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Wednesday, October 21, 2026 • Chamber of Commerce perfect. 76-78. ☀️
🏀 Thunder beat Spurs 116-104 to open the 2026-27 season ‼️
Poll results:
We received 210 votes on the Wednesday poll, “Should Oklahoma County voters approve a new sales tax to help pay for the $860 million jail project?”
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes, a new jail is badly needed (102)
🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ No, the county needs another funding plan (70)
🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ I need more information before deciding (38)
New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)
Construction begins on new labs in Tulsa for foundation created by Oklahoma opioid lawsuit
Don Kyle stands in the room he says will become his office at the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment once construction on the northeast Tulsa building is finished next year. The national foundation was created in a unique opioid settlement deal between Oklahoma and Purdue Pharma in 2019. (PHOTO by Ashtynn Caldwell, KOSU)
By Sierra Pfeifer, KOSU
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Oklahoma was the only state to settle an opioid lawsuit with Purdue Pharma before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019. The unique $270 million deal established an independent foundation focused on addiction research and treatment in Oklahoma.
Seven years later, its leaders are building office and laboratory space in Tulsa.
“When we have our grand opening, I want you to come back, and I want you to tell people, ‘They're doing exactly what he told me,’” said Don Kyle, motioning to the construction site around him in Sept. The building had no electricity and light streamed though its open windows.
Kyle, a former Purdue Pharma researcher, is the CEO of the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment, which received nearly $180 million from the settlement to promote “addiction studies, treatment and education.”
In his nearly five years as NCAST’s CEO, Kyle has accepted few requests to be interviewed, despite speculation about his foundation’s use of the money.
“We don't have any secrets. We're not trying to make money off of things. We don't have any shady deals with anybody, anywhere,” he said. “I'm showing you our building in the most raw form because I want you to see that we have a home, and we're going to fix it up.”
Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Purdue and other companies for their role in the opioid epidemic. The lawsuit argued the pharmaceutical giants were responsible for thousands of opioid deaths across Oklahoma, as well as the healthcare, law enforcement and treatment costs of the stateʼs addiction crisis.
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The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
Tulsa State Fair attendance holds steady as vendors cite high prices, weaker sales (The Oklahoma Eagle)
5 things we learned about Tulsa Police’s use of Flock Safety cameras, license plate readers (Tulsa Flyer)
Democratic Governors Association pledges half a million dollars to help Oklahoma's Cyndi Munson (KOSU)
Hundreds of pregnancy-related prosecutions in Oklahoma, report finds (Oklahoma Voice)
Bryan County pauses data center development for one year (KXII)
Judge dismisses Edmond mother’s motion arguing violation of speedy trial right (NonDoc)
Organizations team up to educate community members on domestic violence (KJRH)
Local cattle rancher grapples with potential loss of business to turnpike construction (KGOU)
Panel studies ways to make Oklahoma more attractive (Oklahoma Voice)
Oklahoma researchers study how to improve grassland conservation (KGOU)
Farmers and physicians gather in Edmond to advance food as medicine (KOCO)
Cleveland County deputy charged in deadly on-duty crash (KFOR)
Wednesday Poll
Should Oklahoma communities be allowed to temporarily block new data centers?
Explain this to me!
What’s happening in Oklahoma that doesn’t make sense to you? Send me your question. I may answer it here in Oklahoma Memo or turn it into a video.
Email: [email protected]
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