in Oklahoma sentenced a student-visa courier to 30 months for a gold scam targeting an elderly Vietnam veteran. Sports Schedule Help: UTEP’s Sun Bowl opener vs. Oklahoma comes with a practical guide on parking, tickets, and game-day rules for fans. GameDay Politics: Sen. Ted Cruz was loudly booed during ESPN’s College GameDay appearance while promoting the Protect College Sports Act.

CBP Computer Sabotage: A Chinese national working as a Customs and Border Protection supervisor in Maine is accused of secretly swapping processors, memory and hard drives on 46 border computers, then using the original parts for retail trade-in credit—raising serious questions about access controls at the northern border. Immigration & Tuition Fight: The DOJ filed final lawsuits targeting Hawaii, D.C., Arkansas and Utah over in-state tuition and aid for people living in the U.S. without legal permission, arguing it conflicts with federal law and disadvantages U.S. citizens. AI & Data Centers: West Virginia’s push to attract data centers is colliding with new reports warning about environmental and public-health impacts, as leaders argue the state can handle the tradeoffs. Oklahoma Health Research: OU researchers in Tulsa are launching a caregiver-assisted fall-risk study for older adults with dementia, aiming to make home safety assessments more practical through virtual delivery. Local Economy Watch: Inola ranchers and hay producers are resisting a planned $4 billion aluminum smelter, fearing it could upend their livelihoods despite promised jobs. College Football (Oklahoma vs. Michigan): Week 2’s biggest spotlight hits Ann Arbor with Oklahoma opening as a favorite in prediction markets after Michigan’s shaky Week 1 escape.

OU & State Courts: The 10th Circuit cleared the way for Oklahoma’s “anti-discrimination” concepts law in schools, rejecting challenges to how the measure bars teaching certain “discriminatory concepts.” Higher Ed & Safety: A new survey of faculty in the South finds a spike in educators reporting fear for their safety and livelihoods amid political pressure and harassment. Health Care Costs: Oklahoma doctors warn proposed Medicare reimbursement cuts for same-day care could endanger patients. Public Works: Oklahoma City is moving ahead with new highway gateway signs and upgrades to three pedestrian bridges, part of a $4.2 million beautification push tied to the 2028 Olympics. Environment: Rain offered some relief in pockets, but drought remains severe to exceptional across much of Oklahoma, including parts of the OKC metro. Sports (Local Spotlight): OU’s Board of Regents meets Tuesday to consider plans for an $80 million Engineering Research Building and athletics contract/personnel changes. Wildlife: Monarch butterflies are starting their fall migration through Oklahoma, with peak expected late September into mid-October.

Broadband Growth Push: Rightfiber, formed from Ritter Communications and Great Plains Communications, says it’s ready to expand across 20 states using a $1.6 billion credit facility, prioritizing fiber-to-the-home deals and targeted acquisitions. Power Reliability in Oklahoma: OG&E’s Horseshoe Lake Unit 11 gas turbine cleared performance tests and should enter service next month—six months early—while storms knocked out power to 3,000+ OKC metro customers. Tribal Pay Raise: The Muscogee Creek Nation is phasing its minimum wage up to $20 an hour by 2028, funded through its permanent fund. Legal System Scrutiny: A Stephens County judge admitted using ChatGPT-generated fake citations in a court order, raising discipline questions. Consumer/Insurance: An Oklahoma jury awarded $40 million against Progressive over delays in an underinsured motorist claim. Federal Immigration Tuition Fight: DOJ filed final lawsuits challenging in-state tuition and aid for illegal immigrants in Hawaii, DC, Arkansas, and Utah. Public Safety & Courts: Former NFL RB LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow was sentenced to five years for running a dogfighting ring.

