Good morning! It’s Valentine’s Day ❤️, which means you still have time to run to Walgreens and pick up a card and some candy.

Not that I did that while my wife was at Galentine’s dinner last night… 😂

Let’s do the news…

The biggest stories across Oklahoma:

• You think this week’s weather was cold? Wait until next week.

• AG Gentner Drummond issues a statement urging new BOE members to “exercise independent judgment.”

• U.S. Sen. James Lankford issues a “Playbook for DOGE.”

Plus, our Friday feature: ‘Fun Things To Do This Weekend!’

Enjoy this newsletter? It’s free.

Our only ask is that you subscribe to our morning email.

Oklahoma Weather: Slight Warm Up This Weekend; Dangerous Cold Next Week

Oklahoma, we survived that winter storm earlier this week. Our reward is a warmer weekend, but notice that I didn’t say “warm.” It’s all relative—and next week is looking downright frigid with another chance of snow.

And now for your weekend temps:

🌡️ Highs in OKC 50°, 50°, 37°
🌡️ Highs in Tulsa 50°, 55°, 35°

As for next week’s meteorological festivities, I’ll leave you with this from KFOR Chief Meteorologist Mike Morgan:

1️⃣ Attorney General Urges New Board Members To Act Independently Of Stitt, Walters

Oklahoma Attorney General and 2026 gubernatorial candidate Gentner Drummond issued a statement on Thursday, urging three new members of the state Board of education “to exercise judgment independent from the governor and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters.”

Gov. Stitt earlier this week ousted three members of the state board, aiming to shake things up. The governor did so with concerns about Walters’ quest to track the citizenship of Oklahoma students and families. Stitt had also grown tired of the “political drama” surrounding Walters, wanting him instead to focus on education.

That prompted Walters to proclaim Stitt part of the “Swamp,” and then Drummond chimed in from his X account to chide the governor, too.

After Drummond issued his statement urging board independence on Thursday afternoon, however, Walters attacked him on X:

2️⃣ Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford releases 'Playbook for DOGE'

U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) released a document on Thursday spelling out what he perceives to be wasteful spending by the federal government. Released annually since 2015, Lankford calls the document a "Federal Fumbles" report.

But in the first year of the second term of the Trump presidency, it's been given a special nickname—a "Playbook for DOGE."

KOSU’s Graycen Wheeler has the story as well as a link to the report.

3️⃣ Listen Frontier: ‘We can’t afford it:’ Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt wants to cut the state’s income tax

Gov. Stitt has long said that Oklahoma’s income tax rate needs to come down. However, others say reducing the state’s revenue is a recipe to take the state back to the deficit days of Gov. Mary Fallin’s administration.

In this episode of Listen Frontier, Dylan Goforth talks to Aanahita Ervin, a fiscal policy analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. She says Oklahoma can’t even afford a small income tax cut. Instead, Ervin says, the state needs to modernize its tax system through tax credits.

Click here for the article.

Click here to listen to the podcast episode on Spotify.

Oklahoma Headlines

• Bill banning cell phones in class first to pass state House (KOCO)

• Feds agree to Drummond’s request to transfer death row inmate to Oklahoma for execution (KOCO)

• International flights from Tulsa: The new project that could make it happen (News On 6)

• Tulsa mayor’s restructuring could help animal investigations (2 News Oklahoma)

• Property owner says ‘it’s a land grab in the middle of midtown Tulsa’ (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma panel advances 3 sports betting bills amid concerns about tribal exclusivity rights (Oklahoma Voice)

• Sports betting: 3 Oklahoma bills that could make it happen (News 9)

• Rural administrators flock to ECU in Ada for its new rural education doctoral program (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Cherokee Nation hosts Black History Month celebration in Tulsa (Cherokee Phoenix)

• Guthrie firefighters honored for heroic rescue in January blaze (Guthrie News Page)

🌟 Fun Things To Do In OKC This Weekend 🌟

🎶 The Love Boat Sails Again! (Yacht Rock Concert)

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 7 PM
📍 Tower Theatre
🎟️ Tickets & Info
✨ Set sail on a musical journey with OKC’s favorite yacht rock band, Soft Hands, playing smooth hits from the ‘70s and ‘80s.

🎨 LOVE! on the Plaza

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | Evening
📍 Plaza District
🎟️ More Info
✨ The Plaza District’s monthly art walk goes full Valentine’s mode with live entertainment, art, shopping, and great food.

🍷 Valentine's Day Date Night: Love Cherry Blossoms (Painting & Wine)

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 7 PM - 9 PM
📍 Painting with a Twist, The Village
🎟️ Book Here
✨ Sip wine and paint a romantic cherry blossom-themed masterpiece—perfect for couples or friends!

🖼️ Grand Gents: The Art of Romance (Live Jazz & Spoken Word)

📅 Saturday, Feb. 15 | 8 PM - 11:30 PM
📍 Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
🎟️ Details Here
✨ Celebrate Black love, culture, and history through live jazz, R&B, spoken word, and an art gallery experience.

🥂 Valentine's Day Celebration at BURN (Luxury Lounge & Cocktails)

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | Night
📍 BURN by Rocky Patel
🎟️ Event Info
✨ Enjoy a swanky night out with top-shelf drinks, a high-end atmosphere, and Valentine's vibes.

🌹 Fun Things To Do In Tulsa This Weekend 🌹

🎸 Josh Weathers Valentine's Day Concert

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 8 PM
📍 Mercury Lounge
🎟️ Get Tickets
✨ Spend the evening with the soulful sounds of Josh Weathers in an intimate live show.

🎶 Kansas LIVE at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | Evening
📍 Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa
🎟️ More Info
✨ Legendary rock band Kansas brings their hits to Tulsa for a one-night Valentine’s Day show.

🍽️ Valentine's Day Dinner at Bourbon St. Café (Live Music & Fine Dining)

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 6 PM
📍 Bourbon St. Café
🎟️ Reservations
✨ A three-course meal, live jazz, champagne, and a rose on your table? Yes, please!

🎉 Valentine's Day Glow Party

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 8 PM
📍 DVL (Downtown Tulsa)
🎟️ Event Info
✨ Get ready to dance the night away at this neon-themed party with live DJs and glowing decor.

💖 FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS 💖

🎈 Valentine's Day Parents’ Night Out (For the Kids!)

📅 Friday, Feb. 14 | 6 PM - 10 PM
📍 Various OKC Community Centers
🎟️ More Info
✨ Drop the kids off for a night of fun activities while you enjoy a Valentine's night out!

👀 Businesses: Activate Like A Newsroom!

Imagine what your public relations and communications efforts could be if your teams truly activated like a newsroom.

• Going direct-to-audience with your messages

• Owning the narrative

• Capturing attention faster

It’s what I do in my new post-newsroom life: work with businesses, brands and entrepreneurs to show them how to ‘activate like a newsroom’ to level up the attention they need to succeed at scale!

Visit my website at doabledigitalmedia.com, or message me anytime at [email protected].

📬 Subscribe Now:

If you’re not subscribed to Oklahoma Memo, now’s the time to “get the Memo!”

Wake up to a round-up of the top news from all across Oklahoma, all in one spot.

If you wouldn’t mind doing so—tell a friend about the ‘Oklahoma Memo!’

🗣️ Story Tips, Ideas, Feedback

My inbox is always open. If you have a link I should add to the newsletter, a story that isn’t getting enough attention, a press release, a press event you’d like to invite me to—or you just want to offer some good old-fashioned feedback, I’m available to you.

My mission is to amplify quality journalism, rekindling the daily news habit!

Best way to reach me is via email at [email protected].