I posted this fact on Election night. I’m still trying to understand.

How did Mike Mazzei get the win?

The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel and Curtis Killman report the Republican nominee for governor was chosen by Oklahoma’s ‘Little Dixie’ listening to 2nd District Congressman Josh Brecheen. It wasn’t just a Trump bump.

File under ‘No way you could see this happening’: Candidates are quietly paying influencers

The New York Times’ Ken Bensinger examines how political campaigns across the country are increasingly paying social media influencers for support, though the ties are not always clearly disclosed.

What could go wrong?

Young adults between 18 and 21, who are legally barred from most gambling in the US, have traded an estimated $5.4 billion so far this year on the Kalshi prediction market, according to a new CNN analysis.

Notable numbers

$16 million

– The total amount of recent lawsuit settlements and judgments in Oklahoma’s Choctaw County (population 14,000) connected to its jail and school district that will result in raised property taxes to pay off. NonDoc’s Derrick James and Kevin Eagleson have the details.

$17.1 billion

– The amount that Facebook will pay to settle a lawsuit from 47 states, but there is a big but. The company will pay $12 billion and agree to a two-hour daily time limit for children. Meta will reduce it to an hour if YouTube and TikTok also agree to do so. If the other companies also pay $5 billion to the states, Meta will throw in the rest of the $5 billion or so it has promised, according to this unlocked New York Times article.

$50 million

– How much Walmart will pay to settle the latest claims that its pharmacies filled opioid prescriptions while failing to detect or report suspicious orders to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Employees who did flag questionable practices at Walmart were ignored to drive sales, according to the Justice Department. In 37.5 million prescription orders, it tagged only 204, according to this unlocked article by the New York Times. In 2022, Walmart settled for $3.1 billion to end thousands of similar lawsuits.

Quotable quotes

At OSU

“It’s almost a lost art. Kids don’t know how to play old-school games because they’re on their consoles playing.”

– New Oklahoma State University football coach Eric Morris about teaching his players – getting paid a reported $24 million this season – the game of dominoes and spades. It’s just one way he’s worked to bring together the highest number of transfers in college football. That story is told in this unlocked Wall Street Journal article headlined “The 91-Player Overhaul Behind College Football’s Most Audacious Rebuild.”

Meanwhile at OU

“Now I know what that position is going to cost us for the foreseeable future, and so as I think about where I can make other investments in the program, I’m not worried about a rapid increase in that line item this off season. It just allows you to put a big variable to bed as you think about the other places where you want to invest in the system.”

– OU athletic director Roger Denny in a story by the Tulsa World’s Mason Young about giving the Sooners head football coach Brent Venables a new six-year contract that averages $10.5 million a year, making him the 10th highest paid coach in the nation. The team has a reported payroll of more than $30 million.

On dark money

“It’s almost like the people inside the Beltway live in a drug den, and this is just the newest drug that’s circulating.”

– Nick Penniman, the chief executive of Issue One, a group that has sought to reduce the role of money in politics, in this unlocked New York Times story that reports about $1 billion in anonymous money is running through political races in 2026. The number is considered a low estimate, since this money is difficult to trace.

One business strategy

“As long as we leave it to the kids with blue hair, we’ll be fine.”

– Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt about the teenagers working at his stores on the weekend. He revealed that the company’s marketing budget as it opens 60 stores this year (including in Stillwater) in the United States is zero. Instead, he listens to his employees, as he explains in this interview with Inc. magazine.

From Sweet Dolly Parton

“I guess the public didn’t want to see Sylvester Stallone do comedy. Or maybe they didn’t want to see me do Sylvester Stallone.”

– The late Dolly Parton about her 1984 movie “Rhinestone,” a romantic comedy with Sylvester Stallone, which bombed at the box office.

One more from Dolly

“Every day I count my blessings. Then I count my money.”

The best chicken and waffles (for a limited time)

I can’t believe I am about to share my thoughts on food from a drive thru, but here we go.

Hear me out on the Chick-fil-A Chicken and Waffles sandwich.

• Maple-flavored waffles

• The signature filet

• Three strips of applewood smoked bacon

• Honey butter spread

• Served warm

• A side of syrup.

Eating it was my pleasure.

Available until Nov. 14.

There is no cavalry. It’s up to us. All together now. jc

P.S. I have two events coming up that I wanted to invite you to. I mentioned last week I am interviewing OSU president Jim Hess on Sept. 14 in the Tulsa Press Club’s series of chats with higher education leaders.

Get the details and buy your tickets. Limited seating.

I will also present to the Tulsa Chapter of the American Marketing Association meeting. Here are the details:

Indexing (Not Marketing) to the NoLo, Interest Feed, IRL, Shelfie and Local Media Life in the Age of Hobbyamory

How do you communicate with a community when the ways people discover information, form connections and decide what matters are all changing?

Join AMA Tulsa and Jason Collington for a wide-ranging look at the trends reshaping local communities and cultures—and what those changes mean for marketers, communicators and organizational leaders.

Jason will explore the NoLo, interest feeds, IRL experiences, shelfies, local media life and the growing influence of our many interests and hobbies. Together, these shifts offer a possible explanation for how organizations can continue reaching people when so much of the familiar communications playbook is going away.

This isn’t another presentation about chasing algorithms or adding more channels. It’s a conversation about understanding where people are headed, communicating with greater relevance and determining what belongs on the marketer’s to-do list now.

Event Details

Thursday, September 17

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

WeStreet Ice Center

Lunch is provided

Get tickets.

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

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The candidates competing at the top of the Republican ticket in this run-off election for governor and superintendent could not be more different

The usual “they are all the same” doesn’t apply here.

• You can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at your respective polling place.

• Make sure you check the OK Voter Portal if you forgot or want to check out your ballot before you go.

• Here is the latest fact-check on election ads in the governor’s race, from Oklahoma Watch’s Keaton Ross.

• Here is a fact-check by Oklahoma Watch on the last Republican debate by candidates for state superintendent. Watch highlights in this video.

• Here is the fact-check on the NonDoc superintendent debate in Lawton, done by The Frontier.

• Last fact-check on the labor commissioner run-off race Republicans will vote on, from The Frontier

Tulsa’s new police chief is Deputy Chief Jonathan Brooks

Mayor Monroe Nichols said “This was not a process led by opinion or social media. It was designed not to be about drama,” in Kevin Canfield’s Tulsa World story.

Social media without infinite scrolling, autoplaying videos, disappearing content and beauty filters

Meta says it could be forced to remove these staples of its platforms along with $1.2 trillion in damages in a trial happening in California.

• Side note: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg bought a 200-year-old Irish castle for about $30 million to add to his long list of properties around the world, according to this unlocked New York Times story.

• $400 million was the amount of the final settlement between TikTok and the Justice Department, which accused the social media giant of illegally gathering children’s information who were younger than 13 without parental permission. The lawsuit also said the company failed to delete children’s accounts even after getting requests from parents.

This & That

Tulsa County has a new agreement with ICE that goes beyond the jailhouse to special task forces, reports the Tulsa Flyer’s Joe Tomlinson.

Magic City Books is expanding its “Share the Magic” program at Tulsa Public Schools, giving elementary teachers and librarians access to new class sets and books for students to take home at no cost to the district, reports the Tulsa Flyer’s Anna Colletto.

Quotable quotes

On Oklahoma’s hunger problem

“We could bankrupt George Kaiser in a matter of years if we expect to get philanthropy to cover SNAP.”

– Chris Bernard, president and CEO of Hunger Free Oklahoma, during an event sponsored by the Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture about hunger and food insecurity in Tulsa. Bernard was joined by Carrie Henderson, CEO of Iron Gate, and Wes Mitchell of the Tulsa Area United Way. Bernard’s comment was in response to a recent interview by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt who said churches, food banks and other organizations can keep Oklahomans fed and that no one is going hungry in his state. SNAP provides food assistance to more than 500,000 Oklahomans each month.

On college football’s revolution

“Getting Brent Venables, his head into the right place on this, was by itself not an easy chore. It literally had to be a battle of testosterone and will.”

– A high-ranking OU insider to the Tulsa World’s Berry Tramel in a story about the new organizational chart for OU football, which now includes a general manager. Venables, the OU coach, was just handed a new six-year contract that averages $10.5 million a year, according to ESPN. That makes him the 10th highest-paid head coach in the nation.

On college football’s revolution (but this time with profanity from a former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator)

“Man, isn’t this s--- crazy? I don’t even know what to say. I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out to me a week ago; now I know. I didn’t call him back. I guess I should have.”

– Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken about a player the team waived who is now going to go back to college at LSU and join its football team. Dae’Quan Wright is the first to return to college after signing with an NFL team, thanks to a lawsuit paving the path.

On lying, rogue AI

“I actually thought it was a human because it was clearly lying to me. I didn’t think that an AI could be capable of lying to real developers.”

– University of Texas at Dallas computer science student Sinan Can Demir in a Reuters interview about a hack he came across on the popular developer site GitHub. He thought it was humans trying to sabotage. But then Britain’s AI Security Institute got in touch to tell him he had actually been tangling with an autonomous artificial-intelligence agent that had run amok.

On what Meta allows

“I think Facebook is the worst of the worst. Every single week, I get emails from little old men and ladies saying, ‘Will my cure for diabetes work?’ Or ‘I just ordered your cure for diabetes for $294.’ I already know the answer now, which is they’re using an AI version of me, and Meta allows it. … when you read the fine print all the way at the bottom, ‘this is just an AI representation of Mark Cuban. It’s not real.’ This is for entertainment purposes, always. And to Facebook, that’s good enough. Facebook knows that it’s bullsh**.”

– Mark Cuban on the Pivot podcast in an interview with Kara Swisher.

On a book worth reading

“Well, these idiots in Oklahoma obviously want us to think that’s what it is.”

– From the first page of the first chapter of Kurt Andersen’s new novel “The Breakup,” which details a United States of America in 2045 reduced down to 39 states after a disputed civil war started after bombs exploded in Oklahoma City, killing 300.

Notable numbers

$40 trillion

– The amount of U.S. debt, the most ever. The gross debt owed by the federal government is also nearly equal to what is owed by all U.S. households and businesses combined, according to this unlocked Wall Street Journal article.

The WSJ’s Editorial Board added this note: “While the liberal press blames the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts, and their extension in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill, revenue has increased 68% since 2018.”

$126 million

– The amount of debt at the University of Tulsa. The Tulsa World’s Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton reported that was a reason why one the world’s largest credit rating agencies downgraded the university’s credit rating to a negative outlook. TU recently said it’s lowering its undergraduate tuition by $29,000.

$20,000

– About how much the City of Tulsa owes on storing the $250,000 Cry Baby Cry statue, which still doesn’t have an installation date, reports the Tulsa Flyer’s Joe Tomlinson.

89

– The number of tornadoes in Indiana this year through July. The annual average is usually 28, according to the National Weather Service. About 30,000 customers in northern Indiana are still without electricity nearly two weeks after the latest batch of storms.

13%

– The forecasted drop in college enrollment by 2041, after the largest number of Americans born in a single year arrived on campus in the autumn of 2025, according to this unlocked Wall Street Journal story.

Help shape local news coverage

The Tulsa Flyer is asking readers to take a survey. Two respondents will win a $50 Visa gift card. The nonprofit newsroom wants to know what they’re not covering, what issues matter most to your neighborhood and whether you see yourself in their reporting.

There are three kinds of people in our world. Which one are you?

Every week I end the index with this: There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

There are three kinds of people in our world. People who make things happen. People who watch things happen. And those who ask “what happened?”

Make things happen. Vote today. And text your friends and family to remind them to do the same.

All together now. jc

P.S. I will interview OSU President Jim Hess on Monday, Sept. 14, as the Tulsa Press Club starts a series where we talk with leaders of higher education in Tulsa.

Get the details and buy your tickets. Limited seating.

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

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Time get your sample ballots.

The run-off election on Tuesday, Aug. 25, is next week, or if you can’t wait, early voting starts Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at all county election boards in the state. If you are in Tulsa County, you can also go to the Tulsa Technology Center Broken Arrow Campus, 4000 W. Florence St.

Republicans decide who is going to appear in the November ballot on some of the top jobs in government. Everyone has some state questions to vote on that look to change some things, while most Tulsans also have city council races on the ballot.

The easiest way to prepare for a vote is to do the following:

1. Download the ballots you will be handed a week from now. Put in your last name, first name, and birthdate to get your copy at the OK Voter Portal.

2. Refer to the two voter guides that are out there currently to read up on your candidates: The Tulsa Flyer and the Tulsa World.

Republicans still not sure who to vote for on the governor race, here is a recap from the forum sponsored by the University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa World and Oklahoma Watch. Without opponents or time limits, the event made for interesting conversations:

Gentner Drummond and Robert Franklin make their cases to voters at Tulsa Press Club event after opposition doesn’t show up

State superintendent debate gets weird

NonDoc and KSWO hosted a debate featuring the runoff candidates for the state superintendent in the Republican Primary, Robert Franklin and James Taylor.

Read NonDoc’s Kevin Eagleson’s report from the debate.

Steve Hartman in Tulsa

You know you have a story when Steve Hartman of CBS comes to town.

Notable numbers

820

– The number of alerts from the U.S. Space Force about objects entering Earth’s atmosphere last year. That’s up 645% from a decade ago. This unlocked New York Times story shows some crazy videos and photos of what has fallen from the sky.

Don’t forget: The first person hit by space junk was a Tulsan. Lottie Williams is actually recognized by Guinness World Records for it. She was walking in 1997 at a park when she was hit by a 5-inch piece of fiberglass, which luckily didn’t hurt her. The fragment was later confirmed to have been part of the second stage of a US-made Delta II rocket.

The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel wrote her story back in the day.

3.2 million

– The estimated number of vehicles nationwide that have a “park outside” recall, as in you are asked to park your car outside because of the chance of a fire. And 2026 might be a record year of this type of recall with several months to go. Grab your car’s VIN or year, make and model and check. Read more about it in this unlocked Washington Post story.

60

– The percentage of gun deaths in America that are suicides, according to this unlocked New York Times op-ed about what is happening in areas where mental health therapy and high gun ownership meet.

33 billion tons

– The amount of carbon dioxide a year that a new natural-gas-burning power plant owned by Amazon would be permitted to release each year in Pecos County in western Texas. The plant is being built to power Amazon data centers “that won’t raise electricity costs for Texas families.” The company confirmed it would become the largest single source of pollution in the United States.

Quotable quotes

“I am calling for a total and complete shutdown of primary polling in the Midwestern United States until we can figure out what the hell is going on.”

– Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster and consultant, after the Wisconsin governor Democratic primary. The candidate leading by more than 20 points in multiple polls lost by a thin margin.

“A lot of bookish people tend to be introverts. We need a space where we know that we’re on common ground with others.”

– Sally Mercedes, the events coordinator at Magic City Books in Tulsa, in this unlocked guest essay in the New York Times with the headline “This is the solution to America’s literacy crisis, and it’s a lot of fun.”

“Energy-dense, highly palatable, rapidly absorbable, ultraprocessed foods that have altered our metabolism and have resulted in the greatest increase in chronic disease in our history.”

– Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler to “60 Minutes.”

“There’s 7 million men, able-bodied men, mostly young, who are what they call NILF. NILF is “not in the labor force.” This is different than unemployed. Unemployment means you’re looking, but you can’t find a job. This is not looking.”

– Bill Maher in conversation with Mike Rowe about the blue-collar worker shortage in America. Watch them talk about it.

Oklahoma City gets two headlines

As the home to one of the 41 “greatest Mexican restaurants across the United States” and as place featured under the headline “Meet the Americans who can’t afford haircuts or toilet paper.”

This & That

The Tulsa Girls Social Club, which gives you a chance to foster connection while also supporting local businesses, is featured in the Tulsa Flyer in this story by Raynee Howell.

I mentioned Flock cameras in a quote from the Tulsa police chief not too long ago. It’s been a topic of debate in the city council forums put on by the Tulsa World and Tulsa Flyer. Now, Coweta Police Chief Mike Bell is uninstalling the two cameras in his city, in this report from the Tulsa Flyer’s Joe Tomlinson.