Dogfighting Sentencing: Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson was sentenced to five years in federal prison for running a large-scale pit bull dogfighting and trafficking operation out of Oklahoma, with prosecutors saying it led to death and serious injury for hundreds of dogs; authorities seized 190 animals from his “Mal Kant Kennels” operation. NBA Fallout: A federal criminal investigation is reportedly underway into whether the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard used side deals to skirt salary-cap rules—coming right after the league stripped the team of five first-round picks. Local Fire Update: Rain has given northeast Oklahoma firefighters a breather after weeks of grassfire calls during triple-digit heat, with crews using the downtime to clean and reset equipment. Oklahoma Budget Watch: Oklahoma County says a reserve fund previously thought to be $14 million is now about $10 million short after another bookkeeping error. 9/11 Remembrance: An Oklahoma City bombing survivor spoke at a Women’s Fund luncheon, sharing a message of resilience and second chances. Education & School Choice: A new report says 42,012 students are using Oklahoma’s Parental Choice Tax Credit, and it argues the program indirectly frees up more than $100 million for public schools. Community History: Tulsa’s Charles and Bertha Blevins House will get a new historical marker tied to the Civil Rights Trail, highlighting its role as a polling place for Black Tulsans.

Education Funding: Oklahoma schools are set to receive $3 billion more, but a lot of it is reportedly sitting in the bank instead of reaching classrooms. Water Woes: Residents around Cedar Lake say wells are running dry, while Oklahoma officials offer different explanations for what’s happening. Child Welfare Overhaul: State Sen. Paul Rosino is pushing to move Oklahoma’s child welfare program out of DHS into a new agency focused solely on child safety and wellbeing. OU Data Center Fight: Oakland University trustees advanced a data center plan despite student sit-in protests over environmental and community impacts. Infrastructure Contract: Jacobs won a 5.5-year operations and maintenance deal for Oklahoma City wastewater facilities serving multiple neighboring communities. Maternal Health: A ProPublica analysis finds ectopic pregnancy deaths have nearly doubled since 2020, with abortion restrictions tied to the trend. Energy Deal: Enbridge agreed to buy Tallgrass Energy’s crude oil business for $2.55 billion, expanding pipeline access to Cushing, Oklahoma. Wildfire: A fire near McLoud burned about 40 acres and triggered evacuations, with damage reported but not fully counted yet.

OSU Expansion: Oklahoma State announced the site for a new 275,000-square-foot veterinary teaching hospital and an agronomy discovery center in Stillwater, built on part of the OSU Agronomy Research Station property. Education & Governance: Faculty at Oklahoma’s only public liberal arts college, USAO, say proposed changes could reshape the school’s identity, including more online classes, more adjunct reliance, and shifts in curriculum authority; the dispute heads to the Board of Regents. Charter Schools: A new statewide report finds Oklahoma charter schools face an expanding web of reporting requirements, with “avoidable administrative friction” and manpower costs hitting small districts hardest. Public Safety & Courts: Cleveland County is investigating the theft of nearly 100 grave vases from a Moore cemetery, and a separate legal fight is underway after a data breach tied to Elixir Medical Corporation exposed sensitive personal information. Health & Community: Volunteers across Oklahoma are teaching kids about agriculture through reading programs, while OU researchers are launching a study aimed at boosting prostate cancer screening among Black men using a culturally tailored at-home approach. Politics: Oklahoma lieutenant governor nominee T.W. Shannon used the GOP midterm convention in Dallas to push school choice and argue Republicans can expand support among Black voters.

Oklahoma Higher Education: Gov. Kevin Stitt’s tenure ban is already hurting rural universities’ ability to land top faculty, with East Central University reporting unfilled searches and candidate withdrawals tied to the loss of tenure-track offers. Local Courts & Development: Norman’s Rock Creek Entertainment District can keep moving after a Cleveland County judge denied a bid to pause work in a lawsuit over the project’s tax increment financing. State Investment in Health & Agriculture: OSU announced the sites for a new $330 million veterinary teaching hospital and an Agronomy Discovery Center, with the hospital planned on the Stillwater agronomy research station property and agronomy operations shifting to a new location. Student Debt Pressure: Oklahoma borrowers describe how the new student loan system is raising monthly payments and pushing some into default risk. Energy & Business: PowerCompute reported August Bitcoin mining output and energy sales tied to curtailment at its Oklahoma and Mississippi sites, while Sapphire Gas Solutions said it’s buying Spectrum LNG assets, including a future expansion site in Stroud, Oklahoma. Finance & Banking: Chime agreed to buy Stride Bank for $590 million, with Stride based in Enid, setting up Chime Bank, N.A.

