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Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Dangerously hot. 104-105. ☀️
Poll results:
We received 180 votes on the Monday poll, “How much difference can a new school building make in student success?”
64 said, “A major difference”
78 said, “Some difference”
26 said, “Very little difference”
5 said, “No difference at all”
7 said, “I’m not sure.”
New poll question at the bottom of today’s newsletter. (You can also suggest a poll question by emailing me at [email protected].)
The Secret Documents: Attorneys Unveil Insurance Scheme
Reggie Whitten and Hannah Whitten pause for a photo in their office on Aug. 10, 2026. (Brent Fuchs/Oklahoma Watch)
By J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch
👉 Click to support their newsroom
In 1997, Allstate Insurance Company launched a test program in Albuquerque, N.M., titled the Claim Core Process Redesign, to modify its process for assessing wind- and hail-related roof damage claims.
In May that year, initial test results suggested wild success: claim payout costs had dropped by 50% or more, yielding greater savings for the company than originally predicted. A subsequent report comparing data from before, during, and after the test confirmed sharp reductions in costs and even more dramatic gains in the number of policyholders whose claims were closed without any payment at all.
Before the test, Allstate paid out on 75.9% of wind claims and 82.8% of hail claims. After the test, they paid out on 29.2% of wind claims and 11.1% of hail claims.
In other words, a whole lot more policyholders were having their claims denied entirely.
The initial reports on the Albuquerque test expressed giddy corporate excitement with big-font claims of “Awesome!” and “Wow!” next to profit data graphs, even as one document took quiet note of policyholders who had been denied.
“Initial customer feedback on the process has been positive, although there are some disappointed customers who expected full roof replacements,” the report read.
Details of the Albuquerque test came to light in the motions in a 2023 roof-claim lawsuit in Oklahoma, a case that aligns perfectly with the saga of roof claims that began to draw public attention when Oklahoma Watch broke the story of Hursh v. State Farm in December.
On May 21, 2022, a storm hit the Rogers County home of Laurie Edin and Thomas Utzig. An Allstate adjuster approved a replacement only to be overruled by remote Allstate managers. An independent adjuster estimated damages at $21,000; Edin and Utzig retained two Oklahoma City law firms: Whitten Burrage and The Marr Law Firm.
I'm 63 With $1.5M. Can I Spend $10K a Month?
You’ve saved $1.5 million. Now comes the real test.
Can it produce $10,000 a month, or will that pace drain your portfolio?
Most retirees do not get a clear answer until it is too late.
The issue is not just how much you have. It is whether your portfolio was built to pay you, not just grow.
That difference can determine whether your money lasts decades or starts breaking down early.
Sequence of returns, taxes on withdrawals, healthcare costs, and whether the 4% rule still applies all play a role.
Fiduciary advisors created a breakdown showing what drives sustainable income and why the same $1.5M can produce very different outcomes.
If you have $1M or more invested, do not guess.
The Oklahoma Rundown 📰
Editor’s note: Links requiring subscriptions have an *.
Here’s what’s happening in Oklahoma today:
Mazzei releases drug test in Oklahoma gubernatorial race. His opponent immediately cries foul (Oklahoma Voice)
Will data centers pay off for Oklahoma communities? It depends (KOSU)
Crews respond to liquid natural gas tank fire in Glenpool (KJRH)
Fire still burning after early-Monday lightning strike, explosion at Glenpool tank farm (Tulsa World)*
Double lightning strike torches Broken Arrow home under construction (Broken Arrow Sentinel)
Chandler couple seeks answers from OG&E over wildfire damage claim (News 9)
Oklahoma Ethics Commission investigating Seminole Republican's alleged 'improper behavior' (KOSU)
Boyfriend arrested months after woman’s body found in river near Jones (KOCO)
Father and son face charges in Choctaw County kidnapping (KXII)
OSBI investigating officer-involved shooting in LeFlore County (News 9)
Driver charged with manslaughter nearly one year after fatal I-35 crash (Guthrie News Page)
Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak arrested by Edmond police Friday night (Fox 25)
Oklahoma company that operates Iowa nursing homes faces second lawsuit alleging unpaid bills (Oklahoma Voice)
Long-running Cherokee Nation–UKB dispute continues as Biden, Trump get involved (KOSU)
Back to school in Tulsa means triple-digit heat, roadwork and extra patience. How should families prepare? (Tulsa Flyer)
OKC creates new pathway for homeless Oklahomans (KFOR)
Duncan switches water disinfectant due to train delays caused by wildfires (KSWO)
Asian business ownership in Tulsa is trending down. City commissioners want to help. (Tulsa Flyer)
Tea Cafe’s Viet Hoa Nguyen remembered as “amazing chef” (OU Daily)
Broken Arrow nature center trains citizen scientists to preserve firefly magic (Tulsa Flyer)
Guthrie High School classes canceled Tuesday due to air conditioning issue (Guthrie News Page)
Tuesday Poll
How confident are you that your insurance company would handle a storm-damage claim fairly?
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