Here’s why Oklahoma electric bills are going up. It’s not just data centers, writes Oklahoma Watch’s Andrea Eger, who covered a town hall in Tulsa put on my Rep. Meloyde Blancett.

“You didn’t have to be a genius to see the change, the sheer numbers of it.” Also from Oklahoma Watch, J.C. Hallman’s latest story on the State Farm and Allstate lawsuits, which stars a prominent Oklahoma lawyer who went from defending insurance companies to taking the lead in exposing what he says was a scheme to make a lot of money.

I appreciate your continued support with this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

There is no cavalry. It’s up to us. Help me spread the word by forwarding this week’s issue to someone who says “I didn’t know that” too often.

All together now. jc

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

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Save the date for Aug. 25 to vote: A friendly reminder that voters are in charge. The Aug. 25 run-off election determines who will be on the ballot in November for governor and superintendent. Plus there’s a number of other items to vote on depending where you live. Here are the voting guides from the Tulsa Flyer and Tulsa World to get you started if you want to go in depth.

The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel wrote profiles Sunday on both governor candidates who Republicans need to choose from:

• Drummond says he’ll do what’s right, even if it’s not always popular

• Mazzei trying to complete his ‘zero income tax’ mission

From the Tulsa Flyer’s Libby Hobbs: Where the two governor candidates stand on key issues.

Oklahoma Watch newsroom did a good job of fact checking a recent debate between Drummond and Mazzei. Read it here or watch some of it here.

TONIGHT: If you want to hear from the governor and superintendent candidates, the University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club, Oklahoma Watch and the Tulsa Flyer will host the candidates on stage tonight, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. at TU’s Lorton Performance Center.

The nuclear option that might come to Oklahoma

Before he goes, Gov. Kevin Stitt is throwing his support behind a proposal to support uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication, power generation, spent fuel reprocessing, recycling, and the transportation and disposal of radioactive waste thousands of feet below ground in Oklahoma. The Tulsa World’s Steve Metzer reports that a Tulsa company would be right in the middle of such a plan and offers more details on the idea.

One of the most talented people working anywhere is cinematographer Kelly Kerr. He and I worked together at the Tulsa World for years and he’s continued to create photos and videos that are worth your attention. This short documentary he recently released examines the culture of the Black Cowboy and Black Rodeo in Oklahoma. Follow him at @camera3728.

This & That

Meddy’s is coming to Brookside, going in where Churchhill’s Cigar Lounge used to be.

Pony Coffee is opening another location out south on 71st Street, where Southside Auction used to be.

Tucker’s Onion Burgers is going in on Cherry Street, across the street from Bramble Breakfast & Bar.

Peppers Grill & Cantina in Utica Square is closing after 48 years.

Cherry Street Kitchen downtown is closing after nine years.

Question & Answer

I answered this question and thought I would share if you aren’t voicing your emails yet.

Q: Just plowed through a severely overfull email inbox. I have to find a way to stay on top of email better. It’s a beast! If anyone has any tips, please share them with me. I don’t want to admit how many times I just typed “I apologize for the late reply, but this got buried in my inbox.”

A: Timebox and voice your inbox. Here’s what I mean: Make folders in your email called reply, read, defer and delegate. Pick three times a day to deal with email: morning, lunchtime and before you head home. At those times, open up your inbox and then look at each email and drag it to the appropriate folder. This will feel impossible at the beginning but do not respond to any email in the morning except from your bosses or immediate dangers. Just drag them to the appropriate folder. Then come back at lunchtime and open up the reply folder (the priority) and just reply for 30 minutes. But here is the biggest tip: Download Willow Voice. It offers fast accurate voice dictation for emails. You can talk 4x faster than you can type. I’ve used it for six months and it’s a game changer.

Quotable quotes

On students not being able to argue without screens

“We started pretty early on in September, October, recognizing like, ‘Oh my gosh, kids don’t know how to have a conflict anymore. Like, they don’t know how to argue. Everything has sort of been on their phones, or maybe they argue on social media.”

– Stephanie Andrews, executive director of Student and Family Support Services for Tulsa Public Schools, in a story by the Tulsa Flyer’s Anna Colletto about the district’s new “No Fight Zone” campaign. Conflict resolution cards and wellness rooms are being introduced.

On Tulsa’s Bouldergate

“This is officially a ‘Parks and Recreation’ episode.”

– Tulsa City Councilor Laura Bellis in a story by the Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield about the boulders that used to line the downtown Tulsa bus station along Fourth Street. The city council rejected the donation of the 24 boulders that landed on the sidewalk last summer. The boulders are now in the city’s green waste facility. Bellis had suggested that the boulders could be turned into a traveling art exhibit.

Notable numbers

$942 million

– The amount a New Mexico judge ordered Meta Platforms to pay and limit the time young people in the state can spend on its apps. The judge said that Meta must create a new $567 million abatement fund in addition to paying $375 million in civil penalties a jury previously ordered. The Facebook and Instagram owner must also enact certain safety features, including hiding the number of likes on their photos by default and disclosing the risks of its platforms to users. Meta said it disagreed with the ruling and planned to appeal, the Wall Street Journal reported.

2,286

– How many cases were processed involving 759 people on July 31’s “Clear Your Warrants” event, put on by the City of Tulsa. More than 1,200 people showed up. The Oklahoma Eagle’s Ismael Lele was there to talk to people who waited in line and never got in. He reported before the event, the city reported 129,579 outstanding warrants with $5.8 million owed in fines.

When you message 311

On my way to my downtown office, I saw some jagged, metal edges of a pipe coming out of 13th Street. I avoided it for a few days, thinking someone was going to call it in. They didn’t. And then I was almost hit by someone on my way to work who tried to avoid blowing out a tire.

So I messaged 311. I’ve done it three times, including to report the biggest pothole I have ever seen next to the entrance of Booker T. Washington High School. So far, each one has been addressed.

I’m happy to say that within hours, I received an email from Ronnie from the city letting me know it was a flipped water valve lid that was stuck and he took care of it.

The Tulsa Flyer’s Libby Hobbs recently explained how the city responds to your 311 requests.

Why I Love My Book Club by Janelle Wagner

This is the latest in the “Why I” series, where I give people a chance to say in their own words why they do something. Could be interesting or important. Quirky or significant. Funny or wild.

In 2009, I moved from the East Coast back to Oklahoma. A recent family tragedy had changed our lives forever. I now had a 9-month-old son, and I had left a promising career in academic medicine and dear friends to be near family. At 33, how would I make new friends in a place in which I had so many fond memories but hardly any current adult connections? A childhood friend introduced me to her book club. I love to read, so I was hopeful that this group would meet several of my needs.

Seventeen years later, these women are still very much in my life. We have had babies and sent kids off to college. We’ve buried loved ones. Encouragement has been offered in career disappointments and celebration for accomplishments. We have aged and shared doctors and advice (Unfortunately, we’ve not found a cure for menopause). We have inside jokes, and we laugh. Honestly, now we often don’t remember the jokes, so we laugh at that. Laughter is good for the soul. We’ve all struggled with the political climate, at times having ardent discussions. Some tell you exactly what they think; others are much more reserved. Yet, there is so much respect in this circle. The space is safe. It is sacred, and we protect it.

These women are not my closest friends. I rarely see them outside of our monthly dinners, but we now have a history akin to a childhood friendship. Over 17 years, we have a shared history of milestones, grief, and joy across the transitions of life. I’ve been in their homes. I know their families, if not personally, then through them. They are some of the strongest women I know, each with a beautiful soul. Maybe it’s in the reflection of turning 50, but I am more grateful than ever for these genuine relationships. I joined a book club hoping for a few new friends. What I found was a treasure. And, yes, we also talk about the books.

– Janelle Wagner is a pediatric psychologist who lives in Tulsa.

Previous essays in this series:

• Why I paint by Lauren Leigh Henson

• Why I row by Barrett Waller

• Why I write by Meredith Poling

• Why I curate small delights by Dee Harris

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com.

I appreciate the continued support with this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us. Forward this to those in your circles who you think would enjoy it.

All together now. jc

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

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Last night, News on 6 and News 9 broadcasted a debate between Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei. You can watch the whole debate on video and see a fact check on what was said on Oklahoma Watch on Wednesday.

My take: There are two leadership styles here and two different points of view. These two candidates aren’t similar. A common complaint is that candidates are all the same. That is not the case in this race. Pick an issue and they don’t seem to agree. That should make it easy for Republicans to choose on Aug. 25 on who will run against Rep. Cyndi Munson in November.

The latest on the deaths at the Tulsa Municipal Jail

In last week’s Index, the lead story was on the incredible journalism done by The Frontier and the Tulsa World, who uncovered details not previously known of the seven preventable deaths at the jail. The mayor announced the jail would close shortly after The Frontier published surveillance video of an inmate in his last hours.

Since then:

• The Tulsa World’s Corey Jones reported that the Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has referred each case for individual investigation. Tulsa Police, which oversees the jail, didn’t previously forward any of its jail death investigations to his office.

• The Frontier’s Garrett Yalch, whose exclusive on the deaths published in March, quoted a police spokesman about the referrals, saying the department “followed its investigative policies and procedures at the time.”

This & That

• We need your blood: The Tulsa World’s Ashton Slaughter explains just how bad the national blood shortage is.

• Make sure your kids and their teachers get free subscriptions to the Tulsa World this school year. The executive editor explains how to sign up for the News for Students program.

• Sorry, the cruise from Tulsa to Memphis is sold out. The Tulsa World’s Bella Casey on when you can catch the next one.

• Abersons will come to your home and help you pack for a trip? That was one reason why the Tulsa clothing retailer was named to the 25 Favorite Clothing Stores Across the U.S., as picked by readers of the New York Times in this unlocked article.

Why does it seem like so many Gen-Z women are bankrolling their boyfriends’ lives?

This is a question asked in this New York Magazine story, which explores why a growing number of young women are paying for (and parenting) their male partners. Watch this preview on Instagram.

Quotable quotes

“Oklahoma cities should not be subjected to sweeping federal investigations based on a single zoning decision when the DOJ itself acknowledges it has made no determination that federal law was violated. The investigation is federal overreach of the first order.”

– Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is also running for governor, about the Department of Justice’s announcement that it would investigate the rejection by Broken Arrow officials of a proposed mosque.

• The Islamic Society of Tulsa filed a discrimination lawsuit against Broken Arrow, in a report by the Tulsa Flyer’s Joe Tomlinson and Haley Samsel.

• That same reporting duo offered this in-depth report after spending 25 hours scanning and sorting documents, ultimately reviewing 11,496 records. The headline: Broken Arrow leaders were flooded with anti-Muslim emails on a proposed mosque. Here’s what they said behind closed doors.

AI in reality and in a movie series that keeps coming up

Tristan Harris, co-founder for the Center for Humane Technology and a technology ethicist, said this at the Milken Institute Global Conference in May.

The following dialogue is from the 1991 movie “Terminator 2,” between a T-800, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger; Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton; and John Conner, played by Edward Furlong, in a script written by James Cameron and William Wisher Jr. Note the parallel to the former.

T-800: In three years, Cyberdyne will become the largest supplier of military computer systems. All Stealth bombers are upgraded with Cyberdyne computers, becoming fully unmanned. Afterwards they fly with a perfect operational record. The Skynet funding bill is passed. The system goes on-line on August 4, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

Sarah Connor: Skynet fights back.

T-800: Yes. It launches its missiles against the targets in Russia.

John Connor: Why attack Russia? Aren’t they our friends now?

T-800: Because Skynet knows that the Russian counterattack will eliminate its enemies over here.

Sarah Connor: (sighs) Jesus.

A new series called A Tulsan you should know. Up first, Russell Cobb.

This is a new series where I introduce you to someone I think you should know. I ask them to share their beliefs and some personal stories. I wanted to start with Russell Cobb, who chronicles Oklahoma and Tulsa history in his Substack and in books.

> I never take stories at face value, especially if they are about Tulsa. I learned that the true story is often wilder and more interesting than the lore that gets circulated.

> I thought Tulsa had to be the most boring, middle of the road place in the world, growing up here from the 1980s to early 1990s. Do people in Toledo and Little Rock say the same thing about growing up there? Probably.

> Then I realized you could see the universe of American history in a grain of Tulsa sand. Just look at my backyard. Seriously. I grew up near 27th and Cincinnati in a quiet area of Maple Ridge. As they were building Gathering Place, I found out the whole area was allotted to a Mvskoke Warrior named Tuckabache. He had gone along the Trail of Tears, fought for the Union in the Civil War, and then came back to hunt and fish along the banks of the Arkansas River. He buried dozens of family members in a cemetery maybe 50 yards from my boyhood home. He may have been as old as 110 years old when he died in 1910. All these graves were dug up and removed to Oaklawn in 1921. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

> So many horror movies begin on the site of “an ancient Indian burial ground.” This was a modern Muscogee burial ground, and no one said anything! When I stumbled upon the story of Tuckabache, I started asking impertinent questions. I caught a lot of flak for it, and many of my relatives called my research “woke.” That’s when I realized I had a calling; it was like they say about pastors. Their job is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.

> I jumped into some circles around social justice activism that I didn’t really understand. I realized there was a long history of historical silences in Tulsa and the nation that people had been pushing back against for a long time. Sometimes I didn’t feel welcome in these spaces. I thought I was going to get cancelled by Apollonia Pina, a Mvskoke scientist and activist. She later became my friend.

> How do you figure this stuff out, people often ask me? I just keep turning over pages, cross-checking my assumptions. Like Robert Caro said: “Turn over every damn page.”

> After I graduated from Cascia Hall in 1992, I wanted to get as far away from Tulsa as possible. I became fluent in Spanish and moved to Buenos Aires after college. People asked me about where I was from and I had to start explaining Oklahoma and its weird mix of rich culture, backwards politics, uneasy racial configurations. I realized it had more in common with parts of Latin America than it did with a state like, say, Idaho.

> I got a PhD specializing in Latin American literature but my curiosity always took me back to Tulsa. I knew my roots were firmly planted in the Oklahoma red dirt. I found I descended from illegal white intruders into Indian Territory on my mother’s side, and wily oilmen on my father’s side. My grandfather was one of the last true Tulsa wildcatters. He’d point to a spot on a road map and tell his crew “drill here!” The point wasn’t so much hitting oil as it was promoting the prospect of oil, attracting wealthy investors looking for a tax shelter.

> Learning all this history in adulthood made me understand why we keep finding ourselves getting bamboozled by powerful men, whether they be philanthropists or pastors, cryptobros or politicians. Tulsa, I believe, is the city of magical thinking, where people truly believe they can manifest a different reality. Sometimes that’s just a grift. But sometimes it creates some beautiful art, like what Leon Russell did with the Tulsa Sound or what Sterlin Harjo is doing now with “The Lowdown.”

> I’m entering my third act of my life and Tulsa is entering its third act as a city. It was a cowtown, then the Oil Capital; now we get to grow old together.

Bentonville is a 2-hour drive worth taking

We spent last weekend in Arkansas and I can’t wait to go back. I couldn’t help but walk the new addition to the Crystal Bridges Museum happy. I thought of the new study that came out recently that said regular arts and cultural engagement — including visiting galleries, attending concerts, singing and dancing — slows biological aging at the same rate as physical exercise. “People who engaged most frequently and across the widest variety of activities were roughly a year younger biologically than those who didn’t,” according to this unlocked article in the Wall Street Journal.

Here is a short list of recommendations in Bentonville. I will add more on the next trip.

• Walking the new Walmart headquarters, which is also a campus of hotels (we stayed at the AC Hotel), restaurants, retail and more.

• The Onyx on the Preserve coffee shop on the campus (very cool old-school Star Wars bar vibes) that had great food.

• The Momentary’s exhibit of an 1980s-90s-era grocery store all done in felt.

• Conifer, the farm-to-table restaurant right along the town’s great downtown square.

