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What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is Monday, August 18, and I’m headed to Chicago for the week.

Many of you know about my business, Doable Digital Media. One of the roles I’ve taken on to support me in growing that business is as a part-time digital content coordinator for Local Media Association — and they’re having their big get-together in Chicago called LMA Fest.

Before I did work for LMA, I was a member in my time at Griffin Media as the director of digital content for News 9 and News On 6. LMA’s mission, to help newsrooms achieve sustainability, is important to me both professionally and personally.

So, it’s an honor to be able to assist them with whatever is needed.

And, heck, if it doesn’t rain, there will be a Cubs game in my future on Tuesday night.

However, I mention all this to say that the newsletter might be a bit abbreviated on Wednesday morning, and perhaps Thursday. This is the same situation as I had when we went to Europe this summer, and somehow it all worked out.

I’ll include photos from the trip, both here and on our socials: Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

But before we get to the meat of the newsletter, I wanted to tell you about a newsletter I get in my email every Sunday. It’s from Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell. He calls it “Pinnell Sunday Notes,” and there are always one or two headlines that catch my attention.

Well, this one caught my attention: “Oklahoma Ranks #1 for Lowest Cost of Doing Business.”

That’s awesome! And it is.

But then I saw the full list and all the categories. Here’s where Oklahoma ranks in every other category besides “cost of doing business.”

• Economy - 32nd
• Infrastructure - 34th
• Workforce - 42nd
• Business friendliness - 20th
• Quality of life - 42nd
• Technology and innovation - 42nd

Sigh. Oklahoma ranks 37th overall in America’s Top States for Business.

Also in the Top 10 for lowest cost of doing business? Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky. I’m not sure that Oklahoma topping this list is the great thing we think it is unless we’re assuming “low cost of doing business” is the only thing important to companies.

And it’s not.

But ever the optimist I am, with Google’s big $9B announcement last week, one would have to think workforce and technology and innovation will be on the rise. In turn, wouldn’t that bolster the economy through taxes raised to improve infrastructure?

The quality of life thing? Here’s how CNBC is measuring it:

With workers in short supply, companies are seeking to locate in states that can attract a broad array of talent. That makes quality of life an economic imperative. We rate the states on livability factors like per capita crime rates, environmental quality, and health care. With studies showing that childcare is one of the main obstacles to employees entering the workforce, we consider the availability and affordability of qualified facilities. We look at worker protections including livable wage policies, paid leave, and rights to organize. We look at inclusiveness in state laws, including protections against discrimination of all kinds, as well as voting rights and secure election systems. And with surveys showing a sizeable percentage of younger workers would not live in a state that bans abortion, we factor reproductive rights in this category as well.

By even the loosest interpretation, CNBC’s criteria for this category are heavily politically biased. I get it, but there’s no denying the bias in the language.

None of this is a dig at the lieutenant governor. I really do enjoy his newsletter. It’s brief and useful, and he’s hitting on stories I often haven’t seen. (You can sign up for it here.)

But that story got me stoked, and then let me down all in one read. To quote Dickens, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”

Yet it doesn’t mean that Oklahoma isn’t on the right track in many ways. The Google news is a very positive sign for Oklahoma. This CNBC piece is a great reminder that when consuming the news, it pays for all of us to look beyond the headline.

And besides, if you ask me, businesses that don’t consider Oklahoma are sleeping on the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas, especially, to their own detriment.

The more I think about it, maybe that “cost of doing business” metric is the thing we need most to get ‘em in the door.

You can message me anytime at [email protected].

Weather Update ☀️

It will be a hot, steamy start to the week — but relief is on the way. Rain chances midweek with temps to end the week in the 80s.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 95°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 94°

Mullin’s late disclosures show millions more in stock and bond sales

By Dave Levinthal, Oklahoma Watch
Click here to read the story.
Donate to Oklahoma Watch.

For the second time in two weeks, Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin has disclosed trades showing that he violated a federal conflicts of interest and financial transparency law.

A NOTUS analysis of a financial document Mullin filed Tuesday with the U.S. Senate revealed the Oklahoma lawmaker was months late disclosing nearly three dozen stock and bond transactions by him and his wife.

Taken together, the transactions — mostly sales — are worth between $1.4 million and $3.5 million. Lawmakers are only required to disclose the value of their trades in broad ranges.

