Friday, April 10, 2026 • Low 80s, and a chance of storms late. ⛈️

🚨 Here’s a look at the Day 1 storm outlook from the National Weather Service.

Editor’s Note: I’ll be away from the newsroom until next Wednesday. Until then, the newsletters will be fairly light — but I promise pics and stories! Thank you for your patience. ❤️ You can always message me at [email protected].

Also, I forgot to mention on Thursday that April 9 was the inaugural Local News Day. It’s a day dedicated to redirecting us back to our local news sources: the newspapers, local TV news stations, and nonprofit newsrooms that have been the backbone of our communities for decades. As you read this newsletter, I encourage you to support newsrooms online, consider a newspaper subscription, and make room for a nightly local newscast. Our communities thrive when local news thrives.

By Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch
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Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt voted to award a lucrative investment advisory contract to a firm owned by his former chief of staff and one-time business partner — a company that will help steer more than $2 billion in state pension, endowment and sovereign wealth fund money.

As chairman of the newly created Invest in Oklahoma board, Stitt cast his vote Feb. 17 in favor of 311 Capital Management LLC, a firm launched by Bond Payne. Payne served as Stitt’s chief of staff from 2020 to 2022 and previously partnered with the governor on a major downtown Oklahoma City real estate project.

Stitt and State Treasurer Todd Russ both said the selection followed a competitive bidding process. Yet board discussions made no mention of Payne’s ties to the governor, and the contract positions Payne’s firm to earn fees from any successful in-state investments it brings before the board.

👉 Click here to read the rest of the story.

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Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.

A hand-curated list of the best journalism from across the state:

• A ‘super’ El Niño may be on the way. Here’s how it will impact summer weather (KFOR)

• Oklahoma House sends $12.82 billion budget to governor’s desk (Oklahoma Voice)

• Police: Student arrested after threatening to commit act of violence at Del City Middle School (KOCO)

• Pauls Valley High School principal released from hospital 2 days after being shot by former student (KOCO)

• Oklahoma lawmakers propose $50 million for school security after shooting (2 News Oklahoma)

• Blackwell police investigating shooting at baseball field (Kay News Cow)

• 'Like a gym membership': An Oklahoma provider explains a growing primary care model (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Senate passes ballot measure to overhaul Oklahoma judicial selection, but rejects Aug. 25 election (Oklahoma Voice)

• $275 million Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit expansion bill advances from House (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma lawmakers advance bill to create a state nuclear energy office (StateImpact Oklahoma)

• Weatherford Police Department faces civil rights lawsuit over arrest (KFOR)

• City Lights Village nears completion of project to house unsheltered people in Tulsa (Tulsa World)*

• Oklahoma County Jail inmate dies just hours after being booked (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• UFL will expand pro football to Oklahoma City in 2028 (KOSU)

A daily briefing connecting Oklahomans to the state’s best journalism — and original content from Oklahoma Memo. Got a news tip? Somebody I need to interview? Message me at [email protected].

Want more in-depth analysis, commentary on Oklahoma news? Join me on Substack.