• The Eddy, the cool bar in the fancy Compton Hotel.

• Once Upon A Time, a great antique book store with some first editions I’ve never seen before.

Thanks for reading. Forward to those who need to know what’s up.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa Flyer and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations on Aug. 11.

We have invited candidates Gentner Drummond, Mike Mazzei, Robert Franklin and James Taylor to share their visions for Oklahoma and to take questions from local journalists on the biggest issues in the state.

5:30 p.m.: Meet and greet the candidates.

6-6:45 p.m.: Governor candidates answer questions.

6:45-7:30 p.m.: Superintendent candidates answer questions.

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

Share

This is a new Collington Index series where I introduce you to someone I think you should know. I ask them to share their beliefs and some personal stories. I wanted to start with Russell Cobb, who chronicles Oklahoma and Tulsa history in his Substack and in books.

> I never take stories at face value, especially if they are about Tulsa. I learned that the true story is often wilder and more interesting than the lore that gets circulated.

> I thought Tulsa had to be the most boring, middle of the road place in the world, growing up here from the 1980s to early 1990s. Do people in Toledo and Little Rock say the same thing about growing up there? Probably.

> Then I realized you could see the universe of American history in a grain of Tulsa sand. Just look at my backyard. Seriously. I grew up near 27th and Cincinnati in a quiet area of Maple Ridge. As they were building Gathering Place, I found out the whole area was allotted to a Mvskoke Warrior named Tuckabache. He had gone along the Trail of Tears, fought for the Union in the Civil War, and then came back to hunt and fish along the banks of the Arkansas River. He buried dozens of family members in a cemetery maybe 50 yards from my boyhood home. He may have been as old as 110 years old when he died in 1910. All these graves were dug up and removed to Oaklawn in 1921. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

> So many horror movies begin on the site of “an ancient Indian burial ground.” This was a modern Muscogee burial ground, and no one said anything! When I stumbled upon the story of Tuckabache, I started asking impertinent questions. I caught a lot of flak for it, and many of my relatives called my research “woke.” That’s when I realized I had a calling; it was like they say about pastors. Their job is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.

> I jumped into some circles around social justice activism that I didn’t really understand. I realized there was a long history of historical silences in Tulsa and the nation that people had been pushing back against for a long time. Sometimes I didn’t feel welcome in these spaces. I thought I was going to get cancelled by Apollonia Pina, a Mvskoke scientist and activist. She later became my friend.

> How do you figure this stuff out, people often ask me? I just keep turning over pages, cross-checking my assumptions. Like Robert Caro said: “Turn over every damn page.”

> After I graduated from Cascia Hall in 1992, I wanted to get as far away from Tulsa as possible. I became fluent in Spanish and moved to Buenos Aires after college. People asked me about where I was from and I had to start explaining Oklahoma and its weird mix of rich culture, backwards politics, uneasy racial configurations. I realized it had more in common with parts of Latin America than it did with a state like, say, Idaho.

> I got a PhD specializing in Latin American literature but my curiosity always took me back to Tulsa. I knew my roots were firmly planted in the Oklahoma red dirt. I found I descended from illegal white intruders into Indian Territory on my mother’s side, and wily oilmen on my father’s side. My grandfather was one of the last true Tulsa wildcatters. He’d point to a spot on a road map and tell his crew “drill here!” The point wasn’t so much hitting oil as it was promoting the prospect of oil, attracting wealthy investors looking for a tax shelter.

> Learning all this history in adulthood made me understand why we keep finding ourselves getting bamboozled by powerful men, whether they be philanthropists or pastors, cryptobros or politicians. Tulsa, I believe, is the city of magical thinking, where people truly believe they can manifest a different reality. Sometimes that’s just a grift. But sometimes it creates some beautiful art, like what Leon Russell did with the Tulsa Sound or what Sterlin Harjo is doing now with “The Lowdown.”

> I’m entering my third act of my life and Tulsa is entering its third act as a city. It was a cowtown, then the Oil Capital; now we get to grow old together.

And now, on to the news …

These are the two Republicans who want to be your next governor

Last night, News on 6 and News 9 broadcasted a debate between Gentner Drummond and Mike Mazzei. You can watch the whole debate on video and see a fact check on what was said on Oklahoma Watch on Wednesday.

My take: There are two leadership styles here and two different points of view. These two candidates aren’t similar. A common complaint is that candidates are all the same. That is not the case in this race. Pick an issue and they don’t seem to agree. That should make it easy for Republicans to choose on Aug. 25 on who will run against Rep. Cyndi Munson in November.

The latest on the deaths at the Tulsa Municipal Jail

In last week’s Index, the lead story was on the incredible journalism done by The Frontier and the Tulsa World, who uncovered details not previously known of the seven preventable deaths at the jail. The mayor announced the jail would close shortly after The Frontier published surveillance video of an inmate in his last hours.

Since then:

• The Tulsa World’s Corey Jones reported that the Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler has referred each case for individual investigation. Tulsa Police, which oversees the jail, didn’t previously forward any of its jail death investigations to his office.

• The Frontier’s Garrett Yalch, whose exclusive on the deaths published in March, quoted a police spokesman about the referrals, saying the department “followed its investigative policies and procedures at the time.”

This & That

• We need your blood: The Tulsa World’s Ashton Slaughter explains just how bad the national blood shortage is.

• Make sure your kids and their teachers get free subscriptions to the Tulsa World this school year. The executive editor explains how to sign up for the News for Students program.

• Sorry, the cruise from Tulsa to Memphis is sold out. The Tulsa World’s Bella Casey on when you can catch the next one.

• Abersons will come to your home and help you pack for a trip? That was one reason why the Tulsa clothing retailer was named to the 25 Favorite Clothing Stores Across the U.S., as picked by readers of the New York Times in this unlocked article.

Why does it seem like so many Gen-Z women are bankrolling their boyfriends’ lives?

This is a question asked in this New York Magazine story, which explores why a growing number of young women are paying for (and parenting) their male partners. Watch this preview on Instagram.

Quotable quotes

“Oklahoma cities should not be subjected to sweeping federal investigations based on a single zoning decision when the DOJ itself acknowledges it has made no determination that federal law was violated. The investigation is federal overreach of the first order.”

– Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is also running for governor, about the Department of Justice’s announcement that it would investigate the rejection by Broken Arrow officials of a proposed mosque.

• The Islamic Society of Tulsa filed a discrimination lawsuit against Broken Arrow, in a report by the Tulsa Flyer’s Joe Tomlinson and Haley Samsel.

• That same reporting duo offered this in-depth report after spending 25 hours scanning and sorting documents, ultimately reviewing 11,496 records. The headline: Broken Arrow leaders were flooded with anti-Muslim emails on a proposed mosque. Here’s what they said behind closed doors.

AI in reality and in a movie series that keeps coming up

Tristan Harris, co-founder for the Center for Humane Technology and a technology ethicist, said this at the Milken Institute Global Conference in May.

The following dialogue is from the 1991 movie “Terminator 2,” between a T-800, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger; Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton; and John Conner, played by Edward Furlong, in a script written by James Cameron and William Wisher Jr. Note the parallel to the former.

T-800: In three years, Cyberdyne will become the largest supplier of military computer systems. All Stealth bombers are upgraded with Cyberdyne computers, becoming fully unmanned. Afterwards they fly with a perfect operational record. The Skynet funding bill is passed. The system goes on-line on August 4, 1997. Human decisions are removed from strategic defense. Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

Sarah Connor: Skynet fights back.

T-800: Yes. It launches its missiles against the targets in Russia.

John Connor: Why attack Russia? Aren’t they our friends now?

T-800: Because Skynet knows that the Russian counterattack will eliminate its enemies over here.

Sarah Connor: (sighs) Jesus.

Bentonville is a 2-hour drive worth taking

We spent last weekend in Arkansas and I can’t wait to go back. I couldn’t help but walk the new addition to the Crystal Bridges Museum happy. I thought of the new study that came out recently that said regular arts and cultural engagement — including visiting galleries, attending concerts, singing and dancing — slows biological aging at the same rate as physical exercise. “People who engaged most frequently and across the widest variety of activities were roughly a year younger biologically than those who didn’t,” according to this unlocked article in the Wall Street Journal.

Here is a short list of recommendations in Bentonville. I will add more on the next trip.

• Walking the new Walmart headquarters, which is also a campus of hotels (we stayed at the AC Hotel), restaurants, retail and more.

• The Onyx on the Preserve coffee shop on the campus (very cool old-school Star Wars bar vibes) that had great food.

• The Momentary’s exhibit of an 1980s-90s-era grocery store all done in felt.

• Conifer, the farm-to-table restaurant right along the town’s great downtown square.

• The Eddy, the cool bar in the fancy Compton Hotel.

• Once Upon A Time, a great antique book store with some first editions I’ve never seen before.

Thanks for reading. Forward to those who need to know what’s up.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa Flyer and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations on Aug. 11.

We have invited candidates Gentner Drummond, Mike Mazzei, Robert Franklin and James Taylor to share their visions for Oklahoma and to take questions from local journalists on the biggest issues in the state.

5:30 p.m.: Meet and greet the candidates.

6-6:45 p.m.: Governor candidates answer questions.

6:45-7:30 p.m.: Superintendent candidates answer questions.

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

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In the first issue of the Collington Index on March 31, I shared the incredible exclusive investigation by The Frontier’s Garrett Yalch about what he found: At least seven people had died over the past three years in the city’s jail. After seeing the story, Mayor Monroe Nichols announced a review of the jail’s operations.

But then nothing happened.

That is except lawsuits filed by families, a national watchdog group announcing its own investigation, and the Tulsa Police refusing to release reports and videos that are clearly open records.

After the city finally released the video capturing what happened to Benner to The Frontier, the mayor announced days later the jail would close and inmates would be moved quickly to the county jail.

The video is horrific. It shows that multiple people paid to protect Benner didn’t.

I will reprint the warning The Frontier placed on it.

Viewer discretion advised: This video contains body camera footage and scenes that some viewers may find disturbing. It is presented because it is central to understanding the circumstances surrounding Justin Benner’s death and The Frontier’s reporting on the Tulsa Municipal Jail.

The Tulsa World’s Corey Jones followed up Sunday with an investigation weeks in the making, which for the first time presented new information, thanks to original reporting, receiving open records and whistleblower reports that make you shake your head and ask why.

Here is all the reporting in one place if you want to go in depth on a facility overseen by the Tulsa Police Department.

The Frontier:

• Tulsa is shutting down its city jail after Frontier investigation into deaths

• Tulsa police took him to the city jail instead of a hospital. He was dead within an hour.

• Lawsuit over Tulsa city jail death alleges officials ignored years of warnings about medical care

• After deaths at Tulsa Municipal Jail, a wrongful death lawsuit targets the private contractor

• Disability rights watchdog opens probe into Tulsa city jail after Frontier investigation

• At the Tulsa city jail, preventable deaths and hidden records

• They were arrested for misdemeanors. Then they died in Tulsa’s city jail.

Tulsa World:

• Mayor orders closure of Tulsa’s municipal lockup

• Tulsa’s city jail doubled inmate capacity but not staffing. Then 7 people died in 3 years.

• How we got here: The city opened its own jail after feud with county about costs

The most expensive school in Tulsa without teachers but plenty of AI

Oklahoma Watch’s Maya Henry with a story that involves a billionaire, AI, a school with no educators and videos of photos of students taken as they learn. And it costs double the most expensive private school in the state. One parent interviewed said she’s willing to pay it.

Tulsa’s Houston problem might mean a Williams-sized hole in our heart

Tulsa-based Williams might become the latest energy giant to head to Houston. The Houston Chronicle reported that the energy company purchased a 64-story skyscraper known as the Williams Tower. The Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield quoted a Williams executive in his story that the company would hire 100 more in Houston by the end of the year because “we do see ourselves growing in the Houston market.”

This move comes just after the company’s new CEO said he would improve its headquarters in downtown Tulsa, which is home to 1,300 people. I quoted the Tulsa World in the June 23 Collington Index when he said this: “You should be headquartered in a city because that is the very best place for you to do your business. That’s our responsibility as a company. And, you know … that’s not trying to be mean; that’s just the reality.”

Oklahoma Sen. Alan Armstrong violated STOCK Act with 700 tardy stock disclosures

Speaking of Williams, its former CEO who is now harming the seat left by Markwayne Mullin in the U.S. Senate, missed a deadline by about two months on his stock deals. Dave Levinthal with NOTUS in partnership with Oklahoma Watch has the details.

Quotable quotes

“The Southeastern Conference and the Big Ten and even the Big 12 raid the American the way Attila the Hun attacked the Balkans.”

– The Tulsa World’s Sports Columnist Berry Tramel about the American Conference in college sports, which includes TU.

“Just because we’re older and live in assisted living doesn’t mean that we should have fewer freedoms than anyone else.”

– Anita LeBrun, an 82-year-old Minnesota grandmother who fought an alcohol ban at assisted living centers and helped pass a “happy hour” amendment that now allows it.

“If supporting independent journalism is now considered controversial, here’s today’s receipt.”

– Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is running for governor, quoted in Oklahoma Politics Today. His opponent’s campaign found that Drummond had donated $500 to Oklahoma Watch, which is quoted a lot in the Index and published by newspapers across the state. Mike Mazzei didn’t seem to like the nonprofit news organization’s story about him being absent at most of the police pension board meetings, where he is a member. Mazzei’s campaign suggested such a donation meant Oklahoma Watch was not a reliable source of news. Let me assure you, it is. Drummond’s response? Donating another $500 to Oklahoma Watch.

“The No. 1 loss for businesses is now cybersecurity. It’s not flood or fire or theft — any of that other stuff.”

– David Keely, executive director of the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute at the University of Tulsa, in a Tulsa World story by Michael Dekker. Keely mentions there are about 2,200 cyberattacks daily in the world.

“We have to be the headlight on this one — not the taillight.”

– Tvkvpvtce District Representative Anna Marshall to the Tulsa World’s Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton about the Muscogee Nation’s legislative branch opposing the proposed aluminum smelter near Inola, which is on the nation’s reservation.

“It’s great that the city is resolving these things … but the need to have something like this really highlights how much of the criminal legal system is built on extracting funds out of really poor people.”

– Stephen Galoob, a law professor at the University of Tulsa, to The Oklahoma Eagle’s Ismael Lele about the 129,579 outstanding warrants of Tulsans with $5.8 million owed in fines, which the city is offering a chance to be cleared without the fear of being arrested on July 31.

Sen. Lankford hears from a personal friend on live TV: ‘You’re bungling everything’

The following dialogue on television between Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford and Fox Business host Larry Kudlow — one of Donald Trump’s first-term economic advisers:

Kudlow: “Right now, you, the leadership in both houses, are bungling everything, sir. I say that with all due respect, and we are personal friends. It’s not for, but you’re bungling everything. Nothing is getting done. Your messaging is nonexistent. You’ve lost your swag, your swagger, your rizz, or whatever the young people say – no one knows what the heck you’re doing, sir. They have no idea.”

Lankford: Yeah, you’re welcome. And this is part of the challenge we’ve got with all of our media friends out there that continue to be able to beat up on Republicans and say Republicans are all the problem. But apparently, the socialist Democrats in New York City, they seem to be perfect because most conservative media right now is beating up on Republicans and just ignoring the socialists who are running rampant all over the country.

Kudlow: Ah, Jim.

Lankford: So I look back on what happened with the one big beautiful bill.

Kudlow: “Come on.”

Lankford: “I look at the housing bill we just passed. There’s a lot of things that are going on that are good, and I understand.”

Kudlow: “Nobody has attacked (New York Mayor) Madami more than I have. For heaven’s sake.”

Lankford: “I wasn’t saying that just about you. I was saying this.”

Kudlow: “That isn’t the point.”

Lankford: “This is the challenge that we’re up against.”