The late disclosures follow an earlier slate of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of tardy stock and municipal security filings — some up to two-and-a-half years past a 45-day deadline enshrined in the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act — that Oklahoma Watch reported Aug. 5.

As it did last month, Mullin’s office declined to answer specific questions about the late filings and emailed Oklahoma Watch the same statement about the senator’s finances.

“Much like tax returns, financial disclosures occasionally need to be amended to reflect the most accurate, up-to-date information,” said a Mullin spokesperson. “That’s what we did here.”

Mullin uses an independent, third-party operator firm that manages all stock portfolio investments on his behalf. He does not conduct nor inform trades. The independent firm reports bi-weekly to Senate Ethics to ensure compliance with federal law, the spokesperson added.

Dozens of other federal lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans alike — have violated the STOCK Act’s disclosure provisions in recent years. The latest example — Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar — told NOTUS that he is in the process of selling off his individual stocks.

Federal lawmakers have introduced several bills this year that would ban, or otherwise restrict, members of Congress and their immediate family from trading individual stocks.

Click here to finish the story.

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Monthly contracts available, and I can be super flexible to make the partnership meet your business needs.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

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

• Oklahoma County Sheriff delivers Walters investigation to DA (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• 2 dead, 2 injured in Fairview, Oklahoma shooting; OSBI investigating (The Oklahoman)

• New Oklahoma County Jail funding package could go before voters in April (NonDoc)

• Some Oklahoma towns still ticket tribal citizens, in violation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling (The Frontier)

• Oklahoma lesser prairie chicken loses endangered species act protections after Texas court order (Oklahoma Voice)

• Uber failures puts Oklahoma cancer patient at risk of missing treatment (KFOR)

• Proposal to replace Oklahoma state tests faces mixed response, rocky future (Oklahoma Voice)

• How revenue sharing could transform college sports in Oklahoma (The Oklahoman)

• TPD: 2 shot, one fatally, following 'dispute' near 36th and Yale in Midtown (Tulsa World)

• Is Mass safe? ICE raids have undocumented Hispanic Catholics on edge, OKC priests say (The Oklahoman)

• Several different departments search for missing woman in Johnston County (KXII)

• OHP seeking driver in hit-and-run that caused serious crash; Guthrie family faces long recovery (Guthrie News Page)

• Man wanted out of South Dakota arrested in Piedmont for 12 counts of child porn (KFOR)

• Pilot identified from Thursday’s fatal plane crash (The Lawton Constitution)

• Water damage at church jeopardizing future of food pantry in Beggs (KTUL)

• National poll shows fewer Americans drink alcohol than ever before. Here's how one Jenks bar is responding (News On 6)

• After helping his interpreter escape the Taliban, a marine works to keep him safe (Gaylord News)

• How Tulsa Premium Outlets has been a boon for Jenks a year later (Tulsa World)

• Former Bixby And OU standout Cade Cavalli picks up 1st career MLB win (News On 6)

• Local nonprofit, church partner to tackle food insecurity (Muskogee Phoenix)

• Tulsa native Caleb Gayle brings story of ‘Black Moses’ home to Oklahoma (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• Circle Cinema holds commemmoration for V-J Day, highlighting two Sapulpans (Sapulpa Times)

• Oklahoma Ethics Commission provides Guardian 2.0 update (The Journal-Record)

• Oklahoma leaders weigh in on beef labeling, Putin summit, OSSAA rules, and campaign security (News On 6)

• One dead after struck by train in Johnston County (KTEN)

• Commercial construction up in July; Numbers up from a year ago (Ardmoreite)

• MPS to host ‘Outlaw Strong, Online Smart’ education event with U.S. Secret Service cybersecurity expert (The Duncan Banner)

• ‘Season of the Warrior Tour’ to make local stops (The Seminole Producer)

• Oklahoma home equity jumps 431% since 2020 (The Journal-Record)

• The Frontier wins a national Edward R. Murrow Award (The Frontier)

Oklahoma Memo’s Mission, Social Media & Feedback

The ‘Oklahoma Memo’ mission is simple: Reignite the daily news habit by connecting Oklahomans and those who love Oklahoma to quality sources of news and vetted information.

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Today’s photo by Braden Jarvis on Unsplash