Banking Deal: Chime says it will buy Enid-based Stride Bank for $590 million in cash, aiming to bring banking operations in-house and rebrand it as Chime Bank, N.A.; the deal is expected to close in the first half of 2027. Local Economy & Military: Enid natives are backing “Project Thunderbird,” a four-campus data center and power plant pitched as backup support for Vance Air Force Base—though some residents question the impact. Housing: HUD awarded $25.1 million to Oklahoma City for Choice Neighborhoods work that will demolish and replace the 348-unit Will Rogers Courts public housing complex, with moves handled through the grant. Courts & Accountability: Cleveland County approved a $20 million settlement tied to the 2022 jail death of Shannon Hanchett during a mental health crisis. Consumer Protection: Oklahoma residents are being targeted by fake Publisher’s Clearing House prize calls and checks, according to local reports. Education: State Regents approved four reduced-credit bachelor’s degrees at OU, OSU, and Rogers State University to help students finish faster. Sports (Oklahoma): Oklahoma heads to Michigan after a Week 1 blowout; Michigan dropped out of the AP Top 25 following its controversial win.

Water Supply Watch: Oklahoma City plans to start drawing water from Canton Lake in mid-September, a move meant to steady Lake Hefner supplies as drought and triple-digit heat keep levels dropping. Public Safety & Policy: TSA’s new “Gateside” program lets some trusted travelers get through airport security without a plane ticket at 13 airports, with free passes and the same code-of-conduct rules as ticketed passengers. Local Politics: Oklahoma House Republicans are pushing an investigatory committee into state Rep. Danny Williams, arguing it follows “precedent” while critics say the standard is being applied selectively. Health & Regulation: An Oklahoma attorney says legal medical marijuana businesses are getting bogged down by slow approvals and strict enforcement—sometimes over minor documentation issues—after a deadly Sand Springs facility explosion. Sports (Oklahoma angle): Oklahoma State’s 2026 season opener went sideways with a Tulsa loss, leaving fans to wonder how the new era will translate into points. Environment & Research: Texas is paying $100 bounties for invasive black carp, with Oklahoma in the wider Mississippi River basin where the fish is a growing concern. Business/Tech: A broadband analysis argues Oklahoma’s BEAD rollout needs patience, warning against judging results too soon after the state’s $574 million plan begins.

Oklahoma Politics: Rep. Stephanie Bice (with Rep. Steve Womack) introduced the “No Preference Act,” aiming to stop the federal government from favoring contractors based on whether workers are in collective bargaining agreements—an effort framed as keeping right-to-work states like Oklahoma on equal footing for federal contracts. Oklahoma Accountability: A state audit alleges Tulsa Public Schools paid $2.6 million for architectural work that was never performed, tied to executive Chris Hudgins and consulting firms accused of billing for roof and interior repairs that didn’t happen. Local Economy & Jobs: Greenheck Group plans major manufacturing expansion in Owasso, Oklahoma—vowing hundreds of new jobs. Health & Safety: A new study finds alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the U.S. doubled from 1990 to 2023, with the biggest burden among men and adults 55+. National Policy: As Social Security faces a looming shortfall, some Republicans are now floating higher taxes—like raising the payroll tax cap—rather than cutting benefits. Sports (Oklahoma): Oklahoma’s Week 2 spotlight is huge: the Sooners visit Michigan after Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said QB Bryce Underwood must improve quickly.

Gas Prices: Americans are bracing for the most expensive Labor Day at the pump on record, with AAA putting the national regular average at about $4.14 a gallon—up roughly 95 cents from a year ago—after crude-linked pressure tied to the Iran conflict. Oklahoma Energy Costs: An Oklahoma couple’s $1.3K electric bill is fueling a fight over power rates, with a petition pushing back on how costs are set. Local Industry Jobs: Greenheck Group plans a major Owasso expansion, snapping up and renovating the former Macy’s distribution site and targeting 700+ jobs in Tulsa County. Banking Moves: BMO has finalized the sale of 138 branches to First-Citizens Bank, including Oklahoma locations, as it reshapes its U.S. footprint. Inola Smelter Fight: An Inola rancher says updated aluminum smelter emissions plans still deserve tougher scrutiny, arguing the scale could mean more fluoride overall despite per-ton reductions. Scam Watch: BBB Scam Tracker shows Oklahoma City and Tulsa leading local scam reports in July, with consumers reporting losses from deposit-and-refund schemes. Rural Health: Rep. Jill Tokuda’s bill aims to boost use of the Rural Emergency Hospital program, arguing too few facilities have converted due to financial trade-offs.