Kudlow: “What is it that your policy is, Senator Lankford, my friend? What is your policy? Where are the tax cuts? Where are the spending cuts? Where’s the waste, fraud, and corruption reduction? Where is all of that? Where is the reconciliation bill? Where’s the straight talk and messaging for the midterms? Where’s the growth messaging? Where’s that we’re going to make it better for taxpayers and working folks messaging? Come on, Senator.”

A governor endorsement was deleted while another one was broadcasted

While the candidates for governor collect endorsements leading up to the Aug. 25 run-off election, two caught my eye. One was by Rep. Danny Williams, a Republican from Seminole, for Mike Mazzei. That announcement was deleted by Mazzei’s campaign after Williams was placed under investigation for undisclosed allegations of improper behavior, first reported by NonDoc. The second was by House Majority Leader Mark Lawson, a Republican from Sapulpa, in support of Drummond. Lawson then published a video explaining how Mazzei’s tax reforms don’t add up.

Thanks for reading. Forward to those who need to know what’s up.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. If you live in Tulsa, do you know who you want to be your next city councilor?

In light of the deaths at the Tulsa jail, a reminder that the city council is the best way for you and your neighbors to get answers about what is happening on your behalf in the government.

Tulsans in most districts will vote Aug. 25 on who their next councilor will be.

Here is coverage of the first forum by the Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa World and Tulsa Flyer and the schedule for the rest of them.

District 3:

Tulsa Flyer: Tulsa City Council District 3 candidates answer voter questions about public safety, economic development and more

Tulsa World: District 3 City Council candidates answer constituent questions in Tulsa Press Club forum

Aug. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: District 7 incumbent Lori Decter Wright, Dave Perry and Kenny Wogoman, Frossard Auditorium at the Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St.

Aug. 6, 6-7 p.m.: District 2 incumbent Anthony Archie and Aaron Bisogno, University Village Theater, 8555 S. Lewis Ave.

Aug. 10, 6-7 p.m.: District 9 candidates Ben Johnson, Pete Regan and Shawn Tiemann, Community Brookside, 1307 E. 38th St.

The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa Flyer and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations on Aug. 11.

We have invited candidates Gentner Drummond, Mike Mazzei, Robert Franklin and James Taylor to share their visions for Oklahoma and to take questions from local journalists on the biggest issues in the state.

5:30 p.m.: Meet and greet the candidates.

6-6:45 p.m.: Governor candidates answer questions.

6:45-7:30 p.m.: Superintendent candidates answer questions.

The Collington Index is a free weekly news summary written by Jason Collington that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, popular lists, conversations and cheat sheets. Skim or go deep. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe for free on Substack to get an email newsletter each Tuesday morning. See the archive at collingtonindex.com.

Oklahoma’s chief officer responsible for election security felt like he had to defend the state’s record after President Donald Trump’s speech during primetime TV. Trump claimed that China has attempted to meddle in elections by accessing voter registration data in states including Oklahoma. State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said: “There is no claim that Oklahoma’s voter registration database was compromised or breached.” The Tulsa World’s Steve Metzer with this lead story.

My take: Fact checking is something that isn’t easy to do in real time, which is why it’s important after “hearing something” to go to legit news sources and check it out. Friendly reminder.

The last polio survivor in an Iron Lung died. She lived in Shawnee

I did not know that fellow Oklahoman Martha Ann Lillard was the last to use the technology from the 1940s. People magazine reported that she died after the machine started to break down and they couldn’t find anyone to repair it. Lillard contracted the disease when she was 5 years old in 1953, two years before a vaccine helped eliminate it. KFOR in Oklahoma City did a story on her just eight days before her death.

My take: She did a lot of things in her life but always needed something built 20 years before the electronic calculator debuted. Unreal.

The end of reading is here. Again.

A lot to unpack from this unlocked article from The Atlantic with the headline “The end of reading is here.” For those scoring at home, 16 percent of Americans read for pleasure. About 57 percent of Americans gamble.

My take: First, yes, I did read to the end of this article. The history of what has threatened the act of reading over the decades includes novels and journalism. But also this: Print book sales are up from a decade ago (but from less customers), new bookstores keep opening up and Substacks like this one keep popping up, asking their followers to read. This is a long story but it’s worth it. Makes me want to join a book club. (Currently reading What to Make of a Life by Jim Collins with Five Gears in Reverse by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips up next.)

Questions abound about Manna drone delivery service. Here are some answers.

That’s the headline of Kevin Canfield’s Tulsa World Q&A with the founder of Manna, which led the Collington Index when it was announced the drone delivery company was coming to town. Canfield did report and allow the founder to explain why he’s no longer delivering in his native Ireland and decided to open up in Tulsa.

Joe Tomlinson at the Tulsa Flyer talked to residents in Ireland about what the Manna experience was like. “When it’s going out in the street, well, it’s a motorcycle in the street — it might be noisy. But you don’t have it going over your back yard.” (The company founder told Canfield the drone’s noise level is like the hum of an air conditioner. Check out the video and you decide.)

My take: If Tulsa wants to be known as the “Drone Capitol of the World” (as some politicians, business people and universities want) there will need to be drones actually flying in Tulsa. How on the cutting edge does Tulsa want to be?

Quotable quotes

On marriage

“The inner stability that you both feel becomes the outer resilience that the two of you share as you face the natural ups and downs of life. Making sure that you are still developing your self-awareness and wisdom will help you not project your inner tension onto each other. Supporting each other in making space for personal growth is one of the most selfless ways to love each other.”

– Yung Pueblo in his essay 11 lessons from 11 years of marriage. His book “Clarity and Connection” is one I have given to others after a friend gave it to me following my divorce. Highly recommend.

On grass

“ … that Super Bowl was a horrible day in my life. That just wasn’t how that grass performs; it was about how it was being managed.”

– Dennis Martin, an OSU professor and turfgrass extension specialist, interviewed by the Tulsa World’s Ashton Slaughter in a story about OSU creating the turf the World Cup final was played on. Slaughter reported that Tahoma 31 — the warm-season Bermuda grass that OSU agriculture researchers began creating in 2006 – was also used in Super Bowl LVII where a number of players slipped during play.

On the ballot

“I will get sued. And then we’ll have the discussion.”

– Oklahoma governor candidate Mike Mazzei talking to the Stillwater Frontier Rotary Club about his expectations about his education plan. The Stillwegian’s Chris Peters reported that Mazzei announced that in his first week as governor, he would hire a statewide literacy director by executive order and direct the State Department of Education to terminate the 24 reading curricula Oklahoma’s 500-plus school districts currently choose from. Peters also fact checks everything said at the event, saying the candidate’s claims fared unevenly against the record.

On the ballot as well

“This lawsuit is about protecting Oklahoma homeowners and holding insurance companies accountable when they fail to honor the promises they make to policyholders.”
– Oklahoma governor candidate and current attorney general Gentner Drummond, who for the second time in less than a month has sued an insurance company for allegedly denying or minimizing payments for valid hail and wind damage claims. Oklahoma Voice’s Barbara Hoberock with the details.

On land

“I think Oklahoma is so strained for jobs and economic development that we will roll over too easily and give away the farm.”

– Oklahoma Rep. Amanda Clinton, a Tulsa Democrat and Cherokee citizen, in this unlocked New York Times story reported from multiple places across the state about the data center boom on Native land.

On camera

“We have access to 3,000 cameras now. We would like to double or triple that.”

– Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen – who just announced his retirement – during a talk titled “The State of Public Safety in Tulsa” on July 8, presented by the Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture. The center’s director is OU-Tulsa Professor Rodger A. Randle, a former Tulsa mayor, who hosts events for the public good. Larsen said Flock cameras placed strategically around the city have helped reduce car thefts by 47%. Some cities in California and Michigan have recently canceled contracts with the technology company, pointing to changes about owning or selling users’ data. This is what Flock is saying.

Notable numbers

1

– The number of additional minutes that Owasso Public Schools students will spend each day in school to comply with Oklahoma’s new recess law, which doubled the required daily recess time for kindergarten through fifth grade students from 20 minutes to 40 minutes. It’s going from 3:45 p.m. to 3:46 p.m. The Tulsa World’s Macey Thaxton with the details.

97%

– The percentage of Tulsans in a citywide survey conducted by City Auditor Nathan Pickard that have a lot or some trust in the Tulsa Fire Department, according to a story from Tulsa Flyer’s Ginnie Graham. Guess who finished last.

7,000

– The percentage of interest for one of the loans at the heart of a case that has resulted in thousands of Oklahomans getting a new landlord. Former arms dealer Efraim Diveroli – played by actor Jonah Hill in the film War Dogs – exercised his option on the high-interest loan to claim ownership of a large real estate portfolio that spreads from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and cities in between. KJRH’s Erin Christy broke this story.

NonDoc’s Tristan Loveless dug into court documents to show all the Tulsa apartments included.

0.6%

– The percentage of Epic Charter School’s 2025 senior class that achieved a minimum score on the ACT required for college admission without remediation, was accepted to a college or university and completed the FAFSA. That’s just one number of many troubling ones Oklahoma Watch’s Jennifer Palmer found in new reports to the Statewide Charter School Board.

For the love of kindergarten teachers (Thank you, Mrs. Allen)

Also a tip from Adam Grant, who writes great books: “When you meet someone new, don’t ask: What do you do? It limits what people share about themselves to a job description. Instead, try: What do you love to do? It ignites curiosity and invites people to express their distinctive interests.”

New York, New York

During our break last week, we took on NYC.

Thanks for reading. Forward to those who need to know what’s up.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. Save the dates for some candidate forums before the Aug. 25 election. On the ballot is the GOP run-off in the Oklahoma governor and state superintendent races, as well as open city council seats in Tulsa. I will moderate these events alongside some of the best reporters in Tulsa who will ask the questions.

The Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa Flyer and Tulsa World present forums for candidates running for city council seats. Listen to city council candidates answer questions from reporters Kevin Canfield of the Tulsa World and Ginnie Graham of the Tulsa Flyer.

July 23, 6-7 p.m.: District 3 incumbent Jackie Dutton and Tanisha Bowen, Tulsa Air and Space Museum, 3624 N. 74th E. Ave.

July 27, 6-7 p.m.: District 5 incumbent Karen Gilbert and Adam Burnett, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 3702 S. 90th E. Ave.

Aug. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: District 7 incumbent Lori Decter Wright, Dave Perry and Kenny Wogoman, Frossard Auditorium at the Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St. Note: This event is not affiliated in any way with the Tulsa City-County Library. The Library neither sponsors nor endorses this event, the speaker(s) or the organization.

Aug. 6, 6-7 p.m.: District 2 incumbent Anthony Archie and Aaron Bisogno, University Village Theater, 8555 S. Lewis Ave.

Aug. 10, 6-7 p.m.: District 9 candidates Ben Johnson, Pete Regan and Shawn Tiemann, Community Brookside, 1307 E. 38th St.

The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club, Tulsa Flyer and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations. The forums invite those appearing on the ballot this election year a chance to present their cases and answer questions from local journalists including Randy Krehbiel from the Tulsa World, Andrea Eger and Paul Monies from Oklahoma Watch, and Ginnie Graham from the Tulsa Flyer.

The events will be at the Lorton Performance Center on TU’s campus, 550 S. Gary Place.

At TU, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that draws upon the power of education, community service, civic leadership and informing policy to create lasting impact and opportunity in Tulsa and beyond. The event is hosted by the Office of Civic Engagement’s director Melissa Abdo. Learn more about the office at utulsa.edu.

This event is open to the public and does not require tickets but the seating is limited. Parking is available across from the center.

Aug. 11: Governor and state superintendent candidates appearing in the run-off election: We have invited candidates Gentner Drummond, Mike Mazzei, Robert Franklin and James Taylor to share their visions for Oklahoma and to take questions from local journalists on the biggest issues in the state.

5:30 p.m.: Meet and greet the candidates.

6-6:45 p.m.: Governor candidates answer questions.

6:45-7:30 p.m.: Superintendent candidates answer questions.

The Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield broke news Monday afternoon with a report that Manna Air Delivery, a drone delivery service, has applied for permits to build in Tulsa. Drone service could be requested through DoorDash or on the company’s app.

Newborns now start with $1,000

“Trump Accounts” for kids rolled out over the holiday weekend. Parents, this is a new type of retirement savings account seeded with a cool grand. This unlocked Wall Street Journal article is the best explanation of everything on it I could find.

Mark Singer thought something was profoundly wrong with Tulsa. I’m late to mention this, since I thought others would write something. Singer was a Tulsan who at 23 became a staff writer at The New Yorker, but he never forgot to come back into town. He also wasn’t afraid to write critically about what he saw here. I have several of his books on the shelf. Singer famously sent a thank you letter and check to Donald Trump (way before he became president) for $37.82, after his criticism of Singer’s published profile, collected into a book, helped boost sales. Trump returned the letter with an all-caps note: “MARK — YOU ARE A TOTAL LOSER.” Trump did cash that check, though. I like what Russell Cobb wrote in The Pickup about his interactions with the writer, which appeared under the headline above. Singer was 75.

Notable numbers

30,000

– The number of job openings in Oklahoma over the number of people to fill them, according to a presentation by Trae Rahill, Oklahoma’s secretary of workforce development and head of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission. He spoke to the Rotary Club of Tulsa downtown recently. Read Tulsa World Reporter Michael Dekker’s story on the talk.

1.8 million posts

– The number of TikTok posts with the hashtag #cardetailing, a job that more young people are taking on in this job market, according to this unlocked article in the Wall Street Journal. The 22-year-old profiled says he brings in $5,000 a month in profits, charging $180 to $2,000 a car. He’s booked up for the next two months and is looking to hire an assistant.

$773,808

– The amount reported by Oklahoma candidate campaigns from early April to mid-June for text messaging and related services. Oklahoma Watch’s Keaton Ross says that is up from about $60,000 in 2022.

This & That

If you aren’t over the 250th birthday of America, check out “The American Experiment” on Netflix, which features Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. The Tulsa Flyer’s Ginnie Graham wrote on her “On Ginnie’s Block” Substack that he provided an interesting and needed Indigenous perspective.

The definitive answer on how to sell a book, by Ann Patchett

Quotable quotes

On disagreement with the Supreme Court on birthright citizenship

“Oklahomans are rightly frustrated when someone breaks into our country to force us to give their children American citizenship. Other than salvation, American citizenship is the greatest gift on Earth, and it should never be obtained through fraud or illegal actions.”

– U.S. Sen. James Lankford in a press release quoted in the Tulsa World’s D.C. Digest, written by Randy Krehbiel. The decision made Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin repeat claims that pregnant Chinese women come to America to return their infants to their home country to raise them as spies.

On how communities care for one another

“There’s a country saying that my dad used to always say, and it’s, ‘You can tell what kind of town you’re living in when the barn burns down, who pulls in the driveway.’ And I think that is a description of a healthy community.”

– Carla Meyer, chief resource development and finance officer at Tulsa Area United Way, on The Deep End podcast, hosted by Kelley Scott with Clarehouse, the first Social Model Hospice Home in Oklahoma.

On picking a partner in life

“When you select a partner, whether you realize it or not, you are choosing a whole lifestyle — not just a person. You’re choosing their sleep schedule. You’re choosing their money habits. You’re choosing their stress levels, their family drama, their levels of cleanliness, their work ethic, their coping mechanisms. All of these things will be a baseline of your daily life. If their normal is doom scrolling until 2 a.m., avoiding all conflict, impulse spending, and never exercising — guess what? You’re signing up to live in that ecosystem. Love does not cancel out people’s flaws. In fact, love just makes you tolerate them for longer. Most people obsess over, ‘Do we have romantic chemistry?’ And they completely skip, ‘Can I live with this person’s version of Tuesday every week for the next 10 years?’ The hard truth: You don’t fix somebody’s lifestyle from the inside. You either accept the package as they are, or you walk.”

– Mark Manson, author of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” and host of the Solved podcast.

On what AI has to say on elections

“I can’t tell you who to vote for — that’s a values call that’s yours to make.”

