October 24, 2023 archive

Tulsa picked by Biden Administration to be a “tech hub”

  Tulsa is a “Tech Hub.” So said the Biden White House this week, a declaration that could lead to $75 million in federal funding. The city was one of 31 such Tech Hubs selected by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration. The chosen hubs are part of a $500 million government investment in …

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Europe’s weak economy pulls down crude oil prices

For a third straight trading session, crude oil prices dropped on Tuesday, largely because of the release of slow economic data from Germany and Britain weighed on the outlook for energy demand. There are increased signs that Europe might slip into recession. Oklahoma energy stocks were down as well. The U.S. benchmark, West Texas Intermediate …

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AG says Meta is “addictive”—files suit

Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Meta for knowingly designing and deploying harmful features on Instagram, Facebook and its other social media platforms that are addictive to children and teens. Meta also falsely assured the public that its platforms were safe for young users. The lawsuit is one of several filed across …

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Ongoing search in Oklahoma for “forever” chemicals

Oklahoma Water officials say so far, they’ve found only two cities in the state with elevated levels of suspected “forever” chemicals. Water Quality Division Director Shellie Chard with the DEQ identified the two cities as Nowata and Broken Arrow. However, she said their levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl or PFAS compounds are only a “smidge” …

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Williams Cos. makes it 156 straight quarters with a dividend

  The Williams Cos. continued its historic streak of dividends with an announced dividend of $0.4475 per share. The board of directors gave approval to the regular dividend which figures to be $1.79 annualized. It will be payable on Dec. 26 of this year, to holders of record at the close of business on Dec. …

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Quick reads

** The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to ban a toxic chemical that is used in cleaning and has become infamous for health effects, including cancer The EPA on Monday morning announced that it would propose a ban on trichloroethylene (TCE), which is used in making refrigerants and in dry cleaning. ** The White House …

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Governor’s Water Conference to focus on climate’s impact on state’s water sources

  The agenda is revealed for next month’s 2023 Oklahoma Governor’s Water Conference and Research Symposium. The November 29 event will begin with an opening session featuring Jennifer Castillo, Chair of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Gov. Kevin Stitt has been invited to speak but there is no confirmation he will attend. A panel featuring …

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Newspaper says ROFR should be killed in Illinois

  The same week that Oklahoma legislators listened to opponents and supporters of Right of First Refusual, the ability of electric utilities to deny competitive bidding on major transmission projects, Illinois lawmakers were urged to reject ROFR. The Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition spread the word that the Chicago Tribune editorial urged the legislature to stand …

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Colorado copies California’s EV mandate at auto dealers

  In less than 10 years, Colorado officials want 82% of dealer lots to include electric vehicles. They want to be like California. The vote by the state’s Air Quality Control Commission was an expansion of the state’s existing mandate and provides for increased EV sales by 2032. It also came as the Colorado Automobile …

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ONE Gas increases lending agreement

  ONE Gas revealed this week it increased its lending agreement from $1 billion to $1.2 billion. The increase agreement was made effective Oct. 20 with its revolving credit firm, the Bank of America, N.A. The agreement was revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “The Increase Agreement increases the aggregate commitments …

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