Thursday, June 4, 2026 • Slight chance of storm. Highs in the mid-to-upper 80s. ⛈️

NonDoc and Griffin Media partnered again last night with another debate — this time, Democrats running for State Superintendent.

👉 Watch the entire debate on News9.com.

**

We received 10 votes on the Wednesday poll, “This one is for our hockey fans. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals went to the Las Vegas Golden Knights, 5-4, over the Carolina Hurricanes. Are you #TeamLasVegas or #TeamCarolina?”

• 6 went with the Carolina Hurricanes
• 4 went with the Las Vegas Golden Knights

Game 2 is at 7 p.m. on ABC from Raleigh, North Carolina.

New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)

By Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch
👉 Click here to support this newsroom

Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ is using a newly created unclaimed property office in western Oklahoma as a commuting hub to get back and forth to his office in the Capitol during the work week, according to GPS data from a state vehicle. 

Russ opened the Clinton office in June 2025 as part of a plan to give rural residents a place to ask questions about the state’s unclaimed property program, other than Oklahoma City. In December, he established another satellite office in Muskogee. One of the treasurer’s main job responsibilities is to administer the state’s $1.4 billion unclaimed property program. 

But Russ also appears to be using the Clinton office as a commuting hub, with hundreds of trips in a state vehicle to and from the unclaimed property office and the Capitol in Oklahoma City in the past year. 

Clinton is 85 miles from Oklahoma City. Russ lives in Cordell, about 15 miles south of Clinton. 

Russ, a Republican who was first elected treasurer in 2022, is running for re-election. He faces term-limited State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd in the June 16 GOP primary.  

Oklahoma Watch obtained GPS logs and fuel purchases tied to a 2024 Ford Expedition used by the treasurer’s office. More than 100 trips show the SUV reaching speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. The logs recorded more than 960 trips in the past year. 

State law requires an elected official or employee to obtain authorization from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to use a state vehicle for commuting. Russ’ office does not have authorization, according to responses to an open records request made in September and verified again on May 27.  

👉 Click here to read the full story

By Brinklee Stegall, Gaylord News

In one of Oklahoma's most closely contested Republican gubernatorial primaries in recent memory, President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Mike Mazzei came less than three weeks before voters head to the polls on June 16.

Before Friday’s endorsement, Mazzei, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former House Speaker Charles McCall and businessman Chip Keating were in a competitive race for the Republican nomination, with each candidate working to appeal to many of the same conservative voters. 

A NonDoc poll conducted May 21-25 showed just how tight the race had become, with Mazzei receiving 22.1 percent support, followed by Drummond at 21.7 percent, Keating at 21.4 percent, and McCall at 18.4 percent.

Allyson Shortle, a University of Oklahoma political science professor who helped conduct the survey, said the poll's most significant finding was the absence of a clear frontrunner. 

“The main takeaway was that there was no clear frontrunner in the race,” Shortle said.

The endorsement raised questions about whether Trump's backing could reshape an already competitive race or simply increase momentum that was already building behind Mazzei. 

Trump announced the endorsement on Truth Social on May 29, calling Mazzei a "MAGA Warrior" and saying he "will never let you down."

Mazzei later thanked Trump for the endorsement, calling it a "tremendous honor" and saying the campaign's mission remained the same.

Andrew Speno, a spokesperson for the Mazzei campaign, said Trump endorsed Mazzei because the two share similar conservative priorities.

“Donald Trump endorsed Mike Mazzei in this race because their conservative policy goals are aligned,” Speno said. “President Trump and Mike Mazzei both fight for lower taxes, fixing public schools, and a powerful economy that brings prosperity to everyone.”

👉 Click here to read the full story

Every morning, financial news follows the same script. Headlines panic, coverage catastrophises, and somewhere inside the noise is the story that actually matters — the one that tells you where the opportunity sits, not just where the fear is pointing.

Most sources have stopped looking. The alarm is easier to sell.

The Daily Upside was created by Wall Street insiders for readers who crave real insight over recycled anxiety. Five minutes of global business and finance, before the noise sets the agenda — just the facts, context, and analysis your decisions need.

Join 1M readers — including managing directors and principals at some of Wall Street’s largest institutions — who trust The Daily Upside to filter through the chaos.

The upsides are always there. We’ll find them before breakfast.

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Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:

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

• Another $1.2 million dumped into bitter AG's race (Tulsa World)*

• Advocates challenge the rejection of Oklahoma open primaries initiative petition (Oklahoma Voice)

• Family searching for answers after mother found dead in Oklahoma river (KFOR)

• After 5 years, Build in Tulsa says nearly $20M investment in entrepreneurs is paying off (The Oklahoma Eagle)

• AG, DA to announce criminal charges connected to TPS bond money (Tulsa World)*

• Oklahoma schools beat national average in student attendance, report finds (Oklahoma Voice)

• New Oklahoma law extends foster care support until age 21 (News On 6)

• deadCenter features go heavy on history, diversity, modern battles (Oklahoma City Free Press)

• After years of drought, Oklahoma raises cotton gin rates for first time since 1981 (KOSU)

• Shawnee Tribe acquires land in homelands, eyeing World Heritage Site protections (KOSU)

• City to provide $7.5 million to help keep major Tulsa Zoo exhibit construction going (Tulsa World)*

WCWS Finals, Game 1:
Texas 7, Texas Tech 3

Game 2:
7 p.m., ESPN

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