– What Claude, an AI chatbot developed by Anthropic to analyze data and hold conversations, told me when I asked who I should vote for in the Republican run-off election between Mike Mazzei and Gentner Drummond, which is set for Aug. 25. It then lists some facts about each candidate and asks if I wanted more information on a particular issue. As the New York Times reported in this unlocked article, the 2026 midterms may be the first American elections in which voters are using A.I. in meaningful numbers.

Mark your calendars: I will moderate a second governor forum for that election, in partnership with the Tulsa Press Club and the University of Tulsa, on Tuesday, Aug. 11. The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel and Oklahoma Watch’s Paul Monies will ask the questions.

On what kids need at school

“They need recess so they can do what they need to do.”

– Royce Parker, who will be a fifth-grader at Mayo Demonstration School in Tulsa. The Tulsa World’s Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton writes about the “schedule Tetris” school administrators are playing right now in the newest unfunded mandate to hit public schools: At least 40 minutes of recess daily in kindergarten through fifth grade. That’s double what it was.

Oklahoma Voice’s Nuria Martinez-Keel, in her story on the subject, reported that when issuing guidance for how to implement the law, state Superintendent Lindel Fields informed district leaders that recess no longer would count toward the 1,086 instructional hours that make up a school year. That’s creating a new issue.

A mural for you

A cool look at the new mural by Jeks of Leon Russell in downtown Tulsa.

Confessions of a Costco Date

We didn’t have plans but needed a few groceries. So it was a Costco Date. Our first.

I was surprised how many other couples were there on a Friday night. There weren’t a lot of notable free samples to taste, but we got our steps in and saved money on our items. Fun fact: The cashier said the most expensive single receipt she had handed over to a customer was for $12,000. Please note, no famous Costco hot dogs or pizza were consumed. I don’t believe in cheap dates.

Taking next week off: Will be back online and in your inboxes on Tuesday, July 20.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

“CBS Sunday Morning” Correspondent Lee Cowan drives along Route 66, which we all know is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. This report includes a stop in Tulsa and features some Tulsans.

President Donald Trump believes a former Oklahoma Highway Patrol major should lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel reports ICE has not had a permanent director confirmed by the Senate since the end of the Obama administration.

Oklahomans spent $30 million on OnlyFans in 2025. Reporter Josh Kelly of The Oklahoman with the findings of a report made by a site that tracks how much is spent on the platform, which lets fans have direct relationships with creators known to offer adult content. Fans in Oklahoma City ranked first with $7.3 million spent. Tulsans spent about $3 million. Fans in Broken Arrow cracked the top five.

Quotable quotes

On the topic of OnlyFans

“If you look at OnlyFans, it is making as much money as Hollywood. I mean, essentially it’s on par. It’s not a niche business, it is a massive enterprise. And so if you’re young, you’re going, ‘I don’t want to go work in a 9-to-5 at this place or that thing. Well, maybe I can just start taking photos of myself.’ … we caught a lot of criticism for it, but there’s a part of me that wonders, if the show kind of affirmed this life and how empowering it was, whether we would get the same criticism. You know, we take a fairly critical look at it. It hollows out the individual. You know, you’re constantly just depending on the likes and external validation.”

– Sam Levinson, creator of the HBO Max series “Euphoria,” now the second most-watched show in the company’s history after Games of Thrones. The last season of the show included characters as OnlyFans creators.

On what the new OSU football coach believes

“... our big three: (quarterback) Drew Mestemaker, (wide receiver) Wyatt Young and (running back) Caleb Hawkins. Those guys didn’t have other offers (out of high school). We believed in them. That translated to them having great success on the field. As we continue to evaluate people, we’re not afraid to take the small-town kid who doesn’t have any stars or offers. We believe our eyes.”

– OSU football coach Eric Morris to Sports Animal host Gideon Hamilton.

On going back to the office all the time

“Some leaders say they insist on full-time in-person work because it boosts productivity, despite clear evidence that it does not. Others claim it’s about collaboration, creativity or culture. Our new research reveals that the objection to any work from home is more likely to be driven by something else entirely: ego.”

– Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant in an NYT op-ed. The unlocked article’s headline is The Secret Reason Bosses Want Everyone Back in the Office, Every Day of the Week.

Notable numbers

$125,000

– The amount paid by Thomas Gilcrease, whom the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa is named for, for a 1777 handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence. He found it in 1948 aboard the Freedom Train, a traveling museum exhibit that was full of rare, primary documents related to the country’s founding. That’s more than $1.7 million in today’s dollars. It was available for public view recently, something the Tulsa World’s Bella Casey and Stephen Pingry reported on this week.

Every 30 seconds

– The rate that a Taser is fired by somebody in the U.S., according to the company’s owner, who now is focused on making “AI the future of policing,” in this unlocked Wall Street Journal article.

342,541,458

– The current U.S. population estimate as the country celebrates its 250th birthday. It’s never decreased year by year since 1776, except for 1918, when it went down about 0.06% due to the combined impact of deaths from World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic.

49 times in the past two years

– The number of times people have been entrapped in the elevators at the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in Boston, just one of many examples in the backlog of $50 billion in deferred maintenance across the country mentioned in this unlocked article. Think twice before going into a federal building.

Every 4 minutes on average

– The rate that a gambling reference, promotion or commercial occurred during 50 hours of televised professional and college hockey, football and basketball games, according to a recent Washington Post analysis, available to read in this unlocked article.

Elementary school

– When Lia Nower, the director of the Center for Gambling Studies at the Rutgers School of Social Work, is now seeing gambling issues begin, mentioned in this unlocked New York Times article.

More than $8 billion

– The economic impact of the Chickasaw Nation after 10 terms served by Gov. Bill Anoatubby. Lt. Gov. Chris Anoatubby, the governor’s son, will finish out the remaining year in his father’s term, reports the Tulsa World’s Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton.

This & That

One of my favorite places, Bramble Breakfast & Bar, closed its doors in the Pearl District in May to move to a new space on Cherry Street. The Tulsa Flyer’s Raynee Howell checks in with owner Johnna Hayes.

2 Tulsa community advocates featured in Obama Presidential Center exhibit. Ashley Philippsen, formerly of ImpactTulsa, and Jen Loren, senior director of Cherokee Film, are featured in the Obama Center’s Imagine Your Impact interactive art exhibit. The Oklahoma Eagle’s Shaunicy Muhammad explains.

Older adults aren’t staying in “empty shell” marriages. Rates of gray divorce have risen sharply over the past few decades, explained in this unlocked NYT article.

On our 250th birthday (allegedly)

“Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things. And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth is ascertainable?”

– W.E.B. Du Bois quote on the first page of historian Jon Meacham’s newest book “American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union.”

Meacham came to Tulsa recently at a Magic City Book event to promote that book. He told the packed crowd that while everyone talks about 1776, it wasn’t until 1965 that America really began. That hit me. Here is him proving his point. (Video starts at 14:44).

The quote by Du Bois, who visited and documented the Greenwood district before the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, is a nice reminder as we watch the fireworks this weekend.

“Telling the truth about all this” is what legitimate journalists have tried to do the last 250 years. For you, the public. The electorate. The ones who are actually in charge if they vote.

I started the Collington Index as a movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks to your support, I will keep it moving.

I will repeat what I have said at the end of each issue. But this time with an American flag in my front yard, thanks to the local Boy Scout troop that has placed one in almost every yard in our neighborhood. But this time, with meaning.

There is no cavalry.

It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

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– How many Oklahoma registered voters turned out in the June 16 primary election. The Oklahoma Voice’s Courtney Bell with the details, including that only 630,000 Oklahomans cared to pick the future leaders in all the major state elected offices.

But wait, it’s about to get worse: The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel writes that if form holds, 10-15% of Oklahoma’s registered voters — and less than 7% of its population — will likely decide the state’s next governor in the Aug. 25 Republican runoff.

My take: When I am asked how politicians with radical agendas get elected, I counter with this question: Did you vote in that election? None of them have. So I tell them that’s how it happens. I reminded about a dozen people I saw Tuesday to vote in this election. None of them had planned to do it and, as the numbers show, they likely didn’t.

Who knew Claremore has it together?

So much so that the Washington Post, in this unlocked article, reports that the city is getting homes built twice as fast and others want to copy it.

The story starts off with a 25-year home builder who applied for a city permit to build four duplexes, side by side. Within 24 hours, he had the permit in hand. He’s never experienced that before.

My take: It seems the suburbs have figured out how to speed up and get housing built. Tulsa’s mayor had this as a priority and is making strides, but maybe we can just cut and paste this Claremore policy?

Where are we at on …. autonomous vehicles

I now know three Tesla owners in Tulsa who brag they don’t drive anymore thanks to the features that allow the car, not Jesus, to take the wheel.

In case you missed it, 26 states — including Texas, Florida and California — now allow vehicles to operate without drivers, according to the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association. In this unlocked New York Times article, Waymo is dealing with some pushback in trying to expand to other states. Not helping are some issues including a cat killed by one of its vehicles. Waymo also last month suspended driverless service on freeways and paused rides in several cities over concerns about the cars’ ability to handle flooded roadways.

Oklahoma law doesn’t yet allow a fully driverless vehicle, but the on-board computers are still allowed to take the wheel, reports The Oklahoman’s Dale Denwalt. He wrote that a second trucking company has launched a freight route for autonomous semis on Oklahoma highways. This one is between OKC and Dallas.

My take: I am for whatever brings safety to the road, knowing one friend’s relative sustaining life-changing injuries after a collision on Interstate 35. Note, Walmart’s regional truck drivers can earn up to $110,000 in their first year, according to job descriptions. They have 89 openings.

Quotable quotes

“Woody’s named for a folk singer who said this land was ours. I don’t know about that, but I know it’s the land we got. I want to believe we could make it beautiful, if we could just be a little kinder to one another.”

– Lauren Hough, in her latest book “Monster of a Land,” talking about her dog named Woody Guthrie. I had the chance to interview Hough at the Woody Guthrie Center at a Magic City Books event Monday night. Woody took a nap during our chat. I pulled this quote from the book because at the end of the conversation, Hough mentioned how many empty towns she saw on her 14,001-mile trip, which is chronicled in the book. She mentioned that some say “there’s no room in America” for immigrants. She doesn’t agree. She believes a lot of these towns could be revived with the help of immigrants looking for opportunity. “These empty towns are everywhere,” she told the audience.

“It really wasn’t a miracle at all. It was the direct result of very good, strong policy followed by a plan to properly implement, and also — and perhaps most importantly — an accountability piece that was built into the statute.”

– Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves at a Oklahoma State Chamber event discussing the much talked about “Mississippi Miracle,” a law that helped the state surpass the national average in fourth-grade reading scores. The Oklahoma Voice’s Nuria Martinez-Keel reported on the event.

“You should be headquartered in a city because that is the very best place for you to do your business. That’s our responsibility as a company. And, you know … that’s not trying to be mean; that’s just the reality.”

– Williams CEO Chad Zamarin, quoted in a story by the Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield about Williams having big plans for its downtown headquarters campus.

How about some good news

Tulsa-based artist Adam Davis landed a photo on the food magazine’s summer cover. He used tintype photography, first developed in the 1850s, in his Black Magic project. The photo was part of a story covering Oklahoma’s Black rodeo circuit.

A former Tulsa church downtown is becoming a live music venue with apartments and the new home for Wildflower Café. The Oklahoma Eagle’s Ismael Lele offers the details.

The New York Times offered this quick video about the University Village Okies in Tulsa, who are an undefeated Nintendo Wii Bowling team.

Murals and more murals (can we please get some more): Here’s the thing about murals. You hardly ever see them being tagged by graffiti, something that Tulsa has a problem with. The Tulsa Flyer’s Tim Landes highlights some of the new ones in the Pearl District.

The realities behind one popular path to homelessness

Oklahoma Watch’s Jake Ramsey in his latest series of stories on homelessness and evictions with some crazy stats: Oklahoma City’s eviction rates have doubled since 2016 and are more than double New York City’s. He notes that more than 40% of evictions filed in Oklahoma County were from the same 100 properties.

The Tulsa city budget is approved. Some highlights

• The city estimates the utility rate increases will amount to about $5.82 a month for a typical residential customer.

• The largest added expenditures were $840,000 to demolish large-scale nuisance projects, and $7.5 million for the Tulsa Zoo to help fund construction of its African Wilds exhibit. The Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield with all the details.

A field trip to Country Bird Bakery

Since we aren’t ones to stand in line for much, forgive us for not taking in the experience of waiting for baked goods from Cat Cox, winner of Tulsa’s first James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.

The line moved quickly and we enjoyed getting some recommendations from others as we waited. We were shocked that Cat was working behind the counter, slinging her favorites. We spent $75 on everything from sour dough to breakfast sandwiches and some desserts. Everything was amazing, as the crowd said to expect. If you haven’t done it, do it. Check out Country Bird Bakery at 1644 E. Third St. Unit B. If you want to learn more about Cat, Tulsa People’s Lauren Rogers talked with the Booker T. graduate.

Thank you for your continued support with this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. If you would like to stay married, some helpful suggestions based on 50 years of science.

Today is the day you vote in Oklahoma. Here’s a link to the cheat sheet I sent out Monday morning in case you need it.

Questions I am getting the most about this election

It’s about State Question 832, which takes Oklahoma’s minimum from $7.25 to $15 by 2029. In the first year it would go from $7.25 to $12, or a 66% raise because of the delay in this vote (I mention why in the cheat sheet). From 2030 on, the minimum raise would be based on the Consumer Price Index. That index is based on cost-of-living data nationally (not just in Oklahoma). Twenty states and the District of Columbia connect their minimum wages to similar cost-of-living indexes.

Could a record number of people vote?

Early voting this year was up 104% versus the 2024 primary election, The Oklahomans’s Alexia Aston reported. Maybe the minimum wage question is making people get off the couch like they did for the vote on medical marijuana? Could be the governor race, which made a number of Oklahomans switch party affiliation from Democrats to Republicans. Since we are at the bottom on voter turnout, any improvement would be appreciated.

Millions, billions and now trillions

It took Elon Musk 54 years to become the world’s first trillionaire on Friday. His company SpaceX offered stock for the first time and the event ended up being the biggest ever initial public offering ever. Once the day closed, his net worth, thanks to the stock value, equaled $1.2 trillion.

This comes 110 years after the world’s first billionaire, which was oilman John D. Rockefeller.

It’s also 206 years after America’s first millionaire, which John Jacob Astor achieved thanks to making a fortune in New York City real estate.

There are now more than 3,300 billionaires on this planet, with about 900 in America. Those numbers could be going up soon. It’s estimated that thousands of SpaceX employees are now millionaires by owning stock.

The other trillions story worth noting

Americans aged 55 and older are in control of an estimated $110 trillion in wealth. Gex Xers and those younger hold about $65 trillion. The Wall Street Journal, in this unlocked article, did some interesting reporting on the numbers and trends.

The oil tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, are hitting bottom

That was the headline on CNN about the pipeline crossroads of the world where crude oil flowed out faster than oil drillers could flow it in. Thanks to its pipes, oil goes to refineries around the country. Now that oil in the Middle East might be back in play, thanks to a reported peace deal with Iran, Cushing might not run out of oil in its tanks.

Quotable quotes

“We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics, and other quantitatively demanding fields. UC has finite resources and can help only so many students.”

– Quoted from a letter from more than 1,100 University of California math and science professors urging regents to reinstate college-entrance exams like the SAT or ACT.

“This is controversial times 100. I’ve seen lifelong friendships severed in the last few months just over the thought of an aluminum smelter being built here, and it hasn’t even happened yet.”

– Jeff Unrau, superintendent of Inola Public Schools, interviewed by Oklahoma Watch’s Andrea Eger in a story about who is supporting the $4 billion aluminum plant proposed at the Port of Inola.

“As a father of six with three young girls, I’ll do whatever I have to do, I will. I will move heaven and hell to go find these kids.”

– Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin while he accused the Biden administration of ignoring signs that thousands of unaccompanied minors entering the country illegally were being turned over to abusers. Tulsa World Reporter Randy Krehbiel reported that estimates could be tens of thousands of children.

