The push alert came through sometime around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Oklahoma State had hired its next football coach — and it was the guy we were hoping for.

The ‘we’ in this case is my good friend Jeremy Cook, co-host of the podcast called “Bedlam Buds,” which is currently incubated within the Oklahoma Memo universe. If you look up “Bedlam Buds” wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube, you’ll find us.

He’s a Cowboy, and I’m a Sooner.

The idea for the podcast was born from the fact that Bedlam (at least in football) is no more with Oklahoma in the SEC and Oklahoma State in the Big 12. We talk about all things OU and OSU as if we were catching each other up on the lives of long-lost brothers.

As for the “guy we were hoping for” part, well, Eric Morris was the coach we pegged as the best fit for Oklahoma State from Day 1. It was good to be right! You can see our full conversation about the hire in Story No. 3 in today’s newsletter.

There will be an abbreviated ‘Oklahoma Memo’ the next couple of days, so please do check your inbox. I’m grateful for each of you!

By Libby Hobbs, Tulsa Flyer
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This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful to be on dessert duty. I always bake a sour cream pound cake using a family recipe from my grandma’s grandma, but for those of you stuck on turkey duty, there is some good news.

There are widespread reports that grocery prices are down this Thanksgiving for the third year in a row. However, a lot of folks were without food assistance for part of November during the government shutdown, making it tough to shop for their holiday meals early.

You certainly aren’t alone if you’re looking for the best deals for your Thanksgiving feast. As the cost of living reporter for the Flyer, I have been brainstorming fun ways to talk about money. That’s why we created the series: What’s in your cart? 

We’re hoping to provide a glimpse of Tulsa’s cost of living by talking with people in different parts of town about what they’re buying. Or, rather, asking them — what’s in your cart? Check out our Halloween edition from last month at SpotLite Magic & Costumes. This month, I went to Oasis Fresh Market and checked in with some early bird Thanksgiving shoppers.

Click here to finish the story.

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

By Paul Monies, Oklahoma Watch
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Members of an investment board that manages Oklahoma’s $2 billion tobacco settlement trust have put five asset managers on notice over their voting policies on shareholder resolutions, largely because they won’t commit to so-called Oklahoma values on the votes. 

In a 4-0 vote, the TSET Board of Investors directed its investment consultant, Innovest, to ask the asset managers to instead use proxy voting advice from Vident Asset Management, a Georgia-based financial firm. The asset managers either use their own research for shareholder resolutions or one of the two major proxy-advisory firms, ISS or Glass Lewis.   

The vote on Wednesday was the latest attempt by Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ, chairman of the TSET investment board, to use the tobacco trust to push back against what he said was an overly activist shareholder voting process that allowed environmental, social and governance policies to run amok in corporate boardrooms. 

Click here to finish the story.

By Ryan Welton & Jeremy Cook, Oklahoma Memo
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Oklahoma State confirmed Thursday that North Texas coach Eric Morris will lead the Cowboys into a new era. The news followed an earlier report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Morris arrives with a strong offensive pedigree. North Texas finished this season with the nation’s No. 1 offense, powered by quarterback play that drew attention across college football. Before North Texas, Morris helped elevate Incarnate Word into an FCS contender and spent his playing days as a wideout under Mike Leach at Texas Tech — adding another branch to the Air Raid coaching tree.

Morris was also a coordinator at Washington State, recruiting John Mateer to play QB there. Mateer went on to quarterback Oklahoma.

OSU fans have reason for optimism. Morris brings quarterback development, Texas recruiting ties and a proven record of fast turnarounds. His system also aligns with the identity that powered much of OSU’s success in the Mike Gundy era.

What do you think of the hire?

This conversation is available on YouTube and wherever you get podcasts. Please subscribe, follow, and leave ‘Oklahoma Memo’ a 5-star review to help the podcast reach more people.

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

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

• Sooners remain No. 8 in latest College Football Playoff rankings (On3)

• Coal County Sheriff Jason Smith, Undersheriff Jesse Yother indicted by grand jury (NonDoc)

• OU College of International Studies professor released by ICE (OU Daily)

• After alleged sexual crime, two Owasso football players removed from roster (Tulsa World)*

• Connors State College basketball player dies days after suffering injury during game (KOCO)

• Criminal case against Epic Charter Schools co-founders back on track (The Oklahoman)*

• 'A cold case that is warming up': Missing woman’s case from 1989 advances with new DNA match (KOCO)

• OU student says Bible-based essay grade violated free-speech rights (The Oklahoman)*

• Most metro police protocols for monitoring Oklahoma interstates remain unchanged (Oklahoma Voice)

• State representative wants legislators' pay raises overturned (Tulsa World)*

• Lawmaker asks Oklahoma AG to weigh in on legality of board’s closed door discussions (Oklahoma Voice)

• Oklahoma Supreme Court tosses Bible lawsuit after education leader declines to enforce mandate (Oklahoma Voice)

• Emcee One talks Indigenous representation, spinning beats for Oklahoma City Thunder (KOSU)

• Landowner closes Black Mesa dinosaur track site to the public after trespassers cause concern (KGOU)

• Tulsans donate for Turkey Mountain surveillance cameras (Public Radio Tulsa)

• ‘Slipshod’ assessments led DA to request, receive resignation of Hughes County assessor (NonDoc)

• Cherokee Nation invests in north Tulsa with new community center (Tulsa Flyer)

• New shrine dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos opens at St. Thomas More (Tulsa Flyer)

• These Tulsans are trying to solve one of the city’s top code violations (Tulsa Flyer)

• Arrest warrant issued for Ardmore woman accused of killing husband (KXII)

Much cooler, but it gets very cold starting this weekend.

🌡️ Wednesday's high in OKC 50°
🌡️ Wednesday’s high in Tulsa 50°

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

✅ Save you time.
✅ Make you smarter.
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Message me anytime at [email protected].