Notable numbers

63

– The number of Pickleball courts in Tulsa, ranking the city 10th in the nation per capita, according to a new report reported by Elliot Terrell in the Tulsa Flyer. Madison, Wisconsin, ranked first.

$27.5 million

– The amount outside groups spent in Oklahoma on advertising from April 1 to June 14, according to independent expenditures filed to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, according to reporting by Keaton Ross and Maya Henry of Oklahoma Watch.

$10.9 million

– The amount of money that former state Sen. Mike Mazzei has loaned his campaign for Oklahoma governor. In total, candidates running for governor loaned their campaigns more than $22 million. Gov. Kevin Stitt spent $6.9 million of his own money in his two campaigns for the office. Oklahoma Voice Reporter Nuria Martinez-Keel goes into the numbers.

$558 million

– How much Tom Steyer spent to run for two offices: $342 million on a failed presidential bid in 2020 and $216 million in an effort to become the governor of California this year. He finished with 22.8% of the vote to place third in the state’s primary election, where he spent $201 million on ads. It’s not the record. Michael Bloomberg spent $1 billion in 104 days in a bid to be president in 2020.

A nice reminder of what can happen when just one person decides

Thank you for your continued support. I talked to a number of Indexers about the election and talking through the choices on the ballot. Always here to help in this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. I’m hosting a Magic City Books event at the Woody Guthrie Center on Monday at 7 p.m. with author Lauren Hough. I will talk with the acclaimed nonfiction writer about her modern take on John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley. With her dog named Woody Guthrie no less. Check out Monster of a Land and register for the free event. Hope to see you there for a fun conversation.

Crazy number to know before you vote

More than 13,000 Oklahomans out of 2.42 million registered voters in Oklahoma changed their political party for this election. Why? Most wanted to vote on the much more competitive Republican primary.

• 3,600 Independents became Democrats.

• 2,400 Independents became Republicans.

• 2,300 Democrats became Republicans.

• 1,700 Republicans became Independents.

• 1,400 Democrats became Independents.

• 1,100 Republicans became Democrats.

• 150 Libertarians became Democrats.

• 150 Libertarians became Independents.

• 100 Libertarians became Republicans.

What you have to vote on by political party

• Republicans have at least 12 candidate races to vote on and a state question.

• Democrats have at least 4 candidate races to vote on and a state question.

• Independents only have the state question to vote on.

Download what your ballot will look like Tuesday

• Put in your name and birthdate on this site: Oklahoma Voter Portal.

• Scroll down and click Sample Ballot. You can download it as a PDF.

• It will also remind you where you will vote (those locations always have a tendency to change).

Read up on what everyone – no matter their political party – will vote on: State Question 832

• Quickly: Proposes raising Oklahoma’s minimum wage by $1.50 a year for a final rate of $15 per hour in 2029. The next year, Oklahoma’s minimum wage would automatically increase annually based on the Consumer Price Index.

• Oklahoma Voice: What supporters and opponents have to say.

• Oklahoma Watch: Frequently asked questions answered by Reporter Keaton Ross.

• NonDoc: How other states have fared and what increases could mean for small business by Reporter Matt Patterson

• KOSU: Why Oklahoma’s minimum wage question might look strange to voters by Reporter Natalie Armour

• Tulsa World: 5 things to know about State Question 832 to raise the minimum wage by Breaking News Editor Anna Codutti

• Tulsa Flyer: More answers to FAQs by Reporters Libby Hobbs and Ismael Lele

What a doctorate in economics has to say about raising the minimum wage

A fellow Collington Indexer, with a doctorate in economics, with this take:

While it is possible that raising the minimum wage may contribute to price inflation, and some small businesses may have trouble covering the increase initially – and have to let some workers go – these objections are based on short-term thinking.

Many aspects of our current economic situation already contribute to inflation, and increases in the low wages of hourly workers would not impact those prices. For example, the prices of oil, gasoline, fertilizer, crops, livestock are not based in large part on labor input costs. Phasing in the wage increases also lessens the immediate impact of increased labor costs. I do not recall massive layoffs or record inflation the last time the minimum wage was increased nationally.

Wage increases also do not happen in a vacuum. With an increase in income, low-wage workers will now better be able to afford things – groceries, doctor visits, car repairs, for example. They may also be more willing to afford recreational goods and services (date nights, toys, trips). They may buy more expensive things (Get a shirt and pants from Dillard’s instead of Temu. Buy more steak instead of hamburger).

In the longer term, firms will have to increase output to meet the increase in demand from consumers whose incomes have risen. They will need to hire more workers to either produce more goods or to provide services to consumers. This means more income flowing through the economy. So in the long run, firms may end up with greater profits even after the increase in labor costs.

Increased wages also provides a benefit to state and local governments – an increase in the tax base without increasing taxes. More purchases of goods and services increases sales tax revenue (though some goods have sales tax exemptions, so this is not true across the board obviously). It may also provide a boost to income tax revenues (although a lot of minimum wage workers probably do not make enough to pay much in income taxes).

In the end, raising the minimum wage does benefit the living standards of hourly workers, but isolated from other policy changes (lowering the cost of health care; lowering the cost of day care for children and elders; affordable, adequate housing) the impact is probably limited.

Read up on the candidates on your ballot

Here are links to all the election guides from local news sources in one place:

• Oklahoma Voice: The staff offers two guides, one that is office specific and the other with story coverage.

• KOSU: All of their coverage in one place.

• The Oklahoman: Links to coverage and answers to FAQs.

• Tulsa World: Reporters Randy Krehbiel, Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton and Steve Metzer offer insights on each candidate.

• Tulsa Flyer: Coverage from multiple sources.

• NonDoc: The most in-depth of any news source so far with stories with previews on almost every race across the state.

Reminders

• You can vote Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Bring your photo ID to your polling place so you can vote.

• A number of candidates ended their campaign for an elected position but will still appear on the ballot. They include Republican Dan Rooney for U.S. Representative in District 1 and Democrat John Waldron in Oklahoma House District 77.

• It is likely that a number of races will require a run-off election, which is set for Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. In that election, the two candidates with the highest number of votes appear on the ballot.

Get your sticker

This is what the new “I Voted” stickers will look like this year.

Forward this to your friends and neighbors who might be cramming for this election as well.

Minnesota.

That’s according to a new study called the State of the Nation Project by a bipartisan group. The assessment took 31 measures that scholars and advisers of the last five presidents, along with President Trump, looked at and made a grade.

One quote from the report on Oklahoma: “Oklahoma also outperforms its South neighbors in 0 of the 14 topics and is improving over time on 6 of the 31 measures.”

A note: The United States performs better than 98% of countries in economic output. Read more on how Oklahoma ranks.

Sneak peek at the new ‘I Voted’ stickers

I attended the Oklahoma Press Association’s annual convention where journalists from across the state come together to learn and have themselves and their work celebrated. One of the speakers from the Oklahoma Election Board showed off what the new stickers will look like after you vote. The board said in honor of America’s 250th birthday, these limited-edition stickers will be available at early voting locations and polling places across the state.

Are you ready to vote a week from today?

As the president of the Tulsa Press Club, I was honored to moderate two public forums last week. One with the candidates for governor and another with those running to be the next superintendent of schools. Both events were sponsored by the Tulsa Press Club, Oklahoma Watch and the University of Tulsa’s Department of Civic Engagement. Check out the stories covering what was said by the Tulsa World and Tulsa Flyer.

Tulsa World: Gubernatorial candidates express vision for public education, health care, industry at forum

Tulsa Flyer: Education, health care and taxes: Gubernatorial candidates highlight priorities in Tulsa Press Club forum

Tulsa World: Two Republican candidates for state superintendent make their case

Tulsa Flyer: State superintendent candidates debate how to improve Oklahoma education rankings, teacher wages

Fact checks on what the candidates are saying

Thanks to The Frontier for doing some fact checks on certain statements and claims made during recent debates and forums put on by NonDoc.

Oklahoma’s Republican governor debate became a show of personal attacks, so this is how the claims came out:

“Mostly True” statements: 2

“True but misleading”: 1

“Mixed”: 3

“Mostly false”: 3

Read the fact checks.

Watch it

Read about it: GOP gubernatorial candidates talk tribes, schools, health care and corruption in debate

During the Democrat debate between two candidates, including one from Tulsa, running to lead Oklahoma’s public education system, here is how they came out:

“Mostly True” statements: 2

“True”: 1

“Mixed”: 1

Read the fact checks.

Watch it

Read about it: McVay, Marshall discuss literacy, local control, counselors and calendars

Here’s how the Oklahoma Republican state superintendent debate turned out:

“Mostly True” statements: 3

“True”: 1

“True but misleading”: 1

“Mixed”: 1

“False”: 1

Read the fact checks.

Watch it

Read about it: In crowded field, GOP superintendent debate highlights candidates, contrasts

Quotable quotes

“Signs a middle school girl likes you.”

– A phrase searched for on a personal gaming computer seized by police from the home of a former middle school teacher at Tulsa Honor Academy Charter School. Tulsa World Staff Writer Curtis Killman reported that 32-year-old Zachary Christian Speegle faces federal charges connected to the same computer having 8,258 files containing child sex abuse material.

“You don’t need to keep asking Code Puppy the exact same question again.”

– Walmart’s Global Chief Technology Officer Suresh Kumar in an announcement about restricting how much Walmart employees can use its AI-powered tool called Code Puppy. Oklahoma’s largest private employer placed usage limits after allowing unlimited use.

“Any entity — public or private — that thinks they are beyond the reach of a fraudster, you’re delusional. This is a wakeup call for all public and private officials to be on guard.”

– Attorney General Gentner Drummond during a press conference about a former Tulsa Public Schools administrator and two contractors charged with defrauding and embezzling nearly $780,000 from voter-approved bond funds at Tulsa Public Schools.

How about some good news

There’s teaching. And then there’s lesson planning that dictates what you wear to class as the teacher. Fun video by Kelly Kerr about Crystal Emerson, an adjunct instructor teaching design and merchandising at Oklahoma State University.

Notable numbers

90%

– The increase since the mid-1990s of Americans visiting Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. Check out this unlocked New York Times story on what caused this city to be the target of so many people’s vacations.

More than 3 million in 5 years

– How much the population of Japan has gone down, the biggest decrease since the government began counting in 1920. For each new birth, there are two deaths.

13

– The number of jobs for humans created by the software company Box because of artificial intelligence. Job titles include senior director of A.I., A.I. architect, A.I. solutions manager and A.I. platform leader.

10

– The number of terms served by Gov. Bill Anoatubby, who has led the Chickasaw Nation for nearly 40 years. Five of those he went unopposed. The tribe owns more than 100 companies, including a bank, and has assets worth a reported $8 billion. Read the Tulsa World’s Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton story and NonDoc’s Derrick James’ story.

Why I write by Meredith Poling

“Are you an author?”

“No,” I said, startled by her certainty.

“Are you sure? You really look like an author.”

I had spent the past three hours politely exchanging glances with the woman across from me. We were both getting chemo treatments, and she finally broke the ice asking a question she was convinced she already knew the answer to. I had to tell her three times that I was definitely not an author.

Since then I have felt compelled, even called, to write. And that compulsion keeps pushing me toward the one topic I’ve tried to run from: faith.

A graduate of a deeply conservative Bible college, I’ve traveled the road from true believer to fervent doubter. I’ve found myself on the other side with both parts intact. An agnostic believer in a God who is both profoundly good and profoundly incomprehensible.

I don’t write for answers; I’ve given up on the quest for finding certainty about God. I write to understand the unanswerable questions. I’ll never write an essay attempting to explain exactly how consciousness began or precisely what happens to us when we die. Because I don’t know and don’t expect to ever know in this lifetime. I write to try to wrap my mind around the fact that we are here. What a perplexing mystery. We are here. Now. Whoa.

Whether I’m writing in my journal, experimenting with fiction, or sharing essays on Substack, playing with words to attempt to describe this experience of being human is, for me, a spiritual practice. I grew up in a tradition that restricted the voices of women. We didn’t have to be silent, but we were expected to be quiet. Writing allows me to not only reclaim my voice, but to also reclaim the notion that sharing words to describe an encounter with something larger than us is a form of human expression that has been both deeply personal and beautifully communal for millennia.

I write because I believe, in some mystical way, that individual people can and do connect with the spirit of God. I don’t believe language will ever fully capture these experiences, but our attempts allow us to share this beautiful part of being human.

Writing has allowed me to see that the mystery itself is beautiful. That certainty is antithetical to mystery, and that finding new ways to say “I don’t know” feels like the truest expression of my faith.

Meredith Poling is a writer and consultant based in Tulsa. She writes about faith, doubt, and the stories we carry at meredithpoling.substack.com.

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com.

Thank you for continuing to spread the word in this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. “A lot of people are busy running their business, but they don’t have time to grow it. They know where they want to go, but they don’t know how to get there. Or they’re struggling to communicate clearly in a world that’s constantly changing. That’s where I come in. I help them step back, clarify their strategy and then connect that to the story they’re telling and the impact they want to create.” That’s from my conversation with Nancy Moore during her Sharing Passion and Purpose Podcast. She also edited our chat into a story in this month’s issue of TulsaKids Magazine, now edited by Natalie Mikles who I used to work with at the Tulsa World.

Read the story.

Listen to the podcast.

Watch it

6 governors taking questions from 2 journalists in Tulsa on Tuesday night: Republican gubernatorial candidates Gentner Drummond, Leisa Mitchell Haynes, Chip Keating, Charles A. McCall and Jake Merrick, and Democrat Cyndi Munson will face questions from Oklahoma Watch’s Paul Monies and the Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel in a forum sponsored by the Tulsa Press Club, The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement and Oklahoma Watch.

On Thursday in another forum, Republican superintendent candidates Robert Franklin and Adam Pugh will answer questions from Oklahoma Watch’s Andrea Eger and the Tulsa Flyer’s Ginnie Graham. Learn more.

Catch up or watch last week’s NonDoc debate

NonDoc’s Tristan Loveless with this report from a debate in Lawton with four of the GOP candidates.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei’s campaign paid $75,000 to companies owned by close associates of President Donald Trump in the months leading to Trump’s endorsement of Mazzei last week, state Ethics Commission records show in this story by the Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel.

Here are links to all the election guides from local news sources in one place to get ready for the June 16 primary election:

Oklahoma Voice: The staff offers two guides, one that is office specific and the other with story coverage.

KOSU: All of their coverage in one place.

The Oklahoman: Links to coverage and answers to FAQs.

Tulsa World: Reporters Randy Krehbiel, Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton and Steve Metzer offer insights on each candidate.

Tulsa Flyer: Coverage from multiple sources plus the form to get an absentee ballot.

NonDoc: The most in-depth of any news source so far with stories.

Notable numbers

1,443

The number of homeless individuals in Tulsa County, according to the annual Point in Time count. It’s the first time in a decade the area’s homeless count has held steady year over year, according to a story by the Tulsa World’s Kevin Canfield and Esther Hodson.

814

The number of gun deaths reported in Oklahoma in 2023, the latest year available. It’s a 27% increase from 2014. Most of those were self-inflicted.

40%

The drop in reading for pleasure from 2003 to 2023, according to a study in iScience, a research journal. A National Assessment of Educational Progress report says 13-year-olds reading for fun almost every day is down to the lowest level since tracking began in 1984.

Quotable quotes

“I applaud Mayor Monroe Nichols, who inherited the crime scene that was the site of the most emergency 911 calls in the entire city (1400 emergency 911 calls over 3 years).”

– Downtown Tulsa business owner Stuart Price about the plan to possibly sell the current site and relocate Tulsa’s downtown bus station. Tulsa World reporter Kevin Canfield and photographer Esther Hobson with the story, which also mentions the infamous boulders on the sidewalk are also being removed.

“I rationalized placing those bets as a way to feel more connected to the team, to root for my friends, and to feel like I had a real ‘stake’ in the games that I otherwise was not involved in.”

– Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby in the affidavit connected to his case against the NCAA to be reinstated after he said he bet on Indiana, a team he was on at the time.

“We can pass laws, mandate screeners, and retain students, but if teachers are not deeply trained in how reading develops, how to teach phonological awareness, how to diagnose reading difficulties, and how to intervene effectively, the legislation will not produce the results people are hoping for.”

– Mandy Shimp, the Title I reading specialist for third and fourth grade at Jenks East Elementary School, in an Oklahoma Watch story by Andrea Eger about the efforts to make a dramatic turnaround in student literacy rates to rival the so-called Mississippi Miracle.

“TPS should pursue school closures or consolidations as part of its budget solution.”

– An internal central office staffing report written by Baker Tilly, the third-party firm Tulsa Public Schools hired in July for a staffing analysis. The Tulsa Flyer obtained the document through a records request. Anna Colletto has the story.

“I know the tallest woman and the shortest man. I know the fingernail people, so nothing is strange to me.”

– Michael Empric, one of 69 Guinness Book of World Records adjudicators worldwide, to the Tulsa Flyer’s Ginnie Graham. He awarded Tulsa the world record for longest classic car parade during the Route 66 Capital Cruise in Tulsa.

“ … Happiness isn’t about getting rid of your negative emotions. That’s toxic positivity. Happiness, according to social scientists, has a second component, which is this idea of being happy with your life. You have a sense of meaning. You have a sense of purpose. It feels good to be you because of how you think it’s going. This is the cognitive part of happiness.”

– Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist and professor whose class on happiness is the most popular in Yale’s history.

“We have our coaches eat with different members of our roster twice a week. That way, our defensive line coaches are sitting down with running backs, and our offensive line coaches eat with the defensive backs. People who really aren’t spending a lot of time together have breakfast together.”

– Oklahoma State University new football coach Eric Morris on his “The Breakfast Club,” which he started this offseason to help a roster of mostly strangers get to know each other, in a story in State Magazine.

Why I curate small delights by Dee Harris

Welcome to my office. I work remotely and on virtual calls, people sometimes mention the books in my background. Fiction. Children’s literature. Vintage. Current curiosities. They don’t usually ask about what’s tucked between the books, on full display, or quietly living in the corners. They don’t know I call these my small delights. I invite you to look closer.

A stuffed Corgi in a unicorn costume, a real Corgi, or both? A top hat perched at the top of a wooden bookcase waiting for the right meeting, or the right magician? A Jiminy Cricket figure, or the small persistent voice that says you can become more than what others see? One piece of tile from a Portugal mosaic. A small piece of the full picture.

My mother’s bugle lives here too. My father bought it so she could call her children home from wherever we’d wandered. For me, it was summer evenings from the edges of the neighborhood creek. She would play Reveille and I’d come running. She’s almost 99 now and still plays it from time to time. Pure joy.

And then there is Snoopy. On shelves. On my desk. In LIFE magazine. Here is a beagle who lives in his own imagination and never apologizes for it. Who notices the changing seasons, a friend’s sadness, the first snow. Who finds joy in ordinary things and never stops playing, even when the world gets serious. Especially when the world gets serious. And my latest addition? The Banksy-style painting dear colleagues gave me when I shifted into the next chapter of work. Bold white strokes, outside the lines. An artist playing.

From this office, I’m grateful my work takes me into rooms I could only have imagined a few years ago. Think tanks. Global spaces. International coalitions advocating that human creativity and knowledge remain accessible and that the people who make it have a say in how it is shared and reused.

But I also carry quieter work here. The kind that isn’t about what I do, but who I am. What allows a person to remain the author of their own creative life inside systems that quietly eliminate the conditions where curiosity and creativity grow? Creative sovereignty. It is harder to protect than it sounds not because the threat is dramatic, but because it arrives gradually, disguised as convenience. And I ask this question because I sometimes feel the slow drift in myself. Away from imagination. From wonder. From creative confidence.

My small delights call me back. They are my Reveille when the path gets foggy and I need to remember that imagination is not naive. That wonder is not weakness. That a Corgi carries fairies. That a beagle can be a World War I flying ace. This is why I curate small delights.

Tulsan Dee Harris is the director of open culture storytelling at Creative Commons, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping build and sustain a thriving commons of shared knowledge and culture.

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com.

Thank you for continuing to forward the email newsletter and sharing these stories in this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations with Oklahomans running in this year’s elections. The forums invite Republicans and Democrats to present their cases and answer questions from local journalists before the Primary Election.

A governor candidate forum is set for Tuesday, June 2. A forum with candidates running for state superintendent will be Thursday, June 4.

Republican gubernatorial candidates Gentner Drummond, Leisa Mitchell Haynes, Chip Keating, Charles A. McCall and Jake Merrick, and Democrat Cyndi Munson will face questions from Oklahoma Watch's Paul Monies and the Tulsa World's Randy Krehbiel.

Republican superintendent candidates Robert Franklin and Adam Pugh and Democrat Jennettie Marshall will answer questions from Oklahoma Watch's Andrea Eger and the Tulsa Flyer's Ginnie Graham on Thursday.

The events will be at the Lorton Performance Center on TU’s campus, 550 S. Gary Place. Candidates and their campaign staff will meet and greet constituents in the lobby of the center from 5 to 6 p.m. The candidates will then come on stage at the center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to answer questions from local reporters. Tulsa Press Club President Jason Collington will moderate.

This event is open to the public and does not require tickets but the seating is limited. Parking is available across from the center.

At TU, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that draws upon the power of education, community service, civic leadership and informing policy to create lasting impact and opportunity in Tulsa and beyond. The event is hosted by the Office of Civic Engagement’s director Melissa Abdo. Learn more about the office at utulsa.edu.

The Tulsa Press Club works to build an engaged community through the pursuit and support of ethical journalism. Learn more at tulsapressclub.org.

Oklahoma Watch produces investigative journalism as a public service for all Oklahomans. Learn more at oklahomawatch.org.

June 2: GOP and Democrat governor candidates

• University of Tulsa Lorton Performance Center

• 5-6 p.m.: Candidates will meet and greet participants in the lobby

• 6-7:30 p.m.: Candidates will be on stage taking questions from local journalists.

June 4: GOP and Democrat state superintendent candidates

• University of Tulsa Lorton Performance Center

• 5-6 p.m.: Candidates will meet and greet participants in the lobby

• 6-7:30 p.m.: Candidates will be on stage taking questions from local journalists.

Five candidates for governor are scheduled to be on stage Tuesday to take questions from local journalists. Join us at the University of Tulsa to hear their thoughts on the biggest issues facing our state.

Here are the details:

The University of Tulsa’s Office of Civic Engagement, the Tulsa Press Club and Oklahoma Watch present Candidate Conversations with Oklahomans running in this year’s elections. The forums invite Republicans and Democrats to present their cases and answer questions from local journalists before the Primary Election.

A governor candidate forum is set for Tuesday, June 2. A forum with candidates running for state superintendent will be Thursday, June 4.

The events will be at the Lorton Performance Center on TU’s campus, 550 S. Gary Place. Candidates and their campaign staff will meet and greet constituents in the lobby of the center from 5 to 6 p.m. The candidates will then come on stage at the center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to answer questions from local reporters. Tulsa Press Club President Jason Collington will moderate.

This event is open to the public and does not require tickets but the seating is limited. Parking is available across from the center.

At TU, civic engagement is an institution-wide commitment that draws upon the power of education, community service, civic leadership and informing policy to create lasting impact and opportunity in Tulsa and beyond. The event is hosted by the Office of Civic Engagement’s director Melissa Abdo. Learn more about the office at utulsa.edu.

The Tulsa Press Club works to build an engaged community through the pursuit and support of ethical journalism. Learn more at tulsapressclub.org.

Oklahoma Watch produces investigative journalism as a public service for all Oklahomans. Learn more at oklahomawatch.org.

Facebook event link.

If you or someone you love hasn’t seen a ballot in a while (since Oklahoma ranks last in the country in voter turnout), here is a cheat sheet with just a few weeks left to get informed.

Most of our local news sources have by now published their election guides online. They are now working to report on each person on the ballot. I attached what the ballots will look like for Republicans and Democrats, but you can get your own ballot – exactly what you will see in the voting booth – by putting your name and birthdate into the Oklahoma Voter Portal. It will also remind you where you will vote (those locations always have a tendency to change).

Here are links to all the election guides from local news sources in one place:

Oklahoma Voice: The staff offers two guides, one that is office specific and the other with story coverage.

KOSU: All of their coverage in one place.

The Oklahoman: Links to coverage and answers to FAQs.

Tulsa World: Reporters Randy Krehbiel, Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton and Steve Metzer offer insights on each candidate.

Tulsa Flyer: Coverage from multiple sources plus the form to get an absentee ballot.

NonDoc: The most in-depth of any news source so far with stories.

If you want to see these candidates in action, go to these events

NonDoc is hosting a number of debates with candidates. Here are the details.

The Tulsa Press Club, University of Tulsa and Oklahoma Watch will have forums with candidates running for governor and state superintendent June 2 and June 4.

Speaking of elections, Tulsa World Reporter Kevin Canfield writes “The Tulsa County Election Board secretary said this week that the election board has approximately 1,100 poll workers but needs 200 more.”

To sign up, go to Tulsacounty.org and click “Find Election Information” and then “Poll Workers.”

Tulsa’s population grew by just 27 in a year. Its suburbs grew by 5,064.

The latest Census report that looks at the numbers comparing 2024 to 2025 shows that Tulsa isn’t following a trend common to other cities its size. Tulsa World Reporter Curtis Killman with the story. The town with the highest population growth? It’s the one with a new $100-million casino.

A school district in Kentucky has made Meta, TikTok, Snap and Google pay up

The tech companies have settled the first lawsuit of many brought by hundreds of school districts across the country. They want compensation for costs they say they incurred dealing with harms to children’s mental health from social media addiction.

How one CEO decided which employee to replace with AI

Matthew Prince says that he’s not found another example in U.S. business history of a public company growing at more than 30% that laid off more than 20% of its workforce. That’s what he did recently at Cloudflare, a global cloud network and cybersecurity platform that says it powers 42% of the Fortune 500. He explains in this Wall Street Journal op-ed which group he picked when it came to the builders, sellers and measurers in his business.

The ‘World’s Highest-Paid Athletes’ includes one Oklahoman and a former Oklahoman

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked 24th. Kevin Durant is only the eighth athlete to cross the $1 billion career earnings threshold while still active in his sport.

Some good news

Amanda Hundley, a pre-K and kindergarten multiage teacher at Broken Arrow Public Schools’ Aspen Creek Early Childhood Center, is the 2026 recipient of the Medal for Excellence in Elementary Teaching, given by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “Amanda brings out the best in her students and reminds everyone around her, parents and colleagues alike, why great teachers matter so deeply,” a parent of one of Hundley’s students said.

Notable numbers

44

The age of the median home in America, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. That’s a new record.

1

The number of states that have banned prediction markets, which allow users to place bets on future events. The Trump administration sued Minnesota right after the law was passed. “Prediction markets are designed to be addictive and prey especially on young people and low-income folks,” said Keith Ellison, the attorney general of Minnesota.

3rd

Where Oklahoma ranks nationally in the veteran suicide rate, the Tulsa Flyer’s Ginnie Graham reports.

5 of the top 8

The number of the fastest growing cities in America that are in Texas. Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin, is the fastest.

Add to your vocab list

Property guardianship: I’d never heard of it, but the idea is people pay a fee to live in an otherwise vacant building for less than market rate rent. It’s happening in London, where housing costs are high. This New York Times story talked to those living in vacant pubs, hotels, offices and police stations.

Quotable quote

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs.”

– Pope Leo XIV in an open letter of about 42,300 words to “all people of good will” about technology.

Crazy idea that you might like

A “vote to end meeting” button on Microsoft Teams that will end a meeting if more than 50% of the people on the call press it anonymously.

Why I focus on passion and purpose by Nancy Moore

I want women to believe in themselves and boldly chase what sets their souls on fire. I believe their passions are connected to their God-given gifts and talents that many times are buried or dismissed due to fear of failure. It’s never too late to pursue what you’re passionate about!

And purpose … women ponder their calling/purpose and worry that they’re going to miss it. The exciting news is that purpose can be found in the everyday moments of life: in serving others, building something meaningful, raising a family, starting a business, creating beauty, encouraging someone, or finally saying yes to the dream that won’t leave your heart.

My mission is to encourage women in creating lives that they are passionate about and identifying ways to seek purpose. Surround yourself with incredible women who are dreamers and doers and see how far you can grow!

Nancy Moore is an entrepreneur, host of the Sharing Passion and Purpose podcast and a community builder in Tulsa. Follow her on Instagram.

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com. I love this series so far. Thank you to those who have contributed.

This weekend: A ‘Guinness World Record’ in Tulsa?

The 100th anniversary of the opening of Route 66 is being celebrated along 11th Street this Saturday in an attempt to break the world record for largest classic car parade. Check out all the details.

You have seen Rhys Martin and Ken Busby all over media both local and nationally in their work to promote Route 66.

Martin was named Tulsan of the Year by Tulsa People Magazine in this great profile.

Busby, a 2026 inductee into the Tulsa Hall of Fame, goes in-depth on everything that’s happening related with Route 66 during this interview with the Sam Jones.

Recommendations: A couple favorites on the Mother Road

If you aren’t sure where to go after the parade drives through, here are a couple of our favorites:

• Mother Road Market: Tulsa’s iconic food hall.

• Big Baby Rolls & Donuts: If you give them a photo they will put it on a donut that tastes amazing. Also offers gluten-free menu (you’d never guess).

• Red Light Chicken: A local shop offering chicken fingers and rolls that make you laugh at the competition.

• Tacos Don Francisco: Best authentic street tacos in an old McDonald’s location.

• Forty Year Vintage: “All Things Cool From the 1950s thru the 1990s.”

• Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66: A gift shop celebrating the magic of the Mother Road but also offering so much to look at (and take a photo with) including Buck (below), Mack and Stella. The home base for Mary Beth Babcock, who has been featured in almost every Route 66 story on the planet (as she should be).

Thank you for continuing to forward the email newsletter and sharing these stories in this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. Last chance to sign up if you need some more time in your schedule. I have done all the homework and experimented on what might help you get some more time back. I am speaking during an LT Elevate event Thursday, May 28, called “Create a 13th month while saving time and maximizing effort.” When you save time, you create margin to think clearly, do deep work and achieve sanity. I’ve got 3 simple systems that make it clear how to reverse a clock counting down. Free for Leadership Tulsa members and just $35 for nonmembers. Register here.

“Your generation faces a temptation no generation before has ever faced. The temptation to perform for everyone and belong to no one. To be globally visible and locally invisible. To have thousands of followers and no one knows actually where you live. Resist this. Plant yourself somewhere. Put down roots with the full intention of growing there. Learn the actual names, not usernames, of the people around you. Volunteer. Coach the team. Build the thing your community needs, even if the internet will never see it.”

– Eric Church, the singer-songwriter during his commencement speech at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

What’s going to be different in schools after this Legislative session? Kids are going to be in school longer. And that’s going to cost some districts. Oklahoma Watch’s Jennifer Palmer with the details.

The Tulsa World’s Steve Metzer with what legislators labeled successes and setbacks as elected officials head back out to their districts in hopes to be re-elected.

Here is a recap on the big things that happened during the session from Oklahoma Voice from their team at the Capitol.

Were 90% of private school tax voucher recipients in Oklahoma already enrolled in private schools and less than 1% financially disadvantaged? Matthew Yim with the answer, reporting for Oklahoma Watch and Gigafact.

Major Tulsa Zoo attraction under construction is $15 million short: African Wilds, a $47.3 million exhibit under construction at the Tulsa Zoo, is facing a funding shortfall that could stop work on the project late this summer, city councilors were told last week, according to a story by Tulsa World Reporter Kevin Canfield and Staff Photographer Mike Simons.

Some good ideas worth duplicating

High school students take a class fixing up cars for single parents without transportation: Louisa County High School students in Virginia can take part in a trade program with Giving Words, a local nonprofit. So far, they’ve taken 60 donated cars and presented them to those deserving for free, according to this story on Today.

Free rent for hanging out with elderly residents: A nursing home in the Netherlands allows university students to live rent-free alongside the elderly residents, as part of a project aimed at warding off the negative effects of aging. The students are required to spend 30 hours per month acting as “good neighbors.” PBS NewsHour with the story.

Tulsa couple makes Wall Street Journal under this headline: What’s the secret to their 40-year marriage? Eight gut renovations. About $14 million later, they are on their ninth home, which they built from the ground up.

Quotable quotes

“The President has endorsed another candidate in CD1. It is not congruent with my assignments in life to actively campaign against a candidate endorsed by my Commander in Chief.”

– Lt. Col. Dan Rooney of Owasso in a statement released after he ended his campaign for the 1st Congressional District. President Donald Trump endorsed Jackson Lahmeyer, a businessman and pastor in Owasso. Rooney’s name will still be on the ballot for the June 16 election, writes Tulsa World Reporter Randy Krehbiel.

“When it comes to balance, sometimes it is OK to temporarily have an imbalanced life, especially in high school. Arguably, your high school years are the most important years of your life because that’s not only where you are changing the fastest, but they have the greatest impact and influence on your life.”

– Jayden Rosario, who graduated Union High School as co-salutatorian. He also earned an associate degree from Tulsa Community College through Union’s Earn a Degree, Graduate Early program. Tulsa World Reporter Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton’s profile also explains how he also fit in a yearlong internship with Williams Companies.

“People can still go into the Osage, walk out as millionaires and leave us with nothing. If I’m going to do any more work in this Indian business, it’s on that issue. I’m tired of getting ripped off.”

– Osage Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear about data center construction during the State of the Tribal Nations, hosted by the Tulsa Regional Chamber. KOSU’s Thomas Pablo reports other topics discussed included Medicaid and rebuilding the oil and gas energy industries in Indian Country.

“I wanted to tell the people that are on the school board, ‘Hey it does matter, kids are throwing up, kids are falling asleep in their class. You say Aramark has nutritional guidelines, but the stuff that we have is gray and sloppy.’”

– Maisy Archer, a fifth grader at Kendall-Whittier Elementary School, about the child nutrition contractor for Tulsa Public Schools. With support from Tulsa Changemakers, an afterschool program led by nonprofit Leadership Tulsa, the students collected complaints through surveys, interviews and focus groups. After hearing enough, the TPS board decided to end the agreement and take the work back in house, according to Tulsa Flyer’s Anna Colletto.

“... when we covered those things up, did we ever get a public, you know, outlash.”

– Daniel Rotelli, owner of the building at Third Street and Frankfort Avenue that had the murals of Leon Russell, Wayman Tisdale and Aretha Franklin. KWGS’s Angel Ford says they are being replaced with new murals after fading. Leon is coming back. Tulsa World Staff Photographer Mike Simons with the new look so far.

“Quantum Space is building satellites to meet the needs of the Space Force’s theory of competitive endurance.”

– Jim Bridenstine, former Oklahoma congressman and NASA administrator, in a statement about a new high-precision spacecraft parts manufacturing facility going in at the Tulsa International Airport, the Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel reports. He’s talking about the government’s military department, not the Steve Carrel Netflix series.

“Swiping primes people to make superficial, snap judgments. It really has turned dating into gaming.”

– Jenny Taitz, a clinical psychologist and author of “How to Be Single and Happy” in a New York Times story about Bumble killing off the swipe feature to shift toward matchmaking driven by artificial intelligence. Match and Bumble have lost more than $40 billion in market value since 2021.

Mark your calendars for June 16: That’s when you vote in a primary election

Here is a deep dive by NonDoc’s Matt Patterson into the arguments for and against raising the minimum wage, which is on the ballot for every Oklahoman.

NonDoc is hosting a number of debates with candidates. Here are the details.

The Tulsa Press Club, University of Tulsa and Oklahoma Watch will have forums with candidates running for governor and state superintendent June 2 and June 4.

When you are ready to cram for the election: The Oklahoma Voice’s election guide hits everything on the ballot.

Why I paint by Lauren Leigh Henson

I paint because I can’t not create. Whether it was a random craft I saw on Pinterest, repainting my front door on impulse, or constantly rearranging and reinventing spaces around me, I’ve always had the need to be making something.

Visual art is the first time all of those “random” creative instincts finally made sense. All of that energy has an outlet and a purpose now.

What I love most is that it goes beyond the visual. I’m just as drawn to the storytelling and world-building behind each series. Whether I’m researching a pop icon, building an entire fictional universe around my cowgirls, or writing fake member profiles for The Good Girl Liberation Association, the work becomes bigger than the canvas itself.

For me, painting is part visual art, part storytelling, part identity exploration. It’s how I make sense of parts of my world past and present.

As a bonus, it also means I’m not leaving a trail of half-finished random crafts around the house anymore, and my husband doesn’t have to grinch about craft supplies taking over every single surface.

Follow Lauren on Instagram.

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com.

Recommendations: Where to go analog and unplug

Keystone Ancient Forest: Serene and scenic.

The Boathouse at Gathering Place: Awesome views. Rocking chairs.

Soma Rooftop at Brut Hotel: Weeknight live music, great food, comfy seating.

Thank you for continuing to forward the email newsletter and sharing these stories in this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us.

All together now. jc

P.S. If you don’t have a “to-don’t” list, let me help you with that. I am speaking during an LT Elevate event on May 28 called “Create a 13th month while saving time and maximizing effort.” When you save time, you create margin to think clearly, do deep work and achieve sanity. You will learn 3 simple systems that make it clear how to reverse a clock counting down. Free for Leadership Tulsa members and just $35 for nonmembers. Register here.

Oklahoma Watch reporter Keaton Ross with a great overview and details on State Question 832. Like he reports, is it “a long-overdue raise for low-income workers struggling to make ends meet? Or a burdensome mandate on small businesses that will lead to reduced hours for workers and higher consumer prices?”

Reminder for Independents in Oklahoma: Tulsa Flyer reporter Ginnie Graham with the fact that independents can’t vote for elected offices in this primary election, but can vote on other things. She reports that more than 13,000 Oklahomans so far have changed their party affiliation to vote on the candidates.

Political attack ad season is among us: Super Political Action Committees flush with cash (with no limits, remember) are running attack ads on candidates in the Oklahoma gubernatorial and attorney general’s races as we are weeks away from the June 16 primary election. The Frontier’s staff of Brianna Bailey, Kayla Branch, Clifton Adcock, Ashlynd Baecht and Garrett Yalch researched the claims made in the ads and report:

• 2 are mostly false

• 2 are mixed

• 1 is true

Tulsa Police Detective Aubrey Williams is focused on catching child predators: She’s being named Officer of the Year during Rotary Club of Tulsa’s Above and Beyond Awards. She does the work with the help of K9 officer Ripley, a black Lab who has a nose for electronic storage detection, think those little memory cards that hold photos and video. Tulsa World breaking news editor Anna Codutti with their story and that of Firefighter of the Year Patrick “Frankie” Young.

Angel Spears lost her son to gun violence at Tulsa Juneteenth festival. She wants the city to do more in 2026: That’s the headline of an exclusive interview Oklahoma Eagle reporter Kimberly Marsh had with the mother of 22-year-old Isaiah Knight.

We are not alone and we can’t explain any of it (so far)

The president is pushing to open up files on possible alien activity that the government hasn’t made public in decades. The latest dump of files didn’t show off much but some light orbs zipping by Naval ships in videos and fighter pilots putting a target on something in photos. I believe I have seen clearer photos of Pluto. In some videos, it looks like an AirPod went rogue. This is just the first of several releases promised.

Here are all the videos set to music of an orchestra:

If you haven’t seen the recent “Age of Disclosure” documentary, I highly recommend it: Under oath in congressional hearings, you hear from those closest to these government programs. You can see the clear footage of something that defies physics. The drinking game is on the word “nonhuman.” Check out the trailer.

An Oklahoma UFO story disclosed: Tulsa World reporter Curtis Killman reports that the Pentagon’s release of records included an Oklahoma resident’s widely reported 1947 claim that may have been one of the first of its kind.

Quotable quotes

“I don’t know about you all, but please think back to who you picked in eighth, ninth, 10th grade, and I think many of you would be very disappointed to be saddled with that person for the rest of your life.”

– State Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa, during a discussion on the House floor on banning child marriage in Oklahoma. While the measure passed without a no vote in the Senate, Oklahoma Voice reporter Emma Murphy reports it had 36 no-votes in the House. The bill passed and is now in front of the governor to sign.

“We lost a lot of them, and Jane would come every year to that (city) council, and to that budget, and say, ‘You don’t tear it down. The kids in this community need this. And she was so fierce and so powerful that every year the council, we eked out some money, but enough money to keep this center open. And I think, now, because of Jane, we get to tear it down, but we’re gonna build. We’re gonna let you come and swing the first sledgehammer. … It’s the first new rec center that’s been built decades in Tulsa.”

– Tulsa Parks Director Anna America about Jane Malone, an octogenarian who has been advocating for improvements to Chamberlain Park for years. Tulsa World reporter Kevin Canfield and staff photographer Stephen Pingry with this story from the ground-breaking ceremony where $27 million in improvements was announced.

“You’ll see some media reports of farmers getting six-figure incomes from government checks. Well, I can assure you, it’s not like we get these checks and are like ‘OK, let’s go to Tahiti.”

– Brent Rendel, a third-generation family-farm owner from Miami, Oklahoma, about the check from the federal Farmer Bridge Assistance program, a one-time payment to help farmers recover from high input costs and global trade disruptions, including the trade war with China, during the 2025 crop year. Reporter Raynee Howell with this story in Oklahoma Watch on how farmers are continuously facing mounting financial pressures from trade disruptions with China, rising production costs, restrictive tariffs and instability from the Iran conflict.

“It’s like The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s getting scary.”

–Kari Rayl, a nutritionist and health practitioner who served as chair of Precinct 345 in the Cleveland County Republican Party. Reporter Ben Fenwick with Oklahoma Watch writes that a fast-growing faction that holds abortion is murder and that women who obtain one should face criminal prosecution is censuring resistant legislators, targeting moderate incumbents in primaries and placing its members in state Republican Party leadership. They’re called The Abolitionists.

“That’s the very contradiction at the heart of who we are as Americans. When those men looked out at their fields full of enslaved people and said we are all created equal, they were writing out of ‘we’ all the people that didn’t look like them.”

– Historian Heather Cox Richardson, talking on C-Span’s America Book Club, about the inherent contradictions of the Declaration of Independence as a document proclaiming liberty for ‘We the People,’ written by Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder. Richardson has millions of fans on her newsletter and podcast. Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

How about some good news

Philbrook has a new name and a pavilion worth visiting: The Tandy Pavilion and covered patio comes in at 8,000 square feet, with the Wildflower Cafe serving food and gardens and green space to enjoy, reports the Tulsa Flyer’s Tim Landes. Also, note the name change: It’s Philbrook Art and Gardens.

Finally, Tulsa International Airport is truly international: It’s impossible to miss the $42 million, 45,000-square-foot facility next to where you drop people off at the airport, designed by Tulsa’s Narrate Design. Inside you can hop on direct, international commercial flights to and from Tulsa for the first time in the airport’s almost seven-decade history. Flights with service to and from Cancun, Mexico, begin May 21. Tulsa World reporter Curtis Killman and staff photographer Mike Simons have the story on this game-changing project.

Notable numbers

48th out of 51: The 2026 Commonwealth Fund study of racial and ethnic health disparities places Oklahoma 48th out of 51 for health outcomes among white populations and 47th for health care quality. Read more about it from Tulsa World reporter Randy Krehbiel.

10: Number of people that Oklahoma has so far terminated Medicaid benefits for after the Trump Administration asked the state to double-check the immigration status of thousands of enrollees. The Frontier’s Ari Fife digs into it.

$25 to $95: How much some iPhone owners could receive in a proposed settlement. Apple seemed to have oversold its artificial intelligence system, Apple Intelligence. The proposed settlement still requires court approval, with a hearing on preliminary approval scheduled for June.

$22,000: How much you would have spent if you bought an iPhone each time a new version came out since it debuted.

$326,000: How much your portfolio would be worth if you spent the same amount on Apple stock each time you bought the new phones.

6th: Rank of Tulsa in a list of top 10 metros areas for 20-somethings with college degrees. Birmingham, Alabama, was first. Six of the 10 are in the South, according to rankings from the HR software company ADP.

Recommendations

The Helen: Great vibes. Friendly staff. The best hashbrowns. French toast was good. There feels like there’s a story behind it because there is.

When we ate there, Tarra Quinn was recording this video right next to us.

Weekend trip to Bentonville, Arkansas: It’s an easy drive. Have to go see The Compton, a hotel with a first floor that is all about comfort, style and community. The Momentary is very fun. Walk the trails around Crystal Bridges Museum. Table Mesa is a must. There’s sweet lime something on the chips.

Introducing a new series: “Why I”

As we expand what the Collington Index provides, I want to start with “Why I,” a chance for people to say in their own words why they do something. Could be interesting or important. Quirky or significant. Funny or wild.

This Saturday, you might see a lot of people rowing on the Arkansas River. The Tulsa Rowing Club is hosting its first-ever “Return to Rowing Day” that’s part of a nationwide initiative sponsored by USRowing to welcome former rowers back to the sport. The event is scheduled from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at the Tulsa Rowing Club boathouse, 715 W. 21st St., in the River West Festival Park (site of Oktoberfest).

I asked Barrett Waller, a friend who rows, to share why he does it.

Why I row: When I headed off to college years ago, I didn’t realize that the biggest part of my education would take place in a slimy and rat-infested 2,500-meter lagoon in downtown Chicago.

That’s where the Northwestern rowing team practiced, and after being recruited in the freshman class registration line I spent the next four years of college – and the rest of my life since then – realizing there’s nothing quite as wonderful as being out in a boat.

Rowing is one of those sports that grabs you and doesn’t let go on many levels. There’s the mystique of rowing, a sport that was once only viewed as something for the Olympics or for elite Eastern schools but that’s now popular in cities across the country.

It’s certainly appealing for exercise. We’ve all climbed on a rowing machine in the gym, even though that’s just a faint shadow of the real joy of gliding through the water in a shell.

But there’s also the friendships it creates – and maintains – through your whole life. I’ve rowed with the same people at the Tulsa Rowing Club for decades on the Arkansas River, living for those days when the wind is calm and we can hurry down to the boathouse and launch with the downtown Tulsa skyline as our backdrop.

In the end, rowing is good for my soul. My college rowing buddies have all stayed in each other’s lives through our connection, constant through weddings, kids, health scares, divorces and other major life changes.

My college friend Larry and I even talked about rowing a pair (a 2-person shell) “someday.” When he retired as an engineer a few years ago, he called me up and said, “So, are we gonna do this?” And since rowing grabs you and doesn’t let go, we of course found a used pair and keep it here at the Tulsa Rowing Club boathouse, getting out on the water again every few months when he travels here from Denver. To continue what we started 40 years ago.

I row because being in a boat has set the rhythm of my life.

If you want to give me the why behind something you do, email me at jc@jasoncollington.com.

I appreciate the continued support with this movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There is no cavalry. It’s up to us. Forward this to those in your circles who you think would enjoy it.

All together now. jc

P.S. If you don’t have a “to-don’t” list, let me help you with that. I am speaking during an LT Elevate event on May 28 called “Create a 13th month while saving time and maximizing effort.” When you save time, you create margin to think clearly, do deep work and achieve sanity. You will learn 3 simple systems that make it clear how to reverse a clock counting down. Free for Leadership Tulsa members and just $35 for nonmembers. Register here.

The Collington Index offers a free weekly news summary that explains quickly what’s important and interesting, shared in weekly wraps, lists, conversations and cheat sheets. A movement toward truth and understanding in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Subscribe to the free email newsletter.